Vol. X. No. 231. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS 



79 



In connexion with canker, Fetch supports the employ- 

 ment of Bordeaux mixture as a preventive measure on badly 

 diseased estates, and there can be no doubt whatever, now 

 that the real nature of this disease and of die-back is known, 

 that experiments with this treatment are well worth trying. 

 In considering this point it should be remembered that, at 

 present, young Hevea plantations in the West Indies are, as 

 far as is known, entirely free from these di-seases; and though 

 it cannot be expected that they will always remain so, yet 

 every etfort may well be made to delay infection as long as 

 possible, and to keep it at a minimum when it does occur. 

 Furthermore, spraying would also be of considerable direct 

 advantage to cacao. 



ROOT DISEASE. In the Agricultural News, Vol. IX, 

 p. 36(5, a de.scription is given of the root disease of cacao, 

 together with a list of the other plants which the causative 

 fungus is able to attack. Interesting information has recently 

 been received from the Hon. G. S. Hud.son in St. Lucia, 

 which shows that there is very little doubt that this fungus 

 can attack Castilloa trees in addition to its numerous other 

 host plants. Shortly, the evidence showed that a Castilloa 

 tree, growing near a patch of cacao infected with root disease, 

 died suddenly, while on examination the characteristic white, 

 fan-shaped patches of mycelium were found between the 

 bark and wood of its roots. This information is interesting 

 but need cause no particular alarm, as it is only to be 

 expected that a semisaprophytic soil fungus such as is 

 responsible for this root disease, should attack almost any 

 host growing in its path. As has been mentioned already, 

 this is not the only root fungus common to several hosts, 

 among which cacao, Hevea and Castilloa are included. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPIOES ON THE LONDON 

 MARKET. 



Mr. J. R. Jackson. A.LS., has forwarded the fol- 

 lowing report on the London drug and spice market, 

 for the inonth of January : — 



The usual activity of Mincing Lane always suffers more 

 or less of a check at the Christmas holidays, and stock-taking 

 times, which extends for a week or a fortnight into the New 

 Year, consequently our report for January will cover a period 

 of but little more than half the month. It is .satisfactory 

 however, to know that even before the time of the renewal of 

 the regular auctions, a firm undertone prevailed, and the pros- 

 pects of future business was considered good — a prophesy 

 which has been confirmed at the time of writing. There was 

 nothing during the month, affecting the West Indies calling 

 for special comment. Buchu leaves still attract a considerable 

 amount of attention, 3s. per lb. being paid for short broad 

 leaves, which are still scarce. Rubber has ceased to attract, 

 fine hard Para being down to 5s. 2d per lb. In the matter of 



GINGER 



the markets started with a firm tone, becoming easier towards 

 the end of the month. In the middle of the month, some 117 

 packages Jamaica were offered and sold without reserve at 

 52s. to 53s. 6d. Cochin was represented by 466 bags, part 

 of which sold at 45s. per cwt. for common wormy rough; 

 sound Cochin was bought in at from 54.'.. to 55s. On the 

 25th, the offerings amounted to 229 barrels of Jamaica, 

 vbich were sold without reserve at 54s. to 56s, ()d. for 



medium scraped. Cochin was represented by 178 bags, sold 

 also without reserve at 49o. Qd. to 50s. for washed rough. 



NUTMEGS, MACE AND PIMENTO. 



Nutmegs were in slow demand at the beginning of the 

 month, but later the sales improved, 130 packages West 

 Indian being offered at one auction, and mostly disposed of 

 at the following rates: 57's at lid., 67's to 69's at 7d. to Sd. 

 72's to 75's at 5|rf. to 6i</., and other sizes in proportion. At 

 the first spice auction, there was a steady demand for West 

 Indian mace, 57 packages being disposed of, ordinary to fair 

 fetching 2s. to 2s. 2d. and good to fine 2s. 3d to 2s. 5c?. 

 Little or no alteration has taken place during the remainder 

 of the month. For pimento there has been a very slow 

 demand, nearly all the offerings being bought in at prices 

 averaging 2jcZ. per lb. 



,\RR0WR00T. 



At auction, the transactions in this article have lieen 

 unimportant. On the 18th of the month, 20 half-barrels of 

 Bermuda were offered and bought in at Is. 8c?. per lb. It 

 was stated that, privately, some 400 barrels of fair fine manu- 

 facturing St. Vincent had been disposed of at from '2d. to 

 3f (Z. per ft. 



SARSAPARILLA. 



At the first drug auction on the 12 th, sarsaparilla was 

 represented by 1 4 barrels of grey Jamaica, all of which were 

 disposed of at an advance of Id to 2d. per ft. on previous 

 prices, Is. 6d. to Is. 7rf being paid for ordinary, part mouldy 

 to fair. Out of 21 bales of Lima- Jamaica offered, 18 were 

 .sold, 12 fetching from lOhd. to lid per ft., and the remain- 

 ing six 9id to lOd per ft. Of native Jamaica the offerings 

 amounted to 34 bales, but only 8 were sold, the best red 

 fetching lOJd to lid, dull mixed 9c/., and mouldy Id. per ft. 

 Seventeen packages of Guatemala and Mexican and 4 pack- 

 ages of Honduras were also offered, but all were bought 

 in, the first at 9d and the last at Is. 3d. per ft. Later, it was 

 stated that the whole of the 17 packages of Guate- 

 mala and Mexican had been disposed of at l^-i. per lb. 



LIME JUICE, LIME OIL, KOLA, ETC. 



At the first spice sale, concentrated lime juice was firm 

 at £18 2s. 6cZ., and raw Wesi Indian was quoted at Is. to 

 Is. Id. per gallon. West Indian oil of lime, distilled, was 

 steady at from Is. 2d. to Is. 3d and hand pressed 5s. iid. 

 per ft. Kola was well represented at the auction on the 1 2th 

 of the month when some 38 packages were brought forward, 

 but only 12 were disposed of; 8 of these consisted of dried 

 Jamaica. Fair realized 3|d, dark 3Jd, and mouldy 2|d 

 The other 4 bags of West Indian fair but rather dark, 

 fetched 3-|d. per ft. The remainder were all bought in at 

 id. per ft. 



It is reported by the Imperial Trade Correspondent, 

 Brisbane, Australia, that the production of sugar in Queens- 

 land last year will probably constitute a record, the output 

 being estimated at 190,000 tons, with that in New South 

 Wales at 14,000 tons; in addition, a considerable quantity of 

 coloured and dark sugars was imported to be refined, from 

 Mauritius and .Java. The opinion is given that, with the 

 prospect of the control of the sugar industry being brought 

 under the Federal Government, there will be a considerable 

 expansion of the industry, so that Australia is likely to 

 become a sugar-exporting country. 



