?0L. XVI. No. 393. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



155 



A RECORD OF AVERAGE PRICES. GRENADA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICUL- 



In the Times Trade Supi}Uinent\hom\oVL\ for April 191 , 

 is given in diagrammaiic form the fluctuations of the prin- 

 cipal markets daring the previous three months — January, 

 February, and March. These include cotton, wool, prices of 

 flax, hemp and jute; "il seeds and oil /soya) beans; butter 

 and cheese; sugar; price-! of feeding stuffs; meat prices; prices 

 of breadstuflfs; tea, coffee and cocoa prices— the fluctuations 

 in each case beina indicated by a chart. Of these commodities, 

 those which may be regarded as of more direct interest in the 

 West Indies >ire sugar, te^, coffee and cocoa. 



As re<"<rds sugar, which had been under discussion more 

 than any other staple during the past month, the chart shows 

 an absolutely unbroken .series of level lines throughout the 

 three months This article, as is well known, is under 

 Government control, but it is pointed out that the Govern- 

 ment control does not mean an unchanged price— the 

 price of maize, fur instance, within the month controlled, had 

 been advanced half-a-crown per quarter;— consequently, there 

 are other factors which have conduced to the maintenance of 

 a uniform price for .sugar during the three months under 

 review: sufficient supply, for example, hid throughout been 

 forthcoming at an unadvanced price. Imports since January 1 

 have exceeded the home consumption by 325,000 cwt., and 

 stocks have risen to 2,100.000 cwt. 



The prices of tea, coffee and cocoa, on the other hand, 

 show considerable fluctuaiion. During the month of January 

 tea remained normal, but from February 2 and throughout 

 that month the chart show§ a steady rise to 160s. per cwt., 

 at which figure the price remained normal to the end of 

 March. Coffee remained normal up to the middle of February; 

 then there appeir to have been a steady ri.se to the end of that 

 month, and fairly even normality from that point through- 

 out the month of March. In the case of cocoa, there is evidence 

 of a somewhat rapid rise shortly after the middle of January, 

 at which point prices remained level until February 2. when 

 therp was a gnid'nl and continuous ris" througlnnt the month 

 of February and up to the beginning of the last week in 

 March, from which point the line remained level. 



In regard to the fluctuations in these last thiee items, 

 the following observations are made: 'We seem to be using 

 tea at the rate of a million pounds weight daily, which is 

 a moderate quantity. As we have also reduced our exports, 

 things are not so bad, despite the fact that since January 1 

 we have received 1 9,000,000 ft. less than last season. The 

 excitement at the gr'icers' shops has no correlative on the 

 wholes tie market. The price of common lea has receded 

 a little from the advance induced by Governnjcnt intervention 

 in February, but owing to China tea being under bare 

 quality, grades generally are maintained at a high pnc. 

 As we apprehended, the uprush in common coffee wii< quietly 

 stayed. Its sales are good; consumption barely an ^.verage. 

 Fine cofi"ee is also cheaper; it is a luxury and aristocratic di nk 

 of a class that is now ecooomizing Nor does it attract the 

 munitioneer. Cocoa is dearer. The supply seems sufticient 

 for current wants. As we go to press we hear that without 

 price change, tea, coffee, and cocot are all a trifle in 

 buyers' favour ' 



TURE. 



Some interesting items appear in the Progress Report 

 on the work of the Grenada Department of Agriculture for 

 the quarter ended March 31, 1917. Weekly observations 

 on the prevalence of thrips, and the general conditions pre- 

 vailing in selected fields on four cacao estates were commenced. 

 There was also submitted a report on the results of a pre- 

 liminary trial of Sporotrichum globuliferum in thrips control 

 work. The results are stated to have been distinctly 

 encouraging, and are said to justify the trial of this fungus 

 under field conditions. The possibility of producing a local 

 supply of the fungus for further experimental work is receiving 

 attention, and the proposals for work in this connexion are 

 in due course to be submitted to the Board of Agriculture 

 for consideration. 



Work in connexion wiih the storage of corn his been 

 continued. Fumigation of the corn and germination tests 

 have been carried out at intervals. Records of this work 

 are being kept for publication on completion. The results 

 up to the time of writing in regard to the control of weevils 

 and grain moths, and preserving the vitality of the seed were 

 satisfactory. Germination tests conducted on samples of 

 seed from the bottom, middle and top of the bin, on March 

 27, gave an average viability percentage of 93. Arrange- 

 ments for the local distribution (jf the seed are being made. 

 Work in the Botanic Gardens during the quarter has 

 consisted in the usual routine work together with a good deal 

 of special work connected with the raising of plants for distri- 

 bution. Considerable activity has been shown in regard to 

 the raising of lime seedlings, and the propagation of budded 

 oranges and grafted mangoes has been continued. A large 

 quantity of coconut plants has been raised and distributed. 

 Particularly noticeable has been the large amount of beans 

 and peas distributed for planting. The demand for seed 

 of the horse bean {Canavalia endforiids) exceeded the supply. 

 Since the harvesting of the crop began over I ton of seed 

 had been distributed. 



Apart from special work in regard to pests and diseases, 

 the above are the principal features of what may be described 

 as the internal work of the Department for the quarter under 

 review. In the country districts considerable activity has been 

 shown by the instructors who have, in addition to doing 

 general instruction work in the several parishes been active 

 in working up the Prize holdings competition for the coming 

 year. Normal progress is reported in regard to land settle- 

 uients. In regard to cotton, a competition for encouraging 

 improvement in the cultivation of this crop in Carriacou has 

 been started and favourable progress is reported up to date. 

 The forestry inspection work in Grenada has been continued 

 during the quarter, and it is hoped to complete it during the 

 favourable weather prevailing at the time during which the 

 present report was compiled. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



Sir Francis Watts. K.C.M.G., D.Sc, Imperial 

 Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies, 

 returned to Barbados on May 14, 1917, after an official 

 visit to Jamaica in connexion with the establishment of 

 a sugar industry in that Colony. 8ii Francis Watts left 

 Barbados for this visit on February 19. 



A new book on drift seeds, entitled Plants, Seeds and 

 Currents in the West Indies and Azores, by H. B. Guppy (Wil- 

 liams and Norgate, 25s. net) has recently been well reviewed 

 in several publications. The Times refers to the exhaustive- 

 ness of the treatment of the subjects in this book as monti- 

 mental and the result as an indispensable authority tor all 

 future students of the subject. The Great Western Radway 

 Company, in England, hopes that the West Indian seed 

 drift will serve as an attraction to the Cornish shores on 

 which it is cast. This little point indicates the extensive 

 nature of the subject dealt with. 



