Vol,. XVI. Xo. 408. 



THE AGRICULTURAL .VEWS. 



399 



Fifty casks of concentrated lime juice were shipped from 

 the Government Lime Juice Factory: 30 more await ship- 

 ment. A report on the agricultural teaching requirements 

 of the colony has been submitted by the Agricultural 

 Superintendent. 



The rainfall recorded at the Botanic Gardens, Castries, 

 for the month was 893 inches, and at the Agricultural 

 and Botanic Stations, 844 inches. 



In a further report for Xovember, Mr. Brooks describes 

 work of a general routine nature both in the E.tperiment and 

 Botanic Stations. Plant distribution included 2,400 lime 

 plants, 8 grafted mangoes, 7 budded oranges, and 1 7 orna- 

 mental plants. There were also distributed 19 packets of 

 vegetable seeds. 



Touching staple crops, the cacao crop and second crop of 

 limes are being reaped, and reaping operations have also 

 commenced in respect to sugar. Thirty-nine casks of 

 concentrated lime juice, and 16 cases of distilled lime oil 

 ■were shipped during the month from the Government Factory, 

 while 29 casks of concentrated lime juice await shipment, 

 Mr. Meaden, of the Agricultural Department, Trinidad, 

 arrived in the island to study the management and working 

 of the Government Lime Juice Factory. 



The Agricultural Superintendent spent the greater 

 portion of the month in Trinidad, where he visited various 

 •estates and lime factories, and studied the working of the 

 large coco-nut oil factories on the Windward coast. Much 

 information has been gained, which should prove serviceable 

 if a similar factory be erected in St. Lucia. 



The rainfall recorded at the Botanic Gardens, Castries, 

 for the month was 380 inches; and at the Agricultural and 

 Botanic Station, Choiseul, 223 inches. 



St. vixcENT. Mr. W. N. Sands reports work of 

 a general routine nature in the Botanic Gardens during the 

 month of November, including an experiment to ascertain 

 the purity of the selections of B. S. strain of cotton, before 

 the next planting season. The weather was fairly dry, but 

 suitable for ripening of cotton, which was opening up well 

 in most districts.. Bush bugs continue to cause damage iu 

 certain localities. Striking results of the beneficial effort of 

 the campaign against the cotton stainer were evident. This 

 will be the subject of a special report in due course. Ginning 

 of the new cotton crop has been started, and the reaping of 

 arrowroot is in full swing. A further shipment to England 

 of 3.5 tons of kiln dried corn was made. This is evi- 

 dence of the success that has attended the praiseworthy 

 efforts put forth in St. Vincent to stimulate interest in the 

 production of local food crops, and of the whole hearted 

 response which has been made by the people of that colony, 

 and which is worthy of emulation by other colonies. 



Appended to this report is a summary of work under- 

 taken in conjunction with the ilycologist and Entomologist 

 of this I)epartment, in connexion with study of bush bugs 

 and other pests, and diseases of cotton and limes. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



Mr. J. K. .Jack.son, A.L.S., has forwarded the fol- 

 lowing report on the London drug and spice markets 

 for the month of (October 1917:— 



There is but little or no chan^^e to report on the condi- 

 tion of the London produce markets during the month of 

 '■October from that of our report for Sept'jm^ier. Consider- 



ing the dangers and ditiiculties in import traffic business, 

 on the whole it is remarkably well maintained. Purchases, 

 however, are being nude only in such goods, and in such 

 quantities, as are absolutely necessary to meet current require- 

 ments, with very slight variations either in bulk or prices. 

 Of those that may be specially noted as commanding higher 

 rates are mace and kola. 



UISGER. 



At the first spice auction on the 4th of the month, it 

 was stated that some small sales of Sierra Leone ginger had 

 been made in Liverpool at 49s. per cwt. A week later ia 

 the London market the prices stood thus: washed Cochia 

 68s. to 70s.; Sierra Leone, of which 104 bags were offered 

 fetched ■57s. to 58s. for fair. The following were also offered, 

 and bought in, 198 bags of fair limed .Japane.se at 47.s., 34-5 

 bags of Cochin at 70s., and 7-5s. for brown rough Calicut. 

 At the last spice auction in London on the 2.5th of the month, 

 268 bags of rough washed Cochin were bought in at 70.5. 

 There were also offered 172 bales and 120 baskets of good 

 brown Calicut, all of which were bought in at 67s. per cwt. 

 Mace was also in good supply at auction on the 11th of the 

 month, when 19 cases of .lava were offered and sold, 3s, 3c?. 

 per B). being paid for fair curly pale red, ordinary fetching 

 3.*., and pickings 2s. lOd. At the last spice auction on 

 the 24th of the month, mace was represented by a full 

 supply of West Indian, 21 barrels of which fetched 2s. 7d. 

 per fc. for broken and pickings. Fifteen packages of broken 

 and mixed Macassar fetched without reserve 2 s. Id. to 

 2s. \\d. per B). 



.SAESAPARttLA. 



This drug has been in good supply but in very little 

 demand. At auction on the I8th the offerings we.e a» 

 follows: grey Jamaica 16 packages, Lima-.Jamaica 1.3, 

 native Jamaica 8, and Honduras 3. The only siles effected 

 were for 4 bales of the Lima-.Jauiaica, which fetched 3s. :id. 

 per fc. The grey .lamaica was withdrawn at 4s. per B). 

 It was stated that some private sales had been effected with 

 some of the native Jamaica at 2s. 3d. per lb. 



ARROWROOT, LIME .JUICE, PIMENTO, KOLA, CITP.IC ACID, 

 CA.*HEW NUTS, and CASSIA FLSTUL.A. 



At the beginning of the month the quotation for 

 arrowroot was ojcf. per K). for ordinary manufacturing 

 St. Vincent. A week later it was stated that 200 barrels of 

 St. Vincent had arrived, which was being disposed of at .51^. 

 to Qhd. per B). 



Owing to the demand for lime juice by the Govern- 

 ment, together with a reported decrease in the import, aa 

 advance of 3d. per gallon was made in the early part of the 

 month, and 3s. 3d. to 3s. 6i^. per gallon was asked for good 

 quality juice. At the close of the month it was reported 

 that as much as 3s. 9d. was being asked for fine pale raw 

 juice. Pimento was in quiet demand at the beginning of 

 the month at id. per B). At auction at the close of the 

 month some 500 bales were offered and disposed of at i^d. 

 per B). Kola was represented at auction on the 18th of the 

 month by 313 packages, 62 packages only finding buyers at 

 an advance of 2d. per B). on previous rates, good bright .Java 

 fetching Shd per lb.; lOd. was asked for some good Java 

 halves, while 2 bags from Dominica of fair quality 

 sold at S^d. per B). Citric acid has maintained a steady sa'e 

 at 3s. 3d. per lb. throughout the month. Cashew nuts were 

 represented at auction on the 18th of the month by 12 

 packages, all of which were disposed of privately. Xineteen 

 packages of Cassia Fistula pods were also brought forward at 

 the same auctior, but failed to find a buyer. 



