Vol. XVI. No. 404. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



335 



■should not be used on citrus trees; some consistent of it 

 •appears to penetrate the bark, and check the growth of 

 the cambium. Cavities which cannot be cut out should 

 •be cleaned, dressed with carbolineum, and filled with cement 

 to make a level surface for the bark to cover. 



As already indicated, when decay has invaded the base 

 •of the tree a permanent repair is no longer possible. The 

 •life of the remaining parts may, however, be much prolonged 

 in many cases, if it is considered worth while, by cleaning 

 and smoothing off the wood which remains sound, and 

 coaling it with a preservative. As the soil moisture greatly 

 hastens decay in this region, it is usually advisable to draw 

 away the earth from the crown, and keep its neighbourhood 

 clear of sheltering weeds. 



This report will be concluded in our next issue. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



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

 lowing report on the London drug and spice markets 

 for the month of August 1917:—^ 



In times of peace and prosperity the month of August 

 is always a period ( f slackness in the produce markets, as 

 well as in all other industries. Last year, however, the holiday 

 season was scarcely recognized, depression both in trade and 

 manufactures being general, but after the lapse of twelve 

 strenuous months, the necessity of some change from work 

 weariness has been felt, and though there has been a holiday 

 air among the people, the general tone of the produce 

 markets continues that of depression, with very few changes 

 either in supply or demand from our record for July. The 

 following are the chief items of interest. 



niN(iEE. 



Quite at the beginning of the month ginger was 

 represented at auction by 300 bags of fair washed rough 

 Cochin, all of which were bought in at 72s. per cwt: 128 

 bags of rough brown Calicut were also bought in at 70s 

 Good limed Japanese, of which 33G bags were offered, were 

 held at 45s., and for 100 bags of fair Sierra Leone 60s. 

 was asked. A fortnight later the sales and prices of ginger 

 were as follows: good common Jamaica 87s. 6c?. to 92s. 6rf., 

 and medium to good 95s. to 100s. Limed washed rough 

 Cochin fetched 65s., and brown rough Calicut was bought 

 in at 72s. At the last auction on the 29th there was a very 

 quiet market, when 300 bags of. washed rough Cochin 

 •were bought in at 70s., 17S packages of brown rough 

 Calicut at 65s., and 152 bags of limed Japanese at 45s. 

 per cwt. 



SARSAPAEILLA. 



The offerings of sarsaparilla at auction on the 23rd 

 of the month were as follows; grey Jamaica 31 bales, 

 Mexican 25, and native Jamaica 21. None of the grey 

 Jamaica was disposed of, but it was rumoured that the price 

 demanded was 3s. 9^^. Of the native Jamaica 14 bales 

 found purchasers, 2s. being paid for dull yellow, and 2s. 2d. 

 to 2s 3rf. for dull red to fair mi.Ked. Five bales of the 

 Mexican were also .sold, fetching Is -"'rf. per lb. 



CITRIC ACID, PIMENTO, LIME .JUICE, LIME OIL, TAMARINDS, 

 CASHEW NUTS, KOLA, AND NUTMEOS. 



At the opening of the month citric acid was quoted 

 at 3s, 3d to .3s 4d. per a. At the middle of the month, 

 owing to large arrivals, it became easier, and at the close it 

 had declined to 3s. 2W. to 3s. M. Pimento was represented 

 at the first auction, on the 2nd of the month by 253 bags, 

 all of which were bought in at from 3|d. to 3^-* per ft. 

 At the last auction on the .30th of the "month 1.50 bags 

 of fair quality were brought forward, but were all 

 bought in at 3s. \d. per R. Lime oil was reported in the 

 middle of the month to be somewhat easier. West Indian 

 distilled being obtainable at 7s. %d. per ft). Of lime juice 

 large stocks are reported as being on hand, 3s. per gallon 

 being asked for good Jamaica. New crop Barbados 

 tajnarinds were offered at the beginning of the month at 

 37s. 6d per cwt. in bond. A fortnight later a scarcity was 

 reported, and 40s. per cwt. in bond was demanded. Cashew 

 nuts were in abundance at the auction on the 23rd 

 of the month, 63 packages being offered, and 45 sold: 

 70s. per cwt. was the price demanded for the remain- 

 der. At the same auction 3 packages of West Indian 

 kola were offered, and one sold at 6(;. per lb. for fair 

 West Indian halves. At the last auction of the month, 

 namely the 30th, 460 packages of nutmegs from Java were 

 offered, and sold at an increase of from \d. to \\d. per BE), 

 on previous rates. At the same auction 150' bags of 

 pimento were offered, but were all bought in at 3^d 

 per R). 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture for the 

 West Indies returned to Barbados on Wednesday, 

 October 17, 1917, from an official visit to St. Vincent. 



Mr. W. No well, D.I.C., Mycologist on the Staff of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture, left Barbados 

 for St. Vincent on Wednesday, October 17, 1917, for the 

 purpose of investigating diseases of cotton and 

 other plants. Mr. Nowell is e.xpected to spend four 

 weeks in that island. 



A special appropriation has been made by the 

 Advisory Committee of the Department for Scientific 

 and Industrial Research, to enable the Imperial Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture to retain the services of Mr. S C. 

 Harland, B. Sc, Assistant Agricultural Superintendent, 

 St. Vincent, for the purpose of continuing special 

 investigations in relation to cotton. 



It is stated that the leading Swiss hydro-electrical works 

 are now in a po.sition to manufacture alcohol on a large scale 

 by the treatment of calcium carbide with hydrogen derived 

 from the electrolytic decomposition of water. These works 

 are so favourably situated as regards abundant water power 

 that they will be able to sell pure industrial alcohol at 

 •$10804 per metric ton of 2,204-6 Bb.. and a spirit of sncond 

 quality at .f 102'68 per metric ton — far less than the S^viss 

 Confederation now pays for imported spirit. (The Ve<funie'y 

 and EssKiilial Oil Record, August 1917.) 



