342 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 3, 1917, 



SEA ISLAND COTTON MARKET 



The report of Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., on 

 Sea Island cotton in the Southern States, for the week 

 ending October 6, 1917, is as follows: — 



ISLANDS. The receipts to date are only 74 bales, of 

 which only a proportion has been put on the market. 



Factors, however, showed some disposition to sell provided 

 they could secure their asking price of 70c., equal to about 

 73c., c.i.f , and as a demand sprung up on this basis, sales 

 were made of about 200 bales, which have not been reported, 

 as these sales have to be filled from future receipts. 



This leaves no stock on the market, and with advices 

 from Savannah of an excited market there. Factors are 

 refusing to make further sales even at an advance of several 

 cents, preferring to wait until the cotton is received from 

 plantation. 



CrEoRGiAS AND FLORiD.is. Uuriug the Week there has 

 been a very general demand, resulting in some orders at 

 advancing prices. The limited receipts and otFerings being 

 insufficient to supply this demand, the market became 

 excited, and has advanced several cents, with Factors and 

 interior merchants holding for still higher prices. 



Unfortunately the mills have endeavoured to buy before 

 the cotton has been harvested and put on the market render- 

 ing all holders very bullish, and expectant of very h'gh 

 prices. 



The market closed strong at (juotations, with Factors 

 holding siill higher, namely, 



GEORGIAS AND FLORIDAS. 



Extra Choice to Fancy 72ic =75c., c.i.f. 



The exports from Savannah for the week were: to 

 Northern Mills 113 bales. Southern Mills 320 bales, and 

 from Jacksonville to Northern Mills -5.57 bales. 



The United States Census Bureau reports the amount 

 of Sea Island cotton ginned to September 2-5, as follows: — 



South Carolina 67 bales! 



Georgia 9,382 „ [-making a total of 18,731 bales 



Florida 9,282 „ j 



against last year 31,260 „ total crop 113,109 bales 

 „ 1915 19,094 „ „ „ 8.5,278 „ 



1914 13,895 „ ,. „ 78,857 „ 

 1913 10,555 „ „ „ 8.5,544 „ 

 The report rendered the market very firm, with all 

 holders expectant of higher prices, as crop estimates were 

 generally reduced, and now range around 100,000 bales for 

 the total crop. 



HOME DRYING OF FRUIT AND VEGE- 

 TABLES. 



Drying is the oldest method known of food preservation, 

 though it has been largely superseded in late years by the 

 method of sterilization by moist heat known as canning 

 There is no reason however why in the West Indies, especially 

 at the present time, when the desirability of avoiding waste 

 of food is so important, the older method should not be 

 resorted to much more frequently than is the case at present. 

 There are many advantages in this method; it is easy, cheap, 

 and effective, and small quantities of material may be dried 

 at a time without much equipment. Again, although the 

 colour, and in some .'ases the flavour, may be altered, there 

 is no loss in the nutiient properties of the food dried. 



Bulletin No. 2'.-lS of the f^epartment of Agriculture, 

 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the Preservation of 

 Foods, by Mrs. E. B. Binz, contains most useful directions 

 for drying as well as canning. Mutatis mutaniiis, her 



directions seem applicable to West Indian fruits and vege- 

 tables, and a resume of them, with occasional comments may 

 be useful to readers of this Journal. 



Foods may be dried in three ways, or by a combination 

 of the three. They may be dried by the heat of the sun, 

 and by the heat of a fire, or by hot air. The time required 

 for drying fruits or vegetables varies, and can only be judged 

 by practice. All fruits or vegetables to be dried should be 

 cut into slices, so as to be dried quickly. When properly 

 dried the vegetable products should not be so dry as to 

 crack or rattle, but should be leathery and pliable 



All dried fruit and vegetables should be 'conditioned', 

 that is the contents of the trays or boxes should be mixed 

 together daily for three or four days, any material found too 

 moist being subjected to further drying. 



Fruits and vegetables should be prepared for drying by 

 slicing them into segments from | to {-inch iu thickness; and 

 all material should be washed perfectly clean before slicing. 



Under the hot sun of the tropics sun-drying is probably 

 the most economical manner of procedure. Trays of any 

 size may be utilized. A very efficient tray can be constructed 

 by four sides of wood, about 3 inches deep, with a bottom 

 of galvanized iron meshing ' f |-inch mesh. The product to 

 be dried ought to be stirred on the tr lys two or three times 

 a day, and any thin pieces which may be quite dry removed 

 at each stirring. While exposed to the sun, the pioduct 

 must not be allowed to be wetted by rain The trays must 

 also be protected by maslin or mo.squito net from fruit flies 

 which attack all drying fruits in order to deposit their eggs, 

 and so cause the rotting of the fruit. If the trays can be 

 placed where a c irrent of air passes through them, while 

 they are at the same time subjected to the sun's heat, not 

 only will the colour of the product be better retained, but 

 the percentaiie of spoiled bits will be lessened. 



Mrs. Binz shows also how vegetable products maybe 

 dried over kitchen stoves or in ovens. With our West 

 Indian sun, however, these ought not to be necessary, but 

 reference may be made, if required, to Bulletin Xo. SJ/l, of 

 the United States Agricultural Department, which deals vrith 

 this. 



Mrs. Binz gives detailed treatment for many fruits and 

 vegetables of the temperate regions, but the above are the 

 principles on which all the treatment is founded. The 

 treatment of one or two vegetables, which are grown in the 

 West Indies also, are here given as examples. 



'Carrots. — Do not use carrots with a large woody core. 

 Wash, peel, slice lengthwi.se into pieces |-inch thick, and 

 dry.' 



'Pumpkins. — Cut sound, well grown specimens into 

 strips, and peel. Remove seeds and soft inner parts. Cut 

 strips into smaller bits, {-inch in breadth and 2 inches in 

 length, and dry.' 



The question of protection from rain is most important. 

 So also is the protection by gauze or mosquito net or fine 

 wire meshing from fruit Hies It is well to expose even the 

 sun-dried products to an oven heat of 110° C. for a few 

 minutes to guarantee thorough drying. 



The dried products may be stored by placing them in 

 light paper bags immedi.ttely they are cooled, twisting the 

 necks of the bags, then doubling them down and tying 

 tightly. 



To use these dried fruit or vegetables, it is necessary to 

 restore the water which has been evaporated from them. 

 They must be soaked in cold water for some time before 

 using. The water in which they have been soaked should 

 be used to cook them with. Once .soaked, dried fruit and 

 vegetables can be cooked in almost every way in which the 

 flesh ones are employed. 



