Vol. XVI. No. 40o. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



361 



In his report on agriculture in tiie Federated 

 Malay States in 191t3, the Director of Agriculture 

 states that with the co-operation of a number of estate 

 owners near Kuala Lumpur, who supplied seed at the 

 cost of collection and packing, shipments aggregating 

 2o tons were sent to a Hull iirm of oil seed crushers, 

 who have undertaken to advise on the economic possi- 

 bilities of the oil. and as to the plant necessary for 

 its extraction. It is not considered that it will be 

 ■economically possible to ship seed to the United 

 Kingdom to be crushed there, but that one or more 

 crushing plants might be established in the Federated 

 Malay Slates. The oil would be shipped to the United 

 Kingdom, the residue being used locally for cattle 

 feeding or agricultural purposes. In order to teat this 

 proposition a motor has been ordered to complete the 

 oil crushing plant which was installed by the Depart- 

 ment prior to the war, and it is hoped to carry out some 

 experimental crushings on a commercial scale in the 

 ■course of the present year. Investigations as to the 

 effect of prolonged storage on the oil content, and on the 

 .acidity of the seed are also being made by the Depart- 

 ment." 



Banana Fibre for Bag Making. 



The Chamber of t'onvmerce Journal, for October 

 1917, publishes an article on banana fibre for bag 

 making, which may be usefully reproduced in this 

 Journal: ' According to an American commerce report, 

 machinery has been brought to Honolulu from the 

 State of Washington by four men who are making an 

 investigation of the use of the fibre of the banana trunk 

 for bag making. The investigation was brought about 

 by announcements that the sugar planters of the 

 Hawaiian Islands, as well as those of other sugar- pro- 

 ducing countries, are faced with uncertainty concerning 

 steady shipments from Calcutta of bags to be used as 

 containers for raw sugar. Ever since bags have been 

 used by the Hawaiian sugar planters in exporting the 

 law product from the islands to the mainland of the 

 United States, the Hindu bags, which are made to 

 contain 12.5 tb. each, have proved to be satisfactory. 

 War conditions have caused the planters to cast about 

 for a substitute. Among the substitutes that have been 

 proposed is a barrel made of sugar bagasse. The keg 

 or barrel of this material is rigid, and is not so easily 

 or quickly handled or stowed away in the hold of a vessel 

 as a bag. There would also be the additional expense 

 involved in the return of the empty container, unless 

 it was otherwise disposed of The investigators find 

 that the banana stalk fibre is of the proper quality, but 

 they have also founrl that a laige number of banana 

 plantations comprise more or less the stubby plant 

 sometimes known as the Chinese banana. The 

 Bluefield banana was introduced into Hawaii about 

 ten jears ago, and is flourishing, but has not by any 

 means displaced the stubby and sturdy Chinese type, 

 which appears to be satisfactory to the growers, who 

 are principally Chinese. The investigators, while not 

 having compleleif their inquiries, arc satisfied that the 

 industry will be established in Honolulu.' 



Red Pepper Trade of South India. 



According to an article in the Journal of tlie- 

 Societij of Arts, February 16, 1917, red peppers 

 (chillies) are most frequently grown in the Presidency 

 of Madras as borders to fields, or as lines through fields. 

 The commonest form is Capsicum annuum, to which 

 species the large long Capsicums belong. The variety 

 cultivated in Madras is from 2 to 3 inches long, with 

 a thick skin and a heavy stem. When bright-red pods 

 are secured, after drying and grinding a good coloured 

 powder of considerable strength is produced. The 

 surplus crop of chillies, or that not used for domestic 

 consumption in the fresh state, is thus dried and 

 exported. 



The shipments to all countries in the year ended 

 March 31, 191(3, amounted to 8,0.50,911 ft., valued at 

 £102,100. The yearly crop in South India is estimated 

 at about 4,000 tons. Red pepper is much used in India 

 in curries and pickles and many other food preparations 

 by every class of the community. 



^ 



Prices of Essential Oils. 



The Perfumery and Essential Oil Record, tor 

 August 1917, contains an article which gives' an 

 analysis and comparison of the fluctuations in price of 

 essential oils, and allied articles from 1914 to the 

 present year. Some of these products are largely 

 obtained, from the West Indies, and in nearly every 

 instance the prices on the market have risen very much 

 since the beginning of the war. This was inevitable, 

 owing to such conditions as restriction of trarie wi;h 

 the enemy, and shortage of freight carriers. 



Taking West Indian essential oils alphabetically, 

 it is noticeable that the price of ba^- oil fluctuated 

 ver}' much. In July 1914, it fetched in London 10.«. 

 per lb. rising to 12.s. in August, and declining to 

 lO.s. 6f?. by the end of the year. It then rose to 1.5.s. 

 in 191-5, and after some minor fluctuations in 1916 

 settled down to 12s. (Jd during the first half of 1917. 



The prices of lime oil have fluctuated also very 

 considerably. In August 1914, distilled lime oil was 

 being sold at Ss. 9d. per ft., while hand-pressed oil was 

 fetching lis. Reduced shipments caused a shortage 

 in the market in 191.5, especially of distilled oil, the 

 price of which rose to 9s. per ftj., while that of the hand- 

 pressed article fell to 9s. (id. Subsequently however, 

 the price of the latter rose to a veiy high figure, and 

 it remains at 16s. per ft., the distilled oil now fetching JS*. 



Orange oil, which is produced to some extent ia 

 Jamaica and Dominica has shared in the rise of price, 

 having gone up from 8s. per ft. in 1914 to 11.?. at the 

 present lime. 



Among allied articles, in the production of which 

 it is hoped the West Indies will soon share, is thymol, 

 which is obtained from the seeds of Carum copticum, 

 or ajowan. Experiments are being conducted on this 

 plant in several Experiment Stations of these islands 

 with a view 10 ascertaining its suitability for cultivatioQ 

 in the West Indies. This article has risen enormously 

 in price, for whereas it was only 9s. per ft. in July 

 1914, it rose in August to 2.5.S., and fetches 48«. at the 

 present time. 



