ToL. V. No. 98. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



25- 



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Agriculture in Grenada. 



Elsewhere in these columns there is published 

 a brief review, from the Annual Rrjiurt on Grenada 

 for 1904, of the agricultural industries of the colony. 

 It will be seen that the cacao crop of 1904 was the 

 largest on record, being 67,225 bags, or 7,564 bags in 

 e.xeess of the average for the last five years. The 

 output of spices was less than in the preceding year. 



In regard to the e.xports of cacao, it is mentioned 

 that there is legitimate ground for a hopeful outlook 

 for the future of the colony's main product on account 

 of steady improvement in the French and American 

 markets. 



The quantity of sugar made is inadequate both 

 in quality and quantity to the wants of the population, 

 and both refined and muscovado sugar have to be 

 imported. 



Agriculture in the Bahamas. 



The Annual Report on the Bahamas for 1904-5 

 briefly reviews the efforts of the recently established 

 Board of Agriculture for the promotion of the agri- 

 cultural interests of the colony. 



Sea Island cotton seed was obtained from the 

 United States and the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 culture and distributed in the out-islands. During the 

 year the Board made experimental shipments of grape 

 fruit and oranges to the United Kingdom and Canada. 



In consequence of disquieting reports as to the 

 exhaustion of the sponge beds, a Sponge Fisheries 

 Board was appointed and has been engaged in obtain- 

 ing information as to the regulation of the sponge 

 fisheries on the coasts of Cuba and Florida. 



The principal exports of the colon}" are sisal hemp, 

 fruit, and sponges. The fruit consisted of pine-apples, 

 oranges, and grape fruit. The values of the exports 

 of these products in the year 1904-5 were: sisal hemp, 

 £29,557; pine-apples, £22,616: oranges, £338; grape 

 fruit, £1,374; and sponges, £105,718. There were 

 also exported 65,250 cases of canned fruits, of the value 

 of £13,124. 



Exports of Trinidad. 



It is stated in the Animal Report on Trinidad 

 for 1904-5 that the year's sugar crop was a very short 

 one, in consequence of a dry season. Owing, however, 

 to good prices, the total value of the sugar exports 

 show a large increase over that of the previous year's 

 crop. It is satisfactory to observe that there has been 

 increased activity in sugar cultivation, and there 

 seems no doubt that sugar will continue to hold its 

 own. 



Cacao, in spite of low prices, continues to be by 

 far the most important export, the value of the 

 shipments in 1904-5 being £1,053,886, or nearly one- 

 fourth of the total value of the colony's exports. Sugar 

 stands second with £723,048. 



The shipments of asphalt during the year (valued 

 at £149,010) show a heavy decrease in value of 

 £55,000, due largely to the recent conflict between 

 various asphalt interests in the United States and the 

 exploitation by them of rival sources of supply. 



Produce Inspection at Bermuda. 



The report has just been issued of a Commission! 

 appointed in Bermuda in July last to inquire into the 

 causes of the unsatisfactory condition of the colony's- 

 export trade and to report what amendments should 

 be made in the Produce Inspection Act, 1890. 



The Commission found that the causes of the 

 agriculttiral depression during the crop season 1904-5- 

 were: (1) over-production ; (2) holding back of the crop- 

 for better prices ; (3) lateness of crop ; (4) competition 

 of Texan and Egyptian onions in the New York 

 market ; (5) low prices in that market ; and (6) the 

 state in which a large part of the produce, particularly 

 onions, was shipped. 



It is submitted that the first five of these causes 

 can be dealt with only by co-operation and combination 

 on the part of growers and shippers. 



With regard to the last cause, the Commissioners 

 'are unanimously and clearly of opinion that, in the 

 most imjwrtant matter of the quality of onions and 

 potatos, legislation of an effective character would not 

 only prove advantageous but is essential. . . We have 

 therefore prepared a draft Bill dealing with the subject 

 of produce inspection.' 



The Commissioners further report that they are 

 of opinion that ' it is only by a system which involves 

 the infliction of punishments of various degrees of 

 severity that inspection can be made effectual.' 



Lemons in Jamaica. 



According to an interesting article in the 

 December issue of the Journal of the Jamaica 

 Agricultural Society, the growing of lemons has not, 

 so far, proved profitable in Jamaica. It would appear 

 that there are several reasons for this : first, the fruit 

 has been shipped in the winter time, whereas the 

 period of greatest demand is from April to September ; 

 secondly, the fruit has been shipped as it has been 

 gathered from the tree, that is, without having under- 

 gone the necessar}' curing process. Jamaica lemons 

 sent to the recent Colonial Exhibition were disposed 

 of without difficulty and very favourably reported upon. 

 Lemons sent to England in the right season would, it 

 is stated, find a ready demand at from 10s. to 15.S. per 

 standard Florida case. 



The lemon tree grows as well as the orange in 

 Jamaica, where it thrives best on hill-sides. The 

 blossoms should be encouraged to come in the autumn 

 by picking off' any flowers that come out at any other 

 time. 



'The lemons should be picked just when they 

 begin to lose their greenness. They should then be put 

 in a heap on the floor of the packing house and covered 

 with blankets for a few days. Then wiped dry and 

 packed.' The fruit must be carefully graded as to size. 



In Sicily the fruit is sorted into three classes : 



(1) the largest, finest, and healthiest in appearance ; 



(2) sound fruit of good quality ; and (3) deformed,, 

 withered, and dwarfed fruit. The proportions falling 

 into these three classes will vary according to locality,, 

 treatment of the trees, and the weather. 



