100 



THE AGEICULTUEAL NEWS. 



March 31, 190G. 



WEST 



INDIAN 



FRUIT. 



A SUPERIOR ORANGE. 



The following information has been received from 

 Sir W. T. Thiseiton-Dyer, K.C.M.G., with regard to 

 a superior orange known amongst the Chinese, as ' Tim 

 Kom.' This is described in the Hong Kong Report 

 for 1886 as follows : — 



I inspected plantations of the orange which ilr. Henry 

 mentions in Ling-Nam. It is known by the name 'Tim 

 Kom.' No orange which I have tasted in China equals it 

 for sweetness ; it is also very juicy and of a fine flavour. 

 Amongst the foreign community, I believe this orange is not 

 so well known as it deserves to be. It has a high market 

 value, the price in Hong Kong being 13c. per %. 



COOL STORAGE FOR FRUIT. 



The following information respecting the facilities 

 ■offered by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company for 

 cai'rying fresh tropical fruit between the West Indies 

 and the United Kingdoro will be of interest : — ■ 



AVe have the jileasure to inform you that under date 

 'March 3, last, we are informed by the company that the 

 installation of Hall's system of cool storage for carrying fruit 

 on board the ' Tagus,' ' Trent,' ' Atrato,' and ' Orinoco' is 

 now completed. 



With regard to the S.S. ' La Plata,' we are informed 

 that the work of insulating this vessel would be commenced 

 innnediately on her arrival in England, and will be completed 

 ■on her ne.xt return. 



TOMATOS IN CUBA. 



Information as to the efforts that are being made 

 "to increase the cultivation of tomatos in Cuba is given 

 in Bulletin Xo. 4 of the Central Station of Agri- 

 culture: — 



Already in a few sections, the growing of tomatos for 

 ■exportation to the United States is becoming the leading 

 industry for the winter months. Some good varieties have 

 been introduced, and, wherever grown on a commercial scale. 

 Lave proved jirofitable. 



The length of time required, from the sowing cjf the 

 seed until the tomatos begin to ripen, seems to vary with the 

 variety, the season of the year, and the soil. 



Seed should be sown early in September, if the tomatos 

 are wanted for the Christmas market. It is sown thickly in 

 well-prepared beds. When the plants are about 2 inches 

 high, they are transplanted into other beds, where they are 

 carefully shaded from the direct sun, and watered. When 

 they reach a height of from 8 to 10 inches, thej' can be 

 planted into their pei;manent positions. 



Extensive experiments have been carried out at the 

 Experiment Station with artificial manures, and with 

 different varieties ■nith the view of testing their productive- 

 ness. Four varieties produced excellent results, under tlie 

 conditions prevailing in Cu1>a, and their yields were estimated 

 as ranging from 10,128 lb. to 17,533 Bb. per acre. 



Tomatos seem likely to prove a profitable crop in Cuba, 

 and there is no rea.son why the growing of this fruit should 

 not prove a profitable minor industry to many of the West 

 Indian Islands, other than Cuba, provided that good 

 varieties are carefully cultivated, and that shijiping facilities 

 to the United States could be obtained. 



HINTS ON ORANGE CULTIVATION. 



In the Jamaica (Heaner for February 1, 1906, the 

 following suggestions for promoting the earlier ripening 

 of oranges are embodied in a letter to the Colonial 

 Secretary from the Director of Public CJardens and 

 Plantations: — 



(1) llemoval of all fiuit late in October or early in 

 Xovtniber. 



(2) Piemoval at the same time from the trees of all 

 dead wood, lichens, moss, and other growths — this, of course, 

 should be also done throughout the year. 



(3) Opening up the main roots for 1 foot or 18 inches 

 from the stem, and removing the soil from them. 



(i) Application of lime on surface of ground from stem 

 as far as branches extend ; all the above work to be finished 

 during November. 



(-5) Forking up the soil in December for a breadth of 

 1 foot all round the tree just outside the extremities of the 

 rootsystem, and application of wood-ashes, bones, and 

 a little well-rotted pen manure to it, or the equivalent in 

 commercial fertilizers. 



(G) Maintaining a mulch of grass, etc., from .lanuary 

 until the fruit is full, and then removing it. 



(7) Irrigation, whenever possible, by using waste 

 water, etc., during the same months that the mulch is used. 



(8) Thinning out the fruit by one-half, when they are 

 about the size of marbles. 



