■*«irA,vv 



A FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW' 



OF THE SOTaNJCal 



IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES. '''"'''^'- 



Vol. V. No. 108. 



BARBADOS, JUNE 16, 1906. 



Price Id. 



C75 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

 Agriculture in the Leeward 

 Islands 185 



Barbados, Exports of ... 184 



Birds, Troublesome ... 18-1 

 Botanical Laljoratory, 



Jamaica 189 



Bush Fires, Prevention of 190 



Canning Pine-ajiple-s ... 

 Cassava Trials at Jamaica 

 Cart Tires, Width of ... 

 Ceylon, Exports of 



Citrons in Brine 



Citrus Fruit Growing ... 

 Cotton Notes ; — 



Conference of Cotton 

 Growers at Barbados 



Cotton in St. Kitt's ... 



Empire-grown Cotton 



St. Vincent Cotton ... 



West Indian Cotton ... 

 Department News 



177 

 18-3 



189 

 185 

 180 

 180 



182 

 181 

 181 

 181 

 181 

 189 



Gleanings 



... 188 



Honey for the Englisli 



Blarket .' ... 18(3 



Page. 



Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture and Agri- 

 cultural Education ... 189 

 Lime Industry in the 



West Indies 186 



Lime Nitrogen 191 



Market Reports 192 



Metayer System in 



Tuscany 18G 



Notes and Comments ... 184 



Poultry Notes 190 



Punjab Goats 184 



St. Vincent, Rainfall at 190 

 Sugar Industry : — 



Bourbon Cane 178 



Sugar-cane Experiments 



in Jamaica 185 



Sugar Production in 



Java 179 



West Indian Products ... 191 

 Wheat Flour, Composition 



of 185 



Witch Broom Disease of 



Cacao in Surinam ... 189 

 Yellow Fever, Prevention 



of ,.. 187 



Canning Pine-apples- 



N essential requirement for carrying on 

 a remunerative export trade in fresh 

 pine-apples is that there should be an 

 absolutely regular steamship communication between 

 the producing country and the nearest market. Any 

 long interval between the shipments when the crop is 

 ripening would mean that a large quantity of fruits 



would be thrown on the hands of the grower, of which 

 he might not be able to dispose. When such difficulties 

 arise, the possibilities of a canning factory naturally 

 come up for consideration. 



For some years a considerable trade has been 

 carried on at Antigua in the shipment of fresh 

 pine-apples. Thus, in the year 1902-3, 4,754 barrels 

 and 47 crates, of the value of £2,280, were exported. 

 The trade has not been a remunerative one and is in 

 danger of extinction. Recentlj', it has been suggested 

 that a small factory might possibly be erected in the 

 island for preserving and canning pine-apples. 



In order that a factory of suitable size could be 

 successfully operated, it would be absolutely essential 

 that a considerable area should be established in 

 pine-apples. Further, such a factory could not be run 

 without a regular supply of fruit exactly suited for the 

 purpose. Large canneries use from 25,000 to 50,000 

 pine-apples a da}'. It is suggested that a factory need 

 not necessarily confine itself to pine-apples. Smaller 

 factories that put up other fruit during the j'ear would 

 doubtless be able to take care of the supply of small 

 pine-apples or those which, for any reason, could not be 

 shipped in the fresh state. It is considered that the 

 establishment of canning factories on a large scale 

 would be opportune only where there is a fairly 

 abundant supply of cheap labour. 



There is no doubt that, where a good market exists 

 for the fresh fruit, it would be desirable that only the 

 smaller fruits, which could not be profitably exported, 

 should be retaiHed for preserving purposes. The prices 

 that a factory could offer for fruit of this class would be 



