308 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



OCTOBEK G, 1906 



WEST 



INDIAN 



FRUIT. 



ORANGE INDUSTRY OF SEVILLE. 



The following note on the oiange industry ot 

 Seville is extracted from the JJ. S. Monthly Consular 

 Reports: — 



Consul Bartleman, of Seville, makes a report on the 

 dwindling orange exports of that port. It would seem that 

 this would require more oranges from other countries to 

 supply European markets, and that the overproduction in 

 Florida and California could thus find an outlet. The letter 

 follows : — 



' According to the llevista Commercial, of Seville, the 

 disease which has raged among orangeries of this region is 

 responsible for the retrogressive movement in the exportation 

 of this fruit, which, although extensive in previous years, 

 amounted in the present but to a very limited number of 

 shipments. In the season 1900-1, 200,000 boxes of oranges 

 were shipped from Seville by water route, every year there- 

 fore .showing a greater decrease, the exportation in the 

 present year amounting to only S8,000 boxes.' 



SURINAM BANANA INDUSTRY. 



A circular has been is.sued, says the Demerara 

 Argosy, giving the following interesting information 

 regarding a banana export industry in Surinam : — 



A contract has recently been made between the Govern- 

 ment of Dutch Guiana and the United Fruit Company 

 regarding the purchase and delivery of bananas, and the 

 following terms have been agreed upon both by the Govern- 

 ment of the colony and planters combined on the one part, 

 and the United Fruit Company on the other : — 



The planters bind themselves to start planting bananas 

 on 2,-170 acres, and to increase within three years to 

 a minimum of 7,410 acres. 



For a minimum of 2t»,000 bunches a boat of the company 

 will proceed to Dutch Guiana to buy and transport the same. 



The service will be a fortnightly one, and later on, as 

 the supply increases, a weekly one. 



The prices for which bananas will be bought will be as 

 follows : — 



During the first two years there will be paid : — 



(a) For a bunch of hands, 3.5c. during the months of 

 March, April, May, .lune, November, and December; and 20c. 

 during the other months. 



(6) For bunches of S hands there will be paid 23c. 

 during the months of March, .\pril. May, .June, November, 

 and December; and 13c. during the other months. 



After the first two years for a bunch of 9 hands ; — 

 2.5c. in ]\Iarch, April, May, and June. 

 30c. in November and December. 

 20c. in the other months. 

 For a bunch of 8 hands : — 



23c. in ^larch, April, May, and June. 

 20c. in November and December. 

 13c. in the other months. 

 For a bunch of 7 hands : — 



17c. in March, April, May, June, November, and 



December. In the other months they are not 



wanted at all. 



This contract has to be approved by the Netherlands 



Government,and thelabour wanted will be importedfrom India. 



Thirty-six hours after arrival of steamers will be given 



to cut and transport tlie bananas. 



The prices quoted are American currency. 



CACAO IN THE GOLD COAST. 



The Aiiiiutd lifjinrt on the Gold Coast Colony 

 for 190.5 contains the following reference to the cacao 

 industry : — 



The amount of cacao exported during the past year was 

 less by 43,8-50 lb. than that e.xported cluring the previous 

 year ; the slight decrease was no doubt due to the exception- 

 ally dry season. The cultivation of this product has been 

 still further extended during the year under review, and it is 

 anticipated that the yield in 1906 will exceed the production 

 in 190-1, which amounted to 11,451,458 lb. No improvement 

 in the quality of this product is to be expected so long as the 

 merchants continue to pay a uniform price irrespective of 

 value. In this connexion the Superintendent of Agriculture 

 for British West .\frica, in reporting on the cacao industry, 

 recorded his opinion that ' the great obstacle to the produc- 

 tion of a better grade of cacao, as represented to me by the 

 native chiefs with whom I conversed, is the position taken 

 up by the Accra merchants, whose object appears to be to 

 keep the products of the country in a condition of inferiority 

 so as to prevent the growth of competition. The fact that 

 large money advances are paid out by them (the merchants) 

 to farmers against prospective crops is in itself a sure means 

 of checking any inducement to improve the quality ; but 

 apart from this, where no advances had been taken, the 

 cultivator appears to be in no better position owing to the 

 .system adojited of pooling purchases. It is clear that .so 

 long as the present conditions exist, there is little hope of 

 improvement.' 



