364 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 17, 1906, 



GLEANINGS. 



A sample of lemon grass oil was recently sent from 

 Montserrat to brokers in London, who valued it at i'ld. 

 They asked for a shipment of 500 lb., which they thought 

 might be disjio.sed of readily. 



The Agricultural Superintendent at St. V incent announces 

 for the benefit of growers of Sea Island cotton that the usual 

 proportion of lint to seed-cotton is at the rate of 23 Itj. to 

 26 lb. of the former to every 100 tt). of the latter. Unless 

 the cotton is thoroughly dried and well picked beforehand,, 

 there is usually a loss in ginning ranging from 2 lb. to -5 lb. 

 per 100 lb. of seed-cotton. 



The imports of bananas into the United States for the 

 eight months ending August 1906 were of the value of 

 $8,621,974, as compared with !?7,447,144 during the 

 corresponding period of 190-5. The countries contributing 

 are : Central America, 83,786,981 ; British West Indies, 

 $2,957,-523; Cuba, -$1,149,056; South America, -?309,404 ;. 

 other countries, !i?419,010. 



A three-weeks' course of lectures for operating distillers 

 and managers in direct conti ■ il of distilleries was held at the 

 Government Laboratory in -lamaica from October 23 to 

 November 13. This is the .second course of the kind held 

 in Jamaica. 



The Imperial Department of Agriculture has been asked 

 to supply the Queensland Department of Agriculture with 

 seeds of superior sorts of star apples and custard apples. The 

 Commissioner would be glad if any one having trees of 

 really good kinds of these fruits would forward seeds. 



The e.xports of sugar from Barbados during the period 

 January 1 to November 5, 1906, amounted to 49,864 tons, 

 as compared with an output of 41,043 tons during the same 

 period of 1905. Similar figures for molasses are 61,036 

 puncheons and 38,653 puncheons, respectively. 



The islands of Zanzibar and Pemba furni.sh approxi- 

 mately 90 per cent, of the clove crop of the world. This 

 year's crop will be a small one, due to extremely heavy rains 

 in Pemba, which usually furnishes about 65 per cent, of the 

 yield. The experts estimate a crop of 8,571 lb. {U. S. Gomular 

 Re2)orts. ) 



For the information of intending planters of the Central 

 American rubber tree (Castilloa elaslica) it may be mentioned 

 that seed is not available until April. Those persons 

 desirous of obtaining seed are requested to place orders with 

 the local officers of the Department in the several islands 

 early in the year. 



The Maritime Mercluint, of October 4, describes the 

 display of molasses shown by the Dominion Molasses 

 Company at the Halifax Exhibition. In large glass jars 

 were shown quantities of the principal grades of molasses. 

 In this collection there was practically a sample of molasses 

 produced in each of the West India Islands, which was of 

 interest as showing the various grades and qualities. 



The 



iue Jamaica Daily Telegraph announces that an 

 important scheme is on foot for the establishment of a large 

 coffee factory in mid-Clarendon. 'At pre.sent a very large 

 quantity of coti'ee is grown by the peasantry of upper- and 

 mid-Clarendon, but, owing to the unskilled preparation of 

 the produce for the market, they have not been able to make 

 the business a success.' 



Messrs. W. W. Gordon k Co., of Savannah, report on 

 November 2 : ' While the crop is moving, planters should 

 carefully select seed from the best and most vigorous stalks 

 for planting purposes next spring. We strongly urge the 

 importance of this cour.se upon those who desire to keep up 

 the quality of the staple of their cotton. Bales with extra 

 length or strength of staple command a premium.' 



In reference to the con.signment of ' millions ' by the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture for the Titchfield Hotel, 

 Jamaica (see A'/ricidtural JVewi, Vol. V, p. 268), the Secretary 

 of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, at whose request the 

 fish were sent, writes that the tanks at the hotel are now full 

 of them. He also states that he had been informed that 

 ' there has been a marked diminution of fever round about, 

 the " millions " evidently accounting for the mosquito larvae.' 



Mention was made in the Agricultural A^eios, Vol IV, 

 p. 377, of the fact that a trial of Jamaica tobacco was being 

 made in the navy. The Jamaica Board of Agriculture has 

 been informed by Mr. F. V. Chalmers, the tobacco expert, 

 that ' the blend of Jamaica and Virginia tobacco which had 

 been used experimentally in the navy would probably be 

 found suitable, and when the experiment was completed 

 they would probably want as much as 500 quintals of the 

 third quality at a cheap rate.' 



The Governor of the Canal Zone, Isthmus of Panama, 

 has written to the Government of Jamaica, intimating that 

 in conse<|uence of the high prices and scarcity of vegetables on 

 the Isthmus, he is desirous of securing quantities of fruit and 

 vegetables from Jamaica. It is possible that Barbados, whence 

 there are occasional direct opportunities for Colon, might 

 also participate in this trade. It may be stated that during 

 the year ended March 31, 1906, vegetables were exported 

 from Jamaica to the republic of Panama to the value 

 of J£,5,854. 



Messrs. Henry W. Frost & Co., of Savannah, report in 

 regard to Sea Island cotton on November 3, as follows : 

 ' Factors being very firm in their prices, an advance of Ic. 

 was paid, taking the entire offerings of odd bags at fine, 28c.; 

 fully fine, 29c.; extra fine, 31c. The receipts are small owing 

 to the shortness of the crop, and the market is very firm with 

 an effort on the part of factors further to advance prices. 

 The receipts are composed largely of parts of crop lots which 

 are being held for very high prices, say, 35c. to 40c. for 

 fully fine to extra fine, 50c. for extra fine, and 55c. to 60c. 

 for full extra fine. One crop of 70 bags, classing extra fine, 

 was sold this week for 50c.' 



