Vol. V. No. 113. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



263 



TOBACCO FROM JAMAICA. 



The Bidletln of the Impvrud Institute (Vol. IV, 

 no. 2) has the following report on a sample of tobacco 

 sent to the Imperial Institute b}- the Director of Public 

 Gardens and Plantations in Jamaica. This tobacco 

 was grown experimentally under shade cloth during 

 the season 1904-5 from Sumatra seed : — 



The sample consisted of six leaves of the ' wrapper ' 

 type of cigar tobacco, showing a dull, olive-brown tint. The 

 leaves were of fair length, uniform in colour, thin, and free 

 from ' stains ' and ' burns.' They were somewhat brittle 

 when handled, but this was probably due to their having 

 been packed between sheets of card-board, which had absorbed 

 the moisture, rendering the leaves abnormally dry. 



When ignited, tlie tobacco burned evenly and steadily, 

 evolving a fairly fragrant aroma and leaving a greyish-white 

 ash. 



As the sample was very small, it was impossible to 

 submit it to chemical examination. It was therefore sent to 

 a firm of tobacco experts to be tried for wrapping cigars, and 

 for the determination of its commercial value. The experts' 

 report on the tobacco was as follows : — 



'The tobacco is of very handsome appearance, thin in 

 texture, and therefore highly productive as a " wrapper " for 

 tobacco ; in use it is somewhat " tender " and does not appear 

 to have quite as much elasticity as Sumatra tobacco of 

 similar texture ; the burning is very fair, and the flavour not 

 unsatisfactory. Similar tobacco, well put up, would fetch on 

 the English market up to about 3s. per lb. for first lengths, 

 say, 2s. 3rf. per lb. for the second lengths, and from Is. 3d to 

 Is. 6c/. per ft. for the third lengths. 



' We feel sure that the soil and climate which have 

 produced this tobacco are suitable for growuig " wrapper " 

 tobacco equal to most in the world, and if labour is plentiful 

 and cheap and the area of suitable ground large enough, 

 there is a chance in time of this district of Jamaica becoming 

 a serious competitor of Borneo, Sumatra, and .Java.' 



The experts also suggest that it might be worth while to 

 carry out a similar cultivation experiment in Jamaica with 

 •lava tobacco, as this would probably yield a ' wrapper ' leaf 

 which would be stronger in texture and of even better flavour 

 than the present sample. 



The results of the experts' trial of this tobacco show that 

 it is of good quality, and that if a similar quality can be 

 placed on the English market in quantity, it will probably 

 realize remunerative prices. 



PLANTING YOUNG TREES TOO DEEPLY. 



Mr. VV. J. Thompson communicates to the BuUetin 

 of the Department of Agriculture, Jamaica (July) 

 an interesting article entitled ' Planting of hard and 

 soft- wooded plants.' It is pointed out that planters 

 appear to fail to recognize that hard-wcoded plants, 

 like cacao and oranges, require very different treatment 

 to what is required by such plants as sugar-cane and 

 bananas. The following is a brief summary of the 

 article : — 



In many cases where cacao or orange plants are sickly 

 or not fruiting, the trouble can be attributed to the fact that 

 the plants have been set too deeply in the soil. Such trees 

 have been found, on examination, to have their bases from 

 3 to 12 inches below the surface of the ground. It is true 

 that nature comes to the trees' assistance, causing young 

 roots to be formed just below the surface of the ground, but 



these surface roots do not compensate for the loss of the 

 natural upper roots, which have died off on account of being 

 deprived of light and air. Too much time and care cannot 

 be given to the proper planting of these hard-wooded plants. 



Care should be taken to see that, when the soil has 

 finally settled down, the base of the plant should be level 

 with the surrounding ground. Frequently, young plants are 

 placed out in a kind of shallow basin. This is responsible 

 for a large percentage of plants not giving satisfactory results. 



The way to prevent the plant from settling down too 

 low is to leave the cultivated soil 6 inches higher than the 

 surrounding ground when the plants are set out. When 

 transplanting the young cacao plants, care should be taken to 

 remove a little of the .surface soil till the base of the young 

 plant is reached. After this is found, make a small hole in 

 the raised soil and put in the young plant just deep enough 

 for its base to be on a level with the raised soil. 



This may seem a small matter to some peo^ile, but it is 

 estimated that one-fourth of the young trees planted out each 

 year die, and that the fruiting trees are yielding only 40 per 

 cent, as much cacao as they should, through the trees being 

 planted too deeply. 



AGRICULTURE IN SURINAM. 



The Consular Report on the trade and agri- 

 culture of Surinam has the following reference to 

 agricultural industries : — 



CAC.\0. 



Though there was improvement in the cacao industry, 

 the year 1906 was anything but satisfactory from an agri- 

 cultural point of view. The cacao disease [witch broom] 

 still continued, and the crop was only 1,49.5 tons, against 

 843 tons in 1904, and 3,526 tons in 1899. 



Experiments are being made with a view to stamping 

 out the disease, but the results are up to the present doubt- 

 ful, and even should they prove successful on the limited 

 areas under treatment, it is doubtful whether it will be 

 feasible to apply them to all the cacao in the colony. 



The crop for the first quarter of the present year shows 

 a further improvement, being 4,681 bags (of 100 kilos.), 

 against 2,681 and 1,351 bags during the same period in 

 1905 and 1904. 



BANANAS. 



As stated in the last report, the cultivation of bananas 

 for export has been commenced, and on May 19, 1906, 

 an agreement was signed between the Colonial Government 

 and the United Fruit Company, of Boston, U.S.A., by which 

 it is agreed that the company shall buy all the fruit 

 produced (up to a certain standard) on 3,000 hectares (7,413 

 acres) to be planted within the next three years. 



EICE. 



The rice industry continues to increase. It is, however, 

 almost entirely in the hands of small land-owners, principally 

 British Indian imigrants. The total amount produced in 

 1905 is estimated at 1,149 tons, against 875, 442, and 304 

 tons in the three previous years. The imports of foreign 

 rice during the year amounted to 4,650 tons, valued at 

 £38,760. 



EUBBER. 



A considerable quantity of Para rubber has been put in 

 and appears to be doing well. 



SISAL HEMP. 



A large area has been planted with sisal hemp, and 

 also apj)ears to be doing well. 



