Vol. V. No. 113. 



THE AGR[CULTUKAL NEWS. 



265 



Exports of Hayti. 



According to the Consular Report on Hayti for 

 190.5, there was a heavy fall in the export of coffee, and 

 less logwood, yellow wood, and hides were exported than 

 in 1904. The exports of guaiacnm ('li.s^num vitae'), 

 cotton, and goat skins showed a slight increase. 



The export of pite or hemp (fibre of Agave ameri- 

 ■cana) is making considerable progress, and 1,209,4281b. 

 were exported during the year. The cacao crop was 

 slightl}- under that of the previous 3'ear, while the coffee 

 crop was one of the worst known. 



The exports of cotton amounted to 3,287,669 lb. 

 The same complaints continue to be made about the 

 careless manner in which the cotton is cleaned and 

 packed. 



Exports of Zanzibar. 



It is stated in the Consular RejMrt on Zanzibar 

 that the 1904-.5 season's crop of clove.« was the largest 

 on record, amounting to 227,178 cwt. The island of 

 Pemba furnished the greater part of this. The following 

 ■season was a poor one for Pemba : but Zanzibar furnished 

 more than an average crop. The total value of the clove 

 ■exports in 1902 was £287,078. 



The output of chillies was of the vahie of £9,014. 

 The industry has suffered from the actiorj of local 

 merchants in mixing the chillies with an inferior kind 

 grown in British East Africa. 



The experiments made by the Government in the 

 cultivation of vanilla have given most satisfactory results; 

 about 1,400 lb. were sent to the United Kingdom during 

 the year, realizing an average price of 4s. per lb. There 

 are at present only 40 to .50 acres in the cultivation of 

 vanilla, but, if the Arabs can be induced to take it up, 

 there seems no reason why it should not in time become 

 one of the staple products of the country. 



Waste of Fruit Seeds. 



An editorial in a recent issue oi Indian Planting 

 and Gardening draws attention to the enormous 

 quantity of fruit seeds that are daily wasted in India. 

 Mention is made of the mango. Every year millions 

 -of seeds of the finest varieties are thrown away after 

 the fruit is eaten. Very few of the seeds develop into 

 trees. It is usually the seeds of the small, turpentine- 

 Havoured fruits which get sown. 



Similarly, the seeds of such fruits as the litchee, 

 the better-class varieties of 'plums' {Spondias sp.), 

 the carambola, tamarind, jack tree, and many others 

 might usefidly be planted instead of being wasted, as 

 is usuall}' the case. 



' But the people require to be shown and taught 

 the value of planting fruit t^rees around their huts. It 

 should be explained to them that such trees do not 

 interfere with their cereal crops ; that in seasons of 

 good harvests the}' would yield an additional revenue, 

 while in seasons of drought and scarcity they would 

 afford wholesome food.' 



These remarks are probably equally applicable in 

 the West Indies. 



Rubber Trees in Uganda. 



In the Annual Report on the Forestry and 

 Scientific Department of the Uganda Protectorate 

 for 1905-6, it is stated that there are now 742 trees 

 of Para and Castilloa rubber in the Botanic Gardens, 

 in addition to 1,000 each of these trees and of Fiin- 

 tmni,a elastica, which have been planted on land 

 adjoining the gardens. 



The Para rubber trees have made satisfactory 

 growth during the year and the ultimate success of 

 this rubber-yielding tree is considered to be decidedly 

 promising. 



The trees of Castilloa elastica have also made 

 good growth, but have been attacked by a boring 

 longicorn beetle (Inesida leprosa). 



Since the discovery of the native Fiintiimia 

 elastica in Uganda, large numbers of young plants 

 have been raised for distribution. Samples of rubber 

 from wild trees of this species were submitted to 

 Messrs. Hecht, Levis, & Kahn, of London, for valuation, 

 and were reported to be worth from 3«. 2(Z. to 4.s. Qd. 

 per It). 



■ I » — ^ 



Cacao Cultivation in Guam. 



In his Useful Plants of Guam, Mr. W. E. Safford 

 states that cacao has been introduced into the island 

 and thrives well. The use of permanent shade trees is 

 not considered necessary in Guam. In clearing land 

 for cacao, belts of trees are left as wind-breaks, while 

 hedges of sappan wood {Caesalpinia Sappan) are often 

 planted for the same purpose. Young cacao plants are 

 sheltered by rows of taros or bananas planted in the 

 intervening spaces. 



For exposed situations Erythrina indica and the 

 bread-fruit (both seedless and seeded varieties) are 

 recommended for shading the cacao, care being taken 

 to keep the lower boughs cut off, so as not to interfere 

 with the growth of the cacao. 



Some attention is paid to seed selection. Seeds 

 are taken from the best and largest pods, which are 

 picked from the best bearing trees, perfectly ripe and 

 kept for a week or ten days. 



In Guam cacao trees bear fruit almost continuously, 

 but there are two principal crops each year. 



No cacao is exported, as practically the whole of 

 the produce is converted into chocolate. The custom 

 of chocolate drinking is universal among the natives, 

 who scorn the imported article. The beans are freed 

 from pulp and gummy matter, dried in the sun, 

 parched, and ground on stone slabs. The ground paste 

 is formed into balls. Chocolate, as made in Guam, is 

 thickened with flour or arrowroot. It is of fine flavour 

 and is not adulterated in any way, except by the 

 addition of sugar and flour. 



The beans are sometimes kept in jars and allowed 

 to ' sweat ' to improve their flavour. 



The plantations suffer greatly from the ravages of 

 rats. The trees do not last long, being much subject 

 to attacks of boring insects. On this account, and also 

 by reason of the sensitiveness of the trees to hurricanes, 

 cacao is not cultivated extensively, the natives prefer- 

 ring to devote their energies to cocoa-nut cultiVation. 



