279 



THE woki.d's rubber CROr. 



The total annual production of rubber throughout the world 

 was 57.C00 tons. ()1 this total 55 per cent, came from South 

 America and Africa. The French possessions on the West Coast 

 of Africa produced 7,000 tons, the French Congo 3,000 tons, 

 while the output of the Belgian Congo does not exceed 6,000, 

 notwithstanding popular opinion to the contrary. The United 

 States consumes 26,470 tons, Germany 12,800 tons, Great Britain 

 10,000 tons, France 4,130 tons, Austria-Hungary 1,520, Holland 

 1,218, Belgium 7,480 and Italy 588 tons. — Jamaica Agricultural 

 Society. 



GINGER. 



According to Gillespie Bros. & Co.'s New York Alarket Re- 

 port for March 16, ginger continues to be the principal factor in 

 the spice market. The continued upward movement of the mar- 

 ket and the situation in Jamaica, make it almost impossible to at- 

 tempt to predict wdiat price Jamaica root will reach, or even to 

 name C|UOtations. London has advanced 2 shillings per cwt. 

 within the past fortnight and buyers have advanced their offers 

 I cent per lb., but were unable to obtain any ginger even at this 

 advance. — Bulletin, Dcpartnieiit of Agriculture, Jamaica. 



POTATO MANUFACTURES IN GERMANY. 



No less than 2,000,000 tons of potatoes are used in Germany in 

 distilling spirits, the residue from the distillation operation being 

 used as a cattle food, besides another 2,000,000 tons annually are 

 used in the production of starch, and in addition there is pianu- 

 factured from the potato, — syrup, flour, dextrin, etc. — Jauuiica 

 Agricultural Society. 



SILK WORMS AND WASPS. 



In experiments with silk w^orms, recently conducted in Jamaica, 

 it was found that the common wasp (Polista, sp.) proved their 

 most formidable enemy. It killed and devoured the caterpillars 

 whenever they approached too closely to the netting where they 

 w^ere confined. 



