19 



Cultural Exports and Imports. 

 Annatto. 



* Quantities Exported. Values. 



1892 476,735 lbs. £3,972 15 10 



1891 511,800 " 4,265 



I Yr. 1890 426,201 " 3,551 13 6 



1889 455,874 " 3,798 19 



1888 524,429 '* 3,583 11 9 



1887 363,669 " 6,061 3 



It is strange that Annatto is not produced to a greater extent. Cattle do not browse on the leaves 

 and it could therefore be easily grown along the fences of pastures. This product would well repay 

 more care in the preparation. 



Arrowroot. 



Exported. 



Cwt. 



Qr. 



Lbs. 



Values. 



1892 



12 











£7 15 3 



1891 



3 



1 



7 



2 12 2 



i Yr. 1890 











1889 



7 



i" 



24 



11 6* 8 



1888 



27 



2 



12 



38 3 6 



1887 



15 







13 



23 7 4 



Arrowroot is a product to be taken up rather by the man of capital than the peasantry, for unless 

 great care and skill are expended on the preparation of the starch, and proper appliances used, the 

 price is scarcely remunerative. There is a notice of this product in Bulletin No. 26. 





Bananas. 





Exported. 



Bunches. 



Values. 



1892 

 1891 

 I Yr. 1890 

 1889 

 1888 

 1887 



3,503,275 

 4,847,659 

 1,554,904 

 2,881,313 

 3,093,393 

 1,460,322 



£262,745 12 6 

 444,368 14 10 

 142,532 17 4 

 252,114 17 9 

 270,671 17 9 

 146,032 4 



It should be noticed that there have been great fluctuations from year to year in the quantity of 

 Bananas exported, and probably the great falling ofi during last year may be accounted for by tempo- 

 rary causes, namely, a large local fruit crop in America, and a small banana crop in the island follow- 

 ing drought. 



It has been suggested that the fruit of small bunches, that are unmarketable, might be utilized 

 if made into banana meal, or distilled as spirit. Enquiries are being carried on with regard to both 

 these points, but so far the prospects are not very promising. It is doubtful whether the meal can be 

 made cheaply enough to compete successfully with other products of the same description ; and it ap- 

 pears that the percentage of starch in the unripe fruits is not large enough to allow the banana to 

 supersede corn (maize) in America, or the beet and potato in Europe for the purpose of distilling 

 spirit. Some notes on dried bananas and meal are given in Bulletin JNo. 26. 



JBay Rum. 



Bay Rum is made from the leaves of Pimenta acris, one of the plants known here as wild cin* 

 namon. Notes will be found in Bulletins 26 and 29. As loss may be sustained by using the leaves of 

 the wrong plant, any one thinking of starting this industry is recommended to send specimen leaves, 

 and if possible flowers or seeds also, to the Director for identification. 



Bitter Wood, 



Exported. Tons. Cwt. Values. 



1892 1,120 14 £2,241 8 



1891 924 1,848 



I^Yr. 1890 102 15 205 10 



1889 649 19 1,299 18 



1888 218 10 437 



1887 68 17 154 18 3 



The export of bitter-wood is increasing so steadily and so fast, that attention should be paid to 

 trees wherever they are growing, and bush cleared from young trees to give them every chance of 

 development. 



Cassam. 



Cassava is a cultivation which should be largely taken up by small settlers, and the root utilized, 

 not for one product only, such as starch, as is the custom in some parts, but for the preparation of all 

 the products, meal, starch, tapioca, cakes, cassareep. Notes are given in Bulletin No. 29. 



* In the Report for 1887 figures were quoted from the Collector General's Report to show the value of certain 

 Exports, and their increase or decrease. It may bo well now after a lapse of five years to make a similar review, 



