183 



Jamaica wood exported was immature, and no provision was mad^ to keep 

 a sound, mature, parent stock from which sound seed could be gathered 

 for future generations. If this theory is correct, there must still be 

 places in Jamaica that, through their difficulty of access or their great 

 distance from the sea, must have preserved Logwood of the original 

 high quality, as in those places Logwood would not have been ruthlessly 

 destroyed, as it was scarcely if ever, exported. That this is the case I 

 have no doubt, as the analysis of certain Logwood at Endeavour, a 

 property of the Hon. George McGrath at Moneague, showed. This Log- 

 wood had every appearance of Mexican Logwood, and was quite as good. 



I admit that a favourable soil will accelerate the growth of Logwood, 

 and will allow its growing to a fuller size ; but I, personally, do not 

 believe that a rich soil will necessarily develop rich dye, and until lam 

 contradicted by the facts, I believe that the quality of the Logwood in 

 Jamaica can be improved by the importation of sound seeds from the 

 best procurable foreign Logwood. This step is the more advisable 

 seeing that there is no indication that the importance of Logwood as a 

 dye, in face of the developments of the science of Chemistry, is 

 declining. 



In the latest manual of dying by Edmund Knecht and Christopher 

 Eawson, 1893, it is said, page 342 : " Logwood is, perhaps, the most 

 important of all dyestuffs." 



The world's annual production of artificial dye stufis from Coal Tar 

 amounts to £6,000,0 0. The present consumption of Logwood alone 

 amounts to £2,000,000 per annum. There is probably no other single 

 dye reaching that figure. 



From the following statistics complied by Messrs. Benekenclorff, 

 Berger & Co., of 4, Cullum Street, London, it would appear that the 

 consumption of Logwood is increasing. They state that the importations 

 of Logwood to Europe were : in 1892, Tuns 180,958 



" 1893, " 188 ; 664 

 " 1894, " 208,185 

 " 1895, " 225,779 

 To this may be added for the United States 75,000 tons annually. 



On the 1st June, 1896, the price at Havre was £5 per ton for 

 Jamaican Hoots, and £12 per ton for Mexican Laguna Prima. 



I am yours sincerely, 



Emile Bucher. 



CANE VARIETIES. 



Barbados Agricultural Gazette and Planters' Journal. 



There is no subject which is now exercising the mind of the planter 

 to a greater extent than that of the comparative value of cane varieties. 

 During the past year many 7 of them have been grown on a large scale, 

 and while the results shewn by the majority still leave us in uncer- 

 tainty, there can be no doubt that upon the whole we are already in 

 possession of valuable conclusions. The Old Crop is now being 

 brought to a close, and within the next few months land will be under 

 preparation for the planting of a new one, and while in the next issue 

 of this journal we hope to see some numerical results with regard to 

 varieties, it is not inappropriate at this time to review the recent his- 



