Edible Products, 



440 



[May 1908. 



LIME CROPS AND PRODUCTS. 



The information given herewith is 

 published in continuation of the article 

 on Lime Cultivation that appeared in 

 the last issue of the Agricultural Neivs, 

 and forms a summary of the second part 

 of the pamphlet on Lime Growing and 

 Preparation that will shortly be issued 

 by the Department. Further details 

 with regard to the preparation of lime 

 juice and citrate of lime will appear in a 

 subsequent article : — 



The main flowering period of the lime 

 is from February to June, and the crop 

 season from June to December. Accu- 

 rate observation on the length of time 

 from the date of flowering to maturity 

 of the lime fruit, does not appear to 

 have been made, but it is usually placed 

 at five months, and depends chiefly on 

 the local weather conditions and on the 

 region of the trees. The yield of limes 

 per acre varies greatly, but good estate 

 cultivation should produce from 150 to 

 200 barrels annually, while much land 

 does not give more than 80 to 100 barrels 

 of fruit. A barrel of limes gives from 

 1\ to 8 gallons of juice, but the acidity 

 varies according to the rainfall. An es- 

 tate with a low rainfall may average 14 

 oz. of citric acid per gallon of juice, 

 while another in a very wet district in 

 the hills may give more than 10 oz. per 

 gallon. 



Bight-ninths of the lime products pro- 

 duced in Dominica is concentrated for 

 sale to the citric acid makers, while the 

 remaining one-ninth is exported as raw 

 lime juice for making cordial. The estab- 

 lishment of a citrate factory in Domi- 

 nica will probably tend to reduce some- 

 what the manufacture of concentrated 

 juice, for this factory takes the juice 

 after the essestial oil has been expressed, 

 and before concentration is in the usual 

 course begun. The standard on which 

 concentrated lime juice is usually sold is 

 a pipe of 108 gallons testing 04 oz. to the 

 gallon ; but in the West Indies, a 52- 

 gallon hogshead testing 133 oz. to the 

 gallon forms the standard. 



Machinery Required, etc. 



Many of the old three-roller sugar 

 mills are still in use for crushing limes. 

 These are usually driven by water power 

 and in some instances by cattle. On 

 small estates, mills worked by hand- 

 power are in use. The sugar mill with 

 iron rollers adjusted to crush limes has 

 answered admirably where the lime 

 juce is concentrated. iThe machinery 

 required for dealing with lime juice con- 

 sists of a three-roller mill driven by 

 steam, water, or cattle, (iron rollers may 



be used where the juice is to be concen- 

 trated, but they should be of granite 

 where raw juice is prepared for ship- 

 ment for making cordial) ; a press for 

 extracting any juice left in the skins 

 after passing through the mill, strong 

 vats, copper still, three copper tayches 

 in which to boil the juice, and coolers. 



The Dominica Planters' Association 

 has furnished the following detailed est- 

 imate as to the cost of mill, mill house, 

 twotachyes, battery and boiling house, 

 suitable for a beginner in lime cultiv- 

 ation : — 



1 Copper tayche (50 gallons) 



1 



Hand mill 



Vats 



Still 



Buildings 



(80 



) 



(80 



£. 

 25 

 35 

 80 

 10 

 80 

 125 



Total ...£305 



Later, as the crop increases, the works 

 would need enlargement, and a copper 

 still, and three tayches of a larger size, 

 would also be required. 



The works should be arranged so that 

 the well house is on higher ground than 

 the boiling house, in order that the juice 

 may run by gravitation from the well 

 to the storage vats, from the vats to 

 the still, from the still to the copper 

 tayches where it is concentrated, thence 

 to the wooden or copper coolers, and 

 finally into hogsheads for shipment. 



Green Limes. 



A considerable business in green limes 

 with New York and London has been 

 developed in Dominica, the export of 

 fruit during 1900 being 15,799 barrels, 

 valued at £5,530, as against the early 

 shipment of 99 barrels in 1891. 



The American market demands a small 

 fruit packed in well ventilated barrels, 

 and the London market a large fruit 

 packed in small crates of a capacity of 

 1 cubic foot- A barrel holds from 1,400 

 to 1,600 fruits, and a crate from 200 to 

 240. 



Green limes are picked from the trees 

 and are allowed to ' quail ' for some 

 days before being carefully packed. 

 Each f ruit is wrapped in paper, and is 

 carefully packed in barrels or crates. 

 Very treat care is required in gathering, 

 handling, wrapping, and packing. 



Pickled Limes. 

 In Dominica a small business is done 

 in shipping limes pickled in sea water, 

 but during late years the export has 

 alien off somewhat. The average ex- 



