Edible Products- 



53G 



[June 1908. 



There is a famous dish called "Twice 

 laid." This, too, is composed of saltflsh 

 and akees, but it is somewhat differently 

 prepared from the fish of the latter 

 name. Either shred the fish very fine, 

 all bones having been removed, or pound 

 it in a mortar. Then take an equal 

 quantity of akees, which have been 

 boiled and drained as before diiected, 

 and beat them up with egg, butter, or 

 lard, making it into a thick paste. Add 

 seasoning. Then take a pie-disb, and in 

 it place alternate layers of the prepared 

 fish and akees till the dish is full, the top 

 layer being akees, and place in a quick 

 oven to brown serving hot as usual. If 

 akees are scarce a portion of boiled Irish 

 potatoes may be employed, mashed and 

 beaten up with them. If the fish and 

 akees or other ingredients were mixed 

 together first, instead of being placed in 

 layers, much the same result would be 

 realized. 



" Lastly, akees may be boiled or fried 

 and served as a side dish, and, cooked in 

 the former way, with a little butter 

 over them, an excellent disli they make 

 too, though, personally, I regard this as 

 the least desirable way to use them, it 

 being rather a waste of good material 

 for other dishes. Doubtless other ways, 

 too, of preparing akees will occur to 

 skilful or inventive cooks now that I 

 have said so much."— Journal of the 

 Board of Agricidfaire of British Guiana, 

 Vol. 1, January, 1008, No. 3. 



NEW CAUAO DRIER. 



An illustrated description of a new 

 apparatus for drying cacao by artificial 

 heat, patented by Air. H. Hamel Smitb, 

 appeared in the December number of 

 Tropical Life, of which Mr. Smith is 

 editor. 



The principal feature of the drier is a 

 large revolving wheel, on the circum- 

 ference of which are a number of hollow 

 cylinders in a horizontal position, and 

 containing the beans to be dried. This 

 wheel is enclosed in an outer case, and 

 is fixed over a furnace, which supplies 

 the necessary heat. 



The provision of an aperture at the 

 level of the furnace fire ensures the 

 admittance of a current of air into the 

 case containing the revolving wheel. 

 This air is heated by passing around and 

 over the f urauce, before being led into 

 the wheel chamber. It finally passes off 

 by an aperture at the top. The smoke 

 from the fire is led off by a flue built up 

 on one side of the drier, and this also 

 affords additional heat. In working, the 

 small cylindera would be about half 



filled with the cacao beans, and revolu- 

 tion of the large wheel, which is driven 

 by hand power, ensures the constant 

 turning of the beans. The apparatus 

 costs about £150 for a small plant. — Agri- 

 cultural Neivs, Vol. VII, No. 152, Feb. 

 22, 1908. 



CACAO INDUSTRY OP THE WEST 

 INDIES. 



Interesting papers in relation to the 

 West Indian cacao industry were read 

 at the late Agricultural Conference. 

 The Hon. Francis Watts, C.M.G., sum- 

 marised, on behalf of Mr. Joseph 

 Jones and himself, the results of mammal 

 experiments with cacao in Dominica, 

 while Mr. R. D. Anstead and Mr, J. C. 

 Moore viewed the progress of the ex- 

 perimental work carried on at Grenada 

 aud St. Lucia respectively. Mr. Joseph 

 Jones also read a paper on trials in 

 grafting cocao which have been made 

 at the Dominica Botanic Station. A sum- 

 mary of Dr. Watts' remarks dealing with 

 the Dominica experiments is given below, 

 followed by a reprint of the paper pre- 

 sented by Mr. Anstead :— 



Cacao Experiments in Dominica. 



Manurial experiments are carried out 

 in Dominica both at the Botanic Station 

 and in the country districts. Those at 

 the Bota nic Station have been in progress 

 since 1900, and now present results of 

 considerable interest, clearly indicating 

 the value of judicious manuring on the 

 part of the cacao planter. There are 

 five cacao experiment plots at the Station. 

 Of these, one has been regularly manured 

 each year with an application of 4 cwt. 

 of basic phosphate and \h cwt. of 

 sulphate of potash per acre, a second 

 plot has been annually treated with 

 4 cwt. of dried blood per acre, and the 

 third has received a complete manure 

 (containing nitrogen, potash, and 

 phosphates), composed of 4 cwt. of basic 

 phosphate, l-i cwt. of sulphate of potash, 

 and 4 cwt. of dried blood per acre. The 

 fourth plot has been annually mulched 

 with grass and lepves, while the fifth 

 has received no manure whatever. 



Considering the crop returns obtained 

 during the past five years, the results 

 show that the use of phosphates and 

 potash ou the first plot has increased the 

 yield of dry cured cacao by an average 

 of 219 lbs. per acre per annum over 

 the yield given by the unmanured plot. 

 The use of the dried blood alone, 

 primarily a nitrogenous manure, increas- 

 ed the return of cacao by 187 lb„ while 

 the combination of the two sets of 



