October, 1911.] 



299 



Edible Products. 



during the period of heavily in- 

 creased cigar production to meet the 

 large consignments to the United States 

 following free trade legislation there 

 developed a monthly trade in American 

 leaf of some importance. This, however, 

 was not maintained, but practically dis- 

 appeared with the material shrinkage in 

 cigar exports to the United States, and 

 only $22 worth figured in the latter half 

 of the year. 



"Greatly increased activity in the 

 cigar manufacturing industry for the 

 export trade was a feature of the year, 

 chiefly in consequence of the free entry 

 of its products to the American market, 

 though substantially large quantities 

 were also shipped to other countries. 

 Total exports increased from 151,457,000 

 in 1909 to 184,407,000 in 1910, of which 

 quantity in the latter year one-third 

 found an American market, the free 

 trade benefit to the cigar industry being 

 shown by a total export value of 

 $2,759,661 as compared with an annual 

 trade of about a million dollars in years 

 prior to that legislation. Though exports 

 to the United States make a satisfactory 

 showing for the year as a whole, refer- 

 ence to the trade by months shows 

 that while an average of eight million 

 per month was maintained during the 

 first half of the year, in the latter half 

 there was a monthly average of but 

 two million. This comparatively low 

 monthly average was the result of 

 active measures that were adopted to 

 restrict the proportion of low grade 

 exports and prevent over-stocking the 

 market through speculative consign- 

 ments. 



" The following table includes con- 

 ditions prior to the legislation of August 

 5, 1909, as well as shipments made in 

 anticipation, and summarizes by quarters 

 the export movement as affected by free 

 trade : — 



Exported to 

 United Other 

 Quarter. States, countries. Total. 



Thous. Thous. Thous. 



Jan.-Mar., 1909 422 

 April- June ... 1,711 

 July-Sept. ... 9,913 

 Oct.-Dec ... 25,030 



28,152 28,575 



31,204 32,915 



29,174 39,087 



25,850 50,880 



Cal. year, '09 37,076 141,381 151.457 



Jan-Mar., 1910 

 April-June ... 

 July-Sept. ... 

 Oct.-Dec. ... 



26,587 

 22,401 

 7.096 

 5,442 



23,885 

 33,352 

 32,804 

 32,840 



50,472 

 55,753 

 39,91)0 

 38,282 



" Exports of leaf tobacco amounted to 

 21,926.744 pounds, valued at $1,593,342. 

 There was an increase of about a million 

 pounds over the small trade of 1909, 

 while the average price 7"3 cents was 

 about the same. Spain was the leading 

 purchaser, and with Austria-Hungary 

 took the chief portion as in previous 

 years. Only 7,436 pounds were exported 

 to the United States under the free- 

 entry privilege that provided for 1,300.000 

 pounds annually, and such improvement 

 in price as accrued to the tobacco 

 producer from free trade was indirectly 

 through the increased local demand in 

 the cigar industry." 



Another table accompanying the report 

 gives the exports of tobacco, cigars 

 and cigarettes by countries for 1908, 1909 

 and 1910. In 1908 the United States 

 took $18,376 worth of cigars; in 1909, 

 $737,396, and in 1910, $1,560,799, showing 

 the tremendous growth of the business 

 following the Payne tariff provision. 



RICE CULTIVATION. 



Cal. year.'lQ 61,526 122,881 184,407 



(Prom the Journal of the Board of Agri- 

 culture of British Ggiana, Vol. III., 



April, 1910. No. 4.) 

 During the past few years a very con- 

 siderable rice industry has arisen in the 

 colony, and in many districts very 

 satisfactory returns have been obtained. 

 In 1908, some 38,000 acres were returned 

 as being under rice, which gave an aver- 

 age yield of 25 bags of paddy to the 

 acre, while in 1909, 36,000 acres were 

 cultivated in this crop and the returns 

 were somewhat lower. The unsatisfac- 

 tory season to a certain extent may 

 have been responsible for some of the 

 smaller yields, but lack of proper atten- 

 tion to such vital questions as selection 

 of seed for planting, careful preparation 

 of the land, and choosing the proper 

 season of the year for planting have 

 without doubt tended to bring about 

 the lessened returns. With a view to 

 assisting cultivators of rice, the follow- 

 ing short article has been prepared for 

 the Rice Cultivation Committee of the 

 Board of Agriculture by the Director, 

 Science and Agriculture, and the Govern- 

 ment Botanist, and if the instructions 

 there given are closely followed, satis- 

 factory results should be obtained. 



Preparation op the Beds. 

 Land to be put into rice should be 

 laid out in beds with dams 2 to 3 

 feet wide and 2 feet high between 

 them. The beds should be carefully 

 levelled and arrangements made for 

 their drainage and irrigation. The 



