630 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Feb. 1, 1899. 
to 150,000 pine-applefl, the condition of the fruit in 
the lowest layers, when it arrives in Baltimore, 
after a 10 days' passage, may bo better imagined 
than described. In spite, however of these intensely 
primitive methods, the pine apple cultivation in the 
Bahamas is one of considerable profit and importance 
to the colony; but there is every reason to believe, 
if more care were taken, and a superior grade of 
fruit cultivated, the result would be manifestly more 
profitable to every one concerned. Tentative efforts 
are now being made to encourage the cultivation 
of the finer varieties of pine-apples, and there 
seems to be no reason why the London market 
which is now principally supplied by the Azoro 
and Canary Islands, should not provide a proti'abU 
outlet for Bahamas fruit of a superior grade. Face 
tories for the canning of pine-apples have lately- 
been established in Nassau and in Eleuthera, ani 
in 1897 they shipped more than 20,000 cases of 
preserved fruit. — Journal of the Horieli/ of Arts. 
for covering the cost manure during the first year • 
otherwise, if the factory accomodation ba not ex- 
tended, the in vitable drop in prices which is too often 
aid to the " discredit" of manure, is sure to follow 
1 Maskeliya, Nov. lOtb. H. M. A. ' 
KSTIMATE OF GKNEIIAL EXPKVDITURB ON TWO 
SLMILAK E.STATES OP 'm ACRKS EACH .SITU- 
ATED, ,SAV, I\ MA.SKEIJVA DILTEICT, 
ON OLD WOKN-OUT COFFEE SOIL. 
»11 }0 If oj 'oiow aad no} f lo oj«i auj 
1« 'aivai oMj }BBd joj paiiftda uaaq Xui 
-Auq wnua« wd 9juu«ui jo saoj oy ' 
9.%\ 
W5 CM { 
DOES MANURING PAY? 
Sir, — With reference to the correspondence on 
manuring, I enclose overleaf a couple of estimates. 
One for an estate of 300 acres, which is not 
manured, and another for a similar estate, whlcli, for 
three consecutive years, has been liberally treated 
with manure. 
The result is somewhat curious. Instead of in- 
creasing the cost per lb. of made tea, the applica- 
tion of manure apparently reduces the expenditure 
by nearly 4 cents. 
In the first case the profit per annum is R9,.3GO 
■ — and in the second case, even allowing fur a drop 
of Jd. per lb. in the gross price realised (a drop 
which I personally think would not occur) the 
profits amount to R18,810, or nearly double the 
previous return. 
There is, of course, no question that in the first 
and second year of manuring, the profits would not 
be BO encouraging. 
The fitst year would probably show a considerable 
drop in the returns. In other words the first year's 
manuring should be treated as capital expenditure, 
just as much as if an additional acreage in tea was 
opened up. I do not think my estimates of yield 
can be taken exception to; at least if they are, I 
can point to three adj <cent estates in the district, 
two giving a yield of 300 lb, an acre, and the third, 
which has been regularly manured at the rate of 4 
ton per acre to 1/3 of the estate per annum, for 
the past few years, now yielding a crop of over 
600 lb. per acre. 
From the above, it will be seen the manuring 
apparently increases the cost of the following item^, 
viz., general contingencies, tools, lines, agency charges 
weeding and pruning, while plucking and manufacture 
are decreabed, owing to the freer flushes, and larger 
crop dealt with. The nett result is an increase of 
yield to a very considerable extent, and a large 
drop in the cost of production. 
It is unnecessary to point out that these results 
are not, and cannot be obtained if manuring is taken 
up in a half hearted way. Fifteen to twenty tons 
of manure on a 300 acre estate with worn out soil, 
dribbled in yearly at the rate of quarter to one-third 
ton per acre, does not pay and never will pay. It 
is absurd to except oue-thitd ton per acre, or less 
to remain unexhausted for five years. The effect will 
last, perhaps, two years, but after that the yield 
will be found to drop below that of the uiimanured 
fields; thus, probably in time leaving little if any 
nett increase of crop from the estate, while an annual 
loss equivalent to the cost of the manure, and its 
application, will be incurred. 
If manuring is to be made to pay, proprietors and 
agents must be prepared to find the extra capital for 
increasing their factory and line accomodation and 
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A, AO K^^^^!- Pi"" acre=90,000 lbs., gross price 
8 J. =42 cents net ; Cost of prodaction=314 cents, 
profit per lb.=10i cents.— Total profit=R9,360. 
^ £. crop 550 lbs. per acre=165,000 lbs. gross price 
/jd. =39 cents nett; cost of productioD=27i' cents 
profit per lb.=lli cents.— Total profit= K18,846 
Deduct interest on factory exten- 
sion cost of 1st year's manuring R10,000=R800 
Deduct interest on increase of 
^■"63 Rl,000= SO 
Deduct interest on increase of 
Cost advances Rl,50J= 120=1,000 
Nott profit 
