538 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
[Feb.  I,  1897. 
BANANA  CULTIVATION  IN  MADEIRA. 
Two  varieties  of  banana  arc  generally  grown  in 
Madeira,  viz.,  the  dwarf  banana  and  the  silver  banana. 
The  dwarf  banana,  the  haiimia  <nio,  or  Chinese  banana, 
the  botanical  clasbihcation  of  which  is  Musa  Caven- 
dishii,  of  the  order  oi  Scifawinnr.  Consul  Crawford, 
of  Funchal,  says  that  this  is  the  banana  most  pre- 
ferred for  the  export  trade,  the  fruit  being  much 
larger  and  the  bunches  much  heavier  than  the  silver 
variety  of  the  fruit.  The  silver  is  much  the  more 
delicate  in  flavour,  and  only  about  one-half  the 
size  of  the  dwarf  varietj',  but  it  is  seldom  exported, 
as  the  total  quantity  grown  in  the  island  is  scarcely 
Buffleient  to  supply  the  home  consumption,  but 
Consul  Crawford  says  that  in  all  probability  if  this 
variety  of  fruit  were  better  known  it  would  be  in 
greater  demand,  and,  although  smaller  in  size,  it  has 
a nnrch  better  appearance,  being  of  a beautful  bright 
golden-yellow  colour  without  any  of  the  dark  brown 
spots  or  patches  w'hich  usually  disfigure  the  dw'arf 
banana  when  ripe,  whilst,  as  regards  the  flavour,  it  is 
so  much  more  delicate  that  those  who  have  once 
eaten  the  silver  banana  seldom  use  the  dwarf  or 
ordinary  variety,  except  for  cooking  purposes.  The 
dwarf  banana  forms  by  far  the  largest  proportion  of 
the  total  quantity  of  fruit  that  is  exported  from 
Madeira.  The  greater  part  of  bananas  are  grown  on 
the  south  side  of  the  island  in  plantations  varying 
from  a few  plants  to  many  thousands ; they  thrive 
best  on  fresh  land  sheltered  from  heavy  gales  of  wind, 
which  are  liable  to  uproot  the  plants  and  to  damage 
the  bunches  of  fruit.  The  artificial  manure  has  been 
used  with  great  success  in  their  cultivation,  but  large 
quantities  of  effal  from  the  slaughter-houses  and  the 
fish  markets  are  also  freely  used,  and  this  treatment  is 
found  to  be  most  beneficial  in  increasing  the  weight 
of  the  bunches,  and  also  of  the  individual  size  of  the 
fruit.  The  season  for  bananas  virtually  lasts  the  whole 
year  round,  the  largest  export  taking  place  during  the 
winter  months  when  fresh  fruit  is  scarce  in  England, 
but  the  fruit  is  at  its  greatest  perfection  from  July  to 
December,  being  much  more  abundant,  the  bunches 
larger,  and  the  fruit  better  flavoured.  Tbe  banana  is 
one  of  the  very  best  fruits  growni  in  Maderia  for  export- 
ation, as  the  bunches  can  Le  cut  w'hilst  the  fruit  is 
green  and  firm,  it  sustains  comparatively  little  damage 
in  transit,  and  the  fruit  ripens  by  degrees  according  to 
the  temperature  in  which  it  is  kept.  The  usual  method 
of  packing  is  in  large  rough  wooden  crates,  holding  a 
dozen  or  more  bunches,  between  each  of  which  straw  is 
placed  to  keep  them  firm  and  to  prevent  them  rubbing 
one  against  another  ; another  method  of  packing  is  in 
baskets  made  of  a coarse  native  broom,  one  bunch  only 
being  placed  in  each  basket,  straw  or  bracken  leaves 
being  likewise  placed  round  them  to  ensure  their  safety 
in  transit. — Journal  of  the  Society  oj -Ir/s,  Dec.  18. 
PRODUCE  AND  PLANTING. 
(From  the  U.  £ C.  Mail,  Dec.  25.) 
China  Tea  anb  Indian  Methods.— The  fact  that 
China  tea  growlers  and  manufacturers  are  very  anxious 
to  acquire  Indian  methods  of  manufacture,  and  that 
0116  Gnterprisiug  Foochow  inanufacturor  has  iinpoited 
machinery,  is  cheering  to  the  spirits  of  China  tea 
importers,  who  believe  that  with  the  use  of  machi- 
nery the  tea  trade  of  China  may  be  set  on  its  legs 
again.  But  the  men  in  possession  of  the  maiJcet  are 
not  likely  to  be  scared  because  one  or  two  Chinese 
growers  intend  to  use  machinery.  Even  if 
of  niachinerv  should  become  general  in  China,  the 
re-capture  of  the  tea  markets  would  be  well-nigh  im- 
possible task  for  the  Chinese.  Indian  and  Ceylon 
Las  are  so  popular,  and  the  planters  whogv_w  luein 
are  determined  to  hold  the  markets  against  all 
comers.  The  use  of  machinery  by  the  Chinese  and  the 
adoption  of  Indian  methods  will  onl}^  lead  to  fiuther 
efforts  on  the  part  of  their  British  competitors  to 
increase  the  strong  hold  they  now  have  on  the  tea 
trade  of  the  world.  Competition  in  the  production 
of  tea,  however,  n-iiist  bo  expected  and  prouded  for, 
Indian  and  Ceylon  planters  who  arc  iinident  have 
recognised  the  possibility  of  this  competition  becom- 
ing very  keen  in  the  future. 
Bkazii.  and  Tea  Cultivation. — The  success  of 
Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  in  the  markets  of  the  world 
lias  naturally  occasioned  a little  excitement  amongst 
those  planting  communities  whose  operations  have 
not  bitherlo  extended  to  tea.  In  Brazil  they  believe 
they  can  grow  nearly  everything.  Tempted  by  the 
wonderful  accounts  received  of  the  tea  industry  of 
India  aud  Ceylon,  and  the  comparative  ease  with 
which  tea  companies  can  be  floated  in  London,  capi- 
talists and  planters  are  turning  their  attention,  as  we 
stated  some  weeks  ago,  to  Brazil.  It  is  said  that  the 
soil  and  labour  conditions  are  very  favourable  to  tea 
cultivation,  aud  that  the  three  provinces  of  liio  de 
Janeiro,  Minas  Geraes,  and  Sao  Paula  possess  first- 
rate  tea-producing  qualities. 
Coffee  Planting  in  Mexico. — Coffee  planting  in 
Mexico  is  making  rapid  strides,  and,  if  we  except 
eilver  mining,  coffee  growing  is  the  most  important 
industry  in  the  Republic.  The  sudden  development 
of  this  industry  is  ascribable  to  the  coincidence  of 
the  increase  in  the  price  of  coffee  in  the  United 
States  with  the  decrease  in  the  cost  of  labour  in 
Mexico,  consequent  on  the  depreciation  of  the  silver 
dollar,  which  called  the  attention  of  investors  to 
the  large  profits  to  be  made  by  its  cultivation. 
There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that,  even  without 
these  more  or  less  ephemeral  advantages,  the  con- 
ditions of  climate  and  soil  in  Mexico,  added  to  the 
cheapness  of  land  and  labour,  are  sufficiently 
favourable  to  its  production  to  enable  Mexican  coffee 
to  compete  profitably  in  foreign  markets  with  that 
of  almost  any  other  country.  The  exports  in  the 
year  18i)5  amounted  to  834,059  cwt.  valued  in  the 
returns  at  i-4  3s  9d  per  cwt.  Nine-tenths  of  this 
total  was  exported  to  the  United  States,  and  the 
remainder  was  divided  between  Geimany,  France, 
and  England. 
SuGAii  Planting  and  the  Royal  Commission. — 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Royal  Commission  to 
enquire  into  the  state  of  the  sugar  iudustry  in  the 
West  Indies  will  not  be  merely  a pleasure  excur- 
sion. The  Special  Commission  will  meet  on  De- 
cember 31  at  the  Colonial  Office,  and  will  receive 
evidence  from  traders  and  others  interested  in  the 
West  Indian  colonies  between  that  date  and  January  13, 
when  the  Commissioners  sail  in  the  “ Don”  for  British 
Guiana.  'J  heir  itinerary  snb.sequently  will  be  as 
follows  From  Deincrara  to  Trinidad,  were  cocoa 
as  well  as  sugar  will  dealt  with ; from  Trinidad  to 
Grenada  and  St.  Vincent,  probably  to  Baibados.  The 
Commissioners  then  go  north  to  St.  Lucia,  Aut'gua 
and  St.  Kitts,  possibly  visiting  Dominica  and  Mont- 
serrat. In  Jamaica  an  extended  inquiry  will  be  made. 
New  York  is  the  last  place  on  the  list,  and  the  in- 
quiry there  will  be  as  to  how  West  Indian  trade  is 
affected  by  the  United  States  tariff  and  other  ar- 
rangements. The  tour  is  to  last  over  four  months. 
The  constitution  of  the  Commission  is  as  follows  ; — 
General  Sir  Henry  Wylie  Norman  (Chairman),  Sir 
Edward  Grey,  M.P.,  and  Sir  David  Barbour  10  be 
Commissioners  to  inquire  into  the  condition  and  pros- 
pects of  the  West  India  sugar-growing  islands;  and  Mr, 
Sydney  Olivier,  B.A.,  to  be  their  secretary.  Mr. 
Daniel  Morris,  D.  Sc.,  Assistant  Director  of  the  Royal 
Gardens,  Kew,  will  accompany  the  Commission  as  ex- 
pert adviser  in  botanical  and  agricultural  questions. 
Sir  Henry  Norman,  the  chairman,  has  been  Gover- 
nor of  .Jamaica  and  of  Queensland,  and  is  therefore 
well  acquainted  with  both  the  sugar-growing  industry 
and  with  the  labour  problems  which  have  to  be  con- 
sidered in  connection  with  it.  His  Indian  experience 
also  is  invaluable  on  questions  of  administration 
where  native  races  are  concerned.  Sir  David  Bar- 
bour shares  with  him  the  groat  advantage  of  this  Indian 
experience.  Sir  David  is  besides,  bj'  this 
time,  thoroughly  well  up  in  Commissioner's  work, 
having  served  on  the  Royal  Commission  on  the 
I’inancial  Relations  between  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land and  the  Currency  Commission.  Sir  Edward  Grey 
is  an  ox-Uiider-Secretary  for  Foreign  Affairs,  and  one 
of  the  heat-iufovmed  and  most  statcsmaiiliko  men  on 
the  Radical  side  of  the  House,  la  scuding  Mr, 
