48 Palaeontologie. — Agricultur. — Personalnachrichten. 



Ward, Lesier F., The Pteriäospermaphyta. (Science. XX. p. 25 

 —26. 1904.) 



The name Pteridospermaphyta is proposed for a phylum 

 coordinate vvith Ptcridophyta and Spennaphyta for the recep- 

 tion of seed bearing Pteridophytes hitherto assigned to the 

 Cycadofilices. D. F. Penhallow. 



Cousins, H. H., Theexports ofjamaica in relation to 

 the Soil. (Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture, Ja- 

 maica. Vol. II. p. 127—132. 1904.) 



The author, the Government Chemist of Jamaica, states that on 

 his appointment to the colony some years ago he expected to find the 

 general fertility of the soils impaired by conTinual cropping under tro- 

 pical conditions and that the problem of remedying this by means of 

 manures would be the Chief subject of his investigations. The results of 

 analyses of soils from representative districts and manurial experiments 

 have demonstrated 1. that most of the Jamaica soils now in cultivation 

 present a high Standard of fertility, 2. that fertiiizers have only been pro- 

 ductive of results on soils that have been under prolonged cultivation 

 and then only under favourable conditions of rainfaU or irrigation. 



In this paper he sets forth the drain on the fertility of the soil as 

 indicated by the amounts of potash and phosphoric ac'id annually sent 

 out of the Island in the exports. The average of the last five years has 

 been taken of the quantities of produce exported; representative samples 

 of most of the products have been analysed, and the results are given 

 in tabular form. 



The total exports weigh 706,719,393 Imbs., containing on the average 

 0,405 per cent. of potash and 0,126 of phosphoric acid, equal to a total 

 content of 2,865,522 Imbs. of potash, and 896,712 Imbs. of phosphoric acid, 

 the value of these constituents in Jamaica being about 4: 36000, or 

 about 1,95 per cent. of the annual value of exports. Estimating the culti- 

 vated area of the colony at 700000 acres, it is calculated that each acre 

 produces on the average exports to the value of £ 2.11.6 at a Charge of 

 4 Imbs. of potash and P/4 Imbs. of phosphoric acid, and the cost of restoring 

 these ingredients to the land is approximately 1 s. per acre. This drain 

 is infinitesimal when taken in regard to the Island as a whole and the 

 exports clearly make a very smail demand on the essential minerals of 

 soil fertility; the agriculturai problem in Jamaica is not a chemical but 

 a cultural one. 



The author concludes by insisting on attention being devoted to 

 drainage, the maintenance of humus, careful tillage, and marling. 



W. G. Freeman. 



Personalnachrichten. 



Habilitirt: Dr. F. W. T. Hunger vom botanischen Garten 

 in Buitenzorg, für Botanik an der Universität Utrecht. 



Ausgegeben: 18. Juli 1905. 



Commissions-Verlag: E. J. Brill in Leiden (Holland). 

 Druck von üebrüder Gotthelft, Kgl. Hofbuchdrucker in Cassel. 



