Vol. III. No. 49. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



73 



Sugar-cane Experiments in British Guiana. 



We publish in this issue of the Agricultural 

 News (pp. 66-7) the first instahiicnt of a progress 

 report on the sugar-cane experinieuts in British 

 Guiana for the half-year ended December 81, 1903. 



In this report Professor Harrison reviews the 

 work that has been carried out during the half-jear. 

 An account is given of the efforts to raise seedling 

 canes. An idea of the extent of this work will be 

 obtained when it is realized that some 2,500 seedlings 

 were obtained, and that this is the lowest rate for 

 many years. Owing to the exceptional dryness of the 

 weather during September and October, a large 

 proportion of the arrows were abortive and there was 

 a scarcity of fertile seeds. The experiment in the 

 cross-fertilization of the White Transparent and the 

 Mani canes, which was not successful, is to be repeated. 



As will be seen from the tables, the manurial experi- 

 ments bring out clearly the fact that the amount of 

 available niti'ogen added in manures is the jirincipal 

 factor regulating the yield. 



Utilization of Para Rubber Seeds. 



An interesting article on this subject will be found 

 in the current issue of the Imperial Inst I fate Ballvtln 

 (No. 4). As mentioned in the Agricultural News 

 (Vol. II, p. 296), the Technical Branch of the Imperial 

 Institute has been investigating the properties of the 

 seeds of the Para rubber tree {Hevea braslliensls). 

 Several consignments of seeds and of meal prepared 

 from them have recently been received at the Imperial 

 Institute for a report as to their commercial values. 



Oil WHS obtained from the kernels, which constitute 

 .about 50 per cent, by weight of the whole seed, and 

 from the whole seed; the former yielding 423 per cent, 

 of oil, and the latter 20 per cent. The oil obtained 

 from the kernels alone is clear, of a light colour, and 

 has an odour somewhat resembling that of lin.seed oil. 

 Leading brokers, to whom the oil was submitted, 

 reported that it would probably be used as a substitute 

 for linseed oil and would be worth at present £20 per 

 ton. The}- valued the decorticated seeds at £10 to £12 

 per ton. 



The sample of Para rubber seed meal was free from 

 husk and possessed the pleasant odour characteristic 

 of oil meals. The following results were furnished by 

 the meal on analysis : — Moisture, 9'1 per cent. ; ash, 

 :3-53 ; fibre, 3-4 ; oil, 36-1 ; proteids 18-2 ; carbohy- 

 drates, 29-67. 



' The results of this examination of the Para 

 rubber seed meal indicate that the material thus 

 prepared could neither be used as a fodder, owing to 

 the presence in it of large quantities of free fatty acids, 

 nor for the expression of Para rubber seed oil, since the 

 latter has been largely decomposed. It is probable, 

 however, that if the oil were expressed from the 

 decorticated seeds, the residual cake could be utilized 

 as a feeding material. Such a " cake " should be almost 

 as valuable as linseed cake, which at present sells at 

 from £5 15s. to £6 15s. per ton.' 



Cotton Growing in British Guiana. 



The Demerara Chronicle of Fehniavy 10 reviews 

 the first half-yearly report of the Berbice Cotton 

 Growers' Conamittee. 



While those whom the movement is essentially 

 intended to benefit have not responded in as hearty 

 a manner as might have been expected, and in 

 consequence only a few competitors entered for the 

 prizes offered by the Committee, yet the promoters 

 are to be congratulated upon the start that has been 

 made. The prizes for the best cotton cultivation in 

 each of the ten districts of Berbice, into which the 

 Committee divided the county, are to be offered again 

 for the current half-jear, when it is anticifiated that 

 there wall be ' keener competition and more promising 

 results.' It is reported that 460 lb. of cotton seed had 

 been distributed during the previous three weeks, 

 and that about 98 acres of land is expected to be 

 planted in cotton on the West Coast, Berbice, and 50 

 acres on the Upper Berbice river. 



His Excellency the Governor has offered a prize 

 of S50 for the largest area in cotton before June next, 

 and Sir H. A. Bovell a prize of S60 for the best 200-lt). 

 bale of cotton. A prize is also being offei-ed by- 

 Mr. Bruce Stephens, of Trinidad, to encourage the new 

 industr}'. 



Hybridization. 



A paper on this subject was read by Mr. D. J. 

 Wilson at the opening of the West of Scotland 

 Agricultural College in October 1902. 



It is pointed out that work on hybridization 

 has probably been carriefl on for ages. The first 

 hybrii.1 jjlant of which we have any record was the 

 result of the crossing of two species oi Dlanthits by 

 Thomas Fairchild. 



Most of the earlier work on hybrids was done by 

 gardeners rather than by agriculturists : this is to be 

 explained by the fixcts that gardeners have a larger 

 variety of plants to work on and that their knowledge 

 of the individual plants is likely to be greater. 



The International Conference on Plant Breeding 

 held in New York in 1902 showed how great an 

 interest is now being taken in this subject, especially 

 in the United States. 



The author himself has worked on an elaborate 

 series of crosses in the genus Brasslca. Among 

 others, hybrids showing intermediate characters have 

 been obtained using Brussels sprouts, as the seed 

 parent, and curled kale, broccoli and savoy, as pollen 

 parents. Some of the hybrids, although they fiower 

 profusely, do not bear seed ; this is owing to the fact 

 that the pollen is inferior. Crossing of Irish potatos is 

 a difficult matter owing to the fact that some 

 varieties never bear fiowers, while very few bear fruits 

 freely. A number of hybrids have, however, been 

 obtained, some of which have yielded promising results. 

 One result is curious : when the tubers of one parent 

 are red and those of the other white, it is found that 

 many of the tubers of the cross are purple and white, 

 but few are red. 



