226 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 16, 1904. 



As the fumigiition of imported plants has 

 apparently been carried out with every success in 

 Jamaica, it is suggested that similar regulations might 

 be adopted in those islands where no such regulations 

 exist. It is to be hoped that careful consideration will 

 be given to this important niatter, as there can be no 

 doubt that it is greatly to the advantage of agri- 

 cultural interests in tlie various islands that some 

 such well-digested scheme for the prevention of the 

 introduction of insect pests should be put into operation. 



The Jamaica ' Seeds and Plants Importation Law' 

 gives the Governor of the island power to prohibit or 

 restrict the importation of seeds, plants, cuttings, buds 

 or grafts, as well as their coverings or packages. In 

 order that such importations may conveniently be 

 dealt with as the law directs, their entry is restricted 

 to the port of Kingston. There they are taken charge 

 of by an officer of the Customs Department, whose 

 duty it is to notify the Island Chemist, who is the 

 authority to decide on any questions connected with 

 the fumigation of proclaimed articles. 



For the fumigation of large consignments of 

 plants a fumigatory chamber has been erected at the 

 government wharf, wiiile small parcels are dealt with 

 in a fumigatory bo.x. Every care is taken to keep 

 plants, cuttings, etc.. alive and in good condition, and, 

 so far as is known, but few instances have occurred 

 where plants have suffered to any serious extent from 

 the fumigating process. 



Particulars as to the method usually adopted for 

 the fumigation of plants have already been given in the 

 Agrundtural News (Vol. Ill, p. 138). Two sizes of 

 fumigating chambers are recommended — the large, 

 8 feet by G feet by G feet inside, and the smaller, 2 feet 

 by 2 feet by 21 feet. 



Hydrocyanic gas — the poison used for this work — 

 is obtained by the addition of potassium cyanide to 

 a mi-xture of sulphuric acid and water. One ounce of 

 the cyanide should be used for every :^00 cubic feet of 

 space. The larger chamber will, therefore, require 

 about 1 oz., and the smaller about 1 gramme. 



Every care must be exercised by the operator not 

 to breath this poisonous vapour, and, after the chamber 

 has been used, sufficient time must be allowed to lapse 

 before it is entered. 



The fumigatorium recently erected at the Botanic 

 Station, Dominica, has been used with entirely satis- 

 factory results, and planters are co-operating with the 

 Govermnent in its endeavours to prevent the introduc- 

 tion of pests. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Production of Cane Sugar. 



.\ccorcling to figures publislied in the Ynirhnuli of the 

 Unltt'l Stittfs Bcjiiirtiiient nf Agn'ru/tiift; the total Wdvld's 

 production of cane sugar for l'J03 amounted to t,4J.'5,061 

 tons. Of this amount 1,130,000 tons were produced in Cuba, 

 1,000,.561 in Asia, .513,000 in South Anienca (excluding 

 British Guiana), and 519,000 in Porto Rico and Hawaii. 



The Briti.sh West Indies exported U.3,000 tons, British 

 Guiana 12.j,000 tons, the French West Indies 6.5,000 tons, 

 and the Danish West Indies (St. Croix) 13,000 tons. 



Of these amonnts the Uiuted .States received, in 190.3, 

 8-5, ()80 tons from the British West Indies, 76,947 tons from 

 British Guiana, and 18,395 tons from the Danish West 

 Indies. 



The largest suppliers of the United States in that year 

 were : Cuba (1,069,865 tons) and the Dutch East Indies 

 (397,213 tons). The total imports of sugar, beet and cane, 

 amounted to 1,882,191 tons. 



Rum as an Illuminant and Source of Power. 



The following is taken from the llV.y? India 

 Cdrniiiittee ('//vuArr of June 21, 1904: — 



Professor J. B. Harrison, Government Analj-st of British 

 Guiana, has furnished to the Government an important report 

 on the use of ■\\hite rum as a source of power and an 

 ilhuninant, and this is now publislied for general information 

 in tlie hope that it may lead to a more general demand in the 

 colunj' for white spirits for those juu-poses. 



Tlieoretically, alcohol has only three-fifths of the thermal 

 value of petroleum, but for motor pur[ioses it has been found 

 that 28 per cent, of the theoreiioal efficiency of alcohol can be 

 attained as against a maximum of 15 per cent, in the case of 

 petroleum products. 



The results of experiments in France, Germany and 

 Austria are given. At a price of about lie. per gallon, 

 it has been [iroved in Germany that alcohol can compete 

 economically with steam and other agents in engines of less 

 than 20 horse-power. In France, it apjiears that the (monetary) 

 efhcieuoy of a mixture of alcohol and 18 per cent, of petroleum 

 spirit is almost eipi^d to that of jictrol. In Austria, as the 

 result of tests made on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, it 

 has been reconuneuded that cheap denatured spirit, specially 

 suitable for motors, be prejiarcd by nuxing 100 litres of 

 alcohol with 5 litres of petroleum spirit, 0-5 litre of pyridine 

 or .some heavy oil containing ketones, and 02 grm. of methyl 

 violet in alcohol solution as a means of identification. 



For lighting purposes, with incandescent lamps, alcohol 

 has been found to be much superior to petroleum. With 

 alcohol at 22c. per gallon, with one form of lamp of 

 German construction, a liglit of 85 eandle-jiower has been 

 obtained at a cost of fc. per hour, while another form — 

 the so-called arc lamji — gives a light of 550 candle-power at 

 two-thirds the cost of an electric light of the same power at 

 Berlin rates. 



Professor Harrison points out that in British Guiana 

 alcohol occupies a more favourable position than in Germany, 

 France and Austria, with respect to petroleum spirit, the cost; 

 of the latter being high in a tropical climate. 



