Vol. III. No. .5.5. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



171 



VEGETABLES AXB FfMWERS FROM SEEDS 

 IN TROPICAL, SEMI-TROPICAL AXD TEMPERATE 

 CLIMATES: Readinij, Eii'jlnnd : Siifton ^- Sons. Price 5s. 



The preface to this work refer.s to the craving of 

 Europeiins in distant lands for English vegetables and flowers. 

 ilany of these can be grown in every country of the world : 

 others cannot lie grown with any hope of success, except in 

 certain favourable localities. The writers give in this useful 

 handbook of horticulture information as to the requirements 

 of the principal flowers and vegetables, which, it is hoped, 

 will go far towards minimizing failures, as well as loss of 

 time and money in profitless experiments. 



We feel sure that this work, which has had an excellent 

 recejition among horticulturists in England, will be found 

 particularly useful to gardeners — both professional and 

 amateur — in these cohjnies, where experiments with English 

 vegetaViles and Howers are so frequently attempted, which, 

 through insufficient knowledge as to the requirements of the 

 plants, often meet with but little success. 



The growing of English flowers and vegetables has been 

 frequently referred to in the A(jvicultural News, and it is 

 probable that many persons, who have attempted the culture 

 of them, will find much of value in Messrs. Sutton's latest 

 handbook. The book i.s well got up and contains a very 

 large number of good illustrations. 



\ 



FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS: By J. C. 

 Willis, M.A., Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Ceylon. Second Edition, revised and re-arranged in one 

 volume. GamhriiJge : The Vnivenity Press, 190^. Price 

 10.9. M. 



The first edition of this work was published in 1897 in 

 two volumes and supplied a long-felt want for a dictionary 

 in a small, handy form for students of botany. From 

 students of economic botany, travellers in the colonies and 

 others, it received a hearty reception. 



The author states in the preface to the new edition that 

 lie has found that the division of the work into two volumes 

 was a mistake; therefore, the whole is now combined in one 

 volume, the first jjart being shortened as much as possible. 

 On the other hand, a large quantity of new and valuable 

 matter has been added and various other alterations have 

 been made to render the work as complete as possible 

 as a work of reference for botanical students. 



Chapter IV ('Economic Botany') gives a useful 

 summary of the principal products of the vegetable kingdom 

 with a list of the principal plants cultivated for these 

 different products. The chapter on the geographical dis- 

 tribution of plants is also of considerable interest. 



We have much pleasure in giving a hearty welcome to 

 this new edition of a work which we can without any 

 hesitation recommend. Curators of Botanic Stations and 

 lecturers in agricultural science in the AVest Indies, as well 

 as aU others who are interested in botany in these islands, 

 will find Mr. Willis' work extremely u.seful for purposes of 

 reference. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



With the approval of the Secretary of State for 

 the Colonies the Imperial Commi.ssioner of Agriculture 

 will be absent on duty in the United Kingdom from 

 June 4 next. 



During the absence of the Commi.s.sioner, Professor 

 d'Albuquerque, JF.A., F.I.C., F.C.S., will be authorized 

 to sign official correspondence. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agricidture pro- 

 ceeded on a tour in the Southern Islands on Monday, 

 May 9. He landed at St. Vincent and visited the 

 Central Cotton Factrjry which was working in 

 a satisfactory manner. He after\\-ards proceeded to 

 Grenada landing there on Tuesday, May 10. He was 

 present at the opening of the Cotton Factory, erected 

 by Mr. L. R. Mitchell, on Thursday, May 12, and 

 attended the inaugural meeting of the Grenada 

 Agricultural and Commercial Society (his Excellency 

 Sir Robert B. Llewelyn in the chair) and delivered an 

 address. On the return voyage Sir Daniel Morris took 

 part in a conference of the cotton growers of 

 St. Vincent held in the Council Chamber (his Honour 

 the Administrator in the chair) on Saturday, May 14. 

 He landed at Barbados early on the morning of the 

 1.5 th. 



Mr. L. Lewton-Brain, B.A., F.L.S., Mycologist and 

 Lecturer in Agriculture on the stafi' of the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture, proceeded to St. Vincent 

 on May 9. During his visit to that island, he inspected 

 the work carried on at the Agricultural School and the 

 Experiment Station attached to it : also the Botanic 

 Station and the conditions of the plants and the 

 collections and nurseries, in respect of their freedom, or 

 otherwise, from fungoid pests. Mr. Lewton-Brain 

 returned to Barbados on May 1.5. 



Mr. Henry A. Ballou, B.Sc, the Entomologist on 

 the staff of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 proceeded to Grenada on May 9. He devoted special 

 attention to the presence of ' thrips ' on cacao trees and 

 visited estates in St. Andrew, where thrips had been 

 reported to be present. Mr. Ballou also studied the 

 l^revalence of ' black blight ' at Grenada with the view 

 of offering further suggestions for dealing with it. The 

 results of Mr. Ballou's visit will be dealt with later. 

 He returned to Barbados on May 1.5. 



Dr. Longfield Smith, Lecturer in Agricultural 

 Science at Harrison College, Barbados, in connexion 

 with the Imperial Department of Agriculture, who 

 has been delivering a course of lectures on agricultural 

 science to teachers in elementary schools in Bermuda, 

 returned to Barbados in S.S. 'Ocamo' on May 12. 



Mr. George S. Hudson, Agricultural Instructor at 

 St. Lucia, was a passenger on the R.M.S. ' La Plata ' 

 for England on leave of absence. During Mr. Hudson's 

 absence, Mr. G. A. Deveaux will act as Agricultural 

 Instructor, 



