Vol. III. No. 71. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



427 



SCIENCE NOTE. 



The Lotus Lily. 



The sacred lotus of the ancient Eg3'ptians is known 

 botanically as Xi'lumhiuui sjHciosum ; the other species of this 

 genus (y. lufcuiii) is a native of North America anil Jamaica 

 and is shown in fig. 16. These plants are fairly common in 

 cultivation in the AVest Indies. They belong to the natural 

 •order JV//mphaf(iceae, to which also belong the English water- 

 lilies and the giant water-lily of the Amazon ( Victor/a vegid). 



Both species of Nelumbium are water, or rather marsh, 

 plants ; the flowers and leaves project above the surface 

 •of the water. The large leaves are peltate, that is, the leaf- 

 stalk is attached to the centre of the almost circular blade ; 

 the leaf-blade is covered by a fine microscopic down, which 

 by retaining a film of air over the upper surface prevents 

 this from being wetted ; when water is poured on it sim^ily 

 rolls off in drojis. As in many water and marsh plants the 

 leaf-stalks and the long tiower-stalks contain large air spaces 

 which connect with the breathing pores and are useful in 

 respiration. 



Fk;. 1G. Xelu.mbium luteuji. 

 [From l)!':tioiiiii ij <if Ganh'nliKj.l 



The petals and stamens are both numerous, they are 

 not arranged in whorls but form a close spiral. In the centre 

 of the flower is the curious pistil, shaped like an inverted 

 cone. It consists of a number of carpels which are embedded 

 separately in the top of the swollen receptacle. This recep- 

 tacle becomes very dry and light, and the true fruits, which 

 are one-seeded, small and dry (achenes), separate from it as 

 they ripen. It breaks oft' bodily from the stalk and floats 

 about until decay sets in ; the fruits are in this way liberated 

 and settle down to the bottom of the pond, where germination 

 takes place. 



Nelumbium .ipecio-iiun is now found throughout India, 



China, .lapan, Persia, Australia, etc. ; it no longer occurs on 

 the Nde. Sculptures of it are very frequent in I'^i^yptian 

 temples, and it is still regaidcd as sacred in India, Tib'et, and 

 China. The seeds of this .species are used as food in 

 Cashmere and China. 



A reference to the occurrence of N. sjiecios'.un in 

 Antigua, where it was establishing itself in a wild state, is 

 made in A'olume I of the Agi-iruhunil Xi^ws (p. 10-i). 



BANANA MEAL AND PARINE. 



In areport by the United State.? Consul-General 

 at Halifax, recently reproduced in the Aqri- 

 cidtaml A^ews (p. 397), it was mentioned that 

 inquiries had been made for banana flour. The 

 November issue of the Journal of the Jamaica 

 Agricultural Society contains an article by Mr. H. H. 

 Cousins on local products that might be used instead 

 of imported conimeal. The following analysis and 

 report are gi\en with regard to a locally prepared 

 sample of banana meal : — 



Moisture 



Albuminoids * 



Fats and oils 



Sugar 



Starch 



Pectin 



Fibre 



^Mineral matter 



* Containing nitrogen 



10-88 

 0-71 

 0-22 

 3-48 



60-42 



20-93 

 0-72 

 2-64 



01-U 



per cent. 



From the chemical composition of this banana flour it is 

 clear that practically the whole of it is readily digestible. 

 The mineral matter contains soluble phosphates .such as 

 occur in wheaten flour. This flour consists almost entirely 

 of carbohydrates of a readily digestible nature. The high 

 proportion of pectin imparts to it the mucilaginous properties 

 of a fruit extract. I consider it a well-prepared article of 

 high dietetic value. 



In regard to the farine, Mr. Cousins states : — • 

 Farine should be of high dietetic value when used iu 

 conjunction with more nitrogenous foods like eggs, fish, pea.s 

 and beans. For production of work, and general main- 

 tenance, 11 lb. of farine are equal to 10 R. cornmeal. 



There are also other products which can be made into 

 meal for storing, but the two mentioned, farine and banana 

 meal, will likely prove the most useful. We ought to have at 

 least some supplies of local cornmeal, and Mr. .J. H. Levy, of 

 the .Jamaican Products Company, Brown's Town, has put in 

 machinery for the purpose of making cornmeal from Jamaica 

 grown corn, and is open to bu^ all the corn he can get at 

 a fair price. Sweet potato meal is also a most useful form 

 of storing farinaceous food. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture and 

 the scientific staff of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture will be at Trinidad from January 3 to 13 

 190.5. 



The Secretary of State for the Colonies has been 

 pleased to appoint Mr. Thomas Thornton, an Associate 

 of the Royal College of Science, to be a Travelling 

 Instructor in connexion with the cotton industry under 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture in the West 

 Indies. 



