Vol. I. No. 5. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



69 



ga.s capablo of t'nnning with air a mixture which is not 

 only expiosiw, Imt also very i-asily ignitoil : dull rod 

 heat according tn Dr. Diiprc, being sufficient tor the 

 purjMwe.' 



It' the original intention of the inventor of the air- 

 tight chamber had been strictly carried out, it is main- 

 tained that there was no actual danger: but, evidently, 

 leakage took place in the chamber and air found its 

 way in to rejjlace the gas that was escaping, thus form- 

 ing an explosive mixture. 



The immediate cause of the explosion was pr(jbal)ly 

 the placing of electric wires and lanijis not properly 

 protected inside the chamber. This was done without 

 the knowledge or consent of the Royal Mail C'ompany. 



The otKt-ial Rei)ort by Captain Thomson, H.M. 

 Chief Inspector of Exi)losives, concludes as follows: — 



Having detailed the facts in connexion witli this acci- 

 dent, and the conclusions which I have drawn from them, I 

 am now enabled to furnish replies to the .special questions 

 whicli the Board of Trade have i>laced before me : — 



(1) Whether the gaseous mixture intended for preserv- 

 ing fruit in a closed chamber is explosive, and, if so, under 

 what conditions? — The gaseous mixture can l)Ocome exi>lo- 

 sive when air in certaiii iiroportions is added. 



(2) Whether anj' notices or cautions were issued liy 

 Lawton's Patents, Limited, as to the danger, if any, likely to 

 arise from the use of such gaseous mixtures ? — No. 



(."!) Wheth.-r the Royal M lil Steam Packet Company 

 took measures to ensure that the gaseous mixture was so used 

 on board the ' Para' as to prevent danger to that vessel ! — No. 

 The Company were ignorant of the fact that any danger 

 could arise from the gaseous mixture. 



(4) Whether any .special laecautions were taken in 

 fitting ui( the electric light in the chamber, and whether the 

 lam[>s and wires were carefully examined so as to ensure 

 that the wires were completely insulated ! — No. The 

 method of fitting up and the materials used were altogether 

 unsuital>le. No examination was made l)y any comi>etent 

 person. 



(o) Whether the ga.seous mixture in the chaml)er on 

 the evening of November 21, was explosive '? --Yes. 



(6) Whether gas was being admitted into the cliamlier 

 at the time of the explosion? — No. 



(7) If the gaseous mixture in the chamber was explo- 

 sive, how did it l>ecome ignited ? — It probably became ignited 

 by electrical means, either from the faulty electric light circuit 

 or froni the electrical thermometers. The former is the more 

 probable .source of ignition. 



(5) What was tlie cause of the explosion '. -The cau.sc 

 of the explosion was the formation of an explosive mixture 

 of carlionic oxide and air in the chandjer, and the ignition of 

 this mixture [irobably by an electric spark due to a defect 

 in the electric fittings. 



It i.s desirable to add that while this experiment 

 has ended so disastronsly, an invention which will 

 preserve fresh tropical fruit and at the same time 

 control its ripening is likely to prove of considerable 

 value to the West Indies. 



Captain Thomson is of opinion that the Lawton 

 process, if really effective to attain the objects in view, 

 could still be allowed, under proper control, on board 

 ship. He places on record the precautions that are 

 necessary and emphasises that the whole apparatus 

 should be placed under the strict control of a compe- 

 tent expert, that all lights should preferably be 



on the outside of the chamber and that effective steps 

 be taken to prevent the esca])e of gas so that the 

 chamber should be actually, and not nominally, air-tight. 



GRAFTING NUTMEGS. 



The nutmeg tree {.Vyviaticii mosrhnta). a native of the 

 Moluccas and other East Indian islands, has been intro- 

 duced into many countries and is now familiar throughout 

 the tropics. The nutmeg, in common with a consideral)le 

 inunber of other plaiit.s, bears its staminate (male) and 

 jiistillate (female) flowers rn different plants. 



Flo. 8. Nltme.;. 



T«i. twigs are shown ; one bearing tliree clusters of male flowers, 



the other with ripe fruit. On the left is a detaclied flnwer, 



and a seed (the nutniet;) covered f>y its aril (tlie nmce). 



(Ka«hioed. ) 



[n a short lived crop, this would be of comiiaratively 

 small conseipienre, but to the nutmeg cultivator it is a mo,st 

 serious driiwback. He raises perhaps, several hvuidred seed- 

 lings, plants them out, and waits jiatiently six or seven years 

 for them to flower and 'declare themselves.' Two-thirds may 

 possibly prove to be male. From these he will obtain no nut- 

 megs, and the greater portion of the expense involved in 

 raising and cultivating them is lost. Of course some male trees 

 (about one in thirty) are necessary to pollinate the others and 

 cause fruit to be set. It i.s very desirable that some practical 

 method should be found of assuring the planter a certain 

 numlier of female trees. 



The most practical method of obtaining this end .seemed 

 to be by grafting. t'areful attention was given to the 

 ipiestion at the Hoiie Gardens, .lamaica, and in 1900 

 Mr. T. .J. Harris succeeded in grafting selected female .scions 

 on to ten-montlis-old .seedling stock. (AnnuaJ Report, 

 Botanical Department, .Jamaica, 1900 ; p. 6). In the Reiiort 

 for 1901 the Director states that seventy of the grafted 

 ]ilants have been grown on for planting out, and several ha^•e 

 flowered and one fruited whilst still in the jiots. 



Similar experiments have been made in Ceylon, but with 

 rather less successful residts. In addition, in Ceylon, 'layering 

 the branches of female trees has been attempted with fair 

 .success.' I^Annual Ili'jMrl, Ceylon Botanic Gardens, 1901). 



It remains now to be .seen how the grafted or layered 

 plants thrive under ordinary cidtivation. The advantages to 

 nutmeg planters, if Botanic Gardens can supply them with 

 guaranteed female luitmeg plants are obvious, and future 

 repoits will be awaited with interest. 



