Vol. I. Xo. G. 



THE AGUICULTUltAL NEWS. 



85 



giKwth, till' yiiung leavys gradually decay and, finally, 

 the gniwing [loint of the nteiii hceDnics cotti'ii. P^xanii- 

 iiatioii lit' tln' niiit-.sy.stc'iii .shnws that the lateral rijots 

 are destruyeil ;ui(l that nub-like swellings containing 

 tlie nematodes occur at the end of the Uiain roots. 

 (./niini. Roll. H»,-t. S,h:, Vol. .\.WI, p. S-1.4 and p. 

 (•(j.\.\ii, April, VMYl). 



N'arious direct r'nieilirs ii.-nc been suggested to 

 combat this disease, such as the application of slacked 

 lime, lime mixed with soot, or lime from gas works. 

 In addition it is jirobable tiiat some varieties of banana 

 may resist the disease much more than others and that 

 its in the case of the tiimilar sug.ir beet disease, other 

 jilants may be found, which, if planted with the 

 l)ananas will attract the worms .and thus serve as traps 

 for the pest. Another remedy which has bei'U found 

 suitable in simil.ar di.seases is to throw tli<' land out of 

 banan.i cultivation, then to cultivate it thoroughly 

 and to grow some rotation crop before re])laiiting in 

 bananas. Possibly some leguminous croj) like the 

 velvet bean would be useful in t his connexion. 



CACAO 



Experiments in drying at Dominica. 



'I'he Cacao drying house recent!}' erected by the 

 Imperi.d J)epartment of Agriculture in the Botanii; 

 (Jardens, ])ominica, wa.s fully describnl, with a 

 figure, in the Af/ricaltaral A^cit'.-:, p. 1!J. W'e append 

 now, an account of some recent trials, cinnmunicated by 

 ftlr. .1. Jones, the Curator of tlie Station; — ■ 



The exjieriinents made in January with all the six 

 trays tilled, demonstrated that cacao placed in the box 

 at !) a.m. one day was com])lete!y dried at I) a.m. thr 

 next day, that is, within 24 hours of being placed in 

 the drier. This result was obtained without the fan being 

 worked after !) ()'cli>ck at night. Several other tests 

 made, proved that cacao jjaci'd in the drier at !) or 

 10 a.m. is easily finishei] by the afternoon of the follow- 

 ing day withcjut excessive api)lication of luat. If 

 necessary, cacao could be dried in twelve hours, l)iit 

 the beans would possiljly suffer sonu^what by the hi'at. 

 The aim should be to Tuaintain a temj)eratiuH' of 1 10 to 

 120 F. with .-i good draught passing (jver the l)eans. 

 Such Conditions approach very nearly to those of sun 

 drying. The use of the apparatus is not I'estrictod to 

 good Weather for cacao can be dried in the air tor the 

 first day and placed in the box in the e\eiiing. The 

 beans thus contimie drying without interi'uptiou during 

 the night, and by placing them in the sun the next 

 mi>rning they will be finished dining the day. In damp 

 weather a drying apparatus is indi.sjjcnsablo to growers 

 in wet districts, who make from (iO to 70 bags per 

 annum, as insurance against loss. 



The drying house hero has been examined by 

 many planters, who express approval of its simple 

 construction and effectiveness. One of the largest 

 cacao growers in the ishmd has taken preliminary 

 steps to erect a drier of similar pattern in time for 

 liLS next crop. 



It is cert.-iin that no planter who makes .a large 

 crop will contimie to put up with the loss and worr}' 

 atti ndant on the drying of cacao (hiring damp weather, 

 now that a simph' and effective drying box can be; 

 easily coiistruct,eil ;ind economically worked. The 

 cost per bag of drying cacao is, with its aid. reduced 

 to a minimum. 



COW-PEAS. 



DISKASK-I! KSISTIM ; \ A KI KT I KS. 



Tl'.e jji'iiduction of hardy varieties is a method 

 which has of late years been suggested as a means of 

 comb.iting various diseases, such as those which attack 

 the I'oots of plants and which often cannot be directly 

 dealt with in a satisfactory manner. Perhaps an 

 extended investigation of the root disea.se of the sugar- 

 cane might I'esult in the finding of a race or variety 

 which Would be more immune to this destructive 

 malaily than those at present under cultivation. That 

 the finding of suc'i a remedy is b!)th practicable and 

 probable is evident from tht; success which has attended 

 the j)roduction of grape.-i resistant to I'lii/HD.rcni, in 

 Europe, and of cotton, resistant to the wilt disease, in the 

 United States. Following up the success which has 

 attended the production of hardy varieties of cotton, 

 the United States I).'pirtm;nt of Agriculture has 

 re:!ently succeeded in finding a cow-pei which resists 

 l)oth the wilt (liseas(^ of this plant, so common in the 

 Southern States, and also the malady known as 'root 

 knot' caused by the universal nematode worm ( Hcfi'ro- 

 ilcr'i (■inl'ii-h-iilii ). [i^iniio disi'dsrs tif the ri>ir-/>P((. 

 P>y W. A. Orton and H. J. Webber. Ihdb-tlii 11, 

 Bureau of Plant fiidu^li-y.] 



The i-oot knot of cow-peas is produced by the 

 irritation (hie to the presence of these minute worms 

 in the ti.ssui's of the roots. The resulting swellings can 

 readily be distinguished from the root tubercles caused 

 by l)acteria. It is quite probable that cow-peas are 

 affected by nematodes in the West Indies and perhaps 

 also liy the wilt disi'ase So far, however, no specinunis 

 art'ected b)' these mal.adies have Iteen re(;ei\(.'il l)y this 

 1 )epartment. 



Kxteiided trials have been mad.' by the United 

 States Dejiartment of Agriculture iu South Carolina, 

 with v.irious vai-ieties of cow-peas on soil badly affected 

 l)oth by till' wilt fungus and also by nematodes (the 

 so-calle(l ' jiea-sick' soil). One variety, the Iron cow- 

 pea, was found to resist both diseases and to give heavy 

 crops \\h(.'re all the rest failed. 



'j'he Iron cow-pi'a is described as 'a comj)act 

 vigorous plant, of medium size anil somewhat trailing 

 in habit. The foliage is dark gn/en with a peculiar 

 bluish lustre that distinguishes this variety from others. 

 The seeds are small and hard. 'J'he colour is buff and 

 somewhat variable, seeds of different shades l)eing 

 found in the same pod.' 



It is ho|ird to obtain some seeds of this variety for 

 trial ill the West Indies. 



