Vol. I. Xo. 15. 



THE AGRKitlLTURAL NEWS. 



■235 



^^S.. 



GROWlXa SUM AT J! A TOBACCO UXDER 

 SHADE, liy Milton Whitney, U. S. Dfjinrtmnit. of Agri- 

 culture, JJureriu of Sui/s. Jiullttia Xo. 20, 1002 . 



This bulletin gives an account of the exiierinients that 

 have been crtrrie<l on in the t'onneeticut Valley with a view 

 to improving the quality of the Conneetieut tobacco leaf. 

 This leaf is used for cigar wra|i[iers but is much inferior for 

 that [lurpose to the imported Sumatra leaf. The exjierimeuts 

 liave been carried on in a uundjcr of different soils, the total 

 area under .shade being 41 acres. A tine (|uality of leaf has 

 been obtained at a cost of 47"6 cents, per pound, excluding 

 any charge for land, buildings or in.surance, or interest on the 

 money invested. Owing to the large outlay of time and 

 money, which is necessary, it is not recommended that 

 costly ex|)erinients should be attempted in areas where ' the 

 soil survey has not indicated at least a reasonable chance of 

 success.' 



XATURE STUDY AXD LIFE. IJy Clifton F. 

 Hodge, Ph. D. Memrs. GInn iL Compaii;/, Boston, U.S.A., 

 find London. 100, i. 



This book is intended for the use of teachers who are 

 taking n\i nature study in their schools. The niethods put 

 forward have been tried for years in the pulilic school 

 gardens at Worcester, Mass. 



The author's puri>ose throughout is to develop in the 

 childreii a love for, and an intelligent interest in, the living 

 beings, animals and plants, with which they are continually 

 coming into contact. 



The study of plant life, as here put forward, may bo 

 divided into three [larts. The first deals with the study of 

 wild Howers. The children are taught to hunt for and to 

 recognize the connnoner or more interesting wild flowers. 

 The .second and largest part treats of the plants of the 

 garden and their cidtivatiou. The actual plants used must 

 needs vary with the locality, but the methods will be the 

 same and the author's hints should jirove of great value to 

 teachers. The account of budding, layering, grafting, etc., 

 is very good. The chapters on elementary forestry are 

 full of information and show the great importajjce of the 

 subject. 



The third part deals with flowerless plants. Tliis part 

 is necessarily very incomplete. There is a fairly full account 

 of edible and poi.sonous nmshrooms, and short descriptions of 

 some of the most imiiortant fungoid disea.ses ajul their 

 treatment. In writing of bacteria the author shows how the 

 necessity for scrupulous cleanliness may be imjiressed on 

 children by one or two experiments, and gives simple and 

 <;lear reasons for the precautions that have to be taken to 

 avoid the spread of infectious diseases. 



The study of animal life occujiies a large part of the 

 book. Insects, destructive, beneficial and beautiful, form the 

 subject of these chapters, and the parts dealing with aphides, 

 scale insects, and the honey bee are especially applicable to 

 these Colonies. A chapter on the common toad is full of 



interest and should Ije read in every school in the West Indies, 

 whilst the remainder dealing with frogs, birds and nii.scel- 

 laneous animals, though not closely ajiplicable to West Indian 

 fauna, could be read and applied liy an intelligent teacher. 



The purpose of the book throu'diout is excellent, and 

 tlie interest m nature it is likely to [iroduce, W(mld be most 

 valuable, if even only in jiart aroused in the minds of the 

 teachers of all grades of schools. 



This book can be commended to libraries throughout 

 these Colonies, and to everyone who has a desire for nature 

 knowledge and a glimiise of the ways of the beasts, birds and 

 flowers that are to be found. 



PICTOIUA 1. PR A CTICA L OA RDEXIXd, 

 PICTORIAL PRACTICAL FRUIT GROWIXC. 

 PICTORIA L (IREEXIIOUSE MAXACEMEXT. 

 V,y Walter P. Wright. JAx.sc.--. C'7>«V/ d: Co., London. 

 Price Is. each. 



These small books are intended ininiarily for the use of 

 Engli.sh horticulturists, con.seiiuently a large jiart of tho 

 information given is not specially adapted to the West 

 Indies. The general directions however, should prove of 

 valut; to gardeners and fruit growers everwhere, such as the 

 directions for striking cuttings, grafting, budding, iiruning, 

 gathering and storing fruit, etc. : also the accounts of soils 

 and manures, the iireparatiou and apiilication of insecticides, 

 an<l fuiigici<les, etc. The directions arc short, clear and very 

 practical. The illustrations are vei'y numerous and useful. 



METHODS OF PROP Ail ATI XG THE ORAXGE 

 AXD OTHER CITRUS FRUITS. By Herbert J. Webljer. 

 U.S. Depnrtnient of Agriculture. 



This pamphlet is a reiu'iiit fi-om the Year-book of the 

 Department of Agriculture. It gives descriptions of the 

 jirincipal methods of propagation employed liy citrus 

 nurserymen and growers in Florida, including the raising of 

 seedlings, the seed bed, the use of cuttings, the nursery 

 stocks, budding, grafting and inarching. A number of plates 

 are given illustrating the chief iioints. The pamphlet 

 should be useful to growers of oranges, etc., in the West 

 luilies. 



Pyrethrum and Mosquitoes. .Most ))eople, espe- 

 cially new comers to the troiiics, object to being bitten 

 by inos(juitocs and find that a moscpiito net is not always a, 

 fully satisfactory jirotcction. To these we would recommend 

 the pyrethrum jiowder which forms the chief ingredient of 

 many insect powders. If a few spoonfuls of this powder are 

 placed on a tin lid and a lighted match is ajiplied, the powder- 

 will slowly smoulder, giving otf a light smoke which is 

 peculiarly obnoxious to niosqttitoes. The odour is not 

 unipleasant and is entirely harmless to lininan lieings, whilst a 

 room thus fumigated in the evening will probably be found 

 to be free from mosquitoes. During the rainy sea.son mosqui- 

 toes sometimes gather in hundreds in a room, ajiparently 

 for social amusement and dancing. These assemblies are 

 easily dispersed with a little iiyrethrum iiowder, and susceii- 

 tible [lersons may thus rid themselves of the nioscjuito 

 nuisance. As ordinary in.sect powder fre(|Uently contains a 

 variety of substances, it is advisable to procure ' Pyrethrum,' 

 sold in one pound tins by Me.ssrs. C. F. Harrison and (Jo., 

 and Messrs. G. W. Hutchinson and Co., Barbailos, at 60 cents 

 per pound. 



