Vol. XVIII, No. 436. 



THE AGKIUULTUKAL SEV/b, 



ence of teefch; many of ihem are fn oviviparous, as is 

 the genus Gumhusia. 



The Gambusias are of no /alue as food. Init 

 are of trreat utility, as their food consists almost wholly 

 of inosi|into larvae, of which they destroy great numbers. 

 They are among the best fish as destroyers of mosqui- 

 toes, because tliey live at the surface of the water 

 (whence the name of 'top-minnows,' given to them in 

 the United States), and they can live in water so shal- 

 low as to be uninhabitable for most other species: large 

 numbers of this fish are often found in ponds where the 

 jnud is at times only covered by H cm. of water. 



These tish breed easily, on account of their hardi- 

 ness, and because of the fact that, as they are born in an 

 advanced state of development, they are less exposed to 

 various dangers. Experiments made in New Jersej- 

 have shown that not only are they easy to breed, but 

 they constitute a hitherto neglected means for control- 

 ling moscjuitoes, wherever the water is sufficiently 

 warm. 



It would seem as if this fish might be useful in 

 destroj'ing mo-sijuito larvae in situations where Glrar- 

 dinus poeciloides would not thrive. 



It is worth noting that liood Ordinary' and 

 'Superfine' are different types of cotton, used for differ- 

 ent purposes, the quantity in demand of the latter 

 being quite small, for very special kinds of fabrics. 



St. 'Vincent Cotton. 



It is interesting to find from information supplied 

 to the Imperial C'omraissoner of Agriculture by Mr. W. 

 N. Sands Agricultural Superintendent. St. ^'incent, 

 that the cotton, grown from seed supplied by the Agri- 

 cultural Department to various estates in St. Vincent 

 and the Grenadines for the 1917-18 crop, was uni- 

 formly satifactory in grade. It was graded in the United 

 Kingdom from 'Good Ordinary' to 'Superfine', and 

 fetched prices ranging from ;if. -\-il. to 4s. id. per tb. 



The seed was from a pedigree selection of the 

 'Rivers' or V.l type, originally selected at the Experi- 

 ment Station, and subsequently grown at Glen and 

 Eathomill estates, and on the sm.iU island of Battowia 

 lying south-east of St. Vincent. 



For the 1917-lS crop 11,42."> lb. of this selected 

 seed were sold to planters, with the result stated above. 

 For the present season, 191S-19, there has been sold 

 14,.5H.T tb. of the same seed. This crop is now being 

 reaped, and is of a high standard. 



The foreman of the Experiment Station, after a 

 visit to Battowia on December i). for the purpose of 

 ascertaining whether the cotton was up to the required 

 standard, and whether the crop would be sufficient to 

 provide a large quantity of seed for the season 1919-20, 

 reported that on the :-!7 acres under the selected 

 cotton the plants were all Sea Island, and true in every 

 particular to the type required. They were also vigor- 

 ous, and bearing heavily. The seeds were large and 

 well developed, tufted at both ends, and the lint was 

 above the average of 'Good Ordinary' as regards length 

 and strength. 



This satisfactory conditicm is another proof of the 

 advantages, even of the necessity, of continuous selec- 

 tion, always urged by the Impeiial Department of 

 Ao^riculture, if Sea Island cotton is to be a successful 



crop. 



Gacia Plants from Teneriflfe. 



In the AgrictUttiralNeios, July 18, 191,S, attention 

 was drawn to certain flowering leguminous shrubs of 

 the genus Cytisus, natives of Teneriffe, with a sugges- 

 tion that they might be experimented with in the West 

 Indies. Dr. G. V. Perez has recently forwarded|a small 

 parcel of seeds to the Imperial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, for distribution in some of these islands. 

 Dr Perez says that he only happens to have on hand, at 

 present, seeds of the Gacia {Ci/fisus sfenojictaluf), 

 although there may be among them a small mixture of 

 the seeds of Gacia blanca (C. pallidus). The two are 

 easily distinguished, even when <iuite small, the latter 

 having very silky leaves with practically no petiole. 

 Both are showy ornamental shrubs, and are both used 

 as forage in the island of Palma. 



The seeds, which are quite small, should be dipped. 

 Dr. Perez says, for about half a minute in boiling water 

 before sowing. 



The Gacias are both literall}^ covered with yellow 

 flowers in spring and summer in Teneriffe. They grow, 

 if left alone, into tall shrubs up to from 15 to 2.5 feet 

 high. If grown for forage, they should be pollarded 

 regularly from the time thej are one or two years old. 



Farm Tractors in America. 



The great increase in the numbers of farm motors 

 and in the use of them in the Uniteil States is the 

 subject of an interesting article in T/u- Field, November 

 HO, 19 IS. The fjict is that the farm tractor is an 

 important agent for increased food production, and is a 

 positive factor in the world's food problem. 



jMany tractors operated by a single person are 

 accomplishing more than it would be possible to accom- 

 plish with ten horses and two men. Tractors have 

 been so simplified in control that women are operating 

 them with the greatest ease. 



One of the most important factors in the value of 

 the tractor is that it can be operated for twenty hours a 

 day, thereby enabling the farmer to cultixate his farm 

 at the time when it is best to do so in order to produce 

 good crops. 



On one large Western farn. one tractor worked 

 continuous!)-, without stopping the engine, for eighty . 

 consecutive hours, and ploughed approximately one acre 

 per hour during that period. While this wa,< being 

 done the weather was so hot that those farmers relying 

 on the horse were compelled to stop work for several 

 hours in the hottest portion of the day. 



A few years ago the thought of tractor makers pro- 

 ducing tens of thou.sanfls of tractors in one year was 

 inconceivable. To-day there are over half-a-dozen firm* 

 who have this year produced over 10 000 tract irs, md 

 some of them have produced double and nearly niiple- 

 this number. 



