Vol. XVIII. No. 443. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



119 



accumulations of organic matter in drains and their outlets, 

 and by growing special plants in odd corners of the estates for 

 the purpose of supplying mulches. 



In estate practice in Dominica it is held by planters that 

 the cutting and carrying of green mulches of native bush, 

 and the collection of dry material under deciduous trees is 

 much too expensive a method of soil improvement, It is, 

 however, somewhat difficult to accept this, unless the 

 material is carried over long distances, a proceeding which is 

 not reoommendtd. It cannot and should not be as expensive 

 as the cost of producing pen manure. Probably the real 

 difficulty lies in the fact that the average planter has rightly 

 a jreat belief ia the efficacy of pen manure, therefore the 

 expenditure m this case is considered justifiable. In the 

 matter of mulches, either green or dry, of native plants, there 

 is a doubt as to the utility of the work in the minds of some 

 owners and managers, which makes all efforts and expeuditurc 

 in applying them appear unnecessary and large, in view of the 

 already held opinion that all work in this dire'stion is of 

 questionable value. 



In the Experiment Station, in which there is little in the 

 way of native bn.'ih to draw upon, it has been necessary, in 

 order to secure material for the mulched plots, to plant up 

 odd corners with lemon grass and GUrkidia maculata ior: 

 this purpose. These areas lie close to the plots; therefore 

 the cost of carrying on the mulch is reduced to a minimum. 

 Later on it is hopeii to measure the areas which produce 

 mulch, and calculate the annual yield of this material. It 

 will then be jiossible to state the amount of land required to 

 be set aside for each acre of lime cultivation on a .5-ton 

 require nenc of mulch per acre per year. The supply of 

 mulching material may be solved on some estates along these 

 lines. 



In Dominica, owing to the broken nature of the country, 

 there are no large stretches of cultivation. The estimated 

 acreage under limes (6.000 acres) is made up of numerous 

 smalf area?. The majority of these are surrounded by 

 native vegetation which, if utilized, shoul'l maintain the 

 fertility of cultivated lands at a high standard. On a few 

 large e.states, on which the difficulty of obtaining material 

 is obvious, a good deal might be done to improve the 

 situation by planting the banks of rivers and streams, edges 

 of ravines, and lands too steep for lime cultivation, with 

 plants suitable as mulch producers. 



It is a fortunate thing for the lime industry that a con- 

 siderable portion of the cultivation which lies on .slopes at the 

 foot of cliffs, receives from the vegetation which clothes the 

 rocks above, a large amount of valuable material yearly. This, 

 however, is seldom enough, and even in such favoured locali- 

 ties, applications of mulch would prove helpful. In open 

 fields, which have n ■ such natural sources of supplies, this 

 form of mpnuring is necessary if the trees are to be maintained 

 in good health. This work of mulching should be additional 

 to the use of all the pen manure that can be produced and 

 applied on the estate. 



Green dtessing. The uses of such plants as the horse 

 bean {Canavalia ensiformis) as a ground cover, and of 

 Te^jhrosia Candida, both as a ground cover and for affording 

 lateral shelter to young limes for a p riod of two years or more, 

 have been demonstrated at the Kxperiment Station, in which 

 place they have proved of high value. The functions of the 

 plants as soil enrichers have also been explained to planters. 

 As a result of the experiments there is now a considerable 

 ifemand for seeds of the horse bean and of Tephrosia for 

 growing in young cultivations. It is hoped that the use of 

 these nurse and cover plants will continue to increase. 

 {To be C0?ittnued,) 



EQUIPMENT FOR THE FARM AND FARM, 

 STEAD. By Harry C- Ramsower. Professor of Agricul- 

 tural Engineering in the College of Agriculture of the Ohio 

 State University: pp. xii-f523. Ginii &> Co., Nev York. 

 London, etc Price $3 00. 



It is only in recent years that questions, such as those 

 discussed in the book under review, with regard to the general 

 problems of agricultural equipment have been given scientific 

 consideration. This book brings together and presents in a 

 very readable form facts and principles underlying the success- 

 ful equipment for any agricultural holding. Primarily it is 

 addressed to the farmers of Ohio, but it is worth while being 

 placed on the book shell of any agriculturist who is seeking 

 information for the solution of problems which daily crop up 

 in agricultural practice. 



The first two chapters discuss and explain some general 

 principles of mechanics and the transmission of power, which 

 are so clearly explained that anyone with the smallest know- 

 ledge of mathematics will not only be interested in their 

 discussion, but will be able easily to apply the principles 

 practically. 



The next two chapters discuss materials of construction 

 with regard to the various purposes for which they may 

 be required. The discussion of cement and concrete and their 

 uses is particularly full. 



The next .section, if we may call it so, of four chapters, 

 is concerned with the laying out of the farm, its fencing, and 

 the construction of the buildings thereon, from the living house 

 to the poultry house 



Chapter IX deals in detail with the lighting of the farm 

 home. In this chapter the various methods of possible 

 illumination are discussed and explained in an interesting way, 



from the kerosene lamp to electric installation. 



The next seven chapters discuss machinery for the 

 development of the water-supply of a farm, while another 



chapter explains very fully the requisite plans for the disposal 



of sewage. 



The largest section of the book consists of ten chapters on 



farm tools and machinery, the first of these chapters being 



devoted to the basic tillage tool, the plough. 



The chapter on gasolene and oil engines is full of mo.st 



valuable information and explanation as to the construction 



and employment of these modern, but now indispensible, 



adjuncts to high class farming. 



The last chapter of the book, on rope and its uses, 



will be, to a general reaier, one of the most charming of 



this charming book. It wojld seem that no possible knot, 



hitch, or splice which can be constructed with a bit of rope is 



omitted from the various lucid explanations. 



Not the least pleasurable features of the book are the 



clearness of the type and the very numerous illustrations. 



It is, in fact, so copiously illustrated that one can hardly 



think that there is a possible illustration omitted. This book 



is to be most heartily recommended for the use of agriculturists 



anywhere. 



