278 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Ski'tkmber 6, 191?. 



COTTON. 



WEST INDIAN COTTON. 



The following inf'oiiuatiou concerning the cotton 

 market in Liverpool is contained in a circular dated 

 July :U, 1J»19, issued by the British Cotton Growing 

 Association : — 



In connexion with our last circular, we have been 

 endeavouring to finfl out present price* of West Indian Sea 

 Island cotton in Liverpool The position is exceedingly 

 difficult in view of the fact that there is no cotton on ihe 

 market. We think it possible, however, to give an approxi- 

 mate valuation of West Indian cotton, and, basing it on 

 ■what is doing in American Island, we should think that 

 your cotton should be worth i5d. to 48(/. per Bb., accord- 

 ing to quality, if on the spot in Liverpool. 



This price is probably what you would get if the cotton 

 were here, owing to the demands from outsiders and the 

 exhaustion of the Carolina stocks. It must not be over- 

 looked, however, that the new crop Carolina should be in 

 Liverjiool in ( )ctober, and if theie was a big weight of West 

 Indian on the market about the same time, the situation 

 might be altered ; but if your cotton were to arrive here 

 shortly it would, if the quality was good, command the 

 best prices. 



Cotton Stainer in St. Vincent.— Mr. W. N. 



Sands, Agricultural Supt-rintendont, St. Vincent, has issued 

 the following circular in thut island : 'Cotton stainers can 

 exist for several weeks in the adult stage without breeding, 

 and in tlie absence of their regular food-plants. Some insects 

 may have survived this season in the vicinity of 

 buildings used for storing seed-cotton, cotion seed, and 

 cotton seed meal, and others on trees and bushes in 

 sheltered places. It is these relatively few survivors 

 which may form the nuclei of infestations of cotton fields. 

 Ob.'ervations have been made in regard to the habits of these 

 adult stainers in the close .season, and it is found that they 

 make their way to Ihe cotton fields just about the time the 

 young plant starts to Hower, which is approxiniate'y two 

 months from the time of sowing the seed. It is possible 

 for planters to collect the insects at this time, and with care, 

 the fields can be kept free of ihe [test for several months. All 

 that is usually necessary is to have the plants in the first 

 planted field or fields thoioughly searched for a few days 

 about the time indicated, and any insects found destroyed. 



'At tinjCH, also, cotton siainers are attracted to fields 

 where cottonseed meal is bein^ applied as a manure. Here 

 again it is important that a look out should be kept for the 

 insects, and any seen collected and killed. 



'At the Experiment Station the collection of the adult 

 cotton stainers an they appeared in the month of July each 

 season on fiowcrinx cotton has resulted in the plots being 

 freed of the pest until the end of the month of .fanuary 

 following.' 



Cotton-Seed Meal and Potash.— Mr W. N. 

 Sands, Agricultural Superintendent, St Vincent, has 

 issued the following circular : 'Cotton- seed meal ia 

 primarily a nitrogenous manure. It contains a relative- 

 ly small quantity of potash — a plant food so necessary 

 for the successful bearing cf cotton and other 

 plants. Where ashes are available, planters supplement the 

 potash contained in the meal by the addition of 

 these from sugar works, wood and bush. This ia 

 an excellent practice and should be carried out whenever 

 possible. The object of this circular, however, is to issue a 

 note of warning against mixing ashes with cotton-seed meal 

 and storing the mixture. The reason why this .should not 

 be done is this. Ashes contain a large percentage of lime, 

 and lime, although a plant food, possesses the important 

 property of expelling or setting free nitrogen in the form of 

 ammonia, when mixed with nitrogenous manures. If, there- 

 fore, ashes are added to the meal and not appi ed for some 

 time, there is a danger that much of the valuable nitrogen 

 will be lost. A good plan is to defer the mixing until the 

 manure is required, and then only to prepare such a quantity 

 as can be applied the same day.' 



The 'Twin City " Tractor and Plough.— The 



following announcement appeared in a recent issue of the 

 Barbados Sfandard : 'In another part of this impression 

 there will be found a notice by Mr. J. F. Hutson.of this 

 city, the local representative of the Automotive Products 

 Corporation, relating to the expected arrival of a 'Twin City,' 

 Tractor and Plough per SS. 'Korona' on the 26th instant, 

 accompanied by a factory map. The tractor and plough is a 

 modern agricultural implement designed for the special 

 purpose of afforJii g an efficient mechanical substitute for 

 animal power in the tillage of the soil, aud on its arrival 

 a practical demonstration of its utility will be given by 

 Mr. Hutson at a time and place to be announced later. The 

 attention of all persons interested in the matter is specially 

 directed to this advertisement.' 



In the usual gas or oil engine much of the heat gene- 

 rated by the combustion of the fuel is wasted. It pisses 

 away with the exhaust gases and into the water used for 

 cooling the cylinders. A new form of engine has been 

 described before the itoyal Society of A'ts. According to 

 the J Fes/ India Committee Circular, .luly "24, it represents 

 a combination of internal combustion engine and steam 

 engine The waste heat is employed to generate steam 

 The piston driven in one direction by gas or oil is propelled 

 on its return stroke by steam. It is clairai'd that this engine, 

 shows a fuel efficiencj' at least "20 per cent, higher than that 

 reached in other types of prime mover. 



Nematodes seem to be of growing importance in 

 agricultural i)athology. A new worm has just been dis- 

 covered in India causing parasitic gastritis in calves. The 

 ])arasite is of interest because it is not identical with any 

 species previously recorded and, further, it does not fall 

 into any of the established genera. This is of note in 

 connexion with the new nematode discovered as the cause 

 of red ring di.sease of coco-.iuts in the We:jt Indies. The 

 parasite first referred to is fully described and figured i* 

 Bulletin No, 86, Agricultural Hesearch Institute, Pusa 

 India. 



