M8 



THE AGRICULTURAL NE\vS. 



NOVEMBKK 1, 191&, 



GLEANINGS. 



The Dominica Chioiudt, October 15, 1919, draws 

 attention to the proposed formation of a Dominica Fishing 

 Oompany. A meeting for tb» development of the scheme 

 was 10 be held the next day. The ootcome will be awaited 

 will interest. 



A cotrespondent writing to the Journal of tin Royal 

 Soa'ely of Arts, August "JO, 1919, sutgests that one con- 

 tributory cause of spontaneous cotTibustion in coal cargoes 

 is the force viih which coals are loaded, ari.'ing from the 

 height fiom which thty are dropped into the ship's hold. 



The Acting Director of Agriculturf, Trir/lad Mr W. 

 G. Frfeman, in his report on the Examination in Agricul- 

 ture of teachers for certificates, 19 li^, states that, on the 

 whole, the work was fairly satisfact ry. but from the p <int 

 of view of the future usefulness of the candidates as 

 teachers, it is evident that they should he induced to give 

 mucli more attention to practical work, and observation of 

 natural objects. 



The British I'nion Oil Company not only intend.^ to 

 establish an oil station in Barbados, but also to bore for oil 

 throughout the colony, and ascertain whether Barbados 

 contains sufficient oil for commercial purposes. The belief 

 that oil of a high grade is to be found in the island has been 

 held by many experts who have visited Barbados from time 

 to time. {The 7»;w Trade Supplement, September 20, 1919.) 



It would appear that in almost all parts of Travancore 

 arrowroot grows wild. Little, however, is done with the 

 root except that it is used for culinary purposes. In many 

 of the districts where the root is grown it is merely sliced 

 and dried, and exported in that condiiion. In others, the 

 extracting if the fiour is do;ie by loc^j and crude method.s, 

 which are wasteful (The Indian Tmde fournal, .July II 

 1919.) 



In conECxion with the utilization of molasses for the 

 manufacture of motor spirit, the Soulh African Sugar 

 /curnni, June 1919, notes that the Natal Cace By-Pioducis, 

 Ltd , ate importing a special siill for the manufacture of 

 cblorcioim, which will be luu ir. connexion' with their other 

 plant. 



According to the Keport on the Season and Crops of 

 As-.-iani, for the year 1918- 19, ricj is the principal cr^p 

 fjrcwn in the province, it covers an ar-a of 4,583,140 acres, 

 or about 73 per cent, of the total cropped area, and show.s 

 ii decrease of 219,6."»4 acres as compared with tl.e previous 

 ^ear. 



The Jttdian Trodc Journal, August 1, 1919. ."tales 

 tb^t the principal e.xpnris from Palestine nowadays are 

 bailey from the port of Gazit, and oranges and wine from 

 Jaffa; lately also aliuocds h:i.ve come into prominence as an 

 eiport. Palestine wines have now become famous the 

 world over. 



The Egyplian J/orticullum/ Society's Review, July 

 1919, in reference to tl'e Saman free (Pit/iecalo/duni .'in- 

 mam says that this magnificerit tree has recently been 

 introduced from the West indies intti Egypt, and appears 

 to have f'und the climatic condiiion of the country to be 

 '(■ngenial to its growth. 



According to the Porto Itici /V/////-c\.>, Septtmber 19, 

 1919, ihecitru.s iropof the island, which was then beginning, 

 to he li»rvesled, is p..<.timaied at little more tbanamiilicn 

 boxes This is about one-half of what the crop was expected 

 to bL- three or four monllis apo. Since thai time there has 

 been •». heavy dropping of yodng fruit,. 



An exteiisive liyewocd and chemical factory is being 

 completed at the south-western end of Jamaica- It is owned 

 by British capitalists, and will be knosvn as the Yorkshire 

 Dyeware and Chemical Company. Ic is hoped that the 

 factory will be in operation by the end oT the yenr. A 

 plenlifi 1 sup)ily of water ha= bcfn provided by mcar.s of 

 a canal 3 miles in ength. {Tlie Times Trade Supplement, 

 September 20, 1919). 



The aggregate value of the trade of the Federated Malay 

 States amounted to .£34,884,583 in 1918, as compared with 

 £40,407,296 in 1917. This decrease in value apoears to be 

 owing to the difii'julties of marketing their plantation r;ibber. 

 The fall in the value of rubber exported was £8,4t'5,834, 

 but tin showed an increase of £431,040. (Tnc Chainher of 

 Commerce Jouinal , August 1919). 



There are at pesent in the Philippines eighteen .sugar 

 centrals, with an approximate total da ly milling capacity 

 of 7,000 tons of cane. These mills are situated in seven 

 different provinces, but ten of them, with a capn'-ity of more 

 than 3 000 tons of cane daily, are in the island of Negros, 

 where the erection of five more modern mil's, with a total 

 capacity of 5,000 tons of cane daily, is |r<jected. {The 

 Bo'jrd i>/ Trade Journal, August 7, 1919.) 



Agriculture is essentially an industry in which energy 

 and experience will prove the main faclors for succes.s— but 

 experience shi'uld include experiment. Scientific and uptQ. 

 date fanners recognize.the value of exp. rirafnt and research 

 directed to the solution of agricultural problems. The best 

 results can only be obtained by combining practical e.vperi- 

 ence of farm work with a knowledge of the new facts which 

 science hns revealed. fThe hunntil of the Board oj Agri- 

 culture, Augu.^t 1919.) 



