Vol. XVIII. No. 461. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



403 



Germmy ; and it is believed that scarcely aa average harvest 

 can be anticipated, even assuming that the sugar content 

 of the root will be satisfactorj'. It seems certain that from 

 October this year to March nest year the German popu- 

 lation will have to be content in the main with unrefioed 

 sugar. This scarcity will require the importation of large 

 quantities of very e.'cpensive foreign sugar. It is obvious 

 that with such a decline in the home production, the import 

 movement, which has already begun to a considerable extent 

 through Holland, will b'- cne to cause deep reflection to 

 sugar producers in a country which, previom to the 

 outbreak of the war, was such an important factor in the 

 worlds sugar supply. 



A recent note on the conditions of the German beetroot 

 crop shows that the avesage weight of the sugar beet has 

 diminished very much, compared with the average weight at 

 the corresponding period of the last three years. The sugar 

 content also shows a diminution. 



PLANTAIN STALKS AS FODDER FOR 

 CATTLE. 



The Trnj>ica/ Agru/flfur/st, September 1919, publishes 

 an article which contains useful hints as to the possibility or 

 utilizing banana 8ti ks for fodder, espe ially in periods of 

 drought. In the West Indies the banana stalks are some- 

 times fed to liogs, but as a cattle food they are probably 

 liiHae no use of. 



Among the .several kinds of fodders hitherto known in 

 Mvtore. no mention seem.s to have been made of plantain 

 stems, though the leases, which are employed as dining 

 plites, are sometimes given to cattle after their u.>e. How- 

 ever, fcr this purpose, experience this year has shovn that 

 plantain stems, their leaves, and even the roots have been 

 regular y fed to cattle in certain vil ages as famine fodder 

 without any injury to th' health of the cattle. The way in 

 which the feed is prepared from the stem, and the quantity 

 given to working and other cittle, and the good or bai 

 effects on the cattle fed, are here stated f )r the information of 

 such cultivators as may have plantain gardens of their own. 

 or be able to get stems from other gardens. 



The stems of plantain.^, after the bunches are removed, 

 are usually cat about G inches from the ground, and are 

 thrown into a pit without being used for anything. Instead 

 ot this they sho ild be cut close to the ground, or 

 dug oDt to a depih of about 6 inches below the ground. 

 All dry leaves and dry sheaths .should be removed. The 

 remaining green stem, with the sheaths and the core, sh'.ald 

 br cut into small slices by a sharp sickle or large knife This 

 is e .sily done by cutting the stem cro's wise. The pieces 

 thus cut can immediately I'S fed to cittle without any addi- 

 tio:. of salt, or mixture of other foods to the slices. 



Ralfaloes eat the slices very reaiily. Some cows and 

 bullocks do not like thein at first. Experiments conducted 

 on certain farms in feeding plantain stems and leaves to farm 

 bullocks for ene month prove that one rneal of this stutt' 

 duiing the daytime can safely be given to working cattle. 

 The highest quantity given to each working bullock wh.- up 

 to "20 ft) per day. These bullocks received, in the 

 evening, the usual .(Oaotity of ' kadbi' (half the d;iily 

 quantity), and the concentrated f'Xxl, and the meal daring the 

 daytime consisted entirely )f plantain stems. The condition 

 ol "the cittle was tested by n'•*'^■\' -vnivhing before and after 

 the exferiment with feeding plantain stems There was 

 not the slightest loss in weight. 



It is a general belief amoig cultivitors that cUtle fed oa 

 plantain stems may purge, and consequently lose condition. 

 Actual experiments have proved that euch Ls not the case. 

 The dung of cattle, fed up to 35 ft. of stems daily, was 

 a.s hard as the dung of the cattle fed on 'kadoi and chaff 

 alone. Thus there is not the slightest risk in feedine plan- 

 tain stems to cattle in general, and especially to buffiloes 

 cows, and young stock. The knowledge of these facu wili 

 be very useful in villages where there are planuin gardens, 

 but where the stsms are now wasted. If all the stems are* 

 proferly cut and fed to the catt e, it will be a great adiiuoa 

 to the present stock of fodder, which would help to keep a 

 large numder of cattle in good condition in critical periods of 

 drought. 



THE COTTON TRADE IN MANCHSSTSR. 



The following extract frtm T'le Tiroes Trade 

 Supplement;, November 15, 1919, will doubtless be of 

 interest to our readers : — 



The chief lesson which has been learn<>d by the 

 delegates who have returned to England from th-^ World'.s 

 Cotton Conference at New Orleans is that no effort should 

 be spared to grow co'ton in all parts of the world in which 

 it .jin be grown on commercial lines. If this be not done, 

 cottor. which is exce()tionally deir now, will bee ime dearer 

 still, and, in European countries at any rate, will be scarce. 



» >ther p ints which were elucidated at th-i conference 

 miy be briefly summarized. Many of the mills in America 

 work fifty-five and as many as sixty hours a week. VVherever 

 possible, piece rates are paid, and there Is no slackening. The 

 rate of production is about equal to that in Hagland, but 

 the quality of the work is not as high. Not 10 per c.-nt. of 

 the American cotton operatives are organized. They are 

 made up of mixed nationalities. In some mills notices are 

 printed in five languages. Collective bargaining on matters 

 ' ; wages and ho'irs is not common, thcuga it has been in- 

 troduced in some places and is growing. 



The untidy American cotton bale, which on this side of 

 the Atlantic has been an object of scorn for years, found no 

 defender at the conference. Every one condemned it, and 

 admitted that cotton buyers were en'ided to hace their 

 purchases, which make long journeys both by rail and sea. 

 properly packed. Another innovation was the admission by 

 growers that their pbn of leaving bales of cot. on lying about 

 in the open while awaiting transport, liable to be soaked by 

 rain, could not be defended. A movement Ls aow on foot for 

 the erection at various centres of suitable shelter in the form 

 of warehouses. 



No change is noticeable in the general state of trade. 

 The supply of goods is still inferior to the dem nd which 

 comes from all parts of the world, with the iueviiible resole 

 that prices are high, and delivery ii delayed. The ordinary 

 relations of buyer and seller are r-versed. The seller is in 

 the commanding position. Th<s buyer his to use all the 

 art6 which his ingenuity can suggest. Many orders are 

 given on general terms, the maoafactarei, un>villing tu 

 commit himself to anything definite, promising no more than 

 that he will do his besi t . m-?et bis custom -rs' requirement-. 



Kesults of experiments at Aoglec >n, TeiiS, show th»t 

 cotton seed, produced and k-ipt in dry p-irti of the State, 

 p>roved superior to that produce I iu humid sections. Cotton 

 yielded 30 per cent, m >re in r 'lation with corn, oits, and 

 cowpeis, than under cootinnom cr>ppioe, th- fourth year ^'f 

 the test (The Experimtnt Station Record. June 1919.) 



