YoL. YIL Xo. 150. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Strensrth of Timber as influenced by Moisture. 



A huge amount of inteieslini; infufuiation dealing; 

 witli the influence of moisture ujion the strength of 

 different kinds of timber, is contained in a pamphlet 

 recently issued by the Forest Service, U.S. Department 

 of Agriculture. 



From a consideration of the p.-irliciilar.'? given it 

 is at once evident liow very different degrees of 

 strength may be given to two boards of the same piece 

 •of timber by diffeient melliods of seasoning. 



One of the first resuiis of the seasotiing of wood 

 is the evaporation of tlie moisture contained in tlie 

 interior of the individual eeUs. This naturally lessens 

 the weight of timber, but it is not utitil the nmisture 

 in the substance of the cell-walls themselves begins to 

 evaporate, that the strength of the timber is affected. 

 When the cell content of watei' lias evaporated, but 

 the moisture in the substance of the cell walls is stili 

 present, the wood is at what is known as 'fibre 

 saturation point,' and from this stage to absolute 

 dryne.=s there is a remarkable gain of strength in 

 the wood. 



Exposure to atmos]iheric conditions may bring 

 about a reabsorption of moisture, but still if proper 

 seasoning has taken ]ilace, most woods remain fioni 

 50 to 1.50 ]>er cent, as strong as when in the green 

 •condition. The importance of care in seasoning timber 

 is therefore at once evident. 



Labour Conditions in British Guiana. 



A note in the Agrividtwrd i\VH-.S'(Vol. VI, p. :]92), 

 commented on the labour difficulty in British Guiana, 

 and the effect of the developing rice industry in attract- 

 ing the E.ast Indian immigrants from work on sugar 

 plantations. 



In its review of the agricultural conditions in the 

 •colony during 1907, the Demerara Arijosy reverts to 

 this subject, and states that, in spite of the offer of 

 increased wages, cane growers were unable to carry 

 out the tillage o]jerations at the pro[)er time, and 

 ■during the i-eaping season it was found impossible to 

 keep the mills regularly supplied with canes. 



The number of East Indians at present resident 

 on sugar estates in British Guiana is given at 71,000, 

 and of these a large number devote a considerable 

 portion of their time to I'ice growing. There are some 

 •63,000 coolies not resident on sugar estates, but 

 employed in conne.xion with other industries. 



The Arjjosy refers to the fact that other agri- 

 cultural industries, as rubber, fibre, and limes are 

 beginning to show signs of development, but remarks 

 that, under present labour conditions, it is impossible 

 for any one industry to make an important advance 

 except at the expense of others. 



It is unfortunate that this difficulty exists in 

 a colony which possesses so many possibilities of 

 development, since capitalists will necessarily be shy of 

 investing capital in a country where the labour supply 

 is insufficient for the industries already established. 



Interesting Citrus Fruits from Tobago. 



]Mr. I). ilacgilli\ray of Tobago recently forwarded 

 two interesting specimens of citrus fruits to the Imper- 

 ial Commissioner of Agriculture. One was a Labuan 

 pomelow, which Mr. Macgillivray lias succeeded in 

 propagating in Tobago. These pomelows, he states, are 

 usu.-illy thornless and seedless. Cuttings supplied by 

 Sir. Macgillivray have been raised at the Trinidail 

 Botanic Gardens 



Mr. Millen of Tobago also obtained cuttings of 

 the pomelow, and has been successful in propagating 

 the plants by budding on sour orange stocks. 



The second ii'uit sent has the shape of a shaddock 

 but is very rough-skinned. It is fj-oni a seedling of the 

 pomelow tree, and is thought to be the result of a cross 

 between che pomelow and a sweet orange. Both fruits 

 are possessed of an excellent tiavour. 



West Indian Bulletin. 



A new number of the Went Indian Bidh'tin 

 (Vol. VIII, No. 3) has just been issued from the press. 

 It contains papers relating to Animal Industry, Agri- 

 cultural credit and loan banks, Agricultural Education, 

 and one or two papers on miscellaneous subjects, which 

 were to have been read at the Jamaica Agricultural 

 Conference of 1907. 



The Hon. B. S. Gosset's article ' Indian Cattle in 

 Jamaica,' gives a considerable amount of useful inibrma- 

 tion concerning the different breeds, and their value 

 from the point of view of the dairy and as beef 

 producers as well as animals of dr.iught. 



Interesting particulars in reference to horse and 

 mule breeding in the island are contained in Mr. S. C. 

 Burke's paper ' Horses and Horse Breeding in Jamaica,' 

 while any agriculturist who may be thinking of taking 

 up dairy work in tlie colony, will find Mr. T. P. 

 Leyden's article ' Dairying in Jamaica,' full of useful 

 information and valuable suggestions. 



The subject of agricultural education, in different 

 aspects, is discussed in no less than ten papers in this 

 number. The Revd. Canon Simms, JI.A., writes on 

 ' Agricultural and Scientific Teaching in the Secondary 

 Schools of .Tamaica ' : the Hon. H. H. Cousins, 

 M.A., F.I.C, discusses the difficulties in the way of 

 establishing a thorough scheme of agricultural educa- 

 tion in Jamaica, while the Hon. T. Capper, B.A., B.Sc, 

 describes the work done through the medium of 

 Nature Study, School Gardens, etc., to extend agri- 

 cultural knowledge in the elementary schools of 

 Jamaica. 



The conditions of agricultural education in Barba- 

 dos .are reviewed in two papers, by his Lordship the 

 Bishop of Barbados, and by the Revd. H. A. Dalfcon, 

 D.D., respectively, the former discu.ssing the subject 

 generally, while Dr. Dalton's paper is confined to the 

 work done in Secondary Schools. 



It is worthy of mention that a Conference number 

 of the Bulletin (6.5 jiages) containing a summary 

 of the proceedings ot the Conference of 190<S was 

 issued on Tuesday, Jamiary 15, the day after the 

 Conference closed. 



