168 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



May 30, 1908. 



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glgnciiltural ^]nu!i 



Vol. VII. SATURDAY, MAY :50, 1908. No. 159. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The prevalence of black blight, usually attendant 

 upon attacks of scale insects, is discu.ssed in the 

 editorial, where some particulars as to the recognize<l 

 methods of controlling the scales will be found. 



The seedling canes B. 20S, B. 147 and D. !t.5 have 

 shown remarkable drought-resisting powers in Jamaica. 

 Drought still continues in Cuba, and plantings for next 

 year's crop are being interfereil with (p. I(i3). 



The Hrst shipment of banana;-, was recently made 

 from Dutch (iuiana to New York (p. I(i4). 



Messrs. Wolstenholme & Holland's latest report 

 .speaks of an improved condition of Sea Island cotton 

 market at Liverpool. On page Kifi is given the first 

 part of a report of the proceedings at the <-onference of 

 cotton growers lately held at Barbados. 



Under Insect Notes (page 170) a brief aiticle gives 

 remedies for the treatment of the rod spider, a pest 

 which sometimes attacks sweet potatos in the West 

 Indies. Other interesting notes on the same page deal 

 with the parasite of the black scale, and a cocoa-nut 

 palm blight reported from Lago.s. 



A review of the 1906-7 report. (Hi the Botanic 

 ■Station, Experiment Plots, and also on Agricultural 

 Education in Antij^ua, appears on ji.igo 173. On the 

 following ])agesome interesting particidars are given as 

 t(i the methods .idnptcd in tobacco cultivation in 

 Hawaii. 



Protection of Bananas from Insect Pests. 



The United States Consul at Brisliane reports 

 that a regulation has been passed by the Queensland 

 Department of Agriculture, providing that all bananas 

 intended for export to Victoria shall be covered with 

 fine cloth netting for three weeks prior to phu'king the 

 bunch. This has been found by experiment to be an 

 effective protection against the Queensland fly, which, 

 when introduced, works serious ravages in the orchards. 

 This regulation harmonizes with the Victorian State 

 legul.ition, which forbids the im])ortation of bananas 

 unless they have Ijeen so protected. 



Molasses as a Stock Food. 



The fattening effects of molasses when used as 

 a stock food are well known, and in Gi-eafc Britain, there 

 .ire many projn'ietary feeding-stuffs on the market of 

 NN'hich molasses is the chiefconstituent. In Louisiana, it is 

 I'eported, the practice of feeding this mateiial to-draiight 

 animals, as a regular portion of their daily ration, is grow- 

 ing in favour. From figures collected by an nfficial at 

 the Louisiana Experiment Station, it appears that 

 about 10 it), of molasses per head is the average 

 (juantity fed to the horses and nniles. Siune green 

 food, such as pea vines or cane tops, are chojiped and 

 mixed with the ni'/lasses, as well as a few puunds of 

 some concentrated l'o(jd. su<'li as cake or corn. It is 

 always desirable to begin with small aividuiits ot'iuol.-isses 

 when this material is first introduced into a ration. 



The conclusions drawn (iom .the data collected in 

 Louisiana are certainly in .-iccord with the gener.ally 

 accepted view tliat molasses, where it is available at 

 resonable prices, constitutes a nutritious wnd e.-isilv 

 digested, as well as economical, con*lituent of a ration 

 for drausrht animals. 



Sulphate of Ammonia from Peat. 



A method for producing sulphate of ammonia 

 from peat, known .as the Woltereck process, has lately 

 been jiatented, and works have been erected in 

 County Antrim, Ireland, in the neigliboui hood of which 

 there is .an abundant supply of the raw material. The 

 process consists in passing a mixture of air and water 

 vapour over peat kept at a low giadeof heat in speci.ally 

 devised furiia<'es. Ammonia is one of the chief gases 

 given off, r.nd this is led into an acid tower, where it is 

 absorbed by sulphuric ,icid, forming sulphate of 

 ammonia. Acetic acid is another product of the process. 

 The holders of the patent claim that a \'ield of sulphate 

 of ammonia equal to .5 per cent, of the dried peat (;an 

 be relied upon, .iiid estimate the cost of production of 

 the .imiuonium sulphate at .£.5 X^'. 3'/. per ton. Consid- 

 ing that there is in Europe alone, nn area of bog l.aud, 

 useless for agricultural purposes, of 13(i.lo7,7.")0 acres, 

 it will be seen that the new process will have ample 

 scope, and any me.ins of adding to present supplies, and 

 reducing the cost of nitrogenous fertilizers will be 

 welcomed by agriculturists all the world over. 



