300 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



SEPTEMBKr: 21, 1918. 



GLEANINGS. 



According to Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 959, the 

 turtle trade of the Cayman Islands during 191til7 was far 

 from satisfactcry, the total amount exported being 833 turtles, 

 ▼alned at £1,666. The value of the Islands' exports to all 

 e<3untries amounted to £8,169, as compared with £11,566 

 in 191.5 16. 



An article in the Popiitar Scieiia Monthly (New York) 

 states that the undertaking recently establislied in C'aJiforniii 

 for obtaining supplies of potash from seaweeds is proving so 

 successful that one firm alone is producing three time.s as 

 much potash as was previously exported from Germany. The 

 kelp is cut by means of a reaper, which cuts the weeds 4 feet 

 below the water. It is stated that sufficient potash is obtain- 

 ed by these means to supply not only American needs, but 

 also those of all the Allies. (The Journal of the Department 

 oj Agriculture, Victoria, May 1918.) 



A cheap fertilizer for growing flowers and vegetables is 

 given in the Queensland Agricultural /ournal, July 1918, as 

 follows: -Collect a load of cow dung, not too wet, and make it 

 into a round heap, covering it with a layer of sods. Then 

 set fire to it to ch»r the dung; the charring destroys all see<ls. 

 When cc"l it is fit for use. It must on no account be allowed 

 to get wet before using. If not wanted at once, put it into 

 bag;, and keep dry.' 



In the January number of Phytopathology; L. M. Massey 

 claiiis that a dust mixture consisting of 90 jjarts of sulphur, 

 and 10 parts of arsenate of lead is more eflfective in the 

 control of powdery mildew of roses than a spray of lime- 

 snlphur. and is much less unsightly. The mixture acts both 

 as a fungicide and an insecticide, and is easier to handle than 

 the pure sulphur dust, since the arsenate of lead keeps the 

 sulphur from packing. 



The United Slates ConsulGeneral at Hong Kong reports 

 that quite a fair trade has developed there with the United 

 States in what is known as palm fibre' for the manuu tnre 

 of brushes. The material is the centre of the leaf stem of 

 the small palm (Livistona chine nsis), which grows wild over 

 much of the South China hill country, and is generally culti- 

 vated in some districts for its leaves— the common palraleaf 

 fan of commerce. (The Chamber of Comnierci Jnuin'tl, 

 July 1918.) 



The fibre referred to in the above note is obtained by 

 soaking the stem and stripping off the outside portion. The 

 fibre in the stem i- then out into convenient lengths and 

 .shipped in bundles of about 200 R). each. At present it sells 

 wholesale at about 17]c. local currency per lb. The tibre is 

 used locally, and in fact all over South China, in the manu- 

 facture of what are popularly known as 'bamboo brooms', 

 and for Chinese scrubbing brushes and similar articles. It is 

 usually employed in the United States in the manufactur- of 

 scrubbing brushes, but is capable of many other u.ses. 



An interesting method of killing weeds in sugar cane 

 fields in Hawaii, according to the Queensland Agriculti-ral 

 Journal, July 1918, con.si8ts in spreading over the fieMs, 

 after thf dormant canes have been manured, strips of tarred or 

 asphalted felt paper (weighing 9 lb. to the 100 .square feet). 

 The pointed shoots of the young cane grow through the piper 

 which i- weighted with atones, and the softer- tipped w"eds, 

 failing to penetrate it, are smothered A similar practice 

 LaM been employfil in England for making lawno. 



In the Sciuth African Sugar fournal. May 1916, it is 

 stated that there are now eleven sugar factories in operation in 

 the island of Formosa, and the production for the 1917 season 

 reached 451,000 short tons. This sugar was produced by 

 vacuum pan and centrifugal processes in the eleven factories. 

 AVhen it is recollected that less than a generation ago the 

 whole interior of the island of Formosa was occupied by 

 untamed savages, and that the sugar industry had only been 

 carried on in a very small way, this development, reaching 

 up to that of the sugar industry in Porto Rico, becomes 

 rather startling. 



In the report of the Inspector of Schools on Elementary 

 Ivlucation, Trinidad and Tobago, for 1917, it is stated in 

 reference to competition in agriculture and nature study, 

 that many of the school gardens have been extended, 

 and greater attempts have been made, and with success, 

 to cultivate local provision crops instead of choicer 

 vegetables and salads. This is a step in the right direc- 

 tion, for although it is u.seful and instructi,ve to grow 

 exotic foods, it is of much more practical value to children to 

 learn first to cultivate their own local foods in a proper 

 manner. 



The Department of Botany of the University of 

 ( "alifornia has undertaken a study of certain West American 

 sbiulis belonging to t'hrysothanirius and other genera of the 

 t,'ompositae, to determine whether or not an emergency or 

 supplementary supply of rubber exists in such native plants. 

 The investigation is one of the projects of the Botanical sub- 

 committee of the Pacific Coast Research Conference, acting 

 under the (.louncil of Defence of the State of California. It 

 might be noted here, that the <iuality of the new rubber 

 exploited, is. according to rubber experts, somewhat belter 

 than the best grades of Cuaynle, but not as good as P^ra. 

 (Science, May 10, 1!)1«.) 



It is estimated in .an article (jn coal saving by the scio»- 

 tific control of steam-boiler plant.s, appearing in Engineering 

 for July 1-, that 5s,.o00,000 tons of coal per annum are )ise«l 

 in F.nglanci lor .steam-raising purpo-'cs (in normal tinies)| 

 i;xolusive of 1 5.000.000 tons u.-ed in railway.'^. The 2.50 steam- 

 boiler plants operating in Great Britain had a total of ! ,iai)0 

 boiler-, principally of the Lancashire type. The authors 

 experience is that, in normal times, the average firm could 

 sive 7 to 10 per cent, in the fuel bill alone by buying .m 

 scientific lines: he e.stimates that there are 45,000 to 

 •■>0,000 tteam boilers at work in (ireat Britain, 

 calculated in terms of average size Lancashire boilers, and 

 he considers that all the sieani produced in the coumry 

 today could be obtained nuich more economically with 

 lb per oent. fewer boilers. (.Vature, July 2.5. 1918). 



