8b 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 23. 1918. 





EDITORIAL 



Head Office 





NOTICES. 



— Barbados. 



Letters ami matter lor publication, as well as all 

 specimens lor naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' and other Departmental publications, should be 

 addressed to the Agents, and not to the Department. 



The complete list of Agents will be found on 

 page 4 of the cover. 



Imperial Commissioner of SirFrancis \Yatts, K.C.M.G., 



Ap-irvUnreforthe Westlndies D.Sc, F.I.C., F.C.S. 



SCIENTIFIC STAFF. 



Seitntific Assistaiit and 

 Assistant Editor 



Xntomologist!' 



Mycologist 



As^ist'iui for iMion lieseanh 



fW. li. Dunlop.* 



\Rev. C. H Branch, B.A. 



(H. A. Ballju. M.Sc.t 



(J. C. Hut-on, B.A., Ph.D. 



W. NoweU, D.I.C. 



.'^. C. Harlan.l. B.Sc.tt 



OiUf Clerk 

 Citricol Assistants 



CLERICAL STAFF. 



A. G. Howell. 

 (h. A. Corbiu 



P. Taylor.* 

 IK. K. C. Fustvi. 

 Miss B. Robinson. 

 Miss W. EUi'-. 

 A. B. Price. Fell. Journ. Inst. 



TypiJi 



Atfistunt Typist 

 Assistant for Publications 



*Secondtd for Military Service, 

 f Seconded for Didy in Egypt. 

 ^■*Provided by the Imperial Ihtp-irlmnJ of Scientifir iind 

 Industrial Hexeorch. 



Agricultural ^leiifi 



Vol. XVIL SATURDAY, \[Ai;(ll -li^, I^IS. No. 415, 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents ot Present Issue. 



The .subjtct of the editonal in this number is 

 Botanic (iardens, with reference to thfir origin and 

 function. 



Insect Notes on page 90. describe the rod spider 

 or Hpider-niite, and discuss measure- f<T its control. 



On page !)4. under Pl.ant Diseasei*. are given hints 

 for the protection of citrus fruit from rot« during 

 shipment. 



Interesting notes on the hybridization of varieties 

 of bonavist beans will }>e found on pag-- f>^. 



Mr. J A Hutton. 



As will be oeen in the report of the meeting of 

 the Council of the British Cotton Growing Association 

 on February •"), printed on another page, Mr. J. A. 

 Hutton, owing to the state of his health, has felt 

 himself obliged to resign his position as Chiiriuan 

 of the Council. Mr. Hutton has been intimatelj' 

 connected with the establishment of the cotton 

 inilustiy ill these islands, and the putting of it on a 

 .sound basis. His disinterested efforts in forwarding 

 the progress of the indu.stiy have been eoiitinuous: 

 and we are sure that we voice the feeling of the cotton 

 growers of the West Indies in expressing the most 

 grateful appreciation of his efforts, and profound regret 

 for the cause of his resignation of his office. We 

 sincerely Impe that Mr. Hutton will .soon be restored 

 to health. 



Index to the 'Agricultural News'. 



With this number of the AgricuUiirul Niwtsia 

 published, as ,i supplement, the index to V'olume XVI. 

 This may bi- bound at once in the usual manner with 

 numbers 8.S4 to 40!», of which Volume XVI is 

 eoiri prised. 



The index should prove u.seful for purposes of 

 reference OE all matters relating to tropical agriculture, 

 and will be of value as a guide to concise information 

 on insect pests and fungus diseases of tropical cu!ti^■ated 

 plants. 



By-products of the Sugar-cane Industry. 



In the Agricultural News, February it, 1918, atten- 

 tion was drawn to possible developments in the direction 

 of the utili/iation of waste-products of cane-sugar manu- 

 facture. Such developments are already taking place 

 in N'atal. According to the South African Sugar 

 Journal. November 15, 1917, the .Vatai Cane By- 

 products Co., Ltd., have erected a factory for the purpose 

 of utilizing molasses on an extensive scale in the pro- 

 d\iction oi \arious grades of alcohol, and also for the 

 manufacture of cane wax. 



'i'hr factory contains distillation plants of large 

 capacity and most efticicnt pattern. In the large under- 

 ground tanks something like a million gallons of molasses 

 can be stored for treatment, and it is bclieve<l that the 

 j)etrol short.ige in Sotith Afiica will be materially 

 relieved by the production of considerable (.juantities of 

 of 'Natalite', a form of alcohol specially adapted for use 

 in '.•ombustiou engines. 



Ono of the features of the factory is a yeast cultiu-e 

 plant, one of the most modern of its kind in the world, 

 where the vaiious yeast ferments wanted in the dis- 

 tilleries are cultivated. For. in jvddition to 'Natalite', 

 the coinpany'.s products will include recified and 

 methyiatefl spirits ; in fiict alcohol for all industrial 

 purjjosi-s. 'I'he rectified ;»lcohol will be the purest kind 

 protluced, and will be welcomed Viy perfumers, drug 

 compounders etc. There is also in the factory a still 

 for the maniiliicture of ether, consisting of an enormous 



