Vol. XII. No. 299. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



333 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



OCTOBER. 



Second Period. 



Seasonal Notes. 



INFORM.^TION ON AGRICULTUU.VL I'KOGUESS^ AND RE.SE.VRCH 

 DURING THE CURRENT YKAR. 



In the last issue of the A'/rtcultaral New& candidates were 

 advised, in view of the forthcoming examinations, to run 

 through the past numbers of this journal for the current year. 

 This advice applies more particularly to the Intermediate and 

 Final candidates. Discretion will be e.vercised by these 

 candidates in regard to paying particular attention to those 

 articles dealing with the special crop subjects which they 

 propose to take in the examination. Intermediate candidates 

 will be careful to pay attention to practical information 

 given under the headings of Insect and Fungus Notes. 



It may be of assistance to give a select list of articles 

 which have appeared in the current volume of the Agricul- 

 tural Newf, that should receive particular attention; these 

 are as follows: — 



The Budding of the Mango in St. Lucia, p. 4; West Indian 

 Cotton Growing Season 1911-12, p. (i; lUack Witch or Tick 

 Bird, p. 10; Prevention of Cross Pollination in Cotton Experi- 

 ments, p. 14; Calcium and Magnesium in the Soil, p. 21; Boll 

 Shedding of Cotton, p. 23; Summary of Entomological 

 Information, p. 26; A Disease of Tanias, p. 30; Sugar-cane 

 Experiments in Antigua, 1911 ] 2, p. 35; Budding Cacao in 

 Dominica, p. 36; Summary of Entomological Information, 

 1912, p. 42; Note on Insect Pests in the Virgin Islands, 

 p. 42; Artificial Ripening of Bitter Fruits, p. o3; 

 A New Method of Soil Analysis, p. 57; Insect Pests in 

 Barbados, p. 58; Carbon Assimilation, p. 62; Confusion in 

 the Names of Certain Fruits, p. 68; Recent Publications on 

 Soil Fertility, p. 71: Miscellaneous Entomogenous Fungi, 

 p. 78; Use of Germicides in Sugar Factories, p. 83; Para- 

 sites of the Cotton Worm, p. 86; Nature of Cacao Fermenta- 

 tion, p. 91; Report on the Agricultural Bank, St. Vincent, 

 p. 91; Prize Pasture Competition at Antigua, p. 99; New Stock 

 for Oranges, p. 100; Antigua Agricultural Exhibition, p. 107; 

 Improvement of West Indian Pastures, p. 113; Vanilla Culti- 

 vation at St. Vincent, p. 116; Osmo.sis in Soils, p. 120; Soil 

 Sickness and Partial Sterilization, p. 12.'); Animal Nutrition, 

 p. 123; Subsoil Water, pp. 133 and 155; Micro-organic Popu- 

 lation of the Soil, p. 134; St. Kitts Agricultural Show, p. 135; 

 Explosives in Agriculture, p. 136; Effect of Drainage on Rice 

 Soils, p. 137; The Verdict of the Animal, p. 141; Uniformity 

 in Cotton Production, p. 145; Multiple Mills, p. 147; Damage 

 to Sugar-cane by Fire, p. 147; A Keversible Barrel, pp. 147 

 and 311; Treatment of Storm-damaged Cacao Trees, p. 148; 

 Heredity and Mutation, p. 150; Lime Cultivation in 

 St. Lucia, p. 151; Presence of Formaldehyde in the Sap of 

 Green Plants, p. 152; Red Rot Fungus and the Sugar-cane 

 in the West Indies, p. 159; Feeding Val':e of Bengal Beans, 

 p. 164; Zapupe Fibre, p. 166; Feeding Value of Cacao 

 ' 'Husks, p. 169; A Disease of Sisal Hemp, p. 174; Manufac- 

 ture of Syrup, p. 179; Economic Value of the West Indian 

 Gru-gru Palm, p. 180; Cotton in the St. Vincent Grenadines, 

 p. 182; Problems in Propagation by Cuttings, pp. 183 and 

 197; Organic Soil Constituents, p. 1"J; liovine Tuberculosis 

 in the West Indies, p. 187; Root Borers and Other Grubs in 

 West Indian Soils, p. 186; Sugar-cane Ivxperiments in the 

 Leeward Islands, 1911-12, p. 195; Superiority of Tin Cans 

 over Pots for Seedling Plonts, p. 200; Dissemination of 



Insects in Shipments of Sugir-cane, p. 202; Panama Disease 

 of Bananas, p. 206; Effect of Partial Sterilization of Soil, 

 p. 207; Indian Corn as a Crop in the We.st Indies, p 209; 

 Cost of Spraying Cacao in Trinidad, p. 212; Kiln Drying of 

 Grain, p. 213; Germination of Tobacco Seed, p. 214;' 

 Sugar-cane Tops for Knsilage, p. 227; Practical Flooring 

 for Pig Styes, p. 230; Corn Ear Worm on Rice, and 

 the Control of Froghoppers, 'p. 234; Ventilation in 

 Fruit Storage, p. 235; Disease of the Castor Plant, 

 p. 238; Motor Cultivation, p. 241; Satisfactory Way 

 of Shipping Bananas, p. 244: Disinfectants and Disin- 

 fection, p 247; Mutation in Aficro organisms, p. 249; Pests 

 in Antigua, p. 250; Control of the Milk Supply in Small 

 Communities, p. 257; Effect of Common Salt on Growth of 

 Sugar cane, p. 259; Composition of Soils Suitable for Rubber 

 Cultivation, p. 259; Cohune Nuts from British Honduras, 

 p. 260; Sugar-cane Pests in British Guiana and Cacao Thripa 

 in Florida, p. 266; Cyananiide as an Insecticide, p. 271; 

 Sarapling Cane for Analysis, p. 275; Composition of Tropical 

 Fruits, p. 276; Action of Bay Oil on Lead, p. 278; Fermen- 

 tation of Cacao by Mechanical Means, p. 292; Danish 

 Tuberculin Unions, p. 293; Sakellarides versus Sea Island 

 Cotton, p. 284; Use of Flour Paste in Spraying, 298; Pollin- 

 ation and Cross- fertilization of Rice, p. 301; Witch Broom 

 Disease of Cacao, p. 302; Agricultural Co-operation, p. 307; 

 Soil Investigations, p. 310; Mechanical Preparation of Coir 

 Fibre, p. 311; Growing Tobacco for Insecticide Purposes, 

 D. 313; A Disease of Rice, p 318; Sterilization of Seed, 

 p. 318. 



It may be pointed out that it is not suggested that the 

 candidate should attempt to read through the above articles 

 word for word, nor should the impression be received that 

 anything in the nature of 'cramming' is entertained: the aim 

 in presenting the above list is that the student should 

 grasp the central ideas involved in each article, in order 

 that his practical experience of the matters dealt with may 

 be supplemented by recent facts of a scientific or general 

 nature. 



Schools for the Study of Rubber.— A letter 



which appears in the India liuliher World (September I, 

 1913) gives an interesting account of the work done at the 

 school of rubber at the Northern Polytechnic Institute, 

 London. This establishment provides instruction for those 

 intending to enter the rubber manufacturing industries and 

 also for intending emigrants who desire to become plantation 

 assistants on any of the Eastern estates. Hitherto most of 

 this latter class has gone out without any scientific knowl- 

 edge of rubber and its production. 



Amongst the students taking the day course at the 

 school are the sons of rubber manufacturers who are intended 

 to take a place in a factory or laboratory; foremen wishing 

 to widen their knowledge on the scientific side; also persons 

 preparing for plantation appointments or as assistant chemists. 

 The evening students, who are by far the most numerous, 

 are composed almost entirely of men actively engaged in 

 some branch of the rubber industry in London. 



Two abstracts in the Experiment Station Record 

 (June 1913) give information concerning new rubber trees. 

 In West Africa two distin t forms of Ihcei lirasilienn^ 

 have been found to exist, which show a variation in the 

 production of latex. The second abstract deals with a new 

 rubber plant discovered in Mcxica. It belongs to the genus 

 Plumeria. of the family Apocynaceae, and yields latex con- 

 taining about 255 per cent, of rubber and 219 per cent, 

 of resin. 



