^VoL. XII. Xo. 284. 



THE AGrxICULTURAL NEWS. 



89 



• expensive crop to grow, the cost of production being 

 nuich greater than in the case of bananas, hence the 

 immediate loss in actual cash to the small settler has 

 been very great. On the other hand, the sweet potato 



■crop was not damaged beyond recovery. Unfortunately, 

 this crop is not grown everywhere, and certain districts 

 have been asking for supplies of cuttings. These 

 could be obtained, but their distribution was a matter 

 of much dithculty, since the sweet potato cutting will 

 not keep longer than about three days. 



The corn crop, which had been in a most promis- 

 ing condition, was in many places completely destroyed, 

 and there is still a shortage in the supply of seed for 

 purposes of replanting. The reports on the extent of 

 damage to coffee, cacao and coco-nuls have not yet been 

 published officially. : 



In conclusion cocoes (eolocasia antiiiuorum) are 



•recommended as a particularly storm-resistant crop, 

 and great emphasis is laid upon the immediate plant- 

 ing, after a hurricane, of peas and beans; for these 

 plants are quick growers, soil-enriching, and the most 



•nutritious of all vegetable foodstuffs. 



A New Method of Preserving Meat. 



A Belgian engineer has invented a machine which 

 in all probability will diminish the importance of the 

 present systems of cold storage in the preservation of 

 Jarge quantities of meat. The new method is described 

 in the Bulletin of tl(e Bamau of Agncultural Intelli- 

 gence and of Plant Diseases for December 1912. 



In this it is stated that the invention is based on 

 the fact that when the water that enters into the 

 composition of meat is caused to evaporate, the organic 

 liquids are concentrated to a point at which bacteria do 

 not develop except with great difficulty. Moreover, 

 ■during the process of evaporation the meat becomes 

 coated with a film of gelatinous matter which protects 

 the meat from further infection. 



The loss of moisture is caused to take place by 

 means of a vacuum apparatus in which, towards the 

 end of the operation, both low pressure and temperature 

 act together to desiccate only the surface of the meat. 

 Altera certain quantity of water has evaporated, ozone 

 (a form of oxygen) is admitted ^s a sterilizing agent. 



Treatment for twenty liours causes the meat to 

 lose about 20 per cent, of its original weight. The 

 (juantity of ammonia present (which is indicative of 

 putrefaction) is less in the vacuum-treated meat than 

 in ordinary fresh meat. The new process is said not to 

 affect the composition and appearance of the meat 

 within the j)rotective film on the outside, and the taste 

 is believed to be superior to that of frozen meat. 



The chief advantage of the process is that the cost 

 price of meat preserved by the vacuum method is less 

 than that by cold-storage, because it can be treated at 

 the centres of production. 



If it is found that desiccated meat can be shipped 

 as ordinary cargo there would appear to be some 

 possibility of a trade becoming established in this 

 article between South America and the West Indies, 

 or what would be preferable, a deflection to the West 

 Indies of some of the best Canadian beef that at pre- 

 sent goes in large quantities to Smithfield. 



Requirements of Eenitritying Bacteria. 



In continuation of this subject, it is stated in the 

 L'.cjKriinent Station Record, Vol. XXVII, p. 424, that 

 von Caron has recently obtained results on the special 

 requirements of three different kinds of denitrifying 

 bacteria, particularly in relation to food and energy, 

 and to relative powers of utilizing atmospheric oxygen. 



Dextrose has been found to be the most suitable 

 form of energy material. Straw and trash are also good, 

 but the fact that this material loses very readily its 

 available carben explains partly why the wasteful 

 process of denitrification docs not occur to any large 

 extent in compost heajis. 



The addition of nitrogenous substances to the 

 media was found to increase denitrification: and by- 

 means of the employment of an atmosphere of hydro- 

 gen, it was shown conclusively that the exclusion of air 

 in soils, leads to the destruction of nitrates even though 

 other conditions may be favourable for their preserva- 

 tion. As regards the three different kinds of bacteria 

 experimented with, it was established that they do not 

 all exhibit the same degree of activity per unit of 

 energy used, and that a solution of energy material of 

 too high a concentration causes, as one would expect, 

 a depression of activity; whilst an increase of alkaline 

 carbonates in the soil may have Chei opposite effect. 



1^ I ^m . 



Botanical Exploration in Bermuda. 



A subject of much general interest to West Indians 

 is dealt with in a recent number of the Journal of the 

 Neio York Botanical Garden, namely, the origin of 

 island vegetation. The little archipelago of Bermuda, 

 so far separated from other land both in distance and 

 by depth of ocean, is naturally a centre of particular 

 interest in this respect. In his account of the flora of 

 Bermuda, the Director-in-chief of the New York 

 Botanical Garden presents the following results of the 

 exploration in regard to the number and origin of tho 

 plants collected: Flowering plants, 1.50 species (about 

 10 native): ferns, 19 species (4 native): mosses, -51 

 species (3 native): lichens, .50 .species (some native); 

 fungi, 17-5 species (at least 8 native); algae, 2.50 species 

 (some 5 native). 



In regard to the transportation of species tho 

 following information is given. All the salt-loving 

 species and those with fruits that can retain their 

 vitality in salt water have floated to Bermuda. These 

 number forty-one. All the marine algae have come in 

 the same way. Hurricanes are regarded as the chief agent 

 in the transportation of light seeds and fruits of flower- 

 ing plants and the spores of land cryptogams. In this 

 category some eighty-three species are to be included. 

 Migratory birds are considered responsible for the 

 introduction of smaller seeded species other than those 

 transported by water or wind. 



What has been noted above seems to question 

 whether the high degree of reliance that is usually 

 placed on plant disease legislation is actually wai-ranted. 

 It is certain, at all events, that disease is transported 

 by natural and often unseen agencies, as well as by 

 means that have arisen as concomitants of modern 

 civilization. 



