412 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Deiember 20, 1913. 



GLEANINGS. 



A novel implement in the form of a combined fork and 

 shovel is described and illustrated in the Monthly Bulletin 

 of Ayrkultural Intellifjenc' and Plant Diseases (September 

 1913). It is said to be extremely efficient for the handling 

 of litter, sawdust, leaves, weeds, and similar loose material. 



In order to encourage local industry, and to create 

 a larger number of peasantry, it is practically decided that 

 the 2,000 acres of Crown Land in the ward of Chaguanas, 

 Trinidad, shall be split up into small holdings. The 

 land is suitable for rice cultivation. {Portof-Spain Gazette, 

 November 20, 1913.) 



In Dominica the cacao crop is ripening and the second 

 lime crop is falling. 



The Grenada cacao crop is late owing to the prolong- 

 ation of the annual drought. 



On the whole, the work of the new lime factory in 

 St. Lucia is progressing very satisfactorily. Further infor- 

 mation will be published in due course. 



Bulletin No i' ! ^ .ut Ohio Agricultural Experiment 



Station deals with the subject of county experiment farms. 



For their instituti'^i and management a special Act has 

 been passed. 



According to the Louisiana Planter (November 8, 

 1913), the State of Texas is importing Indian corn from 

 Argentina. Last year a quarter of a million bushels was 

 leceived. 



The early cotton crop in Nevis is now almost reaped. 

 The late crop is ripening. The returns in some localities 

 will not be as good as was first anticipated on account of 

 mildew and boll dropping. 



The Ordinance recently passed in St. Vincent for the 

 encouragement of agricultural banks has been published^in 

 the Bulletin of the Bepar-t/iient nj Afjriculture oj Trinidad 

 and Tobago (November 1913). 



In St. Vincent the month of November has been 

 a depressing one for planters owing to the receipt of con- 

 tinuous rains. The reaping of the arrowroot crop was 

 retarded and there was further extensive damage to the 

 cotton crop. 



In continuation of the article on the Grevy zebra in the 

 last issue of the A'iricullnral News, it may be noted that an 

 interesting account appears in the Bulletin de la Sonet(' 

 Beige d' Etude Coloniale (November 1913) on the subject of 

 the zebra as a draft animal. 



It is stated in Nature (November 6, 1913) that the 

 Natal Sugar Growers' Association has decided to establish 

 a sugar school, the aim of which will be to prepare young men 

 for the technical control and investigation of the manufacture 

 of cane sugar. Two lecturers — one in the chemistry and one 

 in the bacteriology of cane sugar — are soon to be appointed. 



In St. Kitts the cane crop would benefit by the receipt 

 of heavier rains, though recently the weather has not been 

 unfavourable. It is interesting to note that the canes, 

 especially the ratoons, are arrowing profusely — an occurrence 

 which, in St. Kitts, is somewhat unusual. 



Those who are interested in intensive agriculture should 

 obtain Dtplainatic and Consular Reports, No. 5221, Annual 

 Series, which describes the trade and commerce of Denmark 

 for the year 1912. It gives an account of the co-operative 

 movement, and of the shipments of agricultural produce 

 which principally — one may almost say entirely — comprise 

 this country's exports. 



A rather interesting case of adulteration is described ia 

 a notice of the United States Department of Agriculture. 

 It appears that a certain fungicide designated 'French 

 Bordeaux Mixture' offered for sale, was labelled 'The Prepa- 

 ration is the normal formula with some 33 per cent, copper 

 hydrate in the dried precipitate.' Analysis showed that the 

 mixture contained only 18 84 per cent, of copper hydrate. 



Colonial Reports —Miscellaneous, No. 85, deals with the 

 results of the mineral survey of Southern Nigeria, 1911. 

 One of the most important minerals from the economic 

 aspect is the coal, which is of the sub-bituminous type, and 

 compares favourably with many of the sub bituminous coals 

 which are mined in Canada and the United States for use 

 as fuel on railways, and for all classes of industrial work. 



An abstract in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture 

 (November 1913) describes tha results of feeding experiments 

 with Para rublior seed cake conducted in England. These 

 experiments have shown Para cake to be one of the most diges- 

 tible concentrated food-stufl's available. This is no doubt 

 partly due to the small amount of crude fibre present, 

 namely 3"15 per cent. These favourable results should prove 

 gratifying to rubber growers in the Tropics. 



According to The Board of Trade Journal (November 6, 

 1913) an agricultural bank has been established in German 

 South 'West Africa by Imperial Ordinance. The initial capi- 

 tal of about £491,700 will be provided hy the Government 

 of the colony, but further capital, if necessary, m.iy be raised 

 by debentures. The bank is authorized to make advances to 

 farmers on mortgage of land for the purpcse of affecting 

 permanent improvements. It may also make advances, 

 without demanding a mortgage bond as security, to public 

 bodies and to co operative societies for agricultural purposes. 



