u 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Junn 30, 1915. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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Agricultural yicnii 



Vol. XIV. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30. L915. No. 333. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this number treats of economic 

 »es likely to take place in the West Indies, and 

 gives some hints as to possible new industries. 



On page 35 there is an abstract of an article from 

 the Louisiana Planter on the question of burnino 

 cane trash on the field. 



Under the heading Fruit and Fruil Trees will bi 

 I id si i ie hints on shields-budding of some tropical 



fruits. 



On page 37 is reproduced a leaflet, [issued some- 

 time ago b) the Imperial Departmenl of Agriculture, 

 « ill, regard to cassava poisoning. 



The Insect Xotes in this number contain a sum- 

 mary ofthe account of the 'insect pests of coco-nuts 

 given in Copeland's book reviewed on page 5 of the 

 pri sent volume of this publication. 



' in page tC, Fungus N'ojtes contain an account oi 

 two diseases of beans, and some notes on the citrus 

 canker in Florida. 



The article on page 47 is an abstract of the 



ma r of dealing with devil's gra when used for 



making lawns in I ndia. 



The Panama Canal and the British West Indies. 



The editor ol Tropical Lift has devoted the supple- 

 ment to the number of that Journal for December 1914 

 to the following subject: 'Panama and prosperity — the 

 mistake of thinking that the British West Indies will 

 not benefit.' The object of the article is evidently to 



direct the ait, in i t'the British public to the West 



Indies, and their still undeveloped resources and to the 

 certainty thai the opening of the Panama ('anal will 

 afford extended opportunities for a wide expansion of 

 trade in West Indian products. The Panama Canal 

 must undoubtedly favourably affect the future pros- 

 perity of the Wesl Indian islands, and bring increased 

 wealth to them for several reasons. Firstly, lying as 

 they do in the direct route to and from t la ' 'anal, they 

 are bound to benefit as entrepots, coaling stations, and 

 refitting harbours. Secondly, the} must derive advan- 

 tages b} the opening of a direel traffic in tropical 

 produce, with the western coast of the United States 

 and Canada, Australasia with its increasing chocolate 

 manufactures, as well as Japan and China Thirdly, 

 the traffic to and fro that will result from the opening 

 of the ('anal, must add to the importance of the 

 industries carried on alread} in these islands, and 

 possiblj add to those industries profitable new ones, 

 such as the growing of fresh vegetables, poultry rais- 

 ing, maize cultivation, cattle and hoe breeding, etc. 

 Already the demand for such foodstuffs exceeds the 

 supply. 



In conclusion. West Indians ma\ well feel grateful 

 to the editor of Tropical Life for this renewed effort to 

 direel attention to their islands by this interesting 

 article, illustrated as it is by excellent photographs. 



Stock Poisoning Due to Scarcity of Food. 



From time to time instances are reported in the 

 Wesl Indies of animals being poisoned bj some plant 

 growing in their feeding grounds. There are so many 

 di leterious, and even violently poisonous plants common 

 enough in the Tropics, that one wonder-- that fatal 



accidents to stock are not i • frequent. In /'tinners' 



Bulletin, No. 536, of the United States Department 



ol Agriculture, the matter is su arized in a handy 



form. The writer, C. I '. Wighl Marsh, ofthe Bureau 

 ot Plant Industry, comes to the conclusion thai stock 



seld< at poisonous plants bj choice, butonly when 



they are induced or compelled to do so bj the scarcity 

 ot other food. It the owners of stock will recognize 



this fact, they will reduce their losses from (his cause, 



by taking a few precaul ions. 



( I I Stock should not be turned mil to graze where 

 there is little to eat except possibly pois us plants. 



(2) From am area known to be infested with 

 poisonous plants stock should be kept away. This is 

 especially necessary when on the general pasture land 

 -iiss has not started to grow, or when it has been over 

 grazed. 



(3) [f it is necessar) to drive stock through 

 a locality infest,, | with pois,, nous plants, care should 

 betaken that tin \ are not hungn when going through 

 the local it \ . 



