Vol. XIV. N*o. 340. 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS. 



n; 



occur in tlir case of bhe sugai i i ( lurling is a phe- 



aon desig I to proti ct th> I aba, as is also the 



situation ol these pores under th side oi the leaf. It 



would seem reasonable to expect that if the si ata 



could be efi p ed during the hot hours of 



ii their period of active assimilation would be 

 ised Possiblj I he capacil \ of a leal would be 

 increasi 'I if nearlj all the stomal were situated on the 

 The chief fund ion of the upper surfao 

 i- to absorb radiant en i I nol to assimilate and 



ti inspire. This is shown \>\ the fact that the stomata 

 arc very much more numerous on the lower than the 

 upper surfaces. The effects ol it reasing this ratio b} 

 ction would seem worth inn - i rating: 



If the whole subject oi ii i g the plant's effi- 



ciency is a speculative one.it is nevertheless full of 

 possibilities. The main idea which we have endeav- 

 oured to put forward in this article is the need for 

 uvh on the plant above -round in relation to 

 it- environment. Much has In en done to increase the 

 encj of root action, but little to accelerate the 

 mis ofthe leaf. And yet as Mr. Hall observes, 

 'the whole of existence is based upon the fundamental 

 process by which the green leaf utilizes the energy of 

 the light falling upon it to split up the carbon dioxide 

 i I the atmosphere. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



ACTION OF MICRO-ORGANISMS IN CANE 

 JUICES AND SYRUPS. 



ft might not be expeeted theontieally that there can be 



onsiderable loss of sugar while juice is passing through 



f, yet in practical working, trouble is encountered 



and loss is sustained through the ai tion of certain fungi and 



j These organisms gain entrance to the sugar factory in 



earth adhering to the roots and rind of the canes. As the 



from the mills there is i it time nor opportunity 



for the development of these oi except in connexion 



with the circum tanci thai in p of the steady current 



of .mice there are always nooks and bottoms where the juice 



remains in place, and there the germs can undergo reproduo- 



Such places are for instai i - bottoms of the juice 



ers, where the suction pipe d i reach the bottom 



and where constant stream ol juice run- in and is pumped 

 out, and where in m inclined pi u i the bottom, a part of 

 the juice maj remain undisturbed. The same thing is often 

 met with in monte jus where, too, he pipe through which 



utents are discharged maj ome length above the 



d thereby create a dead stop where the juice 



remains still. It is admitted that the quantity of juice in 



places is nol large, hut >- ■• down in a subse 



quent p Lragraph, these at cap tarting suffii 



b to interfere with the prop working of pipe- and 

 t' infect the whole sugar housi with the unwished-for 

 organisms. 



( )ne of the i lisms in 



is the well known /.- mostoe mesen illed 



Miu-in. h pal In i repeatedly, i- found in 



juices. In alkaline ju elops with remark- 



abli rapidity and is able to attack the sucrose, produ 



a gummy ] lucl km i dextran, which clogs up pipes and 



plugs of i ks and i!ee!.vea.ases isiderable trouble. An 



eresting instance ol ivhere this has happened is referred 



by Dr. Prinsen Geerlij in an articl i the present subject 



in the Louisiana /' lam [1 appears that at a factory in 



Java meat difficulty was suddenly en< 



with the filtration of the mud. The layei oi i I deposited 



From the juice was much thicker than usual, which 

 increased the work exp i ed from the filter presses, while at 

 the same time the filter press cakes showed a much largei 

 water content than « cu tomary. Analyses and otl 

 form- of enquiry failed t.. furnish a reason for the 

 disagreeable phenomenon, and it was only discovered when 

 the factory was cleaned at the ordinary time lived for that 

 work, that great lumps ol Leuconostoc existed in the pipes, 

 cocks, and on the bottoms of the Lpparatu between the mill 

 and the juice heaters. As soon as these were removed and 

 the pipe- were disinfected everything returned to a normal 

 condition of working. 



A second fungus has beenfound in .lava in cane juice, 

 known as Oidium terricula. This organism occurs in t he- 

 earth adhering to the cane roots. The fungus does not 

 attack sucrose, and is in t his respect to be considered harmless, 

 but it forms acid from the glucose, and even acid having 

 soluble lime salts, so thai the action of the Oidium in ca 

 juice is apt to cause an increase in the lime salt contents of 

 the juice, and accordingly increases the amount of molasses 

 be expected ultimately. Lactic acid bacteria encountered in 

 the soils of cane fields are also responsible for loss of sugar in 

 molasses and, moreover, they can also attack sucrose. As all' 

 organisms are killed by high temperatures, the remedy against 

 the Oidium and lactic acid ferments is rapid work and 

 disinfection with sodium fluoride. In conclusion it may be 

 stated that a fertile source of infection are automatic 

 samplers. It is perhaps better and certainly safer to adopt 

 the direct method of sampling with simple glasses or tins, 

 which may be washed after use, thereby preventing tie 

 ,e iimulation of infection. 



Farming with Dynamite. — Tropical Lift for Marcl 

 1915 records results oi experiments carried out at Tarquak 

 Agricultural Station, Gold Coast, in the use oi explosives in 

 the cultivation of Para rubber and care, trees. In one of 

 these experiments the explosive used was dynamite 10 ; 



cent, [n a second experiment the rubbei I s were all thi 



-one size, and deepei holes and. larger charges were used, 

 whilst in the case of th experiment for planting cacao ti 

 the soil wa- spread up i - about - feet 6 inches depth. The 

 first experiment- were rallied out in August 1913, the girth 

 measurements being taken on the dates given in the table. 

 Prom this ii is seen thai the trees which were experimented 

 on showan increase in growth when compared with tree- not 

 so to- 1 • . . I. These wen- l 5 feel apart. ExpL 

 v, ire placed 10 feet aparl in holes 18 inches deep, one carl 

 ridge being placed in eacl hole. The conviction is expressed 



thai the use of explosives will her. mmended on the Wi 



Coast of Africa as ii lias been in the Wesl Indie- and thi 

 East, so thai it- use ii zriculture will become much i i 



gi m-ral. 



