

THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



I lEI EMBER 1, 1915. 



GLEANINGS. 



The results of some rice cultivation experiments in 



m are published in Bulletin No. 21, recently issued by 



the Department of Agriculture in that Colony. It is shown 



that the yield of paddy is nearly the sa for distani 



transplanting from I to l 11 in 



An interesting botanical discussion appears in the 

 Archie/' of the Sugar Industry of the Dutch East Indies on 

 the question as to whether a leaf and its internode in the 

 sugar- 1 o be regarded as a physiological unit. The 



author answers the question in the negative. 



It is notified by the Department of Agriculture in the 

 Port of Sj> • i n 6a ■ tte that proprietors of land at ( Ihacachacare 

 ithI [cacos should be prepared to destroy locusts in the event 

 of their reaching Trinidad from the Venezuelan :oast where 

 they are now in large swarms. Poisoned bran mash ean be 

 ibtained on application to the I (irector of Agriculture. 



The Ceylon Department of Agriculture has issued an 

 important Bulletin (No. 20) dealing with the effect of 

 different intervals between successive tappings of Hevea 

 rubber trees. Within limits, the yield per tapping increases 

 as the time interval between tappings is increased. The whole 

 subject dealt with is of much importance at the present time 

 when strict attention is being given to economy in estate 

 practice. 



The balata produced in British Guiana during 19] I \'< 

 lias far exceeded the output of any- previous year, but the 



European War, says the Di rara Daily Argosy, retarded 



the selling of this article materially as large quantities are 

 lly consumed in Germany. Though the price obtained 

 at present i it ive, nevei I heless the fall in consumption 



has led to a reduction in the number of men employed for 

 :ollecting. 



'I'ln elementary agriculture arranged in 



Bulletin No United States Department of Agricul- 



ture, for A lab n j BUggestive and oi 



The li outlined by monthly periods: each lesson has 



i, definite subject, like soils oi ind subsidiary to the 



subject is .. i: crop rotation (undi ad corn 



judging (undei cro| I. This publication is well wort] 

 tho [i 'ili ural edui it ion. 



It is observed in the I nitl Journal that the 



occurren t 'vomiting sickness' which is common in 



certain times, correspond j with the main 



ii. when other fruits and natural t Is are 



relatively sc it ce. I i ntinued 



longer than in previous years, and 'vomiting sickness 



reported in greater numbers than in the pre 1 

 and extended ovei a more prolonged period. This has been 

 I hrce or four years 



In a previous issue of the Agricultural Newt it was not 

 possible "a the strength of available information to make any 



promising statements al I cultivation in Ceylon. It 



ippi irs from the Tropical Agricitlturini for September 1915, 

 however, that a very satisfactory 'Turkish cigarette is being 

 produced locally from Ceylon-grown tobacco. The entire 

 Pn are distinctly laudatory over samples exhibited at 

 a recent exhibition, audit is announced that the Governor 

 himself has pronounced the new cigarette as 'quite a good 

 smoke'. 



A literary production of some interest has been 

 lished in Cuba under the title of 'The New Agriculture', 



which consists essentially of a prize essaj On the subject of 



a method of controlling or finding a cure for bud rot disease 

 of coco-nuts. The writer maintains that this malady is 

 caused through the inefficient working of the routs, and that 

 this may be remedied by the mechanical introduction of 

 water into the middle of the stem. These idea- do not 

 appear to be in harmony with t he best mycological wot 



the subject. 



The Queen oi Eolland has ed the Governor of 



Surinam with 1,000 -guilders to be utilized in assisting the 

 Panama hat industr} in thai colony. The particular straw, 

 says the /'ort-of-Spiin Ga ette, from which Panama hats are 

 made, ean be grown in Surinam, and some time ago a p impldet 

 was published bj the Department of Agriculture in that 

 colony showing bow it could be economically used. It is 

 stated further thai Professor Harrison, of Demerara, on the 



on of his visit to Surinam some time 

 favourably on this project. 



In the Chamber of Commerce Journal for October 1915, 

 will be found conveniently summarized, the results of 



enquiries made by the West India Committe n the si 



of the possibilities of an expansion ol sugar-eane cultivation 

 within the Empire. These results were published at length 

 in recent issues of the West India Committet Circular. The 

 situation in India and twelve of the leading tropical colonies 

 is dealt with, and it would appear that in some pla :es, par- 

 ticularly British Guiana and British East Africa, there is 

 very ci 



A remarkable vari anion papaw is referred 



to in the [nventorj ol Seeds and Hants Imported l>y the 

 Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the United 

 Mates Department of Agriculture for January 1 to 

 March 31, L913. The variety referred to conies from Mi rida, 

 in Mexico. The fruits are described as being very large and 

 voured. The trees produce ■•• rerj 



prolific; many trees not over 7 feet in height are In iring 

 from fifteen to twenty enormous fruits and Innumerable 

 smaller ones. It is added that Chinese gardeners 

 Merida are Becurine most remarkable results with this fi lit. 



