S44 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 30, 1909, 



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Vol. Vin. SATURDAY, OCTOHEi; -■iu, 1909. No. Uxi. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial of this number h.-is for its subject 

 the Royal Commission that has been appointed to 

 enquire into the trade relations between CJanada and 

 the Wciit Indies. 



On page 339, there is an interesting note on 

 the impurities that are sometimes to be found in 

 sulphate of copper (bluestone). 



E.xtracts from an article on the manuring of cacao 

 are given on page 34-0. 



Useful information as to the qualities that should 

 be shown by a good milking cow appears on page 341. 



The same page contains the results of the recent 

 Preliminary E.xamination held in connexion with the 

 Reading Courses of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



The Destruction of Weeds by Insects. 



An interesting account of the introduction of 

 insects into a country for the purpose of destroying 

 a noxious weed is given in the Hairaiian Forester and 

 Anricidturist for August last. In 1858, a plant known 

 as Lantana, which belongs to the same genus as one of 

 the wild sages of the West Indies (Lantana Camara)^ 

 was introduced into the Hawaiian Islands from Mexico 

 as an ornamental plant. This escaped from cultivation, 

 and, owing to the absence of its natural enemies, and 

 the dissemination of the seeds by a bird which had 

 actually been introduced for the destruction of cater- 

 pillars, it became a serious weed in pasture and in sugar 

 lands. In 1900, the Entomologist in the islands conceived 

 the idea of introducing some of the insect pests of the 

 plant from its native country, Mexico. This he did, 

 and insects have been acclimatized which attack the 

 branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of the Lan- 

 tana, with the result that it is quickly being brought 

 under control. 



A grave danger exists, however, in the employment 

 of such a method of dealing with weeds. The insects 

 that are introduced must only be of such kinds as have 

 very specialized habits and food plants, in order that 

 there may be no chance of their adapting themselves 

 in such a way as to obtain shelter or sustenance from 

 valuable plants that alread}- exist in the country to 

 which they have been brought. 



The results of investigations in connexion with 

 some of the bacteria in Jamaica soils appear on page 

 343. 



In the Insect Notes of this issue (page 34G), there 

 ap])ears the first of a series of articles on the Natural 

 liistory of Insects. In this, Fit;s. 3S, 39 and 42 are 

 from blocks supplied by the Ignited States Department 

 of Agriculture. Figs. 40 and 41 are redrawn from 

 illustrations in Comstoclj's ' Manual fur llie study of 

 Insects'. 



Part of the information in the Fungus Notes 

 (p. 347), which deals mostly with diseases of the ground 

 nut, should be of use to those who are interested in 

 flower wardens. 



Alcohol from Bananas. 



In a recent number of the Journal d' Agriculture 

 Tropicale, an article aj)pears which deals with the 

 manufacture of <dcohol from bananas. The subject is 

 introduced b}' a consideration of the fact that, in 

 countries that produce bananas for export, a large 

 (juantity of the iruit is rejected as being unfit for ship- 

 ment, and is consequently often wasted completely. 

 Information furnished by the Agricultural Society in 

 Jamaica, and bj^ growers in Guatemala, shows that the 

 loss from such fruit is about 20 per cent, of the crop ; 

 this, in the case of Jamaica, is equivalent to 2 million 

 bunches a year. In view of this, various means have 

 been tried for the purpose of utilizing the waste 

 material. Among these have been the drying and 

 preservation of the fruits, and the production of banana 

 Hour from it. None of them have, however, sufficed to 

 deal with the (juantity of uncxportable fruits that have 

 been produced, and it has become necessary to seek for 

 other methods for the disposal of it. 



Experiments conducted at the Central Laboratory 

 of Guatemala, in association with the director of a 

 distillery at Piierto Barralos, Guatemala, led to the pro- 

 dimtion of a very good spirit, which is said to be 

 something like whisky, from b.manas which were about 

 to be thrown away. Samples of this spirit were rejiortcd 

 at the St. ]jO\ns Exhibition to be of superior i|nality, 

 and, after analysis in tiie Laboratories of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, thr manufacturers 

 were awarded a gold medal. 



The yield of spirit is estimaleil at 41 litres (about 

 1 gallon) from e.ich bunch of bananas. As regards the 

 cost of manufacture, this is said to be much less than 



