ToL. VIII. No. 179. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



75 



Starch Manufacture from Sweet Potatos. 



The South Carolina Experiment Station has 

 issued a pamphlet (Biillftln l-lll) describing investiga- 

 i,ions undertaken to determine how much starch could 

 be recovered commercially from sweet potatos, and to 

 test the quality of the product for the different uses to 

 which starch is put. The discussion includes an 

 -account of the method of culture, analysis of sweet 

 putat.os, and the system of manufacturing starch from 

 the tuber.s, together with other data. Investigations 

 that have been in progress during the past two years 

 in manufacturing starch from sweet potatos are des- 

 "Cribed, and also the tests that have been made to 

 -determine the suitability of the starch for utilization 

 on a commercial scale in laundry work and the cotton 

 -textile industries. These appear to be very satisfactory 

 -and the starch proJucjd is undoubtedly of a high grade. 



Rice Cultivation in Trinidad. 



Rice growing appears to he on the increase in 

 Trinidad, and it may possibly happen in the future that 

 the h'inie ))ioducti(jn will suffice for the needs of the 

 •colony. The chief Ward Unions in which the cultivation 

 is carried on are llio.se of Napaiima, and of Tacarigua 

 and Blanchisseuse. Rice production in Napaiima has 

 rshown large incI•ea^e in the past three years: 5,400 

 barrels (each of 160 tb.) were produced in 1905-6, 9,120 

 barrels in 1006 7, and in the year 1907-8 an area of 

 :2,600 acres was planted with the eiop, which yielded 

 13,000 barrels, of an estimated value of £<S, 666. 



In the Tacaiigua and Blanchisseuse Ward Union, 

 it is estimated by the Warden that the quantity of rice 

 grown m.\v be placed at 1,235,400 lb., of the value of 

 £7.721 5.S'., and there is every probability of a consider- 

 able extension of the area under cultivation. 



Rice is also grown in smaller quantities in nearly 

 all pai ts of the island. 



Truit Drying. 



Increasing attention is being devoted in South 

 Australia to fruit production, and to the best methods 

 of placing the products on the market both in a fresh 

 and in a dried state. The Journal of Agrleidtare 

 published in the colony recently contained an article in 

 which the .system of fruit drying practised in California, 

 where this practice has developed to a high degree of 

 perfection, was described at some length. The fresh 

 fruit is first fumigated by means of sulphur, then 

 spread on trays and exposed to the sun till dry. As 

 the weather conditions may become unfavourable, 

 however, the larger drying grounds are also provided 

 with elaborate drying pl.ant, so arranged that the fruit 

 shall be exposed to a gradually increasing temperature. 

 The tray of fruit is placed in a gently sloping tunnel, 

 upon which a stream of hot air from a furnace passes, 

 <ind is gradually pushed downwards nearer the source 

 of heat, as fresh trays are being put on behind. This 

 slow drying is found to give much better results, and 

 ■to yield a finer product than more rapid drying would do. 



Destruction of Old Cotton at Montserrat. 



In the course of the discussion that has lately 

 taken place at St. Croix .is to the proposed establish- 

 ment of a ' closed ' season for cotton, when no plants 

 either old or young would be found in the island, 

 the step that has been taken at Montserrat was 

 instanced and referred to on more than one occasion. 

 No legislation has been passed in the latter island for 

 the purpose of compelling planters to destroy their old 

 cotton by a certain date, although in view of the damage 

 caused bj' the leaf-blister mite and the cotton worm, 

 a large and representative meeting of cotton growers 

 passed a strong resolution about the time of the 

 planting season in 1907, urging the Government 

 to adopt such a measure, and suggesting that the 

 date of destruction should be fixed at a meeting of 

 cotton growers held in March of each year. 



No definite official action resulted, however, 

 and growers realizing the importance of the question, 

 and working together with the officers of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, arranged -matters for themselves. 

 At the conclusion of the second picking, both estate 

 owners and peasant holders destro}', by burning, all 

 the cotton plants on their land. As a result of 

 this system of working, the highest average return of 

 cotton yielded in any portion of the West Indies 

 during the 1907-8 season was obtained at Montserrat. 



Artificial Drying of Cacao. 



Cacao drying by artificial means, in preference to 

 exposing it to the sun, is being gradually adopted in 

 parts of the West Indies, notably in Trinidad and 

 Grenada. Gordon drying machines are reported to 

 have become very popular at Grenada ; there are now 

 eight in the island, and the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent mentions that five more are on order. 



The Gordon machine consists primaril}- of a large 

 cylinder, arranged to revolve, and divided by plates 

 extending the whole length of the cylinder, parallel to 

 the axis, and at right angles to each other, into four 

 sectional compartments. Each compartment has a sepa- 

 rate door for filling and emptying. By means of 

 a fan and a heating apparatus, a current of hot air is 

 driven through the cylinder, which contains pipes 

 perforated with holes, by means of which hot air is led 

 through the cacao as the machine revolves. The air, 

 laden with moisture, escapes through perforations in 

 the casing of the cylinder. 



These machines are made in six sizes, and take 

 charges of from 500 lb. to 10,000 lb. of moist cacao. 

 A fourth part of the cacao to be dried is placed in each 

 compartment of the cylinder. The smallest machine 

 (capacity 500 ft.) is suitable for small estates, and can 

 be worked by hand, while the larger sizes must be 

 operated by animal or steam power. When steam 

 power is used, the exhaust steam can be utilized for 

 heating purposes. 



It will be seen that the great advantage of these 

 machines is that by their use planters are rendered 

 independent of weather conditions in the cacao-drying 

 season. 



