364 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 13, 1909. 



The grants awarded by tlie Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries in aid of agricultural education in England and 

 Wales amounted to £12,100 in the j'ear ending March 

 31, 1908; while in addition, special grants amounting to 

 £380 were made for experiment and research. 



GLEANINGS. 



A demand for .Jamaica bananas has recently arisen in 

 Finland, and it is expected that the trade in this fruit will 

 rapidly increase. 



By instruction of his Honour the Administrator of 

 Grenada, the 'Morne Rouge Swamp has been stocked with 

 millions, which were supplied from the Botanic Station tank. 



In Mexico, during the season November 1908 to April 

 1909, the coffee crop was expected to reach a quantity of 81 

 million, as against 33 million pounds for the preceding season. 



The value of the exports from the Seychelles in 1908, 

 exclusive of specie, was £99,27-5. In the same year, the 

 value of vanilla exported was £17,632; this is a large decrease 

 from that of 1907, which was about £60,000. 



Sir Alfred .Jones has offered to give £2.5,000 to the 

 funds of the British Cotton Growing Association, on condi- 

 tion that the Lancashire Cotton Spinners collect subscriptions 

 to the amount of £1-50,000 within the next half-year. 



The area in cocoa-nuts in the native ^lalay States at 

 the end of 1908 was 118,697 acres; this is an incre^tse of 

 over 6,000, or 5 per cent., since the same date in 1907, 

 when the area was 112,5.50 acres. {A(jricidtural Bulletin of 

 the Federated Malay States, Vol. VIII, No. 9.) 



The Chabarra C'entral Factory in Cuba holds the record 

 for the largest amount of sugar made during the past season. 

 This was 68,292 tons. The weight of cane ground was 

 702,000 tons, so that, on the average, 217 ft. of sugar was 

 obtained from each ton of cane. 



In the Mam-hculef GnanUaii of September 29, 1909, the 

 statement is made that the demand for cotton and other 

 textile goods in the West Indies .shows signs of a revival, 

 after a long depression, although the trade in some of the 

 smaller islands is still in a somewhat unsatisfactory condition. 



In the Journal of the Jamaica A(jrieultural Sociefy, 

 Vol. XIII, No. 7, zinc sulphate is suggested as a remedj' for 

 brittle hoofs. A solution containing 1 oz. of the zinc sulphate 

 to 1 quart of clean water should be applied immediately after 

 shoeing, and once every other day for a week or two 

 afterwards. 



According to the Allnhahad Pioneer Mail, an Agri- 

 culture Association is being formed in I'oona, with the object 

 of aiding the progress of agriculture in the Deccan. Its 

 work will chiefly include the holding of an annua! show in 

 one of the districts of the Deccan; the publication of agri- 

 cultural information, chicHy in the vernacular; the encourage- 

 ment of cattle breeding; and tlie extension of agricultural 

 education in the vernacular schools. 



In the recent storm which passed over Louisiana, the 

 cane which seems to have suffered most severely was D.74. 

 In view, however, of the value of this cane, and of the com- 

 paratively small amount of damage done, it has been decided 

 by the Louisiana Sugar Experiment Station to advocate its 

 adoption even more strongly than heretofore. 



The formation of an Italian National League against 

 malaria has recently taken place, and the first meetin" has 

 been held at Milan. At this, papers relating to the present 

 state of knowledge in regard to malaria, the i)rophylaxis and 

 pathology of malaria, its treatment, and little known forms of 

 the disease have been read. 



According to the Diplotntitie and Consular Reports No. 

 •4,312, Annual Series, extensive experiments were made by 

 the Zanzibar Government in cotton-growing during 1907-8. 

 The results have been entirely negative, not a single success 

 having been recorded, and the Director of Agriculture is of 

 opinion that the soil and climatic conditions are such as to 

 preclude any hope of its successful introduction. 



In the report on forest administration in Southern Nigeria 

 for 1907, there is an account of the tour which was made 

 through the West Provinces by the Conservator of Forests. 

 During this, mahogany trees were found which had a circum- 

 ference of more than 10 feet. This, and observations made 

 on trees planted in the Botanical (iardens, make it likely that 

 mahogany trees show three or four 'annual' rings of growth 

 each year, depending on the season. 



Where there is an objection to concrete floors in horse 

 stables, this may be easily overcome by jjutting false woodea 

 Hoors in the stalls where the horses stand. These may be 

 made of slats 2 inches wide, set 1 inch apart. They are 

 hooked to the sill in front, in order to hold them in place, so 

 tliat they may be raised up from behind w-heu desired, or 

 even unhooked and removed altogether, for the purpose of 

 cleaning the tioor. (The Natal Ayrieultare Journal, VoU 

 XIII, No. 2.) 



The recent Ignited States Tariff Bill allows the free 

 introduction of 300,000 tons of sugar from the Philippines 

 during each fiscal year. The provision is made, however, 

 that preference in the right of free entry of .sugar into the 

 United States from the Philippine Islands shall be given 

 first to the ])rodiicers of less than 500 tons in any fiscal year, 

 then to producers of the hiwest output in excess of 500 tons 

 in any fiscal year. This will make it impossible for the large 

 producers to prevent the smiUl producer from getting the 

 benefit of free introduction. 



