Vol. VIII. No. 190. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



249 



Sugar in Porto Rico. 



In connexion with the report of the estimate of 

 sugar production in Porto Rico, for the crop to bo 

 reaped in 1909, which was given in the issue of the 

 Ayricaltuntl Xeu-s for May 15, 1909, it is of interest 

 to note that, according to the Fviio Rico Hurtifultarul 

 News, this estimate has been exceeded : that the actual 

 production of sugar for that period was 2(Sl,o99 tons as 

 against 2:W,09o tons for the season ending 190S. Of the 

 amount of sugar made, 5,700 tons was muscovado, and it 

 is likely that there will be a moderate manufacture of 

 this product in that island for some time to come, in 

 view of the high prices that are obtained for choice 

 Porto Rico molasses. 



A Simple Trap for Mosquitos. 



The Indian Planters' G(i:rtte o( January 9, 1909, 

 describes a simple and cheap mosquito trap, which has 

 been devised by Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, M.A., F.Z.S., 

 F.E.S., late Entomologist to this Department and now 

 of the Indian Entomological Department. A small box, 

 12 inches by 9 inches, which is fitted with a hinged lid, 

 is provided with a small opening which can be closed 

 by means of a piece of wood made to slide over it. 

 The floor of the box is made of tinned iron and it is 

 lined with green baize. The trap depends for its 

 effectiveness on the well-known fact that mosquitos, 

 during the day, hide from the sunlight in the shadiest 

 part of the room, so that, when the box is placed there, 

 those entering in the morning fly into it. After 

 a while, the lid is shut, about a toaspoonful of benzene 

 is poured through the small opening provided for the 

 purpose, and the slide drawn over it. In a trial of the 

 apparatus, 2,300 mosquitos were trapped in a month, 

 so that it would appear to be effective in reducing the 

 number of those insects. 



Variation in Seedling Canes. 



In the West India Committee Circular of July (J, 

 1909, particulars are given in regard to experiments 

 conducted under the direction of Prof J. B. Harrison, 

 at the Experiment Station in Georgetown, to deter- 

 mine the variations that may possibly take place in the 

 appearance of the cane B. 208. Those which have been 

 demonstrated show marked departures from the nor- 

 mal type, in which the colour is greenish-yellow, while 

 there is a prominent characteristic swelling just aliove 

 the internode. Fourteen modifications of the original 

 type were obtained by growing the cane under different 

 conditions of soil and sunlight. In many of these, the 

 swelling no longer exists. Great changes, too, have 

 taken place m colour ; in some, crimson blotches are 

 present : in others, there may be found crimson, green- 

 ish or purplish stripings in addition to the original 

 yellow colour. Continuous cultivation in a heavy clay 

 soil has given rise also to a peculiar reddish modifica- 

 tion. All this serves to illustrate the fact that the 

 characteristics of seedling canes are not constant under 

 differing conditions of environment. 



Selection of Disease-resistant Plants. 



In selecting disease-resistant varieties of a plant, 

 all those obtainable should be grown on infected 

 ground in order to obtain a knowledge of their relative 

 resistance to disease. Experiments conducted in this way 

 may bring forward some variety which is exceedingly 

 resistant to the disease in question, and further work 

 will be unnecessary except to keep the variety pure. 

 Usually, however, all obtainable varieties will be more 

 or less susceptible and, if this is the case, the least 

 susceptible of these varieties must be subjected to 

 further observation, and then selection must take place 

 according to the method just described. In short, the 

 most promising varieties must be chosen, and then 

 individual selection must be practises! with these. 



The Preservation of Timber. 



For this purpose a method of treatment known as 

 the ' Powell Wood Process', appears to have met with 

 success. It consists in impregnating wood with an 

 antiseptic substance in order to render it immune 

 from the attacks of wood ants and other insects, and to 

 prevent it from rotting. The introduction of the 

 preserving material into the substance of the wood is 

 said to make no alteration in its appearance in most 

 cases, and, where this does take place, an improvement 

 is the result. Various severe tests of the value of the 

 process have been made, notably in India, and others 

 are in train. These mostly consist in subjecting pieces 

 of untreated wood and of ' powellized ' wood to the 

 same unfevourable conditions and, so far, the latter has 

 passed the tests successfull}-. 



The method is reported to be cheap, and capable 

 of being applied on an extensive scale. 



Agricultural Education in Ceylon. 



The liepart of the IKrector of the Royal Rotanic 

 Gardens, Ceylon, for 1908, states that the number of 

 schools broughtundor thoschemefor school gardens there 

 is 180. A special committee, which was appointed to 

 enquire into, and report on, the work of school gardens 

 and the subject of agricultural education generally, 

 made recommendations to the effect that the number of 

 school gardens be increased and the work encouraged 

 by means of prizes ; that a special course of lectures to 

 teachers on Nature Study be arranged for : that 

 a Manual of Nature Study Lessons and an Agricultural 

 Reader suitable for Ceylon should be prepared ; that, in 

 specially selected schools, definite agricultural teaching 

 be provided and illustrated by practical experiments ; 

 that the curriculum of teachers under training at the 

 Government College be made to include instruction in 

 Nature Study, and a special teacher to take charge of 

 the work be appointed as soon as available ; lastly, that 

 a school of agriculture be started at Peradeniya for 

 training agricultural instructors, and that a shorter 

 vernacular course be provided for the benefit of 

 candidates nominated for village headships. 



