ToL. VIII. Xo. 191 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



The corn is gathered into piles and first taken to 

 a 'sizing machine. This consists of a trough-like arrangement 

 about 12 to 15 feet long, on the top of one edge of which 

 runs an endless belt. On the other edge there are six or 

 seven endless belts of different lengths. The corn is fed in 

 at one end, a sharp knife trims otf tlie bottom of the stalk 

 and it passes on to the belt. Underneath the belts are 

 receptacles for the various-sized spears. Each spear travels 

 to the end of the belt which is the particular length of that 

 spear from the main carrying belt, and having reached the 

 end of the belt, drops into the receptacle below. Thus the 

 short spears are dropped into the receptacle nearest the knife 

 and the longer ones travel out further along the belts. 

 After the corn had been thus sorted it is taken to another 

 portion of the factory, where it is again separated into 

 different grades for the different parts of the broom. 



The first process to which each spear of corn is subjected 

 is separating the finer from the coarser pieces. This is done 

 by what is known as a hurl cutter. It consists of two sets 

 of cog wheels, the larger toothed wheels being superimposed 

 above the finer toothed ones. A revolving knife clips otf the 

 butt end of the tassel and the coarser pieces are cut by the 

 lower wheel and thrown into a lower receptacle. This hurl 

 cutter is usually operated by a boy who can prepare enough 

 hurl for 1-50 to 200 dozen brooms per day. The corn is 

 then piled and taken to the broom-making machines. 



The ex[iort trade in brooms during the past five years 

 Las nearly doubled, while during the last two or three years 

 there has been a remarkable gain in the exports of broom 

 corn. Both Mexico and Canada are taking a large number 

 of American brooms, while South America is a big buyer in 

 this country of both brooms and broom corn. Cuba, Porto 

 Piico, ilexico, South Africa, and Australia purchase large 

 quantities of broom corn in this country and their trade is 

 advancing by leaps and bounds. 



NEW LEGUMINOUS PLANTS FOR GREEN 

 MANURING. 



In the Rhodesian Ayricidturnl Jiiarnal for June 

 1909, there is an account of a leguminous plant named 

 Si'shiinia iJunctatd. which grows there as a weed, but 

 which sives indications that it will become useful as 

 a green dressing. This is important in view of the 

 interest which is being taken at present in the practical 

 application of the property of leguminous plants, in 

 conjunction with certain bacteria, of fixing the nitrogen 

 of the air. 



A discoverv of much ))Ossible value and great interest 

 Las been made at Westacre in the ^latopos. Recently there 

 -were forwarded to the Department of Agriculture specimens 

 of a leguminous plant bearing large quantities of nitrogen- 

 forming nodules fin its roots. It bad been observed that at 

 Westacre, land on which this herb, originally regarded as 

 a weed, had grown, supported mudi better crops of lucerne 

 and oats than elsewhere. A specimen has been identified at 

 the Royal Botanic (iardens, Kew, as Seshania punctata. This 

 is interesting, in that recently in India a nearly related plant, 

 .Sesf'ania acvleata, 'Dainchu', has attracted attention, and 

 is there recommended as a green manure for paddy fields, on 

 account of its recognized fertilizing properties. The \Aa,nt 

 found at Westacre appears to be widely distributed in 

 Rhodesia, and another form, po.ssibly new to science, has been 

 found to occur plentifully in the Zambesi Valley near the 

 Victoria Falls. The indigenous occurrence and free growth 

 sufficiently prove its suitability to the country. By growing 



this plant as a crop and ploughing it in while in flower and 

 before it seeds, the ground will be provided with nitrogen, 

 the most costly of all plant food, for future crops, and 

 a supply of organisms provided to inoculate any other legu- 

 minous crop, such as lucerne and beans, that may be sown. 

 AVhether in this respect it is superior to cowpeas, liipins, or 

 velvet beans, experiment can alone sliow, but from reports 

 received this seems ipiite likely to be the case. 



The Indian plant mentioned above, Scs)>ania, 

 acaleuta, occurs in many islands in the West Indies, 

 often along roadsides. It is an under shrub with 

 a prickly, cylindrical stem and with leaves having 

 many leaflets. The flower.s are about i inch long 

 and yellow in colour, the largest petal being dotted 

 with purple. The pod is flattened, sharply beaked and 

 reaches a length of about 10 inches. It would be 

 useful if observations could be made on this plant and 

 communicated to the Imperial Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



The American Sugar Market. 



In the report of Messrs. Ozarnikow, Macdougall 

 & Co., New York, for June 2.5, the important state- 

 ment is made that, at present, European sugar prices 

 are practically of no effect in fixing values in the 

 American market. 



It must be admitted that price movements have not 

 followed the usual course of gradually hardening as the end 

 of the Cuban crop came in sight. To-day the market is on 

 the same level of 2'62c. c.f., for Cubas for second half July 

 shipment as it was two months ago for sugars for April 

 shipment, although in the interval the number of centrals at 

 work in Cuba has declined from 169 to si.x. It is to be noted, 

 too, that the price for July Cuba is •2.3c. below the parity of 

 beet just as it was for April Cubas. If European prices had 

 any active bearing on this market we should have been 

 tending towards their parity, but as a matter of fact our 

 prices show that European markets are practically of no effect 

 in fixing values here. Later, when Cuban supplies are over 

 and refiners have to draw upon Javas, the value of European 

 beets may have some influence in determining price.s, but ta 

 what extent it is impossible to forecast. 



RICE IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



The last fortnightly report of Messrs. Sandbach, 

 Parker & Co., of Georgetown, on the rice industrj' of 

 British Guiana, dated July 23, 1909, gives informatioa 

 as follows : — 



The continuous rains have flooded several districts, and, 

 notwithstanding the larger area under cultivation, we expect 

 that the crop will be smaller than last. The weather continued 

 wet during the past fortnight, but a few bright days have 

 been experienced this week and were very welcome. 



There has been little cleaned rice received in town this 

 fortnight, and stocks are low. Local demand continues to 

 improve, and the market is now firm at an increase of about 

 i')d. over last quotations. 



Shipments to the West India Islands during the fort- 

 night amount to about 2,.300 bags. Exports to date are now 

 about 2.50,000 !b. more than at same time last year. 



We quote to-day, f.o.b. Deinerara, for good export 

 quality : — 



18s. 3./. to 19s. 3(/. per bag of 180 lb. gross. 

 16s. 9d. to 17s. M. „ „ „ 164 lb. „ 



