124 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Apiil 11, 1914. 



An interesting feature of the coco-nut industry in the 

 Federated Malay States, is the introduction, on a large 

 scale, of the dwarf or 'King' coco-nut (Nyor gading) which 

 is being tried in the coast district of Negri Sembilan. It is. 

 stated that the palms should come into bearing in about four 

 years. It remains to be seen whether the probable higher 

 yields of nuts per acre,, and early maturity, will compensate 

 for the expected increased rate of expense in hu.sking, etc. 

 per ft), of copra obtained. (BvHetin No. 1'^, De/'artnient of 

 Ayviculture, F.M.S.) 



GLEANINGS. 



The question of an Agricultural College for the West 

 Indies is again discussed in Tropiml Life, for February 

 1914. Consideration is given the relative positions of India, 

 Ceylon, Federated Malay States, and the West Indies, as 

 regards agricultural education. 



A series of articles has commenced in the Journal of the 

 Jamaica Agricultural Society, on banana cultivation. The 

 subject-matter of the first instalment is of a very practical 

 kind and should receive the attention of those who intend to 

 enter the industry. 



The Hevite Agricole (.January 1914) reproduces a lengthy 

 article from the Journal la Sucrerie Indigene et Coloniale 

 describing the history and work of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture in the West Indies. Reference is made to the 

 West Indian Bulletin, Vol. XI, No. 4, which is devoted to the 

 same subject. 



It is stated in the Annual Report of the I>epartment of 

 Agriculture, Uganda Protectorate, 1912-13, that the price of 

 lands in that country has risen enormously due to the large 

 influx of European planters anxious to take up land, so that 

 land valued at Rs. 4s. per acre last year easily finds a pur- 

 chaser now at Rs. 20s. per acre or even more. 



Manurial experiments conducted with rubber at Kuala 

 Lumpur Experiment Plantation, Federated Malay States, 

 have shown that on the soil there, lime has had a marked 

 influence in accelerating the growth of rubber trees. The 

 addition of phosphate (and lime) also produced a marked 

 beneficial effect, (Bulletin Mo. IS, Depaiinient of Agricul- 



tui 



T7I A 



iLS.) 



The need for good manuring of pepper has been further 

 emphasized in Madras. A plot which received lime and 

 leaf mould has continued to improve. In 1907 this plot 

 yielded 5-| Madras measures of pepper which, in 1912, had 

 risen to 113-^ Madras measures, and in last year, was 140 

 Madras measures. Fish manure also gave good results. 

 (Report on the Operations of the Department of Agriculture, 

 Madras Presidency, 1912-13.) 



A correspondent to the South African Agricultural News 

 (January 15, 1914) says that in observing the arrowing of 

 canes he has found that those which arrow most frequently 

 are the ones growing on the crowns of ridges and where the 

 ground is usually of a hard nature, and difticult to reduce to 

 a fine tilth. Further, the cane generally arrows on the same 

 places every season it is in flower, and it is uncommon to 

 find canes arrowing in low moist lands. 



In continuation of the editorial in the Agricultural N'ews- 

 on the subject of alcohol for motor fuel, reference may be 

 made to an article in the Chamler of Corunierce Journal 

 (February 1914; dealing with the existing fiscal conditions in 

 Great Britain, which at present forra a great obstacle to the 

 utilization of alcohol for fuel purposes. A resolution was 

 unanimously adopted and forwarded to the ( hancellor of the 

 Exchequer, who referred the Association to the Chairman of 

 the Board of (_ ustoms Excise. Presumably the matter is being 

 followed up. 



Reference is made in the Demerara Daily Chronicle 

 (Mail Edition) for February 27, 1914, to the report of the 

 Director of Agriculture, British Guiana, on the fertility of 

 the Rupununi Savannah Lands. It would seem that the 

 soils may lend themselves with proper treatment to great 

 improvement. A sample referred to as No. 3 is believed 

 to be capable of producing almost any tropical crop with 



the addition of phosphatic and 

 referred to as Nos, 2 and .5 are 

 well suited for tobacco growing. 



potassic 

 stated 



manures. Samples 

 to be particularly- 



The Government of British Guiana would seem to 

 have succeeded ii. putting a stop to milk adulteration 

 successfully by rai.sing the fines inflicted upon persons 

 convicted for this criminal offence. The Daily Argosy 

 (Mail Edition) for February 28, 1914, says that in cases in 

 which 5 per cent, adulteration has been proved, a fine of 65 

 with an addition;d §3 is imposed; 7 per cent. §10; 12 

 per cent. $-15; 15 per cent, 820; and 20 per cent, $25. A 

 defendant convicted of adulterating his milk to the extent 

 of 25 per cent, would be met with a fine of 635 to 640, or 

 61 per pint, with 610 or 115 added according to the cir- 

 cumstances of the case.' 



An article appears in the Journal of the Board of 

 Agriculture of England (February 1914) on the subject of 

 sale of manures in small quantities at excessive prices. 

 Emphasis is laid upon the importance of ascertaining the 

 unit values. The following mixture for general use in the 

 garden, and on the land of the small grower is given in this- 

 article: sulphate of ammonia, 1 part by weight; superphos- 

 phates, 6 parts; bone meal, 1^ parts; sulphate of potash, 1^ 

 parts. If stored in a dry place the mixture will keep for years 

 without material deterioration. For garden work in partic- 

 ular, it is handy to keep a mixture like this in stock. It is 

 albc cheaper to prepare the mixture at home, and certainly 

 more reliable, than buying it. 



