140 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 25, 1914. 



GLEANINGS. 



According to the Queensland Agricultural Journal 

 (February 1914), the estimate of the sugar crop for the year 

 1913 shows a total yield of 241,496 tons or some 30,000 

 tons in excess of the highest previous returns. 



Explosives for the Farm is the title of a pamphlet issued 

 by Xobel's Explosive Co., Ltd., of Glasgow. This publica- 

 tion gives a useful account of the necessary tools and 

 apparatus, and presents in great detail directions for using 

 the explosives. 



Published in the Trinidad and Tobago Bulletin for 

 February 1914, will be found the Farmers' Advance 

 Ordinance, No. 28 of 1913. Particulars are given of the 

 information which every advance note must contain, together 

 with other matters involved in the legislation. 



A maximum moisture content of 12 per cent, is what 

 may be safely allowed in maize at the time of shipment. 

 But according to the Rhodeda AgricultaralJournal, during 

 the wetter months of the year the moisture in some of the 

 consignments dispatched from that country is considerably 

 above this figure. 



A copy has been received of the papers read and the 

 discussions which took place at the International Forestry 

 Congress held in Paris during .June 1913, under the Presi- 

 dency of M. Henry Defert, Vice President of the Touring 

 Club I)e France. This publication runs into 950 pages, but 

 contains very little information that is of direct importance 

 to the West Indies. 



In the Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. VI, 

 Part I, figures are given which show that in some cases soils 

 may contain something like 30,000 B). of ferrous iron per 

 acre. If ferrous iron is as toxic to plants as it is commonly 

 supposed to be, this large quantity must be present in the 

 soil in a highly insoluble form. 



Mr. J. A. DaCosta, of Rio de .Janeiro, has invented 

 a machine for coagulating rubber. The use of the machine 

 ■will enable the manufacturer (according to the India Ruhhtr 

 World for March 1, 1914) to avoid the process of cutting, 

 steeping in hot water, and maceration, and relieve the tapper 

 from doing what has now to be laboriously carried out by 

 hand. 



The Hawaiian pine-apple trade is referred to in The Times 

 of February 16, 1914. The exports of canned pine apples 

 from Hawaii has grown from 186,700 cases in 1907 to 

 1,31.S,336 cases in 1912. While sugar is the staple industry 

 of the territory, representing a value of £7,637,964 out of 

 a total export trade of £9,056,650 in 1912-1.3, the export of 

 pine-apples was valued at £743,000. 



An account of an interview with Dr. Francis Watts, 

 C.M.G., on the subject of agricultural banks, appears in 

 a recent issue of the Portof-Spain Gazette. The importance 

 of beginning operations in a small way is emphasized, 

 together with the necessity for discreet inspection. Refer- 

 ence was made during the interview to the movements which 

 are now taking place in St. A'incent, St Lucia and Trinidad. 



It is stated in the Dominira Chronicle for March 1914, 

 that competition in the matter of buying fresh limes is 

 becoming keener. To supply the increasing demand, an 

 effort was made recently to import limes from St. Lucia, the 

 neighbouring island, and quite recently 16 barrels were 

 imported. Whether this experiment is likely to prove 

 a benefit ultimately, is a matter for consideration. 



The attention of the Government of Trinidad and 

 Tobago has been called to the occurrence of several instances, 

 in Canada, of the adulteration of lime juire by the addition of 

 vater. It may be pointed out that this adulteration was not 

 done in the West Indies but in Canada. On a recurr- 

 ence of this offence it is understood that the Canadian and 

 West India League intends to take further action. 



A few experiments have been made in India (according 

 to the Agricultural Journal of India for January 1914) with 

 Australian fodder grasses, such as Pas^iahnn dilatatuM and 

 Chloris rirgata. The first-named species was a failure; the 

 second, which is referred to as Rhodes grass (? Rhodes grass = 

 Chloris guyana) is now being tried, though not especially on 

 account of its drought-resisting qualities. 



The difficulty involved in getting the fruit tree known 

 as the Japanese persimmon to bear fruit i.s explained in the 

 Journal of Heredity for March 1914. It appears to be 

 necessary to have in the neighbourhood varieties which 

 produce staminate flowers at regular intervals. The ensuring 

 of poUiuiition, however, is said not to be an infallible cure, 

 since any unhealthy condition of the tree will seriously affect 

 fertile flower production. 



Information has been received from the British South 

 Africa Company showing the rapid development of tobacco- 

 growing in Rhodesia. The production of tobacco for the last 

 'hvee years was: 1910-11, 132,310 ft., 1911-12, 450,000 ft., 

 1912-13, 1,397,000 ft. This years crop, it is estimated, 

 will reach from 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 ft. The average 

 price realized for Rhodesian grown tobacco at auction sales 

 held last year was lOfd. per ft. 



The St. Croix Avis (February 4, 1914) reproduces an 

 article from the International Sugar Journal, which says 

 that weeds can be satisfactorily kept down in cane fields by 

 employing the following stock spray solution: white arsenic 

 5 ft., caustic soda 1 ft., water 3 gallons. This is boiled 

 for fifteen minutes and diluted to 200 gallons before being 

 applied. It in no way injures the growing canes, provided 

 the spray is kept away from the young leaves at the top 

 of each stalk. It is shown that the spraying is much 

 cheaper than hoeing, but at the same time the benefit from 

 hoeing is not entirely confined to the removal of weeds. 



