310 



THE AGFJCULTUEAL XEWS. 



September 2G, 1014. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbad(is. 



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.^iiricultiiral v^lnufi 



Vol. XIII. SATURDAY, SEPTEMP.Fl; i-'l 1014 Xo. :V24. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. ' 



The editorial in this number describes the general 

 work of the seed-control stations on the Continent, and 

 indicates the jiossible ways in which systems of sef'd- 

 control might be more generalh^ employed in thu 

 Tropics. 



Under the licading Sugar Industry, on pagv .">0(i. 

 will be found an intt-rL-sting article on the utilization 

 of uKjlasses for alcohiil jjroduction, and of bagasse as 

 a source of pa pi t making. 



Trinidad Horticultural Club. 



The useful work that is being accomplished by 

 the Horticultural Club in Trinidad is sho-\ra in a report 

 of a recent meeting publisherl in the Port-of-Spain 

 Gazette for September 4. At this meeting it was 

 announced that successful overtures had been made 

 with the Trinidad Poultry and Pet Stock Association 

 with a view to holding a joint exhibition in October. 

 ^Ir. Freeman, Vice-President of the Club and Director 

 of Agriculture, suggested that the Government should 

 l)e approached with the object <>t' holding the show in 

 the Cimernment grounds at St. Clair, where no charges 

 would be made for admission. 



Following the conclu.sion of this business, Mr. J. C. 

 Augustus, Curator of the Experiment Station proceeded 

 to give a practical demonstration in budding and 

 grafting. He dealt principally on grafting by approach 

 and T-bndding. The dift'i.-rent stages in the operations 

 \\ere shown practically, and intormation was given in 

 Connexion with the proper time of year to conduct 

 these operations. Mangoes are best budded in the 

 rainy season, but it is generally advisable to bud cacao 

 during the drier months of the year. The economic 

 importance of budding was discussed, and it is apparent 

 that the demonstration was highly apjireciated by the 

 mendiers and that this form of disseminating knowledge 

 is likely to serve a very useful end. 



()n pages ."lOM and 309 several articles appear in 

 connexion with cotton. Of special interest is that 

 entitled Rivers' Type of Sea Lsland Cotton. 



Insect Notes, on page 812, comprise an article on 

 insects and pain. A note on the transmission of M.il 

 tie Caderas is also given. 



Under Students' (.'orner, on page 31.5, will be 

 found the second instalment of the article explaining 

 the dynamics of a plough. 



Fungus Notes, which will be found on ]ia^e ."Mil. 

 describe the cau.se and prevention of Sorghum ■~iniii. 



An article on Se.sanuun, its cultiyation and ,selec- 

 tion, appears on page 317. This is of interest as 

 ii possible new industry in the West Indies. 



Radium and Plant Growth. 



Reference has been made from tinie to time to 

 this subject in the Agricultural A'eics and the present 

 note will form an inte'festing continuation of the subject. 

 According to the Gardener's Chronicle (August 1.5, 

 1!U4), experiments have just been concluded at the 

 grovmds of Messrs. Sutton and Sons, of Reading, which 

 provide interesting information as to tile practical 

 inHueiiee of radium compounds on plant growth. 

 Naturalh the plants experimented on were garden 

 plants of temperate countries, and the residts, there- 

 fore, from a West Indian aspect are intrinsically 

 important but not necessarily applicable. The effects 

 of the use of radium appeared to lie greatest in 

 the seedling rajte and red cloyer ])iots. In most 

 instances germination was ([uicker and more even, 

 and more growth was made, but whilst stinudating 

 early growth there is a distinct loss of colour in the 

 foliage and there is also a pi'obable weakne.ss in 

 Constitution. 



In one series of experiments it .seemed that in- 

 creased yield occurred mostly in root and foliage, hence 

 where radium compounds are applied foi- fruit or grain 

 producing crops, it would seem that it might be advi,s- 

 able to supplement the radium witii phosphates and 

 potash. An interesting fact brought out was that the 

 eft'ict of the expensive radio-active (H-e differs very 

 little from that of the cheaper residue left after the 

 valuable radium f bromide has been extracti'd. This 

 suitability for agricultural purposes of what is virtually 

 a bv-product raises some hope that after further experi- 

 mentation it may be found practicable to utilize radium 

 on the estate. 



