Vol. XIII. Xo. 32+. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



31 ; 



iMi.visiCA. During Aiigu.st tlie lime crop was in full 

 swing, and 3,L'?0 barrels of green linie.s were shipped. In the 

 ExperinKiit Static ms, weeding and i ntlassing were in jirogress, 

 while in the nurseries the lieds were lieing forked, seeds .sown, 

 plants potted and lime seedlings t ran.splanted. The plant 

 distribution for the month wa.s as follow.s: limes, 3,300; budded 

 lemon.s, 25; budded limes, 12; total, 3,337. The Curator 

 states that, owing to the disturbed conditions now prevailing, 

 it was not possible to forward an exhibit of fresh limes to the 

 Toronto Exhibition as intended. A toniing event of interest 

 is the exfjected receipt at the Lime Experiment Statioii <>\' 

 three new varieties of grape fruit and five nf oranges. 



ANTHU'A. In this island the Curator says the cane iroji 

 is beginning to feel the effects of the dry weather experienced 

 during the month. The fields of young cotton are fairly 

 liealthy, but re(|uire rain. Onion seed has recently been 

 receive<l and a large proportion was planted immediately. 

 Crops of maize and sweet potatoes will be established as 

 ixtensively as possibly as .sotm as the weather becomes favour- 

 able. The experiments on the kiln-drying of corn will l>e 

 repeated and experiments also in the making of corn meal are 

 .to be conducted. A null for lorn meal-making has bi-en 

 -erected at the Botanic Station. Scjciety meetings during the 

 month have included a general meeting of the Agricultural 

 and Commercial Society already re])orted in the Agrindturtd 

 Netrs^ and a meeting of the Onion (jrowers' Association at 

 which was considered a scheme for the extension of their 

 useful activities. In a special commiuiication recently received 

 fiom the Hon. Secretary of the .Agricultural and Cmnmereial 

 JSociety, it is stated that it has been resolved tn prpst]ione the 

 Antigua and Agricultural and Industrial Exhibitinn which 

 had been arranged to be held in February l'.U."p. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Cornini.ssioner of Agriculture ivtiiiiud 

 to Barbadcs on September 23, 1914, by the K.M.S. 

 •Cha\idiere' from an official visit to the Northern Islanils 

 announced in the Agricultural Xeius iov September 

 12. 



A NEW INDUSTRY. 



THE CULTIVATION AND SELECTION 

 OF SESAMUM. 



Sesamum is a seed-producing crop, the cultivation of 

 which is worth attention in the West Indies. Experiments 

 have been made already in Grenada, Antigua, Montserrat 

 and St. Kitts. The commercial possibilities of the cultiva- 

 tion are of cour.se not yet definitely known: in Antigua. 

 the principal factor which interfered with the cultivation uf 

 this crop was disease, but the appearance of a paper on 

 the improvement of Sesamum. in the Philipphu Ai/ricnltiiri$t 

 and Fortster makes it seem likely that this and any other 

 • lifticulties pertaining to the plant itself can be got over by 

 selection. 



It may prove interesting liefore referring to the selec- 

 tion woik, to give a brief account of the eidtivation of the 



criip. A native most probably of Xorth Africa, Sesamum is 

 a plant which leiiuii-es a warm climate, and although it cau 

 be grown on almost the poorest land in cultivation it does 

 liest, like most other crops, on a rich fertile one, preferalily 

 light. The methods of planting differ, but in the Philippine.? 

 it has Ijeen found best to plant the seed in rows. When 

 they are about + inches high, they may be thinned from 2 to 

 4 inches apart. This depends, of course, upon the variety 

 and the cultivation. The land must lie properly weedei 

 As regards different varieties, it is stated that these can be 

 easily recognized from one another by their leaves, capsules, 

 and the duration of time from sowing to maturity. Some 

 are early varieties and others are late. One of the most 

 ])roductive varieties tested in the Philippines seems to be 

 Xo. 1()22-F, (White). Further reference will be made ti> 

 varieties later •i>\. 



Several diseases of Sesanuim appear on the Philijjpine.s. 

 The most lonnnon insects are leaf rollers. There are two 

 fungus diseases observed: the damping off" fungus, and a leaf 

 s|)ot caused l)y Cercospora Sesami, A. Zinnu. Tlie damping off: 

 disea.se generally occuis in rainy wheather. when the plants 

 are crowded. It attacks only the small plants. C. Sesami 

 attacks tlie leaves only, and eventually causes them to fall. 



The harvi'sting of Sesamum is very ea.sy and simple. The 

 stem is <-ut close to the ground with a sickle, and the cut 

 stems are then jiiled up and tied into bundles. The smaller 

 the bundles the lietter will be the drying. Immediately 

 after they are brought to the drying house, they can bespread 

 on a mat. They are dried there till all the capsules are 

 ojiened and the .seeds can be shaken out. As regards market 

 \alne, the hgures given in the paper under consideration do 

 not apply to the West Indies, but it may be noted that it Is 

 said .3 litres of the white variety seed sells at 30 to -10 

 centavos. The lilack fetches le.ss. 



W ith reference to the use of Seasamum .seed, it is stated 

 that two-thirds of the world's production goes to Marseilles 

 for oil extraction largely used for making soap, in perfume, 

 and for buiiiiug in lamps. It is also extensively u.sed in 

 certain places, e.g. Egypt, as a substitute for olive oil. A.s i.s 

 well known, the resi<lual matter or cake is employed as 

 a cattle food, in which connexiim it has been ob.served to have 

 a great intiueuce upun tile butter and fat of dairy cows. 



Turning now to the selection experiments, it may be 

 explained that before the harvesting of each variety, selei-tioa 

 was first made in the tield. Duiing the selection severs,! 

 variations were noted: in the number of the locules, in the 

 branching haliits, and especially in regard to susceptil)ility to 

 leaf spot. Space prevents a discussion here of the tables of 

 oliservations, and it must suffice if we present the summary 

 iif conclusions, liased upon these figures, which the author 

 |)laces at the end of his article: — 



"(1) The yield of sesamum can be increased by selection 

 in the field, and by growing the selected seeds in separate 

 plots. (2) The sports which appear in 403-F, such as the 

 hairy and the smooth forms, can easily be bred true. 

 (3) With the character of high yielding which is founil ia 

 certain jilants of 403-F can be correlated branchiness, finenes.? 

 of the hair, and shape of the capsules, in all of which they 

 differ from the cnnnnon stock. (4) The varieties of 404 

 and 403-F can lie self-fertilized. (-5) Se.samum in common 

 cultures in the Philippines needs to be improved by selection, 

 as regards strength of stem, immunity to disease, uniformity 

 of type, resistance to drought, ami brevity of cro]) period; 

 and above all eise, as tn jirodiictiveness.' 



