330 



THE AGRICULTUEAL XEWS. 



OrTOBEP. 10, 19U. 



GLEANINGS. 



During U>l.i t.. 19U, 16,8S0 lime plants were raised 

 and distributed at tlie Botanic Station, Montserrat: 3,270 

 bay plants and 10,6:28 sweet potato cuttings besides a large 

 ntimber of other planting material were also sent out. 



Reference is made in the India Rubber World for 

 Septtniber 1914 to the opening early this summer of the 

 vew Treub laboratory at the Botanic Gardens, Buitenzorg, 

 Jiva. In this Colony also, a new agrieulttu'al school has 

 just been opened, the instruction at which will be of a special 

 ciiaract;r. 



The ground nut still continues to be the only article 

 actively cultivated for exportation in the Gambia, and is 

 likely to continue so while in good demand, and until some 

 more easily growii crop for which there is a market is dis- 

 ccveiedby the local non-strenuous agriculturists. {Colonial 

 Reports — Annual, Gambia, No. 805 of 1914.) 



In the Journal of the Rot/al Society of Arts, an interest- 

 ing article appears on the orange industry of Spain. This 

 refers to the bitter marmalade oranges of Seville and to those 

 shipped for direct consumption. The article discusses the 

 preparation of oranges and orange material for .shipment, 

 including orange flower water and orange wood. Land adapted 

 to orange cultivation in the Seville districts is valued at 

 from £40 to £100 per acre. 



From information received by the Imperial Commis- 

 fiioner of Agriculture from the Canadian Trade Commissioner 

 for the West Indies, there appears to be some possibility that 

 onion growers in the West Indies, particularly the Antigua 

 Onion Growers" Association, may soon extend their market 

 in Canada to include British Columbia. The Association 

 referred to is giving the matter prompt attention. 



An interesting note appears in Nature for July '1, 1914, 

 on marine biology in the tropics. It states that the action 

 of rtenitrifying bacteria in tropical seas is considerable, as is 

 also the precipitation of calcium carbonate by marine bacteria. 

 The extraordinary work of Bacillus calcis is stated to be 

 responsible for the formation of chalk and oolitic rocks in the 

 shallow seas round the Bahamas. 



If tea is kept for a long time in packets for shijjment it 

 deteriorates; but if the tea is kept on the estate, the packets 

 ■can be re-opened and re-fired prior to despatch, thereby ensur- 

 ing a continuation of a sound condition. This idea is being 

 taken intc. consideration, according to the India Rubber 

 JoiivH'il, in Ceylon owing to the limited storage ac^omoda- 

 tioii in Oclombo under the disturbed conditions of the 

 present time. 



A seeminglj- good way of denaturing alcihol is by 

 bringing ethyl alcohol, before it has pjassed through the state 

 of vapour in contact with the \apours arising from the des- 

 tructive distillation of wood. A distillate is thereby pro- 

 duced which is neither ethyl alcohol nor methyl alcohol. 

 Although containing both substances it is suitable for indus- 

 trial purjioses. The ]jri:iduct from this process has beea 

 termed 'distoF. 



'I'lji- Mail and Empire of Toronto (September 5. 1914) 

 contains a short note on the West Indies exhibit at the recent 

 National Kxhibition. It appears to have lieen one of the 

 most attractive and instructive features of the day. It is 

 extremely desirable that efforts to represent fully the West 

 Indies in future years at this exhibition should be energeti- 

 cally continued, in view of the importance of West Indian 

 trade with Canada. 



According to the Board of Trade Journal for Septeml>er 

 3, 1914, it is reported that the country lying between the 

 Lualaba and the Kasoko River in the Belgian Congo is fertile 

 in palm trees, and the production of oil is considerable. It 

 is marketed in earthern pots of nearly 9tt). for which 6rf. a pot 

 is paid, which is equivalent to £6 per metric ton. As this 

 raw product sold at £32 per ton in Europe, an opening for 

 exports would seem available, despite heavy transport rates. 



A note appears in the Journal oi the Neic York Botanical 

 Garden for August 1914 to the effect that His Excellency 

 the Governor of Bermuda vi.sited the Gardens in August and 

 was especially interested in the hardy trees and shrubs that 

 might be grown in Bermuda. The West Indies are in several 

 ways indebted to the New York Garden for valuable e.xplor- 

 ation and other botanical work in connexion with the West 

 Indies. It is only necessary to mention, for example. 

 Dr. N. L. Britton's visits. 



An important note appears in Tlie Board of Trade Journal 

 for August 27, 1914, to the effect that it has been found in 

 the Bahamas that an excellent substitute for horse-hair, 

 which might by more extensively employed in the manufac- 

 ture of cheap upholster,y, has been foimd there in the waste 

 made in cleaning sisal fibre. This waste, which represents 

 from 15 to 25 per cent, of the material concerned, is twisted 



into rope, then dyed and finally untwisted, 

 the twisted character and is springy. 



The fibre retains 



Interesting results on the influence of electricity upon 

 plant growth are reported from a German source in the 

 Experiment Station Record. Vol. XXX, No. 9. It appears 

 that when the charge is too strong there is a decrease in yield,. 

 but when the charge is reduced to what may be called an 

 optimum value, there is a corresponding increase amounting 

 to about 12 per cent. In studjang the effect of electrical 

 discharges upon transpiration and evaporation, it was found 

 that when the discharge took place from points placed 13 cm. 

 above water surface, evaporation took place much more 

 rapidly than from an untreated surface, ranging from five 

 to ten times greater. 



