374 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



November '21, 1914. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 ■Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not 

 to the Department. 



Local Agents: Advocate Co., Ltd., Broad St., 

 Bridge to wni. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & Co., 

 37, Soho Square, W.; West India Committee, Seeth- 

 ing Lane, E.C. The complete list of Agents will be 

 found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News: Price Icl. per number, 

 post free 2cl. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Post free, 4s. -id. 



Jigricultiirat ilmuH 



Vol. XIII. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1914. No. 328. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



CJontents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this iiuiuhci- contains the first 

 part of a discussion on the improvement of soils, which 

 is based upon the address of Professor A. I). Ha " 

 the Australian meeting of the British Association. 



at 



Among the articles on the sugar industrv, one 

 entitled The Outlook of the Continental Sugar Industry 

 presents the opinion of Dr. Prinsen Geerligs with 

 i-egard to the outlook for the coming year. 



The article on peas and beans, which appears on 

 page 370, is of interest at the present time when 

 attention is being given to new food ei-ops. 



Insect Notes in this number, on page 376. 

 include an interesting account of the habits of ants, 

 and advice to planters to experiment with a view to 

 learning the effect of different insecticides on the 

 foliage of different kinds of plants. 



Fungus Notes will be found on page 380. They 

 include articles on spraying ground nuts for leaf rust, 

 and the damping off of seedlings. The former shows 

 the beneficial result of spraying, and the latter describes 

 how to control the damping off fungus in seed beds 

 and seed boxes. ■ 



Publications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



The latest number (76) of the Department's 

 Pamphlet Series is now almost ready for disrributii)ii. 

 It is entitled Indiah Corn. This small publication is 

 intended to bring together the known facts as to corn 

 cultivation in the West Indies, and to make suggestions 

 which it is hoped 'will help planters and othei's to 

 increase the value of the Indian corn crops. 



ITsefid suggestions are made with regard to tillage 

 aufl ujanuring, whilst the need for the proper curing 

 and stcjring of the crop, and especially the seed corn, 

 and the remedies to be employed to guard against 

 insect attacks are given due consideration. 



The question of curing, storing, and protecting the 

 grain from moulds and insects is discus.sed, and useful 

 information given on these subjects. 



The chapter on seed selection outlines simple 

 methods wiiich may be adopted by anj'one who wishes 

 to improve his strain of corn. The account of artificial 

 "Irving makes reference to the successful operation of 

 the Hess kiln drier in Antigua for curing the gi-ain for 

 storage. 



This jwiyphlet.'has been prepared by Mr. H. A. 

 Bailou. M.S; Price, 4(7.; post free od. 



The Rrifining of Saltpetre. 



Duiiiig thi> last two years atteuipts have been 

 made by the Agricultural Chemists attached to the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture in India, to im- 

 prove the methods 'of refining saltpetre. The crude 

 rnateiial is an eflSorescence on the soil of certain 

 districts, and consists of a mixture of potassium nitrate, 

 sodium ihlo]-ule. and nnid. The present miscientitic 

 refining process ccjusists simjjly in the solution of the 

 nitrate in hoi water, separation of the mud by sedimen- 

 tation, and crystallization of the nitrate from the 

 cleaned liquor as it ("ools. 



Soil Bacteria 



The Ktporl., foj, l!»13, of the Director of the Agri- 

 cultur.il Experiment; Stati<in of Wisconsin, in a dis- 

 cussion of the inH\>:nce of soil bacteria on plant 

 gi-owth, points out that these micro-organisms are even 

 yet but imperfectly vmderstood, and that among them 

 are injurious as well as beneficial forms. It appears 

 from the experiments carried out at that Station that 

 if the relatiovi between various crops, the different 

 kinds of soil ba,eteria, and the diftVrent types of soils 

 could be established, new- light would be thrown on the 

 complex proc'ssi's concerned in crop rotation. The 

 example given is of oats and com, but this might read 

 for our |)ujpose, cotton and sugar-cane, or corn and 

 cotton, li i« as follows: if on a given soil corn favours 

 the development of bacteria whose growth in turn 

 stimulates oats, tlien oats can follow corn in the rota- 

 tion, (^n thf other hand, if corn retards the gi-owth of 

 bactej'ii! favourable to oats, or favours other bacteria 

 which :tri detrimeutal to oats, then oats should not. 

 follow c:>rn as a crop rotation. 



