24 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 22, 1910. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for piiblicatioii, 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: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents : Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co., 37, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News: Price Id. per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

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



^flriculliiral ^tm 



Vol. IX. SATURDAY. JANUARY 22, 1910. No. 202. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The Balance of Life in the Soil is partially consid- 

 ered in the editorial of the present number. The 

 subject will be farther dealt with, in an editorial manner, 

 in the next issue of the Agricultural News. 



An account of the way in which West Indian 

 seedling canes that are being grown in Florida compare 

 with those that an; common there is given on page 19. 



The interests of the West Indies at the recent 

 Colonial Fruit Show are dealt with on page 20. 



An article on page 23 contains matter which is 

 interesting in connexion with the subject of reafforest- 

 ation in the West Indies. 



The Insect Notes, on page 26, have for their 

 subject The Insect Pests of Cocoa-nuts. Acknowledge- 

 ment is made to the United States Department of 

 Agriculture for permission to use the blocks for Figs. 

 2 and 4. 



The property which some fungi possess, of attack- 

 ing and destroying living insects, is of increasing 

 importance in view of their possible use in controlling 

 some of those which do injury to plants. Much 

 information in connexion with the matter, in so far as 

 it relates to scale insects, has already been given. An 

 account of the entomogenous fungi of other insects 

 than these appears under the heading of Fungus Notes, 

 on page 30. 



An interesting report on the fibre plants of India 

 is abstracted on page 31. 



The Fermentation of Cacao. 



In view of the large amount of interest that is 

 being excited by this subject at the present time, the 

 fii! lowing tacts winch have been elucidated by Dr. A. 

 Schulte, froni experiments conducted by him in the 

 C.unercji'tis, are here placed on record. L'Agronomie 

 Ti'Dpicale (Vol. I, No. 10) stales that this investigator 

 divides the process of fermentation of cacao into two 

 parts: (1) alcholicand acetic fermentation; (2) oxidation; 

 and he considers that the production of good cacao 

 depends on the way in which these operations are execut- 

 ed. During the first part, the pulp is separated from its 

 seed, and, as the seed coat softens, a favourable chance 

 is given for oxidation. This is the most important; 

 stage in the fermentation, and it depends for its success 

 on the temperature. When oxidation has taken place 

 under the best conditions, a white etHorescenoe is formed 

 on the beans, and it should be continued until the 

 greater number of the beans have become of a brown 

 colour: if the operation is prolonged until all the beans 

 have become brown, the taste and aroma are weakened. 

 The time which is necessary' for this oxidation can 

 only be determined by experience; it varies according 

 to the kind of cacao, the place where it is grown and 

 the time of collecting the fruit. 



The Exhibitions Branch of the Board of Trade. 



A new Department of the Board of Trade has 

 been formed for the purpose of assisting British exhibi- 

 tors at International Exhibitions in the placing of their 

 exhibits in advantageous positions, and in effecting 

 various economies in connexion with this. The forma- 

 tion of this Department has been brought about through 

 the discontent of manufacturers with the character of 

 International Exhibitions in general, with the manage- 

 ment of former British sections, and with the results 

 of exhibiting. The Department has been placed under 

 the direction of Mr. U. F. Wintour, the British Com- 

 missioner General. The effect of its assistance will be 

 that, instead of every exhibition being treated as 

 a separate problem of organization, the work will be 

 done by a permanent department, whose duty is the 

 care of British interests in such matters. 



The first work of the Department will be to afford 

 assistance in connexion with the International Exhi- 

 bition to be held in Brussels from May to October of 

 this year. In pursuance of this, a prominent space 

 having an area of 203,410 square feet has been obtained 

 for the British exhibits. 



One of the advantages of the existence of such an 

 organization is the fact that, as all the work is being 

 done through one department, the exhibitor has been 

 enabled to know beforehand exactly what his venture 

 will cost him, and makes it possible for a uniform 

 scheme of decoration to be applied to the British 

 section. Other advantages are the provision of cheap 

 printing facilities, and of a suite of rooms for exhibit- 

 ors' agents, in connexion with which there will be 

 a reference library, a start' of interpreters, and all the 

 necessary equipment for the transaction of busin<!S.«, 

 correspondence, etc. 



