THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Makch 5. 1910. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Iinpeii.-il Dep;irtment of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the ' Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

 the Department. 



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 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. 



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gignciiltiiriil ^xm 



Vol. IX. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1910. No. 205. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



In this number, the editorial deals with the 

 problem of agricultural education in a general manner. 

 The subject will be continued, in a more detailed way, 

 in the next number of the Auricultioul A^ervs. 



An abstract of an interesting article on epidemics 

 of disease of sugar-cane that have taken place in the 

 past appears on page 67. 



Useful facts regarding the ground nut will be 

 found on page 68. They are intended to supplement the 

 information that has been recently given already 

 concerning this plant. 



A note on the Perini fibre plant is presented on 

 page 69. 



The general report on the recent e.xaminatitin of 

 the Agricultural Schools in Dominica, St. Vincent and 

 St. Lucia appears on page 71. 



The first of two articles on carbon bisulphide that 

 will appear under the heading Insect Notes is given 

 on page 74. 



The article .under Fungus Notes (page 78) is the 

 first of a series that it is intended to publish, on the 

 chief groups of fungi. These should be read in connex- 

 ion with those on the life-history of the fungi, that 

 have appeared already. 



Publications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



Pamphlet No. 62 of the Department Series has 

 recently been issued. It contains an account of the 

 expeiiments with seedling canes, and of the experi- 

 ments iti the manuring of canes, conducted in Barba- 

 dos duiiiii; 1907-9. A review of this pamphlet is given 

 on page 7h. 



A review is also given, on the same page, of the 

 latest pamphlet to be published in that Series (No. 63). 

 This deals with the experiments that have been con- 

 ducted with seedlings and other canes in the Leeward 

 Islands, during 1908-9. 



These pamphlets can be obtained of all agents for 

 the sale of the publications of the Department: price 

 6(/., post free 7.1(/. 



West Indian Seedling Canes in Queensland. 



The ninth Annual Bcport of the Bureau, of 

 Sugar Exj'teriinent Stations, Queensland, has just 

 been received through the Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies. Among the experiments of which results are 

 recorded is a number which were conducted with the 

 ten best vaiieties of sugar-cane from different coun- 

 tries, in order to determine their respective agricultural 

 and commercial values. Among these, T. 60 holds 

 a fairly high place, being fourth on the list. On 

 irrigated land, with mixed manures, this gave 149 tons 

 of cane per acre, for four crops. On similar land with 

 no manure, the yield was 147'.5 tons for the same 

 number of crops. The similar figures for land not 

 under irrigation were 126 tons and 1247 tons. 



B. 208 has, in general, shown a tendency to become 

 diseased, but will be given a further trial, ' owing to 

 the splendid record this cane has in some parts of 

 (Queensland, and also in its own country, the West 

 Indies.' Among the canes which are to take part in 

 new experiments that have recently been initiated is 

 B. 147. 



An account is given of the behaviour of various 

 kinds of cane in the presence of a gumming disease 

 which is said to be due to Bacterium cuxculnrum. 

 Among West Indian canes. D. 95 has shown itself 

 susceptible to it: while, although in the trials made 

 with D. 74 and T. 202, no gum was found, all the 

 canes died. 



An African Fibre Plant. 



In the New Bulletin, 1906, p. 397, mention is made 

 of an African fibre plant, (rompluicarpus s&milunutus, 

 under the name Asch-picts semilvnata, stating that 

 samples of the fibre of this plant had been received, 

 and forwarded to the Imperial Institute for examina- 

 tion. The results of the examination, which are con- 

 tained in the Bulletin of the Impjerial Institute, Vol. 

 3, p. 316, showed that the fibre was of good quality, but 

 that there were indications that it may not be very 

 durable, and it is suggested that improvement may be 

 effected by careful preparation. 



