Vol. IX. No. 206. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



93 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



MARCH. 



f^EiONI) PeHIOD. 



Seasonal Notes. 



The observations that should have been coudiictcd 

 recently on the sugar-i-ane in the fiekl will have shown that 

 some varieties of cane ripen earlier than others, and notes 

 should have been made of the behaviour of different kinds, 

 in this respect. By what indication is it known whether 

 a cane is ripe, or not, and how is the state, as regards ripeness, 

 determined! Opportunities are now being given for making 

 notes on the milling qualities of canes. On what properties of 

 the cane do these depend.' Of what importance, in relation 

 to the manufacture of sugar, is the milling quality of a caiie( 



One of the chief essentials of the best sugar-making is 

 cleanliness. In order that this may be obtained, care should 

 have been taken that the boiling-house is kept clean, that 

 puncheons and coolers are free from all dirt or refuse from 

 the process of sugar-making, and that all unnecessary cracks 

 and crevices in these should be filled. What is the reason 

 for this, and what results are likely to accrue through the 

 presence of dirt in the boiling-house and in packagesf 



In muscovado boiling-houses, in some cases, syrup will 

 be manufactured instead of sugar. What is the difference 

 between boiling juice to syrup, and bulling it to sugar/ 

 What is meant by the statement that, in order to prevent the 

 crystallization of sugar from juice that is being heated 

 (evaporated), a certain amount of inversion must take place! 



Where onions are grown, note should be made of the 

 •way in which the crop is harvested and prepared for ship- 

 ment. Why should onions be allowed to dry before they aie 

 shipped! Study the methods that are employed for packing 

 onions. Why is it advisable that a package should be made 

 that is neat as well as strong. What is meant by grading 

 onions? Observe that only those onions should be exported 

 that are of a size suitable to the market on which they are 

 jjlaced. 



Consider the question of the more frequent employment 

 of onions as a rotation crop. Discuss the advisability of 

 planting onions where a dry season has prevented the early 

 sowing of cotton seed. 



Summarize the reasons for giving shade to plants, and 

 discuss the question of providing shade for cacao. What are 

 the effects of too much shade, on a plant? How are fungi 

 enabled to flourish in the ab.sence of light, and what does 

 this fact suggest in relation to the matter of preserving the 

 health of ])lantsf 



Lime plants in nurseries will require attention at the 

 present time. If they are suffering from drought, the sur- 

 face of the soil should be worked up to a fine, loose mulch. 

 What is the precise way in which this lessens the rate at 

 which water is lost from the soil by evaiioration? The soil 

 in the nurseries should be well drained, in order that the 

 water from heavy showers of rain that may fall may run off 

 easily, and not leave the soil waterlogged. As is well known, 

 seedlings in a .soil that is too wet suffer from ' damping off, 

 which is a disease due to a definite fungus. If this di-sease 

 has already attacked the seedlings, a large proportion of them 

 may be saved by spraying them with l^ordeaux mixture. 

 (See Reports on the Botanic Station, A;/r irultural tSt-houl, and 

 Experiment Plots, St. Lucia, 190S-9, p. 1.5.) 



Questions for Candidates. 



PEEHMIX.iRY QUESTIONS. 



(l).Why, in preparing a cutting of a plant, is the 

 portion that is used cut across diagonally, and why are. some 

 of the leaves removed? 



(2) In what does the value of cotton seed meal as 

 a manure, consist! How is it used as manure? . 



(3) Describe the functions of roots. 



^ INTERMEUUTE (iL'ESTIoNS. 



(1) How is the air-space in a .soil related to the fineness 

 of the particles! 



(2) Give a sketch of the life-history of the moth borer 

 of the sugar-cane, and state what steps may be taken to con- 

 trol this pest. 



(3) What manures are necessary or desirable for lime 

 trees! State the quantities in which they should be used. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture left 

 Barbados on Tuesday, March 1-5, by the R.JI.S. ' Esk', 

 on an official visit to St. Lucia. Dr. Watts will probably 

 return to Barbados by the same steamer on the 22nd 

 instant. 



Mr. H. A. Ballon, M.Sc, Entomologist on the staff' 

 of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, left for 

 Montserrat by the SS. ' Ocamo' on March 5, for the 

 purpose of making investigations in connexion with 

 insect pests in that island. 



Mr. F. \V. South, B.A., Mycologist on the staff of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture, also left for 

 Montserrat at the same time, for the purpose of making 

 investigations in connexion with insect and plant 

 dise.ases there. 



Messrs. Ballon and South returned to Barbados, 

 by the SS. '()ruro', on March 17. 



Silk Cotton Seed as a Cattle Food. 



Experiments are mentioned, in the Philippine A</rl- 

 ciiltnral Rtvino for August, 1909, which have been conducted 

 with the seed of the silk cotton, or kapok, tree {Eriodvudron 

 'infract uosu lit), with the object of comfiaring the value of cake 

 made from this seed with that of cotton seed cake, as a cattle 

 food. The results of analysis were as follows: — 



Silk cotton Cotton seed 

 seed cake, cake, 



per cent. per cent. 



Water 13-2K 1200 



Albuminoids 26-34 2062 



Fat 5-82 636 



Digestible carbohydrates 19-92 3.5-02 



Fibre - 2S-12 2036 



xVsh 6-.52 5-6-t 



The analysis also showed that the ash of the silk cotton 

 seeds contained 20'6 per cent, of phosphoric acid (as P.,0,_) 

 and 24-6 per cent, of potash (K^.O). 



The results are interesting, as far as they go, but require 

 to be supplemented by actual feeding trials. 



