104 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



April 2, 1910. 



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giflriciiltural l^eiu!^ 



Vol. IX. SATURDAY. APRIL 2, 1910. No. 207. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial of the present number reviews recent 

 work that has been done in connexion with the direct 

 absorption of sulphate of ammonia by green plants, 

 and deals with the practical bearing of the matter. 



Some suggestions for the adoption of uniform 

 methods for measuring trees are given on page 99. 



Special attention is drawn to the account, on page 

 100, of a way in which shield budding may be utilized 

 in the case of the mango. A note on a method of 

 propagating this plant also occurs on page 104. 



An account of the most recent views as to why 

 plants are green is given on page 101. 



The Insect Notes, on page 106, are written with 

 the object of ending some of the confusion that exists 

 in relation to the kind of insects to which the common 

 name ' lady-bird ' is applicable. 



Interesting information in connexion with the 

 fertilizing influence of sunlight on soils is given on 

 page 107. The article should be read in connexion 

 with the editorials of the issues of the Aqricidtural 

 J\^eif.s dated .January 22, and February .5, 1910. 



The third part of the series of articles that are 

 being given under the heading Fungus Xotes, entitled 

 The Chief Groups of Fungi, appears on page IIO. In 

 this, Fig. 17 is reproduced after Hartig, Fig. 18 after 

 Sachs, and Fig. 19 after de Bary. 



A Method of Propagating Mangos. 



In connexion with an article which appears in this 

 number of the Agricultural A^ews, on shield budding 

 for the mango, it is worthy of note that an account of 

 another method for the propagation of this plant appears 

 in the Porto Rico Horticalturcd News for February 

 last. It consists in preparing one year old branches 

 the mango in the way that this is done for the same 

 purpose in the case of carnations: that is, a tongue 3 

 inches in length is cut in the wood, and a small stone is 

 inserted in order to keep the tongue away from the 

 branch. All that remains to be done after this is to bury 

 the cut part of the branch in soil, in a bamboo pot, 

 which is kept watered. In experiments conducted by 

 the writer, after ninety-six days, two out of six branches 

 had formed roots and were cut from the parent plant. 

 It is stated that a claim is made to the effect that trees 

 propagated by this method yield fruit more quickly 

 than by any other. 



Two Mexican Vegetable Waxes. 



In Trojyical lAfe for February 1910, two vegeta- 

 ble waxes from Mexico are described by Dr. P. Olsson- 

 Setfer. The first of these is known as Jalapa Myrtle 

 Wax, and is derived from Myr'ica jakiiieas'iK in 

 Mexico, the tree which produces the wax is called 

 Arbol de la Cera. It is used chiefly and extensively for 

 the manufacture of wax candles; these burn slowly, 

 give little smoke and emit an agreeable balsamic 

 odour, but do not give a very strong light. In addition 

 to being employed in making candles, the wax is used 

 as a medicine. The crude product, as usually prepared, 

 is green or almost black in colour, and more brittle 

 than beeswax, is obtained from the fruit by ex- 

 traction with boiling water. It is intended to employ 

 it commercially for making candles and soap. 



The second product of a similar nature is known 

 as Gandelilla Wax, and is derived from the eandelilla 

 plant {Euphorhia anti-sjiphditica), which often grows 

 together with the Guayule rubber plant {Fartheviuni 

 argentatum), but occurs in much larger quantities. 

 It has been used for some time by the Indians of 

 Northern Mexico for candle-making, but has obtained 

 more general industrial importance recently. The 

 crude wax is greyish in colour, owing to the large 

 amount of clay that is mixed with it. This clay is 

 derived from the fine dust that generally covers desert 

 plants. It resembles closely the Carnauba, or Ceara, 

 wax of commerce (from the palm Copernieia ccrifera). 

 The wax is obtained from the dried plant by boiling it 

 in water, or by steaming. 



Among the commercial uses that eandelilla wax 

 appears to possess are: the manufacture of candles (in 

 conjunction with commercial stearic acid and paraffin); 

 as an ingredient of ointments, pills, and other pharma- 

 ceutical products: for making phonograph records: as 

 an insulating agent in connexion with electrical work. 

 It has been tried experimentally, with success, in shoe 

 polishes, Hoor polishes, wax varnishes, lubricants, 

 leather-dressing and waterproofing materials. In short, 

 it may be said that, generally speaking, it is a good 

 substitute for carnauba wax. 



