Vol. IX. No. 213. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



sucking also. In habit they range from free to stncily 

 parasitic-. 



l,lN(iU.\TULii)A. This grcup of aberniiit acarids consists 

 of two genera, of only a few species, wliich in the adult 

 condition inhabit the nasal cavities anil air passages of dogs 

 and other carnivora, and in the larval stage are to be found 

 in the digestive tract of herbivora, especially sheep. The 

 Linguatulida were long supposed to be tape worms, but they 

 are now shown to Ije acarids. 



The Tardigrada and the Pycnogonlda are orders contain- 

 ing but few sjjecies, which are of no economic ini|iortance, 

 and of .such rare occurrence that they need not be fonsidcred 

 further here. 



A NEW MAIZE FROM CHINA. 



Bulletin No. 161 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 United States Department of Agriculture, entitled 

 A New Tjipp of Indio.n Corn from China, gives an 

 account, of a new variety of maize, obtained recently 

 from that country, which is summarized there in the 

 form of the following conclusions: — 



The variety of Indian corn here described wus intro- 

 duced from Shanghai. China, and ap[iears to be distinct from 

 all hitherto known types. The plants possess the following 

 unicpie characters : — 



(1) Krect leaf blades. --Tlie leaf blades on the uiiper 

 part of the plant stand erect instead of being borne in a more 

 or less horizontal position, as in the ordinary varieties. 



(2) Monostichous arrangement of leaf blades.- In 

 addition to the erect position of the blades, those on the 

 upper part of the plant are in many cases all on one side of 

 the stem. 



(3) Silks developed while still inside the leaf sheath. — 

 Instead of the ear pushing out before the silks appear, the 

 silks arc produced directly at the base of the leaf blades, 

 before the young ears emerge. 



(4) Xew type of endosperm. --The texture of the endos- 

 perm is unique, and cannot be referred to either the starchy 

 or horny types common in our cultivated varieties. It 

 resembles the horny endosperm in location and hardness, but 

 differs in texture and o[)tical properties. 



The early developments of silks and erect leaf blades 

 combine to pnxluce an adajitation whicli ensures pollination, 

 and prevents the silks from drying out. The pollen is blown 

 against the erect leaf blades, and accumulates in their bases. 

 The silks are pushed into these accumulations of pollen, and 

 become pollinated before they are exposed to the air. 



Xcnia characters in hybrids apjiear for the most part to 

 follow Mendel's laws. Coloured aleurone is dominant to 

 transparent aleurone: yellow endosiierm is dominant to white 

 endosperm, and horny endos[ierm is dominant to waxy 

 endosperm. 



The discovery in China of a distinct type of maize has 

 bearing upon the historical question whether maize wa.-- 

 known in the Orient before the discfivery of .\merica. Though 

 maize undoubtedly originated in America, the nature of the 

 historical evidence regarding the extensive cultivation of 

 maize in China in the latter part of the sixteenth century 

 seems to preclude the idea of very recent introduction, leav- 

 ing open the possibility that this specialized type of corn has 

 developed in China. The generally accepted view to the con- 

 trary is further thrown into doubt by references to its wide- 

 spread use, and introductifni from the AN'est, that occur in 

 Chine.se literature published during the sixteenth century. 



In explanation, it may be stated that Xenia is the 

 name given to the process by which pollen, in hybridi- 

 zation, has an effect on the character of other parts of 

 a seed, or fruit, than the embryo: for instance, it has been 

 found that, when ears of a yellow corn are pollinated with 

 pollen of a maize whose distinctive colour is red, the 

 resulting ears contain yellowish-red and dark-red grains 

 as well as grains similar to those of the normal mother 

 plant. The colour really resides in the aleurone layer 

 of the endosperm, that is in the outer layer of cells of 

 the plant food in the seed, which contain a large 

 proportion of nitrogenous food-bodies. An extension of 

 the statement that Xenia characters in hybrids appear 

 mostly to follow Mendel's laws, in relation to the 

 particular instance that is ilealt with above, may be 

 provided by saying, broadly, that if plants possessing 

 coloured aleurone, or yellow or horny endosperm are 

 crossed with those having colourless aleurone, or white 

 or waxy endosperm, the resulting hybrids will all have 

 seeds with coloured aleurone, or yellow or horny endos- 

 perm. (See Aqricidtvral News, Vol. VIII, pp. 33, 34, 

 40, and .50.) 



AGRICULTURE IN BRITISH EAST 

 AFRICA. 



An interesting letter has been received recently from 

 Mr. H. Powell, Chief of the Economic Plant Division, 

 Nairobi, British l-kst Africa, who at one time held the post 

 of Curator of the St. Vincent Botanic Station, under this 

 Department. 



At the time of writing, Mr. Powell was visiting the 

 Nandi country, which is situated on an extensive plateau, 

 about 6,000 to 7,000 feet high, near Lake Victoria N"3'anza, 

 and which is healthy and eminently suitable for occupation 

 by the white races. Here, coffee trees of a type near 

 Cotf'en stenoji/i;/il(i are indigneous in the forest, and samples 

 of the prepared beans have been valued in London, at 

 41.<. Gd. per cwt. These forests are being inspected for the 

 purpose of ascertaining if the coffee exists in paying quanti- 

 ties, and as the natives show no disinclination to the work of 

 collecting the berries, it is probable that an export trade in 

 wild cotiee will be established. The berries are pulped by 

 means of a small ' Jamaica ' jiulper. Mr. Powell had already 

 paid a visit to this country, and, with the aid of a forest 

 officer and the District Commissioner, had taught the natives 

 how to obtain and coagulate the latex of a species of 

 Landolphia, which is also indigenous there. The agent for 

 coagulating the latex is a solution of salt and water, and as 

 salt is an article of luxury among the natives, they chew the 

 bits of rubber as they are formed and then place them 

 together to make a small ' biscuit ', in which shape it i.s care- 

 fully dried and exported to England. During last year, the 

 rubber obtained in this way was worth £5,000 to £6,000. 

 Other useful crops that are being raised successfully in this 

 district are wheat and other cereals, and the natives are 

 making gratifying progress in agriculture. 



On the coast of the Protectorate, Ceara rubber and 

 Sisal hemp are being grown extensively; the latter is also 

 cultivated in parts of the highlands. The general state of 

 agriculture is such as to pre.sent the likelihood that, in 

 a year or two, the Protectorate will be completely self- 

 supporting. 



