Vol. IX. No. 216. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



255 



vary soniewliat according to the age and nature of the trees. 

 In general, cracks appear in the bark from which oozes 

 a brown viscid liquid that soon turns black and leaves 

 a dark stain around the hole. On cutting away the cortex 

 near the hole, it is often found that the tissue has become 

 soft and watery through decay. In sonw cases the outer 

 layer of tissue falls oli', leaving a hole filled with fibres. 

 Frequently, such are cleaned out by termites, and a white, 

 smooth hollow is thus made, extending to the so-called 

 wood. In other cases, spiral cylindrical hollows are formed, 

 running up and down the inner tissues of the stem, and 

 in extreme ca.ses the whole tree may be rendered hollow 

 from the base to within 2 or 3 feet of the terminal bud. This 

 may happen even when but few bleeding patches are visible 

 on the outside. Trees so attacked are not necessarily killed, 

 and the effect of the disease on the crop is so .small as to be 

 entirely masked by the much greater influence of differences 

 in the rainfall frnm year to year. The limitation of the 

 disease to the stem of the trees may possibly be due to the 

 fact that this is the only portion which contains a sufficiently 

 large percentage of sugar to enable the causative fungus to 

 thrive. This fungus is T/iielaviopsis ethareticus, which is 

 also responsible for a disease of pine-apples and of sugar-canes 

 in various parts of the tropics. Fetch found that it was 

 unable to live on dried leaves or dried husks of the cocoa-nut; 

 consequently its spread is not effected by such debris. He 

 is also of the opinion that there is no danger of increasing 

 the prevalence of this disease by tne manufacture of coir. 

 Though this fungus does not appear to damage the trees 

 materially, yet injured trees are frequently broken by high 

 winds, and in this way loss is cau.sed. As a consequence, 

 the following remedial nieisiires are recommended: the 

 diseased parts should be cut out completelj', and all chips 

 burnt. This operation is best performed with a chLsel and 

 mallet. Slanting wounds should be made, so that water 

 may drain away. When the diseased material has been 

 removed, the surface of the tissues should be carefully 

 burned with a torch, to dry it, and a coating of tar ap|ilied 

 to the wound. In conclusion, it may be worthy of mention 

 that lightning, fire and root disease may cause bleeding 

 patches on the stems of cocoa nut palms, but these patches 

 may be distinguished from those caused by T/iif/avio/isis 

 ethaceticH^ by the facts that they are usually more numerous, 

 and that the sap which exudes is of a much lighter red- 

 brown colour, less viscid in nature, and causes a rusty 

 discolouration. 



Earlier references to this subject will be found in the 

 Ayricultinal Xews, Vols. IV, pp.' 121, 299 and ;!69; VI, 

 pp. 75 and 250; and VII, p. 219: and in the West Indimi 

 Bulletin, Vols. VI, p. 307; L\, p. 361. 



ECONOMIC! PLANT STUDY IN BRAZIL. 



By a recent reorganization of the Brazilian National 

 Museum, special attention will be given to the .study of fibre 

 plants, insects harmful or beneficial to agriculture, plant 

 diseases caused by vegetable parasites, etc. The results 

 should be far-reaching, as many vegetable products growing 

 in profusion in the country, especially fibre plant.s, have no 

 commercial value because of lack of knowledge as to their 

 adaptability to industrial uses. 



The Government has resolved that the directors of the 

 famous botanical gardens of l!io de .Janeiro shall assume .some 

 functions delegated to them by the Ministry of Agriculture in 

 the nature of experimental station work. A department is to 

 be maintained for the study of plants and trees for commercial 

 purposes. 



In the growing of fruits, to which special attention is to 

 be devoted, experiments in producing new varieties of native 

 fruits will be undertaken for the purpose of obtaining hardier 

 products, which will be suitable for export and transportation 

 to distant countries. Those in charge of the experimental sta- 

 tion will receive boys of from twelve "to twenty years of age as 

 apprentices, to whom a small stipend may be paid. Appren- 

 tices giving satisfactory service and evidence of special 

 adaptability to the work will be given opportunity for advan- 

 cement, and will be recommended to agriculturists who wish 

 to employ experienced horticulturists on their own account. 



A thorough study of fruits commonly raised in Brazil, 

 carried on along scientific line.*, would doubtless mean much 

 to the fruit indn.stry of the country. Most fruits grown here 

 now are either not cultivated at all, or if real cultivation is 

 resorted to, in either case the fruit is much the same as that 

 growing in a wild state. 



Grapes are cultivated in various States on a larger scale 

 than is any other fruit, but the methods used and the means 

 of transportation are so costly that the home-grown grape is 

 .scarcely able to compete with Spanish and Portuguese fruit 

 of a similar quality. (Jranges, with the same care given to 

 the fruit in California, could be grown here at a much lower 

 price than in the United State-s, and if properly packed and 

 refrigerated, could be shipped in large quantities to the United 

 States and to Europe. The insistent attention which the 

 Brazilian Government is giving to these matters must 

 certainly result iii a great improvement in conditions as they 

 now exist in fruit-growing. {Mouthli/ Coiifiular and Trade 

 Reports, .June 1910.) 



AGRICULTURE IN ELEMENTARY 

 SCHOOLS, BARBADOS. 



The following information concerning the state of 

 agricultural instruction in eleuieiitar\' schools in Bar- 

 bados, is taken from the Report of the Elementary 

 Schools, 1909, of that colony: — 



The interest taken by the children in school garden 

 cultivation has not declined, although if the number of 

 exhibits sent to the Agricultural Department should be taken 

 as the criterion, it would appear so. It is true that the num- 

 ber of competing schools, and of the exhibits at the Show 

 held at Lancaster in December of this year were fewer than 

 the number at the Mount Exhibition in 1908, and the number 

 sent on some other occasions. But as it has been stated 

 before, the centre at which the exhibition is held has very 

 much to do with the number of both the juvenile and the 

 iidult pea.sant exhibits. There are schools in every district 

 of the island, but there is not land for school gardens at many 

 of the schools: and again, all teachers have not the knowledge 

 required for directing such work. While the exhibition is 

 always open to the children of the whole island, it is not 

 possible for the children of distant schools to attend the show 

 that is many miles off, far less to carry or send the produce. 



It is encouraging, however, to observe, that on each occa- 

 sion some addition is made from the district in which the 

 exhibition is held to the numbe'- of schools which undertake 

 this subject. The large Boys' School at St. Silas this year for 

 the first time showed garden-work, and the quality of the 

 exhibits from that school was good: it stood second on the 

 list of schools for a diploma. 



Southborough again took the first place. Greenwich, 

 although an Infant School, also sent several creditable exhib- 

 its which won prizes. At the General Exhibition of the 

 Agricultural Society, the beets and carrots which won the 

 highest prizes were the products of school gardens. 



