264 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



August 20, 1910, 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Barbados. 



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gigriciiltiiral |^!nr!i 



Vol. IX. SATURDAY, AUG rST 20, 1910. No. 217. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial of the present number deals with The 

 Essentials for the Growth of Plants, and shows how the 

 lack or absence of any one of these diminishes or pre- 

 vents the employment of the others. 



The conclusions of interesting articles that have 

 appeared recently on the products that arise from 

 changes in the glucose in molasses are given on page 2.59. 



The subject of the unorthodox methods that are 

 employed at VVoburn, in tree planting, has been men- 

 tioned already in the Agricidtv.ral Neu-s (Vol. VII, p. 

 101). It is developed further, on page 261. 



Recent suggestions that have been given, in 

 relation to school gardens, are reproduced on page 

 263. They should be of interest and value to those 

 teachers who are in the fortunate position of possessing 

 a school garden as an educational aid, as well as to those 

 who are intending to acquire one for this purpose. 



The Insect Notes (page 266) contain the fifth and 

 last part of the Acarina or Mites. 



Information concerning die-back diseases of Hevea, 

 Cacao and the Mango forms the subject of the Fungus 

 Notes, on page 270. 



The extract of a report, on page 271, on the damage 

 done to crops by a recent hurricane, should be of special 

 interest at the present time. 



Forestry at Edinburgh Univer.-^ity. 



A syllabus, of the forest courses at the University 

 of Edinburgh bas been received, which shows that 

 this is the only British University which gives 

 a degree in that subjecr, at present. This is to be 

 known as the Degree of B.Sc, in Forestry, and for its 

 attainment special courses have to be taken up in 

 Advanced Forestry, Forest Botany, Forest Entomology, 

 Forest Chemistry, and Forest Engineering with Engin- 

 eering Drawing and Surveying. 



The degree courses extend over three academic 

 years, of which two and one-third years are spent in 

 residence. Candidates who do not possess a degree in 

 Science or in Arts, not being an honorary degree, of any 

 of the Universities of the United Kingdom, are required 

 to pass a preliminary examination, which includes 

 English, Mathematics, Latin, and German or French. 

 After this has been passed, the further work for the 

 degree may be taken up; this includes a practical 

 course lasting for six months, which is to be followed, 

 at present, in Germany, under arrangements made for 

 students by the University. 



A useful circumstance in connexion with this 

 degree is afforded by the fact that those who possess it 

 will receive special consider.ition in the selection of 

 candidates for the Indian Forest Service, and there is 

 a possibility that the period of their probation for this 

 will be shortened. 



The Eflfect of Manures on the Quality of Pine- 

 Apples. 



An abstract uf investigations to determine the 

 effect of manures on the quality of pine-apples, which 

 are described in the Florida Station Bidletin, No. 

 101, p. 29, is given in the Experiment Station Record. 

 for June 1910, p. 641. This states that it was 

 found that the eating quality of pine-apples, as regards 

 their sugar and acid content, does not seem to be 

 affected by the kind of manure used, although this 

 may have some influence on their shipping quality. 

 The sugar content is slightly increased by additions to 

 the amount of manure, while a very slight decrease of 

 the acid content takes place concurrently. It was 

 found, also, that large fruits contained a greater 

 percentage of sugar than small ones, and that they 

 were slightly less acid. The largest fruits contained 

 the juice in which the ratio of reducing sugars to 

 sucrose was highest. No increase in the nitrogen 

 content of the fruit vvas obtained by increasing the 

 amount of manure. 



The average proportions of the different parts 

 of the fruit, reckoned without the crown, were given 

 as follows, the number of determinations being 

 included in brackets: weight of one fruit (65), 9()6"2 

 gm.; edible portion (33), 61 per cent, of whole fruit; 

 available juice (85), 928 per cent, of the edible portion; 

 total solids in whole fruit (66), 1518 percent.; nitrogen 

 (63), 0064 per cent, of edible portion; citric acid, 

 reducing sugars, sucrose and total sugars (100 each), 

 098, 260, 947 and 1207 per cent, of the juice, 

 respectively. 



