Vol. IX. No. 222? 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



541 



coMPOsiTiox. The following is the percentage composi- 

 tion of tlie green nuts, the ripe nuts, and of the entire fruit, 

 found at the Station Agronoinique, Mauritius : — 



Oreen. Kipe. 



Water 

 Ash 



Cellulose 

 Fats 



Nuts. Shells. Entire. Xuts. Shells Entire 



fruits. fruits. 



4.5-40 17-96 63-36 10-27 200 12-27 



1-28 0-18 1-46 3-23 0-71 3-94 



2-35 1-23 3-.5S 463 523 986 



2-41 0-02 2-43 5-03 0-14 517 



Sugar and starch 2049 266 23-15 4680 860 55-40 

 Albuminoids 5-67 0-35 602 12-04 1-32 1336 



The following table shows the composition of the leaves. 

 Although the quantity of them produced is less than that 

 from the ground nut, they contain a proportionately greater 

 amount of nitrogenou.s matter. AVhen they are allowed to 

 •dry, as harvested, their nutritive value is lessened; they form, 

 however, an excellent manure. In the table, the per- 

 centage composition of the leaves is given, both on the fresh 

 and dry matter, and after these have been dried at 

 100' C.:— 



Ordinary. Dried at 100' C. 



In a general way, if the mineral compusition of the two 

 plants is compared, it is found that, for the same crop from 

 •each, the Bambarra ground nut contains a little less phosphoric 

 acid than the ordinary one; its content of potash is, however, 

 much greater, so that the former plant is much more exact- 

 ing in this respect than the latter. Lastly, the nitrogen 

 content of the ordinarj- ground nut is greater than that of the 

 plant which is at present receiving special consideration. 



NUTRITIVE VALUK. In the table which follows, the com- 

 position of the Bambarra ground nut is compared with tho.se 

 of rice, maize, lentils and cassava, the figures being cxi>ressed 

 as percentages: — 



Bambarra 

 ground nut. 



liice. Maize. Lentils. Cassava. 



Green. Ripe. 

 Water 5690 13-30 11-53 14-40 12-95 .5988 



Ash 1-73 3-54 0-78 1-50 269 089 



Cellulose 2-41 4-37 035 5.50 367 128 



Fats 3-14 6-94 0-48 6-50 0-60 019 



Sugar and starch 2740 55-81 79-57 62-10 58 06 3636 

 Albuminoids 8-42 1604 7-29 10-00 2203 1-40 



It is an interesting fact that the composition of the 

 Bambarra ground nut very closely approaches that of an 

 ordinary, normal food ration. Even alone, it constitutes 

 a coniplete food, so that unlike the others, it does not, from 

 this point of view, require mixing with additional food stuffs, 

 in order that it may present the chief food-bodies in proper 

 amounts. Balland was almost the first to point out that the 

 seeds of this plant form a food of this kind, and such as is 

 capable of repairing the losses undergone in the animal body, 

 without the addition of any other kind of nourishment. It 

 serves as food best when it is not ijuite ripe; that is to say 

 when the covering has not become completely dry. 



USE.S. Most of the uses of the plant have been indicated 

 already; they include the employment of the nut for food, 

 both for human beings and stock; the use of the leaves as 

 fodder; and the provision by them, either when fresh or dry, 

 of a green manure. 



When the seed is cooked before it is ripe, it gives 

 a starchy, nitrogenous vegetable, which is much liked, possess- 

 ing as it does a very agreeable taste somewhat like that of 

 the chestnut. When it is ripe and dry, it may be cooked 

 in the same way as beans and lentils; it does not contain, 

 however, as high a percentage of proteids as these foods. 

 When ground, it yields a very white meal from which excel- 

 lent broths and soups may be made. Where the fruits are pro- 

 duced in large numbers they may be used as food for stock; 

 in this case, the tact that the covering is consumed as well as 

 the seed gives the product an additional nutritive value. 



Seeds of this jilant have been obtained by the Depart- 

 ment from the Station Agronoinique, Mauritius, and are now 

 being distributed for trial among the experiment stations in 

 the West Indies. 



A NEW GREEN MANURE. 



The foregoing ailicle gives an account of a plant that 

 has been recently introduce<l for trial in the West Indies. 

 Seeds of another plant, which is at jiresent claiming a certain 

 amount of attention in Ceylon, as a green dressing, have 

 also been obtained by the Department. These belong to the 

 jilant \\ hi(-h has been called Boj<i Medelloa, and they are 

 supplied by the Superintendent of Telbedde estate, Badulla, 

 Ceylon. The plant belongs to the leguminous family, and 

 produces large numbers of small, dark-coloured seeds. 



According to the Tropical Ajriculturist for February, 

 1910, p. 181, from which the account of this plant was 

 obtained originally, it is being strongly recommended as 

 a green manure for tea and rubber, and the statement is 

 made that it will be a valuable addition to the available 

 green manures of Ceylon. 



The trials to be made with this plant, as well as with 

 the one described in the article above, which are to be con- 

 ducted at the various experiment stations under the Depart- 

 ment, will be watched with much interest. 



THE PRODUCTION OF NITRATE OF 

 SODA, 1909-10. 



The Chilian Nitrate Combination, ^\■hic^l formerly regul- 

 ated the production of nitrate of coda, was dissolved in 

 1909. Mr. Consul Hudson, in his report on the trade of the 

 district of Iquique, Chile (FareUin Offire Reports, Annual 

 Series, No. 4510), slates that in the first year of free pro- 

 duction (April 1, 1909, to March 31, 1910) there has been 

 an increase in the total output of 7,732,325 quintals of 110 lb., 

 as compared with the output during the last year of the Com- 

 bination (April 1, 1908, to March 31, 1909); whilst the 

 world's consumption in the year 1909 (.January 1, to Decem- 

 ber 31,) shows an increase of 4,559,769 quintals over that of 

 the previous year. The average price of nitrate for 95 per 

 cent, f.o.b. was 8s. Ihd. per quintal in 1907: in 1908 it was 

 7s. 6i<f., while in 1909 it fell to 6.>f. \Q\d. per quintal. 



The possibility of an immediate renewal of the Com- 

 bination appears to be doubtful, although there is an indi- 

 cation that those who were opposed to it and were the cause 

 of its non-renewal are n<:iw more favourably disposed to some- 

 thing being done in this direction. If this should be brought 

 about prices would no doubt rise. (The Journal of the Board 

 of Agriculture, September 1910.) 



