360 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 12, 1910. 



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gijricultural ^xm 



Vol. IX. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 12, 1910. No. 223. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The subject of thr editorial in the jiresent issue is 

 The Centralization of Agricultural Kosearch. It should 

 serve to indicate the economy and efficiency that are 

 gained when one scientific staff is employed for the 

 interests of several subsidiary stations. 



Megass receives attention, in two articles on page 

 3.55, which deal especially with expi-riiaents that are 

 to be made in drying megass for use in furnaces, and 

 with methods for the analysis of this by-product in 

 sugar manufacture. 



An article on page 356 gives interesting informa- 

 tion, which shows that citrus budwood from Florida 

 may be used with success on West Indian stocks, at 

 any rate as far as the grape-fruit is concerned. 



An account of recent work of the British Cotton- 

 Growing Association is given on page 358. This had 

 relation, more especially, to West Africa, Uganda, 

 Xyasaland and Rhodesia. 



The Insect Notes, on page3(i2. present an intei'est- 

 ing article on scale insects and black blight in (Jrenada. 



The Use of the Nitrogen-Fixing Organisms in 

 the Soil. 



This matter has a particular importance in relation 

 to the emjiloyment of molasses for the purpose of 

 increasing the fertility of soils — a subject that received 

 attention in the last number <>( the Agricultural News. 

 A short note is given, in Tlie Sugar Bi^'ct lor October 

 1910, describing the outlines of experiments that are 

 being conducted in connexion with the matter, on soils 

 used for beet-raising. In these, a solution was prepared 

 containing glucose 20 grams, potassium phosphate 0"5 

 grams and calcium carbonate 5 grams, to a litre of water; 

 this was sterilized, sprinkled with pure cultures of nitro- 

 gen-fixing organisms, and lefc at a temperature of 20°C. 

 for a month. Soil which was spritikled with material 

 from such preparations, and then ploughed under, gave 

 increased crops. 



Another more effective method, for inoculating 

 soils was found to be to saturate several cubic metres 

 of soil with a 1- to 2-per cent, sugar solution, or with 

 molasses, and then to spread this on the ground, toge- 

 ther with cultures of the nitrogen-fixing organisms. It 

 was found that soils inoculated in this way gave heavier 

 crops of beet, of a better quality than those grown on 

 soils that were not so treated. 



Page 363 contains reviews of the Annual Reports 

 on the Botanic Stations, etc., in Antigua and f'ritish 

 Honduras. 



The subject of the Fungus Notes on jiage 360, in 

 this issue, is the root disease of various plants, more 

 especially cacao and limes. 



Castilloa Cultivation in Jamaica. 



The Journal of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, 

 for September, 1910, contains an ai-ticle by the Hon. 

 H. H. Cousins, M.A., F.C.S., Director of Agriculture, 

 in which suggestions ai-e given as to the cultivation of 

 Castilloa rubber in Jamaica. It is first pointed out 

 that plants were brought to Jamaica from Kew in 

 1881, and that a tree from these, growing at the Royal 

 Gardens, was used for purj)0ses of propagation. This 

 makes it fairly certain that all trees of Castilloa in 

 .Jamaica, more than fifteen years old, were ])lanted from 

 material obtained from this tree. Plants have been 

 subsequently raised from seed obtained from British 

 Honduras, All these have been shown to be plants of 

 Castilloa guatemaltica. 



An account is given of Costa Rica Castilloa (Cas- 

 tilloa costaricana), and it is mentioned that on the 

 Pacific side of Costa Rica, there exists a drought- 

 resistant Castilloa possessing olive-green flowers; this 

 seems to be suitable to conditions in Jamaica, and 

 will be tried there shortly. 



Attention is given to climatic and geographical 

 conditions which make it appear likely that the first- 

 mentioned species of Castilloa would be much more 

 suited for growing in Jamaica than the latter, and 

 planters are advised to give due regard to these con- 

 siderations before they employ, in any quantity, Costa 

 Rican seed in their Castilloa plantations. 



The ([uestion of the use of Castilloa as a shade 

 for cacao receives attention, and the opinion is given 

 that experience is showing that it is not sound prac- 

 tice to grow Castilloa as a shade for cacao, and that 

 this rubber tree should be planted by itself, if the 

 best results are desired. 



