Vol. XV. No. 36.3. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



107 



LIME BURNING IN SMALL PITS. 



The following extract from an article in The 

 Agricultural Gazette of New South Walef<. November, 

 191.5, will probably be interesting and useful to 

 planters in the West Indies, on whose estates similar 

 conditions may exist to those referred to in the opening 

 sentence of the extract and who may find it profitable 

 to burn small quantities of lime for their own use. 



In districts where there is lime.stone in the subsoil, or 

 limestone outcrops, and a fair .supply of good timber fuel, it 

 will usually pay the irrigation farmer to burn his own lime for 

 concrete channels, either in co-operation with other farmers, 

 or on his own account. In some districts it would pay 

 settlers to erect a properly constructed limekiln on co-opera- 

 tive lines to burn lime for concrete channels, buildings, and 

 for use as a fertilizer. Where a kiln'is not available, the stone 

 may be burnt in a square or rectangular pit, sunk, preferably 

 in a clay soil, with a passage of access to the bottom. A pit 

 12 feet by 8 feet, by 8 feet deep, will be large enough to burn 

 about Uyards of hme at one time, which should be enough 

 for the needs of the average .50-acre "i&tm. In limestone 

 rubble country the stone may be raised, and screened twice, 

 first through a coarse screen by means of which the large 

 stones suitable for lime burning are separated from the small 

 stones suitable for gravel, and from the dirt, after which the 

 gravel and dirt may be separated by means of a smaller 



scrGsn. 



To burn the limestone, a layer of dry sticks and brush, 

 about 6 inches thick, should first of all be spread in the bottom 

 of the pit, and on top of that a layer of box logs (preferably 

 green and dry mixed) 10 feet long and from 1 foot to 2 feet in 

 diameter; on this layer of fuel a layer of limestone may be 

 laid, followed by further alternate layers of fuel and limestone 

 until the pit is filled, each layer of lirae.stone being from half 

 to two-thirds of the thickness of the layer of the fuel beneath 

 it. When the pit is filled, a fire may be started at the bottom 

 of it through the passage of access, which may be left open or 

 closed according as more or less draught is required. If 

 there is any risk of rain, a covering of some sort should be 

 rigged over the pit. Lime burnt in this way will take 

 about four days to burn; it will take a larger amount of fuel 

 in proportion "to the quantity of stone burnt than would be 

 necessary in a properly constructed kiln, but this matters 

 little where fuel of the right quality is plentiful. 



THE PROSPECTS IN MARTINIQUE. 



Given favourable weather conditions, a fine .sugar crop is 

 expected this year in Martinicjue. All the fields which, 

 owing to former low prices of sugar, had been converted into 

 pasturage are now replanted in canes. Omng to the war, 

 and more to the difficulty of transporting vegetables, ground 

 provisions, Ac. to Fort de France just now, since the 

 cessa^ion of the steam coastal service, living is extremely 

 costly. All the available souml 'Teole horses are being 

 requisitioned for the use of the French Army at big prices. 

 The automobile invasion in Martinique during the last 

 eighteen months having caused a regular slump so far as 

 horses are concerned, breeders are now experiencing a god- 

 send in this direction The colony has sent on no less than 

 3,000 men to fight, and from all reports they are giving the 

 best account of themselves. Among the latest of the 

 successful minor industries recently started is a pine-apple 

 farm and nursery— the jam manufactured being of excellent 

 quality, which on export to France, meets with ready sale. 

 I^Boniinka Chronlc'e, February 2.) 



SUCCESSFUL LONG-DISTANCE SHIPMENT 

 OF CITRUS POLLEN. 



According to the E.ipt'riment Stution l.'vronl for January 

 1916 shipments of citrus pollen were made from Florida to 

 .Japan for use in making hybrids in the variety collection of 

 citrus fruits at the Imperial Horticultural Experiment Station 

 at Okitsu, Shidzuoka Ken. The viabiUty of this pollen in 

 30 oer cent, cane sugar solution was tested by Y. Kumagai of 

 the above station. Different methods were used in preparing 

 the pollen for shipment. 



The results of the test show conclusively that pollen can 

 be successfully shipped from Florida to Japan, and be in a 

 viable condition on arrival four to six weeks after it is 

 gathered. The most promising method for shipping the pollen 

 over long distances appears to be that of drying the anthers in 

 vacuum over sulphuric acid. The vacuum glass tubes were 

 filled with 1 to 2 inches of anthers, coveied with |-inch of 

 cotton, exhausted to about 0-.5 mm. pressure in the presence of 

 sulphuric acid, and the tube was then sealed. As far as practi- 

 cable the pollen was kept at a temperature of 10° C. until 

 sealed. 



Assimilation of Atmospheric Nitrogen.— 



Professor Hottomley stated some years ago that he had 

 discovered nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the cortical cells of the 

 stem of tomatoes. According to a notice in The Gardeners' 

 Chroi'ide for December 4, 1915: 'the most recent re.search 

 on the subject, that of Dr. E. Mameli and Professor G. 

 Polacci, shows that not only the Legumiuosae, but many 

 other flowering plants are able to make use of atmospheric 

 nitrogen. Among flowering plants for which they claim this 

 power are Cucurbita, Pepo, Acer Negundo, Polygonum fago- 

 pyrum, and they also ascribe it to such "Water-Ferns" as 

 Azolla caroliniana and .Salvinia natans. Frank long ago 

 maintained the view that the power of assimilation of free 

 nitrogen belongs to all green plants, and this view receives 

 support from these recent researches.' 



The Report of the Tenth International Veterinary 

 Congress which was held in London from Augusts to 8, 1911, 

 is that of the last meeting held by this body. At the First 

 General Meeting on August 4, Sir John M'Fadyean, the 

 President, moved that, in view of the war conditions which 

 had just begun, the Congress should merely transact the 

 formal business necessary to bring the meeting to a close. 

 This was agreed to, and the Congress adjourned itine die. 

 This International Congress of veterinary experts has accom- 

 plished good work since its first meeting in 1863 with regard 

 to the objects for which it is convened. Owing to the ettbrts 

 of the members of the Congress progress has been made 

 not only in the collection of reliable statistical information 

 with respect to infectious diseases among animals, but also 

 with regard to effectual checks on such diseases. It is 

 interesting to note that Lieut. P. T. Saunders, M.R.C.V.S., 

 attended this Congress as the representative of the Imj)erial 

 Department of Agriculture for the West Indies. 



