Vol. XV. No. 364. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



IK 



PAPAIN FROM MONTSERRAT. 



The amount of papain exported in 1914 was 2,443 lb. 

 valued at XI, 269. Prices continue to remain .steady, and 

 a very considerable stimulus has been given to the planting 

 of papaw trees, as the result of a recent visit of ilr. J. H. 

 Ciimmings, of a firm of manufacturing chemists of Toronto, 

 Canada, which tirnr is anxious to liandle larger quantities of 

 the article. 



Several estate owners have become interested, and the 

 extent of the area now being planted in papaws ought 

 iVppi'eciably to affect the exports in the couise of a year or 

 two. Exports of papain touched £2,000 in v^lue in the year 

 1903. but had dropped again to £483 in value in 1908. 



Until recently there do not appear to have been any 

 reglilar plantations of papaws, the bulk of the drug coming 

 from isolated trees or clumps of trees cultivated by the 

 peasants. (Report on the Experiment Station, 1914-15.) 



COCO-NUTS IN DOMINICA. 



The table below showing the exports during the past 



five years, is evidence of a gradual increase of interest in this 

 product: — 



1910 .391,044 



1911 402,622 



1912 539 791 



1913 448,747 



1914 554,549 



Visitors from the East who possess first-hand knowledge 

 of coco-nut plantations are much impressed by the appear- 

 ance and vigour of the palms in Dominica, and they consider 

 the island is well suited for this cultivation. 



There are considerable areas of land on the Windward 

 Coast, where the palm thrives even better than on the 

 Leeward Coast, which could be utilized for coconuts, were 

 capital forthcoming for the undertaking. (Report on the 

 Agricultural Department, 1914-15.) 



Feeding Experiments on Horses with Sugar 



and Meat-meal. -These experiments were carried out to 

 determine the value of a mixture of meat-meal and sugar as 

 a substitute for oats in feeding horses. The mixture used 

 consisted of sugar denatured with beet pulp, and meal 

 containing 51 per cent, of digestible protein and 285 per cent, 

 of crude fat . One kilo of oats in the diet was replaced by 

 1 kg. of sugar and 150 gms. of meat-meal. 



Three lots of five horses were fed on the following 

 rations: — 



Group I, hay and oats: Croups II and III, hay. 

 sugar and meat-meal The sugar and meat-meal were given 

 gradually in small quantities, and only after a certain time 

 were the oats entirely replaced by these substitutes. Once 

 the animals became accustomed to the new diet they accepted 

 it readily. Their coats remained glossy and fine, digestion 

 was normal, and their working capacity was not impaired. 

 The weights of twelve of the horses increased during the 

 period of the experiment. 



It is concluded that: — 



(1) A daily ration composed of 14'2 R. of sugar and 

 up to 2 Db. of meat-meal may be fed without danger for a 

 f certain period. 



(2) Horses generally become readily accustomed tc* 

 this ration. 



(3) The ration should be increased by ooncentratefl 

 foods when the horses are put to heayy work. {Monthly 

 BuUetin of Agricultural Intelligence 'ind Plant Diseasps, 

 September 1915.) 



MOTOR PLOUGH DEMONSTRATIONS IN 

 ENGLAND AND FRANCE. 



Principally on account of the present difficulties in getting 

 sufficient labour for the tillage of fields as a result of the War, 

 certain trials with power-driven implements have been con- 

 ducted in England and France. 



According to the Journal of the Board of Agricidture for 

 November 1915, three County Councils combined to hold 

 a demonstration near Cambridge and at other places, and it 

 appears likely that under war conditions, certain forms of 

 motor ploughs may find systematic employment. The motor 

 plough which appear^ to have given the greatest satisfaction 

 is known as Martin's Motor Plough. The feature of this 

 machine is that it obtains its motion from an endless chain 

 or creeper 6 inches wide, giving a 3-feet continuous tread. 

 There is a creeper on each side, and the one in the furrow 

 has a tendency to break up the soil rather than solidify it. 

 The creeper divides work well on dry, light lands, and when 

 the plough is replaced by a cultivator, the engines draw this 

 readily through the freshly ploughed ground without any 

 injury to the soil. At Appleby (Lincolnshire), although 

 some time was occupied in examination and enquiries, it 

 ploughed 1 i acres in four hours (double furrow). This is 

 rapid work, when one consid_ers that a team of good horse.s 

 can scarcely do more than an acre a day on medium to light 

 land. 



This machine is" worked by one man; the consumption 

 of petrol per acre varies from about H gallons to 2 J gallons. 

 It can turn readily on a 4-yard to 5-yard headland, and appears 

 to be better adapted than tractors for small fields, hilly land, 

 and land on the ridge system. 



A more powerful machine exhibited was Crawley's 

 Motor Plough. This was also self-contained, and worked 

 very powerfully. It is capable of ploughing the heaviest 

 classes of soil .satisfactorily. 



The cost of the above motor ploughs, which it will be 

 understood contain both the motor and the plough in one, 

 is £200 each. 



The advantage of a tractor is of course that it can be 

 used for work other than ploughing, but it has to be remem- 

 bered that farm work with tractors needs at hast two men. 



As regards the French trials, referred to in the Monthly 

 Bulletin of Agricultural Intelligence and Plant Diseases, Sep- 

 tember 1915, these were not official but were the result of the 

 importation from the United States of machines by a French 

 landowner. All were tractors. Three of these were bull 

 tractors, two were endless self -laid tractors of the caterpillar 

 type, and one a large four-wheel type. They were all, save 

 the latter, constructed for medium and small farms. The 

 performance of the bull tractors is stated in the reference to 

 have been excellent: their simplicity, flexibility and easy 

 management were a source of surprise to the spectators. Their 

 co.st is £120. The caterpillar type u.sed in this demonstration 

 cost £240. The bull tractors have two large wheels, one of 

 which is a driving wheel and one small steering wheel, and 

 a two cylinder horizontal motor.. In ploughing, about it 

 horse power is available for haulage. 



