Vol. XV. No. 367 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



173 



SCIENCE OF DAIRYING, liy \V. A. G. Penling- 

 ton, M.A. Mnrinilliin <t Co , Li.mUed, St. Martin ■i Streit, 

 London, 191o. Pp. '260 and Figs. 81. . Price 2s. 6-/. 



The author of this book i.s attaclied to the Auchland 

 Training College, New Zealand, where the science of dairying 

 i.s an important subject of study. The book is a text-book, 

 and is intended for use in secondary and technical schools. 

 The treatment is therefore elementary. 



The science of dairying embraces many different 

 branches of study. There is first the chemical and bacteri- 

 ological side. In regard to these the book furni.shes concise 

 information as to milk analysis and control of bacteria. 

 ^Methods of cream separation are also dealt with fully, 

 followed logically by an account of methods of butter and 

 chee.se making. 



.Just as in agriculture we have to study the plant as well 

 as its products, so in dairying the cow must be studied. This 

 resolves itself into physiology, and feeding and the study of 

 diseases. Selection and breeding, and herd-testing are also 

 important matters. 



The book under review is, as already intimated, a school 

 book — simple, practical, and comprehensive. Questions are 

 given at the end of each chapter. There is a special chapter 

 on dairy arithmetic. The illustrations throughout are e.xcel- 

 lent. Planters in tlie West Imlies wlui give .special attention 

 to milk production and butter making, even though it be 

 more in the nature of a hobby than a business, would find 

 this book very useful and interesting. 



THE SPIRIT OF THE SOIL. By G. D. Knoir. 

 With a foreword by Professor W. B. Bottomley. London. 

 Constable aiid Company, Ltd., 191'/. J'p. 242 and plates 17. 



The subject of this book — the fertilizing powers of 

 bacterized peat — has already received attention in this 

 Journal where on page 50 of the present volume (see issue 

 for February 12), it was pointed out that certain bacteria 

 possess the power of liberating from peat large quantities of 

 humates. These soluble humates are in themselves of service 

 to plants as sources of food. They serve, moreover, as 

 a culture medium in which nitrogen fixing bacteria — Azolo- 

 bacter chroococcum, etc. — multiply rapidly. Hence by adding 

 cultures of nitrogen fixers to sterilized humated peat, the 

 amount of nitrogen in the latter is increased, The stimu- 

 lating effect of bacterized peat on the plant, however, cannot, 

 it seems, be adequately explained in terms of nitrogen supply 

 alone, and Piofessor Bottomley has arrived at the interesting 

 conclusion, that the sturdier habit of the plant is caused by 

 a hitherto unknown class of substances which are growth 

 stimulators. These substances he has termed auximone.s, 

 while ilr Knox, the popular exponent of Professor Bottomley's 

 -work, refers to them as the spirit of the soil. 



While it is indisputable that bacterized peat is capable of 

 producing increased growth, the case for auximones is not yet 

 conclusively proved. It is understood that further researches 



are being conducted independently at liothamsted anil 

 elsewhere. 



Confining ourselves to the practical side of the subject, 

 it may be mentioned that trials both under cover, that is, in 

 glass houses, and in the open, have recently been made with 

 bacterized peat at Wisley, the Royal Horticultural Society's 

 Kxperiment Station in Surrey. The results appear in a 

 rei;ent issue of the Journal of the Society, and indicate that 

 under cover the peat produces remarkable results, causing 

 great increases in branching and leaf area and flowering; but 

 in the open, the results obtained are inconclusive. 



It appears that the action of bacterized peat is intimately 

 bound up with the question of moisture supply. An inter- 

 esting fact is that a small quantity of the peat may produce 

 as much effect as a larger quantity, but . from a practical 

 stand-point the employment of the substance in garclening is 

 limited at present by its rather high cost. 



With reference to the book itself, ilr. Knox is to be 

 congratulated upon his treatment of the subject from 

 a literary stand-point The book will appeal to many 

 whom a formal text-book on such a subject might alarm. 

 The style is vigorous and imaginative, and Professor 

 Bottomley vouches for its accuracy. It is scarcely too much 

 to say that the spirit of the book is no less than the spirit of 

 the soil. 



AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE 

 VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



A report has been forwarded to this Office by Mr. W. C. 

 Fishlock, Curator of the Experiment Station, Tortola, record- 

 ing the work done during the quarter ending March 31, 

 1916. 



(Operations at the Station were largely in the nature of 

 harvesting work. Cotton from the cotton seed farm was 

 picked as it ripened, the total yield from the 4'6 acres being 

 2,120 Do., or at the rate of 460 tt). per acre. All things con- 

 sidered, these returns are better than was expected, as the 

 climatic conditions have not been favourable. Leaf-blister 

 mite and the flower bud worm also aided in reducing the 

 yield. The total crop of the island for the past season ha 

 amounted to 12.5 bales of 200 lb. each. 



At the Experiment Station during the quarter the plota 

 of onions were reaped. The several plots, aggregating .',-acre 

 yielded 3,1<SS lb. of dried, oniou-s, or at the rate of 4 tons 

 5 cwt. per acre. The yield last year from the .same plots 

 (area given as 1-acre) was 973 5). of uwured onion.s, or at the 

 rate of 2 tons 3 cwt. per acre. 



The general condition of the onion industry in the 

 Virgin Islands is stated to be good. The local mtrkets are 

 (]uite satisfactory, that is to, say, St. Thomas and St. Croix, 

 while the same maybe said of New Voik. Since the begin- 

 ning of this year's crop, 12,5001b. of onions have been 

 received at the curing house. To date, 110 crates have 

 been .shipped, 60 to New York, and 50 to St. Thomas and 

 St, f/roix. Prices obtained range from ?2'25 to •'|2'75 

 pc'r crate. 



The harvesting of sugar-cane varieties and the picking 

 of limes were also effected during the period under review, 

 while the latest planted coco-nut demonstration plot was 

 planted up with thirteen selected varieties of sweet potatoes 

 from the varieties under trial at the station. 



The coconut demonstration plots, as a whole, are in 

 good condition in spite of the dry weather. Scale insects 

 appear to be causing some damage, but the vigour of the 

 trees could no doubt be increased, and outgrow the insect 

 attack, by the judicious employment of mulch. 



