Vol. XV. No. 375. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



formation of gerniinative tissue, such as in certain tubes of 

 the genus Dioscorea or in the leaves of the Begonia. These 

 are natural means of propagation. 



In the section giving brief directions for the vegeta- 

 tive propagation of tropical and semi-tropical plants, the 

 following notes are extracted as being of interest and instruc- 

 tive: — 



Avocado, Persea amerityxna. Use tender to mature, 

 but green smooth, petioled budwood: cut the buds 35 to 

 4'5 centimetres long; age of stock at point of insertion of 

 bud unimportant. 



Cacao, Theohroma cacao. Use non-petioled, matured, 

 brownish or grayish budwood that has been of slow forma- 

 tion, of current or last year's growth ; cut the buds 4 to 5 

 centimetres long; insert in stock at a point approximately the 

 same age and appearance as the scion. 



Camia, Averrhoa Caramhola. Use non-petioled, fairly 

 mature brownish or grayi.sh, still-downy budwood; cut the 

 buds 3'5 to 4'.5 centimetres long; age of stock at point of 

 insertion of bud unimportant. 



Cashew, Anacardiutu occidentale. Use non-petioled 

 mature budwood which is turning grayish; cut the bud 4 to 

 4"5 centimetres long; insert the bud in stock at a point of 

 approximately the same age and appearance as the scion. 



Coffee, Coffea spp. Propagated by cleft grafting in 

 Java. The scions are made from upright growths, not the 

 branches, in order to produce trees of normal growth, well- 

 matured, green and smooth, -5 to 75 centimAres long and 

 inserted in the stock where it is already brownish and rough 

 15 to 25 centimetres above the ground; tied with un waxed 

 tape and narrow glass tubes placed over the grafted plant to 

 prevent entrance of rain-water into graft. Excelsa, Liberian 

 and Abeocuta coffee are considered the best stocks. 



Experiments under way at Lamao Experiment Station 

 indicate that shield budding will be successful if mature, 

 green, smooth non-petioled buds are used, and are entirely 

 covered with waxed tape. 



Lime, Citrus limetta. See Orange. Congenial stocks 

 are sour orange, orange, rough lemon, pomelo, calamondin. 



Mango, Mangifera indica. Use non-petioled, mature 

 smooth green budwood from the first, second or third Hush; 

 cut the buds 4 to 4'5 centimetres long with ample woodshield; 

 insert the buds in stock at a point approximately of the same 

 age and appearance as the scion. 



Orange, Citrus aurantium. Use fairly to well-matured 

 petioled, green and smooth perfectly spineless and round 

 budwood; cut the buds 2'5 to 4 centimetres long; age of 

 stock at point of insertion of bud unimportant. Congenial 

 stocks are: sour orange, rough lemon, pomelo, lime, cala- 

 mondin. 



Papaya, Carict Papaya. Propagated by cleft grafting 

 and side grafting. Make grafts preferably not more than 

 10 centimetres aboveground, in stocks preferably 20 to 30, 

 not more than 50 centimetres high, or more than 2'5 centi- 

 metres in diameter at point of union: in the cleft graft, if 

 there is any considerable hollow in stock, make the cleft to 

 one side of it; in the side graft make the incision entirely 

 outside of the hollow; make scions from sprouts about 7 

 centimetres long of old papayas; trim off nearly all leaf 

 blades, leaving the petioles. Perform work late in the 

 afternoon and keep plants shaded. 



Tamarind, Tamarindus indica. Use petioled, well- 

 inatured brownish or grayish budwood, cut the buds 3 centi- 

 metres long; age of stock at point of insertion of bud 

 unimportant. 



GRADING BY LAW IN THE PHILIPPINES. 



For more than ten years .according to the Philippine 

 Agricultural Review {Vo]. IX, No. 1. 1916) there has been 

 an increasing amount of dissatisfaction on the part of manu- 

 factures both in the United States and Great Britian with 

 abuca fibre or Manila hemp. This was largely due to there 

 being no uniform system of grading the fibre in e.xistence. 



With a view to remedying the situation, an Act was 

 passed providing for a Government system of inspection, 

 grading and baling. 



The defects in the methods employed prior to the 

 enactment and enforcement of the fibre-grading law, were 

 directly traceable to the following causes: (1) the lack of 

 fixed and accepted standard grades; (2) the inadequacy of the 

 prevailing methods of grading the fibre and of designating 

 the grades ; (3) the lack of any authoritative control over the 

 operation of the grading establishments, and (4) the more or 

 less general ignorance of the producers as to the quality of 

 their product. 



To remedy the above state of affairs, the fibre-grading 

 law and the regulations authorized by it embody the follow- 

 ing provisions: ( 1 ) the establishment of fixed standard 

 grades for each of the chief commercial fibres exported from 

 the Philippine Islands; (2) the requirement that every grading 

 establishment shall grade and prepare fibre for export in 

 accordance with the established standard and with the 

 regulations; (3) the institution of a system of inspection of 

 all graded fibre, and supervision over all grading and baling 

 operations to enforce compliance with the regulations; and 

 (4) the institution of an educational campaign among the 

 producers for the purpose of improving the methods of 

 production and preliminary preparation of the fibre. 



The provisions of the fibre-grading law and the 

 subsequent regulations authorized by it were adequately en- 

 forced during the past year. Standards of quality were 

 designated and defined, and every bale exported from the 

 Philippine Islands since the date on which the law and 

 regulations went into efi'ect, bears the name of the grade 

 of the fibre contained therein, the name of the grader, the 

 name of the district or province where the fibre was 

 produced, and other marks and data of indentification. 



In dealing with the cattle supply of the world the opin 

 ion is expressed in the Gcoyrapldcal Journal for July 1910. 

 that among the countries likely to come to the fore in the 

 future, Brazil is probably to be placed in the front rank of all, 

 the plateaus of the southern interior offering exceptional 

 advantage.s. The stock of horned cattle is said already to 

 reach 30 millions, and cattle-rearing among other farm 

 industries is being wisely encouraged by the Government. 

 The States of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande du Duel, and Rio de 

 Janeiro have installed meat-freezing plants, and the results 

 of the first consignments to Europe have been successful. 

 Among the French colonies, Madagascar and French West 

 Africa should be capable of sending large supplies of frozen 

 meat to the mother country. In France herself, a reform of 

 the industry, and its special cultivation in the region.^ 

 naturally most favourable to cattle rearing, should lead to 

 improved results. 



