316 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



SErTEMBER 23, 1916, 



GLEANINGS. 



A? the result of an investigation at the University of 

 Illinois it has been shown that dolomite up to 40 per cent, 

 proves beneficial to plant growth. The results indicate that 

 dolomite and niagnesian limestone will not be detrimental as 

 applied in agricultural practices. Increasing the size of 

 application increases the calcium and magnesium contents 

 of plants. Details of the investigation will be found in the 

 ■Jownal of Agricultural Research, Vol. VI, No. 16. 



It is interesting to learn that in Canada the use of 

 formalin by the farmers themselves for disinfecting seeds has 

 enormously increased of recent years as the result of 

 educational eflort. During 1915 approximately 20,000 

 farms in Ontario treated their seed grain this spring with 

 formalin as a protection against smut. Ontario druggists 

 so far this year have sold to farmers about 4,650 gallons of 

 formalin compared with 1,17"> gallons during the whole of 

 1915. 



On July 25, 1916, an Ordinance was passed in St. Vincent 

 to make provision for the eradication of the pests known as 

 the cotton stainer by means of cutting down the native 

 food plants of the pest which are chiefly the silk-cotton tree 

 and 'John Bull' (7'hespes'a 2Jopulnia). Where substantial 

 datviage is occ:isioned compensation is allow for. An offence 

 against this Ordinance, namely obstructing or impeding the 

 agricultural officers in the execution of their powers, makes 

 the offender liable to a fine not exceeding £20, or in default 

 ■of payment, imprisonment for a term not exceeding six 

 months. 



An article in the Ayriiultitral Gar.ette of Canada deals 

 with the interesting .subject of home garden contests conduc- 

 ted on farms in Ontario. The main reasons for their institu- 

 tion are that the pupils having reached the required age, are 

 capable of undertaking more than is called for by the children 

 taking i)art in ordinary school gardens: secondly, as is well 

 known, a garden is far too uncommon cm the average farm. 

 The writer goes so far as to say that a greater number of veg- 

 etables are to be found in the back-yard gardens of Canadian 

 cities and towns than can be found on the average farm. 



The report of the I'Mucation Department of Trinidad 

 and Tobago says that the present expensive system of nature 

 study in the primary schools does not allow a satisfactory 

 attainment of the results that are desired. The Senior 

 Agriciiltiiral Instructor and the Junior Agricultural Instructor 

 paid duiing 1015 nearly 100 visits to the dirterent schools, 

 and in many cases practical instruction to pupils was given. 

 It is difficult to underst;ind why, with this skilled attention, 

 school gardening is not progi'e.ssing satisfactorily as is 

 desired. In many colonies this branch of education does 

 not receive any expert attention and supervision. 



A correspondent, of the India Ruhher World writing- 

 from Germany on the rubber trade in that country states 

 that the manufacture of synthetic rubber in Germany 

 has been placed on a basis that is com- mercial under 

 existing conditions. He states that many experts go so 

 far as to predict that, before the end of the war such 

 progress will have been made that Germanj' will be able 

 to produce this material when peace is reestablished, in com- 

 petition with the natural product, and at such prices as to 

 displace crude rubber partially, if not entirely. They predict 

 for the rubber plantation the same fate that befell the culti- 

 vation of indigo. 



The Indian Forest Records (Vol V, Part VII) contains- 

 an interesting note on the economic uses of Rosha grass 

 (Cymbopogon Martini, Stapf.) in India. The paper is chiefly 

 of interest in the West Indies in that it shows that approxi- 

 mately 20 per cent, more oil can be obtained from a steam 

 plant than from a direct fire still when using thoroughly sun- 

 dried grass. Again, when using steam distillation with dry 

 and green grass 100 per cent, more oil was obtained from the 

 latter for the reason that the oil has not time to volatilise out 

 of the green grass. The consumption of fuel when using a 

 boiler is somewhere about 100 percent, less than that required 

 for a direct fire still These results should interest workers 

 in lime oil and bay oil distillations in the West Indies but 

 they require careful criticism. 



The Agricultural Journal of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture Bihar and Oris.sa (Vol. Ill, No. 2) contains an interesting 

 article on the Indian cultivator's method of storage of seeds 

 and of seed te-sting. The latter is a very crude and simple 

 affair. The media which he selects for sprouting seeds are 

 the very watery leaf-stalks of such plants as the plantain. The 

 stalks are cut into convenient lengths and then partially 

 split open to place the seeds inside in contact with the moist 

 fresh cut surface. The leaf stalks are then tied up and kept 

 in a moist place. ITsually sixteen seeds are taken. When 

 the germination goes below ten the seed is considered to be 

 bad. It is customary with cultivators to test their nheat, 

 gram, barley, oats, peas, and lentil seeds in this way before 

 sowing. The effort though crude is very creditable. 



A note appears in the I )tier national Revieu- of the Science 

 and Practice of Agriculture (February 1916) of a soil sampler 

 for soil bacteriologists. The sampler consists of a brass tube 

 1 1 inches long, with one end made into a cutting edge. This 

 cutting edge is so made that the soil is not aijpreciably 

 compacted when the sample is taken. The end having the 

 cutting edge is furnished with a tight fitting brass cap 2 

 inches in height. The open end, plugged with absorbent 

 cotton, makes the sample complete. In using the apparatus 

 the complete sampler is first sterilized. It is then taken into 

 the field, the cap is removed, the driving head is in.serted 

 above the cotton plug, and the sampler is driven into the ground 

 to the desired depth. It is then pulled out, the caji is flamed, 

 replaced, and the sample is ready to be taken to the laboratory 

 This sampler is easily sterilized, easily kept clean, easily 

 manipulated, and durable. 



