ToL. XV. No. 377. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



.333 



THE PRINCIPLES OF A a BONO M Y. By Franklin 

 S. Harris, Ph.D; and George Stewart, B.S. New York: Tlie 

 Macinillan Company, 1015. Price 6s. nett. 



A characteristic feature of this text-book of field cul- 

 tivation is that it is illustrated throughout with excellent 

 photographs of farm crops, implements and operations. The 

 book is designed for schools giving more than one course 

 in agriculture; its study should probably precede instruction 

 in horticulture or animal husbandry. A knowledge of 

 botany and chemistry, although not pre-supposed would 

 assist in a better understanding of some or perhaps all of the 

 chapters. An interesting part of the book of general interest 

 is that dealing with the physical properties of soil and 

 especially Chapters IX and X concerning the water of the 

 soil and the control of .soil water. This latter aspect of soil 

 physics is exceedingly well treated, and information concern- 

 ing irrigation, drainage and dry farming is adequately 

 illustrated with original photographs showing various systems 

 of water control. 



Most of the crops dealt with belong to the temperate 

 2sone. Cotton, however, and .sorghum, together with provis- 

 ion crops like sweet potatoes receive attention. The last part 

 of the book (Part IV) dealing with field management is 

 original in its scope and treatment, and will prove suggestive 

 to the general reader. 



CROP EXPERIMENTS IN FIJI. 



Some interesting results are recorded in the report of the 

 Superintendent of Agriculture, Fiji, for 191.5, having refer- 

 ence to plot experiments with certain crops that are also 

 grown commonly in the West Indies. 



Planting at difterent distances was tried with both maize 

 and peanuts. In the case of maize better yields were obtain- 

 ed with wider planting, namely 4 feet by 3 feet, than with 

 closer planting, namely 4 feet by I foot. In regard to peanuts 

 the difference between the results obtained from different 

 methods of planting was not nearly so pronounced as in pre- 

 vious experiments of the kind, the decrease being S'S per cent, 

 and 8-3 per cent, respectively, of the 3 feet by 1 foot method 

 -for the 3 feet by 2 feet and 3 feet by 3 feet plots. 



The experiments with sisal hemp have indicated that the 

 distances in use (8 feet by S feet) do not give the plants room 

 for the best development. While greater distances seem 

 desirable, it has to be remembered that an increase of planting 

 distances reduces the number of plants per acre. As regards 

 time required for maturing, a plot planted with sisal hemp 

 in the middle of 1912 had some plants ready for milling at 

 the beginning of the year under report. On thi.s plot again 

 the distance used was 8 fset by 8 feet and the plot consisted 

 of 920 plants (1'3.5 acres). 



The report under review then gives some information 

 concerning coconuts. It is stated that some of the coco-nut 

 palms planted in December 1907 fruited during the year; it 

 is added that one palm carried seventeen young nuts though 

 no nuts actually matured during the j'ear. Considering that 

 these palms are now eight years old, the fact that they have 

 just begun to bear does not appear from West Indian exper- 

 ience to be a particularly satisfactory result. On good soil 

 coco-nuts may be expectecT'to come into bearing in five years. 



In December 1914 a gale struck Fiji and damaged the 

 lime trees in the Nasinu station. Most of the fruit was blown 

 off the trees, though the trees themselves were not seriously 

 hurt. The fruit that remained was used for seed purposes. 



Plots of onions were started during the year. It is 

 stated however, that germination was an absolute failure and 

 that the plot was abandoned. 



SUBSTITUTE FOR SUGAR. 



One of most important demands for sugar in Great 

 Britain is for jam making, and the recent necessity for 

 economy together with high prices have led to sugges- 

 tions being made in regard to the employment of 

 substitutes. A statement has appeared in the public 

 press, says the Gardeners Chronicle, that benzoate of 

 soda may be used. The English Board of Agriculture, 

 however, has called attention to the fact that this 

 substance is quite unsuitable and has warned the public 

 against its use. Serious consecjuences might result 

 from any attempt to substitute this substance for sugar. 



Another suggestion is that regarding the employ- 

 ment of glucose in place of sucrose (eane sugar). This 

 suggestion emanated from the Board of Agriculture, 

 and has met with a certain amount of approval. There 

 seem to be difficulties however, about the purchase of 

 the necessary syrup. That glucose is largely used in 

 the wholesale manufacture of jam, says The Times, is 

 vouched for by a leading manufacturing company, but 

 sugar merchants in Mincing Lane appear to doubt 

 whether its use would find favour in the domestic 

 production of jam. 



lender the heading of Itubber Stratagems of the Blockade, 

 the Imlia Ruhher World for September 1 gives some astonish- 

 ing facts concerning devices arranged to pass through contra- 

 band rubber to Germany. It is stated that rubber has been 

 found in the guise of rusty iron toys, sponges, and the inside 

 filling of various articles, from tiimed meats to broom handles. 

 On one ship 4,000 packages, supposedly bread for British 

 prisoners in Germany, were found to contain 1 ft. of rubber 

 each. Another vessel carried 17 tons of coffee beans in 2-50 

 sacks in which large quantities of crude rubber were concealed. 

 One item of a miscellaneous cargo consigned to a neutral 

 port consisted of many sacks of onions of excellent appearance, 

 but when the examining officer selected one at random and 

 dropped it on the deck, it bounded back into his hand. 



