■28 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 20, 1912. 



A report from Nevis states that, by the end of Novem- 

 ber, about .50,000 lb. of seed cotton had been gathered in 

 the island, from plants established in June. There was a slight 

 improvement in the condition of the sugar-cane crop, but 

 more rain was needed. A small quantity of cacao and 

 vanilla had been reaped at Maddens; of the latter a good 

 crop was expected. At Pinneys, the cocoa-nuts were bearing 

 well, and the younger plants were making ver}' good progress. 



GLEANINGS. 



It is reported by H.M. Legation at Caracas, that the crop 

 of coftee in Venezuela during the season of 1911 was abun- 

 dant, and that the high prices that are being obtained will add 

 materially to the present prosperity of the country. 



The second forecast of the cotton crop of Eastern Bengal 

 and Assam, which amounts to about 4 per cent, of the total 

 area under cotton in India, is the same as that given in the 

 first estimate, namely, 101,300 acres. The prospects are good, 

 in some districts, to fair in others. 



The importance with which Teplirosia pwpurea and the 

 soy bean are regarded in Ceylon is shown by the fact that, 

 for the second distribution of seeds during 1911, among mem- 

 bers of tl e Agricultural Society, there were obtained 15 cwt. 

 of the .seed of the former and 1 ton of that of the soy bean. 



It is announced by the Principal Collector of Customs at 

 Colombo that an All Ceylon Exhibition will be held in that 

 island during the present year, under the patronage of the 

 Governor of the Colony. It is intended that the exhiliition 

 shall include the showing of working machinery, both as 

 models and in the practical form. 



The cotton crop in liussian Central Asia and the Cau- 

 casus is said to be excellent. In the largest portion of the 

 province of Ferghana the yield is equal to that of last j'ear, 

 while in Samarkand it is superior. In the Trans-Caspian and 

 Trans-Caucasian provinces a good yield is expected. (The 

 Te.dile Mercury, October U, 1911, p. 311 ) 



In the Bnllctiv of the I'nirenu of Agricultural Intelli- 

 gence (did (if Plant Diseases for June 1911, there is contained 

 an abstract of a paper setting forth the re.sults of investiga- 

 tions relating to the action of manganese sulphate on plants. 

 The work that has been done leads to the conclusion that 

 any beneficial action arising from the use of manganese sul- 

 phate is due to the presence of the sulphuric acid radicle 

 rather than to the manganese, which actually seems to retard 

 plant growth, but may be prevented from doing this by using 

 it with salts of iron. 



In connexion with the scheme devised with the assist- 

 ance of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, for agricul- 

 tural research in England and Wales (see Agricult nral A'cics, 

 Vol. X, p. 341), the Board has awarded twelve research 

 scholarships in agricultural science. These are of the annual 

 value of £150, and are to be held for three years, during 

 which time the holders will be either trained for research, or 

 for taking up the position of agricultural adviser. 



According to Diplomatic awl Consular Bcpoi-fs, No. 

 4789 Annual Series, the exports of soy beans from the Port 

 of Dairen (Kwantung) during 1910 amounted to 342,620 

 tons; in 1909 and 1908, they were 462,423 and 206,6.53 tons, 

 respectively. The similar figures for soy bean cake were 

 249,921, 306,276 and 201,088 tons. A large increase in the 

 amount of soy beans sent to Europe has taken place, while 

 the exports to China have diminished. By far the greatest 

 quantity of soy bean cake goes to Japan. 



Particulars of the census of Barbados are published in 

 a Supplement to the Ojficial Gazette for December 7, 1911. 

 These show that the population of Barbados on April 2, 1911, 

 was 171,983, giving a decrease during the last two decades 

 of 10,323. Statistics are given further which demonstrate 

 that by natural increase the population should have attained, 

 during the period mentioned, the number of 221,688. This 

 is a difference of 49,705, in which the removal of the troops 

 accounts for 1,080 and the remaining loss of 48,625 is to be 

 attrilmted to emigration. 



Comptes Rendus de I'Academie des Sciences for February 

 20, 1911, describes experiments which were made for the 

 purpose of investigating the influence of various organic acids 

 on the germination of seeds. Where the acids were supplied, 

 the seedlings obtained were larger than where the seeds were 

 not in contact with the acid solutions. There was thus actual 

 assistance in nutrition, and consideration of the results leads 

 to the conclusion that the aid given to germination by certain 

 basic substances does not arise from the neutralization of 

 acids by them, as has been supposed formerly. 



Note is made of the Report on the Gold, Diamond 

 and Forest Industries of British Guiana, 1910-11, issued 

 in an attractive and useful form by the Institute of 

 Mines and Forests, of the Colony, at the price of Is. 6d. 

 This contains, among other interesting information, the state- 

 ment that correspondence has taken place between the Secre- 

 tary of the Institute and the Chairman of the British Cotton 

 Growing Association with reference to the quality of the cot- 

 ton grown in the interior of British Guiana by the Abori- 

 gines, and that several samples, which were favourably report- 

 ed upon, were sent to the Association. 



Attention is drawn, in the Agricultural Journal of the 

 Union, of South Africa for October 1911, p. 395, to a clock 

 gun for scaring birds and vermin from cultivated lands. It 

 is automatic in action but simple in construction, and has been 

 patented by Mr. Charles Millicharap, Presteigne, Radnorshire, 

 South Wales. It holds nine 16 pin-fire cartridges and can 

 be set to explode these at intervals lasting from 15 minutes 

 to lir hours; it can also be set to fire a shot at an}- required 

 time. Supplied with the figure of a man, the gun costs 

 £2 12«. 6d.; without the figure, its price is 10«. Gd. less. 

 Special cartrigdes are obtainable at 4s. 3(/. for 100, or lis. 6(1. 

 for a box of 250 cartridges, carriage paid in the British Isles. 

 All the prices given are those in Great Britain. 



