THE AGRICULTURAL 



NEWS. 



!_ 



March 16, ^912. 



Among the matters of recent interest in connexion with 

 the Antigua Botanic Station has "been the importation of 

 twenty-nine new species of Eucalyptus. The pia'ttTs distribut- 

 ed from this station during February last included 15,500 

 cane cuttings and fifty cocoa-nut plants. During that month, 

 a cane mill and nil engine were imported in connexion with 

 the experimental work that is conducted with sugar-qanes. 



The distribution from the St. Lucia Botanic Gardens 

 during .January comprised 4,760 plants, including 4,050 lime 

 plants and 150 cacao plants. In addition to these, 163 pack- 

 ets of seeds were sent out. : 



The chief exports from St. Vincent during November 

 last comprised: arrowr&ot 162,254 &., Sea Island cotton 

 17,283 R. (48 bales), cottonseed 78,339 lb., muscovado Sugar 

 53,450 B>., molasses 2,025 gallons, cacao 34,425 ft. 



During last month, the number of plants distributed from 

 the Dominica Botanic Station was 3,468. These included: 

 limes 1,600, 'Para rubber 1,300, cacao 200, shade; trees 200, 

 Eucalyptus 86, grafted mangoes 11, miscellaneous 71. 



In a notice by the St. Lucia Agricultural Department, 

 it is intimated, for the information of planters in the island, 

 that preparations are being made by the Department for 

 raising a large number of plants of Para rubber for local dis- 

 tribution during this year. 



The Experiment Station Record for August 1911, 

 p. 109, gives a note on a method for the, estimation of citric 

 acid in citrates and lemon juices. In this, the citric acid is 

 precipitated as calcium citrate, which is heated with sulphuric 

 acid, and the amount of carbon dioxide that is driven off 

 measured. This amount depends directly on the quantity of 

 citric acid that was present. 



A method for protecting seeds from rats, mice or birds 

 is suggested in the Garden and Field for January 1912. This 

 consists in adding water or kerosene to the seeds in sufficient 

 amount just to moisten them, stirring them well, and then 

 adding a small quantity of red lead and stirring again until 

 each seed is given a coating of this substance. It is claimed 

 that even if seeds so treated are attacked by vermin, these 

 will not return once they have experienced the results. 



Pielurns received from the Superintendent of Agricul- 

 ture, Barbados, show that the area of cotton grown in the 

 island during the period January to December 1911 was 

 4,670 acres. Of this 4,401 acres coriiprised cotton planted 

 in that season, while 269 acres consisted of so-called ratoon 

 cotton, that is cotton which had been allowed to spring 

 again from the last season's plants. 



An account is contained in the Bulletin of the Bureau 

 of Ar/ricitltural Iiitelli(/ence and of Plant Diseases for March 

 1911, i>. 629, of a p\Ant n&med Afrarfi/lis gummifra, belong 

 ing to the Compositae, which i« found almost throughout the 

 Mediterranean region, and is very common in Sicily, in open, 

 rocky, dry, situations. Analyses have shown that the plant 

 produces a latex containing about 23 to 36 per cent, of ruli- 

 ber which, it is stated, might be used industrially. The 

 means of propagation are apparently Ity cuttings or from 

 .seed. 



Some of the sections of the meeting of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, to be commenced 

 in Dundee on September 4 of this year, under the presidency 

 of Professor A. E. Schafer, F.lt.S., will be held with the fol- 

 lowing as Presidents: Chemistry, Professor A. Senier; Botany, 

 Professor F. Keeble; Agriculture, Mr. T. H. Middleton. It 

 will be noticed that this is the first meeting of the British 

 Association at which Agriculture has comprised a complete 

 section. 



The Aiimial Eeporf of the Ontario Aijricultnral College 

 and E^eperiment Farm for 1910, p. 100, contains an account 

 of work that has been done in order to find the efifect of add- 

 ing various substances to lime sulphur wash for spraying. 

 It was shown that, although a certain amount of alteration 

 results from the addition of lime, this is not sufficient to 

 render inadvisable such addition; the same was .the case with 

 lead arsenate and calcium arseuite, but the employment of 

 Paris green in the same way was found to reduce the strength 

 of the wash by almost one half. 



In the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute for 1911, p. 346; 

 it is recorded that Para rubber from Seychelles, submitted 

 to brokers, was valued at about 7.s, per tt). for light biscuits, 

 and 6s. lid. per ft. for dark biscuts, in London, with fine 

 hard Para quoted at 6,<. l\d. per lb. and fine plantation 

 Para at 6s. Ilc7. to 7s. 10(/. per lb. The physical properties 

 of the samples examined are stated to have shown a con- 

 siderable improvement on those of the previous specimens 

 from Seychelles, and the opinion is given that there is little 

 doubt that Hevea in Seychelles, when mature, will yield 

 rubber of excellent quality. 



The United States Department of Commerce and Labour 

 has issued a bulletin which shows that the quantity of cotton 

 exported from that country during the twelve months eiided 

 August 1911, was 4,007,880,368 lb., having a value of 

 £120,327,264. In a like period for 1909-10, the similar 

 figures were 3,241,391,972 ft. and £95,852,770, and in 

 1908-9, 4,440,883,763 B). and £87,361,887. The export price 

 per ft. of cotton lint varied from 7-2d. to lid. and i'ld., 

 for the above years in the order given. It should be 

 stated that these export figures refer to shipments from the 

 chief cotton ports, and are actually within about 1 per cent, 

 of the total cotton shipments. 



