Vol XI. No. 263. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



169 



A Method for Facilitating the Removal of 



Ploughs. 



The Journal of the New Zealand Department of 

 Af/riculture for February 1912 describes a very simple 

 arrangement for assisting in the removal of an ordinary 

 plough from ])lace to place. It consists merely of 

 a 2-inch board whose length is a little greater than the 

 total length of the share and mould board. To this is 

 attached a loop made of hoop steel, iron, or wire, which 

 is of such a size that it will just hold securely the point 

 of the share. The sole of the plough is kept in position 

 by means of two iron pins standing up a couple of inches 

 above the board, and driven into it at such an angle as 

 to ensure a good grip. 



It is evident that such an ai-rangement enables 

 the plough to be moved over the field or roads with more 

 comfort to horse and man, and more ijuickly than is 

 ordinarily the case. 



The Stimulation of Nitrogen-fixing Organisms 

 by Humus. 



The Journal of the Chemical Society, 1911, p. T.JiS, 

 abstracts a paper which presents an account of work 

 that was done for the purpose of determining the reason 

 for the increased growth, and power to fi.\ nitrogen, of 

 Azotohacter chroococcum. when soil is added to 

 a nutrient solution containing the sugar called mannite, 

 in which the organism is being grown. 



The results, which are in agreement with those of 

 other investigators, showed that the effect was due to 

 the iron contained in the crude humus acids, for if 

 these acids were freed from iron and added to the nutri- 

 ent solution, there was no corresponding increase in the 

 activity of the nitrogen-fi-King organism. 



It was found that some of the greatest effect in 

 the stimulation of Azotobacter was produced by iron 

 hydroxide dissolved in an alkaline solution of cane 

 sugar. 



.^-^^^^►-♦-^ 



Trials of the Soy Bean in England. 



The last number but one of the Ai/riculfural 

 News contained a note on trials with the soy bean in 

 England, that have received description in the Journal 

 of the Soutii Eastern Agricultural Colleye, Wye. 



In the Journal of the Board of Agriculture fur 

 April 1912, p. 33, an account is given of other trials 

 made in England with this plant. For the purpose of 

 these, seeds of sixteen varieties of soy bean were 

 obtained by the Board of Agriculture from an experi- 

 ment station in North Japan, together with a small 

 quantity of soil in which the crop had been grown 

 already. The purpose was to make trials with seed 

 produced from plants raised in temperatures more 

 nearly approaching those obtaining in England, as it was 

 thought that a reason for failure in past experiments 

 might be found in the circumstance that the seeds 

 had been imported from countries with hot climates. 



The experiments were carried out at the Midland 

 Agricultural College, and by Professor Biffen at Cam- 

 bridge. In the former case, it was reported that many 

 of the seeds produced vigorous plants, which would nob 

 tlower even when they are placed in a greenhouse. 

 Nevertheless, the plants were strong and healthy, and 

 there was a large number of well-developed nodules 

 on the roots. .Similar results were obtained at Cam- 

 bridge. The interesting observation was made that 

 nodules were absent entirely from plants grown in soil 

 that had not been inoculated with the soil from .Japan; 

 whereas, in the cases where the .Japanese soil had been 

 applied, the nodule formation was good. 



As these experiments seemed to suggest that 

 Japanese varieties of soy bean are not suited to 

 English conditions, seeds of Manchurian soy beans 

 were obtained, some from northern Manchuria and some 

 from the south of that country. These were grown in the 

 same places as the Japanese seeds. 



In connexion with this experiment, it was reported 

 from the Midland Agricultural College that vigorous 

 plants had been obtained, bearing abundant nodules, 

 but that no seed had matured. At Cambridge, the 

 trial was more successful although the plants did not 

 grow- very vigorously. They Howered at about the 

 middle of August, and ripened a small quantity of seed 

 about the end of September. On being sown in the 

 following April, this seecl produced useless plants that 

 did not bear seed in turn, in spite of the hot season. 



It is claimed that these results seem to prove 

 fairly conclusively that none of the varieties of soy bean 

 yet tried in England can he relied upon to produce seed 

 in that country, though a certain amount of seed may 

 be obtained under exceptional circumstances. 



Recent Entomological Work in Trinidad. 



A report of the Entomologist to the Board of Agri- 

 culture, Trinidad, dealing with recent work in con- 

 nexion with insect pests, was presented at m meeting of 

 the Board held on March 22. 



Among the work mentioned in the report, record is 

 made of the observation of the eggs of froghoppers in 

 dry trash, in a boiican, in fields in which the cane had 

 not yet been cut, but had been stripped; this is stated 

 to shi'w the necessity for burning the trash in the fields. 



]io\es of Castnia licu'i have been observed in canes, 

 in the mill yards of the Caroni and Couva districts, and 

 a similar appearance has been noticed in canes carted 

 by cane farmers along the Arima, Couva and Caroni 

 roads. It is stated that the evidences of attack are not 

 numerous in most places, but that they are sufficient 

 to prove that the moth is spread all over the northern 

 part of Trinidad. It is thought that it exists in the 

 southern district also. 



Among other matters, there is the interesting fact 

 that the predaceous bug of the froghopper is doing well 

 in confinement, and that the numbers are steadily 

 increasing. 



