Vol XI. No. 265. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



201 



thoroughly broken up, and to it, in any convenient 

 receptacle, add three more cupfuls of water. 



'(3) Stir up the mixture, allow to stand for a few 

 seconds in order to let any particles settle ( this stock 

 solution if kept in a tightly-stoppered bottle may be 

 used for four or five days), and add one leaspoonlul of 

 this milky stock solution to 2 gallons of the water to be 

 purified, in a pail or other receptacle. Stir thoroughly 

 in order that the weak chlorine solution will come into 

 contact with all the bacteria, and allow to stand for ten 

 minutes. This will give approximately one-half part 

 of free chlorine to a million parts of water, and will 

 effectually destroy all typhoid and colon bacilli, or 

 other dysentery-producing bacilli in the water. The 

 water will be without taste or odour, and the trace of 

 free chlorine added rapidly disappears.' 



The Future of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau. 



Nature for May 16, 1912, contains a note with 

 reference to the fact that the Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies has issued a memorandum announcing that, 

 from July 1 next, the Sleeping Sickness Bureau will be 

 known as the Tropic;- 1 Diseases Bureau. As is stated 

 there, the Sleeping Sickness Bureau originated at the 

 International Conference of Sleeping Sickness held in 

 London in 1907 and 190(S, and its purpose was to find 

 and set forth measures for the control of sleeping sick- 

 ness. After the bureau had been established, it was 

 quickly seen that its energies could be extended to 

 include investigations concerning ti-opical diseases in 

 general. 



The new bureau will have its quarters at the 

 Imperial Institute, having outgrown tiie accommodation 

 provided by the Royal Society. It will deal with all 

 exotic diseases that are prevalent in tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions, and will publish a Tropical Diseases 

 Bulletin in the place of the present Sleeping Sickness 

 Bulletin. The publication will be partly employed for 

 presenting the results of the most recent researches on 

 tropical diseases, so that the information may be quick- 

 ly available for workers in the troiiics. 



prepai'ation of varnish and lacquer. In this connexion, 

 the iodine value of the oil indicates that it is partic- 

 ularl)' well suited for the restoration of varnishes, 

 while it contains hardly any but drying acids. The 

 iodine value of linseed oil is in general smaller than 

 that determined for Plukenetia oil. Further inve,-ti- 

 gations respecting its drying properties are to be 

 undertaken. 



A table giving the results of an enquiry into 

 the properties of the oil shows that the percentage con- 

 tained in the fruit is .59, and that the product itself 

 possesses a yellowish white colour and a mild and 

 pleasant smell, and taste. Further, the specific gravity 

 of the oil (15 '4 ) is 0936. The refractive index at 

 1.5 C. is 1483-5, and the saponification value 190. 



The account concludes with interesting observa- 

 tions on the drying properties of the oil. 



It may be added that the plants included in the 

 genus Plukenetia belong to the same family of plants 

 as the castor oil plant, the physic nut and the Euphor- 

 bias (spurges). They are woody, climbing plants, with 

 alternate heart-shaped leaves, and are found in Africa, 

 the north and centre of South America, and in the 

 West Indies. 



Source of a Useful Oil. 



The recent high price of linseed oil has given an 

 impetus to the attempts to find a substitute for this 

 product, which possesses so large an importance in 

 regard to the employment of paints and varnishes, and 

 the following information, taken from Der Tropenpfian- 

 Ser for May 1912, concerning an oil yielded by the fruit 

 of Flid-enetia conopliora, which grows as a liane in 

 Kamerun, is of interest. 



Official tests have shown that the oil approaches 

 linseed oil, in its physical and chemical properties, and 

 may also be in demand for soap-making; it is especially 

 hkely to be useful as a substitute for linseed oil in the 



Coco-nut Exploitation in British Guiana. 



At a meeting of the Court of Policy of British 

 Guiana held on May 7, the Standing Rules and Orders 

 were suspended so that the following motion may be 

 brought forward: — 



'Whereas it is known that options to purchase 

 have been secured on a large number of coco-nut or 

 so-called coco-nut estates in this Colony, at prices far 

 above the intrinsic value of such properties, 



'Be it Resolved,— That this Court views with 

 apprehension the possibility of the flotation of com- 

 panies in Great Britain on an unsound bnsis, thereby 

 imperilling the good name of the Colony as a field for 

 the safe investment of capital' 



In bringing forward the motion, the mover— - 

 Mr. R. G. Duncan — referred to the fact that an indi- 

 vidual firm or syndicate in London had apparently 

 secured options to purchase a large number of coco- 

 nut or so-called coco-nut properties in the Colony, at 

 prices ffir in excess of the real market value of the 

 properties. It was his fear that the attempt would be 

 made to induce the British public to take up shares in 

 such a company or companies, and in view of this, and 

 in respect to the good name and future of the Colony, 

 he had brought forward the motion. 



Consideration of the motion led to the dropping 

 of the preamble, and the amendment of the motion 

 itself to read: — 



'Be it resolved,— That this Court views with 

 apprehension the possibility of the flotation of com- 

 panies in Great Britain in connection with coco-nut 

 profits on an unsound basis, thereby imperilling the 

 good name of the plony as a field for the safe 

 investment of capital;' . . 



The amended motion was passed on a division, 

 eight voting for it, and three against it. 



