YoL. XL No. 265. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



-'05 



*k^-;? 



STUDENTS' CORNER. 



JULY. 



First Period. 

 Seasonal Notes. 



State what you know of the ways in which the soil is 

 formed, and give examples that illustrate your answer, taken 

 from districts with which you are acquainted. AVhat is the 

 most important substance that is found in soil, as regards 

 the life of the plants that exist in it? Make a sketch map 

 •of a district in which you have conducted observation.", show- 

 ing the areas covered by the diflerent types of soil. Indicate 

 •any way in which the kinds of soil that are found in the 

 various parts may be correlated with the means by which 

 water from the rainfall runs off the land. 



iState in what ways the supply of air in soils is renewed, 

 and indicate the manner in which this renewal is important 

 as regards the plant life supported in the soil. What are the 

 broad difTerences between the kinds of bacteria present, and 

 between their activities, in waterlogged and in well at-raied 

 soils? How do bacteria assist in increasing the amount of 

 available plant food in the soil, and what artificial means are 

 in employment, in practice, to the same end! 



Distinguish between heavy and light soils, stating how 

 heavy soils may be made lighter. What are the most easily 

 available means for effecting this, under conditions in which 

 you have had experience? 



What is meant by the organic part of the soil; state how 

 this is maintained in eifective proportion (1) in nature, (2) in 

 agricultural practice? It has been found that the presence of 

 humus in soil possesses a particular importance in regard to 

 the activities of the nitrogen-fixing organisms (Azotobacter); 

 what substance contained in the humus is indispensable to 

 this end? How do the higher plants indicate a lack of this 

 substance in the soil or in the food that is being supplied 

 to them? 



What condition of the soil do you consider best for the 

 operation of ploughing, and why do you regard this condition 

 as being most suitable? What is the chief objection to 

 ploughing soils when they are (1) very wet, (2) very dry? 

 Distinguish between ploughing, and cultivation in its special 

 sense, stating what is the chief use of the latter. What are 

 the chief circumstances that set a limit to the amount of 

 ploughing that a soil should receive? Give descriptions, with 

 ■sketches, of ploughing and cultivating implements with 

 which you have had practical experience in employment. 



What is meant by (1) the texture of the soil, (2) its 

 tilth? What relationship does the working of the soil bear 

 to the occurrence of weeds, under conditions with which you 

 are familiar? State the chief effects of the presence of weeds 

 in relation to (1) the plants that are being grown especially, 

 (2) the soil? Give a description of any w^ds that are useful 

 -when they are under proper control, and provide an account 



of the general u.ses of weeds in relation to, firs'-Jy, the agri- 

 culturist, and secondly, mankind in general. 



Questions for Candidates. 



Preliminary Qde.stions. 



(1) Give an account of the chief uses of roots. 



(2) Write a description of the special properties of peu 

 manure. 



(3) Give a list of the chief reasons why plants are 

 pruned. 



Intermediate Questions. 



(1) Compare the root system of any deep rooted plant 

 with that of a plant with roots that are confined to the upper 

 part of the soil. 



(2) Give directions for the storing of farmyard manure, 

 under conditions in which you have had e.xperience. 



(.3) Describe the ways in which pruning is effected, 

 stating the reason for the adoption of each method that you 

 mention. 



Final Questions. 



(1) Show, in the case of any cultivated plant, how the 

 manner of cultivation employed is correlated with the kind of 

 root system possessed by the plant. 



(2) Mention the ways in which the employment of pen 

 manure is particularly useful in the tropics, and state the 

 dangers arising from the use of this manure when it has not 

 been properly prepared. 



(3) Give an account, in connexion with any plant that 

 you have observed, of the effect of pruning with reference to 

 (a) the manner of growth of the plant, (b) its yield. 



SUGAR YIELDS IN REUNION. 



Attention is given in the Journal cV Agriculture 

 Trupiiali' for April 1912, p. 122, to a very complete enquiry 

 that has been conducted by the Chamber of Commerce of 

 Reunion into the sugar manufacture, in 1910, of twenty- 

 two factories in the island, and to the returns obtained. 



Information in the article in the journal mentioned 

 shows that the output of these factories was 4-5,549 tons (of 

 2,204 lb ) of which 43,127 tons was exported; the average 

 manufacture of sugar for the past five years was 42,378 tons. 



The general yield of the canes crushed has been about 

 965 per rent., which corresponds to a crop of 472,000 toas 

 of canes, from about 30,000 acres. The crushing leaves 

 something to be desired, as the mills have only extracted 

 ordinarily 70 per cent, of juice on the weight of the cane, as 

 compared with Si per cent, in Hawaii, the latter crushing 

 being mentioned for purposes of comparison. In publishing 

 this figure, the Bulletin Commercial de Vile de la Reunion 

 states that the average price realized during the season 

 mentioned, for all kinds of sugar, was about 25 fr. 80 (about 

 £\ Os. %d. per ton of 2,240 &.): at this price the factory 

 owners would have received an additional sum of about 

 £93,000, given a properly organized chemical control and 

 more powerful mills, such as would not mean a cost of more 

 than about £400 for each factory. 



The factory expenses have been, on an average, 5«. Gd. 

 per ton. 



The last crop appeared to be less valuable than that of 

 1910; the same weight of canes had been dealt with, but as 

 they had suffered untoward conditions in February of thati 

 year, they had given an inferior juice. 



