TiQL. XI, Xo. 2CG. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



217 



"Tlje Formation of Nitrates in Cultivated Soil. 



Experiinrnts caniiil out ncently in (iennaiiy 

 Ihave shown that, in soils pi-otected from leaching, there 



vas a steal ly increase in nitrates, which however was 

 :gi'eater in the first year than later: the observations 



Vere made to a dejith of 32 inches. 



An abstract of the paper describing the work, 

 which appears in the E.iperhiient Station Record for 

 lUarch 1912. p. 319, goes on to state that if the ai>ration 

 ©f the soil was increased by adding sand or loam there 

 •was an increase in the rate of formation of nitrates. 

 The content of nitrates and the nitrifying power of the 

 «oil became less as the depth increased: the decline of 

 the former was more rapid than that of the total 

 •nitrogen. 



It was demonstrated that active nitrification takes 

 place during winter, by means of pot experiments in 

 which ammonium sulphate in (juantity amounting to 

 ■0"2 percent, of the weight of thi- soil was added to thi- 

 "the latter; about one-half of the sulphate applied in 

 November was nitrified by the following March. The 

 process of oxidation under the conditions, however, 

 involved a large loss of nitrogen. 



The oxidation of ammonium sulphate took place 

 less quickly in the subsoil than in the surface soil, 

 •during the first three months, but later the difference 

 •was less. 



As may be expected, the addition of caustic lime to 

 -soil containing ammonium sulphate caused loss of 

 ammonia: the loss was less when calcium carbonate was 

 •added instead of the lime. The nitrification of ammo- 

 nium sulphate was checked to a marked extent by the 

 addition of caustic lime; but where no manure had been 

 idded to the soil, it increased the rate of formation of 

 nitrates from the soil nitrogen as long as thr lime 

 •continued in the caustic state. 



Agricultural Science at the Dominica Grammar 



School. 



The Headmaster of the Dominica Grammar School, 

 Jlr. W. Skinner, M.A., has recently issued his report 

 -on the school for the year 1911-12, and it is published in 

 ■tihe Dominica Official Gazette for May 31. 



The amounts voted for the present financial year 

 provided for the appointment of an Assistant Master 

 who is qualified to teach agricultural science: this 

 -master has since arrived in the island, and taken up 

 the work, in the person of Mr. H. Waterland. In 

 addition to the above sum, there was a supplementary 

 vote of £70 to provide for the erection of a room to be 

 used as a chemical laboratory: a sum of £2.5 was also 

 authorized to be expended for the purchase of appar- 

 • atus and chemicals. 



The Assistant Master mentioned teaches agri- 

 ,-«lture and science, in addition V> some other subjects. 



Both parts of the school are in receipt of the same 

 teaching in French, English subjects and mathematics. 

 As regards the time which the instruction in 

 science has been given, the study of elementary botany 

 was commenced in September, and the classes in 

 chemistry in the Lent term. 



Exports from Barbados, 1911. 



A return showing the quantity and value of the 

 exports from Barbados durmg 1911 was issued in 

 April by the Comptroller of Customs. From this the 

 following information is taken, in regard to the chief 

 exports of agricultural origin, that were the produce 

 and manufacture of the Colony: — • 



Aloes, value £12-'j; cotton, raw, 7-10, 2()9 ft. value 

 £-13,182: cotton seed, 3(3-5 bags, value £183; cotton seed 

 meal, .592,570 ft. value £3,704: fresh fruit, value £28; 

 preserved fruit, value £L59: hides and skins, value 

 £3,^5o0: falernum, 639 gallons value £129: rum, 2,4.72 

 gallons value £18-5; molasses, choice, 2-3,0(37 puncheons 

 value £100,2<i8, and fancy, •")9,820 puncheons value 

 £24(>,757: dark crystal sugar, 7,024 hogsheads value 

 £77,264: white crystal sugar, 7 hogsheads value £82; 

 yellow crystal sugar, 104 hogsheads value £1,196; 

 muscovado sugar, 23,413 hogsheads value £210,717; 

 tamarinds, value £237; fre.sh vegetables, value £14,423. 



The Supply of Bay Oil. 



In the Semi-Annual Report of Messrs. Schimmel 

 (!fe Co., dated April 1912, the complaint regarding the 

 scarcity of bay oil that has been made for several year.s 

 is repeated, and it is stated that the small arrivals 

 which have come to hand from time to time at Havre, 

 Marseilles and Hamburg have been readily taken up. 

 It is stated further: 'occasionally the supplies consisted 

 of oil which had been adulterated almost out of recog- 

 nition, and scarcely deserved the name of bay oil.' 



It is considered that the present condition of the 

 market is likely to continue for some time, because the 

 most recent advices show that producers in the West 

 Indies have again begun to couiplain of the difficulty 

 of procuring leaves in sufficient quantity. In any case, 

 Messrs. Schimmel & Co. will be prevented from resuni- 

 ing distilling operations: further, according to their 

 report, none of the parcels of West Indian bay oil 

 that have come into their possession approach even 

 distantly in quality their own distillate. 



In consequence of these circumstances, the plan 

 will be to exercise the greatest possible care in selection 

 from among the available supplies of oil, and the result 

 of this will be to continue the upward tendency of 

 prices. 



It is satisfactory that, in spite of the large increases 

 of price that have been made, Schimmel's terpeneless 

 bay oil continues to be in strong demand — a fact which 

 indicates that the prices asked for this product are 

 justified by its excellence. 



