220 



THE AQRICDLTURAL NEWS. 



July 6, 1912. ■ 



GLEANINGS. 



It is reported from the Antigua Botanic Station that 

 further orders were received recently for 2,150 coco-nuts. 

 < )rders ivere also sent to the Station during May for 50,00C 

 lime iilants. 



The buying of cotton by the Agricultural Department 

 in the Virgin Islands was brought to an end, for the past 

 season, on June 1. The crop has amounted to about 

 51,000 R. of lint. 



The Agricultural Superintendent, St. Vincent, reports 

 that a fairly large area is being planted in coco-nuts in 

 different parts of the island; the imported nuts are obtained 

 as a rule from St. Lucia and Dominica. In connexion with 

 the same matter, 506 coco-nut plants were fumigated at the 

 Station during last May. 



A note in the Bulktin Aijrkuh of ilauritius for April 

 1912 shows that larvae of the Anopheles mosquito have been 

 found, in Cambodia, in a cavity full of salt water, in a rock 

 near the sea. As is stated, this is an interesting fact, 

 because it shows that the wrigglers of this dangerous insect 

 may exist in salt water as well as in that which is fresh. 



An article is published in The Auh for 1911, p. .335, 

 which demonstrates that the English sparrow is often the host 

 of the chicken mite [DernMiiysms yallinac), and of the bird 

 mite [D. avium). The observations on which the article is 

 based were made in the United States, and it is shown that 

 the sparrows become infested with the mites through employ- 

 ing the feathers of poultry for lining their nests. 



Diplomatic and Consular Rejyort?, No. -1S59 Annual 

 Series, shows that the chief exports from Nicaragua during 

 1910 were as follows; coffee, 12,028 tons value £576,198; 

 cotton, 63 tons value £2,258; cacao, 68 tons value £4,291; 

 hides, 590 tons value £40,422: rubber, 285 tons value 

 £71,231; lignum vitae, 138 tons value £600; mora, 2,621 

 tons value £5,000; bananas, 490,000 bunches value £22,090. 



A report recently issued on the trade of Iquitos, Peru, 

 by H.M. Consul in that district, shows that the outlook for 

 the rubber industry is unfavourable; statistics indicate that 

 the exports have been decreasing since 1907. The Chamber 

 uf Commerce at Iquitos is making attempts to start cotton- 

 planting in Loreto, where it is considered that the plant 

 should flourish; the chief difficulty is the obtaining of labour 

 at a reasonable price, 



A paper in the Comjyfes Rendus de I'Actidc'mie des ScienceSf. 

 Paris, 1911, p. 1629 brings forward the fact that the ultra- 

 violet rays of light may be made to invert cane sugar. The 

 action then proceeds in the direction of breaking up the 

 sugars thus formed, so that formaldehyde and carbon 

 dioxide are produced. , This is of interest in relation to- 

 another action of the ultra-violet rays that was noted on 

 page 172 of this volume of the A;/iiculfural A^ews. 



C)ne of the latest Food Inspection Decisions of the- 

 United States 1 )epartment of Agriculture, namely Xo. 143, 

 is to the effect that the term Candied Citron is to be appli- 

 cable only to the candied peel of the fruit of the citron tree 

 (Citrus mtdica, var. genuina, Engl.). One of the reasons- 

 for issuing this decision is that the rind of the citrus melon, 

 (Citrullus vulgaris, Schrad.) is sometimes designated as 

 candied citron. It should be labelled Candied Citron Melon, 

 Candied Water-melon, or in some similar way. 



Information given in the Semi-Annual Report of Schim- 

 mel ct Co., dated April 1912, shows that up to the 

 time mentioned, citronella oil had been able, during the 

 preceding si.K months, to maintain the prices \Thich it had 

 reached in October 1911. The reason for the firmness is 

 found partly in the decline of the exports from those of the 

 previous year, and partly in the systematic withholding from 

 the market of the arrivals by the native traders in Matara. 

 The exports of citronella oil from Ceylon in 1910 were 

 1,747,934 a, and in 1911 1,524,275 lb. 



A note is contained in the Gardeners' Cltronich for April 6, 

 1912, which deals with investigations that show that there is 

 no doubt as to the injurious effects of road tar on trees grow- 

 ing near the road. The oliservations were made in the Bois 

 de Boulogne, on trees of Catalpa bignonioides and Rohinift 

 Pseud acacia and others, and show that the tarring affects the 

 number of leaves and their size and shape. The influence of 

 the tar is such that the effective leaf surface of trees in parts 

 of the Bois where the roads are tarred is one-half of that on 

 trees in parts of the roads which are not tarred. 



The E.rperiment Station Record, Vol. XXVI, p. 526, 

 issued May 7, 1912, reviews an article which describes 

 briefly an attempt to place Phonolith, which is a silicate of 

 potash found in volcatic rocks in the Eifel Mountains, iia 

 competition with the potash salts from Stassfurt. The 

 Phonolith is stated to contain from S to 10 per cent, of 

 potash, and can be mined and ground for about £1 per 

 car load. Trials have shown that, although conflicting 

 results have been obtained, the material possesses a very low 

 manurial value as compared with that of potash salts. 



Ofllcial information has been received to the effect that 

 the post of Inspector General of Agriculture in India has 

 been combined with that of Director of the Agricultural 

 Picsearch Institute and Principal of the Agricultural College, 

 Pusa. The new title of the holder of the post will be Agri- 

 cultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director of 

 the Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa. In consequence, 

 all communications intended for the offices first mentionecl 

 should be addressed to the last-mentioned ofticer. Further, 

 the Assistant Inspector General of Agriculture in India is novr 

 to be known as the Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to 

 the Government of India. 



