Vol. XI. No, 269. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



263 



AN INDIAN FODDER PLANT. 



A publiration wliich is enritlrd Fodtler Crojjs oj 

 the Punjab, but dues imt <;i\e indication <if its migin, 

 has been received lately. Krom this the following 

 information is taken concerning- (/ic('ir, or the cluster 

 hean {C;iam<>psis psoralniden), which is a bushy 

 leguniinous plant bearing hairy pods in cliistirs. This 

 plant is under trial at some of the West Indian Botanic 

 Stations, as a green manure, seeds having been dis- 

 tributed to them by the Impeiial Commissioner of 

 Agriculture. (See Agricultural A'ews, Vol. X. pp. 277 

 and •29-S.) 



It is an important foddtT crop in the districts of the 

 Punjab formerly included in the I'nited Provinces. It is 

 suited to light sandy soil, and is usually sown alone, but is 

 sometimes mi.xed with biijra [Peiiiiix,/,i,ii tiiphoidtiint]. It 

 is considered to be a good crop to follow cotton or rliarl 

 [Guinea corn], because the leaves appear to act as manure 

 on the soil and to prepare it for a subsequent rahi [dry 

 weather crop] (Illxsar (r'a:rtfee>), page 170). Xo doubt, 

 like other leguminous crops, it feeds the soil with nitrogen. 

 The grain is very rich in albuminoids, the chemical compo- 

 sition being: — 



Per cent. 

 Water US 



Albuminoids 29S 



Starch 46-2 



Oil 1-4 



Fibre 7 "7 



Ash 31 



But it is considered coarse and produces flatulence, and 

 grain and leaves and stalk are given to the bullocks. The 

 grain is either boiled or coarsely ground and given dry. The 

 dry straw is useless, but the green plant is cut and chopped 

 up and given to bullocks. The broken pod.s, called Palosi, 

 left on the threshing floor, make good fodder. 



After gram, '//'•.(')■ is the most important pulse in llohtak, 

 Ourgaon and Delhi. 



ST. KITTS AND THE CANADIAN 

 NATIONAL EXHIBITION. 



Information has been received from Mr. F. K. Shepherd, 

 Honorary Secretary of the St. Kitts Permanent Exhibition 

 Committee, to the effect that the exhibits from St. Kitts- 

 Nevis for the Canadian N'ational Exhibition to be held ia 

 Toronto, were forwarded by the S.S. 'Oruro' on .July 18. 



They are ninety-three in number, and consist of samples 

 of sugars (crystals and muscovado), molasses, cotton and 

 seed-cotton cotton, seed, cotton seed meal, cotton seed oil,, 

 meals and starches, lime juice, pickles in brine, cured cacao, 

 cassareep, coco-nut oil, and a good collection of preserves 

 made from local fruit. 



Besides these, there were forwarded as decorative 

 material bunches of coco-nuts, specimens of the Turk's Cap 

 cactus (Mdo'-artus com.inmis) and palms. It was hoped to 

 forward samples of sugarcane by the nest steamer. Views 

 of the islands were included in the shape of a framei 

 collection of post cards, made by Mr. A. M. Losada. 



Camphor in India's Wettest District.— The 



following is reproduced from the Stutesnuoi of April 19, 

 1912, in the May number of the Tropical Agriculturist. It 

 is of interest in relation to former article.^, dealing with cam- 

 phor, in the Aqricultmal Newi (see page 229 of this 

 volume): — 



'The camphor trees planted in the f Jovernment Farm at 

 AVahjian below the plateau of Clierrapunji, have now reached 

 a stage fit for cutting for distribution, and experiments were 

 started in May last. A small still, modelled on those used 

 in ( 'eylon, was constructed at a cost of Rs. 80. In the first 

 trial distillation, 3.") ft>. of twists and leaves yielded 1| oz. of 

 crude camphor. Of experiments in propagating the camphor 

 trees by root cuttings and layerings, out of thirtj- root 

 cuttings put down at the commencement of the rains, 

 twenty have succeeded, and out of fifty layers ten faavft 

 proved successful.' 



International Rubber Congress and Exhibition, 

 1914. — A circular has been issued drawing attention 

 to the fact that an International Itubber Congress and I'^xhibi- 

 tion will be held at Batavia in April 1914. 



The (Jongress and Exhibition will be org^inized by the 

 Netherlands Indies Agriculture Syndicate ('Xederlandscli- 

 Indisch Landbouw-Syndicaaf), which also brought about the 

 very successful Fibre Congress and Exhibition at Scurabaya 

 in 1911. Both Congress and Exhibition have the su[iport 

 of the Government of the Netherlands East Indies and 

 many influential persons, commercial bodies and estates. 



His Excellency the Governor General of the Netherlands 

 East Indies has consented to become Honorary President of 

 the Congress and Exhibition A complete detailed pro- 

 gramme of the Congress and the Exhibition will shortly be 

 published and distributed on a large scale in all countries of 

 the world. 



At this moment we can, however, state that both the 

 Congress and the Exhibition wilt deal with all matters con- 

 cerning rubber production and the preparation of the crude 

 product, in the broadest sense of the wcrd, and that the pro- 

 duction and preparation of balata, Jelutong, and gutta-percha 

 will also be given attention. (The India Rubber Journal, 

 May 25, 1912.) 



Care in Storing Calcium Cyanamide.— The 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries desire to draw th& 

 attention of agriculturists to the need for precaution in 

 storing calcium cyanaraide on farms. Calcium cyanamide 

 contains calcium carbide in varying proportions, and the 

 latter gives rise to an explosive gas, acetylene. E.Kperiments 

 carried out by the Board of Trade showed that, in the case 

 of the particular samples investigated, 1 ton of calcium 

 cyanamide in dry air rendered 36 cubic feet, or in moist air 

 61 cubic feet of air, explosive in twenty-fcur hours. From 

 this it appears that there is some possil'ility of danger ia 

 storirig the calcium cyanamide in damp, unventilated sheds, 

 cellars, etc., and dry, well ventilated conditions should 

 prevail in places selected for the storage of this manure. If 

 the material is actually wetted when in store it becomes 

 a source of considerable danger. Further, it is most impor- 

 tant that the cyanamide should be kept drj- iri view of the- 

 fact that moisture may induce chemical changes which would 

 probably cause the material to deteriorate in value a* 

 a manure. (The Journal o'' t/f Board of Aarindture, 

 July 1912.) 



