ToL. XI. No. 269, 



THE AGRICULTURAL XEWS. 



265 



irermination was generally the same as that obtained 

 when the seeds were tested immediately after treat- 

 ment. When this was employed tor seeds that were 

 already old, there was very little improvement in 

 germination. 



Care is required in washing the seed lor the pur- 

 pose of removing the acid, as the seed coat is easily 

 injured in this part of the process. Washing should 

 not to be continued for a longer time than is necessary 

 for the complete removal of the acid: this is especially 

 true when the treatment has been continued long. 



The special inierest uf ihc matter I'xists in rela- 

 tion 10 the fact that, hs strong sulphuric acid has been 

 Used on the- large scale in the United States for delint- 

 inti cotton seed, it is important to know what effect the 

 treatment has in lelation lo the geniiinatioii ot the 

 seed. It will be sufficient to state the conclusion of 

 the matter shortly. When cotton is delinted in this 

 way, the rate of germinati'in is increased, the seed may 

 be separated more easily into light and heavy seed, 

 the possibility is brought about of using more improved 

 machinery in planting, and lastly it is probable that 

 anv anthiacnose spores on the seed are killed in the 

 process. Further, it appears that the conditions which 

 cause acceleration of germination are maintained when 

 the seed is dried and stored after treatment. 



this it is ready to pass into the spinning and weaving' 

 machinery, where it is made into the article for which 

 it is intended. 



It may be stated that a description of th'' 

 machines made by this firm is given in Coco-nuts. Th': 

 Consols of Ihe IC'ist, by H. H. Smith and F. A. • '. 

 Page, just issued. 



A Machine for Separating Coir. 



In the Ayriiitltural News, Vol. XI, p. 08, an 

 account was given of the way in which the fibre of the 

 coco-nut (coir) is separated from the husk in Ceylon. 

 According to the Pl'ilippine Agricultural Reviei'- 

 for May 191'2, several machines have been invented 

 lor the purpose, many of which are unsatisfactory.' It 

 Cjives a description, however, of one of the machines 

 which is stated to be the best; this is made by Messrs. 

 Larmuth & Co., Manchester, England. 



It consists actually of a series of machines driven 

 from one source of energy, and designed to deal with 

 every process — from the crushing of the partially 

 soaked husks to the final processes of weaving coir 

 mattings and luaking cordage. 



Described briefly, the apparatus is arranged as 

 follows. The husks are split into four parts, each of 

 which is fed separately to the crusher, where the fibre is 

 loosened from the cellular tissue that holds it together. 

 The husks that have been through the crusher are held 

 against the first scutch wheel, the two halves of each 

 piece being cleaned separately, and each piece being 

 passed through the wheel two to four times. The 

 succeeding stage is similar to the last, a wheel provided 

 with finer teeth, called the second scutch wheel, being 

 employed. 



The fibre then reaches the first card, where 

 it is cleaned and straightened, and then further 

 cleaned by passing through a machine consisting of 

 a revolving drum, where dust and other foi'eign matter 

 are eliminated. The preparation of the fibre for its 

 final treatment is conducted in a second card, and after 



Soil Bacteria and Evaporation. 



The results of experiments regarding this matter 

 are presented in Research Bulletin No. •2'\ of the 

 Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station. In sum- 

 marizing the infonuation given, the necessity is stated 

 for caution in interpreting the results, for the condi- 

 tions prevailing in the experiments could only imitate 

 approximately those obtaining in the field. They seem 

 to be sufficient to show that the movement of soil 

 water is not only dependent on gra\itation surface 

 tension, capillarity, temperature and vis';osity, and ori 

 the chemical and physical composition of the soil, but 

 upon the life -processes that aie taking place in it. 



Bacterial activities cause changes in the quantity 

 and quality of the substances dissolved in the soil watey.', 

 and these changes help to alter the distribution of the 

 water in the soil. 



This alteration in distribution is brought about 

 chiefly by changes in the surface tension of the soil 

 moisture, owing to bacterial activity, and the water 

 moves from plac(?s of lower tension to those of higher 

 tension, in accordance with the tendency to dis- 

 tribute itself uniformly throughout the soil. If in 

 the upper layers of the soil, soluble substances are 

 being produced, the surface tension of the water there 

 is increased, and water will travel upwards; if on the 

 other hand, substances are produced which cause 

 a reduction of surface tension (such as those originating'* 

 in the decomposition of certain proteids or carbonaceous 

 materials), they have the effect of bringing about a 

 movement of water away from the upper layers of 

 the soil. 



Another factor which undoubtedly increases the 

 surface tension is the production of carbon dioxide by 

 bacteria; this dissolves in the water and increases its 

 ability to dissolve other (mineral) substances, so that; 

 the surface tension is increased. 



The broad conclusion of the matter is presented 

 in the Bulletin as follows: 'In general then, it would 

 appear from the experiments that the soil bacteria and 

 their activities are factors which must be considered 

 when discussing the movement of soil water; not so 

 much because of the cells themselves a.3 because of the 

 by-products which they form and the subsequent! 

 inriuence of the same upon such factors as surface 

 tension, capillarity, viscosity, etc. of the soil moisture. 

 The biological feature of the soil apparently forms an 

 important contributory factor in determining the 

 movement of soil water.' 



