Vol, XI. No. 269. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



271 



EUTYPE ERUMPENs. This fungus has been responsible for 

 t'.ie death of evergreen trees (Ficiis ^ip.) in Trinidad, Barba 

 dos, and recently Grenada. As the trees die, large black patches 

 of a hard, charcoal-like substance burst through the bark on 

 the trunk, main branches and exposed portions of the roots. 

 (See Agricultural yeivs, Vol. VIII, p G2.) These patches 

 may be as much as 6 inches or more in diameter Fig. 7 

 shows similar patches formed by E. caulii'cn-a on the stem of 

 a Hevea rubber tree, in the Straits: it is reproduced from 

 the Kew Bulletin, 1910, p. 25). 



Inside the black crust are numerous small perithecia 

 provided with long necks that open on to its surface. Large 

 numbers of unicellular smoky spores are formed in the peri- 

 thecia and are extruded through the necks. The fungus is 

 probably a wound parasite. It does not kill the tree rapidly; 

 and as it is entirely confined to the inner tissues, its presence 

 is not apparent until the hard, black plates are formed as the 

 tree is dead or dying. Probably if dying limbs were removed 

 from evergreen trees as they make their appearance, some 

 trees might be saved, but where infection is in the trunk 

 itself, perhaps near the ground level, nothing much can be 

 done. Dead trees should be removed and burned as soon as 

 the black plates appear. Besides evergreens, nutmegs and 

 cacao are sometimes attacked, while the fungus can appar- 

 ently live as a saprophyte on dead stumps, for a species — 

 probably this — was found in St. Lucia on the stumps of 

 a cacao tree killed by root disease. 



PQNTUMIA IN DOMINICA. 



A conimunioation has been received from the Curator of 

 the Botanic Gardens, Dominica, which pres'-nts the results 

 of the tapping of eight year-old trees of Ftmlumia elastica 

 on two estates in Dominica, during the second week in 

 April 1911. 



In one case, there were sixteen trees with an average 

 measurement at the base of 2"2'3 inches, and at 3 feet from 

 the giound of 19*7 inche.*, which yielded 17 oz. of cured 

 rubber. In tlie other ca.se. tlie number of trees was eight, 

 with a base measurement of 24 inches, and 3 feet from the 

 ground of 218 inches; these yielded 9 oz. of cured rubber. 

 It is seen that in each case the yield obtained was slightly 

 over 1 oz. per t.-ee. 



Tlie methods employed were thoroughly to tap the trees 

 on the herring-bone .system, and to coaL;u'ate the latex by 

 boiling. In a subsequent tapping conducted fourteen weeks 

 later, a very small amount of latex wasobtained. 



A sample of rubber prepared from F. dasfica in 

 Dominica has been analyzed at the Government Laboratory, 

 Antigua, and gave the following results: — 



Sample as received, Dry rubber, 



per cent. per cent. 



Moisture 5-6 



Caoutchouc S2'.'< S7'2 



Eesin 11-7 12 4 



Protein 04 04 



Insoluble matter 00 



Ash 



0-5 



05 



TURMERIC. 



This plant [Curcuma longa] which is indigenotis to 

 many hot countries, is in general cultivation throughout the 

 Eastern Tropics, and is in large use by the natives of the 

 islands of the Pacific. The virtue of the plant, for all the 

 various purposes to which its product is put, lies in the 

 mature tubers. These vary a good deal in size as well as 

 form, according to species, the prevailing shape being oblong; 

 but in colour they are all more or less of a grey or greenish- 

 j'ellow externally, and of an orange yellow inside. 



The chief use, probably, to which this product is put in 

 the economy of the arts is as a condiment and a colouring 

 matter in culinary preparations. Its use as an ingredient 

 of curry powder is well known, and to the presence of 

 turmeric is probably due much of the wholesomeness of 

 curries. Its remaining uses aie in the monufacture of 

 yellow varnishe.s, and, in the form of turmeric paper, as 

 a chemical test for the presence of alkalis, which change its 

 yellow colour to a reddish-brown. 



The cultivation of turmeric is as simple as, and much 

 resembles, that of ginger. It likes a rich and light soil, and 

 is planted, in the form of fragments of the roots, in rows 

 1 foot or more apart. Others plant in beds 3 feet wide, 

 with furrows intervening 12 to 18 inches apart, or in drills 

 8 inches apart. After the land is well prepared by digging, 

 a layer of fresh vegetable or animal manure is laid on the 

 surface, and the 'roots' then dibbled in. When the plants 

 are about 8 inches high they should be earthed up to keep 

 the young formed tubers well covered, and they then require 

 little further attention until fit for harvesting in the cold 

 season. The tubers mature in about six months: but are fit 

 for use, fresh, in three months or less. 



An acre properly cultivated will yield about 2,000 B). 

 of fresh roots. The tubers should be dug as soon as the 

 stems fade. They are prepared for market by drying in the 

 sun, being previously scalded to assist in destroying their 

 vitality. (T\iQ Queensland A<jricultural Journal, June 1912.) 



The report on the prcduct stated: 'the rubber was very 

 elastic and tenacious, and free from tackiness. When dried 

 it showed a good light-brown colour.' 



During 1911, interesting experiments were carried out 

 at the Nantwich and Acton Grammar School with the object 

 of ascertaining if seed for sowing could be made distasteful 

 to birds. For the purpose, rye seed was treated in the 

 following different ways: ( I ) rubbed in red lead; (2) soaked 

 in a 10-per cent, solution of bluestone (copper sulphate); 

 (3) soaked in kerosene. Other seed received no treatment, 

 and was left as a control. After the seeds were .sown, part of 

 each lot was protected from birds by means of black thread. 

 In the result, it was shown that the treatment afl:"orded little 

 or no protection, for the rye under the black thread came up 

 well, whereas few plants were obtained where no threads 

 were used. Another test, employing oats soaked in bitter 

 aloes had already shown that this treatment is useless for 

 the purpose. 



