Vol. XI. No. 272. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



311 



The purchases for the jiresent season to date amount to 

 2,264 bales as compared with about 500 bales for the whole 

 of the previous season 



The purchases of cotton in Lagos to the end of July 

 amount to 8,643 bales, as compared with 5,129 bales for the 

 same period of last jear, and 5,228 bales for 1910. The 

 jiurchases for the month of August are not yet to hand. 



nyj^salanh. Owing lo tlie ab.sence of rains the cro|i 

 on the Lower Kiver has been a failure this season, but the 

 reports of the crop in the highlands are most satisfactory, 

 and owing to the increased acreage planted under cotton it is 

 not anticipated that the total crop will fall short of that of 

 the [irevious year. 



uc.^NDA. Complaints have been received of the inward 

 dues charged by the Uganda Government on machinery, 

 buildings, ginning material, etc., imported into the country; 

 the charge amounts to about 10 per cent., and the opinion 

 was expressed that it was not a fair way of raising revenue 

 to put a tax on machinery, etc , which would ultimately be 

 the means of increasing the revenue of the country. 

 Representations had been made to the Colonial OHice, and it 

 is understood that the Governor is considering proposals to 

 reduce the road and wharfage dues on some classes of goods 

 including building material, machinery, etc. It was reported 

 that the Chairman (Mr. J. Arthur Hutton) had been invited 

 to attend a meeting at the Colf^nial Office to consider the 

 question of the expenditure of a portion of the (Jovernment 

 Loan of £500,000, for the improvement of roads in the 

 cotton-growing districts of Uganda, 



A financial statement with which the account 

 concludes shows that on September 5 the balance to 

 be raised, to complete the authorized capital of the 

 Association, was £2:^,127. 



COTTON EXPORTS FROM THE 



WEST INDIES. 



table gives the export of cotton from the 

 quarter ending June 30, 1912; — 



The following 

 AVest Indies for the 



Total 3,285 1,036,509 61,115 12 11 



All this cotton was sent to the United Kingdom. The 

 cotton exported was Sea Island in all cases save the following 

 (which are included in the figures given in the above table): 

 1,066 bales (319,587 tt).) valued at £10,652, 18s. Marie 

 Galante from Grenada: 136 bales (46,822 ft-,) valued at 

 £1,950 18ff. 4rf. Marie Galante from St. Vincent and 

 40 bales (8,674 fc.) valued at £.>40 ll.*. ,3(7. native and 

 stains from the Virgin Islands. 



THE MALE BAMBOO. 



The Commissioner of Agiiculture has been informed 

 recently by the Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Domini a 

 (Mr. J. Jones), of the flowering of a clump of the so-called 

 male bamboo (Di-ndroialamus stn'cti(s) in the Gardens, as 

 well as of that of a small clump in the grounds of Govern- 

 ment House; the latter was propagated several years ago 

 from a rhizume taken from the large plant in the Gardens 

 mentioned. 



The letter giving the information draws attention to the 

 fact that the Birtionar// of the Economir Proditcis of India 

 points out that the male bamboo sometimes produces flowers 

 on one or two culms (stems) in the clump; sometimes, 

 however, the entire clump produces seeds. It happens too, 

 in India, that large areas of the plant will flower at about 

 the same time. In any case, each culm dies after Howering, 

 but the rhizomes may throw up weak shoots in the foUowincr 

 year. 



As is pointed out, the matter is of some interest, as 

 Iramboos flower but rarely in the AVest Indies. In this 

 species, however, flowering only takes place when the plant 

 is twenty five to thirty years old, even in India. The age of 

 the plants in the Dominica Botanic Gardens is said to be 

 ab 'Ut thirty-eight 3 ears. 



Further interest attaches to the incident from the fact 

 that, while he was in Trinidad recently, the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture was informed (-lune 2.")) by Mr. W. G. Freeman, 

 the Assistant 1 )irector of Agriculture, that the male bamboc> 

 was flowering at ihe Koyal Botanic Gardens in that island. 



The main characteristic of the male bamboo is that 

 the stem tends to becorre almost, or more rarely com- 

 pletely, solid instead of remaining hollow between 

 the nodes like that of the ordinary bamboo. Turning to 

 the publication mentioned above, it is found that the 

 usual manner of artificial reproduction of the plant is by 

 means of seeds and by rhizomes with rootlets and portions of 

 the stems attached, and minute directions for this are given. 

 The plant flourishes best in a rich, light soil, having good 

 drainage and plenty of moisture. 



It is stated, further, that the fibre from the stem is 

 suitable for the manufacture of paper, for which purpose it is 

 not employed, however, on account of its value. The 

 siliceous matter (taba.shir) found near the joints in this and 

 most bamboos, as well as a decoction from the leaves, is 

 used as medicine in India. 'The leaves are eaten by- 

 buffaloes and are fairly good fodder for horses. Duthie 

 remark,^ that the foliage aftbrds abundant fodder for 

 elephants and Lisboa that the leaves are eaten by cattle. 

 The .seeds are eaten by men in times of famine.' The stem 

 has many u.ses in India: it is employed for making spear 

 handles, for all the requirements in building native houses, 

 and for basket work. A demand has existed in England 

 for the stems for employment as lance shafts and for use in 

 making fishing rods, but information is not available as to if 

 any want of the kind still exists. 



Towards the end of the matter yielding this information, 

 it is stated that the chief requisite in the bamboo needed 

 for these purposes is that the stem should be almost or 

 completely solid, and as the plants in diSerent areas vary in 

 this respect care would be required in selecting them. 'This 

 fact suggests an enquiry that would seem worthy of the 

 attention of persons who may have the opportunity of 

 following it out, viz., as to the peculiar climate, soil, and 

 exposure that is found to produce the more solid condition 

 of stem Possibly it may be found that, although belonging- 

 to the species D. stricins, there is a recognizable variety that 

 possesses the desired property.' 



