Vol. XI. No. 276. 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



377 



■lonstantly stirred, under supervision. In this case it 

 has been found better to employ preparations that mix 

 unore freely with water, even though the expense is 

 greater; among these preparations are Cyllin, Chloro- 

 .Naphtholeuni, and Sanitas-( )kol. 



Silkworm Rearing in Yucatan. 



In the Nachrirhten j'Hr Handel (Beflin) for 

 iSepteniber 27, 1912, the statement is made, on the 

 authority of the German Consul at Jfexico City, that 

 members of the Yucatan Chamber of Agriculture have 

 been recently making experiments in rearing silkworms, 

 and that the results of the work have been very 

 favourable. 



The eggs were imported from Europe, and they 

 produced vigorous caterpillars; it was proved possible 

 10 obtain four broods of the insect in a year. 



The trials have been made so far on a limited 

 ■scale, but it has been decided to conduct more extensive 

 planting of the mulberry tree, particularly as this plant 

 grows well under the conditions. 



Ig will be remembered that the mulberry tree 

 ias been shown to Hourish in the West Indies, and 

 that seeds of the plant have been distributed by the 

 •Commissioner of Agriculture in various islands, where 

 seedlings are now being raised. (See Agriridtural 

 -tVeu-s, Vol. XI, p. 239.) 



The Feeding Value of Sawdust. 



In an abstract of a recent paper giving an account 

 of investigations of this matter, contained in the Jour- 

 nal of tke Board of Agriculture for October 1912, it 

 is stated that reference is made in the original article 

 ■to feeding trials with stock, carried out by German 

 ■experimenters in 1890, and since, with sawdust, both 

 >crude and prepared in various ways; the results of 

 these trials showed that sawdust in any of the forms 

 possesses a very low feeding value. Attention is also 

 ■drawn to the fact that more recent experiments with 

 molasses mixed with sawdust showed not only that the 

 sawdust remained completely undigested, but that its 

 inclusion decreased the digestibility of the ration as 

 a whole. 



The experiments described ^in the paper were 

 ■carried out with crude sawdust and with sawdust 

 treated with sulphuric acid under pressure. Past 

 ■experience with the crude substance was repeated: 

 mone was digested, and its use caused the other foods 

 in the ration to be less digestible. The prepareil saw- 

 dust added to the digestibility ia one way by convert- 

 ing some of the crude fibre in the food into easily 

 soluble and assimilable carbohydrates (chiefly dextrose); 

 the prepared sawdust itself, however, not only remained 

 ' ^indigested, as far as its protein and unchanged fibre were 

 "concerned, but decreased the digestibility of such of 

 Uhese substances as were present in the other foods of 

 fche ration No better success waa obtained by mixing 

 ithe prepared sawdust with molasses. 



'It is concluded that sawdust, either treated or 

 -■intreated, is not at all a suitable substance with which 

 to mix molasses.' 



Ostrich Meat as Human Food. 



Attention is drawn in the Journal d' Agriculture 

 Tropicale tor .September 30, 1912, to the fact that 

 ostrich farmers in South Africa are occupied with the 

 question of utilizing as food ostriches which are useless 

 for the production of feathers, as such birds naturally 

 constitute a loss; and a suggestion is much wanted as 

 to ways in which they may be profitably exploited. 



It is said that dried ostrich meat has the appear- 

 ance of the flesh of the chamois and that it may become 

 as strongly esteemed as this. The suggestion is made 

 that experiments might be made under French auspices 

 in Madagascar: but the question is naively asked as to 

 the way in which the bird should be served. In 

 the same manner, it is stated that the use of the ostrich 

 in this way is not a matter of impossibility, since some 

 time ago the camel as an article of food had a certain 

 amount of vogue in Paris. 



Some of the Work of the Egryptian Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



A short note on the activities of the newly created 

 Department of Agriculture in Kgypt is given in Diplo- 

 matic and Consular Reports, No. 493<S Annual Series. 

 Among the matters mentioned are improved methods 

 of cultivation, particularly for cotton, and in the same 

 connexion, the selection, control and distribution of seed 

 and the prevention of damage by insect pests. Con- 

 sideration is also being given to the requireinents of 

 cotton consumers. 



Regarding this crop again, the Department is giv- 

 ing special attention to small holders, which constitute 

 by far the largest proportion of the landed proprietors 

 in Egypt. This is a matter of particular importance 

 us it has been proved that it is through these small 

 holders that the deterioration in the quality of Egyp- 

 tian cotton has been increasing year by year. 



Among new crops or varieties of crops that are 

 being tried for the purpose of finding their usefulness 

 in Egypt, there are included new kinds of sugar-cane, 

 the soy bean and several other crops. For the purpose 

 of dealing with scale insects on orange and other fruib 

 trees, the cyanide tent process has been introduced. 



The poultry industry of Egypt has been much 

 neglected, so that the appointment has been made of an 

 experienced Director to organize an experimental 

 poultry-breeding station. 



A matter of some particular interest for the West 

 Indies is that various in.sect and fungus enemies of the 

 cotton worm are being introduced into Egypt, and 

 legislation has been framed for the purpose of protect- 

 ing the existing enemies of the cotton worm and of 

 other pests. 



Attention is called by the Director General of the 

 Department of Agriculture to the demand for a cheap 

 and effective steam plough for use on the larger estates, 

 and for inexpensive soil levellers needed chiefly in 

 Upper Egypt. 



The Agricultural Department is publishing Agri- 

 cultural Circulars and Agricultural Notes and au 

 Agricultural Journal of Egypt. 



