Vol. IV. No. 82. 



THE AGEICULTUEAL NEWS. 



165 



COTTON SEED PRODUCTS: By Leebert Lloyd 

 Lamborn, B.S. New York : D. van Nosiraiid Co. London : 

 Arddhald Constable & Co. 



This book is one of a very comprehensive character, 

 supplying, as the author states in the preface, a treatise on 

 the subject of cotton seed which should deal not only with 

 the extraction of the oil from the seed, but with the utiliza- 

 tion of the products of the seed itself. 



The first part of the work treats in great detail the 

 subject of oil extraction from the cotton seed. An interesting 

 historical account is given, informing us that the first seed 

 for oil extraction was sent to England from the West Indies 

 in 1783. All the processes of oil extraction and refining are 

 clearly given ; great interest is attached to the refining, and 

 every detail, which will enable the finest oil to be placed on 

 the market, will be found in this volume. 



No less attention is given to the other products of the 

 seed; every i)art is shown to be of value. The preparation of 

 cotton seed oil cake and meal, the treatment and uses of the 

 hulls, and the utilization of the waste products obtained 

 during the oil-refining process are dealt \\ith. 



A chapter is devoted to the preparation of oleoma-rgarine 

 and lard compounds, and another to the manufacturing of 

 soap and soap powder, giving details of the use of the refined 

 oil and the waste from the refining room in the preparation of 

 these substances. The value of cotton seed and cotton seed 

 meal for food and fertilizing purposes is clearly brought out. 

 The last chapter is one giving rules for governing market 

 transactions in cotton seed products. 



One interesting feature of this book is the classification 

 of the dift'erent products ; all the characters which determine 

 the qualities of the different substances are given, thus 

 enabling the manufacturer to know what he should aim at 

 and what he should avoid when producing for the market. 

 Another feature which will make the book a valuable one 

 is the information given on the defects of the different 

 products, pointing out the probable causes and remedies. 



Although it may be questioned whether the author is 

 justified in bringing such a mass of information together in 

 one volume, for the detailed character of the work is such 

 that only portions can be of interest to any particular 

 individual, yet this is certainly a book which will be most 

 valuable to those interested in the extraction of cotton seed 

 oil, and in the preparation of cotton seed cake and meal. 



Plant Nurseries in St. Vincent. Nurseries for 

 the raising of cacao seedlings have been started on some of 

 the estates acquired in St. Vincent for the Land Settlement 

 Scheme. Large numbers of cacao and other permanent 

 economic seedlings have been planted out on the allotments, 

 since the estates were acquired. Up to the present the 

 seedlings been have supplied from the Botanic Station. The 

 present arrangement will avoid the diflioulties and dangers 

 of transport, which, in some cases, are considerable. The 

 first nursery was started in February on the Cumberland 

 Valley estate. 



SCIENCE NOTE. 



The Meaning of Spines on Plants. 



A recent issue of the Neiu Fhijtolufjist (Vol. IV, 

 p. 79) contains a paper by Dr. L. Ccckayne on the 

 'Significance of spines in Discaria 'foumatou.' In this 

 paper, the author describes experiments bearing on the 

 biological meaning of the spines. It is well known 

 that many desert (xerophytic) plants are characterized 

 by possessing hard, sharp spines or prickles, which a^e 

 usually regarded as adaptations for protection against 

 grazing animals. The following are extracts from this 

 paper : — 



Discaria Toumatou, the ' Wild Irishman ' of the 

 Colonists, is a common New Zealand xerophytic shrub, or 

 occasionally a small tree, chiefly remarkable for being 

 abundantly furnished with rather long and very pungent 

 spines, which are in fact shoots of limited growth capable of 

 assimilating carbon dioxide. The characteristic stations of 

 this plant are: stable sand-dunes; stony plains, river-beds, 

 and terraces ; dry, frequently clayey hill-sides, and slopes of 

 stony debris, or even rock-faces. In some places, the plants 

 are isolated ; in others they form dense thickets, unpleasant 

 to penetrate. The terete spines are arranged decussately at 

 distances of about 2 cm. and measure 2 cm. to 3 era. in 

 length and 1 mm. to 1'5 mm. in diameter. 



The early seedling form is C|uite without spines, being 

 an erect, leafy plant. After attaining a height of several 

 centimetres, probably varying considerably according to 

 environment, spines commence to be developed from the 

 axils of the leaves as in the adult, and the plant thenceforth 

 becomes by degrees comparatively leafless and very spinous. 

 The juvenile leaves are very similar to those of the adult, 

 but are thinner and the earliest leaves are toothed. 



Two such seedlings artificially raised from seed in 

 a greenhouse, after developing one or two spines, were 

 placed by me more than three years ago in a glass case, so 

 constructed as to keep the inside atmosphere constantly 

 saturated with moisture, in order to see if the plants would 

 continue to produce spines; i.e., if this artificial environment 

 would inhibit the formation of spines. The conditions 

 provided would not only expose the plants to most air, but 

 the light would be considerably more feeble than that of the 

 normal stations of the Discaria. Such conditions, indeed, 

 would be those of a rain-forest interior rather than of a plain 

 or hill-side in the oi)en, however wet the climate. 



After being placed in the moist chamber, the plants 

 developed no more spines and are now seedling plants in all 

 respects except for the few spines, which were developed 

 prior to the culture in moist air. Moreover, it seems evident 

 that such plants would remain in the seedling form so long 

 as they were kept in an atmosphere constantly moist and 

 exposed to a feeble light. 



That spines on xerophytic plants are an adaptation 

 against the attacks of grazing animals is a matter of such 

 general belief as to be admitted into certain botanical text- 

 books as a proved fact. 



It seems, however, to me that my experiment, detailed 

 above, is a fairly crucial case, and that in Discaria Toumatou, 

 at any rate, the spines are a direct response to conditions of 

 dryness, and function as a special contrivance for checking 

 transpiration. If so, then they have nothing to do primarily 

 with attacks of grazing animals, especially when it is borne 

 in mind that New Zealand never contained such, excepting 

 the various species of Moa. 



