74 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July i, 1884. 



writer endeavours to show that the place offers natural 

 facilities for more extensive commercial enterprise. 



It is somewhat discouraging to find that a fair amount 

 of capital is indispensable to the successful colonist ; and as 

 £Iiha» seems the lowest estimate, a new field of energy is 

 offered rather to the experienced cultivator than to a young 

 man seeking to advance his fortunes in an unexplored and 

 rising country. 



It appears, however, that British Honduras has a special 

 opening not only for sugar plantations, cacao and coffee, 

 but for the smaller industries connected with fruit and 

 vegetables. 



The most interesting plant found wild in the forests is 

 the indiarubber tree, the GastUloo dastica. 



The original supplies of indiarubber are likely at no dis- 

 tant date to fall short of the demand ; anil as this tree is 

 most abundant throughout the colony, great hopes may be 

 expected from its cultivation. 



The mode of extraction and preparation are detailed at 

 length; and Mr. Morris, adopting the favourable opinion of 

 Mr. Clements Markham, considers that this Central American 

 rubber is well worthy of attention. The authorities of Kew 

 have procured various rubber seeds and plants, and dis- 

 tributed them far and wide for the purpose of establishing 

 them under cultivation; many cannot be easily cultivated 

 under ordinary circumstances. The castilloa tree offers all 

 round the most advantages, as it strikes its roots far into 

 the ground without exhausting the surface soil; it grows 

 with wonderful rapidity, soon forming a handsome shade 

 tree; and lastly it gives a return in rubber within eight or 

 ten years, while most other trees do not mature for some 

 twenty or thirty years. 



Amongst the economic plants meutioned are the vanilla, 

 indigo, arnatto aud the guaco ; the last known to us as a 

 febrifuge and anthelmintic, and possessing a local reput- 

 ation as a supreme antidote against serpent's bites. 



The larger industries, such as the fibre-producing plants, 

 tin -;ugar cane ami others, hardly concern the pharmacist, 

 but the description of nutmegs, pimento, cinnamon, carda- 

 moms and spices generally, from an economic point of view 

 will repay perusal. 



The system of cash payment, as specially "risible in the 

 fruit trade, has given an entirely new impetus to commerce. 

 The planter was formerly in the hands of an agent; now 

 he can choose his own market, and secure immediate 

 ■•us. 

 Intending settlers are advised to gain practical expi 

 from an established colonisl venturing on their 



own account, and to trust to commercial undertakings, is 

 there are no salaried appointments in British Honduras. 



The book is a careful record of the commercial cap- 

 abilities of the colony, founded upon personal investi 

 — Pharmaceutical Journal. 



EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MANUAL APPLICATIONS 

 UPON THE GROWTH OF FRUIT TREES. 



It is hardly possible, says Trof. Tenhallow,* to gain a 

 thorough insight into the cause of growth or of the i 

 of plants unless we have fir*t collected accurate data con- 

 cerning the laws of nutrition and the effect of special food 

 elements in different chemical combinations upon the growth 

 of particular species and varieties; and it is thus certain 

 that we cannot hope to discover the mean- of correcting 

 or preventing an abnormal condition until such data are 

 obtained. 



Plants belonging to the same family necessarily present 

 well-defined physiological peculiarities which are common 

 to all, and to this extent they would require similarity of 

 treatment, but in individual cases we discern a more or less 

 strongly marked departure from these general laws, which 

 requires a different course of treatment for each member 

 of the family. While this is stated to be true in the highest 

 sense between the various genera, it is also true, though 

 perhaps in a less degree, with regard to different species 

 or even varieties. 



Considerations of this nature led Professor Tenhallow to 

 see the importance of a systematic course of treatment, 

 by means of which the special action of different plant- 



* Abridged from Professor D. P. Penhallow's report of the 

 experimental farm at Houghton, New York. 



fools might be noted as affecting different species aud 

 varieties of fruits when applied under the ordinary con- 

 ditions of fi« Id cultivation. For this purpose it was decided 

 to establish an orchard, into which should be introduced 

 varieties of fruit trees and Vines for experimental treatment, 

 and it was further designed that the subjects should be 

 selected (1) so as to include at least one of all the larger 

 fruits; (2) on account of the special value of the fruit; 

 (8) from its liability to disease; and (-Ij on general con- 

 sideration. 



With these guiding ideas in mind, the following trees 

 were selected: — Quinces, Grapes, Peaches. Apples, Pears, 

 Plums, and Cherries. 



The 111 nurial applications were arranged as under: — 

 No. 1. M'ithout manure. 

 No. -. Farmyard dung. 



No. 3. t 'hloride of potassium, dissolved bone and kieserite 

 (sulphate of magnesia, 55"6 per cent). 



No. 4. Nitrate of potash, dissolved bone, and kieserite. 

 No. 5. Nitrate of soda, dissolved bone, and kieserite. 

 No. 6. Sulphate of potash, dissolved bone, and kieserite. 

 Professor Penhallow says, although the experiments are 

 of such short duration, yet the trees developed some strik- 

 ing differences under the various treatments, which he con- 

 sidered largely due to the direct results of the applications 

 made. 



It is first noted, that between the manured and the 

 unmanured trees there was a marked distinction of luxuriance 

 of growth, which was in excess in the former in almost 

 every case; aud unquestionably the result of proper food 

 being present in considerable quantity, and available to the 

 plant. Again, as between the trees treated with nitrogenous 

 and purely inorganic manures, the former showed a markedly 

 greater luxuriance of foliage and richer colour. In the 

 case of the trees treated with stable dung, the whole growth 

 in several cases was more luxuriant than in those treated 

 with mineral fertilisers. 



With regard to the general effects of manures on vegetation 

 Messrs. Lawes ,V: Gilbert aptly remark that "The general 

 tendency of nitrogenous manures is to favour luxuriant aud 

 continuous growth, as distinguished from arrest and con- 

 solidation of that already formed; whilst that of mineral 

 manures is to favour consolidation rather than luxuriance. 

 Or. to put it in another way, a characteristic effect ot 

 nitrogenous manures is to favour the extension of foliage, and 

 give it a depth of colour, whereas that of mineral manures 

 is to aid stem formation and the production of seed. In 

 I relative excess of nitrogenous supply favours the 



extended growth of .the organs of vegetation, prolongs their 

 development, it may be, until the resources of the plant 

 are exhausted, or the season past. On the other hand, a 

 relative excels of mineral manures may bring on premature 

 ripening. It is the proper adaptation of the two descriptions 

 of supply to the current requirements of the plant, and 

 of the season, that gives both full, properly proportioned, 

 and well-matured growth- 



Again. the excessively dark green colour of vegetation 

 is indicative of a high percentage of nitrogen, an abundant 

 formation of chlorophyll, but deficient carbon-assimilation, 

 due to a deficiency of certain mineral constituents relatively 

 to the amount of nitrogen taken up. In fact, there is. so 

 far as the nitrogen available and the chlorophyll formed 

 are concerned, so to speak, potential, but not actual growth. 

 1 ide. 



OLIVE OIL AND ITS PRODUCTION. 

 The following particulars with regard to the production of 

 olive oil in Tuscany have been furnished to Mr. Consul 

 Inglis bv one of the principal exporters in Leghorn: — 



The olive oil produced in Tuscany from the first pressing 



of the fruit is intended for consumption as an article of food. 



Hence, great attention is paid both to the culture of the 



tree and the process of making oil. 



The olive crop is subject to many vicissitudes, and is an 



uncertain one. It may be taken as a rule that a good crop 



S lot occur more frequently than once in three years. A 



(roughtin summer may cause the greater part 



of the small fruit to fall off the trees. A warm and wet 



autumn will subject the fruit to the ravages of a maggot or 



worm, which eats its way into it. Fruit thus injured falls 



to the ground prematurely, and the oil made from it is of 



