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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [February i, 188$. 



AGRICULTURE ON THE CONTINENT OF EUEOPE, 



(Special Letter.) 



Paris, January 10. 



The relative cheapness of sugar has drawn attention to 

 its importance iu the raw state for feeding purposes. Ger- 

 many has taken the lead in this innovation, and France 

 is preparing to follow suit. We have very little exact 

 knowledge as to the action and influence of sugar on the 

 health of stock anil the production of milk. It ought to 

 be favorable to the growth of animals and their fatting. 



Professor Viollette has, siuce 30 years, conducted ex- 

 periments to test the comparative value of beets for sugar 

 production. He alludes to the fact that fashion some- 

 times leans to one colour, and then to another; thus, 

 from 1850 to 1859, the white-skinned root was alone in 

 favour; from I860 to 1874, the rose-coloured; now opinion 

 inclines to both. The Professor lays down that the colour 

 has nothing at all to do with the saccharine richness of 

 the root, its purity of juice, or the yield per acre. It is 

 the "flesh "of the root which decides. The best sugar beet 

 has the flesh hard, the skin reddish, the crown very 

 broad, covered with numerous leaves; the root very taper- 

 ing, penetrating propoi'ndly into the soil, and not pro- 

 truding out of it. The tapering, deep-striking root not 

 only produces the richest juice, but the latter is especi- 

 ally pure. Hut such a root requires land very rich, deeply 

 prepared, well supplied with humus, and suitable manures. 



The yield of beet has this year suffered in France from 

 the presence of nematode.*, insects of an eel-like character,, 

 about the 3-10ths of the thousandth part of an inch in 

 size ; they attack the rootlets, and, having pierced the skiu, 

 fix their suckers and live on the sap. In time a small 

 sac or bulb appears, of a lemon shape, filled with eggs, 

 and these bulbs are so numerous as to resemble a row of 

 beads. The parasites have been found attached to the 

 rootlets at the depth of 39 inches. "When the crop is 

 attacked, the leaves of the beet fade, grow yellow, and 

 seem pricked with red spots, which soon become black 

 and fall on the soil ; this explains why in September the 

 field displays bald patches, as if the wire worm had been 

 at work. Changing the culture, allowing the field to lie in 

 fallow, or closing the soil with sulphuret of carbon, has 

 been found efficacious. The disease, though only known in 

 France this year, has been recognized in Germany and 

 Belgium since some time. The parasite is difficult to ex- 

 tirpate, as it exists without difficulty on wild mustard, 

 cabbage, and indeed all crueiferie. 



Crows dislike the smell of gunpowder; they are a nuisance 

 at seed-time, and many means have been adopted to get 

 rid of them. John Knox affirmed that the best way to 

 get rid of rooks was to destroy their nests, say in the 

 month of May. A farmer at Brie has invented a mitraill- 

 eiift to frighten away crows from some fields ; it costs 

 100 fr., and is worked by a cistern of water and a water- 

 ing cock, which, on a see-saw principle, raises at fixed 

 intervals a hammer which falls on an anvil, fed with deton- 

 ating powder, and so produces a succession of explosions. 



STRAWBERRY CULTURE IN INDIA. 



HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS BY AN EXPEftT. 



{R' • printed from the " Times of India' 1 ) 

 It is generally supposed that the Strawberry cannot be 

 cultivated in India; some say it may succeed in the hills 

 but not in the plains, and decidedly not in the Concau. 

 The matter is, however, now placed beyond dispute by the 

 success of the recent experiment as the Thana Jail Gardens 

 under the able superintendence of Mr. S. S. Smith. That 

 the climate of places, under the influence of the tropical 

 monsoons and heavy rains, is not so suitable for the Straw- 

 berry plant as the temperate zone and places beyond such 

 influence, must be admitted. But everywhere, even in 

 Britain, the improved species require the care and experi- 

 ence of a skilled gardener. It is therefore necessary that 

 any amateur or native gardener, before he can hope to 

 attain success, should study and make himself acquainted 

 with the routine of his culture generally, its specialities 

 and requirements, in this climate in particular ; and when 

 these are acquired, and put into practice with «iligence 

 and perseverance, his labour will be amply rewarded. 



It is necessary, in the first place, to guard against 

 water lodging in the parts technically termed the " eye," 



" crown," and " head " by gardeners. The eye is the centra 

 of the bud, and it is when the bud is opening to devel- 

 ope the flowering and fruiting parts that the plant is most 

 sensitive to injury from water. The crown is the nest of 

 buds, and their seat or foundation, from which the roots 

 descend ; the head constitutes the whole of the plant 

 above ground, including foliage, &c. It has no body ; hence 

 the necessity of raised and rounded beds and of keeping 

 the plants well above the ground. Soil of a close texture 

 or nature, and consolidation in planting, are also essential 

 requirements. 



Botanically, the plant is thus described : — " Fragaria 

 Strawberry, Natural order Rosacea?, Tribe Dryadeaa, Lin- 

 neon arrangement, Icosandria Polygnia, Class XII, Order 

 3, Herbaceous evergreen, perennial. Fragaria, from fra- 

 grans, perfumed fruit. This fruit is universally grateful, 

 alone, or with cream, sugar or wine ; and has the property 

 so valuable for acid stomachs, of not undergoing the 

 acetous fermentation. The strawberry is not only a valu- 

 able and easily cultivated outdoor fruit, but forces well, 

 and with a little trouble in choosing a succession of sorts, 

 they may be hail at the dessert every month of the year, 

 though during the three winter months they are without 

 flavour. In cultivating the Strawberry an open situation 

 and rich loamy soil, rather strong, is required for most 

 varieties ; and from their large mass of foliage and flowers, 

 they must, till the fruit is set, have copious supplies of 

 water. The row culture is most convenient, and frequent 

 renewal insures vigorous plants and large fruit." — Iwudon's 

 Encyclopedia of Plants. 



Three species come from hot climates, viz., Surinam, 

 Chili, S. A., and India. The Indian species is ornamental, 

 bearing yellow flowers. The successful culture of these 

 foreign species in England, and the well known fact of 

 the Strawberry forcing well, are sufficient data for any 

 professionally trained gardener to act upon; and the ad- 

 ditional data, herein given, are conclusive as to its culture 

 in India. 



The piece of ground selected for the Strawberry bed 

 should be dug two or three spits (2' or 3') deep, and 

 well-rotted manure should be incorporated throughout. 

 The best time for this operation in India is during a break 

 in the rains, but there is no objection to any other time. 

 If water is at command, to sol ten the ground, it will facil- 

 itate the work, if d6ue iu the dry season. As soon as the 

 rains are over, the beds should be prepared (if this has 

 not been previously done), and formed thus — 3' wide for 

 three rows, 4£' for four rows, and 6' for five rows (which 

 is the most suitable width on flat ground), as may be con- 

 venient or decided upon with reference to the amount of 

 rainfall and the nature of the soil as regards irrigation 

 and surface drainage. The alleys between the beds may 

 be 18" wide, and 2", 3", or 4" deep, iu relation to width 

 of beds, respectively, or may be contracted, if desirable, 

 to 15" or 12", and deepened proportionately. The beds 

 may be of any length required ; in form convex or raised 

 slightly in the centre by the soil from the alleys, that 

 water may not lodge on them in the rains; the plants 

 should be 18" apart longitudinally and should be planted 

 diagonally crosswise, and consolidated in planting, and the 

 surface of the bed should be firmed and smoothed with a 

 rake. Water with a rose watering-can or pot, irrigate by 

 filling the alleys, drain in the rains, by removing the bay 

 or bunds at the ends of them, sprinkle the plants every 

 evening during their growth in fine weather, but discon- 

 tinue this as soon as the flowers appear. 



Protectors or Guards will now be essential to prevent 

 depredation ; birds, flying-foxes, vermin and thieves, being 

 numerous by day and by night. Protectors are procurable 

 ready made at home, but here they would have to be 

 made. This can be done easily when or where octagonal 

 wire netting of i" or j" mesh is procurable. Hoops or 

 iron rods or split bamboos bowed over and fastened into 

 the ground, and running rods, or small wire, tied length- 

 ways, will complete the framework to which the netting 

 may be fastened. Over this again, shading material, such 

 as canvas, unbleached iongcloth or tift'auy may be strained 

 and tied, to protect the fruit from excessive sun heat 

 for 8 or 9 hours daily, and removed at night also to allow 

 the plants the benefit of a couple of hours sunshine, morn- 

 ing and evening. This is very beneficial, and during the 

 rains will protect the growing plants from heavy down- 



