August i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUKIST, 



(2/ 



AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITS AT THE INVEN- 

 TIONS EXHIBITION. 



Messrs. E. Packard & Co., of Ipswich aiul London, show 

 under Group 14 the following : — 



Phosphoric acid, concentrated superphosphate of very 

 high quality, phosphates of soda, potash and ammonia 

 and other compounds manufactured under processes which 

 comprise the use of a particular form of mixiug apparatus 

 for dissolving phosphates; the mode of separating the 

 gypsum and solid mass from the liquid to phosphoric acid 

 by meaus of filteriui; presses, particularly wooden filtering 

 presses; the mode of concentrating phosphoric acid sol- 

 ution so ohtaiued ; and several other processes conuected 

 with the manufacture of superphosphate, &c. The chief 

 point of novelty is the practical and cheap method of 

 manufacturing phosphoric acid from whicli can be produced 

 superphosphate and other compounds of high couceutratiou, 

 and, if necessary, of great purity. 



Under Group 17 they exhibit: — 



(T) A number of samples of sugar manufactured in 

 Mauritius under the new process invented by Messrs. 

 leery. Bernard and Ehrmann. By this process a groat 

 economy is effected in the manufacture of cane sugar, 

 and the following are the advantages that this process 

 offers: — 1. Increased yield of suga^*. 2. — Improved quality 

 of sugar. 3. — Proportion of molasses reduced. 4. — Great 

 economy effectetl. 5. — Necessity for charcoal filters obviated. 

 6. — Superior clarification obtained. 7 — More time may be 

 employed in defecation. 8. — The evils of overtemperiug 

 comiteracted. 9. — The cost of the reagents recovered in 

 its value for manuring the next crop. 10. — Greater 

 proportion of first quality sugar produced. 



(■-') Various reagents used in the above process, including 

 a particular form of phosphoric acid to which the name 

 of " Ehrmaimite " has been given, and which is entirely 

 soluble in water and manufactured by the exhibitors 

 under patents invented by them. 



INSECTS ON ROSES. 



At this season, when rose shoots are young and tender, 

 they are very apt to be attacked by green fly and other 

 insects, which cover the points of the shoots and injure 

 or destroy the flower buds. I have known many roses, 

 especially in unfavourable situations, ruined by insects 

 when the shoots were young; the buds which formed never 

 opened properly. AN'hen insects are allowed to increase 

 and ovcrruu the shoots, imperfect development is sure 

 to happen, and no after-cleaning will rectify the damage. 

 The only way to succeed is to check them from the first, 

 and get them cleared as soon as possible. It may be no 

 easy matter to keep the plants perfectly clean, but all 

 who care to try may save their crop of flowers. Dryness 

 at the root will always cause insects to take possession ; 

 therefore roses thoroughly watered will stand a good 

 chance of escaping. Cold winds and general starvation of 

 root and branch will induce hosts of insects; and iu order 

 to reduce their numbers, the first thing to do is to 

 have the plants in a free-growing and healthy condition 

 at the root. Tobacco powder is excellent for clearing 

 insects off roses; aphiden cannot withstand it. It should 

 be put inside a fine muslin bag and dusted on the shoots 

 affected. If put on at night and syringed off in the 

 morning, nearly every insect will be washed off at the 

 same time. "When the shoots are dry, and much of the 

 powder is likely to fall to the ground or be blown off 

 as soon as put on, the best way is to damp the shoots 

 first and then put on the powder, which may thus be 

 made to stick. Soap suds, if applied by a syrinpe freelv, 

 will clear roses of most kfcids of insects, and nnc wine- 

 glassful of petroleum to a gallon of water and a small 

 piece of wa.shing soda, mixed up together, will take off 

 every living thing, but this must not be allowed to stay 

 long on the trees ; it shouM, indeed, be Hyrtng:^d off after 

 being on, say, five minutes. Evening is the best time to 

 do all this kind of work, and it should be done before the 

 buds are far advanced, or tlie crop of blooms may be 

 injured or lost. — Cambkian. — Field. 



IG 



EXPEPvIiMENTS IN AGRICULTURE. 



Dr. Home, writing in 1759, says " Agriculture does 

 not take its rise originally from reason, but from fact 

 and experience. It is a branch of natural philosophy, 

 and can only be improved from the knowledge of facts, 

 as they happen in nature. It is by attending to thesa 

 facts that the other branches of natural philosophy 

 have been so much advanced during these two last 

 ages. Medicine has attained its present perfection only 

 from the history of diseases and cases delivered dowu. 

 Chemistry is now reduced to a regular system by the 

 means of experiments made either by chance or desigu. 

 IJut where are the experiments in agriculture to answer 

 this purpose ? "When I look around for such, I can 

 fiuvl few or none." "Where are the experiments Y wo 

 repeat in these enlightened times. To experiments we 

 undoubtedly owe many of the improvements that have 

 been introduced. To experiments that have been car- 

 ried out by aid of the acquired knowledge of chemistry 

 we are indebted iu the largest degree. With further 

 study, and experiments I doubt not but that we shall 

 see " Agriculture " still further improveil from this one 

 motive power alone. Put when this is done, all will 

 not be accomplisheil. We have seen how Blythe sug- 

 gested that new species of produce, those uf foreign 

 growth, might be with advantage grown here. The 

 ascertaining that the foreign husbandman did grow 

 these cost money. For either actual observation was 

 made of the parts where they were grown, or knowledge 

 was acquired of the same from book learning. Today 

 we have as much need to find some new species of 

 produce as had the farmer who lived in the last cent- 

 ury ; aye, we have more. Establish your seminaries 

 with sufficient founds, and your teachers will make it 

 their business to discover the way that husbandmen in 

 other countries carry on their business, and will thus 

 be able to instruct the farmers of the futiu-e. I fear 

 that experiments made without the founding of semin- 

 aries are liable to be confined too much to the scienti- 

 fic class. — S. — Fiehl. 



ORANGE GROWING IN FLORIDA. 



Sir, — A friend at home in Londtm sends me the Fithl 

 weekly, and, having noticeil a good deal asked lately 

 about Florida in reference to orange culture, I take 

 the liberty to write you this letter. 1 came out here 

 thirteen months ago through the advice of a friend, 

 and threw up a very good berth at home to do so, 

 with the intention of following out my friend's advice, 

 and starting a 10-acre orange grove. As far as I have 

 gone, I am well satisfied with the results ; but my 

 expenses have been a groat dt-al heavier than I anticip- 

 ated, and one should take many things into consider- 

 ation before coming out here to make a grove. For the 

 first year it is very disheartening work, and a man 

 must have energy, patience, and pcrseTerance to succeed 

 in this undertaking. 



It is no good for young fellows to come out without 

 capital, say £3(X) or £400, to start a 10-acre grove of 

 600 trees, and they must not expect any return to 

 speak of for six years ; so they should have sufhcieut 

 means to keep themselves and a horse for a period. I 

 am making a grove on good pine land, but I should 

 advise those with the means to buy hammuck, which, 

 with the expense of clearing, costs nearly double the 

 amount in the first instance that pine land does. AVe 

 have not many settlers in this vicinity as yet. but the 

 few young groves round here cannot be beaten for the 

 time they have been set out. 



A good many young fellows from home go a little 

 further south tn settle, viz.. In Orlando and Orange 

 Oounty, where land is high, owing to its bfing more 

 settled up, and they get nearer town, anil have more 

 chances of spending their money ; but let me advise 

 those coming here with the idea of starting a grove 

 with a small cajutal to take n look round hero and 

 Orescent City. The latter place is six miles on the 

 main road from here, and is rapidly settling up. There 

 are several Englishmen, who are starting like myeelf, 



who would bo gl'^^i to K'vo Bouud advice to bc^ 99Ba&rs 



