336 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Nov. 2, 1885. 



Is Cotton an American Plant? — Mr. Bourke, in 

 the Snake Dance of the Jfoquis of Arizona, p.244, 

 says : — " The Tunis weave the same Iihid of cotton 

 mantle, but do not grow the fibre, preferring to 

 buy this from the neighliouri^, the Mnquis, whose 

 fields, exposeil to warmer suns, have yielded the precious 

 bolls from generations long prior to the advent of 

 the Spaniards." He also (p. 241) refers to Davis' 

 Conrjuest of New Mexico, p. 100, which speaks of the 

 inhabilants possessing " blankets of cotton." I always 

 understood that Cotton was an Old World plant 

 used on this side of the Atlantic centuries before 

 American was di.«covered, and that the first t'otton ever 

 sent from America to England was a little lot, the 

 fill of a woman's apron ; as that was approved of, 

 the next shipment was one bale from, I think. Sa- 

 vannah. But if Cotton was an Old World plant how 

 could it he u.sed in the New AYorld " centuries before 

 the advent of the Spaniards"?— J. E. Hay.— Gardeners 

 Chronicle. 



Cultivation in ALGEruA.— The cultivation of cereals 

 in Algeria is declining, in consequence of the irre- 

 gularity of the crops, due to the uncertainy of the 

 seasons. A series of good years, it is stated, is 

 often succeeded by droughts, when the agriculturist 

 hardly gathers in the amount of corn he has sown. 

 Oompetition abroad is so great that he cannot obtain 

 remunerative prices for his produce, and in some 

 places, where the land is best, the means of communic- 

 ation are so defective, that it will hardly pay the 

 Arab to take his grain to market. Near the sea the 

 production of early vegetables and fruit for the. 

 markets of Europe promises to be successful, but 

 beyond all doubt the great hope of Algeria is in the 

 A'ine. The gradual recovery of this plant from 

 Phylloxera iu the South of France will probably 

 prevent the colonists in Algeria from making as 

 rapid forrtunes as appeared probable when that scourge 

 fir.st commenced its ravages, but there is every chance 

 of the wine of Algeria commanding a remunerative 

 price both at home and abroad. There is no reason 

 why the European should not imitate the Kabyle, 

 who cultivates his small patch of mountain land with 

 care usually devoted to an orchard or market garden. 

 — Gardeners'' Chronicle. 



The Cincinnati Floods.— The dictum of the late 

 Charles Marsh that forests affect rainfall, long im- 

 plicity received, is being queried in many quaters, 

 and in none more emphatically than in the new issue 

 of the JoiirnnI of the S\'atnral Histori/ Socictj/ of Cin- 

 cinnati. The devastating floods of the Ohio of February 

 last have awakened scientific inquiry, as well as popu- 

 lar alarm. And it appears that they are but one of 

 a series, happening periodically since 1774. They have 

 been of greater frequency in later years; but it is 

 only when the river has reached a depth of fifty feet 

 or more that destruction to life and property has 

 supervened. Last year the river rose from a depth 

 of 15 feet in J.muary to that of 68 feet in February, 

 but it gradually subsided to i5 feet deep at the end 

 of that mouth. On fifteen occasions from 1770 on- 

 wards, there have been parallel sudden rises to such 

 a height as that mentioned above, and these have b5en 

 usually accompanied with signal destruction, human 

 and otherwise. Dr. Dun, the author of the paper, 

 treats his subject in miuute statistical detail. He has 

 further been indulging in European travel, during 

 which he has seen the great floods of the Khine and 

 Danube, as well as of the Po, in 1832, all occurring 

 iu conutriis where the strictest forest conservancy 

 prevails. He holils, then, that the mere planting of 

 the headlands of the Ohio would not prevent floods. 

 The Olio valley is the track of both warm aud cold 

 storms, one .setting coming from the Mexican Gulf, 

 the other from the North-West. Hence the .snows 

 and rains causing flood. Of course it is not proved 

 that forests might not ameliorate such climatal con- 

 ditions. Only the natural configuration of a country 

 must be taken as the main factor in aridity or rain- 

 fall, however these may be modified by secondary 

 influences.— Joioviai of torcstrt/. [This is the sober truth 

 of the matter, — Bd.] 



Palm-nut meal is commencing to be more extens- 

 ively employe<l for stock fattening. For pigs, it is 

 generally mixed with boiled roots or potatoes ; some- 

 tnnes a handful of oats or barley is atlded to give a 

 flavor; salt is never forgotten. One farmer recom- 

 mends, wdienever the occasion offers of a horse bein" 

 slaughtered, to secure a quarter and make it into 

 soup to wet the pigs rations. Maize, pumpkins, and 

 .lerusalem artichokes, with the uut.meal, make appet- 

 izing feeds for hogs.— Par/.s Cor. 



Tobacco in Banguet.— The German Borneo Com- 

 pany have made considerable progress since they com- 

 menced operations some five months ago. On the 20th 

 ultimo, H. E. the Governor, accompanied by Mr. 

 Herrings and the Colonial Secretary, visited the estate 

 and were received by Mr. Lind, the manager, and by 

 whom the party were conducted over the clearings 

 which at present extend over some fifty fields, of 

 wbich about thirty are under cultivation. Mr. Herring.s. 

 who was formerly a Director of the Deli Maatschippe 

 Tobacco Company— a company whose success has been 

 remarkable dividends of as much as one hundred 

 and thirty per cent per annum having been declared — 

 expressed himself well satisfied with the appearance 

 of the plants remirking, that they looked strong 

 and healthy, with a large leaf. A fair bullock road 

 some sixteen feet wide, and about three quarters 

 of a mile long, runs from the landing place at 

 Limbuak to the plantation. Altogether the Ger- 

 man Company are to be congratulated on their en- 

 couragiug prospects especially having regard to the 

 fact that planting was commenced somewhat late in 

 the season. ]\Ir. Herring having completed his visit 

 of inspection returned to Singapore on the same day 

 en route for Berlin, but he pro|«<es to return next year 

 with a view to opening up planting on a considerable 

 scale. He has recently been making a tour round the 

 tobacco growing countries, amongst others Sumatra, 

 Java, Phillipines and Sulu, aud it is .satisf.actory to 

 learn from a gentleman of his experience that the 

 Banguey tobacco promises to compare favourably with 

 the best samples of the countries referred to.—Xorth 

 Borneo Herald. 



Hot Wateu Treatment for Plants. — A corre- 

 spondent calls our attention to the following from 

 the Garden and inquires whether there is anything in 

 it: — " The Florist asks, Has any one tried hot water 

 as a restorative for .sickly plants, and then proceeds 

 to say that M. Willermoz some time since related 

 that plants in pots may be restored to health by 

 means of hot water. Ill health, he maintains, ensues 

 from acid substances in the soil, which, being 

 •bsorbed by the roots, act as poison. The small roots 

 wither and cea.se to act and the upper and younger 

 shoots consequently turn yellow and become spotted, 

 indicative of their morbid state. In such cases th'e 

 usual remedy is to transplant into fresh soil, in clean 

 pots, with good drainage, and this often wi*h the 

 best results. But his experience of several years has 

 proved the unfailing efficacy of the simpler treatment 

 which consists in watering abundantly with hot water 

 at a temperature of about 145 degrees Fahrenheit, 

 having previously stirred the soil of the pot so 

 far as may be done without injury to the roots. 

 Water is then given until runs freely from the pots. 

 In bis experiments the water at first came out 

 clear, afterward it was sensibly tinged with brown, 

 and gave an appreciable acid reaction. After this 

 thorough washing the pots were kept warm, aud the 

 plants very soon made new roots, immediately 

 followed by vigorous growth," To our mind there 

 is a great deal in it. We know to a certainty 

 that sickly peach trees are often restored to vigorous 

 health by the ohl fashioned German farmers of 

 Pennsylvania by pouring boiling water on the 

 ground about the peach trees. It cools, of course 

 somewhat before reaching any of the roots. Here' 

 however, it is believed to be beneficial by destroy- 

 ing parasitic fungi. But, let the reasoning be what 

 it may, we are willing to indorse it as good practice. "^ 

 — Gardeners' Moiitlili/. 



