200 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



JiXE 24, 1911. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 specimens for naming;, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the "Agricultural 

 News' should be addressed to the Agents, and not to 

 the Department. 



Local Agents: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulau & 

 Co,, 37, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural News : Price \d. per number, 

 post free 2(Z. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. Id. Post free, is. 4rf. 



^griniltiiral fleirfi 



Vol. X. SATURDAY. JUNE 24. 1911. No. 239. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



In this number, the editorial deals with the subject 

 of the Effect of Soils in the Distribution of Plants. Its 

 chief purpose is to give some account of what is known 

 at present in regard to the matter, as well as to indicate 

 its importance to the practical agriculturist. 



Under the heading Sugar Industry, on page 19-5, 

 notes are presented on new methods for desiccation in 

 chemical analysis, and for the purification of cane juice 

 in the manufacture of sugar. 



Changes in Calcium Cyanamide in the Soil 



A paper which is f.xtracted in the Journal of the 

 Chemical Society, 1910. II, No. .572, p. .537, shows that 

 the first stage of the breaking up of calcium cyanamide 

 follows the absorption of carbon dio.xide from the air 

 contained in the soil. Subsequently, the manure is 

 decomposed into urea and similar substances. 



This decomposition does not take place through 

 the action of any of the living beings in the soil, but is 

 brought about purely by interaction with substances 

 in it, the iimst impoitant of which is ferric oxide. 

 The ultimate result is the formation of ammonia, and 

 lastl}- nitrates, from the urea. 



Page 196 includes a note describing the efforts of 

 Dominica in connexion with the Festival of Empire 

 Exhibition, being held at present at the Crystal Palace. 



Pages 198 and 199 contain an article giving an 

 abstract of a recent paper which presented an account 

 of the position and prospects of cottun-growing within 

 the British Empire. 



The Insect Notes, on ]iage 202, deal with facts 

 relating to the parasitism of the black scale. 



An interesting note on the general occurrence of 

 anthrax is presented on page 203. 



The Fungus Notes of this issue (p;ige 206) deal 

 with recent work that has been conducted in connexion 

 with diseases of the Areca palm (Arcca Catechu.) 



Work at Rothamsted in 1910. 



The annual report for 1910, of the Rothamsted 

 Experimental Station, has just been received, and it 

 will be well to point out some of the chief matters that 

 are of more special interest in the West Indies. 



In the Preface, stress is laid upon the importance 

 of the continuity of the experiments, particularly in 

 that they perpetually afford a means of studying new 

 problems, as progress is made in agricultural science. 



In regard to the year imder review, the season was 

 very unfavourable for most of the crops: nevertheless, 

 useful results were obtained in relation to several of 

 these. Experiments with calcium cyanamide and nitrate 

 of lime were continued, but the sraallness of the yields 

 in the trials has not enabled any further definite informa- 

 tion to be obtained; under the conditions, nitrate of 

 soda gave better results than these manures. Green 

 manuring (for wheat) continued to show success, and 

 the plants gi-own where it was employed exhibited free- 

 dom from the blight which attacked the wheat every- 

 where else. The pot experiments, for the purpose of 

 finding the way in which the growing of a plant in 

 a soil makes that soil less able to support a second 

 growth, have been discontinued, as they do not seem 

 likely to give any definite information on the subject; 

 some results have been obtained, however, which are 

 being collated. 



The work relating to the effect of heat and disin- 

 fecting substances on soils has been maintained (see 

 Agricultural Ne^vs, Vol. I.\. pp. 33 and 369), and 

 trials have been made in the field, but without positive 

 results, so f;ir. It isof interest that a good deal of informa- 

 tion has been obtained alread\-, concerning the life- 

 history and numbers of the protozoa in the soil. 



The repoi't shows that the following papers relating 

 to work at the station have been jiublished during the 

 year: The Influence of Copper Sulphate and Manganese 

 Sulphate upon the Growth o( Benhy, Annals of Butany 

 1910, p. -571: The Ammonia in Soils. Journal of Agri- 

 cultural Science, 1910, p. 233; the Effect of Earthworms 

 on Productiveness, Journal of Agricultural Science, 

 1910. p. 246 (see Agricultural News, Vol. IX. p. 401). 

 The report concludes, as usual, with information as to 

 the yields per acre in the different experiment fields. 



