Vol. X. No. 238. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



185 



Rice Cultivation in Ceylon. 



According to Progress Report, No. LIII, of the 

 Ceylon Agricultural Society, the popularity of improved 

 iron ploughs in Ceylon is increasing, and this arises 

 from the demonstratic^ns with such implements that 

 have been made in different parts of the island. It 

 was shown, in regard to one district, that two such 

 demonstrations resulted in the ordering of at least 

 twenty-three additional ploughs. 



In a report by Dr. R. H. Lock on a tour in one of 

 the districts, the Meston plough is mentioned as being 

 an excellent implement on paddy fieliis when used at 

 the right time. A recommendation is made that cross 

 ploughing might well be tried, to be followed by the 

 breaking of the clods by means of a fairly large log 

 dragged over the surfoce, as this operation ]iropares 

 the ground well for sowing. 



It may be mentioned, by the way, that success is 

 reported in relation to the use of carbon bisulphide for 

 the destruction of rats in paddy fields. 



Rubber and Balata in British Guiana. 



A copy of an attractive publication with the above 

 title has been received; this has been prepared, by 

 direction of His Excellency the Governor of British 

 Guiana, by Professor J. B. Harrison, C.M.G., etc., Direc- 

 tor, Department of Science and Agriculture, British 

 Guiana, and F. A. Stockdale, B,A., F.L.S., Assistant 

 Director. 



The publication is issued by the Department of 

 Science and Agriculture of British Guiana. It sets forth, 

 in a cautious but thorough manner, information con- 

 cerning the rubber and balata industries of the Colony. 

 This mformation is contained in forty-six jjages of 

 matter, well illustrated by half-tone reproductions, on 

 art paper. After an introduction is given, dealing with 

 general matters, details are afforded concerning the 

 state and prospects of the Para rubber industry in the 

 Colony. These include references to the plant producing 

 the rubber (Herea hrasiliensis), the jirovision of seeds, 

 the condition of the plantations in different parts of the 

 Colony and at the Government Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Stations, yields of plantation Pai'a, Crown lands 

 available and terms of leases, and particulars as to cost 

 of cultivation and labour. 



The succeeding jjart of the publication gives very 

 similar details in connexion with Sapium rubber (from 

 Sapiam Jcninani), both wild and cultivated in experi- 

 ment stations. Further, regard is had to Central 

 American rubber (Uastilloa elastica), African rubber 

 (Funtumla elastica), and Ceara rubber (Manihot 

 Glazio):ii), none of which have given satisfactory results, 

 so fjxr, in British <!uiana. The last portion of the infor- 

 mation relates to balata, particularly in reference to 

 the methods of its collection, the labour required for 

 the purpose, the exports from the Colony, and the com- 

 position of the product. Finally, four appendixes are 

 included, relating to the meteorological conditions of 

 the Colony, the terms for obtaining Crown lands for 

 rubber cultivation, conditions for the issue of licences for 



balata, rubber and similar substances, and giving a list of 

 recent publications in British Guiana. The inclusion 

 of two useful maps completes a pamphlet which should 

 prove of much effect in arousing and sustaining interest 

 in that Colony. 



St. Lucia and the Coronation Exhibition. 



At a special general meeting of the St. Lucia Agri- 

 cultural Society, held on May 9, 1911, the secretary 

 read a report on the g(^iioral exhibits forwarded to the 

 Coronation Exhibition per Iv.M 8 ' Berbice ' on April 30. 

 This shows that the number of separate exhibits was 

 1.54, and that they represent thoroughly the products of 

 St. Lucia, both major and minor. The material was 

 carefully put up in attractive receptacles, which were 

 fully labelled with details including the market prices 

 of the produce and the addresses of exhibitors. Ten 

 strong, white pine cases were used for forwarding the 

 packages, and the greatest care was taken to prevent 

 the breakage of bottles and damage to the labels. 



An interesting feature in connexion with St. Lucia 

 and the exhibition is that it is intended to forward 

 about 4 barrels of green limes every month, until its 

 close in (Jctober, provided that the Agricultui'al Society 

 consents to this course. 



Mr. Algernon E. Aspinall, Secretary to the West 

 India Committee, has undertaken the arrangement of 

 the material at the exhibition. The exhibits were 

 conveyed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, 

 free of charge as far as Southampton. 



The Resistance of Plants to Wind. 



The Bulletin Agrlcole, of Mauritius, for February 

 1911, has an interesting note on the effects, on various 

 plants, of the hurricane that visited the island at the 

 beginning of that month. It states that cocoa-nut 

 palms showed a useful power of resistance to the wind, 

 while the tamarind trees, although they had attained 

 their full leafage, merely suffered a scorching of the 

 leaves and soon sprouted again. In an area where 

 much harm was done to plants of every kind, several 

 acres of cotton were completely destroyed, though 

 generally this plant exhibited i-easonable behaviour 

 iinder the trying conditions: the wind scorched the 

 leaves, but new buds quickly opened; the position in 

 regard to cotton is summarized by saying that this 

 plant has jiroved its possession of a power of resistance 

 to high winds. 



The note, it may be stated also, has reference to 

 a large snail which is a pest of cotton in Mauritius. 

 This, according to information contained in a letter 

 from Mr. J. H. Lee, who is in Mauritius on behalf of 

 the British Cotton Growing Association, is Achatiaa 

 fulica. In regard to this animal, it is of interest that 

 an outbreak of the pest took place in Ceylon, in 1910; 

 this is described in Circulars and Agricultural Jour- 

 nal of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, Vol. V, 

 No. 7, where however, it has shown itself a scavenger 

 rather than an enemy of plant life. 



