152 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Mav 13, 1911. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for j)ublicatiiin, as well fis all 

 specimens for muning:, should be addresspd 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. Diilaii & 

 Co,, 87, Soho Square, W. A complete list of Agents 

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural Neivs: Price ItL per number, 

 post free 2d. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2d. Post free, 4s. 4cZ. 



gigrinifturat |;Tciu!i 



Vol. X. SATURDAY. MAY 13, 1911. No. 236. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in the present issue has reference 

 to the subject ot Economic Entomology and Health 

 Administration. 



An account of some interest, giving facts concern- 

 ing West Indian sugar-cane seedlings in ("^,ucensland, 

 is presented on jiage 147. 



Useful methods of depollinating flowers, especially 

 "where these are small and fragile, are described on 

 page 148. 



Attention is drawn to a note on this page, in which 

 it is announced that a new and re-enlarged edition of 

 Nature. 'Teach ing has just been issued, and that this 

 will be obtainable, as usual, from the agents for the 

 publications of the Department. 



Two articles appear under the heading Insect 

 Notes. These deal with the Frog-hopper of the Sugar- 

 cane and Sugar-cane Borers in British (Juiana, and 

 •will be found on page 154. 



An interesting accoutit of the work that is being 

 done in connexion with rubber-planting in Martini(jMe 

 is given on page 155. The original article, from which 

 the abstract was made, shows that the chief attention 

 is being given at present to Fiintumia elastica. 



The Fungus Notes, on page 158, contain an article 

 in completion of the descri[)tiion of recent work that has 

 been undeitaken in connexion with the diseases of pine- 

 apples. The description was commenced in the last 

 number of the Agricultural Neius. 



Pub'ications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture. 



A new and revi.-^ed (-(lition of Xaiiire Teaching has 

 just been issued. In tins, owing to the u^e of smaller 

 type, several additional features ha\e been included 

 without increasing the size of the book. 



Ill making this announcement, it may be well to 

 indicate the nature of the chief among these additions. 

 On page 9, a section is given dealing with the external 

 characters of seeds, and the nature of the practical 

 work in relation to this is indicated on page 21; further 

 on, on pMge 20, additional matters receive attention 

 with reference to the comparison between monocotyl- 

 edons and dicotyledons. Additional hints in connexion 

 with the functions of the air in soils are given on pages 

 81 and 94. (Jn page 8-3, the original matter that was 

 given in relation to tillage has been considerably 

 amplified, and references are included relating to the 

 subject of the rotation of crops. The section on 

 manures (iiage 103) has been extended to comprise 

 descriptions of calcium cyanamide and nitrate of lime. 

 Other additions of similar extent are a paragraph on 

 the uses of weeds (page 131): information concerning 

 the parasitism of insects by other kinds (pages 140 and 

 142); and a section on insecticides additional to those 

 treated in former editions of the book. 



Additions of a more extensive nature are comprised 

 in a chapter on fungi, and indexes of the common and 

 botanical names of the species mentioned in the appen- 

 dix dealing with the habitat of plants; the latter should 

 be particularly useful for reference to the list in Appen- 

 dix 1, on pages 155 to 177. It may be mentioned that 

 this part of the book has been interleaved with ruled 

 jiaper, in order to provide a ready means of making 

 additions to the lists of plants that are given. While 

 drawing attention to these matters, it may be pointed 

 out that the paragraph at the top of page 178 has 

 reference to the indexes that commence on page 180. 



Nature Teaching may be obtained from the agents 

 for the sale of the publications of the Department, at 

 the price of 2s., post free 2s. 'ild. 



Suggestions for an Institute of International 

 Commerce. 



An arlicK' in the London Times, for ]\larch 18, 

 1911, draws attention to the extent to which sugges- 

 tions have been made recently for the formation of an 

 institution for the purpose of doing work in connexion 

 with the retention of existing British markets and the 

 securing of new outlets for the products of the Empire. 

 There is also reference to a letter from Lord Furness, 

 containing the suggestion that a Chartered Institute 

 of International Commerce shoidd be founded. The 

 article states that a communication has been received 

 by the Times from the Royal Colonial Institute, which 

 makes it apparent that somethirig of this kind is under 

 contemplation by that body. 



'J'he infoimation from the Royal Colonial Institute 

 shows that, at a recent meeting of the Council, it was 

 agreed to form a representative committee to carry out 



