184 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June 10, 1911. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens for naming:, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Dejiartment of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the 'Agricultural 

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

 the Department. 



Local Agents: ]\Iessrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. Lomion Agents: Messrs. Duiau & 

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

 will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Agricultural J^etvs: Price IfZ. per number, 

 post free '2cl. Annual subscription payable to Agents, 

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



gijriniltural ^tm 



Vol. X. SATURDAY. JUNE 10, 1911. No. 2.38. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this issue treats of The Period of 

 Maturity of the Sugar-Cane. The matter that is pre- 

 sented is important, both in regard to work on sugar 

 estates, and investigations in connexion with manures 

 for sugar-cane and the comparative value of seedlings. 



On page 179. interesting facts are given in relation 

 to the influence of molasses on soil fertility. 



A note on new mangoes that have been, and are 

 being, obtained for growing in the West Indies, is con- 

 tained on page 180. 



The Insect Notes, on page 186, consist of an illus- 

 trated article on Peripatus — a curious animal that has 

 been fotmd in several parts of the West Indies. As is 

 stated in the article, specimens of this animal are 

 required for scientific work in connexion with it. 



Page 187 contains some of the latest information 

 concerning artificial and natural camphor. 



Special attention is drawn to the article appearing 

 imder Fungus Notes with the title Miscellaneous Fungi 

 Found Recently. This presents the results of very 

 interesting observations concerning fungi that have 

 been made principally in recent months in the Mycolog- 

 ical Laboratory at the Head Office of the Department. 



Page 191 contains an account of experiments that 

 have been conducted in Antigua, in relation to methods 

 for storing onions. 



Selection of Soluble Plant Food by Roots. 



A paper recently presented before the Academic 

 des Sciences, Paris, contains details of an investigation 

 of the absorption of different substances by the roots 

 and cut stems of the haricot bean. The solutions 

 employed were sodium, potassium and calcium chlorides 

 at one-tenth of the normal strength. 



It was found that the cut stems absorbed all the 

 salts equally, in remarkably large quantities. In the 

 case of roots, the amounts varied with the salt used, 

 being 06 for calcium chloride and 055 for sodium 

 chloride, reckoning the extent of absorption of potassium 

 chloride as unit}'. 



Machines for Extracting Citrus Essential Oils. 



In the Ayrlcultaral Xcxcs for May 13, 1911, 

 p. 1.56, io was announced that Messrs. W. A. D. Allport 

 and T. J. W. (_\ Davenport had inveuDed machinery for 

 extracting the essential oils from the rinds of limes and 

 oranges. The patent rights for the machines having 

 now been nbtained, a circular has been prepared which 

 gives information concerning them. This shows that 

 these machines are made in three kinds, referred to as 

 ]\Iodel 1, Model II, and ]\Iodel IV; of these, the first is 

 for limes or oranges, the second for limes only, and 

 the third for oranges only. Models I and IV are 

 worked by hand or power and possess a gravity feed; 

 while Model II is ojierated by power only, under a force 

 feed. 



It is claimed that the capacity in each case 

 amounts to 20 barrels, (iO barrels and 60 barrels per 

 hour, respectively. The yield of oil to be expected from 

 Model I is as follows: with limes, 2i to 4 oz. per barrel 

 according to the state of the fruit, 7-5 per cent, of the 

 oil being free, and the rest in the mucilnge for 

 subsequent extraction; \\ ith oranges, treated twice, 7 to 

 12 oz. of oil per barrel, according to the state of the fruit. 

 The yield in the case of Model II is the same as that 

 for Model I, but as has been stated, this can be used for 

 limes only. Model IV. for oranges, gives the same yield 

 as ^lodel I for these fruits, but the material receives 

 only one treatment. 



Among the conditions that are necessary to ensure 

 maximum yields with limes are the provision of good 

 fruit which has been handled as little as possible and 

 the elimination of rotten and badl}' damaged fruit and 

 foreign matter; in addition, the fruit should be clean, 

 and It is most important that it should be dry, as well. 

 The conditions for maximum yields with oranges are 

 similar to those just stated for limes. 



Good reports on samples of oil obtained with the 

 aid of the machine have been received from I\Iessrs. 

 Schimmel & Co. The jirices arc as follows: Model I 

 for limes £12.5, for oranges .11187; Model 11 for limes 

 only,£240; Model IV for oranges only,£lS5. These prices 

 do not include the cost of gearing for the machines. For 

 the arranging and setting up of the machines, in 

 Dominica, the inventors are willing to give their 

 services and advice to pureh.asers, free of charge. 



