Vol. X. No. 241. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



235 



The part played by the rot fungus is an important one, 

 equally advantageous to the beetles and to the plant. It 

 aids the former by first softening the tissues of the spathe, 

 thus allowing the beetles to advance in their passage into the 

 flower case, and afterwards hardening, and for the time, 

 effectually closing the entrance against other intruders. After 

 the Macrostolas, in undisturbed possession of the flower case, 

 have accomplished the fertilization of the stigma and released 

 the pollen, the fungus, in maturing, breaks the seal of the 

 plant and admits destructive insects. The aroid thus secures 

 the expulsion of its pollenizers, as well as the proper ripening 

 and dissemination of its seed. 



AN APPARATUS FOR SAMPLING 



GLYCERINE. 



Mr. H. A. Tempany, B.Sc, Superintendent of Agri- 

 culture for the Leeward Islands, has kindly forwarded 

 a copy of the following note, which appears in the 

 Chemical News for May .5, 1911, and is a reproduction 

 of an Appendix to the Report on Methods of Analysis 

 of Crude (Jlycerine, agreed upon at the recent Inter- 

 national Conference on the subject : — 



The usual method of sampling crude glycerine hitherto, 

 has been by means of a glass tube, which is slowly lowered 

 into the drum with the object of taking as nearly as possible 

 a vertical section of the glycerine contained in the drum. 

 This method has been found unsatisfactory, owing to the 

 fact that in cold climates viscous glycerines run into the 

 tube very slowly, so that owing to the time occupied, it is 

 impossible to take a complete section of the sample. Another 

 objection to the glass tube is that it fails to take anything 

 approaching a correct iiroportion of any settled salt contained 

 in the drum 



The sampler has been devised with 



the object of overcoming the objections to the glass 

 tube as far as possible. It consists of two brass tubes, 

 one fitting closely inside the other. A number of ports are 

 cut in each tube in such a way that when the ports are 

 opened a continuous .slot is formed, which enables a complete 

 section to be taken throughout the entire length of the drum. 

 By this arrangement the glycerine fills into the sampler 

 almost instantaneously. There are also a number of 



ports cut at the bottom of the sampler which render it 

 possible to take a proijortion of the salt at the bottom of 

 the drum. The instrument is so constructed that all the 

 ports, including the bottom ones, can be closed simul- 

 taneously by the simple action of turning the handle at the 

 top; a pointer is arranged which indicates on a dial when 

 the .sampler is open or closed. In samples of larger .section 

 (1 inch) it is possible to arrange a third motion whereby the 

 bottom ports only are open for emptying, but in samplers of 

 small dimensions (Ll-inch) this third motion must be 

 dispensed with, otherwise the dimensions of the ports have 

 to be so small that the sampler would not be efficient. 



In using the sampler, it is introduced into the drum 

 with the ports closed, and when it has touched the bottom 

 the ports are opened for a second or two, then closed and 

 withdrawn, and the sampler discharged into the receiving 

 vessel by opening the ports. When the drum contains sus- 

 pended salt the ports must be opened before the .sampler is 

 pushed through the .salt, thus enabling a portion to be 

 included in the sample. It is, however, almost impossible to 

 obtain a correct proportion of salt after it has settled in the 



drum; it is therefore recommended that the drum should be 

 sampled before the salt has settled. 



A sampler 1 inch diameter withdraws approximately 

 10 oz. from a 10-cwt. drum. 



A sampler -|-inch diameter withdraws approximately 

 •5 oz. from a 10-cwt. drum. 



(The authorized makers of the apparatus are Me.ssrs. 

 Young & Co., 45-59, Stanley Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow.) 



In forwarding the information, Mr. Tempany points 

 out that the problems connected with the sampling of 

 glycerine are very similar to those occitrring in the sam- 

 pling of molasses, so that it has appeared to him that 

 a useful purpose miglit be served in bringing the above 

 apparatus to the notice of those interested in the test- 

 ing of the latter product. 



PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN NIGERIA 

 IN 1909. 



The total value of the exports from the Protectorate 

 was £406,722. 



The notable increase in the export of .shea nuts and 

 rubber shown by the returns may be expected to continue. 

 The country now being tapped by the Baro-Kano Railway 

 aliounds in the Biiti/rospenninn Parkii, and many tons of nuts 

 have hitherto been allowed to rot on tlie ground for want of 

 transport. 



The Bassa Province, in which most of the rubber 

 exported is being obtained, has received a good deal of 

 attention of late, and it may be confidently expected that, as 

 inter-tribal feuds amongst the natives are stopped, trade will 

 increase. 



The advance of the railway towards Zaria, and the 

 rapid opening up of the Bauchi tin fields, will certainly lead 

 to a large increase in the export of tin ore at an early flate. 



Although the high prices obtainable for cotton in the 

 local markets have up to the present made it impossible to 

 obtain any large amount of this produce at a price that will 

 allow of its purchase for export purposes, yet the enormou.s 

 local production, variously estimated, but probably not less 

 than 10,000 tons annually, ensures the future of this 

 industry, once means of transport have been secured, buying 

 depots established and the native has realized that he can 

 always obtain in cash a reasonable figure for his cotton. 

 The Emirs and Native Chiefs have been urged to encourage 

 their people to undertake the planting of cotton, and the 

 more intelligent of them are actively doing so. 



The annual purchases, as returned liy the British Cotton 

 Growing A.ssociation, are as follows: 1905, 156 tons; 1906, 

 362 tons; 1907, 369 tons; 1908, 152 tons; and 1909, 375 tons. 



A large quantity of selected seed has been distributed 

 in the Provinces of Bassa, Kabba, Niger, and Ilorin. (From 

 Colonial Eepoi-fs — Annual, No. 671, p. 10, issued April 1911.) 



It is stated in La Qiiimaiiie Coloniale, Paris, for Octo- 

 ber 25, 1910, that in view of the ojjening of the Panama 

 Canal and of the expected increase of traffic in agricultural 

 products, the Chamber of Agriculture of Guadeloupe is 

 establishing an experimental agricultural garden, and that 

 a loan has been raised for the purpose. (From the Bulletin 

 of tite Bureau of A(/ricultural Intelligence and of Plant 

 Diseases, of the International Institute of Agriculture, Novem- 

 ber 1010, p. 12.) 



