Vol. X. No. 245. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



303 



CASTOR OIL SEED FROM UGANDA. 



The J'ljanda Official GaMtee for April 15, 1911, con- 

 tains a supplement which presents the results of an 

 examination of castor oil seed from Uganda^ made at the 

 Imperial Institute. 



Figures are given to show that, in the nine samples 

 examined, the yield of oil obtained by extraction with ether 

 varied from 47'6 to 50S per cent. As regards the commercial 

 valuation, it is stated that consignments similar to the 

 samples would obtain a ready sale in Europe at a vj<lue near 

 that of Bombay castor oil seed, which at the time of report- 

 ing (February 1911) was about £12 fx. per ton, in the 

 United Kingdom 



Useful information is given in the report concerning 

 the properties which most directly affect the value of castor 

 oil seed. Among these, the most important is the amount 

 of oil contained by it; if this is satisfactorj', the size and 

 colour of the seeds do not appear to influence their value in 

 commerce, provided that they are in good condition. 



It is suggested that, in view of the large demand for 

 castor oil seed and the desire of manufacturers in the United 

 Kingdom to obtain supplies from new .sources, the cultivation 

 of the plant in Uganda should be encouraged, if the price 

 quoted is likely to be remunerative. ; 



REGISTRATION AND IMPORTATION OF 

 STOCK IN ST. VINCENT. 



The St. Vincent Government Ga:ette for July 27, 1911, 

 contains rules which were passed by the Governor-inCouncil 

 on July 18 last for regulating the registration and certifica- 

 tion of stock in that Colony; also regulations, with respect to 

 the importation into the Colony of cattle and other animals, 

 made by the rjovernorin-Council under the authority of the 

 Cattle Diseases Prevention Act, 1869. 



The rules regulating the registration of stock provide for 

 the keeping of a stock register or registers, by the Govern- 

 ment Veterinary Surgeon, and for the entry therein, by that 

 officer, of full details of animals passed for registration by 

 a Committee to be appointed by the Administrator; the 

 issue of registration certificates for horses and cattle on pay- 

 ment of a fee of '2s. for a horse, and Is. per head for cattle. 

 The horses eligible for registration are divided into four 

 classes, namely thoroughbred, seven-eighth bred, three-quar- 

 ter bred and half-bred, but power is reserved to the Committee 

 to exclude any horse from registration which possesses any 

 defect likely to impair its breeding qualities. The cla.ss of 

 cattle eligible for registration is limited to that known as 

 purebred, similar power being reserved to the Committee as 

 in the case of the registration of horses. Further, provision 

 is made for supplying the owners of registered stallions and 

 bulls with service forms, and the owners of mares and cows 

 with birth forms. 



The regulations with respect to the importation of cattle 

 and other animals into the Colony, including Bequia and 

 Mustique, provide for the examination, at the port of Kings- 

 town, by the Government Veterinary Surgeon, of all animals 

 intended for importation, ' animal' being interpreted to mean 

 'any horse, mare, gelding,- foal, colt, mule, ass, bull, ox, cow, 

 steer, heifer, calf, sheep, ram, lamb, goat, kid, hog and pig.' 

 Animals which, in the opinion of the Government Veterinary 

 Surgeon, are suffering from any infectious or contagious 

 disease, which he may deem dangerous to the health of 

 animals in the Colony, are prohibited from being imported; 

 but in the event of the Government Veterinary Surgeon 

 being in doubt as to whether the animal is suffering 



from disease, he may permit it to be landed and im- 

 pounded, at the cost of the importer, in such place, 

 under such conditions and for such reasonable time 

 as may be necessary for him to satisfy himself that the 

 animal is not suffering from disease, or has ceased to be 

 a source of infection Or contagion. If in the opinion of the 

 Veterinary Surgeon, an animal so landed and impounded is 

 suffering from an infectious or contagious disease danger- 

 ous to the health of animals in the Colony, then he may 

 direct such animal to be re-exported by the owner, or to be 

 destroyed and its carcass disposed of in such manner as he 

 may deem expedient. The fees payable by importers of 

 animals for the remuneration of the Government Veterinary 

 Surgeon are Is. per head f.ir horses, horned cattle, mules and 

 asses, and 6rf. per head for goats, sheep and pigs. 



SUGAR FROM SHREDDED CANE. 



The Journal d' Ayricultare T'ropkale ,iot May 1911, gives 

 an account of a sample of what was apparently shredded cane 

 prepared by the McMulien proce.s.s, which was shown at an 

 exhibition held in Havana during last February. 



The material in the bale exhibited is stated to have l)een 

 made up of finely pulverized sugar-cane and to have had the 

 appearance of .sawdust. It was accompanied- by the figures 

 of an analysis which showed the composition-'^&f the shredded 

 cane to be as follows : — '' '■ 



Per cent. 

 Moisture 6-10 



Sucrose 50 35 



Glucose 3 42 



Cellulose 3§j02 



Non-sugars 510 



As is pointed out, this analysis shows that the quantity 

 of contained sugar amounts to 50 per cent, of the weight of 

 the bale. This formed part of the exhibits sent by the 

 Department of Forests and ilines, which was one of the 

 sections included in the Exhibition of the Cuba Department 

 of Agriculture, to which reference has been made already. 



THE FIBRE OF CALOTROPIS. 



The last number but one of the Agricultural News con- 

 tained a note on the production of fibre from Calotropis 

 procera and C. gigantea. In regard to the latter, further 

 information is presented in the Indian Textile Journal for 

 November 1910. This states that C. gigantea is found in 

 India at heights up to 3,000 feet. The plant is very hardy, 

 and withstands drought very successfully; it yields a fibre 

 which is utilized by villagers for making Very strong ropes, 

 and by fishermen on the Indus for the production of lines 

 and nets. As has been indicated already, the frequency with 

 which the stem branches causes the extraction of the fibre to 

 be a matter of difficulty, and this is probably the reason why 

 no machine has been devised, so far, for the purpose. 



In order to surmount this difficulty, caused by the pos- 

 session by the plant of many branches, the interesting 

 suggestion is made, based on experience with ramie {Boeh- 

 meria ninea), that Calotropis should be planted closely, 

 with the hope of obtaining the suppression of lateral 

 branches, and the production of long, straight stems. If this 

 method of growing the plant is successful, it might be useful 

 for adoption, even without the existence of machinery for 

 extracting the fibre; for the last could be obtained by the 

 peasants from the plants grown in this way muck more easily 

 than from the naturally grown plants e.Yploited at present. 



