248 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



AtJcusT 5, 1911. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



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 Commissioner, Lnperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All applications for Copies of the 'Agricultural 

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

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^{iricuttural ^tm 



Vol. X. SATURDAY, AUGUST .5, 1911. No. 242. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The subject of the editorial of the present issue is 

 The Supply of Sulphur to Cultivated Crops. It gives 

 a general account of investigations that have been 

 undertaken recently in connexion with the sulphur 

 content of soils, and the quantities of this element that 

 are retjuired by i)lants for their proper growth. 



Page 243 contains a note on work in connexion 

 with the changes that are undergone in sugar solutions 

 at high temperatures. The conclusions that are given 

 are useful from a technical point of view, both in the 

 works and the laboratory. 



On page 24.3, there is presented an interesting 

 article which describes experiments that have been 

 carried out recently in St. Lucia with the green manure 

 plants Tephrosia Candida and T. jmrjmrea. 



An article on page 24() gives an acuouiit ot souie 

 of the various uses to which cotton is put. It serves 

 to illustrate the fact that the demand for cotton lint 

 will continue to increase largily, in the future. 



The Insect Notes of this issue, on page 2.30, con- 

 tinue the subject of peculiar methods of pollination, 

 which was commenced in the last issue, with ;ui article 

 entitled The Pollination oi' Yucca Flowers. 



The title of the Fungus Notes, on page 254, is Two 

 Banana Diseases of the West Indies. The notes ])re- 

 sent additional information concerning certain banana 

 diseases that have received attention in those pages 

 already. 



Agricultural Training in Dominica. 



It is being notified that the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment of Dominica is prepared to receive a limited num- 

 ber of pupils for practical training in agriculture. 

 This training will extend over a period of two years, 

 and its object will be the acquirement of practical 

 knowledge concerning methods of plant propagation, 

 nursery work, and the planting and care of staple and 

 provision crops. Instruction and opportunities for prac- 

 tical work will be given in relation to tillage, drainage, 

 weeding, sowing, transplanting, the use and application 

 of manures and mulches; the treatment of insect and 

 fungus pests; pruning, budding, grafting, packing, trans- 

 porting and placing out young plants; picking, prepar- 

 ing and packing crops for market and export. 



In addition to this work, which will be carried out 

 at the Botanic and Experiment Stations, there will be 

 an appropriate amount of class instruction in the 

 principles underlying the subjects in the practical 

 course. Arrangements will also be made for a certain 

 amount of homework to be done, under the direction 

 of the Agricultural Superintendent. 



The age of candidates must be at least sixteen 

 years, and they must fulfil other stated requirements 

 in regard to health, general education, adaptability for 

 being taught, and character. I'hey will be granted 

 small increasing allowances, which may be supple- 

 mented in the case of pupils who are not within easy 

 access of the Botanic Station. 



The general particulars of a similar scheme for 

 St. Lucia were published in the Aqricultural Neu's, 

 Vol. X, p. 13.5. 



Rubber in Togoland and German East Africa. 



The Kew Bulletin, 1911 No. 2, gives a transla- 

 tion of a paper on this subject, published in L' Agrono- 

 mic Tropicale, 1910, pp. 190 and 235, which was part 

 of an account presented at the International Congress 

 held at Brussels, last year. 



The paper shows that, in Togoland, notable 

 success has been obtained with Ceara rubber [iManiliot 

 Glaziovii), but that Lagos rubber (Fimtumia elas- 

 tica) has been a failure. A small area of Assam 

 (Ranibong) rubber {Ficu.'< elastica) has been planted, 

 and this is developing favourably. 



In German Fast Africa, by far the greatest part 

 of the rubber cultivation consists of Ceai'a, and 

 the area is increasing rapidly, since the discovery of 

 a successful method ot obtaining and utilizing the latex 

 of the plant. This method, which is known as the Lewa 

 Method, is carried out as follows: 'Portions of the cor- 

 tex are cleaned by the removal of pieces of bark, and are 

 j)ainted over with dilute acetic, citric, or carbolic acid, 

 or latterly with hydioHuoric acid (purub*), and then, 

 almost point-like incisions are made. From these the 

 latex flows out, and coagulates on the spot as thin 

 tears of rubbei'. These are collected and worked up 

 into round balls.' Experiments are being conducted 

 in German East Africa with Jequie and Roinanso 



* See Affiicidtural News, Vol. IX. |). 143. 



