Vol. XVI. No. 390. 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



OD 



are adopted. The fact that the germination of imported seed 

 is so often unsatisfactory, and the fact that vegetables from 

 .seed produced locally grown over .'everal generations show no 

 si^ns of deterioration, would seem to make it desirable that 

 greater attention should be uiven to the local proJuction of 

 vegetable seed". It is possible t},at in many islands the pro- 

 duction of vegetable seed might form a minor industry 

 amongst the peasantry. Considering the large amount of 

 seed that is imported, there is no doubt that there exists a big 

 enough demand to make it worth while for a number of 

 peasants to establish a seed-raising industiy. 



The following is what Sir Gilbert Carter says in regard 

 to raising lettuce seed: 'There are two "Cos'' lettuces which 

 I have found to do well in the tropics, namely London "Cos" 

 and Paris ''Cos". Tlie former makes a good heart without 

 tying, and the latter makes a loose heart with liiht green 

 and delicate leaves. Of the ''cabbage" lettuces, the best 

 I know is "Continuity", which makes a very fine heait 

 and does not run quickly tij seed. I have raised seed 

 from this variety in liirbados with complete success. 

 I selected a few of the finest specimens when they had 

 thoroughly formed hearts, and then cut the plants otf close 

 to iho ground leaving the stumps to shoot. These were 

 manured and kept supplied mith the proper amount of 

 water, the soil being kept loose around them and the 

 selected plants treated with proper respect in view of their 

 important destiny. Four shoots were retained to mature on 

 each root and the seeds when formed, allowed to ripen com- 

 pletely. They were then carefully gailiered, dried and 

 placed in narrow-necked bottles dried in an oven, and a piece 

 of absorbent cotton wool placed on the top of the seeds. 

 The bottle was then corked and sealed, and deposited in 

 a dark dry place there to remain until required. This pro- 

 ceeding was completed by the middle of June, and in the 

 following December, specimens were sown in boxes where 

 they germinated very satisfactorily ' 



Sir Gilbert Carter states that it would have been 

 impossible to jiet finer and more satisfactory plants than those 

 which subsequently developed from this locally raised seed. 

 It is well known that in growing lettuce in hot weather the 

 plant has a tendency to run to seed, the main shoot usually 

 coming up from the centre of the heart. The 'Continuity' 

 variety resists this tendency better than any other variety, 

 and possibly the practice of obtaining seed from a later 

 development of the plant encourages this retardation. 



In conclusion Sir Gilbert Carter points out that in his 

 experience English and French seed are better than American, 

 though there appears to be an exception in favour of the 

 .•■eed tape, which embodies a new idea and a good one. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF TOBAGO 



TOBACCO. 



The value of tobacco leaf proiluced in Tobago is dealt 

 with in the Proceedhxis of the Agricultural Society of Trini- 

 dad and Tuba go iov January 1917, in the form of a report 

 received from the Imperial Institute, to which place samples 

 were sent for examination. It appears that the samples 

 received, like previous one?, showed the defect of poor 

 burning quality. This is stated to be due to the small 

 amount of potash and the large quantity of chlorides and 

 sulphates present. The ash in sample No. 1 contained potash 

 (K.^ O) 18'4 per cent., sulphates, expressed as sulphuric 

 acid, .3 G per cent., and chlorides exp essed as chlorine, 

 15'6 per cent. This defect, it, is stated, may be due cither 

 to the presence of chlii.'ides and sulphates in the .soil, or to 



the use of these substances in the form of manures for the 

 tobacco, and the source of the-fe deleterious constitiiont-i 

 .should be investigated. The British toba-ico manufacturer* 

 consulted, regarded the tobacco as suitable for the market, 

 ■while the merchants, though unable to offer an opinion as- 

 ti the value of the tobacc.i, thought sa-nple Xo._ 1 represented 

 material which would be sa'eable. This apparent conflict 

 of opinion is due to the fact that the manufacturers re> aided 

 the tobacco from the point of view of ci^ar manufacture, 

 anil it is undoubtedly unsuitable for making cigars for the 

 ISritish market, except possibly in adMiixture in small 

 quantity with better tobicco. It is added, however, that 

 there is always a market in the United Kingdom for what 

 is known as 'nondescript' tobacco, and merchants would no 

 doubt be able to dispose of Tobago tobacco as nondescript 

 tobacco for cutting purposes. Such material, however, 

 fetches only a few pence per ft)., and it is improbible- 

 that the price reilized would be profitable to [iroducers in 

 Tobago. 



The above remarks appear to indicate that the present 

 production of tabacco in Tobago for local consumption in 

 Trinidad is the best course to pursue, particularly in view 

 of high freight charges. 



The value of the report, in its present form, is seriously 

 lessened by the fact th it the figures of analysis of sample 2 

 have been omitted entirely. 



THE ESTIMATION OP AGE IN MULES. 



The following, taken from the Veterinari/ Rex >rd (for 

 January 27) will be of interest to West Indian planters: — 



In the cavalry of the French array it has been 

 asceriained that there is often a notable difference between 

 the age attributed to mules by the buyers, and that found by 

 the veterinary surgeons of the divisions to which the mules 

 are sunt. 



These differences seem in a great part due to the fact 

 that, in the literature upon age, the same in^lications are 

 applied to mules which are classic and universally accepted 

 for estimating the age cf horses. Usually too much 

 importance is given to the examination of the tables of the 

 teeth, without taking sufliciently into account the length 

 of the teeth, their form at their exit from the alveolus, 

 etc. — all secondary characters, capable of furnishing useful 

 indications to the observer. 



The appearance, the falling, and the substitution of the 

 milk teeth take place at almost the same epoch in the mule 

 as in the horse: but the mule is always a little later than 

 the horse. 



In the adult mule, the tables of the teeth are narrower 

 transversely than in the horse: the equalisation of the teeth 

 is later; they become rounded more quickly, and the round- 

 ness persists for a long time: they only become tiiangular 

 at a very advanced age. The considerable hardness of the 

 dental tiss'ie in the mule causes the incisors to be very little 

 worn. They become abnormally elongated as the anira.l 

 grows old and arrive at a length of from .30 to 40 millimetre.". 

 After the sixth or seventh year in the mule the table of the 

 tooth changes little in aspect, and after seven years it no 

 longer furnLshes exact indications. Such characters as the 

 length, the direction, llie form and the freshness of the 

 incisors should also be taken into account. From .seven or 

 eit>ht years forward the exact determination of the age of 

 the mule becomes very difficult; and to judge it vrell, other 

 indications beyond those furnished by the tables of the teeth 

 should be utilized. — {L.i Clinica I'eterinaria.) 



