Vol. XVI. No. 38-3. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



25 



"the downward gi-owth of the root system in individuals 

 ■of the same pure lines. 



The enquiries of the writer into the length and 

 Aveight of the root sj-stenis of oats, wheat and fiax 

 ■establish a lU^ar and essential difference between the 

 length (and twight) in different forms of oats, spring 

 wheat, and flax. An interesting fact noted on compar- 

 ing the root-lengths with the time of ripening, is, that 

 the longer the roots, the greater the time required for 

 ■ripening In other words, the length of the roots is 

 ■proportional to the length of life of the plant. 

 ^^^f-»-^^— 



Relation of Green Manures to the Failure of 



Certain Seedlings. 

 The editorial in the present issue of this Journal 

 discusses the subject of green manuring, with special 

 reference to the practice in the West Indies, and the 

 problems yet remaining to be solved in regard to the 

 question generally. In this connexion it should be of 

 value to note a reference made to the results of 

 experiments conducted with the object of determining 

 the relation of green manures to the failure of certain 

 -.seedlings, which appear in the International Review 

 of the Science and Practice of AgricvMu,r<i, for 

 -July 1910, and which are complementary to the points 

 brought out in our editorial. 



It had been shown in a previous report that if 

 green manures are turned under and cotton planted 

 immediately, a decrease in germination may result, 

 while if the operation is repeated three weeks later, 

 germination is perfectly normal. . 



With a view to studying this phenomenon, fresh 

 ■experiments were made in jars and in the field, and the 

 investigations as a whole confirmed the injurious action 

 of green manure on seed germination. It appeal's to 

 be due to some parasitic fungus {Rhizoctonia sp.). 

 During the first period of decomposition of the green 

 manure, many fungi develop, .some of them having 

 a destructive action on germs. Oil seeds in particular 

 are very liable to be injured. Starchy seeds, on the 

 contrary, are highly resistant. Cotton and soya seeds 

 are extremely sensitive to green manure. The germi- 

 nation of flax, pea-nuts, hemp, mustard, and clover is 

 likewise reduced, though to a less extent, by the 

 presence of decomposing vegetable tissue. The germi- 

 nation of buckwheat, corn , oats, and wheat is not 

 affected by green manure. 



The injurious action of green manure on oil seeds 

 is confined mostly to the first stages of decomposition. 

 The experiments undertaken appeared to show that 

 two weeks after the green manure has been turned in, it 

 no longer has any serious harmful effect on the germina- 

 tion of oil seed. The addition of small 'quantities of 

 lime appears to increase the injury to germination, the 

 greater or loss rapiflity of the latter to some extent 

 influencing the amount of such injury. Thus, slow 

 germination is marked by a high percentage of diseased 

 seedlings. 



Theforegoing findings present information which 

 cannot fail to be of interest and value to those who 

 have been engaged in green-dressing trials in the West, 

 Indies, and should prove an incentive to further 

 experimentation. 



Adulteration of Milk in the Leeward Islands^ 



In Antigua, in spite of a large amount of persis- 

 tent effort that has been devoted to the problem of* 

 putting a stop to the adulteration of milk, there seems 

 to be very little improvemtnt effected, according to 

 a memorandum prepared by Dr. H. A. Tempany, 

 .Superintendent of Agriculture for the Leeward Islands. 

 It appears that in Antigua, the legislation is inadequate 

 to enable prosecutions ^to be taken by the police in 

 a systematic manner, based upon the evidence of 

 analysis at the Government Laboratory. In St. Kitts» 

 on the other hand, the requisite legislation has been 

 passed which has resulted in a complete change in the 

 situation. 



In St. Kitts during 191-3, S-i per cent, of the 

 samples analysed were found to be .adulterated with 

 water. The introduction of legislation brought abonfi 

 such a complete change that in 1!)1() no samples 

 were found to contain any added water whatsoever. In 

 1897, in Antigua, tj.3 per cent, of the samples analysed 

 were adulterated. In 1912-18, 8-3 per cent, were adul- 

 tered. In IMlti there was a reduction to .53 per cent., 

 but that does not make the situation satisfactory. In 

 Moniserrat during 191(i, 59 per cent, of the samples 

 analysed were found to be adulterated. The St. Kitts 

 experience clearly shows that the sale of genuine milk 

 can be easily secured by a proper co-operation between 

 the police and the chemical authorities, and it is some- 

 what surprising that this should be arranged for in one 

 island of a Colony and not in another. 



Seed Tape. 



.Several trials have been made locally with see<l 

 tape, the newly invented method for planting seed. The 

 tape consists of paper ireateil chemically, and the seeds 

 are, enclosed and placed more or less eijually distant 

 from each other. In planting the tape in the soil, it is 

 necessary to water very thoroughly. 



Many advantages are claimed for this method of 

 seed planting, the chief of which is the fact that the 

 whole tape being planted, and the seeds correctly 

 spaced in the tape, it eliminates the thinning out and 

 transplanting process. It is understood that the tape is 

 highly fertilized, which should stimulate the growth of 

 the seedlings; and it is claimed that the seed, being 

 enclosed, should be to a certain extent protected against 

 destruction by ants during the period of germination. 



Each seed is guaranteed to grow, and certainly i6 

 must be admitted from the trials that have been made 

 locally, that the germination is very satisfactory indeed. 

 It is likely that seed tape will become more and more 

 adopted for garden work, and it seems especially well 

 adapted to tropical conditions, particularly on account 

 of the fact that the seeds are protected from ants 

 which constitute siich a troublesome pest. Moreover, 

 planting seed by the tape method involves a minimmii 

 of labour and trouble. 



