Vot. XVI. Xo. 391. 



THE AGKICULTURAL XEWS 



U7 



CURING VANILLA BEANS. 



The following note appears in the Fer/airuri/ ami 

 ■Essential Oil Etcotd for February 2:.', 1917: — 



llabak {Jown. Ind. and Eng. Clieni.) saj's that 

 two general methods of caring vanilla are iu vogue, the dry 

 and the hot water methods. Esperiments were conducted 

 by him with twelve lots of beans, half of which were cured at 

 room temperature, and the other half ia a water-oven at 

 somewhat higher temperature. Each of the six lots cured 

 at room temperature was given diflferent treatment prior to 

 the .sweating and drying. The trefitaient consisted in dip- 

 ping the green beans into water at various temperatures up 

 to the boiling point. Ea^h lot was kept wrapped in a soft 

 towel and placed on the laboratory shelf to undergo 

 the sweating and drying process. The duplicate lots of beans 

 <?ured in the water-oven at +0-!»-3°C. received e.^cactly the 

 same treatment as those cured at room temperature. The 

 results .show that the curing process as at present commercially 

 applied is unnecessarily long and extended, requiring on an 

 average several months for the transformation of the green 

 to the cured beans. 



The brjans can be cured in a much shorter time by 

 means of a much less tedious process. It has further been 

 demonstrated that the process is simplified to the advantage 

 rather than to the detriment of the aromatic constituents. 

 While the amount of vanillin in the beans was not increased 

 appreciably, as compared with that in commercial beans, the 

 beans cured in the laboratorj- were in most cases superior in 

 vanilla resins and colouring matter. A considerable propor- 

 tion of the vanilla resins are left unextracted when the 

 menstruum is less than 6-5 per cent, alcoholic strength. 

 Curing the green beans at room temperature either without 

 previous treatment or after treatment with water up to 90'(/. 

 ior a short peri id of time apparently produces beans of the 

 best qualitj-, as judged by the il ivouring extract prepared 

 from the samples. 



The Gassing of Plants. — The cactus pest, called 



'pricklv pear', which ha.s caused loss in l^'ieeuslaud, is 



now being succe.ssfully combated. The method in operation 



in the Queensland experimental areas is entirely novel. It 



consists of 'gassing', as well as of spraying with arsenic 



lichloride. After many months' experiments the tre;itment 



: certain species of pear with arsenic trichloride in a gaseous 



rm has been proved to be effective, while the problem of 



manufacturing the trichloride in large quantities has also 



been successfully settled. Trichloride is now obtainable in 



large quantities at a cost of £22 per ton 



The place selected in Queensland for the experimental 

 work was iJelacca. This district contained some of the worst 

 pear growth in Queensland, ranging from 7 feet to s feet high, 

 and of such dense impenetrable growth as to make spraying 

 impossible. Areas that had been gassed some twelve months 

 ago, are entirely tree from pear, both bulbs and leaves hav- 

 ing been destroyed right out. The gas is applied by means 

 1 of an atomiser, the machine charged weighing about 1 2 lb. 

 1 The cost of ihe machine is £6, and it is claimed that one 

 man at 1 Os. per day can cover 3 acres of heavily scattered 

 pear in eight hours. Wherever the gas goes the pear becomes 

 discoloured and brown, and all Dowering and fruiting is 

 instantly checked. Gassing can be applied with the best 

 results after heavy dews or rainfall. The trichloride appar- 

 iitly has no effect upon other vegetation, becaufe of their 

 'wer water contents. Xeithcr is their any danger in regard 

 to stock, since cows eat afl'ected pear. 



EUOALYPTS IN THE F^JDERATED MALAT 

 STATES. 



Great success has attended the planting of certain 

 species of Eucalyptus in parts of the Leeward Islands, 

 and it will perhaps iii:ti;.-st rcsidcato there co know of 

 the results obtained with these valuable and attractive 

 trees under the humid conditions of the Federated 

 Malay States. In the Agricultural Bulletin, F.M.S., 

 for November 19 Hi, data as to the growth attained 

 are given, and the article goes on to say: — 



It will be seen from the preceding tables that the 

 greatest success has been obtained with the lied Gum 

 {E. losti-'itu). This species so far appears to be amenable 

 to the climate of the plains of the country. The Lemon- 

 scented Gum {E. ciliiodoii) also is growing well. The Blue 

 Gum {E. globulus), however, has not grown well, and there 

 is little doubt that this species is unsuited for this climate. 

 It has been unnecessary to give much attention to these 

 needling Eucalypts beyond keeping them well staked, as they 

 are liable to be broken by the wind during the early stages 

 of their growth. 



The writer is of the opinion that certain species of 

 Eucalyptus might successfully be grown on the hills of thir< 

 country. It is intended to have a representative collection 

 of those species which have been raised from seed this year, 

 planted out at various altitudes at the Experimental 

 Plantation, Gunong -Vng^i, Xegri Sembilan. 



It is interesting to note that two Eucalyptus thought hi 

 be E. Lttriodoi", raised from seed in the Experimental 

 Plantation, Kuala Lumpar. in 1911, have attained a height 

 of 40 feet, and a girth of 1 i inches at 6 feet from the ground. 

 These two trees are growing in the original seed beds, and 

 have made rapid growth, and at the pre.sent time look very 

 healthy. It is unfortunate that some uncertainty exists as 

 to the correct nomenclature of these two trees; should they 

 riower, it would probably be possible to identify them. 



In conclusion, the writer would emphasize that not only 

 is there a great ditficulty experienced in raising Eucalyptus 

 from seed, at any rate "n the plains in this country, but 

 also that the humid atmosphere would probably be unsuited 

 for most species, as the behaviour of the trees in Singapore 

 fJardens indicate. Whether more favourable results will 

 attend the present experiments remains to be seen. 



CHANGING SCIENTIFIC NAMES. 

 In regard to the article (p. 119) on 'Some Fruits Grown 

 at Bahia', reproduced from a recently issued Bulletin of the 

 l*nited States Department of Agriculture, it will be noticed 

 that new scientific names for certain trees are u.sed in the 

 place of those ordinarily accepted as correct. The tendency 

 in the United States to change scientific names in all 

 branches of biology is gradually making American biologists 

 unintelligible to those of other countries. Some changes ar& 

 unavoidable, but when they are made for trivial reasons, or for 

 effect, it not only leads to confusion in scientific studie.*, but 

 also reflects adversely upon the reputations of those who are 

 responsible for such changes. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 Mr. A. E. (Jollens. F.C.S., Assistant Analyst, Trini- 

 dad Department of Agriculture, has assumed the duties 

 of Acting Government Chemist and Superintendent of 

 Agriculture for the Leeward Islands. When passing 

 through Barbados tn route for Antigua, Mr. (.'ollens 

 spent some time at the Office of the Imperial Depart,- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



