156 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Mav 1&, 1917. 



GLEANINGS. 



A note in the Experiynent Station Eecm'd, which refers 

 to a Louisiana report, states: 'the polj-phenol content of 

 juices coulfl be reduced by topping cane low, using tops for 

 planting. This would result in a distinct improvement of 

 the colour of juices.' 



According to Items of Departmental Interest for April 

 received from St. Kitts, there was considerable activity in the 

 distribution of planting material for provision crop.- during 

 the month. The di.stributiou was as follows: 2, 400 cassava 

 cuttings, 600 sweet potato cuttings, 157 lb. of yams and 

 SO R>. of eddoes. 



Information has also been received from .St. Kitts to the 

 effect that the acreage under cotton in that island and Nevis 

 •will be considerably increased this season on account of high 

 prices. Where possible the seed has already been planted, 

 and in some districts the young crop is looking very 

 promising. 



Australia continues to agitate for an extension in the 

 cotton industry of that country, and it would ajipear that the 

 principal reason is to obtain cotton waste for the production 

 of explosives. A short tine ago, according to the Agricul- 

 tural Ga-.ette of New South Wales, the following resolution 

 ■was passed: 'That a Munitions Cotton League be now formed, 

 to press forward the production of cotton in Australia, so 

 that it mav be available for the manufacture of munitions.' 



According to data published by Mr. A. L). Shamel in the 

 Montlihj Bulletin of the Califorjiia Stnte Commission of 

 Horticidture for February 1917, the factor of relative humid- 

 ity is of as much, if not greater, importance in the storage 

 of fruits than temperature. There are indications that 

 a proper regulation of teinperalure and relative humidity may 

 lead to the preservation of fruit for long periods of time with- 

 out the necessity of refriseration. 



According to advices received from St. Kitts, the old 

 cane crop is being rapidly reaped in that Lsland, especially 

 in the Central Factory districts. The juice is stated to be 

 particularly good, and the returns are very sati.sfactory. It 

 is reported that the young cane crop has felt the drj' weather 

 and the late planted fields arc very backward. During the 

 iast few days previous to the time of writing showers had 

 fallen which should hel|> to improve matters considerably. 



Notes which appear in the Agricultural G'cette of Neiu 

 South Wales for February 2 suggest points to teachers, 

 which may also serve as a guide to farmers and farmers" sons,, 

 who wish to make observations of maize in order to-, 

 familiarize themselves with various details that do not 

 generally come under notice in the ordinary way. The 

 directions given for a practical study of the different parts of 

 the corn plant are excellent, and we strongly recommend the 

 notes to the attention of West Indian teachers. 



An interesting paper appears in the Geographical Journal 

 for March 1917, on the Geography of the South American 

 Railways. This article should prove of particular interest 

 to British Guiana, since it deals largely with Brazilian rail- 

 ways, though the Argentine lines are equally well described 

 together with these railways in the other Republics of South 

 America. The paper, which is to be continued, is illustrated 

 with several striking photographs including one of the cable^ 

 hoists, Sao Paulo railway, Sao de Mer, Brazil. 



In a note in Xnture for February 6, 1917, reference is- 

 made in an appreciative way to the careful study made by 

 Father C. B. Dawson, M A., of that most remarkable bird, 

 the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus crislatus) The results so far 

 obtained are given in Father Dawson's 'Hand-lis-t of the 

 Birds of British Guiana'. It appears that in the case of the 

 bird referred to, the mother feeds the young as young 

 pigeons are fed. That is to say, the method is thi- same, the 

 young abstracting its food by thrusting its head down the 

 mother's throat. 



Dr. E. J. Russell, writing in Nature on the scientific 

 aspects of glass-house cultivation says that, 'in the case of 

 cucumbers, phosphates in some circumstances actuall>- depress 

 the crop as has been noted elsewhere with cotton and sugar- 

 cane.' This reference is doubtless made to West Indian 

 experimental results, but it is very doubtful whether there is 

 any conclusive eviilence to show that phosphates have 

 a depressing effect in the West Indies, though they have 

 frequently been shown to be accompanied when used as a 

 manure by pecuniary loss. 



Reported in Soil Science for March 1917, are the results 

 of an experiment showing some of the effects upon seeds of 

 small applications of copper sulphate, sodium carbonate and 

 sodium chloride to the soils in which the seeds are planted. 

 The effect of copper sulphate upon corn did not show 

 differences large enough to indicate whether this salt 

 increases or decreases ab.sorption when applied in small 

 amounts. Small applications of copper sulphate increased 

 the absorption of bean seeds. Small applications of sodium 

 carbonate increased the weight of all kinds of seeds used in 

 the experiments. 



A copy has been received of the St. Lucia rainfall returns 

 for 1916. The heaviest total rainfall occurred at Woodlands 

 where it amounted to 144-13 inches. The lowest rainfall was 

 at the Agricultural and Botanic Station, Choiseui, where 

 59-81 inches were recorded. At the Botanic Gardens in 

 Castries the total rainfall for the year was 110-48 inches 

 A useful feature of the table under notice, and one only 

 recently introduced, is the column giving the number of days 

 on which rain M], which enables one to calculate the effective 

 rainfall. Tliis observation is now being made in most of 

 the West Indian islands. 



