168 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



.TrNE 



l9Vi 



EDITORIAL 



Head Office 



NOTICES. 



— Barbados. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 specimens lor naming, should be addressed to the 

 Commissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agricultu ra 

 News' and other Departmental publications, should be 

 addressed to the Agents, and not to the Department. 



The complete list of Agents, and the subscription 

 and advertisement rates, will be found on page 3 of 

 the cover. 



Imperial Cummissioner of Sir Francis Watts, K.C.M.G., 



Agriculture for the. West Indies D.Sc, F.I.C., F.C.S. 



SCIENTIFIC STAFF. 



Scientific Assistant and 

 Assistant Editor 



Xntomologistf 

 Mycologist 



Chief Clerh 

 Clericril Assistatiti 



\V. R. Duiilop. 



(H. A. Ballou, M.Sc. 



IJ. C. Hutson, B.A., Pli.D. 

 W. Nowell, D.I.C. 

 CLERICAL STAFF. 



A. G. Howell. 



fL. A. Corbin. 

 J.l 



Typist 



Assistaid Tijpist 

 Assistant for Publications 



^iqriciihunit BeiuH 



Vol. XVI. SATURDAY, .TUNE 2, 1917. No. 394. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in this number deals wiih the 

 principles of education in which consideration is given 

 to the relative importance of science and literature. 



Government assistance in regard to motor plough- 

 ing is referred to on page 163. 



Two important articles on the Dominica green 

 lime trade, and on research and the British cotton 

 industry appear on pages 171 and 173, respectively. 



Insect jSotes in this issue describe control measures 

 against the Mediterranean fruit tly in Hawaii. 



Fruiting of the 'Male' Papaw. 



It is a well-known fact that the male and female 

 flowers of the papaw arp usually produced on separate 

 trees, and that occasionally Hewers possessing both 

 characteristics (hermaphrodite flowers) arise in female 

 inflorescences. It has been further stated {Agricul- 

 tural News, Vol. XII, p. 2.5) that a "male tree can be 

 caused to bear female flowers, and eventually fruit, by 

 cutting it back; and a summarized description given 

 from details contained in L' Agriculture Pratique des 

 Pays Chauds for October 1911, of the ordinary male 

 and female flowers and the hermaphrodite flowers, and. 

 the differentiating characteristics pointed out. 



In a recent number of the (Queensland Agricul- 

 tural Journal (April 1014) reference is made to the 

 fruiting of the 'male' papaw in that Province, which is- 

 in confirmation of the fact that b^y lopping off the top- 

 at an early stage of growth, the male papaw tree 

 is made to produce large quantities of fruit. It is- 

 stated that although the male papaw vei'v rarely pro- 

 duces fruit in the Southern portion of (|)ueensland, it 

 is by no means a rarity to see in the Northern districts, 

 especially in the rich lands about (Jairns, male trees 

 bearing dozens ot fruits which are produced at the end 

 of the long flower-stems, and dangle like a number of 

 bells from the top o£ the tree. In illustration, an 

 excellent photograph is given of a male papaw fruiting. 

 When this tree was about 3 feet high, the sprout on 

 the top was pinched off, with the result that it threw 

 out several branches. About three months later it 

 bore a few fruits, and recently, when eighteen months 

 old, it began to bear abundantly, having on February 2 

 o\er 100 iruits on each^branch. The same process was 

 tried with other trees, but up to the date mentioned 

 only a lew papaws had apjjeared. 



Purchase of Rhodesian Maize by the Imperial 

 Government. 



The Rhodesia Agricultural Journal, for February 

 1917, has authority for stating that the British South 

 African Cbmpany has been able to effect an agreement 

 with His Majesty's Government w'hereby the latter will 

 accept, at the price of 10s. Qd. per 203 lb. gross, any 

 quantity of the 1917 crop of maize, grades 1 or 2, offered 

 f. o. r., at any .station in Southern Rhodesia. His- 

 Majesty s Governiuent will find freight. No guarantee 

 as to (piantity is required, nor does the arrangement 

 bind anyone to deliver maize to His Majesty's Govern- 

 ment at the price named, but secures two advantages, 

 namely, a firm market for all surplus, and freight. The 

 announcement of this arrangement was made through 

 the press and by other means as well. The fanning 

 community as a whole welcomed the news, and although 

 the planting season was already far advanced, it is known 

 that as an immediate result and a tangible proof of 

 appreciation, a considerable additional acreage of maize 

 was at once planted. ;., 



The question has been raised as tn how, the pro- 

 spective surplus can be measured. Obviously e.xport 

 must commence before the sum total of the crop can be 

 ascertained. At first an estimate of the whole crop can 

 only be approximately forecasted, and as the season 

 advances the original figures can from time to time be 



P. Taylor. 



Ik. r. c. F.I.St ti. 



Miss B. Robinson. 



Miss W. Ellis. 



A. B. Price, Fell. Journ. Inst. 



