300 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS, 



September 22, 1917. 



GLEANINGS. 



A set of examination papers for the registration of 

 chemists in Mauritius, 1916, appears in the International' 

 Sugar Journal, July 1917. There are five papers of vary- 

 ing length given in the .Tournal: Agricultural Chemistry, 

 Bio-Chemistr)-, Sugar-house Chemistry, Sugar-house Control, 

 and Practical Chemistry. They appear to e.xpect a high 

 standard not only theoretical but practical, e.speciall)' those on 

 Sugar-house Chemistry and Sugar-house Control. The .Jour- 

 nal unfortunately omits to state under what authority the 

 e.xaniination is held, or who is responsible for setting the 

 paper-s. 



The Bulletin of tin' Kew Tor/.- Botaniral (r'irden, issued 

 July 10, 1917, contains a flora of the island of Viecjues, which 

 is situated about 7 miles southeast of the eastern end of Porto 

 Eico, compiled by Percy Wilson. The flora of Vieques is 

 essentially similar to that of Porto Piico, but there are elements 

 which link it with the Virgin Islands and St. Croix. 



It is now known that 226 different disease organisms 

 are carried by insects to man or animals, 282 species of 

 insect carriers being concerned. Dr. L. O. Howard in his 

 presidential address to the Washington Academy of Sciences 

 regards the transmission of i;ellagra by the insect Simulium 

 as definitely disproved, and considers it unlikely that infantile 

 paraly.sisis an insect-borne disease. {Nnfiin; July 12, 1917.) 



The annual report <jf the agricultural and industrial 

 statistics of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and 

 Imigration for the year 1916 states that 'two new aspirants 

 for agricultural honours in Louisiana have made their 

 appearance; the soy and velvet beans, and from the large 

 cpiantity that is being planted this year there is an indication 

 that the.se legume crops will reach 1,000,000 acres in 191 S. 

 adding !?'20,000,000 to the State's agricultural resources.' 



At the suggestion of the Imperial Institute, cultivation 

 trials have been carried out in the Seychelles with the 

 ajowan plant as a source of the antiseptic thymol which 

 used to be imported into Great Britain from Germany, the 

 seed necessary for these trials having been specially secured 

 and sent to the Seychelles by the Imperial Institute. Samples 

 have recently been received at the Institute of ajowan seed 

 grown in the Seychelles. On analysis the product has given 

 a satisfactory yield of thymol. (The Board of Trade Journal, 

 July 12, 1917.) 



Analy.ses made at the California Experiment Station of 

 dry banana stalks obtained from fruit markets, showed that 

 they contain as much pota.sh as kainit.and compare favourably 

 with dried kelp as filler for commercial fertilizer. Charring 

 and leaching of banana stalks yielded 27 lb. of 90 per cent, 

 potassium carbonate per ton. The possibility of collection 

 and treatment on a small scale of banana stalks as a source 

 of potash is suggested. (E rperiment Station Recird. 

 Vol. X.VXVI, No. 9.) 



Java is fortunate^ in having wonderful facilities for 

 irrigation. The water carries a slimy silt which is a minure 

 in itself. The system of irrigation is conducted by the 

 Government, which only charges the planter 2s. &d. per acre 

 per annum. Nature helps the planters to a considerable 

 extent by giving them flat country. Irrigation is really the 

 outstanding feature of the sugar-cane cultivation in Java, 

 and it is thoroughly well organized. In addition to the 

 system of Government irrigation, the Governnrent assists- 

 the planters by experimental stations, and by co-operating 

 with the mills, and assisting the sugar industry in every- 

 way in its power. (Agricultural News and Sugar I'lanler's- 

 Ga.elle, Durban, June 1-5, 1917.) 



The Agricultural ^'oniniission appointed by the Govern- 

 ment of British Honduras, to enquire into and investigate 

 certain matters and conditions relative to agriculture within 

 the colony is at work with a])iiarently good results. The 

 Clarion of British Honduras, July 26, 1.^17, says, 'we believe 

 that the Agricultural Commission- has already demonstrated 

 the good Judgment of the (government in its appointment, 

 and "we feel sure that the outcoms of its labours will be an 

 improvement in agriculture atid the status of the agricul- 

 tural populition of the Colony.' 



The formation last year, under the chairmanship of 

 Lord Milner, of an agricultural section of the British, 

 Empire Producers' Organization was a natural and important 

 step, for there is no industry in which the different parts of 

 the Empire have a closer common interest than agriculture. 

 The Committee wisely invited and obtained the co-operation- 

 of our Overseas Empire; and it is the intention, on the strong 

 foundation of complete representation, to proceed with the 

 building up of a scheme which will encourage economic and 

 bountiful production of essential commodities, and in this 

 way develop and mobdize the agricultural resources of the 

 Empire. (The Times, July 5, 1917.) 



The Dotninira Chronicle for August 29, 1917, in the 

 report of the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce expresses 

 the dissatisfaction of the shippers of green limes to New 

 York, at the protracted length of voyage which sometimes 

 occurs on the boats of the Quebec Steamship Company. The- 

 Chamber of Commerce has drawn the attention of the 

 Company to this matter. A recent shipment of Dominica 

 limes had been about thirteen days on the vessel, the 

 steamer having spent four or five days taking sugar at islands 

 farther north. The Chamber of Commerce suggests that the 

 company might alter their schedule of callings, as they have 

 (lone before this, so as to make Dominica their last port of 

 call, when it is intended to take sugar at St C'roix. 



The Committee appointed by the Government, t" 

 investigate the best means of developing the cultivation of 

 cotton within the Empire, held its first sitting at the Board 

 of Trade Otiices in London on July 2-5. A deputation from 

 the Lanca.shire cotton .trade, which waited upon Mr. G. H. 

 Boberts in February last, urged the vital necessity of growing 

 more cotton within the Empire, and were successful in 

 securing the .setting up of the present committee, but no 

 financial assistance wa-s promised by the Government. 

 Among the cotton trade representatives on the committee are 

 Messrs. J. W. McConnel, of the Federation of Master Cotton 

 Spinners' A.ssociation; J. Arthur Hutton, British (^ottna 

 Growers' Association: and C. M. Wolstenholnie, Liver[)ool 

 Cotton Avssociation. (The Manchester (•'uardian, July 27, 

 1917.) 



