Vol. XVI. No. 404. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



.327 



The purchases of cotton ia Lagos to August 31 

 amounted to 7,703 bjles, as compared with 9,104 bales for 

 the same period of last year, and 5,748 bales for 1915. 



The purchases in Xorthern Nigeria to July 31 were 

 3,673 bales, as compared with 10,499 bales for the same 

 period of 1916, and 467 bales for 1915. 



UGANDA. Cotton is now being shipped in larger quan- 

 tities from East Africa, and it is not anticipated that there 

 will be any great diiBculty in shipping the balance of the 

 1916-17 crop. It is quite expected that the exceptionally 

 tigh prices which hive been paid to the natives for cotton 

 during the past season will result ir an increased area being 

 planted with cotton, and tLe demand for cotton seed fully 

 bears out this view. It is hoped that some means will be 

 found of overcoming the shipping difficulty. 



PROHIBITION OF EXPORTS OF SEA 

 ISLAND COTTON. 



In consequence of the following telegram from the 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Governors of the 

 West Indian islands concerned have issued Proclamations 

 prohibiting the exports of Sea Island cotton: — 



October 12. — Owing to difficulties in obtaining 

 sufficient supply for aeronautical purposes, His Majesty's 

 Government find it necessary in Imperial interests to 

 acquire all Sea Island cotton produced in the West Indies. 

 The Secretary of State for the Colonies has therefore 

 required the Governor to prohibit the exportation of this 

 cotton with a view to its purchase by the Colonial Govern- 

 ment on behalf of the Admiralty. While Mr. Long regrets 

 to interfere with the business arrangements of the 

 agricultural community, he feels that he has no alter- 

 native to doing .so; and he relies with confidence on the 

 patriotic co-operation of the planters. All Sea Island 

 <jotton offered will be bought, ginned, baled, and deliv- 

 ered at the port of shipment; and the i)lanters will 

 accordingly be relieved of all difficulties in the provision 

 of tonnage. The question of price has been the subject of 

 most careful consideration, and the following scale has been 

 fixed: Ordinary 3Qd. per Bt).; Gi>od ordinary 40rf. per B).; 

 Superfine -iod. to 50<f . per B). ; according to quality. Stains 

 will be paid for at the market value on arrival in the United 

 Kingdom. Thirty pence per pound unstained, and 20d. 

 stained would be paid on delivery, and the balance after 

 grading has been completed io the United Kingdom. If 

 any prifit should be made upon cotton not used yet for 

 British Government purposes, such profit would be divided 

 among all the planters pro rata. 



TOP-WORKING OF OLD CITRUS TREES. 



A pamphlet by R. A. Davis, Chief of the Division of 

 Horticulture, Department of Agriculture, Union of South 

 Africa, published this year, has recently been received by 

 this Department. Its subject is Budding and Grafting of 

 Citrus Trees. This subject has be.^n frequently dealt with 

 in the pages of this Journ:'.l, but there are some instructions 

 given as to the top- working of old trees, which may be well 

 worth while reproducing. 



It becomes advisable sometimes to change the product 

 of a citrus tree from one variety to another, especially when 

 the citrus tree in question is perhaps only an almost valueless 

 rough lemon, or a bitter orange. The knowledge of how to 

 proceed with this end in view is valuable. If tbe operation 

 is successfully performed— and there is really no difficulty 

 about it-— it saves the expense of uprooting the old tree, and 

 ^growing or purchasing a young grafted plant, and causes 



a crop of the selected variety to be produced in good quantity 

 and in a shorter time than could otherwise be obtained. 



In South Africa the budding process has almost entirely 

 superseded grafting in the top-working of full-grown 

 trees. The customary way of proceeding is by one or other 

 of the follaiving methods: — 



(1) The entire top of the tree is removed, and buds are 

 inserted into the new shoots which appear. 



(2) Buds are inserted into the old wood in suitable 

 places, prior to the removal of the top, then, when it is seen 

 that the buds have taken, the branches are cut off a little 

 above the buds. 



Mr. Davis thinks the first plan to be easier and the 

 more satisfactory; the writer of this article has seen it 

 succes.sfuUy carried out in the West Indies. 



If this plan is the one adopted, the first step is to select 

 those branches which are best suited for budding on. It is be.st 

 to choose three or four strong growing ones at .some little dis- 

 tance apart from one another, and well distributed around the 

 trunk, so that the new growths may give a symmetrical form 

 to the tree. All other branches must be removed, and the 

 resulting cuts painted over. The cuts must be made as 

 close to the trunk as possible, leaving no stub. If this 

 is carefully done the bark will completely grow over the 

 wounds in time. Finally the branches selected for budding 

 into are cut of}" about 12 or 14 inches from their fork with 

 the trunk, the cut surfaces painted over, and the whole tree 

 whitewashed from top to bottom. This last is a most 

 necessary precaution, as it prevents damage to the bark 

 from sun scald, and wards off the attacks of scale insects. 



In favourable weather new sprouts will appear in large 

 numbers, and these should all be allowed to grow at first. 

 When it has been decided which of these is most suitable 

 for budding, both with reuard to position and viaour of 

 growth, the remainder .should gradually be reduced in 

 number until none are left but those selected to carry the 

 buds. Budding is carried out on these in the usual way 

 such as has been often described. As the buds grow they 

 must be pinched back when the shoots are about 18 or 20 

 inches long, for this not only strengthens the growth, but is 

 a protection against injury from high winds. 



The second plan, that of budding into the old wood 

 itself, is cirried out in a somewhat similar manner. (Jne 

 objection to this method is that the bark is often so thick 

 that it is most difficult to in.sert buds. This difficulty may 

 be met by whittling the bark of the spots where the buds 

 are to be inserted, down to a thickness which renders it 

 easier to manipulate. The branches .selected should have 

 small sprouts trimmed off, and the buds inserted into them 

 before beheading the tree. As soon as the buds have taken, 

 thj tops of the branches may be removed, and the same 

 precautions taken, of painting the cuts, and whitewashing 

 the tree, as in the other method. 



Whichever plan is adopted, a tree so treated should, 

 with good treatment be bearing a crop in the third or 

 fourth year after the operation. This top- working of 

 an old citrus tree possesses particular attraction for 

 the owner of perhaps only two or three specimens 

 of almost valueless kinds, in that it is quite possible 

 in this way to obtain several good varieties on one parent 

 stock. The writer of this article has seen growing on 

 one trunk, tangerine oranges, grape fruit, and a good variety 

 of the ordinary sweet orange, a distinct boon to one who is 

 growing fruit only for family use, and not for commercial 

 purposes. The owner of many trees who desires to market 

 his crop, can, by budding all his trees with the same 

 variety, guarantee uniformity in the product, a point which 

 always conduces to increase in value. 



