Vol XVI. No. 405. 



THE AGRIGULTTTRAL NEWg. 



341 



In these cases the rapidity of vulcanizxtion appears to be 

 related in some way to the moist condition of the rubber, 

 and in some specimens the time of vulcanization varies 

 with the percentage of proteins, the samp'e containing the 

 lowest amount of proteins vulcanizing in the shortest time. 

 It is, however, impossible at present to connect these facts 

 definitely, as a sample of rubber prepared by evaporating 

 the latex in vicuo, which contained a very Urge amount of 

 proteins, also hid a very short time of vulcanization. 

 Further work on this important point will be required, but 

 if in the meantime a quick vulcanizing rubber with good 

 mechanical properties is desired by maunfacturers, it would 

 appear that it could be obtained by pressing wet creosoted 

 sheet into blocks of sui'able size. 



It is not yet possible to suggest a method of obtaining 

 rubber with a uniform rate of vulcanization, as samples made 

 under exactly similar conditions at different times vary 

 considerably in this respect. The bulking of the product 

 obtained over a considerable period would appear at present 

 to be the only practical way of approximating to this result, 

 until further research has thrown more light on the 

 fundamental conditions in rubber which influence rate of 

 vulcanization. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



(;ken.\da. The Superintendent of Agriculture reports the 

 followingdistribuiion of plants from the Botanic Station during 

 the month of September: cacao 160, limes 4 580, budded 

 orantes 39, grafted mangoes :3, various p'ants 16: in addition, 

 451 B). horse beans 120 2 oz pickets Canadian wonder bush 

 beans. Regarding stiple crops Mr. Moore states there is no 

 noteworthy change in the conditions reported in August. 

 Thrips show some increase, but the attack continues mild. 

 Experimental spraying f.f thrips with Black Leaf 40 and 

 Bordeaux mixture has been carried out at Grand Bris, 

 St. Andrews The question of providing a corn drier and 

 granary is under consideration of a special committee t.f the 

 Board of Agriculture. The weather was normal, the rainfall 

 ranging from 4'28 to 20'03 inches at the various stations. 



.'•T. Luci.i. During September tlie following plants 

 were distributed: 5,150 lime plants, 47 budded oranges, 

 3 grape fruit, 75 Cofia robus'.n, 5 grafted mangoes, 20 

 banana suckers, 6 decorative plants, 20,000 sweet potato 

 cuttings The condition of the cacao crop Mr. Brooks, the 

 Agricultural Superintendent, reports as fair, and the lime 

 crop heavy, while there is a good stand of canes generally. 

 Seventy casks of lime juice await shipment. This exceeds 

 the total crop at the Government Factory for any previous 

 year. Arrangements have been made with the Acting Direc- 

 tor of Agriculture for Mr. H. Meaden, Ciratorof the Botanic 

 Gardens, Tobago, to visit the Government Lime Juice 

 Factory to study details of working and management. The 

 rainfall at the Botanic Gardens, Castries, was 12 46 inches, 

 and at the Botanic Station, Choiseul, 1333 inches. 



ST. VINCENT Mr, W. N, Sands, Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent, reports that with excellent weather during the 

 month of September the crops generally made good progress. 

 The corn crop was a good one, and large sales were made to 

 the Government Granary. In cotton fields on a few estates 

 the collection of bush bugs and small numbers of cotton 

 .staineri was energetically carried out. Large areas of cottm 

 were almost free, so far, of cotton stainers. On two estates 

 bush bugs were causing damage to bolls, A small outbreak 



of cotton worm (Ala'iaina argillacea) occurred in the lower 

 Windward district. The weather was seasonable; the rain- 

 fall recorded at the Botanic Station was 10-02 inches, and 

 at the Expjriment Station 9'48 inches. 



Observations made by the Agricultural Instructor tend 

 to confirm the conclusions of the Mycologist, Mr. W. Nowell, 

 as stated in the last paragraph on page 318 of the Agricultu- 

 ral News, No. 404, 



From the Botanic Gardens 6 grafted mangoes and 

 11 palms were distributed It is hoped to obtain some good 

 natural hybrids from the seeds of the water-lilies of several 

 colours cultivated in a pond at the gardens. 



BOUGAINVILLAEA SPORTS AND HYBRIDS, 



In the Agricultural A'ews, July 15, 1916, reference was 

 made to the results obtained by Dr, George V, Perez, of 

 Tennerift'e, in raising hybrid Bougainvillaeas from a cross 

 between B. glabra and £. laleritia. The Doctor is- 

 continuing his experiments, not only in hybridization of 

 the different species of this sliowy plant, but in trying to 

 obtain 'sports' l.y ro .t grafting, rle has published a paper 

 in La Bevu'! I/ortico'e, Jane ]6, 1917, giving some account 

 of his experiments, from which we translate, as likely to He 

 of interest to some of our readers. 



He says that in June last year, in digging round 

 a specimen of B. lateriti >, he cut off portions of the nots,. 

 20 to 30 centimetres lonf, of a diameter of about 2 centi- 

 metres. Some of these, plmted in pot<, produced in about 

 three months' time leif shoots and rootlet?. The almost 

 imperishable vitality of the roots is extraordinary. After 

 nine months some of the cut off roots, even though they 

 showed no sign of sprouting, were apparently perfec'ly- 

 sound, and pieces of detached roots left in the ground 

 hid begun to sprout after three months of rainless weather 



I ir, Perfz is trying now to obtain sports which may 

 vaiy in colour and in oiher charic.ers. Although he has not 

 yet obtained any definite results, he hopes great things from 

 the following procedure. He has taken pieces of roots, from, 

 2 to 3 centimetres in diameter, and about 20 centimetres 

 in length, of B. glabra — the bright mauve-coloured variety — 

 and of B. laieiitia- -the brick-red variety, which is rather 

 rare in the West Indies — and, having split them lengthwise, 

 he h>s tied them together as one does in grafting by 

 approach. These he Las plant-.d, trusting t > the vitality of 

 the roots, and hoping for some decided sports. We shill 

 look out for a report, of the results. Perhaps some 

 West Indian gardener may be stimulated to make similar 

 experiments, 



Dr, Perez has obtained quite distinct hybrids bj- planting 

 seeds obtained from B. laterilia, which hid evidently been 

 fertilized from a plant of B. glabra, growing alongside. He 

 thinks that the (lowers had been cross-fertilized by visits of 

 the sphynx or hawk moth {Protoparce conrolvuli). which he 

 has noticed visiting the flowers :it dusk, A very similar 

 species of the same genus is common in many of the West 

 Indies, its larvae feeding on potato vines and other ipomoeas. 

 The writer of this notice has never seen fertile seeds of 

 bougainvillaea in these islands, but it may be from want of 

 careful search for them, Dr, Perez says that when dis- 

 coloured bracts remain on the plant wi bout falling oflF, it 

 is probable that they enclose seeds, they are about the size 

 of a grain of wheat. Anyone who has different varieties of 

 bougainvillaea growing near together might well investigate 

 as to the presence of fertile seeds, and by growing theni. 

 may perhaps be rewarded by a showy new variety. 



