88 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



March 17, 1905. 



EDITORIAL NOTICES. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well 

 as all specimens for naming, should be addressed 

 to the Commissioner, Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, Barbados. 



All applications for copies of the 'Agri- 

 cultural News' should be addressed to the 

 Agents, and not to the Department. 



Local Af/eidn: Messrs. Bowen & Sons, Bridge- 

 town, Barbados. London Agents: Messrs. Dulan & 

 ■Co., 37, Soho Square, W., and The West India Com- 

 mittee, 1.5, Seething Lane. E.C. A complete list of 

 Agents will be found on page 3 of the cover. 



The Arirtcxdfural Kev'f! : Price IrZ. per luuiiber, 

 post free H-r/. Annual subscri)ition payable to Agents, 

 2s. 2,1. Post free, 3.'*. M. 



3lqrirn!tnral ^leirjj 



Vol. V. 



SAT n; DAY, MARCH 17. 1906. No. 102. 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents of Present Issue. 



The editorial in tlie present issue deals with the 

 education of young men to fit them for the duties of 

 estate overseers. The course of study offered in Agri- 

 cultural Science at Harrison Cullege is outlined , and 

 some of the special benefits likely- to restdt fmrn such 

 training: are mentioned. 



An account of the Liverpool E.xhibition will be 

 found on p. 8.5. The excellent illustrations should add 

 to the interest of the article. 



The report of the Colonial Exhibition, 190.5, is 

 reviewed on p. 87. This report is very useful, dealing 

 with the matters of packing and labelling exhibits. It 

 also suggests the appointment of Permanent Exhibition 

 Committees. 



The insect notes in this number give an account 

 of a weevil found in the seeds of growing mangos in 

 in Hawaii, and of a powder bellows which was used 

 during the past season in the Sea Islands for applying 

 Paris Green to cotton. 



On p. 91. will be found an account of the recent 

 visit of the Imperial Commissiiiner of Agriculture to 

 St. Lucia, and a review of the condition of the various 

 agricultural industries. 



The fruit notes on p. S4 in this number include an 

 account of some interesting returns with regard to Bar- 

 bados bananas, giving figures to show the sizes of the 

 bunches, the number of fingers per hand, etc. There 

 is also an interesting note on the packing of oranges. 



The Agricultural Don'ts on p. 90 contain good 

 advice in short, pithy statements. They are taken 

 from Agricultural Practices and Morals, by E. J. 

 Wortley, reviewed on p. 93. 



An article on Agriculture in 'J'rinidad, on p. 94, 

 gives brief statements on many points of agricultural 

 interest in tlie ditt'erent Ward Unii.m* in that island. 



A New Method of Packing Seeds. 



In the Bulletin of Miscellaveous Information of 

 the Botanical Department, Trinidad, for Januar}- last, 

 it is stated that Messrs. Sutton & Sons of Reading, 

 England, are now packing seeds for the tropics in fine 

 or thin metal containers which have been hermetically 

 sealed in dry air. This process will secure the seeds- 

 from the ett'ects of humidity of climate, and from the 

 att.-icks of small insects. The jjackages cost about Id. 

 each more than the ordinary paper envelopes, and the 

 seeds are preserved in a fine condition, some 100 

 per cent, longer than by the old method, and will not 

 perish while in the hands of the seedsman who under- 

 takes their sale locall}'. 



Tomatos at Montserrat. 



The following note on tomatos cultivated in the 

 garden of St. Mary's School, Montserrat, has been 

 furnished by the headmaster, Mr. R. A. Barton : — 



Seeds were sown in a box and in bed A at the same 

 time — early in October 190.5. When about 6 inches 

 high, seedlings were transplanted from the box to bed B, 

 and those in bed A were thinned out. Crops were 

 reaped at the end of January 1906. From one of the 

 plants raised in the box, three tomatos were cut off the 

 same stem. The total weight of these was 62 oz. 



From another plant, in bed A, which had not been 

 removed, three tomatos weighing 3S oz. were picked. 

 Both plants are still fruiting. 



A small portion of stable manure has been 

 applied to each bed. 



Is Sugar an Explosive? 



An editorial note in the Louisiana Planter ior 

 February 10, last, brings forward the question as to 

 whether or not sugar is an explosive. Reference is 

 made to the burning of a Colorado beet-sugar 

 warehouse, in which a large quantity of sugar was 

 destroyed by fire, which, it was held, was caused by 

 spontaneous combustion. More recently, a correspon- 

 dent has given further data on this point. It is now 

 learned from the Menominee (Michigan) Xeics that 

 in a recent insurance case tried there, an expert, 

 Mr. H. W. Tideman, general manager of the electrical 

 and mechanical works, said that if sugar were confined 

 it would become explosive, and this evidence was- 

 introduced b}^ the plaintiff's to account for an explosion 

 which was heard during the fire. It is stated, however, 

 that last winter, when some 12,000 to 1,5,000 barrels- 

 of sugar were burned at the Stuyvesant Docks in New 

 Orleans, no noticeable explosion was observed. 



