178 



TOBACCO DUST AS A FERTILIZER AND INSEC- 

 TICIDE. 



By George loutrel Lucas. 



The waste product of all the American tobacco factories, in the 

 form of stems stripped from the leaves in the manufacture of to- 

 bacco products, is saved and finely ground and forms a valuable 

 by-product in the shape of a fertilizer and insecticide. 



Good unsoaked stems contains 2 to 3/^ of nitrogen and 6 to I0/{ 

 of potash, and only a trace of phosphoric acid ; the nitrogen ex- 

 ists in both the nitrate and organic forms. 



The potash occurs principally in the soluble form, and is free 

 from chlorides judging from analysis. 



The stalks are richer in nitrogen than the stems ranging from 3 

 to 4% nitrogen, but are considered poorer in potash. Tobacco is 

 an exhausting crop, and the dust would prove an excellent ferti 

 lizer to apply to tobacco fields. 



A ton of good tobacco stems should contain nitrogen equivalent 

 to 500 pounds of nitrate of soda and potash equivalent to the 

 amount contained in 200 pounds of sulphate of potash. 



I have used hundreds of tons of tobacco dust in the past 20 

 years, and my faith in its fertilizing properties is unshaken, and 

 could I procure it in any quantity in Jamaica, I would take all 

 offering ; but it is unprofitable to use unless finely ground, be- 

 cause, being so bulky in the form of stems, it becomes too expen- 

 sive to haul and handle. 



Tobacco dust is especially valuable as a fertilizer and insecti- 

 cide for pine-apples, and it is the only safe article that can be used 

 for dropping in the bud or heart of the plants ; my plan is to go 

 over the pine-apple fields after the suckers or slips have been 

 planted 4 or 5 weeks and drop about a good pinch or two tea- 

 spoonsful into the heart of each plant ; this acts as a splendid 

 stimulant and kills the mealy bug and discourages ants from 

 building their nests at the base of the 'plants, and whilst it will 

 not kill ants, it will eventually drive them away for the want of 

 mealy bugs to feed upon ; the potash and ammonia contained in 

 the dust will stimulate the plants and force them to make a vigo- 

 rous growth and keep them free from insects and in a healthy 

 condition. 



THE LLEREN: A RARE ROOT CROP.^ 



By O. W. Barrett. 



Though perhaps one of the oldest cultivated plants, Calaihea 

 Alloiiya is almost unknown outside of the West Indies ; it is occa- 

 sionally cultivated in Trinidad and several other of the British 

 Antilles but appears to attain its greatest development and popu- 

 larity in Porto Rico. 



» From Plant World, Vol VII, No. 6, June 1904. 



