52 



THE EFFECT OF SOIL AERATION ON PLANT 

 GROWTH. 



C. Hunter, B.Sc, who has contributed an interesting paper to 

 the Proceedings of the Unk'Crsity of Durham Philosophical So- 

 ciety states that as a result of the various experiments which 

 have been carried out with the object of investigating the connec- 

 tion between soil aeration and plant growth, it has been found 

 that— 



The circulation of the air in the soil affects the development 

 of the root system and through that the development of the sub- 

 aerial portions of a plant. 



The production of artificial air currents in the soil appears to 

 be beneficial to plant growth. This point is at present under- 

 going further investigation. 



These experiments were undertaken at the suggestion of Pro- 

 fessor Potter. 



DESTRUCTION OF LANTANA. 



This plant is apt to become a great nuisance in tropical coun- 

 tries on cultivated and pasture land, owing to its dense growth 

 and extraordinary vitality. It appears from the Journal d' Agri- 

 culture Tropicale (1912, 12, 154) that an attempt is now being 

 made in New Caledonia to combat the pest by introducing a spe- 

 cies of fly of the Agromyzidae family from Hawaii. The insects 

 have been distributed in the environs of Numea on land infested 

 with lantana. As a result the larvae of the fly have been foinid 

 in many of the seeds and it is intended to extend its distribution 

 in the colony. The result of the experiment will be watched 

 with interest ; it must be borne in mind, however, that where a 

 new animal species has been introduced to destroy some pest it has 

 itself sometimes proved to be injurious in other directions. — Im- 

 perial Institute Bulletin. 



