1U4 



important, and there is no question that much of the imme- 

 diate anxiety about the world's food supply would be allayed 

 if the vast area under wheat in tropical and sub-tropical 

 countries were so treated as to produce something approach- 

 ing its real capacity. 



''The problem is not an easy one, for in many cases the 

 supply of pen manure is nothing like sufficient for the needs 

 of the crop, and it may be thought that the cost of artificials 

 would often be such as to prohibit their use, at any rate with 

 [)iofit to the grower. As a mater of fact, this would not be 

 ihe case, except in isolated instances, and the grower must be 

 taught the value of these (so-called) artificial plant foods. 

 There are but few ]-)laccs in the world in these days where a 

 demand for such commodities would not be met with a sup- 

 ply. The difficulty is that the grower — be he European or 

 native — is, as a rule, reluctant to make an outlay on manures; 

 and it is only after months, sometimes years of patient instruc- 

 tion and demonstration, that the expert's teaching bears fruit. 



"We have observed with much interest the great strides 

 made in Eg3qDt in this direction during the past few years, 

 as evidenced by the largely increased imports of phosphatic 

 and nitrogenous fertilizers since 1908. In that year, for in- 

 stance, the import of nitrate of soda was 15,000 tons, while 

 in 1912 the figures had risen to over 56,000 tons. This only 

 shows what can be done, even with the conservative native 

 cultivators, if only practical steps are taken to educate them ; 

 and though the way may sometinmes be long and the dififi- 

 culties great, we have prooi in these figures that the thing 

 is not onlv possible, but can be successfully acconijilished." 



rnMMF.RCf.if. niRP BRP.nnfXG. 



Readers of the Forester are aware that the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Forestry has given much attention, in recent 

 years, to the question of the importation of birds to these 

 islands which might be assured to be beneficial with respect 

 to their selection of insect and grub pests for food, and not 

 lial)le to chanfje their habits so as themselves ti> become 

 nuisances — which would be nothing new. T-ately the (|ues- 

 tion of the introduction of strange birds has become a noimlar 

 topic of discussion, in connection with the arrival of a liird 

 fancier from Australia with a considera])le stock of nn inl)ers 

 of curious feathered tribes, tofrcthcr with the fact tliat the 

 municipality of Honolulu has a special fund, from hunting 



