264 



dissolved, sufficient cold water should be added to make 4 gallons 

 and three-quarter pint of kerosene should be well stirred in. The 

 emulsion must be warm when used and must be kept well stirred. 

 " In every case it is advisable that the beans should be burned 

 after the cro})s have ])een p-athered." 



T. F. C. 



Castor Oil, 



The (juestion as to the market possibilities of Castor Oil pro- 

 duction from locally grown crops is again the subject of much 

 discussion. " Tropical Life " Vol. XV, No. 12 contains an article 

 in which the problem is considered from a commercial point of 

 view, and from which the following extract is taken. Methods of 

 cultivation are also given, "Taking the American and English 

 figures as a guide, we see then that the price in 1909 was somewhat 

 about 4.S'., and in 1910 in the vicinity of 5s. Ad, per bushel. 



"■ The cost of production can only be arrived at according to 

 locality; it would be somewhat similar to the cost of producing an 

 acre of maize except that tlie harvesting is much more expensive. 

 This is accounted for by the fact that the pods do not ripen evenly 

 and the crop has to be gone over several times in order to harvest 

 it. An estimate for producing, harvesting, bagging, and market- 

 ing, a 20 Imshcl crop of castor beans, allowing 10,s. per annum for 

 rent would not be less than £5 per acre. 



" From the above figures farmers will be able to draw their own 

 conclusion as to Avhetlier this crop can be considered payable. 

 Furthermore, it may be stated that castor oil plants cannot be 

 grown continuously on the same land for any lengthy period, be- 

 cause the crop exhausts the soil rapidly ; so much so that some 

 authorities state that it .should be grown only once in five or six 

 Tears on the same land." 



T. F. C. 



