2S .roiK.wi. OF TiiK J)F.r'AinMi;N T OF AciKicnLTTRE. — July, 1922. 



described by Coit in his " Citrus Fruits " : — " This machine consists 

 of an oblong tank through which water may be made to circulate at 

 definite speeds by a small propeller. The oranges roll down an 

 incline, and drop into the moving water from the height of a foot 

 or more. The light, frosted oranges bob up to the surface quickly, 

 whilst the sound heavy fruit is slower to rise. Meanwhile the 

 oranges have been carried along by the current, tlie sound fruit 

 passing under and being caught by a horizontal wiie screen, Avhile 

 the light fruit is carried above it. At the farther end of the tank 

 the two grades are lifted by conveyors and delivered to separate 

 bins. By adjusting the position of the screen and the rate of flow 

 of the water any degree of separation desired may be secured. 

 The device enables the grower to save whatever sound fruit he may 

 have left. The frosted fruit, if not seriously injured, may be 

 shipped under a special frost brand or it may be used as a fertilizer 

 or made into various by-products." 



It may be said that the water separator does not work satis- 

 factorily with lemons for the reason that they are not round and 

 the depth to which they sink in the water will depend to an extent 

 on the position in which they happen to strike the water surface. 

 For the separation of lemons the denatured alcohol bath (one 

 of the devices first tried in the separation of oranges and discon- 

 tinued on the invention of the "Chase Water Separator") is still 

 used. A layer of lemons is placed in a large wire tray, and sub- 

 merged in the alcohol, which has a specific gravity of .82. The 

 frosted lemons float and are removed by hand. Frequent tests with 

 the hydrometer are necessary in order to keep tlie liquid at the 

 proper density. 



TOBACCO AND COTTON. 



Advice for Prospective Cotton Planters. — Begin now to prepare 

 your land for nexl season. I^'all niul winter fallow land is always 

 better than spring ploughing. 



Sow the seed immediately after the first good spring rain; 

 between 15th October and 15th November is the best time. Use a 

 double-row cotton planter preferably. Sow about 25 lb. of seed to 

 the acre in rows 3 feet (5 inches to 4 feet (i inches apart, depending 

 on fertility: the more fertile the land, the greater the distance 

 required. Cover the seed from 1 inch to 2 inches. 



Use seed of one of the long staple varieties, such as Watt's Long- 

 Staple, Zululand Hybrid, Griffin, Improved Bancroft, and Uganda. 

 Seed should be bought at 3d. to (kl. per lb. 



Begin cutlivation as soon as the rows can be followed, and 

 continue as long as the cultivator can pass between the rows, without 

 doing too much damage to the bushes. The crop should be cultivated 

 about every ten days; the early cultivations may be fairly deep, 

 say 4 inches or 5 inches, the latter ones shallow. Hand hoe in the 

 drill between the plants when necessary. 



When the plants are about 8 inches to 10 inches high, thin them 

 (pull oxit), leaving one every 12 inches to 18 inches. 



