The Department of Agriculture during the War. iJtiH 



THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DURING 



THE WAR. 



[This article, which commenced in the May, 1920, issue, briefly reviews the work carried out 

 by the various branches of the Department during the years of war, and records 

 some achievements despite the many difficulties encountered through the abnormal 

 conditions then existing. — ACTixfj Editor.] 



Botany . 



The Division of Botany is engaged in the investigation and 

 control of diseases of plants produced by fungous and physiological 

 causes and the study and collection of fungi of economic importance. 

 It is also concerned with the investigation of the merits of indigenous 

 plants of economic importance and of poisonous plants and noxious 

 weeds, the identification of plants, the introduction and testing of 

 economic jjlants from ahroud. ;ind the improvement of farm crops by 

 breeding*. 



The principal work carried out at the Botanical Experiment 

 Station, Pretoria, in 1914-15 was the testing under local conditions 

 of a number of imported grasses and the cultivation of certain indi- 

 genous ones, and promising results were obtained with some. A good 

 deal of attention was given also to experiments in connection with 

 maize and potato diseases. " Eooibloem " (witchweed) investiga- 

 tions were continued : in connection therewith the action of certain 

 chemicals on seed-infested soil was tried with negative lesults. 

 Researches into certain bacterial diseases of plants were also conducted. 



In 1915-16 the laboratory accommodation was increased and 

 valuable presents of named and mounted plates of plants were 

 received. Tlie division worked in close conjunction with the 

 Veterinary Research Division in the botanical investigations con- 

 nected with gallamziekte and gouwziekte. The " rooibloem " investi- 

 gations were continued and a practical method for dealing with the 

 weed was discovered. The kikuyu grass obtained from British East 

 Africa gave promising results and has since become very popular both 

 as an ornamental and fodder grass. A disease affecting citrus fruit 

 discovered in 1914 in the Drakenstein Yalley, near Paarl, was since 

 found to be present in a number of other places in the Cape south- 

 western districts. Infected nurseries were quarantined and the 

 disease was investigated, it being ascertained that it was due to an 

 undertermined bacterial organism. At the same time also a great 

 deal of routine and research work was performed in connection with 

 plant pathology, though the work was handicapped by the lack of 

 greenhouses. 



During 1916-17 citrus canker was detected in the Union. It had 

 apparently been introduced with a consignment of citrus trees from 

 Japan about 1905. which was planted at Warmbaths Experiment 

 Station. Every effort was made by the Department to stamp out the 

 disease and prevent its spread, but for all that it was discovered lo 

 have spread to several other centres. The division is tackling this 



