Journal of Agriciilt-ire. [8 Feb., 1908. 



Department is introducing into the southern States. They supply the 

 eggs, instructions, and mulberry plants free to any one who will take the 

 business up, and then buy the cocoons from the growers at a little above 

 market price, spin the thread in the Departmental workshops, and sell it to 

 the silk manufacturers. 



Bee culture, under Dr. Phillips, is another important branch, as there 

 are over 500,000 bee-keepers in the United States. The bacteriologist in 

 this branch would be very glad to get specimens of bee paralysis from 

 Australia, and would acknowledge and furnish reports upon any specimens 

 received ; specimens of foul brood would also be interesting to him. They 

 have here a special Fairbanks' scales, which will weigh from 400 lb. to \ of 

 an ounce, and on this thev are testing a hi^■e of bees to find out the 

 " activities of a hive," and with regular observations, regularly recorded, 

 expect to get some interesting results. 



I spent a most interesting day in the division of Plant Pathology, 

 where Dr. Galloway sent me round to all his officers; and, among others, 

 I had a very interesting time with Mr. Swingle, who is interested in the 

 drv-farming cultivation, and has travelled extensively in Asia and Northern 

 Africa. He is very much interested in our western flora and edible shrubs 

 and plants. Among other interesting questions he pointed out that it was 

 not a spineless cactus that we want in dry countries, but such a spinv one 

 that nothing will touch it until the spines are burnt off. A spineless cactus, 

 he maintains, would never hold its own in desert country; everything, 

 from the mice to the mules, would eat it out. He showed me a specie"^ 

 {Opuntia fulgida) which is such a mass of spines when young that nothing 

 can come near it ; but the spines are so thick and dry that they are like 

 matchwood, and this species grows a great quantity of fruit., that is a very 

 valuable food to stock. He is also greatly interested in the cultivation of 

 dates in the drv country, and thinks that we should also be able to grow 

 dates commercially in Australia. 



In the Investigation of Plants division, Mr. Collins went into the 

 question of cotton and also maize, and said that .some of the species 

 obtainefl in the arid parts of Mexico will mature in three months, and they 

 are carrying out extensive experiments in these " dry-lands' " varieties of 

 maize. The germination of seeds is a special branch of this division, and the 

 purity of all seeds sold in the United States is tested here. Miss Schofield, 

 in charge, has all the seeds examined under the micro.scope, and the foreign 

 seeds, inert matter, and seeds, all listed and determined. 



With Dr. True, of the same division, I had some interesting conversa- 

 tions regarding the diseases of stock caused by native plants, and he 

 informed me that "Loco" disease in the eastern parts of the Rocky 

 Mountains round to Arizona and Mexico, is very similar in its effects upon 

 stock, and horses in particular, to our '■' Darling Pea," and last year in 

 some places as many as 75 joer cent, of the horses in Arizona died from this 

 disease, caused by eating several species of Astragulus and Arg/tllus. 

 vSeveral species of wild lupins {Pelph'inits) also often kill large numbers 

 of stock in the West, particularly sheep. 



I also called upon Dr. Cobb, formerly Pathologist to the X.S.W. 

 Department of Agriculture. He has a branch under Dr. Galloway, and 

 is only just getting things together; he washed to be remembered to 

 all the officers of our Department. Another morning was spent with 

 Drs. Mueller, Dorset, and Hassell, who have charge of the branches of 

 Bureau of Animal Industrv and deal with much of the work undertaken 



