February 



1900J 



NA TURE 



393 



\ 



Mr. J. R. Bovell (Barbados), in his papers on " Rotation 

 and Catch Crops on Sugar Estates" and "Green Manur- 

 ing as a means of Fertilising Cane-lands in the West 

 Indies," dlustrated by plants, seeds, tubercles, &c., brought 

 forward useful information on the yields and values of 

 food crops in Barbados, and the capability of sugar 

 estates of self-support in regard to cattle food, and a 

 useful resumi on the relative value of different leguminous 

 plants. Mr. E. E. H. Thorne (Barbados), in "Silos on 

 Sugar Estates in Barbados," gave a valuable account of 

 actual results, and a number of useful practical hints. 

 The Hon. F. J. Clarke (Barbados) and the Hon. Francis 

 Watts (.A.ntigua) gave a history for Barbados and Antigua 

 of the efforts of the planters to erect central co-operative 

 factories ; both agreed as to the absolute necessity for 

 improved manufacture if the industry is to survive, and as 

 to the difficulty, so long as bounties last, in enlisting any 

 but Government guaranteed capital, notwithstanding the 

 certainty of a very profitable investment even at present 

 prices. 



The conference adjourned at 5 p.m., having devoted 

 the entire day to subjects connected with the sugar 

 industry. 



A conference dinner was held the same evening at the 

 Marine Hotel, at which about sixty guests were present. 

 The following day, Sunday, afforded an opportunity of 

 visiting the experimental stations, and a pleasant after- 

 noon was spent at the "At Home "given by Mrs. Morris 

 at " Chelston." 



On Monday morning, at nine, the labours of the con- 

 ference were resumed ; the day was devoted to educa- 

 tional and general subjects. A long and important 

 discussion took place upon measures for the inspection 

 and treatment of imported plants in reference to plant 

 diseases. The questions submitted were : Shall any or 

 all of the follovvmg measures be adopted by legislative 

 enactment ? : — 



{a) Total prohibition in certain cases. 



(/'j Inspection at port of entry, with power to destroy, 

 quarantine or treat infected plants. 



(t) Certificate from shipper declaring plants to be free 

 from infection, countersigned by an inspector at shipping 

 port ; and while no definite agreement was come to, there 

 was a consensus of opinion in favour of the Legislatures 

 giving special powers to their respective Executives. 



The papers read on educational subjects were : " Teach- 

 ing Agriculture in High Schools and Colleges," by Mr. 

 H. Deighton (Barbados) and the Rev. W. Caroll (Trini- 

 dad) ; "Teaching Agriculture in Elementary Schools," 

 the Rev. J. E. Reece, Colonel Hicks, Mr. William Blair, 

 Mr. CoUens, Mr. Watkins and Mr. Hudson ; " School 

 Plots as Aids in Teaching Agriculture in Elementary 

 Schools," Hon. W. Fawcett (Jamaica) ; " Experiment 

 Station Work in Trinidad," Mr. J. H, Hart (Trinidad) ; 

 " Aims and Objects of Experiment and Teaching 

 Stations," Rev. Canon Simms (Jamaica). The subject 

 of teaching agriculture in elementary schools was ex- 

 haustively treated. The paper by Canon Simms gave 

 an interesting summary of observations on experimental 

 stations and agricultural colleges in the United States 

 of America and Canada during his recent tour, and very 

 practical suggestions for higher agricultural teaching at 

 Jamaica. 



The Hon. Francis Watts, in his " Food Supplies of 

 the Leeward Islands," gave a useful account of the food- 

 growing resources of those islands ; urged less importa- 

 tion of food-stuffs and more local production. He pointed 

 out the close connection between cheap food and the 

 abundant cheap labour so necessary in cane-growing 

 countries, and brought forward evidence to show the 

 "irrational" nature of the present diet, and how, by the 

 ■proper combination of local products, it could be rendered 



rational. 

 NO. 



1582, VOL. 61] 



The Hon. William Fawcett (Jamaica) read an impor- 

 tant paper on " Distribution of Economic Plants in Re- 

 lation to Agricultural Development " ; and other papers 

 were read on " Steps taken at the St. Vincent Botanic 

 Station for the Distribution of Seeds, Plants, &c., after 

 the Hurricane of 1898," Mr. Powell; "Suggestions for 

 Increasing the Usefulness of the Botanic Stations," Dr. 

 Alford Nicholls ; " Packing Seeds and Plants," Mr. 

 J. H. Hart ; " Bee-keeping in Jamaica," Mr. T. R. 

 Doidge. 



During the day the Chemical Section of the Conference 

 presented a report upon uniformity in returning the re- 

 sults of field experiments on the sugar-cane, and upon 

 some minor matters of detail. 



A vote of thanks to the President, and the usual com- 

 pliments, brought the conference to a close about 5 p.m. 

 The representatives embarked the same night. 



J. P. d'Albuquerque. 



MODERN LIGHTHOUSE APPARATUS. 

 T^HE development of the modern system of lighthouse 

 -^ apparatus and illumination may be said to have 

 originated in the mercury-float mechanism, devised in 

 i8go by the late M. Bourdelles, Director-General of the 

 Central Lighthouse Service of France. Fig. i is a draw- 

 ing of a lighthouse apparatus fitted with M. Bourdelles' 

 mercury-float mechanism. 



Fig. I. — Feu-6clair. Third order .apparatus. (Section.) 



In place of the roller or ball bearings employed in the 

 past for revolving apparatus, an annular trough is em- 

 ployed, in which there floats a second annular trough, on 

 which is carried the dioptric apparatus. In order to 

 steady the revolving superstructure, and to render it 

 capable of a certain amount of adjustment, a vertical 

 spindle projects downwards from the apparatus through 

 the mercury trough to some distance below it, and is 

 supported and guided upon suitable bearings. 



Such is briefly the invention of the mercury-float 

 mechanism, and it is clear that with only fluid friction to 



