174 



NATURE 



[October io, 19 12 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK AT AN AGRICUL- 

 TURAL COLLEGER 

 THE bulky annual before us consists of reports from 

 the various departments of the South-Eastern 

 Agricultural College, prefaced by editorial notes, 

 which summarise the present position of the college. 

 This appears to be satisfactory, and progress in 

 several directions is being made. The editor is dis- 

 satisfied with the recognition of Long .Ashton by the 

 Development Commissioners as the chief fruit re- 

 search station for England and Wales. But it must 

 not be forgotten that Long Ashton serves the most 

 important "fruit area in the country, extending from 

 Devonshire to Herefordshire and Worcestershire. 

 Wye, however, is to have a research plantation for 

 fruit and hops. 



(i) Farm and Dairying. — The chief point of interest 

 mentioned by Mr. Mackintosh has reference to the 

 good results obtained by spraying potatoes ; " the 



yields from sprayed and unsprayed plots showing a 

 balance of four tons per acre in favour of the former." 

 The sugar-beet experiments proved, as elsewhere, that 

 the crop can be successfully grown in this country, 

 but it remains to be shown whether the manufacture 

 of beet-sugar is destined to become an important 

 British industry. Sugar-beet slices and coconut cake 

 were found to be useful artificials. 



{2) Hops and Horticulture. — The article by Messrs. 

 Smith and Wellington on the packing of apples is 

 particularly interesting, especially in relation to the 

 establishment of a commercial fruit show in Kent. 



(3) Economic Zoology. — Prof. Theobald's report is 

 of considerable length, and, as usual, contains a large 

 amount of familiar matter as well as valuable addi- 

 tions to knowledge. The illustrative plates are excel- 

 lent. The author has spent much time in investigating 

 aphides, of which 174 species (ten hitherto undescribed) 

 have been found in Kent. The egg-laying of the pear- 

 midge {Diplosis pyrivora, Riley) is for the first time 



1 The Joimiiil of the South Easlen Agriculmral College, Wye, Kent, No. 

 I'oforiQii. t*p, 5i(). (London and Ashford : Headley Brcs.) Price 7J. 6^., 

 post free. 



NO. 2241, VOL. 90] 



described in detail ; an excellent account is given of 

 the narcissus-flies {Merodon equestris, Fbr., and 

 Eumerus strigatus, Fin.) ; and the house-fly as a 

 carrier of disease germs is described in unsavoury 

 detail. 



(4) Chemistry. — The two most important articles in 

 Prof. .Quid's report have reference to the formation of 

 prussic acid from linseed cake and other feeding 

 stuffs, indicating a certain necessity for care in their 

 use ; and the extraction of nicotine from tobacco, 

 with a description of experiments in denaturing. 



(5) Botany. — Prof. Parkinson contributes an interest- 

 ing note, in continuation of previous work, on the 

 forcing of plants by warm-bath treatment, e.g. bulbs 

 of hyacinth and narcissus soaked in water at a tem- 

 perature of 88° F. for twelve hours rapidly outstripped 

 untreated ones (Fig. i). Mr. Garrad gives his second 

 report on the growing of tobacco for n.icotine extrac- 

 tion, and the Principal contributes a note on the 

 smoking qualities of the tobacco, which would seem 



Io be remarkably good. 



(6) Economic Mycology. — Prof. 

 Salmon's invaluable report deals 

 with the use of lime-sulphur wash 

 and with American gooseberry 

 mildew ; and a reprint is given of 

 the important presidential address 

 on " Economic Mycology and some 

 of its Problems" which he de- 

 livered to the British Mycological 

 Society last year. Among other 

 things, the significance of " bridg- 

 ing species " is pointed out, e.g. 

 the spores of grass-mildew {Ery- 

 siphe graminis) taken directly from 

 Bromus racemosus cannot infect 

 B. conimutatus. They can, how- 

 I vcr, infect B. hordeaceus, and 

 the spores developed in this species 

 L;erminate effectively on B. com- 

 luutatus. The methods of com- 

 bating fungoid disease are also 

 iliscussed in a luminous fashion. 



(7) Notes on Hops.— ProL Sal- 

 mon describes in detail the work 

 (lone by way of raising new varie- 

 1 ies of hops, and the sending out 

 of male hops to growers. 



(8) Veterinary Science. — Prof. 

 Cave decides against preventive 

 treatment, on the lines so far 



devised, in the case of "struck sheep," and gives an 

 account of Johne's disease; while Mr. Bruce Gardener 

 communicates the results of his useful research on 

 parasitic gastritis in sheep and cattle (" Lincolnshire 

 lamb disease "), due to species of the nematode genera 

 Hsemonchus, Ostertagia, and Trichostrongylus. As 

 these pests are common to sheep and horned stock, it 

 is clear that the common practice of turning cattle on 

 to pasture dangerous for sheep should not be pursued, 

 though horses and pigs will take no harm. 



J. R. Ainsworth-Davis. 



ADDITIONAL FORTHCOMING BOOKS OF 

 SCIENCE. 

 Agriculture. 

 Williams and Norgate. — Soil Fertility and Fer- 

 tilisers, J. E. Halligan, illustrated. 

 Anthropology. 

 Chapman and Hall, Ltd. — The Aborigines of South 

 America, Col. G. E. Church. G. G. Harrap and Co. 

 — Cave, Mound, and Lake Dwellers, and other Primi- 



Journal of t 



