512 



April. 191 



The Digestive Juices of 

 Plants. 



It has lonof been known that both 

 plants and animals carry on their 

 various chemical operations by 

 means of specific ajj^nts known as 

 enzvmes. Thus, when a plant re- 

 quires the starch which is stored 

 in its leaf, tuber or elsewhere, a 

 special enzyme, diastase, is put in 

 contact with the starch grains, 

 corrodes them, and converlS the 

 starch into sugar. The mode 

 wherebv the animal makes use of 

 the starch wTiich occurs in its food 

 is preciselv similar to that em- 

 ploved bv the plant. Both saliva 

 and pancreatic juice contain dia- 

 stase, and hence such starch as es- 

 canes the action of saliva — and in 

 these davs of quick lunches much 

 escapes — is acted on bv the dia- 

 stase of the pancreatic juice and is 

 hvdrolvsed to suirar. Each of the 

 manv chemical actions which 

 on in the body is presided over by 

 a specific enzvme, of which the 

 starch-convertinoc diastase tnav 

 serve as an example. The diges- 

 tion of proteins — the complex ni- 

 tro^en-containino- substances which 

 are of special nutritive value is 

 effected by stag-es, and for each 

 stasre there is a special enzvme. Tn 

 the animal these proteolvtic en- 

 zvmes are contained in the g^astnc 

 and pancreatic juices. Since the 

 processes of dicrestion are similar 

 in plants and animal^ we shall 

 expect to find that proteolvtic en- 

 zvmes occur in plants as well as in 

 animals. This expectation was 

 realised lone acfo bv the classical 

 investigations on the substances 

 excreted bv insectivorouf; plants, 

 such as Droser and the Pitcher 

 nlant ("Nepenthes') . These sub- 

 stances bring- about the solution 

 of proteins in a wav similar in 

 all essentials to that whereby the 

 proteoh'tic enzvmps of animals 

 act.— Gardeners' Chronicle. 



^ 



Loose Sirvt in Oats. 



Kxperiments dpsiimed to asrer- 

 t^in tbp best treatment for this 

 disease hav been c^nduntp'd f^^r 

 fivp vears in succession at the On- 

 tario AorricUnml Cone"«. The f^^- 

 lowinir are tbe trent'tnents which 

 were emnlovefl throusrhout :— 



(l) Tin treated. 



(7^ Immersion for a short time 

 in water at about tt", deerees F., 

 and subsequent immersion for t 

 niinutes in water at a temperature 

 of between i^o dejjrecs and 135 de- 

 grees F. 



(3) Immersion for five minutes 

 in copper sulphate solution ; 

 streng-th : i lb. in i gallon of 

 water. 



(4) Immersion for 12 hours in 

 copper sulphate solution; strength: 

 I lb. in 25 gallons of water. 



(5) Sprinkling with copper sul- 

 phate solution ; strength : i lb. in 

 10 gallons of water. 



(6) Immersion for two hours 

 in potassium sulphide solution ; 

 strength : 8 lbs. m so gallons of 

 water. 



(7) Imm.ersion for 20 minutes in 

 a solution of formalin ; strength : 

 half pint in 21 gallons of water. 



similar. The experiments extend- 

 ed from March, igog, to the end 

 of a period during which ex- 



treme conditions of temperature 

 and moisture were experienced. 

 Four distinct soils were investi- 

 gated : a light sand, two loams, 

 and a strong clay. The results of 

 the exiieriments showed that bas- 

 tard trenching when unaccom- 

 panied by manuring has very little 

 effect on the soil. The main use 

 of bastard trenching in the ab- 

 sence of a "pan" seems to be 

 that it allows of manure or other 

 fertilising material being added to 

 the bottom s"iL 



(8) Sprinkling with a solution of 

 formalin ; strength : half pint in 

 five gallons of water. 



The following table gives the 

 average percentage of smut and the 

 average yield of grain per acre : — 



0) 



•a 



bo . 



s pLi o <; 



1. Untreated 5.7 



2. Hot Water 0.0 



3- Copper Sul. (5 mins). 0.8 



4- I) n (12 hours) 0.1 



5- ,, (Sprinkled) 1.3 



6. Potassium' Sulphide 0.2 



7. Formalin (Immersed) 0.0 



8. (Sprinkled) 0.0 



Co o 



o ^ 



•—I <u 

 O p. 



60.3 



63.7 



58.5 



56.0 



61.8 



66.2 

 68.^ 

 61.3 



It will be seen from the tables 

 that the several treatments adopt- 

 ed the one in which the grain was 

 immersed for 20 minutes in a solu- 

 tion of form.aMn (half a pint in 21 

 gallons of water) gave the best re- 

 sults. 



According to the Fruit Grower 

 apple pomace is a profitable feed 

 for dairy cattle, being equal in 

 food \-alue to maize ensilage. 



HORSE COLLARS. 



The kind that fit. 

 We are e.xperta in Horse Collars and 

 all other harncsa. All our Harness 

 is made from speciallj' selected 

 leather and m iterials throuKliout. 



Collars from 15/6 each 



Satisfaction guaranteed ur your money 



• refunded. 

 Write to-day for our Catalogue C of 



Collars and Harnss. Free by return 



of mail. 



O J5L EL KT » S 



64 HINDLEY STEET, ADELAIDE. 

 " Where the Good Harneas is made." 



The Effect of Bastard 

 Trenching on the Soil 

 and on Plant Growth. 



Bastard trenching as ordinarily 

 performed consists of two di.stinct 

 operations, viz. (a) loosening the 

 lower spit of soil, and (b digtring 

 into it farmvard manure or other 

 fertili.sing material. In -a Roth- 

 am sted experiment the first and 

 second spits of soil were removed, 

 the third spit was broken up but 

 not removed, and then the second 

 and first spits were replaced in 

 their natural order. The cultiva- 

 tion and surface manuring of the 

 trenched and untrenched plots were 



Do You Wish to Appoint an Executo 

 or Trustee ? If so, the 



EXECUTOR TRUSTEE 



AND AGENCY CO., OF S. A., LTD. 



(INCORPOR.\TED). 



Whose extensive practical experience specially 

 qualifies them to undertake these duties, can reJieve 

 you of obliijations to private friends, and remove all 

 risk of loss or mismanagement. 



CALL and tail' the mallei- over xviili US. 



Amount at Credit of Fstates, Trusts 

 and Clients, £2,581,873. 



DlRKCTdll?.— W. J. Magarey, J.P., (Chairman 

 W. Herlicrt Phillips, Esq, A. .Tessop, J.P 

 H. 0. K. Miiecke, J. P., Richard Smith, J.P. 

 E. W. Van Sendeii, Esq. 



SAFE DEPOSIT NOW OPEN 



OKKICES-22 GRBNFELL STREET, ADELAIDE 

 Manairer, E. \V. Williamson, A.I.A.V. 

 Asst. Manager, W. W. Carter. 



