87 



Ploughing when done in the spring should be shallow. Rice roots are 

 not deep feeders. Showing its wide range of adaptation, rice from the 

 same sack has been planted in moist land and flooded ; in cultivated 

 upland fields and on levoes 18 inches above the water. For a time it 

 grow with almost equal vigour under each of the foregoing conditions. 

 The principal difference appeared in the maturing of the seed. Trials 

 have been made with soils covered with a large amount of decayed 

 vegetation. The results were generally disappointing. The roots of 

 the rice, being shallow feeders, did not gain much hold upon the soil, 

 and the proportion of mineral matter and silicates in the decayed vege- 

 tation was not adapted to the rice plant. Rica ^ has generally failed on 

 peaty soils. 



Gravelly or sandy soils, are not adapted to rice cultivation because 

 they do not possess the mechanical conditions for the retention of water. 

 Occasionally, on a light sandy soil, underlaid hy a stiff subsoil, one or 

 two fairly good crops of rice may be secured, but this is the limit. 



WAGES AND EFFICIENCY OF LABOUR IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. 



The great variations in wages and in the area which can be cultivated 

 by the labourer in different countries are shown in the following table; — 



Number of acres one man can farm in rice, with wages, in different countries. 



Countries. 



Acres. 



Farm wages 

 in gold per 

 year, with 

 board. 



Countries. 



Acres. 



Farm wages 

 in gold per 

 year, with 

 board. 



Japan - - 





SIO to $1S 







Spain 







5 



HO to S60 



China - - 



}4 to 2^ 



8 to 12 



United States: 







Philippines - - 





15 to 20 



Carolinas 





92 to 120 



India - - 



I 



10 to 20 



Mississippi delta 



1^ 



120 to 144 



Siam - - 





10 to 20 



Southwestern 







Egypt - - 





15 to 30 



Louisiana and 







Italy - - 



5 



40 to 60 



Texas - - 



80 



180 to 216 



(To be Continued.) 



- o 



POTATO SCAB. 



A. correspondent has sent up samples of potatoes badly affected 

 by scab disease. Until a few years ago potato scab was supposed to be 

 due to mechanical irritation in the soil, damages resulting from insect 

 agencies, chemical erosion or irritation, excess of moisture, etc., 

 bat from the contradictory nature of the observations recorded 

 it is clear that the disease and its causes were not under- 

 stood. It is now known that scab is caused by the growth of at 

 least one fungus, ( Oospora scabies) and possibly others will be detected 



