JAMAICA 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



HOT VNIC VL DEPARTMENT. 



Vol. IX JANUARY & FEBRUARY, 1902 Parts 1 & 2. 



ORANGE CONFERENCE. 



The Orange Conference arrmged by the Board of Agriculture took 

 place at the Collegiate 'lall on ±th December, His Excelleacy the Go • 

 vernor presiding. 



In opening the meeting His Excellency said that the subjects for 

 discussion were on the various phases of the growth of the orange, and 

 he c died on Mr. Fawcett to deal with the first subject, the Orange Plant, 

 as an introduction to the Conference. 



Introductory Remarks. 



By W. Fawcett, Director of Public Gardens. 



Roots. — Liebig, the father of agricultural chemistry, says "A pr >per 

 knowledge of the ro >t-system of plants is the ground- work of agricul- 

 ture ; all the operations which the planter applies to his land must be 

 adapted to the nature and condition of the roots of the plants which he 

 wishes to cultivate. To secure a favourable result to his labours, he 

 ehou'd prepare the ground in a proper manner for the development and 

 action of the roots. The root is not merely the organ through which. 

 . the growing plant takes up the incombustible elements of food required 

 for its increase, but it may, in another not less important function, be 

 compared to the flywheel in an engiae, which gives regularity and uni- 

 formity to the working. It is in the root that the material is stored 



- up to supply the growing plant with the needful elements for conduct- 



- ing the processes of life, according to the requirements made upon it 

 by the action of light and heat." 



It is to the study of the plant itself that I wish to direct particular 

 attention. 



As Liebig points out, the function of the root is not merely to take 

 up certain materials from the soil, but it has to act in some sense also 

 as a storehouse. It is only that portion of the root close to the tip of 

 the smallest rootlets that can absorb water and dissolved material from 

 ^ the soil. So that while everything must be done by tillage to encour- 

 a> age the production of the minute rootlets and root-hairs, we must also see 

 ^ that proper conditions exist to allow the larger roots to do their proper 



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