February, 1910.] 



159 



Miscellaneous. 



valuable papers and drawings, and it is 

 always put in book shelves and cup- 

 boards. 



(3) Where paper cannot be stored in 

 cases, it should be in good, tight pack- 

 ages, to which insects cannot get access. 



(4) If possible, take down every book 

 on a shelf at least once in three months, 

 dust and wipe it, open it, and if there 

 are no beetles, replace it. 



(5) All books should be painted yearly 

 with one of the solutions given below ; 

 it is best to do this before the rainy 

 season begins. Every part that can be 

 reached when the book is tightly closed 

 should be painted, the back especially, 

 as well as the inside of the covers. 



A. Spirits of wine (methylated 



spirit) ... ... 1 quart. 



Carbolic acid. . ... 1 ounce. 



Corrosive sublimate.. 1 ounce. 



The mixture is very poisonous and 

 should be applied with a long-handled 

 brush. It is the best, as it also checks 

 mould ; but if used, the room in which 

 the books are, must be thoroughly aired 

 once daily in hot weather as the sub- 

 limate is volatile and poisons the air. 

 (See also Agricultural News, Vols. I, 

 p, 140 ; II, p. 42 ; VI, p. 346,) 



B. Kerosene, best white... 1 pint. 

 Naphthalene... ... 2 ounces. 



Rub on lightly with a cloth, 

 or brush. 



C. Spirits ... ... 1 quart. 



Camphor ... ... 1 ounce. 



Burnt alum ... ... £ ounce. 



Corrosive sublimate... 1 ounce. 



This mixture is used in the Pusa 

 Library. It is as poisonous as A. 



SOME NOTES ON CALCIUM 

 CYANAMIDE. 



(From the Agricultural News, Vol. VIII., 

 No. 179, March 6, 1909.) 



The method of manufacturing calcium 

 cyanamide, a new nitrogenous mauure, 

 the nitrogen of which is derived directly 

 from the air, was described in the Agri- 

 cultural News of December 12 last (page 

 398). In this connexion it is interesting 

 to note some experimental work lately 

 carried out by two French investigators 

 with this manure, and reported on 

 in the Annales de VInstitut Nationale 

 Agronomique. 



Before calcium cyanamide can be 

 utilized by plants, it is first transformed 

 into ammonia, and then into nitrate of 

 soda. These changes, under favourable 

 circumstances, are fairly rapidly effected 



by means of soil bacteria. Nitrification 

 is especially rapid when the manure is 

 applied only in small quantities at once. 

 Very large quantities of the cyanamide 

 applied at one time, appear to paralyse 

 the activities of the nitrifying bacteria, 

 with the result that transformation into 

 nitrate of soda is considerably delayed. 

 Experiments carried out by the French 

 investigators mentioned, showed that the 

 retarding action was due to the influence 

 of the cyanamide itself rather than to 

 the caustic lime which accompanies it, 

 and further, that although the manure 

 should always be used with prudence, 

 yet soils rich in organic matter can 

 advantageously take up more of the 

 manure than soils deficient in this con- 

 stituent. The toxic effect which the 

 manure undoubtedly exercises on the 

 living organisms of the soil when used 

 in large amount is reduced to a negligible 

 quantity when employed in moderate 

 doses. 



Nitrogen does not appear to be readily 

 lost from cyanamide on storage. When 

 kept in sacks, and stored in a dry place, 

 there was scarcely any loss. When the 

 cyanamide was mixed with kainit, there 

 was no loss even after forty-two days. 

 With superphosphate it was otherwise, 

 and a loss of 5 per cent, was discovered. 

 It would therefore seem necessary to 

 avoid making a mixture with this 

 manure. 



The paper in question contains de- 

 tails of a large number of manurial 

 experiments carried out with various 

 crops, such as wheat, oats, maize, pasture 

 grass, vines, etc. From the results of 

 these trials, the conclusion is drawn 

 that calcium cyanamide is similar in 

 effect to an equivalent amount of sul- 

 phate of ammonia. A normal quantity 

 of the manure to apply per acre would 

 be about 200 lb. This may be given 

 either before, or at the time of sowing. 



CEYLON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Progress Report XLVIII. 



Membership Branch Societies, &c. 



Since the meeting of December 18 last, 

 the following members joined the 

 Society :-H. M. Woolley, H. A.Brett, 

 S. C. Biddell, Geo. Sehrader (as a Life 

 Member), W. A. De la Hoyde, A. P. 

 Karunaratne, H. B. Rambukwelle, Dr. 

 Kobbekaduwa Tikiri Banda, and A. C. 

 Abeyewardene. These additions bring 

 up the total membership to 908. 



A list is being prepared of members 

 who are greatly in arrear with their 



