The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



AGRICULTURE IN MYSORE. 



Thib progressive State has of late given a 

 good deal of attention to its Agricultural aflairs, 

 and the woik of its Department under Dr. 

 Lehmanu, and his successor Dr. Coleman, has 

 been of a high order. Both these officers have 

 devoted much time to investigation and de- 

 monstrations which are bound to bear good fruit. 



In the report for 1910-1911 which has just 

 reached us, there is much of interest from the 

 local point of view. 



The enquiry as to the action of green-manures 

 on the Ragi (local kurakkan of our cheuas) has 

 gone to prove the great value of leguminous 

 crops in increasing the yield of grain. 



It has been louud that, under similar con- 

 ditions, and during the same period of growth 

 Sui.n-hemp (Hana. S.) adds 30 to 50 lb. of 

 nitrogen per acre, cow-pea 20 to 40 lb., sword- 

 bean 10 to 30 lb., green-gram 15 to 30 lb. and 

 black-gram (Ulundu. S.) 6 to 30 lb. 



A trial of the Campbell Surface- packer showed 

 that under suitable circumstances it is possible 

 to increase the yield of grain by 130 lb. by 

 means of surface packing. Reference is made 

 to a dry-land lucerne which should prove a 

 very useful addition to our local fodder sup- 

 ply. The particular strains mentioned came 

 from America, and though it is too early to 

 speak definitely of their suitability, for Indian 

 (and Ceylon) conditions, the prospects of suc- 

 cess, according to Dr. Coleman, are bright. 



The results of experiments in the manuring 

 of paddy are of special value. In accordance 

 with experience in Japan (but contrary to that 

 in Bengal aud Travaucore) the use of Nitrate 

 of Potash has not been found to be economica 1 . 

 Indeed, the general results obtained from the 

 use of the artificial manures may be said to 

 have been unsatisfactory, and the only de- 

 cidedly profitable fertilising medium is con- 

 sidered to be green manure. 



Dr. Coleman favours seed and plant selec- 

 tion among indigenous varieties of cultivated 

 crops as a much more certain means of improve- 

 ment than the introduction of new varieties of 

 seed from other parts. 



In Mysore, sugar-cane is an important culti- 

 vation, and considerable attention is naturally 

 given to experiments connected with it. 



It is interesting to find that the spread of a 

 fungoid disease of the areca-nut palm is being 

 checked by adopting spraying as a remedy, and 

 that the Bombuy Agricultural Department are 

 planning to work on the same lines. 



Under the head of Entomology reference is 



made to three serious pests: viz., the rice 

 grasshopper (Hieroglyphus banian) of which the 

 life history has been carefully worked out, 

 Amsacta Albistriga, which is destructive to 

 young crops, and Colemania Sphenirioides, the 

 Deccan grasshopper, is also a general feeder. 



We can quite sympathise with Dr. Coleman 

 in his w ish for an additional Staff, in view of 

 the enormous amount of work revealed by his re- 

 port. Apparently he is the chief of all the three 

 Departments of Chemistry, Mycology and En- 

 tomology, as we find only an assistant provided 

 for the work of each. In spitu, however, of 

 this disability, it must be gratifying to him 

 to find the Government recording their appre- 

 ciation of the good work done by the Director 

 and his Staff. 



AN INTERESTING WORK ON 'COCOA.' 



The Imperial Institute, in the series of com- 

 mercial handbooks on the commercial resources 

 of the tropics, has just issued an interesting 

 book on " Cocoa, its cultivation and prepara- 

 tion ", by Mr W H Johnson, f.l.s., director of 

 agriculture in Southern Nigeria, and formerly 

 Director of Agriculture on the Cold Coast, and 

 in the territories of the Mozambique Co., Portu- 

 guese East Africa. The work is comprehensive 

 and well illustrated. Among its chapters are: 

 Historical; Botanical; Climatic requirements of 

 cocoa trees; Soil requirements of the cocoa tree; 

 Laying out a cocoa plantation; Shading and in- 

 tercrops for cocoa; Propagation; Planting, culti- 

 vating and pruning; Manuring; Results of manu- 

 rial experiments in various countries; Diseases, 

 Vegetable parasites and epiphytes; Harvesting 

 and transporting; Cocoa fermentation; Methods 

 of fermentation; Washing and sun drying; Yield 

 and expenditure ; and Commeicial cocoa, its 

 manufacture and uses. The book is issued by 

 Mr John Murray of Albemarle St., London, W., 

 and the price is five shillings. 



VENEZUELA COCOA CROP 

 HALF LOST. 



H. M. Legation at Caracas report, under date 

 March 22nd, that a complete drought has pre- 

 vailed in Venezuela so far this year, with the 

 result that half the cocoa crop is lost, and some 

 persons connected with the cocoa trade are in 

 financial difficulties. The collection of balata 

 and rubber in the Orinoco region has also been 

 almost impossible for the same reason,— Board 

 of Trade Journal, April 25. 



