Feb. 1908.] 



137 



f Edible Products. 



Earnings. Amount 

 Dollars. 



900 acres planted in rice, yielding 

 45 bushels of 45 lbs. each 

 rough rice, per acre, sold, at 

 85 c. per bushel ... ... 34,425 



Less annual expenses ... ... 13,650 



Net income ... 20,775 

 Dividing up the investment among six 

 farmers, each farmer would pay 5,41(5 

 dol. 66 c, and would own 166§ acres of 

 land, one-sixth of machinery, one-sixth 

 of the canals, fencing and levees, one 

 house, stable and well, four niules, one 

 set of implements. Amount. 



Dol. c. 



The share of each farmer in the 



gross earnings would be ... 5,737 50 

 His share of annual expenses ... 2,275 



Leaving net profit ... 3,462 50 

 Estimated cost of planting, irrigat- 

 ing and harvesting 900 acres of rice in 

 Texas by contract : — 



Breaking the land 



Ploughing 



Discing 



Harrowing 



Drilling 



Seed 



Total cost of plant- 

 ing 

 Irrigating. 

 Fuel 

 Engineer 

 Repairs 

 Labour 



Harvesting 

 Threshing and sacks 



Total 



Per Acre Amount 



Dol. 

 2 

 1 

 

 

 



1 



c. 

 

 77 



SH 

 47| 



50 



Dollars. 



900 

 300 

 100 

 300 



Total. 



Dol. 



1.S00 



1 593 



580 



427 



3!7 



1,350 



c. 

 

 

 50 

 50 

 50 

 



6,088 



1,600 

 1,800 

 2,000 



11,488 50 



Experimental Station.— A rice ex- 

 perimental station has been established 

 by the United States Government at 

 North Galveston. It consists of 160 

 acres, and is intended for a rice experi- 

 mental and demonstration farm. A 

 model up-to-date farmhouse has been 

 built, and stables, granary and machin- 

 ery buildings of the most modern 

 design have been erected. 



In addition to testing the different 

 varieties of rice, fertilisers, methods of 

 cultivation, &c, a considerable amount 

 of breeding of rice is done with a view, 

 if possible, to obtain distinctively 

 American varieties, of recognised value 

 for planting, and more suitable to the 

 soil, climate and conditions in this 

 country. 



{To be Continued.) 



MEDICINAL. 



THE DRYjNG OP COCA LEAVES. 

 By S. W. K. De Jong. 



(Korte Berichten, Buitenzorg, Java : 



Abstracted by Ed.). 



Since cocaine merchants value the 

 leaves by their content of the drug, it is 

 important to know the best way to dry 

 the leaf to preserve the alkaloid. 



Two separate samples, (a) and (b), were 

 dried in various ways, with results 

 shown in the following table: — 



1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 



(a) 

 (b) 



1. 

 2. 

 3. 



2-75 - 

 2-91 2- 



2'38 2-28 — 2-13 

 2-51 — 2'16 2-05 



1-52 



Fresh leaf analysed. 

 Leaf dried over lime. 

 Do. 



in the sun for two morn- 

 ings. 



4. Do at 40° C (104° F.) 



5. Do. at 60-75° C (140-167° F.) 



6. Do. 4 days in shade and then 



1| hours in sun. 



7. Do first placed in boiling 



water and then in sun. 

 From these results it is concluded that 

 as drying over lime is impractial, drying 

 in the sun is to be preferred, If the leaf 

 must be artificially dried, this should be 

 done at as low a temperature as possible. 



