Miscellaneous. 



546 



[December, 1910. 



Groundnut cake 



... 350 



Best crushed fish 



... 200 



Blood meal 



... 100 



Con. superphosphate 



50 



Steamed bone dust 



50 



Sulphate of potash 



50 



Kainit 



... 200 





1,000 



" The mixture should be applied at the 

 rate of 750 lb, per acre when preparing 

 the soil for planting." 



The following are the Government 

 Agricultural Chemist's report and re- 

 commendations with reference to sample 

 of soil from an estate near Nattandiya, 

 on which it is proposed to cultivate 

 Sumatra tobacco : — 



"It is a finely divided sand, fairly rich 

 in nitrogen, lime, and magnesia, but 

 deficient in available potash and phos- 

 phoric acid. If the climate is suitable it 

 will grow tobacco for one crop, but 

 would then require to be fallowed. 



"Wood ashes or a mixture of 200 1b. 

 basic slag, 100 lb. sulphate of potash— 

 300 lb. per acre — should be applied 

 broadcast and harrowed in before plant- 

 ing the tobacco." 



Miscellaneous. — A communication from 

 the Chemische Fabrik Florsheim draws 

 attention to the value of Floria tree 

 carbolineum as a soluble insecticide and 

 fungicide for various plants, including 

 rubber. A solution of five parts of the 

 preparation in 95 parts of water is re- 

 commended for borer in rubber and 

 other trees. 



Mr. W. A. de Silva has kindly given 

 the following information re anatto 

 cultivation for the benefit of a member 

 inquiring whether it would be profitable 

 to plant 100 acres :— 



" The price of anatto seed varies locally 

 from 10 to 18 cents per lb. delivered at 

 Colombo. In 1907 and 1908 I sold at 18 

 cents per lb. to a local firm on contract. 

 In 1909 they stated that they had no 

 demand for it— 60 cwt. were sent to 

 London in 1909, and the amount realized 

 averaged 12 cents nettin Colombo. Last 

 month I sold some at 13 cents in Colombo. 

 The demand for anatto seed in Europe 

 appears to be limited, as the 300 cwt. I 

 sent in 1907 and 1908 completely over- 

 stocked the market, and the 60 cwt. sent 

 in 1909 remained unsold for nearly six 

 months, and it is only in small quantities 

 that my agents in London managed to 

 dispose of it. I do not think anatto 

 growing is likely to pay, except as a 

 catch crop," 



C. DRIEBERG, 

 Secretary, Ceylon Agricultural Society. 

 Colombo, December 6, 1910. 



HINTS TO TOBACCO GROWERS. 



By Edward Cowan. 



In this paper it is not my intention to 

 deal with tobacco from a capitalist's 

 point of view, but only to point out 

 some ways in which email cultivators 

 can improve the quality of their tobacco. 



1. Seed raised on the land should 

 never be put back again. In other 

 words, fresh seed should be procured 

 from another locality. This can be con- 

 veniently dene by exchanging with 

 other cultivators. 



2. Nursery beds should be very care- 

 fully made. On no account should a 

 site be chosen where water collects 

 during rain without draining away 

 quickty. 



3. Before sowing, seed should be 

 mixed with ashes to give it bulk, and 

 should then be spread evenly over the 

 whole bed and watered twice a day, be- 

 fore the sun is fully up and again 

 after 5 p.m. 



4. Seedlings should be constantly 

 watched for caterpillars. Once the 

 inner bud is attacked there will always 

 be broken leaf. 



5. Transplanting should be done when 

 the seedlings are 3 in. to 4 in. high, care 

 being taken that the rootlets are not 

 bent or twisted in the operation. 



6. Shade should be provided for at 

 least three days, mana grass or small 

 planks being used. 



7. As soon as the plants recover from 

 the shock of transplanting and stand up 

 firm, the first banking up should be 

 done, that is, the earth from each side 

 of the plants should be piled up against 

 them. This banking up answers the 

 double purpose of forming a channel 

 between the rows and strengthening 

 the plants. 



8. After a week's interval a second 

 banking up should be done, always heap- 

 ing up the earth right up to the lowest 

 leaves, as the higher you bank up the 

 more roots will come out and help tc 

 produce stronger and taller plants 

 Later on a third banking up should 

 be done. 



9. Picking should commence with the 

 ripening of the lowest leaves. The time 

 when a leaf is ripe is only known by 

 experience. Picking must be done care- 

 fully and each leaf placed quite flat in 

 the gathering basket, as every crease 

 means a black discolouration in the leaf, 

 which can never be got rid of. 



