December, 1908,] 



517 



Fibres. 



of good orgin, i.e., from plants which in 

 the past season produced lint of the 

 best quality. 



Disinfection of the seed is carried out 

 by immersion in a solution of corrosive 

 sublimate made up by dissolving 1 ounce 

 of corrosive sublimate in 7 gallons of 

 water. One gallon of this solution is 

 sufficient to disinfect about 6 lb. of 

 cotton seed, which should be soaked for 

 twenty minutes, then removed, immersed 

 in pure water for ten minutes, taken 

 out and allowed to drain, and then 

 spread out in a thin layer in the shade 

 to dry. After this the seed is ready for 

 planting. It is recommended that 

 cotton seed should be treated only 

 just before it is to be sown. 



The young cotton plants should 

 receive careful attention during the 

 early stages of growth. The surface 

 soil should be worked by hand imple- 

 ments with the double purpose of 

 preventing it from becoming hard 

 and baked, and of keeping it free 

 from weeds. Constant watchfulness 

 will have to be exercised for the 

 first signs of insect pests as soon as 

 the cotton plants are up. The cotton 

 worm and the cut-worm are the most 

 destructive among these pests. An 

 effective method of treatment for 

 attack by cut-worm is by the use of 

 poisoned bait, consisting of a mixture 

 of bran, molasses, and Paris green. 



The cotton worm is Avell known to 

 growers of Sea Island cotton in most 

 of the West Indian Islands, and has 

 already put in an appearance on one 

 or two estates at Barbados where 

 early planting took place. Supplies of 

 Paris green and lime should be obtained, 

 and on the first appearance of the 

 worm the plants should be dusted 

 with the mixture at the rate of 1 lb. 

 of Paris green to 6 lb. of lime. In the 

 past, this has been shown to be the 

 most effective method of controlling 

 the pest. During the coming season, in 

 Barbados at least, it is expected that 

 extensive trials in the use of spraying 

 machines will be- made for applying 

 insecticides in cotton fields. 



The comparative value of spraying 

 and dusting methods in the application 

 of Paris green will be a matter of con- 

 siderable interest, and the results 

 obtained by the use of arsenate of lead, 

 which can be applied only as a spray, 

 will also be watched with interest. 



The trials made last season on one 

 estate with arsenate of lead indicate 

 that this material will prove an efficient 

 insecticide, and its adhesive qualities 

 . will render it more resistant than Paris 



green to the washing of the heavy rains. 

 This, it is hoped, may result Jn a saving 

 by reducing the number of applica- 

 tions. — Agricultural Neivs, Vol. VII, 

 No. 165. August, 1908. 



LACE-BARK TREE OP JAMAICA, 



The lace-bark tree of Jamaica (Lagetta 

 ■lintearia) forms the subject of a short 

 article in the June number of the Journal 

 of the New York Botanic Gardens, while 

 the peculiar and interesting character 

 of the inner bark, to which the tree 

 owes its name, is well shown in the 

 illustrations accompanying the article. 



The lace-bark tree, which belongs to 

 the Thyme! aaaceae, is found in the cen- 

 tral and western parts of Jamaica, and 

 is also said to occur in Hayti. In its 

 native wilds it attains a height of from 

 29 to 30 feet. Its ovate leaves are of a 

 shining light-green colour, and are very 

 attractive in appearance. The flowers 

 are fleshy, of a creamy white colour, 

 and are borne in long slender spike-like 

 racemes. 



The tree has long been an object of inter- 

 est on account of the lace-like character 

 of the inner bark, which is made up of 

 fibres arranged in several layers that 

 may be stretched apart into a loose 

 fabric. In former times people employ- 

 ed this bark in making caps, ruffs, 

 bonnets, etc., and now, in Jamaica, 

 the fibre is used in the manufacture of 

 various fancy articles, such as doyles, 

 lamp-shades, fans, as well as in making 

 riding-whips. It is stated, too, that the 

 Spaniards formerly utilized the bark in 

 the preparation of rope. 



In 1793 specimens of the lace-bark tree 

 were first sent to Kew Gardensjfrom 

 Jamaica. These died, however, and it 

 was not until 1844 that another attempt 

 was made in this direction. Several 

 young plants introduced in that year 

 flourished, and one produced flowers 

 and fruit a few years later. It is men- 

 tioned in the above-mentioned Journal 

 that a specimen of the tree has lately 

 flowered for the first time at the New 

 York Botanic Gardens. — Agricultural 

 Neivs, Vol. VII., No. 164. August, 1908. 



CULTIVATION OP CARAVONICA 

 COTTON IN INDIA. 



By G. A. Gammie. 



About four years ago Dr. Thomatis 

 professed to have evolved, by methods 

 speedy enough to be accepted by magic, 

 three remarkable varieties of tree cot- 



