Miscellaneous. 



166 



[August, 1909. 



number of leguminous and non-legu- 

 minous plants have been experimented 

 with. Cow peas, Bengal beans, and 

 Canavalia ensiformis have been found 

 suitable in the West Indies, while 

 Crotalaria striata, Mimosa pudica and 

 Desmodium triflorum have given good 

 results in Ceylon and the Ease. 



In the foregoing, the chief merits and 

 disadvantages of the different systems 

 have been briefly discussed, and it now 

 remains to ascertain what is to be 

 advised for the conditions pertaining in 

 this colony. 



Experiments. 

 Experiments by the Department of 

 Science and Agriculture to ascertain 

 what plants are the most suitable for the 

 cover crops in this colony will be made, 

 and the different systems will be given 

 a trial at the various experiment stations 

 distributed throughout the colony. 

 Those plants which are found, to be 

 suitable, will, during the first year, be 

 saved for seed, in order that quantities 

 may be available for distribution to the 

 planters and others that are desirous of 

 carrying out experiments in their 

 cultivations. Seed of Crotalaria striata, 

 from Ceylon and also locally grown, is 

 to be sent for trial at the Rubber Station 

 at Isorooro, in the North-West, while 

 other local plants are to be under careful 

 investigation at the various experimental 

 fields. Among these will be tried 

 Crotalaria retusa,\Canavalia ensiformis, 

 Canavalia obtusifolia, Canavalia gladi- 

 ator, Phaseolus semierctus, Bengal beans, 

 Iron cow peas, and Wooly Pyrol, 



while experiments will also be carried 

 out with others that give promise 

 to be suitable for the purpose of green 

 mulching. 



One of the most interesting points in 

 connection with the green mulch system 

 has recently been raised by Mr. J. B. 

 Carruthers, in his Annual Report for 

 1907, as Director of Agriculture in the 

 Federated Malay States (shortly to take 

 up duties in the newly organized Agri- 

 cultural Department in Trinidad). By 

 sowing seeds of such a plant as Crotalaria 

 striata as soon as the land is felled and 

 burned for rubber planting, and before 

 the rubber plants are put in, the growth 

 of weeds and under scrub is greatly 

 prevented and expenses, therefore, con- 

 siderably reduced. From this report the 

 following extract has been taken, and 

 may prove of interest: — "By far the 

 best time to establish one of these plants 

 at a minimum cost is directly the land 

 has been burnt off. Having once got 

 the plant established, the immediate 

 necessity of putting the rubber in is 

 over, since the fields do not get any 

 worse, but rather better, for the reception 

 of the rubber plants and the cost of 

 cutting away the crotalaria, mimosa, or 

 other plant to put in lines and holes is 

 very little. The only weeding necessary 

 is in case jungle trees or scrub sprout, 

 and these can easily be noticed among 

 the prevalent growth of a single plant 

 and removed. No soil is lost from the 

 beginning of the opening of the land, 

 and the gain in this to the roots of the 

 rubber plant is not to be neglected." 



Correspondence. 



"TROPICAL LIFE." 



2nd June, 1909. 



Dear Sir,— Will you kindly note the 

 particulars of the enclosed copy of 

 "T. L " re a competition that we have 

 started to encourage further research 

 work on the Fermentation of Cacao, and 

 report same in your publications, as I 

 am most anxious for the Ceylon men to 

 know of the competition, so that they 

 can take part if they wish to do so. 



Details have still to be arranged, and 

 will be published month by month in 

 the Journal (T. L.), but you can take 

 it that we shall start officially next 

 month (July) and close in December, 1910 

 — giving 18 months in which to prepare 

 the papers. 



Further copies of this issue of T. L. 

 will be sent with pleasure, if needed. 



Thanking you in anticipation. 



I remain, yours very truly, 

 (Signed) H. HAMEL SMITH 



The tenth £5 just to hand, so I have at 

 least the £50. 



The following is an extract from 

 Tropical Life which relates to the com- 

 petition in question.— (Ed.) :— 



THE FERMENTATION OF CACAO: 



Proposed Prize Fund to Encourage 

 Further Research Work. 



During the last twenty years several 

 improvements have been introduced in 

 the systems and methods employed to 

 dry cacao, but as regards the fermen- 

 tation planters still have much to learn, 

 German and Dutch authorities have pub- 

 lished accounts of their investigations 



