398 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



RICE PRODUCTION EN KOREA. 



Consul- General Thomas Sammons, of Soul, 

 describes the progress and extent of the culti- 

 vation of rice in Korea and the importance and 

 value of the industry to that country and to 

 Japan : — American rice-cleaning machinery is 

 being extensively introduced in Korea and in- 

 variably gives the best possible satisfaction. 

 The machines are so constructed that broken or 

 worn-out parts can be replaced without diffi- 

 culty. In construction these machines are 

 simple and th9 natives readily learn to operate 

 them. The English type of rice-cleaning machi- 

 nery is not utilised, although a number of Jp.pa- 

 nese machines are being sold in the Korean mar- 

 ket. An idea of the extent of the rice industry 

 of Korea may be had from estimates of the 

 annual yield as based partially on the total pro- 

 duction in Japan. Japan's yield is placed at 

 approximately 14, 800,001), 000 lbs., and on a basis 

 of 1 koku of 320 lbs,, or five bushols to each per- 

 son, this aggregate would supply more than 

 45,000,000 people. Assuming that Korea has 

 approximately 10,000,000 population, its annual 

 rice crop would amount to 3,200,000,000 lbs., 6J 

 per cent, having been exported in 1907. Korean 

 rice culture is carried on almost wholly by hand 

 and it is not probable that the hand methods 

 will ever make way for the American seeder, 

 self-binding harvester or steam thrasher. The 

 Korean farms are all small and the present 

 native product is higher in yield to the acreage 

 than is the American rice. The cheap labour of 

 Korea also permits of methods which the labour 

 condition in America would render prohibitive. 

 — L. <b C. Express, Feb. 12. 



FIBRE CONGRESS AT SOURABAYA 

 EN 1910. 



According to a notice issued at Sourabaya 

 (Java) on 25th February, with a view to pro- 

 moting the cultivation of libre-producing plants, 

 the '• Nederlandsch-Indisch Landbouw Syndi- 

 caat : ' has decided to hold, at Sourabaya, Java, 

 Netherlands East-India, in October, 1910, a 

 Congress, combined with an Exhibition of 

 fibre producing plants, of the fibres pro- 

 duced therefrom and of the machinery used 

 in the preparation of same. During the Con- 

 gress, the cultivation and preparation of the 

 raw fibre, both mechanically and manually, will 

 be discussed. The extraction, preparation for 

 market and packing of the fibre will, as far as 

 possible, be demonstrated. Various prizes 

 (medals, diplomas and money) will be offered 

 for machinery working for a sufficient time du- 

 ring the congress, awarded by a Committee of 

 impartial experts. The expenses will be de- 

 frayed by the Syndicate, enabled to do so by a 

 liberal grant from the Netherlands Indian 

 Government and substantial contributions. 

 With the Director of Agriculture a Committee 

 has been formed to prepare and carry out the 

 scheme; gentlemen in Holland have been re- 

 quested to form a. Sub-Committee there. Special 

 attention will be given to the following, viz : — 



1. Agave Fibre,— the cultivation of which is spreading 

 so largely and which is specially adapted for dry tropical 

 countries. 



2. Manila Hemp,— also a fibrous plant fit for cultiva- 

 tion on a large scale and which produces a profitable crop 

 in the moister districts of tropical countries. 



3. Jute and Jute Substitutes.— Of importance in all 

 tropical countries, seeing that a large part of the packing 

 material necessary for other produce is made therefrom. 



_ A detailed programme will shortly be pub- 

 lished. The preliminary notice is signed by 

 A. Paets Tot Gansoyen, President of the syndi- 

 cate and D. J. R. Putman Cramer, Secretary. 



GERMANY'S WAR ON MOSQUITOES. 



The German colonies in East Africa and else- 

 where have their mosquito problems to solve. This 

 has led the Colonial Office in Berlin to takeupthe 

 matter with the Director of the Fisheries Station 

 at Biebrich, Germany. Mr. Bartmann,as Director 

 has been experimenting in the way of securing 

 some solution of the mosquito problem during 

 the last fourteen years. He now states that the 

 most reliable method of mosquito extermination 

 in stagnant waters is by growing therein various 

 kinds of the semi-tropical plant called arzolla. 

 His numerous and ever successful experiments 

 haveled the Colonial Office to ask him for fur- 

 ther experimentation at the Institute for Tropical 

 Hygiene at Hamburg, where Director Bartmann 

 will have the use of the state botanic institute 

 for propagating the arzolla plants. Germany has, 

 however, a malarial station at Wilhelmhaven and 

 hundreds of cases have occurred there, the terri- 

 tory being full of stagnant waters and swamps 

 infested with mosquitoes. The proximity of the 

 sea and the unusually cool temperature of the 

 summer of 1907 had an unfavourable influence 

 upon the growth of the arzolla plant. It, how- 

 ever, covered the experimental waters in a short 

 time with a layer of vegetation over two inches 

 thick, which suffocated all of the mosquito larvse 

 below and prevented the living insects from de- 

 positing their eggs in the water. A final report 

 will soonbemado in regard to the experiments. 

 It is stated that strictly scientific and practical 

 proof have been made in the laboratories. A 

 covering of vegetation over the surface of waters 

 so close as to prevent the mosquito larvae from 

 reaching the air and to prevent the mosquitoes 

 from laying their eggs on the water, would seem 

 to us impossible, and yet the data comes from 

 Consular Reports from Germany which seem to 

 demonstrate not only the possibility of the fact 

 but its actual realisation in given instances. 



RHODESEAN RUBBER. 



The British South Africa Company report the 

 sale of 27 bags (just over 12 cwt of rubber) re- 

 cently received from North-Eastern Rhodesia. 

 The rubber realised from 4s 2^d to 4s 2|d per 

 pound, under very good competition. The 

 brokers remark that the market can take con- 

 siderable quantities of rubber of such a good 

 quality, which will be highly encouraging news 

 to Rhodesian planters.— India Rubber Journal, 

 March 8. 



