August i, 1888.] TH?I TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
85 
DESTROYING WEEDS UPON WALKS. 
The recommendation of Mr. Horsficld to uso arsenic 
for this purpose is in many ways too dangerous, even 
though effectual ever to become generally used. Gentle- 
men who preserve peasants would, I feel sure, object to 
the distribution of such a dangerous poison upon the 
walks, having used muriatic acid with most satisfactory 
results. I c*n recommend its use as a most effectual aud 
economical plan of removing weeds from walks, and 
consider there is no more danger and less inconvenience 
in its application than there would be with boiling water. 
I used it iu the propotion of one to five of water, and 
found that of this strength it was certain destruction 
to all vegetation. To sprinkle it upon the walks, an 
earthenware watering-can is best; but'if an ordinary 
metal watering-can be used every part of it must first 
receive two coats of hest white paint, because on the 
paint the acid seems to take no effect, whereas without 
the paint the watering-can is destroyed after being 
once used. Zinc causes the acid and water to appear 
as if boiling, aud so much heat is generatod that the 
zinc will be found to have disappeared, so that if any 
vessels but earthenware are used they must first be 
well painted. — T. R. 
In your last issue there appear two enquiries 
as to the hest method of dealing with weeds on gravel 
walks, drives, ice., which at this season of tho year 
are particularly troublesome. As I have had some 
experience with very weedy and neglected paths, I 
venture to offer tho following suggestions. For a 
very small garden path, a few kcttlefuls of boiling 
water poured ovor the weeds will immediately and 
effectually destroy them. This remedy has the merit 
of being inexpensive, and for a little path always 
available. In a large wiy I should prefer to use com- 
mercial hydrochloric acid; or ruuratic acid as it is some- 
times called — 1 gallon of acid to 50 gallons of water. 
This is very destructive and complete in its action; 
it is also very cheap, being obtaiued as a bye-product 
in the manufacture of sodium carbonate (common soda). 
I havo also used with unqualified success crude carbolic 
acid or phenol — 1 gallon of phenol to 70 gallons of water. 
This also is very efficient and lasting in its results, 
and, diluted to the extent which I have mentioned, it 
is exceedingly cheap; and I may say there is nothiug 
with which I am acquainted that is so uttorly des- 
tructive of plant life as either of the above. In 
applying these solutions it is best to walk backward. 
The diluted II. 01. will act but very slightly ou the 
zinc of galvanised watering-pot; it will rust iron 
quickly, and make clothes aud boots rotten. Great 
care should be takei to throughly clean all water- 
cans, ifcc, after ■being u-ed, to prevent injury toother 
plants. The employment of the above is far prefer- 
able to the use of arsenic, which, after destroying the 
weeds, remains unchanged to be blown ab:mt and 
inhaled by all who frequent the paths, producing the 
uuplcasaut symptoms of cold iu the head. Its use, 
therefore, cannot be too strougly coudemued. I trust 
the above suggestions will meet the case of your corres- 
pondents and other readers of your journal who may 
be similarly situated. — \\". Cms. BENEDICT. — Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
. 
CiTnri Acid in tiik Cranubrky.— It has' been long 
known that citric acid exists in a great number of 
plants, but in a few only has its preciso quantity 
been determined, This lias reoently been dono by 
a Russian chemist, P. Kossovic, in the Oxyeaccus 
pail* h-is, or cranberry. The amount of citric acid 
bond in three samples of this species was 2 0, 
- U, and 2\H per cent of the total weight of the 
berries. As these plants grow wild in vast quanti- 
ties in many districts of tho interior and north of 
Kusda, the author pn«p"M-s tn use the juice of the 
bwrit - for industrial purposses, for instance, iu 
dyeing, iuitend of the oonoeutrated lemou juice im- 
ported from Italy. Wo fear tho lemon will prove 
a terrible rival to the cranberry, if the latter will 
only yield about 2* p.-r cent, of citric acid.— Bur. 
yoyne, Lurbidycs St Qo,'t Price Current. 
Cauliflowers i uom Finistrruk. — It is stated in the 
Revue Horticole that for the last fortnight there bavi 
been sent away from the railway stations of Sunt 
Pol-de-Leon, Roscoff and I'louenan, to all parts of 
France and of Northern Europ >, from seventeen to 
eighteen waggonloads of Cauliflowers daily, each 
waggonload weighing 1000 kilos, it is calculated that 
the total quantity sent away during the sixty days of 
the Cauliflower season will reach 4010 tons, which, 
at the rate of 85 francs per ton, equals 346,800 francs, 
and the wholesale selling price of these by the dozen 
heads, at 2-50 to 4 francs per dozen, will realise 
1,105,000 francs. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
A New Use For Coconut Shells.— .Vow that the time 
for thinning out seedlings has come round, it occurs to 
me that some of the readers of the Gardem I'd < 'hronicle 
may possibly be interested to hear of a device which 
has saved the live- of mmy of my young transplanted 
annuals, even of I? /ppies and E<chscholtzias, which do 
not take kindly to being moved. I find that nothiug 
does so well as a protection for newly planted out 
seedling as empty Coconut shells neatly sawn across 
so as to form two cups. After being soaked in water 
these little brown nuts (which are not unsightly, being 
the colour of the soil) effectually shield the youug 
plants uuder them from the scorching rays of the sun, 
and keep them fresh and moist till they get accustomed 
to their new position. After the first twenty. four 
hours the covers may be removed, but in very dry 
weather it is safer to keep them on for another day 
or so, taking them off at night to give the plants the 
benefit of the dew, and to prevent their beconvug 
sickly from want of light and air. I may add tint 
I have tried these Coconut shells with great success 
to keep the frost from newly planted Gladiolus bulbs, 
aud also to cover newly sown seeds, which we are told 
ought to be kept moist and in the dark till they 
germinate. True, a good many shells are wanted, 
but, packing as they do one in auother, they take up 
little room, and can easily be stored when out of use. 
I have a large stock, having received a boxful from 
a friend in Tobago, and if any gardener would like to 
try them, I shall be most happy to make him a present 
of a couple of dozen, if he will apply to rn'i for them 
through the editor of the Gardeners' Chronicle— 
G. Layard, The Orescent, Leatherhead. — Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
Banana Culture in Central America, — From two 
Consular Reports recently received — the first from 
Carthagena and Santa Martha, and the other from San 
Jose, Costa Rica — it would seem that the cultivation 
of the Banana is receiving a considerable am >unt of 
attention in Central America. At Riofico, some 15 
miles beyoud Cordoba, the land is do<crib.?d as being 
very fertile, and with the prospect of the railway 
shortly connecting this locality with the port of Santa 
Martha, the Banana cultivation has been started 
with the view of exporting the fruits to the United 
States of America, where there is an ever-iucreaseing 
demand for them. This particular cultivation is 6aid 
to have tho great advantage that the Cocoa tree can 
bo planted b incith its sha le, and by the time the 
Banana be ins to degenerate and has to be cleared 
away, a vaiuaU.e Cocoa plautation is there to replace it. 
The lands of Riofico are also especially adapted for 
the successful production of Cocoa. The report from 
Costa Rica says : — " The Banana grows best in the low- 
lands, hot and even marshy plains, when 1 tin tropical 
raius most abound. There are large tracts of land on 
the Atlantic coast in the plains of Santa Clara through 
which the railroad runs from Carillo to Port Lemon — 
a distance of about 70 miles — which a few years ago 
was forest land, hut now for the most part is cultivat- 
ed with Bananas. This forest laud cm be bought at 
from £1 to £2 per 2 acres, the cost of Cleaning i> 
about £3, and eighteen months or les'. after planting 
the sucker the Banana tree bears fruit. Beyond keep- 
ing the land free from undergrowth the tree require 
but little attention. At present the fruit is brought, 
delivered alongside the railway, at 43 cents, or lj id. 
a buuch of nine bauds, and -1'. cents, or tvf. per ball 
buuch of seven aud eight hands."— Gurdentr') 
Chronicle, 
