S 68 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1889. 
Rothamsted and its AVobk. — The Pall Mall Gazette, 
under date November 22, has a portrait of Sir J. B. 
Lawes, Bart, and gives a short resume of the work 
that is being carried on at Rothamsted, and says: — 
"AVhoever seeks to learn of the marvellous workings 
of plant-life in all its forms must look for inspiration 
and guidance to the world-famous laboratory at the 
little Hertfordshire town" (Harpenden).— Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
" Blackman's System of Tea Making ' is 
evidently coming to the front rapidly. We are 
reprinting a long paper in the Tropical Agriculturist 
on its working on certain Assam estates, and the 
following paragraphs from a planter's letter in the 
Indian Planters" Gazette are worthy of attention :— 
The Beheating Estate has ordered the Blackman 
system of Tea Withering, and many others I bear are 
considering the advisability of doing so. There can 
be little doubt that it will become universally .po- 
pular, as all planters at home who have gone into 
the matter have been convinced in its favour with 
out one dissentient. 
The Blackman authorities mentioned to me that 
they find it impossible to estimate the size and 
number of air propellers in several application they 
have had, owing to managers not sending the length 
and breath of the withering room in which it is 
proposed to apply the system, together with the 
proposed height of the tiers of the withering trays. 
One great advantage of this system, that of utilizing 
present buildings, renders this information, of course, 
necessary. 
Eel Worms. — Much destruction is done to Cucumbers 
by the lodgment in the roots of minute worms. It 
is not only the Cucumbers that are affected but many 
other plants, while the leaves of cereals, of Carna- 
tions, and even of Orchids, are affected by creatures 
of this description. Dr. Charlton Bastian some 
years since published an elaborate treatise on the 
species and varieties; and certain Dutch naturalists 
have taKen up the work. Dr. J. Ritzema Bos is the 
latest of these, and he has just published a treatise 
in French on the " Anguillule de la Tige " (Tytenatris 
devastatrix), and on the disease it produces. This 
worm occurs in the stems and leaves of various plants, 
but never in the roots. It is curious but satisfactory 
to read that decomposing organic matter, such as 
farmyard manure, acts injuriously on the creatures. 
A 1 per cent, solution of carbolic acid kills the crea- 
tures, as also certain other acids and caustic potash, 
all used at a strength of 1 per cent. Dr. Bos treats 
in succession of the disease in Barley, Onions, and 
Hyacinths. — Gard eners' Chronicle. 
Shell Dust. — What is the chemical difference be- 
tween shells and bones ? The latter are at least classed 
as amongst our most v»luable of manures, aud probably 
give phospates in as great proportion as any material 
available for manure production. There is consider- 
able similarity between shells and bones, but the chief 
point so far as thc-ir respective manurial properties 
is, what identity is their between them in such relation? 
I ask this question because I note in your report 
of the recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural 
Society's committee, that you consider calcined shells 
or shell-dust so produced to be little better than 
lime. My estimate of the manurial properties of this 
substance is based upon the experience of others 
who, in employing it for ordinary garden crops, but 
especially for Asparagus, Seakale, Potatoes, &c, have 
found it to be valuable. The material, if but lime, 
is certainly far heavier relatively, probably three 
times as heavy, thus showing that it contains matter 
other than ordinary lime. The sboll-dust was not sent 
me for Kale or in any trading aspect, but solely to 
show what sort of stuff it was, especially as it enjoyed 
the r<-| <iit.nt.iori of being Mich excellent artificial manure. 
I appended a price solely because the sender, in reply 
to a query put by me, stated that such figure was 
about the cost of production. The shells have to be 
gathered from the seashore, and are calcined in a 
kiln constructed by the manufacturer, who is a sea 
pilot, iind conducts this manufacture, for his own and 
neighbour!.' purposes, when his vocation admits of his 
beiDg ashore. He is also an enthusiastic gardener. 
A desirable course would be obtaining a chemical 
test of the value of the dust as manure, especially 
when compared with bone-dust. — A. Dean. — Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
The Cork Industry in Spain. — The British Consul 
at Barcelona, in a report just published, states that 
during the past year there has bee* much improve- 
ment in the cork industry, because there has been 
an extraordinary demand for the superior kinds of 
corks for champagne. The export of cork6 to England, 
the Continent, and the United States, has been 
greater than in former years. Gerona is the most 
important centre of the cork industry in Spain, and 
an idea of the magnitude of the manufacture may 
be gathered from the following figures: — In 1885 the 
export of cork in pieces amounted to 15,883 cwt., while 
the number of corks exported was 1,137,217,000, re- 
presenting a total value of about £600,000. In 1886 
this increased to 19,635 cwt. of pieces, 16,357 squares, 
and 1,194,902,000 corks, of a, total value of £710,000. 
The corks are made with diminutive machines of the 
simplest kind. Hundreds of factories are scattered 
over the province of Ge'ona, the town of Palamos 
alone having forty. In some places the Cork trees 
have been suffering from the invasion of a pest 
which threatened to destroy them. A voracious cater- 
pillar, or worm, appeared by millions in the Cork 
forests, and in a very short time stripped the trees 
of all the leaves from the tips of the branches to 
the trunks. These worms are now in their turn at- 
tacked and devoured by another insect, a species 
of beetle of a dark green colour, and armed with a 
horn with which it cuts the worms up. Another 
insect in the form of a crab (ewngrejo) pursues the 
worms and destroys them. Moreover, when the cater- 
pillar bas passed through its metamorphosis, and the 
butterflies have deposited their eggs, another insect, 
until now unknown, attacks and pierces the bsgs 
containing the new germs, and destroys them. It is 
hoped that by means of these three agencies the com- 
plete extinction of the destructive caterpillars may 
be accomplished. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Firm Soil for Fruit Trees. — We have noticed in 
many of the best fruit districts throughout England 
(especially Kent, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire), 
that in positions where trees had unlimited space to 
grow (often on farm buildings and houses in streets) 
the fruit was of much excellence and little pruning 
was required. But on examination of the roots we 
found that in every case the soil was almost firm 
as a rock — had not been disturbed for many years, 
and in numerous cases there was a gravel path _ or 
cartroad over them. We always believe in allowing 
a root run in proportion to the dimensions of the 
branches ; but at the same time have many proofs to 
which we could refer, that large trees can remain 
healthy for many years and bear excellent crops of 
fruit, also in limited spaces. The best Jargonelle 
Pears we ever saw were grown on a tradesman's 
house, with an aspect to the west and which had 
only a few feet outwards for the roots to subsist 
in — and the traffic to the dwelling-house was over 
them. The finest Apricots we have ever seen are 
grown in Oxfordshire, and many of the trees have 
subsisted in the pathways to dwelling-houses; and we 
know where some are doing remarkably well under 
the causeway of streets. In the West of England (in 
Bath district) Figs are to be found, year by year, 
bearing immense crops of the finest fruit ever seen, 
where the roots are encased in soil which has never 
been exposed to the light of day during the memory 
of the oldest inhabitants, and it is firm like concrete. 
In Essex and Suffolk (a country in which our friend, 
Mr. Sheppard, has done a deal of grand gardening), 
we have seen vineries which have been loaded year 
after year with bunches of white Grapes outside 
(chiefly on dwelling-houses), and scarcely a yard of 
ground in which the roots could extent outwards, 
and that had been trampled as a path for many years. 
We have always had stroug faith in firm soil for 
fruit trees.— M. T. N. B.— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
