July 2, 1894.] Supplement to Ihe " Tropical Agriculturist.''' 
compose and become available as plant-food. The 
phosphates range from 18 ',o 30 per cent, and are 
all insoluble. 
Low-class fish guanos are substances like the 
preceding, but containing less nitrogenous matter, 
and more phosphates. They are simply fish-bone 
manures, with somewhat more ammonia and less 
phosphate than ordinary bone-meal, and having 
no real resemblance to a guano. 
Fish guanos are usually impregnated with fish- 
oil, which detracts from the value of the manure. 
The oil should not exceed 3 per cent. 
Frey-Bentos Guano. — The dried and ground 
residue aud debris of animals after the extraction 
of " Liebig's Extract." It is not a guano. There 
are various grades of this manure. One contains 
much bone matter, another a good deal of horn. 
It is a slow manure. The best manure is 
derived from muscular fibre, yielding about 14 
per cent ammonia ami about 5 percent phosphate. 
It is a strong nitrogenous manure, variously 
named. The manure known as native guano is 
prepared from sewage precipitation, li is not 
considered of much value. 
European guano is on the other hand consi- 
dered a tolerably good manure. It consists of 
partially decomposed wood, horn, urine etc., 
brought into a powdery condition. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
In every 1,000 parts, potato tubers contain 
750 of water, nitrogen 3'4, ash 9'5, potash 5*8, 
and soda - 3 ; cauliflowers contain 904 of water, 
40 nitrogen, 8'0 ash, 3 - 6 potash, and - 5 soda; 
cucumbers : 956 water, 1-6 nitrogen, 5"8 ash, 
2-4 potash, '6 soda; sugar beets : 815 water, 1 - 6 
nitrogen, 7*1 ash, 3'8 potash, and '6 • soda. 
The influence of nitrogen in its various forms 
upon plant growth is- shown by at least three 
striking effects. The growth of stems and leaves 
is greatly promoted, while that of the buds and 
flowers is retarded ; the colour of the foliage is 
deepened, which is a sign of increased vegeta- 
tive activity and health ; the relative propor- 
tion of nitrogen in the plant is increased in a 
very marked degree. 
To rid potting-mould of any vermin it may 
contain, fill the pots the day before they are 
used, and water the soil in them with boiling 
water. Earthworms, however, call for some 
consideration since they, for one thing, ventilate 
the subsoil by boring in it channels for the 
admission of air. They may be ejected from 
pots or lawns, however, when they become 
troublesome, by means of lime-water ; and the 
remedy will at the same time benefit the plant. 
The Journal of Horticulture mentions that in 
addition to the leaves of Mimosa lndica and 
Dionoea muscipula, hairs of sundew (DroseraJ, 
stamens of Berberia and Sparmanuia Africana, 
the stamens of Mimulis and its allied genus 
Diplaens, the following plants have sensitive 
organs : Oxalis sensitiva, O. stricta, Averrhoa 
bilimbi, Jflschynomene Americana and Cassia 
nictitans. 
That it, is eosy to find microbes in the soil 
capable ff assimilating atmospheric nitrogen, if 
culture media, devoid of all combined nitrogen 
are employed, was pointed out by M. W inogradsky 
last summer, and in a recent number of the 
" Comptes Rendus " an account is given of im- 
portant progress made by him in this most interest- 
ing subject. By progressive cultivation of a 
mixture of microbes derived from soil, in a 
nutritive liquid from which all traces of combin- 
ed nitrogen were carefully excluded, Wlnogradsky 
reduced the varieties present to three bacilli, 
of which one was finally separated out ana dis- 
covered to be endowed with this function of assi- 
milating atmospheric nitrogen. This organism, 
we learn from " Nature," is strictly anaerobic, 
and will not grow in cither broth or gelatine. 
It ferments glucose, producing butyric, acetic, 
and carbonic acid, and hydrogen. The amount 
of atmospheric nitrogen assimilated is propor- 
tional to the quantity of glucose contained in the 
culture material, and which undergoes decomposi- 
tion in the presence of this bacillus. Winogradsky 
concludes his paper by suggesting that this 
phenomenon of the fixation of atmospheric 
nitrogen may be due to the union wi thin tho 
living protoplasm of the microbial cell, of 
atmospheric nitrogen and nascent hydrogen, 
resulting in the synthesis of ammonia. 
The Km' Bulletin for May has the following 
note on the Agriculture of Jamacia : — The fruit 
trade, which was referred to in last year's report 
as being in a depressed state, has somewhat re- 
covered its former healthy condition, and the in- 
crease there spoken of in the crops of sugar and 
output of rum has been fairly maintained during 
the year under review. The export of cocoa shows 
an increase of 3,010 cwt. in quantity and 8,896/. 
in value; coffee an increase of 10,378 cwt. in 
quantity and 3)726/. in value ; bananas. 676,280 
bundles and 76,843/. in value ; oranges, 3,806,526 
in number and 1J,52'!/. in value. The area of 
land in the island under cane and coffee cultiva- 
tion has varied very little in recent years. There 
were during the year under review 32,466 acres 
in cane and 21,450 in coffee. The cultivation of 
bananas has increased to 14,860 acres from 9,959 
in the year 1890-91. The total area under cultiva- 
tion in the island was 666,741 acres, of which 
499,053 was in guinea grass, pimento, and 
common pasture, against a total area of 1,958,678 
acres of the whole island on which the property 
tax was collected. 
Dr. L. Gebek, of Bonn, has published an ela- 
borate research on the subject of coconut cake 
and meal. — 1. Preparation. — The meal and cake 
are the residue of the kernels after the oil has been 
pressed out. This residue may be imported as such, 
the best coming from Ceylon, or the oil may be 
extracted in Europe. What is known as "copra" 
consists of dried pieces of kernel. — 2. Digesti- 
bility. — The average composition of the cake is — 
Water, 10-66; albuminoid, 1906; fat, 1105; 
carbo-hydrates, 4106; fibre, 1412 ; ash, 4 05. 
Feeding experiments show that on the average 
7H per cent, 95 per cent., and 80 per cent, ore 
respectively digested of the albuminoids, fats, 
and carbo-hydrates. It also appears that the 
fat does not retard the digestive action of the 
gastric juice. — Influence on Fattening and Pro- 
