Nov. 1, 1902.1 
TlUi TUOPICAL A.aHICtJLTirn[!AT, 
827 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Old Tree Stumps.— To remove old stumps, a 
correspondent to the Country Gentleman givea the 
following :—' Get a 2 inch iron pipe, 8 ft. long; 
have a steel point we'ded into one end of it. With 
a sledge hammer drive this under the stump as 
far as may be necessary. Drop half h stick of 
dynamite into the hole thus made, and tramp earth 
upon it until the hole is filled, then light the fuse. 
The stump will be lifted entirely out of the 
ground with no earth adhering to it, so that it may 
be burned the next day.' — Agricultural News, 
Increased Export of Uamie Fibre from 
KiCKlANG. — In his receat report on the trade of 
Kiukiang for the year 1901, the Acting British 
Consul at that port states that there was a marked 
rise in the export of ramie fibre, from 95,689 cwta.. 
▼ahied at 87,596/. in 1900 to 116,294 cwts., valued 
mr, 114,164/. in 1901. This is explained liy the 
smccess of the experimental shipments to Germany 
having led to a continuance of such shipments by 
German firms in Shanghai. The average price was 
also higher than in 1900, and the Consul is in- 
formed that the advance has continued, so tiiat 
Khis fibre, which is produced in the neighbouring 
part of Hupei, uow commands 13 or 14 tiels a bale 
instead of 10 or 11 ta.e\s,— Board of Tradt Journal, 
Aug. 28. 
Cotton and Cotton Seed Industries.— Ac- 
•ording to the annual report for 1901 of the British 
Chamber of Commerce of Egypt, the cotton crop of 
EgypI this season will prove to be a large one 
about million cantar, [Uantar=:99 pound-], 
lint the quality of it has been consider- 
ably damaged by fogs and rain. The question of 
quality is being much more studied by intelligent 
eultivators, and efforts are being mude towards 
a more careful selection of sowing seed. Th'3 
attention i-s ceriainly necessary, as there has 
been a noticeable falling-o(f during the lasE two 
or three years in the quality of the Mit. Afhfi 
cotton, which is the main cotton of the country. 
Yannovieh and Abassi qualities have again been 
caltirated with success, and some fine samples of 
eaeh have been produced. Yannovieh has especi- 
ally found favour, the fineness, length and strength 
•f its staple has made it a suitable for American 
8sa Island cotton, the crop of which has been 
sSiort in the last jea.r.— Board of Trade Journal, 
)September4. 
Soil Analyses. — Many jieople hold erroneous 
ideas as to the value of soil analyses, some spefik- 
ing as though they only required to have the soil 
analysed to know what manures to apply to certain 
crops to obtain the best returns. This, however, 
is far from being so. In the first case, it would be 
nearly impossible to obtain a sample that would 
fairly represent even a ten-acre field. Besides this, 
an analysis will only show what the soil contains ; 
it will not tell whether the plant food is in such a 
condition that the plants can make use of it, 
neither will it tell him what treatment the soil 
requires to make that plant food available. So 
many othci- things, such as the physical condition 
of the soil and subsoil, its ability to retain myisture 
or perhaps the reverse, liave to be taken into con- 
sideration that (except to the scientist) a soil ana- 
lysis is just as likely as not to prove misleading in 
dealing witi; the manures such a soil requires. The 
only guiile is experience. Find out what others 
have done under similar conditions, and prove by 
experiment whether the treatment banefiiji.il in 
their case is equally so in yours. — The Planters' 
Monthly, 
Gambia. -^The quanilty of rul)ber exported in 
1900 was 125,446 lb, in lyOl 146,.57.3 H). being a 
decrease of £1,254 in vaUi^,— India RuMOer and 
Gutta Perch'i Trades' Jo rnnl, Aug. 4. 
Indian Tka Comp.^nies for 1001-2. -Mr. 
GeorgG Seton shows that about lialf of the.se 
companies show increased profits, ;is coin- 
j)ared with the previous year, while the 
other lialf have had their profits reiluced. 
Taken all round the profits were larger than 
in the previous year, but the amoinit distri- 
buted in debenture interest and dividends 
was much smaller. The total net revenue 
works out sit £319,000, as against £279,000 in 
the previous year, and the average r.ate of 
dividend, including debenture and preference 
interest, is 2'72, as against 3-90 per cent. This 
lower return, in spite of bigger takings, is 
not due altogether to increased capit.d on 
which ('islribiition has to be made; but may 
be attributed to the more cautious policy of 
the directors in keeping larger sums in hand, 
80 that whilst the aggregate CMpifca! has only 
grown 4 per cent, and is accounted for by 
the fresh issues of tour concerns, the total 
sum jilaced to reserve and carried forward 
h.as expanded more than 15 per cent. The 
production per acre fell from 487 lb. to 421 lb., 
but the profit per lb. increased from 0-85d to 
10.3d, and the sale price was nearly a third 
of a penny per lb, better. The ratio of 
operating expenses to receipts was 86 as com- 
pared with 88 per cent, and the profit on the 
total capital employed is equal to 350, as 
against 3'20 per cent. The situation revealed 
by this c.vret'ully compiled table is that each 
garden or group of gardens should be con- 
sidered by itself, and that it is difUcult to 
generalise on the whole imlustry from the 
results of any particular working. 
Wkst Indian Essential Oils and Alofs. — 
Al the Agricnllural Conference held recently at 
Biidgeto^vi), Barbatlo.s, under fclie pfesiderjcy of 
Dr. D Morris, C M G, Imperial Conimi-sioner of 
Agriculture for the SVcst ladies, Mr J H Hart 
( Trinidad) read a pnpcr on "The Prep uation of Es- 
entiiil Oils in the West ladies." an industry which 
in Ihe past has maiidy been connecte I with 
Dominica. Mr Hart exhibited s,)8ciiiieiis of fifteen 
kinds ef essential oils, which he had prepared from 
plants grown on the lands of the Botanic De- 
paifcment, Trinidad. He discussed the various 
oils, described their mode of manufacture, and 
suggps^-fd steps which might be taken to en- 
courage the industry. Dr. H A NichoUs (Domi- 
nica) and Mr W Faweett (.Jamaica) discussed the 
paper, the latter exhibiting a .=pecimen of the 
oil of Cananga odorata, which he had prepared. 
Mr W G Freeman, technical assistant, Impaiial 
Department of Agricilture, als^* read a paper on the 
" Aloe Industry of B ubado?," which had nov/ 
almost dwindled away. Mr Frenuan pointed out 
the former magnitude of the industry, the ex ports 
being sometimes of more than 7000Z. per annum, 
de-cribed the soil, cultivation and manufacture, 
indicated the detective methods which led to the 
decay of the industry, and \nade some su^gestioiis 
for tlie future. Living specimens of Curaeao and 
aloe pl.mts were exhibited. The paper was 
B irbados followed by a discussion, to which Prof. 
Harrison (British Guiana), Mr Francis Walts 
Leeward Islands). Mr WD Shepherd (B'.rbados), 
and the President contributetl —Chemist and 
Pru§§ist, Augast 39. 
