Feb. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
565 
The Christmas Rose puts forth no claim to historical 
significance, but its lovely flowers, expanding at this 
season, ai'e so beautiful, that they confer a right to 
the popular name Rose, although botanically they 
have nothing to do with the genuine rose. 
Whatever flowers be adopted for merely decorative 
purposes at the Coronation, we plead that as a matter 
of ceremonial usage, no o'her than the Rose of 
England be adopted. — Gardeners' Chronicle, Jan. 4. 
■ 
THE HUMUS OP SOILS. 
A garden soil must contain in addition to the 
necessary mineral constituents of plants a suitable 
supply of available nitrogen or the plants cannot 
make the necessary growth requisite for full develop- 
ment of flowers and fruit. It has been founr" by 
analysis that one part of nitrogen in a soil will cor- 
respond to about 10 or 12 parts of humus. 
Any increase or decrease of the nitrogen in 
soils is followed by a corresponding increase 
or decrease of humus. The loss of humus 
and organic matter from a soil not only re- 
duces the stock of nitrogen but also reduces the amount 
of available mineral-food as well. The decaying 
animal and vegetable matters present in all good soils 
produce acids which act upon the inert and inactive 
Elant-food elements and render them available. The 
umates or organic products which are formed by the 
union of the organic acid products derived from the 
decay of the humus combined with the mineral matter 
of a soil form valuable plant food. 
Experiments have shown that humate of lime is 
capable of being assimilated and utilised by plants. 
Potash, phosphoric acid andall of the mineral elements 
of plant-food when combined with humus and nitrogen 
constitute valuable forms of food for all kinds of 
garden crops. 
The high fertility of old kitchen garden soils is due 
to the large store of humus. The loss of humus 
changes the physical properties of a soil, both as to 
colour, weight per cubic foot, and retention of soil- 
water. A loss of hnmus and vegetable-matter causes 
a lightness in soil-colour, an increase in density and 
compactness with a less capability to retain moiature. 
A dark-coloured soil becomes hotter in the sun's rays 
than a light coloured one ; but at night ail soils will 
cool to the same point. 
Humus conserves the moisture of a soil, while a 
rotation of crops, the use of stable manure and the 
digging in of vegetable refuse conserves the humns. 
If the soil contains too much humus the vegatative 
system of plants becomes overfed by an excessive 
quantity of nitrogen luxuriauoe of foliage and atem- 
growth is encouraged, while flowers and fruit develop- 
ment are retarded. In general it may be said that an 
abuudant supply of potash and phosphoric acid, espe- 
cially the latter tends to increase fruitfulness, hardiness 
and firmness of leaves and stems ; while an abundance 
of nitrogen and humus has a tendency to produce just 
the reverse conditions. While the plant cannot be at 
its best without a suitable supply of nitrogen and 
humus, plants which are grown chiefly for their fruits 
may easily be injured by an amount only slightly ex- 
ceeding a sufficiency. 
It has been found that the store of plant-food in a 
soil is of little value unless the physical conditions 
and the available moisture which it contains are also 
considered. This brings into prominence the question 
of proper tillage. No matter how fully the soil may 
be supplied with phint food if it does not furnish a 
comfortable home for the plant or if for considerable 
periods there is not enough moisture presewt to convey 
the plant-food to the roots, little benefit may be 
expected from ti.e real or potential nourishment 
existing in the ground. Plants growing in a garden 
suffer oftener friiii a lack of moisture than they do 
from ack of soluble food. J. J. Wili'iS, Ha:- 
pendea, n Gardeners' Chronicle, Jan. 11, 
CINCHONA PLANTING IN HENGAL. 
The Government made a profii of nearly RIO, 000 
from lis cinchona plantatiou'i in Beiijial last yo;u-, 
a fact which reflects the tjreate^^t cieilit on tiir.se 
concerned with the working of the plaiit;itioi,s. 
Tliere was a very considerable iiicrea.se in tlie 
demand tor quinine at liie Post offices.— i)l«(7ms 
Mail, Feb. 3 
INDIAN PATENTS. 
Applications in respect of the underinejitioned 
inventions have been tiled, under the provisions 
of the Inveniions and Designs Act of 1888, in 
tiie office of the Secretary appointed under that 
Act : 
John Gilruth Gilruth, Engineer, Chetla, Alipore. 
A continuous action paddy (or other grain) combined 
boiler and dryer (or " conditioner.") 
Henry Johnston, Engineer and Shipwright Siir 
veyor, of the Port Office, Rangoon, Burma. A com-- 
biaed windlass and steering gear. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
A "Sight for Sair E'en" has been provided 
for passers-by in the dreary month of January 
by the wall of a hou;^e close co the oates of 
Gunnersbury Park. This is entirely covered with 
Cratregus pyracantlia, npon wirich is still left an 
ample crop of scarlet berries, Atnoni;'- the com- 
paratively compact branches of this creeper Jas- 
rninum nudiliorum is running rampant, and the 
clear yellow of its fully-expanded flowers forms a 
charming contrast to the bright berries and green 
leaves of the Cratre us. li was not our fortune 
to see this beautiful sight on a line day, but when 
the sun is shining the effect must be truly gor- 
geous. — Gardeners' Chronicle, Jan. 18. 
Rubber in West Indies. — Mr. James Piunock, the 
well-known African merchant and traveller, of Livei - 
pool, who is at present making a journey round the 
world, wri'es to a f i 'nd from Port of Spain, Trinidad. 
Of the rubber industry on the West Coast of Africa. 
Mr. Pinnock h is had gient experience, and he thinks 
that the cultivation in Dominica of this article is, or 
should be, one of the moat important items in the 
future prosperity of the island. He mentions that he 
during the time he carried on business, imported large 
quantities of rubber from the most primaeval forests 
in West Africa, produced and treated by entirely 
unsophisticated natives in the great African forests. 
The soil of a very large portion of this most fertile 
country, iVIr. Pinnock says, together with its tropical 
climate and surroundings of water, appears to be most 
admirably adapted for the cultivation of the rubber. 
In his remarks on this subject, Mr. Pinnock asks: — 
" If the untrained and uncivilised natives (of what, 
until lately, has been known as ' Savage Africa ') can 
produce rubber in such huge quantities, why not their 
more advanced brethren in the West Indies do tiie 
same?" In Liverpool, says a daily contemporarv, 
Mr. Pinnock's suggestion with regard to the growing 
and cultivation of rubber in the West Indies is regarded 
as a very valuable one. One well-known gentleman, 
who thoroughly understands the importance of the 
matter, expressed the opinion that if rubber can be 
produced in the West Indies, it will bring back the 
islands to their former prosperous condition, Mr. 
Pinnock was a good authority on such a question, 
ai d had great pvnotical experience in VVest Africa, 
where he resided for many years. — India-ruhh^r anii 
Gutta-percha Trades' Journal, Jan. 6. 
