476 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan.  1,  1897. 
is  fixed  we  do  not  know.  All  that  is  known  is  that 
the  nodules  are  necessary  for  the  process,  since  the 
more  abundant  they  are  on  the  roots  of  the  plants  the 
more  abundant  is  the  quantity  of  nitrogen  fixed.  It  would 
seem  that  the  soil  is  by  no  means  on  important  factor, 
since  from  it  must  come  the  fixing  bacteria;  and  ex- 
periments have  shown  that  in  this  respect  soils  differ 
very  considerably,  some  being  more  plentifully  pro- 
vided with  nitrogen-fixing  bacteria  than  others. 
The  discovery  of  the  nitrogen-fixing  bacteria  was 
not  long  in  being  put  to  a practical  use.  Pot  experi- 
ments were  very  soon  started,  in  which  soil  extracts 
were  used  and  experimented  with.  The  result  of  these 
experiments  showed  that  all  soils  are  not  equally 
suitable  for  growing  leguminous  crops  ; that  many, 
indeed,  are  poorly  supplied  with  nitrogen-fixing  bac- 
teria ; but  that  such  soils  when  inoculated  w'ith  a soil 
extract  from  a portion  of  the  soil  taken  from  other 
fields  rich  in  such  bacteria  yield  a luxuriant  growth, 
These  experiments  have  led  Professor  Nobbe,  a well- 
known  plant  physiologist,  to  prepare  pure  cultures  of 
the  nitrogen-fixing  bacteria  for  general  use.  This 
very  practical  application  of  bacteriology  to  agriculture 
was  patented  in  February  of  this  year.  The  cultures 
are  made  on  a wholesale  scale  by  a well-known  Ger- 
man firm ; the  same,  indeed,  as  has  already  undertaken 
the  manufacture  of  diphtheric  anti-toxic  serum,  Of 
nitragin,  as  the  culture  is  called,  some  seventeen 
different  kinds  are  prepared.  The  pure  cultures 
are  grown  in  argar-gelatine — a common  medium 
for  the  growth  of  bacteria.  Sufficient  for  the 
inoculation  of  an  acre  of  soil  can  be  purchased  for  the 
small  sum  of  five  shillings.  The  culture  may  be 
applied  in  either  of  two  ways — by  making  a watery 
extract  of  it  and  immersing  the  seed  to  be  sown  in 
this  solution,  or  by  mixing  the  culture  with  some 
pure  sand. 
We  have  referred  to  a class  of  organisms  whose 
action  is  inimical.  Among  these  the  most  important 
are  those  which  effect  denitrification,  as  it  has  been 
called.  They  undo  the  work  of  the  nitrifying  bacteria, 
often  with  the  result  that  a portion  of  the  nitrogen 
is  set  free,  and,  escaping  in  the  gaseous  form,  is 
entirely  lost  to  the  soil.  The  conditions  which 
favour  the  development  of  the  denitrifying 
bacteria  are  the  opposite  of  those  which 
favour  the  development  of  the  nitrifying 
bacteria.  Hence,  in  order  to  prevent  the  develop* 
ment  of  the  former,  it  is  sufficient  to  aim  at  the 
development  of  the  latter. 
It  may  be  well  to  add,  in  conclusion,  that  the 
soil  may  contain  disease-producing  germs.  Thus, 
those  giving  rise  t o the  deadly  disease  lock-jaw,  or 
tetanus,  are  known  to  be  often  present  in  the  soil. 
By  the  burial  of  animals  which  have  died  of  germ- 
produced  diseases,  the  propagation  of  that  disease 
has  been  known  to  result.  In  one  case,  in  France, 
it  was  found  that  sheep  pasturing  in  a field  where 
two  years  previous  a single  animal  suffering  from 
splenic  fever  had  been  buried  were  infected  with  the 
same  disease,  and  died.  Yellow  fever,  it  may  be 
added,  is  another  disease  the  germ  of  which  seems 
to  be  able  to  live  in  the  soil.  It  need  scarcely  be 
pointed  out  that  such  facts  furnish  strong  {evidence 
in  support  of  cremation  as  a mode  of  disposal  of 
the  dead.  They  also  serve  to  indicate  the  risk 
attached  to  the  indiscriminate  use  of  sewage  from 
our  large  towns  as  a manure  for  the  fields. 
— Scotsman.  Nov.  23.  .M.A. 
THE  BLACKSTONE  TEA  CO.,  LD. 
A special  meeting  was  lield  at  tlie  offices  of 
Messrs.  Carson  & Co  on  the  18th  Dec  in  tlie  after- 
noon to  confirm  the  resolutions  of  a previous 
meeting,  viz.  ; — 
(1)  That  the  Company  be  voluntarily  wound  up. 
(2)  That  Mr.  F.  Maciudoe  be  appointed  Liquidator 
for  the  purpose  of  winding  up  the  affairs  of  the 
Company  and  distribute  the  property. 
(3)  That  the  remuneration  of  the  Liquidator  be 
fixed  at  a fee  of  K750. 
These  were  confirmed. 
DR.  MORRIS  ON  COMMERCIAL 
FIBRES. 
Dr.  D.  Morris,  c.m.g.,  Assistant  Director  of  the 
Royal  Gardens  at  Kew,  delivered  an  interesting 
lecture  at  the  London  Institution,  on  November 
30,  on  the  subject  of  “ Recent  Researches  in  Com- 
mercial Fibres.”  The  lecture  was  illustrated,  and 
Dr.  Morris,  with  his  usual  ability,  set  forth  a 
large  mass  of  valuable  information  in  regard  to 
the  various  classes  of  fibres. 
After  a brief  review  of  the  progress  made  in 
the  production  of  fibres  more  or  less  familiar  to 
European  commerce,  attention  was  directed  to  a 
floss  yielded  by  the  silk-cotton  tree,  known  as 
Kapok.  This  has  already  formed  an  article  of 
considerable  export  value  in  Java,  and  more  re- 
cently it  has  been  taken  up  in  Ceylon  and  India. 
It  is  too  short  for  textile  purposes,  but  forms  a.nd 
excellent  stuffing  material,  superior  to  everythii  g 
except  the  best  sorts  of  feathers,  w'ool,  and  hair. 
The  silk-cotton  tree  (Eriodendron)  is  one  of  the 
most  striking  features  of  the  vegetation  in  some 
parts  of  the  West  Indies,  especially  in  Jamaica, 
if  the  silk-cotton  now  wasted  in  the  latter  island 
were  carefully  collected,  it  is  probaale  that  it  would 
yield  annually  3,000  bales,  of  the  value  of  several 
thousand  pounds.  In  the  other  islands  it  might  be 
worth  while  to  plant  waste  places  with  this  tree, 
which  begins  to  bear  in  the  fifth  year,  and  without 
further  trouble  would  yield  yearly  crops  of  an 
article  evidently  in  increasing  demand  at  fairly 
remunerative  prices. 
The  recent  developments  in  the  singularly  interest- 
ing fibres  known  as  China  grass  and  Ramie  were  then 
touched  upon.  These  have  hitherto  been  regarded  as 
at  once  the  most  attractive  and  elusive  of  fibres, 
and  as  having  not  only  raised  the  greatest  expectation 
but  also  led  to  the  most  lamentable  failures.  The 
lecturer  gave  a sketch  of  their  history,  and  stated 
that  on  the  results  of  efforts  extending  over  50  years 
these  fibres  were  at  last  being  placed  within  reach  of 
manufacturers  in  this  country,  and  utilised  for  textile 
fabrics  inferior  only  to  silk.  Considerable  stress  was 
laid  on  the  fact  that  there  were  two  plants  concerned, 
viz.,  the  China  grass  {Doehmeria  nivea),  a native  of 
temperate  China,  and  a plant  known  in  Assam  as 
Rhea,  and  in  the  Malay  Islands  as  Ramie  (B.  tenacis- 
sinia),  a native  of  the  tropics  only.  It  was  useless 
to  attempt  the  cultivation  of  the  former  except  in 
moderately  warm  countries,  while  the  latter  required 
especially  hot  conditions.  Remunerative  crops  could 
only  be  grown  from  these  plants  in  well-drained  soils  of 
exceptional  quality  and  fertility.  A plentiful  rainfall 
well  distributed  over  the  year  was  also  necessary,  as 
well  as  a high  and  uniform  temperature.  Under 
favourable  conditions  it  had  been  shown  that  two  or 
three  crops  of  stems,  weighing,  in  the  aggregate, 
15  to  20  tons  per  acre,  could  be  produced  in  one 
year,  and  as  the  plants  were  perennial,  successive 
crops  could  be  produced  from  ratoons,  as  in  the 
ca.se  of  the  sugarcane.  From  the  quantity  of  green 
stems  above  mentioned  there  would  at  least  be 
yielded  ribbons  or  raw  fibre  of  the  value  (at  present 
prices)  of  8L,  and  fibrine  (the  finished  product)  worth 
about  14/.  According  to  returns  from  reliable  sources 
the  cost  of  the  cultivation  in  favourable  localities, 
on  an  average  of  years,  would  be  at  the  rate  of  4/.  per 
acre. 
Provided  there  was  a careful  selection  of  suitable 
sites  for  plantations,  the  cultivation  was  regarded  as 
likely  to  prove  advantageous  in  some  parts  of  the 
West  Indies,  especially  in  the  warm  fertile  valleys 
of  Dominica,  parts  of  the  humid  parish  of  Portland, 
in  Jamaica,  and  similar  localities  111  Trinidad,  Brit- 
ish Guiaii.i,  and  the  yoiUhern  districts  of  British 
Honduras.  Dr.  Morris  spoke  hopefully  of  the  future 
prospects  of  the  cultivation  in  the  West  Indies,  but 
was  careful  to  point  out  the  conditions  essential  to 
success,  and  advised  that  only  experienced  and  capable 
planters  should  attempt  to  start  the  industry,  which, 
in  their  hands,  might  go  a long  way  to  relieve  the 
people  in  the  West  Indies  from  their  present  difficult- 
ies.— Colonics  and  India,  Doc.  5. 
