Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Aug.,  19 1 7. 
Current  Literature. 
383 
CURRENT  LITERATURE. 
French  Inspection  of  Nursery  Plants. 
David  R.  Lewis,  St.  Etienne,  France,  states  that  interest  in  the 
prevention  and  control  of  plant  diseases  and  inspection  by  scientific 
officials  under  state  authority  is  increasing  in  France.  The  number 
of  horticultural  establishments  (nurseries)  and  vine  growers  who 
submitted  to  phytopathological  inspections  in  191 6  were  double  those 
of  1914.  The  value  of  plants  exported  for  these  years  to  countries 
requiring  certificates  of  inspection  showed  a  corresponding  increase 
even  under  the  unusual  conditions  prevailing. 
Nurserymen  feel  assured  of  the  continued  growth  of  these  figures 
by  the  guaranty  of  the  French  government  that  buyers  of  other  coun- 
tries will  he  protected  against  dangerous  parasites  and  diseases  in 
plants  imported  from  France. 
The  establishments  submitting  to  control  are  divided  into  dis- 
tricts and  expert  service  of  inspection  is  furnished  by  entomolo- 
gists and  cryptogamists  in  charge  of  the  director  of  the  entomolog- 
ical station  of  Paris,  the  cost  of  the  supervision  being  cared  for  by 
a  small  fee  per  annum  for  each  nursery,  and  a  charge  made  on  plants 
exported.   Efforts  are  now  being  made  to  greatly  extend  the  service. 
M.  G.  S. 
Paper  Pulp  from  Australian  Lalang  Grass. 
According  to  the  Indian  Trade  Journal,  March  2,  a  well-known 
agricultural  and  technical  chemist  in  Queensland  has  conducted  very 
successful  experiments  in  manufacturing  paper  pulp  out  of  lalang 
grass,  commonly  known  as  blady  grass,  on  account  of  its  great  blades 
which  are  4  or  5  feet  long.  It  resembles  very  closely  the  esparto  of 
Spain  and  North  Africa,  and  when  dried  before  making  it  into  pulp 
yields  as  high  as  60  per  cent,  of  first-class  paper-making  pulp. 
The  expert  states  that  esparto  is  the  best  pulp  known  and  the 
blady-grass  product  is  within  10  per  cent,  of  the  same  value.  There 
are  millions  of  tons  of  this  grass  growing  in  Queensland.  Three 
crops  a  year  can  be  cut  from  it.  Experiments  are  also  being  carried 
on  with  Chinese  barr  (Urena)  and  Queensland  hemp  (Sida  Retusa), 
which  produce  30  per  cent,  of  first-class  paper  pulp.  Lantana,  which 
is  regarded  as  a  great  pest,  makes  an  excellent  wrapping  paper. 
Screwpine  or  pandanus,  which  also  grows  prolifically,  is  likewise 
being  experimented  with. 
M.  G.  S. 
