SiorcgQ S 77 L f V. '^' ; -AR' - ,- p— , yi>ff t . * ; ■a "* "X «6 1 %*Hjr * * * p*4j iWI^B^^^^T^itii jlr*^ v * * * ^v $ \"tow ^** ^HHH^^^^B^3l BKj'S* *"■* ^OBP^^^^Pf i^^BiBWifl^^?^Pfe^ ; ^ a >^ \ r *ffr"^* *>y r * % ^^^^^^Pt ^%t * *?** -^^^^^^^K? ^1 i«|gj|^^^! "4 ^ f ^VW ^ n • j ^g^^^^^PE liiiS«&»JKrat -'^'^ «,a^? * -^ ^|^^^^w r s^ r ' ^EMSWIHr**^ '« i\^# r * f * * ^ r -*~ / , - ' ' ^ 4 : * . ' 't^ * J $$&$ A* *** **jr«rfg*- TJIr ^ '_ J M^\\jr^ m ^ •* ;\ * /# $*^ ~ ; 4*$llM. ^^ . " : G ft IBy ^^f^^^^SSKBI^^tl^^^m^^^^\ . . -. r< ^' OmmM. y" ?v 3^^^^^^^WXMW^^lmFkW^^^K^tfW^ SB ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^9^BMHL^H|PJP7 „ *' will* ^^^^P'&^Jh^^^^^^^M^^^kKk^^^f^ i^^^^^S^^^^^^^^Rif^^' M$$* * |^»^^Mk^fe^^^^»lKfr *' %w v ^^^^^^^^^^^^S'^^^^^^^K'f^ K^^^^MHMW^ V' V ^ * > # y It ,,"»„'• H^.c^r *xXZ,^ % * ' I^^H^B^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^sh^hSINVHP^c |P^ mmm^ -J^f^S II" "''-•< ^"* / - i% ^^^^^^^■H^^^^^^^f *'**■■■ "* Ii? ^^^^^^^^HRHH^&^v^^ " " *" T f3| r v-;» . ^^^^^^«#^«^#-S < 1 If * # 1HHK' # ^ * w ^ ^ ' • # I 0> 1 ^ 1,% " ^M^mS^" 4 h ' "*""J — < alfalfa in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho that neither hay nor seed can be sent into California from these States without first being examined and fumigated by a State official. This weevil feeds on the leaves, and since spraying is dangerous to the # animals, no ef- ficient remedy has yet been discovered. Among the alfalfa insects mentioned by O. E. Essig of Cali- fornia are the following: 173 Alfalfa weevil (Phytonomus posticus), Western army worm (Chorizagrotis agrestis grote), Alfalfa looper (Autographa gamma calif ornica) , Alfalfa crane fly (Tipula simplex Drane), Grasshopper — various species, Western 12 spotted cucumber beetle (Diablrtica sonor Lee), Clover or almond mite — (Bryolia pratensis gar). According to Farmer's Bulletin No. 495, the clover seed Chalcis fly (Bruchpaghus funebris Howard) is also very injurious to alfalfa seed. Although the cut worm was the only serious pest at the Col- lege of Hawaii, it was found to be an extremely serious and dif- ficult one to combat, owing to its presence in large numbers and to its habits. This worm feeds at night, devouring leaves, stalk and all, and hides in burrows a few inches under the ground during the day. This pest, together with weeds, was found to be the cause of a great deal of trouble and disappointment in our efforts to get a stand of alfalfa, for in one night what little growth that was made during a few days would be entirely wiped out. All possible efforts were made to establish the crop ; poisoned bait consisting of 5 lbs. of bran, 5 lbs. middlings, 1 lb. white arsenic, 1 lb. sugar, and about 1 qt. of water, laid out at the rate of 36 lbs. per acre, was found to be fairly effective for several days. Flooding the field was also effective, but in spite of all our efforts, the cut worms continued their work of destruction and promised to maintain the supremacy. In ten feet of row one of the men counted 193 dead cut worms which had been poisoned the night before. The outlook was so disappointing that the men in charge of the field were on the point of giving it up, when it was decided to make a few more trials, which fortunately resulted in perfect success. Since the first crop was harvested there has been no more trouble with either weeds or cut worms, and the crops now being harvested are proving that the time, trouble, and expense devoted to the establishment of the field has been more than worth the effort. Animal Pests. There are no animal pests of alfalfa in Hawaii, but various sections of the United States have found the wood- chuck, ground squirrel, prairie dog, gopher and field mouse rather noxious at various times owing to their habits of burrowing into the ground and eating the roots. Being easily destroyed by drown- ing, they are not serious pests. Fungous Diseases. Various fungous diseases have been re- ported from different regions as being rather serious in alfalfa fields, many of them being especially serious on certain varieties. They generally cause a wilting of the plant with a subsequent dying and rotting. Various fungicides have been used against such diseases with more or less success, but the only recommended method to combat them when they have once become well estab- 174 lished is to destroy the entire crop by burning and planting the infested and neighboring fields to other crops not subject to the diseases till they have been completely wiped out. The most common fungous diseases are the various leaf spots, root rots, wilts, and damping off. While some of these are known to exist in Hawaii, and our alfalfa fields show signs of the pres- ence of the leaf spots, they are of no economic importance with the common alfalfa. Mr. Andrade found that his plantings of Arabian alfalfa at Moiliili, Oahu, were rather seriously infested by a form of root and crown rot. This same diseas"e is also present at the College of Hawaii farm, where the Arabian, Chilean, Kansas and Australian varie- ties are doing very well. Only a few plants of the last three va- rieties are affected, but the Arabian seems to be very much more susceptible to the disease. Very recently the Arabian plants were nearly all wilted by the disease, while those of other varieties close at hand were almost entirely unaffected. Other Pests and Diseases. Alfalfa on the mainland is also subject to various other minor pests and diseases, including a nematode which causes root rot and a bacterial disease caused by Psendomonas medicaginis. They are not considered to be at all serious. COMPOSITION AND FEEDING VALUE OF THE CROP. Alfalfa is a valuable crop for feeding because of its large yield of palatable forage and high per cent, of protein. Following is the average composition of digestible nutrients of alfalfa as com- pared with that of corn: Alfalfa. Protein (+ Fat X 2.25) Carbohydrates Fat Nutritive Ratio Green Water free .... 3.7 % 14.17 8.65% 54.72 40.7 40.0 0.6% 2.3 1.6 1.6 1: 2.3 1: 2.4 Hay Meal 12.3 17.2 1: 3.3 1: 2.3 Corn. Green Grain Meal 1.0 7.8 6.4 12.5 66.5 66.3 0.4 4.3 3.4 1: 2.5 1: 8.5 1:10.4 Alfalfa is an excellent food for horses, cattle, sheep, brood cows, and laying hens, especially for milch cows and fattening animals. As it is not a propf r ration when fed alone, it should be supple- 175 mented by other food, such as maize grain, barley, and wheat bran or middlings. The College of Hawaii has obtained very suc- cessful results with manienie pasture and the following daily ration : Wheat bran, 5 lbs. ; rolled barley, 3 lbs. Alfalfa meal, 4 lbs. ; green alfalfa, 20 lbs. Alfalfa does not make good pasture, as it cannot stand heavy trampling and constant close cropping. There is little danger of bloat if the animals are turned on to the field when it is moist with dew, and, besides, the crop is too valuable to be wasted by pasturing. A very good mixture for the silo or for roughage is one part of alfalfa to two parts of green field-corn or sorghum. This mix- ture does not only pack better in the silo, but it is also very well liked by the animals, milch cows especially. ECONOMIC VALUE AS AN AGRICULTURAL CROP. Alfalfa is the queen of nitrogen-gathering legumes. The plants not only work for nothing for themselves, but will also pay for the privilege. It is a crop that needs very little attention when once estab- lished, which under favorable conditions may be after the first few months, and it lasts a long time. Its requirements are few, and it not only fits very readily into rotation with corn, sorghum and other non-leguminous crops, but also furnishes a large amount of that most costly food material protein. It not only restores the fertility of the land through its nitrogen gathering organisms, but always leaves it in good physical condition and with few weeds. Once established, the field becomes a constant source of food to be had for the cutting and, in dry weather, a little irriga- tion and tillage, and it excels all other forage crops from the standpoint of yield, feeding value, and cost of production. Cost of production is the item of greatest importance, regardless of the thing produced. This was one of the main features of the experiment with alfalfa at the College of Hawaii, for no complete Hawaiian reports on this particular phase have as yet come under the writer's notice. The alfalfa growers in and about Honolulu have not taken the trouble to obtain accurate figures regarding either yields per acre or cost of production. Bulletin 22 of the Nevada Station gives the following as the cost of growing one acre of alfalfa hay in 1909 : Interest and taxes or rent $ 5.196 Labor of cutting and stacking. . „ x 4.878 Interest and depreciation on machinery. . . . y 256 Total cost per acre $10.33 Average yield, 3.3 tons. Cost per ton, $3.10. 176 Farmers' Bulletin 339 gives the following cost of production for the Eastern States : Plowing :. $ 2.00 Harrowing 1.00 Fertilizers 10.00 Lime 5.00 ; Rent 3.50 Seed, 25 lbs. at 18c 4.50 Seeding 50 Harvesting 3 tons at $2 6.00 Plowing under alfalfa 3.00 Total cost $35.50 Three tons alfalfa at $15 $45.00 Cost to be deducted 35.50 Profit $ 9.50 The experiments at the College of Hawaii were begun last August, and the yearly cost and yields cannot be accurately cal- culated at present, but $175 may be considered as a fairly good estimate of the annual cost per acre. This is rather high because of the necessary accuracy of weighing, etc., during the experi- ments,, and the small plots which do not permit of the use of ma- chinery to any extent. While the cost to establish the crop is high, the crop is lasting and subsequent harvests and cultivation cost but very little. At our last harvest, the total cost of cutting, weighing and cultivating a single crop was $19.92 per acre, or $2.25 per ton of green fodder obtained, not a bad investment with the market price of the product at $5 per ton. 1. Varieties Under Test. Utah, Kansas and Australian strains of the common alfalfa and the Arabian variety were seeded August 20-22, 1912, in J^-acre plots at the rate of 15 lbs. per acre. The seed was drilled in rows 12 inches apart and 200 feet long. A light rainfall during the night of August 21 left the soil in good condition, with the result of good strong germination in all four plots. 2., Troubles Begin. Germination of the alfalfa seed was ac- companied by that of a greater number of weeds, which kept what Jittle labor there was to be had constantly busy at weeding. Be- fore the plants had become more than a few inches high, the at- tack. of cut worms described above made things still more discour- aging, not only by their destructiveness, but also by their per- sistence: 177 3. Combating the Worms. Our troubles with weeds were considered rather serious, but the presence of the cut worms made them even greater. The laying of bait as described above under "Insect Pests" was at first found to be rather disappointing in its results ; in fact, the outlook for success was so far from favorable that failure was already contemplated. However, the strong "never-say-die" spirit of Prof. Krauss, our agronomist, though beginning to totter, could not quite be shaken down. He faced the enemy with grim determination and finally won out after a long, hard fight. The effectiveness of the bait lasted lor several days in spite of light nightly rains* The Paris green mixture was a little better than the white arsenic, but from the standpoint of cost the latter was found to be preferable to the former. As already mentioned, irrigation w^ found to be very helpful in drowning out the worms, and it seems that the most effective method of fighting these worms would 4>e v to till the soil lightly to loosen it up, irrigate thoroughly an^fieayily for a few hours and then lay out poisoned bait for those which escaped drowning. Since cut worms are active only at night, it is r best to spread the bait as late in the afternoon af*possible. 4. Replanting/ The work of the cut wotyjls Was so destruc- tive that it was found necessary to replant large portions here and there in order to obtain a good uniform stand.. All .plots were badly infested with cut worms, but it seems that the Arabian va- riety was the most susceptible. 5. Growth of the Plants. After the cut worms were held in check the plants grew very well. The first crop was harvested in the middle of October — seven weeksr after planting. The plants were not quite mature and very small yields were, of course, ob- tained, but the prevalence of weeds and cut worms made it neces- sary to harvest early. All four varieties have grown very well, but the Arabian va- riety has not blossomed and seeded well. The other three varie- ties proved very vigorous and produced an abundance of fodder and also a good deal of seed. One plant of the Utah strain untouched by the sickle produced in seven months 308 vigorous stems by actual count and yielded large quantities of seed, which proved to be of good vitality. The College plans to do some breeding work with the progeny of this plant, which weighed more than five pounds on harvesting at the end of eight months. The stems were a little over four feet high, the average height of the whole Utah bed at maturity being three and one-half feet. The Arabian variety averaged but thirty inches. That the cut worms are not troublesome after the plants have become, well established is shown by another experiment con- ducted from January 11, 1913, to the middle of February. At 178 CO o < a this time two beds of the Utah and Kansas seed were planted broadcast in plots opposite those still under consideration, and separated only by a ten-foot roadway. Germination was excellent, but the prevalence of weeds and cut worms, together with a shortage of labor, resulted in failure. The important point to be noted, however, is that while the cut worms were very destructive on the young seedlings, they did not harm the older plants. 6. Irrigation and Fertilization. All four plots received three irrigations of two hours each in September (September 1, 15 and 179 26) during the fight against the cut worms. On October 17 the Utah variety received an hour's irrigation in order to drown out cut worms. No further irrigation was made until March 3-6, when each plot was given a final irrigation of from two to three hours' duration. At this time the Kansas and Arabian varieties were fertilized with nitrate of soda at 750 and 800 pounds per acre respectively. Since all four plots showed equal improvement, it was concluded that while the irrigation was beneficial, the addition of nitrate had little or no effect on the resulting crops. 7. Harvesting. Once established, the crops were ready for harvesting every thirty days for the common variety, and every third week for the Arabian. All harvesting has been made with the ordinary hand grass sickle. This method should not be used on large fields, for the machine mower will do the work much more cheaply and rapidly. Therefore, in considering the figures on the "cost of harvesting'' to follow later, the reader should not forget that the small size of the experimental plots and the hand cutting have made this item higher than it need be. 8. Yields. From the first to the last cutting the yields have been constantly increasing. While they were rather light at first, the last cuttings made so far were as follows : Utah ; May 19, 1913 — 2310 lbs. green or 9.2 tons per acre green. Kansas ; May 22, 1913 — 2076 lbs. green or 8.2 tons per acre green. - Australian ; April 28-May 14 — 2096 lbs. green or 8.4 tons per acre green. Arabian ; April 28-May 14 — 1036 lbs. green or 4.2 tons per acre green. Average, 7.5 tons per acre green. These yields might have been even better if the crops had been taken at the proper time. The small herd of the College could not use more than about one-sixty-fourth of an acre of fodder per day, and the crops were therefore left standing till ready for use. Hence every bed was not cut absolutely uniformly, though an effort was made to harvest the crops as uniformly as possible. (To be continued.) SALT AS A MANURE. In Soderbaums' experiments at Stockholm it was found that the application of common salt to oats caused a considerable increase in the yield of those cases in which nitrogen was given as nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, but not in the form of ammonia 180 chloride. No injury due to manuring with common salt was ob- served. The results seem to justify the conclusion that where potash and phosphoric acid are present in sufficient quantity, and the water requirements of the plant are met, the increase yield by the addition of salt is to be traced to direct manurial effect, espe- cially in respect of the chlorine part of it. — Internat. Inst, of Agric. STORING AND MARKETING SWEET POTATOES. (From Farmers' Bulletin 548, U. S. Department of Agriculture.) Each year the sweet potato is becoming of greater importance as a money crop in the South. The value of this crop in the United States in 1909 was $34,429,000, 90 per cent, of which was produced in the Southern States. The total area devoted to sweet potatoes in the United States increased from 537,000 acres in 1899 to 641,000 in 1909, and the yield increased from 42,500,000 to 52,200,000 bushels. The total value of the crop increased at a much more rapid rate than either the acreage or yield, showing an increase of 78.3 per cent, in 10 years. With better methods of storing and marketing the potatoes, their value could be doubled without increasing the acreage or production. This is especially true in the South, where the pota- toes are either rushed on the market at digging time, when the price is low, or stored in outdoor pits or banks, where a large portion decay. Very few of the sweet potatoes stored in pits or banks ever reach the market, for from 25 to 50 per cent, spoil and those that remain are not of good quality. Even if the pit or bank method of storage would keep the potatoes it is not economical. Too much labor and expense are required to make these banks every year and to get the potatoes out when wanted for market. Sweet potatoes can be marketed more economically and to much better advantage from storage houses. It is not advisable to open a bank when the soil is wet or the weather cold, as these conditions injure the potatoes and cause them to decay. Outdoor pits and banks can not be depended on. Some years a very small number of the potatoes spoil in banks, while in other years practically the whole crop is lost. The only safe and practicable method of storing sweet potatoes is in a storage house, as the potatoes can be taken out at any time without sub- jecting them to unfavorable conditions. To keep sweet potatoes in good condition they must be (1) well matured before digging, (2) carefully handled, (3) well dried or cured after being put in the house, and (4) kept at a uniform temperature after they are cured. The grower can judge when his sweet potatoes are ripe by breaking or cutting the tubers and leaving them exposed to the 181 air for a few minutes. If the cut or broken surface dries they are mature, but if the surface remains moist they are not ready to be dug. The second essential, careful handling, is of the greatest im- portance and should be practiced in digging, gathering, hauling, and unloading. The potatoes should be sorted in the field and gathered in padded baskets or boxes to prevent bruising or breaking the skin. The baskets or boxes should be loaded on the wagon, hauled to the storage house, and the potatoes care- fully poured into the bins. When they are to be hauled very far a wagon with bolster springs should be used. Sweet potatoes should never be thrown from one row to another, loaded loosely into a wagon body, or . hauled in bags, because any of these methods will bruise them and give a chance for disease to enter. Careful handling is one of the essentials in keeping sweet potatoes, and there is no more important place to practice it than, in the field at digging time. The implement used to dig sweet potatoes should be one that does not cut or bruise the roots. One of the best types of diggers is a plow with rolling colters on the beam to cut the vines and with rods attached to the mold- board to free the roots from the soil and vines. After the pota- toes are dug they should be scratched out by hand and allowed to remain exposed long enough to dry off. The digging should be done, if possible, when the weather is bright and the soil is dry. The potatoes should be graded in the field in order- to reduce the cost of handling to a minimum. A good plan is to go over the rows and pick up the sound, marketable potatoes in one bas- ket, then gather all of the seed stock in another basket or box, and the injured ones in still another. These lots should be stored in different bins. By following this method it will not be neces- sary to grade the potatoes at the storage house and will thus save time and reduce the cost of handling. The potatoes should be poured into the bins as carefully as possible, to prevent bruising. Sweet potatoes can be stored in boxes, hampers, baskets, or bins with equally satisfactory results. The preference of the indivi- dual grower will determine the method to be employed. Each year after the sweet potatoes have been marketed the house should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being used again. All dirt and refuse should be cleaned out and all parts of the interior sprayed or washed thoroughly with a solution of formalin (1 pint of formalin to 10 or 15 gallons of water). Diseased roots should not be thrown on the manure pile or on land to be used for sweet potatoes, the safest plan being to burn them. In filling the storage house the workmen should begin at the back end of the bins and pour a layer of potatoes about 2 feet deep in all of the bins rather than fill one bin at a time. If the bins, are 8, or 10 feet long it is a good plan to divide them into 182 two parts. By nailing cleats to the middle support of the bins, the partition can be raised as the bins are filled. The partition boards should have some space between them to allow free circu- lation of air. A 1-inch block between the boards will be satis- factory to separate them. By dividing the bins in this way the back of the bin can be filled without walking over the potatoes in the front part. When taking the potatoes out, those in one section of a bin can be removed without disturbing the remainder. This is very important where the potatoes are sold in small quantities. One reason why southern farmers have not received good prices for their sweet potatoes is that they have not used proper methods of handling and marketing. In many cases the potatoes are badly bruised and cut in digging, are put in bags or rough barrels , without grading, and are rushed on the market when there is an oversupply. The secrets of success in getting high prices are (1) to carefully grade, clean, and pack the -product and (2) to put it upon the market when there is a good demand. When the potatoes are to be marketed they must be carefully graded, no matter how well it had been done when they were put in the house. The market demands a medium-sized, uniform type of sweet potato, free from bruises or decayed spots. In grading, the large, overgrown, and the crooked, broken, or bruised roots should be kept at home for feeding or for canning. The best potatoes will bring a higher price when separated from the culls. Two market grades are sometimes made — the "extra selects" or "primes" and the "seconds" or "pie stock" — but the southern farmer will do well to make just one market grade and keep the others for feeding to his live stock. After carefully grading the potatoes they should be put in clean, neat, attractive packages. Bags should never be used, as the potatoes become badly bruised when handled in this way. The standard veneer potato barrel with a burlap cover is usually used in summer or autumn, but for winter shipment the double- headed stave barrel or tight box is used. The smaller type of package, such as the bushel hamper, bushel box, or basket, is becoming more popular each year. A neat and attractive package of well-graded potatoes will bring a good price almost any time, even when the market is overstocked with inferior goods. The value of the sweet potato has increased about 80 per cent, in the last 10 years. With better methods of storing and marketing the present value could be doubled. Sweet potatoes can be kept satisfactorily in a storage house where the temperature and moisture conditions can be controlled. Sweet potatoes to keep well must be well matured, carefully handled, thoroughly cured, and kept at a uniform temperature while in storage. Thorough ventilation is essential during the curing period. 183 The temperature should be kept at about 80° or 85° F. during the curing period and reduced gradually to 55° after the potatoes are cured. Fluctuations of temperature should be avoided throughout the storage period. The varieties of sweet potatoes that the markets demand should be grown. The potatoes should be carefully graded, cleaned, and packed in neat and attractive packages. Sweet potatoes should never be marketed in bags or in bulk. Veneer barrels or bushel hampers are desirable packages to use during mild weather and double-headed stave barrels or tight boxes in cold weather. HEDYCHIUM. (From the Tropical Agriculturist.) Peradeniya, May 15, 1913. At the tenth ordinary meeting of the Royal Society of Arts held in London on February 12th last a paper on "New Sources of Supply for the Manufacture of Paper," by Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Henry P. Stevens, was read. Wood pulp is the raw material from which paper is chiefly made but it is now being realized that the world's supply of wood pulp is showing signs of exhaustion and that prices are rising. It is stated that the cost of production of ground wood pulp has advanced 50 per cent, in the United States during the last 10 years. The paper trade has been turning its attention to other sources of supply of raw material and one of the plants to which atten- tion is drawn is Hedychium coronarium. This plant is of the same natural order as ginger and carda- mom, and grows profusely in Brazil as shown in the frontispiece taken from the Kew Bulletin. It is propagated by root-stocks from which a crop in one year might be expected ; from seed, two years would probably be re- quired. It grows in damp localities near water courses at eleva- tions ranging, in Ceylon, from sea level to 4,500 feet. In Brazil it has taken possession of land cleared for sugar which suggests that land suitable for the growth of sugar-cane would be suitable also for Hedychium. In that country it grows in a thick jungle to a height of from 3 to 6 feet; as many as 100 to 150 sterns being counted in a square yard. After cutting down, a period of from 4 to 5 months elapses before a second crop is ready, the rainfall being about 60 inches per annum. 184 Root-stocks are continually reproduced so that continual crop- ping year by year would seem to be ensured. YIELDS. It is estimated that well-covered land with stems say 4 inches apart would yield 7 tons of raw dried fibre equal to 4 tons of paper per acre per annum. In the neighborhood of Morretes in Brazil tracts of land of from 7,000 to 8,000 acres are covered with Hedychium capable, it is believed, of yielding at least 50,000 tons of dry fibre sufficient for the production of 30,000 tons of paper per annum. Another estimate gives 6-10 tons of dry raw material per acre per annum equal to 4 tons of pulp compared with 2 tons and 0.70 tons respec- tively of rice straw, 0.20 tons of pulp wood once in 40 years, and 1.35 to 1.57 tons of pulp from bamboo once in 5 years. Hedy- chium coronarium gives a greater weight of raw material per acre than any other product listed. DISPOSAL OF RAW MATERIAL. There are three methods of dealing with the raw material, the simplest being the drying and crushing between rollers of the stems after which they may be sent to Europe. This entails the payment of freight on a large proportion of unserviceable ma- terial. Another method is to pulp the stems as is done with wood ; a third method is to manufacture paper from the green stems on the spot. It is stated that the whole treatment from harvesting to the manufacture of paper need not occupy more than twenty- four hours. No figures are available to show the cost of production of a ton of pulp or of the returns. Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Stevens obtained 4 per cent, and over of dressed fibre from Hedy- chium compared with \ l / 2 per cent, from Manila hemp, the papers produced possessing a greater tensil strength than those of the strongest Manila papers. Owing to the semi-gelatinous nature of the cells a natural parchment can be made. ITS VALUE FOR CEYLON. As has been stated Hedychium coronarium occurs in Ceylon over a considerable range of elevation. In Brazil it takes pos- session of the land to the exclusion of all other vegetation but whether it would behave like that in Ceylon has not been ascer- tained. Its value will depend upon its power of spreading and reproducing stems. If it is found to flourish under irrigation it may prove a valuable product for otfr dry zone. There would 185 appear to be ground for thinking that it may prove suitable for cultivation under the tanks. A closely allied species, H. Havescens, is more widely distributed in Ceylon than H. coronarium, but its value as a source of paper has not yet been ascertained. Some dried stems are to be sent home for trial and also root-stocks from which green stems may be obtained on the spot for manufacture. R. N. L. PLANTING SWEET POTATOES FROM SPROUTED TUBERS AND VINES. The curator of the Botanic Station, Montserrat, has sent in the results of an experiment carried out to test the value of sweet potato cuttings taken from sprouted tubers as compared with cut- tings taken from the vines in the ordinary way. It may be men- tioned that similar experiments were conducted in Cuba some few years ago and reported on in the Agricultural News, Vol. VII, p. 120, where it will be found that the plots planted with slips re- turned a crop three and a half times as great as those planted with cuttings. In this experiment the gain of 350 per cent, fully repaid the extra expense and trouble involved. In the recent Montserrat trials there has been no such phenom- enal difference noticed, though the figures show there was, in the case of some varieties, quite a considerable increase in yield from the tuber cuttings compared with the vine cuttings. It is interesting to observe that no difference in vigor was noticed in the rows planted with the two kinds of material. The following are a few of the yields which seem to be the most striking: Red Bourbon (ordinar^ vines) 114 lbs., (tuber cuttings) 145 lbs.; White Gilkes (ordinary vines) 83 lbs., (tuber cuttings) 111 lbs. In no case did the tuber cuttings give a lower yield than the ordinary vines, but it is not established that the average increase is sufficiently large to warrant the systematic planting of tuber cuttings instead of ordinary vines. At the same time, the matter is worth serious consideration in the case of one or two special varieties. It should be stated that as regards the size of the plots utilized in the experiments, the length of the row was 81 feet, the rows were 4 feet apart and the plants 2 feet. Each plot was therefore approximately 1/134 acre in area. — Agricultural News. 186 FERTILITY OF SOILS. We have for long been forming the opinion which we now feel definite about, that it is not lack of fertility that is wrong with any soil here that will not grow good crops. A really poor soil is rare in Jamaica. The fertility is not gone, but the humus often is. The negative results in the majority of the experiments in bananas, cane and cocoa — which are the crops which have been most syste- matically experimented upon — in the use of fertilizers have helped us in coming to this conclusion. In Dominica the application of a mulch on cocoa proved more profitable than the use of fertilizers, and as that is a country of heavy. rainfall, it was not because the mulch conserved moisture, but because of the addition of so much humus. In Trinidad the experiments with fertilizers on cocoa have been mostly negative. Here the Department of Agriculture has had negative results with fertilizers on sugar canes and bananas, generally speaking. Yet the application of fertilizers on a leguminous crop shows visibly good results in the increased growth of the peas or beans grown as green dressings, compared with non-fertilized crops — and through the fertilized green dressings the bananas and cane benefit from the addition of a greater amount of humus containing stores of nitrogen, potash, phosphoric acid and lime. Lands that would not grow bananas at all, now, simply through a thorough system of trenching, are growing magnificent fruit, yielding 80 per cent, bunches. Rich bottom lands that were be- ginning to give poorer and poorer results and yet are trenched, at once responded to a good application of lime. All that is wanted, in addition of course to tillage, to make lands renew their youth, are (1) drainage, (2) humus, (3) lime. The humus can be got by growing heavy crops of cowpeas, Jerusalem peas or overlook beans or Bengal beans, and the heavy crops of these can be secured by tillage aided by fertilizers, and as these legumes do not require nitrogen, they are economical. Ni- trogen is the most expensive element in fertilizers. Tillage, drainage, humus, lime, applied with knowledge and experience of different crop requirements will enable fine crops of any product to be raised. — Jamaica Agric. Soc. Journal. Hawaiian Gazette 60. LIMITED Publishers of THE ADVERTISER a morning' newspaper that is read by worth-while peo- ple and others. Subscription, $1.00 per month DAILY and SUNDAY INVEST NOW IN A COPY OF PROF. J. F. ROCK'S "Indigenous Trees of the Hawaiian Islands" YOU CAN'T MAKE MONEY FASTER FOR SALE AT ALL BOOK STORES HAWAIIAN GAZETTE CO., PUBLISHERS. Honolulu, T. H. 60 YEARS' EXPERIENCE Trade Marks Designs Copyrights &c. Anyone sending a sketch and description may quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an invention is probably patentable. Communica- tions otrictlyconfldential. HANDBOOK on Patents sent free. Oldest agency for securing patents. Patents taken through Munn & Co. receive special notice, without c harg e, in the Scientific American* A handsomely illustrated weekly. Largest cir- culation of any scientific journal. Terms, $3 a year ; four months, $1. Sold by all newsdealers. MUNN &Co. 36,B ™ d ^ New York Branch Office, 656 F St., Washington, D. C. r Garden and Farm Tools and Implements To do good farming you must have up to date tools to work with. We carry a most complete line of every- thing needed by the small or large farmer, from the smallest hand trowel to the largest cane plow. We also have a good assortment of Hand, Bucket or Barrel Sprayers. Our assortment of Hoes, Shovels, Spades, Mattocks, Rakes, Garden Shears, Lawn Mowers, Garden Hose, and other things that are needed daily about the farm or garden, is most complete and our stock large. E. O. HALL & SON, LTD. OFFICERS AND STAFF OF THE BOARD OF COMMIS- SIONERS OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. COMMISSIONERS. Albert Waterhouse, Acting President and Executive Officer. J. M. Dowsett Arthur H. Rice H. M. von Holt Walter M. Giffard DIVISION OF FORESTRY. Ralph S. Hosmer, Superintendent of Forestry and Chief Fire Warden. David Haughs, Forest Nurseryman. Joseph F. Rock, Consulting Botanist. Bro. Matthias Newell, in charge of Sub-Nursery at Hilo, Haivaii. Walter D. McBryde, in charge of Sub-Nursery at Homestead, Kauai. David Kapihe, Forest Ranger for Tantalus. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. Edward Ml Ehrhorn, Superintendent of Entomology and Chief Plant In- spector. J. C. Bridwell, Assistant Superintendent of Entomology. D. B. Knhns, Plant Inspector. Bro. M. Newell, Fruit m\d Plant Inspector, Hilo, Hawaii. E. Madden, 1 W. O. Aiken, W. D. McBryde, Dr. W. B. Deas, Capt. C. F. Turner, G. C. Munro, Mahukona, Hawaii. Kahului, Maui. Koloa, Kauai. Honorary Plant . , . Inspector at J Hana, Maui. I Kaanapati, Maui. L M ancle, Lanai. Prof. F. Silvestri (of Portici, Italy), Consulting Entomologist. David T. Fullaway, Special Collaborator. DIVISION OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. Victor A. Norgaard, Superintendent of Animal Industry and Territorial Veterinarian. L. N. Case, Assistant Territorial Veterinariixn. H. B. Eliot, Deputy Territorial Veterinarian for Hawaii. J. C. Fitzgerald, Deputy Territorial Veterinarian for Maui. A.' R. Glaisyer, Deputy Territorial Veterinarian for Kauai. DIVISION OF HYDROGRAPHY. G. K. Larrison, Superintendent of Hydrography. J. C. Dort, Engineer in Charge, Kauai, Headquarters at Lihue. C. T. Bailey, Engineer in Charge, Maui, Headquarters at WailuTcu. H. Kimble, Engineer in Charge of Construction, Oahu. H. A. R. Austin, Junior Engineer, Oahu. E. E. Goo, Cleric. CLERICAL STAFF Mrs. A. Oram, Stenographer and Librarian. Mrs. C. L. Seybolt, Cleric. Daniel Logan, Editor of the "Forester." Board of Agriculture and Forestry PUBLICATIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION. The Board of Commissioners issues fir general distribution to per- sons in the Territory, annual reports, bulletins, circulars, copies of its rules and regulations, and other occasional papers, which may be had, free, upon application. A complete list of the publications of the Board available for dis- tribution (together with the titles of certain issues now out of print) is to be found on the cover of the last biennial report. Applications for publications should be addressed to the Mailing Clerk, P. O. Box 207, Honolulu, Hawaii. DIVISION OF HVDROGRAPHY. Rooms 20-22 Kapiol Jldg. Tel. No. 3662. The Division of Hydrography m hand free publications relative to the water resources of the Ha lian Islands. These publications furnish detailed data as to daily, monthly, mean, maximum, and minimum run-off of streams and ditches, and also cuts and maps pertaining to the different islands. Much descriptive data relative to the mountain ranges and physical configuration of each island are also contained. These pub- lications will be mailed free of charge on request. The United States Geological Survey topographic map of Kauai is also on sale, and copies will be ma' led on receipt of 50 cents. The records and maps erf tl"S division are available for inspection by any one who desires inform Hon relative to water resources, topo- graphy, etc. Blue print copies of hydrographic data relative to any stream, ditch, spring, etc., which may be under observation by this division will be mailed free of ^narge on request. This division will also make ditch seepage losses and utilization investigations when +he actual cost of the labor, materials, subsistence, transportation, etc., of such investigations is paid by those benefited. G. K. LARRISON, Superintendent of Hydrography.