Sessional_Paper_1906 — Page 572

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AGRICULTURE.

Nitroculture.A small experiment was made with nitroculture in the Government Nur- sery at Sokunpo. The result was so encouraging that a further consignment has been ordered with a view to introducing the culture to the New Territory farmers in 1906. It has long been supposed that leguminous crops have the power of absorbing nitrogen from the air, thereby improving themselves and the soil without the use of fertilizers, provided only that certain bacteria exist in the ground. An American agriculturist has succeeded in cultivating these bacteria, and preparations can now be bought and the seeds artificially inoculated. Some of this nitroculture preparation was obtained and applied to a crop of peanuts. Two varieties of peanut were used. Plots without nitroculture were grown alongside for comparison. The results were as follows:-

Nature of Crop.

Treat-

ment.

Weight of Crop.

Area.

Probable Average market Average Weight value of Weight of Nuts. Nuts per of Plants.

acre.

Nuts. Plants.

Sq. ft.

Per acre

in lbs.

Per acre in lbs.

Large Ground Nut.

Nitro- culture.

55 lbs.

35 lbs.

734

3,264 $146.88

2,077

Do.

Usual.

20 lbs.

12 lbs.

874

997 44.87

598

Small Ground Nut.

Nitro- culture.

19 lbs. 45 lbs.

528

1,567

70.51

3,705

Do.

Usual.

21 lbs.

52 lbs.

853

1,072

48.24 2,655

The cost of enough nitro-preparation for one acre is $4 (Mexican), the expense of applying it to the seeds is negligible so that the increase in profit to the farmer per acre judging from this one experiment should be about $100 for large, $20 for small ground The success of bacteria cultures is notoriously uncertain and, while some trials may be more successful than this, others will possibly fail. The results of the New Territory crops will be reported.

nuts.

LIBRARY.

The following periodicals and other works have been purchased :-

Acta Horti Petropolitani, XV. fasc. 3, XXL, fasc. 2.

Botanica Applicada na China, Da Silva.

Botanical Magazine, 1905.

Botanisches Centralblatt, 1905.

Bulletin de l'Academie Imperial des Sciences de St. Petersburg. XV.-XXII.,

1870-77.

Bulletin de l'Academie Internationale de Geographie Botanique, 1898-1904.

Bulletin de la Societe Botanique de France, 1882-1885.

Butterflies of Hongkong and Southern China, J. C. KERSHAW.

Dictionary of Gardening, NICHOlson.

Flowering Plants and Ferns, WILLIS.

Gardeners' Chronicle, 1905.