jvtf I, jm.j THE TUOPiCAL AQUiCVLfUkm^. 



4:'- 



where it is put up in the smaller tins with which 

 we a-e so familiar. We must, however abandon any 

 idea of growinir ]']urope'.u fruits at Horton Tiaius or 

 niar Nuwara Eliya. There is no doubt that such 

 fruits can be grown, and in fact are grown, near 

 Nuwara Elija and the higher elevations of the sur- 

 rounding districts ; but they are grown undei; consider- 

 able difficulty, the crops are very uncertain, and the 

 fruit but seldom of any value, wanting as it is in the 

 flavour and piquancy o" fruit grown in England. There 

 is much more probability of success as regards Eu- 

 ropean fruits by making arrangements iu the Australian 

 colonies for a supply of apples and pears to be sent 

 up by the mail steamers. The " Kaiser-I-Hind " from 

 Australia last week took on a quantity of magnificent 

 pears, one of which shown us was as large as an 

 ordinary Chaumontel grown iu Jersey, and in splendid 

 condition; and nothing we can giow in the Island 

 could be expected to compete with such fruit as this. 

 As regards these tropical fruits alone, it would be 

 necessary to have more than one orchard, in which 

 different varieties of fruit could bo grown on a soil 

 and iu a clinjate best suited to their respective 

 characteristics. In the lowcountry no doubt a suitable 

 locality might be selected, say at Mahara or Henerat- 

 goda, ^whilst for oranges of all kinds a very favorable 

 situation would probably be found in the vallies of 

 Kadugannawa, should it be found necessary to go up 

 so high in the hills. For native-grown fruit, suitable 

 more especially for converting into jams and jellies, 

 Kandy would probably be the best pjssible centre for 

 collecting a large quantity. With agencies in Matale, 

 Gampola and other places, a very considerable trade 

 coula be done by agents understanding the people an 1 

 their language. Suitably .sugar could no doubt be 

 obtained iu quantity from Baddegama at a compar- 

 atively low rate, and its purchase would doubtless give 

 a stimulus to the production of sugar amongst the 

 competitive native growers who do a little iu that 

 direction alrea ly. Many of our readers will recollect 

 the jams whicli old " Francis Appu " of Staiutou's 

 Hotel used to retail in pickle bottles, and for which 

 we believe he had a brisk demand. Experiments on 

 a small scale for testing the Colombo market have 

 not been by any means remunerative hitherto; the 

 latest we believe in the way of tomatoes did not by 

 any means prove satisfactory t.o the enterp-izing 

 grower ; and in another case within the twelve mouths, 

 a grower of Milta lemons upcountry failed to obtain 

 a single response to notices and samp'e-< sent down. 

 "Without p-etending to give an opinion upon the sui- 

 tability of the c imate .or the preserv.^tion of fruit 

 in the shapes of conserves, we would suggest that 

 the headquarters uf tho tnerprize should be Cjlom!,j 

 itself, wheie, m failure of obtaining a market for the 

 fruit, it might be converted into preserves instead. As 

 long as the steamers 'n harbour, or the or Unary local 

 demand, supplied a market, the produce might be 

 sold in its natural state, and when that dem;tnd fell 

 off, say for a day or two, it would by put into the 

 hands of the boiler and confectioner. In ad'iition to 

 anything to which we have already referred, attention 

 might be paid to the manufacture of lime-juice and 

 the different varieties of ciwic acid and similar pre- 

 parations, for which there is an immense demand. 

 Fickies again ,-hould prove an additional source of 

 income, tljough possibly the demand would be rather 

 limited.^ Local "Times." 



AGKICULTURE ON THE CONTINENT OF 

 EUROPE. 



(6'2)ecial Lcttci-) 

 Paris, May 15. — The strength of a horse is in pro- 

 portion to it.-! health, and the latter depends on its 

 food and stabiiag. Some cases of blood-poisoning 

 have been rep"rted, and which arc traceable lo sudden 

 changi' iu diet, and to the drinking of stagnant water. 

 Some tanners conclude, that so long as animal refuse 

 is kept oit of the drinking pond, no bad results can 

 ensue. It should never be forgotten, all putrid matters 

 are sources of disease. Insjflicieut air is a cause of 

 sickness in lior^es as in bumau beiugs. \i bas bet;o 



estimated than an ordinary^sized horse, needs 130 

 cubic yards of air per day. But tha"; it requires 33 

 cubic yards per hour to get along comfortably in 

 general stable life. The aim then should be to induce 

 a con,stant supply of fresh, and to expel the viaated 

 air. .\ high, rather than a low-roofed stable ac- 

 complishes that end best. 



This being the season for greeu fodder, the subject 

 naturally suggests itself, how far is such, good for 

 working horses '■^ There cannot be any question about 

 turning them into a meadow there to feed. That 

 plan is excellent only for colts— that rest and liberty 

 develop. M. Gronier held tljat green forage acted 

 ou horses, like mineral waters when employed as 

 medicaments on individuals, A Vichy, .iVpoUonaris, &c. 

 efficacy. Fresh grass, &c., kept away imminent illness, 

 cured existing ones, and discounted convnlescence. 

 It forms a kind of annual salad refreshing for animals 

 of an irritable tenn..o.-ament, th;it have narrow intestines 

 or the system heated from too copious oat rat ons. 



If hay be taken as the standard to test the com- 

 parative value of the various green feeding stuffs, 

 there will not be found any very great difference be- 

 tween them, in point of nutritive power. Certainly, 

 some will vary in point of volume, that which im- 

 plies, not to overload the stomacli, but lo multiply mod- 

 erate repasts. The green fodder is most apt to pro- 

 duce flatulency, when after being cut, it has been 

 allowed to lie exposed to the sun, or even some time 

 in the shade under a shed. Many believe that it is 

 good to let the" wild fresbuess of morning" disappear, 

 before using green food ; enable the dew to evapor- 

 ate, &c. On the contrary, it is more prudent before 

 using to sprinkle faded grass, clover, tares, but above 

 all luscern, which have been exposed to the action of 

 the sun with water. M. Eeynal has demonstrated, 

 that fodder rich in sugar, ferments more readily iu 

 the digestive organs, in proportion as it has beeu 

 preliminarily heated. 



In spring, stock have a natural longing for fresh 

 food. Occisionally, that desire may even be the symp- 

 tom of disease; an indication of a morbid condition 

 of the digestive organs. The change of diet will 

 facilitate the falling-off of the old hair; develop 

 transpiration; induce brilliancy of coat and freedom 

 in the intestines. Fresh forage has also the reput- 

 ation of getting rid of cutaneous aft'ections and 

 thus of purifying the blood Old horses, accustome.l 

 to a dry aau substantia' dietary, do not benefit by 

 a green bill of fare. AniuiUs of a weak constitution 

 ought not to receive green forage. 



From experiments tried ou civalry horses at S'er- 

 sii^les, it was found that the green t'o^-age when com- 

 ing into flower, was the stage most iiiopitious foi- 

 consumption. A sharp eye ought to be kept ti notice 

 hoiv ihc* chai'ge operates on the animals subjectad to 

 green soiling. If la.xity Oi* weakness appear, the ration 

 of oats sh JLild be at once augmented. Never, in tho 

 c iS'j of working horses diminish the o.its, when en- 

 ter'iig on the green feeding. It costs dearer to feci 

 ba.lly. than to nourish well, and the latter system 

 secures more health and strength that which implies 

 more profit on capital. 



The practice is exterding in France and Switzer- 

 land, to cut or castrate cows, so as to ei S.r e, after 

 a certain age, for a definite period, a unuo;ni yield 

 of milk, simultaneously with the putting up of juicy 

 flesh for the butcher; to transform in a word, tlie 

 cow into a veritable milk and beef machine. .Al. 

 Charliei- is the great advocate of the new plan of 

 ovariolohi//. which is effected by a special instrument, 

 and is never alt nded with danger i. the hands of 

 a \'et. The cow will be ill abjut tigiit or fourteen 

 days after the operation. Daring this period, the 

 animal should be kept covorel, to guard against cold, 

 and on half-diet, to avoil indiy:estious. Ou recovery, 

 the cow will be found less liable to diseas;S, since 

 gestation an I parturitiou have been rendered imp . sible. 



M. Seippel of Switzerland has adopted ovari itoinvj 

 or spla} UjS executed by th.; new instruui nt, since 

 1885, and with deci led success, Ou tvvea y cows, he 

 has hid a daily yield of 10, and hopes to reach 

 li, quarts uf markedly rich milk, I^ut bvbas above 



