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THE TROFiCAL AGRICULTURIS'T. [Dec. i, i8S6< 



Trial of a Ootton-Pickixg Machine. — A dispatch 

 from Sumter, S. C, states:— The cotton-picking 

 machine, invented by C. T. Mason of this place, was 

 tested this week in the field in the presence of 

 committees from the New York Cotton Exchange and 

 the Charleston Exchanges and representatives of the 

 State Agricultural Department. The machine picked 

 cotton at the rate of ISO pounds per hour, without 

 injuring the bolls or plants. The general opinion of 

 those present is that the machine is correct in its 

 principles, does fairly good work now, and can be 

 made completely successful. — bradstreet's. 



A New Vegetable Oil from Jamaica.— Samples 

 of the solid fat of " antidote cacoon " from .Jamaica 

 were exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 

 at South Kensington. This is probably the first time 

 that the solid oil of the last named seed has been 

 exhibited in this country. In Trinidad it is used to 

 prevent steel and iron from rusting. It is white, 

 and of the consistence of coconut butter, without 

 having any special odor. The seeds are excessively 

 bitter, Hke'colocynth, and appear to be a good purgative 

 of considerable value in dropsy. The seeds contaio, 

 according to an unpublished analysis by Mr. E. 0. C. 

 Stanford about half their weight of fatty oil which 

 if the seeds could be procured in sufficient quantity 

 would probably find a use in commerce. — Oil, Paint 

 and Drug Reporter. 



Kola Nux.—Oue of our English exchanges {Planters' 

 Gazette) understands that Mr. Epps, the well-known 

 cocoa raauufacturer, has recently been devoting atten- 

 tion to the kola nut, and that he has succeeded in 

 producing a paste containing all its valuable proper- 

 ties, and, at the same time, very palatable, especially 

 wheu mixed with cocoa. It is found that kola nut 

 is very beneficial to those who suffer from weak action 

 of the heart, and there is an increasing demand • for 

 it, particularly in the United States. Such being 

 the case, and as the kola nut grows and fruits to 

 perfection in Southern India, this announcement ought 

 to act as an incentive to planters in thit part of 

 the country, to take measures for the extensive cultiv- 

 ation of this plant, and open up a trade with European 

 cocoa manufacturers. — Indian Aytricidturist. 



Lantana as a Medicine.— In a notice of drugs 

 from the Cape in the Pharmaceutical Journal we find 

 the following statement ■.—Teucrium africanum, the 

 tribal remedy of the Kaffirs, seems to possess anti- 

 septic properties. When a cow has died of milk fever 

 the Kaffirs boil the flesh along with this plant, and 

 believe they can eat it with impunity. It is used in 

 ophthalmia, in glanders, and for snake bites, but in 

 cases of very venomous snakes, Lenotis Leonurus is 

 given with it. It appears to merit investigation as 

 to its active principal. Lantana salvifolia appears to 

 have similar properties, and is reputed to have the 

 power of intoxicating birds. Dr. A. Smith found 

 small doses of the infusion beneficial in incipient 

 bronchial affections. — PUarmacev.ticci.l Journal. 



Edlvptol.— " Eulyptol " is the name given by Dr. 

 Schmeltz to a mixture consisting of six parts of 

 salicylic acid to one each of carbolic acid and oil of 

 eucalyptus, which he considers preferable as an 

 antiseptic to iodoform, corrosive sublimate or carbolic 

 acid {Journ. Pharm., Oct. 15, p. 361). Dr. Schmeltz 

 coDS-'ders that a chemical combination takes place 

 between the ingredients, since carbolic acid cannot 

 be detected in the mixture. It is described as having 

 a strong aromatic odour and acrid burning taste, 

 and as being nearly insoluble in water, but very 

 soluble iu absolute alcohol, ether, chloroform, and a 

 mixture of equal parts of alcohol and glycerine. It 

 is also soluble in ammonia and alkaline solutions. 

 According to Dr. Schmeltz, it completely arrests the 

 fermentation of all putrescible substances, a small 

 quantity added to urine, under any condition, being 

 sufficient to preserve it during a month. — Pharmaceutical 

 JouYiial. 



Hybeids.— In spite of an alleged instance of frateru- 

 isatiou, resulting in the production of a new hybrid, 

 the experiment of turning cats loose iu xiustralia to 

 destroy the swarms of rabbits, is reported to have 

 proved emJMOtly succesgfiil lo oaQ of the worst 



infested districts of Victoria 250 cats were bought at 

 Is. a head, enclosed for a time in a limited space by 

 meaus of wire netting, fed on rabbits, and afterwards 

 turned loose iu batches, food having been still supplied 

 in a rough building for any cats which might not at 

 once support themselves by hunting. Not a .single 

 cat is known to have found its way to its original 

 home, and as to the result of the experiment, the 

 special reporter of the Melbourne Farmers' Gazette 

 says: — "During a thorough inspection of the sand 

 hummocks just a little before twilight, our party 

 onjy succeeded in seeing three rabbits. The cats, ou 

 the other hand, were to be met with everywhere, and 

 maugled rabbits, some slaughtered but recently, 

 and others dead for weeks, were come across in all 

 directions. The cats were evidently the complete 

 masters of the situation." The writer goes on to 

 express the opinion that there is no doubt whatever 

 as to the success of the experiment, which is, more- 

 over, as expensive as it is successful. — Indimi Agri- 

 culturist — [But when the supply of rabbits runs short, 

 we suspect the poultry yards of the settlers will be 

 in danger. — £d.] 



MuGA Silk. — Experiments, writes a Calcutta paper, 

 were tried by the Agricultural Department in Assam 

 last year to determine the practicability of growing 

 muga silk for the Eaglish market. A small quantity 

 of muya yarn was sent to Mr.. Wardle, of Leek, in 

 January last, which cost on an average K3-11 per lb., 

 exclusive of carriage, but Mr. AVardle has not as yet 

 reported ou its value for the purpose of the English 

 manufacture. Again, 6,UO0 muya cocoons were sent to 

 a gentleman in Calcutta, who had invented an im- 

 proved process of reeling this silk which would enable 

 him, he fancied, to obtain a remunerative price for 

 it iu the English market. This, however, did not prove 

 to be the case, for the yarn, when reeled and sent to 

 England, was valued at a price insufficient to repay 

 the cost of producing it iu India. The largest ex- 

 periment was made by the Bengal Silk Company, who 

 were supplied by Governmeut with three lakhs of 

 miuja cocoons at a cost of R60Q, or 112 per 1,000. 

 These cocoons were reeled into 67 lb. of yarn, besides 

 58 lb. of marketable floss and waste. Unfortunately 

 the yarn was damaged on its way to England, and 

 proved unsaleable ; so that the result of this experi- 

 ment, by which it was hoped to test the possibiiites 

 of a trade iu taiuja, was defeated. It is to be hoped 

 that these failures will not prevent further experi- 

 ments with the silk, which may yet prove an im- 

 portant addition to the industrial products of Assam. 

 — Times of India. 



Agbicclture is Mauritius — For supplies of cattle 

 and sheep Mauritius is entirely dependent on other 

 countries, notably Madagascar, the Cape, and India ; 

 but iish abound in the surrounding seas. So much 

 of the agricultural area of the island is taken up 

 with sugar growing, that small room remains for 

 other branches of farming, hence much of the grain 

 consumed by the inhabitants, especially rice, is imported. 

 The raising of cereals, such as maize, millet, gram 

 dhal, and rice is attempted on a small scale, and 

 yams, manioc, and sago have been produced iu trifling 

 quantities, but the total local supply of vegetable food 

 stutfs is inconsiderable. Fruits, on the other hand, 

 are cultivated to a large extent, and embrace apples, 

 avocado pears, bananas, custardapples, figs, guavas, 

 the litchi {Nephelium litchi), a delicious pulpy fruit 

 from China, mabolo (Biospi/ros discolor) of exquisite 

 flavour but objectionable odour, mangoes, pine-apples 

 of the choicest kinds, shaddocks, and tam xriuds. 

 Mention must also be made of the papaw fruit, from 

 which, iu this island and Bourbon, a passable 

 coinpotp. is made. Spices, raised iu small quantities, 

 comprise betel, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, pimento, 

 turmeric, and vanilla, pods of the last-named being 

 sometimes exported. The date palm has become well 

 established; so also has the coconut, whose oil is now 

 shipped iu thousands of gallons annually. Sugar is 

 the all-absorbiu^ object li[ calture, e;igagiag the whole 

 population, and atfordiug an export value of about 

 Jto.OoOJOOO a ye&x, -'Journal of the Society oj Arts, 



