I Fes/'I, 18H7.J f His fROPICAt AOniCULTVPMT. 



§t9 



HOW TO USE GAS-LIME. 



This substance should be freely exposed to the air 

 for two or three months before applying to auy soil 

 on which is a growing crop, becpaise, besides many 

 sulphides, it contains a comp luud of sulphur and 

 cyanogen, that is very deadly to plants. lu anticip- 

 ation of a Turnip crop, it may be applied to the 

 fallow up till, say, February, which would allow suflScieiit 

 time for oxidation to alter the poisonous qualities of 

 the cyanogen. It is, perhaps, best to shghily harrow 

 it into the stubbles after they have been ploughed 

 because in this case the ammonia — or a poitiou of 

 it — resulting on the conversion of the cyanogen will 

 be retained in the soil if there is in it lime, salt, 

 kainit, or substances containing bases on which the 

 ammonia can form as nitrates. This simple view of 

 it may be borue in mind in making it into composts, 

 for unless there are substances on which the ammonia 

 can form, it will combine with carbonic acid and 

 escape into the air. The compost should therefore 

 contain a little snperphosphate, salt, or kainit, or even 

 a small portion of old lime. But in making a compost 

 heap it must be kept well away from a growing fence 

 or the roots of valuable trees, or it will kill them. 



I may add that in my experience it is the most 

 effective substance that is to be had for the destruction 

 of fungoid and insect pests in the soils, and applied to 

 the fallow as above, at the rate of about 5 tons per 

 acre, there need be little ftar of finger-and-toe. — 

 " Fabmeb," in the " IVorth British Agricultmist." 



COCONUT OIL, 



Keferring to the recent discussion on this subject in 

 our columns, a Merchant who has had longer experience 

 perhaps, than any one in the IsUnd in the Oil 

 trade, informs us that Cochin Oil h^s always been 

 considered richer in stearine than Ceylon Oil. The 

 fact must, therefore, have been ascertained by analysis 

 in England, where Cochin, we are told, has been 

 mainly used in the manufacture of candles. Ceylon 

 being chiefly used for soaps. Even for the latter 

 purpose, Cochin beats Oeylou owing to its white- 

 ness, which we are now emulating and which, we 

 fancy, can easily be attained by the rejection of 

 smoke-dried and blackened Copperah, Wether this 

 is worth striving for is another matter, the decision 

 on which must depend on results. If it pays the 

 manufacturer better to purchase black and inferior 

 stulf, which generally goes by the name of cart 

 Copperah, at R4 or 5 a candy less than clean white 

 boat Copperah fetches, he will continue to use it in 

 his Mills. The question is whether the difference in 

 price between white Oil and ordinary Oil is sufiBcient 

 to compen.sate for the higher rate demande<l for clean 

 6un-dritd Coppprah, for which there is a good ii q- 

 uiry both in cominental Europe and in India. The 

 distinction of being first in the list of Oil-producing 

 countries will hardly be sought for by mill-owners at 

 the expense of their pocket. 



The question of stearne is different from that of 

 the whiteness of Oil, and it is in respect of the 

 former that the Agricultural Association should institute 

 inquirits. Is tne poverty of stearine dun to defi- 

 ciencies in the soil, or to the mode of preparation ? If to 

 the former, how can the soil best be enriched in 

 the constituents it needs ; if to the latter, what 

 changes in the mode of dryin.T the kernel and ex- 

 tractmg the Oil arc called for? The services of an 

 Agricultural ('hemist are in any case nee led, and 

 should be put into requisition, so that by analyses 

 of soils, Oil and Oopp'-rali. a solution of the difficulty 

 may be suggested. Even to 1h" unprofessional mini it 

 must seem reasonable that ripe nuts should be richer 

 in stearine than immature ones; but do s the mode 

 of drying them also affect the fatty substance in Od 

 which gives it its special value ? If the temperature 

 at which Oil congeals is a test of its richness iu 

 stearine, it is worthy of note that cold drawn Oil, 

 or Oil extracted from the kernel slightly dried con- 

 geals sooner than ordinary cbekkoo or Mill Oih This 



would f>£6]B t& iM^§»§llt ibat too mucb be^t^ vrb^tber 



in drying' the kernel or ext^racting the Oil reduces 

 the stearine. The inquiry is au interesting one, and 

 may beneficialy affect our trade iu Oil, and as such 

 deserves the attention of the Association. The nor- 

 mal difference in price between Cochin Oil and 

 Oevlon is, we are assured, ouly from £3 to £4— the 

 difference of £11 .per ton recently reported being 

 confined to London, and due to some juj-'glery am'ing 

 speculators. Still, a difference of £3 to £4 is not im- 

 material, and is worth striving for.— Local " Examiner.'' 



AGRICULTUEE ON THE CONTINENT OF 

 EUROPE, 



{Special Letter.) 



Paris, Nov. 27th. 



The Marquis de St. Aigan finds fattening calves 

 remunerative. He depends for nis success on a spe- 

 cial part — substitute for milk, composed of 132 lb. 

 white maize flour, 22 lb. linced meal, 64 lb. cooked 

 pea meal, 2\ lb. beetroot sugar, 2J lb. phosphate of 

 lime, — at a cost of 44 frs. The flour is blended in cold 

 WHter, then cooked in a hain marie, and given to his 

 calves daily during their fiist month at the rate of 

 six ounces in two-thirds of a gallon of water, mixed 

 with the same quantity of milk. From the thirtieth 

 to the forty-fifth day the milk is diminished and 

 discontinued at the latter date, when the meal-mix* 

 ture is doubled, and given iu Ij gallon of water. Ihe 

 following twenty days the mixture is raised to 18 

 ounces and the water to two gallons. Following the 

 season, the calves have always within their reach 

 tender herbage, or cut mangolds dusted with barley 

 meal. After the 75th day, the calves receive no more 

 of the compound ; they are given | lb. of maize fiour, 

 and the feed of grass or roots is increased. If the 

 season permits they are turned into a meadow. When 

 aged six months the calves are treated as ordinary 

 stock. The Marquis buys the calves in his neighbour- 

 hood and they are always the progeny of good Nor- 

 mandy cattle. With four milch cows and the sub- 

 stitute milk diet, he rears 80 calves yearly. He 

 attributes much of his success to his good pasture 

 laud. Phosphate of lime is gradually creeping into 

 use as an aliment, the average dose being quarter of 

 an ounce daily. It is best given when mixed with 

 some wetted meal or cooked roots ; for poultry, the 

 grain is first moistened and then dusted with the 

 phosphate. The same process for horses. 



Some persons maintain that the exuded sap from 

 vines when pruned is not a loss of strength and so 

 not debilitatmg for the plant. Others view the exud- 

 ation as a hign of health and strength. Hales proved 

 that the sap which overflows can ascend in a glass 

 tube as high as 21 feet, and could raise a column of 

 mercury to the height of 32 inches. Now when the 

 leaves unfold this sap, ascension diminishes. In prun- 

 ing the vines the large wounds are often covered 

 with putty, the smaller cicatrise themselves. The 

 development of the roots can diminish the flow of 

 the sap and the Southern exposure of the stems 

 can augment it ; but temperature, humidity and rain, 

 exercise an important influence, Sachs lai I down 

 that ihb development of tbe rootf, the capillary force 

 of the cavities of the wood and the changes of tf mp- 

 erature act-, and differently on the ascent of the sap. 

 However when the 1 aves commence to function, the 

 roots c»^ase to devel'^p while serving to maintain as well 

 as capillary action, the ascending column of sap. The 

 liquids imbibed flow out at the cut sections when 

 the heat dilates the fluids and gases in the plant. 



It is not then a matter of indifference in Spring 

 to judge beforehand ■.vijeii ttie sap will flow most 

 abuudai-tly. One day nine times more sap will exude 

 than on another. Hence, if the soil permit, prune 

 vines early; it it be necessary to perform the opera- 

 tiou later, select a cool day, commencing with 

 those varieties which develop leaves and roots most 

 rapidly. Late cutting tends to produce irregular 

 development, late flowering and hence late ripening. 



Plants have two marked and different functions: 



(be ]»a.i»ov^m» by tb^ gro^n wfttter wbea »cte4 



