Dec. I, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



423 



Aibuthuot & Co., of Jitailras, it appears that, in con- 

 setiueuccs of certaiu experiaients raado by htm at 

 Calicut with 2,0001b. of b.irk supplied to him from 

 the Govertiment estates, the jjeiitlemen who sent him 

 out will now in all probability proceed to form a 

 compauj' for the estjiblishment of a private factory. 



16. QuiHologi/. — The Governmcut -note with plea- 

 sure the very useful work done since his arrival iu 

 this country by Jlr. Hooper. His report shows that 

 a satisfactory stirt has lieeu made iu ihe scientific 

 iuvestijjation of cinchona culture and of the coinlilions 

 which etfect its alkaloidal value. During the year 

 uiuler report, however, his attention has been largely 

 devoted to the practical question of inaimfacturiiig at 

 a minimum of cost the liquid extract of cinchona 

 devi.ied by Dr. de Vrij of the Hague. A sample of 

 this preparation manufactured under Mr. Hooper's 

 directions has been tested in some of the hospitals 

 with the most .satisfactory results, and instructions 

 have been issued for the preparation of 1.000 lb. of 

 the e.xtract in view to further trials. It has been 

 found experimentally tliat the liquid extract can be 

 produced at a price about 30 per cent lower than that 

 of the febrifuffe obtained from Bengal, and there 

 appears to be good reasons for believing tliat event- 

 ually the cost will he found to be still lower. In view, 

 partly, of this fact, the question of establishing 

 agencies under the Local Fund Boards for the dis- 

 tribution of cheap medicines to the poorer classes has 

 been referred to those I5oartls for consideration. 



17. Receipts und Jii-i>cnilitu>\. — The receipts of the 



n. A. p. year amounted to 



Value of bark sold K8i,895-7-5 as detail- 



hically 82,344 2 ed on tlie margin 



\'alue of bark supplied against a revised es- 



to Bombay Medical timate of R4.5,900. 



Department 1,007 8 The bulk of the in- 



Sale-procceds of seed, crease in due partly 



&c. 1,033 2 to the sale of a larger 



Miscellaneous 510 11 5 (juantity of bark 



than was anticipated, 



Total... S4,S95 7 5 partly to the iuclu- 



sion in the lots sold 



of a larger proportion of crown bark than was at first 

 intended, and partly to a slight recovery iu prices. It 

 was expected that some COO bales would be sold for an 

 average price of 1175 per bale, but eventually 819 

 bales were disposed of for a fraction over 100 ruptes 

 each. 



18. The expenditure, as reported by the Director, 

 was K87,903-4-10 against a budget estimate of R83,S00 

 3931b. febrifuge £ s. d. and a revised estimate of 



atSJ. peroz. 209 12 R91,240. This includes a 

 Packing ... 4 18 3 sum of K2,681-6-2 adjusted 

 .\ualysis ... 3 3 during the year and re- 

 Labels ... 4 presenting the cost of 



maimfacture of the .393 lb. 



Total... 217 17 3 of febrifuge adnsed iu the 



Secretary of t^tate's des- 



Eqitivalentat U. patch recorded iuG. O., No. 



7JJ. per rupee. R2,()Sl-6-2 705, dated Ith Juue 1884. 

 Of this amount, however, a sum of KlOl-11-1, represent- 

 ing the three latter items noted on the margin, has 

 ah-eady been deducted from the receipts of 1883-84 

 in taking credit for the net value of the 393 lb. of 

 febrifuge. The balance, viz., 11^,579-11-1, should have 

 been deducted at the same time, but was by an over- 

 night omitted from the calculation. The deduction 

 will now be made and the receipts of 1883-84 will 

 then i-tnnd at K85,'i.S0-13-2. The charges for the 

 year under report will coiisequeutly be rerluced by 

 the whole amount, viz, U.'.GKI-O-i To tlic figure 

 tliu., arrived at must be added the charges (Kl,iJ02-7-») 

 iiicurrel by the I'id)lic Works Department in the 

 construction and repair of cinchona buildings. The 

 whole charges for 1S8-I-S'> will thus amount to 

 f!>i8il 0-4. 



li). The fibular .sLatem. nil which accompany the 

 Director's report have b t n reiuiidcUial as directed 

 iu G. O., 17th September 1884, No. l.O.JO. It is ob- 

 served, however, that htat<niciit III still shows the 

 e.'ipen.lituie of the head oUJce for each month of the 



year. This is not necessary, a statement of annual 

 charges being alone required, which should he com- 

 pared with the budget and revised estimates. The 

 Director is requesteii to report whether it would not 

 be possible in future years to prepare statements, 

 similar t those furnislied iu connection with the 

 Bengal plaut:i' ions, showing the uumber and distrib- 

 i''iou of the ilifTerent varieties of plants on the 

 ^ . cral estates. A comparative statement should also 

 bo furnished, showing the cpiaiitity of bark uf the 

 different kiinU iu store at tlie commencemeut of the 

 year, collected and disposed of during the year, aud 

 remaining in store at its close. 



20. 'J'ho statement of capital and revenue account 

 appended .shows the financial results of the cinchona 

 enterprise from its commencement to the end of 

 1884-85. The net result is a surplus of 115,51,743-4-7. 

 In future the exact amount and valuo of bark sup- 

 plied to the (.'ovi;riitmmt tjuinologist .should be reported 

 for inclusion in this statement. A statement is also 

 aj)peiided showing the receipts and charges of the year 

 calculated in the manner directed iu the Secretary of 

 State's despatch, dated 14th September 1S82, No. 31. 



ENSILAGE OP MULliKRKY LKAVES. 



During the silkworm rearing season in Northern 

 Italy a largo quantity of Mulberry leaves arc sent 

 by rail from one place to another, and hi many 

 ca,ses the railway administration run special lu'ght 

 trains for this purpose. The leaves are packed loosely 

 ill sacks, and often arrive at their destination far 

 from fresh, aud conse(juently, it not totally unfit, at 

 all events cannot afford a wholesome food for 

 the nourishment of these insects. An expenraent 

 was made during the present season, by a silk pro- 

 ducer in Lombardy, in sending the leaves compressed, 

 and for this a bale was made, weighing 110 kilos., 

 by placing tbe leaves between two round pieces of 

 board (in this case the bottoms of barrels), and 

 compressing them iu an ordin.ary wiue-press ; the 

 bale was then firmly secured with iron wire. By 

 some oversight this bale of compressed leaves, made 

 on Jlay 23, was not forwarded to Jlilau, and from 

 thence to Niguarda, until the morning of the 31st, 

 and consequently it did not arrive at its destination 

 until later. On opening the bale the leaves, with 

 the exception of about 2 inches iu thickness rouud 

 the outside, were foimd to be perfectly fresh and 

 sweet, and even these wore only faded, and found 

 to be not unfit for food. 



This is a conclusive proof that the nutritive tpial- 

 ities of the leaves can be preserveil for some time, 

 if compressed, and the air thus excluded from thom ; 

 care, however, must be taken not to crush them, 

 and injure their tissues by excessive pressure. l''rom 

 that it WDiild appear that a system of ensilage 

 might be adopted with advantage for preserving Mul- 

 berry leaves in the same way that it is for forage. 

 Another advantage of such a plan would be that the 

 leaves so compressed would be reduced in bidk, and 

 consequently fewer trucks would be required to 

 carry a given quantity of leaves than there is iu 

 the ordinary way; and by ensiling the leaves grown 

 on the warmer side of the Apeuniues — as, for in- 

 stance, on the " Keviera" of Genoa, &c. — it woidd be 

 possible to supply the silkworm rearers of Piedmont 

 aud Lombardy during backward seasons, or wheu, 

 from other causes, the leaves are scarce and ex])eus- 

 ive. — Journal of the •Sockti/ of Arts. 



-♦- 



THE POrATO. 



It is tltn imiver.S!j custom about here amongst 

 cottagers when they dig up their I'olalos to divide 

 them into three parts, aeeording to their <|tialilv. 

 Tlie best tliey eat, Ihe .s.eoud-best lliey gii-e to the 

 pigs, and the woist liny save for seed. Suicidal 

 policy indeed. Mr. Terry, the author of the A J> C 

 of I'lttolo Culli'n, aud o..c who has spent the greater 

 part of his life iu the bubiuess, walks over bis 29 



