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THE TROPICAL AGRfCULTURlST. 



[May I, 1886. 



No Hen should be kept beyond her second lay- 

 ing season as a rule. Because many pay no hee<l 

 to this point but keep hens three, five, or moie 

 years, they wonder why they lay so badly. — 

 Queenstaiider. 



A RECENT find in the Subra silver mine, Australia, 

 consists of a very high quality of stephanite, con- 

 taining as much as twelve thousand ounces of silver 

 per ton. The bunch is estimated to contain twenty 

 tons. — Madras Hail. 



Professok Buud says fresh fruits may be pre- 

 served during long shipment by wrapping each 

 specimen in tissue paper that has been soaked in 

 salicylic acid. If the journey is very long, use 

 double folds, and till the interspaces with material 

 similarly prepared. — Ibid. 



Mauritius Land Cbeuit anu Agency CoJirANv. — 

 The twenty-third annual report of the directors of 

 the Mauritius Land Credit and Agency Company 

 (Limited) shows a credit balance of i),"217/. The 

 diiectors propose a further dividend of 2s per shaie, 

 making a total dividend for the year at the rate of 

 12A per cent., adding to the reserve fund 1,5U0/., 

 and carrying forward 217i. — Overland Mail. 



The Expression of the eyes of persons killed by 

 violence is considered an important matter in cri- 

 minal jurisprudence, but its value has been greatly 

 lessened by reason of its evanescent nature. A 

 i'rench scientist has found a means of restoring the 

 life-like expression. It consists, simply, in applying 

 a few drops of glycerine and water to the cornea. — 

 Buryoync and Uiirhidycs, Feb. 18H6 P.L. 



Coca Leaves. — Cable advices from Peru report an 

 advance of 15 per cent., consequently, and in spite of 

 the bear operations going on here, holders of good 

 dark green Huanuco leaves have raised their price 

 to -tOc (l.s 'Jdj, and if sales begin at anything near 

 this tigure, much higher rates will be sure to prevail. 

 With the present demand for cocaine, there is not 

 three months' supply of leaves in this market. — 

 The Chemist and Druyyist, March 1886. 



Carhamosis. — Private advices state that the 

 cultivation of cardamoms is being extensively 

 increased all over Southern India, both by Europeans 

 and natives, especially the latter, who are following 

 the example of Europeans in planting up their jungles 

 and picking the fruit as it ripens, instead of 

 stripping the racemes as they used to do. As a 

 result, prices in the local market have declined in 

 the last three years from 70 rupees to 20 rupees per 

 maund of 28 lbs. (Is. Id. to 1». id. per lb.), and it 

 is thought they will fall still lower. — Ibid. 



Mr. J. Ware Encui, c.s.i., of the Bengal Civil 

 Service, who reported his departure on fur- 

 lough on the 1st instant, is scarcely likely to re- 

 turn to India ; he was in many respects an able 

 officer and was one of the best judges of a good 

 dinner in the service. [So writes the Indian Planters' 

 Gazette. Nearly ten years ago Mr. Edgar very 

 ably summed up the history of the tea enterprise 

 in India. — Eu.J 



Treatment oe Sick Heai'ache. — A novel remedy 

 has been put into practice with very good results, 

 for the cure of this unpleasant malady, by Dr. 

 W. Gill Wylie, who says New York Medical Journal, 

 " So soon as the first symptoms are felt, the 

 patient should take a pill, or capsule, containing 

 one grain nf inspissated ox-gall, and one drop of oil 

 of gaultheria, every hour until relieved, or until six 

 have been taken." The doctor adds that sick head- 

 ache is almost always cut short by this means. — 

 Buryoyne and Buibidyes Feb. 188() Price List. 



A I'EACH Orchard. — The largest Peach orchard in 

 the world, aecordmg to the J//ii.''trntioii Horticoh. is 

 the property of Mr. J. H. Parucll, in Ueorgia. Mr. 

 Fsiuell is the brother, we believe, of Mr. S. 0. Varuell, 



of Home Rule notoriety. The Peach orchard in que.s- 

 tiou comjiri.ses ,S40 hectares, coutainiug about 1.50,000 

 trees, planted at a distance of 4 metres one from the 

 other, and grown as bushes or low standards, to facil- 

 itate the picking of the fruit. Seventy thousand of 

 these trees belong to the " Parnell" variety. The 

 land was bought at a cost of 12,UiiO dollars, and at 

 present tbe annual revenue is more than two-thirds 

 of this sum. Mr. Parnell sent as ojany as 900 boxes 

 of Peaches in a single day to New YiitV.— Gardeners 

 Chronicle. 



Artificial Soda. — Very few people are aware 

 of how much the modern world owes to Nicholas 

 Leblanc, the inventor of artificial soda. By com- 

 bining six salts he produced very cheaply the soda 

 used in commerce, and the result has been a revolu- 

 tion in manufacturing processes of enormous value 

 to the industrial world. Indeed, some writers clauii 

 that the manufacture of this soda was as fruitful of 

 good as the invention and application of steam. 

 Baron Liebig said that without this process modern 

 chemistry could hardly be called a science. It seems 

 that with this artificial soda, sulphuric acid and 

 hydrochloric acid can be made in immense quanti- 

 ties and at a very small cost. A statue is about to 

 be erected in Paris to commemorate the fame of 

 Nicholas Leblanc. This memorial was first pro- 

 posed in 18.35, and it has taken thirty years to raise 

 sufficient means from the manufacturers who have 

 profited so greatly by Leblanc's process of making 

 soda. — Ini'entor's Mart. 



Poultry. — The secret of successful poultry- farming 

 although perfectly intelligible and clear, has not 

 by the many been apprehended in this colony. It is 

 mostly done by the rule-of-thumb in a come-lucky- 

 go-lucky style, and as might be expected under 

 such circumstances. Nature's laws are frequently 

 violated and great disappointment and loss ensues. 

 There are well defined laws of nature which govern 

 matters in every sphere of life and industry. 

 When these laws are apprehended and intelligently 

 applied success follows as certainly as the night 

 the day ; when ignorance of these laws is conspicuous 

 and operative failure accrues. The following from 

 the Marysrillc Appeal is cleadj given upon natural 

 lines and we heartily commend it to the attention 

 of our readers. Poultry-farming will pay only as 

 it is properly understood, and energetically and 

 economically carried out. Our authority says : — 

 Vegetables of some kind and green feed are 

 necessary to egg production, and should be 

 given quite often, cooked vegetables being the 

 best in all cases, mixed with meal, bran or 

 shorts. Some meat should be given them about 

 once each week, where the hens have no 

 access to worms, or something as a substitute 

 for these, their natural diet. Cooked meat is the 

 best, or if given raw should be cut up tine, like 

 mince meat, and fed from some clean dish or 

 board, not thrown on the ground in the dirt. In 

 the absence of worms or meat, milk is the best 

 substitute, and possesses the requisite parts to 

 assist in egg production. Hens are fond of milk 

 in any form, it is good for them sour or sweet, 

 or in the form of buttermilk ; for laying hens do 

 not need much corn in warm weatlier, say twice 

 each week, and have it cracked or ground. It is 

 too heating and fnttening for summer feed, bnt 

 may be ted oftener in the cold weather. OWe cooked 

 feed] as often as you can, such as boiled vegetables, 

 potato peelings, and such other kinds as you 

 have, mixed up with bran, shorts, and meal. Feed 

 wheat or some other grain for the evening meal, 

 as they have the whole night to digest it. Change 

 the grain feed often, and give fresii water daily 

 and your hens will repay you for the extra 

 trouble and expense by a liberal " shelling out," 



