June i, 1886.J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



857 



aiul allowed to touch the gruimJ, the more developed 

 it becomes ; its horu grows eo dense, and resisting, 

 yet without losing its special properties, that it braves 

 the crushing of the roughest road without suffering 

 in the slightest degree ; it ensures the lioof retaining 

 its proper sliape at the heels ; is a valuable supporter 

 of the Hnib and foot, while the animal is sanding 

 or moving, and is an active agent from its shape, 

 and texture, in preventing slippiug. Its reduction 

 and removal from the ground, I am perfectly con- 

 vinced from long observation, have a tendency, di- 

 rectly or indirectly, to induce that most painful, 

 frequent, and incurable malady. Navicular disease, 

 as well as other affections of this organ. The 

 farrier should, therefore, leave the frog also 

 uutoucbeil unless there be Hakes which are useless : — 

 though this is extremely rare : then these ought to 

 he cut oft". So particular am I in this respect, however, 

 and so well aware am I of the morbid de>ire of the 

 workman to cut into this part, that I never allow 

 any frogs to he interfered with, unless I am present. 

 If any gravel has lodged beneath the flakes, at the 

 side, or iu the cleft — which is most unfrequent 

 — this is removed by some blunt instrument. To 

 show the value of contact with the ground, 

 when a horse with a diseased frog is brought to me, 

 I at once onler the hoof to be so prepared or shod, 

 that this part, will immediately receive direct press- 

 ure — iu a brief space the disease disappears. Cases 

 of what grooms call 'thrush" of many years dur- 

 ation, and which had defied all kinds of favourite 

 liressings, have been cured, and the rottcu wasted 

 frogs have become sound, aud well developed in a 

 few months. 



Opening up the Heels. — Having done everything poss'- 

 ible to ruin the sole and the frogs, the farrier proceed 

 to complete his work by opening up the heels. 'J'he 

 oi>eration is quite as injurious, if it is not more so 

 tlian mutilating the other parts, etc. 



Conclusion.— It should be ever most strenuously in- 

 sisted upon, that the whole lower face of the hoof, except 

 the border of the wall, must be left in a state of 

 nature, etc. 



The above paragraphs appear to me to meet the 

 points that I wish horse-owners to take note of 

 with the additional remark that "cold" titting-on 

 of the shoe is strongly condemned for several very, 

 important reasons, but which space forbids detailing. 

 Ho now, ilr. Editor, I am surprised at the length of 

 this letter, aud only trust you will consider the 

 subject worthy of space in your valuable paper, 

 and that if you do, and would send it to be inserted 

 in the native papers, so that our urcountry farriers 

 can read and understand that a liorse's foot is 

 not a mere horny block to be hacked at, at their 

 pleasure, I am certain that you will receive a vote 

 of grateful thanks, although a mute one, from 

 every horse treated on the above system. — I remain, 

 dear sir, yours f,iithfully, 



A SVMPATUISEK WITH THE MAIMED. 



Potato Brkad. — Boil four or five potatoes, mash 

 thqm, and add one tablespoonful of Hour. I'our over 

 these the water the jjotatoes were boiled in, stir all well 

 together, and when lukewarm, adtl half a teacupful of 

 yeast. Cover with a cloth and set to rise. When light, 

 make up as wheat bread. — Qmcmlandei: 



The Ki.sii of rni: Pujii'Kins.- The heaviest Pump- 

 kin (accoriling to M. de Vos) ; presented at the 

 X'aris market iu 188-1 weighed I'AO kilogrammes. 

 Translated into English, this means that the 

 gourd in iiuestion weighed about the same as 

 twenty-eight legs of mutton of 10 lb, each. — Gar- 

 denerx^ lirt>nicle, 



A Metal Te.v Chest. — A new tea chest has been 



introduced in the shape of a steel box made by 



maclumry. The inventor claims for his new package 



that the tirst cost is about one-fourth less than the 



10- 



present chest with lead lining. It occupies smaller 

 space in the hold of the ship, and consequently costs 

 the importer less freight. Likewise being little 

 more than half the weight of an ordinary chest 

 the carriage from London to the country grocer 

 will, of course, be considerably lower (perhaps 15 

 per cent), which, in these days of keen compet- 

 ition and heavy transit charges, is a point well 

 worthy of consideration. It is impervious to moisture, 

 and may be placed in a pool of water without the 

 slightest damage to the contents. It will not allow 

 the contents to leak out. and herein is perhaps one 

 of the most attractive features in the invention to 

 our readers. It can be very ijuickly opened by 

 j removing four screws in the lid, and as it does not 

 j require to be lined in the inside as au ordinary 

 chest is with lead, all danger of the contents losing 

 j part of their fragrance by getting out between the 

 ! lead and the outer wooden case is done away. 

 ; Every tea leaf in tlie package will be in equally good 

 I condition. It is needless to point out that for purposes 

 : of sampling it is infinitely superior to the old lead- 

 lincd chests, as the packages can be opened and 

 redosed without damaging the box, which circum- 

 stances also permit of these boxes being used as 

 bins in the factory during the collection of 

 suliicient tea to form a break. — H. d- C. Mnil. 

 I Pkouucts or P.ilam.v Cukisti. — Since we re- 

 I plied to the query of a correspondent who had 

 been trying experiments in the numutacture of 

 cold-drawn castor oil (we judge by the clearness 

 j and absence of smell of the specimen submitted 

 I to us), we have seen, and marked for insertion 

 in the Tropical Agriculturist, what is evidently an 

 exhaustive article in the Iiulimi Aiiriciiltun.^l on 

 C.\.sToB OiL.vxiiiis Uses, from which we here quote 

 one passage : — 



The uses of the castor plant are many ; the oil is 

 the only eligible one for lubricating all sorts of machi- 

 nery, clocks, watches, &c. ; it is tlie best lauip oil we 

 have in India, aud gives an excellent white light, far 

 j superior to that of ndneral oils, petroleum, rape seed, 

 mustard, linseed, and all other oils whether vcgetaiile, 

 animal, or mineral. This I state after coiuparisim. 

 The slowness with which the oil burns effects a saving 

 of consumption raui^ing from |tb to J. Its freed im 

 from ilaiiger as lamp oil is another recoinnicndatioa. 

 All Itailways in India bum castor-oil. It givLS out very 

 little soot, almost imperct'ptible, which quality no other 

 lamp oils possess. This is a great recommendation. 

 Most important of all, it is the cheapest lamp-oil iu 

 existence, while it is the cheapest autl best for 

 the maiiufactu;e of all kinds of soaps, cuidles, 

 pomatums, aiul perfumed oils. All the great per- 

 fumtM-s of Lo-idon itn<l Paris use castor-oil, for 

 the manufacture of golden oil, and its beneficial 

 effects are due to the demulcent quilily of the castor- 

 oil which keeps the bead cool and tie- skin and tin? pores 

 of the skin and roots of the hair soft and open. It is 

 a medicinal oil, and the most largely used as a mtlJ 

 d/fmu/rent Ifuvative. The use of coid-dniwn oil gives a 

 .splendid light: no other oil can vie with this light, it 

 being almost electrical in its brilliancy. When lii)iled 

 it does not give such a splenilid light: the reason for 

 this is, in the boiling or sweating, or both proceases, 

 the electric light-giving portiiui of the oil gets dissi- 

 i pated to a certain extent. The shelling ot .seed aud 

 j filtering processes are comparatively very costly. Tlio 

 oil drawn from unheated shelled seeds without boiling 

 ] (rohl fiUrttioii beitig substitutid tVr boiling) is of the 

 best quality. If cold-tlrawn oil caTi br ■ Miifactnred 

 I sufiiriei.tly che.ij) to be within r^-acb ol u . ..s lanift ait^ 

 t it would be used by many. At jirc-ient. however, it is 

 i selling at p ires ranging from K40 to U.V) per inaund 

 in India. The reason for this is that castor seed has 

 first to 111- exported to Kiirope, then it is bought by the 

 inauufactiirers from tlu! traders in castor si*ed. and :ifter 

 I manufacture of the oil, it is bottled, labelled, cuiked, 

 cajwulnd, packc 1. and shipped to India. 



