THE NURSERY. 59 



a spell of hot weather saps the existence of a 

 woodland torrent in the tropics. In our moisture- 

 laden isles we know nothing like it, but under the 

 equator, or a few degrees on either side of it, a 

 stream that in the monsoon is strong enough to 

 sweep away a herd of cattle, in the hot season 

 hardly serves to find drink for a stray troop of 

 monkeys or a thirsty sambour ! Let him choose 

 a stream, then, that holds its own against the 

 seasons. Probably his land will be above it, on 

 the inclining banks. In that case a convenient 

 ghaut or slope and a dipping place will have to 

 be made. But we need not say that if by the 

 exercise of a little engineering skill even though 

 of amateur kind and the erection of an embank- 

 ment or two, he can get such a head of water as 

 will suffice to bring a supply of the fluid by any 

 rough tubing to his nursery, the labour is well 

 spent and will repay itself many times ; or he 

 may rig up a regular water-wheel. 



Mr. Robertson, of Madras, has the following 

 observations regarding working and the construc- 

 tion of an admirable new " mhote," or water-lift. 

 He says : 



" The water is raised by two leather buckets, similar to 

 those in ordinary use in some parts of this Presidency ; 

 to each of these buckets is attached a rope which is fastened 

 to a drum : one of these is coiled and the other uncoiled, as 

 one bucket ascends the other descends ; the drum is fixed 

 on a rotating spindle, to which is fixed at right angles the 

 draught bar to which the bullock is attached ; the diameter 



