TBIS AOniGVLTURAL JOURNAL. 



in very largo quantities to tlie army aiul 

 navy. As a portable, concent rated mi- 

 trient, acocrding to tlie (Jennaii (io- 

 vernnient Department for the Jnvestiga- 

 tion of Pood-stulfs for the Troops, it has 

 been found that one ounce of this powder 

 is equal in nourishing and sustaining pro- 

 perties to three and a quarter pounds of 

 the finest l)eef-steak, or to about ten or 

 twelve pints of milk. 



A food-stuff of such high nutrient 

 value ought to supply a long-felt want in 

 tlie way of emergency rations for 

 "Tommy Atkins" when on active service. 

 If it could be had in the form of a 

 tablet, the soldier could carry quite a 

 good square meal in his haversack. It 

 has been used at the front with very 

 marked success in feeding the typhoid 

 patients. 



One class of i^ociety ought to hail with 

 triumph the aavent of this new jiroduct, 

 as it will make up the oft-bemoaned lack 

 of albumen in their staple articles of 

 diet— vegetables. It is neitlier fish, 

 flesh, nor fowl, and thus comes as a god- 

 send to the poor vegetarian. 



Plasmon Avill also prove of the highest 

 economic value in the carrying out of the 

 open-air treatment of consumption. It 

 ought to form a most valuable article of 



diet for such cases, as from its composi- 

 tion it consists of the elements which go 

 to build up a healthy frame, able to 

 withstaud the ravages of microbes of all 

 kinds. One newspaper in London spoke 

 of it as tlie "magic food." How far that 

 is true cannot at present be estimated ; 

 but there is no doul)t that a food such as 

 this will provide an excellent diet for 

 those who have to undergo great mus- 

 cular strain, such as cyclists and athletes. 

 It has proved of the greatest value in 

 racing and stud stables. It does not put 

 on fat, but flesh, and lenders the muscles 

 hard and firm. At present this new food 

 is used in one of the leading training- 

 stables with marked success. 



From observations made by the writer, 

 plasmon forms one of the most ideal 

 foods for treating, or rather dieting, per- 

 sons inclined to be of a corpulent nature, 

 Ijeing admirably adapted for carrying out 

 the Salisliury or Banting treatment of 

 obesity, by giving a rich nitrogenous ali- 

 ment^ t(i set up a healthy metabolism of 

 the fat-cells, with the proportionate in- 

 crease of hard, firm muscular tissue. 



[The address of the Plasmon syndi- 

 cate is, The International Plasmon, 

 Limited, 56, Duke Street, Grosvenor 

 Square, London, W.] 



AcG/imatizaiion of Trout in N^ial. 



Report by Dr. Gilchrist, Biologist to the Cape Government. 



To the Under Secretary of Agriculture, 

 Capetown. 



SIR, — I have the honour to submit the 

 following report, which, at the re- 

 quest of the Government of the Colony 

 of Natal, and in accordance with your 

 instructions, I have drawn up, on' the 

 condition of the Trout lately introduced 

 into the rivers of Natal, 



The time at my disposal being so limit- 

 ed it was impossible to make an adequate 

 examination, and this is to be kept in 

 view in considering the conclusions I have 

 arrived at and any recommendations I 

 make. 



On the 28th February, I proceeded, with 

 Mr. Parker, to the upper part of the 

 Umgeni, on Mr. Ross' farm, and examined 

 the river during the afternoon of that day 

 and forenoon of the following. 



This part of the Umgeni is an ideal 



trout stream, with an abundant supply of 

 fish food in the form of insects, larvae, 

 etc. There appears to be no other species 

 of fish in the river except a small barbel, 

 which does not appear to grow to a large 

 size, and which will, therefore, doubtless 

 afford excellent food for the larger fish. 

 There seems to be an entire absence of 

 other fish which would compete with the 

 trout, the " scale fish " (probably Barbus 

 capensis) occurring only down the river. 



During the five or six hours' fishing, 

 about a dozen fish were caught by two 

 rods. The largest of these was about one 

 pound weight, three or four about three- 

 quarters of a pound, some half a pound, 

 and the remainder, which were returned 

 to the river, only a few inches in length. 



It would appear from this that the stream 

 is by no means over-stocked. The weather, 

 however, was not altogether favourable 



