430 



[December, 1912. 



In answer to your second and third questions, having decided to thin- 

 out, I should first of all remove all sickly trees and any others which from 

 various causes do not look promising. I should then deal with the remain- 

 der to be removed as evenly as possible, the object in view being to give 

 each remaining tree a fair division of soil. I should remove the doomed 

 trees at once, with as much of their roots as possible. 



It is by no means uncommon to find two very good trees in one hole 

 equal in every way to the best trees round about. I see no reason why 

 this method of planting in a slightly modified form should not be success- 

 fully adopted, and I propose trying it." 



CEYLON GOOSEBERRY. 



(Illustrated.) 



The tree to which the writer gave the name " Ceylon Gooseberry " 

 some years ago, first in a Departmental Circular on tropical fruits, deserves 

 the attention of fruit growers in the tropics, for few fruits in a wild state 

 appear to offer more promise of improvement by systematic selection and 

 high cultivation. It is a small shrubby tree with ovate, alternate leaves 

 belonging to the family Bixaceai and known to botanists as Aberia 

 Gardneri, being named after Mr. Gardner who was Superintendent of 

 Peradeniya from 1844 to 1849. To the natives the tree is known as 

 ''Ket-embilla" and an interesting fact in connection with it is that it is 

 endemic in Ceylon, that is having its native habitat confined to this 

 country. The round and slightly velvety berries are soma what of the 

 size, form and consistency of gooseberries, being purplish in colour when 

 ripe. They have a pleasant sub-acid taste and make excellent jam or 

 preserves. The tree thrives best at medium elevations and likes rich 

 humous soil and good drainage. It is readily propagated from seed which, 

 being small, should be sown in pots under cover, using fine sandy soil. 

 The fruit is in season usually in September. 



H. F. MACMILLAN. 



KIND TREAMENT OP COWS. 



An interesting experiment was recently performed at the Kansas 

 Agricultural College to determine the relative results of kind and unkind 

 treatment upon cows, says the Queensland Agricultural Journal. Three 

 cows were treated kindly, and were found to give an average of 36 lb. of 

 milk, with 4'3 per cent, of butter fat. Later, these same cows were 

 frightened by jumping at them, howling at them and striking them while 

 they were eating. It was found at milking that they produced only 23 lb. 

 of milk, containing 3'4 per cent, of butter fat. Three other cows tested 

 gave 31 lb. of milk containing 4-2 per cent, of butter fat under kind treat- 

 ment. They were driven into a field and the dogs were allowed to bark 

 at them and chase them. As a result they averaged only 23 lb. of milk 

 with 3'6 per cent, of butter fat. It should not be necessary to point 

 the moral. 



