December, 1908.] 



581 



Miscellaneous' 



body must be got into the soil by manur- 

 ing heavily with cattle manure, dead 

 leaves, and other waste organic matter. 

 The presence of so much lime impover- 

 ishes the soil, so that the application of 

 organic matter has to be carried out in 

 large quantities. The following manure 

 might be tried : — 2 cwt. bone meal ; 

 h cwt. concentrated superphosphate ; 

 I cwt. sulphate of potash. A top dressing 

 of 1 cwt- nitrate of soda per acre would 

 prove useful in bringing on the young 

 plants." 



A sample of sugarcane vinegar, manu- 

 factured by Mr. M. A. Jayasinghe, sugar 

 planter of Nagoda, was also submitted 

 to the Chemist, who reports as follows : — 

 " The extract is high and the acetic acid 

 low compared with other vinegars. 

 There were no mineral acids present. 

 Acetic acid 1*98 per cent. ; total solids 

 5*20 per cent. ; ash 0'24 per cent." 



Reporting on a sample of fruit of 

 Heritiera littoralis (Sin. Etuna), the 

 Agricultural Chemist states that the oil 

 contents were 6"9 per cent, on samples 

 dried at 100° C He does not consider it 

 possible to economically obtain the oil, 

 chiefly owing to low percentage of oil 

 present, at least by pressure, as even 10 

 per cent, of oil is left in ordinary mill 

 poonac. 



A member having raised the question 

 of the value of the leaves of Tithonia 

 diversifolia, the wild sunflower, as 

 fodder, the Agricultural Chemist reports 

 that " the leaves are probably not un- 

 wholesome, but it is doubtful whether 

 cattle would touch them. They are rich 

 in nitrogen, containing 1*93 per cent., 

 and the plant is more useful for mulch- 

 ing purposes and manure." 



Implements and Machines. — Duchemin 

 Fibre Machines.— A set of these mach- 

 ines, which have been long expected, 

 has come to hand at last, and is being 

 set up at the Government Stock Garden, 

 with the kind assistance of Mr. E. 

 Vandort of the Technical College. 



Oil Mills. — Inquiries were received 

 through the Galle Branch for a cheap oil 



Eress, and Messrs. Walker, Sons & Co., 

 td., who were referred to, report that 

 they are Agents for a press that should 

 answer the purpose, as it costs only 

 Rs. 195. 



Boring Tools.— The Madras Central 

 Agricultural Committee has kindly for- 

 warded information regarding well- 

 boring tools, a set of which can be 

 supplied by the Coimbatore Association 

 for Rs. 450 to Rs. 500. 



American Agricultural Implements. — 

 Mr. E. Bullard, who is carrying on agri- 



cultural operations in connection with 

 his Mission in South India, and following 

 as far as possible the system advocated 

 in Campbell's "Manual of Soil Culture," 

 reports as follows :— " The implements 

 which were sent to me from America 

 include a disc harrow, plough shovel, a 

 00-tooth harrow, and cultivators. I was 

 very emphatic that they should be as 

 light as possible to do good work. The 

 disc harrow has 8 discs II inches 

 diameter. The ploughs are Deere's best 

 steel ploughs, large size. The others 

 also are their make. My bullocks are 

 very ordinary ones, costing only about 

 lis. bO each. I find no difficulty in using 

 the implements with these bullocks. 

 They have to work, but are not at all 

 overworked, and can draw any of them 

 by the hour. We can disc, plough, pack, 

 and harrow 50 cents a day with two 

 pairs of these bullocks, or they can 

 plough thoroughly an acre a day. In 

 cool weather I think they do this in half 

 a day, and the other half day irrigate 

 the same amount of land, i.e., half an 

 acre. This is a great improvement on 

 the native implements as far as time 

 goes, but it is much more so as regards 

 the scientific culture of the soil and the 

 securing of a good tilth. This is what I 

 think. Many farmers about here admire 

 the speed and the thoroughness with 

 which they work up the soil, but think 

 they cannot afford the cost, and could 

 improve on their own at a much less 

 cost. They may be able to do so to some 

 extent, but I doubt if they can produce 

 implements equal to these or as durable 

 to do the same work. I can only con- 

 vince them by actual results, but it will 

 take a year or two to secure these results 

 I suppose. A complete set of the above 

 implements cost me here about Rs. 250." 



Ploughs. -Mr. Chelliah, Agricultural 

 Instructor at Jaffna, writing on October 

 17, reports :— "I received three ploughs— 

 the " Hindustani," " Oriental," and that 

 designed by Mr, A. E. Rajapakse, 

 Mudahyar— and have had them worked 

 in different places. The cultivators are 

 pleased with the " Hindustani," though 

 some think it too heavy for ordinary 

 bullock draft (which is very poor in the 

 North). The " Oriental " is no better 

 than the native, as it leaves some 

 portions unploughed between the fur- 

 rows, and does not plough deep enough. 

 Mr. Rajapakse's plough is considered by 

 cultivators not to do enough for the 

 heavier draft." 



The Rev. Fr. P. M. Cooreman, S.J. 

 Hambantota, who has been trying the 

 Assam plough brought by the Secretary 

 from Calcuttta, reports that his experi- 

 ments were carried out under unfavour- 



