November f, 1889.] Supplement to the li Tropical Agriculturist." 
375 
he declares proved very useful in Ceylon " murrain " : — 
A mixture of ginger, gall-uuta, bulu, nelli, catechu, 
kurumba-eti ; 3 oz. of each grind fine, and dissolve in 
1 pint of hotwater, add half a pint of arrack, and a 
quater of a pint of margosa oil. In ordinary cases give 
one-third of the mixture thus obtained, twice a day. 
In very bad cases one-half may be given. Shake the 
bottle well before each dose. 
I was informed by a Municipal Inspector who had visited 
a number of cattlepens, that a common practice among 
some cattle owners was to administer lard as a preventa- 
tive, and that this proved very successful in keeping off 
the attack. Mr. Green in his Primer recommends 2 oz. 
of pig's lard for " hoof and mouth disease," and the late 
Mr. Worms of Ceylon, whose prescription for " rinder- 
pest " was so highly thought of that it was even 
tried in England (where however it appears to have 
been a failure) includes J to § lb. of fresh unsueted 
ard in his recipe. 
The action of lard is undoubtedly purgative, and 
it is evidently administered to keep the bowels in order. 
The following are the suggestions of Dr. Van Boyen 
whioh a correspondent to the local Examiner- reports 
were adopted with advantage in the Hill country: — 
1. Segregate sick animals, keeping them well wrapped 
and secure from wind and rain. 
2. Withdrawal of food, only rice congee or gruel, and 
gradually old paddy straw, hut no grass till the animal 
a well. 
i 3. As there is always congestion of the lungs and 
tympanitis (wind), have turpentine fomentations, A 
cumbly is taken sprinkled with turpentine steeped in 
hot water, wrung Out and wrapped round the barrel 
of the animal. This is repeated 3 or 4 times in the half 
hour. The fomentations should be repeated every 12 
hours ; of teuer if there is distress in breathing. 
4. An astringent should be given to check diarrhoea. 
Tincture catechu and tincture kino, of each 3 oz., 
1 oz. laudanum and 3 oz. spiritus etheris, add water up 
to 2 pints and give j every 4 hours. For calves half the 
dose. If breathing be quick a drachm of antimonial 
wine may be added to each dose of mixture ; and if 
there be hemorrhage in the scourings, 1^ oz. of liquid 
extract of ergot to each dose of mixture : but this is 
seldom required. 
o 
BEPOETS FROM BXPEBIMENTAL STATIONS. 
Eatnapuba, 4th October, 1889. 
Part of the Experimental Gardens in connection 
with the school at Marapana is laid down with a crop 
of American cotton. There are about three hundred 
grown up plants in a fiou: ishing condition, the number of 
pods on each tree varying IVom 30 to 50. Considering the 
rainfall of last year, I think I might venture to say 
that little could be expected in the way of the suc- 
cessful growth of cotton at Batuapura, at least the 
crop of lint cannot be expected to be ot good quality. 
My paddy field shows a superior growth to most 
of those round about. Four liaddes — a quarter of an 
acre in extent, are being prepared for planting out 
paddy about next week. 
I quite accidentally came upon a specimen of the 
Indiyo fera tinctoria growing in the garden of a 
native, just as I was about getting some seed down 
from Galle, where I had grown a crop. From this 
plant I gathered some seeds which I intend planting 
as soon as convenient. The question is, will it pay 
to cultivate indigo Y If so, its cultivation will prove of 
inestimable benefit to the natives of the Ratnapura 
district where there is a considerable amount of avail- 
able land suited for the crop. 
AVlLLIAM KtJRUPPU, 
Agricultural Instructor. 
Uduwa, 5th October, 1889. 
llduwa is a pretty large village, containing over 
150 dwellings, situated about G miles to the west of 
Baudaragama. The inhabitants depend chiefly on 
paddy and chena cultivation for a livelihood. The 
soil is very nob, and is generally of a clay-loamy 
description. The paddy fields are very fertile and are 
irrigated by 3treams which run across them and fall 
into the Kalugaoga. There is no doubt that the 
fertility of these fields depends in a great measure 
on the richness of the water in plant food carried 
down in solution and suspension from the neighbouring 
uplands. The paddy crop which is being now taken 
in, has not been damaged to any serious extent by 
the rains which we had during the latter part of 
last month, as has been the case in many parts of 
the district. Large stretches of land about here are 
under coconut and cinnamon. I have remarked some 
stray cotton plants growing exceedingly well, and 
consider it would be an admirable plan if the culti- 
vators took to growing cotton in their chenas. I 
hope I shall before long be able to give cotton a 
trial. J have cleared, drained, and prepared in to 
plots, a small extent of land for the cultivation of 
vegetables; but at present I shall have to see to 
the transplanting of my paddy. I am glad to say 
that a number of the parents of the school-boys 
come and listen to my lessons on agriculture on 
Poya days and Saturdays. 
D. E. Tiathonis, 
Agricultural Instructor. 
Kegalla, 12th October, 1889. 
The native goiyas, 1 am glad to say, show a marked 
change in their attitude towards the introduction of 
improved methods into paddy cultivation. I am, 
however, labouring under a disadvantage in having 
a very small extent of land, and one not well adapted 
Jtor the purpose of an experimental garden. I am 
hoping that erelong I shall have some crown land 
not far from the new school bungalow at my disposal, 
It is only 5 months since I began my experiments 
here, during which time I have tried four varieties of 
cotton, tobacco, and some vegetables, all of which have 
turned out well. I have some arrowroot too coming 
up. I regret I could not have had some land under 
paddy, but I was unable to get either a suitable 
field, though the Batemahatmaya tried to lease out 
one for me, nor the baffaloes. The B. M. takes a 
lively interest in agricultural work, and I am greatly 
indebted to him for much kind assistance he has 
rendered me. J. W. P. Sahabasekaba, 
Agricultural Instructor. 
^» 
WAYS AND MEANS. 
Marking Farm Tools, fyc. — Apply a thin coating of 
melted wax to that part of the tool where the ini- 
tial letters &c. are to be engraved. Let the wax cool 
and mark the initials &c. on the wax cutting it copa- 
pletely through with a sharp nail or other pointed 
instrument. Now run a little nitric acid into the 
scratches, and after a few minutes wash the acid off 
and remove the wax by rubbing it off. The letters 
&c. will be found bitten into the tool by the action of 
the acid. 
To Preserve the Natural Colours of Plants and 
Flowers. — Dissolve salicylic acid in alcohol, heat the 
solution up to the boiling point and draw the flowers &c. 
through it. Shake off any superfluous moisture and 
dry between sheets of blotting paper under pressure. 
A Cheap Disinfectant. — Green Copperas or Sulphate 
of Iron, the annabedi of the bazaars, is a very cheap 
and effective disinfectant, and every Farmer can afford 
to use it in liberal measure. A pound to the gallon 
of water will deodorize and disinfect sewage &c. in 
a short time. It should be used in water-closets, in 
the kitchen, stables, and in fact everywhere on the 
farm all throughout the year. 
To Remove Rusted Bolts, $-c. — The most effectual 
means of removing bolts, screws, &c. that have rusted 
in, without breaking' them is by the liberal application 
of kerosine oil. Care must be taken that the oil shall 
reach the rusted parts and some time must be allowed 
to give it a chance to penetrate and soften the layer of 
rust before the attempt to remove the bolt &o. is made, 
