December i, r§8g.] Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist. 
447 
the cyst is easy in this case. When the seat of 
disease is far back in the brain the skull is thicker 
over it and there is not sufficient time, until death 
would occur, for the bone to absorb and become soft. 
Piercing then leaves little fractured pieces of bone 
*rom the skull on the surface of the brain, which 
although the disease is cured, cause suppuration, and 
death some days after. Principal Williams of Edin- 
burgh recommends the use of the trephine, a little 
circular saw, to remove a minute piece of bone. The 
skin is bared from the skull immediately over the spot 
to which ,the movements of the sheep direct, and all 
detached piecesare washed carefully out before the exter" 
nal covering of the brain is broken. Piercing in the usuaj 
away to reach the cyst is then done with comparative 
safety. The manner in which the location of the cyst 
influences the movements of the sheep is peculiar and 
striking. If the cyst is situated on the right side 
of the brain the animal keeps turning in the opposite 
direction, and vice versa ; while if it is situated 
about the middle the animal walks forward with its 
head elevated in an imposing manner. 
I have referred to this parasitic disease as I am 
informed it occurs among sheep iu Ceylon. 
0. D. 
WAYS AND MEANS. 
Preserving Eggs. — Packing in salt will preserve eggs, 
but the 6alt preserves a certain portion of the white 01 
the egg, leaving a small cavity in the shell. Anothi r 
method is, to three gallons water mix a pint of newly, 
slaked lime and half a pint of salt, then put the eggs 
carefully into the composition. The lime process was 
patented many years ago by a Mr. Iague of Leeds. 
Eggs are also preserved by the shell being rubbed over 
with some grease or butter. It is found that preserved 
eggs are not so satisfactory when cooked in their shells 
as more recently laid eggs, although perfectly good for 
cooking and pastry purposes. 
How to Get Rid of Rats.— Scatter in the corners of 
the floor and every crevice in which a rat might go 
crystals of green copperas, and the rats and mice will 
disappear, the Scientific American says. 
To Prevent Wood from Shrinking. — Wood well 
saturated with oil when put together, will not shrink in 
the driest weather. Wheels have been known to run for 
many years, even to wearing out the tyres. Boiled 
lirjseed is the best for general use, but kerosine oil is 
also very good. 
Cement Floors.— A good cement floor may be made 
by mixing together just like ordinary mortar, one bushel 
of cement, five of clean sand, and two of fine gravel 
broken bricks or stones. Cover the floor with this pre- 
paration to a thickness of from 3 to 6 inches ; leave a 
week or ton days to harden, when the floor will become 
as hard as a rock. 
Loose Screws. — It is a common thing when a screw 
or staple becomes loose to draw it out, plug up the hole 
with wood, and then reinsert it. But screws and 
staples so secured soon come out again. It has Vee3 
found that a much better way is to fill up the holen 
tightly with cork. Screws and irons so secured will 
remain perfectly tight, just as long as when put into 
new wood. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
The agricultural students of the Edinburgh Univer- 
sity are evidently getting the pick of the appoint- 
ments as lecturers in agriculture. We have already 
noticed the appointments of Mr. Somerville to the 
chair of Forestry in Edinburgh University and of Mr. 
Middleton to the Professorship at Baroda. Since 
then Mr. Gilchrist and Mr. Leddingham have been 
appointed to Lectureships at the University College 
of North Wales, and the Tamworth Agricultural Col- 
lege and Training Farm, Warwickshire respectively. 
The following reference to paddy-cultivation in 
Sabaragamuwa is taken from the Ceylon Observer : 
"With reference to the recent discussion in your 
columns about paddy cultivation, I can assure you it is 
a source of trouble from the day the seed paddy is 
sown till it is secured in the granary in Sabara- 
gamuwa. (1) The field has to be fenced to keep out 
cattle and wild animals during the day, the water 
has to be turned on and off at night, the villager 
has to watch it for fear of pigs and other animals. 
(2) When the ears begin to form and come to 
maturity, the cultivator has to go over the whole 
field every morning with a paddy winnow on the end 
of a long light pole, the inside of which is plastered 
over with jak milk, with which he brushes the top 
of the paddy to catch the insect pest named goyan 
messa : were the villagers to neglect the abovenamed 
pest they would get no crop at all, for the little 
midge-like insect would destroy the whole crop in a 
week. When the paddy has been cut it is usually 
thrashed by the men who fix a horizontal pole to hold 
on to whilst they crush the grain from the straw 
with their feet : why buffaloes are not used as in 
other districts I don't know, the percentage of light 
is about | in each bushel which is winnowed outfin 
the field if the weather is fine before removing it 
to the houses. The paddy before being pounded" out 
by the women is again winnowed and found to con- 
tain about 4 measures to the bushel of lio-hfc The 
outturn of rice from a bushel of paddy it u=uallv 
half if it has been boiled and dried to toughen the 
grain and burst the husk to making it easier for the 
women aud prevent wastage, if green or patcharisi 
is required, which is not boiled and contains much 
more starchy matter and is usually made into flour 
for hoppers and sweet cakes, the outturn is less than 
half as there is much more waste. The price paid 
for paddy in Sabaragamuwa when thoroughly well 
winnowed is from RI to RP50 per bushel accord- 
ing to the distance from the cart road, or large town 
and the price of village rice from 8c to 12c The' 
price paid for converting a bushel of paddy into 
rice is also from 8c to 12c, but it is usually paid 
in kind by giving li to 2 measures of rice and the 
broken leavings. Village rice is much more satisfying 
than Coast, but it does not boil out nearly so much 
and is therefore considered less economical than Coast 
rice. When very white village rice is required it is 
pounded with straw, and you would not know it from 
the best Coast table rice. There is nearly as much 
hill paddy grown in Sabaragamuwa as wet— the wet 
climate being very suitable for hill paddy, but it is 
