448 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." [December i, 1889. 
not considered so nourishing, and is in my opinion 
less palatable than the water-grown grain." 
From the Agricultural Journal published by the De- 
partment of Agriculture of Oape Colony (for copies of 
which we are indebted to the Director of Public In- 
struction ) we find that the scope of work taken in by the 
Agricultural Department is of an extensive character, 
embracing not merely crop cultivation, but Forestry, 
Veterinary, Entomology and Dairy Famring. The Edi- 
tor of the Journal is the Secretary for Agriculture, Mr. 
A. Fischer, and being a Government-aided publica- 
tion, the paper is supplied free to every farmer who 
is a member of an Agricultural Society or Farmer's 
Association. The Journal consists of eight pages, aod is 
issued fortnightly. "Vine, Hop, and Fruit Culture seem to 
be among the most important industries, while horse, 
sheep, and cattle-breeding is evidently much attended 
to. The climate of the Cape appears to be peculiarly 
adapted both to temperate and tropical cultivation, 
and crops and fruit of the East and West seem to 
thrive side by side with equal luxuriance. The ex- 
istence of a Colonial Veterinary Surgeon and his as- 
sistant as well as the enforcement of regulations in 
the matter of cattle disease prove that the Govern- 
ment is fully alive to the importance of Veterinary 
superintendence. 
A Petrified Forest.— One of the wonders of the 
American continent is Calcedony Park, Apache County, 
Arizona Territory. It is so named on account of 
the trees which ages ago fell, and are lying in _ in- 
discriminate confusion, having become silicified into 
agate and jaspar, the change being probably effected 
by heated volcanic waters. On a recent visit some 
of the trees were found to measure over 100 feet 
in length. In the agatised condition they are sur- 
passingly beautiful, every conceivable colour and shade 
being represented, red, yellow, and green, interspersed 
with white, black, and grey, and by transparent 
spaces of brilliant quartz crystals. The park is 
Government property, and its contents are strictly 
protected. 
We have to acknowledge with thanks the receipt 
of the "St. Thomas's College Magazine," "Onward 
and Upward," and the " Richmond College Magazine." 
It is computed that there are about 600 tons of 
cotton seed cake consumed daily in Britain, and its 
use is daiiy increasing. The oil, which is considered 
a valuable food oil, is now used in large quantities in 
the manufacture of lard and butterine, besides being 
used for the sardine industry. The price of seed 
which is tolerably free of lint is said to be from 
£5 to £7 per ton, while the woody seed fetch from 
£4 to £5. This seed is manufactured into cake which 
is selling at from £5 to £5 10s. per ton, while the 
oil fetching from £20 to £23 per ton. 
From the report of the Council on Agricultural 
Education, Australia, the Dookie Agricultural College 
Farm is doing excellent work. All the branches of 
an exhaustive course of agricultural science are being 
taught in a most thor ugh manner, and the value of 
the institution is being fully recognised by the Govern- 
ment of that colony. The principal of the Dookie 
College is Mr. T. L. Thompson. Mr. Thompson has 
been conducting experiments to test the advisability of 
thick versus thin sowing. With 2 bushels of seed 
sown per acre, the produce was only 10 bushels; 
where 1| bushels were used, the produce rose to 14| ; 
1 bushel of seed gave 18§ bushels per acre; while 
1 acre which received only \ bushel of seed, yielded 
21 bushels. From another carefully-conducted experi- 
ments, Mr. hompson found that when the seed was 
covered to the depth of 3 inches the produce was 
inline mely greater than when only covered to the 
depth of 1 or 2 inches, or even when covered to a 
depth of inches. 
"Coconut cake" is selling in London in bags or 
ground into meal at £7 10s per ton, It is described 
as pure, soft, rich, sweet cake, eaten readily by stock' 
The guaranteed analysis is as follows : — 15 per cent 
oil, 19 per cent flesh-formers, 40 per cent fat-formers. 
"Observations on Some Injurious Insects of South 
Africa" is the title of a little work published by Miss 
E. A, Ormerod. 
A new cotton-seed company has been lately started 
in Dundee. The process of removal of lint from 
the seed consists essentially in usiDg dilute sulphuric 
acid to break up or disintegrate the cotton adhering to 
the seed. The process is not particularly novel, as 
strong sulphuric acid has been used for the purpose, 
and the only difference bttween the new process and 
the old is the relative strength of the acid used. The 
two great difficulties which the company, if it be 
successfully floated, will have to face are (1) the 
presence in the manufactured article of a minute quan- 
tity of free sulphuric acid, which is detrimental to 
animal health, and (2) the cure with which the patent, 
for which a large sum of money is to be paid, can be 
evaded by using acid of a different degree of strength. 
An investigation made by aboard of United States 
army officers for the purpose of deciding upon the 
best methods of shoeing, has resulted in the issuing 
of the following order which all owners of horses 
should read as it contains points worth knowing: — 
In preparing the horse's foot for the shoe, do not 
touch with the knife the frog, sole, or bars. In re- 
moving surplus growth of that part of the foot which 
is the "seat of the shoe," use the cutting pincher 
and rasp, and not the knife. The shoeing knife may 
be used, if necessary, in fitting the toe clip. " Opening 
the beels" or making a cut into the angle of the 
wall at the heel must not be allowed. The rasp may 
be used on this part of the foot when necessary, 
and the same applies to the pegs. No cutting with a 
knife is permitted : the rasp alone when necessary. 
" Flat-footed horses should be treated as the necessity 
of each case may require. In forging the shoe to fit 
the foot, be careful that the shoe is fitted to>nd 
follows the circumference of the foot clear round to 
the heels ; the heels of the shoe should not be ex- 
tended back straight and outside of the wall at the 
heels of the horse's foot, as is frequently done. Care 
must be used that the shoe is not fitted too small, 
the outside surface of the walls being then rasped 
down to make the foot short to suit the shoe, as often 
happens. Heat may be used in preparing and shaping 
the shoe, but the hot shoe must not be applied to 
the horse's foot under any circumstances. Make the 
upper or foot surface of the shoe perfeotly flat, so 
as to give a level bearing. A shoe with a concave 
ground surface should be used. 
+ 
SCHOOL NEWS. 
The annual examination began on the 11th November 
and lasted on to the 19th. 
The students were enabled, through the kindness of 
the Hon. W. W. Mitchell, to visit the Spinning and 
Weaving Company's Mills at Wellewatta, where 
Mr. Athertoo, the Manager, obligingly explained the 
use of the Machinery fitted up in the building. 
The Sanitary Officer also kindly arranged that the 
Veterinary Class should visit the Slaughter House at 
Dematagoda, where Mr. Brandon, the Slaughterhouse- 
keeper, was good enough to conduct the st ulents over 
the premises. 
The School Museum where we are endeavouring to 
collect Agricultural, Botanical, Geological and Ento- 
mological specimens, is yet of a very unassuming char- 
acter. We had an interesting addition made lately 
to our geological section in the form of a water-worn 
mass of granite which, having been imbedded in a 
calcareous deposit, is thickly interspersed with the 
exuvia of Tubicolous annelides, evidently serpula. We 
shall feel extremely grateful to those who will send us 
any specimens for the Museum, 
