August i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
141 
his work arduous. He not ouly finds it difficult to 
collect bis mauud or two daily, owing to the scarcity 
of grass; but has often to go long distances— in some 
stations 14 or 15 miles— to rivers, the moisture from 
which preserves a little succour for the grass on its 
bank. Where rivers are out of the question, the 
grass-cutters are sorely tried. One may see them on 
the parched and arid plains trying to get a few tufts 
of grass on the shady side of rlullas and mounds, or 
furtively stealing round villages where the moisture 
from irrigation permits old tufts to spring up on the 
borders of tobacco, pumpkin or other vegetable plots. 
The grass-cutter, often in his incursions into these 
preserved lands, is laid hands on by the villagers, 
and it is only owiug to his speed of foot that many 
fatalities are averted. The grass-cutter, knowing 
well he is on forbidden ground, soon " makes tracks " 
when he sees any one coming. The commotion 
caused by the event of a grass-cutter being pounced 
on by the villagers is ludicrous in the extreme — men, 
women and children, with the usual accompaniment 
of pariah dogs, all howling and yelling after the un- 
fortunate 1 una way as he makes off with his pound 
or two of grass slung over his shoulder, and his pigtail 
flying behind him. The grass-cutter is not always so 
lucky as to escape unscathed, and many a man can 
show you marks of these encounters. He will also 
smilingly refer to his sharp hourpa as accounting for 
many a vicious cut made at his would-be capturers. 
Thus passing through many vicissitudes, the unfortunate 
grass-cutter, after a long day's work, lasting often 
from 8 a.na, to midnight, tired, worn out and hungry, 
has oarned the miserable sum of four to six annas, 
out of which, he has to keep his tat and family too, 
if he has got one. No wonder, under these circum- 
stances, the grass-cutter has recourse to the reprehensible 
practice of damping his grass. On his return from 
his day's work the grass cutter, who has to be careful 
of his hardly accumulated gathering takes it into his 
hut with him to keep it secure; previously giving it 
a dash of water. Naturally, grass so subjected gets 
fusty through being kept in a closed hut all night 
and is scarcely calculated to keep animals in good 
condition. In the early morning the grass-cutter is 
up betimes, aud gives his grass an extra dash of water 
to "liven it up." 
He will tell you, of course that its dampness is due 
to the moist nature of the soil on the river-bank 
where he cut it yesterday. Now from this practice, 
as well as the fact that grass-cutters are in the habit 
of grubbing up grass from delectable spots, where 
dead animals have been thrown out to rot, it may be 
assumed that the grass-cutter's only care is to get 
his quantum of grass as bust he can. He considers 
not that the animal may have died from anthrax, fever 
or other malignant and infectious diseases; or that 
some millions of the bacteria spore or germ of the 
disease may bo carried in by him in his bundle of 
grass. But you who employ him rind your horses die 
from authrax, or pieuro-pneumonia. If you command 
a regiment of cavalry, your horses are reduced by a 
troop or two, if you don't lose half your regiment 
in the event of Mr. Grass-cutter cutting up those 
luxuriant tufts over the last resting place of zemindar 
Mahomdu's favourite mare, who, it seems, oue day 
refused her usual feed of ;/oor and ch'tuna, swelled 
up about the head, ran from eyes aud nose for a 
day or two, and died. Wah! W«h!. 
The wretched brutes one sees at the end of cavalry 
troop lines, or outside grass-cutter's huts, feeding on 
the modicum of grain which Government have ordained 
the grass-cutter must feed his tat on arc, to say the 
least of them, a disgrace to humanity. They are weak, 
attenuated, sore-backed brutes, cow-hocked, with their 
four kness knocking together iu such a fashion as to 
impress oue with the idea that they are about to 
double up altogether. Notice these brutes, as they start 
off on their day's work about 8 a.m. besti iddon by 
the lanky grass-cutter, with his hubble-bubbU alight; 
or as they come home late at night laden with grass, 
and with the lanky grass-cutter still on the top 
labouring along, stumbling every other step from sheer 
debility, and judge for yourself if such a system is 
creditable to us. But it may be asked where is the 
remedy ? The answer is to have carefully selected 
grass lands well irrigated, whence yon can ensure a 
plentiful supply of grass all the year round. With 
these and a few fields of lucerne you can make up 
a comparatively laxative fodder which will counteract 
the foul and flatulent, though nutritious chuuna on 
which you feed your horses as a rule. Surely, wherever 
Government have cavalry or cattle of any sort, they 
can enclose a piece of land for grass production as 
well. They can do this for parade grounds and 
cantonments; and, the civil portion of the community, 
having regard for sound wholesome grass crops, can 
manage to do likewise. It remains iu this nineteenth 
century to be recorded that a powerful Government 
with an unlimited exchequer, allow their cavalry horses 
to die from contagious and infectious diseases ; their 
men from diseases brought on from drinking impure 
milk and eating unsound and diseased meat: and all 
because no one will take the trouble to select good 
grass lands. 
The grass-cutter is about the most miserable and 
hard-worked mortal, employed under the benificent 
Sarlcay, and his state requires looking into, not only 
on his account alone, but with a view to lessening 
those outbreaks of anthrax, &c, that are, in the main, 
caused through horses being fed on infected grass, 
an annual loss that would more than cover the most 
elaborate and secure grass-scheme that could be 
devised. 
It is feared that there is less known than there 
should be about the grass-cutter and his works gen- 
erally.— J. J. in C. and M. Gazette. 
THE MAHOGANY TEEE IN THE 
MADBAS PEESIDENCY. 
In a paper sent to us by the Madras Government, 
Mr. Gamble, the Conservator of Forests for the 
Northern Circle, reported on Mahogany seed and some 
plants which he had distributed. 
3. The Collector of Kistna reports as follows : — 
" The mahogany trees, about 1,500 in number, were 
planted out 36 x 36 in the Weld plantation at Masuli- 
patam. They were underplanted 9x9 with other 
indigenous and exotic species, list of which is enclosed. 
" The plantation has not been surveyed, but is 
probably between 60 and 80 acres. The soil is sandy 
containing a varying proportion of clay and shows 
in places slight traces of salt. 
"The mahogany are thriving well and are from 2 
to 1 feet high. Very fow of them have died up to 
date, although they, in common with many other 
species, have lost many leaves and their terminal 
shoots through the attacks of a caterpillar ; of the 
other trees Termiatdia Annua and Ccirela 'Taenia seem 
to be thriving best. But it is impossible to pronounce 
a decided opinion regarding either them or the 
mahoganies till they have passed through the ordeal 
of the approaching hot weather. 
"There are about 3,780 plants iu pots in the nursery 
which will be ready to plant out next July." 
The District Forest-officer gavo me good accounts 
of this plantation on the occasion of my recent visit 
to the district, and it is to be hoped that it will 
be a success. But the other trees must not be allowed 
to overtop and kill the mahogany. 
4. From Nellore a full report has been received 
which is as follows : — 
" 1. The first lot of seed supplied by you iu 1SS5 
gave 300 plants, of which 105 died aud 1*.)5 were put 
out into the juDgle in January 18S6, viz. : — 
Iu the 5th Khaudain near Khasba 140 plants 
,, 2nd „ ,, Penubaknm 55 „ 
"Of the former four have died since and three of 
the latter. They have not grown very well, but they 
are still healthy aird strong. 
"2. Seven hundred plants were seut by you from 
Madias in August 1886. Of these, 650 were allotted 
for planting on some good land near l'enuhakani 
village, which was cleared of all jungle, a few large 
trees ouly being left. 
