August r, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
09 
they bite down before coming into flower; on the 
Other band, they leave the worthless varieties to 
flower, and run to seed, which seed being shed, bad 
growths are propagated. In the selection of palatable 
grasses, sleep, and particularly rams have a remark- 
able reaily power to rip out what is most seductive. 
Briefly then; always seed land with those grasses for 
which stock have a predilietion, and sow a great 
variety of the grasses, so that they will arrive suc- 
cessively in spring, summer, and autumn, Foxtailfor 
example, is an early and palatable grass, and so is 
Fed down rapidly, whilo crested dog's tail is the 
opposite. 
M. Laboulbene has carefully studied that enemy of 
maize, the Botya nubilaUs. It it a small caterpillar 
which on h aving its egg-stage, attacks the infant leaf 
and stem by tunnelling through their tissue. There may 
be several insects in the same, stem, but never more 
than two between thu knot spaces. In the matured 
insect, the male is rtddish grey, and the female pale 
yellow. The Botys attacks also hops, hemp and millet, 
liemedy : avoid cultivating the maize on the same soil 
several years in succession, and burn the old stumps 
in autumn. 
M. de Schlanstedt draws attention to his experi- 
1111 nts, demonstrating that everything which fetters the 
growth of the sugar beet aids to devevelop in the plant 
a tendency to run to seed. Thus, when the seed is 
covered too deeply ; when night frosts strike the young 
plants which have just appeared above ground, or if 
later, a froSt checks the vegetation; all these causes 
will contribute to produce beet liable to run to seed. 
Further, seed not sufficiently matured produces plants 
with a tendency to stalk. 
In consequence of the continued frauds in seeds, 
the French Government intends to have a law voted, 
creating inspectors of farm seeds offered for sale. The 
prosecution will be attended with few difficulties, the 
pe nalties will be severe, and the compensation allowed 
fo 1. 1 nners injured by the fraud, will be liberal. 
A commission is to visit Germany and study how the 
pure seed-law ther • works. 
Belgian farmers are noted for their success in 
potato culture. This they at tributeto careful attention 
in the selection of the tubors intended for seed, a 
selection made in autumn when tubers are carefully 
stored in a dry and airy cellar. Tubers intended for 
seed are never kept in silo; never are they planted if 
moist, or bavin ; sprouted, [n France the tubers are 
never planted till they have sprouted. A tuber lour 
Ounces in Weight, and having few eyes, is the model for 
seeding; if too large, it is watte ; if too small, the shoots 
will be slender "and dwarfy ; if too many eyes, there 
will be too many stems, too many roots, and too few 
tnbers. 
The growing favor with which meadow vulpine ( Alu- 
peeuriii pratennis) receives, merits the attention of agri- 
culturist s who de-ire a grus- which does not suffer from a 
tin, vigorous winter and develops rapidly and abundantly, 
ft likes a cool soil, that is to say, a bed not dry. 
Finland has the reputation of producing the best seed 
ot this esteemed grass, because more care is devoted 
to its saving. Satisfactory experiments are being con- 
ducted in Prance to acclimatize it to warraor and 
drier zones. 
In Silesia, the employment of bricks made with 
an addition of 10 to 'At per cent ol s.iw dust, are 
much in favor for the interior walls of buildings. 
If the clay contains much sand the saw dust is never 
employed. But it must not be forgotten, that such 
bricks though cheap, are from their porosity, unfit 
for many purposes. The addition of the dust could 
never lie worked up with the clay intended for drainage 
pipes or flagging. 
The arrangements for the agricultural section of the 
'ort In ly lm matronal Exhibition next year in this 
city are asSOtniug concictc shape. It will of course 
lm an Agricultural. Show throwu open to the world. 
The never features will lie a creator attention bes- 
towed on Conereno, Kach department of farm in- 
dustry, that most conspicuously engages preseut, and 
likely future attention, will bo prominently dealt with. 
These subjects will bo fixed upon in advance. Questions 
relating thereto, will be tout to the leading govern- 
ments, to have answered through their respective Cham- 
bers 01 Agriculture. When the replies are received, 
the French Government will have a summary of them 
made in French, English, Oeroun, and Spauish, and 
suggesting the most points for discussion. Authorities 
taking part in the discussions can either have their 
oral or written speeches simultaneously translated. 
EEPORT OF THE AGRI-HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY OF MADRAS FOR 1887. 
From this very interesting document we quote 
as follows : — 
THE Sisason. — As will appear from a peru-al of the 
following table and extracts collected and e implied 
from the returns of N. R. Pogson, E j q., o, t. B., 
the learned Government Astronomer, the year 1887, 
at Madras, has been in those respects which most 
affect vegetation quite extraordinary. 
Rainfall at Madkas. 
1887. 
Average. 
January 
001 ... 
... 0-95 
February 
o-oo ... 
... 0-31 
March 
030 ... 
... 0-42 
In 1st Qu. i ter 
031 ... 
... 1-67 
April 
0 00 ... 
... 0-65 
May 
006 ... 
... 2-27 
June 
0 63 ... 
... 201 
In 1st half-year ... 
rou ... 
... 6-62 
July 
2-00 ... 
... 3-78 
August 
8-67 
... 4-53 
September 
770 ... 
... 4«0 
In three Quarters .. 
2C-36 ... 
... 19-78 
October 
24-S6 ... 
... 10-64 
November ... 
13-57 ... 
... 13-38 
December ... 
11-95 ... 
... 4--9U 
In the year 
70-24 ... 
... 48-71 
The vain, nearly twelve inches, which fell in 
December, a'l fell on fifteen dajs; but the total fi>r 
the year was made up on one hundred days, the 
average number of days required tj give the rain- 
fall for an average year being eighty-two. " The 
hottest day in the shade was May 17th, when the 
thermometer reached 1 06*7 ; the coldest night was 
February 22nd, when it fell to i ; 06. The greatest 
wind velocity was 330 miles on October 9th, and the 
heaviest rainfall 0 - 75 on October 28tb. The rainfall 
was deficient until September, but excessive during 
the rest of the year. Thunder storms were recorded 
on twenty days, that is to say, one in July, four iu 
August, live iu September and eight iu October. 
Lightning unaccompanied by thunder was also seen 
on forty-one days. A light but well marked cyclone 
occurred on October 9th, and al 1 hough the wind 
velocity never exceeded 21 miles per hour at .Madras, 
it \\iis much stronger on the West Coast after cross, 
ing the Presidency. The North-East Monsoon winds 
began about October 3rd, but were not finally estab- 
lished before the end of the month." Such a state 
of affairs as evidenced by tho above figures could 
not but be most mischievous to the interests of the 
cultivator, whether of the Forest, the Garden or tho 
Field. The growers of Fuel trees in the neighbour- 
hood of Madras suffered enormous losses from the 
drought of the first half of the year, beginning tho 
season as they did with a short supply from the 
year beforu ; and when the rain came, it was all at 
once, and at a time of the year when experience 
had not taught time interested to expect it, resulting 
in the loss from cold and drowning, by all classes of 
cultivators, of millions of seedlings and youug plants, 
which bad bei u rcan d an I kept nli»e by band-watering. 
A curious experience was acquired in the Society's 
Gardens. On tho 1st of October, an experimental 
collection of plants, woody and herbaceous, was ob- 
tained from Coonoor. Out of 1,008 recoived, over 
7l>0 perished without a struggle, to all appvaraiu-r 
from nothing but the shock of the cold rain, as 
thoy did not dump off gradually but died at MOB. 
