aio 
Supplement to the '^Tropical Agricnlturiat*' [Sept. 1, 1893. 
third or fourth day. This can easily be done in 
14 minutes for half a ton of mould. After from 
8 to 14 days the mass will be completely dry, and 
will contain, in a non-volatile form, all the fertil- 
ising compounds of the liquid manure. 
When the vessel is full again the liquid manure 
is once more poured on the same mould, and this 
is dried again in the way described while the 
vessel is refilling. The procedure is repeated till 
the mould has absorbed as much as possible. It 
should stand five or six soakings. In experiments 
made last year, 2 cwt. peat litter absorbed 480 
gallons horse urine between 21st May and l<;t 
August. 
The advantages of the method are — (1) Pre- 
servation of the easily decomposed nitrogen 
compounds in liquid manure. (2) The manure 
need not be used at an inconvenient time. (3) The 
resulting manure is comparatively concentrated 
(e.ff., the liquid manure produced in a whole year 
"ipy a single horse can be stored up in a space 39 
inches square), and can be carted with little 
expense. The moie bulky stable manure can be 
used for the land nearest the farm, and can be 
easily preserved by keeping damp and strewing 
small quantities of kainite or carnallite upon it. 
(4) Any sulphuric acid added in excess re-ncts on 
the mould and converts its insoluble nitrogen com- 
pounds into a soluble form. 
Dr. Vogel is continuing his work on this subject, 
and is particularly anxious to determine whether 
the drying process will go on as well in winter as 
summer. The German Agricultural Society have 
made a grant of £2,000 to be expended during the 
next four years on research, conducted by Dr. 
Vogel, to determine the best ways of preserving 
manure. 
The subject of the conditions under which loss 
of nitrogen in farmyard manure takes place is i 
of the highest interest to every farmer. The re- 
sults of some experiments recently carried out ' 
are worth citing. It was found in comparative ■ 
experiments that the loss of nitrogen by fermenta- ' 
tion is greater when the manure is left to ferment ' 
in the stable or byre, than when it is removed and 
left in a heap by itself, this being due to the more 
rapid fermentation of the urine which takes place 
in the former circumstances. The loss is greater 
in summer than in winter. 
The experimenters (Miintz and Girard) have 
found that this loss is considerably reduced by 
the substitution of peat for ordinary straw litter. 
It is also reduced when dry earth, rich in humic 
substances, is used, the efficacy of this latter sub- 
stance as a litter being in proportion to the amount 
of- humic matter it contains. Thus the difference 
of loss, in a stable containing 16 horses, between 
straw and peat was as much as 15 per cent, of . 
nitrogen — the loss of nitrogen when straw was 
used being 63'6 jer cent., while with peat it only 
amounted to 48 3 per cent. The difference 
between straw and dry eaith was even greater. | 
In a sheep-fold, with 25 sheep, the loss amounted | 
to 50'2 per cent, when straw was used; on the 
other hand, wlien dry earth was used, the loss 
was reduced to 26'7 per cent. j 
These results, we distinctly in favour of peat ' 
a=> a litter, and confirm experiments carried out bj' 
other investigators on the same subject. 
Among these we may mention some extremely 
interesting ones made by Dr. Bernard Dyer, of 
London, some years ago, the results of "which 
appeared in the Mark Lane Rrprest (7th October, 
1889). The experiments were carried out with 
peat-moss litter, as compared with straw. From 
them Dr. Dyer concluded that in everj' respect 
peat-moss was superior to straw as a litter. It 
absorbed about three times as much liquid as the 
straw did, and its power of retaining this liquid 
was very much greater. Both these properties 
are of great importance in a litter. It further 
absorbed and retained more nitrogen than the 
straw, and produced a richer manure. 
To return to Miintz and Girard's experiments, 
in summing up their results the learned experi- 
menters suggest that where peat is not readily 
accessible, the best plan would be to supplement 
the usual straw litter with a little earth, rich in 
humus, sprinkled on the top of it. This is, of 
course, purely in the interests of the conservation 
of nitrogen. The (Question of cleanliness in stable 
or byre has also its claims to be considered. There 
is a further point to be urged in supporting the 
use of straw substitutes for the purposes of 
litter, and that is the value of straw itself as a 
fodder. 
TRAVELLERS JOTTINGS. 
One is particularly struck while en route to 
Anuradhapura with the apparently wild 
growth of Cassia fistula (the Sinhalese Ehela) 
which lightens up the roadside in the month 
of August with its golden blossoms that 
have been compared with the laburnum. Among 
the other common and striking trees in the 
neighbourhood of the ruined city are the Kon 
(the Ceylon oak) Schleichera triguga, which in 
that part is a veritable giant of the forest, 
palu (Mimusopi hexandra) and w6ra (Hnni- 
cyclia sepiaria), mimusops elengi (Moonamal) 
and Diospyros ebenum, the ebony tree. Tlii>se 
are all valuable timbers, and the first three bear 
fruits that are much appreciated by the natives. 
1 was pleasantly surprised to find the cattle of 
the country in such good condition. The reason 
of this may be that the animals are allowed to 
roam at large and find fodder anywhere it can 
be got at. The native breed has, I observed, 
become a good deal mixed, also owing probably to 
the fact that the cattle have no restraint whatever 
placed upon them, being secured neither by day 
nor night. But what is to be regretted is that the 
males are not kept under control, and only 
desirable animals allowed to go with the herds of 
cows. No attempt whatever is made at selection 
in breeding, and it is most to be regretted that 
young bulls are permitted to run about with 
the rest of the animals. 
It struck me that the vicinity of the ruined 
city would not be so bad a place for a cattle- 
^bi'ee'dirig stAtion, now that some of the ancient 
Ialt«»s of the district have been restored. By 
'means of irrigation cultivation during the rainless 
hot months, a grass and cattle farm ought to do 
well. Further up towards Tammankaduwa the 
