Nov. 1, 1893.] Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." 
359 
about thirty minutes, and the result is a brown 
piece of natural bread, white or perhaps yellow 
inside, and very nutritious. 
The imporf.aiit influence which the physical 
or mechanical properties of the soil exert upon its 
fertility are pretty generally though vaguely 
recognised by practical farmers. These properties 
were among the first to be investigated, and such 
investigators as Sir Humphrey Davy and others 
did much to throw light on this department of 
ngronomy, as the French call the science of the 
soil. 
The physical properties of a soil may affect plant 
growth in several different ways. For one thing, 
a soil may be so compact or tenacious as to 
prevent the plant roots from freely developing. 
Most important, too, if< the influence of the 
physical condition of the soil on those biological 
processes whereby plant food is prepared for 
the plants' needs. The process of nitrification, 
for example, is entirely coiiaolle.1 in its develop- 
ment by the mechanic il properties of a soil. 
No matter what the composition of the soil is, 
unless its physical condition is favourable, it is 
incapable of producing large crops. These pro- 
perties, which were early recwgnised as having 
an important bearing on soil fertility, have been 
of recent years too much neglected by agricultural 
scientists. 
Says an Australian paper : —The reckless and 
wanton wood-cutting operations which have 
been going on in Australia without intermission 
for upwards of forty years, are unparalleled in 
any other part of the world. The proportion of 
trees felled, but left unsed, to those made use of 
has been astounding. This death-like disregard 
of Natures teachings through her forests has so 
disarranged the seasons in the north and north- 
west districts of Victoria as to render profitable 
farming almost a matter of impossibility. The 
wonderful climatic changes that have come over 
the Wimmera and other districts are painfully 
apparent to farmers and all observant residents. 
The heat of the summer has become more intense, 
and the cold of the winter more severe, and 
there is a greater liability to drought. The late 
Mr. Clement Hodgkinsou, Assistant Commissioner 
of Crown Lands in Victoria, wrote on this 
subject :— " The destruction of forests on any 
tract of land lessens the rainfall thereon, arrests 
the springs at the sources of the water-courses, 
besides rendering the flow of water thereon 
irregular and intermittent. On the other hand, 
the renewal of extensive planting operations of 
the forest on such tract again increases the rain- 
fall thereon, causes the springs to re-appear, and 
tlie discharge of the watercourses to be again 
satisfactory, as incontestibly proved by the 
multitude of well-authenticated cases recorded by 
French, German and Italian scientists, in which 
cases the reduction and irregularity of the flow 
of water and the disappearance of springs on 
tracts of lands ou which forests have been sud- 
denly felled, have been completely overcome, and 
the water supply restored to its pristiue atate, by 
planting euch tracts with trees," 
An Australian nurserj'man referring to the three 
common pests on fruits and flower's, viz., scale, 
aphis, and mildew, gives some practical hints 
from his own experience. In the 'case of the coccus 
or scale insect and the aphis or plant louse, he 
recommends kerosine emul^ieui as the most 
simple, effective and the easiest applied. The 
following is the recipe: Boil soft soap in just 
sufficient water to dissolve it (1 lb. soap to 1:^ pint 
water), then add one pint of kerosine. AVhen 
thoroughly mixed one quart will be sufficient for 
three gallons of water, and the mixture should 
be applied with a fine nozzled .syringe. In the 
case of the plant louse one good dres.^ing is 
generally effectual, but when applied to the scale 
the greatest care should be exercised, so chat every 
part of the tree gets thoroughly saturated, more 
especially underneath the leaves, for if this is 
neglected all the insects so secured will remain 
untouched and form a new stock for further 
destruction. The oidium or mildew, difl'erent 
from the two preceding pests, is due to a fungus, 
and in its early stages consists of a white coating 
over all parts of the infested plant. The super- 
ficial position of the fungus renders direct treat- 
ment comparatively easy, and a thorough 
application to the diseased part of flowers of 
sulphur or sulplide of potassium in weak solution 
(which is also recommended for green fly and 
red spider) will be found sufficient to put an 
end to the fungus without injuring ihe plants. 
But it has also been found that the same remedy 
as has been recommended for scale and plant 
louse with the addition of a little flowers of 
sulphur, applied during the period of rest, has 
been found a good preventative : loose liark and 
the soil immediately round the plant sliould at 
the same time be removed and burnt, and every 
l)art of the plant thoroughly washed. If this 
treatment is adopted once a year, as a rule, it will 
destroy all traces of mildew. 
The following is recommended in cases of roup 
among fowls. Preventive treatment : keep poultry 
houses scrupulously clean, sprinkling unslaked 
lime over the floor and thoroughly limewashing 
walls, perches and boxes. On the appearance of 
the first symptoms remove the affected bird, give a 
small quantity of epsom salts ; next morning 
follow with a piece of camplior about the size of 
a French bean, and give only soft food. Where 
the breathing is very heavy, sj'ringe through the 
roof of the nose with a weak solution of Condy's 
fluid. 
A writer to an Australian paper is advocating 
the establishment of " Advisory Boards" of 
agriculture consisting of agricultural authorities 
and scientific experts in various districts. Here 
in Ceylon, with no proper agricultural depart- 
ment, we have not yet succeeded in establishing 
even a Central Agricultural Board for the 
Colony. If there is any subject which nearly 
every man thinks he knows something about, 
it is Agriculture ; aud it is often folly for those 
who really know something about the subject 
to be wise. 
■' Evenden's butter extractor" is the name of a 
new patent churu. The following, in tlio words 
of the advertisers, are "a few of its manysur- 
