April 2, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
679 
COMPRESSED FOBDEE FOK STOCK. 
Those who visited the exhibition of Viotcrian 
products in the Wharf & Warehouse buildings list 
month will remember the exhibits of oomprassed 
fodder, of which there were four specimens, viz. chfiff, 
bran, oorn cake composed of 20 lb. crushed oats and 
8 lb. crushed maize ; and lastly the forage for 
horses, oattlo and sheep, described as being com- 
posed of 16 lb. chaff, 8 lb. oats, 2 lb. niaizp, and 
2 lb. bran. The following from the Melbourne 
Arffus gives some information on the subject of 
oompresEcd fodder : — 
Reference was made in the Victorian Parliament 
to a new form of compressed fodder, about which 
more is likely to be heard, as it seems to offer 
special facilities foE-'an export trade in this particular 
product. Westcott's Patent Compressed I^^odder, as 
it is termed, is being prepared at the Austi-al Otis 
Works, South Melbourne, for purposes of experiment, 
and results show that the reduction is carried to 
a remarkable extent without, as far as can be seen 
in any way, injuring the fodder. For many years 
East methods towards this end have been patented, 
ut the failure in all has been that something had 
to be added to or taken from the fodder. Some 
glutinous medium, such as treacle, was largely ap- 
phed in nearly all of them, and this the inventors 
state was one of the methods which Sir Frederick 
Sargood states h? sav/ applied in Germany. The 
main principle used is hydraulic pressure, and samples 
of oats, bran, chaff, and all three mixed, with maize 
added, may be seen at the works by those interested. 
A bran block after being compressed can bo cut 
into blocks with a circular saw, and resembles 
more than anything else a block of kanri pine, 
yet pressure upon the ends break it up eisily. 
Some idea of the pressure used is gained from 
the fact that a ton of chaff can be put iuto *10 cubic, 
while 120 cubic feet is the smallest bulk obtainable 
in any other way, and a reduction to -10ft. to the 
ton brings it to the bulk at which lowest freights are 
charged for shipping. So far as the experiments 
made show the possibilities, the cost of preparing it 
in this wav, inclusive of chaffing, will be 2.5s per 
ton. Mr. Connor, M.L.C., who made the experiment 
of sending home chaff lately, paid 15s per ton for 
preparing it in a bulk of )20st. to the ton, and y5s 
per ton for freight. With the chaff condensed, as 
in this case — his three tons into one— he would have 
made a good profit. Tbe charge of 2.5s per ton 
quoted by tho inventors includes chaffing, compres- 
sing, and placing in a jute wrap arjd binding with 
iron hoops ready for shipment or carriage any where. 
The plant proposed for working it on a large scale 
would make, it is considered, 100 blocks an hour, 
and for convenience in handling it is proposed to 
made tliem up in blocks of 2811b. each, these blocks 
measuring Itiin. x 9in. and Bin. thick. Four of 
these blocks, or 1 cwt. of fodder, would have a 
bulk of two cubic feet. The lirm have given 
. the compressed fodder to their own horses, which 
show a preference for it as against the feed 
ordinarily mixed, and the fnct nf the fibre in ail 
cafes being thorongbly cru«h<>d w'.ll, it is thnnsht, 
msUe It a more economical food to ute. Thia may 
be ndmitted, since the expense of cruehirg oats for 
feed is coi sidered by moat j-e )plc to be f ul y covered 
by the cilra gdin in it3 qunlity as lodder. The 
fodder in iti nomprosicd form has beeu cxemined 
by repri sentatives ol the hading shipping firrac, who 
stRle that it hi»B none of tbe disadvautaKci of chnlT, 
wbou Hl.ipprd in ils ordii ary form, f.uch, for in- 
B'anop, a« risk from fire. Ssmp'es cf the fodder have 
a'rendy b-cn sent to the West Anetr«liiin Ko'd-fields 
for u,He by cnrrierc, sud to Iiidi« with one of tlie last 
Bhipments oj borte», and reports will bo obtained 
in f'U'> courao (s to its tuitabilily for tho Iudi;ui 
ttadci bjt more eepeoiall; (o tho praipeoi of itudtog 
fodder in pudh a form to Inlia. Mmy gentlemen 
interested in stock have inspected the fodder so pre- 
pared, and the general opinion is thnt the process 
IS likely to bi of great value even if limited 
to Auftralin, l)ut; that it ofTeis altogether new 
possibilies in an export trade. 
TE.\ PROSPECTS IN "THE DUN." 
A corrf spondent writes :—" Last year was th© 
best year as far as tea is concerned that the 
Dun gardens have had for a loog time, but so 
far this year the prospects aro even more promis- 
ing. Steady rain fell without intermission the 
whole of yesterd .y, the 28th February, and before 
that fall over (j.J inches of rain had been 
registered. Yeaterdny's fall cannot have boen lesa 
than 2 inch??, and a? the rain was steady, the 
greater portion of this must have sunk into tha 
Boil, F.nd become available for the bushes. In 
some of the gardens the bushes have alreay begun 
to flush, and plucldng should being in another 
fo^tnigh^, provided tho weather does not turn 
cold. The spring crop, which is an importeat 
one in the Dun, will consequently be an unusually 
lirge one." — Pioneer. 
LONDON REPORTS ON TRAVANCORE 
PRODUCE. 
(From Patiy & Pasteur, Limited, Report of the 
Colsnial Markets for the Week ending 
February I4th, 1894.) 
TRAVANCORE TEA. 
Bon Ami showed the best quality of the teaa 
offered this week, although all the tour estates in 
sale proved useful quality. Broken pekoes attraeted 
most attention, 
<o o o g . t>> o 
Qj . C/1 O L_ *^ o 
(B ~ 03 a .« 
a J? o cQ P > 
. . W , 03 ^ & <1 
Bon Ami lu^d bgd, 53d — 6|d, 5d 21a cbs. 7|d 
6gd 
Aneimudi 9id 7d 6d — TJd, 6d 166 i-ch 7Ad 
Walhu-di Sid 6id 5id — o^d, Id 87 chs. 7id 
Parvitlii ^id Hid 6d — — 84 ^-ch 7d 
Total 550 packages, averaging 7*d per lb. 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From Chemist and Dnt/ji/ist,) 
London, February 15. 
Annatto,— The recent etroug advance in the price 
of auuatio seed has bought lotwnrd teveral lots which 
were sliown Ht today's auctions. None cf them, how- 
ever, w*re of very dtsiiable quality, nud of the 82 
packages shown, only 11 boxes of very dull colour fold 
at lid per lb. ; fair (luality was bought in at from lid 
to 6J. Tho market is tending easier. 
Cassia Fistula. — There is now a toir supply, 45 bale* 
of Ja^apods lean to medium fair btight being boaght 
in at 35s although when a bid of 18s n as made it was 
e»r-maiked by tte broker ; for bttter otass pods 25b 
is isked. Another lot of 21 balei le»n wormy dry piidB 
wa.s booKht in at 20s prr cwt. 
C'l uEB?. — It is reported that there has been a fairly 
good detuaud for cubibi lately, and one broker re- 
prrls priiale sales of good blue bcrrits at COs per 
cwt. A general eui vey of tho market, however, in- 
dic^te^a lower tetdi ncy for tbe article. At auction 
70 baKS were shown ana bought in at Irom 55j to 57« 
pur cwt., for fair emsll browu berries somewhat mixoJ 
iviih 3tuik f om Singapore. 
(iuiNixe. — There lias been an a]m03\ total abnoooe 
of bu^ii css this week, and the msriict is Io»» •trontf 
upon the surfitcc, slihouKh tho posi'ioa rf the drng 
rt^msins (uund. ToJa^ we bear • bidofU^dptr \if 
