784 
SwppUment to the Tropical Agricultiiriftty [May 1, 1894 
formed. For use dilute with 15 parts of water. 
The spraying was doue by means of the " Eclair " 
knapsack spraying machine. 
Some time ago w« referred to the Singham or 
water chestnut, as yielding in its curious buffalo- 
head-like fruit a farinaceous food. The plant is 
known by the Sinhalese name of Ikiliya, and is 
found in some of the tanks in the neighbourhood 
of Auuradliapura. In India, it is commonly 
grown in Guzerat, and is said to be the only food 
for at least 30,000 people for 5 months in the 
year in Cashmere. The following is an analysis 
of the edible portion of the fruit, as made out by 
Mr. Hooper, the Madras Government Quinolo- 
gist :— 
Fat . . . . 0-97 
Sugar and Gum . . 14-36 
Albuminous matter . . 8'41 
Starch . . . . 63 84 
Cellulose . . , . 3-60 
Ash . . . . 4'66 
Water . . . . 4-16 
Total. .100-00 
The nutrient ratio, or the ratio between the 
albuminous matter and the starchy materials is 
1:9. 5, which is very similar to that of cleaned 
rice having a nutrient ratio of 1: 10. 8. 
LACTIC FERMENTS. 
The Melbourne Leader has an interesting report 
on the experiments that have been carried out 
in connection with lactic ferments, and the im- 
portant influence which the success of these 
experiments is likely to produce on the manufac- 
ture of butter. The experiments consist in steri- 
lising cream and afterwards adding to it the 
particular bacillus (which has now been isolated) 
that produces the proper butter aroma, when used 
as a pure culture to ripen cream. Samples of a 
pure culture of the ferment having been secured 
from the Continent by Mr. David Wilson, that 
gentleman in conjunction with Mr. Pearson, the 
Government Analytical Chemist, succeeded in 
proving as the result of the experiments referred 
to, thrj butter produced from cream first sterilised 
and afterwards treated with the ferment was far 
superior to the best samples produced in the 
ordinary way. A description of the manner in 
which this superior butter is made mentions that 
the cream was raised to a temperature of 200 
degrees, and rapidly cooled down to 40 degrees 
when the lactic ferment cultivated from the 
continental samples was added ; the cream was 
churned some 24 hours later. The b u tter produced 
from this levured cream was pronounced to be 
worth 4d. more in the London market than first- 
class butter produced in the ordinary way. It is 
described as having possessed a perfect aroma, 
and the beautiful flavour found only in the highest 
class butter. The introduction of the cultivated 
ferment to the sterilised cream is, moreover, said 
to have a more beneficial effect on the keeping 
qualities oi the butter, and among other instances 
in proof of this, the following is given: — A portion 
of the same churning of butter as that under 
roHce wnssentto Colombo, nr.d, owing to some 
ipiisiake, instead of being takeii to a cool store, it 
was placed ill an open shed, where it remained in 
tlie rtweltering heat for 17 dayi*. At the end of 
that time it v as evamined, and then found to 
be good and sweet. 
It is a common practice in dairies to allow cream 
to ripen lor a cerlaiii period (accunling to tempera- 
ture^ before churning, since the cream churns 
more ea.sily, and a large- amount of butter is 
obtaiund tluiii, without ri|)cniiig, \\lii)etlie j<roper 
flavour or aromu is secured. During tliis i>r(X-eSti 
of ripening the viirious bacteria contained iit 
cream multiply rapidly ; and among them the 
lactic iicid organisms which produce the souring 
of cream are prominent. It was a **\vedish rhn- 
mist, named Stin-ch, who *u(-eeeded in Lsolnt ing 
from cream a single bacillus, which, wlieii used 
as a pure culfur , produced the butler aroma; and 
shortly after Weigmaiiu succeeded in obtaining 
culture.' of an oiganis.m which pioduced a normal 
ripening of cream and the proper aroma in butter. 
The value of using sucli a ferment, if it can be 
supplied, in a practical manner, is quite apparent, 
and we may e.xpect, as the report under notice 
points out, that improvements will be introduced 
into butter-making similar to those which have 
been effected in brewing by means of the study 
of the yea.sts. Tlie following passage helps to 
explain why the new mode of fermentation should 
give better results than the old : — A sample of 
cream contains a large variety of bacteria, but the 
ordinary butter-maker has no means of obtaining 
a proper control over them. During the ripening 
process of the cream there will ensue a conflict of 
the different organisms with each other, and the 
re.^ult will be influenced by temperature, variety 
of specie.s, quality of the cream, length of time of 
ripening, a.« well as the advantage which certain 
species of organisms may get from an earlier start. 
In such a conflict it will be a matter of accident 
if the ])roper species succeeds in growing with 
sufficient rapidity to produce it«> own effect on 
the cream unliindered by the others. To prevent 
a conflict of this kind, and by sterilising the 
cream and then adding tlie cultivated organisms 
to give them a start of all other kinds, thus 
insuring the production of butter possessing 
superior merit, is the object which the scientist 
has now in view, and experiments go to show that 
a large measure of success has been attained. 
Until, however, the matter is taken beyond the 
confines of the laboratory and firmly established 
in the factory, it can scarcely be said to have ad- 
vanced much beyond the experimental stage, but 
this much may be said — that almost everj' experi- 
ment that has been conducted has shown the 
cei-tainty with which a pure culture of the right 
kind of bacteria will ensure the production of a 
superior butter with the most ap])roved flavour 
and aroma. 
INDIAN JOTTINGS. 
Cattle from the Bombay Presidency feem to be 
in demand in foreign parts for stud purposes. 
.Inst now three fine bulls of the ^jV breed have 
been brought down to be sent to Jamaica. The 
importers evidently do not mind the cost, as in 
addition to two cattle men . a student of the 
Bombay Veterinary College is likely to travel in 
i charge of the animals. Even with very liberal 
