354 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Soy. 1, 1894. 
cow's milk diluted with water. The fact that 
these two samples were whiter in colour than 
cow's milk, and that while the specific gravity 
and solids-not-fat were very low, the fat was 
present in very fair proportion, 1 draw the con- 
clusion that A consisted mainly of buffalo milk, 
and that 13 contained both buffalo milk and 
added water. Feeling pretty sure of the pre- 
sence of buffalo milk in these two samples, 1 
sent a trustworthy servant to procure some 
samples of genuine buffalo milk, which I ana- 
lysed with the following results : — 
Specific gravity 
1-0174 
1-0278 
1-0103 
Fat . . 
477 
5 '57 
541 
Sugar and casein 
5-09 
714 
345 
Salts 
•27 
•73 
•57 
Total solids 
1013 
1344 
9-43 
Water.. 
8987 
86-56 
90o7 
100 00 
100 00 
100-00 
Solids-not-fat . . 
6-36 
7-87 
4 02 
"It would appear from these three analyses that, 
unlike the case of cow's milk, the fat in buffalo 
milk does not vary in amount so much as the 
solids-not-fat; but to establish this as a fact, 
a much more extended series of analyses would 
be required. In all three cases, the solids-not-fat 
were lower than, anil, in one case, only half of 
the minimum amount found in genuine cow's 
milk. 
"The only three samples of Colombo milk, 
purchased in a casual way as cow's milk, which 
1 have analysed, have thus turned out to be 
abundantly watered or mixed witli buffalo milk, 
or both watered and mixed with buffalo milk. 
" 1 submitted a sample of the liquid from a 
drinking coconut, and also a sample of coconut 
milk to the same analytical treatment, as the 
samples of cow and buffalo milk, with the follow- 
Liquid from 
drinking 
Coconut. 
coconut. 
milk. 
Specific gravity 
1-0148 
■994 
Oil . . 
•23 
36-78 
Sugar and other con- 
stituents 
3-56 
7-60 
Salts 
•61 
■87 
Total solids and oil. . 
4-40 
45-25 
Water 
95-60 
54 '75 
10000 
100-00 
Solids free from oil . . 
4-17 
8-47 
" Supposing the coconut milk, which was rather 
thick, had been diluted till it contained 89 per 
cent of water, its composition would then have 
been — • 
Oil .. .. .. 8-94 
Sugar and other constituents . . 1'85 
Salts .. .. .. -21 
Total solids and oil . . 11-00 
W ater . . . . 89- 
100-00 
Solids free from oil . . . . 2 - 06 
" Buffalo milk, coconut milk, the liquid of the 
drinking coconut, and water, it added to cow's 
milk, will thus reduce its specific gravity and 
the solids-not-fat. Buffalo milk will maintain, 
and, as a rule, considerably increase the amount 
of fat. Coconut milk will increase the fat or oil 
still more. If added of the same degree of con- 
sistency as the sample analysed, coconnt milk 
would add non-fatty-solid in about normal pro- 
portion, but the great increase in the fat or oil 
would lead to its detection. 
" Under the microscope, the average 6ue of the 
fat globules of buffalo milk U somewhat larger 
than that of cow"« milk, while the average siie of 
the fat globules of coconut milk is much larger 
than either of the others." 
With the increase in the number of dairies 
under responsible management, householders will 
have the choice of getting their supply of milk 
from a reliable source, though they may, perhaps, 
have to pay a little higher price. (We notice 
that a dairy has just been established in Galle. I 
The peripatetic milkman may thus come to find 
his occupation gone, unless he desists from ' ways 
that are dark," seeing that the public could 
from choice do without him. 
RAINFALL AT TUB SCHOOL OF AGRICUL- 
TURE DURING SEPTEMBER. 
1 
. 01 
13 . 
. -oi 
25 
. -01 
2 
. 01 
14 . 
. -oi 
26 
. -03 
3 . 
. Nil 
15 . 
. 01 
27 
. -04 
4 
. Nil 
16 . 
. Nil 
2K 
. Nil 
5 
. Nil 
17 . 
. Nil 
29 
. -01 
6 
. Nil 
18 . 
04 
30 
. -22 
7 
. -oi 
19 . 
. 02 
1 
. -04 
8 
. Nil 
20 . 
. -01 
9 
. Nil 
21 . 
. Nil 
Total . 
. -76 
10 
. 03 
22 . 
. OS 
11 
. 05 
23 . 
. Nil 
Mean 
. -025 
12 
. . 01 
24 . 
. 15 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours on 
the 30th instant, '22 inches. 
Recorded by P. Van De Bona. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
We are indebted to a Ceylon planter — a suc- 
cessful agriculturalist of advanced views — for a 
copy of Prof. Aikman's valuable little work on 
" Farmyard Manure — its Nature, Composition and 
Treatment." The book is a compendium of useful 
and up-to-date information on a subject which 
closely concerns every cultivator of the soil, and 
being moderately priced, is within the reach of 
all to purchase. The publishers are Messrs. Black- 
wood and Sons. We quote the following general 
remarks, constituting the Introduction to the little 
work, and may in a future issue refer again to 
the text. : — 
"The teudency of modern times towards central- 
isation, the modern methods of sewage disposal 
and of cultivation, involving thorough drainage 
of our soils, and the so-called "intensive" cul- 
tivation of our crops, have all combined to render 
the function of manures at the present day of 
greater importance than ever before. While it is 
true the farmer is no longer — as he was a century 
ago — entirely dependent for his supply of manure 
on that produced on the farm, and while, therefore 
