Dec. 1, 1894] Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." 
431 
select the best season ; he would know when to 
plough:, when to weed, and how and when to gather 
in his crop. If, tor example, an inexperienced man 
were given a marshy paddy-field and a stock of 
seed grain and asked to raise a crop of paddy, 
the result would be a sad failure. lie would 
not know the time he should conduce certain 
operations in his land, he would lack the local 
experience necessary to ensure the safety of his 
crops from floods and droughts and from insects 
and cattle. If any of these precautions were 
neglected, the attempt would naturally result in 
failure. The great aim in the cultivation of a 
new crop or a neglected one should be to con- 
tinue the attempt for three or four successive 
seasons, till the necessary experience is gained. 
There are many other crops which could be 
profitably grown, if more attention is paid to 
them. In this paper it is not possible to give 
more than a mere list of some of these. Sugar- 
cane is a product, which, if properly cultivated, 
should succeed in some districts, 
Ginger, Turmeric, Coriander, and Spices thrive 
well in our climate, but no attempt is made to 
raise them on a larye scale. All varieties of grain 
would form profitable crops. As regards fibre 
plants no attempt on a proper scale has ever 
been made to prepare or raise a crop. There is 
Rhea, Jute, Aloes and other varieties deserving 
attention. Dye and tanning materials are all 
neglected though perhaps in their case it might be 
»aid that their production will not pay now in 
completion with mineral dye stuffs. 
W. A. D. S. 
SP HAYING MACHINES. 
We find that we have omitted to acknowledge 
receipt of a catalogue issued by the firm of 
Strawson's Limited, the local agents for which 
are the Eastern Produce and Estates Company, 
Limited. The litter firm in sending us the 
catalogue directs attention to the " Autipest" 
machine, described as " a sprayer, improved in 
design and cheapened in price, to be used either 
with powders or liquids for removing or prevent- 
ing blights, fly, insects, and fungus on growing 
plants economically and without injury to the 
plant." We note that the Eastern Produce and 
testates Company introduced the spraying machine 
which the Assistant Government Agent of Matara 
used with success On infested paddy. This machine, 
we are informed, was not an " improved" one, 
and " cost nearly double the price" of the Anti- 
pe.-t, but the report of the successful experiments 
at Matara is said to have effected the sale of 
ti others. "We do not know what success has 
attended tlie trial which the Assistant Government 
Agent of Kegalla is reported to have made with 
this machine, but we have no doubt that the 
results were satisfactory, provided the insecticides 
used were judiciously chosen and prepared of 
the proper strength. On this latter condition 
depends not only the destruction and prevention of 
the pests, but also the fact of the plants being 
directly injured or not by the insecticide. 
We have not had the opportunity of inspecting 
an "Antipest" machine, but from a diagram 
given in the catalogue it would appear to be very 
similar to " Vermorel's Eclair Kuapsack Spraying 
Pump" which we have already described in' the 
pages of the Magazine. This latter has been 
used with success for some time at the School of 
Agriculture ; in the case of sucking insects, 
charged with kerosine emulsion, and for biting 
insects with solutions of Paris green or London 
Purple. The machine imported for the School 
was bought of Messrs. Clark & Co., 20, Great 
St. Helens, London, E.G., and cost 35 shillings 
in England. We do not quite see the adaptability 
of a machine like the " Antipest" (also costing 
35 shillings in London) for distributing insecti- 
cides in the form of powders ; but, as we have 
said, we have had no opportunity of giving the 
" improved" sprayer a trial, and are therefore 
unacquainted with the improvements which are 
claimed for it. 
In the last Journal of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England we find a report on the trials 
of Spraying machines at Cambridge. Among the 
" knapsack" machines entered for trial, were the 
"Antipest" (£1 los.), the " Notus" (£1 8s.), the 
" Coronetta" (£1 10s.), and the "Fruit sprayer" 
(£5) all from Strawson's Limited. The report 
referring to these sprayers, remarks that some of 
these " most useful machines" are well suited for 
distributing liquids and powders. The '' Antipest ' 
is described as " a «ood instrument, modelled on 
the lines of the continental knapsack machines." 
We note that " Shawson's Limited" are also 
prepared to supply insecticides such as JSoui/lie 
Bordelaise, kerosine emulsion, quassia, tobacco 
juice, hellebore, Paris green, &c, but there should 
be no difficulty in preparing or locally purchasing 
most of these. 
For powdered insecticides we have been using 
the " Soufflet" or bellows which is a cheap and 
handy instrument, costing only 3s. each in 
England. 
We would in conclusion express our gratification 
that we have a local firm prepared to supply 
sprayers and insecticides at moderate cost, for we 
consider that it is of the greatest importance that 
convenient methods of checking or exterminating 
insect and fungoid pests should be brought to the 
notice of, and adopted by, the cultivating classes 
in Ceylon. 
DYSTOKIA IN A COW AND EMBRYOTOMY. 
On October 25th a *iud cow belonging to the 
Government Dairy was reported to be suffering 
from dystikia. The cow was a well-formea 
healthy one and imported to the Island early in 
January. At the tune of lauding she was 
believed to have been in calf for four or five 
months. However, she never showed any signs of 
labour pains till the 24th of October, i.e., nearly 
ten months after lauding. Taking for granted 
that the cow was at least 3 months in calf before 
it was purchased, the period of gestation is shewn 
to have been over thirteen months in this case. 
On the 25th the water bag was ruptured and 
two limbs were presenting. On exploration per- 
vagina it was found that the limbs presenting 
were the hind ones with the hocks bent in. It 
was a case of breech presentation. The lower 
jaw was secured with a cord but the fore 
limbs were so bent down and the size of 
the foetus was so great that the fore limbs 
could not bo reached. After unsuccessful attempts 
