432 
Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist." [Deo. I, 1894. 
at bringing the foetus into position, embryotomy 
was decided on. The head was severed fleet 
with the knife and removed with some difficulty 
as it was quite above the normal size. Next the 
limbs were severed at the hocks, und the ampu- 
tated foetus was brought iuto position. The 
foetus was now extracted without much difficulty. 
It was in an oedematous condition, the hair 
having fallen off, and on the whole showed signs ol 
having been lain dead for over twenty-four hours. 
The cow was much exhausted, was given a dose 
of alcohol and kept on warm gruel with ginger. 
The womb was washed with Condy's fluid and a 
little oil injected. In the evening as the cow 
was much worse and evidently in pain, the 
following drench was administered : — 
Tr. Nticis Vomica 
Tr. Opii aa ... gii 
Amnioni Carl). ... 3i 
Spt. iether : nit. ... 5iv 
Aqnse O.i 
M. ft. mist 
Half the quantity to be given at once and half 
the next morning. 
In addition rice gruel was given twice a day. 
The next day the weather was very wet and 
small doses of alcohol were administered twice. 
The washing and injections were continued. 
Under this treatment the cow completely 
recovered about the fourth day. 
W. A. D. S. 
GREEN MANUKING. 
Green manuring, or the ploughing under of 
green crops, is the cheapest and most effective 
method for building up poor soils, and for main- 
taining the fertility of those already in good 
condition, says a bulletin of the Mississippi station. 
It furnishes the necessary humus, it leaves sup- 
plies of potash and phosphoric acid in the surface 
soil where they are immediately available for 
future crops, and when leguminous crops are 
used, large amounts of nitrogen are assimilated 
from the air and made ready for other crops 
to use. On heavy soils its mechanical effects 
are very marked, not only in loosening the sur- 
face soil which is turned by the plough but 
also by loosening the subsoil deeply and so making 
it permeable to the roots of other cro, s. Green 
manuring is to fertilizing what grazing is to 
raising cattle. Crops can be grown by the use 
of stable manure, cotton seed and chemicals, and 
cattle can be grown on a diet of dry hay and 
grain, but neither is the most economical plan 
to be pursued permanently. In Mississippi we 
are fortunate in having a large number of plants 
which can be used for this purpose, some of 
■which are perennials like alfalfa and red clover, 
others like melilotus are biennials and do their 
work in two seasons, while still others, like 
lespedeza and cow peas, are annuals. Vetches 
and rye can be grown in two months of summer 
weather. There is no time in the year when it 
is not possible to have restorative crops growing 
which will go far toward preparing the ground 
for succeeding crops. 
Plants to Use. — The plants most commonly 
used for green manuring are the legumes, the 
best of which are cow peas, melilotus, alfalfa 
red clover and lespedeza and also the grasses. 
Of these, the leguminous plants are far more 
valuable than are grains and grasses, from the 
fact that they have much larger and stronger 
root systems, and so are able to gather food 
which is beyond the reach of the more shallow 
rooting grasses. They are all plants having strong 
tap roots which will fo.-ce their way through 
the subsoil and 60 make it loose and porous ; 
they bring up from the subsoil a large amount 
of potash and phosphoric acid which is left in 
the surface soil, and as nearly all l«-guuies are 
rank growers they furnish more humus-making 
material than do the grasses. 
NnnoOE.v GATHnni<ns. — The most important 
reason, however, for using the legumes is the 
fact that they are able to assimilate nearly or 
quite all their nitrogen from the atmosphere, 
while most other plauts consume only that which 
is already in the soil. Nitrogen is the uust 
expensive element of plant food, and the one 
which ic is the most difficult to secure. The 
roots and stems of grusses contain only about 1^ 
per cent of nitrogen while the amount found 
in legumes is about 2k per cent. While the 
grasses take one and a half pounds of nitrogen 
from the soil, elaborate it into plant food, and 
then leave it in an available condition for future 
crops, the legumes take nearly double the amount 
from the air where it is unavailable for other 
plants, and add it to the amount alreudy in the 
soil. The roots and stems of legumes are also 
richer in both potash and phosphoric acid than are 
grasses, and so, both chemically and mechanically, 
they are the more valuable plants for use as 
green manures. 
Cow I'eas. — Cow peas are very commonly used 
for green manures from the fact that they will 
grow on almost any soil, will make a large 
bulk of stems and roots, and can be grown in 
one season. When a restorative crop is wanted 
to occupy the ground for one summer only, this 
is the best which can be grown, and if planted 
early the crop will mature in time for a second 
crop to be grown on the same land if desired. 
Whether the vines should be cut for hay and 
only the roots and stubble used for manure, and 
whether the vines should be ploughed under in 
the fall or left to protect the surface from 
washing during the winter, aie questions which 
bring out long discussions at almost every farmers' 
institute, and which no single statement will 
answer. Various plans have been followed at 
the station, and we find that in this as in all 
other work with fertilizers we must be governed 
by the condition of the field in which the crop is 
grown. On heavy soils we have found it much 
better to plough under the whole crop, while on 
lighter and more sandy soils we have found it 
better economy to graze the crop as such soil 
needs compacting rather than loosening, and the 
droppings from the cattle compensate for a large 
part of the fertilizing material carried off. — 
dian A yriculturist. 
ZOOLOGICAL NOT ft S FOR AGRICULTURAL 
STUDENTS. 
The gfoup Ruminantin includes the following 
families : Camelidee (camels, Llamas and Alpacas), 
Tragulidae (Chevionians), Cervidae (deer), Camelo 
