780 
Suppletnent to the "Tropical Agriculturist." [May 1, 1895. 
Special Committee of the Royal Agricultural 
Society on the abortion question would, however, 
go to show that there are preventive measures 
which have been adopted with success. 
Late in the last term classes of sylviculture were 
started at the Agricultural School, Colombo. The 
lectures were prepared by Mr. Broun, dictated 
by one of the masters, and explained by Mr. Broun 
whenever he was at headquarters. It was too 
late in the term to make any material progress, 
but still a start was made, and it is hoped that be- 
fore long the officers of the subordinate staff will 
be able to receive an education in the elements of 
Forest Sciences. The curriculum is at present 
not an ambitious one, and does not aim at being on 
a level with that of the Imperial Forest School at 
Dehra Dun. Sufficient funds are not available, 
and we cannot for some time hope to obtain the 
services of so large a staff of Specialists such as now 
lecture at Dehra Dun. Small as this commence- 
ment is, it receives our heartiest good wishes, and 
we look forward to the day when we shall have a 
body of trained rangers and guards, who will help 
in preserving and improving our forests wnich 
have suffered so much from years of ill-treatment. 
— Ceylon Forester. 
Beferring to argon, the new ly-discovered consti- 
tuent of the atmosphere, the Speaker asks: Do the 
molecules of argon for ever remain idle denizens of 
the air, or do they like the molecules of nitrogen, 
of oxygen, of carbonic acid, pass through a trans- 
migration of bodies, as constituents of minerals, 
plants and animals!^ It seems unlikely that the 
higher plants should have the power of directly 
assimilating argon. Nitrogen we know they 
caunot take up directly from the air The 
chief agency by which nitrogen is brought into 
the cycle of chemical combination and recombina- 
tion appears to be the action of bacteria associated 
with the life-processes of plants. And this is the 
age of bacteria Prof. Ramsay appears to re- 
gard the new element us a sort of chemical Topsy ; 
he "guesses nobody can do nothing with argon." 
He lias tried (! :■ violent methods of he.at and 
strong chemicals. Perhaps the Bacteriologist with 
gentler methods may yet show that argon does not 
stand aloof from the c useless changes of living 
forms uround it, in which so active apart is played 
by the other gases of the at inospherc 
The Editor of the Cajtc A '/ru-ultural Journal 
writes as follows about getting rid of fowl-lice: — 
" It will be found effectual bo i-prinkle the nest 
with a diluted solution of carbolic acid, or to scatter 
some powder of McDougall'> or any other carbolic 
disinfecting powder, as these pests cannot with- 
stand either long. If the weather is very dry, 
sprinkle the eggs a few times and pour plenty of 
water round the nest when the hen is hatching. If 
the young chickens become affected, mix a very few 
drops of carbolic acid with powdered brimstone 
mixing or rubbing well together, and put justeo 
much acid as will mix up dry with the brimstone, 
after which the chicks may be carefully dusted." 
The following remedies, says u writer to the 
Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales, have 
been suggested against the locust pest: Larspur and 
Castor-oil plants which are said to kill the insects 
which feed on the leaves): mechanical contrivances 
such as brush-harrows, rollers, canvas screens 
saturated with kerosene; kerosene emulsions or 
arsenical solutions sprayed on cultivated land 
known to be a breeding ground ; and smoke fires. 
The emu, crow, the turkey, the domestic fowl and 
ants are natural enemies of the locust. 
