854 
Supplement to the "Tropical Agriculturist." [June 1, 1896. 
it spreads with amazing rapidity. Known in the 
United States as " Crnb grass," where it is re- 
cognised as the most useful of all pasture grasses, 
it makes a sweet hay, and horses are exceedingly 
fond of it. Cotton and corn-fields in the south 
are often so overrun with it that the hay which 
might be secured would be more valuable than 
the original crop. In Fiji, Singapore, and Ceylon 
it i6 widely diffused near gardens and plantations. 
In the former country it is " the best pasture 
grass," while at Singapore Ridley says it makes 
an excellent " turf grass." 
Panicum pabulare, Aitch. Hemsl. (P. ciliare, 
D.C.) is a variety of P. sanguinale described by 
Aitchison as the best fodder grass for cattle in 
the Kuram Valley of Afghanistan. 
Paspalum scrobiculatum. L. — " Kodo" or " Koda" 
Millet of India. An erect growing annual grass, 
with stems about 2 feet in height. It is widely 
dispersed through the tropics of the eastern 
hemisphere, generally regarded as a valuable 
pasture grass, and as an ingredient for hay. It 
sometimes attains a height of G to 8 feet. The 
grain is largely used as food by the native* ol 
India, but it is by no means a wholesome article 
of diet. Unless special precautions are taken, 
it is liable t.o act as a narcotic poison. Cat t le. 
and especially buffaloes, eat the grass readily 
when it is young. The straw is occasionally used 
as fodder. Animals are, however, carefully ex- 
cluded from the fields when the crop is ripening, 
as they appear to suffer cfcn more than men from 
the ill effects of Shdra poisoning. It i- the 
" Ditch-millet '' of Ne w South Wales and the 
Herbe a ipee of Mauritius. 
Stenotaphrum americanuui, Kuuth. (S. dimi- 
diatum, Trin ). — "* Pimento grass'' (Jamaica), 
" Buffalo grass '' (Australia). A perennial creeping 
grass, with wide-spreading rhizomes, seldom more 
than a foot high. ISach joint of the rhizome 
bears a tuft of smooth, pale-green leaves. The 
panicle is 3 to 4 inches long, with a flat jointed 
rachis. This is an excellent crass for binding 
sea sand and loo-^e soil of river banks. It 
flourishes on dry limestone soils in Jamaica, and 
affords nourishing food for animals pastured under 
the pimento trees. Hence its name. There seems 
to be a diversity of opinion as to its merits as 
a fodder plant in other countries. It keeps alive 
in the hottest and driest region of Central 
Australia, where it was introduced by Sir F. von 
Mueller. It was successfully established also at 
Ascension, and it flourishes on the singularly 
arid volcanic rocks of that island. The plant 
has been grown for many years in pots and under 
the stage in the cool Ecouomic House at Kew. 
GEIfEKAL ITEMS. 
Have any of our readers heard of ''■ Jumping 
Seed''? The seed of the tamarisk (Tamarix arti- 
culata), a leaf gall on a species of Rhus, and the 
capsule of Exccecaria Africana are all known by 
this curious name. In each case the " jumping" is 
due to the presence of larvae. We have in Ceylon 
species of Tamarix and JExcac ccaria, but have not 
heard of the "jumping" qualities of their seed. 
We read in the Agricultural Journal of Cape 
Colony that turkey hens are capital sitters, and 
that they can be made to «-it any time by giving 
them a teaspoonful of port wine before placing 
them on the eggs. It is not uncommon for turkeys 
to hatch sittings of hens' eggs over and over again 
without leaving the nest. 
Twenty to twenty-five pounds of lucerne seed 
is given as the proper quauity for sowing one 
acre. 
The Colonial Veterinary Surgeon of the Cape 
recommends, among other things, " powdered k»- 
mala" for tape worm in animals. Lauder B run- 
ton refers to " powdered kamala" as a dark ochre- 
coloured powder, consisting of minute glands and 
hairs obtained from the Burfaee of Mallntiu 
i p/tilippinenm's from India." It may be given 
I mixed in a little milk or water, or, better still, 
I soft soap. It is rather difficult to mil it nicely 
I with water, as it is very light, and must be mude 
I into a fluid paste first, then water added, and the 
! whole kept stirred. The dose for a lumb or kid is 
i a tea spoonful heaped up. Calves twice that quan- 
i tity; dogs half a teaspoon to a full tea spoon 
I according to size and age. It does not require to 
be mixed with a purgative, as ii has u purgative 
action itself. M. pAitippine/ui* is the Sinhalese 
Hampirila. 
Turpentine is another very effective remedy fo r 
tape worm. Calves require a table spoonful ( 
lambs and kids a tea spoonful ; dog* twenty to' 
forty drops. Turpentine acts more effectively as 
a vermifuge when combined with a purgative, 
such as raw linseed or castor oil. Unless the 
bowels act freely the turpentine, being very vola- 
tile, may pass out by the kidneys and lungs, and 
thus fail in expelling the worms. 
Arecanut powder is one of the most effective 
remedies for tape worm in dogs, but it ha* not 
been used so largely for herbivorous animals. The 
dose for a dog is from 15 to 60 grains, or, as 
Mayhew observes, about 2 grains for every pound 
which the dog weighs. 
Cows in milk will consume nearly 50 per cent 
more water than the same cows when not giving 
milk. The J\ew York Experimental Station at 
Geneva found as an average of several breeds that 
each cow drank 1,039 pounds of water and con- 
sumed 547 pounds more in food per month. Dur- 
ing lactatiou the average per month was 1,660 
pounds drunks, and 774 - 8 pounds consumed as 
food. 
A large quantity of milk given by our cows is 
the result of breeding and domestication. In the 
natural state a cow produces about enough milk 
for one calf. Our best cows will support 2 or 
more calves. Therefore, like all other valuable 
qualities produced by breeding under domestication 
so this increasing milking habit will deteriorate 
under bad management. 
It is said that there is written up over the en- 
trance door of a great dairy established in America 
the words : — " Treat every cow as you would a 
lady." Uncommon noises, laughing, loud talking 
and bustle are all to be avoided at milking time. 
