O.CT. 1, 1900. 
Supplement to the ' Tropical Agiiculturisi. 
291 
CLKVICAL NOTES, 
TASECl'OMY. 
Oil the i'Sth of August last I performed this 
opeiiitioii oil an Arab lior?e " Anthony." Instead 
of amputating the whole cord, I removed only 
about two inches of the vas deferens, more by way 
of experiment than for any other reason. I 
am I'lad to say that the operation was attended 
witlMio bad results, but in fact was as successful 
as could be desired, as the animal was able 
to be ridden on the 12th day after the operation. 
The following was the modus operandi: — 
The animal was thrown down and secured 
in the usual way, but no chloroform was 
used. I began by malting an antero-lateral 
section, with proper antiseptic treatment, on 
the off side of the scrotum along the line of 
the cord, and carefully dissected and took out 
the vas deferens, which was eventually severed 
and a jiiece about two inches in length removed. 
1 fastened the wound with catgut ligature and 
covered it with antiseptic cotton wool and 
pai.ited it over with colodion. The incision 
on the near side was postero-lateral, and 
made close to the grcin. As a result there 
was slight bleeding from the scrotum. This 
wound was treated similarly to the first. The 
lirst wound was an exposed one and required 
to be protected from flies, but that on the near 
bide did uot give this trouble, though from its 
peculiar position it caused an awkward gait in 
the animal till it was perfectly healed. I however 
prefer the antero-lateral to the portero-lateral 
s"Ction. 
The advantages of this operation over ordinary 
castration are: (1) It preserves the testicles, 
as a natural appendage of the horse. (2) It is 
less painful and cruel as no nerve is burnt, 
cut, or twisted. (3) The healing is quick, and 
in tliis, particular care was effected in what I 
consider to be the rainimam time. (4) There 
is no liability to tetanus. (5) There is less 
chance of the growth of a schirrous cord. (6) 
There is little or no bleeding. (7) There is economy 
ill the preservation of tissues which in the 
ordinary operation are cut or mutilated. Perhaps 
the only objection that could be brought against 
this operation is that it is apt to cau^e per- 
plexity to the breeder, and even mislead him, 
as the presence of the testicles is apt to 
deceive him into the belief that an animal so 
operated on is still a stallion. A new term would 
be required for such horses, for the term gelding 
would not correctly describe them. 
A. CHINNIAH, 
Veterinary Surgeon. 
\ Erratum.— In August number, under Clinical 
No'tes, for " bracheal" read "median."] 
THE GRAFTING OF THE MANGO. 
In Ceylon we only hear of grafted mangoes 
in the Northern Province where this system of 
propagation was taught the Jaffna Tamils by 
Mr, Dyke, a past Government Agent, whose name 
is still associated in the North with many use- 
ful measures for the improvement of Agricul- 
ture and Horticulture. 
In the Bombay Presidency the common method 
of grafting in vogue is that known as inarching- 
or grafting by approach. It differs from graft, 
ing in that the scion is not removed from tlia 
liarent until they are both lirmly adherent. 
Tlie operation is thus described in Dr. JSicholTs 
Tropical Agriculture : A branch of the parent 
having been selected about the same si/e as 
the stock, the bark and a portion of the wood 
are pared away to the extent of two or thr^e 
inches, and they are then bound fast together, 
the bark of the wounds being accurately fitted, 
and grafting wax applied over all. It is usual to 
make tongues in the stock and the scion, so tiiat 
one may lit into the other, but this is not really 
necessary, although it helps to prevent movement, 
which is always fatal to union. 
On a visit to India some years ago th.e writer 
saw this method of propagating the mango exten- 
sively practised in the neighbourhood of Bombay. 
It would appear, however, that there is anothor 
method of gr-ifting even simpler and more sure 
than inarching, which we think is worth a trial by 
all growers of the mango in Ceylon. Mr. Horace 
Knight, writing to the Queenslayid Ayricultural 
Journal, says that after long and close observation 
and numerous experiments, he has arrived at the 
conclusion that no other tree is simpler to graft 
according to this new method, and that the work 
can be done at any time, though it is best done 
when there is an upward flow of sap. He then 
goes on to describe the process which he has 
adopted and finds so successful, namely, that in 
which the bark only is used without any adhering 
wood. The process is in fact more akin to 
budding than to true grafting, since the grafts 
are simply pieces of bark, which though they have 
no growth on them, contain dormant eyes or buds. 
Tile size of the pieces of bark may vary according 
to the size of the truuk or branch on which they are 
to be grafted, but the most convenient propor- 
tional dimensions are said to be length twice the 
breadth, and if the pieces are taken off from 
places where rings occur, there will as a rule be 
found two or three latent buds in the pieces. The 
bark may be taken off either old or young trees, 
but the older bark is more easily removed and 
handier to trim into shape. In carrying out this 
method of grafting the first thing to be done is to 
cut out the section for inserting upon the host. 
Should the edges of the piece cut out be bruised 
or torn, cut the injured parts away till sound 
healthy bark only remains. Now press the piece 
firmly over the spot on the host where the piece 
is intended to grow, and make a clean cut into 
the bark of the host ail round the piece and of 
the shape of the piece. Next take out the bark 
on the host which has been cut into and put the 
prepared section in its place. Do uot make it fit so 
tightly that it has to be squeezed in, but make it 
a nice fit. Now bind it ou with ordinary candle 
cotton, or other convenient material, with just 
sufficient pressure to make it touch the under- 
lying tissues of the host, avoiding, if possibln, 
binding over the buds. Clay or grafting wax i.> 
not required, as is commonly supposed, to 
keep out air and so effect a union. It may 
happen that the prepared piece of bark is thicker 
