July 1, 1902.] 
Supplement to the " TropicaL Agriculturist." 
67 
ftmbre does not, lay too much stress on Uiese 
VG.sults, and says tliaf. a great luiraber of observa- 
tions are necessary before any reliable data can bo 
found. 
Tlio subject of castration is one couceniing 
wbicli we have often had enquirie?, and about 
which tli&re is much mi.-c .uceptioii. We have 
therefore taken over from the last Veterinary 
Journal a reliable, clear and full account of the 
operation, viiicb we have no doubt will prove 
useful to our rc ider#. 
KAIN1.''ALL TAKE.X AT 
AGiiiauLTUiiE DURi:-;; 
01<^ JUNE, 
THE SCHOOL OL' 
i THE MONTH 
1902. 
1 
o 
6 
7 
8 
a 
10 
u 
12 
IS 
u 
13 
1(3 
Su nday 
iEonduy 
Turi.-day 
Wi'dnesday 
Thurstlay 
Friday 
Saturday 
Sunday 
Jilonday 
Tuesday 
"Wednesday 
Thursday 
Friday 
Saturday 
Sunday 
Monday 
100 
17 
Tuesday 
Nil 
Nil 
]8 
Wednesday 
Nil 
■02 
19 
Tluirsday . . 
Nil 
•85 
20 
Friday 
2^90 
■03 
21 
Saturday . . 
Nil 
•11 
22 
Sunday 
Nil 
Mil 
2-i 
]Mi>n(h!y 
•20 
Nil 
21 
Tuesday 
Nil 
Nil 
'io 
Wedi^esday 
Nil 
Nil 
26 
Thursday ... 
•93 
•12 
27 
Friday 
•22 
•9 
28 
Saturday 
•20 
•u 
29 
Sunday 
•62 
•10 
30 
Moad.iy 
1 0-2 
Nil 
1 
Taesd y 
Nil 
Tocil. 
Greatest amount of rainfall registered in 
21 hours, on the •20tli Friday 1902, 2^90 inches. 
CLaii-ROOT. 
We wars sorry to tiud on a recent vi.-it to the 
Nuwara Eliy.i "district that the cultivation of 
Cabbages was beiu^' giealjy checked by the 
prevalence oi this troublesome disease, about 
whicli we aj pead tlie following uole for the 
iufurmatioii ct cm- reiidiirs : — 
Club-root ill Turnips, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, 
Rape and other cruciferous crops is the uame 
given to the malforuiatiou cf the roots. Wheu 
pulled the maiu root is found to be much dwarfed, 
while the side roots are often swollen into 
spindle-shaped masses, presenting an appearance 
to which the name of finger-aud-toe is appropri- 
ately applied. Lumps or nodules may also be seen 
upon the roots. A crop thus affected ultimately 
perishes, owing to the decay of tlie roots. 
Tiiis disorder— wliether ciUed club-root, fiiiger- 
and-toe or " anbury " — -Siu-t not be coufounded 
with a malformation of the root which occ;>siou- 
ully arises as a result of some peculiarity of the 
soil, seed or miuure, and is really a case of degener- 
ation or " reversion '' to lha will type. lu such 
cases the growth though distorted is neverthe- 
less healthy, but iu club-root it is only uecessury 
to cut across the root to see tliat it is full of 
decaying matter. 
Nor, again, should the wart-like growths formed 
upon the roots by the small beetle termed the 
turnip-gall weevil be mistaken for clubbing. 
By cutting actoss such galls on the roots of 
turnips and cabbages the legless " maggots " of 
the insect may be found. 
True Club-root is always associated with the 
presence of a slimy fungus known as Plasma- 
diophora Brassica, 
The spores of the organism are very minute, 
and they not only attack and destroy cruciferous 
crops, but they infest the soil to such an extent 
that it is unwise to grow such crops on the same 
land again for several years. A spore existing in 
the soil finds its way into a cruciferous plant 
through a root-hair, and at once makes a demand 
upon the protoplasm of the plant. The spores 
produce slimy masses called phmnodia^ aiid these 
have a slight power of locomotion from cell to 
cell of the infested plant. 
The refuse of the diseased crop should not be 
left on the ground or thrown about in the neigh- 
bourhood of the garden, as it is capable of serving 
as a new source of infection. Dressing tlie 1.hi<1, 
•with lime — and especi^illy gas-lime- — -lends tode-jtroy 
the spores in the soil. Therefore, burn nil cop 
refuse and diseased plants and thoroughly cleanse 
the soil of spores by using gas lime, or, in its 
absence, caustic lime, before replanting an infected 
area, ~ - • 
■ » 
SODIUM ARSENITE AS A PLANT DESTEOYKE. 
Some time 
reference to 
ago 
the 
we published a note with 
einc:^cy of this chemical iu 
eradicating Prickly Pear and other plant pests, and 
rtceived a ccmruunic'ition from a leading coconut 
planter, -who is nothipg if he is not up-to-date, 
asking us to procure for him a small quantity of 
the arsenite for purposes of experiment. This 
■Re have been able to do, and in order to give 
some idea of how the chemical his been used 
in other countries, we append a description of 
the method of mixing, applying, &c. 
There is no doubt that many plants can be 
similarly treated, but it is questionable -svliether 
"i;luk" {Impevata amndinacea), which is tiuly the 
'•'planter's curse " will succumb to the destructive 
agent, unless libeial application of the solution, so 
as to reach the roots, be made. 
Here is an account of how it was used against 
Prickly Pear, the native " Katupathok.'" 
Makm<j the Solution. — 8 lb, of the chemical was 
first weighed off and placed iu a kerosene can or 
old bucket ; to this was added 2 gals, water, and 
it was then placed on a fire and heated until the 
chemical wasquite dissolved, the operator stirring 
it occasionally. Tlie SO g-d. vat nearly filled with 
cold water, and the 2 g ils. of solution then poured 
in, and more water added to make up to 80 gals. 
One great advantage iu using sodium arsenite ii 
that it dissolves easily, and therefore no trouble 
occurs from pumps or spray nozzles becoming 
choked, which is so of ten the ca'Se with manj'- 
solutious usod, 
