Oct. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
To the Editor. 
LIVE STOCK AND SINHALESE CATTLE 
fN TRINIDAD. 
Governmeni Farm, Tiinidad, B.W.I., Aug. 13. 
Deae Sir, — May I ask you to again kindly 
accept the Annual Report on the working of 
the Trinidad Government Farm ? 
The Farm i-s placed iu a new situation and 
greatly enlarged, and I trust that its usefulness 
to the Colony will be increased. — Yours truly, 
C. W. MEADEN, Manager.' 
[We quote at once the parts referring to the 
Sinhalese cattle : — 
THE HERD. 
PuEE Beed Zebus. — This section of the herd has 
been increased by the addition of seven heifers. A 
bnll and two cowa are On their way out from India. 
Thus augmented, the Zebu section will be in a position 
guperior to any in its history, in number, stature and 
general form. 
Milch Herd has been inoreased to 147 breeding 
cows all in good profit, these will be steadily increased 
and with the help of the Tobago branch a sufficient 
number of cows will be established so as to furnish 
from them the animals required to supply beet for the 
instituti 'us. In three to four years' time we should be 
in a position to do this, and the cost of doing so will be 
covered by the annual revenue or without additional 
expenditure. 
Cingalese. — There is nothing worthy of remark con- 
cerning these ; two calves were born, one being deformed 
had to be destroyed. The general health of the herd 
has been good, a few acute cases of mamitis occurred 
airongst the cows, bub yielded to iodine treatment. 
Six adult animals died from injury, four caused by 
falling into deep open drains and breaking their 
backs before help arrived. This will occur until the 
drains are ploughed in. Two deaths occurred from 
injury inflicted by other cows. Ten calves died from 
various causes, chiefly dysentery.. 
114 calves were born of the following breeds :— 
Bulls. Heifers 
2 4 Pure bred Zebu. 
39 ... 36 Half do 
4 ... 2 Crossbred Red Poll. 
8 ... 6 Crossbred Guernsey. 
8 ... 5 Crossbred Zebu. 
2 ^ ... Cingalese. 
The bulls in the public pastures are in good condi- 
tion ; a cross-bred Red Poll and a Guernsey are at San 
Fernando ; others in the Queen's Park, Arima and St. 
Au({ustin are well bred Zebus. A new pasture was 
opened at St, Augustin and upwards of a hundred 
cows have been entered. This is mentioned to show 
that if good bulls and accommodation is provided an 
increase of stock soon is evident. Arrangement is 
being made to place a pure Zebu bull at Mayaro and 
others in diSerent districts if places can be provided. 
The sale was not so successful as in former years and 
in justice to the Farm should not have been held owing 
to the unsettled condition of the place ; but as the sale 
is a fixture looked forward to with consiaerable interest 
both locally and in neighbouring islands, it would not 
have been desirable to omit it. 
Dollars. 
One heifer. Zebu ... 67 
One pure Zebu Bull . . 150 
Five 1 Zebu Balls ... 33 00 165 
Five i Zebu Bulls — 25 40 127 
Of the auimals sold the Zebu bull went to Berbice, 
35 
The report is a very full and useful one 
dealing with a variety of cattle, an Agricultural 
Show, Butter -making, the Stud, Pigs, Poultry. 
Milk Analyses, List of Stock, Sale of Artifical 
food.— Ed. T.A.] 
SEYCHELLES GUANO. 
London, E.C., Aug. 13. 
Dear Sir, — In the Overland Observer received 
this week some interesting notes from the 
Seychelles" are published, and, it is stated, that 
the exports of guano are steadily increasing. 
You may have forgotten that some two years ago 
I called attention to this deposit of guano which, 
though poor in ammonia was specially rich in 
phosphate of lime, containing from 58 to 61 per 
cent of this valuable manuring constituent in a 
form admirably adapted for tea, coffee and sugar- 
cane, when mixed with crushed cake such as 
castor or rape in order to supply the necessary 
nitrogen, and assisted by the admixture of sulphate 
of potash for the supply of the dominant element 
of the mineral portion of the above crops.— Yours, 
JOHN HUGHES. 
PECULIAR STONE PROM WATTEGAMA. 
Aug. 15. 
Dear Sir, — I have sent by this train a 
small parcel containing a peculiar iron-stone 
which on breaking showed some different 
growth inside. Perhaps you can get an opi- 
nion on it. — Truly yours, J. H. 
[We sent it to Mr. Kelway Banvber who 
kindly writes:— "I am afraid I am not geo- 
logist enough to give the correct name for 
the piece of rock you have sent me, but it is 
very similar to some gneisses, and the colour- 
ing is evidently due to the weathering, com- 
bined with an irregular infiltration of water 
and air, which oxidises the iron compounds 
in the rock, with the production of the brown 
colour, in the immediate neighbourhood of 
the infiltration."— Ed. T.A.] 
RUBBER IN JOHORE. 
Muar, via Singapore, Aug. 22. 
Dear Sir, — Referring to your rough approxi- 
mation of the area under rubber in the Malay 
Peninsula, I can assure you that Johore at a 
very low estimate can account for one thousand 
acres. I can give no exact figures, as no returns 
are published ; but I know what the few Europeans 
in the territory are doing, to which must be 
added the Malay and Chinese efforts in this 
direction. I must say also thai these latter seem 
to be awakening to the fact that it is a good 
thing to go in for, judging from the enquiries I get 
for plants. — Yours faithfully, 
FRANCIS PEARS. 
RUBBER CULTIVATION IN THE 
MATALE DISTRICT. 
Keppitigalla, Matale, Aug. 22. 
Dear Sir. — Having read the article under 
the above heading in the Tropical Agriculturist 
for August, 1902, from which it is inferred 
