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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [APRIL I, 190S. 
To the Editor. 
THE LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OE TROPICAL 
MEDICINE. 
Liverpool, Jan. 1903. 
Dea Sirs,— In compliance with a suggestion 
made at a Conference with His Excellency the 
Governor of L.igos, Sir William MacGregor, 
K.C.M.G., C.B,, M D., held in Liverpool on Novem- 
ber 17th, 1902, under the auspices of the Liverpool 
Chamber of Commerce, and in accordance with the 
advice given by His Excellency on that occasion, 
the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have 
drawn up a set of simple instructions for the pre- 
servation of health for the use of agents of firms 
trading in the Tropics, I am requested to send 
you copies of the instructions in question. The 
Chairman of the School (Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G.), 
and the Committee, are convinced that the adop- 
tion of the recommendations contained in the 
instructions would tend greatly to improve the 
health of Euiopeans living in the tropics. They 
trust, therefore, that the Piincipala of firms at 
home, having houses in the Tropics, will act on 
the advice of Si»- William MacGregor, and will 
send copies of the enclosed instrujtions to their 
agents or responsible clerks in the Tropics, with 
strict injunctions that the recommendations are 
to be carried out. — Yours faithfully, 
A, H. MILNE, Hoc. Secretary, 
P.S. — Additional copies of the instructions cAa 
be obtaiued. 
CONCERNING SNAKES. 
Padukka, Jan. 15. 
Sir, — In answer to Virus re " Snaite against 
Snake," my belief is that snakes devour each 
other for its food. The undermentioned incidents 
are the datas from which I draw my conclusion. 
One day whilst fishing at a pond, I saw a large 
rat-snake glide into the waters and in a short 
time it re-appeated with a large water cobra and, 
dragging its victim ashore, swallowed it up and 
again went in search of prey, coming to the 
suvface again with a similar one. This time the 
pocr thing clung to the grass and I, through com- 
passion, aimed a blow at the rat-snake with my 
felling rod, which made it hook off abandoning 
its prey and again I have myself killed a cobra 
fyid as it seemed to have gobbled up something un- 
usual, I got my cooly to rip it up. When lo 1 to 
my astonishment I found that it had swallowed 
up a rat-snake. On measuring the snake I found 
the former 5 ft. long and the latter 4 ft. long. Be 
venom of one snake being fatal to another, I have 
no experience.— Yours truly, B. S, R. 
FEEDING MILCH COWS AND 
BUTTER-MAKING. 
Londcn, Feb. 13. 
Dear Sir, -I should like to tell " A 
Plantei-'fi Wife" that she has not quite ap- 
preciated the process tor producing butter 
by the absorption of the moisture contained 
in the creara. The whole action is to take 
away this moisture as rapidly as possible, 
and a new paper is to be introduced of a 
considerable thickness, with an absorption 
much higher than that of the best blotting 
paper, so that as the cream is poured out 
on to this paper it will be immediately 
dried. This process should be of great value 
for a much larger percentage of butter can 
be obtained from the cream, as there is no 
waste whatever of fatty matter. So that 
your readers may quite understand the 
theory, I would suggest their pouring — say, 
a tablespoonful of cream — on to three or 
four thicknesses of good blotting paper. The 
latter must be completely dry. 
I would suggest to "A Planter's Wffe " that 
she can increase the yield of cream from cows 
if it is possible to procure linseed at a reason- 
able rate in your country, - The plan bo be 
adopted is to put the linseed into a large 
stewpan with plenty of water, and let it 
simmer very slowly throughout the day. in 
this country I mix bran or crushed oats, but 
I am not sure whether you have any such 
meal which could be used to take its place. 
There is nothing which will so improve the 
quality of the milk as this mixture. — Youji-s 
truly, THOS. CHRISTY. 
I We thank Mr. Christy on behalf of many 
planters' wives as well as other residents in 
Ceylon for his most useful hints. Cotton seed 
with poonac— coconut cake — is largely used 
for milch cows in Ceylon. Is lins.eed better, 
and has one used it out here ? As regards 
butter-making, Mr. Christy must favour us 
with a few sheets of the new M patent " paper 
when it is ready,— Ed. T,A.'\ 
MANA GRASS FOR MANURE. 
Dear Sir,— Could you or any of your 
readers kindly give the chemical constiturtits 
or manurl<il value of Mana Grass as a 
green manure buried with 
PRUNINGS. 
[The following is the analysis of Ceylon 
Guinea Grass, grown near Kandy, made 
by Mr, Cochran, after it had been dried 
in the sun :— 
Moisture, 9'06, Albuminous compounds, S'lO, Fa* 
(ether extract), '2'80, Sugar, 4'70, Mnoilagiuons com- 
pounds, digestible fibre, &c., 41*07, Vegetable fibre, 
22-50, Ash, U-77.— Total 100 00. Containing nitro- 
gen, 1,295, ditto '455.— Total nitrogen 1'750. 
As regards mineral matters guinea grass is very 
rich in potash and has also a considerable propor- 
tion of phosphoric aoid. 
—Ed. T.A.] 
"THE CUKE FOR MOSQUITOES." 
Tangalla, Feb. 23. 
Sir, — I was much interested in the article 
"The cure for Mosquitoes" which appeared 
this month. These pe'sts make life un- 
bearable here and anything appearing re- 
garding a cure is of great interest to me. 
1 enclose under separate coyer two varieties 
of Ocimum growing here. One is called 
Maduru Tala and is used by the natives 
here as a cure for mosquitoes. The pun- 
gent odour is not lasting ; it only keeps 
away the mosquitoes for a few hours and 
