Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Nov. 1, 1899, 
bile, and the animals had, as a matter of necessity, 
to be worked in an infected area, after inoculation, 
and before the usual 10 days were elapsed. 
From Mr. Murray's report, the mortality in this 
case of inoculation was only 20 per cent. Let 
me quote a para, that previously appeared in the 
Ceylon Independent :— 
"Mr. Hoole, Government Veterinary Surgeon, 
who returned a few days ago from Kandy, reports 
that active stepi are being taken by the Govern- 
ment and Municipal authorities there to check the 
spread of murrain. It appears that the inocula- 
tions at Pallekelle Estate have unfortunately 
failed, judf^ing from the percentage of inoculated 
animals that got the disease and succumbed to it. 
The Superintendent, Mr. Murray.is however, unre- 
mitting in his efforts at combatting the outbreak, 
and it is to be lioped that the system of isolation 
and disinfection, which is energetically carried on 
on this estate will have its desired effect." 
It will thus be seen that it was hardly fair to 
characterise inoculation at Pallekelle as a faihirc. 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) A. CHINNIAH, Vet. Surgeon. 
(Copy of letter referred to.) 
Pallekelle, Kandy, 
12th October, 1899. 
Dr. Chinniah, 
Alston Lodge, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo. 
Dear Sir,— I regret the delay in replying your 
letter, owing to my cattle conductor having left 
me, and I could not have found out earlier liow 
many of the cattle you inoculated died." Two 
bulls died out of the ten you inoculated. 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) G. MURRAY. 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE ' SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE DURING THE MONTH OF 
AUGUST, 1899. 
1 
Tuesday 
Nil 
17 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
2 
Wednesday. . 
Nil 
18 
Friday 
Nil 
3 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
19 
Saturday . , 
Nil 
4 
Friday 
Nil 
20 
Sunday 
Nil 
5 
Saturday . . 
Nil 
21 
Monday 
Nil 
6 
Sunday . , 
Nil 
22 
Tuesday 
Nil 
1 
Monday 
Nil 
23 
Wednesday 
Nil 
8 
Tuesday 
•01 
24 
Thursday . . 
•55 
9 
Wednesday... 
Nil 
25 
Friday 
•1 
10 
Thursday ... 
Nil 
26 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
11 
Friday 
Nil 
27 
Sunday 
Nil 
12 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
28 
Monday 
Nil 
13 
Sunday 
Nil 
29 
Tuesday 
Nil 
14 
Monda;f 
•1.5 
30 
Wednesday 
Nil 
15 
Tuesday 
Nil 
81 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
16 
Wednesday 
Nil 
1 
Friday 
•2 
Total... 1-01 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours 
on. the 24th inst. was '55 inches. 
Mean rainfall for the month '3 in. 
Recorded Iiy Mi', J. A, G. Roi>rigo, 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE DURING THE MONTH OF 
SEPTEMBER, 1899. 
1 
Friday 
•2 
17 
Sunday . . 
•29 
2 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
18 
Monday 
Nil 
3 
Sunday 
Nil 
19 
Tuesday ... 
Nil 
4 
Monday 
Tuesday 
Nil 
20 
Wednesday 
Nil 
5 
•2 
21 
Thursday ... 
Ml 
6 
Wednesday... 
Nil 
22 
Friday 
Nil 
7 
Thursday ... 
Nil 
23 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
8 
Friday 
Nil 
24 
Sunday 
Nil 
9 
Saturdiiy ... 
•11 
25 
Monday 
Nil 
10 
Sunday 
Nil 
26 
Tuesday 
Nil 
11 
Monday 
Nil 
27 
Wednesday 
Nil 
12 
Tuesday ... 
•46 
28 
Thursday ... 
Nil 
13 
Wednesday 
Nii 
29 
Friday 
Nil 
14 
Thursday ... 
Nil 
30 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
15 
Friday 
Nil 
1 
Sunday 
Nil 
16 
Saturday ... 
Nii 
Total... 1-06 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours 
on the 12th inst. was "46 inches. 
Mean rainfall for the month ^3 in. 
Recorded by Mr. J. A. G. RoDmiOo. 
ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF ORGANIC 
MATTER IN PLANTS. 
(Continued). 
By the term respiration we understand the 
piienomena of the absorption of oxygen and the 
evolution of carbon dioxide. Respiration occurs 
in all plant organs, and is a function of such 
importance that when interfered with by the 
exclusion of oxygen the death of the plant 
results. If the roots, buds, moistened seeds, and 
branches of a plant be placed in a flask, and a 
current of air free from carbon dioxide be passed 
over them and then led through a solution of 
barium hydrate, the latter w-ill become milky, 
due to the formation of barium carbonate, thus 
showing that the vegetable matter has evolved 
carbon dioxide The leaves throw off carbon 
dioxide except when they are exposed to the 
light and respiration is masked by assimilation. 
Daring the night or in dense shade they throw 
off carbon dioxide. When the relation between 
the oxygen absorbed and the carbon dioxide 
evolved is carefully determined, it is found that 
this relation is considerably modified by the 
temperature to which the leaves are exposed. 
In a low temperature the oxygen absorbed is 
usually greater than the carbon dioxide evolved, 
while iu a high temperature the reverse is true, 
that is, there is more carbon dioxide evolved than 
oxygen absorbed. Since one volume of carbou 
dioxide contains exactly one volume of oxygen, 
it is evident that when the volume of carbon 
dioxide evolved is greater than the oxygen ab- 
sorbed the plant is losing oxygen. Tliis explains 
how the glucoses which are found in the pods of 
colza are transformed into the fatty substances of 
the seed, and how inosite and its derivatives 
formed by cholorophyll action in caoutchouc trees 
give a resin which is devoid of oxygen. The 
nature of this transformation has not jet beeq 
