May 1, 1899.] Supplement to the " Tropical Agricult'wnst " 
817 
lower than the previous year. As the Farm is 
now well equipped with dead stock and the land 
in good order, the cost of production will, it is 
anticipated, show a furtfier decline this j^ear. 
As it is the cost is below that of condensed milk, 
and what is vitally important is, that the 
Hospitals have at command a full supply of pure 
milk, a material aid in the treatment of tropical 
diseases. 
21,864 quarts of milk was sent to San Fernando 
Hospital, an increase of 4,160 quarts over the 
previous year. At the contract rate 6id. the milk 
supplied would have cost the Government £592 : 
charged at the cost of production this institution 
saved £410. 
The milch herd number 91 cows, all in pro- 
fiitable condition, and 26 heifers, these will come 
in later on the year to augment the herd, or for 
sale in calf as suggested in the Report for 1897. 
The health of the herd has been as usual excellent, 
anything like disease is unknown. In calfhood 
there must be losses from various causes known 
and unknown. During the year 82 calves were 
born and 8 died, a rate of 10 per cent. 
The losses to record have occurred from the 
following causes : — 
8 Calves from Scour, Dysentery, Strongylus, &c. 
1 Ox from iujury. 
1 Cow do. 
1 „ from Hoemorrhage after calving. 
Three calves were born dead. One cow had to be 
forcibly delivered. This and another case occurred 
within 24 hours. I noted at the time that the 
weather iwas most unseasonable, it was on the 
21st March, our driest period. On that day which 
was hot and oppressive there was showers, with 
thunder and a slight shock of earthquake. This 
abnormal weather had no doubt an influence on 
the cows, which were i.ure bred zebus and always 
highly sensitive when near calving. 
The average quality of the Farm milk has 
» maintained its high standard and kept pace with 
the extra amount produced. Belo'v is shown the 
average composition of milk from eight leading Con 
tinental countries, the minimum quality permitted 
by the Society of Public Analysts, and the analysis 
of the average milk of the Farm taken morning 
and evening : — 
Continental Milk. — 
Fat. Solids not fat. Total solids. Moisture. 
3-73 919 12-92 87 48 
Society Public Analysts. — 
300 850 11.50 88-50 
Farm Milk. — Morning 
6-00 9-38 15-38 84-62 
Farm Milk.— Evening 
5-20 9.36 14.56 85-44 
Average % Cream 10%. 
„ Sp. Or. 10-28. 
P. CARMODY, 
Govt. Analyst. 
Feeding has continued much tiio same as in 
previous years, viz., 8 lbs. per head : generally 
costing 6d. per day. This year it has been slightly 
higher due to war freights on consignments from 
America. But taking the output of milk at 7 
quarts per diem, wortli nt the current rate 3s. would 
l«ave a wide margin of profit and from the food 
value of the milk it. is clearly shown that it pays 
to feed. The artirtcial food ie varied occasionally 
to prevent satiety, but coconut meal is the basis of 
the ration, and as it is obtained fresh from the 
milk and containing a somewhat large percentage 
of oil, it has a beneficial effect upon the milk, If 
the coconut is suddenly withdrawn from the feed 
the cows will not look at it, and on trials with 
individual animals it has taken days for them to 
become accustomed to the change, with very 
evident detriment to their milk yield. 
The experiments in feeding have been confined 
to ascertaining how the milk yield is affected by 
feeding the ration dry or in a thick drink, On the 
first change from wet to dry there was a decided 
loss of milk, but as the cows became accu^omed 
to the change they returned to their average yield. 
The result of the experiment is in favour of the 
mash over dry feeding — it is convenient and less 
wasteful and from observation it has a decidedly 
favourable influence on the milk yield. 
♦ 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
The following is taken from Dr. Voelcker's 
annual report for 1898 to the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England, under the head of 
Analyses of Feeding Stuffs: — -The hu?kor "parch- 
ment " skin of the coffee berry which envelopes 
the berry after the fleshy pericarp has been 
removed by the washing and macerating pro- 
cess to which the fruit is subjected on the 
estates where the coffee is grown, and which 
ill turn is removed by hand before the coffee 
is roasted, has hitherto been rightly looked 
upon as useless for feeding purposes. Lately, 
however, it appears to have been introduced as a 
convenient component of certain of those fre- 
quently very " doubtful" articles known as "com- 
pound " or " feeding ' cakes. I have also had 
before me an instance of the direct sale of the 
material by itself as a feeding substance. The 
composition is represented by the following 
analysis : — 
Moisture ... 
... 10-78 
Oil 
•90 
Nitrogenous constituents 
... 3-88 
Digestible fibre, &c. 
... 25-71 
Woody fibre 
... 57-63 
Mineral matter (ash) 
... 1-10 
100-00 
* Containing Nitrogen 
■62 
It is sold at 20s. per ton, but is quite worthless 
and unsuitable for feeding purpose.*^. The 
microscopical appearance, presented by coffee- 
husks are distinctive, and some'.vhat resemble 
those of earth-nut. 
In on article on Duck Farming in an Australian 
exchange, we read with refrence to muscovies that 
they are a comparativelj' distinct specie-;, and the 
progeny of a cross between tliem and tiie more 
common kinds has bejn found decidedly unfertile. 
Tiiey are also said not to mate with otiier ducks 
if left to tlieir own choice, keeping to their own 
kind in all respects- Their native country is 
South America, and are found in great numbers 
iu the Amazon Valley, The drakes are said to 
