Svppknwjf h the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Jvsr. 1, 
VETERINARY NOTE. 
;0n March 17th last, 1 received a cull from 
l)ikoyn, where it, was reported that four iinitnals 
Out of a he 'd of draught cattle had siiccnmhed to 
some unknown disease. On proceeding to the 
spot 1 found among the sick one animnl tliat was 
euid to be recovering and also the carcase of 
another that hud lately dic^d. In addition to the 
general symptoms of ill-health, I noticed a copi- 
ous flow of tears and i)arti.il blindness. The 
affected animals were sulTering from acute in- 
flammation of the eye-memhrane (conjutivis), 
and this 1 immediately traced to the pre-ence of 
free ammonia. The cattle were kept in a place 
without proper ventilation, and where there were 
catch-pits to hold the urine which was under- 
going fermentation. In attemjiting to manipulate 
a dislocated slipulder of a bull in the same lierd, 1 
found the irritation of the ammonia so obj-^ction- 
able, that 1 had to hurry over the o])eratiou. I 
may mention that tl e high temperature and the 
heat of the sun greatly aid the evolution of free 
ammonia from the fermenting urine. 
The owners of the stock were pretty confident 
that they h<id some contagiuii* form of disca.-^e to 
deal with, but 1 answered tluMU that this was not 
the case, and ordered that the c ittle-sheil should 
ha thoroughly oleani'<l out, the floor well wa.«!ied 
and spiead over wi(h dry earth. Af'er this the 
plague was stayed. ' I attril)Utfd tlie ultimate 
cause of d(!ath to exhaustion diU' to starvation. 
Not merely were the eye membranes affected, but 
also the nasal and ])haryngeal membranes, and 
hence the total refusal of food. The uou-recur- 
rence of the disease I attributtsd to the cleansing 
of the sheds, the ufe of dry earth to absorb any 
Standing urine, and also to the fact that the rainy 
"weather which followed helped to cool the atmo- 
sphere, improve the surroundings, and make the 
condition of, the cattle altogether more com-foi table' 
J). CIIINXAH, Veterinary l^urjjeon. 
THE MANURING OF RICE. 
The following plant food ingredients have been 
found to be removed from one acre of paddy : — 
Phosphoric 
acid. 
16-8 lb. 
Nitrogen. 
26 3 lb. 
24 9 lb. 39-2 lb. 
Byan average crop of 
2,670 lb. grains 1 Potash. 
"2,676 „ straw 1 23 1 lb. 
446 „ chaff | 
By a good crop of 
4,014 lb. grains 1 
4,460 „ straw \ 457 lb. 
624 „ chaff \ 
Very thorough investigations have been con- 
ducted by Prof. Kellner and others in Jupan, as 
to the fertiliser requirements of water rice. In 
order to determine the exhaustion of nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash in the soil, a fertiliser 
trial was inaugurated, in which each plot received 
the following quantities of fertilisers to the acre : — 
Plot 1 No fertiliser. 
Phosporic acid. 
2 89 lb. 
3 - „ . 
4 89 „ . 
5 89 „ . 
Potash, 
89 lb. 
89 „ 
89 „ 
Nitrogen. 
89 
89 
89 
Nitrogen was applied in the form of sulphate of 
ammonia, phosphoric acid in the form of double 
sjperphosphale, and potash in tl»€ form of 
carbonate. Tlie development of tl^ plairu 
corresponded to that of the previous yeurs ; the 
plants which had received a complete fertiliser 
grew best of all, showitig a normal green colour- 
next came tlie plants to which no potash had been 
applied. The plants to which no nitrogen had 
been given were of a ligbt-green colour. Phos- 
phoric acid seem" to have a very beneficial effect 
upon the growth of the plant, for the plants which 
had not received phosphoric acid differed but little 
from the unfertili-ed plants ; they were of a dark- 
green colour, but very small. The average yit-lds 
from three check plots (tlie sire of the plots 
is unfortunately not given) were as follows: — 
(Yields given in ounces.) 
Full Empty 
Straw, groinn. grains. Total, 
No fertiliser ... 10-2 
Without nitrogen ... IC 8 
Without phosphoric 
"cid ... ];m 
Without potash ... 'Z'1-2 
Complete fertiliser ... L>7-5 
^ w OB 
120 
9-5 
14-8 
20-3 
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0-2 
0-1 
0-3 
178 
29 0 
37 a 
481 
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