Jan. 1, 1904.] Supplement to the ** Tropical AgricuUun^i" 
501 
Wellawatte. Anyhow 1 feel sure that the damage 
might be minimized by building a wall along 
the bank of the river as a bund to retain the 
water within its own channel." 
"The headman of JluUeriyawa reports the 
scarcity of Dewareddiri or Ma wi seed paddy owing 
to recurring floods destroying successive crops. 
He also laments the deterioration of crops on lands 
not subject to flooding. Land that u-ed to yield 
20 fold does not now give even 10 fold. The 
remedy is for Government to provide fresh supplies 
of seed paddy.'' 
A correspondent, referring to a paragraph 
which appeared in our issue for May last, recom- 
mending lysol, well known as a useful disinfectant 
as a preventative against ticks, asks for further 
particulars which we gladly give. 
Lysol is a dark-coloured alkaline liquid obtained 
by the saponification of cresols containing the 
higher homologues of phenol. It is soluble in 
all proportions of water and forms a gelatinous 
mixture with small quantities. It has the repu- 
tation of being a strong actinomycotic and less 
poisonous than phenol. Lysol is incompatible 
with acids. As regards price, the Colombo 
Apothecaries' Company quote 25 cents per oz. for 
large quantities. 
We would direct attention to the first in- 
stalment of a paper on "The Edible Tubers 
of Ceylon" from the pen of that well-informed 
writer, W. A.D.S. When complete, the paper should 
form a valuable contribution to the literature on 
the subject. 
Another interesting article is that by Mr. David 
Fairchild, Agricultural Explorer, U.S. Department, 
on the subject of Sind cattle and buffaloes, and 
their suitability for dairy purposes. Mr. Fairchild 
was a visitor to the Island some two years 
ago, and to judge from the observations and notes 
made by him at the time, he must have a lot more 
to write concerning what he saw in Ceylon. 
The Government Stock Garden in Colombo has 
during last month seen a good many im- 
provements, not the least of which is a new 
habitation for the Superintendent of School 
Gardens. Here will be established the office and 
the nucleus of an agricultural reading room and 
museum for the convenience of visitors. 
The development of the dairy industry in the 
Island is slow but decided, and the example set 
by the Government dairy has been followed by 
more than one private owner. St. Mary's Dairy in 
Bambalapitiyo, which may be described as the 
first butter-making establishment in Colombo, 
llppears to be doing a good business. 
All who have had experience iu cattle-keeping 
^11 know what is meant by " Piners " iu the dairy, 
feferred toon another page, and the simple remedy 
^whatmaybe called the " tobacco cure " — there 
sUgeated is well worth a trial by all owners of stock, 
The Yam beau, an account of which will be found 
elsewhere, is being tried in the Government Stock 
Garden in Colombo, where also the Jerusalem 
Artichoke (about which we also furnish infor- 
mation) is growing well. 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE GOVERNMENT 
STOCK GARDEN FOR DECEMBER, 1903. 
1 
Tuesday 
Nil 
17 
Thursday 
. Nil 
2 
AVednesday.. 
. Nil 
18 
Friday 
. Nil 
Thursday .. 
. -45 
19 
Saturday 
. Nil 
4 
Friday 
. Nil 
20 
Sunday 
. Nil 
5 
Saturday .. 
. 1-35 
21 
Monday 
. -68 
6 
Sunday 
. -10 
22 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
7 
Monday 
. -06 
23 
Wednesday .. 
. 1-60 
8 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
24 
Thursday 
. '22 
9 
Wednesday .. 
. Nil 
25 
Friday 
. Nil 
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 
Monday 
. Nil 
30 
Wednesday ., 
• K«l 
15 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
31 
Thursday 
. Nil 
16 
Wednesday .. 
. Nil 
1 
Friday 
. Nil 
Total in.. ..4-46 
Mean in.... '14 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hourg 
from 22ud to 23rd = 1-60 inches. 
No. of days in which rain fell — 7 days* 
Alex. Perera. 
♦ 
SIND COWS AND BUFFALOES AS MILCH 
CATTLE. 
During a stay in Ceylon and a visit to Poona, 
India, my attention was called to the question 
of the milk supply of these tropical regions. 
Notwithstanding the marked improvement in 
the methods of milk sterilization, the continued 
use of canned milk and butter becomes Anally, to 
anyone living in the Tropics, unpleasant, and the 
question of securing fresh dairy products is a 
most important one for the comfort of European 
residents. 
The best breeds of milch cattle, like Jerseys, 
Guernseys, and Holsteins, when introduced into 
the Tropics very quickly degenerate. They are 
not suited to its climate and can not be easily 
acclimatized. They soon grow thin and sickly, 
cease giving large quantities of milk, and die. 
In Ceylon several attempts to acclimatize them 
have been made, but with no success, and I am 
told that the dairymen who have made these 
trials have been obliged to return to the use of 
the South Indian or Madras breeds. Recently, 
however, the Sind cattio have come into pro- 
minence as a milch breed, and the introduction 
of this breed into other parts of India has been a 
great success. It is a remarkably vigorous race, 
and the cows are much better milk producers 
thaa tlie South Indian or Madras breed, 
