724 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agrieultumt." 
[April 1, 1904. 
phosphate made solubloi It is important that 
these manures, both the potash and the phosphate, 
should be applied as early in January as the 
weather permits, in order that they may be well 
washed into the soil after the growth of the 
herbage begins in the spring. 
If it is desired to cut the produce for hay a 
dressing of about half to three-quarters of a cwt, 
of nitrate of soda per acre may be applied early in 
March. 
It is not advisable to apply very heavy dressings 
of nitrogenous manures to pasture lands, as they 
are very apt to stimulate the coarser-growing 
grasses, to the exclusion of the finer and more 
nutritive kinds. Under the influence of a large 
quantity of nitrogen the clovers will also for the 
most part disappear. 
With the old rich pastures of Leicestershire it is 
said the more white clover the more beef, and 
there is no manure to compare with basic slag and 
potash for the production of white clover in a 
pasture. 
To those who are going in for cattle breeding, 
the question of improving pasture laud is of 
the utmost importance. The manuring of the 
land could be done in sections without inter- 
fering with the grazing. The result will be 
soon opparent in a better development of muscle 
and bone among the animals, and ultimately the 
evolution of altogether a better life of beast. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
To test the freshness of eggs, says the Transvaal 
Agricultural Journal, take about six ounces of 
common salt, put it into a large glass, and 
fiiU with water. When the salt is in solution 
an egg is dropped into the glass. If it is only 
one day old, it immediately sinks to the bottom ; 
jf any older it does not reach the bottom of 
the glass. If three days old it sinks only just 
below the surface, and from five days upwards 
it floats. 
Poultry has the following on the subject of 
using a pure-bred cock with common hens and the 
increase in the egg-production of the progeny : — 
In the autumn of 1893 the Countess of Aberdeen 
made a tour through Ireland, accompanied by 
Mr. Ed. Brown, F.L.S,, a poultry expert. Mr. 
Brown delivered lectures and gave practical 
advice in several of the localities visited. The 
Countess sent pure-bred cocks to run with the 
native fowls, and in 1897 .a Mrs. Gibson reports 
as follows on the experiment : — ' The facts 
which I mentioned are that within the last 
twelve mouths the increased money value of the 
eggs produced in this district — i.e., within a 
radius of 35 miles from Limerick — is fully 30 
per cent. That industry used to have a turn- 
over of £12,000 to £13,000 a year (the actual 
payments by the merchants for the eggs). Last 
twelve months their payments have exceeded 
£16,000, The immense stimulus givei} to this, 
essentially a cottage industry, by the action of 
the Countess will be better understood when I 
tell you the price of eggs has fallen fully 20 per 
cent.; so to have the increased money return 
of 30 per cent., there must have been an increase 
in the production of 50 per cent. One man 
largely engaged in the trade puts the actual 
increase in production at fully 100 per cent. 
He produced his books and let me have the 
flgures for mouth after month to compare. 
Three years ago the price of 3 and 4 month old 
chickens ranged from ]/- to 1/2 each, the greater 
number being sold at 8d. and 9d., and they were 
dear at the money. Now 1/3 is a low price, 
and 1/6 and 2/- quite common, and they are 
cheap at the increased price. 1 am understating 
the case when I say that, in this district, the 
action of the Countess, in helping this one branch 
of cottage industry, has brouglit into the homes 
of the cottagers and small farmers at least 
^20,000 sterling more money during the past 
twelve months than they ever earned by it any 
other year within my memory.' 
