April 1, 1902,] 
Supplement to the '^Tropical Agriculiurisi} 
709 
plant is bitter, and the seeds (called " Macassar 
kernels") are much used in Ja^a as a cure for 
dysentery. Another native plant of the same 
order ( SimarubacecB) Ailanthus e.vcelsa, known 
as VVal-bilii), or Kumbalu, contains a fragrant 
resin which is also used in dysentery, 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE DURING THE MONTH 
The West Indian Department of Agriculture 
appears to be steadily developing under the able 
direction of Dr. Morris, once of Ceylon, now 
Commissioner for Agriculture in the West Indies. 
We learn fr.im the last report of the Department, 
that seven Agricultural Scholarships have beea 
founded with the object of encouraging the most 
promising boys in the smaller Islands to get a 
thorough knowledge of the science and practice of 
Agriculture. Schools of Agriculture e.xist in St. 
Vincent, Dominica and St, Lucia, where 70 boys 
are trained for 3 or 4 years free of all cost. 
Agricultural Shows are held regularly in seven of 
the Islands with a view to show the possible 
results of the better cultivation and preparation of 
produce. Already twelve pamphlets, comprising 
some 417 pages, have been issued and 30,000 
copies distributed. Among others, the following 
subjects have been dealt with : The Cultivation 
of Vegetables, The General Treatment of Insect 
Fests, Hints on School Gardens, Bee-keeping 
in the West Indies, Manures and Leguminous 
Plants, Hints on the Cooking of Sweet Potatoes. 
In our last issue we referred to a new remedy 
for foot and mouth disease. The following 
telegram from Loudon, dated 9th March, brings 
further hopes of relief for the much-tried Stocli- 
owner : — "It is officially announced in Berlin 
that a clieap and sure means has been discovered 
by which cattle may be given immunity from 
Rinderpest." 
The Family Doctor thus explains why 
boiled or condensed milk is not so nourishing 
as unboiled milk : It is not in the albumen, 
fat or sugar, but in the albuminates of iron 
and phosphorus and perhaps also of fluorine 
that the vital changes take place. These albu- 
minates are certainly in the milk and are present 
in a vitalised form as proteids. On boiling the 
change taking place is simply due to the co- 
agulation of the globulin or proteid molecule 
which splits away from the inorganic molecule, 
and thus renders it as to the iron aud fluorine 
unabsorbable, and as to the phosphorus molecule 
unassimillable. As a result, it is said, there is 
defective nutriment in boiled milk for the for- 
mation of bone aud teeth, a most serious duiect 
in the case of growing infants fed only on a 
milk diet. 
Sodium arsenite, a cheap chemical, has been 
proved to be most elective in the eradication of 
prickly pear in Nf w South Wales. The pro- 
portion used is 8 lbs. of the chemical to 80 gallons 
water ; the plants being thoroughly sprayed over 
witn the mixture. The same treatment is recom- 
mended for briars, lantana, thistles, and other 
weeds, as well as for eradicating couch grass from 
gravel paths, roads, &c. 
OF 
MARCH, 
1 
Saturday 
i> li 
1/ 
2 
Sund'iy 
i> 11 
1 o 
18 
3 
Monday 
JMu 
la 
4 
Tuesday 
iMi 
5 
Wednesday 
at; 1 
IN 11 
6 
Thursday 
IN U 
7 
Friday 
at; I 
i\ 11 
Ji6 
8 
Saturday 
. -04 
24 
9 
Sunday 
•26 
25 
10 
Monday 
. -90 
26 
11 
Tuesday 
. Nil 
27 
12 
Wednesday .. 
. Ml 
28 
13 
Thursday 
. Nil 
29 
]4 
Friday 
. Nil 
30 
15 
Saturday 
. Nil 
81 
16 
Sunday 
. -11 
1 
Greatest amount of rainfall 
hours of the 18th March, 1902, 
Recorded by Alex Pebera. 
1902 
ivi 1 J 1.1 (X V • > 
n p '5 rl n ir 
-J- LlOOUdiV •■ 
CI I itJ^vici y 
IVi 1 
IMl 
X 11 U L-NUa V , , , 
AT-1 1 
Friday 
IN 11 
»sj 'I u t-i i Li u. y 
11 
S n (1 rl -1 Ai" 
*0 Ltlll^ld y , , , 
XMl 
M c^r\(\'^ \t 
Do 
Tuesdoy 
•10 
Wednesday... 
Nil 
Thursday ... 
i'2o 
±' 1 lUiiy . , 
I'oo 
S'lturdciy . , 
Nil 
midfiy . „ 
JNu 
Monday ... 
02 
Tuesday ... 
Nil 
Total.. 
6-96 
Mean.. 
•22 
regi-tered in 
24 
2-04 inches. 
SECHIUM EDULE— "WHITE VARIETY." 
The only existing plant of this variety in this 
country was accidentally destroyed at Peradeniya in 
the middle of last year. Application was at once 
made to Mr, Hart, Superintendent of the Botanic 
Gardens, Trinidad, for a few fruits. Our request 
was kindly and promptly attended to, and a small 
box^ containing six fruits reached us in February, 
1895. Two of the fruits were in good condition! 
and after being started were finally planted out 
on the 7th of March. They are now healthy 
plants, growing vigorously and bearing a good 
crop of full size. The three largest fruits weighed 
asfoUows: No. 1. 27 oz.. No. 2, 24^ oz., and 
No. 3, 24 oz. This compares very favourably 
with any I have seen in the West Indies, This 
variety will grow and crop in the lowcountry, 
whereas the green variety does not do much good' 
below 2,000 feet elevation. It will therefore I 
trust, prove a useful addition to the lowcountry 
vegetaoles. The plant is perennial and is of the 
easiest possible cultivation ; given good soil, it 
will grow rapidly and will ramble over any trellis 
or tree or cover any rubbishy corner. It usually 
begins to bear in from three to four months after 
being planted. In my report for 1895 full details 
are given as to the best mode of planting it, and 
p.;rhaps it would not be out of place to repeat 
them here : — " It thrives best in a rich, deep, well- 
drained soil, but may be made to grow anywhere 
by preparing the site for each plant in the follow- 
ing manner : — 
Make a hole four or five feet in diameter, and 
eighteen inches to three feet deep, according to 
the subsoil. If the subsoil is good and freej'you 
may go to the depth of three feet, but if 'it is 
clayey or likely to hold water, eighteen inches 
will be quite deep enough. Place a layer of rouch 
stones at the bottom of the hole to a depth of six 
