June r, 1S92.] Supplement to the " Tropical AgnciMimst." 
955 
still further kept cool and damp by being made 
in only partially cleared forests. Wherever 
such localities are to be found the cocoa may 
be expected to thrive, and might be introduced 
with effect and at little charge. On the Malabar 
Coast, too, where forest lands abound, the humid 
and iusular-like climate vs^ould as in the West 
Indies, where it is very extensively cultivated, 
counteract. the injurious effect of excessive heat 
and render the chances of success fully equal 
to those of Mysore. The only drawback to its 
extended cultivation is the slowness of its growth 
in the first instance, which, liowever, is well 
compensated for by its after duration and 
productiveness. The fresh virgin soil, the shade, 
the humid atmosphere of forests recently 
cleared of their brushwood are all dwelt 
upon by Humbolt as peculiarly favourable 
for cocoa plantations, and in such of 
course they ought to be tried in the first 
instance until we get the tree acclimatised. 
The foundation stone of the Bengal Veterinary 
Institute was laid last month in a suburb of 
Calcutta. The Indian Agriculturist hopes that 
this institution will not fall into the same 
errors as those of the Bombay Veterinary 
College, of turning a hospital for animals into 
an infirmary for horses, almost to the exclusion 
of oxen which are the beasts of burden and 
of agricultural work in the East. It is also 
hoped that one of the chief objects of the 
institute will be to bring Veterinary aid to 
the cultivator, and that the recommendation of 
the Cattle Plague Commission of 1871 should be 
adopted, and "a native agency by which 
epizootic and other diseases might be properly 
investigated and treated," formed. 
The Chinese and Malays make four kinds of 
Gambler, viz.. Gambler papan, bulat, paku, 
and dudur. The first two of these are used for 
chewing, the others for dyeing. Besides these, 
two uses to which Gambler is put, it is also 
used for tanning, and is said to give a peculiar 
gloss to leather not produced by other tanning 
substances. Next to oak-baric it is the most 
important tanning material. Again, it is used 
for strengthening canvas and making it water- 
proof, as a masticatory, and an astringent in 
medicine. It has been recommended as a pre- 
servative of timber in sea water. 
A writer in the Agricultural Journal of Cape 
Colony says that Euphorbia or Naboom milk 
is a sure cure for warts on liorses and cattle. 
Three applications removed a very large wart 
from the b(>lly of a mare. The same result 
followed in tlui case of two heifers with warts, — 
one with so large a wart that it was thought 
tlid animal would have to be killed : three 
applications eft'octed a cure. Young trees should 
be tapped for the milk, which, if loft standing 
for a few days becomes hard. It should then 
bo cut tine mixed with a little turpentine or 
parafihi, and stirred till it gets to a fluid 
again, ready to rub on. The writer states that 
8omo yi>ars ago, ho saw in a paper that a lady 
iu tlie (^ueonstown district, who had "a 
cancer on her broiist, got cured b.y the same 
romody. It is unt'ortuuatoly not slated which 
of the Euphorbias is the Naboom which is 
evidently a local name. Most of the plants 
belonging to this family yield a milk which 
is more or less corrosive in character. The 
milk from E. Antiquoriim (Dalookgass), E. 
Tortilis (Senook gass) and E. Tirucalli (Nawa- 
handi) is used as corrosive fluids for blistering 
and other purposes by the natives of Ceylon. 
Sir Charles Elliott, the Lieutenant-Governor 
of Bengal, in his last report, referring to the 
food supply of the Provinces recommends the 
bulb of Kesoor (Cyperus bulbosus), the Chilanthi 
arisi of North Ceylon, as an article of diet 
in case of famine. He states that it is palat- 
able and nutritious, and that a seer of it could 
be dug in a day, but the Indian Agriculturist 
remarks the whole stock of kesoor, which more- 
over is by no means common in all localities, 
will thus be exhausted in a few hours. In 
North Ceylon Chilanthi arisi is used as an article 
of diet, especially in seasons of scarcity. 
The Indian Agriculturist suggest that Motha 
(C. Rotundus) the Sinhalese Kalandooroo might 
also be pressed into use in famine times. 
According to American experiments, phosphatic 
manures alone or in combination with nitrogen- 
ous fertilisers gave the best results with cotton. 
Nitrogen and potash separately were of little 
value, but combined with phosphoric acid 
doubled the yield. 
Mr. Edward Brown in his well-known book 
on Poultry-keeping, says that the true secret of 
feeding young chickens ia to give a little plain 
food, and often. Amateurs like to give chickens 
dainty bits, to be constantly feeding them on 
rich morsels, with the result that they are often 
killed by kindness. The plainer the diet they 
get the better, and anything in the shape of 
forcing is sure to cause harm. Where death 
does not result at once, the seeds of disease 
are sown, and sooner or later these seeds are 
developed, and trouble is the result. Unless 
chickens are also fed often, they are very apt 
to suffer and be stunted througli hunger, and 
also to gorge themselves when the^food is 
placed before them, the latter a state of things 
very likely to induce disease. They should get 
a warm feed as soon after daylight as possible, 
and till a mouth old should have a meal the 
last thing at night. 
Fish guano, which is manufactured from fish 
offal brought into a very fine mechanical con- 
dition, IS said to be the cheapest and best form 
of guanos. Though the values of ammonia iu 
Peruvian and fish guanos are given in the 
Highland and Agricultural Societies' scale of 
charges as 15/ and 10/6 per unit respectively 
It IS tliere stated that alhough such are the 
commercial values, the agricultural values arid 
probably the same. It would thus appear *hat 
fish guano js commercially and agriculturaMv^the 
cheapest guano, and tlie fact that superior 
prices paid for Peru^■ian and Icaboe. guanos are 
to be referred to the antiquity and reputation 
of the lormer. The manure is said to have- 
given excellent results when applied to su^ar^ 
cane, tea, coftee and tobacco, uud is siutttbltt 
tor all kiuds of crops. 
