234 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, i8ge. 
solitudes of the forests, are merely covered 
with coarse grasses, with osbeckias and a 
few other shrubs scattered about. Generally, 
however, the sparseness and the small size of the 
trees is compensated for and the good character of 
the soil vindicated by dense and in some cases 
very tall undergrowths of nilu, the stems of which 
often furnish, in a convenient shape, “ waratch- 
ies,” which, tied to posts, form wattle and daub 
buildings of more than a temporary nature, when 
thoroughly plastered, well roofed and protected by 
verandahs. Judging from our personal experience 
the hill forests of Dimbula and other districts 
with similar conditions, are likely to be increased 
manifold in value, when trees introduced from 
Australia, the Himalayan regions of India, Japan, 
(&c., are substituted lor most of the indigenous 
trees, and when really scientihc methods of thin- 
ning, pruning and coppicing are resorted to. The 
readiness with which the Australian gums coppice 
and their tenacity of life make them valuable 
additions to our sylvaculture. A very consider- 
able number of foreign trees have been intro- 
duced and are being tried, from the eucalypti and 
acacias of Australia to the oaks, birches and pines of 
of the Himalayas and Japan. As regards the 
Australian casuarinas and several of the eucalypts, 
we know that they are reckoned good fuel 
yielders in their native habitat and we suppose 
we may calculate on their retaining their charac- 
teristics as grown in Ceylon. But experiments 
such as have been conducted on a large scale in 
the United States in connection with the census 
would be valuable here. Specimens of all the 
American timbers have been subjected to com- 
bustion after a mode best calculated to test their 
calorific qualities and the results have been pub- 
lished. Something of the same kind eSected, es- 
pecially in regard to introduced trees — for the 
qualities of most of the native timbers have been 
settled by railway and tea furnace experience — 
would be valuable. Meantime Mr. Wright’s ex- 
perience with coal is exceedingly interesting ; and 
although coal alone may be too expensive for tea dry- 
ing, it may be a question whether a small quantity of 
coal added to wood in a furnace might not largely in- 
crease the heat' evolved without proportionate addition 
to the cost. In connection with the vast quanti- 
ties of coal handled at the range of supplying 
stores on the Colombo beach, there must surely 
be a considerable quantity of waste in the shape of 
small fragments and dust, which might be sold 
at a moderate price for use on tea estates ; pres- 
sure being applied to the loose stuff before it is 
carried by the railway at third-class rates, such 
as are applied to manures, cement and other 
like goods, sent in quantities of 4 tons and up- 
wards. Then there is the prospect now of Indian 
coals of a fair quality being available at a price 
considerably lower than the “ black diamonds’’ 
from Cardiff and Newcastle can be sold for. 
What the fuel demands of the railway are 
and are likely to remain, may be judged from the 
fact that to supply fuel for the 45 miles between 
Colombo and Polgahawela, Col. Clarke in hie 
recent report proposes to appropriate 10,000 acres 
of forest along the line. That means over 222 
acres for each mile of railway. 
SUGGESTION IN RE CATTLE-HISEASE. 
The figures published in Administration Beports 
and in the local newspapers of late, representing 
the loss of cattle through disease, have not been 
without their effect on the public mind ; and once 
again remedial measures for the suppression of 
cattle-disease have begun to be discussed. 
There is little doubt that every time there is an 
outbreak of murrain among cattle, the condition 
of the native agriculturist becomes more critical. 
The present distress in the Batticaloa district has 
the mortality among cattle for one of its causes, 
while the poor condition of draught animals in 
the agricultural districts directly bears upon the 
depressed state of paddy cultivation. 
The question now exercising the minds of those 
who have the welfare of the agricultural population 
at heart is — what are the remedial measures to 
be adopted to minimize, if not to extirpate, the 
evils arising from a degenerate condition of the 
cattle of the country ? Some would say, destroy 
all animals affected by, and predisposed to, disease ; 
others, enforce stringent quarantine measures in 
times of disease ; and others again, go to the root 
of the evil and endeavour to improve the breed 
and condition of stock. It has been conclusively 
proved, I think, that the first two methods can be 
carried out neither perfectly nor successfully in 
this island, the state and interests of the country 
being opposed to the adoption of these 
measures which may have proved efficacious 
elsewhere.* Choosing the alternative, let us 
inquire how the condition and breed of our 
stock are to be improved. Various useful sugges- 
tions have been thrown out ; and good work has 
been done in some quarters by collecting the ad- 
vice of those who have had experience in these 
matters, and the suggestions of the commissioners 
who inquired into the state of cattle in 1869, also 
by putting these into a simple and popular form, 
translating them into Sinhalese and scattering 
this knowledge as far as practicable among the 
villagers, But the question is, will the people 
for whom all this has been done fully avail 
themselves of the advice and suggestions that have 
been offered them ? From a knowledge of the 
people one cannot but answer “No,” and ift he 
matter is to rest here little will have been done. 
But more must be done, and can be done if the 
subject of the improvement of stock received official 
recognition. Private efforts, however, honest and 
earnest, will never be successful, unless they re- 
ceived the imprimatur of the Government. There is 
no doubt that before long the legislature will become 
alive to the necessity of enforcing certain measures 
relative to the protection of cattle ; and if, of the 
three alternatives to be adopted in dealing with 
cattle, either of the first two were favoured there will 
be a grave mistake, but if the condition of stock is to 
be improved there are ways in which the Govern- 
ment can help native agriculturists and other cattle 
owners. Firstly, it should be secured that cattle 
are kept under proper sanitary conditions : their 
surroundings should be cleaned, and they should be 
protected from undue exposure to rain and wind. 
The neglect of such treatment is nothing but 
cruelty and is worthy the attention of the Society 
that is concerned with suppressing such cruelty. 
But what is wanted is that certain minor officials — 
police, municipal, or special officers — should be 
empowered to charge cattle-owners (whether in 
towns or villages) who neglect to carry out orders 
enforcing the proper treatment of cattle as laid 
down by the legislature, with an offence involving 
a fine. It was only within the last few days I 
became aware of the existence of murrain in 
two large cattle sheds in the heart of the town. 
The condition of especially one of these is shockingly 
filthy ; and yet it seems that no action is being 
taken in these cases. Cattle are sold and removed, 
and I am informed that milk is supplied to two 
* Not in the Madras Presidency, where utter failur® 
is ooufesBed.— E d- T, A, 
