December i, 1890.I 
THE TROPICAL AORICULTURIST. 
447 
EXPERIMENTS AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE. 
Mr. S. Davis, Travelling Agent for an American 
firm of implement makers, accompanied by Mr. 
W. H. Davies, visited the School of Agriculture this 
morning by arrangement, and spent about two 
hours in demonstrating the use of some new inven- 
tions. Two hand implements were first tried, with 
attachments for hoeing, raking, moulding, &o., 
which worked most admirablly in the Indian corn 
and turmeric plots. They are well adapted for all 
manner of crops sown in rows, and are the most 
perfect implements of their kind. 'I'he amount of 
labour and time they save are incalculable, while 
the prices of the machines are comparatively cheap. 
Next an experiment was made with the horse hoe 
which was attached to two bufi’aloes. This imple- 
ment was also made to do the work of ploughing, 
skimming, moulding, trenching, &a., and is said to 
be largely used in tobacco and sugar-cane plantations. 
The exhibition of the working of these machines 
was much appreciated by the students. The horse- 
hoe IS perhaps too heavy for the cattle of the 
country, and there is probably not much scope for 
the use of the implement, which may also bo too 
expensive for the Cejlon Agriculturist, but the 
hand machines, which can no doubt be seen at 
Messrs. W. H. Davies & Go’s, ought to have a good 
sale in the island, as they are simply invaluable 
for garden cultivation of every kind, Indian corn 
(which by the way is being very successfully raised 
at the School of Agriculture) and such crops. 
^ 
NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. 
By Dll. J. E. Taylor, p.l.s., f.g.s., &c., 
Editor or “ Science Gossip.” 
Dr. Beyerinck has just described before the Royal 
Academy of Sciences at Amsterdam some highly in- 
teresting and important experiments relating to the 
infection of the common bean (Vicia faba) with a 
species of bacillus (Bradicola). He filled twelve pots 
with sterilised river sand, which had been rendered 
veiy poor in nitrogen by wasliing with distilled water. 
These pots he divided into four sets of three each. 
On April 25 a well-eteriliEed seed of the bean was 
planted in each pot. The dust of the air was wholly 
excluded from the pots, and arrangements were made 
so that the watering was carried on under dust cxciu- 
sion- The first sot of pots was watered with 01 
of phosphate of potash, 0-03 chlorate of lime, 0'06 
su'phate of magnesia, dissolved iu one litre of distilled 
water. The second set with the same mixture ; the 
third set ditto, to which wa.s added 0'2 grammes 
cf nitrate of lime ; and the fourth set ditto, to which 
was added 0‘2 grammes of su'pha'e of ammonia. 
When the plants had develoj ed their second leaf, the 
three pots of the first set and one tingle pot of each 
of the other three sets wore infected with a gelatine 
culture ot bacillus, cultivated in 18S9 from the tuberch s 
of the common bean, and since that time kept in 
succeesive tultures The bacteria used to inieot the 
beans with were mixed with sterilised com inm water. 
On dona 20, on one old co'yledon of a beau, a fungus 
(p nieiilium) wa.s found. The experimrnts were, there- 
toie, not continued iurthor. All the plants were taken 
from the pot.s, and their roots were well washed and 
examined. Every one of the six iufccteJ plants boro 
mauy tubercles, whilst not one of the six remaining 
nondiifec.ed jilants show, il the least sign of tubercles. 
Dr. Beyerinck showed that the presence or absence 
of iiil.rogon, as nitiate or as aimnouia, is ind fferent 
with regard to the p.-acLicability ot the infeo'.ioii. 
That nitrifying organisms exist in the soil has been 
known fur some years past. A Ereech scientist, ho.i over, 
has communicated to the Academy lii.s discovery that 
not only ai'o nitrifying microseupic organisms univer- 
sally distributed, even on tlio bare rocks of mountain 
peaks, but that to them may be attributed a con- 
siderable share in the important work of breaking 
dew I rock-masses into soils. — Australasian . 
BARK AND DRUG REPORT. 
(EVom the Chemist and Druggist.) 
London, Got. 23rd. 
Cinchona. — At Tuesday’s auctions a fair average sup- 
ply of bark was offered for sale, the catalogues iu- 
cluding 
Ceylon bark 
East Indian bark ... 
aouth American bark 
Packages Packages 
1,658 of which 1,2.51 were sold 
7.35 do 484 do 
1,129 do 431 do 
Total ... 3,622 do 2,166 do 
The assortment was a fairly good one so far as the Ceylon 
cinchona was concerned, while East Indian barks a)so 
included some very good lots, particularly in Suecirubras 
and Officinalis, a large proportion being of somewhat old 
import. South American Calisayas were strongly repre- 
sented, and met a fairly steady sale, up to is Id per 
lb being paid for the richest lots, though it is doubt- 
ful whether the average price now realised by these barks 
is a remunerative one for the growers. No Java bark 
was offered at all. The sales opened with a fairly good 
competition, but this ceased after the first two or three 
catalogues, and prices gradually ceased off, a large pro- 
ponioii being bought in. Tue average unit may be 
placed at about 1 |d per lb , or, say, about 8 per cent 
lower than at the previous auctions. Druggists’ barks, 
however, were in very steady request, and realised full 
values generally. One of the German manufacturers did 
not compete at all until near the end of the auctions. 
The following are the approximate quantities purchased 
by the principal buyers : — 
Lb. 
Agents for the Mannheim and Amsterdam works 107,231 
Agents for the American and Italian works 73,520 
Agents for the Frankfort o/M and IStuttgart works 62,121 
Agents for the Ifruuswick factory 49,647 
Agents for the Pelletier works ... 48, 33 
Messrs. Howards & Sons ... 48,773 
Agents for the Auerbach factory ... 36,740 
Mr. Thomas Whifien ... 25,115 
Sundry druggists ... ... ... 30,097 
Kola.— A small bag (41 lb.) of good bold well-dried 
West Indian seeds sold by auction last I’riday at the 
extraordinary price of 2s 8d per lb. For fair dry nuts 
2s 6d to 2s 7d per lb. has beeu paid privately this week. 
The report that sales have been made at Is 9d in Liver- 
pool is discredited here unless the quality of the kolas 
is exceptionally poor. 
Coconut Oil ; raiher lower, good to fine Cochin, on 
the spot, 34s to 34a 6d ; for distant shipment, 33s 6d 
c. i. f. is quoted ; fine Ceylon may be had at 33s on the 
spot or at 29s c. i. f. for distant shipment. 
THEFT OF CARDAMOMS AND CACAO 
FROJI THE YATAWATTE ESTATE. 
In the Police Court op Matale. 
November 8th. 
Jas. R. Martin, complainant u. Kandi Carpeu, De- 
fendant. 
In Ibis case the complainant, who is a gentleman 
known as being ” loath to come to Court,” charged 
the accused with the theft and unlawful possession of 
a quantity of cardamoms partially cured, property ot 
L'uika Company, valued at E3. It appears that for 
some time past the outturn of the cardamom ciop 
wbtn cured ran short iu small quantities, and the com- 
plainant had reaton to believe that some light-fingered 
person or persons had something to do with it. 
In evidence it Irau.-.pired today that tho defendant 
was employt d by Mr. Martin on both Ross and Yata. 
Watte e.statea, and owing to bis having been suspected 
of miscoiiduot was paid off. 
The accused engaged a house in the Yatawatte 
village about half-a-mile from the estate and was keep- 
ing a “ kada ” there dealing in dry fish, urecanuts, etc. 
On the evening of the G'.h instant he was coming 
akng the village path and when he got on to ihe 
main road, met the clerk of the estate and a sawyer. 
The former questioned tho accused as to the contents 
