Sspfc.  2,  1895.]  Supplement  to  the  '^Tropical  Agriculturist” 
221 
in  succession  to  Mr.  William  Crowther,  and  Mr. 
John  Cliisnail  Moore  to  the  botanical  station  at 
St.  Lucia. 
The  Scientific  American  recommends  the 
following  treatment  for  destroying  .stumps  of 
trees; — -in  the  autumn  bore  a hole  in  the  centre 
of  the  stump  about  18  itiches  deep,  and  1 to 
H inches  in  diameter.  Pat  in  about  2 oz.  of 
saltpetre  and  fill  the  hole  with  water ; plug 
it  up  tight.  In  the  following  spring  take  out 
the  plug,  pour  in  8 or  10  oz.  kerosiiie,  ignite, 
and  the  stump  will  smoulder,  but  not  blaze, 
to  the  extremities  of  the  roots,  leaving  only  ashes. 
A new  method  of  preserving  oranges  has  been 
discovered.  The  plan  of  burying  oranges  with 
three  or  four  inches  deep  of  soil  above  them  is  a 
decided  advance  in  simplicity  on  the  ordinary 
methods  of  keeping  this  favourite  fruit.  The 
inventor  of  this  method  i.s  Mr.  John  Carson,  of 
Clutha,  Kew,  whose  reputation  as  an  e.'cperienced 
grower  of  fruits  is  a guarantee  of  the  efficiency  of 
the  new  plan.  The  spot  chosen  for  the  experi- 
ment was  on  the  .shady  side  of  a tall  jiine  tree,  to 
which  the  sun  had  access  only  for  a time  after 
rising.  The  oranges  were  buried  as  described  on 
S ;ptember  25,  1894,  and  they  were  lifted  on 
Tuesday,  April  9.  They  were  quite  ripe  and 
perfectly  sound  and  sweet  when  submitted  to 
examination. 
One  of  the  uncon.sidered  trifles  that  the  Mikado 
has  picked  up  as  the  result  of  the  Chinese  war  is 
the  monoi)Oly  of  camphor.  Tliat  drug  is  produced 
only  in  Japan  and  Formosa;  and,  though  a variety 
known  as  Borneo  camphor  is  obtained  from 
B irueo  and  Sumatra,  it  cannot  compete  with  the 
])roduct  of  the  evergreen  laurel  of  the  Eastern 
Asiatic  islands.  Inasmuch  as  camphor,  apart  from 
its  many  and  varied  therapeutic  uses,  is  an  es.sen- 
tial  ingredient  in  the  composition  of  nearly  all  the 
new  explosives,  the  demand  for  it  is  very  large. 
The  Jap.anese  are  well  aware  of  the  valuable 
monopoly  tliey  have  blundered  upon  rather  than 
sought,  and  have  already  begun  to  limit  the 
export  by  imposing  duties.  As  a natural  con.se- 
quence,  the  price  of  the  drug  has  risen  rapidly 
since  the  war  cam.'  to  an  end,  and  bids  fair  t > rise 
higher.  Happily  tlie  commercial  instinct  of  the 
Japanese  state.smen  is  a^  sound  as  their  political 
instinct,  and  they  are  not  likely  to  abuse  the 
monopoly  they  have  acquired  by  forcing  the  price, 
up  to  prohibitive  rates.  The  cliief  concern  of  the 
Japanese  Government  will,  for  some  time  to  come, 
be  the  finding  of  money  to  )>ay  for  the  shi])s  and 
munitions  of  war  which  will  secure  the  Mikado 
in  the  posse.ssiou  of  the  spoils  he  has  already  won. 
Properly  handled  and  wisely  administered, 
camphor  should  prove  a valuable  source  of  revenue, 
and  contribute  a hand.-ome  quota  towards  the  cost 
of  the  military  preparations  which  pertain  to  the 
peaceoftheDragon  Kingdom. — IndianArjricuIturirt. 
Mr.  James  Peter,  of  Berkeley,  Gloucestershire, 
writes: — “ I have  received  many  inquiries  asking 
for  information  regarding  the  use  of  carbolic  acid 
as  a preventive  of  abortion  ; and  to  save  mj'self 
the  necessity  of  answering  so  many  letters,  1 give 
yon  the  following  particulars  of  the  system  I 
adopt : — ‘ Commence  by  mixing  with  sufficient 
hot  water  to  make  a bran  mash,  \ oz.  ordinary 
crude  carbolic  acid,  then  add  the  bran,  gradually 
incre.asiug  the  carbolic  acid  up  to  | oz.,  which  i.s 
the  maximum  quantity  I can  get  a cow  to  take  in 
a bran  mash.  Fur  a number  of  cows  I measure  out 
the  requisite  number  of  4 oz,  doses,  and  mix  with 
the  water  and  bran  in  a fodder  barrow,  and  then 
give  a good  broad  shovelful  to  each  animal. 
Before  1 got  rid  of  the  disease  1 administered  the 
carl)olic  mashes  three  times  a week.  1 find  it 
equally  safe  to  give  an  animal  a | oz.  do.se  daily.’ 
I may  state  that  1 have  rekuilarly  used  carbolic 
acid  in  this  lierd  for  the  last  three  years  as  a 
preventive  against  bacterial  diseases,  and  in  all 
my  experience  I iiever  had  animals  keep  so  healthy 
and  well  as  they  have  .since  I have  done  so.  My 
opinion  is  that  its  use  internally  is  a valualile 
remedy  and  a preventive  against  microbic  diseases. 
The  lioyal  Agricultural  Society  has  asked  me  to 
revise  my  evidence  before  their  Abortion  Com- 
mission, owing  to  the  numerous  inquiries  for 
copies  of  the  evidence,  and  1 understand  they  are 
now  about  to  publish  it  in  pamphlet  form.  I 
hope  to  make  further  experiments  in  another 
form.’' — Marh  Lane  Express. 
Says  the  Agricultural  Journal  of  New  South 
Wales: — It  is  satisfactory  to  be  able  to  report 
that,  according  to  notifications  received  by  the 
Department,  the  various  remedies  recommended 
hiive  been  most  successful.  No  less  than  fourteen 
fruit-growers,  whose  addresses  cover  a very  large 
portion  of  the  Colony,  have  been  able  to  clear 
their  vines  of  black  spot  and  oidiuni.  From  four 
different  districts  complete  success  has  followed 
the  use  of  bandages  for  codlin  motli.  Resin  and 
soda  wash  has  proved  efficacious  for  woolly  aphis, 
while  Bordeaux  mixture,  in  addition  to  its  good 
results  in  black  spot,  lias  also  proved  beneficial 
for  removing  pear  scab,  shot-hole  fungus  and 
apple-scab.  Spraying  with  Paris  green  has  given 
good  results  for  codlin  moth  and  Ciiterpillars  in 
potatoes.  There  is  one  reported  failure  from 
East  Orange,  where  Bordeaux  mixture  failed  to 
cure  twig  blight  and  powdery  mildew.  It  must 
not  be  supposed  that  the  cases  here  referred  to 
cover  all  the  orchards  and  vineyards  of  the  Colony, 
as  doubtless  there  are  many  trials  which  do  not 
get  reported,  and  what  is  still  more  to  be  regretted, 
tliere  are  many  case-'  of  disease  where  no  attempt 
is  made  to  effect  a cure.  It  is  lioped  that  the 
])ublication  of  the  .successful  results  will  act  as  a 
stimulus  to  those  who  come  within  both  the 
classes  last  referred  to. 
The  English  “ Wil  1 Birds’  *^rotection  .\ct  1894” 
supplie.s  a list  of  wild  birds  to  be  protected,  but 
other  birds  may  on  the  recommendation  of  a 
Countv  Council  be  added.  Mr.  Cecil  Warpburtou 
of  the  Zoological  Laboratory,  Cambridge,  has  done 
good  service  in  preparing  a complete  schedule  of 
wild  birds  “ undouirtedly  beneficial  to  agriculture, 
and  which  in  the  interests  of  agriculture  it  is  very 
de.sirable  should  be  protected  under  tlie  act  re- 
ferred to,”  The  schedule  consists  of  four  columns 
headed  respectively  “bird,”  “food,”  “j)est,” 
“ eggs.”  For  in.stance.  Bird,  the  wren  {Troglodytes 
p>nrvulus) ; Food,  insects,  Nest ; domo-sliaped, 
with  side  entrances — Eggs,  6-12,  white  generallj* 
spotted  with  red  at  larger  end,  '67  w '5,  April — 
June.  A schedule  prepared  after  this  thin 
should  prove  use  in  every  country. 
