366 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  AgricultaristT  [Nov.  1,  1895. 
A great  advantage  claimed  for  this  process  is 
the  complete  sepiration  of  the  leaf  from  the  stalk 
as  soon  as  the  leaf  is  ripe.  It  is  said  fnat,  if  the 
leaves  are  not  removed,  tlie  stalks  will  extract 
nearly  two  ounces  ot  the  oil  of  tobacco  from  every 
pound  of  loaves  cured  on  them,  and  that  when 
the  leaves  are  cured  separately,  the  tobacco  is 
about  lo  per  cent,  heavier  than  it  would  other- 
wise be. 
The  leaves  of  the  tobacco  ))lant  do  not  all  ripen 
at  the  same  time,  and  while  the  upper  ones  are 
maturing,  the  lower  leaves  are  becoming  wortli- 
less.  This  fact  puts  the  farmer  in  a dilemma.  If 
he  leaves  the  plant  until  some  of  its  leaves  are 
over-ripe,  it  is  believed  that  their  oil  is  absorbed 
by  the  stalk  and  their  value  thus  impaired.  If 
he  cuts  the  plant  while  .some  leaves  are  green, 
these  immature  leaves  will  be  of  little  worth.  It 
is  urged  that  lo.ss  in  either  direction  may  be 
avoided  by  taking  off  the  leaves  as  fast  as  they 
tipen. 
In  practice  the  leaves  are  gathered  and  laid  in 
baskets  3 feet  long,  18  inches  wide,  and  9 indies 
deep,  and  in  them  conveyed  to  the  curing-house. 
This  building  is  provided  witli  heating  apparatus. 
Usually  in  the  basement.  Tlie  leaves  are  strung 
On  steel  wires,  84  leaves  to  a “ stick.’  As  soon  as 
tt  “ section  ” of  sticks  is  filled,  it  is  hoisted  to  its 
place.  The  leaves  are  cured  in  a very  .short  time, 
compared  with  the  process  of  air-curing  on  the 
stalk.  House-bum,  or  pole-sweat,  is  said  to  be 
entirely  avoided. 
It  is  estimated  that  the  tobacco  stalks  grown 
on  an  acre  of  average  land  contain  4,000  lb.  of 
water.  When  damp  or  rainy  weatlier  prevails, 
it  is  believed  that  this  quantity  of  water  in  the 
stalks  is  a serious  drawback  to  good  cures  in 
tobacco  sheds,  and  is  a probable  cause  of  pole- 
sweat.  When  the  weather  is  propitious,  and  the 
best  results  with  the  stalk-cure  are  obtained,  it  is 
argued  that  the  leaf  is  more  or  less  impregnated 
with  a bitter  flavor,  gathered  from  the  tannin 
contained  in  the  stalk. 
The  above  are,  in  substance,  the  leading  argu- 
ments advanced  by  the  advocates  of  the  leaf-cure 
as  a<yainst  the  stalk-cure.  As  to  the  merits  or 
demerits  of  the  former,  I do  not  care  to  express 
a positive  opinion.  Intelligent  growers  will 
doubtless  investigate  and  judge  for  tliemselves. 
Several  patents  are  held  in  connection  with  the 
process.  In  the  few  instances  in  whicli  the  le.af- 
cure  has  been  tried  in  Connecticut  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  growers  have  .seemingly  concluded 
that  its  advantages  over  the  old  method  are  more 
than  offset  by  the  great  additional  labor  and 
expense  involved. 
^ 
CRUELTY  TO  ANIMALS. 
•\nimals  are  cruelly  treated  under  different  cir- 
cumstances. Many  owners  only  think  of  getting 
as  much  work  or  making  as  much  money  out  of 
tiieir  animals  as  possible.  Tliere  are  others  who 
seem  to  derive  a sort  of  mo.'hid  enjoyment  by 
illtreatin<»  their  beasts  &c.  There  is  yet  a third 
wav  ill  which  animals  suffer,  in  that  tliey  are  sub- 
iected  to  different  methods  of  treatment  winch 
cause  them  pain,  with  the  object  of  doing  them 
some  good.  Tliis  last  form  of  cruelty  is  more  or  less 
due  to  ignorance,  the  first-mentioned  to  selfishness, 
and  the  second  to  wanton  cruelty. 
In  any  scheme  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  to 
animals  no  practical  good  can  be  effected  without 
taking  into  consideration  the  origin  of  the  forms 
of  cruelty.  Punishment  is  no  doubt  a neces.sity 
in  most  cases,  but  before  a person  is  punished  for 
alleged  cruelty,  it  is  always  advisable  to  take  into 
consideration  the  motive  or  motives  that  led  to 
the  act. 
Here  in  Ceylon  the  forms  of  cruelty  we  meet 
with  are  not  very  numerous.  Lame  bulls  or  those 
with  sore  necks  are  put  to  the  yoke,  or  lame 
horses  are  made  to  trot  about  with  heavy  traps 
all  day.  Children  and  often  grown  up  people  in 
a few  instances  illtreat  harmless  creatures,  but  such 
instances  are  extremely  rare.  Branding  is  the 
form  of  cruelty  which  is  perpetrated  through 
ignorance. 
A Society  is  useful  in  checking  these  practices, 
but  when  that  Society  can  employ  only  one  or  two 
paid  agents  to  travel  about  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  island,  the  advantages  gained  will  be  very 
small,  and  perhaps  nothing.  The  evidence  of  the 
activity  of  the  paid  agent  should  not  be  gauged 
from  the  number  of  prosecutions  entered  in  the 
Courts  nor  the  amount  of  fines  recovered,  but 
from  the  condition  of  animals  that  are  seen 
about.  It  is  a noteworthy  fact  that  we  come 
across,  almost  daily,  horses  used  in  waggons  and 
cattle  u.sed  in  carts  that  are  not  actually  fit  for  the 
work  ; but  these  are  allowed  to  go  about  unmo- 
lested, whereas  a few  are  now  and  again  prosecuted. 
Cruelty  to  animals  is  a Penal  Act  in  the  island, 
and  any  breach  of  this  Act  should  be  duly  noted  by 
the  guardians  of  the  peace,  and  if  in  any  way 
these  officers  neglect  to  do  their  duties,  it  is  for  the 
putdic  and  within  the  province  of  a Society  to  in- 
sist on  their  attention  tothisdutj\  A S.P.C.A.,  if 
it  appoints  paid  agents  at  all,  should  do  so  to 
note  the  extent  to  which  cruelty  exists,  and  then 
to  inform  the  Society  not  ag.iinst  die  owner  of 
animals  but  against  those  who  neglect  to  perfo.'in 
their  duties.  It  is  a great  pity  that  no  one  has 
yet  recognized  the  fact  that  the  very  appointment 
of  special  agents  to  carry  on  the  work  of  prosecuting 
those  committing  cruelty  to  animals  is  in  itself 
the  most  damaging  to  the  cause  they  have  at 
heart, ; for  by  that  means  they  imply  that  either 
an  act  of  cruelty  and  a breach  of  the  law  in  that 
respect  is  not  of  much  importance,  and  the  officers 
of  Government  who  are  specially  appointed  to  see 
the  laws  of  the  Island  carried  out  do  not  take  a 
serious  view  of  such  acts,  or  that  the  cruelty  exists 
only  in  the  eyes  of  a band  of  persons  who  are  j lined 
together  to  form  a Society  for  P.C.A. 
The  legitimate  duties  of  a S. P.C.A.  should  be, 
if  the  aims  of  the  Society  are  actually  to  benefit 
the  animals  and  ensure  their  better  treatment, 
to  instruct  the  people  m humanity,  and  to 
show  tliem  an  example  by  providing  suitable 
institutions  for  treating  animals  when  ill  or  other- 
wise disabled.  They  may  if  they  find  their  re- 
sources ample  also  devote  some  of  them  in  see- 
ing that  tlie  duly  authorized  guardians  of  the  law 
do  not  neglect  their  duties  in  respect  of  paying 
due  attention  to  cases  of  cruelty. 
iV.  A.  D.  S. 
CUTCH. 
The  Af/riculfitral  Lt'rlyrr  No.  1 of  189o  is  de- 
voted to  an  exliaustivo  account  of  .\cacia 
Catechu  and  its  products.  The  three  important 
