370 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist."  [N"ov.  1,  1895. 
interest  to  all  who  are  concerned  in  textile  manu- 
facture or  business  in  India,  and  they  will  doubtless 
hnd  tliat  such  a practical  demonstration  as  is  to 
be  given  will  be  more  readily  appreciated  than  any 
printed  description. 
One  fact  interesting  to  the  cotton  mill-owner  has 
been  published  in  the  prospectus,  viz.,  that  the  ex- 
isting cotton  machinery  can  be  adapted,  with  cer- 
tain modifications  and  at  a reasonable  cost,  for 
the  manufacture  of  the  rhea  fibre,  though  the  well- 
known  firm  of  Messrs.  Greenwood  and  Batley,  of 
Leeds,  have  gone  the  length  of  designing  special 
machinerj'  for  producing  yarn  and  manufactured 
goods  from  the  rhea  fibre  filasse.  A parent  com- 
pany for  India  has  been  founded  in  Bombay,  which 
has  tlie  right  of  forming  sub-companies  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country,  and  in  the  meantime  Mr. 
Cowasji  Wookerjee  has  been  empowered  to  grant 
licences  for  the  manufacture  of  rhea  according  to 
the  Gomess  patent  process.  It  is  claimed  for  this 
process  that  it  is  the  only  invention  of  its  kind 
which  has  been  granted  patents  in  Germany  and 
the  United  States  of  America,  besides  other 
European  countries  and  India.  The  subject,  on 
the  whole,  deserves  the  careful  attention  and 
study  on  the  part  of  the  investing  public,  con.sider- 
iug  the  wide  field  of  utility  the  rhea  fibre  lias 
before  it.  The  shares  of  the  London  Company 
have  been  reported  to  be  at  a premium,  and  we 
hope  the  Indian  companies  will  meet  with  tlie 
same  success. — The  India  Textile  Journal. 
GE.VERAL  ITEMS. 
One  of  the  most  universally  distributed  orange 
scale  is  the  Aspidiotus  aurantii 'n\\\('A\  is  commonly 
found  sticking  on  to  the  rind  of  the  fruits, 
giving  it  a very  unsightly  appearance.  Repeated 
applications  of  kerosine  emulsion  are  most 
effectual  +'or  this  as  for  all  otlier  scales. 
A writer  in  an  Exchange  gives  his  experience 
of  preserving  orange:  The  plan  1 adopt  is  to 
leave  the  oranges  on  the  trees  till  well  ripened, 
carefully  gathering  in  baskets  and  on  no  account 
allowing  any  that  drop  from  trees  to  get  into 
baskets,  as  the  slightest  bruise  will  rot  an 
orange.  I always  had  large  packing  cases  in 
an  outbuilding  in  which  they  were  packed.  I 
first  put  a layer  of  dry  river  sand,  then  one  of 
oranges,  which  must  not  touch  each  otiier,  and 
so  on  till  tlie  box  is  full.  Oranges  were  gatliered 
about  the  end  of  July  and  boxes  opened  for  con- 
sumption in  midsummer.  The  sand  must  of 
sourse  be  clean  and  perfectly  dry. 
In  view  of  the  extension  of  grape  cultivation 
in  Ceylon,  the  following  from  the  iY.  .S'.  If'’. 
Affricaltural  Gazette  should  prove  of  intere.st : — 
Mr.  E.  llerborn,  of  Minto,  reports  the  success- 
ful treatment  of  black  spot  of  the  grape  with 
sulphate  of  iron  and  sulphuric  acid.  He  writes  : 
“ My  vineyard  had  suffered  considerably  the  jire- 
vious  season,  and  I determined  to  try  the  following 
(last)  winter  this  remedy.  I treated  about  half 
the  vineyard  only  with  one  application  only.  As 
the  spring  advanced  and  foliage  and  fruit  deve- 
loped, the  most  unpractised  eye  would  at  once 
bo  struck  with  the  remarkable  difference  in  the 
appearance  of  the  two  halves  of  the  vineyard. 
The  oue  exhibite<l  vigorous,  healthy  foliage. 
with  a good  show  of  fruit ; the  other,  scanty 
yellowish  foliage,  and  shrivelled  berries,  or  none 
at  all.  Had  the  whole  vineyard  been  similarly 
treated  the  proof  of  the  ellicacy  of  the  remedy 
would  not  have  been  so  clear,  as  an  improvement 
in  th ! vineyard,  as  compared  with  the  previous 
season,  might  have  been  attributable  to  other 
causes.  Under  the  circum-stances  I have  narrated, 
however,  cause  and  effect  were  in  unmistakable 
evidence.  I shall  not  fail  to  treat  my  vines  several 
times  this  winter.  I use  3 per  cent,  sulphuric 
acid  in  a saturated  solution  of  sulphate  of  irou, 
any  time  before  the  buds  burst,  following  up  with 
Bordeaux  mi.xture,  which  latter  is,  I believe,  also 
a specific  for  Oidium,” 
The  black  sooty  appearance  common  on  orange 
trees  is  due  to  the  presence  of  the  mycelium  of 
a fungus,  Capnodiion  citri,  which  grows  on  the 
sugary  secretions  of  scale  insects.  It  injures 
the  tree  by  blocking  up  the  stomata  of  the  leaves. 
The  true  cause  of  the  trouble  being  the  scale 
insect,  the  tree  should  be  treated  persistently  with 
kerosene  emulsion. 
An  ointment,  says  the  Editor  of  the  Cape  Colony 
Agricultural  Journal,  made  of  equal  parts  of 
llowera  of  sulphur  and  grease,  laid  on  in  a streak 
as  broad  ns  your  hand  all  down  the  backs  of 
horses  and  cattle  will  rid  them  of  ticks.  The 
diffusive  qualities  of  sulphur  are  something  not 
well  understood,  but  may  be  easily  tested. 
The  Adelaide  Observer  .states  that  in  making 
Bordeaux  mixture  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  air-slaked  lime  should  be  rejected.  The  lime 
must  be  strong  and  fresh  from  the  kiln.  The 
bluestone  must  be  the  best.  This  is  the  latest 
way  to  make  Bordeaux  mixture: — Dissolve  6 lb. 
of  best  sulphate  of  copper  in  6 gallons  of  boiling 
water  in  one  vessel  large  enough  to  hold  22gallon.s. 
In  another  vessel  placed  lb.  of  fresh  lime ; pour 
on  a little  water,  but  not  enough  to  cover  the 
lumps;  when  that  is  taken  up  add  a little  more 
water;  after  a litle  add  enough,  to  make  1 gallons. 
Strain  the  lime  water  through  a branbag  or  fine 
sieve  into  the  vessel  of  bluestone  water,  and  make 
up  to  22  gallons  by  the  addition  of  more  water. 
Use  the  mixture  without  much  delay,  as  it  spoils 
by  being  kept  for  more  than  a few  hours. 
Leg  weakness  in  poultry  may  arise  from  mus- 
cular weakness  or  from  a deficiency  of  bony  matter, 
and  the  symptoms  usually  manifest  themselves 
between  the  ages  of  three  and  si.x  months.  The 
free  use  of  bone  dust  is  a preventative  of  this  affec- 
tion, but  a cure  is  not  difficult  by  using  the 
following  prescription  : — Sulphate  of  iron  1 grain, 
strychnine  { grain,  Phosphate  of  lime  5 grains, 
and  sulph.ate  of  quinine  h grain.  Jlake  a small 
pill  and  administer  three  times  daily — morning, 
noon  and  night. 
Writing  to  the  Aurirahman,  “Grazier"  says: — 
I have  found  the  following  a very  easy  and  olK- 
cacious  way  of  getting  riel  of  worms : — Tie  the 
horse  up  in  the  stable  and  starve  him  for  at  least 
12  hours,  an«I  then  give  him  about  a quart  of 
new  milk  quite  warm  from  the  cow.  'riiis  will 
rid  the  horse  of  all  the  w'orms. 
