March  2,  1896.]  Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  /tgriculturist” 
655 
a most  disiigroeable  smell.  Any  unsaiiilaij  con 
ditioii  tends  to  cause  scoui’.  Over-cfowded  calves 
never  thrive.  'I'hey  are  subject  to  bo  attacked  by 
parasitic  vermin  and  skin  disease,  especially  m^g- 
‘vonn  and  itch.  A piece  rock-salt 
placed  so  that  the  calves  can  li  ;k  it.  it  a hole  is 
bored  in  the  lump  and  the  lump  i.s  suspended  by 
a string,  none  of  the  salt  is  wasted.  A iinip  o 
lime  or  chalk  placed  within  reach  will  also  be 
regularly  licked.  The  chalk  is  beneficial,  because 
it  has  a tendency  to  counteract  that  acidity  in  the 
stomach  which  always  accompanies  scoui. 
If  proper  attention  is  given  to  the  feeding  and 
management  of  calves  during  the  first  few  months 
of  their  life,  and  if  satisfactory  progress  has  been 
made  in  growth  during  that  period,  they  will 
continue  to  thrive  often  with  much  less  care  aiul 
with  much  less  food  than  a yoiinj 
inimal  which 
wiin  iiiuoii  ivj.-'v.  ........  - j o . . 
has  previously  been  half  starved,  and  this  remailc 
is  applicable ‘to  all  animals.  If  young  stock  are 
to  make  satisfactory  progress,  even  m India,  a 
certain  amount  of  shelter  is  necessary.  The  mon- 
soon is  decidedly  the  most  trying  season.  Koomy 
yards  with  shelter  steading  must  be  provided  to 
be  used  during  e.vcessively  heavy  ram.  Grazing 
crround  gets  so  soft  and  so  easily  pudnled  that 
any  attempt  to  turn  young  stock  out  to  graze 
would  be  alike  harmful  to  them  and  to  the  pasture. 
In  India  the  conditions  associated  with  the  reaiing 
of  young  stock  are  different  from  those  found  m 
other  countries.  There  is  in  India  grazing  o a 
sort  all  the  year  round.  Tlie  grazing  is  not  equally 
good  at  all  seasons.  Usually  there  is  only  green 
grass  tor  5 or  G months,  and  the  natural  food  must 
afterwards  be  siqiplemented  by  other  food,  ihe 
daily  ration  must  be  especially  liberal  at  those 
seasons  when  the  natural  food  is  scaice. 
. Superabundance  at  one  season  and  semi-starva- 
tion at  another  is  a fruitful  cau^e  of  lo.s.s.  Parti- 
cular care  should  be  e.xerci.^ed  when  young  grass 
begins  to  grow.  It  flushes  up  very  suddenly  m 
India.  The  lirst  growth,  although  it  is  g-een,  is 
not  nutritions,  and,  being  snccnlent,  is  not  ne  1 
suited  iL.s  a cluuiget'rom  tlie  hard  <lry  fibrou.s  todutu 
previously  given.  Most  of  the  c.ittle  wliich  die 
in  India  die  at  this  season. 
The  change  of  feeding  is  so  sudden  that  impac- 
tion of  the  stomach  is  induced.  The  innutritions 
fibrous  food  previouv^ly  given  collects  in  the  rue- 
men  and  becomes  impacted,  whilst  the  green  food 
passes  through  the  alimentary  canal  without  being 
iMOperly  digested.  The  first  syni})tom  is  that  t le 
animal  .‘•cours.  Young  stock  should  be  prepared 
before  they  are  turned  out  to  grass.  Linseed 
meal  is  a useful  food  at  thissea.son  on  accouiHot 
its  la.vative  character  and  its  softening  effect 
on  food  with  which  it  becomes  mixed  during  the 
process  of  digesti;m  ; but  linseed  cake  is  not 
usually  procurable  in  India,  .-t.  cake  rich  in  oil  and 
free  from  fibrous  matter,  for  in.'tance  sesamum 
cake,  should  be  fed  to  all  young  stock  f.ir  at  least 
a fortnight  before  they  are  turned  out  to  gra.ss; 
2 or  3 1I)S.  per  day  along  with  the  usual  ration  of 
dry  fodder  will  prevent  the  serious  consequences 
wliich  would  follow  a sudden  change  from  dry 
fodder  to  green  grass. 
Indian  cows  and  bnft’aloes  are  at  the  best  irre- 
gular breeder.s.  S.mie  breeds  are  more  irregular 
than  others.  Gir  cows  are  very  unsatisfactory  in 
this  respect.  On  the  other  hand,  Aden  cattle,  u well 
fed,  will  come  in  season  for  the  bull  six  weeks  or 
two  months  after  calving.  Buffaloes  are  less  regular 
than  cows.  Green  food  given  in  moderation  all  the 
year  round  tends  to  bring  cows  and  buffaloes 
sooner  into  “season”  after  calving.  This  would  be 
the  care  even  although  the  animals  are  otherwise 
well  fed.  A bull  turned  out  to  pasture  with  the 
cows  periodically,  say  once  a week,  and  especially 
a buffaloe  bull  with  buff..loe  cows  tends  to  bring 
them  into  season  sooner  than  would  otherwise  be 
the  case.  The  following  table  of  figures  shows 
the  average  period  of  lactation  and  the  average 
time  between  two  successive  births  of  the  cow 
herd  and  buffaloe  herd  on  the  Poona  Parm  in 
181)3 
Av.  period  Av.  period  between 
of  lactation,  two  successive  births. 
Days.  Days. 
Whole  buffaloe  herd  .36-1  ojl4 
Whole  cow  herd  360  47o 
The  longer  period  betwe  n births  in  respect  of 
buffaloes  arises  partly  because  buffaloes  are  longer 
pregnant  than  cows. 
Buffaloes  are  in  the  average  pregnant  315  days 
Cows  ,.  f>  282  „ 
An  old  cow  will  carry  acalf  10  days  or  a fortnight 
longer  than  a heifer,  and  a cow  bearing  twins  will 
usually'  go  272  to  275  days. 
TllU  DISPOSAL  OF  NIGHT-, SOIL. 
In  his  last  annual  report  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Poona  Farm  gives  an  account  of  an  experi- 
ment, undertaken  on  behalf  of  the  Cantonment 
C.)inmittee,  in  the  direct  application  of  night-soil 
to  cultivated  land.  The  method  of  ap])lication 
is  de.scribed  as  the  shallow-bed  system.  We  quote 
as  follows  from  the  report: — “Bedsare  formed  along 
one  side  of  the  area  to  be  treated.  The  beds  mu.-t 
be  sufficient  in  number  and  extent  to  receive  the 
night-soil  of  the  following  day  or  night.  The 
beds  are  best  made  moderately  small,  one  for  each 
cart-load  of  night-soil.  The  soil  inside  the  bed 
should  be  dug  iqi  and  loo.^eiied,  so  that  the  liquid 
part  of  the  night-soil  soaks  at  once  into  the  soil. 
If  the  beds  are  small,  the  semi-liquid  night-soil 
as  it  escapes  from  the  carts  distributes  itself 
equally.  It  should  be  covered  iminediataly'  with 
three  inches  of  soil,  the  soil  being  obtained  by 
digging  out  the  beds  necessary  for  the  reception 
of  the  night-soil  of  the  following  day.  When 
sufficient  soil  is  removed  to  cover  the  night-soil 
properly,  the  bottom  of  each  bed  should  be  dug 
up  to  loosen  the  soil.  If  the  beds  are  properly 
prepared,  there  is  a guarantee  that  the  night-soil 
is  also  sufficiently'  covered,  consequently  close 
supervision  is  not  necessary.  One  inspection  each 
day'  to  see  that  the  beds  for  next  day’s  night-soil 
are  properly  prepared  is  all  that  is  necessary. 
The  i^ona  night-soil  carts  have  each  a capacity 
of  200  gallons  ; probably’  on  an  average  each  cart 
contained  about  120  gallons,  or,  say'  1,400  lb. 
Approximately  200  cart-loads  were  applied  per 
acre,  and  it  is  said  that  this  was  equivalent  to  100 
tons  and  probably  120  tons  of  mi.xed  solid  and 
liquid  human  excrements.  The  night-soil  was  ap- 
plied between  the  23rd  June  and  the  9th  July. 
There  was  hardly'  any'  noticeable  small  when  the 
night-soil  was  covered  with  the  necessary  quantity 
of  soil,  a id  in  a day  or  two  there  was  nothing 
offensive  or  insanitary.  The  night-soil  layer  (when 
brought  to  view)  could  be  distinguished  by  its 
