Supplement  to  the  ^'■Tropical  AgriciiltuHst.” 
[Xov.  2,  1896 
361 
quantities  of  milk  are  sure  to  enter  ami  ferment 
and  cause  un-:anit  iry  conditiom  which  s!i  )ul  I 
be  avoided.  The  windows  and  donvs  of  tlie  dairy 
should  face  the  west  or  uortli.  The  in  lin  w ills 
should  be  of  considerable  thickness  aud  a veranda 
all  round  will  still  further  help  to  keex)  the  dairy 
cool.  If  the  windows  open  inwards  and  wire 
gauze  i.s  stetched  upon  and  tacked  to  tiie  wimiow 
frame,  ventilation  will  be  secured  whilst  dies 
and  other  insects  will  be  excluded. 
SOME  PART1CUL\11S  REGVRDIXG 
R1IE.\-GGLTIVATI0X. 
[Being  extracts  from  a report  to  the  Q )vern" 
ment  of  India  by  James  Montgomery  Esq.  Kangra] 
Prorogation. 
(1)  By  .seed  : This  course  must  be  adopted 
in  some  cases,  when  the  germ  of  the  plants  h;is 
to  be  carried  over  great  dist  luces  ; but  pro- 
bably much  disappointment  will  attend  the  re- 
sult. To  obtain  the  seed  great  care  is  requisite, 
and  a favourable  atmosph  uac  seama.  For  this 
purpose  young  spring  shoots  shouhl  be  carefullj' 
reserved  in  a well  sheltered  position.  These 
plants  should  receive  special  care  and  be  svell 
manured.  During  the  rainy  season  they  must 
be  kept  throughly  dr.iined,  and  after  that  has 
passed,  the  ground  should  be  carefully  loosened 
round  the  plants.  If  the  rains  cease  early  in 
October,  a fair  amount  of  seed  may  be  obtained  ; 
but,  as-  far  as  I can  judge,  no  amount  of  care 
can  ensure  success,  so  much  depending  on  the 
season  a dry  one  being  most  favourable  for  the 
full  development  of  the  seed.  Tlie  only  method 
of  sowing,  which  1 found  successful  was  on  a 
gentle  hot-bed  under  glass,  in  March  and  April  ; 
the  seen  scattered  over  the  surface,  covered  very 
thinly  with  sifted  earth,  and  carefully  shaded 
from  the  sun,  until  the  plants  were  about  three 
inches  high,  when  sunlight  may  be  gra- 
dually admitted.  When  sufficiently  strong  they 
should  be  planted  out  a foot  apart  everyway. 
(2)  By  cuttings  of  the  stems:  The  stems 
should  be  spring-grown  ones,  allowed  to  rip^n 
wmll  and  not  cut  until  duly  ripe.  Tlien  divide 
the  ripened  i>ortion  of  the  stem  where  the  cuticle 
has  turned  fully  brown  into  .short  lengths,  each 
including  three  eyes  or  buds,  cut  a quarter  of 
an  inch  below  the  bottom  bud  and  as  much  above 
the  top  one,  and  plant  \^ith  the  centre  Imd  hnel 
with  the  surface.  If  the  weither  be  d.imp  and 
cloud}'',  they  will  readily  strike  rviot,  otherwise 
they  will  require  shading  for  a week  or  ten- 
days,  the  soil  being  kept  moist.  As  wii-h  seed- 
lings, 1 find  a foot  apart  everyway  the  mod 
advantageous  distance  ns  very  few  shoots  are 
thrown  up  the  first  year. 
(.3)  By  divisions  of  the  roots  : This  is  by  far 
the  most  advantageous  and  profitable  method. 
The  plants  for  this  purpo.se  should  be  tliree,  or 
four  year.s  old.  After  gathering  the  spring  crop, 
dig  out  each  plant,  carefully  and  remove  the 
earth  from  the  roots.  1 generally  put  tlie  ma.ss 
of  roots  into  rnnning  water  for  a short  time; 
this  cleanses  then  thoroughly  and  enables  the 
gardener  to  see  his  work  clearly.  The  tuberous 
portions  of  the  roots  will  be  found  to  show  a 
large  number  of  eyes  similar  to  those  on  a potato. 
From  these  carefully  separate  portions,  each  con- 
taining five  or  six  ej'es;  let  the  cuts  be  clean 
and  reject  all  fibrous  and  decayed  m itter.  Expose 
these  .sets  to  the  sun  for  a couple  of  hours  to 
dry  the  surface  of  the  wound-;,  and  then  plant 
six  inches  deep,  aud  at  the  full  di.staiice  of  four 
feet  ajiart  every  ways.  In  this  way  two  good 
crops  will  be  obtained  from  them  the  fir.-it  year. 
The  .‘ioil  and  situation  for  plantations. — 
A rich  loan  suits  the  plants  bet-t,  but  they 
will  grow  in  any  kind  of  soil,  provided  a full 
supply  of  moisture  be  available,  combined  with 
through  drainage.  The  latter  is  emergently  re- 
quired, particularly  during  the  rainy  season,  as 
should  the  land  be  retentive  and  become  swampy 
the  plants  will  shortly  decay  in  a very  .short 
period.  If  the  land  be  poor,  a liberal  supply  of 
manure  is  requisite,  otherwise  the  stems  will 
be  short  and  weak,  yielding  scarcel}'  any  flbro. 
In  n.o  part  of  Upper  India  can  the  ul  int  be  success- 
fully cultivated  unless  water  for  irrigation  be 
available  during  the  dry  season.  Tlie  facilities 
f >r  obtaining  an  ample  supply  of  witev,  combined 
with  the  mider.ite  temp  s ■arure  at  all  seas'sns, 
renders  this  district  particularly  favour  ible  to 
the  plant. 
C iltivatio  i. — Should  the  laud  have  been  stocked 
with  seellings  or  cuttings  (paragraphs  4 and  5), 
then  in  the  following  s|)riug,  after  having  reaped 
the  first  crop  of  available  slioots,  every  other  plant 
should  be  transferred  to  fresh  ground,  aud  put 
down  at  two  feet  apart.  The  following  year  the 
same  course  should  be  inirsued,  taking  up  each 
alternate  root  aud  replanting  at  four  feet  apart. 
After  this  the  plants  may  well  remain  undis- 
turbed for  four  years,  hoeing  well  between 
after  each  crop,  clearing  away  weeds,  irrigating 
moderately  during  the  dry  season,  and  supplying 
manure  where  nece.ssnry.  The  only  manure  1 
had  at  command  has  been  vegetable,  consisting 
mainly  of  the  leaves  and  wood  portion  of  the 
plant  itself,  aud  of  tree  and  vegetable  leaves . 
stored  up  for  the  purpose,  with  which  I mix 
a considerable  amount  of  wood-ashes.  With  the 
aid  of  this  only  1 have  kept  plants  growing 
in  the  same  spot  for  upwards  of  six  years;  but 
consequent  on  the  then  very  crowded  state  of 
the  ground,  the  stems  were  .-hort  and  very  weak. 
I would  therefore  recommend  a thorough  removal 
after  four  years,  the  1-indto  be  then  well  ploughed, 
cleaned  and  manured. 
(i.itkering  the  Crop. — The  period  of  reipiug  will 
vary  .digiitly  accordiag  to  difference  of  season.  1 
tind  that  in  this  district  three  good  crojis  can  be 
relied  on  each  year; — the  first  during  the  latter  half 
of  Api  il,  the  second  about  the  commencement  of 
August  ; and  the  third  about  the  end  of  November. 
It  will  be  found  of  much  advantage  to  p istpone 
reaiiing  the  second  and  iiarticularly  the  third,  as 
long  as  the  condition  of  the  plants  will  admit. 
If  the  third  cimp  bsj  cut  in  the  middle  of  November, 
the  weather  here  during  the  remainder  of  that 
month  i.s  not  suHiciently  cold  to  keep  b.ack  the 
new  growth  ; and  should  the  young  > hoots  appear 
above  ground  early  in  J.inuary,  the  forests  which 
are  u-;ual  at  that  jieriod  seriously  injure  them 
aud  les-;en  the  spri:ig  crop.  Aly  own  experience 
indicate  that  the  stems  should  be  gathered  .so 
•sO).i  as  the  cuticle  shows  a clear  brown  cilour 
f ir  abiut.o.ie  third  of  the  length.  .\t  thii  stage, 
if  the  soil  be  good  aud  the  plant  healthy,  the 
