504 
Suppltment  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist  '’ 
[Jan.  1,  1897, 
animals  is  at  all  times  dilHcult  to  test,  that  of 
bovines  difiering  in  its  normal  constituents  fro  m 
that  of  the  equine  sjiecies,  the  latter  containing 
an  acid  peculiar  to  itself — hippuric. 
In  the  early  stages  of  the  disease  the  animal  lias 
a stiff,  straddling  srait  behind,  cringes  and 
streches  itself  out,  but  in  a very  cautious  manner, 
almost  indicative  of  the  seat  of  tlie  alfection.  In 
the  first  stage  the  pulse  and  respiration  are  but 
slightly  affected,  but  as  the  disease  proceeds  evi- 
dences of  pain  are  evincetl,  the  urine  becomes 
darker  and  mucilaginous,  the  pulse  more  fre- 
quent, and  res[)iration  is  increased  ; the  animal 
continues  to  exhibit  ]iain  and  restlessness,  and 
unless  a speedy  turn  for  the  better  takes  place 
paralysis  ensues,  death  following  from  the  poiso- 
nous effects  of  the  effete  products  of  tlie  system 
not  being  eliminated  by  the  diseased  kidneys 
but  retained  in  the  system,  causing  imemic  or 
other  blood  poisoning.  There  is  no  cure  ; the 
treatment  can  only  be  palliative,  such  as  good 
food,  mineral  tonics,  mucilaginous  drinks,  &c. 
Were  the  disease  detected  in  its  initatory  stage, 
before  effete  products  had  accumulated  in  the  sys- 
tem, and  the  animal  slaughtered,  there  could  be 
but  slight  objections  to  the  carcase  being  utilised. 
Dr.  Cowan  Lees  in  concluding  his  able  address  at 
the  opening  of  the  Glasgow  Veterinary  College 
offers  the  following  piece  of  advice  to  the  younger 
generation  of  “ Vets,”  which  they  might  well 
take  to  heart  : “ To  those  who  are  now  leaving 
College  and  about  to  enter  upon  the  practice  of 
veterinary  medicine,  I would  remind  them  tlnit 
it  is  a profession  in  which  they  cannot  staird 
still  ; they  must  either  jirogress  or  retrogress — 
and  the  only  way  by  which  they  can  prevent 
themselves  from  falling  beliind  is  by  reading,  by 
studying,  and  by  observation.  Allow  nothing 
too  small  to  escape  your  mind’s  eye  ; take  up 
every  detail  and  satisfy  yourself  regarding  it 
before  you  pass  on,  remembering  always  that 
the  beginning  of  disease  is  very  small.” 
The  benefit  of  judicious  cros.sing  is  well  illus- 
trated by  the  facts  recorded  in  a note  by  the 
Assistant  Director  of  Agriculture  for  Bengal 
•with  reference  to  the  cross-bred  cattle  of  Banki- 
Eore.  The  reference  is  of  particular  interest 
ecause  it  has  to  ilo  with  an  experiment  initi- 
ated some  40  years  ago.  In  1850  a Mr.  Taylor 
started  a small  breeding  establishment  at  Banki- 
f)ore  where  he  kept  English  bulls.  A few  months 
ater  the  Indian  Mutiny  broke  out  and  put  an 
end  to  his  experiment.  Some  years  later,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Taylor  resumed  his  breeding  operations. 
In  the  result'  after  nearly  twenty  generations  the 
present  stock  of  cross  breds  still  maintain 
manifest  traces  of  their  superior  origin  in  make, 
colour,  and  size.  The  cows,  which  the  Assistant 
Director  saw  in  Bankipore,  he  regards  as  the 
finest  that  have  come  to  his  notice  anywhere  in 
Bengal— the  best  being  capable  of  giving  20  seers 
of  milk  a day,  and  the  worst  8 seers— a great 
yield  when  compared  with  that  of  the  ordinary 
cattle  of  the  Province. 
The  following  remedy  is  given  in  the  Scientific 
American  for  flies  on  cattle  : Coal  tar  one  part, 
oil  and  grease  one  part  each  ; mix  with  a small 
amount  of  carbolic  acid.  Apply  with  a cloth, 
and  it  will  drive  off  every  fly,  ami  last  ten  days 
or  more  in  dry  wcatlier.  Any  kind  of  old  lard 
Or  grease  can  be  used.  This  remedy  is  equally 
effective  as  a lice  exterminator  on  poultry,  and 
fa  used  for  painting  the  sides  and  roosts  of  the 
fowl-house.  For  a hen  and  young  chickens 
saturate  a clotii  and  place  it  in  the  bottom  of  a 
box,  and  ])ut  the  hen  and  chickens  in  the  box 
for  an  hour  or  .so. 
NATIVE  LANDS. 
Thei’e  are  large  areas  of  land  in  different  districts 
of  the  Islands  owned  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
villages  in  the  vicinity  for  ages.  These  lands  are 
generally  grants  which  their  fore  fathers  had  re- 
ceived for  services  rendered  to  the  State,  or  by 
way  of  compensation  for  services  expected  of 
them.  The  Government  under  the  Sinhalese  Kings 
was  more  or  less  a patriachal  one  ; every  man  re- 
ceived justice  whether  he  was  rich  enough  to 
engage  lawyers  or  not.  Crime  was  punished  there 
and  then  without  the  interference  of  busy  bodies 
and  in  the  absence  of  technicalities.  No  man 
was  left  without  the  means  of  employment ; and 
whatever  work  a man  was  fit  for  he  got  enough 
of  it  to  do.  The  Agricultural  population  Avas  given 
as  much  land  as  they  could  cultivate,  not  only 
for  their  own  use  but  for  the  benefit  of  the  general 
public;  and  every  facility  was  given  for  obtaining 
the  Avater  necessary  for  carrying  on  the  cultivation 
of  the  staple  food  of  the  land.  There  were  possibly 
many  draAvbacks  in  the  method  of  government, 
but  in  Agricultural  affairs  the  system  adopted  avus 
one  that  Avas  most  desiralde,  in  that  it  not 
only  made  the  peoiilo  dejiendent  on  their  land, 
but  made  them  independent  of  ('xtraneoiis  aid  in 
the  ])rocuring  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Eren  up  to 
the  present  day  Ave  see'  somewhat  of  tlie  same  state 
of  things  existing  in  many  of  the  country  districts 
of  the  island.  Every  man  is  a landoAvner  and  raises 
the  few  products  required  for  his  sustenance,  and 
which  are  sulTicieut  for  his  wants  excei>t  perhaps 
during  exceptional  sea^^ons  when  rain  fails  and  as  a 
consequence  drought  jirevails.  lb  Avill  be  found 
that  in  the  majority  of  instances  the  criminals  in 
our  Island  are  largely  derived  from  the  land  less 
population.  The  landoAvners  are  ke[)b  busy  Avith 
their  daily  vocations  and  are  iu  their  own  sphere 
a contented  lot. 
It  may  well  be  assumed  that  the  more  we  rle- 
prive  the  jieasant  projirietors  of  their  holdings  the 
greater  will  be  the  increase  in  the  number  of 
vagrants  and  do  nothings  Avho  not  only  disturb  the 
peace  of  the  villages  but  re.sorting  to  populous 
centres  in  search  of  Avork  and  failing  to  find  it 
turn  their  hands  to  unlaAvful  occupations. 
Since  of  late  a large  number  of  lands  belonging 
to  these  peasant  proprietors  have  changed  hands. 
The  new  OAvners  who  acquire  the  land  as  cheaply 
ns  possible,  utilise  it  for  raising  products  not  for 
meeting  the  Avants  of  the  local  ])opulation  but  for 
supplying  foreign  markets,  while  the  original 
owners  frequently  become  their  emj)loyers. 
It  may  be  said,  however,  that  the  villagers  Avho 
sell  their  lands,  the  great(U’  ]>art  of  a\  hich  is  left 
uncultivated  and  neglected  for  long  ])criods,  obtain 
the  market  value  of  property  and  hence  in  one  sense, 
instead  of  being  losers,  they  gain  the  money  v.-iluo 
of  the  land  which  Avas  j)ractically  unproductive  tc 
them.  Granted,  they  do  so,  hoAV  do  they  invest 
tdieir  newly  aiMpiinul  “ wealth’’.'^  Being  generally 
an  illiterate  and  ignorant  class,  the  only  use  they 
SCO  for  the  money  tliey  have  in  hand  is  to  sjiend  it. 
They  cannot  possibly  boe.xpected  torisoto  the  level 
