Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist." 
295 
Ogt. 1, 1897.] 
Anabas scandens — the climbing fish (Kaviya). 
This fish is most remarkable for its powers of 
living in the air and can travel a long distance 
on land. It is esteemed as a nourishing food. 
Saccobranchus fossilis — the scorpion fish, a 
freshwater fish of Ceylon, attaining one foot 
or more in length. It is considered very 
w'holesome and invigorating by the natives. 
Rynchobdella aculeata — the sand eel (theluja). 
Found in brackish waters within tidal influence. 
It is excellent as food though objected to by some 
owing to its resemblance to a snake but it is less 
di.sgusting in appearance than the murseua ; by 
Europeans this is considered the best of the 
eel-kind. 
Rynchobatus anchlostomus — the Mudskate. The 
skin of this, as of otlier skates, is valued ; also 
the fins and livers, 
Pristis cuspidatus — the Saw Fi-h. Attains no 
to 20 feet. The flesh is higlily esteemed, the 
fins and skins and livers are all valuable (Tamil, 
vela min). 
Opkiocephalus stviatus — the walking fish or 
murrel (Lulla). A freshwater fish which with O. 
maralius (another spieces) affords excellent sport 
and good food. Very suitable for stocking tanks. 
Miiyil (various species) — Mullet, Considered 
excellent eating, but jierhaps rather too fat and 
rich for delicate stomachs. The spawn salted 
and dried forms a sort of “ cavier called by 
the Italians “ Boborago. 
Mnstacembelus armatus — the spiued or thorn- 
backed eel. Found in brackish w’aters. Attains 
two feet or more and is good eating, especially 
curried or fired. 
Lutjanus aryentimaculatus — the red-rock cod, 
found throughout the seas of India. Attains up- 
wards of two feet in length and is good eating. 
The other species of this genus though eaten are 
rather insipid. They are extensively salted and 
dried in some localities, and are also known as 
Singara and Senan Karawa. 
Sillago sihmna — -whiting; sujjposed to have 
special milk-forming properties like shark’s flesh 

FEUIT CULTUKE. 
( Continued.) 
No great reflection will be needed to show that 
the proper selection of a locality for an orchard 
may very materially diminish the amount of 
labour and expense required to produce the 
mechanical condition so much to be desired. Un- 
less absolutely confined to a definite acreage with- 
out a chance of skilled selection, no person would 
attempt to establish an orchard on a compact 
clay, or in a place where the level of the ground 
relatively to other jiroperties rendered it the 
recipient of surplus water from above. It is 
e.ssential even when a man chooses his ground and 
receives no surplus water from his neighbours, 
that there be the freest possible outlet for his own 
drainage, whether of rain or iri'igation water. 
The most favoured localities for orchard should be 
on a gentle slope to ensure the best conditions ns 
regards water, so as to fulfil the proverbial saying 
“ soon on, soon off,” which concentrates in itself 
a good deal of gardening wisdom. The water-level 
should never reach the average de])th of the roots. 
By far the most thorough and satisfactory 
method of inducing the desirable spongy condition 
of the soil, is the simple yet expensive and labori- 
ous operation of trenching. Much has been done 
by the implement-maker to effectively break up 
raw earth and let vital air into it ; but for the 
most part these mechanical appliances, however 
successfully they deal with such tilth as may suit 
cereals or even root crops, do not go deep enough 
for the best orchard preparation, except at an ex- 
pense for steam-gear which brings their work 
pretty close to the cost of the much more effective 
hand labour of trenching. The great thing to be 
wished for in this regard is that the fruit-grower 
shall deal as handsomely by his orchard as he has, 
through long custom and prescription, habitually 
dealt by his vineyard. The depth to which the 
trenching should penetrate depends greatly upon 
the nature of the soil. It must be remembered 
that if in clay-land it penetrates only two feet, 
the drainage of the rain-water and much of the irri- 
gation-water in spring and summer will creep 
along that two-feet level. The deeper therefore, 
under such circumstance.®, the cultivator pushes 
such trenching, by so much does he lower the 
water-table, and gives his trees immunity against 
water-logging of their roots. Should the soil be 
sandy and naturally open, rapidly relieving itself 
of surplus water ijy percolation downwards as 
well as along its natural .slope, the necessity for 
dee(j trenching i,sjiot so absolute, and limits itself 
more particularly to the aeration of the soil. 
Under any circumstances a sufficient number of 
drains should be taken down the main slope in 
every part of their course, and should descend into 
the subsoil a little lower than the depth to which 
the trenching has been regulated. 
An e.xceller.t .system of drainage consists of what 
are known as French drains. These drains are 
formed of a V-shaped trench cut down into the 
subsoil straight along the main slojpe of the land, 
care being tnken to leave the bottom of the trench 
unbroken and in an exact plane, since if its level 
varies in the least the water vrill not get a free 
outflow and pools will form in its course so that 
much of the value of the drain will be lost. 
The cutting of really good drains without 
flaws is a skilled operation. Drains that have 
been patched up by re[)airs, tliat is by ramming 
materials over parts that have been cut too deep 
will always be weak soft .spots where the water 
will tend to hang. It is therefore best to give 
work of this nature to .skilled workmen, seeing that 
the work will be better and more economical, because 
more rapidly executed. The bottom of the trench 
in these drains will as indicated above be narrower 
in width than the top. After cutting the trenches, 
it is usual to fill the channel with rounded river 
pebbles or similar rubble to a depth of 9 in. or a 
little more. Angular fragments should if possible 
be avoided as they do not give such large inter- 
stices and are more apt to cause clogging and stop- 
page. Upon the top of the pebble bed it is cus- 
tomary to put a layer of brushwood well battened 
down. The object of comprvs.'ing the brushwood 
is to work the layer togetl)er and prevent fillingfrom 
soil dropping down to the pebble-bed. V Ijeuciilti- 
vatoro recognise that good drains are so much 
capital wdiich constitutes a profitable outlay, they 
will use .something moie la.'ting in the place of 
