296 
Sxqjplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist.” 
[Oct. 1, 1897. 
brushwood, which must ultimately, after a few 
seasons, moulder away and help to fill the openings 
in the pebble layer. The best plan would be to pro- 
cure old galvanised sheeting and cut it into 
strips about a foot and make them serve as drain 
roofing ; a coat of coal tar or gas tar on both 
sides will double the length of service of the iron 
sheeting. This plan will treble or quardrangle 
the term of usefulness of an ordinary French 
drain. 
{To be continued.') 
GENEEAL ITEMS. 
Sir W. Wedderburn in his series of papers on 
the Agricultural Problem in India thus refers 
to the subject of agricultural banks : — Now 
the recognised method of supplying working 
capital to peasant proprietors is by the establish- 
ment of agricultural banks. In Germany alone 
there are some 2,000 such banks doing a business 
amounting to something like 150 millions sterling 
with immense benefit to the rural population. 
Every other country in Europe has followed the 
example of Germany: the Autocrat of All the 
Eussias started such banks with liberal support ; 
and even the unspeakable Turk has made some 
movements in the same direction. In India alone 
nothing has been done. The Autocrat of the India 
Office would neither move himself, nor allow 
others to move. 
Maize growers will be interested to learn that at 
length a discovery has been made that may turn 
out of incalculable value to growers of the crop, 
A well-known ship-builder in Philadelphia (Mr. 
Cramp) has announced that a chemist under his 
patronage has discovered that, through a certain 
process, the stalks of maize will furnish material 
for a large variety of articles, notably paper, mat- 
ting, smokeless powder, sugar, etc. Hitherto maize 
stalks have been of little or no value, except, of 
course, when a crop has been grown for green 
food. By this discovery, however, it is alleged 
that the stalks will be worth at least £l per acre. 
In fact, the enormous area of land in America 
devoted to maize will make this by-product — the 
stalks — more valuable than cotton seed, at one 
time such a nuisance, but now of immense value 
every year. 
A certain person calling himself Kwassie Musean 
writes to the Locomotief irom. Banjoemas statirrg 
that he has discovered a leaf of a certain tree, which 
is a native to all part of Java, as a remedy against 
W’hiteant®. By placing one or more of the leave.s 
in the haunts of the whiteants one could get rid 
of them altogether. He is prepared to make 
known the remedy on payment of a sum of 3,000f. 
Veterinary work would seem to be making 
rapid progress in Bengal. We read in the report 
for the year 1896-97 that at the Hospital in 
Calcutta “479 animals were treated as in-patients 
and 248 as put-patients, or 729 in all. The 
total shows a decrease of 46 cases, but the 
number of in-patients show^s an increase of 
42 — a fact which no doubt indicates that con- 
fidence in the institution is growing among 
owners. The Superintendent! proposes to modify 
the scale of fees with a view to securing a 
large number of patients. An ambulance has 
recently been provided to ccnvey sicki animals 
to the hospital.” There are also dispensaries 
at other centres, supported by local sulv 
scriptions with a grant|.from the District Board 
or by the Municipality. 
Some-time ago we referred to the variation 
of the Indian maund. A corre.spondent to the 
Indian Agriculturist now complaining of the 
anomalies of the system of "Weights and Measures 
refers specially to the seer, and says : “ Within 
a circuit of twenty miles from the place from 
which I am writing (Barharwmr) there are no 
few’er than four standards for the seer — 112, 92, 
80 a-id 75 tolas respectively. The calculation 
of these is most confusing, and at this time 
of famine we can never be quite sure as to 
W’hat the real price of rice is. A letter came 
to me saying that rice was selling at 6 seers 
for the ruiiee. I found on enquiry that it 
was the large seer of 112 tolas which would 
mean 8i usual .‘-eers.” The correspondent sug- 
gests that the Diamond Jubilee year be remem- 
bered by the introduction of the metric system 
throughout Her Majesty’s Domiuious. 
The outer coat of the seed of the Cannas 
is as is well-known very hard, and without help 
the germ is seldom able to break through. It 
requires heat and moisture, and the best way, 
says a well-known grower, is to soak the 
seed in very hot w'ater for about twelve hours 
before planting. Let the seed bed be exposed 
as much as possible to sun and water frequently. 
Even then only' few seed germinate, and that 
too most irregularly. Some authorities recom- 
mend filing through the outer coat, others the 
use of boiling w'ater. 
