730 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
[April 1, 1898, 
I oz. 
1| ozl 
contagious disease, viz., Cattle Plague (Rinder- 
pest) or Murrain, and Foot-and-Moutli disease 
or Hoof-and-Month disease, and we quote the 
passages under the head cf “treatment’’ for the 
benefit of our readers. 
Treatment for Cattle Plague. — The diseased or 
suspected animals must at once be isolated, and 
all communication between healthy and diseased 
animals absolutely cut off. A supply of good 
water may be placed with the animals, in which 
is dissolved i or 1 oz. of saltpetre. At the 
fiist, when there is constipation, | lb. of Epsom 
salts or one pint of linseed or castor oil may 
be given as a laxative. Either of the following 
prescriptions may be given as medicine : — 
Prescription I. 
Hyposulphite of Soda ... 2 oz; 
Quinine (or Quinoidin) ... 2 drs. 
To be given every day in one quart of congee 
to full-grown cattle; If diarrhcea sets in with 
blood iti the fceces, powdered opium 1 to 2 drs., 
or bhang ^ to 1 oz., should be combined with 
the above. 
Prescriptmi II. 
Hyposulphite of Soda 
Powdered Cinchona bark 
To be given daily in a quart of congee. 
Prescription III. 
Quinine (or Quinoidin much cheaper) .2 drs. 
To be given daily in a quart of congee. 
Prescription IF. 
The following is said to have been used with 
good effect in India : 
Camphor 
Datura 
Chiretta 
Arrack 
To be given in two quarts of gruel morning, 
and evening. The animals must be well-nursed 
and giveu congee and decoction of bael fruit, 
and good water and any soft food. No solid hard 
food must be given for some time. Milk and 
sloppy bran mash may be given, and a small 
allowance of tender young grass ; during recovery 
such medicines as chiretta, arrack, Cinchona bark. 
Treatment for Foot and Mouth Disease. — All the 
affected animals must be segregated, and the rules 
mentioned under “Prevention of Disease” put 
into force as far ns possible. • 
For mouth and feet dressings the following 
are ample, good and cheap : — 
Mouth Dressing. 
Powdered alum ... oz. 
Water ... ... 1 pC 
A little to be poured into the mouth night and 
morning. „ , . 
leet Dressing. 
Powdered sulphate of copper ... 1 oz. 
Alum ••• 1 oz, 
Water •.* ••• 1 pt' 
Apply to the sores on the feet twice a day. 
The feet must be kept quite clean by washing 
wil l! water containing a little Jeye's fluid daily. 
When the sores on the feet do not heal pro- 
perly the following dressitig should be applied 
in addition to the above twice a day 
Margosa oil or Coconut oil ... 8 parts. 
Turpentine •** 2 „ 
2 drs. 
2 drs. 
1 oz. 
4 oz. 
Internally give 4 or f lb, Epsom salt daily for 
three or four days in a quart of congee, which 
will relieve the constipation and fever. 
We hope the author will also treat of ordinary 
cattle ailments, including those incidental to 
milking stock and calves in another pamphlet, 
as the want of a knowledge of the treatment 
of many of these (such for instance as Hoven) 
often results in the loss of valuable animals. 
FRUIT CULTURE. 
{Continued.) 
One way of preventing the dissipation of 
moisture consists in covering the soil round the 
tree or plant with a layer of short broken 
straw or waste stable fodder. Gardeners knew 
this jilan of old and call it “mulching.” Under 
it, however diy the air, this .soil is alw’ays 
more or less moist, never c.akes into a crust 
and never robs the moisture in the region 
of the roots. In fact, loss of moisture through 
capillarity is stopped by the capillary tubes 
being blocked up and pre rented from com- 
municating with the atmosphere. About a 
fourth only of the total effect in preventing 
loss of moisture is due to the mulch insolation 
or shading the soil from the rays of the sun, 
the rest is due to its stopping the capillary 
withdrawal of the soil moisture at a point 
short of the evaporating surface. If it were 
possible to completely mulch the soil of an orchard 
in this manner, thei'e would rarely if ever be 
sufficient dry of the ground to cau'e wilting 
or dropping of the foliage due to want of 
moisture. But the method is generally possible 
only on a small scale. One objection, even if it 
were generally possible, is the danger from possible 
fire in dry weather. Mulching has also been used 
with success on hill slopes in preventing washing- 
away of the soil. 
Another way of preventing loss of soil moisture 
is by means of a soil mulch. If the top tilth 
were constantly kept broken up and never allowed 
to settle down into a close crust, it will 
almost as effectually check loss of deep-seated 
moisture by capillarity as would a mulch of 
straw. For this reason the soil between the 
rows of trees in an orchard must be kept 
constantly stirred to the depth of 3 or 4 inches 
This IS now commonly done on large areas by 
means of the implement known as the cultivator. 
One result of this constant stirring is that the 
land is kept perfectly clean. Nothing is more 
strenuously insisted on in fruit-culture by the 
best authorities — men who are speaking of their 
own practice upon farms of immense area — 
than this practice of keeping the surface soi 
in a loose powdery tilth. 
BUFFALOES AS DAIRY STOCK. 
We are indebted to Capt. Channer for a cut- 
ting from the Pioneer of Feb. 18th which he sends 
us from Agra, wdtli the remark that milch 
buffaloes if kept on the soiling system are more 
remunerative than cows, that they should find 
the climate of Ceylou suitable, and that they fehould 
