April 1 , 1898 .] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
733 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
Prof. Wallace, of the Edinburgh University, 
has contributed an interesting paper on the Dairy 
question in India and the growing of fodder tor 
cattle. He favours the system of co-operative dairy- 
ing for which he believes thereis agreat future in 
India. The case of the Allahabad Dairy Farm, to 
which we made reference in our article on Buffaloes 
as Milking Stock, is quoted as an instance of remun- 
erative dairying which might be emulated. 
The following, says the Q'neasland Agricul- 
tural Journal, may prove of use to those who 
would be glad to know the area of oddly-shaped field 
without recourse to a Surveyor; 5 « 988 yds., 
10 X 484 yds., 40 « 121 yds., 70 69^ yds , 80 x 60|- 
yds., 60 726 ft., 110^^397 ft.,, 130x363 ft., 
220 X 181-j ft., or 440 x 99 ft., contain one acre. 
Mr. H. C Russel, Government Astronomer of 
New South Wales, mentions the following fact 
in disproof of a generally accepted belief: — 
The destruction of forests in New Snith Wales 
from the time that ringb irking was introduced, 
and for some 15 or 20 years after, would seem 
to have been more rapid ;h in the destruction 
of any other forest in the world, and during 
that period the rainfall graduilly increased. 
There is a clear proof that the rainf.ill in this 
part of the world did not get less as the tred^ dis- 
appeared ; and in other countries where the quis- 
tion has been fully iuvestig ited, it has been found 
that the rain comes whether there are trees or not. 
Albert Gile, an authority on Bee-culture, writing 
on the influence of bees on crops, mikes .“one 
interesting observations regirding pollen. He 
refers to the variegate 1 laurel ( Aucuba Japonica) 
a dioecious tree which was intro I need into 
England by the Dutch from Japan. F ir a long 
time no seeds of this tree could hive been 
got owing to the fact that the plants first 
introduced were “ femile” ones, till a Mr. Fortune 
brought over some “ male ” plants, when the 
original tree? produced an abundance of fertile 
seed. Now, he adds, the pollen of the varie- 
gated laurel is an article of commerce in the 
London Covent Garden market ! Referring to 
the enormous number of pollen grains discharged 
from flowers, he mentions the fact that the 
flowers on a Chinese laburunum ( Wisteria Sinensis) 
where calculated to contain no less than 
seventy-seven billions of pollen grains. 
The Holstein or Frisian breed of cattle is 
well-known for the milking qualities of the 
cows. In an account of the breed by the 
Principal of Hawkesbury Agricultural College, 
refere ice is m ide to a imp irted cow by this 
breed named “ Dairymaid.’’ who^e milk records 
in Victoria are said to have been never sur. 
pas.se 1. In 1887 she yielded, at a trial, 128 lbs 
of milk in two days, this quantity producing 
4 lbs. Ilf oz. of butter. The yield of milk 
given above is equivalent to 78 “ bottles ” (26 oz.) 
or an average of 39 bottles a day. 
Telogony is a strange word to many and 
therefore needs some e.xphination. It is derived 
from two Greek _ words meaning “ at a distance ” 
and ofif.-pring, and may be freely translated 
as the science of remote influence in the pro- 
duction of species. Briefly, the question which 
this science sets out to answer i<, Does the first 
impregnation of the ovaries influence several 
or all the subsequent progeny of the female ? In 
the experience of many breeders the facts appear 
to favour an affirmative answer, but the ab.<ence 
of a carefully organised series of experiments 
has hitherto mac*e it impossible for anyone to 
take up a positive attitude. Prof. Cossar Ewart, 
so well-known from his connection with the 
Edinburgh University, is carrying on such a 
series of experiments, usitig Zebra stallions for 
first impregnating the ovaries of males, owing 
to the characteristic markings of this class of 
animal. An account of the Professor's work, ns 
far as it has gone, is given in The Scottish 
larmer of February 19th, and so far there appears 
to be grounds for believing in telogony or per- 
manent infection of the germ, but it is impossible to 
dogmatise yet till the experiments have advanced 
a further stage. 
One of the dangers of unboiled milk is poison- 
ing by tyrotoxicon, a characteristic milk product, 
described as an unstable poison, which is des- 
troyed at a temperature 18 degrees below boiling 
point (194° i'). The symptoms of this form of 
poisoning are nausea, violent headache, convul- 
sion.?, and, in the case of death, a blanching 
of the alimentary canal; The poison particularly 
aff 'Cts young children; In a c ise which occurred 
at Halifax, the juiy emphasized the recommen- 
dation that milk should always be boiled before 
being given to young children. 
The addition of salt to the food of animals 
does not increase the digestibility of the food 
consumed, but increases their appetite, and tends 
to promote repair of tissue by its searching 
diffusion through the body. E.xperiments by 
Boussingault showed that .salt increases muscular 
vigour and activity among cattle, and improves 
their general apitearance and condition. Where 
muscular strength is the object of feeding, a regular 
supply of salt improves health and vigour; thus it 
is that horses derive such benefit from partaking of 
it. The allowance of salt should not of course be 
overdone, as it will then throw too much work on 
the kidneys and even induce di.sease. 
The difficulty in calf-rearing should be greatly 
minimised by the adoption of an arrangement 
such as is described below, A teat, about 4 in 
long, is fixed to one end of a bent tinned iron 
tube. The bucket containing the food is hung 
on a rail on the outside of the pen. A con- 
venient hole is made through one of the boards 
of the rail into which the teat is fixed, the 
point projecting out on the inner side while 
the iron tube dips into the bucket. When the 
milk or other thinly-prepared food is put into 
the^ bucket the caif can only drink at a slow' rate, 
giving time for the saliva to mix with and prepare 
the milk for digestion. In this way scouring and 
pot-bellies will be avoided. Teats', ns descl-ibed 
above, are supplied by Messrs. Clark & Co., Clarence 
;8t., Melbourne, at Is. 8d. e;ich. 
