^uppUment to the Tropicctl AgvicuUuris:t. 
LMay 
7£)4 
is carried on by heat applied directly to the 
bottom of this vessel. 
It is not correct to say that the difference in 
the quality of oil is due to different modes of 
distillation, as I know of iio still in which fire- 
heat is directly applied ns described in the second 
process, and am certain that only a very small 
proportion of the oil sold commercially is distilled 
in that manner, steam distilling being easier and 
cheaper. 
Adulteration used to be common, but the 
spirit test introduced about five years ago jiut a 
stop to this, though I believe that even witli this 
test yon cannot detect adulteration under five 
per cent. 
The real difference is the quality of the oil 
traceable to the different varieties of the grosses 
employed. The original Citronella grass (which 
I stilluse for my oil) is a surface feeder, soon 
grows out of the ground and gets exhausted ; but 
about twelve year.? ago a variety wns found in 
the Matara district, which is much hardier, has 
deeper roots, and produces n larger quantity of 
oil, Of this latter variety nearly all native oil is 
made.” 
THE NUTMEG FAMILY AS A SOURCE OF KINO, 
The order Myristcaceae is represented in Ceylon 
by Myristica laurifolia (M daboda), M, zeylanica, 
M. horfieldia (Ruk), and M. Irya (Irya). 
. The malaboda is commonly called the wild 
nutmeg and closely resembles the true nutmeg. 
Its wood is sometime? used for making tea-bo.xes, 
but it is too light and soft for otlier purposes. 
The male flowers of the Ruk are known to be 
very fragrant (re?embling sandalwood oil), and 
Trimen mentions that scent is made from them, 
while the wood is used in boat building in the 
south of the Island. 
Irya produce.S wood like that of Ruk, moder- 
ately heavy, even-grained and yellowish in colour. 
M. frayrans, the true nutmeg tree, is now com- 
monly met with in many places. 
Other species of Myristica found in India are 
M: lonyifolia and M. malabarica. The last-men- 
tioned in the subject of a note in the Kew Bulletin 
for Feb.-March, and is there referred to as a source 
of Kino. 
The product of the tree was e.xamined by Prof. 
Edward Schaer of Strasburg, who has written a 
paper on the subject to the Bhannaceutical 
Journal. The following is a summary of the 
results of the Professor’s investigations : — 
I. The dried juices of the bark of several A^iatic 
speciesof Myristica, for instance, of M. malabarica 
v.n(\ M. frayrans, Iloutt., as regards their 
apirearance and pli.tsical qualities, show but little 
difference frr)in the officinal Mslabar Kino, 
II. These substances, which may be termed 
Myristica Kinos, agree in tlie chemical reactions 
due to their constituents, in all important points, 
with the Kino of Fterncarpus Marsupium, It 
can therefore be stated that drugs of a very .'-iini- 
1 ir character, and partly of close re-'emblance to 
official kino, are to be found in the families of 
Leguminosee ( Butea, Pterocarpus, Millettia), 
Saxifrngaceae {Ceratopelalum), Myrtaceec (.L’acrriy^- 
tus, Anyophora), and Myrislicacete. 
Ill, The Myrietica'Kinos differ, as far as can be 
observed from the Pterocarpus Kino, and probably 
also from Butea and Eucalyptus Kino by contain- 
ing, in the crude state of the inspissated fre.-h 
juice, smaller or larger amounts of a distinctly 
crystalline calcium salt, viz., calcium tartrate, 
suspended in, and depositing from, the liquid juice. 
By this characteristic adrai.xture it can be easily 
distinguished from the official Kino, and probably 
also from otlier Kinos of commerce, 
'Whether this new substance might ever be 
obtained in combination with the production of 
nutmegs and mace, so as to play the part of a 
commercial drug, will depend upon a still better 
knowledge of its qualities, i*s formation in the 
living plant, its quantitive relations, and similar 
questions. 
It w’ould be interesting to know whether it 
would not be possible to get Kino from the 
succulent pericarp of the nutmeg and allied fruits 
(which is at present a waste product) by a process 
of boiling. 
DAIRY NOTES 
Too miicli c.are cannot be bestowed on cows dur- 
ing their first milking season. If they are allowed 
to go dry too early, they are inclined to ease off the 
following season in like manner. It is the experi- 
ence of the most observant dairy farmers, that if 
a cow is forced to go dry, some part of the udder 
suffers, and in some case-s the permanent impair- 
me.'it of one or more of the teats. Evidently, 
the best jdan is to let a cow milk the whole time 
if she will, right up to calving, ns drying off 
requires more care than the ordinary milker is 
inclined bo give, Cow.s are sen.-^itive aniinals, and 
he's a \vi.',e man who treats them as such. 
Mr, D. Ilyara, Terrain, is one of tlie 
champion Illawarra dairy stock breeder,-. 
His three-quarter bred Jersey, 6 years old. 
Blossom, at 3 years and four months, won 
the butter test at Wollongong, testing 9’3, pro- 
ducing 2 lbs, commercial bubter from 19 lbs. milk ; 
in 1897, on the same show ground, she tested 8'2, 
gave 24 lbs, milk wliicli produced 2 lbs. 3 oz. but ter. 
.Same year at Albion Hark she took the butter 
prize for cow yielding largest butter-fat. At 
Berry, same year, she gave 29 lbs. milk in 12 bom s 
producing 2 lbs. butter, equal to 27 lb, butter per 
week— wliich is one of the world’s record,?. At 
last Dapto Show she gave 30 lbs. of milk, testing 
6'7, making 2 lbs, 5 oz. butter. Hi,? half-bred Jersey 
with Ayrshire, 6 year old “ Jenny ” won first for 
best dairy cow at Nowra in 1896; in 1897, 1st 
and champion at Dapto, 2nd at Albion Park, 
Kiama, and 'Wollongong; 1st at Nowra, and l.sc 
and champion at Berry. This year 1st at Dapto 
and 1st and champion at 'Wollongong. Mr. Hyam 
has good past (ires and band feeds, when cliey are 
on tests, twice a day, giving them a three-gallon 
backet of chaff and coconut oil cake, 
Daii-y farmers cauuot pay too much heed in the 
selection of (he bull for their herds. Every far- 
mer can’t afford an out-tuid-out first-clas.s bull for 
his cows, so he has to put up with one in the dis- 
trict, whether ’tis good or bad ; and he often lets a 
stray animal, that he knows very little about 
