376 
Supplement to the '^Tropical AgiicuUurisL’’ 
[November 2, 1891. 
hemp, ami is cultivateil in Imliafor its fibre which 
is soft, white, ami silky, capable of being bleached 
or dyed in every shade anil colour, and suitable 
for tlie sumo purposes to which jute is applied. 
Dr. Watts says of it, were a demand to bo 
created for this fibre ns distinct from that of 
sun homp (the Sinhalese Ilnua) or other fibres, the 
cultivation of the plant might be indefinitely ex- 
tended, and with profit to many needy cultivators 
who are unable to produce either jute or cotton. 
When it is considered, says the Hoard of Trade 
Journal, that Russia annually consumes more tiuiii 
ir)0,(X)0,(X)0 of socks, a third of which is im- 
ported, it may easily bo seen that the appearance 
of a new textile on the Russian market i.s an 
event of no slight importance. Tlie leaves of 
IlihiscM Cannahmue are said to be used as a pot 
herb and eaten like spinach, while the seed.s 
are soinetiine.s e.xported from India to Kngland 
as an oil seed. 
M. Raoul, a French Colonist of Tahiti, is re- 
ported to have succeeded in growing a hybrid 
obtained by crossing the Sea Island cotton, which 
produces a beautiful silky fibre that is however 
difficult to manipulate, and a wild cotton shrub 
of Ouadaloupe. The richness of the yield and 
the fpinlity of the fibre are highly spoken of. 
Mr. Tiathonis, Agricultural Instructor, writes : — 
Wellanduru is a small village situated on the 
mail-coach road to Rakwana, and (i miles distant 
from Pelmadulla. It consists of about .fiO dwell- 
ings, a small number of bouli<)ues, and a Govern- 
ment boys' school. The climate is fairly 
healthy, and is inllueuced no doubt by the 
situation. There is a very useful rivulet which 
flows by the road which the inhabitants 
have unfortunately allowed to become very filthy, 
neglectful of sanitary requirements. The villagers 
chiefly carry on the cultivation of paddy, areca- 
iiuts, and chena grains. The paddy-fields are 
fairly fertile owing to the wash from the 
imighbouriug hills, but cultivation is irregular 
as much from the poverty as the indolence of the 
inhabitants. The four seasons for paddy are 
known as pera-maha, maha, pera-yala, and yala. 
The Experimental Garden has been, after some 
difficulty in clearing and preparing the ground, 
extended to nearly 2 acres, and is partly occupied 
with betel, English and Native vegetables, and 
mustard, the rest to be devoted to cotton and 
tobacco. 
It has been suggested that investigations 
should be made with a view to ascertaining 
the extent to which the bark of trees can be used 
as cattle food after being milled. Besides the 
saving that the use of bark.s ns cattle food will 
effect, it is contended that when intelligently 
used, they will preserve the health of stock, 
and prove preventatives against infectious and 
contagious diseases. 
A writer on the subject of village .sanitation in 
the Indian Aynrulturid, offers .some practical 
suggestions for the improvement of the sanitation 
of village.s. lie suggests that a committee should 
be constituted, called the Sanitaiy Committee, for 
each village, con.sisting of several members, and 
placed under the direct control of an executive 
officer. That every village which possesses several 
tanka or natural reservoirs should reserve one or 
two strictly and exclusively for drinking pur- 
poses, and that where these are absent, deep wells 
should be dug in sufficient number to supply 
the village with a copious supply of fresh water. 
To free tlie atmosphere from miasma, the stag- 
nant pools in the vicinity of each house should at 
least be cleared of tlie overhanging verdure 
that works the double raischiof of intercepting 
light and air from above, and by dropping down 
loaves tills the water below with vegetable 
matter that in decomposing pollutes the water 
and the air. 
The yearly record of butter production, says 
the Breeders’ daxette, has been everlastingly 
smashed liy the Holstein Friesian cow, I’auline 
Paul, which has just completed a .Ifi/l days 
test, which yielded a total of 1,15.3 Ib.s. 1.7| or.’ 
of markotablo butter salted 1 oz. to the lb. This 
exceeds the highest previous yearly record by 20H 
lbs. oz., the excess itself being above the 
estimated yearly yield of our common dairy cows. 
A large body of Water has been discovered at 
El Golea, in the. Sahara Desert, about 120 ft. below 
the surface. It (hrow.s up nearly forty gallons 
per minute at present, and it is anticipated that 
the yield will be much greater when more per- 
fect access to the water is attained. The dis- 
covery is regarded ns of high importance, as this 
is the first time that water Tins been found in tha 
Sahara at such a slight depth under ground. 
