June r, 1S92.] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agvicultmht'' 
95$ 
still further kept cool and damp by being made 
in only partially cleared forests. Wherever 
such localities are to be found the cocoa may 
be expected to thrive, and might be introduced 
with effect and at little charge. On the Malabar 
Coast, too, where forest lands abound, the humid 
and insular-like climate would as in the West 
Indies, where it is very extensively cultivated, 
counteract the injurious effect of excessive heat 
and render the chances of success fully equal 
to those of Mysore. The only drawback to its 
extended cultivation is the slowness of its growth 
in the first instance, which, however, is well 
compensated for by its after duraUon and 
productiveness. The fresh virgin soil, the shade, 
the humid atmosphere of forests recently 
cleared of their brushwood are all dwelt 
upon by llumbolt as peculiarly favourable 
for cocoa plantations, and m such of 
course they ought to be tried in the first 
instance until we got the tree acclimatised. 
The foundation stone of the Bengal Veterinary 
Institute was laid last month in a suburb ot 
Calcutta. The Indian Agricultumt hopes that 
this institution will not fall into the same 
errors as those of the Bombay V etennary 
College, of turning a hospital for animals into 
an infirmary for horses, almost to the exclusion 
of oxen which are the beasts of burden an 
of agricultural work in the East. It is also 
hoped tliat one of the chief objects of the 
institute will be to bring Veterinary aid to 
the cultivator, and that the recommendation of 
the Cattle Blague Commission of 18il should be 
adopted, and “a native agency by which 
epizootic and other diseases might be properly 
investigated and treated, formed. 
The Chinese and Malays make four kinds of 
(lambier, viz., (lambier papan, bulat, paku, 
and dudur. The first two of these are used for 
chewing, the others for dyeing. Besides these, 
two uses to which Gambler is put, it is also 
used for tanning, and is said to give a peculiar 
gloss to leather not produced by other tanning 
substances. Next to oak-bark it is the most 
important tanning material. Again, it is used 
for strengthening canvas and making it water- 
proof, as a masticatory, and an astringent in 
medicine. It has been recommended as a pre- 
servativ'e of timber in sea water. 
of the Euphorbias is the Naboom which is 
evidently a local name. Most of the plants 
belonging to this family yield a milk which 
is more or less corrosive in character. The 
milk from E. Antiquonim (Dalookgass), E. 
Tortilis (Senook gass) and E. Tirucalli (Nawa- 
handi) is used as corrosive fluids for blistering 
and other purposes by the natives of Ceylon. 
Sir Charles Elliott, the Lieutenant-Governor 
of Bengal, in his last report, referring to tlio 
food supply of tlie Provinces recommends the 
bulb of Kesoor (Cyperus bulbosus), the Chilanthi 
arisi of North Ceylon, as an article of diet 
in case of famine. lie states that it is palat- 
able and nutritious, and that a seer of it could 
be dug in a day, but the Indian Agnculturist 
remarks the whole stock of kesoor, which more- 
over is by no miians common in all localities, 
will thus be exhausted in a few hours. In 
North Ceylon Cliilanthi arhsi is used as an article 
of diet, especially in seasons of scarcity. 
The Indian Agriculturist suggest that Mntha 
(G. Eotundus) the Sinhalese Kalandooroo might 
also be pressed into use in faraiiio times. 
According to American experiments, phosphatic 
manures alone or in combination with nitrogen- 
ous fertilisers gave tlie best results with cotton. 
Nitrogen and potash separately were of little 
value, blit combined with phosphoric acid 
doubled the yield. 
Mr. Edward Brown in his well-known book 
on Poultrj’-keeping, says that the true secret of 
feeding young chickens is to give a little plain 
food, and often. Amateurs like to give chickens 
dainty bits, to bo constantly feeding them on 
rich morsels, with the result that they are often 
killed by kindness. The plainer the diet they 
get the better, and anything in the shape of 
forcing is sure to cause liarm. Whore death 
does not result at once, the seeds of disease 
are sown, and sooner or later these seeds are 
developed, and trouble is the result. Unless 
chickens are also fed often, they are very apt 
to suffer and bo stunted through hunger, and 
also to gorge themselves when the food is 
placed before them, the latter a state of things 
very likely to induce diaea.se. They should get 
a warm feed as .soon after daylight as possible, 
and till a month old should have a meal the 
last thing at night. 
A writer in the Agricultural Journal of Cape 
Colony says that Euphorbia or Naboom milk 
is a sure cure for warts on horses and cattle. 
Three applications removed a very large wart 
from the belly of a mare. The same result 
followed ill the case of two heifers with warts,— 
one with so large a wart that it was thought 
the animal would have to be killed: three 
applications effected a cure. Voting trees should 
be tapped for the milk, which, if left standing 
for a few days becomes hard. It should then 
bo cut fine niixed with a little turpentine or 
paraffin, and stirred till it gets to a fluid 
again, ready to rub on. The writer states that 
some years ago, he saw in a paper that a lady 
in the Queenstown di.strict, who had a 
cancer on her breast, got cured by the same 
remedy. It is unfortunately not slated which 
i'lSSIl ^LUUIU, WXUUil 18 
offal brought into a very fine mechanical con- 
dition, IS said to be the cheapest and best form 
of guanos. Though the values of ammonia in 
Peruvian and fish guanos are given in th« 
Highland and Agricultural Societies’ scale of 
charges as 15/ and 10/6 per unit re.spectivelv, 
It IS there stated that alhough such are the 
commercial values, the agricultural values are 
probably the same. It would thus appear that 
fish guano is commercially and agriculturally the 
cheapest guano, and the fact that superior 
prices paid for Peruvian and Icaboe guanos are 
to bo referred to the antiquity and ^epZt^Jn 
of the former. The manure is said L ha^ 
given excellent results when applieil to sugan- 
cane, tiai, coffee and tobacco, and is suitable 
tor all kiuda ot crops. 
