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Wellesley on one occasion the mortality among the pigs was very 
great nearly all dying. The Chinese somewhat increased the spread 
of the disease by letting sick pigs run away to find a plant which 
they said it could cure itself with. They attributed the outbreak to 
the malice of a demon, the marks of whose claws they said could be 
seen on the pigs. This outbreak was attended by a large invasion 
of vultures from the north, birds rarely seen so far south unless in 
the case of cattle or pig disease. - Ed. 
PAPAYA CULTURE. 
Mr. Jesse of Jolo tells of his method of raising papayas as follows : 
The process of cultivation is divided into four stages. 
First.— The sprouting stage. The seed should be planted in boxes, 
about 18” l8”- i8”, containing rich earth, with which is mixed a 
couple of handfuls of bone ash and fifteen drops of tincture of iron. 
Plant the seed about an inch apart and bury about an inch below the 
surface. The surface should be sprinkled lightly with water about 
sundown. In about a week the young shoot should appear, and at 
three weeks the shoot should be about eight inches high. 
Second.— The stage of preparation of the soil for the transplan- 
tation of the young shoot and its early development. Having located 
the site for the tree, dig a hole about two feet in diameter and one 
foot deep. Procure enough rich earth mixed with bone ash to fill the 
hole, and then sprinkle fifteen drops of tincture of iron over the sur- 
face. Now dig up your sprout, being careful to retain the earth about 
its roots, and bury about two inches deep. In order to protect the 
young shoot from the direct sunlight drive four sticks into the ground 
around the sprout and suspend a gunny sack. After about two weeks, 
the young plant will have adjusted itself to its new home and the 
sunshade may be removed. By this time the plant should be in a 
flourishing condition and in three weeks should be three inches in 
diameter at the base. 
Third.— The forced nourishment stage. Bore a hole into the trunk 
about six inches from the ground, one inch deep and of a diameter 
slightly larger than that of the red rubber tubing obtainable at your 
drugstore. Fill a quart bottle half full of sugar and dissolve in 
water. When the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, connect the bottle 
with the hole in the tree by means of the red tubing. In twenty-four 
hours the tree will have absorbed the contents of the bottle. 
FOURTH. — The fruit bearing stage. If the young fruit appears too 
numerous, it is well to pluck the least promising. Then, if the tree 
is unable to support itself prop it up. At five months some of the 
fruit on the lower cluster will show streaks of yellow. Now is the 
time to hasten the ripening. This is done by wrapping a gunny sack 
about the lower clusters of fruit and the trunk. Crows are very fond 
of the ripe fruit, and this expedient serves also to scare them away. 
AO 
