TROPICAL AGRICULTURE IN CEYLON : “ LOVVCOUNTRY PRODUCTS. ”

No. I.A “ p e o p l e ’s PARK ” WANTED FOR COLOMJSO— HENARATGODA

GARDENS.

“ Kew Point, ” in Colombo, still preserves the me­mory of the first Botanic Gardens established during the British period in Ceylon, and, much as we ap­preciate the taste with which the police quarters in Slave Island have been built and the "grounds around them laid out, we yet could wish, for th e sake of residents in the capital of the island, as well as th a t of the m ultiplied visitors we may soon expect, th a t something more than the name and a few noble trees had come down to us of this generation from the Ceylon namesake of the great and ju stly celebrated Kew Gardens. I t is true th a t others, besides Prince Soltykoff, have characterized Colombo as one great botanical garden ; and no doubt numerous and varied drives over excellent roads lined with elegant coconut palms, and through richest green foliage of bread­fruit, jak, cadju, bamboo, mango, cinnamon and other luxuriant trees and plants, brightened and rendered doubly cheerful by the primrose-coloured pisonia, the crimson “ shoe flower,” and in its season the tru ly grand “ flamboyant t r e e ” of M ada­gascar, are “ beautiful exceedingly.” Still we cannot help wishing th a t here, in Colombo, we could shew in a special garden or park, such as visitors to Cal­cutta, Bombay and Madras and the other leading cities of India at once seek, collections in a con­veniently limited space of all the leading plants of the tropics, w ith the additional a ttraction of a select zoological family, ranging from the gigantic elephant to the mimina deer, from the eagle to the sun-bird, and from the thirty-feet long alligator down to the three-inch green liz a rd : not forgetting “ the praying mantis ” and the stick and leaf insects. W e trust that one speedy result of the concentration here of practically the whole steam navigation of Ceylon and much of that of the Eastern world will be to free Colombo from the reproach of possessing nothing more closely approaching a “ People's Park ” than the p re tty but, as yet, scautily furnished expanse in the Cin­namon Gardens, of which the really handsome Gre­gory Museum is the central object. U ntil recently, a visitor who wished to see a system atic collec­tion of plants, indigenous and introduced, had per­force to travel to Peradeniya, seventy miles upcountry, Doubtless the traveller would find his reward in roam­ing amidst the contrasted culture and wilderness, bounded by a noble river, of the “ Royal Botanical Gardens of Ceylon,” with its medium climate. I f a sight of sub-alpine forms and a view of some of the grandest and most beautiful scenery in the world were desiderated, the journey had, as i t still has, to be prolonged to Nuwara E liya and Hakgala, the latter looking out and d iwn on the forested mountains, the prairie hills and the rice-terraced valleys of Uva. W ith the attention paid to such “ lowcountry products ” in late years as Liberian coffee, cacao, cardamoms, caoutchouc trees, &c., came the demand for a stiictly tropical branch of the Gard-

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I ens over which Dr. Thwaites so long presided and where Dr. Trimen now reigns. Economic ra ther than aesthetic principles guiding the choice of situation, an exceptionally rich piece of forest ground was chosen, not a t Colombo or near it, unfortunately, b u t within half-an-hour's drive or walk from the Henaratgoda station, sixteen miles from Colombo, on the line to Kandy. Here can be seen a rich grove of indigenous forest, alive with clouds of the great frugiverous b r t called in popular parlance “ the flying-fox and the visitor m ight ask the intelligent Sinhalese in charge whether he has observed any cases, such as undoubtedly occurred a t Madras when trees the resort of those curious animals were denuded of leaves, of deaths amongst the big ba’s from sun-stroke ! But the visitor will need the tim e between 8 a. m., when his train a r ­rives from Colombo, and 10, when the down train from Kandy passes Henaratgoda, to examine the varieties of Liberian, (so-called) “ A rabian,” W est Indian and other varieties of coffee ; of cocoa from Car- raccas and Trinidad, w ith fruits ranging from deep red sprinkled w ith gold to palest white ; also card­amons, indiarubber trees of several species, and many other interesting plants. As the garden is bounded on one side by a swamp, some of our aquatic plants can be examined, and ju s t outside the garden is one of the noblest objects in the vegetable kngdom, a talipot tree in flower. A good look a t th is tree in its dying glory of a p y a m id of primrose-coloured blossom surm ounting a massive column and springing immediately from am idst leaves of deepest green and of vast proportions will well reward a visit to “ The Henaratgoda Tropical Gardens.”

In travelling to K andy by th e railway line and w ithout the trouble of alighting, if only a good look­out is observed areas cultivated w ith “ new products” may be noticed. Cinnamon does not, of cours >, come under th is category, and strictly we cannot include the manioc or cassava plant, w ith which experiments have been tried since the days of Bennett, , if not from an earlier period. I f only the m arkets for cin­namon and tapioca could be extended, Ceylon could grow any quantity of both products. But the new pro­ducts to which we specially wish to a ttrac t the a tte n ­tion of our traveller are the gigantic coffee of W est Africa “ Liberian coffee,” and the cacao (cocoa) of Central and South America and the W est Indies. Both are rapidly, making for themselves new homes in Ceylon, and a glance can be obtained of very fine specimens of both on “ L ib e ria ” estate, a few miles on the left hand go­ing up beyond the station of Polgahawela (the Coco- nu t Tree Plain), where the trains meet, and which is 45 miles d istan t from Colombo. “ L iberia” is and always will be notable as the scene of the first a ttem pt on an extensive scale to cultivate the coffee of Liberia in Ceylon. About two years ago Mr. W . Eorbes Laurie the enterprising proprietor, organized a party , of which Dr. Trimen, then only ju st arrived, formed one, to visit th is splendid property, and a full account of the visit and of what was then observed on th is splendid and most promising estate appeared in the Observer a t the time. On th a t occasion the party was num er­ous enough to induce the railway authorities to attach a passenger carriage to a goods train which dropped

ihe visitors opposite the es’afa, those bound for Kandy or returning to Colombo being picked up by the afternoon trains. Isolated visitors would have to face a long and hot walk along the line from Polgaha- wela, or a ride which, in either case, could not be accomplished under a t least a couple of hours, and as the re tu rn to the station would occupy about the same time, very little time or energy would be left for looking a t the estate with its splendid blossom, and fruit-laden coffee bushes, interspersed w ith cacao trees with their long leaves and large pods. Owing to th is disadvantage of position w ith reference to a ra il­way station, visits to th is the first Liberian coffee estate, in Ceylon, must be much more “ like angel- visits, few and far between,” than the spirited and hospital.de owner could wish. Much more manageable, in th e interval between the arrival of the morning tra in from Colombo a t Polgahawela, about past 9 a. ni., and the passing down of the afternoon train from Kandy, about 4 p. m., is a visit to the younger but equally successful plantation of U d a p o l l a , which can be easily reached in a bullock hackery drive of half-an hour or less from the station. For most part of the way the journey is over the main road to Kurune- gala, and the road opened to connect the estate with this highway and so with the railway, is short and easy, its term inus revealing a scene, well worth seeing by those who believe in Liberian coffee or cocoa ; but still more worthy of attention by those who are sceptical because either of absolute ignorance of what has been accomplished, or of an exaggerated idea of the effect of preliminary difficulties, some of which were and are formidable enough, but which intelligent per­severance, observation, experience and skill have in th is case conquered as they will in others. Our in­troductory m atter has taken up so much space, th a t we m ust defer'until tomorrow the details of our pleasant and profitable visit to the Messrs. Leechman’s Liberian coffee and cocoa estate- U d a p o l l a , on the possession of which they are to be congratulated, and the nourishing condition of which we consider of good augury to enterprize in Ceylon. For the present we would simply add that, amongst the sights to be seen in travelling along the line, the traveller to Kandy should not by any means, mi-s a good look a t the successful experiment by Messrs. Leecliman & Co. in pi- nting up a portion of an old Arabian coffee estate * ;ih Liberian plants. Those plan 's, fresh, flourishing, and most promising, can be seen as the train emerges from the darkness of the long Moragala tunnel, on the right h a rd side of the line, ju st before the carriages cross the rocks of W yrley Grove and run alm ost sheer over the celebrated Kadugannawa Pass road . The constructors of the road and ever, those who made the railway had no idea th a t Liberian coffee and cacao would rank, as they certainly will, amongst the im portant and profitable products of Ceylon.

No. II .CULTIVATION BETWEEN COLOMBO AND POLGAHAWELA—

CEYLON COMPARED W ITH JAVA.

The country through which the railway runs be* tween Colombo and Polagahawela is almost a per­

fect flat, the rice swamps being diversified only by low laterite knolls, on which the habitations of. the natives are placed, but in such dense groves of coconut, areka and ta lipo t palm, w ith jak, bread­fruit, cadju and o ther trees, th a t only a few of the houses can be observed from the line. W hile th e vegetation generally presents an air of rich luxuriance, the amount of low undergrowth, in the shape of guava, lan tana, &c., in the immediate neighbourhood of houses, suggests the idea of untidiness, and the European traveller feels inclined to ask : “ W hy do the people not clear and keep clear the space about th e ir houses ? ” The Sinhalese cottagers would reply that, besides not seeing any advantage in unnecess­ary labour, they know th a t to clear and keep cleared of subsidiary growth the spaces near th e ir houses would simply deprive them of a readily available store of small tim ber for firewood and o ther purposes. The interm ixture of palms and trees of ordinary leafage on the knolls, contrasting w ith the sheets of water, the emerald green expanses of rice, or those which, as is the case now, are yellow for the harvest, is often very picturesque, and long before the great bulk of the Allagala mountain looms out beyond Pol- gahawela all feeling of monotony is dissipated by the a p ­pearance of the lower ranges of hills rising over the Mahaoya. The perfectly flat “ paddy ” fields for about forty miles along the railway beyond Colombo form a great contrast to the terraced rice fields seen in Java en route from Batavia to Buitenzorg ; while the pretty terraces in the Dekanda valley form ju s t a m inute specimen of the vast terraced hill-valleys between Buitenzorg and Bandong, the latter the capital of the Preanger Kegency. Some of the walls of the Java terraces are seven, ten and more feet high, cut in soft, greasy, brown volcanic soil which is as rich in the sub-strata as on the top. W e have no such soil to shew in Ceylon, bu t neither have we to combat, in the case of fallows, such a fearful a rray of alang-alang. “ A lang ” is the Malay form of our Ceylon word Hub, and the doubling of the name is in accordance w ith "the genius of the Malay language when an intensified form of good or evil, size, preval­ence, or luxuriance, has to be expressed. If we possess not the fertile volcanic soil of Java, neither does our soil produce such expanses of a grass so difficult to extirpate as the “ alang-alang,” nor is a village in Ceylon likely, w ith its 100 inhabitants, to be suddenly overwhelmed by a mud avalanche, as happened in the Dutch colony, the other day on the side of Merapi—the Mountain of Fire. Oar predominant element is w atpr, and there is plenty of i t for the husbandman's buffa­loes to luxuriate in. Amongst the strange sights in Java, apart from th e spectacle of a Malay or Jav an ­ese ploughman sitting on his plough to give it a better hold of the earth (a th ing we never saw done in the soft m ud fields of Ceylon), one of th e most peculiar is the prevalent flesh-colour of the buffaloes. On first seeing the animals we experienced somewhat of the same revulsion of feeling produced by the appearance of a white man in a state of nudity, in a country where i t is the custom of the dark-coloured races to walk about almost clotheless. W e really felt as if the pink-skinned buffaloes had left home w ithout their

apparel, and after laughing ourselves out of this idea, we came to the conclusion th a t they were albinos. But not only were their eyes, like their frames, perfect in streng th ,—the pink-skinned animals were by no means exceptional, “ few and far between,” bu t almost as numerous as their dark-coloured congeners. Our good friend Mr. Moens told us th a t the light-coloured buffaloes were, if anything, the stronger. But the most curious fact of all is th a t animals of both colours are produced whether the parents be both dark ; both light ; or one dark and the other light. The question then is how was i t th a t such a de­partu re from typical colour originated and how is i t perpetuated in Java (which once was joined to the Himalayas), while in Ceylon, and we believe in India, a p ink buffalo is as rare as a white ele­phant. If any reader can tell us where this pheno- nenon has been discussed and solved we shall feel in­debted to him. B ut there are much greater diverg­ences from Ceylon conditions in Java, although the one island is ju st about as far south of the equator as the other lies north of “ the line.” W e brought acorns from Java which for size amazed beholders here, and no doubt the four indigenous oaks of which Java can boast, while Ceylon has not one trxie oak, are sylvan memorials of the far-back geological period of union w ith the Himalayas. B ut why is i t th a t Java with a climate as tropical as ours, is able to breed not only a race of ponies famous for bottom and speed (we can see them rushing over Marshal Daendel’s mountain roads, three abreast, and sending the sand flying into the traveller’s face !) bu t elegant and fleet blood-horses. A ttached to Mr. Kerkhoven’s large tea esta te a t Sinagar are stables accommodating a couple score of as fine racers and saddle horses as could be seen anywhere, the manure (which is most carefully conserved) paying much of the cost of keep. The rich sod, no doubt, produces rich grasses, and equally certain i t is that the “ paddy ” grown in the rich volcanic soil is pro­portionally rich in nitrogenous properties. Travellers along the railway line can now see the rice fields being regularly reaped by means of sickles. Possi ibly owing to a government regulation, forbidding the removal of the straw from the soil, in the paddy fields of Java, which probably cover as large an area in the Preanger Regency as the whole rice cultivation of Ceylon, sickles are not used, only sharp knives by means of which a few inches of the straw below the head are cut off. The women perform th is operation, as well as the subsequent one of tying the heads together in equal sized bundles, with fem­inine neatness and dispatch. Two bundles are slung, one on each side of a pingo, and in th is way cooly loads of paddy are carried to m arket or store, the grain adhering so closely to the stalk , th a t but little is lost. In travelling, our driver, when he wanted to feed his ponies, purchased a couple of these bundles, from a travelling cooly or a t a wayside boutique, and the animals ate grain and straw, with­out pounding or preparation, finishing off w ith a d raft of water, and then recommencing their gallop. A t this rate we shall not get to Udapolla today, and, as we are going to tee Liberian coffee and cacao, we

may as well dispose in advance of our Java reminis­cences of these new products. W e had the advan t­age of the guidance of Dr. Treub, who is in charge of th e Culture Gardens as well as the Botanical Gardens a t Buitenzorg, in our visit to a large private plantation of cocoa,* as well as to the Govern­m ent Culture Gardens, where, besides coffees of all possible species and varieties (including some with copper-coloured leaves), w-e were shewn fruit-bearing Liberian coffee trees under sftade and in the open and also extensive nurseries of this plant. D r. Treub, in view of a controversy which had raged as to the question of shade for the African coffee (the rule in Java, for Arabian coffee having been shade, even up to considerable elevations), requested our special a t ­tention to the comparative or contrasted appearance of the Liberian trees in the open and those grown under shade, both as to leafage and fruit. Although we fully share the orthodox Ceylon belief th a t shade is unnecessary, we felt compelled to say th a t not only were the trees under shade in th is case superior in both respects to those in the open, but th a t never in Ceylon had we seen finer Liberian coffee trees. Dr. Treub seemed very much gratified a t this latter concessiou, and, as regarded the shade question, he proceeded to sta te that the then head of the Culture Department, who had succeeded van Gorkom, had throw n the authoritative weight of his opinion against shade in the cultivation of the new coffee. “ The result has been,” said Dr. Treub, “ th a t mil­lions,” and thtm correcting himself he substituted “ hundreds of thousands of plants were lost, before shade was resorted to for this as for th e old coff-e.” All we could say was ti a t evidently, notwithstanding almost equal conditions of latitude, there was some­th ing in the climate of Java which rendered it essenti­ally different from th a t of Ceylon, and th a t the planters in each colony m ust act on the results of their own experience. On the m ature Liberian coffee trees, as well as those of the other varieties, we had to loc k carefully before we could detect a single trace of the fearful fungus, llemileia vastalrix, but the case was very differ, n t when we came to examine the young Liberian plants in the nurseries. Thev were closely planted in the rows (one possible condition of comparative debility and liability to disea e), the foliage w is close to the ground, and th e soil, as well as the plants, was copiously watered a t least once a day : perhaps m >re frequently, for there had been a three m onths’ drought. Our readers will see th a t h. re were a ll the conditions favourable for the vivificatmn and virulent action of the spores of Ilernilein, if they were present. Present they were with a vengeance, for, on turning up the leaves of the nursery plants a t Bui enzorg, we had a repetition of w hat we saw eleven years ago 011 an estate in Ctylon, the owner of which, after thirty-four years’ residei ce in the island, invested all his life’s savings in coffee culture, only to comm, nee a deadly struggle with “ luaf-disease,” the result of

* Correctly written cacao ; but sometime ago w-e in­timated in the Observer that, for the sake of uni­formity, we should adopt “ cocoa” (the almost universal pronunciation in Ceylon) for cacao ; spelling -the name of the palm, by way of distinction, “ coco.” This form has been adopted in our Directoiy.

which has been th a t in the ten years only one really good crop has been harvested : 2,200 bushels being the substitute for 8,000 due under old conditions, in the season now closed. Having previously seen Arabian coifee trees in Java about three to four years old, in a plantation about 1,500 feet above sea level, shaded by trees of A Ibizzia MolLuccana, ra ther badly affected w ith leaf-disease, we feel justified in saying th a t Hemileia vastatrix is as certainly present in the Dutch colony as in Ceylon; and I f i t never acts w ith such fatal virulence in Java as i t has done here, the cult­ivators will owe their comparative immunity, first to favourable conditions of soil and possibly of climate (the atmosphere being in many places so permeated by sulphurous gases th a t our silver watch turned bla :k during our travels) ; and second, to the diligent ami intelligent use of the plenteous stores of sulphur a t i heir command, and the lime which can also be obtained. Shelter will be more or less given by the shade trees. The great m erits of the Albizzia for shade is its rapid growth into a grand tree, “ its leaves turn ing down a t night, so as to perm it a free fall of dew.” W e are using the words of a Dutch frieud. The chief demerit of the tree is its b rittle ­ness, so th a t great branches sometimes do not need wind or anything beyond their own weight to send them crashing down, destroying the coffee or the cocoa below. Of this peculiarity of the tree we had full proof when we visited the cocoa plantation a t Buitenzorg, in company with Dr. Treub, whom i t was then our tu rn to question as to the comparative effects of shade and full sunlight on cocoa pods. We felt regret and depression to see so many thousands of pods, which ought to have been beautifully red, presenting a funereally black appearance from the action of a species of blight, of fungoid origin, we believe.

W e a ttracted Dr. T reub’s a ttention to the fact, which he could not deny, th a t in spaces to which full light had been adm itted by the fall either of whole trees or large branches of the shade trees the proportion of healthy pods was far greater. He ad­m itted th a t this cocoa blight was a serions visitation, so early in the history of the young industry, and sta ted th a t the Government had arranged for con­siderable im portations of Cacao alba, which was be­lieved to be blight proof. Specimens of the red and w hite varieties, in a perfectly healthy condition, we saw in the hot open (it can be hot there) a t U d a ­p o l l a , and, although Liberian coffee has not been equally fortunate, yet the badly affected trees were bu t rare exceptions to the rule of an undulating ex­panse of trees rich in daik-green foliage and laden with fruit. Out of a great variety, certain trees, the seed of which is specially selected for sale and pro­pagation, seem able almost entirely to resist the fungus, while their yield is exceptionally good in num ber as well as size of cherries. Of the latter we brought a few with us to Colombo, and a dozen, in a p re tty dry state, weighed 3J ounces ; while a single speci­men measured round 3J inches by 2J. If trees of this coffee, planted 700 to an acre, yielded only an aver­age of 2,000 cherries, and single trees have given from 5,000 to 6,000 (enough to till a bushel), the re­sult would be 14 cwt- per acre of clean coffee. Half

this yield would pay exceedingly well, bu t the whole or more is likely to be gathered a t U d a p o l l a . The mucilaginous m atter is more in proportion than in the small coffees, so th a t from 100 bushels of Liberian “ cherries” is obtained only 25 bushels of “ parch­m ent.” T hat quantity of parchm ent, however, yields cwt. 5-1 of clean coffee.—B ut here we m ust stop for today.

No. I I I .THE KBRUNEGALA ROAD UDAPOLLA ESTATE— LIBERIAN

COFFEE.

In proceeding from the Polgahawela railway sta ­tion to U d a p o l l a estate, the traveller cannot bu t be struck by the luxuiiant growth of the coconut and areka palms and the jak and o ther trees which line and shade the road to Kurunegala. A village is passed through, the inhabitants of which looked well and cheerful. In certain years and a t certain sea­sons, however, they, like most of the dwellers in the region a t the foot of our mountain ranges,— the “ Terai” of Ceylon,—suffer a good deal from “ jungle fever.” No doubt liability to this depressing affection is one of the most formidable obstacles to extended cultiv­ation over large tracts of fertile soil in the lowlands of Ceylon,—along the banks and on the deltas of such rivers as the Mahaoya. So strongly did this objection offer itself to a planter of whom we once enquired why he did not try an experiment with lowcountry cultivation, th a t he emphatically said he would have nothing lo do with a pursuit so risky to the health and life of Europeans, not to speak of the native labourers. If such a principle were generally acted on, much of the world, fiotably Africa, would never be opened to culture, commerce, civilization and C hristianity. N ot only are there large areas of healthy land in the lowcountry of Ceylon, but even in the Seven Korales and along the banks of the M aha­oya a fair degree of immunity from sickness can be secured by the adoption of sanitary measures and the taking of occasional charges. On U d a p o l l a salubrity has been secured by shifting the bungalow site from a low situation to a breezy knoll, and Mr. Jartiine, the able and intelligent superintendent, looked hale and hearty, as he conducted our parly round the estate, pointed out the varieties of trees, and dwelt on the ascertained characteristics of each. H e con­firmed w hat our own experience had previously taught us, th a t imported seed had given no t one or two but about a score of types of African coffee. Some are as objectionable as others are superior. On the latter, dense and dark in foliage, unaffected by the fungus, with the primaries springing from the stem close above th e ground and every branch and twigs as well as the stem, covered with fruit in all stages and shewing blossom, flags were being placed, so that the fru it of such selected trees m ight be separ­ately gathered and prepared for the nurseries or for sale. VVe have, spoken advisedly of fru it on the stems and branches, for, in the case of the Liberian coffee, clusters of blossom and fru it appear on the bark, after the fashion seen on jak and bilimbi trees. I t is also, as yet, impossible to say how frequently the same wood will bear fruit, so th a t pruning is

more sparingly resorted to than even was the case in former years in Haputale, where the same wood bore three times in succession. As our readers are aware, the general rule with Arabian coffee in Ceylon is th a t when secondaries have borne a full crop they m ust be removed by the pruning knife to make room for their successors. Not only is there no pruning of the Liberian coffee trees, bu t even handling is con­fined to the removal of one shoot, when two start from the same “ eye,” The eccentric mode of growth, towards the stem, of the secondaries of this species of coffee, was a trouble to the owners of this estate as i t has been to others, and as it was felt th a t the knife, if too freely used, would simply result in de­nudation of the trees, Mr. Jardine, was allowed carte blanche in the treatm ent of the erran t twigs. He has successfully adopted the expedient of tying the secondaries with strings of unravelled gunny, on the principle of

•‘Just as the twig is bent, the t r e e ’s inclined.”No doubt this system of altering the natural direction of growth involves time and trouble, but the number of trees per acre is not so great as in the case of Arabian coffee, nor are the shoots so numerous, and fruit is borne so copiously by all ripe wood, th a t the trouble and expense are amply repaid. A t the com­mencement of the Liberian coffee enterprize, not only was shade deemed absolutely necessary, even after the trees had grown up, bu t such preposterous d is­tances apart as 12 X 10 and even 12 X 12 were re­commended and the advice acted on. Experience on U d a f o l l a , extending now in the case of the oldest trees to three years and eight months, has led to the decision th a t the best distance apart is secured by 7 x 8 . On an estate so planted, a t least 700 good trees may be expected to give an average of 2.000 cherries each, the result being 2 cwt. o f clean coffee from each 100 trees, or 14 cwt. per acre, as we have already stated. T hat such calculations are justified experience proves. A t the commencement of the present season, Mr. Jardine, determined to be on the right side, estim ated only 1,100 bushels from U d a p o l l a . That quantity had actually been gathered before our visit, so th a t to th a t, extent,, we saw this splendid pro­perty at a disadvantage. The estimate of the season’s yield had been raised to 2,000 bushels, bu t a gen­tleman who took part in the visit, a planter of long experience and the head of one of the leading Colombo firms, declared th a t in his opinion there were 2,000 bushels then on the trees. H e m eant of this season's fru it, apart from that a t all stages, which would con­stitu te next season’s crop, and which closely covered th e younger wood and the ends of branches and twigs. I t is a peculiarity of the Liberian coffee that although it is affected by seasons, in one of which i t has generally three “ big blossoms,” yet i t is a l­most always, like the orange tree, shewing blossoms and fru it in all stages. This characteristic and the fact th a t the cherries of this species of coffee do not, in many cases, pu t on the rich ruby red which dis­tinguishes the m ature “ pa lam ” of the Arabian coffee, have led many to doubt if the fru it would properly ripen : indeed the belief that i t would not and could not ripen has been advanced as a fatal

objection to this new product. B ut not only were we assured th a t the fruits are perfectly ripe when only of a pale yellow line ; we had the convincing proof of the pulper in action. Apparatus and ap­pliances, for the preparation of this exceptionally large coffee, being ns yet somewhat imperfect, i t is true th a t children were employed to recover about 2 per cent of the parchm ent beans from the mass of cherry skins ; but th is was not due to any want of ripeness in the cherries. As to the quality of the coffee, all we can say is th a t we have seldom drunk a better flavoured infusion than th a t contained in the cup served to us a t U d a p o l l a . A gentleman high in local society has told us th a t twice were hie guests served with Liberian coffee w ithout its origin being revealed, and th a t they were loud in its praise ; and we know th a t more chan one critic, who was fond of protesting th a t he could, under any circum­stance, detect the alleged coarser flavour of this coffee, mistook the beverage when supplied and imbibed for the product of best Arabian. So strong is p re ­judice or tradition th a t the Messrs. Leechman have actually been compelled to prepare this coffee specially for the American m arket, so that it may have, in ­stead of the greenish bine hue of well ripened and properly prepared beans, the d irty yellow colour, which the unripe and badly prepared coffee originally received from Liberia had accustomed consumers to expect; ju st as the same yellow colour is desiderated in “ best Mocha ” coffee. Our friends are doing their best to im itate the outward signs of badness, bu t they warn their correspondents in America th a t, if sourness is the result, the preparers m ust not be blamed. We feel confident th a t well ripened and well prepared Liberian coffee will, ere long, assert a position on its own merits, ju s t as Indian tea has done.

The mistake of too wide planting having been d is­covered, its correction here, as elsewhere, has been effected by quincunxiug as well as planting between every two trees in the rows in which they are widest apart. Of course, all these trees will not be permittedfinally to crowd each other. The inferior trees_those which send up long stems before they th ink of primaries, and others which, although dug about and manured, shew a special predisposition to leaf-discase and a “ shuck ” condition—will be rooted out. Over a considerable surface, however, cocoa trees, equi­valent to 70 acres if planted apart, are interspersed amongst the Liberian coffee and look exceedingly well, As yet these plants are perfectly free from any trace of disease, and a few are bearing a t a rate which gives promise of most profitable returns. I t is now evident that, so luxuriant is the growth of the cocoa trees, they will require considerably more space than the Liberian coffee: 12 x 10 or even 12 x 12 being, in their case, probably not too wide apart. Those in ­terested in the estate say : “ Even if leaf-disease affects the Liberian coffee as disastrously as i t has acted on the Arabian, we can fall back on the cocoa.” B ut although leaf-disease is attem pting its “ level best ” against the big-leaved coffee, and has been successful in shaking and denuding a few weakly trees, the vast m ajority of those we saw covering the undulations of U d a p o l l a [from 200 to 500 I t. above

sea level, w ith glorious views of the plains of Seven Koralea and of the hills and mountain ranges from Belgoda to K irigalpotta and Totapela) were vigorous and fresh and evidently able to resist the attacks of the insidious fungus. A more beautiful sight can rarely be witnessed than this fine plantation of Liberian coffee, interspersed w ith cocoa trees, kept clear of weeds, no easy task in the hot lowcountry (with a rainfall of about 90 inches), by means of fortnightly weedings. W hen these were insisted on, the contractors, who ' received R1 25 per acre per mensem, grumbled ; b u t now th a t they see the advantage of keeping the weeds down by preventing them from seeding, they are more than reconciled to the fre­quent weeding. The most prevalent weed here and the most difficult to eradicate, we were surprised to learn, was a soft, succulent spreading plant, which the natives convert into curries. Europeans who have partaken of i t so cooked declare i t to be very nice. The native names are : Sinhalese, kiri ; Tamil, “ koli kurumban.” W e have heard of much worse weeds th an this, which surely ought to be utilized by being sent to m arket? Having asked about the “ topping” of these Liberian coffee trees, we were told by Mr. Porter th a t the best average height was 5 to 5§ feet, bu t th a t the a ltitude varied from 4£ feet in situations much exposed to wind, to 6 feet extreme in rich soil and good shelter. If the trees were allowed to grow higher than 6 feet, the pickers would need the aid of ladders, which arc actually p u t in requisition in Java in the case of Arabian trees, allowed to grow at th e ir own sweet will, and to become the hosts of luxuriant mosses, ferns, and orchids. We brought a dendrobium to Ceylon which we saw in full blossom a t a height of 12 feet high in an old coffee tree which was a t least 20 feet high and as thick in the stem as a man’s thigh. We do not recommend the Java mode of cultivation, but we hope some planter will spare a few exceptional trees, in order th a t the ex­treme height Liberian coffee can a tta in to may be settled. In very hot low districts, like th a t in which Udapolla is situated, rapid growth upwards is not likely to be so much the rule as in moist climates such as prevail a t K alutara and towards the Adam’s Peak ranges. A t Kalutara i t has been already proved th a t the growth of secondary wood is more luxuriant than in the Seven Korales districts. Here a t Udapolla the real danger will be th a t of trees exhausting them ­selves by enormous crops of fru it. Supplies of good manure will constitute the remedy, which indeed has already been applied w ith good effect. The con­tiguity of the railway station is a great advantage for the carriage of artificial manures from Colombo, while a good deal of old well-rotted cow-dung has been obtained from the natives. The manner in which the manured trees have responded to the ap­plication is most encouraging, as shewing th a t streng th of tree and luxuriance of foliage can be preserved while large crops of fru it are gathered. W e heard most encouraging accounts here of the great success of Scowen’s transplanter, supplemented by a tin shield and cup, which effectually prevent the breaking of th e cylinder of earth taken up around the plant, while en route to the field, By this means plants

can be pu t out in any weather, only a few ferns being required in periods of drought. A p lant was taken out of its hole and p u t down again to shew us the modus operandi. The hollow cylinder of the transplanter was pu t down over the p lant and pushed by the handle to a depth of fully four inches. The instrum ent was then draw n up, and the p lan t came w ith i t in the centre of a cylinder of earth. T hat portion of th e earth taken up was carefully cut away with a sharp knife. The earth and p lant were then pushed up by a wooden peg, over which th e in stru ­m ent was placed and pressed. The cylinder of earth, if carried any distance w ith the plant, would now be liable to break away and leave the roots ex ­posed. Of course Mr. Owen’s expedient of old news­papers converted into funnels m ight be a t th is stage adopted ; bu t w hat was actually used, as safer and more effectual, was an elastic tin shield, open on one side, so as to enable the operator to make i t clasp the earth. As soon as th is was done, a tincup was put on underneath, and the p lant and earth could be carried any distance. H undreds of thousands °f plants have thus been p u t out with scarcely any appreciable loss.

No. IV .VABIOUS PRODUCTS ON UDAPOLLA— INSECT PESTS.

A visitor whose eye has been educated into an ideal ef coffee by the characteristics of the Arabian (properly Abyssinian) species will be struck Hot merely by the •omparatively enormous size of th e foliage, generally, of the Liberian species, bu t by the robust stems and branches even of young trees, the exterior of the bark being much rougher than is the case w ith the ordinary coffee. Some excellent varieties of the new coffee, however, are distinguished by comparatively small and pointed leaves. All coffee blossom is beautiful, although evanescent, bu t there is a positive grandeur about both the blossom and the cherries of the gigantic species. The period for the two or three great blossoms is between December and May. Although there is more or less blossom and fru it all th e year round, ye t the period between Ju ly and November is comparatively quiescent : the resting time of a coffee which sleeps w ith its eyes open. As may naturally be supposed, the Liberian trees grown at low, hot elevations, like th a t of U d a p o l l a ,

come into bearing a t an early s tag e ; bu t i t is as yet impossible to fix the limit of altitude for the profit­able cultivation of th is extraordinary plant. A gen­tlem an who accompanied us on our visit sta ted that he had grown plants a t Pussellawa (at from 2,500 to3,000 feet elevation), which, a t the same age, were taller and bore more cherries per tree than any of the U d a p o l l a trees, fru itfu l as these were. He referred to a few isolated plants, however, which had probably received special attention. We have attem pted, w ith ­out success, to acclimatize the Liberian coffee in a valley 4,900 feet above sea-level in Dimbula : the plants live bu t refuse to grow. About 2J years ago, however, we gave a New Galway planter a couple of plants for tria l which were about a year old a t the time. They were recently reported to have blossomed and m atured fru it a t an elevation of 4,300 feet ! This, we suppose, is the extreme height yet in Ceylon

a t which the coffee of Liberia has flourished and fruited, and we should be glad to receive full information as to shelter, exposure to morning sun, mean and extremes of tem perature, &c. Our readers will remember th a t Dr. Thwaites pu t his ban on any attem pts to obtain a hybrid between th e Arabian and th e African coffees, such as has proved so valuable in th e case of tea cult­ure in India— the hybrid between the large indigenous Assam tea and the small China being superior to the native Assam in robustness and to the China in size of leaf and strength of liquor. W hy a process which has resulted favorably in th e case of tea should be objectionable in th a t of coffee, we have forgotten if we ever had the reasons explained to us. Amongst the notes of our visit to U d a p o l l a , we find the re ­mark, with reference to the doubts expressed as to the cherries ripening, th a t no difficulty was experienced in pulping even after the heat of May and June. As those are the months when cinnamon grown near Colombo is peeled, because of the south-west monsoon rains and the consequent flow of juice between stem and bark, we take i t for granted th a t a t 45 miles north-east from Colombo there is a perceptible dif­ference of season and climate. In going to the estate almost a t right angles to the railway, the 47th m ile­stone from Colombo by road via Ambepussa and Alawwa, and the 11th from Kurunegala, will be noticed, and a ttention will be a ttrac ted to the nice wicker granaiies by the roadside, e rec te i over pedestals, and the lower portions of the wicker work plastered with clay. Here the paddy growers store their grain. And this reminds us th a t in Java the women not only reap the grain but perform the operation of planting, which in the D utch colony is m ost scienti­fically and carefully regulated. The seed is germ inated thickly in nurseries a t corners of fields, and when the men, w ith their buffaloes, cattle and ploughs, have prepared the earth for the young plants, cotn- p in ies of women make their appearance to conduct the planting. Each removes a bundle of plants about 4 to 6 inches in height from the nurseries, arranges the roots stra igh t together, and chops off from 2 to 3 inches of the tops of the young blades. The plants are thus uniform in size and s ta rt fair, in the rows in which they are placed, those rows being as straight and as equi­distant, while the spaces between the plants in the rows are as regular, as is the case in the most care­ful coffee planting. In Java, the Government have an im portant Culture D epartm ent presided over by a high civil servant, every young gentleman who joins the service spending the first six months of his resid­ence in the colony a t the Culture Gardens a t Buiten- zorg, not only reading books on agriculture and listen­ing to frequent lectures, b u t taking pa rt in the p racti­cal work of growing sugar, coffee, cocoa, cassava, rice, &c. The peasantry are not only taught bu t we believe compelled to adopt what is deemed the best m ethod in cultivating the great staple article of food, rice, as well as other products, indigenous and exotic. The two large volumes which Mr. Van Gorkom, the late director of the Agricultural De­partm ent, has just published (in Dutch, we regret to say) are proof of the g reat interest taken by the

D utch Colonial Government in all branches of agricult­ure and the importance they attach to “ new pro­ducts” as well as old staples. We hope, shortly, to be able, by means of translations, to give our readers the benefit of some of the imformation which the learned and able Dutchman has collected re­garding cultures so diverse as cassava and coffee; sugar and ind igo ; rice and cinchona. A nd this reminds us of w hat we were to ld a t U d a ­p o l l a , th a t, in the K alutara d istrict, calisaya ledgeriana plants are flourishing at so low an elevation as 200 feet (on Geekianakande estate), th e refuse of the citronella grass from which the essential oil has been extracted being used as manure for the cinchona plants. We shall be curious to learn the subsequent history of those plants and especially the results obtained by analysis of th e low-grown bark. We were struck w ith the different growth on U d a p o l l a of seedling Cearfi rubber trees and those grown from cuttings. The former shot up about a dozen feet, before commencing to form “ head s” ;, the la tte r sent out primaries close to the ground, and the whole habit was bushy and squat. A large num ber of m riya trees (TMespezia populnea), which had been grown along the paths, we found uprooted. I t was explained to us th a t the trees failed to grow stra igh t and injured th e coffee near them. Trees which had been spared in one portion of the grounds, where shelter from wind was required for a separate patch of cocoa-trees, shewed the same tendency to early blossom­ing and seeding in th is forcing climate as did the other plants grown. The tim ber of the suriya is so valuable for coach-building and other purposes, th a t we suspect a regular plantation of the trees would, in from the fifth to the fifteenth year, yield a large re tu rn to the planter. Trees grown from seed are doubtless superior, and plenty of seed can be obtained. By close planting a straight habit in the trees could be secured. Cassia Jlorida, the wd of the Sinhalese, yields excellent firewood for railway purposes in four years from planting o u t ; and this and perhaps some other trees could be combined with a plantation of suriyas. W e were amused a t the details of an experiment which Mr. Jardine had tried w ith a' fast-growing shade tree (Jonah’s “ g o u rd ” ), Palma Christi, the castor oil plant. A ll was -serene until one morning in the course of his rounds th e super­intendent was horrified to see almost bare stems, ex­cept that they were covered with m ultitudes of caterpillars which had already eaten up the leaves. W e suggested that the “ poochies ” had been pro­duced by the tusser silk moth, bu t our friend said he was too anxious to exterminate the creatures, w ith the plants which had a ttrac ted them, to glean any information as to their identity. Happily none of them seem to have shewn an inclination to taste the foliage of the coffee and cocoa plants. I t is imposs­ible, however, to predict w hat enemies introduced pro­ducts may have to encounter. N ot only have the cock­chafers of Ceylon discovered th a t the tender ro o t­lets of coffee are preferable to those of the patana grasses, as food for the g ru b s; but suddenly and mysteriously a fungus, previously so la ten t th a t even science was ignorant of its existence, discovered th a t

the leaves of the coffee p lan t were good for food and to be desired, and we all know the fearful result. Oldium and phylloxera may have been in ­troduced to A ustralia w ith the vines which were im ­ported from all vine-growing portions of the earth .: from the forests of the western world as well as from the sunny plains of France, the slopes of the Swi=s mounta:ns, and the banks of the Rhine and Moselle. But purely indigenous was the plague of locust­like grasshoppers which we found so prevalent 011 the largest vineyard in Victoria, perhaps in the world, th a t opened in the valley of the Y a r r a by an enter­prising Swiss, M r. de Castella, and named “ St. H u b e rt” after his patron saint. The St. H u b e r t wines and the names of Castella and Rowan are now known all over the world, the Emperor of Germany’s special prize a t the Melbourne Exhibition having been awarded to them by the German Commissioner, who ranked the Australasian light wines with those of his own country. But over the 2 5 0 acres of vines, which (with cellars, presses, &c.) had cost, we were told, A '80 ,000 , the grasshoppers were devouring. The in­sects were so numerous th a t we could not walk through the vines w ithout treading on them ; 200 turkeys which Mr. de Castella had ju st turned in were making b u t slight impression on the enemy, and we were act­ually told th a t the insectivorous shrikes known locally as “ magpies” were dying from the irrita ting effects of the serrated wings and legs of the grasshoppers they had swallowed. The visitation was reckoned a very serious one ; bu t probably creatures w lrch we saw swarming in the fervent heat of January may have been killed off by the w intry frosts of July. In any case, i t is not only coffee planters who have to contend with insect and fungoid plagues. In Victoria the heroic bu t we fear ineffective remedy is being tried of eradicating all the vines in the Geelong dis­tric t, because phylloxera has there appeared. We have noticed the discovery made by the cockchafer beetles of Ceylon th a t the rich rootlets of coffee are as food preferable for the nurture of their larvie to the roots or stems of poor, innutritions grasses. But Pro­fessor MacCoy, the Professor of Natural Science in Mel­bourne University and Director of one of the best filled and most interesting Museums out of Europe, has in his Prodromus of the N atural H istory of Victoria recorded a case still more singular. Noticing a plate of Agarista Glycine, the Vine Day Moth, he wrote :—

This species received its specific name from Lewin ob­serving that in New South Wales the larva: fed on the leaves of the leguminose plant the Glycine himaeidata. In this colony, however, is is generally called the vine-moth, from one of the mo t extraordinarv changes of habit ever recorded in any insect. In the early days of this colony, before the introduction of the vine, the larvae of this insect fed on the Gnaphalium luteoalhion, which is a very com­mon weed, but since the planting of vineyards the Agarista glycine has increased enormously in numbers, and has totally abandoned its original food to devour the leaves o f the grape vine, never now touching the former, but thriving and multiplying beyond measure on the foliage of so totally dissimilar a plant, that it the perfect female Day-moth be <mided bv ordinary instinct to choose that plant on which to deoosit its eggs on which the larvae might find suitable foliawe for food (ti.e perfect insect not only being deprived of jaws fit for eating leaves itself, but being separated from the foliage-eating larval stage of its existence by the in­tervening pupa stage, in which feeding, motion, and the

senses are all stooped), it is not possible to conceive or understand how the egg-laying Day-moth could have gained such knowledge of the properties of the vine as would induce it to abandon the natural food (not of itself, bnt) of its larvge, and fo put its trust in a foreign plant of which one might suppose it could know nothing.

There are two or three broods in the year, the first brood of larva: appearing about the end of October, or when the vines begin to come into leaf, and after a few weeks enter the pupa state, about the beginning of December, the moth coming out about the end of December, while the larvie figured, descended into the earth, formed their earthen cocoons beneath the surface at the end of March, and the perfect imago came out on the 18th of May.

I cannot understand Lewin’s statement and figure of a light cocoon of thin silk attached to twigs of trees for this species, for in this colony it invariably forms a slight cocoon of earth below the surface of the ground.

The in jury done to the vines in the extensive vineyards of Victoria by the larvie of this species is enormous, and seems to be increasing. Their numbers are altogether too great to be dealt with by any other means but hand-picking, and there arc not hands enough in the country yet for that as the children by law must attend school. The acclimatis­ation Society acclimatized the Indian Minaji in the hope that, besides destroying the grasshoppers and locusts (which they do admirably), they might diminish this pest also; but they have unfortunately developed a taste for eatnig the grapes, and do not seem to like the larvie of the Agarista. Before the new school law, children used to be employed thin­ning the numbers of the larvie in an unpleasant but effective manner, by cutting each one across with a pair of scissors as they walked along the rows of plants, in­stead of delaying to pick them off. Even this sharp and decisive proceeding is too tedious to keep down their numbers, and, to add to the difficulty, the fowls even will not ea them, nor anv other creature as far as 1 know. The onlv suggestion I can make is to employ hand-pickers, at the time of the approach of the first brood of cateri lllars, when the vines come first into leaf. Each one killed then prevents the formation of multitudes, as well as Sives strength to the plant by their present re­moval. 1 he next object of attention should be to kill all the moths < f the first brood found on the wing, the figure here given rendering the right one easy of recognition, and this for each one killed will destroy myriads of eggs which would form the second brood.The above extract proves that “ there are more things in heaven and earth ” (and in the insect world) “ than arc dream t of in our philosophy" ; and th a t we are not alone in suffering from the a ttacks on our enterprize of enemies, m inute and yet so formidable as almost to set man’s industry and skill a t defiance. B nt as we do not believe that, fungi or insects will destroy the young vine industry of Australia, so neither do we believe it to be the settled design of a benevolent Providence that the leading and long established en­terprise of Ceylon should succumb to the attacks of Ilem ileia vastatrix and grubs. The pests have had their cycle, and we again look for “ a good tim e coming."

Before closing these discursive notes, we cannot help a ttracting the attention of travellers along the ra il­way line to the very large flocks of the small stork (paddy-bird of the English and “ k&kiI”—from the note i t u tters when rising,—of the Sinhalese) now to be seen feeding on Darwin’s most recent heroes, the earth ­worms, in the newly-ploughed rice-fields. We have seldom, if evei, seen so many “ kukfis” together before. Then about five miles on the left, before reaching Polgahawela, there is, ju s t under a low hill, su r­m ounted by a large pointed boulder, a glorious group of fully a dozen talipot palms in blossom We trust Mr. Skeen, or some other enterprizing photographer, will not fail to perpetuate th is group in a series of plates.

In reference to the rem ark respecting the favour­ite transplanter used on Udapolla, we find a correction is required. The fitting complement to Scowen’s transplanter, which is the one chiefly used, is found in a tin envelope and ring contrived by Mr. L. W. Davidson, manager of Culloden estate, K alutara. This envelope is, as we said, a single piece of sheet tin cu t to th e size re­quired, which opens out to clasp the p lant and ball of earth when released from the transplanter, the envelope being secured by a ring slipped over the end. In practice th is has been proved to be a most convenient and successful mode of Working, and Mr. Davidson’s envelopes and rings are likely to become general favourites. N ot only for Liberian coffee and cocoa, bu t for cinchona, the transplanter and en­velope will be used w ith full confidence th a t they will save the life of many plants which, under ord­inary circumstances, are either killed off through the shock of being pulled up, or from a break in the ‘ planting ’ weather, or through the w ater settling round the stem. Against each of these evils careful transplanting w ith a ball of earth is found to be a wonderful safeguard.

No. V.LOWCOUNTRY ESTATES— LEARNING BY EXPERIENCE.

We feel i t a simple du ty to add a few “ more last words,” in order to do justice to the gentle­man who originated the Liberian coffee estate a t Udapolla, and to whom its success is mainly due. Mr. R. P o rte r is a first-class V isiting Agent, and Mr. Jardine is a model Manager, and to both U d a ­

p o l l a owes much of good service. But, from first to last, Mr. W m. Carey Leechman has been th e life and soul of an enterprize which we are glad to be­lieve will liberally reward him for his indefatigable exertions, and the firm to which he belongs for their liberal outlay on the “ new products” cultivated on Udapolla. We speak from personal knowledge when we say th a t Mr. W. C. Leechman pu t forth the whole energy of his nature, and spared himself neither in bodily fatigue, exposure to heat and disease, nor mental anxiety, in order to make the experiment the success which, in less than four years, i t has as­suredly become. The soil is fairly good, and it re ­sponds to culture, especially good drainage, which has been found essential, although for a large portion of the year the climate is distinguished for a high de­gree of beat. W e should th ink th a t in some of these lowcountry estates, where not so much masses of rock or large boulders are scattered over and in the soil, bu t manageable stones or fragments of rock, underground drains m ight succeed ? The danger, of course, would be choking up in exceptional rain-storms, although gratings m ight obviate th is objection. If any experiment in th is direction has been tried, we should be very glad to learn the result. On looking a t our few rough pencilled notes, we find th a t the very best trees, which resist leaf disease and yield in great abundance “ cherries’’ of the largest size, are distinguished by dense dark foliage, the leaves being not only sharp pointed bu t “ crinkly.” Seed gathered from such selected trees are sure to give

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immensely b e t te r " results than the imported seed, which Mr. W m. Leecjunan, above most men, was successful in germ inati™ , resorting to the expedient of spreading the seeds on coir mats and keeping them steadily damp un til the cotyledons began to appear. Perhaps Mr. Leechman will adm it th a t in some cases he was only too successful. To illustra te our meaning, we may mention th a t we once visited a medical man who, by constant care as to tem perature, &c., had undoubtedly prolonged, by many years, the ex­istence of his wife, who was suffering from a bail form of heart disease. In reply to our natural remark, “ W hat a blessing to hum anity has medical science become,” he rep lied : “ In many cases the benefit is questionable : the feeble and diseased, who used to die, are kept alive to grow up and m arry and per­petuate their infirm ities.” W e thought of this, when we heard th a t the few weakly trees on U d a p o l l a

owed their origin to imported seed which only Mr. Leechman’s unrem itting cure compelled to germinate, and which, being imperfectly ripened and formed, gave, of course, trees after their own kind. Planters are now able to go t ^ work a t an immense advant­age over Mr. Leechman and others of us, who had to depend entirely on imported seed, some lots of which were all bad and many of which yielded only tens of plants for thousands of seeds. Those com­mencing now can fill their nurseries w ith not only seed from selected trees bu t the select seeds of the pro­duce of selected trees : seeds like those of the cherries we carried away as specimens and which (the cherries) weighed over a quarter of an ounce each. The modern planters, too, have th e benefit of accumulated ex­perience in the correction of such ideas as th a t 12x 12 or 10 x 10 or even 9 x 9 feet distances apart were ne­cessary and shade essential for the new coffee. A proper use of Scowen’s transplanters supplemented by Davidson’s envelopes has proved th a t even the ex­pense of tem porary shade for plants pu t into the field in dry hot weather may be dispensed with. Trees planted 7X8, and , therefore, a t th e ra te of over 700 to the acre, may be expected to yield on an average (as already stated) one hundredweight of clean coffee for every fifty trees. As 5,700 cherries have been gathered from one tree on U d a p o l l a , the rate of bearing mentioned, and which is calculated on only 2,000 cherries to a tree, is likely in some places to exceed the figure ;we have mentioned. W e wrote w ithout our notes when we represented U d a ­

p o l l a as being free from insect plagues, a fte r Mr. .Tardine had sm itten the castor oil p lant “ poochies,” hip and thigh. More th an th ir ty years ago, when the scale insect on coffee was as much a bugbear as the fungus and grubs* are now, a Mr. Young annonnccd a cure for bug by colonizing the coffee w ith red ants, which had been observed preying on th e scale insects. (The probability is th a t the ants only tapped the insects for the sake of their juices.) The obvious objection, in view of the almost nude state in which the coolies worked amongst the coffee bushes,

* A gentleman just returned from an upnountry to u r told us this morning th a t he saw sixteen grubs taken up with the roots of one tu ft of grass.

was th a t the remedy would be worse than the dlseae. And so the ant(i)-bug discovery was laughed out a t court. B ut the Sxilfence of nests of red ants on coffee bushes is no more of a laughing m atter than is an attack by a black snake on the nest of a “ laugh­ing jackass,” the subject of a most anim ated group shewn in the Queensland Court of the Melbourne Exhibition and now re-deposited in the interesting museum which all visitors to Brisbane ought to see. The plucky fight even to the death in defence of their young made by the great kingfishers against the for­midable reptile is a grand study : the stuffed specimens having all the animation of life. T hat and more may be said of the red ants which haunt some of the Liberian bushes on U d a p o l l a , and which from i t has been found most difficult to dislodge them. We should th ink th a t applications of lime, or lime and sulphur, sulphur fumes, or carbolic acid, would prove effectual. Probably there is attraction other than the dense foliage of the coffee bushes, bu t this m atter we failed to investigate. Perhaps information as to the possible existence of nectar-yielding insects on the#>ushes, or some glutin­ous exudation on the stems or branches may be forthcoming from the intelligent and observant super­intendent. W e m ust not forget to say th a t the holes on Udapolla are 20 inches wide and deep.

Mr. Leech man, besides the care, intelligence and industry which he brought to his task, was specially fortunate in his first planting season. We are in a pos­ition to make use of the details of an experiment which, although it now promises to be a success, was commenced and for a couple of years carried on in the face of conditions of meteorology, insects and reptile life (for there can be no doubt th a t the small lizards, instead of destroying the mole crickets, aid and abet them and other insects in cutting down the young plants,) most try ing and disheartening. The scene of th is experiment is on good soil in the Siyane Korale, seven miles to the righ t of Henaratgoda railway s ta tio n ; the sanitary conditions being better, we should say than a t Udapolla. For luxuriant growth of weeds and abundance of insect life, however, we should say th a t the scene of our experiment is equal to any site in Ceylon. Except th a t a rock, like porphyritic granite, is more abundant, standing up in fantastic shapes, we should say th a t in undulat­ing features, elevation, exposure to wind, etc., the Siyane Korale estate closely resembled th a t in the North-western Province. From nigher contiguity to the Peak ranges, there ought we should th ink , to be more rainfall. The gentleman who has mainly conducted this experiment was recently asked for its history from the commencement. E xtracts from his candid and interesting statement, may be of use to some of our readers, as warnings as well as encourage­ments. Both here and on U d a p o l l a the discovery had to be made th a t Liberian coffee plants, stumped be­fore being pu t into the field, will not (/row. Once rooted, the case is different. But here are the details:—

“ On reviewing th e whole subject of this estate, I suppose I am expected to begin a t the beginning, and, however much against the grain, assume my share of blame for the early failure and loss, th a t

took place on first open ing ; but, in taking my share of blame, I m ust assign you yours, though in both cases censure should be m itig at'd by the consideration th a t we were both in ignorance of how to deal w ith the new plant we took in hand, and, like all new beginners, especially those who th ink they kn->w a thing or tw o, we made mistakes, and suffered for our mistakes. .

“ Eighteen months before you had land to pu t them in you purchased 1,000 plants then of the proper size, for pu tting out in the field. The seller en­gaged to keep them for twelve months, as they then were in bamboos. W ith in six months, a large number of them perished, from various causes, and they were then planted out in prepared ground, two feet apart, where they remained for fifteen mouths, before the place was ready for thern here, and they were then from three to five feet high, and m any of them in flower. They had therefore to be stumped, and I did not then know th a t Liberian coffee would not patiently bear being stum ped; that only a small percentage will grow a t all; and a still smaller become good trees un­der the most favourable circumstances: and the circum­stances were not favourable. The plants had to be brought 25 mile?; bu t they were carefully taken up, in a wet afternoon ; were conveyed, during the night, and were all planted and shaded before noon next day. The rains continued heavy for three days after planting, when they suddenly ceased, and we had no more for three months. A t the end of twelve months, there were still one-fourth of th e 1,000 alive, bu t by far the greater pa rt of those were plants taken from a younger nursery to make up the tale. Some few of the larger stum ps th a t had been long given up, began to grow, after being thirteen months in the ground, and have since become tolerable plants.

“ For upwards oftwelve months, before the purchase of the land, you had been collecting plants from various sources, a t your house in Kollupitiya, where they were pu t into soil, composed of a greater or less depth of road wash over seasand, and they began to perish as soon as the roots reached the sand. Many had died before they could be taken, and many more had got their death before removal, how­ever favourable the season, or however skilful their subsequent treatm ent m ight have been. I was not aware of th a t fact, two-and-a-half years ago, bu t i t has painfully impressed itself on my mind since, and determined me never again to p lant in the field any but healthy Liberian coffee plants, and, if i t sub- siquently looks unpromising, to pull i t up, and re­place it with a better one, if I have it.

W hen I took charge in April, the land had been felled and burned ; the fire had been a very bad o n e ; and thi re remained a very heavy job of clear­ing up, before lining and holing could be proceeded with. If I could have got the people of the neighbourhood to go on with the wokk, on the same term s as they had done the filling, time would have been saved, and some of the planting have been done in the only safe time for p lant­ing, th a t the whole season afforded, but, as soon as I took over charge, the villagers made a demand of 20 per cent increase on the wages for which they had been working. H ad I given in to this, I would have laid up a fund of trouble th a t m ight have lasted for years. I therefore obtained a contractor from a distant village, who promised to bring his own people. As soon as I found th a t he d,d not bring his own people, bu t employed the very neigh­bours, who had struck for higher wages, on their own terms, I dismissed him, and gave the work lo another. The mistake of which I had to gather the fru it a t the very beginning, was not giving out a felling and clearing contract bu t commencing the work with Sinhalese labour by the day.

“ From the first I had been doing my best to secure Tamil coolies, but six weeks passed before 1 was able to establish the nucleus of a labour force on the estate. As- soon as my neighbours saw th a t I could do without them, they were ready enough to come to work on my terms, and the labour difficulty was finally over ; but, as things turned out, the season was lost. The monsoon rains began on the 17th May, before a hole was cut, and ended on the Oth of June. Again the weather became showery on the 15th and continued so till the 23rd. I t was during th is time, th a t I removed 4,000 of the larger plants from Kollu- pitiya. I did the best I could for them ; none of them were twenty-four hours out of the ground, and they were all carefully shaded w ith ju n ­gle leaves almost as soon as planted, bu t the rains stopped the next day, and we had not another dr«>p for upwards of a month. In over tw enty years’ experience of other parts of the W estern Province, I concluded th a t June was generally a safe planting month, but, a t least in th is district, the season of 1879 was abnormally dry, bu t I could not know th a t i t would be so, and balancing chances, I believed then th a t the best course was to ventureplanting out. The choice I had to make was betweenthe possibility of an unusually dry season here, of which there was then no special indication, and the certainty th a t if the plants were left in situ, for six months, a large proportion of them would die, and all be more or Lbs deteriorated. In reviewing the affairs a t this lapse of time, I see no refuge under the circumstances, bu t to do exactly as I did then.

“ I t remains to trea t of the small plants th a t re­mained a t Kollupitiya, after the more advanced onse had been removed. I did not see them from the middle t>f June till the beginning of September, during which tim e I found th a t th ir ty per cent ofthem had perished. Here was another difficulty: ifleft where they were, few or none would survive till the next planting season. On the other side I had prepared soil of the best quality ; I could regulate shade and water a t w ill ; I had baskets to p lant them in, tilled with highly-manured surface soil, and, though the weather was extremely dry, I thought that, by dipping the roots as soon as taken up, in diluted cow dung, and then wrapping them in wet gunnies, they could be saved, and I would have been perfectly succesr-tui, bu t for an enemy w ith whom I had no previous acquaintance. This land was the chosen home of the m«-Ie cricket, and September is the m onth in which its armies are most numerousand most active. I had b; en so confident in myresouices for siving those seedlings, that 1 brought away above three t;i<>usand of those that had already dropped all their leaves, bu t the very first night th a t they were in the ground the crickets cut live per cent, jind they continued to increase their depre­dations nightly, till w ithin a m onth not five per cent remained uncut, and, in very fact, before the middle of November, when they stopped, there were not 300 out of the four thousand, th a t m ight have been fairly expected to survive, th a t the cricket had not des­troyed. I b.lieved a t first, th a t they were only in the rooted and trenched nursery ground, and tried to exterm inate them by digging them out. I thus destroyed many thousands, but produced no effect, and 1 soon found th a t they were everywhere. My two years’ experience has not resulted in any planof absolute protection for plants under eight or nineinches in height, but, though many are cut in the germinating sheds, they are very much safer there than outside. Again the baskets are not a certain protection, bu t the percentage of destruction is much less than outside. The dm l months are March and April, September and October, but there is no time th a t more or less of them are no t in th e ground.

The conclusions 1 have arrived a t are, th a t germin­ated in t-heds and transplanted thence into baskets, we may calculate on a loss of 20% before the planting out : but, if they are kept in the baskets till well hardene ', and eight inches high, and planted out at the end of the cricket seasons, in May and November, very little loss will take place in the field. I may be asked, why, when seedlings are in such danger, on this place, I do not get strong, well-hardened plants, from elsewhere. My answer is that, except when very young, the Liberian coffee stands transplanting badly, and, if it encounters a serious check in the operation, i t never regains its original vigor, even when it survives the occasion, and our climate is so uncertain, th a t the finest planting weather may be suddenly succeeded by a period of dry sunshine, very try ing to any recently-transplanted member of the vegetable kingdom. For those causes I germinate the seed in sheds. I transfer the seedlings to baskets, and can avail myself of a few showers a t any time, w ithout fear of any serious check to the growth of the plant, and it is by th is treatm ent th a t I have plants with seven pairs of branches, and a fair sprink­ling of flower a t eighteen m onths from seeds.

“ Of the first year’s planting, the least disastrous was the produce of the seed you imported, and which only gave about 800 p lan ts. These I planted during the November rains, which came late th a t year, and stopped early ; so th a t they had to encounter a t ry ­ing drought, before they were fairly se ttle d ; besides, the crickets having lingered long th a t season, about 200 of the smallest were cut. W ith all those draw ­backs? about a th ird of th a t lo t survived, and are now inany of them fine trees, with a sprinkling of cropd^knd a large promise for next year.

“Araearly every one who had imported or bought imported seed had burned their fingers more or less severely, there was no more question of resorting to Liberia for seed, and locally- grown seed continued very scarce and very dear, and none was obtained till the following June, when 20,<300 werepurchased for R300 from ----------- . This seed could nothave been good, for little more than 30 per cent germinated in the sheds. I was at first inclined to ascribe some of this loss to neglect of watering during ten days of com­pelled absence on my part, but continued experiments with fresh seed proved that there had been no loss from this cause. Liberian coffee seed held its high price till the end of 1880, when so many trees came into bearing that the supply very nearly came up to the demand, and it has regularly fallen in price ever since till now. I can supply it from my own place at a nominal price, say, one rupee per thousand. From my last nursery I planted up all the land formerly opened, supplied the thousands -lestroyed by crickets, and a new clearing of three acres. I have yow about 8,000 ready for removal from the ger­minating sheds, and as soon as they are clear, I propose putting down 30,000 seeds to produce plants for November planting. Those I now- have will be ready for May, but they will not suffice for all the interplanting contemplated for the coining year, besides the demands of the old field, I propose planting what still remains in jung’e of the 40 acre block. The following is my estimate for the newclearing per acre:—

Felling contract ... ... R10Lining and holing ... ... 8Rooting batali ... ... 8Plants ... ... J)Planting and shading... ... 8

R431 The actual cost of the 3 | acre lot was R100 for cooly

labour, and I can get the holes made by contract, Rl*50less than they cost by my own people.

** Cocoa is the most refractory plant, while young, that I ever have attempted to cultivate. Much of my failure was no doubt due to my own ignorance of the require­ments of the p lan t; much to uufavouiable seasons ; but

| much more to white ants and other insects. I did every-j thing that my judgment could suggest for ils welfare,

biiv in upwards of 50 acres planted, three and some of it tour times, I have not 3,000 plants living, Some of th;m are now doing well, but many of the weaker plants in exposed situations will evidently fail still. I think I ki >w enough of the plant now, to secure greater success, if I ever have to deal with it again, but I will not willingly undertake it. One special tree one of a batch of 500 odd, planted in July 1879, of which very few remain, has reached a height of ten feet, and has branches of five: it has flowered in great abundance, for twelve months, but shows no symptom of fruiting, and all the larger trees seem to follow suit.

u I have planted over 1,000 teak trees along the boundary, and in lines across the front field : they have got on superbly, wherever the soil suited them. I have arranged to get a bag of seed from Kotudeniyawa to extend its cultivation.

“ For boundary fences, where the soil is good, and for shelter belts, I know nothing to compare with the Indian bambu. Its quick growth, of nearly 20 feet in a y ear; its density and intricacy, will let no wind, much less any m <re solid substance, through, and I see no serious difficulty in keeping it within assigned bounds. I find some difficulty hvwever in propagating it, otherwise than from seed. I have tried many plans without complete success in any, but I do not despair of overcoming it. In the bound­ary fences, I have tried layering, which so far seems to succeed, but I cannot apply that plan to fresh lines of shelter. I have tried putting doyn whole lengths, in trench ‘s, with all the branches attached, but cannot assert that it.will succeed.

“ I have no doubt that but for Hemileia Liberian coffee is the most profitable of our low-country products, but with the active presence of this pest we have an element that defies all our cumulations. On this land I havq no doubt that the crops would be from 6 to 10 cwt, per acre after the third year, which, with cheaper labou^tod lighter public burdens, would place us in advant^B bs comparison with our upcountry brethren, but with^The same enemy to contend with, and the same ignorance of how it is to be successfully attacked, I fear we cannot congratulate ourselves on our better position. The crypto- gamist has finished his' task, and left us exactly where he found us, as regards a practical remedy. We have no right to complain that science has done no more for us than it could, but it need not have accompanied its fail­ure, with advice equally impracticable and useless. Hemilcia cometh where it listeth, but we know not whence, nor need we enquire where it goeth, would it only go. As for the various plans of treatment proposed on more or less sound principles, I, for my own part, am sceptical of success, I would indeed try them, and do them full justice, though with the minimum of hope as it is better to be doing something than standing still in the con­fession of utter helplessness. On all hands it is admitted, that lime is an antifungoid, and I am now applying lime, by dusting it on the trees, whenever the leaves are suffici­ently moist to retain it So far, I do not see that it has had any direct effect on the Hemileia, but I believe it will be otherwise beneficial. If it do not benefit the tree already affected, by even partially checking the pest, it will probably render those now free, less -liable to an at­tack, ami at the last, and the worst, the soil will be so far improved as a hundredweight per acre can improve it. I think I see a gleam of hope, in the case of Liberian coffee, in the fact that different varieties arc differently affected. One variety it strips of every leaf in a few months; another gets more or less of the pinspots on every leaf, but drops none, and ripens any crop it may form ; a third gets spots, but the Hemileia never fructi­fies ; and a fourth absolutely refuses to admit it, though exposed to infection from neighbouring plants for twelve months. Should this on further observation, be confirmed, we will only have to propagate from the varieties that have the best powers of resistance. So far as my obser­vation enables me to judge, Hemileia, having once fonnd a home, on a Liberian coffee plant, never leaves it again, but goes on affecting each leaf as it is developed. I have stumped great numbers of young plants, from one to four feet: for the greater part, the stump did not even make an attempt, to rrrow a sucker, and when it did, the pest appeared again on t he first leaf opened. I may mention here, that I obtained

some of the seed recommended as the produce of the oldest trees in Ceylon. The plants grown from this are the only lot that got Hemileia in the nursery, that indeed showed it on the seed leaves, when they had no other. I could not at first admit that the yellowing of the seed leaves, indicated the presence of the disease, but .that point was subsequently placed beyond dispute. There is no time in the life of a coffee plant when it is in such vigpr as in its third year; it has enjoyed the fresh energy of the soil; its sprinkling of crop, makes no ex­hausting demands on its resources; and the consequence is that the maiden crop is the most perfect seeds it ever yields. I would, therefore, in the cause of obtaining the most perfect plants, use the selected seeds of selected trees, bearing their maiden crop. I have here such a variety of Liberian coffee plants; leading varieties and sub-varieties that I feel myself quite unequal to their classification. They differ in the height of the stem at which they branch; in the size, form, and colour of the leaf, in the angles that the branches make with the stem, in the closeness of the foliage, and above all in their susceptibility to disease. So far as I am able to judge, in the present state of my experience, there are two varieties that absolutely refuse accommodation to the intruder, and there is a third that gets the pinspots, a few here and there, but they do not seem to fructify, and it hardly seems to suffer. This latter is that which needs most room, in its third year. The branches reach a length of four feet, and stand out at right angles with the stem, being well furnished with secondaries, and the foliage very full and close, of a very light green. I t is a late and a light bearer, so far as I have yet seen, certainly not to be propagated as the Liberian coffee of the future. The first favourite is a handsome tree; foliage very dense dark green, and glossy, and an early and heavy bearer; the joints are very close; it produces from twenty to thirty-five flowers, a t each joint flowers out to last pair of leaves, and averages twenty fruit at each joint, and so far seems proof to Hemileia. The flbxt in order branches nearer the ground, in some cases within a foot, it has long narrow leaves, width one-third of length with great density of texture, and a tough leathery look. I t is a tolerable bearer but not equal to number one and it is not absolutely impervious to Hemileia, hut seems to have considerable power of resistence. One plant, that has been spotted for twelve months, has not dropped a leaf from this cause while several of its near neigbours are leafless. I am watching to ascertain the varieties that are most susceptible to the pest, but though I have marked down several to be avoided, in further propagation, my obser­vations are not complete, and I will reserve what I may have to say till better informed.

“ The money spent by me, since I took charge, two years and nine months ago, up to the end of 1881, is :—

1879.................. R3,946-641880... ... 3,602-411881.......................... 3,2.964

R10,778-69From this sum, deduct receipts for estate's produce 14742*98, leaves balance to debit of R10,025-71. As I was not furnished with account of money spent on felling, be­fore I took charge, I could not include it, and the pre­vious expenditure for plants was something considerable, but it has not come into my accounts. W ith those items added, and the large sums subsequently paid for coffee and cocoa seed, the portion now planted, say 70 acres, will be heavily handicapped, but the sooner the whole property can be planted up, the lighter it will be all round. Plants can now be reared for a comparative trifle, and I can now work at a much lower rate than in the earlier days of organizing and fighting against the extravagant demands of everyone with whom I had to deal. If I had to begin aijew, in this neighbourhood, I would have no hesitation in undertaking to bring 100 acres of Liberian coffee into bearing with everything but the permanent buildings com­plete for E l5,000, and such a property should then be worth R50,000 if we only calculate five cwt. per acre at 60s, and a local annual cost of 40s. When the contemplated filling-up is completed. I would value the 70 acres open now at R21,760, and the remaining jungle a t R3,240, mak­ing for the whole property R25,090, and my estimate would

have been less modest, but for the presence of ITemileia, for I have seen clearings bearing over three times the crop I have chosen to stand on.

“ The trees continue to grow as they have been doing for the last nine months, but Ceylon rfiust bov its diminished head before the fertility of Java, where they are represented to have made 4§ to 5 meter* in 1^ years. I have none of that age over four feet, and those, the longest legged varieties, and I have seen them six years old, on our best soil, but none that reached 5 meter* anywhere.

“ The Pimento has been a dead failure, and I have no great success to record of the Rubber. Only 10 or 12 per cent of the Cardamoms have failed.

“ The felling of the remaining portion of the 40-acre lot will be finished before the end of next week and the holing of the inter-planting is well advanced.”

The above carried the history of this sorely-tried bu t a t last fairly successful experiment up to the end of 1881. Since then, the progress of the place has been encouraging, and we have now no doubt of its ultim ate succdfc-, ■mnltjri lea'-disease, crickets,” lizards, and all theother “ E n e m ie s o f t h e C o f f e e T r e e .

PLAN TERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON.The following are extracts from the 2Sth annual

report for 18SI 2 of the Ceylon P lan ters’ Association read a t the annual meet’ng on 17th February 1882 :—

Go v e r n m e n t S a l e s o f C in c h o n a H a r k — Through the good offices of Mr. Wm. Martin Leake, this important matter to all interested in cinchona cultivation was brought under the notice of Parliament by Captain Price, member for Devonport, who asked the Secretary of State for India whether it was the fact that the Indian Government were exporting large quantities of cinchona bark for sale in London, and whether, in introducing the ^cinchona plant into India, the Government did so with the object of en­couraging private enterprise or of • competing with it in the market. In reply the Marquis of Hartiugton said that the object of the Government in introducing the cinchona plant into India was to proride an abundant supply of a cheap febrifuge for that country, that almost all the bark produced in the Bengal plantations is manufactured in India for use there, but difficulty had been found in treat­ing the produce of Madras plantations in the same way, and hence most of it had beenasent to England. I t is believ­ed that the sale of this bark hasestablished the reputation of Indian grown bark to the advantage of private growers, but an experiment is now being made on a large scale with the view to the manufacture of this bark in England, on Government account, and, ifthis proves successful, it is likely that Government, sales will be discontinued. Your C m- mitteo further placed itself in communication wilh the various Associations and representative bodies in India, with the object of obtaining suggestions and co-oporation in endeavouring to prevent a co tinuance of Government com­petition with private enterprize in the markets for Cii chona bark, and it is satisfactory to note th it the tNiIgiri PLnt- ers’ Association recently promptly acted rn your advice, and brought the subject, prominently under the notice of His Excellency the Governor of Madras, whose reph, ef no altogether satisfactory, was both sensible, and statsimanlike \

A Go v e r n m e n t C in c h o n a B a r k A n a ly st a t H a k g a l a . —At a recent general meeting, the following resolution was passed:—“ That, in view of the large area of land now planted with cinchona, and of the fact that the climate and soil in many parts of Ceylon arc well suited to its successful cultivation, Government be requested to appoint a bark Analyst at Hakgala with a view to carrying on, experimental cultivation.” In reply the Government for­warded a«i extract from a letter from Mr. Thiselton Dyer, which, though bearing upon the subject, could not lie viewed as an answer to your Representations, and it must be felt by all that a matter of such importance, namely the fos­tering of a rising and important industry, d< serves greater consideration. In the letter referred to Mr. Dyer states his opinion that, in the present stage of cinchona cultivation, the services of a chemist on the spot would be of much ad­vantage’ to the planters, and, though the establishment of

several local bark analysts has to a considerable extent met a want long felt by growers of cinchona yet, your Com­mittee feels that, without in any way interfering with pri­vate enterprize, there is need for Government to take steps to specially prosecute experimental cultivation with a view to the development of the move valuable varieties of ciu- chona. Your Committee recommends that Government be again addressed on the subject.

L e a f -d is e a s e .—There has been no general mitigation in the severity or prevalence of the disease during the pest year. The final report of Mr. Marshall AVard, before leav­ing the island, though interesting and valuable in many respects, unfortunately indicates no cure, and indeed holds out but little prospect of an effectual remedy being dis­covered. Mr. Schrottky with laudable perseverance, continues to devote a considerable expenditure of time and money to the prosecution of experiments iq the treatment of the disease, and it would be premature in your Committee to express an opinion on the results hitherto attained. By the unanimous resolution of a general meeting of the Association, the Government has again beenurged to offer a reward for the discovery of a cheap and effectual re­medy fur the disease, and it is confidently hoped that a handsome reward so offered may encourage fresh efforts, and induce many who are not personally interested in coffee cultivation to undertake experiments which must

i be attended with more or less expense. The duty of Go­vernment to assist and encourage private enterprize in this direction, by every means in its power, considering the vast importance of the subject to the general interests of the island, is so obvious, that your Committee .trusts no time will be lost by His Excellency the Governor in giving effect to the recommendation of the Association.

R av ages o f G r u b a n d t h e S ^ v ice s o f a N a t u r a l ­is t .—In April last* your Com m itt® invited the attention of Government to the very serious ravages of grub in several of the coffee districts, and requested that the ser­vices of a naturalist might be directed to remedial measures because the Association is of opinion that the aid of science is required to lead the enquiry to a successful issue. Your Committee regrets very much to report that so far the Government has taken no steps to meet your wishes, as, it has transpired, that the letter forwarding your repre­sentation has miscarried in transmission from one Govern­ment department to another. A copy of the letter referred to has now been furnished, and your Committee trusts that Government may see its way to early practical ac­tion in the matter.

A d m ix t u r e an d Ad u l t e r a t io n of C o f f e e .—Your late chairman, Mr. AVall, interested himself greatly in connecti­on with a memorial to the Secretary of State on the subject of the admixture and adulteration of oft'ee, but owing to a divergence of opinion with the Chamber of Commerce, the united action and co-operation in the matter, which is so desirable between the two bodies, could not be maintained, and has resulted, your Com­mittee regrets, in the abandonment of the memorial for the present.

“ T h e T r o p ic a l A g r ic u l t u r is t . ”—Your Committee was glad to note the commencement during the past year of this local periodical of information on tropical agriculture. I t recognizes its great usefulness as supplying an inpor- tant want and has no doubt that its development will prove of much value to planters.

C- f f e e L e a f D is e a s e .The following letter was then read by the S e c r e t a r y ,

which was consideied very satisfactory by the m eet­ing, and it was resolved th a t the Government bethanked for the same. The le tter was follows :__

Colonial Secretary’s Office, Colombo, 11th Feb. 1882.Sir,— with reference to your letter of the 14th ult.

I am directed to acquaint you, for the iuformat'on of the Planters’ Association, that, in accordance with the assurance given in the Legislative Council, the resolution of the Planters’ Association enclosed in your letters of 7th March 1881 and lU h January 1882 will be at once laid before the Secretary of State, and that with his approval a re­ward will be offered upon such terms as may be deemed liberal, while properly guarding the interest of the pub'ic against payment fur an illustry rem edy.-I am, sir, your obedient servant, Geo. T. 31. O ’Br ie n ,

for Colonial Secretary,

Correspondence having then been read from Mr. Eugene C. Schrottky, with regard to the treatm ent of leaf disease,

The C h a ir m a n enquired whether the members thought anything more could be done.

Mr. Gibbon s a id : I have one remark to make. I do not quite see w hat advantage we could gain from the form of experiments pioposed. I do not see how it is possible for any man to get any prize, unless there were some means placed a t his disposal by Government to carry out his experiments, Mr. Schrottky has spent much time and money and deserves the warmest thanks a t our hands. W e may differ from him, and some of us do differ from him, but there can be no doubt th a t Mr. Schrottky has spent twelve months of his time among us in ex­periments. We had a Government man with a fixed salary, who has given us the life-history of leaf dis­ease, but, with all deference to Mr. W ard, I must say th a t Mr. Schrottky has tried to give us the death-history of leaf disease. I t would be well to point out to Government th a t many cf the native gardens are being made u tte rly worthless by leaf disease, and th a t i t is not fair to expect planters to pay entirely for experiments from which the natives would largely benefit, if they are successful. It. would be well if the different Government Agents appointed gardens for carrying out experiments. Messis. W hit- ta ll & Co., have put up their estates under experi­m ent, and I do not see why Government should not be called upon to tuke their share in the business, and to do their bountkd a u ty in the .interests of the natives, by actually f i t t in g their hands into their pockets and contributing towards the carrying out of the experiments. The sweeping up of leaves, as recommended by Mr. W ard, fur instance, m ight be carried on in the native gardens selected by Govern­ment, which, for all they are worth at present, would be readily given by the natives for their pur­chase. I t would not cost government much, and the cost would be nothing compared to the increase of revenue if native coffee were again to come to the front.

Mr. W r i g h t enquired i f Government would not fix a certain amount for the reward.

The C h a ir m a n said that Government c o u ld not be got to fix a reward.

One of the members asked for more information with regard to Mr. Schrottky’s treatm ent, whereupon

The C h a i r m a n remarked th a t he saw the estate on which the experiment of carbolic powder was tru-d. The place looked to a certain extent free from dis­ease, bu t he thought the attack was only pu t oft" for a time, and th a t it would come on again with great virulence.

Mr. U ib b o n said th a t no harm could be done by th e application of carbolic powder. Experiments were tr ie d on Pallakeily, and he questioned whether the lime or carbolic powder was doing good. A t Talla- kelly they were try ing lime alone now.

LEAF-DIteEASE REM EDIES.The following are the letters of Mr. Schrottky regarding his

remedy for leat'-disease read at the recent meeting of the Planters’ Association:—

Colombo, 6th February 1882.A. Philip, Esq.,

Secretary, Ceylon Planters’ Association, Kandy.D e a r S i r ,—In continuation of my letter of 16th November,

and 31st May 1881, I have now the honor to forward you herewith, for the information of the Committee and mem­bers of the Association, my concluding notes on the results of my experiments in connection with coffee leaf disease. In addition, 1 desire to point out that these notes are based, not only on the reports accompanying but to a very great extent also on the evidence that has been collected by me

and made public from time to time as to the effect of the carbolized powder on the fungus at various times of the year.

I have carefully considered not only the absolute results of the treatment, but also al' the surrounding circumstances, which could possibly tend to lead me to a wrong conclusion. More particularly has this been done with regard to the results at Gangapitiya estate, and I trust that some weight

1 will be attached to my statement that there is no evidence ' existing that could qualify, to however small an extent, the

results there obtained viz., the successful stamping out of i disease in April and May, and the immunity from it as long

as carbolized powder lasted (for the subsequent 7 months), during all which time the disease was prevalent in every surroundiny estate; viz., Rajewelle, Gangawatte, Ambacotta, Mahaberiatenne and Mary Mount. The treatment was dis­continued at Gangapitiya at the end of December for want of carbolized powder, and leaf-disease has been making some progress since, but, considering the enormous mass of spores of the fungus that were supplied by the surrounding affected estates, this was reasonably to be expected, for we

i have every evidence now that to ensure absolute continued ; immunity from disease, the treatm ent must be continuous,

except, perhaps, ou completely isolate” estates.The experience gat In-red during the last 18 months

has been important, disclosing the period of the year when the fungus may be dealt with most successfully,and as I see my way clearly to modify the treatment,and, the form of application of the carbolic acid, so as to render its action more continuous and effective during rainy weather, an-i thus more Miccessiully to guard against reinfection, I feel fully ju 'tifhd in having closed the results at the end of December, especially as I havealready laid proof before the public that the growth of the fungus can be successfully arrested during January and subsequent months.

I havetu regret that the readiness with which the results obtained at Gangapitiya haye been attributed to am thing rather than the treatment has greatly operated against my endeavours to arrange, before my departure for India, for a continuation of these experiments on a sufficiently large scale to establish thoroughly at the end of another 12 months the usefulness of the remedy. I t has been argued that the immunity of Gangapitiya from leaf-disease during all the time the t»eatment was continued (9 months) was due to exc-ptional dryness of weather during the south- we^t-moiisoon. But aftercareful enquiry I find that there has been no difference in r infall between Gangapitiya and the bulk of the estates with which it is compared viz. Gangawatte, Ambacotta, lower Eajawelle and Rajawelle No. I and No. I I . Upper Rajawelle and Pailekelly had a little more ra n during the sonth-we>t. monsoon, but so far from this having caused a greater ckv» lopment of the disease in the latter than in the former estates, the manager of Tallekelly and mxself on a visit through these es ates in October last came to the conclusion, from what we saw, that there was, on the co tvary, less disease at Palhkelly than at Gangapitiya, Ambacotta and Rajawelle No. l a d No. II.

It has further been argued that belief in the efficacy of the treatment is co sideiably shaken by the absence of disease in December on Victoria and Henegahawelle estates. These two « states are exceptionally situated ; they are a t the very end of the Dumbara d istric t; are separated from Gamrapitija by a range of "wooded hills of nearly two miles i readth ; hey have been more liberally trea e'd (the greater part of tieneg;-hawelle was manured with bulk only lately); and their history as regards time and severity of disease attacks (as appears from estate reports for the past years) ditiers essentially from that of Uzingapiti}a and the bulk of estates in the Dumhraa valley.

Seeing now how readily successful results are questioned on insufficient grounds, the Association will understand why I can scarcely be expected to continue the further direction of these experiments, not having been able to obtain a sufficient acreage to operate upon during next season. If only one or two estates %re operated upon, the results, however successful, would always be open to be questioned on some ground or other, and I would have thus devoted another year of my time to this work without being able to claim that recompense and recognition of services to which a universally acknowledged success would entitle me.

To place results quite beyond cavil, the experiments should be carried on at say five different estates in differ­ent districts (Dumbara, Dikoya, Diinbula, Dolosbage, and Matale).

There is a feeling gaining ground that, as considerable sums have already been spent by individual proprietors, the planting community ought, now that such promise of ultimate success is held out, to bear softie^hare of the cost of systematically continuing these cxpenments.

More especially, as, for a great deal of past expenditure, we have gained nothing except experience of how best to deal with the disease. If the leading members of the planting community will make the endeavour to collect subscriptions from their brother-planters to the extent of R3 to 4,000, I think I will have no difficulty with some more personal exertion in arranging for the rest. The most discouraging feature is the great want of interest generally displayed.

I h a v e d e la y e d th i s c o m m u n ic a tio n so a s t o h e a r a n d a n s w e r w h a t co u ld b e a d v a n c e d b y p ra c t ic a l m e n a g a in s t th e g e n e ra l c o r re c tn e s s o f m y co n c lu sio n s .— I a m , d e a r s ir, y o u rs f a i th fu lly , E u g en e 0 . Sc h r o t t k y .

Colombo, 13th February 1882.A. Philip, Esq.,

Secretary, Ceylon Planters’ Association, Kandy*D e a r S i r ,—W ith reference to my last letter on the

subject of my experiments, and with more special refer­ence to my statements therein, that, during the last south­west monsoon, there was no difference of rainfall between Gangapitiya and immediately surrounding estates, it may, perhaps, not be unnecessary for me to hand you detailed figures in support thereof.Svmmary o f daily weather reports:—Gangapitiya Estate. Ambaatt / and Dangaioelle Estates

June 1881.9 days showery ... 9 days drizzle and showery.1 day r in 1 „ rain.

20 „ fine.......... 20 „ fine.Jm y.

5 days showery.,. 5 days drizzle.22 ,, fine 6 „ fine.

August.10 days showery ... 6 days light drizzle.21 „ fine 5 „ showery.

20 ,, fine.September.

6 days showery . . o days drizzle and showery.24 „ fine 25 „ fine.

October.13 days rain & wet 6 days showery,18 „ fine ............ 7 „ rain.

18 „ fine.I may further mention that besides what I have already

stated regarding the exceptional situation, difference of past history &c., of Henegahawelle and Victoria estates, a comparison of the daily weather reports of the former estate by Messrs. Wh ttall & Co. has shewn that, whereas Gangapitiya from the beginning of June to beginning of Octo­ber of last year reports rainfall on 30 nays, Henegah t-welle reports rainfall on only 15 days during the sameperiod.

The difficulty I, and those working with me, have en­countered, of keeping le f-disea.-e out of ci mparatively small areas, surrounded by affected coffee, and the imposs­ibility of such areas remaining free from it after ihe treatment is discontinued, will, in the present light of our knowledge, I trust, be fully understood.

Mr. Ward has^ shewn to what great extent the atmo­sphere is laden with the spores of this fungus in all p rts of tne country, e-pec ally during the periods of severeattacks. This extent is far greater than I had any reas« ns to believe at the outset of n\y experiments, and this is what necessitates such modification of the treatmei t with carbolic acid as will render its action more permanent.— T am, dear sir, yours faithfully,

E ugene C. Sc h r o tt k y .

GREAT SALE OF IN D IA N TEAS IN MELBOURNE.

W e have received a catalogue of 4.639 chests of tea to be sold on 9 th Feb. Appended is the follow­ing re p o rt:—

Industrial and Technological Museum, Laboratory, 25th January, 1882. Report on Samples of Indian teas received from Messrs. James Henty & Co. The following results week obtained upon analysis:—

Per Centage Per Centage Per Centage Name. of of of

Mineral Ash. Extract. Soluble Salts. Assam Pekoes ... 552 46*20 3*42Assam Pekoes

Souchong ... 5*40 44*60 3*00Cachar Pekoes ... 5*40 47'52 3*30Cachar Pekoes

Souchong ... 5*20 44*28 3*00Darjeeling Teas ... 5*34 42*68 3*12Dehra Doon Teas ... 5*80 41*60 2*78Indian Pekoes ... 5*36 42*02 2*96Indian Pekoe

Souchong ... 5*26 43*18 3*06We have carefully examined the above teas, the leads of which were cut under our supervision, the samples also being taken by us from the bulk. We guarantee these teas to be pure and free from any adulteration.

J . C osmo N e w b e r y .F r e d e r ic D u n n . '

Particular attention is called to the high analysis of the Cachar Pekoes.The Cachar pekoes, to attention is a ttracted ,gave over 47£ per cent of extract, but th is is still considerably below the result obtained by Mr. Dunn from a specimen of Lool Condera te a : it actually yielded 52 per cent, a proportion entirely unpreced­ented. I t will be observed th a t the Assam pekoes, although a little lower in to ta l extract, exceeded the Cachar pekoes in soluble salts—giving so high a percentage as 3*42. The Dehra Doon teas, grown at2,000 feet elevation in 31° north, while they gave ra ther too high a proportion of mineral ash, gave the lowest results in the valuable properties of extract and soluble salts.

CEYLON PRODUCE IN LONDON.Q u in in e B a r k . Y e a r l y I m p o r t s .

1880. 1879. 1878. 1877.Calisaya ... 6,580 9,190 7,835 6,800 serons & casesSoft Columbian ̂ 16,370 15,350 10,610 do bales

New Granadian [44500 14,290 10,045 5,025 do do& Hard Pitayo.. JCarthagena ... 6,480 5,360 5,770 2,625 do doEast Indian &

Ceylon 20,690 13,460 6,250 6,260 cases & ballotssome small

Total packages 78,250 58,670 45,250 31,320 packages Deliveries.

1880. 1879. 1878. 1877.Calisaya... 4,005 8,585 7,865 6,306

Stock at the end of the year. Do ... 4,200 1,625 1,025 1,060

Deliveries.Soft Columbian... New Granadian &

Hard Pitayo...Carthagena..........East Indian and

Ceylon...

60,285 44,965 35,910 20,860

Stocks at the end of the year. 23,970 12,580 8,065 6,560

1881. 1880. 1879. 1878.Imports all kinds 1 st

Jan. to 31st Dec. 122,278 75,800 64,042 33,795 pkgs.

Deliveries 1st Jan.to 31st Dec 99,389 68,713 53,969 49,141 do

Stock 31st Dec. 48,876 26,045 19,022 0,256 doM o n t h l y I m p o r t s o f C e y l o n a n d E a s t I n d ia n .

1881. 1880. 1879.January ...about 800 1,911 647February ... „ 1,823 1,443 970March ......... 1,586 1,306 1,040April ... „ 1,095 1,336 813May ... 2,545 1,177 475June ... „ 1,714 816 589July ... „ 2,794 6,552 1,138August ... „ 592 1,655 1,273September ... „ 1,018 1150 1,293October ... „ 313 563 1,329November ... „ 595 1,147 1,750December ... „ 1,206 1,136 2,097

Total Packages ... 16,081 20,192 13,414Your obedient servants,

LEWIS & PEAT,BROKERS.

6, Mincing Lane, London,27th January 1882.

T H E COFFEE GRUB AND M ASKELIYA COCKCHAFER.

SPECIM ENS W AN TED FO R T H E B R IT IS H M L'SEHM .

W e give prominence to the following le tte r (with its enclosures) from Mr. HaUane, the w a te r of the Essay on “ Coffee Grub’ pnb^^fed a t th is office: —

Care of Messrs. A u^m o n , Anderson"& Co.,5, Fecchurch Avenue, L mdon, E.G.,

5th Jan u ary 1882 Messrs. A. M. & J. Ferguson, Colombo.

D e a r S i r s , — I have to thank you for tne copies of my pamphlet on “ G rub.'’ On receipt of tin m I d istrib­uted them among people likely to give the subject some attention. One copy I gave to the Field editor, and I call your attention to the notice taken from the issue of December 31st.

I made enquiries as to the leading Entomological Societies, and will furnish them with copies:

I was introduced to Mr. W aterhouse, Entomological Curator, British Museum, and gave him some' d ry specimens of the different cockcnafers. I regret I could not find a bottle w ith specimens preserved in spirits, which would have enabled a more careful examination to have been made by dissection.

I enclose a copy of Mr. W aterhouse’s letter on the subject, from which you will notice th a t the beetle I called th e “ Maskeliya cockchafer” is, in all prob­ability, a new variety not previously described. Mr. W aterhouse, in subsequent conversation, pointed out the importance of furnishing the Mu eum with speci­mens in spirits. These, 1 have uo uoubt, you will pro­cure for him.

The “ Bronze Beetle” requires further identification, though it evidently belongs to the Buprestidre.

The same remarks (about identification) apply to the “ small cockchafer ”

Mr. W at rhouse will be obliged by having speci­mens or the Veylun beetles, especially the cock­chafers (about which there is still mucii to learu) and Ceylon moths, sent to the Miaamn. Beetles should be in spirits and addresse-’

The Prin ipal Librarian,British Museum, London.

For the Zoological Department.I was introduced to Dr. G iinther, the head of the

Department. He sliewcu great iutt rest m the rubj ct, and hoped th a t specie eus of Cuy lou insects would be sent, as the Museum is not very rich m them. Perhaps you will agree to receive specimens from, correspondents in the hills, and lowcountry, and

have them sent to the Museum. In th is way much will be learned about your insect pests.

The aikaline dressings, alluded to in the Field articles are, I fancy, repeated applications of lime—a course I have long advised planters to follow. The advice given th a t planters m ust study the subject ab oi10 le .u n d o u b ted ly sound. No advice will beof the slig*es"t use u n til planters can furnish entomo­logists w ith the life-hirtury of the insects.

In most copies of th e pam phlet I wrote a note requ' sting any one who could give information on the question to communicate with your paper.—I am, dear sirs, yours tru ly , R. C. HALDANE.

(Copy.) B ritish Museum,3rd January 1882.

D e a r S i r , —I have named the Ceylonese beetles so : far as I am at present able.I Fig. 1 is a species not in the Museum, and a t

present I do not know to w hat genus to refer i t? 1 iliink i t m ust be placed in I.eucnpbolis for the present.

Fig. 4. Fam ily R utelidas; Mimela X anthorrhina of Hope.

Fig. 5. No specimen ; I know nothing like it.Fig. 6. Melolonthidre, Lachnosterna, very near L.

co-tatqs, W alker.Fig. 13 Lachnosterna pinguis, W alker. (Does not

quite agree with type, bu t I th ink i t is th e same sp cbs.)

Fig. 15 Cetoniidaj Clinteria chlnronota, Blanchard.Fig. 23-24. Leucopholis pinguis, of Burmeister.The brown one (23) was de-crihed by W a ker under

the name Melolnntha rubiginosa; but Burm eister’s name m ust stand, supposing 23 and 24 to he the same species, as I believe. So far as I have seen, 23 are all males and 24 all females.

Fin- 28. (Rutelidae) Anomala elata of Fabricius.There are a great many more Melolouthidse found in

Ceylon, bu t for practical purposes I expect you have mentioned all th a t are necessary.—Believe me, yours very tru ly , (Signed) Ciias. 0 . W a t e r iio it s e .

COCKCHAFERS VERSUS COFFEE.(Field, 31st December 1881.)

“ All about Grub : including a Paper on the Grub Pest in C-ylon. B ing th e result of observations on the Cockchafers and their Larvae, in connection with Coffee P lanting.” By R. C. Haldane. Colombo: A. M. & J . Ferguson, 1881, Svo., plates.

The author of the little pamphlet with the above, a t first sight, somewhat whimsical title (for which he is probably not answerable), deserves every credit for his attem pt to investigate a somewhat difficult subject, a correct knowledge of which is of the highest importance to coffee planters. Evidently an entomologist, but writing as a practical man for others like himself, he ha* p u t together Dotes derived from actual experience, referring to the habits and earlier stages of the Lamellioorn beetles belonging to the families Melolonthidae and Cehmiidae, of which the larval commit vast ravages in Ceyloue e coffee plant- a t ons. He is quite aware of the imperfect nature of his observations, and adds a MS. note begging for additional information on the life-history .>t the insects to which he refers, to be sent to Messrs. Ferguson for publication in the well-known < eylon Observer. We fear th a t i t is out of the power of

I any on* bu t a resident to aid in th is good work—at I all events, until more precise particulars are obta ned.I There is ro a ttem pt a t scientific identification of th e

bee les referred to, and the rough figures given scarcely adm it of the formation of a round opinion as to their specific status, considering the numerous South Indian ' representatives of Ancylouycha and its allies. They are, however, probably quite accurate enough for re-

cognition as foes by the unfortunate p la n te r ; andthe best counsel we can give is to urge on thesufferers the necessity for an accurate biological study, continuing Mr. Haldane’s praiseworthy beginning. The very excellent work in the Reports of Riley and other American economic entomologists may be taken as a standard.

So far as they go, Mr. Haldane’s observations are eminently intelligible and appeal to th e common sense of his readers. The system of planting has developed an abundance of food more suitable for tho larvae of the beetles than their natural pabulum, and the excessive rainfall of the last four years has me­chanically aided their increase by loosening the soil,facilitating its penetration both by the grub and perfect insects. Rich soil, especially where there is decaying timber, seems to be most affected.

Mr. Haldane has instinctively tried all the methods which have sufficed for keeping down th e injuries occasionally inflicted by our European cockchafer ; bu t the luxuriance of tropical life is far too great for such superficial safeguards as hand-picking, col­lecting on sheets, &c. We may note th a t French agriculturists have found alkaline dressings the most certain, speedy, and economical mode of destroying the larva-. I t is during the earlier stages, when these are accurately known, th a t the real work m ust be do n e : and it surely is not too much to expect th a t at least the most destructive kinds should be readily and thoroughly investigated, ab ovo. A t present there seems some discrepancy of opinion as to the larvae of some of them, though, from th e figures giveu, we should think the “ grey grub” m ost prob­ably th a t of one of the Cetoniidae. I t is stated (p. 19) th a t larvae of th is kind, which presented no distinguishing characteristics, “ turned into two distinct varieties of beetles, a proof of how impossible i t is to distinguish variety in the im m ature insect.” The author’s note shows th a t he recognizes th e inaccuracy of these rem ark s; there would, of course, be little difficulty to an entomologist in discrim inating between the larvae of a Cetonia and of a Melolontha (amongst o ther things the head is not as broad as the body in the former, though it is in th e latter), and there must have been some confusion in the experiment. In detecting the sexes also, the antennas will generally be found of use, as the foliated club is (sometimes con­spicuously and usually appreciably) larger in the male.

One of the Buprestidie is represented, with the rem ark th a t i t probably does no harm. B ut the larvae of species of this family are all internal veget­able feeders, and are occasionally very destructive to p lant life; so Mr. Haldane’s first idea in figuring it among the enemies was most likely correct.

The natural enemies of the “ grub” are referred to, and an instance of attack by a carnivorous beetle is recorded at p. 13. This, in all probability o.ne of the grear. family Carubidae, is imagined (p. 31) to be a dung-beetle by another observer, whose notes are re­produced. Among them is an expression of belief th a t the plague has taken so firm a hold on a large pa rt of the coffee districts, th a t individual efforts can have no effect in reducing it, and th a t the aid of Government m ust be invoked. The home au thor­ity is here intended, as “ it appears to be useless to expect much activity or assistance from the local Government.”

GEM -DIGGING IN BAMBARABOTUWA, CEYLON.(From an Old Colonist )

About the beginning of last year gem-digging was commenced on a large scale in Bambarabotuwa. The first spot th a t seems to have a ttrac ted a ttention was Kekunagahadola, ou th e lower end of the Petigal- kanda range, as i t joins the Bambarabotuwa hills, about

188

12 miles west of Balangoda. There is a hard ly practicable foot-path to the spot from Pelm adulla. E arly in 1881 several large “ catseyes" were found h-re, and during the middle of the year there were, i t is said, over a thousand men hard at work in the gem -pits about Kekunagahadola and Lilwalahena, about half a mile to the south. About this tim e a large number of diggers established themselves on the private pro­perty in the forests of H apugastenna and Kundra- galla, where they found rubies and sapphires. The pits they sank are about 12 feet deep and 15 square. To the depth of about 4 feet the usual reddish yellow soil is found, discolored towards the surface by vegetable m atter; below this there is a stratum of from a foot to eighteen inches thick, of gravel, sand and well-rolled pebbles, in all respects similar to the bed of a stream .

I t is in this stratum th a t the gems are found. In some of the pits, tunnels have been formed for m any yards, which m ust be very dangerous, as no a ttem pts are made to shore up th e earth. Some m onths ago the Assistant Governm ent Agent of Ratna- pura brought a certain num ber of diggers bef -rc the D istrict Court, and it is said th a t the D istrict Judge fined them RIO each. They appealed to the Supreme Court, and the judgm ent of the D is­tr ic t Court was quashed, th e fines being refunded to the diggers, who imm ediately renewed their operations on the Crown lands in the forests about Kekunagaha­dola, where there are a t present several hundreds a t work.

The Massana estate is a t the upper end of th e forest to the east of Kekunagahadola and Lilwalahena, aud a small piece of land on the property has been rented to the diggers a t th e ra te of R50 a month. Here also catseyes would appear to be the principal gems found. W hen poor Criiwell was in charge of th is estate, the late Dr. Rudolf Gygax went with him and some other friends in search of precious stones, and though they found nothing of much value poor Gygax considered th a t a properly organized search on scientific principles would be likely to prove highly rem unerative, bu t wo were all so sure of making fortunes then v ith coffee, th a t no one liked the idea of allowing any­th ing to take his attention off the one absorbing p u r­suit. Amongst the rumours in Boltumbe and Ba-n- barabotuwa, i t is said, th a t a Moorman with two Kandians from Balangoda w ent into the Wellaw; ya forest, up the bed of the W elawe streo i, and in two days returned with a dltseye, for whi h they were offered R1,000 in Balangoda. The roads' opened over th ir ty years ago in Bam bara­botuwa and Boltumbe, are in m any places almost obliterated. They were traced by Government, an I sections were made of them, and they were forme I into very7 superior bridle-paths by the planters. Such portions of them as are used by the villagers are still almost fit for cart traffic ; in some places they have been blocked up forcheua cultivation, and the approaches to th e chenas cut through, so th a t the trace is difficult to find. The Road Committees seem to ignore the line altogether, although few parts of the island are in such great need of being opened up by roads.

If there were any well-defined law on the subject of gem-digging, i t is more than probable th a t capital would be forthcoming for the due prosecution of the search' for precious stones, and th a t an im portant business would spring up, and bring w ealth and civil- iz ition in to what is now the w ildest and most savage part of Ceylon. B ut in the present uncertain ty as to the claims of the Government, and the apparent absence of all law on the subject, no one who has anything to lose can engage in such a speculation. The consequence is that the persons now occupied in gem-digging are more like banditti than laborers, and lead a very lawless and reckless sort of existence.

There certainly can be no reason for leaving the pr*cious stones hidden in the bowels of th e earth, where they have been for countless ages, bu t the present sta te of all m atters connected therew ith cannot be considered creditable to a community und.-r E uro­pean control.

I t is not in this way th a t the Europeans a t the head of affairs in Borneo manage th e gold washing, a t Sambos, Pontianak and Banjirmassing ; and unless the Bambarabotuwa gem-diggers are looked after, we may look out for something startling one of thsee fine mornings.

[In a private note to a friend, the w riter adds:—‘ ‘W e had to clear our way along our old bridle-path from Boltumbe and in doing this came on several snakes. I send you one whole, which the natives, as usual, say is deadly 1 ; i t certainly{looks a dangerous beast to me, and the head of a big reptile th a t could not be got into tbe bottle 2 . The snake the head belonged to was basking in the sunshine on a rock in the m iddle of the path. I have made drawings of the gem-diggers, huts, and of th e hills where hundreds of gem-diggers are now in active operation. Could you p u t me in the way of sending them to one of the illustrated papers ? I think they are the kind of things th a t such papers would reproduce. I send w ith this a short account of what I saw and heard during my trip . We did not find any people a t work on our land, bu t we pu t up in a very good hu t they had built, and saw plenty more huts and no end of gem-pits.” W e shall be glad to forward the sketches and the above description to the editor of the Graphic, who, we doubt not, will be very ready to make use of them .—Ed.

SH EEP-FA R M IN G IN QUEENSLAND.A correspondent sends us a description of a visit

to a sheep-farm in Queensland by a friend who is making a tour of th e world. W e ex tract the follow­ing :

Queensland, in the island continent of Australia, though only last year it attained its majority as a distinct and separate colonies, is not the least among the Australian colonies, ranking rather as the third in size, with an area equal to twenty-three per cent of the whole area of that island, antipodeal to Britain, and which, though tight, can hardly be learned little. * * *

Plenty of elbow-room there is within its boundaries, for, on an area of 669,520 square miles, there are only in this, the census year of 1881, 218,000 persons; or, on the average, each person, whether man, woman, or child, may look over a space of 2,0C0 acres, as, in a sense, being personal property.

That the personal interest, in districts known to, or occupied by, the squatter, is a large one, the principal export, wool, by which the colony is perhaps more part­icularly known, declares. Other growths, other products, are now rapidly making their way in its export lists, but “ revenosns a nos moutons” !

1 This is one of the p it vipers, the kunakatuwa and polon-telissa of the Sinhalese, the H yp n a h nepct, an oily-looking, Hat-headed, marbled snake, very com­mon from the coast up to 6,000 feet elevation. I t has been erroneously figured in Davy’s H isto iy of Ceylon as th e “ karaw ala,” which is the Bungarus Ceylonensis.

2 The head indicates its close affinity to A s - pidura Copii, so rare in 1864, when Giinther’s work on the Reptiles of B ritish Ind ia was published, th a t only one specimen was known, and th is was conjectured to be from Ceylon. I t has since been found in Dikoya, and one specimen exists in the Colombo Museum. The head sent proves th a t it is an aberrant form or new species of Aspidura. Could our friend try and secure an entire specimen of this snake ?—W . F.

In the Queenslander, a weekly newspaper published in Brisbane, which, I believe, goes generally through the town or country parts of the colony, several firms of stock and station agents have, weekly, announcements of stock and stations for sale which may may afford an idea of the belongings of squatters, which name still is used in reference to the representatives of the pastoral interest. One firm may advertize fifty stations, in one issue of the paper, for sale, varying in size from 50 to 2,000 square miles, and perhaps, as in one case was counted, averaging 550 square miles.

A few are reported as unstocked—several are stocked with cattle and sheep—a number with sheep counted by tens and scores of thousands, and the majority with cattle, also numbering thousands in teens and even scores. One station, offered for sale in the month of November, was stated to consist of about 190 square miles and to be held a t an annual rental of a sum equivalent to Is 4d per acre!

Of the fifteen districts into which Queensland, polit­ically, is divided, that of the Darling Downs, discovered by Allan Cunningham, the ‘botanical explorer, and called by him after Governor Darling, is perhaps well-known in the temple of pastoral fame. To its devotees, a t least, it bears a charmed name,

Roughly, from its extremities, which have almost the form of a square, it extends over 3 ° of latitude and longit­ude, and more exactly covers an area of 25,300 square miles. Four and one half of such districts would equal the United Kingdom in area nearly. Accordingly to the Queensland Gazetteer which is, and should be, an authoritative publication, Darling Downs “ is the richest pastoral district in the colony, and also comprises a vast extent of fine agricultural land.” Sheep grow to a good size, and their wool is of good quality. Away west, on the plains watered by the rivers Barcoo, Thomson and Upper Flinders, sheep thrive well, but they are not so easily reached by a tourist as those of the Darling Downs which lie immediately to the west of Moreton district, in which Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is situated. A Government railway, starting from Brisbane, now runs west through the northern part of the Darling Downs district with a present terminus at Roma, in Maranoa, the district to the west of Darling Downs. The railway has, by degrees, been constructed within the last decade of years. Having the opportunity to visit a station, where the squatter’s harvest, or shearing was in full swing, not far away from the line of railway, as it passes through Darling Downs, first thought and second thought we equally ready to jump at the offer, as a chance of seeing a representative Queensland station while the bustle of its busiest season could be mixed with.

“ But surely,” thought the tourist, after alighting from the railway train, mounting a buggy by the side of the manager of the station, being driven a distance of a couple of miles or so, and being told that a large shed fifty yards off to the right was the wool shed where shearing was going on—“there must be some mistake. There is no appearance of bustle there. "Where are the sheep, shorn or unshorn. There is not even a * baa’ to be heard. They don’t do this thing so in the old country. Is it a ‘ new chum’ h e ’s thinking of playing upon ?” But a “ new chum”’s five months experience in Australia directs him to wait for the denouement patiently after returning from the house where at first he was set down. The house is a comfortable one-storied building, with, at the time, a beautiful scarlet-coloured, fuchsia-like flower­ing creeper meandering over the sides and along the verandah, which opens out on a pleasantly tree-shaded garden kept in good order by an industrious pigtailed oriental. A creek, with permanent water with ample swimming space for open-air bathers, is close at hand. For domestic and bathing purposes in the house, and for watering the plants in the garden, water, by horse-power, is pumped from the creek to reservoir tanks from which it can, by gravitation, flow down to its destination.

There is a slight inaccuracy in the foregoing sentence, because the bath-house is a little building in the garden a few steps off from the main building. If one can’t be accurate, one eh uld be as accurate as one can.

The kitchen &c., with servants’ quarters, is also a little way off, but connected with i t by a covered and creeper-

grown passage. Near the house there are several houses for various station hands, stables for saddle and working horses; a store with all sorts of miscellaneous articles necessary for food, drink, clothing, medicine and general outdoor 1*. quirements and operations, in charge of a storekeeper; workshops for carpenter and sm ith; a small wooden church where service is held once a month by a Presbyterian clergyman from a town fully a score of miles off to the westward ; a hut with underground cellar where beef or mutton is kept when fresh and salted for ration requirements ; and a butcher’s yard where the animals are run in, slaughtered, and dressed. Stables have just been mentioned. In Queensland, particularly, not so much in the southern Australian colonies, it may be noticed that horses are treated as if they really were understood to be “ sociable” animals, * * *

From a hill near the house there lies before the on­looker a flat and widely stretching oiain, in this year* of drought too dry and parched along its snrface to gladden eyes devoted to a pastoral occupation. Here and there rise ridges with closely-growing belts and trees, and stones—not found on the plain—cropping thickly to the surface. At one or twro points on the horizon hills, more or less elevated, mark the boundary of the prospect there more thoroughly defined than at other point- where the plain itself, unbrokenly, is lost to sight in hazy dimness as the sun from an unclouded sky beats hotly down. Solid human flesh exposed in open air is then anything but 16 aisy”!

During shearing time on a station visitors must be very much de trop. How much therefore had such an one to be thankful for when not only the shearing operations could be seen but when also those fellows in charge of the out-door arrangements went out of their way, in their busiest time, to Fhow a “ new chum ’ as much as possible of their departm ent! Riding round part of the station, as opportunities were made or arose, gave the stranger an idea of its size. It. occupies the greater part of 200,000 acres ; more exactly i t is about 273 square miles in extent and if in one square block would have sides 16 miles in, length. It is ot a somewhat irregular shape, as it hap­pens, however. I t is fenced and divided into paddocks, some of which are thousands of acres broad. As was mentioned previously, this year and the former one also, have been very dry, and the downs do not appear to ad­vantage. Where at present the grass is only inches high, it would bo numbered by feet in an ordinary season, as authorities tell, and as the rich-looking soil would also declare. The country is all volcanic, thereabout, and the soil sometimes black, sometimes red, has been formed, according to geologic lore, of the now decomposed lava, which had spread all over the plain in its molten state. No stones are to be seen there on the plain, the soil is pure and unmixed. How for the best soil goes down is generally a matter of conjecture. Its depth is in many places counted in hundreds of feet. I have seen the statement made in print, in reference to some coloured photographs of such country on view m the Brisbane Musuem, ih a t“ the ne plus ultra of a ‘run,’ climate apart, is volcanic soil for the open country, with salt-bush ridges running through it ” The salt-bush ridges are liked on account of the saline plants which find nourishment there from the salt known to be present in soil decomposed from carboniferous rocks. So goes the theoretical explanation, and, where nature fails in suppl) ing the amount of saline plants necessary to the health of thousands of sheep—which, perhaps, she had not calculated on—art steps in and supplies the salt in the form by which it is known in commerce. It is carted out and spread on the plains, and the sheep take it greedily.

Queensland, on the whole, is, naturally, unsatisfactorily sup­plied with water. Here again art steps in. Dams are con­structed or windmill and other power is taken advantage of to get a required supply.

Large dams are made on the plain to store up the rain­water when it comes. At one place on the station a dam had been made at the corners of four large paddocks where they united, in order to water all four. Even in the extremity of the dry season, there was a good supply stored.up, though only a propurtion of what could be stored. That the sheep appreciated the place was easily evident by the bare ground all round its borders and by the number, standing, drink­ing in the water, or ieposing about, having drunk. My “ guide, philosopher and friend” estimated the gathering

as something anproaching to 10,000 head. Windmills, on American principles, are often used. At one place the water is to be stored in a 10,000 gallon tank, from which, re­gulated by ball-cecks, it can flow along wooden troughs, lined with corrugated iron, laid out on the plain in two op­posite directions for the sheep to drink from at will. A new tank was bei .g erected at that particular place. A small dam had been excavated first, but it was found that the water evaporated very quickly. Our peregrination that day landed us at that place where the workmen engaged had knocked off f >r their midday meal, of which we also partook. A sheet was rigged up under the windmill, « ml all hands gathered round. (It is very hot on the plain at noon.) Boiled salt beef was handed round in a tin di<h, and each “ hand” suited himself by means of his pocket knife. “ Damper,” flour baked in the ashes of a fire, when well- made is very good bread, and is also cut up by each diner. Tea, boiled over a wood tire in a “ billy,” or flagon, was served to each person in small “ pints,” or tin mugs.

Hungry men can fall to with a relish to such food. The tea has a peculiar “ bush ” flavour, which, however, is not by any means objectionable. (Generally tin plates, knives and forks are used, but as the men working a t the tank were only there pro tem. such impedim nta were dispensed with. They slept under canvas witli low stretchers on which to lay their “ swag,” or blanket,) The wrater from under­ground is generally brackish. The wells may be 100 to 200 feet deep, partly attained to by excavation, wooden planks being fixed at the side and partly by boring ma­chinery. As showing the result of the drought on the plain, skeletons of sheep w»re numerously lying about. In one paddock, there were more than an average number notice­able: there, several hundreds had been burned to death dur­ing a fire. In such a case sheep stand helplessly, and make no effort to save themselves.Then follows a detailed description of sheep-shearing, accompanied by a plan of the shearing-house.

A DESTROYER OF W H IT E ANTS.W e have had. in the course of our career, many

inquiries as to how to get rid of white ants, bu t we have always looked upon these pests as one of the ills which flesh is beir to in th is country. But, a t the last m eeting of the A gri-H orticultural Society, we see th a t a supposed antidote to white ants has been invented, for Dr. R. F . Thompson subm itted a speci­men of his antidote with the following le tte r :— “ I read a le tte r from Messrs. Octavius Steel & Co., in the proceedings of th e Society some m onths back (November 1S80) with advertence to white ants causing some of the managers of their tea estates much an­noyance and uneasiness. I have given the m atter much attention, and now beg to subm it a sample of a specific prepared entirely from vegetable m atter, which, I tru st, will meet w ith success. The lower portion of the p lan t should be painted with i t or smeared periodically ; i t will gradually dissolve and run down, destroy or remove these pests, and tend to nourish the plants or trees. 1 should like it tried on trees in the immediate vicinity of white ants. The Secretary m entioned th a t he had transferred a portion of this m aterial to Messrs. Oc’avius Steel & Co., who had forwarded it to one of their gardens, where the pest is very rife, and had promised to com­municate the resu lt.” We shall look forward w ith some anxiety to see whether i t is succe; sful or not, —Asian.

COMMERCE B E TW E EN A U S T R A IIA AND T H E EASTERN W ORLD

is thus noticed in the Sidney Morning H erald of January 18th:—

Although there has now been for m any years a regular steam service between India and Australia, the direct trade between the two countries has not been much developed. At one time India took considerable quantities of our gold for the purpose of coinage,

b u t th a t trade has now ceased. The recent develop­m ent of the tea industry in India gives, however, some indication of the beginnings of a new trade. At both the In ternational Exhibi;ions in A ustralia, India was represented, though far bette r in Melbourne than in Sydney ; and the Indian tea was brought more directly under the notice both of the trade and of consumers. But the steam communication is not quite direct enough to give to this trade all its re­quisite facilities. Calcutta, ra ther than Bombay, is the place of export for such commodities as are most likely to find a m arket in Australia. Y et the la tte r port is the main rendezvous of the steam fleet, and is the more convenient for th a t purpose. Produce coming down from Calcutta and intended for Australia has to be transhipped a t G-alle, which is little better than an open ro ad stead ; and during the monsoon months, the steam company naturally objects to become responsible for valuable cargo. There is not trade enough a t present for a direct line of steamers from Calcutta. We seldom send sailing ships from A ustralian ports there except with horses and coal, and though such vessels m ight bring back direct re tu rn cargoes, there is an increasing disinclination now to pu t valuable cargoes in sailing vessels. Time means money, and moreover there is risk of such commodities as tea getting spoilt on a long passage. W hat is wanted therefui e is some form of direct steam communication between C alcutta and the principal Australian ports. We have it w ith China, we have it occasionally with Bombay, bu t Calcutta has been out of the iunning. Perhaps th e best chance of establishing such com­mon cation lies in our export of coal. Now th a t compound engines have so reduced the consumption of coal, especially a t low speed, steam-colliers are coming into use not only for carrying coal short distances, but even for long voyages ; and it may soon become remunerative to send coal in this way to C alcutta and bring bark produce. We do send coal to China in steamers and bring back produce. W e may thus gradually lind a m aiket in Ind ia for other com­modities besides coal. Our tinned meat, tinned fru its and jams are quite suitable for the Anglo- Indian m arket. Grapes and apples have already been sent to Calcutta and Ceylon, and landed in good order. Kail way tim ber is in demand in India, and satisfactory experiments have been made w ith copper ore and tin . There is also some demand for coarse wools. W h it we could get from Calcutta in return would be such articles as tea, ju te goods, fancy goods spices, oils, oilcakes, grain, and some delicate fabrics. A trade of this kind takes its time to grow, bu t will grow where the interchange is natural, and where facilities are provided. Some of the richest and most productive pa rt of India lias its natural outlet a t the m outh of the great river which drains Bengal. But though English dominion began there, and though a great centre of commerce must always exist there, A ustralia has not hitherto had such direct con­nection with it, as i t h is w ith o ther parts of the world. A s a claimant for our trade, Calcutta has h itherto been a t a disadvantage. The leader of commerce there, however, are aware of the growing importance of Aus­tralia, are increasingly anxious to see direct communic­ation established, and me p iepartd to give i t every encouragement.

In a recent number of the Ceylon Observer, th e editor observes :—

“ A planter writes :—‘ The bread supplied to us here is oftentimes mixed with rice-flour, and is very dear. How is i t we do not get cheap wbeaten flour from Australia now, say in kegs of 14£lb. ; as also b u tte r and cheese a t cheap rates ; also good solid biscuits ? Planters would purchase such provisions regularly, if s Id cheap. W e cannot any longer look to England for cheap diary produce. A ustralia m ust now supply us.’

F iner wheat and finer flour than A ustralia produces, the world cannot show. But, to stand our damp hot climate, the flour m ust c ime in tin cases from A ustralia or it must, immediately after arrival, be pu t into tins or large earthenw are jars. Biscuits and cheese, too, ought to be obtained from the A ustralian colonies a t rates cheaper than England can afford ; while, w ith care in preparation, packing and carriage, b u tte r should be included. Both b u tte r and cheese of good quality and in good condition have reached Ceylon from Melbourne. There are periods of the year, however, when b u tte r becomes scarce and dear in many parts of Australia. The great wants are frequent intercourse, cheap freights, and special arrangem ents for carrying bu tte r, fresh meat, fru it, &c. Those wants will yet be supplied, we feel certain, and a m utually profitable trade established, between the eastern and the southern colonies of B ritain .”

CURE FOR CRICKETS.TO T H E E D IT O R OF T H E “ M ADRAS M A IL .”

Sir,—Y our correspondent *• D istracted ” complains, in your issue of the 11th instant, of “ a plague of crickets.” I f he will try the Oodbuttee in fum igat­ing his rooms, or sprinkling freely over the places, a solution of carbolic acid, he will a t once get rid of his “ plagues ? ”—Yours, Ac., J o h n S i io k t t .

Yercaud, 14th Feb.

COFFEE DYING OUT FROM DISEASE IN BRAZIL.Through the medium of the ably and honestly con­

ducted B io News, we shall soon know the tru th and the whole tru th about Brazil. In the paper of 24tli December there is a scathing denunciation of the policy of so aiding private enterprize by Government grants of guarantees to private “ usines ” as really to strangle independent action. The writer shews the deleterious effect of the bolstering up policy on sugar and other industries as well as coffee, and we should wish to copy the whole article. But considerations of available space compel us to confine our extracts to what is said about coffee. I t will be seen that not only is disease pre­valent amongst coffee in Brazil, hut disease of so fatal a nature that in fourteen years once productive coffee orchards had become a thing of the past in a district whence the infection was rapidly spreading. W hat the specific disease is, we are not informed, but it is evid­ently as deadly as our fungus. I t may be the affection of which we have heard : the trees perishing from the attacks of myriad insects on their roots. Anyhow, we now know that, if Brazil possesses much young and productive coffee, the older plantations are perishing from disease. Over-production will be checked by this fact as well as by its own direct effect of low prices. We quote as follows:—

One of th e great obstacles in the way of a p e r­m anent industrial development in th is country andwe propose to speak plainly—is the lack of individual independence and enter) rize. This serious defect is one which has grown out of a long series of adm in istrat­ive eirors, aud is to day gaiuiug so stroug a hold upon the country th a t it promises to defeat not only the development de-ired, bu t to strangle the develop­m ent already secured. T hat th is statem ent is perfectly ju s t let us take up any industry th a t our Brazilian friends may choose to name.

F irs t aud foremost among all the industries of the country is th a t of coffee production. This great industry is so well adapted to the soil and climate of

Brazil th a t it has attained a magnitude far beyond th a t of any o!her country in the world. Year after year i t has steadily grown in area, and the reputation of its product has gone out through the world in almost as great a proportion. Apparently it lacks no single element which can contribute to the successful devel­opment of a great industry ; hu t is th is really the case? Some m onths since we visited the municipality of S. Fidelis, in the valley of the Parahyba, where the late minister of agriculture found coffee production dying out through the ravages of some mysterious dis­ease. W e had derived an impression from the accounts given of this coffee p lant disease th a t i t was a new one, and th a t efforts were to be made to prevent its spread­ing into other municipalities. The real facts of the case were, however, th a t this disease had existed in S Fidelis for some twelve or fourteen years, and th a t no efforts whatever had been made to suppress it. From small beginnings in the municipality the disease had been gradually spreading in all directions—southerly into the fertile municipality of Santa Maria Magdalena, northerly into th a t of S. Antonio de Padua, w est­e r ly into the famous coffee-producing district of Cantagallo. In response to our inquiries we were told th a t it was the business of the government to study and check the disease, because the public treasury derived a large revenue from it. We could not find two persons who agreed as to the peculiarities of the dis­ease, nor could we hear of one single person who had made an effort to destroy it. The simple remedies used by fruit-growers to protect their trees, such as linre, salt, tobacco, or carbolic acid washes, had never been thought of, nop was any one disposed to employ them. Everyone was waiting for the government to do som ething: either to study and destroy the dis­ease, or to substitu te a sugar usine, with guarantee of interest for the dying coffee industry. And in the meantime the once highly productive coffee orchards of S. Fidelis have become a thing of the past, and the planters are patiently waiting for the government to set them up in some other k ind of business.

This illustration—aud it is bu t one among the many —proves the fatal lack of individual enterprize even in the most flourishing industry of the country. W ho knows bu t w hat i t would have been possible to have stamped out th is disease twelve years ago by the simple application of an inexpensive wash ? And yet, no one seems even to have thought of such a th ing . A few simple experiments m ight have saved th is industry to the municipality, and added incalculably to its wealth. As it is, the fatal policy of waiting upon Government aid has destroyed the industry, and impoverished the planters ; and still further, it has even prevented the substitution of another indnstry.

In another sense, this same m istaken policy is bringing a crisis upon the coffee industry which pro­mises to end in serious loss and disaster. W hat planter knows th a t there is nearly three-quarters of a million bags of coffee accumulated a t Havre, th a t there is an aggregate of 1,873,000 bags in the p rin ­cipal ports of Europe, and th a t the consuming m arkets of the world are actually g lutted ? A nd yet the area of production is being steadily increased, the cost of production tends upward, and there is no improve­m ent in quality. Notw ithstanding an increased ex­port the planters find themselves w ith an enormous stock on hand ; and so they come to the govern­m ent for assistance in introducing their product to new consuming markets. In the face of over-produc­tion and glu tted m arkets they are personally help­less, and like children seek for paternal aid and counsel.

We do not speak of these things w ith any spirit of unfriendliness. The evil—and it is a serious one —is the legitim ate outgrowth of th a t policy which centres so m uch power in the m inisterial departm ents

of th e Government. The powers which should be left to the municipalities and parishes are all cen­tered here iu ±tio de Janeiro. No one can come or go w ithout seeing and feeling the influence and power of the imperial government. And so the people have been compelled to come to the government for everything, and have very naturally been led to expert corresponding assistance and protection in all their needs. Instead of studying the p lant diseases and insect plagues, which afliict his industry, the planter turns to the m inister for help, and actually sees himself impoverished and ruined in the waiting. W hen over-production occurs, instead of tu rn ing his a ttention to o ther products, or improving the quality and d- creasing the cost of his product, he helplessly tu rns to the government for succor. I t is needless to argue th a t all th is is radically and dangerously wrong.

SY N TH ESIS (POSSIBLE ?) OF CINCHONA ALKALOIDS.

W e all know w hat analysis of the alkaloids means, or, a t any rate, of the bark which contains th e a l­kaloids. Analysis is ju st the separation of a com­pound into its constituents, while chemical synthesis is the union of elements so as to form a com­pound. Analysis m ust first, however, reveal all the elements of a compound, before a successful a ttem pt can be made a t construction or re-construction. B nt all the constituents of the cinchona barks have not y e tre vealed themselves to scientific tests however searching. A new alkaloid has ju st been discovered, and scientific men themselves feel I hat more remains to be dis­covered before nature can be im itated in the “ an ti­d o te ” she has provided for the “ b a n e ” of paludal and malarious fevers. Indeed the popular belief is, and we suppose i t is correct, th a t chemists already know all th a t can be known of th e elements of beef : and yet, in the production of beef, Liebig, were he living, would have to confess himself surpassed by the most stupid ox th a t ever gra'zed the mead and “ ru m in a ted ” w ithout a thought of science.. The chem ist when he had done his best toproduce-a steak or sirloin, would have to sing in the words of th e old song “ T h e re ’s something w anting .” B ut of th e cinchora alkaloids science, a< yet, knows even less than she does of b ee f: less of man’s most valuable medicine than she does of his best meat. For ourselves we doubt if ever th e alkaloids of naturally grown barks can be perfectly im itated by chemical processes, however elaborate and skilful. Something will be wanting. Dr. Hugo Mtiller, as quoted in the latest report of the Kew Gardens published, th a t for 1880, not only adm its the chem­ical difficulty, bu t he very shrewdly points out that, if bark from which as much as 10 per cent of a lkal­oids are sometimes extracted can be cheaply pro­duced, the pecuniary tem ptation for science to exert herself in the direction indicated will not exist. Dr. Thistelon Dyer writes, in his preface to Dr. Mtiller’s opinion, as if perfect substitu tes had been discovered for vanilla and indigo. Our impression is a very opposite one. Science has extracted the m ost ex­quisite colours and the sweetest odours from ta r , no d o u b t; hu t we have y e t to learn th a t vanilla as a flavour, or indigo as a dye has been superseded. Indigo planters and the cultivators of the vanilla pods, have certain ly not considered th e ir occupation gone, Our

own belief is th a t the discovery of substitutes for the cinchona alkaloids may be relegated to the Greek Kalends, while, if bark becomes very plentiful and very cheap, new uses may be found for i t by the brewer, the tanner, the dyer and others.

Mean time, fresh discoveries seem to have been made as to the philosophy of the beneficial action of quinine and the allied alkaloids in disease. In the first place, we are astounded to learn th a t the main ingredient in tonic m ixtures or draughts is not really a to n ic ! If i t restores tone to a debil­itated system , tonic it surely m ust be. But science probably, has invented another term for the process leading to restored appetite and increased strength by the use of infusion of bark VVe have for some time known that the grand use of quinine, when exhibited in cases of fever, is its power of rapidly and greatly lower­ing the temperature of the body. I t is the sustained, irritating , wasting, weakening heat which kills, and against th is unnatural heat, quinine, properly and copiously administered, is almost a specific. Where i t fails, more or less, complications of liver inflamed, or in a sta te of abcess, or of enlarged spleen are generally present. B ut how is the unnatural heat produced and how does quinine effect such great and rapid reduction of tem perature ? The answer involves the not very pleasant reflection, th a t, when we eat, d rink , or breathe, we take iuto our systems the germs of m inute organisms, which seem to give more or less trouble according to their number and the health of the individual into whose system they enter. The modern theory of fevers, we are informed, is th a t they are due to the presence and enormous m ultiplication of organisms in the blood, the presence of which causes the rise in tem perature, waste of tissues, and destruction of the strength. Now quinine is a deadly poison to fever organisms (in most cases), bu t is not a poison to the human subject. The effect of th e adm inistration of quinine is to destroy the organisms and to effect a lowering of the tem perature, which is th e great aim of modern fever treatm ent. The natural conclusions our readers will see, are th a t the use of quinine aud the o ther cinchona alkaloids in modern medicine will be an ever-increasing one, and that, for a period so remote as to jbe practically indefinite, the cultiv­ation of th e fever bark trees cannot be over-done.

As to th e possibility of a synthetical substitute, we leave our readers to judge for themselves, w ith this qualification, th a t, although alizarin seems really to have largely superseded madder, i t has yet to bo proved th a t vanillin is other th an a curiosity, or th a t artificial indigo, equal in quality and as moder­ate in cost as the product of the p lan t, has been or ever will be m anufactured in the chemist’s laboratory. The following is the quotation from the Kew R e p o rt:—

“ Possible synthesis o f cinchona alkaloids.—The great extension which has been given to cinchona cultiva­tion as a Government undertaking in Sikkim, the Nilgiris, and Jam aica, and by private enterprise in Ceylon and Southern Ind ia has made it a m atter of great importance to planters to ascertain what possibility exists of the same success attending the a ttem pts of chemists to effect the artificial m anufact­ure of the cinchona alkaloids, especially quinine, as in the case of alizarian, vanillin, and indigo. As en­quiries have been addressed to Kew on the subject, it was

thought th a t i t m ight be useful to Kew correspondents to obtain some authoritative information and Dr. Hugo Muller, F .R .S ., Foreign Secretary of the Chemical Society, has k indly prepared th e following memor­andum :—

“ ‘ The synthesis of the cinchona alkaloids will probably be effected sooner or later. I t must, how­ever, be borne in mind that, up to the present a t all events, there is, as far as can be judged from w hat is known about this class of bodies, no in ­dication th a t th is feat will be accomplished in the immediate future.

“ The chemical history of the substances [men­tioned above] which are now artificially produced, teaches us that, before the synthesis of a body can be prognosticated, its chemical constitution m ust be thoroughly made out, and th is can only be a t ­tained by extended investigation of its products of decomposition in a variety of ways. W ithout going into detail, it may be safely stated, that, although some advance in th is respect has been made w ith regard to the study of the cinchona al­kaloids, we are still far from having obtained a clear insight into their molecular structure, which, so far as we can judge a t present, seems to be of a much more complicated nature than, for in ­stance, th a t of any of the abovenamed substances. The more complicated the chemical structure of a body, the more difficult in all probability will be its synthesis, and even after this has been accom­plished, there still remains the task of finding out means and ways to make the processes involved in it practicable for artificial production. If i t should be found th a t there are no special difficulties in growing bark which like th a t of Cinchona Ledgeriana contains 10 per cent, of quinine, i t seems alm ost do u b t­ful w hether we ever may expect to find a synthetic process capable of competing w ith th e natural pro­duction.

“ I t appears, therefore, prem ature to anticipate already w hat may require m any years to elaborate, and however sanguine we may be in our expectation of the achievemenis of chemical research in this d irec­tion, it seems more than probable th a t we shall be dependent for some time to come on the cinchona plantations for our supply of this valuable commodity."

COFFEE LEA F-DISEA SE.We have already m entioned th a t experiments will

be conducted on estates in d istricts so far apart as Bimbula and Rakwana during the present d ry season, and we are glad to hear th a t there is now some pro­spect of Mr. Scbrottky personally superintenoing the fu rther experiments during th e next season. The number and variety of the | scenes of apply­ing th is remedy will afford b e tte r means of arriving a t definite conclusions. We understand th a t Mr. Scbrottky has been asked how he intends to vary his treatm ent so as to make success as sure as i t can be made, and he has embodied in the following rough memorandum the outlines of what he intends to do. I t would be well to remember, in reference to these experiments, th a t carbolic acid has been acknowledged by Mr, W ard to be a remedy against leaf-disease. Mr. Ward stated th a t there is no doubt th a t i t kills the germinating spores of the fungus and th a t more m ight be done with it, “ were i t not for tl e fact th a t the accumulated powder and solution are a source o f danger at the roots." T hat no such danger exists has been amply proved by the results of past experiments: even w ith young plants there is no danger, for, Mr.

Schrottky’s carbolized powder, mixed ready for applic­ation, i. e., in a 3 per cent strength, has been used for now nearly a year with great success down at K alutara in Liberian coffee nurseries, to keep down leaf-disease. A moderat edusting with the powder every fortnight or so seems sufficient. The following are the outlines of Mr. Schrottky’s intended operations :—

1.* -Leaf-disease can only be practically got under, in a given area, by the carbolized powder treatm ent, th a t is to say, the m ajority of accumulated spores and actually growing fungus more or less prevalent a t all times of the year can only be killed, if operations are com­menced during March and April, when the fungus is least vigorous and reproduction most slow. This it is intended to effect by a couple of general applic­ations of an impalpable tine powder containing 3 to 4 per cent of carbolic acid, the powder being thrown through the foliage of the coffee trees, and by reason of its fine extreme fineness penetrating everywhere. These applications to be given a t a fortn ight’s interval, w ith a th ird additional dose to particularly badly affected places.

2. To prevent re-infection by the spores and other forms of th is fungus, which are being constantly supplied by neighbouring places and conveyed by wind to any part of the island, the atmosphere of an estate m ust be constantly and continually ta in ted by carbolic acid vapour. This ta in t, however faint i t may be, is a powerful enough agent to cause the collapse of th e microscopically fine and delicate germinating tubes of the spores of Hemileia, before they can enter the stom ata of the leaf, though i t is not strong enough to kill the fungus when once established in the tissue of the leaf. The success of this part of the treatm ent depends therefore upon the uninterrupted presence of carbolic acid vapour in the atmospheric air, so th a t no germ inating spore can escape it.

This i t is intended to ensure by exposing a t stated intervals throughout the estate, in vessels of a cheap description, a 25 per cent carbolic acid powder ; the powder in these vessels to be changed every fort­night throughout the year.

The cost of all these operations including labour, etc., is estimated not to exceed R30 per acre during the first year, and R15 or R20 during the second year.

The cost during the first year will therefore be not more than th a t of a single application of sulphur and lime

*' On a beautiful summer day, the leaves on a tree whispered softly to the zephyrs, and, as their shadow fell upon the valley, thus did they speak, vaunting their luxuriant verdure - ‘ Is i t not true th a t we are the pride of the whole valley? Is i t not by us th a t this tree is rendered so bushy and wide-spreading, so stately and m ajestic ? W hat would it be w ithout us ? Yes, indeed : we may praise ourselves w ithout com­m itting a sin ! Do not we, by our cool shade, protect the shepherd and the traveller from the heat? Do not we, by our beauty, a ttrac t the shepherdess to dance here ? From among us in the morning and the evening tw ilight, the nightingale sings : and as to you zephyrs, you scarcely ever desert u s.’ ‘ You m ight add a word of thanks even to us, answered a feeble voice from underground.’ ‘ Who is i t th a t dares thus audaci­ously to call us to account ? W ho are you who are talking th u s? ’ The leaves began to lisp noisily, tossing on the tree. ‘ W e are they ,’ was the reply from down below, ‘ who, burrowing in darkness here, provide you w ith nourishment. Is i t possible th a t you do not recognize us? We are the roots of the tree on which you flourish ; go on rejoicing in your beauty ; only remember there is th is difference between us, that, with the new sp ing a new foliage is born ; but, if the roots perish, neither you nor the tree can survive,’ ”

COFFEE AN D CHICORY.Following up the local agitation and the letters of

Mr. Thomas Dickson, we have nowT received (through a Otiombo merchant) a copy of a prin ted circular by Mr. H. Pasteur of Messrs. P a rty & Pasteur, which affords the strongest support y e t given to the cause of the producer. A fter reading Mr. P asteur’s figures and remarks, the Ceylon merchents and p lanters who, last year, opposed a memorial on the subject ought to feel ashamed of them selves; and we may well express the thanks of the planting community to the London Broker who has put th e case for relief for Coffee ic the U nited Kingdom, and protection against “ adulteration, ” so c learly :—C o n s u m p t io n o f C o f f e e in t h e U n it e d K in g d o m , fr o m

1842 t o 1881.Table shewing the quantity o f Coffee (in lb.) upon

which duty teas paid fo r home consumption in each year from 1842 to 1881; also shewing the price of Native Ceylon Coffee on the 1st January, 1st May, and 1st September in each year, the amount o f duty charged upon Coffee, the duty charged on Chicory, d'c., do.

Year. Price of good ordin­ary Native Ceylon.

Jan. 1, M ay 1, Sep. 1.

Duty paid upon—lb. Duty per lb.

From 9 July,1842 67s 77s 73s 28,567,157 1842,on B.P. 4d.

On Foreign 6d.1843 61s 52s 49s 30,031,4221844 61s 58s 55s 31,391,2971845 52s 48s 48s 34,318,1211846 49s 45s 43s 36,793,0611847 42s 42s 38s 37,472,153

a 1848 34s 33s 29s 37,107,2791849 32s 31s 39s 34,431,4141850 55s 40s 46s 31,226,8401851 57s 42s 39s 32,564,194 1 April, 1851, re-

■ ducedto3dupon | all sorts.1 April, 1855, duty

61852 c 1853

39s48s

42s48s

44s47s

35,043,57337,091,770

1851 50s 44s 45s 37,471,014

1855 45s 47s 48s 35,876,116 increased to 4d1856 52s 51s 52s 35,140,252 ’ per lb. during tlie

1 Russian War.1857 52s 61s 64s 34,515,685'1858 51s 48s 48s 35,338,1111859 50s 53s 57s 34,402,980

41860 59s 60s 63s 35,674,381el861 63s 62s 65s 35,375,675

1862 67s 72s 71s 34,664,135 April 6,1857,/1863 72s 74s 69s 32,986,1161864 68s 60s 66s 31,589,597 J- T y ,1865 70s 68s 67s 30,743,212 uuueu in oil.

per lb.1866 58s 67s 66s 30,939,8131867 64s 60s 58s 31,560,6771868 53s 50s 46s 30,608,2371869 50s 62s 48s 29,108,9321870 51s 51s 51s 30,629,7101871 53s 57s 60s 31,010,725

(yl872 69s 68s 74s 31,661,311’1873 80s 88s 88s 32,330,9281871 110s 83s 87s 31,860,0801875 85s 87s 98s 32,526,2561876 90s 79s 77s 33,341,728 May 1, 1872,1877 89s . 80s 86s 32,830,224 -duty reduced to1878 85s 74s 73s 33,393,248 l jd per lb., (14s1879 65s 63s 63s 34,696,256 per cwt.)1880 70s 63s 62s 32,569,8241881 58s 58s 58s 31,943,4081882 50s —a An agitation commenced in J848 against the sale and

use of chicory and other deleterious substances mixed with coffee.

b Novembers, 1852, a Treasury order prohibited the sale of loose chicory or mixed coffee and chicory.

c February 28, 1853, another Treasury order issued allowing mixed coffee and chicory to he sold, if labelled “ mixture of chicory and coffee.” April, 1853, the duty £20 per ton taken off Foreign chicory.

d February 11, 1800, duty of 6s per cwt. imposed on chicory.

e February, 1861, duty increased to 12s. per cwt. upon chicory.

/ April 16, 1863, duty again increased to 26s. 6d. per cwt. on chicory. May 1, 1863, the Treasury order of February 23, 1853, rescinded, and permission given to sell coffee and chicory mixed without labelling.

g 1st May, 1872, the duty on coffee reduced to 14s per cwt., and on chicory to 13s. 3d. per cwt.

Those, who trade in th is article, will not be surprized a t the extraordinary figures published above, but to any one unaware of the obstacles thrown in the way of th e consumers of coffee by British legislation, i t will appear almost incredible to find that, whilst in 1854, with a du ty of 3d per lb. 37,472,000 lb. were consumed in this country, in 1871, with the same du ty and with a population which had increased by some 5 or 6 millions, the consumption fell to 31,000,000 lb. w hilst in 1881, w ith a du ty reduced by one-half, i.e-, to 14s per cwt. and a population greater than in 1871, by 3,400,000, the comsuinption was not more than 31,943,000 lb.

This decrease in the use of one of the best and most wholesome of beverages, the consumption of which, in every other country of Europe and in the U nited States has increased enormously and goes on increasing year by year, is the direct result of a system of fraud and adulteration which lias been carried on, and is growing steadily, as i t were, under the tender care and solicitude of the B ritish Go­vernment, who from time to time revise the regul­ations relating to the sale of coffee and the various cheap mixtures with which it is adulterated, so that the ingenious im porter or m anufacturer of ground and roasted acorns, or carrots or any other nasty com­pounds, may have full scope for the exercise of his industry. (I do not name chicory, which seems to have become an almost too respectable substitute, judging by the fact th a t even the consumption of chicory has been less in 1881 than in 1880). I do not th in k any one will call the above statem ent either exaggerated or highly colored, who will take the trouble to glance a t the Treasury Orders, issued from tim e to tim e on the subject and which are enumerated as notes to the tabular statem ent.

In th is case i t almost looks as if the T reasury and the Excise had taken pains to find means to check and prevent the sale of coffee for consumption in th is country w ithout a thought to the loss of re­venue. The interests of the chicory growers of France, Belgium and the Channel Islands, and those of the class who live by the making or selling of spurious compounds, which are to bo palmed off as “ good coffee w ith a m ixture of chicory” appear to be deserv­ing of much more consideration, ou the part of Go­vernment, than the interests of the millions in this country, who would like to drink either pure coffee or coffee mixed w ith a m oderate proportion of chicory, but who cannot procure such an article in many of the small towns and villages of England ; or the in­terests of the thousands of British subjects, who have invested millions of money in the growth of coffee in the East Indies, in Ceylon, in Jam aica and other British (Job n ies; or the still more numerous cla s of importers, dealers and grocers in this country, who see an im portant branch of their business gradually diminishing, owing to the increasing dislike of the

j public for the stuff which is sold now under the | name of coffee.

I t is well known th a t Ceylon and B ritish India pro­duce the finest coffee, and a t one tim e the bulk of the consumption of th is country was of those fine qualities ; bu t now an inferior article is found to do as well for mixing with the various compounds, and the fine P lantation coffees from Ceylon find their way move and more to the C ontinent direct, where they are b e tte r appreciated. London is thus losing gradually a portion of its trade, and will probably go on losing it for there is bu t little inducem ent for the im porter to bring his goods to a m arket where there is less and less competition, owing to diminished requirements.

Is there any good reason why the same regulations, which are considered fair and necessary to protect the revenue from the tea du ty , should no t be applicable also to coffee? W hy should tea be protected by legis­lation against adulteration and not coffee also ? Is it too late to bring the subject again under the consider­ation of Government ? Surely the coffee growing B ritish Colonies or Possessions are as deeply interested in this ques'ion as the traders in th is co u n try ; their representatives and the P lan ters’ Associations, should not rest u n til they have succeeded in obtain­ing common justice and fair play for one of their most valuable and im portant productions.

20tli January , 1882.Since the above was in prin t, a treasury minute,

dated 20th January , 1882, has been issued, directing H. M. Board of Customs to perm it the im portation, under a du ty of 2d per lb. of coffee, chicory, or any other vegetable matter applicable to the uses o f Coffee or chicory, roasted and ground, mixed, without reference to the proportion o f the mixture.

Thus any roots, turnips, carrots, cabbage stalks, or any o ther rubbish which our clever and enterprising continental neighbours choose to roast and grind, and mix w ith an infinitesimal quantity of coffee or chicory will henceforth under government sanction, be pressed upon the British public, under the higli sounding name of French or Belgian or Jersey coffee, or w hat­ever o ther a ttractive name the ingenuity of these m anufacturers may invent.

This stuff, which the public will find scarcely d rin k ­able, will not cost more than 4d per lb. w ith the d u ty , and the clever adu ltera to r and his agents who will sell i t in the shops for 8d or lOd, or Is per lb., will realize a profit of 100 per cent, or more ; whilst ihe honest trader, who can make a fair profit by selling pure coffee a t lOd per lb., will have bu t a poor chance against the unscrupulous trader who makes 100 per cent, on the sale of his mixture.

To sta te these facts is sufficient to ensure the con­demnation of the system by any right-m inded man, and I cannot bu t entertain the hope that, when proper representations are made on th e subject, they will receive such consideration us will procure redress by Government.

H. P a s t e u r , 38, M in c i n g L a n e , L o n d o n , 30t/i January, 1882.

Mr. Geo. W all—who arrived by t h e ‘•Vega" on the 26th Feb, and whom we are glad to welcome back in good health and w ith much of his old vigour—has busied himself as far as he possibly could w ith th is m atter while In England. H e urged the great evil of the present system on merchants and brokers, and he has brought back w ith him a variety of samples of the “ m ixture” supplied as “ coffee” to the w ork­ing classes in England. W e tru s t there will be now no hesitation in forwarding a strong memorial on the subject from Ceylon a t as early a date as possible.

T H E COFFEE EXPORTS OF RIO AND SANTOS,W e have now received the exact figures, through

the medium of Messrs. Kern, Hayn & Co.’s circulars, of the exports of coffee from Rio for the past four calendar years, thus

1878 ................................. 167,240 tons.1879 ................................ 206,327 ,,1880 ................................ 202,124 ,,1381 ................................ 258,313 „

So th a t, from Rio alone, over a th ird more coffee was exported in 1881 th an was sent away in 1878. The increase in exact figures was 91,073 tons, or 1,821,460 cwt. : th a t is, an increase equal to three tim es a fair Ceylon crop ! The to ta l export from Rio last year was represented in cwt. by the figures 5,166,260. The Santos circular, although dated 1st January , does not give th e shipm ents for the years, b u t for last half of each year. For the period be­tween 1st Ju ly and 31st December of th e past four years, the shipm ents were :—

1878 ................................ 32,654 tons.1879 ............................ 31,733 „1880 ............................ 34,160 „1881 ............................ 44,157 „

I t will be observed th a t the last half of 1881 shewedan increase of 10,000 tons on the corresponding period of last year, while the increase on th e last half of 1878 was no less than 11,493 tons. ‘ As our readers are already aware, the exports in 1881 of Rio and Santos, w ith some additions from minor ports, made up a to ta l export from Brazil of as nearly as possible7,000,000 cw t., besides the quantity (very large) in stock, and the proportion consumed locally. The ex­port of 1882, from Santos certainly, and from Rio probably, w ill exceed th a t of 1881. Then the*check of low prices may be expected to operate in 1883. Messrs. Kern. H ayn & Co. say, in regard to Rio :—

C o f f e e .— During the mon'h under review receipts from the interior showed a further decrease, which fact, although we are accustomed to see it repeat itself almost regularly at this time of the year, was sufficient to prevent a decline of some importance in our currency prices.Regarding Santos, the coffee from which port com­petes to a greater degree w ith Ceylon plantation, we have fuller and more interesting details :—

In our report of 1st January 1831, we pointed out that the production of coffee in our province (Sao Paulo) was rapidly increasing and expressed the hope that the rail­way traffic would assume the quick pace, which large crops reader necessary, and we are glad to be able to state that our hopes have been realized.

In the same report we alluded to the eventual inferior out­turn of the quality, considering the larger crops we have henceforward to expect and the limited number of black labourers of which the planters can dispose.

This was however—we are happy to say—only to a smaller extent the case than we anticipated, because, though we have to deal with the largest crop known in our province, it is generally agreed that the quality of the coffee received during the last six months, though it is not equal to that of the preceding crop, turned out much better than it was expected.

This may be attributed to the fact that machinery has to a large extent been introduced and now does, of course, the work of many hands; there are hardly any of the the larger planters who have not set one or two steam- engines at work. W hether this system may be a proper substitute for an eventual further decrease of hands during the next years remains to be seen. W ith regard to the question as to the introduction of Chinese labourers, stirred

189

up some time ago, people here are so far as much in the dark as before, and the arrival of 1,000 coolies, contracted by some enterprizing planters, has not yet taken place.

C o f f e e :—The month of December , witnessed on the whole a very active market, slight fluctuations in currency prices and a strong decline in Exchange during the latter half of the month.

The dull tone reigning in our market at the close of the preceding month continued to prevail during the begin­ning of December and caused dealers to submit to slight concessions, say of 1 per cent to 2 per cent. Simultaneous large receipts and flat reports from consuming markets, however, caused exporters, to operate with caution and dur­ing the earlier part of the month transactions were re­stricted to small lots.

The number of buyers remained limited until towards middle of the month, when large sales for Havre account were reported, and soon afterwards a heavy decline in ex­change called forward a general demand, followed by numerous and large transactions. The market remained very active up to the latter part of the month, when on account of the holidays and of very discouraging reports from consuming countries buyers retired from the market, which closes very quiet.

In our report of 1st July 1881 we estimated the probable export during during 1881-82 at about 1,600,000 to 1,700,000 bags. Efforts have been made to reduce these figures by stating that the present crop had suffered by drought etc., in reply to which accounts we can but state that accord­ing to the official railway-statistics 944,519 bags of coffee have been received in Santos during the last six months from which quantity, according to the statistics annexed, about 747,000 bags (equal to about 44,157 tons) have been shipped from our port during the same period, and even those who had an interest to put down the result of the present crop to a smaller figure must now confess that that there is still a large quantity t f coffee in the interior. Our opinion therefore is, that we, here in Santos, shall have to deal with much larger export figures than hitherto known, and this not only during this campaign but very likely also during the next one’s.

W ith regard to the 1882-83 crop we consider it still to early, to give even an approximate estimate, but if we were asked to state any figures, we should name 1,700,000 to 1,800,000 bags as the probable yield of the coming crop as far sa our personal impression is concerned.A crop of 1,800,000 bags, a t 17 bags to a ton, would be over 111,800 tons, or 2,236,000 cwt. j or no t far short of four tim es our Ceylon c ro p ! These Brazil figures are really overw helm ing; b u t we all know th a t low prices prevail, and, although th e brokers do not mention coffee disease, we are aware th a t in some parts i t has appeared w ith deadly effect. The labour difficulty, too, cannot long be staved off even by means of machinery and railw ay facilities.

COFFEE EXPORTS FROM BRAZIL.Our readers will liave observed th a t Messrs. Wilson,

Sm ithett & Co. gave 250,420 tons as the export of coffee from Rio in 1881. Messrs. Kern, H ayn & Co., w riting in Rio on 1st January , stated 258 313 to have been the quantity . Even if th e lower figures are tha more correct, and the figures for Santos are equally re­liable, there is no room to doubt th a t in 1881 Brazil m ust have grown over eight millions of cwt. of coffee of which seven millions were exported and one million locally consumed. (The usual estim ate for local con­sum ption has been 60,000 tons or 1,200,000 cwt.) Taking Messrs W ilson, Sm ithett & Co.’s figures, we get

for Rio, ... 5,008,400 cwt.„ Santos ... ... 1,621,880 ,,

Together ... ... 6,630,280 cwt.

Exporta from minor porta m ust have made lip the to ta l quantity to 7 millions, and, as th e stocks of codee in Brazil a t the close of 1881 were exceedingly heavy, it really seems as if, after making allowance for stocks a t end of 1880, the coffee gathered from the trees in Brazil in 1881 could not have been less than 8J mil­lions of cwt. W hether th is is to be the culminating crop, remains to be seen. The check of low prices cannot operate instantly on production ; i t can im ­m ediately affect only exports. But, if low prices continue, not only will exports be restricted and coffee kep t on estates, to its damage : the fu rther results may follow of coffee lost from inability to gather i t and of production lessened by neglect of ordinary upkeep. The article we quoted from th e Rio News, too, shews th a t disease in the coffee trees may prove an im portant factor in th e fu ture of the greatest coffee country of the world. I t is tantalizing th a t we should be w ithout inform­ation as to the nature of the disease. H ad Hemileia vastatrix really reached th e western hemisphere, its characteristics are too m arked not to have been noticed and recorded. B ut w hether disease affects th e foliage, or is confined to the roots in the shape of m yriads of microscopical insects, the account given shews th a t i t is really formidable in its effects and th a t i t has the power of rapidly extending. From the editor of the Rio News or some other trustw orthy source, we hope to obtain fu rther information regarding an affection which may possibly, as the years advance, render th e competition between Brazil and her com­petitors in the eastern world a more equal one than it has been since 1869, when the fatal fungus developed in force.

Some th irty years ago, we know, disease on the coffee trees in Brazil was serious enough to demand th e appointm ent of an Im perial Commission, which reported on the subject, bu t th a t report we have never seen. Messrs. Cruwell and Blacklaw reported disease as prevalent ; bu t Mr. Criiwell failed to prove what Mr. Blacklaw absolutely denied—the presence of Hemileia vastatrix. The article on Brazil in the new edition of th ■ “ E ncyclopedia B ritannica,” although i t states th a t in recent years a disease of the sugar­cane has affected seriously th a t cultivation, says not a word about disease in coffee. The meagre article on tivff e is equally silent on disease in Brazil, although i t prom inently notices the leaf disease of Ceylon and the black ro t of Southern India.

N E W PRODUCTS IN CEYLON : OUR SILV ER LIN IN G .

A t a tim e when Ceylon shares with the rest of the world a common heritage of trouble and depression, when many are doubtful of the future, w hilst some are confident of b e tte r tim es, i t is well to look around us and see if there be not some set-off against low prices and short crops, some grounds for encourage­ment. W e th in k i t may be found to a great extent th a t, as i t has ever been w ith our cinnamon, and as i t is still w ith our high grown coffee, our produce takes generally a high position as regards value in th e m arkets of th e world.

In Java, Cochin China, and some other parts of the world, competitors in the cultivation of cinnamon have found to th e ir cost th a t i t is impossible to com­pete in quality w ith the spice of Ceylon, and gradually

th e ir plantations have relapsed into jungle. Ceylon plantation coffee has long been recognized as the choicest, next to the produce of Mocha, and even now though rivals in quality have m et us in the open market, our finest growths of high grown continue to be sought for a t extrem e rates for special consumers. La Guayra, Costa Rica, and even some kinds of Rio coffee have supplanted our middling qualities, bu t we are not aware th a t they have succeeded in rivalling our finest growths.

A lthough Ceylon cacao has not yet been shipped to any extent, th e parcels th a t have been placed upon the London market the produce of the Pallikelle e-tate, have been highly reported upon as regards quality, an opinion supported by the result of sales which have topped the ordinary m arket quotations, and yield­ed results which show a wide margin of profit on the cultivation. I t of course remains to be seen w hether the quality of Ceylon cacao grown in o ther d istricts equals th a t of the Pallikelle variety introduced by th a t veteran planter, Mr. R. B. Tytler, with so much success, but barring accidents th is should be the case, as m ost of the tree t in the island have been grown from Pallikelle seed.

Another of our new products, cinchona, has in like manner already made a name for itself amongst the principal quinine m anufactnrers of Europe, by whom it is infinitely preferred to most of the South American kinds ; th e new variety of Cuprea bark we are assured, cannot be profitably employed by quinine m akers w ith ­out the addition of Ceylon cinchona, hence it is th a t our produce is much sought for and there is very little doubt th a t this will be still more so when shavings from renewed trees are placed on the m arket, as they will offer the greatest facilities to the m anufacture of quinine. W e may rest assured th a t w hatever be the sta te of the cinchona m arket our bark will always com­m and attention even though th e shipm ents from South American ports continue as large in the fu ture as in the past, which is scarcely probable.

Our tea although not yet sowell-known and ap­preciated as i t deserves to be, is rapidly rising in favor amongst B ritish consumers, and is already far in ad ­vance in general estimation of the ordinary China article. I t only needs th a t our tea be well-known and have fair play.

W e have no data as to the value of Ceylon grown Liberian coffee compared w ith th a t from the African colony, bu t so long as any figure approaching sixty shillings can be obtained for i t in the American m ar­ket, onr planters may be well content.

In all these facts there is certainly some ground for reassuring the hard working enterprizing planters of th is island adm ist much th a t would otherwise led them to dispondency.— “ C. Times.”

T e a .—The num ber of Gardens under tea cu lti­vation in Bengal during the past year was 274 against 257 in 1879. The area under p lan t was 38,805 acres, against 38,668 in the previous year . — Friend, o f India

B e t e l N u t a s a F e b r i f u g e . —After reading your rem ark about the food of Navvies, i t occurred to me th a t M. Colin m ight now very advantageously t ry w hat the effect the betel n u t would have in warding off th e malarias, &c., contracted in marshy grounds. I th ink Johnson, in his “ Chemistry of Common Life,” informs us th a t the betel chewer, whether native or stranger, has an invaluable treasure in the use of th is narcotic, which is a perfect safe­guard against fevers, agues, and all other maladies incidental to marsh life. If this is the case, is it not w orth a tria l during th e extensive canalisation soon to be done in France? M. Colin, should he t ry it, would be able to see if the effect of betel by itself is th e same as when chewed w ith the betel pepper leaf, and quicklime,—F. S. C. in Knowledge.

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.T H E ADULTERATION OF COFFEE : W ANTED T H E IM M ED IA TE CO-OPERATION OF T H E

PLA N TERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON. The Scottish T rust & Loan Company of Ceylon, Ld.,

123, Bishopsgate S treet W ithin, London, January 20th, 1882.

D e a r S i r , —I enclose copies o f correspondence re ­garding coffee adulteration, and, unless you stir up Ceylon, and the planters and m erchants respond to my endeavours, we shall never obtain redress.

I can make sure of several members of Parliam ent. —Y curs faithfully, THOMAS DICKSON.

P. S.—Messrs. P a try & Pasteur are preparing a still stronger remonstrance.

C o p ie s o f L e t t e r s o n C o f f e e A d u l t e r a t io n .To the Right Hon, the Earl Cairns.

M y L o r d ,—As your name is associated with many phil­anthropic undertakings having for their object the elevation of the poor in this land, and especially in the erection of Coffee Taverns, where the working classes can obtain a wholesome and nutritious beverage, instead of the alcoholic drinks which ruin their souls and bodies, you will know by inquiry and by the numerous letters which appear in the public journals, how little success has followed the endeavours of your lordship and your many colleagues, entirely arising from the infamous decoction which the purveyors falsely call “ coffee.”

I therefore address you not only in your quality as a philanthropist, whose purpose has failed, but also as a great statesman whose name stands high on the roll of Fame, as a great exponent of justice, and I appeal to you, in the name of every struggling coffee planter, and especially those of our own possessions in India and Ceylon, to help our cause and to assist us in the petition which the Chambers of Commerce and Planters’ Associations of India and Ceylon will forward to Parliament, for the justice, that coffee shall mean coffee. In every country out of England, consumption of coffee increases with population, in England only is it stationary. In every country other than England a good cup of coffee can everywhere be obtained, even amongst the remote and rude inhabitants of Scandan- avia and the wilds of Continental Europe. The cause is not far to seek, for it is found in the vile adulterations obtained in this country. Dates, beans, acorns, peas, chicory, carrots and endless abominations have rendered coffee vile to the taste and stomach of all but the wealthy, and this, not through the high price of the genuine article, for as a fact the deliveries of coffee have in no way increased, al­though the price, is only one-half what i t was a few years ago, and this to the great distress of the struggling coffee planter who has seen his crops decimated during the same time by the fearful pest Hemilia Vastatrix, and will have to face the decline of this enterprise, unless your lordship and the Legislature ot this country affords him justice. Our appeals hitherto have been fruitless against the law which admits of coffee being sold as a mixture.

To your lordship’s legal mind I read not demon­strate how this is abused. The failure of the Coffee Tavern movement as a whole points that moral, and the utter in­ability of a fitful excise supervision to do anything to check it is pressing hard upon the coffee planter, who, in addition, ahs to face the overwhelming competition of the slave grown coffee of Brazil. This latter we can face, seeing that free trade (which in this case is not free labour) promises 110 remedy, but we appeal to >our lordship to aid us from your high place, in our humble petition to Her Majesty to rescind the order in Council by which chicory and other ingredients are allowed to be mixed together and sold as coffee.—I have the honour to be, your lordship’s humble servan t T h o m a s D ic k s o n ,

Managing Director, Scottish Trust" & Loan Company.

123 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, 17th January 1882.Charles Magnate, Esq., M. P.S i r ,—As your interest and connection with mercantile

affairs is well known and has been frequently exerted for their benefit from your place in Parliament, may I solicit your able services in assisting a struggling enterprize to obtain what they consider justice P

The state of the coffee trade is very unsatisf actor j7, prin­cipally arising from the vile adulteration of the genuine article, actually leading to a falling-off in the clearances of coffee for home consumption, despite a fall of 40 per cent in value and an increase of population.

As bearing upon this, I have addressed the Earl Cairns in hopes lie may assist us in the Upper House, and I en­close copy of letter for your guidance.

Our chief hopes however, rest in what you can do for us in the House of Commons, and I shall address the Cham­bers of Commerce and the Planters’ Association of India and Ceylon, and stir up Jamaica, and our other coffee colonies to place their petitions in your hands.

Brazil, Central America, Venezeula, and other coffee pro­ducing countries be ng equally interested, I have addressed the Ministers accredited to this country (copy of letter enclosed) in hopes of their co-operation, and I will be happy to forward you their replies and follow out any suggestion,

yon may be good enough to make.In conclusion, I would draw your attention to the remarks

upon this subject in Messrs. Patry & Pasteur’s annual coffee circular.—I am, sir, your faithful servant.

T h o m a s D ic k s o n .Managing Director,

Scottish Trust & Loan Co. of Ceylon, Limited.

His Excellency the Baron de Penedo, Envoy Extraordi­nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Empire of Brazil,

i xcellency,—I have the honour to draw your attention to the printed correspondence herewith regarding the adulteration of coffee in this country, and to solicit Your Excellency’s co-operation in pressing for some relief from Her Majesty’s Government.

The country Your Excellency has the honor to represent is a large exporter of coffee to England and is deeply in­terested in seeing the produce of its soil fairly treated in consuming countries, and I trust the Government here may listen to our appeal, if backed up by a deputation from those interested and by petitions from the various Chambers of Commerce and Agricultural Associations I have named.

Trusting to receive Your Excellency’s co-operation, I have the honor to be, your obliged servant.

T h o m a s D ic k s o n , Managing Director,

Scottish Trust & Loan Co. of Ceylon, Limited.123 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, January 18th, 1882.

Letters to the same purport sent to:—The Minister for Central America, The Minister fur Venezuela, The Charges d’Afliires for Hayti, The Jamaica Agricu'tural Super­intendent, The Chambers of Commerce ot Madras, Bombay, and Colombo, The Planters’ Association of Ceylon.

TRAVANCORE COFFEE.6th Feb. 1882.

D e a r S i r , — I connot give the exact figures of the exports of coffee from the various ports, bu t I send you a copy of the Adm inistration Report for 1879-80, the last published. A reference to page 26 and to pages 19 to 25 of the appendix will give all the information th a t is wanted, for a comparison of crop with acreage.

Details of w hat has been shipped from the various ports are not necessary to correct the incorrect com­parison made in a former issue of your paper, —Yours faithfully, TRAVANCORE.

[The Report will be duly noticed.—En.]

SCARCITY OF IN D IA RUBBER.Matalc, 15th Feb. 1882.

D e a r S i r , —I enclose a cutting (forwarded to me by a Ceylon planter now in England) with reference to indiarubber :—

The scarcity of Indiarubber:—Unless some means are

speedily taken to prevent tlie reckless destruction of the rubber trees, this important and now world .wide manufacture will be grea'ly retarded, owing to the scarcity of the raw material. The great and growing demand for rubber has stimulated the rubber hunters of Central and South Amer­ica to supply the same, hut the result is, in their eagernes- to meet the extra demands, they destroy the greater pors tions of the trees. In many places where the rubber trees were seemingly exhaustless a few years ago, the forests have been decimated. The result is that the rubber gatherers have to go farther and farther into the interior and to the mountains for the present supply. Unless the Government of Columbia and South American States do something for the protection and propagation of this valu­able tree, the export of raw rubber from these countries will cease in a few years.

I t will, I think, be of in terest to cultivators of this product, and should stim ulate owners of old estates to give rubber a fair trial. My own experience is th a t rubber seeds should be planted a t stake when they are germinated and the root about J of an inch long. No holes need be cut, and planting through old coffee, say 12 12, a cooly will p lant an acre per diem, sothat, a t present prices, R5 per acre should be sufficient for all expenses. The experiment therefore need not be an expensive one. Very little rain is necessary to s ta rt the plants. I planted a few acres a t the end of last month, and the result is very satisfactory.

The following figures have been subm itted tom e. I give them for w hat they are worth and invite c r it­icism :—8 ft. 8 ft. -■-= 680 trees per acre ; 4 oz. per tree = 1J cw t.; about £10 per cwt. = £15 per acre. Is 8 ft. 8 ft. too close ?—Yours tru ly , Q. R. M.

NORWOOD CINCHONA BARK.Norwood, Dikoya, 18th Feb.* 1882.

D ear Sir ,—I n a report of cinchona bark sales, which was published in your paper some days ago, “ Norwood H ybrid” appears as selling a t 2s. 9d. per pound.

As considerable disappointm ent has been expressed a t the result of this sale, I th ink it would be as well to le t the public know th a t the parcel of bark in question consisted of hybrid and succirubra m i x e d , in the proportion of 1 to 3, as far as I have been able to ascertain.

Keeping th is fact in view, I do not th in k the price realized can be considered unsatisfactory.—Yours tru ly ,

FR ED . J . HORSFALL.

MANITOBA AS A F IE L D FOR E N T ER PR IZE .G rand Oriental Hotel, Colombo, Feb. 21st, 1881.

g in ,—Observing this morning some questions re­lating to Manitoba as a field for emigration, and lav ing , during the last year, spent some time in W in­nipeg and neighbourhood, I may be able to say some­thing on the subject. The answers to the first ques­tions are substantially correct. The Allan line from Liverpool to Quebec is the most direct, aud, I think, also the cheapest line. Second-class £7, first-class £11 to £16. From Quebec by lake steamer to Duluth, the fare is under 20 shillings (exclusive of board); D uluth to W innipeg about eight shillings.

W hen I was a t th e last-named place in October good masons and joiners were getting §74 a day, or in English money £1 11s 3d 1 ! ! As Lotd Lorne in the admirable speech delivered a t the dinner given him by the M anitoba Club tru ly said : “ A [killed work­man was getting as much as an English Culonel on full pay ” 1 ! Labouring men were getting from two to three dollars a day.

Land and house property is rising every day. Farm s near W innipeg th a t last year could have been bought for §8 per acre are now w oith §10 per acre.

A great rush is expected during the present spring,

on account of the depression in England ; so th a t i t is scarcely necessary to advise settlers to be there as soon as possible, as the best locations are being fast selected. To sum up my remarks, I consider th a t there is a great future for th e North-west of Canada. Even the U nited States papers adm it that, and many are accordingly very jealous. W hen the PacificRailway is opened throughout next year, there will be an un interrupted communication between Liverpool and British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains. W innipeg w ill be nearer Liverpool by 1,000 miles than Chicago, and be able to undersell the Americans in the wheat trad e by more than 10s per quarter. Since the first settlem ent in Australia, there has not been such an opening for young and enterprizing men as there is now in Manitoba. E verything in the shape of necessaries is very ch eap ; house ren t ex­cepted. B ut for occupying too much of your space, I could enlarge on th is subject, and give my reasons for advising early emigration to the grand N orth-w est.

I shall be happy to give any fu rther inform ation.— Yours tru ly , CHARLES REA.

P. S .—No one need want who is willing to w ork .—C.R.

TEA BOXES.Colombo, 21 st February 1882.

D e a r S i r s , —We have pleasure in handing you the Indian Tea Gazette of 2nd ultimo, and we have taken the liberty of m arking a number of articles which, taken together, form a very interesting discussion on the m erits of Messrs. Harvey Brothers, & T yler’s tea boxes. No doubt m any Ceylon tea planters will be glad to have the opportunity of reading these articles, either in the columns of your daily paper, or the Tropical Agriculturist.— We are, dear sirs, yours faithfully, JO H N W A LK ER & CO.

The editor of the Indian Tea Gazette says :—In our issue of November 7th, 1881, we inserted a short

editorial note questioning, on the authority of certain corre­spondents, the advisability of using tin tea boxes for the packing of tea, at the same time asking our readers to favour us with their opinions on the subject, in case we were misinformed. Our invitation has met with a res­ponse from several quarters, and the correspondence we have received leads us to alter the opinion we formerly held on the subject. A gentleman largely interested in tea, but in no way connected with the manufacturers of the Patent Tin Boxes, writes to us from England :—

“I made enquiries as to the condition in which tea packed in Messrs. Harvey Bros, and Tyler’s lacquered tin boxes is turned out in London. I found that the tea was not at all injured by this method of packing, but that its condition is quite as good as that of tea packed in chests. Messrs. W . J . & H. Thompson assured me that you were entirely mistaken in your remarks as to the contamination, but they thought that an objection to the packing in the lacquered tin boxes Jwas the labour of putting up in these boxes. Catal­ogues were shown me in which I saw that the teas in the lacquered tin boxes fetched higher rates than the same teas packed in chests, the difference being in one case 3d. per lb.”

This is certainly a most favourable testimony, and, com­ing, as it does, from a disinterested party, who writes simply in defence of what he considers the right, we cannot but accept of his statement in its entirety.Another correspondent gives the results of public sales, which show th a t teas from the same heap in Ind ia fetched from ^d. to 3d. per lb. more when packed in these tins than when packed in chests. Messrs. Harvey Brothers & Tyler write to the Tea Gazette :—

Our attention has been drawn to a short article in your issue of 7th November last under the above heading, and we feel sure that you cannot have been aware that tea boxes manufactured by us are entirely free from any of the bad qualities you attribute to tin when used for packing tea.

This is amply proved by the superior condition in which tea has been delivered here, as can be ascertained on refer­ence to any of the leading London brokers, who have sold teas so packed, both privately and at public auction, where the prices obtained are a complete answer to any imputation as to any deleterious effect on tea packed in our boxes.

We trust therefore you will give us your assurance that you wrote inadvertently and in ignorance of the merits of our boxes as compared with the ordinary tin sometimes used in making up boxes for tea.A w riter in th e Home and Colonial M ail says with regard to the adverse rem arks of the editor of the Indian Tea Gazette :—

He appears to think that tin gives to tea packed in it “ a metalic flavour,” and that the tea, if at all damp, is “ bound to corrode the tin eventually.” He further remarks that “ it is a m atter of question, whether, even if tea be thoroughly dry when packed, the chemical constituents con­tained in it will not in some way combine (chemically) with the tin, and the tea imbibe thereby some kind of taint,” and concludes with the suggestion—although he somewhat doubts its value—that the tin boxes might be lined with thin paper. I t surely needs not to be said that all these fears are chimerical. Tin is one of the purest metals, and is on that very account largely used in the manufacture of vessels for containing or preparing food. Tin canisters, too, as recept­acles for tea have been in use for many years, and, indeed, are in daily use by many thousands. The suggestion that the “ chemical constituents” of the tea may combine “ ckemiy- cally” with the tin and thus acquire “ some kind of ta in t” is too vague for serious notice. Of thin paper it may be said briefly that a worse material for enclosing tea could hardly be discovered, and for the simple reason that, so far from beings a repellent of damp, it very readily attracts and absorbs it. That tin boxes made of impure metal, or tinned boxes im­properly manufactured, would injure tea—or, for the matter of that, anything else—is no doubt true, but of this there appears to be no fear in the boxes which we saw in the offices of Messrs. Harvey Brothers and Tyler.He then describes the boxes, and sets forth their advantages as compared with wooden chests. We need not repeat these, as they have already been given in our columns. The w’rite r concludes by saying :—

On the whole, then, there should seem to be no room for doubt that the tin boxes of which we have spoken, so far from being undesirable packages for tea, are a distinct boon to Indian planters. They are handsome, and would thus promote the sale of the tea, and a t the same time command better prices for it; they are convenient; they would tend to ensure purity of the tea ; and they would, above all, by giving uniformity of tare, effect a considerable saving in the usual loss at the Custom House, with the authorities of which, we may remark incidentally, they already found great favour. The manufacturers are of opinion that the inherent merits and attendant advantages of these tin boxes are as real and apparent as the fears expressed by the writer in the Indian Tea Gazette on the use of tin are groundless and vague. Candidly, we quite agree with them.In the face of such testim ony the editor of the Indian Tea Gazette confesses th a t lie was wrongly informed regarding these tin boxes. Ceylon tea p lan t­ers may therefore feel assured th a t by using Messrs. Harvey Brothers & T yler’s boxes they will not run the risk of their teas being deteriorated, b u t on the contrary th a t the value will be enhanced.—E d .

M ANIHOT U TILISSIM A , P o h l ,

T a p io c a , M a n io c , o r C a s s a v a P l a n t , w h e n a n d b y w h o m I n t r o d u c e d t o C e y l o n .

Colombo, 22nd February 1882.D e a r S i r s , —In your article headed “ Tropical Agri­

culture in Ceylon: Lowcountry Products,” in your issue of the ‘2Gth, occurs the following passage:—“ and strictly we cannot include the manioc or cassava plant, with which experiments have been tried since the days of B ennett, if not from an earlier period,” which reminded me of the following addition made by me under the

4 th line of page 17 of the “ Table o f E ven ts” in your Handbook for Ceylon for 1890 -i:—“ 1786 7. The Ma- nihot or Cassava p lant introduced to Ceylon from Mau­ritius. by Governor Van der Graaf which information will be found in the “ M ateria Medica of H indoostan ’&c., by W hitelaw Ainslie, Madras, 1818, in a footnote toan article on “ Tapioca, Ja tropha M anihot L in .,” p. 47, as follows “ W hither [to Ceylon] i t was brought from the Isle of France in 1780 or 1787, by Governor Van de Graaf. See Asiatic Annual Register for 1805. vol. 7th, p. 87.” As far as I know I do not believe th a t an- library in Colombo has got a copy of the la tte r w ork.— In Ainslie’s article he says th a t he attem pted to make tapioca from the* roots of the m anihot in 1813-14, and perfectly succeeded, and he believed th a t thiswas the first th a t was made in our Indian domini­ons. In Ainslie's “ M ateria Iud ica ,” 1826, which is a second edition of the older work he has a longer notice of the tapioca, which I consider worth public­ation in your Tropical Agriculturist. Moon’s cata ­logue having been published in 1824, Dr., afterw ards Sir W. Ainslie was able to add :— “ Three species [of Jatropha]) grow in Ceylon, where our article is called mangyokka (Cj'ng.).” A bout the introduction to India of the Cashew-nut, which is a native of tropical Am­erica, tbe following tantalizing b it of information is given in a book on Indian botany :— “ N ative of Brazil, now common in Goa and W arree country, also in S uthern Concan and Salsette, is now naturalized, and affords ra ther a valuable resource as food. A c­cording to Garcias ab Orta, it was first planted a t Santa Cruz (?) in Malabar, where only three trees existed in his tim e.” Some chapters of a work by Garcias ab O rta are quoted and commented on in a work by Clusius, dated 1605, bu t I see no date given for the work quoted. I th ink it not improbable th a t the Portuguese introduced the cashew-nut tree to India about a hundred years before Clusius wrote in 1605, bu t th is is conjecture. I t is most likely there are authentic records of its introduction in the earlier Portuguese works.

The Pineapple m ust have also been introduced to India a t an early period of the Portuguese rule. “ I t ’s not being a native of Ind ia is supported b j i 's vernacular names, evidently derived from ananas, as well as there being no Sanscrit name for so remarkable a plant. A th ing which could scarcely have happened if it had been a native of the East Indies.”—Rox. FI. Ind ., 1, 116.—Yours, W . F,

NEXV PRODUCTS IN OLD K U RUNEGA LA DISTRICT.

M adawalatenna, 23rd Feb. 1882.D e a r S i r , — The nex t tim e the Matale planter, who

has only recently paid a visit to the Polgahawela d istrict, is desirous of seeing most of the lowcountry products in a flourishing condition, he m ight drive from K andy to Kurunegala, and on the route he will be amply paid for his trouble by seeing fine plantations of cocoa (second to none in the island for its age), Liberian coffee (that in bearing loaded w ith crop), cardamoms and rubber. K urunegala will yet be able to hold its own w ith the aid of these “ new products,” which are being planted on all the old estates. The new plantations, Delgolla, Dynevor, Dikoya and Dunira, are well worth seeing. I hear th a t both on Udapolla and Liberia estates good crops are expected, and now th a t Arabian coffee is not as flourishing as we could wish, more a ttention will no doubt be paid to the planting of old estates, and, where the locality is not suited to cocoa, with Liberian coffee, for 4 cwt. an acre from 4 year old trees is not to be despised nowadays. C. H , XV*

P. S .—Most extraordinary weather for February. Been raining for the last two hours, and likely to con­tinue throughout the night. Last year’s rainfall was about 19 inches over the average, which is about 80 inches. If rain is to continue like this throughout the year, very few coolies will be required to pick the crop of Arabian coffee.

N EW PRODUCTS : T H E SU NFLOW ER.D e a r S i r , —Is there any m arket for this in Ceylon,

or any nearer than London ? I think of taking a crop off some land lately plant' d in Liberian coffee, planting between the rows to cover th e ground, bu t ; should first like to know if there would be any | difficulty in disposing of the seed. Simmonds gives a ! lot of valuable information about the p lant in his book, bu t omits one or two useful items. The ash of stems and leaves, if returned to the soil, should almost make up for what the plants has taken out of i t .— Faithfully yours, CHILLY.

The following is from the Australasian :— U t il i s a t io n o f S u n f l o w e r P l a n t .

S ir , —Can you inform me if any p a rt of the sun- ; flower plant, o ther th an the flower itself, can be util- j ised? I have a patch growing most luxuriantly , some i stems being two or three inches diameter, and nearly i 6 ft. high. A. B.

Coleraine, Jan . 9.[The fibre of the stem has sometimes been extracted, :

bu t this plan of turning the p lant to account cannot j

be profitable, as i t is now never spoken of. The seed, ; you are of course aware, is used in feeding poultry. I A light oil is also extracted from i t .—Ed.] i

S ir,—A correspondent, “ A. B .,” in last week’s Australasian asks if any p a rt of the sunflower p lant other than the flower itself can be utilised. I beg to mention, in addition to w hat you say in your foot­note, th a t horses are very fond of sunflowers, and ; will eat them down to w ithin a few inches of th e i ground. B ut the principal use to which sunflowers i may be applied in this warm climate is the manu- | facture of pith hats. In the. stems there is a fine, 1 strong, light p ith . The outside fibrous aud wood)’ j part is very easily stripped off. If the p ith of the sunflower is compared with th a t used iu the umnu- (facture of Indian p ith hats, i t will be seen th a t they ;are identical. I f the raw material can be supplied, the manufacture of p ith hats ought to follow as a m atter of course, and no other kind of hat affords :such protection to the head and neck from the sun’s !rays.—VV. L. M.

D a t e C o f f e e .— This article has been a speculation i for some time, and we see another company ju st an- . nounced called the “ Belgium Date Coffee Company, L im ited,” with a capital of £100,000, to be raised, ■ of course, in London, and a list of no less th an i eight directors, some w ith high-sounding names. W e 1 have no experience of “ D ate” coffee, bu t £100,000 is a large sum to raise for the purpose specified. If 1 Belgians are so enamoured of date coffee, why not raise money on the spot instead of applying to London for it ? That it will m aterially affect the consumption of coffee we do not believe, bu t i t is w orth while for coffee-growing countries to look a little more closely into the m atter than they appear yet to have done. Chicory has had its day, and a m ixture of this with coffee is easily understood, bu t the date process appears

likely to supersede it .— South American Journal, [To p u t chicory ou t of dale, in tru th ,—E d.]

T h e A g r i c u l t u r is t s o f M a l t a a r e in a s t a t e o f a l a r m , o w in g t o t h e d r o u g h t , w h ic h h a s c o n t in u e d f iv e m o n t h s , n o t m o re t h a n h a l f - a n - in c h d e p t h o f r a i n h a v i n g fa l le n d u r i n g t h a t t im e .

S i r C h a r l e s H a r v e y , B art., we learn, is to arrive by the S.S. “ Q uetta” for a sojourn of some time in Ceylon. Such is the agricultural depression in E ngland—land only yielding two per cent—th a t Sir Charles, although possessed of two thousand broad acres in Norfolk, is coming out to Ceylon to find a more profitable investm ent for his personal property in as many hundred (200) acres of cinchpna property, which he hopes may yield him hereafter a Setter return.

Q u i n i n e T o n ic . —The following is a formula largely used in the D epartm ent of Public Charities and Cor­rections of New Y ork City as a means of adm inister­ing quinine : Sulphate of quinine, th ir ty grains ; d ilute sulphuric acid, sufficient; tincture of perchloride of iron, half an ounce; spirits of chloroform, six drachm s; water, two ounces; glycerine enough to make four ounces of th>s mixture. I h e dose of the m ixture is a teaspoonful.—Oil and Drug News.

C o f f e e .—The Brazilian supplies say Messrs. Wilson, Sm ithett & Co. (January 20th), have more than counterbalanced the short crops in the East, and stocks have accumulated in spite of the consumption of France, America, and Holland la - t year showing considerable extension. The surplus of production over consumption appears to have been chiefly directed to Havre where th e importations for the twelve m onths ended 31st December are upwards of 34,000 tons more th an in 1880 ; or an incrof 40 per ease cent.

T e a . —We call the attention of our planters to the encouraging, and, a t the same time, admonitory remarks of our Commercial Correspondent, based on the opinion of experienced and sym pathetic London brokers. If only capital were made judiciously available, 100,000 acres would very speedily be placed under this product in our planting districts, th e crop from which ought to reach 4 to 5 million lb. w ithin a few years. Money to buy seed, to pay for planting, and to buy mach­inery, is the desideratum of m any would-be Ceylon tea-planters a t th is moment.

C e y l o n T e a —There have been no sales during the week, and former quotations are consequently unchanged. Forty odd packages will be sold next week respecting which I shall send you particulars. Conversing with Messrs. Rucker recently, I was told that some of the Pekues recently sent from Cejlon were of remarkably fine quality, and that these young growths afforded the trade most conclusive and satisfactory evidence of the suitability of the soil and climate of Ceylon to the tea plant and for the production of the very finest quantities, Considerable care had been taken in the preparation of the samples referred to, which is much needed in all cases, to prevent the rregularity so much complained of by the trade.

C o l a N u t .—The introduction of the cola n u t in t > India m ight be a means of conferring a considerable benefit on the country. The cola nu t is the seed of the tree cola acuminatat whose habitat appears to be the west coast of Africa. The properties of the n u t are said to be twofold. In the first place, like olives, i t en­hances to many palates the flavour of food eaten afte r­wards ; secondly, it possesses the more im portant function of staying the cravings of hunger and enabling those in ­dulging in it to endure prolonged labour w ithout fatigue. I t is not, however, a stim ulant. The taste is b itter. The natives of the W est Coast of Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone, are described as being very partial to the nut, both as a luxury and for its other and more valuable quality. In fact it appears, in th a t part of the world, to satisfy the general craving of m ankind fo ra stim ulant, The trade,a consular report from Gambia says, is extending into Central Africa and northward to the African shores of the M editerranean, indicating an increased demand. The nu t has been in t­roduced successfully into the W est Indies.—Englishman*

An “ EX CELLENT SU BSTITU TE” FO R COFFEE 18 claimed to . have been discovered by Colonel Sladen, Commis­sioner of Arakan, who has w ritten officially to the Chief Commissioner of British Burmah, recommending him to try it. I t is described as a decoction of the seed of the Cassia tora or “ fsetid Cassia,” known to the Burmese under the name of “ Dangyweh.” Colonel Sladen, a t the suggestion of Mr. R. Mcleod, E xtra A ssistant Com­missioner, roasted the seed and tried its effects, and he believes th a t “ the substitute is likely to prove a most valuable product which in tim e will revolutionize the coffee trade.” Samples have been forwarded to Messrs. Short, Short & Co., London, and to the Bengal Chamber of Commerce. The “ Dangyweh” is a weed found in every part of Burmah, and no deficiency of supply is likely, should a demand arise.— Madras Times.

A g r i c u l t u r a l S c h o l a r s h i p s f o r I n d i a n S t u d e n t s a t t h e R o y a l A g r ic u l t u r a l C o l l e g e , C i r e n c e s t e r . — A resolution was passed in 1879 by the Government of Bengal for the establishment of agricultural scholar­ships for the benefit of natives, graduates of the Univers­ity of Calcutta, a t the Royal A gricultural College, Cirencester. The first two scholars entered th is College in January, 1880, and are now making there a very successful career. These were Babu Am bika Charen Sen, M.A., and Syed Sakhawat Hosein, B.A. The Indian Daily News states th a t the two new students appointed by the Bengal Government to enter a t Ciren­cester in January nextareBaboosBrojobullub D utt, M. A,, and Greesh Chunder Bose, M. A. The former is the head­m aster of the Sreedhur Bungsheedhur School a t Nawab- gunge, and is the gold medallist of 1880 in physical science ; and the la tter is a lecturer on chem istry a t the Cuttack College. An allowance of '2001. a year, tenable for two and a half years, will be granted to each of these candid­ates, and an outfit allowance of 1,000 rupees has also been sanctioned to each of them .— Colonies and India.

T i i r P a p a w T r e e . — The fru it of the papaw tree, says the Englishman, is well known to our Indian cooks as possessing the active property of rendering the beef tender. A slight incision in th e rinds of the unripe fru it causes a m ilky juice to issue, which, rubbed over a beef steak or the toughless meat, will make i t quite tender. This powerful action of the papaw p lan t being observed by a French gentleman, led him to the conclusion th a t i t m ight be utilized for medicinal purposes and we read in the “ P ractitioner” for October, th a t the idea has been pu t to the test of actual experiment. The French gentleman referred to planted out a large extent of land w ith papaw trees, the juice of which he is collecting in the same way as opium. Incisions are made on the outside of the half-ripe fruit, and the juice th a t exudes is allowed to dry and is then scraped off. The granulated product thus obtained re sembles coarsely pounded gum arabic I t is sticky when wet,and readily dissolves in water. The digestive power of this solution, to which the name of papay- ine is given, has been tested, and found to be very active. I t has been compared w ith the ordinary pepsiue and th e liquor pancreaticus of the shops and fonnd to surpass both in th e power of digesting either cooked or hard boiled w hite of egg. The digestive action from i t is described as both rapid and easy. I t is confidently believed th a t “ we have in this substance a digestive agent of very great potency, and one which is likely to come into very general use in medicine.”—The papaw is the common mamiapple of Fiji — Fiji Argus. [The ripe fru it is prized for dessert in Australia, although neglected in Ceylon, while in Java, it is mashed up with lime juice and sugar. In this form on Mr. Moens’ hospitable board we found it ex client. Dr. King also admired it in Java, and in his house Mr. Moens pui took of the fruit, still further improved by bliuge not only mixed with lime- juice ands ugar b u t also stewed.—Ed ]

M a n it o b a f o r E m i g r a n t s . —A correspondent sends us some questions and asks us to append the answers. We give them below :—I. The best and cheapest route to take from England and cost of passage to America. [London to New York, by Anchor iine, £11 to £16 for first class berth .]—] [. Cost of train fare or steam er fare to Manitoba. [Rail from New Y ork to Toronto about £3. We do not know the fare thence to M ani­toba, bu t probaby about as much again.]—III . W hat capital is necessary to s ta rt w ith on a very small way ? [From £80 to £200. ] —IV. W hat prospect has a man who has no capital a t all to s ta rt w ith ? [Very good prospects, if he does not mind hard work. ]—V. Can a man do any good w ith £100 to s ta r t w ith ? [Yes.] — VI. Can a man w ith no capital earn enough to keep a wife who has never been accustomed to work? [We should imagine so.]—On pages 558 and 585 of the Tropical Agriculturist will be found some information which may be of use to our correspondent.

C o f f e e L e a f -D is e a s e M a n u r e .—W e have received from M essrs. W. H. Davies & Co. a pam phlet relating to the chemieal manures of Messrs. A rnott Bros. & Co. This pamphlet describes the various manures which are applicable to different products—sugarcane, coffee, tea, &c. On the subject of coffee we quote the follow­ing :—“ Some years ago, owing to the fearful ravages

* of leaf-disease iu the coffee plantations of Ceylon and elsewhere, our a ttention was drawn to the production of a m anure which should assist the trees to resist its attacks, by a well known practical Ceylon planter, who for m any years had been try ing in every way to overcome this scourage. In conjunction w ith him we bave succeeded in bringing out a fertilizer, which, after a lengthened trial, has proi'ed itself of un­doubted efficacy in modifying and overcoming the ravages of th is disease, and we m ost confidently solicit a tria l of the A nti-V astatrix Fertilizer, new leaf disease manure, of which we are the sole manufacturers. I t is the only Fertilizer, so far, th a t has really proved or any effect iu subduing th is disease, and it is fully protected under our registered tr id e mark. This Manure should be applied a t the rate of about four cwt. per acre, and as a large propor­tion of its components are readily soluble in water, i t should be well mulched, which will keep it a t the rootlets of the trees, encourage its absorption, and not allow it to be so easily washed away in heavy ra in .” A number of testimonials from planters in Ceylon, Java, &c., are given from which we quote the following, by a planter in M atale East, w riting in 1880 :—“ The manures I received from you I consider good producers : A nti-V astatrix , the Ammonio Phospho Coffee Manure, the best, I do not believe any manure can affect ‘Hemileia Y astatrix ,' being entirely of opini­on th a t i t has been caused by the enormous acre­age of coffee planted in Ceylon w ithout forest left standing in any large quantity near a t hand, and without any other products being planted. Coffee, coffee, all was coffee, and the results m ight have been foretold by anyone w ith a really wide experience and comprehensive mind. 1 believe leaf disease has, and will always exist, bu t its virulence is entirely owing to w hat you may call the system upon which it has been cultivated. We shall hear less and less of i t as the new products, now being p lanted, grow u p ; those lauds th a t should have been planted as coffee will re­m ain as coffee; those th a t should never have been planted as coffee will be abandoned, or planted with other trees than coffee ; of land th a t was not suitable there has been planted a large quantity there is no doubt. The crops from the estates on which the manures obtained from you were used more than favorably compare with estates equally good, or even better estates, upon which o i le r manures were applied. To vigorous young cuffen the manures were particularly adap ted .”

T h e C a l c u t t a T e a S y n d ic a t e have received a satisfactory report from their delegate, Mr. Sibthorpe, regarding the American and Canadian tea m arkets and the opening they present for Indian teas. The general conclusion drawn in C alcutta from a perusal of the report is th a t a t no very remote date these countries will be, next to the U nited Kingdom, the' largest customers, while it is not improbable that sooner or later, they will surpass even the U nited Kingdom itself H th is respect. — Times o f India.

B e o h e - d e -M k r .— Batticaioa, Arali North, 13bhFeb. —The ren t of the Arali ferry is usually purchased by sea-faring men. Although Government have supplied the renters w ith two very neat gili boats for the comfort­able conveyance of passengers, the renters keep them in a most despicable and stinking state. On enquiry I found th a t these boats are either taken by these renters for fishing during the night, or le t out to others of their own trade for the purpose. By so doing, the renters not only m isappropriate and damage the public property, bu t create unnecessary discomforts and nuisance to passengers. The renters also do not keep a proper num ber of boatmen for the safe con­veyance of passengers to and fro, bu t keep only one for the purpose : hence hours of delay in crossing the ferry. I t is a great p ity th a t Government do not see the necessity of throw ing a causeway across the backwater. I t would, a t least, be a great paliation, if a ferry boat to convey across carriages, horses, carts and bullocks were provided. Before we reach the village of Valani, we have to cross an open level plain, a distance of about three miles along a mud road. The extent of this open land is about 2.500 acres, all of which are left uncultivated, and admirably adapted for paddy cultivation and for opening coconut and palmyratopes. Should the Governm ent bu t lay out a small sum in spanning the Valani backwater w ith a causeway, i t will not only improve ignorant islanders, in causing an easy intercourse w ith those living in the peninsula, bu t will also be a source of increasing the public revenue, encourage and give an impetus to agricultural industry, and enhance the price of landed property. The paddy crop both in the islands and in Valigam W est is not all th a t can be desired. The corn is in the blade, and for want of rain i t is all dying, and if there be no rain w ithin a week most of the plantations will have to be abandoned. However, w ith all these drawbacks, the farmers own­ing lands by the side of tanks or wells are busily engaged, day and night, in irrigating their lands. On the south eastern side of this island, near the seashore, the table delicacy of the Chinese, beehe-de-mer, is ex­tensively collected and cured. There are I under­stand 35 boais, and 100 fishermen, solely engaged daily in collecting th is sea slug and chanks, and the capitalists pay a t the rate of R io for every 1,000 of the former, and keep up a regular establishment, trained first under a Chinese, for curing these sea- slugs. The curing and manipulation of these, before exportation, is conducted as follows :—As soon as they are taken from the divers, they are boiled in la»*ge copper caldrons. Then they are buried in the sea­shore for 12 hours, and then removed, and, after hav­ing a thorough washing in sea-w ater, they again undergo a sim ilar process of boiling. They are sub­sequently dried in the sun, and lastly smoked and dried in fire in a closed shed. They are then made ready for th e m arket. There are, I understand, some 150 candies of this annually collected, and cured, and exported to Singapoie and China ; besides, 5 times as much is collected in the backwaters up the Mannar. I t seems this trade was first introduced and monopol­ized by a Chinese, bu t he is now being replaced by N a ttu ao tta chet ies. Do you or any of your readers know anything, as to the average price ranging in the Singapore or Chinese m arkets for this commodity ?—Cor.

S a m a r a n g , 23rd Jan .-—Van M aanen’s m ethod of artificially drying coffee will, we are informed be shortly adopted throughout the whole of Java, for Mr. Van Maanen has entered into contracts w ith more than fifty planters for th a t purpose, while the managers of several coffee estates are only awaiting the sanction of their principals in order likewise to join.—Indische Vaderland.

How t o P u s h t h e S a l e o f T e a . —A discussion has been taking place in the Friend o f India on the subject of how to push the sale of Indian tea a t home, a corre­spondent suggesting a system of regular auction sales of small packets of tea throughout the country. This scheme is suggested by Col. Money as well as by the editor of the Friend, b u t is opposed by th e Indian Tea Gazttte on the ground of its expense.

A C o m p a n y to be styled the “ Tim or Guano Com­pany,” w ith a capital amounting to one hundred thou­sand guilders, is about to be established a t Sourabaya. The object of the company is to procure guano from de­posits on Baars island in the Residency of Timor, prepare it for sale, and thus enable planters in Java to become independent of costly imports of m anure from Europe. The selling price will be fixed a t 9 guilders per picul, being 6 guilders cheaper than guano im ported from Europe.—HandeJshlad.

C o f f e e A d u l t e r a t i o n .—Mr. Thomas Dickson, the Managing Director of the Scottish T rust and Loan Company Limited, is doing a good work on behalf of bis own and his brother-planters’ interests in Ceylon, and we tru s t the members of the P lan ters’ Association will be roused once more to the du ty incum bent on them in this m atter. iMothing less than an annual Memorial to the House of Commons from the Coffee-planting In ­terest of Ceylon, un til the grievance is removed, will meet the necessities of the case.

O r a n g e s a n d I n s e c t s . —Old Knox mentioned the fact that, in Ceylon, oranges, if left on the trees un til they tu rn yellow, become infested with insects. W hat was and is true of th is fru it in Ceylon seems true of it in Fiji, as witness the following paragraph from a review of Miss Gordon Cumming’s book, “ A t Home in F iji” :— “ We lay under the orange tiees in the garden and ate ripe golden fru it.” I t is a delusion, then, sarcastic­ally remarks the reviewer, to suppose th a t oranges must be plucked in F iji before they arrive at. the golden stage to prevent the insects destroying them .

T h e V i n e s i n V ic t o r ia . —I t is expected that the destruction of all vines in the Geelong d istric t will be acc mplished w ithin the next month. The Moora- bool, W aurn and Winchelsea divisions of the dis­tric t are the only ones remaining to be operated upon. A bout £10,000 compensation has already been paid by Government for the vines destroyed and i t is estim ated th a t the to ta l expenditure upon the d istric t will be about £25,000. The act providing for the eradication of vines in the diseased d istric t of Gee­long prohibits the p lanting of fresh vines for a period of four years.—Melbourne Age. [All in vain, we fear. — E d ]

A g r ic u l t u r a l P r o d u c t iv e n e s s o f A m e r i c a .—M r. Porter observes th a t careful estim ates show th a t the U nited States is capable of m aintaining an area of 200,000,000 acres of corn land, which, with the average yield of the past ten years, would yield upwards of 2,250,000,000 bushels of corn. Turning from corn and wheat to cotton, i t appears th a t the whole cotton crop of the world could be raised on a section of Texes, less than one-twelfth of its area ; or could be divided between any two of the other principal cotton States w ithout exhausting one-half of their good land. The agricultural productiveness of America is practically illim itab le ; and when the full importance of the agricultural interest is realized and protited by, i t m ust exercise an im portant influence over England and the European continent.—London Times.

INDIGO ( in d ig o f e k a t in c t o r ia ) , Nat. Ord.,Leguminosce.

I t is remai'kably strange that this plant, which grows wild in H. H. the Nizam’s dominions, is not utilized for its pigment, which is of great importance commer­cially; besides, it would give employment to the many “ ragamuffins ” now loafing about in the Hyderabad terri­tory. If my memory servos me right, I think an acre of ground of these plants will produce about ten pounds of the dye. Of course, much depends on the soil, care, et hoc genus omne. E n passants a short narrative will, I trust, be not out of place. As many of your readers are aware, this dye was introduced into England about the middle of the 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth prohibited its sale, and named it the “ Devil’s Dye,” and “ food for the devil! ” Thank goodness, we are now living in an enlightened age, (not in Hyderabad though). The Greeks and Romans first utilized the Indigo as a paint, after great opposition by “ wood growers,” powerful in that age, who introduced several European Governments “ to prohibit the use of Indigo as a dye.” I t was only for a time that this commo­tion prevailed in Europe. The American Indigo plant is known by botanists as the Indigofera Anil growing about three feet high. The Egyptian Indigo plant is named the I. argentea, and grows about two feet high. In the Madras Presidency Indigo factories are to be seen in almost every place in which the shrub germinates. There is no reason why grist to the mill should not be obtained from the same plant, which grows freely in the Telinga districts in the Nizam’s Dominions.

D e c c a n , 2 4 th N o v e m b e r 1 8 8 1 . F a ir y R o s e .—Asian.

A BIRD-CATCHING SEDGE.As another example of the wonderful adaptation of

seeds for the purpose of distribution, I may mention those of Uncinia jamaicensis, Pers. (Carex humata, Sw.), Grisebach, Flora British West Indian Islands, 1864, p. 581. This is a plentifully distributed Sedge, growing in damp hollows and shaded woods on the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. The plant is about a foot or 18 inches high, with narrow pointed grass-like leaves. The flower-liead is a slender spike about 3 inches long, of a dark brown shining colour. I ts most remarkable feature, however, consists in the spikelets. These arc furnished with a smooth long-exserted awn of a peculiar hamate character, resembling a shepherd’s crook, but with the hook press­ing so closely against its base that it will hold tin, finest hair. By means of this delicate but wonderfully con­structed awn the seeds of the Uncinia attach themselves with great tenacity to the coats of dogs, the legs of pedestrians, or, indeed, to anything that comes within their reach, and when once attached they are removed with the utmost difficulty. In fact, as showing their finely-adjusted powers, and their tenacity, it may be mentioned that if a spike is drawn along the back of the hand the hooks will clasp, and easily pull out single hairs by the roots.

On two occasions lately I have found small birds (grass quits), about the size of an English tom-tit, se­curely caught by a couple of spikes of this sedge. The spikes were attached along the underside of the body of the bird, with the hooked awns buried among the feathers. Of course, in these instances, the birds were released, but from the secure manner in which they were caught I have no doubt that many birds not large enough to drag out the spikes, or draw the spikelets from their receptacles, must die in this manner from exhaustion, or fall a prey to rats and other vermin.— D. M o r r is , Jamaica, Nov. 14.— Gardeners’ Chronicle.

TROPICAL FR U ITS FOR EUROPE.Sir ,—I see by the last two issues of your paper that

some readers desire to see fruits of a tender nature

brought from India and other distant places. I t is very doubtful if such could be profitably accomplished, be­cause of the length and heat of the journey. I t would not do to actually freeze the fruit, as proposed by E. T. S., as this would cause both a chemical and mechan­ical change in its structure, and, even if it could be eaten, the flavour would be changed. If an apple or pear be frozen, and again thawed out, as a rule it will be found altered in flavour, and generally spongy or soft owing to the bursting of the cells. I t is true that if excluded from ah- little change occurs, and this can easily be proved by placing some hard-frozen potatoes in a bucket of cold water, aud keeping them underneath till thawed. I t would be worth a trial to place some mangosteens in airtight cases, and freeze them hard, letting them gradually thaw on arrival before opening the cases; but it would, of course, be only a doubtful trial a t first, and should not be largely entered on. The mostly likely plan to secure success would be to pack single layers of fruit in thin boxes, filling all spaces with cork dust to prevent bruising, and to bring them over in a temperature of about 30 deg. Fahr., if such could he managed. This would check ripening and de­composition, and not greatly affect the flavour if the temperature was raised gradually to 45 deg. on arrival. I t would not do to use any liquid to preserve fruit, as it would be absorbed, and possibly change the flavour as well as prevent ripening. I t may not perhaps be for­eign to the subject to mention that some ten or twelve years back I opened a “ pie ” of apples in February, at Warlaby, near N orthallerton; and, although the heap of fruit had only heen protected with about four inches of straw and the same amount of earth, they were in capital condition, although they must have been frozen hard, but they were kept airtight. No doubt a profit­able trade could be done in tropical fruits of good qual­ity if they could be imported in a fresh state, and a few trials (which need not be very costly) would prob­ably end in success. W a l t e r J . M a y .—Field.

CAPSICUMS.Much has recently been written concerning a kind of

capsicum known as “ sweet capsicum,” but it does not seem to be generally known that a sweet variety of capsicum has long been used in the United States. In Spain, from whence this variety is obtained, two kinds of capsicum are recognised, viz., pimiento dnlce, or sweet capsicum, and pimiento picante, the “ biting ” or hot capsicum. The latter has the usual tapering apex, whilst the sweet variety is about four inches long, almost as broad as long, the apex being indented or doubled in, and has a bright red colour. This sweet variety may occasionally be purchased in Covent Garden Market in a fresh state, and by the doubled-in apex can easily be distinguished from the hot kind. For curries, the sweet kind is generally first roasted before the fire in order to remove the outer skin, which is the hottest portion of the fruit. The fruit also makes an excellent pickle, either alone or mixed with other substances, and imparts a very agreeable flavour. In the Malayan Archipelago there are to be found both sweet and hot varieties of capsicums, and without one or both, no dish, be it fowl, cold meat, curry and rice, or salad, is considered com­plete,. and the quantity of capsicums consumed by Euro­peans as well as by natives is perfectly astonishing. A very large number of species and varieties of capsicums are grown and used as condiments in all tropical countries, where there appears to be a greater necessity for pun­gent seasonings. The generic botanical name of capsicum is derived from “ kapto,” to bite, on account of the hot, pungent qualities of the pericarp. There are always a few of these shrubby plants grown about the dwellings in the tropics to supply the daily wants of the table, as they are generally gathered and eaten just before fully ripe.

Among the principal species grown may be named the following :—The cherry pepper or round chilli ( Capsicum cerasiforme, Willd.), the bonnet pepper (C. tetragonum, Mill.), the bell pepper (C. grossum, Linn.), the spice or goat pepper (C. frutescens, Linn.), and the bird pepper (C. baccatum, Linn.). The last-named two are more acrimonious than the others. The fruits of these sev­eral species are of various forms—round, oblong, cordate, or horned, and in colour either scarlet or yellow; in some varieties they are so little pungent as to be used sliced in salad, in others they are intolerably biting, till the mouth becomes accustomed to them by habit. The cayenne pepper of commerce is obtained chiefly from the pulverised chillies or fruit pods of Capsicum annum, Linn., and C. fastigiatum, Blume.—Journal o f Applied Science.

TH E BANANA TRADE.The Boston Herald, a leading New England paper,

has lately devoted a large space to information about bananas and the banana trade, giving details as to the manner in which bananas are procured for the American market from Central America, Cuba and Jamaica.

I t appears that, independently of New York, Boston is building up a banana trade of its own. This year the fruit received in Boston has been unusually fine, and has been in such favour that “ the public has bought it in unstinted quantities.” I t is stated that the value of bananas imported into Boston during the season of 1881 cannot be less than 500,000 dols. Of the fruit received a t that port much is sent from Port An­tonio, Jamaica, by a well-known house. So firm and enduring is the popularity of the bananas that, the dealers say, peaches are the only fruit which interfere with their sale in the Boston market, where large quantities could be disposed of the year round. On the arrival of the Aspinwall steamers a t New York, a regular train, called the “ banana train ” is despatched a t once for Boston with the fruit.

W ith regard to the manner of disposing of the fruit, the following remarks are m ade:—

“ Very great improvements have been made in handling and protecting this fruit during the past three or four years. Since it all has to be shipped green, owing to its softness and perishable nature when ripe, a good deal of skill is required in caring for it after its arrival. I t is all bundled upon hay to prevent bruising, and in the cold months it is kept hanging up in rooms fitted for the purpose, when the temperature can be kept about G0J—too high for injury from cold, and too low for fast ripening. When the fruit is wanted, it is hung in an­other room where the temperature is up to 80°, and it ripens in a couple of days. Parties who began a few years ago with a dozen bunches shipped to them by each Aspinwall steamer, now sometimes take 1,000 bunches. These steamers now reach New York once in five days, and bring in 10,000 to 20,000 bunches. Beside the Aspinwalls received here, there are the West Indian bananas to be handled, which come in schooners fitted for the purpose. The parties handling this fruit sometimes sell cargoes of from 5,000 to 7,000 bunches in a single day, and, so well arranged are their plans of distributing, that scarcely anything unusual would be noticed, except a number of waggons with appar­ently small loads of h a y ; but under this hay are the bunches of green bananas.”

The writer says that the “ silver skins,” so called from the light colour of the rind, are the most popular, and he classes the Jamaica fruit next to that from Colon and Baracoa, the “ Aspinwalls ” being “ the largest and finest bananas received in the eastern market.”

An increasing fruit trade is growing up from the Bay of Honduras to the United States. From the Bay Islands and Belize, there are regular lines of steamers started by American houses, which go to New Orleans, Phila­

delphia, and New York. There is no quarter from which the first-named port can better and with equal certainty receive tropical fruits than the coast of British Hon­duras.—Journal o f Applied Science.

BOTANIC GARDENS, TRINIDAD.We have received a copy of the report on the con­

dition of the Botanic Garden for 1880. I t is a lengthy document of nearly sixty folio pages, with twenty-four additional pages forming an appendix. Naturally the bulk of the report is occupied with m atters of local interest, but there are several points of interest to home cultivators. I t is noted, for instance, that Vanda trees does not flower if subjected to the least shade, but “ when placed on an exposed tree or stump every branch produces its two or more spikes of lovely mauve, orange, and white flowers.” “ Hybrid M oka” Coffee promises to be the most suitable variety for low elevations, vieing with Liberian Coffee in vigour and fruitfulness, with seeds smaller than those of C. Arabica, but much more pro­fusely produced. I t is suggested that a good cross might be made between it and the Liberian variety, which is deficient in some of the characteristics of high-class Coftee. Incidentally the probability of the existence in Eastern Tropical Africa of a species of Coffee identical with or closely allied to Liberian Coffee is mentioned. The Saman or Rain tree does not in Trinidad exhibit that phenomenon of exuding moisture from its leaves whiah has given it the name. I t is excellent as a shade tree, however, and its fruits furnish good fodder for cattle. The wood of old trees, moreover, is useful wherever toughness, durability, and freedom from liability to wrarp are desirable.

The Mahogany flourishes well at Trinidad, and its timber is of excellent quality. The Candle-tree (Parmen- tiera cerifera) also thrives, and its highly nutritious fruits are recommended as food for stock iii the dry seasons when there is a scarcity of fodder. The fruit of Musa vittata, originally introduced from Fernando Po, and cultivated for ornamental purposes only, turns out to have very delicately flavoured fruit, which is striped like the leaves. The Bamboo timber (B. arundinacea) is extolled for its durability; but, in order to secure this result, it must be soaked when green, and, when dry, painted with thin paint. Of the Peach Palm (Guilielmia speciosa), which produces edible fruit, it is noted that it bears two crops a year, the remarkable circumstance being that at one season the fruits produced are destitute of seed, but very pulpy, while a t another season seeds are produced, and the pulp is proportionately less. These few illustra­tions will serve to show the valuable nature of this report.

The facts contained in this and similar publications not generally accessible, render it very desirable that some means should be taken to secure a periodical ab­stract of the facts registered in the several colonial botanic gardens. Such a publication would be of great service to practical cultivators as well as to botanists and natural­ists generally. We do not overlook the circumstance that much information of this character is now given iu the annual reports of the Royal Gardens, K ew ; but these, again, are not very readily accessible to the general public.

Reverting to the report before us we must not conclude our notice without mention of the valuable meteorological records from 1862 to June 1880, given in the appendix. From these we learn that the highest temperature re­corded in eighteen years was 95°-5, the lowest 60°.l, the mean monthly temperatures ranging from 76° in Janu­ary to 79°.4 in May. As to cloudiness, for which ela­borate tables are also given for the same period, the minima occurred in December, January, February, and March, corresponding with a low average rainfall (1-88 inch in March), while the greatest amount of cloudiness appeared in August, June, and July, the periods of greatest rainfall (11-28 inches on the average in August). The average annual rainfall is not more than 66-39 inches. —Gardeners’ Chronicle.

W ILD SILKS.(Handbook of the collection illustrative of the Wild

Silks of India in the Indian section of the South Ken­sington Museum, by Thomas Wantle, London: Her Ma­jesty’s Stationery Office.)

The author of the work before us is well known as an eminent silk dyer and painter, and has been engaged for years in the study of the so-called “ wild silks ” of India with a view to their utilisation. The term wild silks is commonly applied to all kinds of silk other than that produced by Bumbyx mori. Hitherto these silks have not been cultivated. The small and uncertain supplies which have found their way into commerce are derived from cocoons collected a t hazard in the forests, but no organised and systematic attempts have been made to form plantations of the various food trees and to rear the insects in a state of domestication. There can be no doubt that to do so, to attend to the proper collec­tion of the cocoons, and to make use of improved machinery for reeling the silk, and for carding and spin­ning that from imperfect cocoons, would prove a remu­nerative undertaking, and, like the introduction of the cinchona and the tea culture into India, would add to the resources of that country and of the Empire at large. To give encouragement to so desirable an under­taking ought to be the task of the Indian Government. Mr. Wardle meanthne has greatly improved and deve­loped the methods of dyeing and printing these silks. From trials which he has had made in Italy it has been found possible to convert the Tusser raw silk into tram and organzine of very great fineness. I t appears that this silk, the product of Antlieraa mylitta or paphia and some allied species, differs from common silk in its behaviour with reagents. A neutral solution of zinc chloride, gently heated, dissolves common silk instantly, but only acts slowly upon the Tusser. In a cold solu­tion common silk dissolves in three days, whilst immer­sion for a fortnight produces no effect upon the Tusser. W ith ammoniacal solution of copper oxide a similar dif­ference of action is observed. Hence we may well infer, as is actually the case, that the wild silk must be the more difficult to dye. The great difficulty as far as Tusser silk is concerned lies in the bleaching process. Being naturally of a darker colour than common silk, and incapable of bleaching by means of sulphurous acid —a deoxidising agent—oxidisers were tried. M. Tessid du Motay proposed potassium permanganate, which cert­ainly removed the brown colour, but unfortunately in­jured the texture of the silk. W ith barium peroxide he was perfectly successful. This reagent is, however, as yet too costly for very general use. The author refers to a method not yet fully developed, of presenting nas­cent oxygen to the silk from a liquid instead of from a solid. He mentions also that Major Coussmaker has succeeded in obtaining perfectly white Tusser silk by modifying the conditions under which the worm spins its cocoon. If his method is practicable upon a com­mercial scale, the necessity for bleaching would be super­seded. As the colours most adapted for dyeing Tusser silk, the author mentions lac, safflower, indigo, the leaves of Bhyllanthus emblica, the calyces of Thespesia populnea, and tnc flowers of Butea frondosa of Hnrsinghar, and of Ccdrela toona. E ria silk has less affinity for dye wares than has common silk, and takes up a greater quantity of tinctorial matter. The author, however, has succeeded in producing on it a variety of shades which leaves nothing to be desired.

The work is enriched with illustrations of several of the most important silk-yielding insects in their different stages of growth, of their food plants, and of the machin­ery for reeling cocoons. Mr. Wardle has deserved well of British commerce and industry for his prolonged in ­vest igations.—Chemical News.

“ TH E NEW CEYLON ” NORTH BORNEO.The new C eylon: being a sketch of B ritish Borneo, or Sabah.

From official and o th e r exclusive sources of inform ation.W ritten and com piled by Joseph H atton . L o n d o n : Chap­m an & H all L im ited . 1881. Crown 8vo. Maps.The territorial area of Sabah, or British North Bor­

neo, is comprised in the extreme northern apex of that island, from a point in the centre of Kimanis Bay above Labuan oil the west coast to the mouth of the Sibuco on the east, and following the northern and eastern boundaries of Bruni to Gura Peak, the line thence to the mouth of the Sibuco being as yet undetermined. This gives a greatest length, roughly speaking, of 240 miles, (which, curiously enough, is also the greatest breadth of the territory), and an irregular seaboard of over 500 miles. The entire island is some 289,000 square miles in extent—a space nearly equal to that occupied by Great Britain and France together. Briefly summing up its present divisions, it may be noted that Bruni, the small residuum of Borneo proper left to its Sultan, follows on the west coast south of Sabah (having the little British island possession of Labuan near its north­ern limit), and is itself followed by the much larger native kingdom of Sarawak (not British, as is often imagined, because it is ruled over by an Englishman, . which reaches to Datu Head, nearly the most western point of the island. The extension inland of these two kingdoms is bounded by the longitudinal range of mount­ains ; and all the rest is claimed by the Dutch—at least, as far north on the east coast as the mouth of the Attas, just above 3° North lat. This leaves a debatable slip—Tidong—between the Dutch territory and British North Borneo, presumably belonging to the Sultan of Sulu, but with possible claims on the part of the Sultan of Bruni, and which will probably be appropriated by the Dutch.

If it were important that so insignificant a place as Labuan should be in our hands as a coaling station, in spite of its very limited anchorage, there can be no two opinions as to the value of this new territory, with its numerous and fine harbours, situated as it is on the fair way to so many British colonies. Of five of these— in Ambong and Gaya bays, and at Sandakan and Kudat— maps with soundings are given in Mr. H atton’s book, which has also (amongst other illustrations) a good gen­eral map of Borneo, by Stanford, scale fifty statute miles to the inch. The new British territory will soon be the best-explored portion of the island, as, in addition to the results of the journeys of Mr. Pryer and Capt. W itti above mentioned, there will be those of a skilled naval officer, now on the way to triangulate the country on a proper base line.

The details given in the diaries we have printed suffi­ciently indicate the existence of various sources of wealth in Sabah; we believe, indeed, it is already the opinion in Sarawak that the new Association has the most pro­mising part of the island. The fabulous diamonds and gold of the interior will probably not be found, any more than the absurd “ tailed men ” in whom a linger­ing belief still exists with some enthusiasts ; but gutta percha, indiarubber, and other products of tropical for­ests, sago, rice, spices, sugar, cotton, Ac., to say nothing of pearl fisheries, afford ample scope for the increase of cap ital; and these are existing now. In the develop­ment of the rich natural resources of the country many openings will doubtless occur for the surplus wealth and energy of our countrym en; and we mny congratulate ourselves on the acquisition of such a fresh field. Mr. H atton quotes and indorses Mr. Wallace’s commend­ation of colonial management in Java, and suggests the importation of Chhiese labour. On the former point, we believe, there is much to be said per contra by those who have looked beneath the surface; and we regret that the Association seems driven to introduce what Mr. H atton terms “ a Chinese colony,” as we observe that Sir W alter Mcdhurst, formerly Her Majesty’s

Consul-General a t Shanghai, has been deputed by the Association to proceed to Borneo and China, with the view of organising the Chinese Labour Department for Emigration to Borneo. The very term “ colony ” is an anomaly. No Chinese ever colonise, in the proper sense of that word; they bring labour, and nothing more, abstracting all they can from any country to which they are taken, never spending their earnings in it, and going home with their gains, alive or dead.—Field.

ARBORICULTURE IN TH E NORTH-WEST PROVINCES AND OF INDIA.

We have now before us the report on the agricult­ural operations in the North-West Provinces and Oudli for last year, and this enables us to form an estimate of what has been and is being done. Planting trees along the sides of roads has been steadily carried on, though we are not by any means sure that this is bene­ficial for the roads themselves, however pleasant it may be for the travellers along the roads. W ith the general operations we do not propose to deal, but only with the subjects specially noticed in tbe report. And first as to

.nurseries:—“ When Mr. Buck first took charge of the arboricultural operations, he found that a large number of nurseries was kept up a t a greater cost than the grant could properly afford. The difficulties in the way of an efficient supervision were insuperable, and it was almost impossible to procure malis with adequate know­ledge of the work. He therefore recommended that their number should be reduced as far as possible. Mr. Howe, the Collector of Etawah, writes this y ear: ‘ I am decid­edly of the opinion that the nurseries a t the tahsils are a mistake. They are far from supervision, unless the tahsildar happens to have a special interest in the work, which is seldom the case. The past history of the nur­series shows them to be almost entire failures. I think it would be better to have one central nursery at the public gardens, under the management of the officer in charge. Similarly Mr. Twigg of Hamirpore found all the plant in his nurseries either overgrown or non-existent.’ There arc, however, objections to concentrating the nursery operations at the Sudder station. The Deputy Commissioner of Lalitpur w rites: ‘ A glance a t the map of the district will show, as I found before wc had well taken the m atter in hand, that a central nursery at Mahroni will be useless, as young trees will not bear carrying from Mahroni to Talbehat, a distance of 50 miles. I therefore established branch nurseries a t Tal­behat, Bansi, and Bir.llia, which are kept up a t a very small cost, and have proved a success.’ Cost of carnage is such a heavy charge that, as a m atter of fact, local nurseries are far more economical than nurseries a t head­quarters, if only they are properly, m anaged; but this constitutes the real difficulty. The whole question of nurseries seems at present to be in much haze, which can only be dispelled by practical experience. I t is a subject which deserves the careful attention of district officers.

Different means of solving the difficulty have been suggested. Mr. Reid, the Collector of Bareilly, w rites: ‘ I t has been found a cheap and easily worked plan to let the tahsildars, whose roads are beyond the reach of the head-quarters nursery, procure, by purchase or other­wise, such trees as they require. They seem to have no difficulty in procuring suitable plants. Mr. Wyer at Azamgarh has adopted a slightly different plan with apparent success. ‘ Twenty-five roadside -nurseries, ’ he writes, * have been established, and are maintained free of expense by zemindars and others interested in arbori­culture. As all those who have established nurseries will make use of many of the seedlings for planting out on their own land, they have most willingly undertaken the work and appear to take groat interest in it.’ The suggestion to buy young trees from private growers ap­pears to be a very valuable one so long as attention is

paid to the selection of strong and healthy plants. They can be grown at infinitely less cost by cultivators, who supply their own supervision and have an interest in the success of the plantation, than by any Government officer. I t is believed that native zakiras, where young mangoes and other useful trees are grown, can be found in most places. The Ramgarh nursery, under the charge of Mr. Campbell of the Forest Department, seems to have an­swered the purpose of supplying the distriet roads of Gorakpur. Mr. Campbell says that it was found possible entirely to eradicate kans grass by planting out pine­apple seedlings. Graft mangoes were imported from Lucknow and Saharanpur, and are doing well. A large number of jack seedlings (20,000) were reared, but were almost all destroyed. Hopes are entertained of better success from rearing them in hollow bamboos instead of in the ordinary way. I t may, however, be remarked, as a common result of native experience, that jacks stand transplanting worse than almost any other trees, and that it is usually cheaper and safer to sow them in situ , where they are wTanted, putting in a sufficient number of seeds to admit of selection and subsequent thinning out. Inga dulcis though it thrives generally in the district, altogether failed in the nursery.”

The Lieutenant-Governor remarks that the “ co-oper­ation of residents along the roads is to be desired above all things, inasmuch as while the expenses of planting and maintenance are thereby saved or reduced, the per­sonal interest taken by the planter of the tree in its welfare is likely to produce better results than is possi­ble from the superintendence of overworked officials.”

And this is the real system at all attem pts at refor­estation in this countiy.—Asian.

ELECTRO-HORTICULTURE.At the recent meeting of the British Association, Dr.

Siemens read an address on Electric Energy :—On the 1st of March, 1880, I communicated to the

Royal Society a paper “ On the Influence of Electric Light upon Vegetation, <£c.,” in which I arrived at the conclusion that electric light was capable of producing upon plants effects comparable to those of solar radi­ation ; that clilorophyl was produced by it, and " that bloom and fruit rich in aroma and colour could be developed by its aid. My experiments also went to prove that plants do not, as a rule, require a period of rest during the 24 hours of the day, but make in­creased and vigorous progress if subjected in winter time to solar light during the day and to electric light during the night. During the whole of last winter I continued my experiments on an enlarged scale, and it is my present purpose to give a short account of these experiments and of some further applications of electric energy to farming operations (including the pumping of water, the sawing of timber, and chaff and root cutting) at various distances not exceeding half a mile from the source of power, giving useful employment during the day-time to the powdcr-producting machinery, and thus reducing indirectly the cost of the light during the night-time. The arrangement consists of a high- pressure steam-engine of 6-horse power nominal, sup­plied by Messrs. Tangye Brothers, which gives motion to two dynamo machines (Siemens D.) connected separ­ately to two electric lamps, each capable of emitting a light of about 4,000 candle power. One of these lamps was placed inside a glasshouse of 2,318 cubic feet capacity, and the other was suspended a t a height of 12 to 14 feet over some sunk greenhouses. The waste steam of the engine was condensed in a heater, whence the greenhouses take their circulating supply of hot water, thus saving the fuel that would otherwise be required to heat the stoves. The experiments were commenced on the 23rd of October, 1880, and were continued till the 7tlr of May, 1881. The general plan of operation consisted in lighting the electric lights at

first at 6 o’clock and during the short days at 5 o’clock, every evening except Sunday, continuing their action until dawn. The outside light was protected by a clear • glass lantern, while the light inside the house was left naked in the earlier experiments, one of my objects being to ascertain the relative effect of the light under these two conditions. The inside light was placed at one side over the entrance into the house, in front of metallic reflector to save the rays that would otherwise be lost to the plants inside the house. The house was planted in the first place with peas, French beans, wheat, barley, and oats, as well as with cauliflowers, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, tomatoes, vines, and a variety of flowering plants, including roses, rhodo­dendrons, and azaleas. All these plants being of a comparatively hardy character, the temperature in this house was maintained as nearly as possible a t 60 deg. Fahr. The early effects observed were anything but satisfactory. While under the influence of the light suspended in the open air over the sunk houses the beneficial effect due to the electric light observed during the previous winter repeated themselves, but the plants in the house with the naked electric light soon mani­fested a withered appearance. Was this result the effect of the naked light, or was it the effect of the chemi­cal products—nitrogenous compounds and carbonic acid— which are produced in the electric arc ? Proceeding on the first-named assumption, and with a view of soften­ing the ray of the electric arc, small jets of steam were introduced into the house through tubes drawing in atmospheric air with the steam, and producing the effects of clouds interposing themselves in an irregular fashion between the light and the plants. This trea t­ment was decidedly beneficial to the plants. Having in consequence of preliminary inquiries determined to sur­round the electric arc with a clear glass lantern, more satisfactory results were soon observable. Thus peas which had been sown at the end of October produced a harvest of ripe fruit on the 16th of February, under the influence, with the exception of Sunday nights, of continuous light. Raspberry stalks put into the house on the 16th of December produced ripe fruit on the 1st of March, and strawberry plants put in about the same time produced ripe fruit of excellent flavour and colour on the 14tli of February. Vines which broke on the 26th of December produced ripe grapes of stronger flavour than usual on the 10th of March. Wheat, barley, and oats shot up with extraordinary rapidity under the influence of continuous light, but did not arrive at m aturity ; their growth having been too rapid for their strength caused them to fall to the ground after having attained the height of about 12 inches. Seeds of wheat, barley, and oats planted in the open air and grown under the influence of the external electric light produced, however, more satisfactory results ; having been sown in rows on the 6th of January, they germinated with difficulty on account of frost and snow on the ground, but developed rapidly when milder weather set in, and showed ripe grain by the end of June, having been aided in their growth by the electric light until the beginning of May. Doubts have been expressed by some botanists whether plants grown and brought to maturity under the influence of continuous light would produce fruit capable of reproduction; and in order to test this question, the peas gathered on the 16tli of February from the plants which had been grown under almost continuous light action were on the 18th of February. They vegetated in a few days, showing every appearance of healthy growth. Further evidence on the same question will be obtained by Dr. Gilbert, F.R.S., who has undertaken to experi­ment upon the wheat, barley, and oats grown as above stated, but still more evidence will probably be required before all doubt on the subject can be allayed. I am aware that the great weight of the opinion of Mr. Darwin goes in favour of the view that many plants,

if not all of them, require diurnal rest for their normal development, and it is with great diffidence, and without wishing to generalize, that I feel bound to state as the result of all my experiments, extending now over two winters, that although periodic darkness evidently favours growth in the sense of elongating the stalks of plants, the continuous stimulus of light appears favourable for healthy development a t a greatly accelerated pace through all the stages of the annual life of the plant, from the early leaf to the ripened fruit. The latter is superior in size, in aroma, and in colour to that produced by a alternating light, and the resulting seeds are not, at any rate, devoid of regerminatiug power. Further ex- periments are necessary, I am aware, before it would be safe to generalize, nor does this question of diurnal rest in any way bear upon that of annual or winter rest, which probably most plants, that are not so-called annuals, do require. The beneficial influence of the electric light has been very manifest upon a banana palm, which a t two periods of its existence—viz., during its early growth and a t the time of the fruit develop­ment, was placed (in February and March of 1880 and 1881) under the night action of one of the electric lights, set behind glass a t a distance not exceeding two yards from the plant. The result was a bunch of fruit weighing 75 lb., each banana being of usual size, anil pronounced by competent judges to be unsurpassed in flavour. Melons also remarkable for size and aromatic flavour have been produced under the influence of con­tinuous light in the early spring of 1880 and 1881, and I am confident that still better results may be realized when the best conditions of temperature and of proxi­mity to the electric light have been thoroughly investi­gated. My object hitherto has rather been to ascertain the general conditions necessary to promote growth by the aid of electric light than the production of quantit­ative resu lts; but I am disposed to think that the time is not far distant when the electric light will be found a valuable adjunct to the means a t the disposal of the horticulturist in making him really independent of climate and season, and furnishing him with a power of pro­ducing new varieties. Before electro-horticulture can be entertained as a practical process, it would be necessary, however, to prove its cost, and my experiments of last winter have been in part directed towards that object. Where water-power is available the electric light can be produced a t an extremely moderate cost, comprising carbon electrodes, and wear and tear of, and interest upon, apparatus and machinery employed, which ex­perience elsewhere has already shown to amount to 3d. per hour for a light of 5,000 candles. The personal cur­rent attention requisite in that case consists simply in replacing the carbon electrodes every six or eight hours, which can be done without appreciable expense by the under-gardener in charge of the fires of the greenhouses. In my case no natural source of power was available, and a steam-engine had to be resorted to. The engine, of six nominal horse-power, which I employ to w'ork the two electric lights of 5,000 candle-power, each consumes 56 11). of coal per hour (the engine being of the ordinary liigli-pressure type), which, taken a t 20s. a ton, would amount to 6d. or to 3d. per light of5,000 candles. But against this expenditure has to be placed the saving of fuel effected in suppressing the stoves for heating the greenhouses, the amount of which I have not been able to ascertain accurately, but it may safely be taken at two-thirds of the cost of coal for the engine, thus reducing the cost of the fuel per light to Id. per h o u r; the total cost per light of 5,000 candles will thus amount to 6d. plus Id., equal to 7d. per hour. This calculation would hold good if the electric light and engine-power were required during, say, 12 hours per diem, inasmuch as the iight is not required during the daytime, and the firing of the boiler has nevertheless to be kept up in order to supply heat to the greenhouses, it appears that during the daytime

THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [ A p r i l i , 1 8 8 2 .. -----

an amount of motive power is lost equal to that em­ployed during the night. In order to utilize this power I have devised means of working the dynamo-machine also during the daytime and of transmitting the electric energy thus produced hy means of wires to different points of the farm where such operations as chaff- cutting, swede-slicing, timber-sawing, and water-pumping have to be performed. These objects are accomplished by means of small dynamo-machines, placed a t the points where power is required for these various purposes, and which are in metallic connection with the current- generating dynamo-machine near the engine. The con­necting wires employed consists each of a naked strand of copper wire, supported on wooden poles, or on trees, without the use of insulators, while the return circuit is effected through the park railing or wire fencing of the place, which is connected with both transmitting and working machines, by means of short pieces of con­necting wire. In order to insure the metallic continuity of the wire fencing, care has to be taken wherever there are gates to solder a piece of wire buried below the gate to the wire fencing on either side. As regards pumping the water, a tliree-horse-power steam-engine was originally used, working two force-pumps, of 3 4 -inch diameter, making 36 double strokes per minute. The same pumps are still employed, now being worked by a dynamo-machine weighing 4 cwt. W hen the cisterns a t the house, the gardens, and the farm require filling, the pumps are started by simply turning the commu­tator at the engine station, and in like manner the mechanical operations of the farm already referred to arc accomplished by one and the same prime mover. I t would be difficult in this instance to state accurately the percentage of power actually received at the dis­tant station, but in trying the same machines under similar circumstances of resistance with the aid of dyna­mometers as much as 60 per cent has been realized. In conclusion, I have pleasure to state that the work­ing of the electric light and transmission of power for the various operations just named are entirely under the charge of my head gardener, Mr. Buchanan, assisted by the ordinary staff of under-gardeners and field labourers, who probably never before heard of the power of electricity. Electric transmission of power may eventually be applied also to thrashing, reaping, and ploughing. These objects are a t the present time accomplished to a large extent by means of portable steam engines, a class of engine which has attained a high degree of perfection, but the electric moter pre­sents the great advantage of lightness, its weight per horse-power being only 2 cwt., while the weight of a portable engine with its boiler filled with water may be taken at 15 cwt. per horse-power. Moreover, the port­able engine requires a continuous supply of water and fuel, and involves skilled labour in the field, while the electrical engine receives its food through the wTire (for a light rail upon which it may be made to move about) from the central station, where power can be produced a t a cheaper rate of expenditure for fuel and labour than in the field. The use of secondary batteries may also be resorted to with advantage to store electrical energy when it cannot be utilized. In thus accom­plishing the w'ork of a farm from a central power station, considerable savings of plant and labour may be effected, the engine power will be chiefly required for day work, and its night w'ork, for the purposes of electro-horticulture, will be a secondary utilization of the establishment involving little extra expense. At the same time the means are provided of lighting the hall and shrubberies in the most perfect manner, and of producing effects in landscape gardening that are strikingly beauti­ful.

C u l t iv a t io n o f H ors.—M . M iintz.—The author con­cludes th a t hop manures should be especially rich in nitrogen .— Chemical News.

M a n o r ia l E x p e r im e n t s w it h S a l t p e t r e on W h e a t , B a r l e y , a n d O a t s . —H oratio Chancellor.—Saltpetre is most beneficial in dry seasons, and ehould be applied in successive doses.— Chemical News.

M a n o r ia l A c t io n o f G y p s u m o n L u c e r n e .— V . Nanquette, Prof. Medicus, and M. Schell.—Gypsum has proved useful in the cultivation of lucerne, even on decidedly calcareous soils. (This agrees w ith the view of Prof. Ville.)—Ibid.

C o m p a r a t iv e M a n o r ia l E x p e r i m e n t s . —C. M erger.— In the experiments tried, a manuring, containing otherwise all the constituents of th e crop (barley), bu t deficient in silica, gave the poorest results, being on a level with a plo t to ta lly unm anured.—Ibid.

M a n o r i a l G a r d e n E x p e r im e n t s . —W . Lauche and Prof. A. O rth .—The highest results were obtained w ith farm yard m anure plus ammonium and potas­sium sulphates and superphosphate. The crop was the sugar-beet. —Ibid.

I n f l u e n c e o f A t m o s p h e r ic E l e c t r ic it y on G r o w t h o f t h e V i n e .—Dr. J. Macagno.—The vines experi­mented on yielded grapes richer in grape-sugar and poorer in acid than those growing under natural conditions. —Ibid.

R e s e a r c h e s o n t h e H e a t o f t h e G r o u n d . —Dr. von Liebenberg.— All air-dry soils a t equal tem peratures radiate heat equally. The author insists strongly on the injurious effect of any agency th a t lowers the tem perature of the ground in spring, as reducing both the quantity and quality of the crop.—Ibid.

N e w R e s e a r c h e s o n t h e P a s s a g e o f R a i n -w a t e r s t h r o u g h A r a b l e S o il s . —A. Audoynaud and B. Chauzit.—The chief loss of nitrogen is in the form of nitrates. Sulphuric acid is removed in considerable quantity ; phosphoric acid only in traces. The loss of potash and sodium chloride is great.—Ibid.

M a n u r ia l E x p e r im e n t s o n F r u i t T r e e s . —Dr. P. Sorauer.—If liquid manures are too much diluted, the trees are injured by being compelled in seeking nourishm ent to take up more w ater th an they need. On th e other hand, too concentrated solutions oc­casion a decay of th e roots.—Biedermann's Centralblatl.' E x p e r im e n t s on M a n u r in g B e e t s .—MM. Champon-

nois and P e lle t.—The authors have tried two manures, one based on V ille’s manure and the other on the residue of the refuse from refining beet-sugar on Porion’s process. The la tte r was richer in potash, and of course in organic m atter, and gave heavier crops.— Chemical News.

C h a n g e s in F a r m -y a r d M a n u r e on P r o l o n g e d K e e p ­in g . —Prof. Birner and Dr. Brimmer.—The loss of n itro ­gen is considerable, b u t alm ost disappears if the manure is protected against moisture. On the addition of 1 per cent kainite and 1 per cent magnesium sulphate, the nitrogen is increased by absorption from the a t ­mosphere. —Ibid.

A N e w M e t h o d o f D e t e r m i n i n g t h e A b s o r p t iv e P o w e r o f t h e S o il . —R. Zalomanoff.—The author re ­commends the filtration m ethod. He concludes th a t the results obtained by agitation in a flask are con­clusive ; that Liebig’s opinion on the iden tity of drainage-water and ground-water is erroneous, and that compounds existing in solution and separated on passing through pulverised bodies or through capil­lary tubes assume another molecular co n d itio n —Ibid.

T h e V a l u e o f D if f e r e n t F orm s o f R e v e r t e d P h o s ­p h o r ic A c id co m pa red w it h t h e S o l u b l e P h o s p h o r ic A c id o f S u p e r p h o s p h a t e s , —Prof. M. M aercker.—In general, precipitated phosphate of lime appears of equal value w ith superphosphates w ith an equal quan tity of soluble phosphoric acid. Root crops form an ex­ception, as in them soluble phosphoric acid gives a somewhat bette r return. In light soils the precipit­ated phosphate was found much superior. P recip it­a ted aluminium phosphate is as th e same value as the calcium phosphate,—Ibid.

I n f l u e n c e o f S u p e r f i c i a l D e s ic c a t io n o f t h e S o il u p o n i t s H y g r o s c o p ic a n d T h e r m o m e t r i c E e l a t io n s .—Prof. E . W ollny.—The evaporation of w ater and the escape of heat are reduced by superficial drying.— Chemical News.

U t il is a t io n o f C e r t a in A r t ic l e s o f F ood in H um an D ig e s t io n . —Max Riibner.—The proportion of m atter assimilated from different kinds of food varies greatly.Of the nitrogenous m atter in fresh meat and eggs only 2 '5 to 2 7 per cent is rejected ; in m ilk 7 to 12 per c e n t; in peas, beans, &c., 10'5 per cent. The author m aintains th a t a healthy body can scarcely be formed and upheld w ith vegetable m atter alone.— Ibid.

Q u a n t it y o f P l a n t -fo od in t h e R e f u s e o f D if f e r e n t T o w n s . —Dr. M. Fleischer.—The Groningen compost contains on th e average :—Nitrogen 0 6, potash 0 '24 , and phosphoric acid 0'5 per cent. The Bremen com­post (pail-system ):—Nitrogen 0'52, potash 0"26, phos­phoric acid O'ol. The author tak ing the value of nitrogen a t £60 per ton , th a t of potash a t £11, and th a t of phosphoric acid a t £15, values th e excre- m entitious m atter of Groningen a t £240 per 1,000 in ­habitants, and th a t of Bremen a t £150.—Ibid.

S t a t e o f C o m b in a t io n o f P h o s p h e r ic A c id in t h e A g r ic u l t u r a l S o il .— P. P . Deherain and K ayser.— The authors mention th a t phosphoric acid introduced into the soil in the sta te of animal charcoal soon passed in to combination w ith alum ina and ferric oxide,In cases where th e addition of snperphosphate was found unremunerative, a considerable p a rt of the to ta l phosphoric acid was found as calcium phosphate. The mud of th e Nile was found to contain 2 30 grms. phosphoric acid per kilo. If as m uch as 0 4 per cent of phosphoric acid is present in the soil, phosphatic manures are useless.—Ibid.

F r u i t s .—The consumption of lum ber by legitim ate enterprise is something enormous, and from published statistics we gather th e following :—To make shoe-pegs enough for American use consumes annually, 100,000 feet of the best pine are required every year. Last and boot-trees take 500,000 cords of birch, b-ech or maple, and th e handles of tools, 500,000 more. The baking of our brick consumes 2,000,000 cords of wood, o r w hat would cover w ith forest about 50,000 acres of land. Telegraph poles already up represent 800,000 trees, and their annual repair consumes about 300,000 more. The ties of our railroads consume annually th irty years’ growth of 75,000 acres. Our packing bores cost12,000,000 dols., while the tim ber used each year in m aking waggons and agricultural implements is valued a t more than 100,000,000 dols.— Souilf American Journal.

M a n u r ia l E x p e r i m e n t s w i t h P h o s p h o r ic A c id i n D i f f e r e n t F o r m s o f C o m b in a t io n .—Dr. Fittbogen, Prof. Dietrich, F . Oldenburg, Dr. B irner.—The authors have compared th e m anurial action of superphosphates made from Mejillones Guano and from Lahn phos­phorite with precipitated “ K ladno-pbosphate” (an aluminium phosphate) and w ith iron phosphate. The proportionate results for grain were :—Mejillones superphosphate 32, Lahu do. 12, precipitated phosphate 8, Kladno-phosphate 9, iron phosphate 10, w hilst a check experim ent w ithout phosphoric acid gave 9. On doubling th e doses, the yield was approximately doubled in case of the Mejillones and the Lahn super- phosphate, w hilst w ith precipitated calcium phos­phate, w ith kladno aud iron phosphate, there was little difference. The authors conclude th a t in sandy soils, such as were used in their experiments, only th a t pa rt of th e phosphoric acid which is soluble in w ater utilized. P lan ts cannot, by the mere action of th e ir roots, and w ithout the cooperation of ground waters containing cirbolic acid, extract auy phos­phoric acid from the insoluble phosphates.—Chemical News.

L a n d s t o b e G r a n t e d i n S o u t h A f r i c a . — In 1880 the to ta l area of lands granted by the Crown in Cape Colony was 340,850 acres, while 2,635,588 acres were sold. The to ta l are of the Colony is about 131,711,600 acres, of which 56,900,930 acres still remain unalienated. — Colonies and India.

M a n it o b a .—Mr. Staveley H ill, M .P ., is on a visit to W innipeg, and contemplates a tour through M anitoba and the N orth-W est, w ith the view of laying the result of his observations before his constituency in W est Staffordshire on his re tu rn . Two Cabinet M inisters, Messrs. A tkins and Bowell, were also visiting the capital.A large num ber of perm anent se ttlers were arriving.—Ibid.

N e w Z e a l a n d . —A nother very valuable industry is likely soon to be established amongst us—th e growth and m anufacture of tobacco. I t is proposed to reduce the d u ty on th e locally-grown article from 3s. 6d. to Is. per lb ., and w ith such a stim ulus the lands in the Colony known to be suitable to the grow th of th is p lant will probably soon be abundantly productive. — Ibid.

N e w F r u it s f r o m C a n a d a . —The Liverpool Journal o f Commerce states th a t a very interesting consignment of fresh fru it—tomatoes, cantaloups, and other kinds of melons—has ju st been landed from the Allan Royal Mail steamer Parisian, consigned to Messrs. W oodall & Co., fru it m erchants, N orth John S treet, Liverpool. These were shipped under a process newly planted by Mr. G. A. Cochrane, of Montreal. The results are sta ted by th e trade to be in every way satisfactory, and shipm ents of peaches and other perishable fru its are to follow. Mr. Cochrane’s patent can be applied to a num ber of other commodities, and i t is believed to be possible th a t th e trade carried on on in preserved and canned fru its m ay be completely revolutionised.—Ibid.

T h e d e s i r e f o r C o l o n ia l P o s s e s s io n s is a growing feeling among Continental nations. The German papers describe th e movement in favour of acquiring Colonies for Germany as furnishing a prom inent electioneering cry. An organisation has been formed in th a t country, calling itself the “ Society of Commercial Geography,” and is engaged in actively circulating papers advising voters to w ithhold their support from any candidates who are no t disposed to support measures for securing to the German Empire suitable Colonial possessions. I t is difficult to see w hat measures are to be taken for th is purpose ; bu t i t is to be hoped th a t they will be of a more commendable character than those adopted by France, and th a t the Germans m ay be more successful in their Colonial undertakings than their neighbours have been.— Ibid.

P l a n t s f o r P a p e r -m a k in g — E arnest efforts are made, too, to introduce from South America, le m ati. I t i t made of the leaves of the ilex paraguayensis, which are singed over a fire made with several sorts of aromatic wood, nex t dried by a flame (which has no smoke) of o ther spices of aromatic wood, then these leaves are pounded, afterwards sifted, next pounded, then sifted and re-sifted un til a very fine powder is obtained, which is le mati. W hen used, i t is boiled in water for two m inutes, may be boiled seven or eight times (if care be taken never to let th e leaves cool between each of these boilings), and th e last de­coction will be the best. This decoction is a darkish liquid, less fragrant than good tea, less b itte r than coffee, containing the same principles as coffee, and may be used instead of coffee. I t produces neither sleeplessness nor palpitations of the heart, enables the. d rinker to do w ithout food, costs Id. a pound, and each pound easily furnishes t v ■ 11ty quarts of good strong m a t i ; i t does not require sugar.—Stationery Trades Journal.

T r a d e i n F u n g u s . — Auckland, August 16.— A steadily increasing trade in fungus is being carried on between the northern part of New Zealand and China, and last year 165 tons, valued a t ra ther more than£6,000 were exported. During the nine yeas from1872 to 1880 inclusive, no less th an 1,132 tons, valued a t £47,651, were exported. Very little attention has been paid to th is branch of industry until recently. The New Zealand fungus is found upon various kinds of decayed tim ber in the North Island. I t mostly favours damp localities, and is very plentiful on the east co ist south of the East Cape. Children and Maoris collect it, and after being sold to the dealers, i t ispacked in bales and forwarded to China by way ofSydney and San Francisco. The Chinese use i t as an article of food.— Colonies and India.

D e t e r m in a t io n o f P o t a sh in A g r ic u l t u r a l S u b ­st a n c es b y m e a n s o f P e r c h l o r ic A c id . —Arm and Bar- tran d .—In the first place i t is necessary to examine if the substance in question contains an ammoniacal salt. If this is the case, the ammonia m ust be ex­pelled by boiling w ith a little caustic lime. I t is necessary th a t the substance should be perfectly clear. The filtered solution of the sample is evaporated on the water-bath in a small procelain capsule w ith 5 c c. of perchloric acid a t 45° B. until the volume of the liquid is reduced to about 10 c.c. The cap­sule is taken off the water-bath, alcohol a t 95 per cent is added ; i t is le t cool, and the potassium per­chlorate is collected upon a small filter. The preci­p ita te is washed w ith alcohol a t 95 per cent con­taining 10 per cent by volume of perchloric acid, un til the liquid running through no longer show's the reactions of sulphuric and phosphoric acids. The washing is then completed w ith alcohol a t 95 per cent w ithout the adm ixture of perchloric acid. I t is then dried in the stove. A t the end of tw enty to th ir ty minutes the precipitate is detached from the filter and spread ou t in a tared watch-glass. I t is weighed t-'ice, to be certain th a t the desiccation is complete, and the weight of the potassium perchlorate thus obtained is noted. On the o ther hand, as there always remains a little perchlorate adhering to the filler, instead of using a tared filter, the author considers i t more expeditious to operate as follows :— During the desiccation of the perchlorate in the watch-glass the filter is b u rn t in a platinum capsule fitted w ith a lid. The potassium chloride resulting from the calcination is washed into a glass, and the chlorine is determined with a centinormal silver solu­tion. A m ultiplication indicates the perchlorate to be added to th a t which has been weighed. This pro­cess gives accurate results in presence of lime, mag­nesia, soda, baryta, iron, alumina, and sulphuric or phosphoric acids, free or combined. The author pre­pares his perchloric acid as follows :—H e dissolves purified barium chlorate in luke-warm water, and precipitates w ith dilute suphuric acid. H e lets settle, draws off the clear liquid w ith a syphon, and washes the precipitate of barium sulphate. The solution of chloric acid is evaporated in a porcelain capsule over a naked fire un til the concentrated liquid be­comes yellow aud emits a peculiar sound if heated further. I t is then divided in capsules of 19 centi­metres in diameter, each capable of containing about 700 c.c., and the evaporation is continued un til the liquid is completely colourless, and emits dense white fumes. In order to diminish the inevitable loss of perchloric acid, a little w ater may be added from time to time during the concentration. Four parts of barium chlorate yield in general 1 p a rt of per­chloric acid a t 45° B. The colourless liquid is distilled in a retort heated on the sin d bath. A long-necked tubulated receiver is adapted to th e re to rt w ithout the use of a cork.— Chemical Hews.

N e w P r o d u c t s a t A v is a w e l l a , (C e y l o n ) .—We are having rem arkably fine growing w eather now for our last year’s clearings. The Liberian are beginning tothrow out the large ligh t yellowish leaves, which isa sure sign the roots are all righ t beneath. Cocoa is coming on very, well, b u t goes out m ysteriouslyin small patches, although each m onth’s g row thenables i t to fight through its various enemies w ith greater chance of success. Cardamoms are bearing well a fte r eighteen m onths’ growth, they grow to almost any height in th a t time. Para Rubber wont grow anywhere here, I heard of th e last tree in the place having died lately. Ceara comes on wonderfully fast and is a healthy fine looking tree. W ill it, or will i t not u ltim ately, pay ? Ours is getting a large and a most interesting d istrict to anyone wishing to see low growing products. There are also five large en­gines sawing tim ber. I t is interesting to watch the elephants working a t these mills and th e system atic way in which the great saws are worked and the tim ber transported through miles of jungle cart roads. —G. Times.

N e w Z e a l a n d : B e e t r o o t . —Efforts are being made to secure th e establishm ent of a beet-root sugar m anu­factory in the W aikato, and to induce the settlers to cu ltiva 'e the beet. A t a meeting of settlers last week, i t was announced th a t th e H am burg Company were willing to furnish seed of the best quality for the cultivation of 500 tons of beet, send out a p lan t capable of m anufacturing 10,000 tons per annum, and skilled labour to work it, and to tak e about 6,0001 money in terest in the undertaking, if the settlers would grow th a t quantity of beet and provide the remaining capital requ ired—some 24,0001. The n e tt profit for the working of a plant of th is kind was expected to be not less than 30 per cent per annum on the paid- up capital. Notw ithstanding the fact th a t th e soil and climate in W aikato are very suitable for the growth of beet-root, th e settlers appeared indisposed to under­take its cultivation ; bu t in order to prevent a failure of the scheme, Mr. J . C. F irth , a wealthy landowner, and the possessor of m any thousands of fertile acres a t M atam ata, has undertaken to grow from 500 to 700 acres of beet-root per annum for a long term of years. Should the necessary capital be found, therefore, sugar may form one of th e principal articles of export from Auckland ere long — Colonies and, India.

U s e f u l A n t s . —W e are to ld th a t “ m any of the lead ing orchard proprietors in N orthern I ta ly and Southern Germany are cultivators of the common black ant, which insect they hold in high esteem as the fru it­grower’s best, friend. They establish ant-hills in their orchards, and leave th e police service of their fru it trees entirely to the tiny colonists, which pass all th e ir tim e in climbing up the stems of the fru it trees, cleansing their boughs and leaves of malefactors, m ature as well as em bryotic, and descend laden w ith spoils to th e ground, when they com fortably consnme or prudently store away their booty. They never meddle w ith sound fruit, b u t only invade such apples, pears, and plums as have already been penetrated by the canker, which they remorselessly pursue to its fast­nesses within the very heart of the fru it. Nowhere are apple and pear trees so free from blight and destructive insects as in the immediate neighbourhood of a large ant-hill five or six years old. The favourite food of ants would be the larval and pupae of those creatures which spend the whole of their brief ex­istence in devouring th e tender shoots and juvenile leaves of fru it trees.” We have a large variety of carnivorous ants in Australia, some of which, perhaps, m ight be turned to account as a m ilitary force against some ot our insect plagues. Perhaps some entomolo­gist may find it w orth while to give some a tten tion to th is m atte r.—Australasian.

ORANGE-GROWING- NEAR W ANGARATTA.Mr. Bi-ien had been engaged in the orange p lan t­

ations in New South Wales, and in choosing his site his practised eye discovered a small nook in a gorge a t the foot of the ranges th a t gave every pro­mise of being suitable to the growth of the orange, l ie cleared off the tim ber, and having procured some young orange trees from Sydney, made his first experiment, which answered so well th a t he was in ­duced to plant an extensive orange grove. As i t was risky and somewhat, expensive to im port th e young trees from Sydney, he adopted the plan of raising young plants by layering the old ones. The orange trees raised by this process are said never to make well-shaped or vigorous trees. This has not been the case in Mr. Brien’s experience, for the most vigor­ous and shapely trees in his plantation are those raised from layers.

The soil in which the "plantation has been formed is a patch of deep kindly vegetable soil, a little over seven acres in extent. I t is completely sheltered by the range on three sides, and lies open only to the east. The trees receive but little manure, and scarcely any water, and yet no trees could be more healthy or bear heavier crops. The patch of good soil on which the trees are planted is very clearly defined, and a yard or so out of a certain boundary the trees show by their dwarfed and sickly look th a t the soil is unsuitable to th e ir growth. Most of the trees on the border of the good soil have been removed and lemons planted in their p lace ; they thrive well, and there is a constant demand for their fruit. Citrons and shaddocks also grow well and bear freely. The varieties of orange grown are St. Michael, blood, navel, P arram atta seed­ling, Emperor, and thorny mandarins and cumquats. Mr. Brieu is strongly of opinion th a t fine-flavoured oranges can only be grown on the hills, and th a t there are very few localities indeed in which they can be grown to leave a profit.—Australasian,

TEA D R Y IN G : ROBERTSON’S TYPHOON.Mr. J . M. Robertson, m anager of the A rcuttipore Tea

Company’s Gardens, has invented a new tea-drying ap ­paratus which he has named the “ Typhoon.” A number of the planters of his d istric t m et a t his garden, by invitation, to tes t th e merits of his machine. We quote the verdict recorded by them in their own words, and also append the Brokers’ report on the teas which were m anufactured in their presence during the tria l. The “ Typhoon” is a simple and inexpensive construction of brick and iron, which can be erected without skilled labor. The heating m aterial used is coke, and the quantity of coke required for a maund of tea is stated to be one-quarter of a manud. The out-turn from the “ Typhoon” we found to be a t the ra te of one-half m aund of thoroughly dried Tea per hour, and the m anner in which the work was done was to our entire satisfaction, some of us thinking th a t the apparatus was capable of doing more. The inventor leads us to understand th a t the entire cost of construction and material will not be over R300, and we do not see th a t th is sum need be exceeded. We are unanimously of opinion th a t unless the dryers a t present in use are very m aterially reduced in price, th a t they will be beaten off the field by the “ Typhoon. ” The following are some of the chief features and advantages of this m achine:—1st.—The low cost. 2nd. —Durabdity, there being nothing except the trays th a t can suffer from wear and tear. 3rd.-—The small quantity of fuel required—about £ maund of coke for kutcha tiring I maund of Tea. 4tli.—Ease in stoking, the furnace not requiring attention ottener than once every 1£ to 2 hours. 5th.—Absolute and immediate control over the temperature, which can be raised or lowered

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instantaneously. Gth.—No “ getting up heat ” req u ired - In fifteen m inutes after beginning to ligh t the fire> the apparatus is ready for work. 7lh.—Requires no troublesome cleaning out. 8th.—Quantity. The apparatus is capable of drying a t least 40 lb. an hour, and has frequently dried over 50 lb. 9th . — Quality of tea is equal to th a t obtained by any process h itherto introduced .— Indian Tea Gazette.

JACKSON’S N E W SELF-ACTING TEA DRY ER.Messrs. W. & J . Jackson have invented a new

apparatus th a t will deal w ith the Tea itself through­out th e drying process, and thus, they subm it, secure a perfection in the dessication of the leaf not hitherto obtained. The objects arrived a t by th e new invention are as follows :—1st.—A fter the leaf is fed into the machine i t requires no more a ttention u n til i t is dis­charged dry. 2nd .—Every individual leaf is sim ul­taneously exposed in precisely a similar manner to the action of the heated air, thus producing an unvaried and perfectly even dried leaf. 3rd .—The Tea is steadily bu t very slowly kept in motion, thereby dispensing w ith the tedious and tiring watchfulness of a ttendants, hitherto required in Tea drying on the tray system. 4<7t.—There are no trays about the machine to handle, and i t is, therefore, thoroughly durable and cannot get out of order. In operating with the machine, a boy or a ttendan t has simply to spread th e leaf on a slowly-moving feeding web or band, which carries i t forward and places i t in the machine, where i t is steadily but inactively k ep t in motion, and in due course is discharged dry and crisp from a shoot a t the delivery e n d ; so long therefore as the a tten d an t continues to supply the machine w ith leaf, i t will steadily dry and discharge it, and should he have occasion to leave the machine a t any tim e, no injury can take place to the leaf in the apparatus, as i t m ust pass on and be discharged. The leaf is continuously, b u t very slowly, turned over, disentangled and in ­dividually presented to the action of th e heated air by a peculiar combination of concentric cylinders, thus ensuring not only the most uniform fermentation, bu t the drying of each leaf being sim ultaneously effected alike, m ust produce an unvaried briskness, and quality of liquor not obtainable from any of th e methods of drying a t present known. The machine will dry about 40 maunds of green leaf per day , and i t will be approxim ately 9 ft. long, 3 ft. 6 in. wide, by about 8 ft. high. The apparatus will take very little driving, which can either be effected by steam or hand power. I t is very simple, easily erected and self-contained. I t will be especially suitable for th e final drying of Tea, as the chests can be placed under the delivery shoot to be filled and closed up whilst the Tea is hot and crisp.— Indian Tea Gazette.

T H E TOBACCO TRADE OF IN D IA .The to ta l value of exports of Tobacco from Ind ia

las increased in th e past five years about 58 p e r en t in value. The export figures a re —

R.1876-77 ... ... 891,3981880-81 . ... ... 1,408,310

Difference more... 516,912

Last year’s exports were, in quantity , as follows :lb.

Unm anufactured leaf ... 13,167,325Cigars ... ... 207,005Other manufactured T jbacco 198,811

Total exports ... 13,673,141

The following ate the percentages of the Cigar exports :—

To the Straits ... 50 per cent.U nited Kingdom ... 25 ,,Ceylon 13 ,,O ther places ... 12 ,,

In the abovenamed export to ta l of unm anufactured Tobacco, the following is an approximate d istribu­tion :—

lb.Bengal, exports ... 7,866,363Bombay ................ 4,628,078O ther places ... 772,884

Total ... 13,267,325

The exports were to the following places

U nited Kingdomlb.

4,176,0801,314,642France

Italy 907,528E gypt 924,134M auritius ... 692,938Aden • 4,233,401Arabia 398,225Straits 347,338Other Countries 273,139

Total .. 13,267,325

The absence of th e colonies from this list, may possibly strike some enterprising shippers of a really superior leaf and m ake .— Indian Daily N eus.

LIM E.In «ome parts of the low-lying d istricts of the country

(EgnLnd) there are spots which grow bu t little besides sorrel and semi-aquatic weeds. This occurs on peaty or w hat are more commonly term ed fen soils. In th is lies an instructive lesson for application in the case in question. I f a portion of this peaty soil, which produces th e plants indicated be pu t into a flower-pot and “ digested,” as some chemists say, with a little lime, and then a m ixture of sorrel, kingcup, and grass seeds be sown, the two former, which can and do feed on a free acid, will not grow. This is because the lime neutralised th e free acid by again being partially restored to a sta te of carbon­ate of lime. B ut while th is chemical transformation has been fatal t o . the sorrel and kingcup, i t has made the peaty soil into a condition for seeds of gr .s <s or cereals to germ inate in and grow.

On the contrary, if a pot of th e same soil be placed side by side with the one treated as above described, and the soil be left in its natural state, and a m ixture of the above seeds be sown in it, then the sorrel and kingcup will germinate and flourish, bu t the free acid will prove so noxious to the grass seeds th a t they will not germinate at all.

The lesson the result of the experiments teaches is clear. W here sorrel and kingcups grow in super­abundance—th a t is, to an extent in which they injure the growth of the grass—it is clear th a t a dressing of lime or chalk is advisable. Two or three tons of lime per acre, if i t be slacked and well broad­casted, will have a due effect for three or four years, while 6 or 8 tons of chalk would be. required to have a similar effect, and th is would scarcely begin before the second year after i t had been applied.

A bette r plan of applying the lime, if i t can be managed, is to raise a quain tity of soil on a head­land, or by olearing out a ditch, or by paring down an unnecessarily wide hedgerow in the autum n, and m ixing the lime w ith it. Then, in the spring, or

during the frosts of w inter, th is m ixture m ay be applied a t th e ra te of eight, ten, or twelve c a rt­loads pe r acre, according to the quautity of the soil available for covering the acreage th a t needs to be dressed. To mix lime, and soil, and earth in this way has a twofold advantage when applied to pastures. The lime makes soluble or dissolves some of the m ineral constituents of the soil with which it is mixed, which act in combination w ith the lime as food for the most nutritious grasses, while the lime is there a t th e same tim e w ith all its power to neutralise th e free acid which fed the sorrel and kingscup, and allowed them to flourish.— English Agricultural Gazette.

H IN TS ON OSTRICH FA R M IN G IN NATAL.The information published from tim e to tim e in

these columns shows th a t ostrich farm ing in N atal will probably before long become an im portant indus­try . The experience gained by ostrich breeders in the Cape Colony will be of great assistance in guiding in ­tending “ feather growers ” in the adjoining Colony, and prevent many of the losses which the pioneers of the industry had to undergo. The N a ta l Witness publishes a sketch of the experiences of a successful ostrich breeder—Mr. Noyce, of Uitenhage—the prin ­cipal features of which will be interesting to many Colonists, or intending Colonists, who are proposing to take up the pursuit of ostrich farming. Some eight or nine years ago, i t is stated, Mr. Noyce sta rted sheep-farming on the north-western verge of the U iten ­hage province, where all his operations since have been carried on. For about three years he carried on his sheep-farming as successfully as he could expect, bu t there came a drought, and he lost th e greater p a rt of his flock. Persevering, however, he gave sheep- farming another trial, and again was very successful in it, un til in 1877 another drought resulted in nearly the entire destruction of his flock. He then came to th e conclusion to give up sheep in favour of ostrich farm ing. Previously to this he had bought a few ostriches, bu t lacking experience in their management, and having no sources of information in regard thereto, they did not prove a very profitable investment. All of them, w ith the exception of one pair, were ultim ­ately exchanged for sheep. The one pair retained proved afterw ards to be most valuable birds. Nearly, if not quite, ruined by his second failure w ith his sheep, Mr. Noyce fortunately managed to get some young ostriches on credit The birds turned out well, and their owner was able by selling some of them, when they were older, to realise more than sufficient to pay for th e whole lo t of the birds he had purchased. On ten pairs of birds he has been able to make a profit of about £4,000 per annum during the past two years. H e has no t kep t more than ten pairs of breed­ing birds, and he thinks th is num ber is quite suffi­cient for one man to manage. N atal, he thinks, is well adapted for ostrich-farming. Very little special knowledge and experience is, he th inks, required for the pursuit—so th a t i t may be readily taken up by settlers. D uring th e short tim e he has been in N atal he has inspected several ostrich-farms, and on all of them the birds appeared to be d oing rem arkably well, proving th a t the Colony is suitable to th e pursuit. The best birds for a young beginner to buy are, in his opinion, those of m ature age—say from three to four years old. The birds should be placed in good safe paddocks, the fencing of which should be about 4 feet 6 inches high, and th e space enclosed about an acre, bu t of course the area of the paddock should depend on the nature of th e soil. W here lucerne is sown in the camp, half an acre for the paddock would be sufficient. Each bird should have three meals a day, and the greatest care should be taken to feed

them a t regular intervals. The birds will also have to be supplied w ith back ground, or salt. W hen there is a scarcity of grass food, thistle , lucerne, cabbage, green barley, and garden produce m ust be provided. The birds m ust also have crushed bones of about an inch in length, and also wood ash in which they can roll themselves to prevent vermin. The sick­ness affecling ostriches is but little . They are chiefly troubled w ith stoppage and tape worms, The former may be prevented by a good supply of fresh green food, and an occasional feed on boiled barley with pieces of aloe leaf cu t up in it. For the latter, doses of turpentine, mixed up with flour and given in a ball, or administered in milk, w ith an aloe" pill given two hours after the first dose, are best. The food for young birds is somewhat sim ilar to th a t for the old ones, only i t should be cut up very short. The birds generally lay from ten to sixteen eggs, and the period of sitting is generally forty-two days. I t is hardly necessary to say th a t the less they are d is­turbed during th a t period the better. The older they get the more reconciled they become, and sometimes they will continue breeding for a long period—per­haps for twenty years.— Colonies and India.

AM ERICAN CULTURAL HINTS.The name of Peter Henderson, the American

nurserym an, will soon be as well known in this country as in his own. Mr. Henderson’s farm raised last season nearly half a million cabbage and lettuce plants, which they sold a t £1 a thonsm d.

“ They sowed the seed in February (winter) on one of their greenhouse benches, so thick th a t they stood 20 plants to the square inch. These they began to prick out in hotbeds ju st as the first rough leaf appeared, placing 1,000 in a 3 ft. x 6 ft. sash. The handling of th a t quantity was a big job, but Mr. Henderson doubts if one p lant in a thousand failed, owing, he thinks, to a plan used in preparingthe bed on the greenhouse bench for the seeds—aplan th a t is well w orthy of im itation in preparing a bed for seeds th a t have to be transplanted of any kind, whether outside or under glass. He used only 2 in. in depth of the soil for the seed bed, which was made up as follow s:—The first layer, of about 1 in., was a good friable loam, run through a % in. sieve. This was patted down w ith a spade, and made perfectly level and m oderately firm. On this was spread about J in. of sphagnum (moss from the swamps), which had been dried and run through a sieve nearly as fine as mosquito wire, so th a t i t was of the condition of fine sawdust. On the top of th e moss the ordinary soil was again strewn to a depth of j in. This being levelled, the seed was sown very thickly, and then pressed into the soil w ith a smooth board. On th is th e fine moss was again sifted,thick enough to cover the seed only. The bed wasthen freely watered w ith a fine rose, and in a week every seed, th a t had life in i t was a plant. W hen the seed of most plants germinate, where they are quickly sown, th e stem strikes down in to th e soil, the roots forming a tap-root w ith few fibres unless arrested by something. Here comes the value of the one-fourth of an inch of sifted moss placed three- quarters of an inch from the top. As soon as the rootlets touch the moss they ramify in all directions, so th a t when a bunch of seedlings is lifted up and pulled apart, there is a mass of rootlets, to which the moss more or less adheres, attached to each. To the practical gardener, the advantage of this is obv ious; the tiny seeding has a t once a mass of rootlets ready to w ork, which strike into th e soil at once. The advantage of the moss covering of the seed is not so apparent in the m atter of a free germinating seed, such as cabbage, as in m any others,

bu t in many families of plants i t is of th e greatest value. For example, Mr. Henderson, last November, took two lots of 10,000 seeds of Centaurea candi- d issim a; both were sown on the same day, and exactly in the same manner, in boxes of soil 2 in. deep, bu t the one lo t was covered w ith the sifted moss and the other with fine soil. From the moss- covered lo t were got over 9,000 fine plants, while from th a t covered by soil there were only about3,000. The same results were shown in a large lot of seeds of the now famous climbing p lant Ampe- lopsis Veitchi, and in the finer varieties of clematis. The reason is plain ; th e th in layer of sifted mossnever bakes or hardens, holding ju st the right degreeof moisture, and has less tendency to generate damp or fungus th an any o ther known substance.”

W e have thought i t desirable to quote th is fully because i t contains such an admirable lesson for amateurs, who complain of their want of success in raising seeds and in transplanting. The preparation of the seed bed, the sowing and subsequent tre a t­m ent are all items of the greatest moment. W here moss is not obtainable, ro tted stable litte r renderedd ry enough to pass through a sieve in the m annerdescribed may be employed as a substitu te ; or where coconut fibre can be got, th a t would answer the pur­pose even better. Mr. Henderson’s operations embrace the culture of nearly every known family of plants, and he says th a t in his long experience he has yet to see a fru it, flower, or vegetable crop th a t has no t benefited, and nearly in the same degree, by a judicious application of bonedust. Our American friends are great in straw berry growing. The A g ri­culturist gives an account of several new varieties, b u t speaks most approvingly of “ The M anchester” as being highly prolific, and, on account of its having been raised in a poor sandy soil, more desirable th an seedlings raised under opposite conditions. Oliver Goldsmith and Seneca Queen also came ou t w ith good characters, bu t some others th a t are mentioned are “ too soft for m arket fru it.”—Australasian.

CULTIV A TIO N OF T H E P IN E A PPL E.The cultivation of th is valuable fruit, for which

there is a gradually increasing demand in the m arkets of th e U nited States and elsewhere, Is a rapidly-pro­gressing industry, and one which cannot fail to re tu rn considerable profit to the producers, if proper care be taken in the selection of suitable tracts of land, and a careful routine of culture be adopted. The soil adapted for th is industry is one which is best described as a gravelly loam, neither too much clay nor too much gravel, the first of which would render the ground wet, the la tte r too d r y ; an intermediate one between the two is therefore desirable, and its value will be greatly enhanced if i t contains plenty of decay­ing fibrous material. The pasture land a t present in “ ru in a te ” on th e Liguanea Plains offers n most su it­able soil, and one which is also to be highly recom- m ended on account of its proxim ity to th e largest seaport, of the Island. Commencing the cultivation w ith a piece of ruinate, th e first work is to cut all bush, &c., and, if possible, have i t removed from the ground w ithout burning, as by burning th e grass and weeds which are on the surface of the land will be destroyed, and we shall see th a t this is required in our method of cultivation. Having laid off the land in straight lines by placing stakes four feet apart a t the ends and straining lines between them , we com­mence and hoe off all grass and weeds, arranging them in the centre between the first two lines, thus form- ing a ridge. A fter two rows are thus formed we commence with pick and shovel and loosen the ground to the depth of six inches in th e centre space betw een

th e rows of weeds, and throwing naif the soil thus stirred on the top of each row of weeds, we proceed thus till the whole is covered, forming when finished ridges about 18 inches wide and 9 inches high with an interspace of 30 inches. After allowing a few days for the weeds and grass to decay in some measure, and the ridge to settle, the suckers may be planted. These should be selected after the bearing season is over, or indeed any tim e between October and January , if the weather is not too wet for p lan t­ing. The lower dry leaves of the suckers should be removed to afford th e small roots iu their axils ready access to the soil, and then placed in the centre of the ridges to a sufficient depth to render them able to remain upright, to assist which they should be firmly rammed with a wooden rammer, leaving a small basin-like cavity a t their base to hold sufficient water to solidify the soil and fix the p lant firmly in its place. A fter the first or second watering no more is necessary unless a period of exceptional dry weather is experienced. The plantation m ust be kept free of all weeds, and the hoeings may be left in the trenches between the rows ; different kinds of vegetable refuse may also be placed there, and will benefit the pines by its gradual decom­position, as well as by the m oisture it affords. Pines are not, however, as a rule beneiltted by large quantities of m anure; a little may be applied a t times, bu t gradually, as i t is apt to induce them to rot a t the base and thus spoil m any a fine plant. The best and most profitable kinds are the Ripley, Black Antigua, Black Jamaica, C harlotte Rothschild and B ritish Queen.

P. L. Simmonds, iu “ Tropical A griculture,” says th a t in 1873 the canned fru it shipped from the Baha­mas was valued a t over £14,000. Considering th a t their pines are, though much larger in size, consider­ably inferior to Jamaica Pines in flavour, i t furnishes a fact worthy7 of emulation by Jam aica cultivators. The cultivation of th is fru it in Jam aica is known to pay, and an instance is known to the w riter in which the return , clear of expenses, for one acre has ex­ceeded £80 per annum.

I t is not intended by these specific instructions to convey th e idea th a t the w riter’s m ethod is the only one by which successful cultivation can be carried on, as no particular m ethod of cultivation can, under all circumstances, bo relied upon, and much m ust there­fore depend upon th e care and energy w ith which th e industry is developed, and all failures, successes, and o ther experiences turned to account. P lanting on the flat, w ithout any ridge, may be found in many cases to have not a few points to recommend it, bu t th e w riter’s m ethod, as before described, is one which may be depended upon as supplying to the uninformed the main points which lead to success in the pro­duction of large and well-flavoured fruit.—J o h n H a r t , Superintendent of K ing’s House Gardens, Jam aica.— Journal o f Applied Science.

COFFEE AND TEA IN SO U T H E R N IN D IA .A return has been subm itted to the M adras Govern­

m ent showing the num ber of coffee and tea estates in the different growing trac ts in this presidency, the num ber of existing plantations, the yield of coffee and tea, and the cost, of cultivation. The progress which these industries have lately made and the large amount of capital invested in them have induced the Govern­m ent, for the purposes of preparing the necessary statistics, to obtain these returns which however are not quite what are wanted. The column showing the number of plantations is misleading. Is it to be in ­ferred th a t there are so m any coffee estates iu the

different districts, or th a t the estates are divided into so many plantations? We find it stated that, in the M adura D istrict, there are 2,779 coffee plantations containing a total acreage of 4,581, so th a t each p lan t­ation is not quite two acres in extent. I t would have been bette r to give th e number of estates and their ex tent. B ut to the returns. We find th a t coffee is now grown in eight of the twenty-one d istricts of the presidency. In Vizagapatam there are only six acres of land planted with coffee; in M adura 4,581 acres, of which 3,059 acres are filled with m ature plants ; in the Tinnevelly d istric t 2,844 acres of land have been taken up for coffee, and 2,005 acres are fully planted out. The coffee- industry iu the district having turned out well of recent years, has induced m any persons to open up estates chiefly in the Tenkasi and Nan- guneri taluqs. In the Coimbatore d istric t very little progress has been made in opening up estates, for, while about four thousand acres of land have been taken up for the purpose, about 316 acres contain m ature plants. In the N ilgiri taluq 22,648 acres are fully planted out, 22 1 acres contain immature plants, and 21,255 acres taken up for planting have not y e t been planted out. The approximate yield of the coffee estates is re turned a t 10,128,799 lb. a t the average of 447 lb. per acre, the cost of cultivation being R100 to R130 per acre. I t is to be feared th a t the next returns wilt show7 a large decrease under this head owing to the fact th a t many plots of land have, since the past ten m onths or more, been made over for gold mining purposes. In the Salem d istric t the num ber of plantations is given a t 323, th e acreage planted with m ature plants 3 ,932; with immature 1,662, and the acreage taken up bu t not planted 5,073 ; to ta l land taken up for coffee 10,667 acres ; approxi­m ate yield of coffee 983,000 lb. The cultivation of coffee on the Shevaroy H ills is being pushed on steadily by the owners of estates, bu t there is ju s t now not th a t desire to launch out capital in th e enterprise as was the case fifteen or twenty years ago. In many cases, the estates have brought th e ir owner large returns and, as in all o ther m atters, a great deal depends on personal supervision, and where this is properly exercised, success is secured. The present year has not been a very favorable one for coffee on th e Shcvaroys; th e rains have been late, bu t notw ith­standing some of the esiates have given p re tty fair returns. The M alabar d istric t which includes the W ynaad, has a total of 31,061 acres under m ature coffee, th e land taken up for cultivation being returned a t 62,128 acres, and the yield given a t 6,114,8261b. In Cochin about 7,795 acres have been taken up for coffee, of which only 1,436 have been planted ; in Travancore, th e extent of land planted with m ature and im m ature plants is 16,775 acres against 37,067 taken up. For the entire presidency, th e figures are as follows : m ature plants 78,822 acres ; im m ature plants 13,463 acres ; no t planted out 83,925 acres ; to ta l land taken up for coffee 176,210 acres ; approxi­m ate yield of coffee 21,492,682 lb. The Travancore estates give an average of 175 lb. of coffee per acre of m ature plants against 323 lb. in Cochin and 197 lb. in the W ynaad.

The re tu rns of tea cultivation are very small, b u t th e success th a t has so far attended th e efforts of enterprising people, has induced many to take to it. Tea is grown in three d istricts of the presidency, namely in Madura, Malabar and th e N ilgiris—in the two firstnamed districts there are only five plantations, but on the Nilgiris there are 79. The to ta l acreage of land under tea is re tu ined a t 2,573 acres against 9,123 acres of land taken up ; the acreage of land with im m ature plants is returned a t 1,705. The approximate yield of tea of all the estates is returned a t 649,460 lb., the cost of cultivation varying from R50 to R200 per acre .— M adras Times.

AG RI-HORTICULTURE SOCIETY OF IN D IA .T u b e r s o f “ C h v f f a , ” C y p e r u s E s c u l e n t u s .

The Secretary placed on th e table some tubers of the above grass recently received in response to his application from the D irecter of the Botanic Garden, Adelaide, wbo thus w rites respecting i t in a recent report :— “ Clmffa or E arth Almond, The American papers praise it, and say th a t for a few years after its introduction nothing was heard of it, except here and there as a cu rio s ity ; bu t w ithin the past year or two the in terest in the p lant has revived, and the Southern papers are advocating its culture, I t is said th a t an acre of chuffas will produce more pork than an acre or corn. The yield is said to be about 200 bushels to the acre. I t is also still extensively grown in modern Egypt. The clmffa dies down during winter. I t is planted in rows two and a half feet apart, and two tubers should be planted two feet apart, and two inches deep. I t does not seem to do so well w ith us as in America.”

I t is also alluded to by Dr. Royle in his Himalayan Botany as follow s:—“ The aromatic principle being absent in the tubers of some species, while fecula is secreted in large proportion, they are employed as food, as those of Cyperus esculentus, a native of the South of Europe and of the N orth of Africa, and supposed to be the Malinothalis of Theophrastus. In addition to fecula these roots contain a fixed oil which enables them to be formed into palatable em ul­sions, which, w ith th e addition of sugar, have been employed as a substitu te for coffee and cocoa.”

The Secretary added he had also applid to Dr. Schomburgh and received from him sonle seed of the “ Egyptian Pearl M illet,” which is apparently our “ bajra” (Panicum spicatum.) A portion of the clmffa tubers had been sown in the Society’s garden ; the remainder (a very small quantity) is now available to members.

J a p a n P e a .

Read a le tter from Captain J . F. Pogson, forw ard­ing an ex tract from an American paper (Missisippi Patron) respecting a prolific pea raised in Japan, and suggesting th a t steps be taken towards obtaining a quantity of this variety for tria l in India, which was agreed to.

The following is th e ex tract alluded to :—“ Mr. T. E . M artin and Mr. R. T . Rutlege, both

American progressive farmers, sta te th a t th e ‘ Japan pea’ is the most productive, as well as good food th a t they have ever grown for all kinds of s to ck ; horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, will eat th e peas, stems, and leaves if harvested before fully matured aud cured like other hay, w ith as much relish as they do corn. Then there is no pea for th e table, i t is soaked in w ater the night before cooking, th a t has a more exquisite flavour. They grow on a stout bushy stalk from two or three feet high, somewhat resembling the cotton plant. The main stalk , as well as the branches of th e limbs, are literally loaded w ith small pea pods, filled with little yellow peas, similar in colour, size, and flavour to the English garden pea.”

As regards cultivation they state :— “ But the way to get the greatest yield is to p lant in hills two and a half feet each way, allowing bu t one stock to the hill to remain after the first working. T hat will give you 6,9(50 stalks to the acre, and on ordinary land cultivated the same as corn, will average a t the lowest estimate a p in t of shelled peas to the stalk, or a fraction over 10SJ bushels per acre. I doubt not th a t with high cultivation and good soil i t would be an easy m atter to double th a t yield, be­sides there is no other crops th a t will yield more hay to the acre. In fact I know of no crop so re ­munerative as the Japan pea. I t is a sure cropper,

as clearly dem onstrated by my experience with this season’s crop. N either wet nor dry weather m aterially interferes w ith the quantity or quality of the y ield .”

B a e l F r u i t .

Mr. Ii A. Stendale subm itted an extraordinary cluster of Bael F ru it, nine in number, w ith the fol­lowing particulars :—

“ Baboo Hem Chunder Mookerjee, of Jonai, a well- known Zemindar of these parts, has ju s t brought me th e accompanying very curious cluster of Ba 1 F ru it which I send over to the Society as a rarity.

The bunch consisted originally of ten Baels, but one got knocked off. On the same tree, bu t almost out of reach, is a sim ilar bunch, bu t larger. Baels, as a rule, grow singly or occasionally in pairs. I have never seen a cluster like th is before, it resem­bles a bunch of gigantic green grapes.”

BANANA CULTIVATION IN JAMAICA.In 1876, when the Irrigation W orks came into

operation, the w riter thought th a t w ith irrigation the light and friable land lying south and east of Spanish Town, which had hitherto only been used for grazing pens, m ight be used for some more profitable cu ltiv ­ation, and, therefore, in the m onth of Septem ber of th a t year, he, as an experim ent planted 10 acres with bananas. I t was no t w ithout some misgiving th a t the experiment was made as the banana had not previously been grown on the plains of St. Catherine, but, after four years’ experience, the w riter has the satisfaction of bearing testim ony to its complete success. O thers have been induced to follow his example, so th a t there are a t present upwards of 300 acres in bananas, the w riter’s 10 acres having been increased in th a t tim e to 100 acres. From a m onetary point of view the results have been highly satisfactory, and, from his own personal experience, th e w riter is of opinion that in a fairly good soil, w ith the command of water for irrigation and under careful and intelligent manage­ment, the net re tu rn per acre may safely be estim ated a t £15 per annum ; so th a t any industrious man, w ith sufficient capital to establish 10 acres in a proper manner, may be considered fairly sta rted in life. W ithout irrigation, banana cultivation would be im­possible on such an arid plain, and even w ith irriga­tion close supervision is necessary to ensure satisfactory results. W ith w ater at hand for irrigating, the capital required to establish any given acreage can be cal­culated almost exactly, and such being the case, this cultivation gives perhaps less cause for anxiety than th a t of any other crop. No return should be counted on for the first 12 months, and the yield will of course vary considerably according to the nature of the soil, which should be of a loamy open nature. The w riter had one field of 10 acres which gave in the second year a return of £240 net, whilst another field of 18 acres only gave a re tu rn of £70 net. He considers, however, th a t th is d isparity is not only due to original difference of soil, but also to the fact th a t the larger field had been cultivated by th e peasantry for twelve successive years. Much has been said obout auxiliary crops, and, as th e bananas have to be planted a t least ten feet apart, i t would a t first sight appear advis­able to utilize the interm ediate spaces while the bananas are small, bu t any quickly m a'uring crop, such as Indian corn, cassava and pease speedily over­tops or chokes the bananas, which are thereby retarded in their growth and often perm anently injured, so th a t the auxiliary crops can never be really profitable.

The following general suggestions, based on ex­perience, may be found u se fu l:—I t is of the first importance to seclect a suitable soil which should be friable and light, bu t not so sandy as to allow the too rapid escape of the water. I t may be accepted

asa fact th a t any a ttem pt to grow bananas on these plains on a stiff clay soil will prove a failure, and it should be borne in m ind th a t unices the slope of the laud be uniform, the cost of irrigating will be m ateri­ally increased. Before incurring any expense, i t will be prudent to obtain the advice of some competent person as to the best way of taking and applying the water, for the inexperienced in such m atters would be likely to make some costly mistake. A fter the land has been cleared and stum ped, the irrigation trenches should be laid out and dug before any p lan t­ing is done, for the suckers should be irrigated imme­diately after being planted. The w riter thinks i t best to p lant banana suckers a t a distance of 10 feet apart in every direction, which gives about 435 plants to the acre. Some people however th ink a freer admission of light and air are necessary for the growth of large bunches, and, as the smaller ones are not m arketable, they recommend th a t the suckers should be planted a t a distance of 1GJ feet, from north to south, and of 8J feet, from east to west. W hen so planted, the cost .pf- tremshing and irrigating is less than when they are planted in squares of ten feet. Good healthy suckers should b 1 selected to plant, and they should, from the tim e they are planted, be irrigated, regard­less of w hatever rain may fall, a t regular intervals of not more than fourteen days. The nature of the soil has so much to do w ith the quan tity of water required a t one tim e for irrigating, th a t it would be impossible to lay down a hard-and-fast rule, but it may be accepted th a t a t least 1 cubic yard per hour, per acre, wdrich is equal to about 68 inches rainfall per annum, is necessary. The plants m ust be kept free of weeds and creepers, and this may necessitate eight cleanings per annum. They arrive a t m aturity in a period varying from twelve to eighteen months. After the first bearing, the smallest suckers which can be used for planting should be removed, and the one which has borne should be cut up and spread round the root, after which the p lant should be care­fully moulded up. In most cases th is simple process, added to the manurial properties of the water, will be found sufficient, bu t in others i t may be necessary to use other manures after the th ird year of cropping. The cost of planting and cultivating 1 acre of bananas was found by the writer to be as follows : —

Cleaning laud, if in wood or ru inate £1 10.Irrigation trenches, &c, 1 10400 suckers a t 6 b . 1 4Planting 400 suckers a t 2s. ... 0 88 cleanings at 10s................................. 4 0Irrigation W ater ............................ 1 0Contingencies .. 0 18

Total per acre £10 10

The yield of marketable bunches of fru it will probably be about 25 per cent less than the num ber of suckers planted.

The cost of cutting and delivering the fru it in Kingston does not exceed 4d. per bunch.

The demand for bananas in the U nited S tates will probably increase, and i t is a t present so great th a t there is no likelihood of the m arket being overstocked.

Steamers run every week from Kingston to New Y ork, so th a t banana growers in St. Catherine are perhaps more favourably situated than those in any other part of the Island .—S e p t i m u s F e u r t a d o , Jam aica .—Journal o f Applied Science.

TEA COM PANIES IN INDIA.A re tu rn has recently been issued by the “ Planters'

Stores and Agency Company, L im ited,” of the results of the working of eleven tea companies having their offices in London, from which a considerable amount

averages of the eleven

1879. 1880.

d. 17-37 14-41

d. 16-03 14-18d. 1-34 0-23% 4-77 3 0 7

. lb. —. 349i £ — 87

of information is available. A careful persual of this document shows conclusively why some companies are paying dividends and others are working a t a loss. The table gives details for each company ; we shall here deal w ith the companies :—

Gross price of tea per lb. including all receipts ...

Cost of m aking per lb. including all charges ..

Profit per lb. of tea ..Dividends paidYield of tea per acre ..Capital employed per acreCapital per m aund of ten

maunds ... £ — 21To any one who has studied the financing of tea

concerns, this table speaks in language not to be mistaken. Here we have an average cost per pouud for making for the two years of 15 "10c?., while the price realised averages only 15’89d., leaving a profit of only ■79d. per lb. The cost of making in individual gardens runs from 1225d. to. 17'6?d.; the prices realised were from 9'12d., to 19 ',"17'/ , and the results per lb. from— 4T 2d. to + '2 5 to 5 l2d. Now we can understand w ith ­out much difficulty why two gardens making an equal quality and having an equal o u ttu rn of net profit, should pay different dividends, as those depend on the am ount of capital invested : bu t after allowing for local peculiarities in the way of expense, we are a t a lose to understand why there should be such vast differences in the cost of manufacture. I t is no doubt tru e th a t a large garden can be worked cheaper per lb. or per acre than a small one, m any of the items being constant, bu t these gardens under notice are all p re tty large concerns. W e also know th a t a garden yielding 470 lb. of tea per acre, costs less relatively than one yielding only 1921b. These la tter figures depend, then, on management, and by management we do not use the term in its narrow meaning as referring to the garden management. W e do not th in k the garden management is so often a t fault, as there is an esprit de corps which impels managers to try their very best. By management, we use th e term in the sense of control. If gardens were, first of all, carefully provided w ith good managers, the proper plan would be to give these gentlemen reasonable discretionary powers, and allow them to do their best, without being hampered by instructions from directors or managing agents, who may be good business men, bu t who, in many instances, have little practical ex­perience of tea planting and manufacture.

The difference between the selling prices of 1879 and 1880, viz., 2 96d. per lb ., is accouuted for by th e extremely low m arket ruling in the la tte r year. The minimum should be lSd. or say 12 annas, and in 1879 it nearly rose to that. On the other hand, a useful lesson is learned by looking into th e difference between the cost of m aking in the tw o years, which amounted to 1 '85d . ‘ On th is head 8 annas or V2d. ought to suffice, and a little more economy rx e tts e d in the direction of office charges would reduce the price to th a t figure. The column containing dividends is slightly m isleading; i t does not contain dividends earned, bu t dividends paid, and as some are guaranteed the column does not give a true idea of the profits made. Perhaps the fairest mode of estim ating this is to- work out the profit made per acre. W e hold th a t by proper management and control a fairly worked garden should give II100 profit per acre per annum. The Borelli, one on the list before us, made 170 lb. of tea, and made a profit of 5'125d. per lb. This a t par is exactly £10-0-8| per acre, and, given an ordinary good m arket, we see no reason why th is should not be the rule, ra th e r than the exception.

L et us now look a t the capital account of those 1 eleven gardens. The figures are given in pounds sterling : per acre, a very good method for purposes of comparison. | These range from £27 (Jorehaut Co.) to £16 0 (Eastern i Assam Co.), the average being £87. Now we have j got reasons for the opinion th a t £50 is amply sufitment j to bring a garden to paying point. How then have | some gardens been made for £27, while others have ; cost £160 per acre ? In the early days of the Industry, j there was no thought of economy ; where a speculation ! was popularly supposed to yield 300 per cent, there was no incentive to saving. Money was recklessly throw n away on land and on establishment, while promoters made fabulous sums. The crisis of 1866 brought all this to an end. Some companies struggled through and are still existing, bu t being burdened with their original enormous cost, can never hope to pay reasonable d iv idends; while others succumbed, and new proprietors bought them for a tith e of their cost. Those gardens weighted w ith excess capital should have this w ritten off. W hen dividends on the reduced capital could be made, shareholders could not lose by striking off half of their capital and ac­cepting one share for two or three, as the dividends would remain the same absolutely. Another mode of overcoming the difficulty is to pay no dividends, bu t utilse all profits in extending. t<ay a garden has 300 acres and its capital is £30,000 ; le t the annual pro­fits be used in extension till the garden consists of 600 acres, when the capital value would be £50 per acre. By th is mode the shareholders would lose nothing. Now they would get no annual dividends, hu t the value of their scrip would steadily rise year by year.

Another column contains the amount of capital invested for each maund of tea produced annually. This ranges from £6 (Assam Co.) to £50 (British India), and the average is £21. Allowing a garden to cost £50, and the ou ttu rn to be £400 per acre, this sum should never exceed £10 to bring th is estimate w ithin reasonable bounds, the outturn m ust be good, and the invested capital low, and this brings us to consider the last item in the list, via., the ou ttu rn per acre. In the list before us this item ranges from 192 lbs. (British India Co.), to 470 1b. (Borelli Co.), and averages 3491b., a very fair average indeed. K eep­ing out four of the lowest companies, th e average of the other seven is 406 lb ., proving th a t our estim ate of 400 lb ., is not Utopian. W e m ight insist on a much higher average, bu t are now only concerned with the figures before us. If one company can make 4701b. per acre, there exists no good reason why others should not also do so. Any cause which operates against this m ust be either concerned with finances or bad management, or perhaps both. I t is perfectly foolish of companies to go on making half of w hat they ought to do. If the management be a t fau lt— change i t ; if the directors—change them ; and if the cause be want of funds, why, sell the concern and get out of i t w hat may be, rather th an drag on a ruinous and bankrupt concern — Indian Agriculturist.

PALMETTO ROYAL PALM OR SABAL TJMBRA- CULIFERA IN JAMAICA. ‘

(Gardeners'Chronicle, 4 th, Feb. 1882.)Running parallel to the southern coast of Jamaica,

and tending in a north-western direction from Alligator Pond to Black River, are the Santa Cruz Mountains. These m ountains are composed of the characteristic white, porous limestone of Jamaica, and rise to heights varying from 2,000 to 2,300 feet. A t the foot, and occupying the undulating country between the m ount­ains and the s a, varying in breadth from 6 to 9 miles, are stretches of savannah lands, known as the

Pedro Plains or P iratee country.* The prevailing soil of the plains is composed of red m arl, w ith here and there a deposit of gravel and alluvium. The d istric t generally is ho t and arid, the mean annual rainfall being about 50 inches, while th e tem perature is seldom under 80° Fahr. This is th e home of Sab il um braculifera.

The Palm is known locally as th e “ Big T hatch ,” or “ Bull T hatch ,” and also as th e “ Palm etto Royal.” A recent visit to these comparatively unfrequented Pedro Plains g a-e m e an opportunity of seeing th is magnificient Palm in its native country. On the au ­th o rity of Purdie, Grisebach (Flor. Bril. 1 Vest Indian Islands, 1864, p. 514) rightly notes this Palm as ind i­genous to Jam aica, and mentions “ Black River savan­n a h ” as its habitat. Although sparingly distributed along the plains from Alligator Pond to the westward, even as far as Savanna-la-Mar, i t is evident th a t its tru e home is confined w ithin the lim its of the Pedro Plains, and its abundance and magnificence there very clearly to my mind establish its indigenous character.

I t would appear, however, th a t before Purdie’s visit, the original source of this noble Palm was involved in some obscurity. For instance, in Dr. Seemann’s Popular History o f Palms, 1856, p. 337, published a few years before the Flora o f the B ritish West Indian Islands, we find the following remarks, quoted on the au thority of Mr. John Smith, ex-Curator of the Royal Gardens a t Kew :— “ Although we have long known th is species (Sabal unjbraculifera) to be quite distinct from the well-known Corypha umbraculifera of the E ast Indies, yet we are still uncertain about its native country—it is generally supposed to be the West Indies, bu t we can furnish no evidence of th a t being actually th e case. A ll th e specimens cultivated in England are very old, and it is singular th a t new ones have never, so far as m y personal knowledge goes, been im ported.”

The botanical characters of S. um braculifera are well described by Grisebach, and it is only necessary here to add one or two supplem entary rem arks. The trunk is singularly smooth and stra ight, free from ring marks, and uniform throughout. I t sometimes a ttains a height of 90 to 100 feet, with an average circum ­ference of 5 to 6 feet. The outer portions of the stem have an iron-like firmness, which is in marked con­tras t to the somewhat soft and fibrous nature of the inner portions. On th is account narrow planks are made from the n at row rind, and pots, beehives and various utensils are obtained from short portion of the stem hollowed out.

The large glaucescent and suborbicular leaves are about 5 or 6 feet across ; they are multifid, from one- th ird lo tw o-thirds of their length, and have loose fibres between the bifid lobes ; the segments are very acutely pointed with the ends somewhat pendulous ; the unarm ed petiole is much longer than the leaves, and remarkably strong. The spadices appear among the leaves, and are about one-half as long ; the branches are peneeulate, w ith sessile blackish berries 4—6 inches in diameter. P lants appear to flower and produce fru it a t all stages. One was noticed in fru it when quite stemleis. This palm is essentially gregarious ; i t is found covering several thousand acres, literally forming extensive groves in th e Pedro Plains. These are known locally as “ thatch fields.” They occupy chiefly dry elevated banks and strips of land between numerous lagoons and morasses—the haunts of tu rtles and alligators. Seen across one of these lagoons the effect produced by a view of th is Palm forest is in ­

* This is th e only portion of th e island where descendants of the aboriginal Caribs are said to exist in Jam aica. T hey are very few in number, and are gradually being merged in n tho surrounding negro population. The Pedro Caves close by still contain interesting Carib remains.

describable. The tall, straight, cylindrical columns surm ounted by their globular masses of fronds, often 25 or 30 feet across, are seen to rise out of a sea of green sedges and grasses, and as no other growths intervene the result—merely as a m atter of scenery—is well worth a visit to the tropics to behold. U nder such circumstances even the most sceptical would admit th a t Palms are rightly named “ the kingly race of p lants.” Hiding underneath nothing could surpass in grandeur and beau I y the effect produced by innum er­able tall stems canopied by immense fan-shaped leaves rustling aud ra ttling against each other in the re­freshing breeze.

In the adu lt stage Sabal umbraculifera has all the majestic mien and habit of the Talipot Palm, Corypha umbraculifera, of Ceylon and Southern India. Indeed, to one familiar with the la tte r there is a great appar­en t sim ilaritp between the habits of the two Palms. The sharply pointed and pendulous segments of the leaves of the Sabal combined with their characteristic

laucous t in t are, however, in marked contrast to the luntish and slightly bifid segments of the Talipot with

its bright green leaves. Again, the free-flowering habit of the Sabal as compared with the solitary and final effort of the Talipot Palm, affords another im portant point of distinction : and the inevitable death of the la tte r after flowering would indicate th a t for avenues and ornamental Palm-groups the Sabal would be, by far, the better Palm to plant. I t possesses also the m erit of growing in comparatively poor soil, arid in a climate very unfavourable for most tropical plants.

The fru it of the Sabal is like a m iniature Date, and the sweet pulp w ith which it is enveloped attracts and supplies food for a large num ber of jabbering crows (Corvus jamaiceneis), blue pigeons (Columba inornata), bald pates (C. leucocephala), and rat-bats. I t is owing to these agencies, no doubt, th a t the Palm is so well distributed throughout the district. Of the economic uses of the Palm mention may be made of the leaves—the chief parts used—which form the only thatching m aterial for both negro and European houses. Mats, ropes, hats, and baskets are made from the younger portions of the petiole and leaves, while, as already mentioned, the hollowed trunks, cut into short lengths, make admirable beehives.

I t seems strange th a t while the Cocoa-nut Palm grows freely everywhere along the coast of Jamaica, i t is almost entirely absent from Alligator Pond to Black River, viz., the d istric t occupied by the “ Big T hatch .” A t first, th is was taken as an accidental circumstance, but careful inquiry on the spot con­vinced me th a t although the soil and climate differ very slightly from those of other portions ot the Island where the Cocoa nu t thrives luxuriantly, all efforts to establish i t in the Pedro d istric t had signally failed. The plants appear to th rive for a few years, and to grow remarkably well, bu t before coming into bear­ing they suddenly die off from the top, leaving nothing bu t a bare stem.

A fter examining several trunks of the Sabal, and finding them completely riddled by the attacks of the larva of a beetle very closely allied to, if not identical with, the destructive Palm-beetle of the East Indies, I came to the conclusion th a t one, if not the chief, cause of the absence of the Cocoa-nut Palm in the district » as the abundance of this beetle. F urther information and inquiry in the neighbourhood has fully confirmed this view. The Sabal appears to exist and, indeed, to thrive luxuriantly in spite of the beetle ; but the Cocoa-nut fails. The term inal bud of the latter offers an easily accessible and tem pting honne louche to the larva, and it succumbs to its a tta c k s ; on the other hand the Sabal thrives and covers the country .—D . M o r r is , Jam aica, Jan . 12.

SUGAR-GROW ING AT PORT M ACKAY.QUEENSLAND.

The success th a t has a ttended sugar-growing a t Port Mackay has probably been due as much to a fine climate as to a fertile soil. Opening out towards the east, protected by mountains from the intrusion of hot winds from the west, adm itting freely into all recesses the entrance of refreshing sea breezes, w ith a rainfall as seasonable as i t is abundant, and never visited by those hurricanes which are not unknown to the north and to the south, i t certainly appears to be a d istric t exceptionally favoured by nature for the growth of the sugar cane, no less than for the production, in great abundance, of a large variety of tropical fruits.

W ith a climate th a t produces the mango, the papaw, th e cocoanut, the banana, and the pineapple as so many weeds, we are apt to associate a fervent heat and a steam ing atmosphere throughout the year. And so i t generally is : we cannot get the good things of th is earth w ithout sometimes paying a disagreeable price. But according to the records of a careful observer, extending over a period of eight years, confirmed by the experience of a great many visitors, there exists a much milder climate a t Mackay than m ight have been expected from its latitude. S ituated about 1,100 miles north of Sydney, in latitude 21 "10 S., in the tropics, i t is w ithin th e reach of causes th a t gener­ally produce a more to rrid climate than is really found to exist in th is place. B ut the constant sea breezes which flow in from the south-east so tem per the sun’s power as to render th e w eather quite bearable to a resident from the d istan t south. I t would be insuffi­cient testim ony to cite my own experience of only five weeks a t midwinter, were i t not th a t th e weather then prevailing was said to be characteristic of the winter and spring m onths—warm and sunny days, w ith unexpectedly cold mornings ; a cold land breeze un til about 9 a .m ., then a brisk and mild s 'u th -east wind for the rem ainder of th s day, w ith scarcely any ra in ; th is favouring in a high degree the crushing of the sugar-cane, and increasing th e density of th e juice, which rarely falls below 10" Beaumd, and sometimes stands as high as 12 .

I t seems a misnomer to say there is positively any w inter in the latitude of M ackay; more properly it should be called the d ry season, when the tem per­a tu re is very enjoyable. In this latitude it never is cold during the day, and in the m onths of Ju ly and August i t is inexpressibly beautiful—m uch like October weather in Sydney. There is, however, during this tim e something rem arkable in the low tem perature which prevails a t nigbt. and especially in th e early morning, when on a few occasions even hoar-frost has been seen on the ground ; bu t th is occurs only on the low levels, and no t on the slopes of the h i l l s ; as, for instance, a t Mr. Black’s beautiful plantation, The Cedars.

The keenness of the air in some nights in Ju ly and the first part of August is one of the surprises which visitors meet on a first acquaintance with Mackay ; and to show th a t th is does not exist merely in sensation, we have only to refer to the therm om eter, which sometimes indicates a difference of from 20" to 28' between the tem perature of day and night. Not­w ithstanding this fact, th a t m ight seem to m ilitate against the climate, i t appears th a t frosts, so great an obstacle to cane-growing in the south, are a t Mackay so slight in th e ir effects as to be practically disregar ded.

I t is generally adm itted th a t during a pa rt of the summer th e heat is excessive; bu t then i t is said to be tempered by a sea breeze, which rarely fails to blow, and though producing some languor is not positively unhealthy. P lantation work, such as ploughing, is performed during most of this hot season

with little inconvenience. B ut there is a time, m ostly in December and January , when the rainy season has fa .riy set in, during which th e wind occasiona’ly veers to the north, and then the combination of in ­creased warm th w ith hum idity renders the weather very oppressive; i t is fortunate, however, th a t this lasts but a brief period, the scarcely endurable a t ­mosphere being soon relieved by the south-east breeze.

Mr. J. E. Davidson, one of the early settlers in the Mackay d istric t and a gentleman of scientific attainm ents, has recorded the tem perature and rainfall a t his Alexandra plantation, 11 miles from the sea coast, near the banks of the P rn e e r River, for a period extending from 1868 to 1879. The following are the results which he has obtained :—

Rainin

inches.

N umber of

rainy days.

Tempe rature.

Meanmaximum.

Meanminimum.

January 15-28 17 95-2 68-7February 1-2-96 15 90 2 68-1March 15 96 16 88 0 GO-5April 6 75 8 86 3 59 0May 4-72 9 78-5 54 6June 2-82 7 77 3 46-8Ju ly 1-78 5 75 5 47 6August 0 76 3 77 6 39 5September ... 119 4 8 1 0 47 3October 2-52 7 88-0 54 6November ... 2-62 6 88-8 56-8December 7.28 11 88-9 63-5

Mean 74-64 108 84-6 55-6This gives the Mackay district a mean annual tem ­perature of 70 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

The greatest rainfall occurred in 1870, when the rain gauge recorded 108 in. ; and the least in 1872, when only 4614 in. fe ll: biV even this quantity , if it fell a t the pr. -per time, would probably be suffi­cient for. the wunfcs of the sugar crop in a climate so abundantly supplied w ith m oisture from the east­ward, a id so guarded by mountains against dry winds from the west. 1 do not find th a t any hygrom etrical observations have 1 een made at Mackay ; bu t there are m any facts wh’ch go to prove th a t the air is never w ry dry. The year 1875 was also m arked by an extrem ely heavy fall of rain, 105 42 in. being recorded, and in th is year i t was th a t th e district was visited with so severe a sugar-cane disease th a t nearly all the crops were destroyed ; bu t there is reason to th ink th a t the calam ity was the result of excessive moisture.

The average annual rainfall in o ther sugar-pro­ducing districts of Queensland from 1871 8 was as fo l lo w sM a ry b o ro u g h 5013 in., falling on a mean of 91 d a y s ; Beenleigh, th e centre of the southern sugar districts of Queensland, 55"66 in., in 83j days ; Lower H erbert, 96.24 in., in 128 days which exceeds th a t of any other station in Queensland.

G reat stress is laid, in successful sugar-growing, on having the crushing season comparatively dry. Mac­kay is peculiarly fortunate in th is respect, having a less num ber of rainy days and less rain during this period than any o ther sugar d istric t in Queensland— th a t is, from June to the m iddle of December.

The prevailing wind in the d istric t is from the south-east, which here is th e trade wind. I t nearly always blows. I t is also the wind th a t brings nearly all the rain, th e fall being exceedingly heavy in January , February, and March, which constitute the rainy season. Towards th e end of August th e cold land breezes drop off and northerly winds occasionally blow, thunderstorm s begin to make their appearance,

I and the weather passes gradually from the dry to the w et season, though th e change is no t very marked before the beginning of December.

In salubrity, the M ackay district is held to rank now with the best in Queensland ; i t was no t so in the early days of settlem ent, when, in common w ith other fertile localities in the tropics, fever and ague were prevalent. The progress of cultivation has had a most salutary effect in this respect. Except among the Kanakas on their first arrival, whose illness is probably due to a sudden change of diet, sickness is very rare. W hatever the summer may be a t P o tt Mackay, i t would be difficult to conceive of a more delightful residence for invalids in winter.

The new ejector vacuum pan, an adaptation of an old invention to sugar-boiling by Messrs. Mackenzie and M aclarer, has been introduced with success in Mr. Donaldson’s m ill a t Cassada, on Baker's Creek, near W alkerston, about 10 miles from the seaside. I t is claimed th a t this apparatus is an improvement on the ordinary vacuum pan, isasmuch as i t enables the boiling operation to be conducted with greatly diminished expenditure of steam -pow er; th is seems to be now adm itted, bu t o ther alleged a iv a r ta g -s are as yet not clearly made out. So confident, however, are the patentees of th e superiority of their form of th is apparatus th a t, on certain conditions, they will undertake its erection in mills free of cost. A vacuum p m of th is description has been m anufactured by Mr. Robertson, of Mackay, for a firm in the Clarence R iver d istrict.

Judging by th e quality of tho sugar produced a t Cassada mill, one m ight conclude th a t the superiority of the ejector vacuum pan is demonstrated, if the graining of the sugar be any test in the m atter, for of all the sugar I have h itherto examined, the granulation of this was the most perfect. I t is turned out in two shades—yellowish-white, and rich yeilow, both beautifully crystallised. Cassada estate comprises only 400 acres, of which area 300 acres have been brought under cultivation, and from th is year’s crush­ing Mr. Donaldson estim ates th a t he will obtain 200 tons of unrefined sugar. I t is rem arkable th a t so excellent a sugar should be made w ith such rough appliances as are to be found in this mill, bu t I im ­agine this to be due in large measure to unusual care in boiling the sugar. The gum -tree forest forms a close surrounding to the cleared land, and a belt of beautiful palm and other trees adorn the m argin of the creek, whence is obtained an excellent and inexhaustible supply of w ater for the mill. In former years the climate is spoken of as having been un­healthy, bu t the progress of cultivation here, as elsewhere in the district, seems to have had a salutary influence. I t has been observed a t th is plantation th a t a diminished m ortali’y among the kanakas has resulted from allowing them to inhabit huts of their own construction. There lie squat on the ground, are made principally of th ick layers of straw , and have tho entrance so low down, th a t admission is gained by creeping on hands and knees. The supe­riority of these rude tenements over th ^se made of weatherboards consists in their greater warm ih, bu t th e ir wretched ventilation is an objection to th e ir use.

Beyouiul this plantation, towards the mountain range, 20 miles from M ickay, lies the Barrie estate, th e pro­perty of Ja c k and Son, comprising an area of 1,298 acres, acres of which about 300 acres are cultiva’ed. The open pan system is in use, and there will be produced about 400 tons of sugar in the present season. As yet this is the most remote m ill from the coast.

About seven miles from port is the A lexandra plantation, consisting of 2,505 acres of very fertile land on the south side of the Pioneer. The m ill ia

interesting as being th a t in which sugar was first regularly made in the district, 'th is was through the j enterprise of M r Davids m, a W est India planter, in ! 1868. soon after Mr. Spiller’s successful experiment. 1 a t the Pioneer. A vacuum pan by Pontifex and Wood, ; of London, is in use, and the capacity of the mill j is equal to 800 tons of unrefined sugar in a season. I There is a rum distillery in connection with the works, th e produce of which I mentioned iu a form er article. This property is now in the hands of an enterprising Melbourne firm, Messrs. Sloane and Co., and managed by Mr. Davidson, to whom we are in- i debted for a series of valuable metereological observ. I ations, which he has made a t th is place for several i years, and by which I was much assisted while dis- j cussing th e climate of the d istrict. The crop of cane j on th is estate, as on contiguous properties, is ex- | ceedingly heavy and in healthy condition. j

Pleyatowe Estate is situated on the south bank of j the Pioneer River, abont 11 miles from town. Of the j 6000 acres forming the property, 850 acres are either 1 under cane, or ploughed in readiness for planting. | I t is owned by Messrs. Hewit and Co., who have 1 recently introduced several valuable improvements, j including a 7 feet 6 inches vacum pan by Messrs. i Sm ith and Co., Glasgow, four boilers of 40 horse-power, and a splendid hydraulic apparatus by which an in ­exhaustible steam of pure water can be pumped from th e adjoining river by steam power. The mill, con- structed by Russell, of Sydney, is capable of turn ing out 800 tons of sugar in a season. H ere is the distillery which produces the celebrated Anchor brand rum, which has taken prizes a t several Exhibitions, and of which I have formerly spoken. The bottling depart­m ent is very compact, the labelling being ornamental, while the corking and capsuling is done by machinery. The surroundings of th e premises cannot fail to a ttrac t the visitor as being very beautiful, the resi- j dence overlooking the forest-fringed river over a verdant : slope, on which the mango, th e citron, the cocoanut, ! the tam arind, and other tropical fru it and ornamental ! trees luxuriate in splendour.

Foulden estate, owned by M r. Am hurst, now in Eng­land, and managed by Mr. W alker, lies p a rtly on the south, b u t chiefly on the north bank of the Pioneer, where there is a ford a t low water. By the use of the charcoal process, the first sugar is here refined unlil i t equals in appearance the best produce of the Sydney Sugar works, b u t i t is said that i t does not surpass in price th a t made a t Te Kowai, w ithout the use of charcoal. The syrup is forced by steam from th e subsiders into seven large cylinders charged with anim al charcoal, from which the dark-coloured liquid emerges a pale amber colour. The vessels are cleaned ou t and recharged once a week, the charcoal being purified by heating to redness in a closed oven. By this process i t is maintained in a s ta te S t to serve for many repeated operations, bu t in course of t.ine its powers become diminished, so th a t fresh charcoal has to be used. This is made on t h ; premises irom bones, as is also superphospate of lime to he employed as manure. W ith an rrea of 800 acres, th is estate has only 560 acres of laud available for cu lti­vation. The best sugar made is packed in linen bags, imported from England, the contents weighing about 70 lb s .; m at bags being used only for inferior sorts, bu t this substance adm its the escape of a great deal of fine sugar during th e rough handling the bags receive on board ship. There are four centrifugals, four boilers of 85 horse power, and there are 00 horses employed. I t is anticipated th a t the mill will produce 800 tons of sugar during the present y ia r. The molasses from th e last sugar is passed through the animal charcoal cylinders in order to make golden syrnp, and th is is the only place in the d istric t where the article is manufactured, th e molasses a t th e

other mills being either sold to a M elbourne firm, or stored up for feeding horses, and for serving out as rations to the kanakas. The m am ger's residence, close to the mill, cannot bnt win the adm iration of every traveller by the exceedingly beautiful landscape garden th a t has been laid out in front.

I have before adverted to the fact of southern capital finding its way to Mackay for investm ent, and no t­ably from Melbourne. Two companies, of whom I may again have occasion to speak, have commenced operations on a large scale, and nex t year we may learn something of their doings. Property is also changing hands. A few days ago, the beautiful Pioneer estate of Mr. Spiller, of which a brief account appeared in a former issue of the M ail, accompanieu w ith illustrations, was sold to Mr. M’Kinnon, of Melbourne, for £95,000 cash and he entered into possession a t once.

Since I wrote last the Governm ent have notified th a t on the 19th of October there will be open for selection in the M ackay district the land which in May last they had withdraw n, and th is will serve as the s ta r t­ing-point of a new impetus in th e sugar industry.

A t the present moment there is an agitation in Brisbane against the introduction of coolie labour from British India, where it is proposed to appoint an emigration agent. I t is anticipated th a t great difficulty will be experienced in the future in obtain­ing an adequate supply of labour from the South Sea Islands, and th e a ttention of the Governm ent has been directed to India as a country’ from which th a t labour can be abundantly obtained to meet the increasing demand, and w ithout which it is alleged the su g ir industry cannot be profitably carried on.— Sydney M ail.

A R T IFIC IA L INDIGO.The ortho-nitrophenyl-propiolic acid, the colourless

substance which on treatm ent with a reducing agent yields indigo blue, is already in the hands of the Manch ester calico prin ters, and is furnished by the Baden Aniline Company a t the price of 6s. per pound for a paste comaining 25 p e r 'c e n t of the dry acid. W ith regard to the nature of the competition between the artificial and the natural colouring m atters, i t is necessary to say a few words. In the first place, the present price a t which the m anufacturers are able to sell their propiolic acid is 50s, per kilog. But 100 parts of th is can only yield, according to theory, 68’58 parts of indigo blue, so th a t the price of the artificial (being 73s. per kilog.) is more than twice th a t of the puie na.ural colour.Hence competition with th e natural dyestuff is not to

be thought of until the makers can reduce the price of d ry propiolic acid to 20s. per kilog., and also ob­tain a theoretical yield from their acid. This may, or i t may not, be some day accomplished, bu t a t present i t will no t pay to pioduce indigo from l itro- pheiiyl-propiolic acid. Nevertheless a large field lies open to the immediate future for tu rn ing Baeyei’s discovery to practical account. The proper way of looking a t th is question a t present is, to consider ortho-nitro-phenyl-propiolic acid and Indigo as two distinct products not comparable w ith each other, inasmuch as the one can be pu t to rises for which the o ther is unfitted, and there is surely scope enough for both. Looking a t this question of the possible com­petition of artificial w ith the natural Indigo from another point of view, i t must, on the o ther hand, be borne in m ind th a t the present mode of m anu­facturing indigo from the p lant is extremely rude and imperfect, and that, by an improved and more careful carrying out of the process, great saving in colouring m atter may be effected, so th a t i t may prove possible to produce a purer article a t a lower price, and thus to counterbalance the production of the artificial

m aterial. The potential importance, from a purely commercial point of view, of th e m anufacture may be judged of by reference to the following statistics, showing the annual value of th e w orld’s grow th of indigo is no less than £4,000,000 sterling.

Estimated Yearly Average o f the Production o f Indigo in the World, taken from, the total crop fo r a period o f Ten Years.

lb. £Bengal, Tirhoot, Benares,

and N. W. India ... 8,000,000 2,000.000Madras and K urpah ... 2,200,000 400,000Manilla, Java, Bombay,&c. — 500,000Central America ... 2,250,000 600,000China and elsewhere, con­

sumed in the country... — Say 500,000

Totals .................... — 4,00*0,000How far the artificial will drive out the natural

colouring m atter from the m arket cannot, as has been said, be forseen. To Englishmen i t is a mortifying reflection that, while the raw materials from which all these coal ta r colours are made are produced in our country, the finished and valuable colours are nearly all manufactured in Germ any.—Journal o f Applied Science.

E n t e r p r i s e i n B e e - K e e p i n g .—We learn that Mr. Blow has just started for the East (Cyprus, Syria, &c.) to make a large importation of the bees of these countries. I t has always been a reproach that the Americans were more energetic in advancing bee culture than ourselves, especially in the m atter of the introduction of foreign and improved races of bees into their country. We shall hear from time to time of Mr. Blow’s movements, and get some information, too, respecting bee culture in those countries—formerly flowing with milk and honey. —Gardeners’ Chronicle.

To Soften 1ju t ty .—The following recipe is from the German :—Take soda or potash—the latter is preferable —dissolve it in water and mix the solution with fresh- burnt fresh-slacked lime. After the mihtnre has stood for a time pour off the clear fluid, and bottle for use. Putty moistened with this fluid quickly softens, and is easily removed. Muriatic acid (spirit of salts), or nitro- muriatic acid, put on with a pencil, also quickly softens putty. Alkaline salt is the best thing to remove spots of paiut from glass.—Pharmacuetical Journal.

T a p io c a C u l t iv a t i o n i n I n d ia .—The Bitter Cassava or Tapioca plant (Manihot utilissima), which is a native of South America, is now largely grown in Travancore, where the soil seems so well suited to its cultivation as to warrant a still more extended growth. I t is stated that, “ as the price of Rice has risen of late years, Tapioca has become the more essential as an article of food. I t will grow in any soil, and needs but little care, except to preserve it from the depredations of cattle. After the roots are dug the stem is cut into pieces about 4 inches long and planted some 3 feet apart, with a little ash or other manure. The root requires occasional weeding and earthing, and arrives at m aturity in nine or ten months. Well boiled it is eaten with fish- curry. I t is sometimes given to cattle. In a green state the root does not keep long, but it can be sliced and dried in the sun, or grated .and made into farina. A field of this valuable and nutritious root is planted at but little co st; its yield is very large, and its cultiv­ation highly profitable. The produce has been estimated in Ceylon a t 10 tons of green roots per a c re ; this weighs one-fourth when dried, and if the dried roots gave half their weight of flour, it would amount to 2,800 lb. per acre. W ith some can. and attention any amount of the granulated flour might be prepared for home use and export, but though this plant grows almost wild the people do not take the trouble to prepare it.”—Ibid.

T h e C l im a t e o f N e w Z e a l a n d .—A New Zealand paper refers to some of the floral beauties of a private garden a t Taranaki as a proof of the beauti­ful climate of th a t Province. There may be seen, i t says, four camellia bushes which i t would be diffi'u lt to beat for size. One is 9 feet 6 inches in height by 34 feet in circumference, another 12 feet by 40 feet, another 14 feet by 45 feet, and a fourth 18 feet high by 50 feet in circumference; besides over a dozen others from 6 feet to 10 feet in height, w ith circumferences in proportion. In August the owner gathered his first crop of grapes, and the second crop from th e same tree would be ripe in a month. The first crop of citrons was a t the same time ready for gathering, while, together w ith th e large swollen green fru it could be seen the bloom of a second crop on the same tree. A lemon-tree, again, was discovered w ith bloom from which a crop of ripe fru it had ju s t been picked.—Colonies and India.

M eteo ro lo g y . —The following resolutions were adopted by the Conference for the Development of A gricultural and Forest Meteorology, held a t Vienna in Sept. 1880. (Q. Jour. Meteorol. Noe., V II., published in No. for April) :—“ Vegetation is m aterially depend­en t on the following metereological elements :—(a) tem perature of the air and soil ;(b) duration and in ­tensity of the illum ination ; (c) all the hydrom eteors ; consequently, the vapour tension and relative hum idity, precipitation (rain, snow, &c.), as well as the other forms of condensation (fog, dew, and hoar-frost) ; (d) motion of the air. On the other hand the daily march of pressure and of ozone appears to be of less im port­ance for vegetation. Conversely, the meteorological elements appear to exhibit the influence of vegetation in th e following way. Vegetation on an augmented scale, such as pasturage, tilled land, forests and moor­land, Ac., give rise each in their own d istric ts to special conditions of tem perature and atmospheric hum idity, and perhaps of ra in also, and may th ere ­fore exert an influence on the clim ate of the su r­rounding country in respect of tem perature and hydro­meteors, and also of springs.” “ On th e whole i t appears im portant th a t on as m any rationally managed estates as possible special observations should be carried on of all the elements recognized as im portant. These observations should be made in different soils, and w ith different types of culture, and should be compared with th e crop re tu rn year by year, so as to investig­ate in detail the relation between vegetation and climatic factors. The general mean results published by the several central institu tes do not furnish values in sufficient detail for the study of individual types of culture or of local conditions. [Then follow in ­structions in the method to be adopted for observing the various elements, w ith remarks on the trustw orth i­ness of in. trum ents, which will he given in connection with each elem ent.] I t is advisable to organise the system of radial stations, in order to ascertain the effect extensive masses of vegetation, especially forests, exert on the climate of the surrounding region, both in their immediate vicinity and a t a distance. This system promises b e tte r results the more continental is the character of the region in which it is establised. Observations immediately above the tree crown are of importance. W ould i t not be desirable, w ith a view to the special observations which m ust be undertaken (as, e.g., phonological observations) to prepare n general form of Instructions? The Conference th inks it desir­able to prepare general instructions for phenological observations. The list of plants to be observed should not be too long. They [members of committee] should deal in the first place with cereals and forage plants ; secondly, with the more im portant forest and fruit trees ; and lastly, w ith o ther plants of importance to agriculture and to the phenomena of animal life.”— Gardeners' Chronicle.

E u c a l y p t u s C h a r c o a l .— In reply to a query which appeared in your last issue as to the suitability of any species of Eucalyptus wood for yielding charcoal, I beg to state that in Baron von Mueller’s Forest Resources o f Western Australia (Reeve & Co., London, 1879), Eucalyptus marginata is said to afford one of the least inflammable woods for building structures, and one of the very best in West Australia for charcoal, not burn­ing so readily into ashes as most kinds of Eucalyptus wood; and in a small volume by Elwood Cooper, en­titled Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees, published in 1876 by Culery & Co., San Francisco, Eucalyptus obliqua is described as affording an inferior fuel, but produces the best charcoal for the forge. Eucalyptus amygdalina is also said to be a bad wood for domestic fuel, but is a first-rate smith’s charcoal.—F. M. H i l l i e r , Museum, Royal Gardens, Kew.— Pharmaceutical Journal.

A N e w C in c h o n a B a r k f r o m C o l o m b ia .— A good deal of attention has been drawn of late to a new kind of Cinchona bark from Colombia, known in commerce by the name of “ Cuprea ” hark. I t is stated in the Pharm­aceutical Journal, on the authority of a Continental re­port, “ that the district, in the province of Santander, Colombia, in which the bark was originally found, is being worked by two companies, employing between them 1,700 men. As each man is estimated to be able to collect 20 lb. of bark daily, or equal to 8J lb. of dry bark, this number of men would be able to collect in thirty days upwards of 400,000 lb. of dry bark; and, enormous as this quantity may appear, the consignments being sent in by the collectors appeared to indicate that it would be exceeded. The original ‘ Cuprea ’ bark yielded about 2 per cent of quinine sulphate, and if this harvest were of equal quality, it would represent more than 8,000 lb. of quinine sulphate.” I t is further stated, in confirmation of the above facts, that some 8,000 serons of “ Cuprea ” bark were imported into London during the last week of September, and that the effect of these enormous consign­ments upon the price of quinine is already beingfelt.—Ibid.

W e e d s a n d S e e d s .—Instances are daily occurring in which the value of grain and seeds of all kinds is almost entirely destroyed by the large adm ixture of the seeds of pernicious weeds, which are allowed to grow, and are harvested with the good seed. The m arket value of the wheat and o ther cereals received from India would be largely increased, if i t were not found on arrival th a t they contain a large percentage of noxious seeds and other “ d ir t.” Only the other day a quantity of Calcutta oats, received a t Cape Town, and intended to be distributed for seed purposes in different parts of the Colony, was found to be so full of the seeds of pernicious Indian weeds as to be almost valueless. If such worse than worthless plants were to be planted on any large scale among other crops, i t would be a m atter of extrem e difficulty to rid the country of the unwelcome visitors. Every country produces too large a quan tity of indigenous weeds for farmers not to be alive to the danger of introducing new varieties unawares. In some countries severe laws are enacted to force owners of land to keep down the stock of weeds, and to prevent their neighbours’ land from being overrun by them , or sown w ith seed by means of the wind, birds, or any , other agency. P lanters in tropical countries, where weeds, in common with every other vegetation, are of such luxurian t growth, ought to be keenly alive to th is danger. B ut the export of noxious seeds, mixed with grain, is an even greater evil than the neglect to keep down the natural growth of weeds in their own habitat. I t is difficult to see how the evil can be checked otherwise than by appealing to the bette r feelings of farmers, planters, exporters, and o th e rs ; and by pointing out th a t it is to their own in terest to keep their produce as “ c lean ” as possible, and free from adm ixture of foreign seeds, or any other kind of “ d ir t .”— Colonies and India,

S i l k W a s t e i n J a p a n .—The Japanese make a k ind of silk wadding, called mawata, from the waste cocoons, which they use for th e purpose of lining their clothing. They d p these otherwise useless cocoons into a ley of wood ashes, or ashes of rice straw , and then open those which require i t to remove the chrysalis. The silk taken from each cocoon is then expanded by th e simultaneous action of the thum b and first finger of each band, and this th in layer pu t upon the ends of th ick nails placed into an inclined board. W hen from tw enty to sixty such films have been place upon the nail they are allowed to dry. Sometimes the silk will be found in such good con­dition, th a t i t can w ith care be spun by hand, in which case i t will furnish a coarse thread which is used for fabrics of a lower q u a lity .— Journal o f Applied Science^

T h e O r a n g e C r o p in Kiushui, Japan, has been unusually large th is year, From the two townlands of A rita and Unami. in th a t province, about tw enty thousand boxes of fru it have been sent daily to the Osak and Kobe markets. The num ber of oranges in a box depends, of course, on the size of the fru its— th a t of the boxes being generally fixed—bu t we shall no t be far out if we estim ate i t a t one hundred and fifty, a t which rate the consumption of the Kobe and Osaka fru it eaters would amount to some three millions of oranges per diem. B ut indeed eggs and oranges represent something more th an mere edibles in Japan. They are messengers of courtesy, the very rank and file of th a t intrinsically worthless bu t morally inestim ­able arm y of gifts from which all the outposts of Japanese am ity and conventionality are garrisoned.— Indian Agriculturist.

T im b e r i n B ra zil . — W ithin an area of half a square mile, Agassiz counted 117 different kinds of wood, m any of them adm irably fitted by their hardness, tin ts and beautiful grain, for the finest cabinet work. The m uirapyinima, tortoise-shell wood, undoubtedly the most precious wood in the world, is found in large quantity on the tributaries of the Upper Amazon, where the w ater can be most easily applied as motive power. The pao de sangre, the rosewood, the pao de L rrow (iron wood), or Apuleia ftrrea , the various spe­cies of jacaranda, known to natural history students under the name of Dalbevgm nigra, Ma- h"erium vio- laceum, and P afypodimn elegans, th e w hite and black maraqiiatiara, the macacauba, the pao santo or holy wood, (Kailmeyera), and saboarana—both of which are rivals of the most beautiful w alnu t—are wasted yearly on the Amazon in amounts ample enough to veneer all the palaces of Europe. Maurice Mauris, the explorer, believes th a t w ith the facilities which the Brazilian Governm ent is ready to im part to en ter­prising industry , the export of these commodities would develop immense profits in the shortest tim e, while the capital invested need not be enormous. I t is only necessary th a t these woods be introduced into the m arket to obtain a decided preference over those now most sought after in the two hemispheres. Still richer is the country in tim ber for the purpose of construction. The acapu (Vouacapoua Am ericana) is most plentifully found there, and often in th e most imposing proportions. Mr. M auris has seen dining tables six feet in w idth made wholly out of one piece. The wood, like all its kindred, m acaranduba and itauba, or stone wood, furnishes ship tim ber as durable as teak. The longer these remain in water, th e stronger and harder they become. The former will compare the more favourably w ith the teak, inasmuch as i t is more compact. A pistol bullet which will pass through an inch board of teak wood will not pene­tra te half an in h into a board of acapu. The itauba tree, too, offers many advantages over teak ; i t branches off naturally into keels and ribs of any size, and is lighter and more resistan t. — Journal ) f Applied Science,

TEA IN CEYLON : PROGRESS.“ T h e R a k w a n a T e a F a c t o r y ” will, we hear, be

opened by the end of this m onth, and th e enter- prizing proprietors will then be ready to cure and prepare tea leaf for the m arket on account of p ro­prietors, or to buy the green leaf on delivery, or better still to buy the crop on the trees, picking and carrying tb e leaf from the garden leased w ith their own factory coolies. Already two contracts under th is last-m entioned arrangem ent have been entered into. Mr. Shaw (who had long experience in Ind ia in tea, before he w ent to Sum atra and Trincomalee to grow tobacco) is now on Barra p lan t­ation, and has declared he could not wish for a better growth or appearance of tea leaf to operate on. W ith the machinery now being erected, Mr. Shaw will no doubt make a name for R akw ana tea, and it will be fa r better w ith reference to extra- insular m arkets and the prospect of good prices, if all the tea grown in the district is bulked.

The machinery on W indsor Forest and S trathellie estates is, we hear, giving the utm ost satisfaction, and o ther proprietors in these favorite tea d istricts (Dolosbage, Yakdessa and Ambagamuwa) are likely to go in for rolling machines which can be attached to the water-wheels now used for driving their pulpers. Mr. Jam es Blackett (who remembers cutting and rooting out about five acres of Llewellyn’s finest Assam tea, to make room for coffee in days gone by) has now an appreciable area of tea on two of his Dolosbagie places, and the additional extent, certain to he planted th is season, will be con­siderable. All through Ambagamuwa, Dikoya, Mas- keliya, Dim bula and Kotmale, the tea p lant seems to flourish wherever i t is pu t into the ground, and w ith i t there is no question of the re tu rn for a whole year’s labour depending on a favourable blos­soming season lasting only for six or eight weeks.

Mr. Cameron, the Assam planter now on W indsor Forest, has a very high opinion of Kandaloya (Yakdessa) tea ; and he has been good enough to send us a series of typical samples of Dolosbage and Yakdessa te is in small packets as follows :—

Windsor Forest :—Broken Pekoe, Souchong, Pekoe Souchong, broken mixed.

Pen-y-lan :—Pekoe (2), broken Pekoe (2), broken mixed, broken mixed.

Seaforth Souchong, Pekoe, broken Pekoe.Kelvin :—Pekoe, broken Pekoe, Pekoe Souchong,

Souchong.Oallamudena:—Pekoe Souchong, broken Pekoe, broken

Pekoe.These we shall be glad to shew to merchants,

brokers and others interested : they will be useful for purposes of comparison. W e can, from experi­ence, speak in high term s of th e quality of the tea m anufactured on W indsor Forest, and we have no doubt that, under skilful and experienced direction, the produce turned out from the d istricts we have referred to will be found equal to a high average of Indian tea.

In this connection we may mention th a t the S. S. “ Vega” carried to C alcutta th is tim e Mr. Jackson, the well-known patentee of Tea-preparing Machinery, who was in charge of a new and very complete

machine combining—as we understand—all the oper­ations connected with the rolling, drying, sifting, and final curing of the leaf. Mr. Jackson intended to watch the operation of his new patent on a p lan t­ation for himself, and if i t answers his expectations, i t may be a case of p u ttin g the newly-gathered leaf in a t one end and receiving th e fully-prepared tea warm and fit for packing a t the o ther ! The to ta l cost of th is very complete and eleborate contrivance, or series of contrivances, is said to be £400 ; but, if i t prove a .success, every D istrict Tea Factory a t least may find i t profitable to provide a set. Mr. Jackson, who is a hard-headed Aberdonian, and whose brother

| is the tea-planter who has been try ing to grow tea I to advantage in th e Southern States of America | (which experim ent has proved a failure, as we now I learn) is likely to spend a little tim e in Ceylon I on his re turn voyage, when he will no doubt j arrange to make his latest patent known to tea- I planters through his local agents, Messrs. John | W alker & Co.

I MR. HU GHES, T H E AG RICULTU RAL CH EM ­IST, ON COFFEE MANURES.

The following le tte r received by a recent mail con­tains information of interest to p lan ters:—

A nalytical Laboratory, 79 M ark Lane, London E.C ., Jan . 20th, 1832.

j G e n t l e m e n , —Many thanks for th e original number of the Tropical Agriculturist, the receipt of which I

j should have acknowledged long since. Please pu t my ; name as a subscriber and send all past numbers j published up to date. I presume future issues of the ! work will contain information respecting sugarcane,

especially a fte r the recent visit of jo u r senior to Queensland. An old friend of mine, who was one of the pioneers of the sugar industry near P o rt Mackay, writes me by a recent mail th a t they are actually importing sulphate of ammonia from England as a m anure for cane, and th a t the prospects for next crop were excellent.

I see Mr. T ollpu tt has w ritten you yet another letter respecting the results obtained from the use of potash

salts for coffee. This gentleman seems to have some j strong personal animosity against myself, though why he I should cherish such feelings I really cannot account, as I

never to my knowledge did anything either for or against him. Mr. Tolputt certainly conveys th e idea, to the readers of his letters, th a t potash should be th e dom inant element in his special coffee manures,

I bu t he does no t give any detailed analyses of his i mixtures, and is scarcely willing to allow th a t I have I made, what m any would consider, a due allowance j of 4 per cent of potash, equal to about 8 per cent I .sulphate of potash, to be present in a complete coffee I manure.j Allow me to quote from page 118 of my report :_I “ I should consider 4 per cent of potash the utm ost

th a t a good coffee manure intended for Ceylon should contain On most estates i t is not potash th a t is required by the soil, bu t a cheap source of bulky nitrogenous manure (cattle dung, composts of pulp w ith cake) and a m oderate supply of phosphate and sulphate of lim e.”

These views, formed after careful personal visits through the principal coffee d istricts of the island, have been confirmed by Mr. Lawes in his le tter addressed to you some mont' s since, and I am quite satisfied to leave the m atter in the hands of practical planters, for tim e fights always on the side of t ru th . L et me repeat that, in my opinion, bones, cake, fish

manure and similar mixed nitrogenous and phospliatic materials, which must ever form the bulk of economi­cal Ceylon coffee manures, can be purchased cheaper in the local market of Colombo, and th a t superphos­phate and potash salts should be separately bought in 1 he home markets and mixed on arrival with the former materials, aud thus make a cheap manure. The superphosphate can be procured from any of the b adi: g manure manufacturers, while the potash salts, which come chiefly from Germany, can be purchased through chemical brokers. I hope th is will be considered by resident proprietors as an independent professional opinion. I may add th a t potash salts being readily soluble in water (as can be easily dem onstrated bv adding a small quantity to a tum bler of water) should be most carefully p n served from exposure to weather during transit upcountry. I am certainly not opposed to the moderate use of potash salts, bu t they should be applied w ith o ther materials as indicated. Some friends of ■mine are now sending out a consignment of 50 tons to be m ixed on arrival with cake and bones.—Believe me, with best wishes for the New Year, yours tru ly , JO H N HUGHES.

COFFEE LEA F D IS E A S E : ANOTHER CURE.

Mr. Oliver W . Jones, A ssistant Superintendent, Medical School, Dindigul, writes to us underdate the 21st February.—The planting community and others interested in the life history of eoflee leaf disease will doubtless be happy to learn th a t the trea tm en t as advocated by me (not only to check and m itigate bu t to cause a complete eradication of the disease from Ceylon and South India) has, after varied months of trial, proved a complete succe-s in the hands of the Jewish missionaries of th is talnq. The Rev F ather Labordier, who has considerable experience in coffee planting, reports th a t remedial measures, as detailed by me in the columns of the Ceylon Obserrcr of the 19th January 1881, were most carefully carried out in March last, on an acreage containing some30,000 young and diseased plants. The sea-on then being dry, the plants were not dusted with the powder, bnt th e ' solution of the medicine was u-ed with m arked benefit. These plants, he adds, have since been kept quite free from the disease, and they were with the beginning of th e N. E. monsoon tran-planted to the main plantation, where the disease is of a grave form, and, although these plants have been for the past five or more months in close prox­imity to diseased trees, the m ajority have shewn no signs of an attack. This, I m ust confess, is very encouraging, particularly when it is remembered th a t the disease is capable of propagating itself by a process of contiguity. The efficacy of the drug con­sists not only in warding off the disease, bnt it seems also to im part a natural stimulus to growth, for the plants are looking exceedingly healthy and vigorous. This is easily explained, for the chalk (which forms the basis of the medicine) in decomposing liberates a large proportion of carbonic acid, which is one of the chief elements of food for vegetable life. Buoyed with the success th a t has been achieved in the past, the mission are now engaged in applying remedial measures to a very large area of diseased tr. es situ­ated 011 the Meenaloor and Seroo Mulai hills. And since i t is an established fact th a t the true cause of coffeO leaf disease in Brazil, and South America, is also duo to the larva of a little m oth, the views promulgated by me obtain greater force than they have done in the past. If I have strenuously endeav­oured. in the face of adverse criticism, to prove by experiment that Mr. 1). Morris and others engaged in the investigation of leaf disease in Ceylon were wrong in supposing th a t th e disease was due to a

fungus formation, i t was not from a sp irit of opposi­tion, but from a sense of du ty to science and the planting-world in general.

P .S .—I shall deem it a lasting favour, if others, who have given my treatm ent a tria l, would kindly com­municate either directly w ith me or through the medium of your valuable journal.— Madras Times.

REVIEW OF T H E COFFEE TRADE BY MESSRS. W. SCHOFFER & Co. OF RO TTER ­

DAM: PR ESEN T AND FU TU RE.(From I . A . Rucker <t' Bcncraft’s Price Current.)

London, Feb. 9th, 1882.C o f f e e . —A t this period of th e year, several treatises

are published, in which the position of coffee is exhaustively reviewed. These circulars are studied by many who are interested in the past, present and future of the berry, and it cannot be denied, bu t th a t they exercise a decided power in guiding public opinion.

Im portant as statistics are, i t being mi st d an .er- ous to ignore them , they are by no means a certain guide to the future.

Numerous other influences are a t work in every m arket, outside and beyond th a t of the sta tistica l posi­tion, which affect and regulate the action of the pulse, so to speak, of the m arket. No correct view can be formed of the future of any article, unless the condition of the pulse be righ tly gauged, and prices will fall or rise in conformity with its motions, w hether they be caused by sentim ent or by sterling facts.

The treatise published by Messrs. W .Schoffer & Co., of Rotterdam , a ttrac ts great attention, not only on ac­count of its intrinsic value, bu t also because i t emanates from a house, whose opinion is always trea ted w ith the very greatest respect.

Few, if any, of our readers see th is circular, and wo propose today, for their benefit, to epitomize as briefly as possible some portions of it, which are peculiarly interesting. Me-srs. W . Schoffer & Co. point out, at, starting, th a t coffee is in a state of over-production, and th a t according to the statistics of coffee in the principal m arkets in Europe (including Genoa) and in the U nited States, there is a surplus stock some­where, as compared with last year, of about 700,000 cwts (35,000 tons). This over-production consists al­most entirely of low coffees, chiefly from Rio and Santos, a class of coffee, which, at present low rates, consump­tion will probably neglect. Notw ithstanding the fact th a t enormous quantities of coffee have been on offer during the past year, and th a t the continually falling market must, one would have thought, a t one time or other, have offered tem ptations t > purchase, impossi­ble to resist, the U nited States have managed to end the year 1881 with very moderate stocks. Europe unfortunately has not exhibited the same amount of foresight. Owing chiefly to the heavy speculation in coffee a t Havre, European stocks show, as alrea ly stated, a heavy increase as compared w ith a y ar ago. Had we been as wise as American buyers, the Biazilians would probably have been obliged to keep and store an important portion of their enormous crops them ­selves. As i t is. the bulk of the pressure, caused by over-production, is a t present falling upon Europe.

A bad harvest in the Brazils would of course revolu­tionise the present position. Although th is contingency may some day occur, a t the moment there is not the slightest appearance of it. Again, though it is generally believed that a t present prices planters will not extend their cultivated acreages, there is on the other hand every reason to believe that existing plantations will in no way be curtailed, bu t will be made to produce as much as possible. If we take i t for granted then th a t cultiva­tion will not be ex'ended, the point we m ust examine is whether there be any probability of consumption over­

tak ing production. As regards th is point Messrs. W. Schoffer &Co. give some interesting figures, which they consider establish the fact th a t the world’s consumption has increased a t the uniform rate of 10 per ceut. in every five years. In 1872 they reckoned the to ta l consump­tion a t 450,000 tons, today a t 550,000. They therefore anticipate th a t in 1887 consumption will have increased by 55,000 tons. This view is encouraging, but, we think , if anything, not sufficiently sanguine.

The total European consumption may be estimated a t nearly 370,000 tons. Messrs. W . Schoffer & Co. piove in ­contestably by statistics that, in France and Germany, the two largest consuming countries, consumption is steadily increasing a t a uniform ra te of about 10 per cent, in each five years. W ith prices a t their present low level, we believe we are justified in anticipating th a t th is ratio of increase will be m aintained, if 1101 exceeded, over the whole of Europe.

In 1887, therefore, consumption in Europe alone should have increased by certainly not less than 35,000 tons.

But in the U nited States for the last tw enty years the consumption of coffee has been increasing still more rapidly, thus :— Tons.1860/1864 gave an average yearly con. of about 57,3001865/1869 ,, „ 85,6001870/1874 „ „ 106.9001875/1879 „ „ „ „ „ 166,000

In 1880 the consumption was 165,000 tons.In 1881 we have not the figures before us, but

unless our memory fail us, i t was over 18 ',000 tons.A casual glance a t these figures will show th a t the

completion of each five years since 1860 has witnessed an increase in consumption of some 50 per cent, on two occasions, and of 25 per cent, on the th ird .

If, during the nex t five years, the American con­sumption increases by only 25 per cent., th is will mean an increase in 1887 of some 40,000 tons. But, if the past be equalled, and an increase be established of 50 per cen t., the advance in 1887 should be no less than 80,000 tons.

According then to th e more favourable calculation, the to ta l increase in th e combined European and American consumption in 1887 will be 116,000 tons, or if the less favourable anticipation be verified, the increase will be 76,000 cons—even in th is case exceed­ing Messrs. W . Schoffer & Co.’s calculations by 21,000 tons.

The calculation, th a t th e consumption is increasing steadily a t about an uniform ra te of 10 per cent, each five years, is based to a certain ex ten t on the fact th a t in 1872 the to ta l quantity delivered in Europe and the States was about 450,000 tons, in 1881 550,000. But we think th is is misleading, because in 1872 markets began to rise, and a range of prices became estab­lished, which, lasting as they d id for some years, could not fail bu t to prevent any extension of consumption, if not to actually curtail it. In 1>77 th e world’s consumption was about 450,000, proving th a t during this period of five years no progress had been made as regards deliveries. The history of the last five years, however, tells a different tale. W ith a lower range of quotations we find th a t a fairly steady increase has taken place a t about the ra te of 25 per cent, for the five years, and, if this rate be maintained, in 18S7 the consumption should total say 680,000 tons, instead of the 550,000 tons it does a t the present time. Tne differ­ence is therefore about 130,000 tons, an m ount which tends to corroborate the figures given by us above— figures based on s’atistics which extend over tw enty years.

As a m atter of fact, if, during the next five years, the American demand remains stationary, and, if the Euro­pean demand increases by the m oderate percentage predicted, production remaining as at present, in 1887

demand and supply should th a t year virtually balance one another.

Thus i t would seem th a t all increase in the American consumption—and we have already shewn above of w hat an im portant nature this increase should be— m ight a t no d istan t date have to be satisfied a t the expense of stocks.

Our friends may th ink that th is argum ent is invalid- i a ted by the fact th a t i t rests in great measure upon

the supposition th a t production w ill remain stationary, a probability, which, in the face of th e history of the last few years may be argued a remote one. B ut it must be remembered that, however large the increase of late may have been in production, i t is doubtful in face of existing prices whether the acreage under c u lt­ivation will be extended a t present.

T urning to a m atter for a moment, which is of great interest to our own home trade, although of com parat­ive insignificance to the world in general, i t is to be regretted th a t in the U nited Kingdom coffee is making no progress. Indeed, if the consumption per head be the basis of calculation, coffee may be said to be losing ground rapidly, these fa c s are most annoying, more especially as i t is well known th a t the article in England has not had fa ir play. The masses never taste genuine coffee, and the sickly m ixtures th a t are forced upon them as such are quite sufficient to account for tho unsatisfactory position.

Messrs. W. Schoffer & Co. point out th a t according to some estim ates, the shipments from Bio to Europe for the rest of the season will be very light. T hat they will be light is a certainty, bu t on the o ther hand the supplies from Santos will be unusually heavy.

In our circular dated January , 1882, we remarked “ a t the present tim e the 1882-1883 crops in Rio and Santos promise to be again enormous, some saying th a t Santos alone will give 2,000,000 bags. I t is estim ­ated th a t th e crops together will to ta l not less than6,000,000 bags or say 353,000 tons.” Such figures must of course be accept-d with the greatest caution, as it is still too early to assess these crops w ith certainty; still the broad fact remains th a t it their outline be true, the large surplus of low descriptions now current, even it decreased during the nex t six months or so, m ust be again augmented either in Europe or elsewhere, when these heavy growing crops come forward in quantity .

Messrs. W. Schoffer & Co. argue th a t the respective positions of fine and common qualities promise to become more and more divided. Fine coffees, a t prices such as arenow current, may be said to be w ithin the reach of the m ultitude, and the consumption of such ought th ere ­fore to be very large. The stock of such coffees are small, the prices are low, and now th a t the estim ate of the Ceylon crop has been dropped to 30,000 tons— an estim ate which many of our friends believe will not be equalled by the resu lt—there is again a fu rther reason for watching these descriptions.

Messrs. W . Schoffer & Co. very m arkedly say that they believe the prices of such coffees m ust soon travel upwards.

Those who buy articles when they are low, and are not afraid to hold them, when they have bought them, ought to watch common coffees. In th is m anner large fortunes have been made, and, for absolute storing, we believe Rio coffees a t 40s to be a better investm ent than p lantation a t 75s. to 80s. According to past experience, in the one cose a rise of nearly 200 per cent is not impossible, whilst, in the other, a rise of 80 per cent, is about as much as history allows us to calculate upon. In the former case you can hold for years, w ithout the coffee deteriorating, whilst, in the la tte r case, a few weeks’ frost or snow will damage the colour very considerably. In these days, when speculative stocks are held often tenaciously till their value becomes nil i t would not be unnatu ia l if the attention of the speculator was turned to an

article, which would not be likely to show him very severe losses, and might, in the course of time, show him enormous profits.

There can be no doubt but th a t, owing to the low prices current a t the present moment, coffee is care­fully watched by the speculator.

One has an article which is certainly in a state of over production, but whose stocks have only increased after all during the last year by less thau a m onth’s consumption. One has prices which for many years have never been known lower for most descriptions, and one knows th a t t he consumption has been for many years increasing steadily a t no mean rate—a consumption which a t present prices ought to be more stimulated. One knows th a t a t present prices the upkeep of many estates are paid for w ith difficulty, and th a t further the profits in others are not sufficient to induce or justify investment, bu t ra ther abandoment. A t the moment pt oductiou is beating consumption, b u t all things change. We do not say th a t I he time has y e t come when invest­ments in coffee should be made, but we do say that, the fall in prices will probably check production, th a t we believe consumption to be largely on the increase, and that, in the face of these two facts, it is not surely unreasonable to argue th a t b e tte r times must be before us, if not in the immediate future, a t all events, much sooner than many expect. W e cord­ially agree with Messrs. W. Schoffer & Co. th a t, after such a prolonged and severe fall in prices, the reaction when i t comes should be proportionately sharp.

We give the following table of European stocks during the past six months :—

1881. 1880. 1879. 1878. 1877. 1870.Sept 128,450 108,700 95,290 92,490 88,600 85,350 tns.Oct. 128,350 103,600 86,286 86,830 79,000 74,850 ,,Nov. 122,900 91,950 75,907 80 950 81,250 60,150 ,,Dec. 121,050 88,050 68,790 70,710 75,450 52,350 ,,

1882. 1881. 1880. 1879. 1878. 1877.Jan. 127,850 93,850 70,500 66,820 83.450 51,700 „Feb. 139,550 100,300 74,970 65,570 95,500 67,250 „During January markets fell considerably, and our fig­ures show a heavy increase in European stocks, and also in the surplus stock. Really coloury P lantation coflees have all through the m onth b 'en an exception, as they have sold with good competition, and are, in our opinion, many shillings dearer than they were.

H A R V ESTIN G CINCHONA BARK.We are glad to be informed, by a gentleman just

returned from Helbodde, that Mr. John de Caen, the enterprizing manager of th a t estate, has invented a machine for removing the bark off cinchona twigs and branches from tho sm allest sizeto branches about 1J in. diameter, which, for cheap­ness and simplicity, bids fair to supersede all o thermeans of accomplishing th is object.

The machine consists of two smooth rollers worked w ith a small cog-wheel, and driving-wheel, in the patte rn of a mangle, but, differing in th is respect, th a t th e rollers taper tow ards one end for the purpose of adm itting twigs of various dimensions. These rollers are 3 | to 4 feet in length, and are fixed to two common wooden standards, about 4 ft. high, the feet of which are splayed and weighted.

W ith one man (to tu rn the wheel) and four women or boys, th e machine tu rns out 600 lb. of wetbark per day, averaging 120 lb. per cooly. W hereaseven by the means, commonly known as ‘ ‘ the bottle trick ,” no more than 60 lb. has ever been got off per band,

Mr. de Caen has secured his rights to th is inven- j tion, and Messrs. J . W alker & Co. of Colombo and I K andy are the sole manufacturers. This firm will have I one or more machines on view nex t week, j The local “ T im e s” has the following description 5 of the tiadulla invention for th e same purpose :—I A C in c h o n a B a k k a n d T w ig Q u i l l i n g M a c h i n e .—

Messrs. Walker and Greig of Badulla are the manufact­urers of this machine, which is a patent and called the “ Mclnnes-McKenzie ” after the inventors, residents of this district. An account of this machine may be of in­terest to your readers who have not yet seen it I t is composed of two wooden cylinders a little over two feet long, and about five inches in diameter, placed one above the other aud kept in position by a frame aud a couple of springs. The upper cylinder is driven by a crank handle. The cylinders are grooved in various sizes and the alter­nate grooves have an imbedded knife in them ; the machine is worked by the branches being passed through a groove w ith the knife in a t first and then again through a smaller groove which takes about half the hark off, the remain­der hanging loosely on aud is taken off by a cooly with his hands. I t takes about six coolies to work this machine, one turning the handle, one passing the bark through the machine, one cutting, one carrying, one lopping off knots, &c., and one stripping off those pieces of bark still slightly adhering to the branch after passing through the machine. In this way, and when the coolies are thoroughly up to their work, from 120 to 200 lbs. wet bark can be taken off in a day, whereas the six coolies by the old method of scraping, could not possibly bring in more than 60 lbs. and this too with pieces of wood amongst the bark. There is very little doubt that few estates that have en­gaged in the cultivation of cinchonJ will be without this machine when its merits are thoroughly known. Practi­cally it means that we shall be able to realize a little profit from our cinchona fields, a couple of years earlier than we otherwise should, as under the’ old plan it did not pay to scrape the branches of Succirubra, but by re­ducing the cost of barking in this way we are enabled to place bark on the market, which, if, sold at one shilling a lb. will leave a handsome profit. I can only recommend those of your readers who have cinchonas large enough, to purchase one of these machines, as the cost will soon be covered, and the trees will then be free of its lower branches and be ready for scraping shortly afterwards.

P a p a v a fru it makes (unripe) a good curry superior to cucum ber and most pum pkins.—Vor.

A p p l e s . —Apples (says a correspondent of the Graphic) are of more value as food th an is generally supposed. They are nearly as nourishing as bread, and far more so than potatoes. In 1801 there was a great scarcity of meat, so apples, instead of being made into cider, were sold to the poor, and some of th e Cornish workmen asserted th a t they could sus­tain work on baked apples far b e tte r than on potatoes.

U m b r e l l a s a n d P im e n t o . —The Um brella trade, ac­cording to the Scientific American, threatens the exist­ence of the Pim ento (Pepper) plantations of Jamaica. I t was shown by an official estim ate made at Kingston, last autum n, th a t more than half a million umbrella- sticks were then awaiting export to England and the U nited States. These sticks were alm ost w ithout exception Pimento, and it is not surprizing th a t owners and lessees of Pim ento walks are becoming alarmed at

! the growth of trade which threatens to uproot in a few j years all the young trees. The export re tu rns for

the last five y< ars show an average of 2,000 bundles | of sticks sent out from Jam aica annually, and the ; returns for I he first three quarters of 1881 show an

export of over 4,500 bundles, valued a t 15,000 dollars. Each bundle contains from 500 to 800 sticks eachof w hich represents a young, bearing Pim ento tree._N a t ure.

t

TH E COFFEE TRADE OF BRAZIL.

We have now received Messrs. Kem, Hayn & Co.’s annual review, and from this interesting and important document we hope to quote largely tomorrow. Mean­time, we may say that the tendency of the report is to shew that over-production and lowered prices (the latter falling from 16 to 25 per cent during the year) had told so hardly on the planters that they are now demanding Government aid, not only in such legitimate directions as reduction or abolition of export duties and reduction of railway freights, but by the establishment of a R u r a l M o r t g a g e B a n k which should advance money against security at low interest to the planters. The latter proposal is truly characteristic. I t means that on “ block ” security, which may not only be reduced greatly in value, but become absolutely a burden on those holding it, the Bank should be compelled to lend its funds and at a low rate of usance: that, in fact, money should lie lent on the principles of high risk and low interest. That is not sound finance:—not fair to the owners of the money; but Messrs. Kern, Hayn & Co. express the hope that this concession as well as the others will be granted! They do not seem to see the force of their own statement, that in the case of estates far inland present prices of coffee will not pay cost of carriage to the sea-borde. Persons dealing with their own money would certainly hesitate to lend on sueli properties, and most decidedly would never lend 011 them at low interest. But, as the great landholders can influence the Government in Brazil, we should not be in the least surprized to see Government money (if European capitalists would lend it to the Government) used for the purpose indicated. Committed as the Im ­perial and Provincial Governments are to an immense number of railway schemes, for the construction or guaranteeing of which they calculate on the heavy ex­port duties, it is impossible to see how these can be remitted or even reduced.

As regards railway fares, their reduction by private companies which have been guaranteed would, in many cases, simply mean that the Government, that is the general community, would have to make up what was reduced in favour of a particular interest. I t is clear that, by the wild rush into coffee in the past four years, the planters of Brazil have brought a great crisis on themselves as well as on their competitors who did not work with slave labour. I t is an obvious case of direct retribution on the greedy wrong-doers, but involving, alas ! the suffering of the innocent as well as the guilty. Messrs. Kem, Hayn & Co. take, of course, the sensible view, that big crops will now be the rule for some years to come. E x p o r t s , however, null depend on im­proved prices, and for these the brokers look to the effect of present low prices in increasing consumption. But such increase cannot come all at once, or in pro­portion to the enormously increased production result­ing from the practical concentration of the whole slave labour of Brazil on coffee-growing. To add to the troubles of the Brazil planters, Messrs. Kem, Hayn & Co. anti­cipate pressure from the abolitionists, while no satis­factory progress in the direction of immigration has been made. Messrs. Kem, Hayn & Co. adhere to then- figures for exports from Rio, and they now give those of Santos

193

for the past three years. We find our estimate of an export of 7 millions of cwt. of coffee from Brazil, and o b i ' belief in a specially large increase in the case of Santos, fully justified, thus :—■

1S79. 1880. 1881.R io ... 206,327 tons 202,124 tons 258,313 tonsS a n to s ... 67,972 ,, 62,615 ,, 80,146 „

T o t a l ... 274,299 „ 264,739 „ 338,459 „The equivalents in cwt. of the enormous export of last year a r e :—

R i o ... ... .. 5,166,260 cici.■ S antos ............................ 1,602,920 ,,

T o t a l h 6,769,180 , ,minor ports making up the round 7 millions. As Santos coffee is that which mainly competes with Ceylon p lant­ation kinds, it is of interest to our planters to learn that all the increase in this kind went to Europe, the exports from Santos to the United States, indeed, hav­ing fallen from 12,113 tons in 1879 to 11,123 in 1881. But even Rio has far more affected the markets of Europe than it has those of the United States, for, while only 65,622 tons went from Rio to Europe in 1879, and 83,065 in 1880, no less than 109,268 went to lower prices in the markets of Europe in 1881. To the United States the shipments from Rio were actually less than in 1879, the figures being

187 9 ............................ ... 131,900 tons.188 0 ......................................... 105,993 „188 1......................................... 130,682 „

Let us, however, be thankful that the United States are able to take half the great crop of Brazil, now, and that the certainty is that, amongst their people, consumption will rapidly increase. Increased consump­tion in Europe null depend on war being averted, and also on stringent action being taken to put a stop to the nefarious practice of mixing chicory and worse with coffee and selling ground dates and other rubbish as substitutes. Why the adulterators of tea should be pun­ished, and those who not merely mix coffee but super­sede it should be encouraged, is a great mystery.

Our readers may be interested in seeing the names of the Rio firms which shipped over 80,000 bags in 1881.They are thus given:—

Ed. Johnston & C. ... 383,362 BagsPhipps Brothers & C. ... 306,361J . Bradshaw k (J. ... 299,717Hard, Rand & C. ... 252,948"Wright & C. ... 230,344Norton, Megaw kC . ... 224,552F. Sauwen k O. ... 219,448Me. Kinnell & C. ... 212,931Ed. Pecher k C. ... 193,395Berla, Cotrim &C. ... 183,039Trinks, Munch & C. ... 171,026Kern, Hayn & C. ... 160,827Arbuckle Brothers ... 136,261Wm. Ford& C . ... 101,361Wille, Schmilinsky & C. ... .. 92,345O. Me. Culloch, Beecher k C. ■ ... 84,833 ,

As 17 bags make up a ton, Messrs. Ed. Johnston & Co.,it will be seen, shipped more than 22,500 tons, or450,000 cwt., not far short of a Ceylon crop. But mere bigness is not in itself an admirable quality. Brazil has the advantage of vast areas of fertile soil. To take advantage of that circumstance was perfectly legitimate. But the soil has been tilled mainly by bondsmen, whose cry a t being robbed of their freedom and of the just

wages of their labour will reach the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth and will be heard and answered.

We call the special attention of our merchants and planters to the review of a pamphlet by the great Dutch Coffee House of Schroffer & Co. in another colum n: it is specially encouraging.

COFFEE “M IX TU R ES.”The following draft memorial is in circulation : —

To t h e L o r d s C o m m is s io n e r s o f H. M. T r e a s u r y .

London, 6th Feb. 1882. *The attention of your memorialists has been drawn to a

minute of Treasury dated 20th January 1882, which directsH. M. Board of Customs to permit the importation, under a duty of 2d per lb., of coffee or chicory, roasted and ground, mixed, without reference to the proportion of the mixture; and the permission to extend to any other veget­able matter applciable to the use of chicory or coffee.

Your memorialists beg to submit to the consideration of your Lordships the following objections to the above order •—

1st.—That it is most unwise to give such sanction to practices which tend to deteriorate so valuable and whole­some a beverage, so well fitted to advance temperate habits among the people.

2nd.—That the legislator has been most desirous of protecting the food of the people from adulterations, and that the order just issued by the Treasury is in contra­diction with the letter and the spirit of the Acts of Parliament 33 and 39 Victoria, chap. 63, clauses 6 and 8.

3rd.—That the substances, which it is proposed to admit in a mixed state with coffee, would of themselves find no favour, being of comparatively small value ; and it is only because they assume the name of coffee, or are found in association with this name, that they become saleable.

4 th .—T h a t no good reason can be show n w hy coffee should n o t deserve as fa ir a tre a tm e n t as o th e r a rtic le s of In d ia n o r C olonial p roduce, such as te a fo r in s tance w here regu lations p ro h ib it th e sale o f th e p u re a rtic le , w ith any m ix tu re w hatsoever, a n d even w ith “ exh au sted te a .”

5th.—That the chief reason why coffee has fallen into disfavor in this country is the systematic way in which it has been adulterated, and the consequent difficulty ex­perienced by the great mass of population in obtaining not merely a pure article, but a wholesome and palatable beverage suitable to their means. The poor classes pur­chasing coffee in small quantities will always ask for it ready ground.

6.—That coffee is grown in the British Possessions in India, Ceylon, Jamaica, and other Colonies, at the cost of many millions of English capital, its cultivation and pre­paration giving employment to many thousands of British subjects : that Ceylon in 1877 exported 105,000,< 00 lb. of coffee and British India about 50,000,000. lb. that by far the larger of those crops used to find their way to this country, which consumes chiefly Ceylon and Indian coffee j that London is gradually losing a portion of its trade, as the crops are shipped now more and more to the con­tinent direct, to the detriment of British shipping, and of English importers, dealers, brokers and others interested in this article.

7th.—That the consumption of coffee in this country, which, in 1847, with a duty nearly three times as heavy as the present one, was 37,472,153 lb. or about 2 lb. per head of population, has now declined in 1881 to 31,913,4001b. or less than 1 lb. per head, nothwithstanding the large increase of population, and they believe thatjthe consump tion, if it bad not been checked by unfair legislation, would probably exceed now 60.000,000 lb.

For those reasons your memorialists deem the effect o tth is treasury order to be of such injury to the con­sumption of coffee, and the well-being of the community, that they feel constrained to urge its withdrawal.

AGRICULTURE ON T H E CONTINENT OF EUROPE.

(Special letter.)BEET-SUGAB— VACCINATION OF LIVE-STOCK— POULTRY AND

RABBIT REARING.

P a r i s , 28th January.Farmers have taken stock of 1881, and appear on the

whole not to be dissatisfied with the results. The price of wheat, which may be taken as the standard of profits, has been more advantageous, without affecting seriously the pockets of the consumers. The vintage has been better, despite phylloxera and f ro s t ; the wine industry of the country is not compromised: new vineyards are coming into existence, and, if proprietors cannot extirp­ate the phylloxera, they can a t least protect themselves against its ravages. Live stock has left not a little to be desired; this is due to short supplies of food: the price for fat stock was high, but then a deficiency of fodder made it difficult to prepare cattle for the butcher.

To protect the beet sugar interest, so-called free-trade fanners demand that the duty of fs. 20 per cwt. be main­tained on colonial sugars, and the home tax reduced to 2£ francs per ton of beet delivered a t the factory. Agri­culture has been endowed with a special minister since over ten months, but how long that business-like arrange­ment may be continued is uncertain.

In the north of France, sugar beet is viewed by agri­culturists as a cornucopia. I t possesses the advantage of feeding stock, cheaply under conditions where high farming is practised; the products from beet-sugar, mo­lasses, alcohol, repay in a great measure the expenses of production, while the pulp, varying in price from fs. 10 to 15 per ton, following not so much quality, as locality, feeds working bullocks, then fats them off, in addition to supporting sheep and cows. The value of the manure must not be omitted. In the department of the Nord, 25 per cent of the arabl6 soil is under beet, which real­izes on an average fs. 20 per ton. About 2J tons of pulp are viewed as equal to one ton of ordinary hay. At Roye, Messrs. Pluchet and Frisard cultivate 1,500 acres of sugar beet, less 25 in meadow; the rotation is tr i­ennial : beet, wheat or rye, oats and clover. They employ 160 bullocks, 30 horses, and a steam plough. The sugar beet worked up during the season is 150 tons per day.

This establishment was the first to employ the ex­traction of beet juice by the process of diffusion, now so general, and. which has superseded the old method of pressing the pulp in sacks in hydraulic machines. The principle of diffusion reposes on osmose and exosmose, the same laws which regulate the flow of sap in plants. If on a glass of water a little wine be carefully poured, and the air kept perfectly still, the wine, being lighter, will float, but in time will he found to have gradually become mixed, layers-like, in the water. Or, if a bladder containing a solution of sugar be hermetically fastened and suspended, not a drop of the contents will escape. But if the bladder be placed in a vase of water, the solution will exude through the pores of the membrane, the water also passing inwards at the same time rapidly. The liquids exchange places. This is the process of difiusion. The beet is cut up into little slices, placed in an iron cylinder, and hot water added, as the change thus provoked is more rapid. The cellules of the beet act the role of the membrane of the bladder; they empty their sugar and salts into the water when the solution is duly drained off, and the pulp taken out and pressed to obtain all the liquid. Under the ancient press method from 4 to 6 per cent of useful substances were lo s t ; by the diffusion process only about a half. In other words 6J per cent of sugar is now obtained, against o£ formerly, which on 15,000 tons of roots means 1,000 sacks more of sugar. The labour too is less. The pulp from the beet treated by the diffusion plan contains from 10 to 15 per cent more water, hence, less esteemed by

| fanners, but then it costs fs. 10 less per ton, and when

mixed with cut fodder, linseed or cotton seed cake, fa t­tens animals well in four months. Chemists allege that no great advantage is gained by having a pulp rich in sugar, for when the pulp is placed in the trench for conservation, the sugar becomes rapidly changed into alcohol, and next into acetic acid. The scums from the defecation of the juice make excellent manure, being rich in nitrogen; as a top dressing for meadows it is invalu­able, and ploughed in after a flax crop, is considered as an excellent preparation for stolen crops of turnips. On beet farms the ratio of stock kept is 10 sheep or pigs, or one head of black cattle, per 3$ acres.

M. Pasteur has lost no time in practically applying his important discoveries connected with the vaccination of live stock as a preservative against charbon and other maladies. He prepares the vaccine and forwards it in bottles, sufficient for 50, 100, to 300 sheep: the doses for cows and horses are larger. There are first and second vaccines to be employed a t an interval of a fortnight, and injected under the skin by a Pravaz syringe. In the case of sheep they are vaccinated inside the thigh, cows behind the shoulder, and horses on the neck, where the collar cannot rub. The syringe employed must be carefully washed after each day’s use ; the vaccine must be kept in a cool place in a cellar, and a bottle once opened must be used. After being operated upon, cattle exhibit no trem or; sheep do, and horses largely so ; no treatm ent is required for the pustules. An extensive agriculturist asserts he preserves his stock from peri­pneumonia, by hanging in the sheds planks coated twice a week, not with coal, but Norwegian ta r ; giving common salt and garlic liberally with the food, purging with castor-oil, and employing lotions of camphored spirits.

M. Lemoine, an extensive poultry breeder, considers the droppings of fowls, if allowed to accumulate, as detri­mental to the health of the birds and the profits they ought to yield. His poultry-yard consists of several well-sanded, low-wired over alleys, planted with fruit trees, terminating in a small paddock. The mortality of the fowls is 20 per cent less, and the eggs one-fourth more numerous by the new installation. Farmers are urged to domesticate the Cabiai of South America as ranking next to the pig and sheep. I t is commonly known as the water pig, and resembles the squirrel in point of cleanliness and food. In three years it becomes as large as an ordinary p ig ; it eats little and sleeps much. The head is large, the ears small, it has two terrible cutting teeth, but no tail. When carefully fed, the flesh loses its objectionable oily taste.

A M. Georges proposes, that since meteorology cannot predict the weather for months in advance, and since the telegraph can, for 48 hours, farmers ought to club among themselves during the active seasons, to receive weather telegrams from the Observatory.

Nothing to record relative to the phylloxera: the battle between the invader and the invaded goes bravely on. Much interest has of late been displayed to discover the winter eggs of the insect. In the meantime, several vine­yards which had been destroyed by the ravages of thephyl- loxera, are being replanted by American stocks, so that in five or six years the vines will be flourishing like bay trees.

I t has been said that a man could make his fortune by rabbit rearing. M. Bouvyer, of Chatellerault, near Tours, cultivates mushrooms in old quarries: manure and labor, fs. 1,100 per m on th ; receipts, fs. 8,000; profits, fs. 7,900; he gathers about 150 lb. of mushrooms per d a y ; the beds, composed of horse dung, after being sown with spawn from rabbits’ excrements, send up the esculent in three m onths; it ripens on the third day of its being overground.

TH E “ HYBRIDITY OE CINCHONAS” CONTROVERSY.

We personally feel th a t there can be no further controversy as to th e liability or even the tendency

of cinchonas to hybridize. A part from the judgm ent of strictly scientific men, like Dr. Trim en and Mr. Moens, confirmed by so-called practical planters (who, if educated and observant men, are em inently scientific), our own experience, as recently related, of the pro­geny of seed from calisayas grown w ithin reach of saccirubras, has been conclusive. We ought to say th a t we never doubted the ability of a scientific horticulturist, like th e late Mr. M clvor, to produce hybrids by the m ethods usually practised to obtain new varieties of plants. W h at we were long sceptical about was hybridization by na tura l agencies, such as currents of wind or insects. W e had two very strong apologies for our sceptical a ttitu d e of mind. In the first place, we pinned our fa ith to the dicta of such em inent botanists as Drs. Hooker and Thompson, who, in their Flora Indica, strongly insisted th a t hybridity in na ture was exceedingly rare, and, artificially, often very difficult. In the second place, our personal ob­servation of G. officinalis had convinced us of the almost illimitable faculty of ** sporting ” into the m ost diverse sizes, shapes and other characteristics of foli­age, possessed by the plants. W e may add th a t we attached much importance to a concession made by the greatest, living quinologist, Mr, John E lio t Howard, that, although real hybridization of the cinchonas in their natural habitat was not probable (and to that position he adheres), yet the various species growing in close contiguity m ight affect each o ther to an ex­te n t short of hybridization. Mr. Broughton wrote to Mr. Howard th a t, as regarded the Crown barks, C. officinalis,— Uritusinga, Loxa, Condamirma, Bon- plcndiana, or by w hatever o ther names the varieties m ight be distinguished, those varieties were numerous and extreme, from trees of robust habit, w ith large and glabrous foliage, down to the shrubby C. angusti- fo lia , w ith its small, pointed, peach-like leaves. Mr. Broughton, however, found seedlings -which he was compelled to recognize as hybrids, under trees of C. succirubra and C. officinalis, which had ripened and dropped seeds. The seedlings were neither succirubra nor officinalis, bu t manifest hybrids, although some inclined more to one parent and some to the other. Broughton’s grand error was the assertion, which M clvor said discouraged him and for a tim e in te r­rupted his experiments, th a t the hybrids possessed the bad qualities of both parents and the good pro­perties of neither. W hat M clvor did and w hat nature seems also to have done, was to produce, amongst hybrids of no value, a t least a couple (or perhaps only one, leaning in some specimens to one parent and in some to the olher) superior in good properties to either parent. Those taking after the red bark parent have been distinguished as pubiscent; those bearing the impress of the crown bark f.Iiage, robust ; and, as a name which both sides to the controversy can a t once adopt, Dr. Trimen suggests C. robusta for w hat lie believes, and his opinion has been con­firmed by the authorities a t Kevv, is a hybrid, * b u t

* Dr. Trimen cautiously says it may turn out to be a distinct species ; but his opinion, that it is a hybrid, is clearenough.

of so valuable a character th a t i t deserves the special attention of cultivators. Col. Beddome was ju st as favourably impress :d with the new cinchona, but under the influence of a foregone conclusion against the hybridization theory and deference to the opinion of Mr. Cross, the able Conservator of Forests (no mean botanist) rejected the idea and the name of hybrid, and accepted the assertion of the ci-devant bark collector th a t the tree was th a t known in South America as Pdtd de Oalinazo. Dr. Trimen has shewn that th is is a mere bark-collector’s name and th a t i t includes six different kinds.

We have no prejudice in favour of the aristocracy of science as against the democracy. For a “ gardener ” like the late Mr. M clvor we entertained the highest respect. In his battle w ith the Doctors,—men of such m ark as Drs. Anderson, Macpherson and Bidie—he may have been self-opinionated aud somewhat emphatic. B ut experience has proved th a t as regarded p lan t­ing cinchonas in the open, and barking instead of coppicing the trees, he was right and the learned Doctors wrong. Mr. Moens, after visiting the Nilgiri plantations, very greatly astonished Mr. Cornish of Madras, by insisting as Col. Beddome did and as most candid persons now do th a t the barking process was not murdering the trees. We should equally respect and support the gardener, Mr. Cross, if we saw any evidence in favour of not merely his egotistic self- assertion bu t his offensive impeachment of the veracity of his former master, Dr. Spruce, and the judgm ent of the leading scientists of our day. Even Col. Beddome, who accepted Mr. Cross’s name for w hat he (Mr C.) deemed a distinct species, complained, in his report, to the Indian Governm ent of the contradictory opinions which Mr. Cross had given of this very plant. And then, although Col. Beddome is, as we have adm itted, a botanist of no mean mark, if it becomes a question between him and such an authority as Dr. Trimen on a point of vegetable physiology, such as the effect of dimorphic flowers, w ith reference to resisting or offering facilities to the hybridization process, we sup­pose the almost unanimous judgm ent of the scientific world would confirm the opinion of the learned D irect­or of the Royal Botanical Hardens of Peradeniya. Col. Beddome adduced th e fact of the male organ being prom inent in some blossoms, and the female equally prominent in others, as m ilitating against the idea of natural hybridity. Dr. Trimen holds, rightly beyond doubt, th a t this very peculiarity in the flower organs favours the proce s. Mr. Moons shewed us, on the Java plantations, the butterfly and the bee, which lie looked upon as the great agents of a process which experience had led him to dread so much as con­tam inating his best Ledgerianas by the pollen of C. Jovephiana, Scltuhkrafl, Javanica &c., th a t he had advised aud obtained authority for the extirpation of the inferior kinds ; all bu t a few plants which, in positions securing them from doing harm, are to be retained for purposes of a series of experiments in hybridizition. But to shew how men, especally Scotchmen, adhere to their opinions as tenaciously as a lim pet sticks to a rock, we may mention that, when we announced to a leading local planter our conversion to the hybrid theory, he poured cu t a to rren t of objurgatory eloquence enough to make

the hair stand on end on the bark of G. pubescens. Belief in natu ral hybrid ity was an impeachment of the wisdom of providence ! and as to our illustration of the care gardeners took of their cabbage seed plants, the brassicas were too innately pure to entertain , much less act out, an idea so abhorrent. Moens was a m aunderer; a fig for Forbes Laurie ; while Dr. Trimen was as much blasphemed as could possibly be the case where actual swearing was not resorted to ! W hat the eloquent advocate of puris naturalibus in the cinchona species will say to the able le tte r which, after delay which we regret, we th is day insert, aud which is signed “ New Products,” bu t to which the name of the author m ight as well have been affixed, we can only wonder. The case of the practical p lan ter seems to us as impregnable as th a t of the eminent scientist, and if our anti-hybrid friend is wise he will “ keep a calm sough ” on the subject henceforth and forever. He is more likely, however, in trium phant tones to quote Mr. How ard’s commentary on a cinchona grown in Jam aica (see reports and analyses in today’s issue), which Mr. D. Morris (a botanist and well acquainted with cinchona") as well as his p re­decessors had always described as a hybrid. Mr. Howard recognized the great m erits of the p lan t, bu t could see no signs of hybrid origin in the bark. Howard, however, had not seen the leaves and flowers ; so this case will not largely help the sceptics. T hat Mr. Thompson, with no previous experience of cinchonas, should, on the o ther hand, have a d ­opted a hybrid as true calisaya, while the real Simon Pures were ranked as officinalis, amounts to nothing in the controversy. Mr. Thompson, like the rest of us, had to learn by making occasional mistakes. B ut the marvellous th ing is th a t tiue calisayas should in Jamaica, flourish specially on bare, w indy slopes ! T hat certainly is contrary to Indian and Ceylon experience. The bark of such calisayas was pronounced even a t 5 or ti years old to be worth 8s per lb. ; while w hat Mr. Morris, following the brokers, called a hybrid gave an analysis equivalent to 14s per lb. ! In Mr. How ard’s opinion the special k inds under cultivation in Jam aica compare favour­ably with those in India, Ceylon and South America, but our readers will note th a t m any of the trees were so old as 19 years, and th a t quality seems to have increased w ith age, instead of deteriorating after the ten th year as Mr. Broughton inferred. Most of the trees, it will also be noted, grew a t 5,000 feet elevation and upwards.

J u s t in tim e to be added to these remarks, comes a le tte r from the veteran quinologist, Mr. John E liot Howard, dealing w ith the still undecided question, as Mr. Howard deems it, of the place and name of the robust cinchona. The quotation “ infallibility” is a good-humoured reference to a correspondence be­tw een Mr. How ard and the senior editor of this paper. The la tte r (in his days of ignorance) had the tem erity to break a lance with Mr. Howard on the question of hybridity , going the length of stating th a t he no more believed th a t Mr. How ard was infalli­ble th an was the old gentleman (Pio Nono) he (the editor) had seen a t Rome. Mr. Howard, whose religious stand-point is a t the antipodes of ecclesiastical hier­

archies and hum an pretensions to authority , while he is a decided Christian and a liberal supporter of Christian work, was intensely amused a t his being compared to the Pope. Though not a sadder, we are a wiser and we tru s t a more modest man than when we ventured, even in opposition to such an authority as Howard, to refer all variations of type in cinchonas (of the crown bark species) to their in ­veterate tendency to sport. In th is case, however, i t is Mr. Howard and not E d . C. 0 . who doubts hybridity . The bent of his mind is, apparently, quite in the opposite direction to th a t in which Dr. Trimen leans. Hut, with the modesty of true science, each waits for “ more ligh t.” The light from Badulla, which Mr. Howard asks for, will, we feel sure, be readily supplied. This is w hat M r. Howard writes

“ I w ant your help in reference to a le tter from your correspondent * B. G., Badulla, 30th November1881.’ Can you obtain from this gentleman speci­mens of the leaves, flowers, and fru it of his C. coccinea trees ? I should be very much obliged for these and in re tu rn would tell him something as to their value.

“ Pray do not let him say th a t Dr. Spruce and I have ‘ determ ined’ anything about the l ’htk de Gallinazo. ‘B. G .’ has, perhaps, in his hands in ­formation th a t would help towards th is point.

“ If the Pata de Gallinazo grows in the red bark dis- trict, (which seems now certain), i t cannot be a hybrid, since the 0. officinalis does not grow anywhere n e a r th a t part of b. America.

“ I t may be and probably is ‘an interm ediate f o r m between C. Succirubra and C. officinalis' unnamed as yet. Such, a t all events, is the present sta te of my opinion, about th is very important sort.

“ Yon will see, in the account which I gave of this pubescent sort to the Brit. Pharm . Conference, I attached a query (?) to the supposed identification by Spruce of th is sort w ith the C. coccinea, Pavon. See the Year Book 1881 p. £01.

“ You can te ll your readers, who are k ind enough to interest themselves in my ‘ fa llib ility ,’ th a t the above (?) has become (??).

“ W hen I am quite sure what the (C. pubescens Howard?) really is I hope to le t you know.’’

RESULTS OF ANALYSES OF JAM AICA-GROW N BARKS BY JO H N ELIO T HOW ARD, E sq ,

F. R. S.(From the Jamaica Gazette, 27th Oct. 1881.)

Colonial Secretary’s Office, 20th Oct 1881.The Governor directs the publication, for general

information, of the following le tte r from the Director of Public Gardens and P lantations forwarding a memor­andum embodying information supplied by Mr. John E liot Howard, F. R. S., in regard to certain speci­mens of leaves, flowers aud fru it of cinchona plants, and samples of cinchona bark from the Government plantations.—B y command, E d w a rd N e w to n ,

Colonial Secretary.

Botanical Hept., Gordon Town, Jam aica, Oct. 13th 1881.No. 2030.

S ir ,—I have the honor to report th a t with the view of accurately determining the botanical classification, as well as the value of the batk yielded by the different kinds of cinchona trees under cultivation in Jam aica, I made a complete collection containing eight sets of specimens of leaves, flowers, fruit, as well as one pound by weight of cinchona bark, from every distinct form or variety which had hitherto come under m y notice.

2. This collection was forwarded in June last to John Eliot Howard, K-quire, F. R. S., Tottenham , near London, who is believed to b" the highest au thority on cinchona and cinchona barks in the world. 1 asked Mr. Howard to be so good as to compare the botanical characters of the specimens sent from Jam aica w ith those in his large collections from S. America, Indiaand Ceylon ; and as he had kindly offered to help me in every possible manner, I ventured to ask him to obtain for me a quantitative analysis, with the probable m arket value of the various samples of bark which accompanied them.

3. I have now the pleasure to forward, herewith, a summary of the information which Mr. Howard has been good enough to send me, and I doubt not th a t this authoritative and exhaustive report w ill prove of the greatest service to those interested in the cultivation of cinchona in th is island.

4. I t will be noted, in the first place, that, although the late Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens (Mr. Thompson) adopted a “ hybrid” variety for the true yellow bark. Cinchona Calisaya, and had continued to trea t and w rite of i t in his reports as such, there were a number of true Calisaya trees already on the p lan t­ations, which were included among the Crown bark trees C. Officinalis.

5. A fter a careful inspection of the plantations on my arrival here, I came to the conclusion th a t these trees were not C. officinalis, and 1 took steps to keep the seeds separate, and to propagate them for supplying steep and windy slopes, for which they ap­pear to be adm irably adapted. In references under No. 2 iu the accompanying report, i t will be noticed that I asked Mr. Howard w hether these trees were Calisaya vera, var. Josephiana ? or certain forms of “ C. officinalis ” ? His analysis and report shew that they are true Calisaya, and th a t the bark even a t 5 to 6 years old is worth about eight shillings per pound. Mr. Howard, therefore, naturally ex­presses an opinon th a t the Calisaya trees “ form a valuable portion of the P lan ta tions.”

6. W ith regard to Mr. How ard’s remarks on the “ hybrid ” variety, No, 4, I may mention that although in single specimens of leaves, flowers, etc., i t is almost impossible to decide its hybrid ity ,ye t on the Plantations where all gradations may be distinguished among these trees, from almost the pure Succirubra type to the pure Officinalis type, there can be no doubt of their origin1 Again, when seed of this kind was sent to Kew, the seedlings and plants were pronounced of a decidedly “ h y b rid ” ch arac te r; and, lastly, although following Mr. Thompson’s classification, 1 sent the bark at first to the Loudon M arket as “ Calisaya (?) ” the brokers in their report drew my attention to it, and remarked “ it is not pure yellow bark, but supposed to be a hybrid with Succirubra."

7. I t is, nevertheless, gratifying to find th a t th is “ h y b r id ” is of so valuable a character, and, as i t is a tree grower a t low elevations steps are being taken to propagate i t for general distribution . According to the analysis of the specimen bark sent to Mr. How­ard, its m arket value would not fall far short of fourteen shillings per pound-

8. The o ther analyses and remarks do not call for spe­cial mention. I t will be noticed, however, th a t, in nearly every case, the character of the bark and the special kinds under cultivation here compare favourably in Mr. How ard’s opinion, not only w ith those from Ind ia and Ceylon bu t also with all the best forms from South America. This is generally confirmatory of the results of our late sales.

9. W hen I shall have obtained a careful analysis of a sample of cinchona bark grown in Manchester by Mr. Swaby, a t an elevation of 2,400 feet, we shall have then an au thoritative opinion as to the comparative value of most of th e different kinds of

cinchona b a ik a t all elevations a t which the trees are likely to be cultivated in Jam aica.

10. I t may be added th a t i t is to Mr. Howard we are indebted for three very fine growing plants of Cinchona Calisaya, var. Ledgeriana, which were sent out from Kew . last year ; and I am glad to report th a t Mr. How ard has 1

still fu rther contributed to the success of our p lan t­ations by presenting us w ith several other valuable cinchona plants, which are expected from Kew by the next mail, under the care of Messrs. H arris and E l­lio tt.—I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, D. M o r r is ,

Director of Public Gardens and Plantations.The Honorable The Colonial Secretary, Kingston.

References to Specimens of leaves, F ru it, Floweis, as well as Specimens of Cinchona Bark forwarded from the Government Plantations, Jamaica, to John I Eliot Howard, F. R. S., Tottenham , near London :—

C in c h o n a C a l is a y a .No. 1. Small trees, about 9 to 10 feet high, 5 to 6

years old, growing a t Belle Vue Plantation, 5,400 feet, hitherto classed with C. Officinalis, b u t leaves narrower, slightly tin ted underneath ; scrobicules abundant; flower buds swollen a t the apex ; flowers whitish ; capsules short ovoid.

Analysis of Trunk Sark,* Quinine. Quinine.

Sulp. Aik. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

2.73 2.04 0.70 .65 .07No. 2. Small trees, very similar to above, habit more 1

robust, leaves broader. Are these trees (Nos. 1 & 2) Calisaya vera, var. Josephiana, or merely forms ofC. Officinalis ? Their compact hardy habit and their early m aturation render them very suitable for our steeper slopes, and i t is very desirable to learn their value as compared w ith C. Officinalis.

An analysis of the bark desired.Analysis of Trunk Bark.

Quinine. Quinine. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. QuinidineSulp. Aik.

4.93 3.70 0.60 .35 .05In addition to supplying the above analysis Mr. How­ard reports as follow s:—“ No. 1 and No. 2 appear to me to be tru e to th e Calisaya type, and torm a valuable portion of the plantation. I should not th in k th a t they belong to e ither of the Josephiana or to the Ledgeriana form, but that th e exact variety is, perhaps, not yet published. In the meantime, i t m ight be well to call them C. Calisaya simply.

“ There is no appearance of hybridity , nor any re­semblance to the Loxa (C. Officinalis) barks.”

C in c h o n a O f f ic in a l is .

No. 4. Specimens of the typical Cinchona Officinalis of th e Jam aica plantations. Average price per pound of all quantities, viz:—root stem and branch bark obtained during the past year = 6s 7 d ; highest price realized 10s Id per pound for root bark : lowest 2s 3d per pound for twig bark. The tree from which the speci­men of bark was taken was about 9 years old and growing a t an elevation of 5,500 feet.

Analysis o f Trunk Bark.Quinine Quinine

Sulphate. Alkaloid. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

6.95 5.18 0.22 0.01 0.15Mr. Howard adds ;— “ This (No. 3) does not require

* The value of cinchona bark for quinine manufacturers’ purposes may be estimated by taking tho unit of per- j centage of sulphate of quinine at Is 9d; hence, if a bark j yielded 5 per cent sulphate of quinine its approximate : market value would be about 8s 9d per pound. D. M. I

many observations, as the price per pound agrees w ith the appearance of the bark, and wiih the ana­lysis, in shewing th a t i t is good G. Officinalis quality, perhaps of slightly varying form s.”

CINCHONA HYBRID.No. 4. Specimens of w hat is supposed to be a

hybrid form between C. Succirubra and C. Officinalis.I Up to 1879 i t was considered to be C. Calisaya. j Average price per pound on all qualities, viz., root,

stem and branch bark, obtained during the past year 6s. lgd. : highest price realized 7s. 9d. per pound

: for trunk bark ; lowest 4s. 6d. per pound, also for trunk bark. The specimen of bark taken from trees 8—10 years old, growing a t an elevation of 5,300 feet.

Analysis o f Trunk Bark.Quinine QuinineSulphate. Alkaloid. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

8-00 6-00 0-73 0-10 0 03M r. Howard adds :—“ W hat proof is there th a t th is is a hybrid? W hat connection with the Calisaya? I t

1 is an excellent bark, resembles true C. Officinalis var.uritusinga.” In another communication, Mr. How ard

; rem arks: —“ I t is very evident th a t the so called ‘hybrid ,’ No. 4, if only i t is a free grower, m ust be about

, the most valuable of all the sorts. The price obtained in commerce does not seem proportional to its value,

I bu t possibly, as rem arked before, i t may be an excepti­onally fine specimen. So far as I can judge by the

\ botanical specimens i t is a true form of C. officinalis. + CINCHONA SUCCIRUBRA^

No 5.—Specimens of common type of C. succirubra of Jam aica plantations. Average price per pound on all qualities, viz. :—root, stem, and branch bark, ob­tained during th e past year = 4s nearly ; highest 5s 7d for root bark ; lowest Is 3d per pound for twig bark. Specimens of bark sent from trees 9 years old, growing a t an elevation of 5,000 ft. Mr. How ard re-

i ports on th is bark as follow s:—“ Very good and tru e I C. succirubra, agreeing well w ith my specimens from ! South America. I t is the sub-pubescent form .”

CINCHONA OFFICINALIS— WHITFIELD HALL.No. 6. Specimens of tru n k bark only from C. Offic-

' inalis trees 13 years old, th e remains of a nursery planted a t Whitfield H all in 1867. probably some of the

: first C. Officinalis trees established in th e Island. The trees were 13 years old when barked ; they bad been

i to ta lly uncared for, and surrounded by dense forest for ' the last nine years (see R eport on Public Gardens and

P lantations, 1879-80, p. 7). The analysis desired in order to test w hether the bark had improved w ith age as compared w ith No. 3 (see above), or w hether the w ant of cultivation and lower elevation had exerted any in ­fluence upon it.

Analysis o f Trunk Bark.Quinine. Quinine.Sulphate. Alkaloid. Cinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

j 5.00 3.75 0.40 .12 .16I Mr. H ow ardadds :—“ Very good C. Officinalis, not of the ! uritusinga form, b u t of another which is also represented j in my specimens from M r. M olvor (Southern India : plantations) and abundantly in specimens of bark from

S. America, even in old specimens of mine from the College of Physicians. This is the Coloradade Loxa of

i the Spanish commerce.1 “ The botanical specimens sent w ith barks No. 4 and

No. 6 agree exactly w ith both of those sorts from Mr. M clvor in my collection.

“ The evident improvement by age corresponds w ith a like improvement in specimens of the iiritusinga form recently sent home by M r. R .'C . Cross from Ootaca- m und.”

t See remarks in Par. 6 of attache! letters.—D. it.

C in c h o n a S u c c ir u b r a — C o l d S p r in g .

No. 7. Samples of bark only ; from one of the first trees of C. Sticcirubra planted a t Cold Spring Coffee Plantation (near Newcastle) by Mr. Wilson in 1862- 63. The tree was about 19 years old when barked and measured nearly fifty feet in high.

Analysis of bark desired in order to test whether cinchona bark grown a t an elevation of 3,400 feet has improved or deteriorated with age as compared with No. 5, or whether the lower elevation had exerted any influence upon it.

Analysis o f Trunk Bark.Quinine Quinine

Sulphate. Alkaloid. Ciuchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

2.40 1.80 1.30 3.20 trace.Mr. Howard adds :— “ This (No. 7) shews a kind of

bark (<7. Succirubra) superior to a good deal th a t is grown in India. I t is evident th a t the more m arkedly red th e substance of the bark is the worse the alkaloids become. This is much less red aud the alkaloids much bette r than some I have ju st examined from Ootacamund (Southern India P lantations).”

C in c h o n a N i i i d a — Co ld S p r in g .No. 8. samples of bark only ; from Cinchona Niiida

trees planted a t Cold Spring in 1862-63. The trees were 19 years old when barked and growing a t an elevation of 3,400 feet. Analysis of bark desired in order to test the general character of the bark and w hether worthy of cultivation.

Analysis o f Trunk Bark.Quinine Quinine

Sulphate. Alkaloid. Oinchonidine. Cinchonine. Quinidine.

0.00 trace 0.00 trace 2.10 3.30 0.00Mr. Howard adds :— “ This (No. 8) is very character­istic ‘ Grey bark’ and suitable for druggists’ consump­tion. A t the same tim e I could not recommend its cultivation, except on a lim ited scale.”

COFFEE LEA F DISEASE EXPERIM ENTS.M r. Scbrottky w rites to u s :— “ Illustrating the enorm ­

ous extent to which the spores of Hemileia are dissemin­ated and the rapidity with which areas are likely to become re infected, if these spores are allowed to successfully germinate and establish themselves in the tissue of the leaf, is the fact th a t since the u n ­avoidable discontinuance of the carbolic acid tre a t­m ent a t Gangapitiya, leaf disease has been gaining there, slowly but surely. Be it noted a t a, for this estate, most unusual tim e of the year for a first attack.

“ Such experience demonstrates with greater force than volumes of argument w hat absolute necessity there is, for such an uninterrupted continuancy of the t re a t ­ment as forms part of my programme for operations during next season,

“ I have, at an early period of my work, compared the fungus to a weed, and the treatm ent I adopted last year, to a periodical weeding. The reappearance of weeds after weeding, if stopped for say a con pie of months, would ordinarily be expected by a practical planter ; and so ought the re-appearance of leaf disease afte r discontinuance of the treatm ent.

*■ The former fact proves to the practical planting mind the necessity and m eiit of constant weed­ing. I am afraid i t will take a little more tim e before the la tter part is considered in the same light.

“ I t was suggested by some practical men th a t the almost absolute imm unity from leaf disease during the time of treatm ent, i. e., May to January (Sept­ember and December having for the last six years been the month- during which the estate was most severely attacked) m ight be greatly due to some exceptional climatic circumstances. I have laid before

the P lan ter’s Association positive evidence on th is point, the correctness of which has not, and, to the best of my knowledge, cannot, be questioned. B ut still men will obstinately hold to some such theory. I recognize of course th a t Qie responsibility of unreservedly agree­ing w ith my conclusions would be very great, in the case of leading men, and they have need to be cau ti­ous. B ut still witli a great many, i t is, I am afraid, a case of ‘convince a man against his w ill.’

“ There are even some who will speak of the re ­appearance of leaf disease a t Gangapitiya as greatly, if not entirely, qualifying the success claimed. And among these are by no means wanting men, whose opinion is considered valuable and carries weight. B ut these very men confess, when pressed, th a t they really had no tim e to yead even a portion of th e papers on the subject.

“ I find there are very few in the island who have really taken the trouble to make themselves thoroughly conversant w ith w hat has been established by th e re­sults of my experiments.

“ Of course it is rightly said, th a t volumes of foolscap may hide a failure, but are unnecessary to prove a suc­cess. But i t should not be forgotten th a t we bad to feel our way during last year ; th a t we had to carefully examine whether the failures were failures absolute, or bu t so many steps to success, and w hether apparent success was not really a failure. This has necesssit- ated a good deal of writing, which ought not to be necessary in the future, now that we know how best to deal w ith the fungus, and can lay down hard and fast rules.”

TRAVANCORE PL A N T E R S’ ASSOCIATION.The Travancore planters held the annual meeting

of their Association on the 8 th February. The address of the Chairm an (Mr. Bourdillon) was a thoroughly practical one w ith a num ber of suggestions well wor­th y the attention of his brother-planters. H e advo­cates the establishm ent of experimental stations to tes t manures on private properties, careful notes being kep t of the results byindividual planters, which notes could be compared and utilized after a. tim e. W hat is said about the extrem e range of the prices secured of recent years for coffee from one and the same plantation, and of the same crop, is very striking ; but, surely, the great difference of quality is to be a ttribu ted to th e effects of leaf disease in preventing the trees m aturing all their crop. No less w orthy of note is the Chairman’s anticipation th a t another rise to high prices may be looked for by coffee planters as the na tura l result of the present extremely adverse swing of the pendulum. The inclination is, of course, to swing to the o ther extrem e when in ­creased consumption and restricted production, in ­duced by low prices, begin to tell. There is no doubt “ a good time coming ” for those who can hold on and work through the present dark days of depression.

M A N U RES— P R IC E S FOR COFFEE— N EW PRODUCTS.

E xtract from the Chairman's address :—G tntlem en,—I rise to open th e m eeting of 1882.

As the report will shortly be read you will have an opportunity of hearing w hat has been done by the A s­sociation in the past year, and I will no t therefore dwell upon the different subjects treated on. I should like, however, to say a few words on one or two of the more pre-em inent topics. Chief among these is the question of experimental etc!ions. During the past year an a ttem pt was made to s ta rt them , bu t owing to the defection of the chief owners of property in

South Travancore, i t was found impossible to carry out the scheme, and tbe recent rapid fall of prices com­pels us in strict economy to abstain from any ex­penditure th a t will not be immediately remunerative. Now, gentlemen, there seems to be a gregt diversity of opinion on the subject, and a great many sug­gestions have been properly discussed. The ori­ginal idea was to have one analysis made of the soil in the N orthern districts, and th a t manures should be sent out for experiment with the hope of forcing a crop. But a little consideration wdl show you that, however suitable nitrogenous m an­ures may be for wheat and other annuals, i t is a most dangerous thing in our forcing climate to apply stim ul­ating manures, even if they are afterwards to be supplemented w ith suppoiting manures. We know how coffee in Ceylon and nutmegs in the Spice Islands have been killed out by the indiscriminate use of so highly forcing a manure as guano, and we know from our own experience that, if coffee is in good h^art in November, we are p re tty sure to get a good crop from it next year. The inference is ob­vious, th a t w hat we require is to keep our trees from overbearing year by year ra ther than to force them. Now, gentlemen, though we cannot atlord to go in for the experimental stations as originally intended, we can do a great deal among ourselves in experim ent­ing with manures cheaply obtainable in the country. So eminent an authority as Mr. Ville tells us th a t analyses of soils are of little value, because, though the chemist can tell us exactly what the soil contains, he cannot place himself in the position of the p lant and say what i t can take up a t once and what it oannot, and he recommends th a t experiments should be tried with different combinations of manures with the object of returning to the soil what has been or is being abstracted by crop. H itherto it has been the custom to apply manures containing scarcely any­thing but nitrogen, which certainly have a great effect both on foliage and crop, bu t leave the trees in an exhausted condition afterwards. Now7, if we could arrange among ourselves to carry out Mr. V ille’s idea, I believe it would be more effectual and much less expensive than the idea suggested by Mr. Macdonald Cameron. I t is not of much use, one or two persons experimenting, as their results would only answer for their particular soils and clim ates; w hat I should like is, for all of us, to try simultaneously some three or four combinations and keep very accurate notes of the results. 1 now7 pass on to another subject, th a t of leaf-disease, an attem pt was made in August last to get up a discussion on it, but the tim e chosen was unfortunate, and in consequence of the short notice no recorded observations were announced to the m eet­ing, since then Mr. W ard’s pam phlet has appeared, and though we must all regret th a t he was not a practical planter, yet there is no doubt th a t the re­port is most valuable. There can be no longer any doubt th a t leaf disease will remain perm anently with us ready to a ttack sickly plants as potato disease is an ever present scourge a t home. It is a great thing to know7 something of the laws that regulate the growth of this mysterious fungu«, and if we know th a t i t will certainly begin to a ttack our coffee a t a p a r t­icular time and will spoil a percentage of the crop, we m ust accept the inevitable, and by removing early w hat would certainly be lost and supporting the trees to ripen w hat is left, make leaf-disease do as little harm as possible. B ut we require to know a great deal yet, how much crop leaf-disease will allow to ripen ; what kinds of trees stand its effects b e s t; what soils are the least favourable for its production, and what manures most effectual in checking its ravages ; all these subjects and many others I Commend to your careful consideration for the coming year. Any ad­dress would be incomplete w ithout some reference to

the present low prices ruling for coffee. Those of you who have an opportunity of seeing the different prices obtained for different soris of coffee, no t merely the average published in the daily papers cannot fail to be astonished a t the extrem e range of prices be­tween the be tte r and poorer sorts, and not only that, but in a g lu tted m arket the burthen of the song is always the sam e; “ a fair demand for coloury, the paler sorts much depressed” ; your coloury coffee, therefore, fetches firmer ra tes in a fluctuating m arket, as well as higher rates always. Now, gentlemen, there m ust be something radically wrong, if we send home coffee th a t fetches 112s and 62s, a t the same time. If we can produce the better kind, why cannot we produce i t and nothing else? W e are all agreed th a t the same tre ts produce both, for in a bad crop, the sample is always much larger and finer than in a good one : i t therefore appears certain th a t inattention to the coffee trees themselves produces th is great variety of coffee and I quite believe it possible to get 70 per cent, or 80 per cent of th e very best kinds, and fair crops, too, did we only know how. H ere then is some­thing for you to find out : if it is a question of soil or manure, or, if of curing, the remedy is equally in your hands. I feel confident th a t if yon will give your minds to this subject, Travancore coffee will, in a few years, obtain the highest averages of any country in the world. But, gentlemen, there is a silver lining to evury cloud, and though prices are so low a t p re­sent we may hope th a t in a few years they w7ill bevery high. I f you will look a t the yearly averageof prices extending over a long period, I th ink youwill find that th e lowest prices have always beenfollowed in a very few years by very good prices, and the reason is sufficiently obvious, for low prices increase the demand while they check the supply, I may also, I think, congratulate you on the prospect of being able to grow the very best, variety of cinchona with profit.

IN D IA N AND CEYLON TEA IN M ELBOURNE,( From our Correspondent )

C h e a t S a l e o f I n d i a n T e a .

Melbourne, lo th Febuary 1882. One of the best Indian tea sales yet held took

place on the 9th February, when 4,639 half-chests of Darjeeling, Assam, Cachar Doons and Dehra Boon teas were sold a t prices ranging from l l£ d to 2s. 4d. per lb. in bond.

The attendance was very large ; all eager buyers, the competition for some ot' the lots being very brisk. W hen the present sta te of our m arket is considered, th is clearly shews th a t Indian teas are getting a strong hold on the public taste. Our present stocks in bond of all kinds of tea stand a t 7,000,000 lb. weight as against a t the same tim e last year 4,000,000 lb. weight or an excess of three million pounds for th e pre­sent time. As a result, prices of China teas are unrea­sonably low, even taking into account their inferior quality th is year, and yet in the face of th is and the large quantity of tea offered, (the heaviest sale yet by 1,300 packages) Indian teas advanced fully Id. per lb. on the rates obtained a t the previous sale of 24th November, or, in other, words every sale of the five public sales held this season, has shown a slight advance on its predecessor.

The enclosed catalogue will give you full particulars, but which may be summarized as follows :—

Assam sold a t 11/J to 2/4 per lb. in box. Darjeeling ,, 1/2 „ 2/34 ,, ,,Cachar ,, 11 /j ,, 1/9 „ ,,Dehra Doons ,, 1/2 ,, 1/4^ ,, ,,Indian Teas ,, 1/J ,, 1/84 >> >>

Darjeelings as usual in great request.

A donkey has assumed the lion’s skin, bu t getting frightened, the bray soon found out the fraud. On the 2nd February a catalogue was issued by -Messrs. F r .se r & Co for a shipm ent of Japan teas under instructions from Messrs. A kita & Co., agents for the Japan Black Tea Company, connected with the Japan­ese Government and the Board of A griculture, Japan. W ith such a long string, people naturally imagined th a t the vendors would sell and introduce their goods to the people of Victoria, bu t nothing of the so rt oc­curred and after closely im itating the C alcutta tea syndicate’s style, as you will see by the en­closed catalogue. W hen it came to the point, they would only sell 162 packages a t 5d to Is 3Jd per lb. This is the joke of the month. The Japan teas are well made, hut lack strength and flavour.

Our old friends, the Javanese, have also tried th is m arket again, but only to sell 200 packages a t 7Jd to Is l id .

Altogether Melbourne teamen have had a lively tim e of i t and since the 1st Jany. about 44,000 packages of all kinds of tea have been sold publicly by auction.

No Ceylon tea has been sold a t auction lately, bu t the laet mail steamer brings a small lot down, which no doubt will be offered in a few days.

A large parcel of coconut oil has reached this from M auritius, but our m arket cannot take off the quantity and it will probably be shipped home.

Coffee shows signs of improvements bu t the m arket is still veil stocked.

Coir yarn and fibre have small sale, bu t rope is almost a drug a t the moment.

OPERATIONS OF TH E CALCUTTA TEA SYNDI­CATE : INDIAN TEA IN AUSTRALIA, THE

UNITED STATES AND CANADA,AND SOUTH AFRICA.

The C alcutta Tea Syndicate, aided by Messrs. James H enty & Co. in Australia and Mr. Sibthorp in the U nited States and Canada, are pushing Indian teas to the front, and the South African m arkets are to be tried. We give today, from the Calcutta D aily News, th e letter in which Mr. Magor, as Honorary Secret­ary of the Syndicate, announces the wise decision th a t the Syndicate shoul I continue its operations. I t appears th a t only 700,000 lb. of Indian teas had been shipped to A ustra lia between May 1881 and January 1882, while Messrs. Henty & Co., who have done so much to introduce Indian tea, sta te th a t air. ady the demand is equal to 1 mill.on or 1£ million pounds in a year. This is certainly a good beginning, considering that the brokers and dealers in I he China teas whereby they made their large profits, had i t all th e ir own way un til October 1880, when “ the tea of the fu tu re ” was able to asseit its superior merits, in the face of prejudice most bigotted and b itter. I t is in spite of interested opposition and of China tea (much of which is such unwholesome rubbish th a t a special law has had to be passed), th a t Indian tea is making way in Australia. I t has to thank its own merits and the brave efforts of Mr. J . O. Moody in Mel­bourne and Mr. Jas. Inglis in Sydney. Our readers will notice th a t teas in tins, though objected to a t first, sold well in Melbourne, and th a t small neatly made up and decorated packages are de­siderated in America. Besides w hat Messrs. Doane & Co. of Chicago say, there is an elaborate le tte r from Mr. Sibthorp, which, w ith suitable comments, we shall give in a fu ture issue. A ustralia now consumes,

194

in round numbers, 20 millions of pounds of tea, and the United States and Canada together about 100 millions. For South Africa we have not go t the figures a t hand. In the aggregate here are m arkets which approach even th a t of G reat Britain in im­portance. To change the taste of a whole people, even though the taste is a perverted one in favor of burnt teas, as in America, or weak, “ fusionless ” stuff on the one hand and black “ post anil rail ” tea on the other, as in Australia, is no easy task. But i t is being attem pted and will be successful, notw ithstanding the misrepresentation instead of support which those en­gaged in the arduous work receive from the “ o r­gan of th e teaplanters ” (?) and others in Ind ia as well as the abuse of interested parties in Australia.

P l a n t in g i n N atal —W e believe th a t coffee has so far been a failure in N atal, and th a t a Commission was recently appointed to take all the evidence tnai could be gathered on the spot, w ith a view to deciding w hether the experiment was worth continuing. The failure of coffee seemed to be due to the presence of the borer, and the insufficiency of the rainfall. Most of the experim ental plantations are within easy distance of the eea-coast as are the sugar-cane gardens. Tea is also pro­nounced a failure in Natal. Large sums of money have been sunk in try ing to grow it, bu t the climate seems to be against it. The new Indian em igrant coolies are not favorably received by the European laborers on the spot, the wages for which are unduly lowered. Those interested in th e emigration experi­m ent are divided as to its success, one pa rty holding th a t i t has been completely successful, while the other believes i t to be detrim ental to th e prospects of the colony.—South o f India Observer. [The same contro­versy rages in Queensland and all over the A ustralian colonies. The question is a different one, bu t if cheap hum an labour cannot be obtained for sugar and other tropical cultuie, machinery m ust be m ultiplied and so in th e end, dear white labour will be largely superseded. There is outdoor and field-work in th e tropics which whites cannot perform and live.—E d.]

J o r e h a u t T e a C o m p a n y . — The managing director of the Jorehaut Tea Company (Limited) has issued a circular to the shareholders in which he says th a t th e crop of 1881 has amounted to 1,029,600 lb. of tea being an increase of 36,560 lb. over th a t of 1880. I t was estim ated th a t the crop would am ount to about 1,138,400 lb. should favourable weather be experienced and no blights occur to check th e growth of flushes. The decrease in the quantity m anufactured may be ascribed to unseasonable w eather during a portion of th e year, to the plants on some of the plantations having been checked in their productiveness by insect blights, and to the removal of the leaves from the plants a t an earlier period than usual in order to produce finer teas. So far, the sales of the crop have amounted to 480,958 lb ., a t an average price of Is. 6.961 per lb ., which is about 4Jd. per lb. over the average price realized for a sim ilar quan tity of th e crop of 1880. In consequence, however, of a fall in the m arket value of pekoes and the finer descrip­tions of Indian teas since November la-t, th is average price will be reduced by the sale of i he remainder of th e crop a t the rates now prevailing. Takinp, hewever, a low valuation for the balanc : of the teas, i t may be reasonably expected I hat the average price of the whole crop will yield a profit equivalent to a dividend of up,varus of 12 per cent. The uncert­a in ty as to the prices which will be realized for the large portion of the crop yet to be disp ,scd of, and the small am mot of reserve fund a t present in hand, preclude ttie directors from recommendin'/ the paym ent of an interim dividend .— Overland Mail.

CALCUTTA TEA SYNDICATE.(Circular.)Calcutta, 26th January 1882.

D e a r S i r s , —W ith reference to my circular le tter of the 10th ultimo, pointing out for your special consider­ation the extensive demand which has been established for Indian tea in Melbourne, by the operations of the Syndicate, I am desired by the Committee to state that in their opinion the time has hardly yet arrived when the Syndicate should w ithdraw from the field and give place to private enterprize.

The effect of the above le tte r has been to induce fu rther parcels of tea to be entrusted to the Syndicate for shipment, bu t i t is probable th a t the exports during the next three m onths will be insufficient to provide for the present demand, which our Melbourne Agents es­tim ate a t the rate of 1 to 1J millions lb. per annum.

The shipments of the Syndicate to Melbourne during the season, which commenced in M ay last, up to the 31st ultimo, have been 375,452 lb., and the total ship­m ents to Australia and New Zealand during th e same period have been about, 700,000 lb ., from which it appears th a t more than half the to ta l export is due to th e operations of the Syndicate, and there is still a large deficiency of about 500,000 lb. required to meet the above estimated yearly demand in Melbourne alone.

The shipments of the Syndicate to America have been only 156,454 lb., and of th is quan tity only th e first despatch of 29,552 lb. to Chicago has arrived a t its destination. By a telegram dated the 12th instant, from Mr. Sibthorp, a t New York, we learn th a t these teas were selling well a t Chicago, and th a t more were required. I t is therefore to be hoped th a t the in tro ­duction of our Indian teas into the U nited States will m eet w ith the same measure of success th a t has attended our operations w ith Australia. Owing to ill-health Mr. Sibthorp has unfortunately been incapacilated from work for some weeks, and has therefore been unable to furnish th e detailed report he has been asked for, upon his tour through the States and Canada, bu t i t is hoped th a t th is im portant communication will not be much longer delayed.

The attention of the Committee has been drawn to th e advantage of opening up a fu rther m arket a t the Cape, and letters have been received from houses a t N atal and P o rt Elizabeth, giving useful information regarding the tea trade in those places.

Under all these circumstances the Committee of the Syndicate are of the unanimous opinion th a t i t would be premature to bring their work to a close a t present, and they accordingly propose th a t the Syndicate shall continue to undertake the despatch of tea to the several m arkets named, in such m anner as shippers may desire, and upon the same term s as have been in force during the season now closing.

I am further desired to hand you an extract from our Melbourne A gents’ le tte r of the 5th ultimo, refer­ring to the sale of the shipments per steam er “ Mon­golia” and “ Khedive,” in September last, together wiih particulars of these shipments, showing the Cal­cu tta valuations a t tim e of despatch and the prices realized.

Since the foregoing was w ritten an interesling letter, dated 13th December, has been received from Messrs. J . VV. Doane and Co., the Agents of the Syndicate a t Chicago, a copy of which also accompanies this com­munication. The Committee, having due regard to the telegram referred to above, intend th a t their next despatch to America shall he sent to Chicago, and they tru st th a t the opening up of th a t m arket may lead to an extensive demand for our Indian teas throughout the W estern States of America.

I am, dear sirs, Yours, faithfully,It, B. Mag o r , Honorary Secretary.

E x trac t from Messrs. Jam es H enty & Co.’s letter, dated Melbourne, 5th December 1881 :—

“ On the 24th ultim o we tried our entire stock of Indian teas by public auction, say :—

.................Ex “ Mongolia,” Account Syndicate.

.............. Ditto. do. J . H. & Co.108 ... Ex “ Khedive,” Account Syndicate.59 32 ’‘Carlisle Castle,” Account J.H.&Co.

167 32“ The attendance was large, biddings brisk, and the

whole quantity sold w ithout any difficulty.“ Assams show, on the whole, a decided advance ;

Pekoes Id. to 2d. higher than last sale, Pekoe Sou­chongs will average higher rates, whilst prices are well m aintained for broken teas. Medium Pekoe Souchongs in tins show a decline—tins as a package being evidently over-supplied.

“ Cachars realized fully up to th e ra te obtained a t the previous sale, w ith broken teas and Pekoes showing ra ther better result.

“ Darjeelings sold a t an advance of Jd. to l jd . on Pekoe Souchongs, bu t fine Pekoes are 2d. to 3d. lower.

“ The Dooars teas being in tins suffered in the same way as Assam medium Pekoe Souchong in tins, and sold a t cheap prices.

“ Dehra Doons, though very p re tty in appearance, did not realize so much as expected, expect for Broken Pekoe, which commanded full prices.

“ As the next six weeks are generally given up to holiday-making, we do not anticipate selling any more Indian teas before the end of January or early in February.

'■ The high prices ruling on your side and our endeav­ours to force our m arket up correspondingly on this have resulted in curtaling the num ber of our buyers and throwing more business into the hands of the wholesale packers and blenders. We have fewer buyers a t present high rates, bu t larger purchasers. W hat we should like to see, and it would be safer for us in the future, would be more general buyers and larger area for the sale and disposal of Indian teas.

“ In the analysis of th e Dehra Doon teas, you will notice they show a large percentage of m ineral ash w ith a small percentage of soluble salts in proportion. This brings them below the chem ist’s standard for Indian teas,

“ The ‘ Connaught Banger ’ has arrived, and the samples are ju st coming in.

“ One of our largest China tea-dealers is preparing to go fully into th e Indian tea trade, and is inclined to purchase the whole of the ‘ Connaught B anger’s ’ shipment. W e will t ry and do business w ith him after the mail has left. W e hear th a t th e buyer of most of the tea in tins a t auction has ju s t resold the whole of his purchases a t a profit. W e therefore advise you to send some more of these packages.”

Copy of Messrs. J . W. Doane & Co.’s letter, dated Chicago, December 13th, 1881 :—

Y our favors of the 3rd and 10th Sept. are a t hand, and contents have our careful attention. The shipm ent perS. S. “ C om pta” is ju s t arriving here, and while we have little or no encouragement to offer yet, in the way of sales, we hope soon to able to do so. W e shall not commence advertizing the goods until after the holidays; as business is always very quiet with ns a t th is time, and, in addition to this, the advertise­m ents of holiday goods, which fill our papers a t present, a ttrac t all the attention.

A s you are probably aware, b u t very little Souchong and Congou teas are need in the United States as

© HW... 51512 25... 1,162 ... 1,445

12 3,147

compared to other kinds, and we cannot hope to cult­ivate the consumer’s taste for Indian teas to any marked extent, for some tim e to come ; for, while we m ight readily succeed in turn ing our trade for China Congous on to Indian teas (as has been the case iu England and Australia) you m ust remember that, in the countries named, the consumption of China Sou­chong and Congou teas was far in excess of all other kind ; while in the U .S., out of a to ta l consumption of, say, 72,000,000 lb . yearly, only 5 to 6 per cent, are Souchong and Congou teas, while 73 per cent are Green and Japan teas. *

We are fully alive to the actual m erit of Indian teas over the other descriptions th a t are so popular here (Greens and Japans), but i t w ill not be an easy m atter to change the taste th a t has been educated on such teas to a tea so entirely different in every p a r t­icular as those produced in your country.

Again, the larger portion of Souchong and Congou teas sold here are comparatively low-priced teas under 40c. running as low as 16c. per pound, and a t this la tter price a great m any are placed. Indian teas do not run as low as this, and the trade will therefore be forced to buy China teas for their cheap grades, even if they use Indian teas for th e higher grades. H andling so few Congous as compared to other kinds, our jobbers and retailers have come to regard them as ra ther an outside a r tic le ; and con­sequently they charge excessive profits on same, so much so, th a t teas of th is kind, going from the hands of the importer at 40 cents per lb. usually cost con-sumer $1-00.

We have w ritten the foregoing not for the purpose of discouraging the introduction of Indian teas in th is country, bu t simply to show you a few of the obstacles to be overcome before the teas can begin to be called ‘ ' popular,” as, in reading over your reports and circulars, we feel that your expectations in regard to the American trade can hardly be fulfilled, as prom ptly as you anticipate, to say the least. W e do not know what the nature of your advices are from your other agents in the U. S., but, from our knowledge of the trade here, we th ink creating a demand for Indian teas will be a slow process, requiring a great deal of time and attention before the end sought for can be attained.

If the additional cost of so doing is not too great (say 3 cents per lb., or less) we th in k it would be well to pack a few cases in your next shipment, say half the invfice—4 tins of 201b. net each, in a case, and say 8 tins of 101b. each in a case. W e have had a few teas from C alcutta packed in th is way, and they have proved quite attractive.

In regard to the value of your shipm ent per “ Compta,” on this market, we do not feel competent to say what these teas will bring, as we have never had an estab­lished m arket for this description of tea. We m ust therefore feel our way as to prices, u n til1- we find a t what figure the trade will take them, hoping to be able to increase their value, as we can stim ulate the demand. We have made one or two sales as follows:—

1 5 Pkgs. Break No. 4 45 cents,5 „ „ „ 11 37 „

14 ,, ,, ,, 5 50 ,,W e do not offer th is as any standard of value, and

in fact we think No 4, for instance, is really worth more m oney; bu t the purchasers do a large d istribu t­ing trade, and we sold the goods more to get them started than w ith an idea of obtaining what seems to us to be their real value. W e are as yet unable to tell you what descriptions are going to suit our m arket best, bu t later on we hope to be able to report in te l­ligently on th is point.

* Balance probably Oolongs.S . d .

fDewal, Kangra, Pekoe Souchong, valued in Cal. @ 1 6j Narencherra Cachar, Pekoe Souchong „ „ 1 3 Dewal, Kangra, Pekoe Souchong ,, „ 1 9

FUNGUS PESTS AND L IB ER IA N COFFEE.W hether the Liberian coffee is or is no t really

proof against the destructive fungus or “ leaf-disease,” which affects the ordinary varieties of coffee, no t only in Ceylon bu t also in Fiji, Java, the Straits Settle­ments, Brazil, and other coffee-growing countries, is a disputed point. One planter a t least in F iji asserts th a t i t is not, and planters in Ceylon are not fully agreed th a t the tree possesses the imm unity from this disease, which was one of its principal claims to notice when it first a ttrac ted attention. I t is evident, how­ever, th a t the tree is subject to the a ttacks of another kind of fungoid growth, sim ilar to that which is found in badly-cultivated cocoa and sugar plantations in th e W est Indies. The experimental plantations of Liberian coffee in the Botanical Gardens in T rinidad are, accordingto Mr. Prestoe, th e Governm ent B otanist, liable to th is parasitic growth. Most of the trees are in perfect health, bu t about six years ago a large Tonga bean-tree, in the prime of life, suddenly died, owing to the a ttack of the fungoid growth a t the roots; and since then several of the Liberian coffee trees have been seriously affected, two being killed outright. This pest is liable to work its ravages for a long tim e unnoticed, bu t sometimes makes known its ex is t­ence by developing huge spore-bearing plates of great thickness and solidity. Fortunately the pest has not the fecundity of the Hemileia vastatrix, and i t is easily detected in the seed-bearing s t a te ; but, if measures for its destruction are not prom ptly taken whenever found, i t may easily increase and m ultiply, and, when once i t has established itself in a locality, i t is diffic­u lt to get rid of it . The Trinidadians are, however, alive to the necessity of allowing the enemy no quarter, for, although Mr. Prestoe has long wished to obtain a specimen containing fully m atured eeed to send to Kew for identification, he has been unable to do so, ow ing to the fact th a t the pulbic take good care to destroy the grow th whenever i t is found.— Colonies and India.

COTTON C U LTIV A TIO N OF T H E MADRAS PR ESID EN C Y .

The M adras Board of Revenue, in th e ir report to Governm ent on the cultivation of, and trade in, cotton for Fasli 1,290, sta te th a t “ in most of the im portant cotton-producing districts, the season was unfavor­able for cotton cultivation. In Tinnevelly and Kistua, the rains were insufficient and u n tim e ly ; in Kurnool, they were excessive in some taluks and scanty in o th e rs ; and in Bellary, the season though favorable a t the outset, proved adverse in the end owing to excessive rains. The crop in th is d istric t suffered also from blight. In all o ther districts, the season was favorable.” The report also says th a t “ th e cu ltiv ­ation in th e year under report is in excess of th a t in the preceding year by 141,329 acres. The increase is chiefly in the d istricts of Kurnool, Cuddapah, M adura and Bellary, and is due to expectations founded on the large profits obtained in Fasli 1289, and in some cases to a favorable season. The only d istricts in which there is a decrease in the cultivation are Tri- chinopoly, Tan j ore and South Canara. The decrease in the last-mentioned distric t is trifling and th a t in the o ther two districts is due to a heavy storm which occurred in November.” As to th e species cultivated the report says :—“ The cotton grown in this Presid­ency is generally raised from the ordinary country seed. A small area in Bellary was cultivated w ith Bourbon cotton, bu t w ithout success. The soil is stated to be unsnited to the crop, and the season was u n ­favorable. In Coimbatore also the acclimatized Bour­bon and American species were cultivated, but th e collector does not sta te to w hat extent and w ith what effect.” From th e estim ated ou ttu rn of cleaned

cotton in each d istric t i t seems th a t the to ta l yield in Fasli 1290 was more th an th a t in Fasli 1289, but, owing to the fall in prices, the value of the cotton produced was less. The average yield per acre for the whole Presidency was 41 lb. which is less than the average of the two preceding years by one lb. The exports of cotton by sea to places beyond the Presidency amounted to 365,887 cwts. valued a t R 92,19,371, against 509,889 cwts. worth R l,34,81,870, in Fasli 1289. The exports in every d istric t have fallen off considerably as compared w ith the preceding year. The decrease is due to the failure of the crop in some districts owing to an unfavorable season, to a reduction of the price of cotton in the European m arkets, to diminished demand from foreign coun­tries, which are sta ted to have drawn supplies to a great extent from Africa, and to the increased re­quirem ents of the local mills. The collector of Madras says th a t it is also due to Bellary cotton being sent to Bombay instead of to Madras for shipment. The export to Ceylon in Fasli 1290 was 41 lb., valued a t RIO, as against 1 cwt. in Fasli 1289, valued a t R46. The report fu rther sta tes th a t “ the im ports of cotton by sea were trifling. There is no accurate inform­ation in regard .to the exportation and importation of cotton by land from and to th is Presidency.” W e make some further extracts from the re p o rt:—“ The number of weavers as reported by collectors was 340,401 against 413,271 in Fasli 1289.” “ The three cotton mills referred to in last year’s report con­tinued to work throughout the fasli under review. The to ta l quantity of cotton consumed by them amounted to 5,452,889 lb, or 338,334 lb. more than in last year. These mills tu rn out only tw ists of Count No. 20 and lower numbers. The collector re­ports th a t a Spinning Company is in process of form­ation a t B ellary.” “ On the Saidapet Government Farm about 16 acres of land were cultivated w ith New Orleans cotton in 1879-80, and the crop was harvested in 1880 81. The yield per acre varied from 363 lb. down to 159 lb. qf seed cotton, bu t th is was in addition to a cereal crop produced on the same land in lines between the rows of cotton plants. Some modifications were introduced in the method of cropping land with cotton and a cereal crop, which are likely to lead to good results, chiefly by enabling the land under cotton to be kept more thoroughly tilled .”

C ABINET AND OTH ER H A R D WOODS.W e have motived Mesers. F. Latinne & Fils’ Circular,

dated Pjiris, 1st Jauy. 1882, which states th a t “ the past year has been one of considerable falling-off in supplies throughout Europe. The principal English m arkets have been irregularly supplied with the necessary staple for consumers of cabinet and other hard woods, whilst the continental marts, when taken together, denote a palpable insufficiency, and only in walnut has there been a m arked advance in supply.” They also say th a t “ importers are not, as yeti showing sufficient attention to the requirements of some of these centres of consumption in th e disposal of their ventures.” W e quote th e following regarding special kinds of woods :—

S a tinw ood .—Arrivals of good large and medium sized logs, good quality St. Domingo, have been extraordinarily scarce throughout the year, and, for the small imports of anything approaching this category, very high prices were commanded. The supply in Havre has been of generally interior wood from St. Domingo and Porto Plata, rnd one lot fr m l e\lon. Figured and sound plain wood obtained remarkably go» d prices, while poor wood is difficult to real­ize. Elsewhere on the Continent direct shipments have been comparatively nil; a few logs arrived in Marseilles and Hamburg, The British markets have had several small lots sold at good prices, Some parcels of East India have

been sold in London at high figures, but pi ices are at present lower; a lot hasbeen sent to Marseilles. Uf other descriptions no comment is necessary ; little has been done on the Continent

E b o n y .—Several transactions have taken place during the year in Madagascar, at prices satisfactory to importers. On the Continent demand has not been so bri-k for o her sorts, although a comparatively fair trade has been done. A few parcels of Macass r have been negociated. Of the large imports from Calabar, a great portion lias been sold, to arrive for Havre.

L ig n u m V it .e .— Du r in g th e g re a te r portion o f the year, good th in sap wTood of certa in dim ensions was in g re a t re q u est a t ex trem e prices. T h is fac t induced im porters to send forw ard supplies in la rge q u a n titie s , and th e ir sh ipm en ts, a rriv in g a lm ost sim u ltaneously , have f lo o 'ed a lm o s t every m ark e t. S u p erio r wood o f la rg e sizes is in un iversal request a t good ra te s .

T e a k w o o d .—A fair business has been done for Belgium. T u i .i p w u OD.— Little has been done during the year. Fine

wood is in verv good demand in France, Bullet Tree, Cocus Wo< d, Cocobola Wood, Beef Woo 1, Myall Wood, Letter Wood, Olive Wood. King Wood, Zebra Wood, Zericote Wood, Persimmon Wood, Cornelian Wood, Mexican Ebony or Hard Wood.

“ TH E TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. ” (Communicated. )

The numbers issued m onth by m onth increase in usefulness. In the January number we have our quotum re our chief productions as well as suggestions for the products which are ye t to play a prom inent part in Ceylon. A most interesting notice appears on Mr. Darwin re earth-worm s and soil, and of still greater in terest to a large proportion of planters are the reports of Colonel Beddome on cinchona planting in India and Ceylon. Far too much p»»ins is spent in bewildering the planter w ith words of perplexity. All we want and all the world requires for keeping in check its various fevers is a febrifuge. There has been and will be a still greater diversity of opinion re what is Ledger and P&ta de Gallinazo and a whole host of others yet unnamed. In many cases the offspring of well-known trees are adapting themselves more and more to the soil and clim atic conditions and depart­ing in m any respects from the parent plants, this coupled in some cases with hybridization, th a t to judge of a p lant by its appearance as to the yield of alkaloid is nearly the same th ing as judg­ing the character of a man by his outw ard appear­ance. Perfectly m atterless the name : we want well- known cinchona trees, adapted to various altitudes, which are good quinine yieldevs, which have been fuhy established, and propagate that. If i t is over a 3 per cent bark all well and good, if it become* 10 per cent so much the better. Ceylon has yet much to do in the way yf cinchona bark. Let us hope th a t before long the curing, shipping and agents’ cliarg 's will he utilized in Colombo for making the -quium^- and other alkaloids.

On p. 604 an article occurs on tanning. There are numerous plants already in Ceylon which could be turned to account, such, for instance, as the patana oak, and fu rther we have Inrge d istricts now treelesst where a little forestry m ight be turned to account. If it pays in Britain (see article on 629), surely it. ought to pay here.

On 622 we have a notice re Mr K arslake’s pro­cess of barking cinchona trees. I t would be a great benefit if the m atter was set at rest as to whether slips left upon trees have not deteriorated in value. This part concludes with fu rther notices on Hemilna vastatrix.

In the February num ber we are again reminded of the Forestry branch, and suggestions are given for the introduction of a useful tim ber, the toon tree for tea boxes, a large num ber of which w ill soon be required, considering th e good sales effected in Aus­

tra lia and the greater energy which is being shown in its cultivation and especially in its curing, which is the all-important item in the m atter.

A traveller lately returned from M adagascar gives an interesting account of the small islands situated between Madagascar and Zanzibar, referring to it especially as a planting region.

Gems and gold mining rights are given on p; 662.A very sensible letter appears entitled “ Shall We

Abandon Pruning, M anuring and W eeding in Coffee.’ W e should say certainly not the first two, but weeding in many cases is carried to excess. I f the ta ll weeds were kept down i t becomes a question as to whether a short grass would not greatly benefit the coffee when it is so often in a leafless condition, for a soil takes much more harm by having nothing growing upon it than where weeds of any description are. Several items appear oh new products. W ith regard to Rubber, if the yield is as favorable as the growth is, will pay well. W e want now to know the average yield per tree of a given age. As to nutmegs, a useful account of its culture in Bencoolen is given. In Ceylon, the nutmeg grows well and yields well, and is well flavoured ; the great drawback is the tim e before the trees begin to bear. Has no one ventured to try the grafting or budding of well-known trees upon the stocks of wild nutmegs, so plentiful in pome of the jungles, say of the Myristica lancifolia (S. malboda) or of M. Horsjieldii (S. rukgaha)? If apples of fine quality grow well on crab stocks, &c., there is not, much reason to fear in this case, and then there would be no doubt regarding the s^xes of trees, for, if you p lant seed you know not what sex will spring from it. In fact, you m ight have an acre of trees of one sex only. A long account re cinchona p lan t­ing on the Nilgiris is given by Col, Beddome and Mr. Cross—these reports in full, land th e energetic Mr. Schrottky supplies fu rther information as to the effects of his treatm ent of leaf-disease.

NEW FIE L D S FOR EN TER PR IZE.A correspondent sends us a copy of Camp's E m i­

grants' Guide for 25th April 1881, published a t Kansas city, Mo., and containing a good deal of information regarding land for sale m th a t part, as well as s ta t ­istics of agriculture. On the last page is given a map of Kansas and S. W. Missouri, showing different lines of railways, and localities where lauds are for sale. I t would seem th a t not only w heat and other cereals bu t a variety of products grow well in Kansas, and labor-saving appliances can be used to advantage. The soil is said to be rich, water, coal, and limestone abundant, and tim ber fairly so, and slieep and cattle seem to thrive. Besides numbers of farms for sale, land can be had a t $3'20 per acre cash. The Neosho Val.ey Laud Agency seems to be one of the chief agencies for the s.tle of land.

A Ceylon planter sends us a long description of a journey taken by him from Georgian Bay to M anitoba in the la tter part of 1880. We can find room for only some extracts W ith regard to land in the neigh­bourhood ot Winnipeg, our correspondent says : —

“ Manitoba, which is the original Red River se ttle ­m ent and 1 300 square miles in extent, and the Great N ort W est T erritory are surveyed out into town­ships each six miles square. Each township has 36 sections one 89 miles in area or 640 acres, each of which section square milt's sub-divided into quarters of 160 acres. The whole country is divided in o broad belts A B C D lying parallel to, and on each side of the proposed route of the Canada Pacific Railway. 1 he sections ot the townships are numbe< ed from 1 t > 36. E w ry odd section is held by the Government as security for the railway bondholders, while every Iven section is given to settlers under the following condi­

tions. The first quarte r, of 160 acres, is granted to him free. When he has bu ilt a homestead and placed th e greater p a rt of the land under cultivation, he can purchase the second quarte r w ith the power of p re­emption, and th e remaining 320 acres a t the m arket value of $1 per aero or thereabouts, depending on its distance from the commercial centre. In each tow n­ship a section is set apart for th e church, another for the school, and another for the Hudson Bay Com­pany—the vendors of the land to the Governm ent,— while throughout the country there are reserves for Halfbreeds, Indians, French Canadians and Memnonites. In the days of the Red River settlem ents, the land adjacent to the Red R iver and Assiniboreie was all ap­portioned out in long narrow farms having a front­age on the river of 12 chains and stretching back to a distance of 4 miles, w ith th e rig h t to cu t hay for a fu rther distance of 2 miles.”The farms between Portage la Prairie and W innipeg are thus described :—

The farm s are mostly worked by the owners them ­selves and their sons. H ired labour is scarce in summer, and in w inter there is no demand for it. The owners are m ostly Ontario men who have only been in th e country a few years. They all seem to like the country and are well satisfied w ith their change. This year, however, they, like the home farmer, have their grumble, and it is th a t the s- ason has been very wet and consequently crop is very late, and all th a t is not ripe now will never ripen, bu t will have to be cut green for fodder. Among the farmers there are few capitalists. The class who would seem to be must fitted for the country are men with say from £400 to £1.000, well used to practical work, and hav­ing a thorough practical knowledge of farm ing in all its details, and who are content to do w ithout any home* comforts and even many of the necessaries of life, and to live all the year round on bread, bu tter and pork. Building m aterial of all kinds is costly ; wood is scarce, and stone and lime still more so. Only an Englishman w uld th ink of pu tting up a frame house or a fr>me barn with a s one foundation. A Canadian of equal means would be content to live in a p^or log hut, and for his bar-i and cowsheds he would rig up a couple of fences 6 or 7 ft. high and as broad, and would roof them with branches and thatch, thus leaving the greater p a rt of his capital available for cultivating purposes. As I said above, labour i s scarce. One often sees the owner, a gentleman, draw­ing his own reapers while his 3 or 4 suns laid up the grain into stocks behind him. Consequently machines for saving labour are very desirable. These, of course, are enormously expensive ; so the farmers of a d istrict go share ' in a thrashing machine and the more costly implements necces?ary to the working of a farm ; while perhaps, an enterprizing outsider will make himself the “ b o ss” of a steam plough and go from farm to farm hiring out its services. The W innipeg m arket far farming implements has, up till now, been sup­plied by American firms, who excel in this line and whose machines have always given great satisfaction and are thoroughly sound. Lately, however, the

an idian Government has so raised the tariff on American articles imported as almost to exclude them altogether. Consequently the farm er has now to con­ten t himself with Canadian waggons, ploughs, &c , which are cheaper bu t badly made and constantly getting out of repair, I remember a day or two ago, coming upon a party of imm igrants who had come to grief far out in ti e prairie. They had invested in a gaudy much painted waggon of Canadian make before setting our from Winnipeg, and here they were stuck iu the first mud hole and up to the hubs of the wheels in mire, with the fine looking ole snapped in two like a match. In time no doubt, good enough articles will be turned out iu W innipeg itself, bu t a t present

the m aterial is very scarce. There are fine forests away to the east from Winnipeg to Lake Superior, which contain abundance of good wood, bu t there are no means of transit. For a few years to come th e farmers will have a good home m arket of their grain. W inni­peg and Portage farmers have been sending their grain away west to the still unopened country about Rapid City and other places for the highly remunerative price of from seven to eight dollars the bushel.As to the climate, we read ,—

During the w inter months the w eather is pleasant, fine, clear and dry, bu t the tem perature often goes down to 40 deg. below zero indicating a cold of 72 deg. Then frozen noses and ears are common, but, when one keeps the circulation going well, th ey say such extreme cold is not felt more than if i t were only a few degrees below zero. In fact, i t is very healthy and invigorating, provided woollen clothing an inch or two thick all round is worn.

In a recent num ber of Colonies and India , the results of Mr. John Macoun's researches into the physical phenomena of M anitoba and the North-west Territory are given, from which we quote the following :—

In 1879 Mr. Macoun’s attention was chiefly directed to an investigation of the causes of the supp sed aiidity ot the district l)ing to the south. He found a parched sur­face, dried and withered grasses, and, in short, every ap­pearance of such ardity; but closer examination showed that these indications were illusory. At the point—Black- foot Crossing in lat. 50° 43’—where the consequences of aridity appeared the strongest,Mr.Macuun came upon ground, broken up in the spring, hearing excellent crops of all kinds, oats being 4 feet high, while on the land outside the fence the grass was burnt up and all other vegetation withered. From this he argued that the rainfall of the district was evidently ample, but that until, the baked crust was broken, it could not precolate the ground m s rapidly as it fell; so a gr-at portion was evaporated by the dry atmosphere and lost. Thus the apparent aridity vanished before the first efforts of husbandry.

Having next discussed the questions of temperature and humidity in some detail, Mr. Macoun summarizes the pro­gress ot the seasm s and the lab urs of the husbandman. Early in April the hot sun clears away from the earth the last remaining m i o w , thaws and at the same time dries the ground sufficiently to fit it for the plough, and almost simultaneously for sowing. Germination quickly follows, and the young roots, moistened by the thawing of the subsoil, follow the pores opened out by the dia.ntegrating power of the frosts, and penetrate to a depth inconceiv­able to those who have not tested the matt-r practically. By the time that rains come in May and June the roots have a fir hold of the ground, and ever thing grows in an extraordinary manner, while the July and early August rains nourish and swell the ripening ears of wheat, &c. Towards the end of August the winds change, and the almost rainless period sets in and continues throughout the w inter; and the crops are therefore gathered in the best possible condition, and there is no necess'ty even to thatch the stacks for the winter. The advantages offered to the stock-breeders in this country are equally great. Storms of sleet or wet snow are unknown on th • western praries. Mich snow as does fall is always dry and light; hence <attle aud horses may be left out during the whole winter without the possibility of suffering from wet. No doubt they experience intense cold, but stock-raisers are aware that, where the air is dry, their cattle take no harm from cold. Consequently cattle can be and are raised on the North-West plains without the necessity for buildings for shell, r.ng them during the winter.

From a le tter by Mr. D. S. L ittlejohn in the Dundee Advertiser w e quote as follows :—

The first question that will naturally suggest itself will very probably be “ How far is this country suitable for sett'ers from the mother-country, and what are the differ­ences of soil and climate that might tend to rerender it dittcult for farmers bred at home to reconcile themselves to a country so distant ? ” I will meet this question very shortly. In the first place, I may say that a farmer from home would have much to unlearn as well as much to learn on settling in Manitoba. I would not advise any one

to emigrate to that country who is advanced in life. The change of habits, of scenery, and climate would be too severe. But for a young man willing to work and deter­mined to make his way, I do not think that there are much better chances in any field of emigration than there are in Manitoba.

I think I cannot point out the advantages of the coun­try in a better way than by stating the objections that have been brought to it, and giving the answers, which I myself received to the many anxious inquiries I made on the subject.

The chief objections to the climate of Manitoba are stated to be (1) the winter cold, (2) the summer heat, (3) the blizzards in winter, (4) the thunder storms in summer(5) the plague of grasshoppers, and ^6) droughts.Mr. L ittlejohn then shows th a t on each of these points there has been a good deal of exaggeration. Another drawback he m entions, viz. mosquitoes, which seem to trouble the cattle somewhat. As to settling in Manitoba the w rite r says :—

In choosing land the preference is to be given to the rolling prairie ; but no one should settle in that or any other new country without first obtaining some personal experience, and the advice of natives well acquainted with the character of the soil. As a rule, in choosing land the soil that bears luxuriant crops of prairie grass and wild flowers is the finest land, and it is always observed that the wild prairie sun flower is larger or smaller in propor­tion to the richness or poverty of the soil. * * *

A practical man in Manitoba would not buy land affected with alkali. Grain does not come up at all alkaline spots. The strength of it kills the seed. The presence of alkali is indicated on the prairie by the poorness of the vegeta­tion. The level prairie has alkaline spots, many of them in unexpected places so that you may find a fine farm, and close to it alkaline ground where nothing will grow * * * In regard to settling in Manitoba, I would like to make it very clear that small parcels of land cannot be profitably cultivated except by a farmer working with his own hands, though large pieces of land of 1,000 to10,000 acres can, I understand, be profitably used as grain- growing land under a manager. I do not consider this part of Manitoba suitable for raising cattle on a large scale, as it would be too expensive to shelter and feed them in winter. For cattle-raising purposes Bow River or Peace River is the most suitable locality, the chinvok winds or warm breezes from the Pacific blowing over the lower ranges of the Rocky Mountains into these countries, and rendering the climate more equable than that of any other district in the North-West. This fits these districts for cattle-raising, as there the cattle can be fed out all winter without shelter.

I made inquiry as to the capital required for a farm with 160 acres under cultivation and 160 lying idle. Of course, price depends upon distance from the town ; but I assume the distance to be 12 to 14 miles. A farm of this kind can be got—fair dry prairie land, witli about 40 to 60 acres hay land—at from $7-50 to $10 per acre. This, say at $10, would amount to $3200. Breaking costs on 160 acres are $3-50 per acre, or $560; fencing ICO acres costs $350: ploughing and seed, $720; horses, harness, ploughs, waggons, and agricultural implements, $1320 ; the house for the owner costs $1500; for the men $500, stables, bams &c.. $1000; altogether, $9150. De‘ducting 160 acres and leaving the farm at 160 acres only, this cost would be reduced to $7,550. If we add for incidental expenses $450, we would call the total amount $8000 (£1,600). If some things are over others are under what would be required; so that this may be looked upon as a very fair average estimate of the capital necessary to be put into such a farm. On a farm of this size, however, the owner must do a great deal of work with his own hands. He will not thrive unless he do so, as the expense of hired labour is great.

Therefore let any young man who thinks of emigrating make up his mind that he is not going to be a gentleman far­mer, but must work long and hard if he expects to thrive in these new countries. In America as here economy must also be studied. Many men ruin themselves by go­ing ifc. for all the improved machinery, suitable perhaps for large farms of 5,000 to 10,000 acres, but not a t all suitable for small farms of 160 or 320 acres. I saw in

many places such machines lying rusting in the sun and rain, which the farmer had probably half-ruined himself to buy.

The latest information to hand, refers to :—L a n d R e g u l a t io n s in M a n it o b a .—New regulations for

the disposal of Dominion lands in Manitoba and the North­west Territory have just been issued by the Canadian Go­vernment. They are to take effect from the 1st Feb. 1882. The land is divided into four classes : A. Lands within twenty-four miles of the Canadian Pacific Railway. B. Lands within twelve miles of any other approved railway. C. Lands south of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Rail­way not included in class B. D. Lands other than those in preceding classes. The even-numbered sections (one mile square) in the foregoing classes are to be held ex­clusively for free grants and for pre-emptions, with some few contingent exceptions. The odd-numbered sections in class A are reserved for the Canadian Pacific Railway. In classes D. and C. these sections are offered for sale at §2. 50c. per acre cash. In D. the price of such lands is $2, The price oj preemption land is the same as for the public lands in the various classes, but the purchase money of the former is payable at the end of three years. In the sale of lands to Companies or individuals for colonisation purposes, two plans are offered for the consideration of the purchaser: 1. The land (odd-numbered sections only) to be bought at §2 per acre, payable in five years, and to be colonized in that period ; such colonization to consist in placing two settlers on homesteads on each even-num­bered section in the tract, and two settlers on each odd- numbered section. Homesteaders to have the right to pre- emption a t 5 2 per acre, payable a t the end of three years. If these conditions are carried out, a rebate of one-half the price to be allowed to the purchaser. 2. A tract of land may be bought a t 5 2 per acre, payable a t the time of making the contract; land to be colonized in five years, such colonization to consist in placing sixty-four settlors on each township (thirty-six square miles). If these stipu­lations are complied with, a relate of 5 1 per acre will be granted. Leases of land for grazing purposes are to be obtained on the following terms : 'J wenty-ono years’ lease,maximum area 100,000 acres; rental £2 per 1000 acres, and one head of cattle to be placed on the tract for every ten acres of its extent. Land for a farm and corral in connection with such may be purchased a t 5 2 per acre.

CEYLON TEA IN TH E LONDON MARKET.I t is satisfactory to find “ Ceylon Tea ” regularly noticed in Mincing Lane circulars. Messrs. Hawes and Hertz, who furnish an “ Indian and Java Tea Report ” to their constituents, are among those who now always quote our Ceylon product. Thus, in their circular of January 12th, we read :—

Neilgherry Teas.—About 300 packages from the “ Curzon” estate have been sold, fine liquoring Pekoe in boxes at 2s 2d, Pekoe Souchongs Is 7d, Broken Pekoe llR i at Is 5|d.

Ceylon Tea.—238 packages have been offered, aud sold mostly at good prices. 139 packages “ Windsor Forest” of good strength and quality sold as follows:—Pekoe Souchong Is 3£d; Souchong Is 2d; Broken Souchong Is H d ; Broken Pekoe Is ( j |d ; Red Fannings 9 jd ; Dust lojd. Ceylon teas generally shew improvement in manufacture, and are taken by the trade quite as readily as other Indian growths.And again from the Report of February, 9th we quote, respecting Java as well as Nilgiri and Ceyl<>n teas what will be of interest to local tea-planters :—

Neilgherry Teas.—About 000 packages have come to baud of varying quality, aud sold; Pekoes Is 3£d to Is 10|d; Pekoe Souchong ls 3 |d to Is 9d ; Souchong Is l£d to Is 6 3 d ; Broken Pekoe and Pekoe dust Is 3^d to Is 7^d ; Congou Is2Jd ; Broken mixed Is 2£d.

Ceylon Teas.—An invoice of Kandaloya growth sold by auction, Souchong Is 9d ; Broken Pekoe 11 j d ; Red leaf 8£d. Several samples to hand, not yet on offer, show good quality and great improvement in make and style,

Imports, Deliveries and Stock.1882. 1881. 1880.

lb . lb. lb.Import Jan. 1st to 31st 7,212,000 5,244,000 5,470,000Delivery do 4,104,500 4,066,500 3 260,500Stock, January 31st 21,541,500 22,680,000 20,029,000

Java Teas.—The small quantity which has come to hand has met with brisk demand and firm prices were realized for almost all descriptions. About 1,500 chests ex “ C hye bassa” just arrived should meet with ready sale from the active demand existing for all kinds. 480 packages ex “ Almora” were disposed of a t auction on the 17th, and 23rd ult. The following represent prices realized :—Dramaga Soepoei pekoe Is 6 |d ; Pekoe siftings Is 5 |d ; Souchong Is l | d ; Congou l i d ; Bagelen Pekoe souchong Is 3d; Tjikoya pekoe souchong Is I d : Kedoeng Halang souchong Is Id. Some of these teas, more especially the Dramagas and Bagelens, were equal in every respect to favorite growths of the Indian tea. About 500 chests Ardja Sarie tea sold at Pekoe Is 2d; Pekoe souchong l i d ; Souchong 9£d. 1010 packages are offered by auction here today.7,370 packages are advertized for sale in Amsterdam on the 17th inst. including 1,425 packages withdrawn from previous auctions.

Imports, Deliveries and Stock.lb. lb. lb.

Import Jan. 1st to 31st 30,000 76,000 368,000Delivery d& 90,500 86,000 301,000Stock January 31st 350,000 500,000 1,169,000

T H E COFFEE TR A D E OF B R A ZIL FOR 1881.W e have now received Messrs. K ern H an & Co.’s

Annual M arket-Report, from which we quote as follows :—

Looking back upon the year just closed we find that same presented more unpleasant features than pleasant ones.

If the balance of a year were to be drawn w th regard to the failures occurred during the same, then the year 1881 might be considered as a favorable one for the B r a z i l i a n - im p o r t -t r a d e , because during the last 12 months, only a few and not very important suspensions of payments took place here, and it seems therefore that most importers have continued with the prudent system inaugurated last year —say, not to sell any more a t credit for very long periods.

We abstain from sifting this point again, as our last year’s annual report has dealt sufficiently with this matter.

The fluctuations in exchange during the past year were less than during 1880 and importers have therefore but little to complain of the unsteadiness of the rates of exchange, and in general we hear that business would have been 011 the whole satisfactory to the import-trade, had not during the last months close competition, caused by over-import- ation, forced many importers to sell a t very low prices.

Now, if business in general was rather favorable to the i m p o r t -t r a d e , we are sorry to say that the same was by no means the case with re gard to the e x p o r t -t r a d e .

About the principal article, c o f f e e , we report below ex­tensively and have only to state here, that s u g a r has given lieu [“ given lieu E d . C. O .] to various important tran­sactions, especially so during the second half of the year, whereas business in other produce, for exportation from our port, has been diminutive.

All planters complain that with the present low range of prices for any of their produce they cannot exist, aud we think that to a great extent their complaints are just, as not only the hands to do the work are very dear but also the freights by rail and other expenses are much too high in proportion to the prices obtainable at the sea-ports.

The planters have therefore sent a petition to the Go­vernment, requesting the establishment of a large r u r a l M o u t g a g e -B a n k , which institution should advance money against security at cheap interest to the planters, and they further want either the entire or part abolishment of the heavy export-duties and a reduction of the excessively higli- fares of the railways.

On all points the Chambers of Deputies and of the Senate, convoked now, will have to decide, aud we tfrust that their decision may be in favor of the agricultural class and may thereby contribute to the prosperity of the country.

As a very satisfactory progress we have to state that now-a-days on almost every larger plantation there are steam- engines and other machinery in use, and planters try their best to replace the dear hand-work by cheaper machine- work and to improve thereby as much as possible the quality of the coffee,

The low range of coffee-prices and the small remuner­ation which planters find in consequence thereof has caused them also to take some other steps, which, as they hope may tend to attract more attention to Brazil-Coffee, which according to their ideas is not sufficiently appreciated in the consuming countries with regard to its merit.

By private initiative planters and commissioners arranged during July August of past year an exhibition of Brazil- Goffee, which was opened here in November and which in reality showed many very handsome samples of coffee. I t must however be regretted that so far but very little of the fine qualities exhibited have come in the trade.

In order to make propaganda for their coffee and to show to the various markets of consumption, what fine qualities can be had here, it was resolved to exhibit part of the different samples in several larger towns of Europe and the United States and, in fact, towards the end of last month these samples left Rio de Janeiro.

In the interest of the planters it is to be hoped that the propaganda may have the desired effect, but we doubt that it will be the case, as according to our opinion Brazilian Ooffee is so well known everywhere that the ex­penses for the several exhibitions are thrown away uslesslv.

The immigration has by no means, made that progress which in the interest of the country should be desired. The government has constantly occupied itself with this point, but so far no satisfactory solution has been arrived at.

The abolitionistic movement in the country counties and the Chambers will doubtlessly have to occupy themselves with the revision of the Emancipation-Act in order to quiet the excited minds.

We have nothing more to state of interest with regard to the interior political position, with the exception that the last elections—effected in November for the first time according to the new law—have taken place in such a quiet and undisturbed manner, as never before.

During the past year foreign politics have had no influence whatever on the inward state of the Empire, this country having had the most agreable relations with all foreign powers.

I t is true that our troublesome Latino-American neighbours have constantly been arming, so that the Brazilian Government could not pursue the former apathic attitude, but was forced also to re-organize its army and navy, so that now Brazil is in a position to rebut with energy any attack which might be made.

These armings have devoured large sums, so that the financial position of this country has not improved, which fact is clearly indicated by the present low rates of exchange.

At the close of the last and the beginning of the new year the value of the 0 o/o Stocks was R1:055S000 to 1:0608000 excl. Dividend, that of the 1868 Gold loan Rl:290§000 and that of the 1879 Gold loan, which is payable in coupons in Europe and here, Rl:118$000.

The customhouse returns of the year 1881 show a decrease of Rl,255:550§404 against those of the previous year, being during last year R41,624:1718268 against R42,879:7218672 during 1880.

C o f f e e .—If we look back upon coffee-trade in general and specially on that part of it which is done by the Brazils, during the year just closed, we do not find any feature presenting a pleasant remembrance.

W ith but short intervals the article has pursued a falling tendency and the decline in prices, which is over twenty per cent within the last 12 months, can have been ad­vantageous to but very little* people.

Business on the whole was languid.In consequence of the heavy failures in New York

and Boston during December 1880 the United-States markets, our principal customers, had been weakened, and throughout the year 1881 they operated with utmost caution, purchasing only for immediate wants, whereas the speculation did not touch the article.

In Europe confidence seemed to set in on account of the low range of prices, but it was lost again, when by a speculative consortion [association or “ ring.”—E d . 0 . O.]

* Th© worthy brokers mean “ few” persons.—Ed.C. O.

in Havre large quantities of coffee were bought and stored up there ami even in the United States the large stocks accumulated in Havre had a depressing effect and proved to be a drawback to any sound developement of business.

People on the whole have the idea, that the production of coffee is no more in a right proportion to the consump­tion and this question is so far not yet settled.

The principal reason of the rapidly increasing production were the relatively very high prices which ruled during the years 1871, 15*72, 1873 aud 1874, and as planters made then a splendid profit, they laid out everywhere new plant­ations and brought the production to the present height, which according to the opinion of many people must be considered as the culminating point, it being taken for granted that a much larger production cannot be reached, if coffee prices do not rise again, as the remuneration which the planters find in present prices does not give them sufficient incitement to increase their production still more.

Now, supposing that we would have for sometime to come the same large supply of coffee, as at present, the question is: can the consumption master the large avail­able quantity of coffee, and if so, which is the lowest range of prices, necessary to call forth such an increase of con­sumption that production and consumption are again in a right proportion ?

Low prices are for an article like coffee the most power­ful means for an increase of the consumption, and if—as it is a well known fact—during 1873/74 even the highest prices ever known could not birng down materially the consumption, h w quickly must it increase with prices rang­ing 50 to 60 per cent below those ruling 7 to 8 years ago.

Our opinion is that ere long the consumption will become larger, say rise in due proporti n to the production, and that only one small Brazil-crop will suffice to re-establish the equiiibrium.

One point, and a very important one, must also be borne in mind and that is the fact, that for those planters, whose plantations are very far in the interior, it is at present prices no more remunerative to send their coffee, especi­ally the lower qualities, to the eea-port, as the expenses for freight etc. are in many cases as large, sometimes even larger than the price obtainable a t the sea-port.

If coffee-prices decline further, we shall see this occur­rence take place still more frequently and hundreds of planters will then be obliged to remain with their coffee until an advance in prices allows them to dispose of their produce favourably.

It is impossible to foresee, whether this point will take proportions which may alter the course of the article, hut we deem it right to call thereto the attention of our friends. *

The v'o a r 1881 began with prices of 58000 for “Goodfirst’e and 4$25l) for “Ordinaryfirst”; up till middle of May th . movement was a steadily downward one, reaching its lowes point with about48450 for “ Gooufirst” and about 3$550 for “ Urdiniry first” towards end of May.

Prices then began to pursue a rising tendency which lasted throughout June, July, up till t lie end of August and the quotation for “ tioodfirst” rose as high as 4881)0 and that for “Ordinaryfirst” to about 3$800.

From middle of September towards end of the year the tendency was on the whole again a declining one, and we clo.-ed the year with prices of about 4$20<) for “Goodfirst” and 35450 for “Ordin ryfirst”, which prices, compared with those rulinu at the beginning of 1881, show a decline of about 800 r«-is per 10 Kilos, sav from 10 to 20 per cent.—In the free on boaid prices the decline is still heavier, say from 20 to 25 per cent, as the rates of excl ange as well as those of freights were much lower in December 1881 than in January 1881.

The quality of the 1881'82 crop was on the whole satisfactory, showing on the average a fair proportion ot well cleaned ci ffee of good bean.

“ Superiors ” were in the beginning of the crop-year very scarce, but later on they were pretty well repr* sented in the stock Guodfirst ” ‘Kegular-first ” and “ Ordinar* first ” were abundant. The latter quality being very much sought aft-r has of late become scarcer. “ Goodsecond ” and “ Ordinarysecond ” have tu t been over-abundant and of late have even become scarce, as it does not pav the planters to send lower stuff to the market, for which they must accept prices, covering in many cases not even the expenses for freight and forwarding charges.

The total export from Rio de Janeiro during the year 1881 amounted, as will be seen from the table below, to 258,31-3 tons against 202,124 tons in 1880 and 20 >,32/ tons in 1879, thus showing an increase of about 56,000 tons against 1880 and of about 52,000 tons against 1879. However com­paring the shipments during the second semester only of the last three years, the increase of 1881 is only about4,000 tons against 1880, but about 33,000 tons against

S h i p m e n t s o f C o f f e e f r o m R io d e J a n e i r o .from 1st January to 31st December.

N orth of Europe. M editerranean... .

1879. Tons.

... 47,1*8 ... 18,434

1880.Tons.61,58321,482

1881,Tons.80,40128,864

Europe... ... ... 65,622United S ta tes......... ... 131,900Cape, Sundries & Coastw, .. 8,805

83,065105,99313,060

109,268130,68218,363

Total... 206,327 202,124 268,313

from 1st Ju ly to 3 1 st D ecem ber

N orth of Europe M editerianean...

1879.

... 17,728 ... 9,711

1880.

39,828*16,561

1881.Tons.39,16914,296

Europe... ... ... 27,439United S tates......... ... 74,382Cape, Sundries & Coastw. ... 3,298

66,38970,0058,028

53,4f-577,2937,633

Total... 105,119 134,4 >2 138,396

S h ip m e n t s of C o ffee fro m Santos.from 1st J a n u a ry to 31stt----------- ^ '■

1879. 1880. Tons. Tons.

Europe... ... ... 55,859 50,656 United S tates........ ... 12,113 11,959

D ecem ber.

1*81-Tons.69,02311,123

Total... 67,972 62,615 80,146

from 1st J u ly to 31st D ecem ber,

Europe...U nited States...

U79. Tons.

... 23,426 8,307

1|

odct

rjH 1881.

Tons.38,0736,084

Total... 31,733 34,160 44,157In our printed report of 1st July 1881, we

estimated the 1881-82 crop to be about ...3,200,000 bags and calculating that of former crops there re­

mained in the Interior and in Rio de Janeiro at that date about ... 1,500,000 „

the available quantity would be about.. ...4,700,090 bags

of which we expected that about 4,400,000 „would come for export during the 12 months, from 1st July

1881 to 30th June 1882.As stated already in our report of 1st December 1881, we

are still of the opinion that these figures will prove cor­rect, provided, of cour>e, that the weather will permit to bring the total of the available quantity of coffee to shipment up td* 30th Jun» a. c.

According to the above table, there were shipped from 1st July to 3lst December 1881, 138,396 tons, equal to about 2,372,500 bags, and in order to reach the above-mentioned figure of 4 400,000 bags, there are still somewhat above2,000,0 0 bags of coffee wanting.

Several of our neighbours, who had put down the 1881-82 crop to amount to only about 3 millions of bags, have— as far as has come to our knowledge—heightened their estimates to about 3£ to 4 millions of bags, and others who had estimated the stock of old coffee on 1st July 1881, in the interior to be only about £ million of bags, have corrected this figure into a higher one, so that more or less all exporters agree that we shall see an export from 1st July 1881 to 30th June 1882 of about 4£—4 | millions of bags of coffee.

With regard to the coming crop (1882-83) it is as yet

too early to name any approximately correct figure.The reports spread out in September, October and Novem­

ber, that the coming crop had severely suffered I y drought etc., have proved to be exaggerated and piemature, because the crop promises to give a very good result, especially with regard to quantity. We consider it, however, our duty to re­quest our friends not to believe too much in very sanguine reports, which of late have been in circulation and which have spoken of fabulous figures, and. if we were to name a figure, we might say that we may count at all events upon a minimum of a t least 4 millions of bags.

With the large Brazil crops, which we must expect hence­forward, our friends must accustom themselves nowadays to deal with very big figures, and a fair average Rio-crop must now be calculated to be from 4 to 4§ millions of bags, but as stated above—as long as prices are on the present low level— the whole available quantity will not come to the sea­ports for exportation, as especially the low qualities will be kept back in the interior in expectation of better times.

C OFFEE M IX TU RES.T he miserable sta te of the home coffee trade and the

constant decline in consumption, in the face of cheaper prices and of far lower duties than of old, are subjects which a ttrac t general attention . Tw enty years ago the home consumption of coffee was 1*21 lb. per head. Bonded prices were then about 5s per cwt above w hat they were in 1881, and the d u ty was 23s 4d higher. Though the first cost of coffee was thus, say, 3d per lb. lower in 1881 than in 1861, the home consumption in the former year had fallen to 0'92 lb per head, a decrease of 24 per cent. In th e same period, th e con­sumption of every o ther article of grocery produce per head of the population had increased in the most m arked way ; but, if coffee had sim ply held its own since l&81, we should have used 18,750 tons in 1881, instead of only 14,216 tons. The coffee consumption per head last year is the lowest recorded for forty years, and y e t the habits of th e country have in th a t period altered, if a t all, strongly7 in favour of the so-called temperance drinks, such as tea and coffee. I t is a m oderate th ing to say th a t the coffee consumption of the Kingdom ought to be double w hat i t ie. W hy, then, is i t not so ? To give a full reply would be difficult, but one cause is strongly suspected by the trade, and th a t is, th a t coffee does not get fair play. I t is obvious to all who look into the shop windows, th a t i t seems to be considered a recommendation to offer any sort of ‘^mixture ” or “ su b stitu te” in the place of pure coffee. The value of th a t beverage consists in the gentle nerve-stimulant which it contains, and i t would surely be unfair to it to offer in its name th e most meritorious of compounds, consisting of valuably though inexpensive, charred roots or stalks, or of roasted peas, or other seeds or fru its—with the ad ­dition of only a sm «11 portion of the substance w ith the title of which i t is labelled. The extraneous sub­stances may possess every v irtue under the sun; they may be dietetic or aperient, or stim ulate the liver or o ther organs, as is said to be the case with some of them but the trade naturally object to their being labelled coffee, for which, however, they do not go so far as to claim m edicinal virtues. To w hat ex­ten t these admixtures are carried i t is difficult to say, b u t it has been held by th e m agistrates th a t a compound of 80 and 90 per cent of foreign substance and 20 or 10 per cent, of coffee, may be legally sold under th e name of the latter, so long as the fact th a t o ther substances are mixed is declared a t th e tim e of sale. This sta te of things is considered by the coffee trade to be altogether unjust to themselves. Such a compound, w hatevT its medicinal or other virtues, would be altogether wanting in the essential constit­uents of coffee, and the public would soon insensibly find th is out. The craving among every race of man for some non-intoxicating nerve stim ulant, either in tea,

coffee, chocolate, cocoa, m at tobacco, th e kava bowl, I the betel nut, or other sim ilar substances, is evidently I a natural one, and the system after a lime would find th a t the so-called “ coffee” does not im part what i t expects, and tea would be taken in its place. If the public simply want a warm drink, why should they uot take diluted pea or lentil soup, which would cost far less than Is. per pound for th e raw m aterial, and would be nutritious as well as hot. The practice of mixing is reaching such an extent, th a t there is a feeling grow­ing among the coffee trade th a t these admixtures should be treated under the Adulteration Acts, unless the quantity of coffee they contain be clearly declared by word of m outh or by label a t tim e of sale. Further, th e long-suffering trade appear to th ink th a t no substance ought to he allowed to be labelled coffee a t all, even w ith a declaration of admixture, unless the preponderating ingredient be coffee, and th a t in any case the name of the substance admixed ought to be stated. I t may be mentioned th a t the latest ‘ ‘sub stit­u te” discovered for coffee consists of charred cabbage stalks, the precise value of w'hich, as an article of diet, is uot mentioned in the ordinary sci«ntific handbooks. Not even th e coffee trade would desire to detract from the dietetic m erits of burn t cabbage stalks, and all they ask is th a t th ey should be offered under their own name, so that they may owe the large sale to which they may attain , to their own merits, and uo t to the name of coffee.— Produce Markets’ Review.

TROPICAL PRODUCE IN AU STRALIA.(From Qreig & M urray’s Circular.)

M e l b o u r n e , 1 5 th F e b ru a ry 1882.

S u g a b .— W e h a v e to r e p o r t a la rg e b u s in e s s in th i s s ta p le d u r in g th e m o n th , t r a n s a c t io n s c o v e rin g 4,000 to n s . N o t­w i th s ta n d in g th e h eav y s h ip m e n ts t h a t h a v e com e fo rw ard th e m r r k e t h a s sh o w n w o n d e rfu l e la s tic ity , a n d n e a r ly a l l th e c a rg o e s to h a n d h a v e passed to th e t r a d e .

Q u eensland S ugar .—The principal feature has been the sale of 140 tons brewing crystals at £33 to £34. The quality shews great improvement, and is fast approaching Mauritius production.

F i j i S u g a r .— 50 tons, ex “ S u v a ,” principally from the Stmlake Lee Refining Company, sold at £31/10 to £32 for yellows. The quality is improved.

I n d ia n T e a .—Another extensive sale was held on the 9th instant, when 4,650 halfchests, selected by the Calcnt ta Syndicate, was oft'ered. As no auction of any importance lias been held since last November, the trade were well prepared to purchase, and, as was fully expected, the cata­logue, consisting of 143 lots, was run through in a very short space of time. Owing to the prices going at full valuations many of the traders were not. able to fully com­plete their anticipated purchases. A great deal of difficulty is expert need in placing saleable valuations on these teas, consequently the biddings were in many in-tances started a t prices much under which they ultimately fetched; this was very noticeable in broken orange pekoes, which must be quoted at a good advance on late rates. Choicest Oar- jeelings were not offered in any quantities. Samples that we have seen, representing sales made in London, too plainly show that this District’s teas cannot be procured, unless at better prices than we are able to give. In one or two instances doubt has been expressed as to the truth­fulness of the marking of this Lvored tea on the packages; it is to be hoped that such a shortsighted policy will not be of frequent occurrence; the Syndicate brand should he a guarantee as to the genuineness < f their t. as.

J apa n s .—A bold attempt of the Japanese merchants, aided by their Government, to introduce on a large scale their black leaf Congous was tried on the 2nd instant, when a shipment comprizing a variety of qualities, aggregating 2,390 lialfchests, were submitted to auction. The teas how­ever did not seem to please, and the whole had to be passed with the exception of a few small lots.

LIBERIAN COFFEE IN CEYLON: SIZ E OF BEANS; “ PERPETUAL PICKING ” : T H E

UDAGAMA AND GALLE ESTATES.To some i t is a conclusive objection against Liberian

coffee th a t the beans are no t large in proportion to the size of the cherries. The question was being dis­cussed on board a recently-arrived mail-steamer, when a D utch passenger, proceeding to visit his estates in Java, intervened with an emphatic condemnation of the new coffee on th is very ground of large cherries bu t small beans. The objection seems as valid as th a t of the Irishm an to the guinea which he saw lying on the road. “ By jabers !” said Paddy, “ I ’m not going to be chated again : I lost two shillings by the last one I found.” This was because for a worn coin he had received only nineteen shillings in change, instead of twenty-one. There are, no doubt, varieties of Liberian coffee which give small beans, b u t surely no one will have the tem erity to assert th a t on th e average the beans from a Liberian coffee p lanta tion do not considerably exceed in size average beans of Arabian coffee. Certain we are th a t the beans from selected bushes on U d a p o l l a are larger than th e largest which can be gathered from th e old kind. Perhaps those interested will in stitu te a com­parison between a pound of select Liberian beans and a pound of largest sized plantation, counting th e num ber of beans which go to each pound. [Since the above was w ritten, we had th e opportunity of referring the question to so com petent an au thority as Mr. R. Porter, who w rites :—

“ You will perhaps be surprized to hear th a t, in last year’s U d a p o l l a crops there were 43 per cent of extra large beans above No. 1 size, against 6 to 6J per cent m very fine high-grown Arabian coffee.

“ I t is quite true th a t there are many Liberian beans not larger than Arabian beans, b u t th e above figures show th a t a very large percentage are much larger.”]

If the objection were th a t so large a portion of theener- gies of the tree were thrown]into the task of elaborating masses of mucilaginous m atter, wecould easier;understand i t ; although the obvious answer would be th a t none of the pulp is removed from th e soil, b u t is restored to it, when properly treated as m anure.

A very intelligent German gentleman, Mr. Mhor, th e advantage of whose company we had on a recent voyage from Java to Singapore, he being era route to his properties a t Deli, in Sum atra, offered a more valid objection by adducing the num ber of trees which grew up ta ll and slim, w ithout sending ou t primaries. There can be no doubt th a t from im ported seed a certain proportion of these objectionable plants re­su lt , but, after all, they are only exceptions, and pro­bably their habit could be altered were they cut down to w ithin a loot or six inches of the ground and allowed to grow up again. W e should be glad to know if any experiments in th is direction have been tried . A gentleman, who has gone extensively into th e culture of the new coffee in th e Southern Province, and who deems the experiment successful, writes to us :—

“ My experience w ith stum ps does no t agree with yours. I had two hundred plants, most of them three feet high and more, sent out. They had been sen

from Liberia to London in ordinary packing casts, and were forwarded to me w ithout any covering and in the original cares. I have got 195 of them growing, over 2J years old now.”This is reassuring as to the ability of well-grown plants, to bear “ stum ping,” and also long carriage. The gentle­man from whom we have quoted, writes further :—

“ I send you the daily memoranda sent me byM r . -------------fro m ----- -------- . Picking is still going ona t the same rate, and 1 dou’t know when it is likely to stop. W e are picking off 30 acres, three years old last November and December. (The first p lant was pu t in the ground on the 21st October). There is another 22 acres about eight months younger, from which we are picking too. The plants are 1 0x10 apart. So far as one can judge the thing is a success.”

Our friend m ight safely use less qualified language. On looking over the daily memoranda, which extend from 12th Jany. to 2nd March, we find th a t, besides 774 bushels dry coffee despatched, 141 were drying on 12th Jany ., while 10 were picked on th a t day. Then came 12 picked on th e 13th, and so on u n til the 17th, when 23 bushels were gathered and the rem ark made, “ Crop is again ripening on new clearings.’ On the 18th the picking was 25 bushels ; 19th, 27 ; 20th 16 ; (only J day a t work, owing to rain) 21st, 27 ; and so on, un til 25th Jany ., when the report is “ A good blossom out this morning : picking stopped.” Nevertheless 14 bushels were picked on the 26th ; 20 on th e 27th un til 26 were picked on 3rd February and 27 on the 4 t h ; th e same figure being attained on the 6th ; 28 on the 7th and so on un til on 11th February 32 were obtained. Up to 20th February 883 bushels had been picked and a small blossom was out on th a t day. The to ta l picked from the commencement of th e year to 2nd March—a period of two months was—945 bushe ls; while there were no signs of cessation, bu t ra ther of steady increase. As, in th is case, the cherries seem to be dried on the estate and then sent to Galle for preparation, we should be m uch obliged if our courteous corre­spondent would afford us information as to the mode adopted to clean the beans, and their quality as com­pared w ith others pulped on the place of growth. Are the cherries soaked, or are they “ hulled ,” as the Americans have have it, in their dry state ? We sup­pose the latter, and, although the beans may not be quite so free of “ silver s k in ” as those regularly pulped, we have no doubt of their fine flavour. A c­cording to Laborie, the French planters of San Domingo always dried Ihe coffee intended for their own use, in th e cherry, and kept i t so for several years. By these means, Laborie alleged, a superior flavoured coffee was obtained. AVhnt is the result of experience here on th is point?

All the information which reaches us regarding Liberian coffee leads us to believe th a t, although this new product is not entirely exempt from attacks of insects in its early stages and fungus later on, i t remains tru e to its comparatively robust character, its rapid growth and its exceptional bearing properties. W e are, therefore, sanguine of its ultim ate success.

A fter we had w ritten the above, we received a communication stating th a t the estates a t Udugama, in th e Southern Province, are well worthy of a visit, which we tru s t we m ay soon find tim e to pay.

Meantime, we tru s t our correspondent will forgive us, if wo extract, for the benefit of our readers, information which is probably as new to most of them as i t is new and gratifying to us. Those sou th­ern estates are believed to be the first where n u t­megs and pepper have ever been regularly cultivated in the island by Europeans, as they are in th e S traits. There are already 87 acres planted w ith nutmegs and 72 w ith pepper, which acreage will be doubled iu both pro­ducts th is year. Besides this, there are 310 acres of Li­berian coffee planted, some of which is in bearing, and 238 acres being planted th is year. The small acreage in tea promises exceedingly well, and th e land and climate appear well suited to it. There is any ex­ten t of jungle in the d istric t suitable and available for the above products. Cinchona Calisaya and Ledgeriana are both growing well. From seed pu t in to the nursery iu April, there are plants 2 feet high : will they, i t is asked, have any quinine? They look very healthy. The Liberian coffee has had one small, and one very fine blossom, and another is in spike. M alabar cardamoms, 18 m onths old, are commencing to shew signs of blos­som, and their grow th is equal to any ever seen in th e island. Governm ent have given the d is tric t a post office and are th ink ing of providing a brid le­pa th , as a short cu t to Galle. Any am ount of Sin­halese labour is available, and as m uch Tamil as the planters want. A bout 400 mangosteen plants have been pu t out in each estate, and they are coming on well. The distance from Galle is 26 miles, 24 of which is by cart road. A traveller can, by leaving Galle a t 6 a.m ., get there to breakfast. All the land in the d istric t is felled only in the hollows, leaving all prom inent ridges in ju n g le ; so th a t i t is hoped to have no bad patches on any of the estates. There are 1,000 acres now under cultivation on 6 estates. A ll th is is very cheering in th e m idst of depi ession from the position of our old staple. W e tru s t that, besides the main product of Liberian coffee, nutmegs and pepper may be successful, and also th a t the prince of all tropical fru its , the mangosteen, may a t length be naturalized in Ceylon. Mangosteens were in full season—plentiful, cheap and delicious when we were in Java In Singapore th e season was over, b u t we took special note of the fact th a t th e most flourishing mangosteen orchards were in semi-swampy flats.

Before th is goes to press, a planter, who ought to know more about “ New Products ” and especially Liberian coffee than any o ther m an in the island, writes to us in th is strain :—

“ From all the industries I have seen since my re­tu rn to the island, I th in k Liberian coffee looks the most prosperous. Cocoa is very encouraging, and will in tim e bear well, bu t i t does not give a re tu rn as soon as Liberian.

“ I do not know how it is in th e rest of Ceylon, bu t here, north of Kandy, we are having far more than our share of rain.

“ Returning to Liberian coffee, we have upon Liberia estate every expecta ion of picking 400 cwt., which, owing to the estate having first been planted 12 x 12 is off really few more th an half the right num ber of trees—say 60 acres.”

SPECIM ENS OF GOLD-BEARING QUARTZ

FROM VICTORIA AND T H F GOLD PROSPECTS

IN CEYLON.

A part from the fact th a t prospecting for gold is going on in our island, the Ceylon Commissioner to the Mel­bourne Exhibition would have considered it part of his duty to have obtained for the colony he represented representative specimens of gold-bearing quartz and pyrites. As mere geological and minerological illust­rations, as indications of the prevailing characters and constituents of gold-bearing strata , the collection would be interesting to scientific men. B ut the possibility of a paying gold-field occurring in Ceylon adds a fresh in terest to th e contents of the little box, which the Commissioner owed to th e courtesy of Mr. Barnard, F . G. S., Registrar of the Ballarat School of Mines, a most valuable institution, where, for very moderate fees, pupils, including working miners, are taugh t the whole circle of the sciences, ranging from Mathematics, Drawing and Surveying, Geology and Botany, Magnet­ism and Telegraphy (female pupils taught) down to Chemistry, Engine-driving, and under-ground mining. As the la tte r pursuit involves constant liability to ac­cident, the pupils who are qualifying themselves for taking charge of shafts and mines receive a thorough and practical training, not only in M ateria Medica and Physiology, bu t in the treatm ent of wounds and fract­ures. We are not likely to forget our night visit to the School a t Ballarat, when the enthusiastic surgi cal lecturer, Dr. Ussher, imprisoned us in his elass-room- until we had seen a tall, strong young fellow bound and bandaged and pinioned, so th a t he resembled a mummy ! No language of ours can be too strong to express the sense we feel of the advantages enjoyed by the youth of Victoria, in being able, after com­mon school age (15) to receive a t slight expense a very high scientific and praatical training a t either the Mining School a t Ballarat or the sister in stitu ­tion a t Sandhurst. The life and soul of the la tter is Mr. Alex. Bayne, to whom, as to Mr. Barnard, aud also Mr. Cosmo Newberry of the Melbourne Technological Museum, the Ceylon Commissioner was indebted for great courtesy and much information of a very valuable kind. We heard and discussed many theories, as probable solutions of the questions we were ever asking. “ How came the gold to form in the rocks and especially how came the particles to aggregate?’’ Our inclination is to believe th a t gold, like quartz, was deposited from water, bu t th a t goes bu t a small way to clear up the mystery. Before handing over the collection of auriferous quartz from the Ballarat Museum to Mr. Bruce, to be by him placed a t th e disposal of Government, vie sought and obtained permission to place the box a t the disposal of our local geologist and mineralogist, Mr. Alex. Dixon, for inspection and report, the report to be published in the Observer. W e a t th e same tim e sent Mr. Dixon our private collection of specimens, of rocks, m etals and roasted and crushed pyrites. On the la tte r Mr. Dixon will have something to say in due tim e. H is report on the collection intended for Government, and which

collection we th ink it probable Governm ent will place in the Economic Museum, we now append :—

N o t e s o n A u r i f e r o u s Q u a r t z S p e c i m e n s f r o m

B a l l a r a t .

This is a representative collection of quartz, more or less auriferous, presented by the Ballarat School of Mines to the representative of the Ceylon Court. These specimens show the mode of occurrence of gold and its associated minerals from the district around Ballarat. They are well worthy th e a ttention of all in ­terested in gold in Ceylon. Ballarat is situated in the colony of Victoria, one of th e richest gold-pro­ducing districts of Australia. The geological formation is chiefly metamorphic schist or slates of Silurian age.

Our Ceylon rocks are metamorphic, in several parts chistose an d no doubt of Palaeozoic age.

In V ictoria gold was first obtained from alluvium and then followed its extraction from ybe quartz rock. From th is colony from 1851-65, no less than 30,422,591,oz, were exported to the value o ff 121,690,363. This passed through the Custom house, and it has been estim ated th a t nearly 4,000,000 oz. were sent away otherwise.

From 1868-78 the gold extracted from alluvium was over 6 m illion ounces, while th a t from quartz was over 64 million oz. There has been a steady decrease from th e alluvial deposits; and from th e quartz, the am ount has not increased since 1877.

One nugget found a t B allarat weighed 184 lb and was valued a t £8,376 10s 6d.

SPE C IM E N S.

No. 1, 2, 3.—This is a m ilky w hite quartz veined over with mispickel (arseno-pyrites). F ree gold is visible as granules and as plates amongst mispickel. This quartz contains 7 oz. to the ton. The reef is in m eta­morphic schist 200 feet from th e surface and 1,400 feet above the sea level. Locality, Owen’s river. In No. 2, th e gold is more distinctly visible than in No. 1, and in 2 and 3 i t is visible bu t sparingly.

[Mispickel (arsenical-iron-pyrites) is of a tin or silver w hite colour inclining to steel grey, crystallizing in rhombic prisms. I ts composition is bisulphide and arsenide of iron. Generally from 30 to 36 % iro n ; 41 to 45 % arsenic and 18 to 21 % sulphur.]

No. 4 .—This is a m ilky white quartz very com­pact and less veined w ith mispickel than the preced­ing. Gold is d istinctly visible. The yield of th is is 1 oz. to the ton and the reef occurs in m etamorphic schist. Depth 1,120 feet a t 293 feet below sea level. Locality, Stawell.

No. 5.—D irty w hite quartz of great specific g rav ity , full of iron pyrites which crystallizes in cubic form and faces often striated and of a pale brass yellow color. Note the difference between th is pyrite and the former mispickel. No gold is visible. I t yields 15 dwt. to the ton taken from a depth of 300 feet a t an eleva­tion of 1,600 feet above sea level. Locality Gordon.

No. 6.—A quartz of very loose tex ture, somewhat resembling a breccia of a reddish colour, due to iron. I t is highly ferruginous w ith m ost brillian t irrides- cent hues, due to the films of iron oxide. One or two specks of gold are visible w ith a magnifying glass. I t has a felspathic external surface. I t yields lOdwt. to th e ton. Depth 250 f e e t ; above sea-level 1,140 f t ; locality, Sebastopol, Ballarat.

No. 7.—A dense flaky quartz, somewhat ferruginous w ith a considerable quan tity of m etal viz. argen­tiferous galena and auriferous pyrites. Note the peculiar shade of pyrite differing from the brassy iron one. This specimen was taken from a depth of 60 feet a t 90 ft. above sea-level. Locality St. Arnand.

[Galena crystallizes in the cubic form w ith a per­fect cleavage. I ts color is a lead grey w ith metallic lustre, Composition is sulphide of lead and a little

sulphide of silver. If the silver is in sufficient quantity to be worth extracting it is termed argentiferous.]

No. 8.— A d irty white quartz, compact in texture, full of cavities w ith crystalline quartz. A little mispicked occurs.No gold is visible to the naked eye bu t ’ slight specks show w ith the aid of a magnifying glass. 1 Yield 60z to ton. Depth 240 f t.; above sea-level j 1080 ; locality Ballarat.

No. 9.—A whitish looking quartz, somewhat glassy, 1 with auriferous pyrites, a few specks of miepickel occur. Gold is not visible. Yields 18 dwt. to the ton and was taken from a depth of 1,200 feet a t 200 ft. above sea-level. Locality, Clunes.

No. 10 A white quartz stained reddish by iron. |A little chlorite is present. I t has a curious mamimi- j lated quartz surface on one side w ith an iron casing below. There is a peculiar tinge of iron which is very common in Ceylon quartz. Gold is distinctly visible, j

Depth 60 ft. a t 2080 above sea-level. Locality Daylesford. i

No. 11.—Quartz of a m ilky w hite character with a slate-wall. Gold is distinctly visible on th is slaiy-wall along with a little auriferous pyrite. Depth 600 ft. at 1,200 ft. above sea-level. Locality, Blackwood. '

No. 12.—D irty white quartz w ith a beautiful mass ' of rock crystal, the crystals being a double hexagonal ; pyramid. A little arseno-pyrite is present bu t gold ■ is not distinctly visible. Depth 300 feet a t 1,150 above | sea-level. Locality, Ballarat. !

Nos. 13 and 14.—Beautiful, white, m ilky qusrlz with j

auriferous pyrites, blende and galena Free gold is very j

distinctly visible in both specimens along with the blende. (14 is a very rich specimen). Depth 450 feet a t 400 above sea-level.—Locality Maldon. !

[Blende or black jack crystallizes mostly in dodeca- j

hedrons ; i t is usually black or brown. Composition is j

sulphide of zinc.]No. 15.—A whitish quartz much stained with iron, i

causing it to look reddish. Gold is distinctly visible on the iron ore studded all over its w eathered face. Depth j 80 feet a t 1,400 above sea level.—Locality Ballarat.

No. 16.—A bluish glassy quartz; very cavernous. Gold is distinctly visible in the caverns and on o ther parts. Depth 900 feet a t 60 below sea-level. Locality Stawell.

Chief points noticeable in collection :—1. The great density of the quartz. (2. The compactness of the quartz except in 6 and 7 !

which show th a t compactness is no t a necessary j characteristic.

3. The general association with o ther metals. ]4. The colour of quartz is nil in determ ining gold. \

If need not look warm, as has often been stated, for ' 11, 12 and 13, as far as general appearance goes are cold ' and decidedly hungry, destitute of caverns and destitute of o ther minerals. W hite is the prevalent color in this collection, stained variously w ith iron.

5. The quartz being in crystalline condition is not a sign of its containing no gold. See No. 12.

6. The visibility of gold is worth nil for Nos. 1, 5 and 8, are rich in gold. I t has recently been stated th a t assayers are of no use. W e are told we m ust be able to see and judge by the eye as to w hether a quartz reef will pay and th a t it is a poor tale to have it tested. However such statem ents are not w orth much.If we see the gold and know th a t i t extends in the quartz, we then know without assay th a t i t w ill pay and its extraction may be a t once begun w ith.

Assaying of fair samples is very necessary. There is not sufficient sight-evidence in many varieties of quartz to warrant gold being th e re in paying quantity. Even the rough amalgamation process, so commonly used by the miner is unreliable where the gold occurs w ith pyrites. Nor can the amalgamation process be successfully used for its extraction iu such cases, e.g.,

three samples of auriferous pyrites were operated upon no t long ago.

(а) From Siberia which contained 100 grams to the ton.(б) Venezuela ,, 300 „(c) California ,, 150 ,,

The first yielded all its gold by am algam ation. The two others, both in the raw sta te and after roasting, yielded only insignificant quantities. From further ex­perim ent, i t was inferred th a t the presence of antim ony and arsenic prevent amalgamation.

The tailings of old mines are now being re-worked by the “ Chlorine process ” or by the still better method de­vised by Mr. W. A. Dixon. See “ Directions for ex tract­ing gold, silver, and o ther metals from pyrites. Pro­ceedings o f the. Royal Society, vol. 20. ”

Ceylon quartz is ra ther too g assy in appearance and from many localities is destitute o f metal of any kind, or having caverns either em pty or filled w ith earthy m atter. The pyrites are of too brassy a nature. However, we have quartz partaking of the character of Nos. 6 and 16 in Hewaheta and Kamboda. A somewhat sim lar quartz to 10 and 15 occurs in Balangoda and the d istrict around.

In the N awalapitiya district, we have a quartz partaking of the nature of 11, 12, 13, bu t no metal is visible. The mineral galena, mispickel and blende have not been recorded up to the present tim e as occurring iu this island.

Mr. Dixon, we know, has judged rightly in stating th a t the mere colour of quartz is no certain criterion of its value. We took w ith us to Melbourne a specimen of gold-bearing quartz from the A lpha Mine in Southern India, and, judging by w hat we had seen in Dewalah, we expected to find the specimens of A ustralian gold-bearing quartz sent to the Melbourne Exhibition full of pyrites and ru sty coloured. Some such quartz we did find exhibited, bu t the leading specimens (some of them immense blocks) were pure white, shading away to grey. A person acquainted with only the surface quartz of Devalah wouldcertainly never have suspected the existence of gold in pure white and occasionally crystalline quartz. The uneducated eye, therefore, is here a t fault, bu t the m erest tyro soon learns the value of “ Black Ja c k ,” or blende as an indication of the presence of gold, equally w ith mundic (iron or a r­senical pyrites) and galena. Blende, Mr. Dixon ex­plains, is a sulphide of zinc, while galena is com­posed m ainly of sulphide of lead ; sometimes rich in sulphide of silver. W e suspect th a t neither “ black J a c k ” nor galena exist in Ceylon, any more than the special “ Lower Silurian ” slate formations so strongly insisted on in Victoria. B ut “ mispickel,” which Mr. Dixon describes as arsenical iron pyrites, ought surely to exist. The first great revolution in the search for gold was the discovery th a t hundreds and even thousands of feet below the alluvials of Mount Alexander, Bendigo, Ballarat, Arrarat, and o ther once rich bu t entirely or partially exhausted gold fields, and underlying enormous masses of the basaltic rock known locally as “ blue stone,” vast stores ofthe precious metal lay hidden. I t is found either insitu in the old quartz and slate formations, or washed into the channels of ancient rivers, sent underground,“ where Alph the sacred river ran, ” by volcanic convulsions. Gold has been certainly found down to2,000 feet, and, as a shaft a t Stawell has penetrated to 3,000 feet and will probably go deeper, i t is im«

possible yet to fix the lowest lim it of underground finds. W hat w ith powerful rock borers aud especially by means of the wonderful diamond drills capable of piercing a t all angles, while cores are taken up aud examined at every few feet of progress, shaft-sink­ing and gold mining generally is fast passing from a precarious lo ttery to a steadily profitable pursuit. The value and probable effect of the diamond drills can­not possibly be exaggerated. The next great revolu­tion was the discovery th a t pyrites, which had been rejected as worthless, could, to a large extent, be utilized with great profit. Accordingly every im portant gold mine has now appliances for roasting and crushing pyrites. Through the courtesy of Mr. Thompson, the able manager of the W alhalla mine in Gippslatid, prob­ably the richest gold mine in the world, we were able to bring, amongst other specimens, a sample of pounded pyrites ready for the amalgamating process. On this Mr. Dixon will, doubtless, have something to say'. The difficulty of dealing w ith pyrites is the large quantity of deadly fumes of arsenic evolved in the process of roasting. Tall chimneys, to carry those fumes for dispersal in the higher atmosphere, m ust be erected under heavy penalties, and the effect of th e fumes on vegetation were very apparent on the side of a steep m ountain, close to which rose the chimney of the great mine a t W alhalla. Trees aud grasses, w ithin the influence of the fumes from the flue, were w ithered or dead. The W alhalla Valley, rich not in alluvial gold bu t in gold-bearing rocks, differs essentially from the valleys between or a t the foot of low, rounded, water-worn hills a t Castlemaine, Sandhurst, Ballarat aud other places, where scores of miles of alluvial soil have been torn and tu rned over after a fashion whieh excites the astonishm ent of the traveller. We could not help asking if any approxim ­ate estimate had ever bien attem pted of the num ­ber of cubic feet of earthw ork involved in all the digging and re-digging by Europeans, and the re-re­digging by Chinese over the gold fields of Victoria. Our friends oidy looked aghast a t the idea of so u tte rly hopeless an attem pt. Our own belief is th a t a girdle of railway round the globe would not be more than the equivalent. N ext to the skeletons of a burnt forest in Australia, the most awfully desolate of scenes, is m de up of the grave-like mounds scattered as th ick ly as leaves of Vallambrosa over a deserted gold-field. As the mountains stood round about Jerusalem, so do they stand round th e gold valley of W alhalla—real mountains and not water-worn hills such as are seen near the alluvial gold-fields which first made V ictoria famous. From first to last 50 millions of ounces of gold have been taken out of the soil, worth 200 millions sterling. No wonder if a t B allarat and Sandhurst great towns arose, and a vast city on the shores of Hobson’s bay, w ith the rapidity which is more a characteristic of dream and romance than of real life. I tr . Dixon notices th a t one nugget was found a t Ballarat, which weighed 184 lb., and for which over £8,006 were paid. W e do not know if he refers to “ the Welcome Stranger,” found (at Dunolly, however,) by two Cornish miners, ju st when one of them had been refused f red it for a bag of flour and feared starvation for J

: his family. The scene was soon changed, as will be seen by the following details taken from Sutherland’s “ Tales of th e Gold Fields” :—

Deeson plied his pick in some hard bricklike clay around the roots of an old tree, breaking up fresh earth and tearing away the grass from the surface of the ground. He aimed a blow at a clear space between two branches of the ro o t; and the pick, instead of sinking into the ground, rebounded, as if it had struck upon quartz or granite. “ Confound i t ! ” he exclaimed; “ I ’ve broken my pick. I wish I had broken it, if it had only been over some nugget.” A minute afterwards he called out to Oates, and told him to “ come and see what this was.” I t was a mass of gold cropping several inches out of the ground like a boulder on a hill. As each successive portion of the nugget wras dis­closed to view, the men were lost in amazement a t its enormous size. I t was over a foot in length, and nearly the same in breadth. The weight was so great that it was difficult for the two men to move it. However, by dint of great exertion, they succeeded in carrying it down the hill to Deeson’s cottage, where they commenced to inspect their wonderful treasure. I t was so completely covered with black earth, and so tarnished in colour, that an inexperienced person might have supposed it to be merely a mass of auriferous earth or stone. But its weight at once dispelled all doubt on that point, for it was more than twice as heavy as a piece of iron of the same size.

Great was the rejoicing among Deeson’s family. The wife piled up a huge fire, and Deeson placed the nugget on the top, while the rest of the family stood around watching the operation of reducing the mass to the semblance of gold. All through the Friday night Dee- soon sat up before the fire, burning the quartz which adhered to the nugget, and picking off all the dirt and debris. This was so rich that, on being washed in the puddling machine, it yielded ten pounds’ weight of gold. Meanwhile Oates had procured a dray to convey the nugget to town, and on the Saturday morning the two men set off for Dunolly. I t was a ten-mile w alk; but many of the neighbours, having heard the news, fol­lowed the dray into the township. * » *

They stopped the dray a t the door of the London Chartered Bank, while the crowd grew larger and larger.

Deeson now stepped into the bank, and, having re­quested to see the manager, he proceeded to open negotiations with him by asking, “ How much do you think you would give for a lump of gold as big as your head ? ” The manager, thinking the digger was drunk, ordered him away, and requested his clerk to see him to the door. But catching sight of the crowd outside, he stepped out and looked into the cart. The tone of the negotiation was altered a t once, and the two diggers were politely requested to enter.

W hen the nugget had been deposited on the floor of the banker’s room, it was weighed, and the amount of pure gold was ascertained to be 2,268J ounces, or nearly two hundredweight. Thus, being nearly 100 ounces heavier than the Welcome nugget of Ballarat, it was probably the largest piece of native gold ever found. Various accounts have been given of a still larger nug­get having been discovered in Brazil over a hundred years ago. But this story rests on no good founda­tion, and even if it is based on fact, it has evidently been exaggerated. All the best authorities on the sub­ject, therefore, set down the Welcome Stranger as the largest mass of gold ever discovered.W e doubt if any such mass of gold exists in the soil of Ceylon, if indeed “ payable q u a r tz ” for stam p­ing exists. No be tte r aids to the solution of th is question can possibly exist than the specimens from Ballarat with Mr. Dixon’s notes on them.

We have, on this occasion, merely glanced at a few

salient points on th e characteristics and history of a substance and a pursuit, round which cluster more of romance and vicissitude than is connected with any other m aterial substance or hum an enterprize. The subject is practically inexhaustible, and we hope to re tu rn to i t in future issues.

Since w riting so far we have seen a le tte r ad­dressed to th e Australasian on “ G old a n d w h e r e to f in d it , ” by Mr. C. F . Nicholls, an educated and observant w riter, who has been a practical gold miner. I t commences thus :—

Fascinating as all inquiries are into the origin of things, none are more so than the investigation of the origin of metals, more especially that of gold. Writing from memory, and therefore not giving quotations, I may say that there is good authority for affirming that gold is as widel disseminated over the world as any other metal, if not more so. I have seen as fine and rich quartz specimens from Wales as any in Victoria. Gold has been found in the Wicklow mountains, Ireland, on the Duke of Sutherland’s estate in Scotland; and Hungary, Austria, Spain, Russia, Mexico, California, and several other countries, not to speak of Africa, have or have had their gold-fields. Silver can be extracted from the ocean, and gold has been found iu the roots of the violet and the vine, and sometimes traces have been found of it under such conditions as lead to the conclusion that it must have been in the form or condition of vapour.W hen a tten tion was drawn to gold about a quarter of a century ago by the operations of Australian diggers in the sands of tho Maha Oya, a t Nuwara E liya and elsewhere, we republished a pamphlet by Professor Hopkins of Cambridge, in which the theory was propounded, not th a t gold was found in th e roots of trees, bu t th a t the precious metals aggregated round the roots of trees and finally took the place of th e roots, as particles of ordinary m ineral m atter replace wood in the so-called “ petri­faction” process. This aggregation and replacem ent m ust be regarded as processes subsequent to the deposition of both .quartz and gold from water (should th a t theory be tenable,) and subsequently also, per­haps, to the tearing, disintegrating and finally aggregative effects of floods. B ut we are now dealing with phenomena of comparatively moderen dates in geologi cal history and action. The mention by Mr. Nicholls of gold in a sta te of vapour reminds us of thetheory of what we may call original deposition on our globe, and which recommends itself to our reception. We are justified by analogy in supposing th a t this planet was once what the sun seems to be now, a mass of gases gradually cooling and solidifying. The gase<, hi the case of our earth as of the sun, included those of the heaviest metals, gold amongst them . As the cooling and solidifying processes went on, i t is to be presumed th a t the various metalsagglomerated and settled in masses or strata,according to certain laws of affinity, attraction,mngnetiMn, heat and pressure. The question then arises how much of the gold on the surface of our globe is in situ, as deposited during the cooling process, per­haps millions of ages back in time ; or whether the whole of i t has not been displaced by forces of tire and water : volcanic action and furious water floods; again to form and aggregate under the influence of magnetic and m etamorphie agencies? The enquiry is no t only curious in itself and in a purely scientific

point of view. There is a practical aspect of the question : th a t of the artificial production ofgold. The transm utation theories of the dark agee were deservedly laughed at, because they were not founded on a knowledge of the tru e laws of m atter and the right application of those laws. But, look­ing a t the advances made in th e m anufacture of rubies and even the diamond, he would be a bold man who ventured to assert th a t science may not yet discover an effectual and cheap mode of compelling the earth to release her stores of diffused gold, as well as inducing the sea to give up her wealth of silver. A t present the problem is how to discover aggregations of gold in o ther minerals or rocks, in such quantities and conditions as to yield appreci­able returns for the labour and cost of mining, c rush­ing, amalgamating, etc.. Mr. Nicholls points ou t th a t bu t a small proportion of practical miners are able to give much help in soloving the problems at issue. Mr. Nicholls seems justified in his blame of the Victorian Government for undervaluing th e ir own great staple. He writes

A reference to the Intercolonial Exhibition essay on mining and mineral statistics, 1866 and 1867, is worth any one’s reading, who is interested in the subject, as it brings all the known information up to date under review, and suggests one great defect of the late Exhibition which, so far as it was possible in an essentially gold-mining country, kept that industry in the background, and did in no way help to add to the mining and mineral statistics of 1866-67. The mighty intellects occupied in turning us into a nation of farmers without capital and manufacturers without coal could afford to despise an industry that had made Vic­toria what it is, and employed and sustained, directly and indirectly, 60,000 or 70,000 families, producing four millions’ worth of raw material, of which three millions was distri­buted in wages and payment for tools and machinery, and the balance in dividends. The essay referred to will show that there are many modes of the occurrence of gold that were not generally accepted, and, when we remember that geologists differ greatly on many points—take, for instance the doubts about granite; is it a primary rock or not ? is it the production of water or fire ? take basalt, agreeing that it is volcanic, was it mud, and did it crystallize, or was it molten lava ?—who knowns ? Evan Hopkins says mud, recognized authorities say molten lava. I t does not m atter much, as either way it flowed out of the bowels of the earth and spread over plain and valley, thousands, probably millions of years ago, filling in the ancient creeks and rivers, covering table-land and mountain, and concealing from us of today the leads, and gutters, and golden lodes of not only a time before history began, but probably before man was. Theimmensity of time is one of the puzzles, the slowness of the processes, the difficulty of comprehension. Sir J . Lubbock tells us geologists must recast their theories, and base them on a solid world, and the latest theory of vol­canic hills is that the bed rock is not thrust up, making a hill, but that the ashes and lava from the rent in the earth’s surface are gradually piled up and rounded as we see here in many cases. But, as in most other things, nature does not work in one way only, and whilst in Mouut Greenock we have a hill ,of that character referred to, so in AVombat-hill, Daylesford we probably have an instance of where the bed rock was raised, and the column of lava burst through the golden lead, and puzzled the miners for many a long day before they picked up the continuation on the opposite side of the solid pipe or column of basalt that had been the outflow of molten lava or overwhelming mud. Spring-hill, Creswick,may be another instance of the thrusting up of the bed rock, whilst Moorookyle and others on the Smeaton Plains may have the deep leads underneath them undisturbed. These facts

I or supposed facts lead to the inference that when we find quartz pebbles on or near these basaltic hills, as a t Mount Hollowback, in the Dowling Forest estate, the volcanic

forces have burst through quartz drifts and thrown those pebbles out with the ashes, leading to the inference of the existence of probably auriferous leads in the im­mediate neighbourhood, aud where we do not find these rounded quartz or any other, to the existence of deep ground under the hills.

The notice of volcanic forces bursting through quartz drifts and throwing pebbles out w ith volcanic ashes, reminds us of what we observed, during a journey with a gentleman who owns large possessions on the banks of the Goulburn river (a great wheat region) beyond Echuca, a Victorian border town on the great rive Mur- ray . After driving over wbat appeared to be almost interm inable park-like plains, on which tim ber enough was scattered to give pleasaut shelter, we came a t last to a rising ground, th e manifest result/>f ancient volcanic action. After admiring the extensive view, which included a lake of waters collected in a volcanic depres­sion, our attention was arrested by the curious mix­ture of bright fragm ents of quartz with the dark lavas. W e said to our friend, who was talking of building a house on the eminence : “ We are probably standing over a formation of quartz rich in gold.” ‘‘Oh ! for goodness’ sake” exclaimed the fortunate possessor of38,000 acres of fine, fre ehold property, “ don’t say a word about gold, or slioals of people will come in and tear my beautiful place into holes and heaps!” Our friend felt he had enough and he did not quite see w ith us th a t i t was his du ty to the colony to give i t the benefit of such wealth as m ight be hidden in bis soil. Those who know w hat the presence of miners on land involves, will not wonder a t the objection of the gen­tlem an in question. Mr. Nicbolls takes the position th a t although, quartz is always associated with gold, there are many quartz reefs barren of gold. He w rites:—

We have more barren quartz reefs than auriferous reefs, and as far as we know more quartz reefs that pay handsomely at shallow depths than at great depths. At present it seems as if about a thousand feet from grass is our limit to in most instances payable stone, and yet there is no sufficient reason given to prove that depth has anything to do with the presence of gold in paying quantities or not, and if quartz is the matrix of gold, why should it not continue if our quartz reefs do, as is well known that they do in several districts, to un­known depths ? Gold has been found in granite, in diorite, sandstone, in slate, and in basalt. May it not be true that our silurian rocks are impregnated with gold more or less, and that though under special circumstances there is an accumulation of the metal in occasional quartz reefs and dykes (as at Wood’s Point), the denudation of immense areas of bed rock for count­less ages may have had much to do with the formation of our alluvial leads, helped by the breaking down of rich quartz reefs, but not entirely dependent upon them. The processes of nature are not only varied but repeated over an extension of time we cannot realize, and under the same as well as different conditions; hence the many puzzl­ing facts that no one theory accounts for. I have seen nuggets taken from the Hard-hills, Buninyong, without a particle of quartz, looking as if they had been poured out of a ladle in a molten state on to the bed rock. The last gold I obtained was a working miner at the head of Cobbler’s Gully, Cresick, consisted of a run of coarse gold and nuggets, looking as if they had undergone enor- ous pressure and grindin force, found on the shoulder of the bedrock, and a few feet deeper, packed against a quartz reef that we could see uo gold in. was 3ft. of washdirt containing nothing but fine gold, as if it had dropped out of a quartz reef a few days before we discovered it. The coarse gold came from a yellow bed rock, the other rested on a white pipeclay7 gutter, and crossing this gutter were several bands of hard greasy pipeclay of an inch or

two in width carrying a good deal of gold. Here were three distinct deposits of gold all within a few feet of each other. Is there any theory that accounts for the facts ? I have taken out of the bed of the saltwater river a t Gisborne and other places large flat pebbles that have in a single pebble contained a perfect miniature system of the five Clunes quartz reefs, and other pebbles showing in miniature quartz reefs of mony different kinds. What are we to understand by this? Some of my scientific friends may explain it. I can only record the facts. A t Creswick and Ararat, with all the enormous amount of alluvial gold taken out I hardly know of a qarrtz reef that is paying ex­penses. As Artmus Ward might say, Why is this thus?

What we do know amounts to this. So far as quartz reefs are concened, they may last to any depth and they may run out at any depth, both quartz and gold, or the quartz may continue and the gold give out, but when the quartz runs out the gold never continues. Some quartz reefs run with the strata and some across the combs of the bed rock. Some thin out at all sorts ot depths, and gome make again and some do not- Some con­tinue well define*! to great depths, but the gold runs out. They all vary in yield, but some continue to pay and some d<> not In the upper silurian bed rocks we have, as a rule, small but rich reefs, with some notable exceptions, like the long Tunnel Beef, NValhalla; and in the lower silurian, as on Ballarat, the main body of the stone is poor and the spurs from it are rich, and so on ad infinitum, which to some extent justifies the practical miner, who says of gold, “ Where it is there it is, and you have to work to get it,” but we may do so with all the lights of ascer­tained fact, ergo groping about here and anywhere in a costly and expensive bewilderment.

He goes on to say th a t th e unknown may be infer­red from th e known ; th a t th ere are belts of ascert­ained auriferous country and the richest and longest continued lines run north and south. Mr. Nicholl states :—

W hether gold travels far or not I think depends upon the forces brought to bear upon it, I f the forces are strong enough to i ouge out the bed rock the fine gold wilt tra ­vel with the clay and debris as long as that force continues. I have seem a flood at Clunes that carried a twenty pound lump of basalt rof,k half a mile, and ihat washed away a heap of puddled washdirt, but did not c rry the gold fifty yai'i s. As to alluvial deposits, I have found payable gold in the grass and black soil, and no payable quartz reel in the neighbourhood; I have seen gold in the black clay in Melbrurne on the top of the basalt, but wbat we know is that the east and west runs of gold pay out; that the north and south runs of gold continue apparently so long as they twist and turn within the urea of one or more belts of auriferous country, as the Golden Point lead did and as the Creswick, Kingston, and Smeaton leads are now doing.

W herever gold is found, the lines north and south of i t should be followed. The conclusion is startling, and will, we suppose, be disputed. I t ru n s th ii ' :—

In conclusion, permit me to say that all reports based upon the yield of gold per ton are illusive unless the cost of obtaining the gold is stated. Returns from Anderson’s Creek, Diamond Lreek, Uipps Land,and Reedy Creek would surpass anything from the neighbouring colonies if com­piled in the same way, but “ distance lends enchantment to the vie «■.” _ There is one test that may fairly be applied as between Victoria and any other colony. Let the investor ascertain how many dividend-paying companies there are in Tasmania and New South Wales, or (what is the same ithing) the percentage of profit on the total investment, in each colony, and I do not hesitate to say that whilst in Victoria we can show a profit of sixty per cent, upon our total expenditure for 1881, that the neighbouring colonies can­not show any profit whatever on the total expenditure for the past year.Our own opinion is that, in the other Australian colonies as well as the golden colony, p a r rxeellencey Victoria, the use of the diamond drills will dcvelnpe mineral w ealth rich beyond experience or ew n imagination.

As regards Ceylon, the question is: have leads of auriferous quartz yet been discovered, rich enough to justify the introduction and use of machinery, for sinking shaf s, including not only ordinary borers, bu t that true “ divining rod,” the diamond drill? The presence of one in Ceylon m ight give th e country Artesian wells, where water is wanted, even if payable gold reef* failed to be discovered.

A r t if ic ia l I n c r e a se o f Q u i n in e . —W e call a tte n ­tion to the advertisem ent in our daily paper, in which Mr. Scbrottky expresses his readiness to in ­crease, artificially, the value of cinchona bark about to be cut down. We understand th a t the chemical inoculation of the living bark (on succirubra trees) has, in some of the experiments, raised the analysis by from 25 to 50 per cent of the previously existing percentage of quinine.

E conomic P rod ucts in I n d ia . —We have to acknow­ledge the receipt, from the Director of the D epart­ment of Agriculture and Commerce, N. W. P. and Oudh, of a copy of Part V of “ Notes on the Economic Products of the North-western Provinces,” by M r. E. T. Atkinson, B. A , F. K. G. S., of the Bengal C. S. This part treats of gourds ; vegetables ; spices and condiments ; greens ; fruits, cultivated and wild ; and uncultivated edible products. Prefixed are a general index, a botanical index, and an index of H indi terms.

D e Ca e n 's P a t e n t C in ch o n a B r a n c h a n d T w ig M a c h in e . —Messrs. J . W alker & Co., of Kandy, wrote to us on the 3rd instant “ W e have tried a sample machine a t our works today and find ir works ad­mirably. The machine is simple, portable and very strong ; i t is capable of tu rn ing out more th an 400 lb. of wet bark per day under favourable circumstances, bu t we give 4001b. as a fair average. There are no knives, bu t tapering rollers are employed to su it the various thickness of tw ig and branch. The machine promises to be a most valuable invention, rendering the harvesting of both possible and profitable .”

C a j u W i n e .—In a notice of the recent exhibition of Brazil “ Nacional ” manufactures, we find the fol­lowing notice, and we should like to know if wine from the “ kaju pulan ” has ever been made in Ceylon : — “ Of caju and other wines from native fru its there are several agreeable samples which would lead to the belief th a t a large trade m ight be done in them, bu t the unaccountably high price, considering the cheapness and abundance of th e fruit, m ust m ilitate strongly against the generalization of an article credited rightly or wrongly with valuable medicinal properties.” — Brazil and River Plate Mail.

J a f f n a . —Our trade in tobacco w ith the Galle m arket is large, and extensive, Traders always seek tbe service of the steamers to have a good supply sent there periodically, but, during the last two months, there is a stand still in the trade. People can hardly realize the money th a t is invested in the trade. The tobacco now in hand, both here and a t Galle, is ro t­ting in store for w ant of purchasers. I t is hoped th a t the trade will renew when the new season’s tobacco comes into the m arket in April or May next. We are glad to find that we have a good market for the su r­plus produce of th is commodity a t Colombo, Galle and Battiealoa. A large consignment for Batticaloa shipped last time was overcarried, the “ Serend ib” not being able to discharge cargo a t Batticaloa owing to bad weather. Chilly, instead of being left to ro t for want of buyers, or being sold almost for a song, fetches now a good price, and is being shipped daily to ( olombo. We presume th a t Tuticorio, from which place Colombo generally receives large supplies, has fa iled this year to supply th a t m arket.—Cor. “ Jaffna P a tr io t,”

196

D is c r im in a t in g C h a r g e in h e U n it e d S t a te s o n C eylon a n d E a st I n d ia Co f f e e .—Although coffee is adm itted into the U nited States free of duty, the present tariff laws impose 10 per cent upon all Ceylon or East Indian coffee if shipped from any country west of the Cape of Good Hope.— Rio News.

“ F ib e r . ”— Mr. John C. Branner, who has been collecting specimente of vegetable fiber in Brazil for the Edison electric light during the past year, left Par£ for New Y ork on the 10th ultimo. Mr. Branner had travelled over a very large portion of the country and had made extensive and valuable collections of fiber. As the value of these can ordy be determined by long and careful experim ent, i t will probably be sometime before the results of th is exploration are published.— Rio News. [I t is surely a new idea th a t vast stores of “ fiber” (which we English still spell fibre) should be required for th e electric light. W hy ?—E d . C. O.J

F l o r id a .— M r . H a m il t o n D is s t o n , of Philadelphia, has sold 2,000,000 of the 4,000,000 acres of land be pur­chased in Florida about a year ago. The negotiations began last summer, when an agent was sent to Europe to find a m arket for the lands. Sir Edw ard J . Reed, member of Parliam ent, who is a representative of the purchasers, is a wealthy Englishman who has large in­terests in America, and who is engaged in building the A tlantic and Gulf Coast and W est Ind ia T ransit ra il­way, which runs from Fernandina to Cedar Keys in Florida This route has branches from Waldo running south to Osceola, and is being rapidly pushed to Tama Bay and C harlotte harbor. I ts course is through a great portion of the Disston purchase, and it m ust eventually add largely to the value of the land. Sir Edw ard J . Reed was Mr. D isston’s competitor for the land a t the time of the original purchase. Sir Edw ard has associated with himself Dr. Jacobus W ertheim, of Amsterdam, and other capitalists of H ol’and, who were interested in the bond of the Florida ra 'lroads and o ther American secu­rities of like nature, and a syndicate was thus formed to buy half of Mr. Diss ton’s purchase. The lands of Mr. Disston, which he reserves the righ t to select from the whole, and also those of the European capitalists, will now be offered for sale to immigrants.

I n sec t P e st s .—A planter in Kurunegala w r i te s :— “ I enclose a few specimens of a poochi which has killed several cocoa trees on this estate and appears to be spreading. I should be very much obliged if you could tell me what it is, and suggest a remedy. A t present I have men on, killing them by hand, bu t am not very hopeful of catching them a ll.” The specimens enclosed are th e larvae of a small moth belonging to the family Tineidae. W estwood, in his “ Modern Classification of Insects,” vol. ii, page 409, say s:— “ In their preparatory states, these insects are variable in their habits ; bu t th e ir larvae are generally naked or slightly hairy, m any residing in portable cases [as those received from Kurunegala], formed of various m aterials, in which they undergo th e ir tran s­form ations.” Another correspondent wrote early last m o n th :—“ I am sending by today’s tappal, under separate cover, a piece of cinchona stem with a fungus of some kind or other growing ou t of it. I hope it will reach you intact, and I should be glad to have your opinion as to how it got there. The plant i t was on was about 3 feet high, and the fungus was situated about 6 in. from the top. The leaves of the p lant were all drooping, bu t whether from the effects of th e fungus or canker (which it appeared to have) I cannot say.” The cinchona stem was sent to Dr. Trim en about three weeks ago, bu t he did not get i t until last week. He w rite s :— “ I do not know w hat the dried-up object on the cinchona twig may be* bu t I scarcely th ink a fungus; one cannot now decide.’ Our correspondent should send us a fresh specimen,

®ottt|i3sponcU3nc0. I

2o the Editor of the Ceylon ObsetTer.SLAVERY IN B R A Z IL :-N o . IV .

Dollar, N. B., 19th Jany. 1882. G e n tle m e n ,—I said the decrease by the law of 1871

was 2$ per cent. I mean 2J per annum for the last ten years, during which tim e there has been only two d istri­butions of the Emancipation Fund, in 1875 and 1880 The amount set apart for these was 8 128*6128309— say £800,000 English money—in ten years

Before we go more into figures let us see what this law is. L et us make ourselves acquainted w ith the provisions of the law before we decide to abuse the adm inistrators of it. Here then is a rough summary of law, No. 2040 of 28th Sept. 1871

A r t 1. Children of slave mother born after date of law to be free. M aster has to rear the children and he can avail himself of their services until the minors are 21 years old. If the m aster likes, he can hand over the child a t eight years of age to Government and receive a bond for 8600 (£60) bearing interest a t 6 per cent per annum to become extinct in th ir ty years, (In either case the minor is a slave and lives and works among slaves un til he is twenty-one years).

do. 2. Government may deliver overthe m inors—whom slave owners do not care to keep after they are eight years—to authorized Associations to use their services until they (the minors) are twenty-one years old.

do. 3. An emancipation fund is to be formed and so many slaves are to be liberated annually.

do. 4. A slave can save money and call i t his own, can receive gifts, legacies and inheritances ; and his m aster can consent to his receiving money for work done to a tlfird party (such as working for some one on Sunday or any time his master may not require him).

do. 5. Emancipation Societies may be f irmed, bu t m ust be under the Judge of Orphans.

do. 6. Declares free slaves belonging to the crown slaves belonging to in testa te estates, slaves abandoned by their masters, slaves liberated under th is law; bu t all to be under Government inspection for five years.

do. 7. A slave may open a case in court for his li be rty . The process will be summary, and an ex officio $«p- peal made to higher court, if the decision is againts liberty. (This is ra ther an impossible contingency.)

do. 8. Enforces registration of name, sex, condition,* aptitude for labour, and lineage, if known.

do. 9. Government may impose fines and simple im ­prisonm ent in the carrying out of these regulations.

10. do. All dispositions to thecontrary hereby revoked. Regulations were made for carrying out the provisions of the law and an imperial decree issued for their en­forcement.

I t will be seen th a t next in importance to th e d e ­claring free the child of the slave-mother, after he is tw enty one y^avs, is th a t referring to the liberation of so many slaves each year by means of an emancipa­tion fund.

The emancipation fund shall be derived : —1. From a tax cn slaves.2. From taxes on the transfer of slave property.3 From the pr< c^eds of six annual lotteries, to be

drawn in the capital of the Empire, and a ten th part of all lotteries conceded by the Government.

4. From fines imposed under this 1 >w.5. From funds set apart in the General Provincial

and Municipal budgets.6. From subscriptions, gifts, and legacies for th is

p irpose. The rules laid down for the distribution of t le fund are a little complicated, which has made it quite impossible to arrive a t the exact num ber of peo­ple benefited by the fund by the two distributions. Rem ark th a t there have been only tv)o instead of ten,

as the law provides. Each province and each d istric t decides as to the manumi-sions according to the quota disposable from the emancipation fund.

Class I, Families have precedence of Class II . Individuals.Families are arranged in the following order :—1st—Married people, slaves of different masters.2nd—Married persons, who have children born under

this law and under eight years.3rd—Married persons who have children under 21 years. 4 th—Married persons who have children minors

and slaves.5 th— Mothers having children minors and slaves.6 th —M arried persons w ithout children.For individuals the orders are :—1st—A m other or father with free children.2nd—Those from 12 to 50 years of age. commencing

a t the youngest in the feminine sex and the oldest in the masculine sex.

In the order of emancipation of both families and individuals, those will be peferred

First : who can either himself or through some one else enter with a quota tow ards his liberation ;

Second : those who, in the opinion of their masters are most deserving. If the conditions are equal, it will be decided by lo t

W e thus see that, as far as the frame-work of the law stands, no objection can be offered to it.

The emancipation fund, if it were large enough, could do a great deal ; bu t i t is small and is not distributed annually, as intended by the law. Moreover a quarte r of i t has been kep t from th*- special object of emancipation and placed to the credit of the general revenue on the pal­try excuse th a t the Government has to provide establish^ ments for the children of slave-mothers. T w o) ears have elapsed, during which the slave-owners could have sent the children they did not wish to retain and use th e service of during their m inority, bu t nome were offered to the Government. In the present sta te of th e labour m arket, fourteen years’ work of a slave is of more value to a coffee and sugar planter than a paym ent of a paltry seventy-two shillings a year for th ir ty years.

The to ta l slave population, according to the census of 1st August 1872, one year after the pass­ing of the t-lave law, was given a t 1,510,806. Several parishes had not given in their returns, and altogether th is general registration was considered defective. The law, however, provided for a special registration up to 30th Sept. 1873, and all shm s w ho were not re­gistered before th a t date were declared free. These returns were given as complete from all the provinces except four—Para, Pernambuco, Miras Geraes, and Goyaz. The to ta l registered a t th a t date—Sept. 1873 —are given 1,431,300. This is, no doubt, very d fective, but, if the law is properly carried out, those not included in this num ber m ust be free. As we have not beard of the freeing of any of those illegally held as slaves under the law of 1831 and other laws confirming it, we need not look for the rigid enforcing of this law.

Several attem pts have been made since then to get a proper census taken, and a re tu rn was got in 1878 from eight of the provinces and the capital. Twelve provinces gave incompb-te returns, or gave numbers calculated from the re tu rns of 1875 and 1876. From these the slave population was set down a t 1,419,168 to end of 1878, or only 12,000, less than th a t given to Sept. 1873. Fr-nn twelve of the provinces and the capital th a t had recenely sent complete returns, we find the changes in the slave population from 1873 to 1878—five years—registered :—Sept. 18 3 683,497

Slave population Dec. 1878 611,057

Relative decrease 72,440

But the a .thority from which I take these gives emancip -ted . . ... 24,651

l)ie:l ................................ 60,996

Absolute decrease ... 85,647The diffi rence between relative and absolute decrease is shown thus : —

Registered arrivals ... 86,274Registered departures ... 73,067

Difference .. 13,207The relative annual decrea-e, counting 5 i years, is

only 2 per cent, and the absolute annual decrease is 2^ per cent.

Dea1 h emancipates nearly three times as m any as the emancipati n fund, but for all th a t the death-rate is low, only 17 per thousand per ani.um. A t the above rate the benefits of the emancipation fund can reach only 7 per thousand annually.

A. SCO IT-BLACK LAW.

LIB ER IA N COFFEE IN NEW GALW AY.New Galway, Feb. 27th, 1882.

D ear Sir , —W ith reference to your notice of the Liberian coffee in th is d istric t aud request for fu r­th er particulars, I may state th a t four of the six plants given by you to Mr. Cotton aie doing fairly well. One of them produced several blossoms about five months ago, but, of the resulting “ pingee,” only one bids fair to arrive a t m aturity, the rest having been knocked off, or probably rotted, during the ab ­normally wet weather we have had during the past five or six mouths.

The four surviving plants all look well, bu t have not made very rapid growth, being now only about 3 feet high, though, perhaps, the fact of their being suri ounded hy Arabian coffee may, in some measure, be accountable for their slowness of growth. They are in a comparatively sheltered hollow amongst the limestone rocks, which, as you are aware, are very plentiful in this locality, and get all the benefit of the morning sun. I cannot speak w ith certain ty as to the elevation, but, judging from the W ilson's Itun-

falow resthouse, d istan t by the road about three miles, should say i t is fully 4,300 feet. Particulars as to

tem perature and rainfall I regret being unable to furnish, as no record has been kept.

I tried several cocoa plants in the same vicinity, but none of them succeeded. Can you give me in ­formation about the wax-yielding tree of Brazil seed of which was lately advertized ? [See Observer of 27th t e b ru a ry —Ed. C. 0 .] I would suggest th a t Government be a.-ked lo open an experimental nursery in the low-lying land between F o rt Mc­Donald and Wilson’s Bungalow. A few acres under the supervision of the Hakgalla superintendent would suffice and need not oust much. This is the more desirable, as the elevation and position of the present gardens render them unsuitable for such experiments. —Yours faithfully, A R TH U R J . KKLLOW .

COCOA (CACAO) C U R IN G FOR M ARKET.M atale, Feb. 28th.

D e a r S ir ,—The first stage of cocoa curing has 1 already been fully described, (see pape 810, where the process described is that observed on Pallakelly estate, D um bara,) and all who have carried out Mr. Vollar’s instructions are, I believe, satisfied w ith the result.

The second, and not less im portant is the drying. In bright clear weather, that is, of course, a simple m atter ; and I have adopted Mr. Vollar’s recommend­ation of 1 4 to 2 days’ exposure to the sun, on mats immediately after washing, with success.

But the bright sunny days, take all the year round,

are few, and the cocoa beans won’t keep wet in the cistern for days (?) like parchm ent coffee : or with only the w ater dried off 111 heaps turned over fre­quently in the store. And the certain consequence of failure to dry thoroughly a fte r washing is m il d e w , which is simply fatal to the sample—if a paying price is looked for I How is cocoa to be dried in wvt weather is the important question.

Pallikelle has settled th a t by the alteration of a coffee store into a “ clerihew ” w ith heated a ir if requisite (and it probably is requisite when the air is surcharged w ith moisture) worked by the steam-engine already on the spot. O thers can utilize the water- wheel used in olden days to pulp coffee.

Yet the expense of a “ c le rih ew ” store : th e air­tig h t chamber, fans, belts, stove and water-wheel (or steam engine or turbine) is considerable, and would be needed on a new cocoa estate, i. e., one no t form­ing pa rt of an old coffee estate. And some of these items even on an old coffee estate, where the “ cleri­hew ” process was no t employed, which it rarely was a t the elevation a t which cocoa can be grown.

Is there any way to lessen th is p re tty heavy ou t­lay ? I am inclined to th ink th a t there is, and I hat a modification, if modification be needed, of the ‘‘ Sirocco ” tea drying stove, and trays, will give us exactly what we want. Perhaps, Mr. Shand would be kind enough to cure a bag or two of cocoa pro bon0 publico, and give us the result ?

W ith a “ Sirocco,” to be used only in damp w eather as a substitu te for IJ or 2 days sun drying, there is only the cost of the stove itself, say R800, and providing a supply of fuel, which could be secured during the interval between the crops. In fact, where a steam engine is employed to drive a “ clerihew ” fan, the supply of fuel would be much larger, I believe, to say nothing of what was required iSr th e c le ri­hew stove.

A lower temperature for a longer time would have to be substituted, in the case of cocoa, for the brisk heat to which the tea in its last stage m ust be su b ­jected ; b u t that, I presume, having never seen the

‘ Sirocco ” a t work, is an easily managed affair and a mere m atter of supply of fuel and regulating the d ra ft.—Yours, etc ., KAKAO.

CINCHONA H Y B R ID IT Y “ PU BESCENS.” N E W PRODUCTS :— Cera Rubber.

I )k a r S ir , —I have been very m uch interested in the various subjects before the Ceylon planting pul die of late, more especially w hat has been recently w ritten relating to Cinchona Pubescens. The subject of hybridity among cinchonas is surely far too much a settled question among practical men to require any further doubts or comments upon the fact th a t i t does hybridize. I f any one be a doubter still, i t would be well for him to reserve his opinion un til he l as tried a very simple experiment. All th a t is ri quisito is simply to personally gather some seed from succirubra trees out of a field where th is variety grows alone, and to personally gather another quantity from a field where officinalis and succi­rubra are growing interspersed w ith each other. From one he will obtain few or no hybrids; from the o ther

* a large num ber—indeed a very large percentage. I feel so confident of this conclusion, founded as i t is on my own experiments and from my experience in many ways; and, among other facts, I may say I have often been able to distinguish from plants growing from their external character the source from whence the sc d was obtained, I know of clearings of Succi­rubra in Ceylon w ith few hybrids upon them, and of others w ith a large number, and, upon visiting the parent plants, I have found th a t invariably the hyorids have resulted, or otherwise, always according to the proxim ity of officinalis to the paren t succirubra trees and

vice versa. Mr. Moens referring to Mr. Cross was quite right in saying th a t the opinion of a cinchona grower in this, and m any other respects, was of far more value than of a cinchona collector. In my own m ind I have proved the question beyond doubt by the above experiments, and, if these are not conclusive, 1 m ain­tain th a t no observation of the p lan t in nature, or a casual though careful inspection ef i t cultivated, can lead to more convincing evidence. One has naturally a very great respect for science and for scientific men, bu t they are very likely to be wrong, especially if occupied with any of the natural sciences in their wider relations, when they suddenly express their opinions on plants removed from their natural con­ditions and placed under the modelling hand of man, in whose h m d s most of our cultivated plants have become like the clay in the hands of the p o t te r : still more so, when the habits of these plants have become almost the sole study and care of the cultivator himself and his daily bread depended upon their successful growth. Nov do I see any reason why, if steadily persisted in, the knowledge of the cultivator should not become as scientific and his observation just as keen and accurate as those of the so-called scientist.

There has also been much comment upon the relative m erits of succirubra, pubescens, Uritusinga, and officinalis, and much confusing discussion on nomenclature ; and upon th is la tte r even the wise men differ largely.I care not for the specific name as i t accords w ith collectors, except simply as an identifica­tion of the various useful kinds meant, any more than I do of the contradictory statem ents of the early fathers on church government, and look for ju st as much unanim ity in the one as the other. Most planters, who have given much tim e to cinchona, have noticed the interm ediate character of pubescens between succirubra and officinalis, aud m any will have noticed the result of seed from unmixed and mixed clearings, and will form their own opinion on hybridity and whether pubescens be a hybrid or not.

To return to the practical and useful: I have fre­quently had pubescens bark analyzed, and generally have sent some sutcirubra bark along w ith i t gathered from adjacent trees, for my aim has always been re­lative, which, in my mind, appears th e only practical way. I ,— W ithout exception the quantity of Quinine Sulphas has always been one hundred per cent greater in pubescens than in succ rubra aud rarely inferior to ordinary crown bark. I I ,—The yield of bark per tree of pubescens has also always been equal to succi­rubra aud consequently much greater than crown bark.

I am now having more analyses made, and, as they are to represent the average quality of bark from several of each kind of cinchona I possess, taken from many trees of the same species, so as to shew what may be expected from a whole field ra ther than a tree, I look to ra th e r conclusive resul's, and the particulars I shall be glad to send you la te r on.

I t is very satisfactory to read th a t Messrs. W. Smith, Christy and others have true Ledgers in flower and seed, of which it is well to know th a t a t last we have some accurate data to go upon ; for I m aintain irrespective of the names of the varieties that analysis is the only true tes t of w hat is valuable from a p lan ter’s standpoint.

Mr. E liot Howard has very k indly shewn me over his exceedingly valuable collections, and has given me im portant information and advice on the depos­ition of th e akaloids, which was quite new to me in connection with th is interesting plant, of which I shall write more anon. I

From the wide extension of cinchona cultivation all over the world, I should strongly advise Ceylon men not to run th a t to death as they previously did coffee, b u t to seek for other useful plants for their

^poorer ridges and exhausted lands. Before I left Cey-

Ion I saw Ceara rubber growing well in Colombo cabook soil and. rushing up vigorously in Ran- gala, a t an altitude of 4,000 feet above th e sea. The seed will grow if sowed at stake, if the precaution has been taken to soak it and file or grind its edges before sowing. A better plan is to raise it in baskets, the plants being pu t out when six inches high, which they reach in about a m onth’s time. A fter this i t will rapidly b come a tree ; so th a t, if planted from 15 to 20 feet apart, i t can take full care of itself irrespective of weeding, after ii is 4 months old. W hat a diffe-e ence Kadugannawa would present now had th is tree been planted in the declining coffee, for i t appears to grow well in very indifferent and exhausted soil. The tim e too is not far d i-tan t when rubber will be in very great demand, for the trees from which supplies are now being derived are being destroyed by the ruthless manner of collection.

N EW PRODUCTS.

CHAM PION RED BARK CINCHONA T R E E S IN CEYLON, 14 Y EA R S’ OLD, ON GLEN CAIRN,

DIKOYA, G IV ING 112 LB. D RY BARK.Kandy, 6th March 1882.

D ea r S i r ,—W h at will M r. Campbell of Kelburne and M r. La vie of Gleualpine say to the following?

Mr. Fowke, of Glencairn estate in Dikoya, uprooted a succirubra tree about three weeks ago. and gives the subjo ned particulars of its dimensions and the quantity of bark harvested. I may mention th a t the tree was probably 13 or 14 years old and had a single stem only.

H eight, 42 feet.G irth a t lowest p a rt of stem, 4 feet 6 inches ; g irth

six feet above ground, 3 feet 3 inches.Wet bark. D ry bark.

Stem quill 1421b. ... 70 lb.Root 921b. ... 30 lb.Branch 40 lb. ... 12 lb.

274 lb. 112 lb.E . S. G.

[Some of the pieces ought to make splendid show bark for druggists, for which, perhaps, as much as 7s to 10s per lb. may be paid.—Ed .]

' CASTOR OIL PLAN TS AND INSECTS.Dimbula, 6th M aich 1882.

D e a r S ir ,—The paragraph, in a recent issue of the Ceylon Observer, contained informal ion which, as re ­gal ds Ceylon, was certainly not accurate. The cutting taken from a French paper has, perhaps, been wrongly translated.

So far from the castor oil p lant being “ an ex­cellent remedy against flies,” I find it peculiarly subject to the attacks of insects. I know of four kinds of larva: th a t feed on its leaves ; many species of dipttra may be found (uninjured) on its flowers, and 1 have had more than 2,000 castor o'I plants of both varieties, entirely destroyed by aphides.—Yours faithfully, B.

[The paragraph was quoted from an English paper and we are not responsible for th e transla tion .—E d.]

T H E V A LU E OF SU LPH A TE OF Q U IN IN E :— A CORRECTION.

March 7th, 1882.D e a r S i r , — In your issue of 4th instan t,in the article

on Jam aica Barks by Howard, there is a footnote signedD . M., sta ting th a t value per un it of sulphate of quin­ine is 1/9. This is not correct, aud is misleading to people valuing their bark.

The cost of manufacture m ust be taken into ac­count, and this is about 30/ per lb .; so th a t the ap­proximate value a t present price, of quinine sulphate is aboqt 1/3 per u n it.—Yours faithfully, Q.

T H E H Y B R ID ITY OF CINCHONAS.Roehampton, Haputale, March 7th.

Dear Sir ,—I read with great interest “ New P ro ­duct’s" letter, and your article ou “ The H ybridity of Cinchonas,” in your issue of the 4th in s ta n t; and, as I consider i t every p lan ter’s duty to add to the accumulation of facts, in reference to tropical agri­culture, whenever any crop up, during his daily search for cause or effect, I place the following facts a t your disposal.

On this estate there are “ Succirubra” trees, “ C. Condaminea” approaching “ C. U ritusinga” and “ C. Officinalis” about medium “ Bonplandiana” growing side by side, about 11 years of age. These trees were planted along the edge of the coffee about a chain apart, forming a k ind of boundary there are only some 300 or 400 of them : there not hybrids amongst them , at least not of the Robusta variety.

I have taken seed from the succirubra trees and sown it, and the result has been, on every occasion, succirubra plants.

I have sold some 40 lb. of succirubra seed. I never heard of its turning out anything but succirubra plants.

On the other hand, the seed from the Condaminea and Bonplandiana varieties has never produced plants like the trees from which the seed was taken, but produced hybrids, the greater majoriiy being Pata de Galinazo, a few having a somewhat Succirubra appearance.

There are some young, self-grown “ Robusta” grow­ing amongst the Succirubra and Condaminea trees, and I have only noticed seed on one, for the first time this year. My experience as regards the seeds spoken of above commenced in 1878.—I am, d°ar sir, yours faithfully, H . >. MARG ARY.

F l o r id a N otes o n S o r g h u m .—The amber is too small to be of any value for syrup, growing only five or six feet high and very slender, bu t i t makes excellent forage, producing three crops of full size in one season from one planting The Chinese is much larger, growing from eight to ten feet high and producing more and better seed than either of the other varieties, bu t i t is not equal to H onduras for syrup. The Honduras is a very large and late variety of sorghum. On rich land it will grow from fifteen feet high. I t not only makes more syrup to the acre th an the other varieties, bu t syrup of a bette r quality .—Florida Agriculturist.

G iv e T r e e s Room.—A Petalum a man tells the Courier: ‘ ' W hen I first set out my orchard I set my trees 16J feet apart each way. After the trees came to m aturity , the fru it b- gan to deteriorate ; it was not so good nor abundant and the trees became more or less diseased. Five years ago I began to th in my apple orchard by taking out one-half of the trees alternate in the rows so as to give them a space of 33 by 28 feet. The first year after making the change I did no t perceive any difference, bu t the second year I got more than double the quantity of fru it th a t I formerly had from the same ground w ith all the trees standing, and of better quality . I t is my judgm ent th a t standard pear and apple trees should not stand nearer than 33 feet apart each way after they get to be 15 years old. O ther kinds of fruit trees should be planted from 20 to 30 feet apart. I had about the same experience with my vineyard. I first set out my vines 6 feet ap art each way. A fter the vines became about 12 years old th e fru it was of inferior quality and the yield small. I then commenced thinning them by digging up every th ird ro w ; finally I dug up three-fourths of them un til I made them stand 18 by 6 feet ap a rt.”— Australasian,

T h e I m p o r t a t io n of Ch ic o r y a n d C o f f e e . —In connection w ith a question asked in the House of Commons last session by Mr. B arran, M-P., th a t gen­tlem an has received from the Board of Trade a com­munication stating th a t the Government have now decided to allow the im portation of coffee mixed with chicory, which was formerly forbidden. The con­ditions under whicli the same m ixture may be exported have now been extended.—Daily News.

C i n c h o n a .—In March, 1866, General Morin sent out seeds furnished by Sir J . Hooker, Kew, to Dr. Vinson and his son a t. Reunion, and in August, 1879, there were 5,000 plants of 1 to 6 metres in height and 25,000 “ bontures ” fit for transplanting. In view of the large quantity of quinine required in France, it is intended to essay the cultivation in Algeria. In 1878 nearly 3} million pounds of quinine, valued a t over £35,600, was imported into France. There are in Algeria, in the region of the Sahel, certain territories which appear to be favourable to the culture of the cinchonas. Tlio success which has attended the English and Dutch efforts in the East appear to give encouragement to the a t­tempts.-—Journal o f Applied Science.

A g r ic u l t u r a l E x p e r im e n t in t h e B e l l a r y D i s ­t r ic t .—Mr. A. Sabapathy M udaliyar, writes to us from Bellary :— “ W ith reference to Dr. Cornish’s letter, pub­lished in your issue of the 29th ultimo, regarding my experiments in cotton p lanting after ploughing with European ploughs and manuring w ith poudrette, I enclose you copy of a le tte r addressed to the Collec­to r of Bellary for such notice as you may th ink necess­ary. The le tter will give you some notion of what I have done, and w hat I am proposing to do. I t will aPo show you how little help the Board of Revenue are disposed to afford persons willing to enter upon agricultural pursuits with improved implements and a more rational system of culture than exists a t present. The result of my venture so far has been very en­couraging. During my inspection last week and this I found the cotton crons on my lands in very fine condition, in spite of a deficiency of rainfall. I th ink I may fairly estim ate the ou ttu rn of my crops a t 200 per cent more than the probable ou tturn of the lands th a t have not been ploughed with the English plough, nor m anured.”—M adras Weekly Mail.

Q u e e n s l a n d T im b e r . —In the jungles on the east coast of Cape Y ork Peninsula much valuable tim ber exists, especially the highly prized red cedar (Cedrela AustraHs, Mueller) and bands of lumberers penetrate their gloomy recesses for the purpose of felling the trees and rafting the logs for export. I t is calculated th a t from two of the rivers, known as the Mossman and Daintree, four million feet of cedar had been ex­ported between Novemb r, 1874, and April, 1878, and th a t th ree million feet were at the last named date lying ready for shipment, besides another lo t of half-a million feet a t 'he Juhnsio: e river. The m arket value of c da r in the log is from 35s. to 40s. per 100 feet in Melbourne. The m arket value in Brisbane was sta ted a t the Queensland Exhibition of 1878 to be £7 10s. to £8 10s. per 1,000 superficial feet. The value of this minor industry therefore can easily be cilculated. This tree is a mere variety of the Singapore cedar (Cedrela Taona, Roxburgh), which ascends the Himalayas to 8,000 feet. I t a tta ins a height of 200 feet and the foliage is deciduous. The Rev. Dr. Woolls noted in New South Wales trees so large as to yield 30,000 superficial feet of timber. This light, beautiful wood, easily worked and suscepti­ble of high polish, is much in request for furniture, for the manufacture of pianofortes, for boat building and a variety of o ther work. The tim ber from the junction of the branches with the stem furnishes the choicest veneers. The bark contains a considerable q uan tity of tannin which produces a purplish leather# — Journal o f Applied Science.

PLANTATION COMPANIES IN MAURITIUS.We need not remind the Ceylon public how some

twenty years ago the name and credit of Mauritius and its plantations were at the lowest ebb, and how it was sought to bolster up enterprize in that island by a Com­pany which should bear in its title the name only of the then prosperous Coffee Colony. Times are changed to some purpose; for while here we are suffering from short crops, depression and scarcity of capital for most promising undertakings in new products, in Mauritius we read in the papers received today (13th March) of Plantation Companies declaring dividends of from 14 to 18 per cent per annum 1 These Companies were formed iu the time of depression to buy and work estates, and now that the dark cloud has passed awray, they are pro­fiting by the foresight of their directors. There is a lesson in this for capitalists who are watching the pre­sent period of depression in Ceylon: the swing of the pendulum will assuredly be found before long to tend in the opposite direction, and returns of 14 per cent and over will then be as freely experienced here as in Mau­ritius.

R E TA IL AUCTIONS OF IN 01 AN TEA.Mincing-lane may be amused to learn th a t some of

the Calcutta pap rs have been writing in favour of a Company it is proposed to form for the sale by auc­tion. in all the chief towns in the U nited Kingdom, of Indian tea in packets to su it all pockets. I t is not likely that these auctions would have the mixed attendance and support th e promoters expect, but they may rely on a pretty big crowd of idlers and loafers every Saturday night, and among them a sprinkling of those decent folks who always a ttend sales in the hope of securing bargains. The venture would not. we believe, fu rther the sale of Indian tea, nor repay the Company for their labour and outlay.—H. and 0 . Mail.

TH E RICE CROPS AND SEASON IN INDIA.(For the Week ending 7th March.)

There has been slight rain during the week in a few districts of Madras and Bengal, in two districts of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, in three districts of the Punjab, and generally in Assam. General pro­spects continue much the same as in the preceding week. The spring crops promise a favourable harvest in the Punjab, and are being reaped in the Central Provinces and Bengal with a fair average outturn, excepting in a few places in the latter Province. In the North-West­ern Provinces and Oudh the yield on unirrigated lands in the central tract will probably be light. In the Bom­bay Presidency the rabi harvest has been completed in some districts and is still progressing in others, as well as in Berar. In the Madras Presidency standing crops are in need of water in some parts. In Mysore the sugar-cane and vaisakh paddy, the only standing crops of importance, are suffering from scarcity of water, but prospects are reported to be generally fair, prices being steady and pasturage sufficient. No ren arks seem necess­ary regarding other Provinces, and the Native States, except that scarcity of water is felt in the Nizam’s Territories.

Madras.—No rain except in Ganjam, Tanjore, Madura, and Travancore; general prospects good.

Bombay.—Rabi harvest completed in some districts, in progress in others ; scarcity of drinking water in parts of Dharwar continues; fever and cattle disease disap­pearing ; prices generally steady.

Bengal.—The hot weather has now set in ; the late rain has generally much improved prospects; rain is still much wanted in Rajshahye and C uttack; harvest­ing of the rabi and tobacco crops has commenced, gen­

erally with prospect of a fan' average outturn, except in places where they suffered from previous want of r a in ; sugarcane is being cut and pressed with a good out­turn ; ploughing for autumn crops is in fan- progress; sporadic cases of cholera and small-pox continue to be reported in some places ; cholera is spreading in almost all the sub-divisions of Nuddea; cattle disease reported in places in the Orissa and Chota Nagpore Divisions.

N.-W. Provinces and Oudli.—Light rain has fallen in Gorakhpur and Moradabad; the crops are being cut, and prospects are on the whole good; although in Benares the outturn of wheat and barley is poor, and there has been some further injury from insects in A gra ; prices have risen slightly in Gorakhpur and Lucknow, hut have fallen in Allahabad and Kumaon, while in other districts they are stationary; cholera still lingers in Allahabad and South Gorakhpur, and small-pox m Moradabad and Kumaon, but the general health continues good; there is still some cattle disease in Kumaon.

Punjab.—Harvest prospects favourable ; health good ; prices fluctuating.

Central Provinces.—W eather wanner ; rabi crops being reaped, fair outturn expected; small-pox reported from a few districts; cholera fast disappearing; public health good; prices remain stationary .— Madras Mail.

MR. STORCK’S REMEDY FOR COFFEE LEAF DISEASE, NEARLY IDENTICAL W ITH

THAT OF MR. SCHROTTKY.The above is, we believe, the opinion which will

be arrived a t after reading Mr. S torck’s paper in the Gardener's Chronicle .—only i t m ust be remem­bered th a t Mr. Schrottky began his experiments w ith carbolic acid vapour on an extensive scale long before we had heard of M r. Storck. To the local experim entalist undoubtedly belongs all the credit of priority, and th e fact th a t he has, through a very little good, and a great deal of evil report patiently persevered in his work among our planters constitutes a strong claim on the esteem of th is com­m unity. N ot long ago an old planter, Mr. Wm. Sabonadiere, called for a special Government g ran t of money and a monopoly by p a ten t to encourage Mr. Storck to visit and apply his remedy in Ceylon. The only reason why Mr. Schrottky has not got a paten t a year old now, for his carbolic acid vapour process, is th a t after receiving the usual formal application and deposit of fees, the Governm ent of Sir Jam es Longden (while retaining th e R350 paid iu stamps and fees ! !) threw out the application as inadmissible. W e well remember the decisive way in which Mr. Schrottky after his re tu rn from Dolos­bage a t an early stage of his experiments, said if ever a practical cure for leaf disease is to be found it m ust be in the vapour of carbolic acid, and he has most consistently adhered to th a t belief, in the face of much adverse scientific criticism and no little ridicule from planters and merchants. M r. Schrottky is now more than ever convinced th a t the leaf fungus m ust be dealt w ith as a noxious weed—a persistent and much injurious “ white w eed ” which can be successfully combatted by continuous treatm ent all the year through, more particularly if the attack is begun in the dry s ason. In th is opinion, Mr. Storck, if he w re acquainted with the conditions of climate and of the p lanting enterprise in Ceylon, would no doubt fully agree, so far as we can judge from his paper to the Chronicle which is as follows :—

[We have received a lengthy communication from Mr. Storck (now resident in Fiji, and who was assistant to th§

late Dr. Seeman in his mission to these islands) on the means for combating the leaf-disease Hemileia. Mr. Storck reviews the previous attempts that have been made, and then details his own method, which he claims to be effect­ual, and the principle of which is the diffusion through the plantations of carbolic acid vapour, injurious to the fungus. I t is obvious that the success of the plant depends upon very many circumstances, which should induce cautious experiment on a small scale before embark­ing 011 a large one, such as the depth to which the fun­gus penetrates, the state of the weather, the condition of the coffee-plant, the influence of the poisonous vapour upon it, &c. Should Mr. Storck’s experiments prove in other hands as successful as according to his statements, sup-

orted by other testimony before us, they are in his own, e will prove a veritable benefactor, and should receive the

reward of his public-spirited endeavours to remove a great scourge. I t is obvious that the principle is applicable mutatis mutandis to the treatment of other plants affected with superficial moulds.—Bn.]

My own method of application, says Mr. Storck, is purely atmospherical, and for the benefit of the countries and planters suffering from the ravages of Hemileia vastatrix 1 will now give a description of it. In doing this I rely, as regards my rights of priority and proprietorship in an invention of great importance, upon that spirit of justice and fair play so generally obtaining in the scientific and planting world.

An acre of coffee land contains thirty-six centres of vapori­sation formed by tin vessels to be mounted upon short sticks, and covered in a peculiar manner, to protect the contents from rain and rubbish, thereby preventing waste and un­desirable dilution by rain of the fluid contents of the vessel. They consist of a mixture of carbolic acid and water in the proportion of from 3 to 10 per cent, of Calvert’s best No. 5 acid, at the option of the operator. Any strength not ex­ceeding 25 per cent, may be used, since nothing touches the plants or the soil, nor injures the tenderest young leaf or flower-bud. In starting the treatment I would recommend a first charge of 1» per cent. (5 per cent, is sufficient), and then a weekly supply of a density of 5 per cent., which will keep the strength of the fluid up to 3 per cent, for many months. An average labourer can in this manner attend to at least 50 acres per week. The first season’s outlay per acre, including the first establishment of the system over an estate, will not reach £2 10s. per acre, and for any subse­quent year it will not exceed £ l. The present model of the vessel has an evaporating surface of 4 inches, but I am contemplating an improvement in it, which will better re­gulate evaporation, and do away with weekly supplies, while a farther reduction in the item of labour will be effected. The vessels, holding rather over half a pint, can be manu­factured wholesale at 4d. each, and are so modelled as to allow of the closest packing, the two parts separately ; they will last for many years.

After eleven months of immunity from leaf disease enjoyed by the trees treated and cured by me, and of a new nursery I had made in the meantime, a gang of labourers from the Upper Rewa carried infection back to the place. Among the subjects infected were two Liberian coffee trees, one among a cluster of five, and another some short distance off in a small plantation of forty, all just in full spike, and to my dismay I also found the nursery badly infected. As soon as I could get the materials I started my system of vaporisa­tion (July 4th last). The two Liberian trees I simply fur­nished with a small bottle each, partly filled with my mix­ture of only 3 per cent., hung into the angle of the lowest branches. Both trees have now been perfectly free of the fungus for some weeks, and not a single one of tbeir close neighbours has been infected. They prove to have been completely isolated by the treatment, not a single spore living to reach and infect the others, although in some instances almost touching. With the nursery, covering about three- quarters of an acre, I proceeded in the following manner:— Judging that with so small an area as the above I should be working at a disadvantage through the gas escaping beyond the limits of the area and going to waste in every direction, I arranged my centres of vaporisation a little closer than would be necessary on a large field, and put them 8 yards apart eacli way. The receptacles of the fluid and their covers were represented by ordinary cups and saucers, pressing the cups slightly into the ground and mounting the

inverted saucers upon three or four short sticks stuck closely round the rim of the cups, I left a clear space of about 1 inch in depth between the rim of the cup and the cover. They were then charged with a dilution of 3 per cent., and the effects noticeable after a few days were most startling. The ripe spores with which the plants,then some nine months old, were fairly recking, began to change colour from the well- known bright orange to a dull ochre, until they subse­quently turned into dirty yellow and then greyish-white. They all, instead of as usual dispersing, remained in a manner glued to the leaves, and afterwards dropped with them, dead, harmless, incapable of propagation. As time went on, all rust which came out began to look dull in colour and sickly, quite different from a healthy crop of spores. By degrees pale rings round the rust patches began to show, indicating the circumference of the mycelia and where their farther development had been arrested. In the third month a large proportion of the spots appeared pale green, whitish round the edges, and as if drying up in the middle; some pushed out a few sickly spores, but very frequently none at all. The spots turned into dry tissue, and most of those leaves, unless too severely attached, remained on the trees. Thenceforth a little dirty-looking rust still continued to appear, but the presence of the disease, up to its com­plete disappearance, was chiefly indicated by dead and dy­ing mycelia. From what I have witnessed, bare contact with the vapourised atmosphere seems, if not immediately to kill the spores,to effectually incapacitate them froiu germi­nation. From moving round in the nursery, examining the effects of the treatment, as I frequently did, I would often go in among healthy trees, handle their leaves, pull suckers and the like, but not a single instance of further infection took place among those trees, Liberian and Arabian, which were healthy when the process was started. W ith grown trees, having leaves of denser texture and more uniform age than nursery plants, which are almost always grow­ing, the effects, although apparently slower at the begin­ning, are in the end still more pronounced. They lose a greater proportion of leaves at the start, but all disease upon them and in them is dead before the fall, at once neutralising a fruitful source of re-infection. In the case of fairly vigorous trees a new coat of clean foliage, never again to be soiled by the devastating parasite, will have formed by the time the last spore has disappeared.

My method of permanent vaporisation is specially adapted for a country like Ceylon, for instance, where self-sown coffee in the forest and native garden patches present a standing menace of re-infection, which will defy any other treatment. W ith the permanent atmospherical treatment any spore of Hemileia vastatrix which comes in any way whatever within the radius of its influence must die. As I have asserted elsewhere—“ Any one employing my pro­cess will reap the full benefit of his outlay, even though his neighbour’s field next adjoining or just across the road may be reeking with disease for want of treatment. No live spore can be carried out of the area under treatment —nothing carried in can live, and re-infection becomes impossible.”

For the guidance of any planters who may wish to give my system a trial, I will here give the following direc­tions :—Before my treatment comes into general use, so as to induce the wholesale manufacture of the specified tin vessel, plauters will have to make shift as I did, with cups and saucers, which must be so placed that they will not be overturned or buried by stormwater coming down the hillside, which contingency is avoided with the tin- vessel mounted on a stick. Presuming the distance be­tween the rows and in the rows of coffee trees to be as usual (6 feet), commence at the corner of the fields, say working from right- to left, start with the third tree iu third row, then follow the base line, placing a vessel in every sixth row between the third and fourth tree. When the base line is thus marked off, start at right angles along the rows, count six and place your vessels between the sixth and seventh trees in a line with the trees, so a* not to obstruct work and passage; put down your cups, drive three to four short pegs immediately round the cups so as to steady them, aud let the inverted saucer rest on the top of the pegs. They must be of even height and long enough to allow the spout of a watering-pot or other feeding vessel to pass through under the roof to save the trouble of lifting it every time—but they should not be so

high as to allow rain and rubbish to be blown in by the wind; and then place a stone up to the size of a fist to make all more secure. This done you may go on charging your vessels with a density of at least 5 per cent., but, as said above, X would for the first charge recommend a den­sity of 10 per cent. The effects of the first week’s dense vapour will amply repay the extra outlay in striking a deathblow, not only against the rust in full developement hut—which is the greatest triumph of my system—against the mycelium of the fungus. This first blow will under these circumstances save a large proportion of the foliage unless too far gone, by instantly arresting the develop­ment of the fungus, and killing all that may be still alive on the dead and dying leaves strewing the ground. If the disease is not visibly present, all the b e tte r; the car­bolic vapour will in a short time force it to show itself, chiefly in the character of dying mycelia, and save still more or all of the foliage which would have gone iu the next attack of disease. The treatment may be started at any time with equal advantage. One week’s ordinary weather will be found to evaporate about one-third of the contents of the cups, and thenceforth weekly supplies of5 per cent, will be quite sufficient. Should at any time during a spell of wet cool weather so little water have evaporated (evaporation of the acid goes on continually) that there is not room in the cups to receive the or­dinary quantity of diluted acid, raise the density of 15 per cent, or more, or only give a few drops of undiluted acid. All this is easily calculated, and must be left to the discretion of the operator.

If planters are disinclined to make larger experiments, they may try my system with as few as 10 acres, and th^y will soon see the contrast between them and the untreated portions of the field. One acre with another will only take thirty vessels. Six months after starting the process those 10 acres and a considerable margin all round will be in full foliage and crop, when the area outside the limit of effective vaporisation may be standing without a leaf, and the crop shrivelling and starving for want of shelter and food con­ductors. Choose your trial patch right in the centre of a good 100-acre field, and the experiment, conducted with ordinary intelligence and regularity, will in a few months convince the most sceptical of the value of my method.

The chief merits of my method of permanent vaporisa­tion may be# summarised in the following:—

1. Undeniable simplicity.2. Economy of material and labour.3. The most perfect control.4. C om plet iso lation o f m a te ria l from soil an d p lan ts .5. Complete and unconditional immunity from leaf disease.I could bring the evidence of several neighbours who have

witnessed the conditions of the nursery and the few solitary trees, and the effects of my process, but as it could serve no practical purpose I abstain from doing so.

Some months ago I applied to the Fijian Government for protection of my invention, and was refused on the strength of the reading of the local Patent Ordinance, which only partly covers the subject of my discovery, and only applies t*> inventions of a purely mechanical nature. My process has to be exhibited for many months in the open field, and cannot be kept under lock and key like a new machine not to mention paltry matters patented every day. There­fore I commend myself and my interests once more to the good-will and love of justice of the public. Jacob P. Sti'ock, Belmont Estatne, Re tea River, F iji h i amis, November 25th 1881,

Mr. StorckN mode of application may have some advantages over th a t of Mr. Schrottky.

Ceylon Cloves.—W e call attention to the in te r­esting report in another column from Messrs. Brookes6 Faith 1 on a p irce l of locally produced cloves : it is satisfactory once more to see th a t whatever we grow and ship from Ceylon is sure to be about the b-st of its kind. W e wish the pione rs in cloves all ISI V -C 'S S. ;

S t r a y N o te s , 5th M arch.— Before settling down to j work, mv friend and I continued our rambles through ! the districts that have th e ir outlet via Nawala- I pitiya. We found old Kotmale in the same spot as j it was when I knew i t first, b u t I regret to say some !

of the fine old coffte is now of little good, bu t other places look as fit as they were years ago and I m ust say in far be tte r order than they were when I knew them first. I can’t but th ink th a t large doses of forcing manure have caused some of the “ red braes” you see in the old district. You will there see the advantage of Somhreorum iu "he zigzags of old Kataboola. Ambagamuwa and Lower Dikoya I found looking fairly well The former shows well up in tea, and, if it con- tim tes to grow as well as i t is doing, i t will certainly take the shine out of all the tea I have hitherto seen. The coffee in the la tter d istric t is certainly not so good as i t ought to be, or as it, was a few years ago ; the cause is no* far to seek: w ant of cultivation and Colombo management. To prove I am correct take Abe’rgeldie estate as an instance. I t lo -ks as well as i t did five years ago, and I am led to believe is giving fair returns even in these bad seasons, and it looks to me as if i t was to do well this coming crop. There is no denting the fact t h a t ‘cultivation checks leaf-disease ; any one can see th a t in the abovemen­tioned estate. In my last I spoke about seeing the future Ceylon in the lowcountry. Don’t for a mo­ment conclude th a t ihe new d i'tr ic ts are not to play a good pa rt for years and years. Only give us seasons and fair cultivation, and coffee will come down to you as of yore. The fine fields of coffee are still to the fore. I will challenge any one to say otherwise than th a t coffee is now as fine in Dimbula as ever it was, barring a few places th a t are said to have been eaten with grub, but still they will improve. 1 saw one place last year like a new clearing; th is year it is a fine cover of coffee. Anyone th a t doubts coffee being again king let him go through Dikoya and then go to the too of Dimbula, the Agras, XVallaha and Kattagaloya Valley. Coffee there is as fine as i t was six years ago. The other p a rt of Dimbula I have not seen for some months, but, from w hat I hear of the crops it has given, I conclude it is in as good fig as the places I have mentioned. I also did Maskeliya and I was glad to see th a t the places th a t were doneup with the grub are improving and look quiteanother thing to w hat they were some m onths ago. Maskeliya is a d istric t th a t is very much run down ; the reason I don’t know. I th ink the blame lies in thestyle of management. If the managers would let a littlemore light into their trees, coffee would again do as well as it- has done in days gone by. I wis told by a visiting agent that it was “ want of cash and too much lawn tennis” th a t was the reason many of the estates were in such a matted state. All I know is th a t the estates in th a t valley don 't look so well managed as they are in the ^other two districts. I was glad to eee cinchonas were promising so well in all the dis­tricts I went through, bu t there is no doubt th a t the Agras are head and sh o u ld er to the front boat in coffee and cinchona. I find the estates there are managed, or mostly so, by the residents, and not from Colombo offices. Another fact I learned in m> travels was that all the estates th a t have given a decent crop and are promising to give another are so managed by th managers on the places. Strange but neverthe­less true. So the conclusion I have come to is that coffee, if fairly dealt w ith, will again pay the planters quite as well as i t did four or five years ago. Crops may not be so heavy, but then the tlesson planters have had in cheaper working will compensate for a year or two of less heavy bearing. As I have already said, don’t blame the coffee. We still have the trees; bad seasons and bail management had to account for our short crops. I f proprietors and agents think they can get crop from place* th a t only shew an expenditure of H30 p r acre and places that have not been we'ded or suckered for four or five months, they are certainly mis­taken. It is after treating places in the way I have men­tioned th a t th eo ry has goo up coffee is doomed.—B ,W ,