M A RK ETS F O R IN D IA N T E A IN T H E U N IT E D S T A T E S AND CANADA.

O u r readers will have no ticed th a t M essrs. Doane & Co. of Chicago e s tim ated th e consum ption of te a in th e U n ited S ta te s a t 72,000,000 lb . M r. S ib th o rp ’s calculation is n o t so h igh , h is figures being a l i t t le u nder 70,000,000 lb. T h e popula tion of th e U n ited S ta tes being fu lly fifty m illions, i t follow s th a t th e consum ption of te a is considerably u n d er 1J lb . per caput. In B rita in , th e consum ption of te a la s t y ea r exceeded 160,000,000, lb ., w hich , for a p o p u la tio n of th irty -fiv e m illions, gives, for each ind iv idual, over 4£ lb . I n regard to coffee, th e position of th e tw o countries is m ore th a n reversed ; fo r th e pe?p le of B rita in have been so tho ro u g h ly ch eated an d d isgusted in th e m a tte r of coffee, th a t th e y do n o t now consum e a n y th in g like a pound a head of th is beverage. E ng land is as em inen tly a te a -d rin k in g co u n try as th e U n ite d S ta tes people are coffee d r in k e r s ; b u t, u nhapp ily , w hile i t can be sa id th a t in th e U n ite d S ta te s th e consum ption of te a is increasing , of E ngland i t m u st be confessed th a t her consum ption of coffee—th a t is of t ru e coffee is decreasing. M r. S ib th o rp shew s th a t th e C anadians in adh erin g lo y a lly to B rita in have p reserved to a good e x te n t th e na tio n a l p red ilection for tea . C anada w ith a popu la tio n of only 4£ m illions consum ed la s t y ear 13,400,000 lb . of tea, or, as nearly as possible 3 lb . p e r head . I n C anada, how ever, th e consum ption of te a is n o t now increasing a t th e sam e ra te as p revails in the U n ite d S ta tes ; b u t, if In d ia n te a s are “ p u sh e d ,” w hich th ey never y e t have been, M r. S ib th o rp believes t h a t C anada w ill affo rd a sp lendid m a rk e t for them . I t m ay be in te re s tin g to see w h a t th e consum ption of te a b y th e lead ing coun tries in h ab ited o r colonized m ain ly by th e B ritish race (Anglo-Saxon, C eltic. & c.,)am ounts to . W e have n o t th e exact q u an tity for A u s tra lia now b efo reus, b u t as th e figures w ere 15,000,000 lb, a couple of years ago and th e im ports in 1880 w ere over 22,000,000 lb., w e do n o t th in k w e can e rr g rea tly in ta k in g th e consum p­tion b y 2| m illions of population in 1881 a t 18,000,000 or 6£ lb . p e r head. If, as w e believe, w e are n ea r t h e m ark th e n we get for

T he U n ited Kingdom ... 160,000,000 lb.T h e U n ite d S ta te s ... 70,000,000 ,,A ustra lia . . . ... 18,000,000 ,,C anada ... ... 13,000,000 ,,

T o ta l ... 261,000,000 lb. F igures, these, w hich are capable of g re a t expansion, if th e peace of th e w orld can be preserved and i ts progress in population an d w ea lth allow ed to go stead ily on. T here ought to be no stro n g er opponents of th e w icked w ar sp ir it th a n p roducers of a rtic le s w hich en te r la rg er in to th e food of h um an beings. C hina s till supplies th e vas t p roportion of th e te a con­sumed beyond her borders as w ell as about 1,200,000,000 lb . said to be used in te rn a lly . B ut Ja p a n an d In d ia , are com petito rs w ith th e C elestia l E m pire , th e p ro ­gress of th e la t te r , in th e w es te rn as w ell as th e ea s te rn w orld being c learly d estin e d to be g re a t and rap id . W h y th e A m ericans shou ld have ta k e n so specially to Ja p a n teas , w hich m ay be described lite ra lly , as “ a ll- f ir e d ” te a s , we scarcely see, unless i t be as a to n em en t fo r h av ing com pelled th e land

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of th e Tycoon to en te r in to “ th e com ity of th e n a tio n s .” O ur firs t ta s te of th e am ber-coloured , b u rn t flavoured tea, w hich is such a fav o u rite w ith our Y ankee cousins w as in P aris, a good m an y years ago. I t w as p rov ided fo r u s as a t r e a t by th e th e n co rresponden t of th e D aily News, b u t w e could n o t h onestly say th a t w e adm ired it . T aste in reg ard fo r te a is, how ever, v e ry m uch a m a tte r of ed u ca ­tio n : some people do n o t ta k e k in d ly to In d ia n te a a t once, an d a few persons are so depraved in ta s te as n o t to adm ire even th e Ceylon leaf, u n ti l th e second o r th ird tim e of tas ting . T h e ex trem e cold of th e c lim ate in C anada and p a rts of th e U n ite d S ta tes, m ay, perhaps (?) accoun t fo r th e preference g iven to h igh ly -fired an d green teas, w hich have a lm ost ceased to be used in B rita in and w h ich , recen tly tr ie d on th e M elbourne m arket, found b u t sc an t favour. T he “ Ja p s ” a re an en te rp riz in g race, an d th e y 'a re s tr a in ­in g every nerve to push th e ir pecu lia r teas an d th e ir im ita tio n s of C hina and In d ia n p roduce. In d ia , h o w ­ever, (includ ing Ceylon) is lik e ly to take , ere long, firs t place in th e tea m ark e ts of th e w orld . A d ­m irers of th e A m erican ladies m u st grieve to lea rn th a t th e y a re n o t good, honest, o rthodox te a d rin k e rs an d te a d ispensers, lik e th e ir E n g lish sis ters, b u t t h a t th ey take th e infusion of th e f ra g ra n t leaf in th e shape of an iced d r in k ! I f i t be tru e , as s ta te d , th a t th e people of th e U n ite d S ta te s ,a n d especially th e fem ale p o rtio n , a re of defective physique , i t o u g h t to be m a tte r of serious consideration w h e th e r im provem ent m ig h t n o t be secured b y abandon ing th e lim ited aud p e rv e rte d use of te a an d consum ing i t as i t o u g h t to be consum ed in large q u an titie s an d a f te r th e o rthodox fashion ! I t is a m axim am ongst chem ists t h a t th e degree of civilization to w hich a c o u n try has a tta in e d can be te s te d by th e q u a n ti ty of su lp h u ric acid i t uses. A still b e t te r te s t, w e su b m it, w ould be th e aggregate consum ed by th e population of such “ diffusive stim u lan ts ” as te a , coffee an d cacao, to th e d isp lacem ent of alcoholic d r in k s an d narcotics. I t is ev id en t th a t d u rin g la s t y ea r an excep tionally larg e p ro p o rtio n of low class, in ferio r au d positive ly ex h au s ted o r deleterious teas w ere shipped from C hina, to th e m arkets, no t of E urope a n d A u s tra lia m erely , b u t to those of th e w estern con tin en t. T he re su lt was fo r a tim e, to low er th e s ta n d a rd of prices of In d ia n as w ell as C hina an d J a p a n t e a s ; b u t th e In d ia n a rtic le has a t le n g th asserted its su p e rio rity beyond a ll doubt, and th e sh ippers of th e cheap rubb ish from C hina could n o t have ac ted b e tte r if th e ir d irec t ob jec t h ad been to prom ote th e sale an d consum ption of th e su p e rio r tea . Such is ever th e r e su lt of “ w ays th a t are d a rk an d tr ic k s th a t are v a in ” as opposed to honesty , w hich is th e b e s t policy in tra d e as i t is th e r ig h t course in m orals. F o r th e p resen t i t is Ja p a n te a as ag a in s t China, w hich is finding increased favour in th e U n ite d S ta tes (al­though las t crop is com plained of as in ferio r) b u t w hen In d ia n teas are rea lly “ p ushed ” as th ey are ab o u t to be in th e U n ite d S ta tes as w ell as C anada, th e superio r q u a lity of th e new can d id a te for favour w ill be recognized in A m erica, as i t has been in B rita in an d is da ily m ore an d m ore th e case in th e B ritish colonies of th e sou th . A s to A m erica g row .

ing h er ow n tea , no d o u b t t h a t v a s t co u n try has su itab le soil, if n o t clim ate ; b u t unless th e w ork ing classes abandon th e ir a tta c h m e n t to good w ages and th e ir h a tre d of th e “ H e a th e n C h in e e ” —w elcom ing hordes of th e la t te r to th e ir lan d an d th e ir bosom s— th e question of cost of lab o u r s ta n d s an im passable b a rrie r in th e w ay. T h e wages of 10 cen ts per d iem , w hich th e A m erican jo u rn a lis t m entions, is, of course, com posed of cen ts of a Span ish dollar. I t is, therefore, w h e th e r app lied to w ages o r th e prices of tea , som ew hat m ore th a n tw ice the value of tw o of our cents : say 1 A m erican cen t = 2 J Ceylon cents, W ill experts in tea, excusing o u r ignorance, inform us w h a t is th e precise m eaning of “ b ask e t f ire d ” teas and whence th e ir superio rity ? W e shou ld also like to know if an y considerable p ropo rtio n of tea p lan ters o r te a ex p erts in Ceylon have abandoned th e o ld idea th a t th e special fum es of charcoal are essential to th e good q u a lity of tea , and accep ted the conclusion th a t teas d ried by “ S iro c co ” o r o th e r m achines, o r by m ere artific ia l hea t, w ithou t charcoal fum es, a re as good or b e tte r th a n te a s ro asted over charcoal fires

W e again a t t r a c t a tte n tio n to th e fac t th a t , in th e U n ited S ta te s a n d C anada, as in A ustra lia , packages n o t la rger th a n from 381b to 451b find m ost fa v o u r ; w hile th e dealers desid era te a ttra c tiv e boxes in all cases. T he tin boxes are alw ays nice-looking, and w ooden boxes can be m ade so by p as tin g over them pap er ado rned w ith n ea t p r in te d or lithog raphed designs.

W e copy below the m ain portions of M r. S ib th o rp ’s in te restin g r e p o r t :—R e p o r t o n t h e T e a T r a d e o f t h e U n it e d S t a t e 8

a n d C a n a d a , b y D. A . S ib t i i o r p , E sq.130, W ate r S tree t, N ew Y ork , 7 th Dec. 1881.

B. R . M a g o r , E sq., H on o rary Secretary ,Calcutta T ea Syndicate.

T he A m ericans cannot be called a tea-d rin k in g n a ­tio n , for, w ith a popula tion of 50,000,000 persons, th e im ports of tea la s t year on ly am ounted in all to69,765,000 lb ., of w hich th e p roportion of Congou w as v e ry sm all indeed, v iz , only 5,154,000 lb ., th e balance, 64,610,000 lb . be ing Ja p a n s , C h ina green teas a n d Oolongs, w hile C anada w ith a population of on ly 4,500,000 persons consum ed la s t y ear 13,400,0001b., the p roportion of black te a being5,560,000, th e balance as in th e S ta tes, vis .. Jap an s, C hina G reens an d Oolongs.

“ Tea” w ith th e tra d e of th is co u n try m eans Ja p an and C hina green tea, ju s t as a hom e dealer w ould mean b lack te a or Congou ; if th e y w ant to speak of Congou th e y nam e it, ju s t as w e in E ngland w ould nam e “ Oolong” or “ Scented O range P ek o e .” T h is w ill per­haps give a b e tte r idea th a n th e s ta tis tics do of th e ho ld th a t Ja p an s and green teas have on th is m arket.

T here being no du ties on teas in th e U n ited S ta tes, (excep t on those im ported from coun tries o th er th a n t e place of g row th , w hich a re liab le to a 10% advalorem d u ty , in consequence of w hich th e re is l i t t le o r no tra d e w ith G rea t B rita in ) i t is im possible to do more th a n estim ate th e ac tual consum ption of the country , as th e usual guides, viz., th e C ustom ’s retu rns, a re here en tire ly w anting .

New Y o rk is th e largest and m ost im p o rtan t m ark e t for tea in th e S ta tes, supplying , i t m ay be said, th e whole of A m erica. Follow ing is a com parative s ta te m e n t fo r th e p as t th re e seasons, which show s » considerable falling-off in th e consumption last

year, b u t w hich th e Trade Review accounts for in th e follow ing words :— “ T h e s ta tis tic s g iven show an ap p a re n t decrease in consum ption from th e P o r t of N ew Y o rk d u rin g 1880 of abou t 8,500,000 lb . b u t, in an alyz­ing these figures in connection w ith th e general course of trad e th ro u g h o u t th e year, and th e ind ications of con­tinued p ro sp e rity in th e country , to say n o th in g of in ­creased population , i t is im possib le to ad o p t th e co n ­clusion th a t th e re has been a falling-off in th e consum p­tio n of th is a r tic le of food. T he d is tr ib u tio n in p ro ­gress d u rin g th e y ea r h as developed th e fa c t th a t very considerable q u a n tity of stock, w ith d raw n from firs t han d s d u rin g th e y ea r 1879, u n d er th e influence of th e “ boom ” which led to such an in fla tion of th e volum e of b u s in 's s , as well as of values, had n o t been consum ed on th e 1st J a n u a ry as was th - n supposed, b u t w as in re a lity carried over, and fo rm ed an im p o rta n t p a r t of th e ac tual availab le supply fo r th e year u n d e r review . In o th e r w ords, th e sudden sp ir it of specu lation in fused d u rin g th e A utum n m onths of 1879 led to an ex tensive stock ing -up by second-hand dealers an d sm all tra d e rs th ro u g h o u t th e country . T h e sluggishness of th e d is ­tr ib u tiv e dem and all th ro u g h th e year has m ade th is fac t m ore an d m ore ap p a ren t, thereby d em o n stra tin g th a t th e business, w hich o rd in arily shou ld have been sp read over six m onths, was, in th e prevailing excitem ent, crow ded in to as m any weeks. U nquestionab ly , th e re ­fore, a large percentage of th e consum ption hereto fore se t dow n to 1879 m u st be cred ited to 1880. ”

T he b u lk of th e te a is sold on th is m a rk e t a t prices rang ing from 20 cents to 30 cen ts p e r lb ., b u t d u rin g th e la s t y ea r a g re a t deal of low class tea from b o th C h ina an d Ja p a n has been sold a t 10 cen ts to 12 cen ts p e r lb. Form osa Oolongs w ith fine q u a lity com m and h igh prices, as also do fine Ja p a n uncolored an d basket-fired , som etim es ru lin g as h ig h as 80 cen ts p er lb ., b u t th is is considered a fancy price, an d can only be ob ta in ed for sm all q u an tities. T he bu lk of th e Congou sold here is of fair q u a lity , selling a t from 12 cen ts p er lb . fo r com m on, up to 40 cen ts per lb. for fine tea . Som etim es i t is m ixed w ith green tea an d sold u n d e r th e nam e of “ E nglish b re a k fa s t te a ,” b u t th is m ixing is done m o stly on th is side by th e re ta ile r. T he re ta il p rice fo r a ll k in d s of tea ranges from 30 cen ts to 80 cen ts p e r lb. S m all q u a n titie s a re sold as h igh as a do llar p er lb . by som e of th e fash ionab le dealers.

The fo llow ing a re th e la te s t m a rk e t q u o ta t io n s :— G reens, finest chops, none, 34 to 36 c e n ts ; fine Teen- kai and M oyun, 28 to 32 cen ts ; P in g Sung, 27 c e n ts : M edium chops, 23 to 25 cen ts; com m on, 19 to 21 cen ts . Jap an s, choicest, 48 to 50 cen ts ; choice, 40 to 43 cen ts ; finest, 35 to 38 cen ts ; fine 29 to 32 cen ts ; m edium an d good, 17 to 26 cen ts ; common, and good common, 12 to 16 cents. F orm osa Oolongs, choicest, 55 to 65 cen ts nom inal; choice, 43 to 48 cen ts; finest, 36 to 38 cen ts ; fine, 33 to 34 cen ts ; superior, 28 to 31 cen ts ; good cargo, 22 to 25 cen ts; fair, 18 to 20 cents, good com m on, 16 cen ts . Am oy Oolongs, fine, 25 to 26 cen ts ; superio r, 22 to 23 cen ts ; com m on to fa ir, 12 to 16 cents. Foochow Oolongs, choice to choicest 50 to 60 cen ts; finest, 37 to 40 cen ts; fine 30 cen ts; superio r, 24 to 26 cen ts ; fa ir 18 cents. Congou and Souchong, choice, none; finest, 37 to 40 cen ts ; fine, 28 to 30 cents; superio r, 23 to 24 cents; good cargo, 19 cen ts ; fa ir, 17 cen ts ; common, 12 to 15 cents.

Some sm all parcels of fa ir liquoring In d ian teas , d ir ­ec t p riv a te sh ipm ents, have been sold on th is m a rk e t a t from 23 to 45 cents per lb . , b u t being sm all q u a n titie s I cannot ta k e th e prices ob tained fo r th em as a gu ide to w h a t m ay be expected for th e firs t sh ip m en t of th e S y n ­dicate, b u t th e prices are, I should say, sa tisfacto ry .

Chicago is an im p o rtan t an d rap id ly -increasing m ark e t of a ll k inds of teas. I t is im possible to re p o rt th e ac ­tu a l business done here, as a g rea t deal of th e tea so ld is purchased on the New York and San Francisco

m arkets, th e ac tual q u a n tity im ported d irec t from C hina an d Ja p an la s t y ear being 6,975,223 lb .; b u t th is is only a sm alt proportion of th e trade . F rom Chicago a ll th e g re a t C entral an d W este rn S ta tes of A m erica are su p ­p lied w ith th e te a consum ed, th e q u a lity an d price being alm ost iden tica l w ith New Y o rk ; as a ll th e large N ew Y o rk dealers, or “ jobbers” as th ey a re here called, have travellers co n stan tly on the road. T he q u a n tity of tea sold th rough Chicago is variously estim ated a t from 10 to 1 > m illion lb. yearly , b u t, as th e re are no guides to go by, i t is im possible to say exactly .

In d ia n teas have been sold by Messrs. J . \V. Doane & Co., th e A gents of th e S yndicate a t Chicago, a t, I believe, sa tisfactory prices, b u t th ey w ere p riv a te sh ip ­m ents, and I have no p articu lars . T he firs t consign­m ent from th e S ynd icate is now in th e ir hands, and I hope sh o rtly to be able to rep o rt sales. I expect sam ples of th e breaks daily , and on receip t of th em will forw ard you a rep o rt im m ediately .

San Francisco is an im p o rtan t m ark e t fo r tea , for th rough i t the w hole of th e Pacific S ta te s an d T e r r i t­ories d raw th e ir supplies. T h e am oun t of a ll k inds of tea im ported la - t year w as 4,210,000 lb ., of w hich only 760,000 lb came from China, an d th e balance3,450,000 lb. from Jap an . T he consum ption of Ja p a n te a is s tead ily increasing , w hile th a t of C hina te a is falling off. C hina green teas a re used very l i t t le west of th e Rocky M ountains, Salt L ake C ity being th e only place to w hich th ey go. Congous sell in San F ra n ­cisco a t from 20 cen ts to 30 cents per lb ., fo r th e low er grades, an d for th e b e s t k inds as m uch as 55 cen ts p er lb. is ob ta ined . Oolong teas from Form osa are popular, selling read ily as h igh as 60 cents p er lb ., and th ey are g radually tak in g th e place of E n g ­lish b reak fast teas, which w ere a t one tim e in g rea t dem and . T he prices ru lin g fo r Ja p a n te a s range from 15 to 25 cen ts p e r lb . for the low er, to as high as 45 to 55 cen ts p er lb . fo r th e finest g rades.

I could find no trace of an y sales of In d ian teas on th e San Francisco m arkets d u rin g my s ta y th ere , th e sam ples I had w ith m e w ere adm ired , b u t sm all hope of business w as held o u t I hope th a t th e sh ip m en t now on th e w a te r w ill do w ell an d lead to fu r th e r business.

T he o th er large c ities of th e U n ited S ta te s im port very l i t t le te a ; th ey do m ost of th e ir business w ith New Y ork, Chicago or San Francisco , so th e p articu la rs given respecting these m arkets are a gu ide to th e whole te a tra d e of th e U n ite d States.

A uction sales m ay be said to com m and th e N ew Y ork m ark e t now. Speaking of th is th e Review before q u o ted from says : “ A n im p o rta n t fea tu re in th ebusiness of th e la s t year has been th e increased d is­tr ib u tio n th rough the auction room. N o t only have th e offerings been m uch larger, b u t th e y ear has w itnessed th e estab lish m en t of a second firm w ho m ake a specia lity of th is mode of d is trib u tio n . In 1879 th e re w ere sold by pub lic auction 149,167 pkgs. of sound tea, w hile du ring 1880 th e q u a n tity so disposed of increased to 232,375 [jkgs., com prizing one-fifth of th e to ta l d is­tr ib u tio n from th e P o rt for th e year. T h is m ethod of selling has u n d oub ted ly grown in popu la rity w ith th a t class of buyers who can afford to w a it a t th e unreserved saies for values to reach th e ir lim it, b u t th e p roblem y e t to be solved is w hether in th e long ru n th is nu-thod of selling w ill p rove as rem unera tive to th e im porter as w ell as th e jobber, as th e system w hich here 'o fo re requ ired th e services of a broker. U n d o u b t­ed ly th e auction sales have th u s fa r h ad th e effect of concen tra ting th e dem and in New Y o rk from a m uch la rg er num ber of in te r io r buyers, and in th is w ay in ­creased th e im portance of th is m a rk e t as a d is tr ib u tin g c e n tre .”

A m erican grown Teas. — I have seen some fine sam ­ples of these grow n aud m anufactu red in th e S ta te of G eorgia, The black te a resem bles our A ssam m akes, an d th e green teas im ita te closely fine liquoring M oyuu

teas from S hanghai, b u t th e sam ples w ere on ly ex p eri­m ental, and th e high cost of labour in th is coun try w ill alw ays, I im agine, prove an insuperab le b a r to th e suc­cessful p rodu c tio n of A m erican teas. R eview ing th is sub ject, th e au th o r ity I have before q u o ted from says :—‘6 T he experim ents of Com m issioner Le D ue, in h is efforts to p rove th a t th e te a p la n t can be g row n in th is country and th e leaf successfully p rep ared for use, have a t tr a c te d a good deal of new spaper notice d u rin g th e p a s t year, an d som e of our local cha szees have en joyed th e p riv il­ege of ta s tin g th e beverage d raw n from th is hom e p ro ­d u c tio n an d been asked to vouch fo r i ts charac te r, b u t i t w ill p ro b ab ly be m any years before th e te a crop of th e U n ite d S ta tes w ill become of sufficient im portance to m ore th a n m erit th e notice and approval of th e lad ies of th e W h ite H ouse, who, upon th e ir accession to th e honor, have heretofore been p resen ted with a cup, and, as requested , have given th e en te rp rize the ir su p p o rt. T h e expensive efforts of the A g ricu ltu ra l B ureau m ay th u s fa r have been h igh ly successful as landscape garden ing and in th e in terests of fancy ag ricu ltu re , b u t, as fo r p ro v id ­in g a beverage for th e people, th e experim en ts have proved fu tile . U n til th e A m erican lab o u rer is co n ten t w ith w ages n o t exceeding te n cents a day , i t is hopeless to th in k of com peting w ith th e h ea th en C hinee .”

T ea is n o t y e t th e im p o rtan t beverage in A m erica th a t i t is a t hom e, and in th e A u stra lian colonies. Such a th in g as an afte rn o o n tea is a lm ost unknow n in pu re ly A m erican society. L adies— alw ays th e planters* best frien d s— are here seldom confirm ed te a d rinkers such as one m eets in o th er E n g lish -speak ing coun tries ; th e l i t t le tea th e y do d rin k is genera lly Oolong or Ja p a n te a m ade very w eak, an d well iced, ta k e n w ith ­o u t m ilk o r sugar, generally o u t of a tu m b ler, an d a v e ry fair d r in k i t is for the h o t w ea th er, a lth o u g h m y “ in su la r prejud ice” com pels me to confess to a p re fe r­ence fo r a cup of good Iu d ian te a w ith cream an d sugar.

T h e C anad ian tea trad e , as before noted, bears a m uch b e tte r p roportion to th e popula tion th a n th a t of A m erica, for w ith a population in 1830 of 4,350,933 persons th e to ta l consum ption of te a w as 13,400,217 lb., b u t th e tra d e in C anada is n o t increasing n early so rap id ly a s it is in A m erica, as te n years ago w ith a popu­la tio n of 3,670,400 th e consum ption w as 10,959,000 lb.

M ontreal an d T oron to a re th e tw o g re a t m arkets fo r te a in th e D om inion, th e c ity of Q uebec doing l i t t le o r no th ing , b u t nearly a ll th e P rovinces im p o rt a little . [Table o m itted .]

T h e above figures show th a t th e P rov inces of O ntario a n d Quebec, of w hich T oron to and M on trea l are res­pective ly th e cen tres, do th e b u lk of th e business, O n tario being a good deal ahead , as th e g rea te r p a r t of th e b lack teas of th e b e tte r k in d s im ported to M on trea l is sold in th e U p p er Provinces, an d th e du^y being paid in M ontreal, fu r th e r trace fo r s ta tis tics is lo st. Y ou w ill doubtless rem em ber t h a t i t w as for th is reason I recom m ended T oron to as th e h ead -quarters of th e agency for th e S ynd icate in C anada.

B lack teas sell in C anada a t prices v ary in g from 12 to 15 cen ts p er lb. for com m on, up to 50 cen ts for finest, and Japanese an d g reen teas sell from 10 cen ts p e r lb . fo r low class up to as h igh as 60 cen ts p er lb . for th e h ig h est g rades of basket-fired teas, w hich have a fast grow ing p o p u la rity w ith th e C anadians, as also have Oolongs w hich sell a t p rices v ary in g from 20 cents to 60 cen ts p e r lb . T hese prices do n o t include th e d u ty , w h ich is on, g reen teas 3 cen ts per lb . an d 10 p er cent, ad valorem, an d on b lack te a s 2 cents per lb. an d 10 p e r cent, ad valorem , also an ad d itio n a l 10 p er cent, ad valorem on a ll teas im ­p orted from countries other th a n where grow n. T hese d u ties th e p resen t G overnm en t have p ledged th e m ­selves to ta k e off in th e com ing session, b u t I d o u b t if th e y w ill w ith d raw th e 10 p er cen t, lev iab le on th e o th e r th a n d irec t sh ipm ents . A s th in g s s ta n d a t p resen t, th e im p o rte r sells h is te a a t a d u ty -p a id

price, he p ay ing th e d u ty and recovering th e am oun t along w ith the value of th e tea s on th e sam e te rm s as in th e U n ite d S ta tes, viz. four m onths.

.Most of th e large L ondon dealers have agents in C anada, as also have m an y of th e X ew Y o rk firms, am! some of th e C anadian houses have b ran ch offices in th is c ity ; th e re is, in consequence, a considerable business done n o tw ith s tan d in g th e e x tra 10 p er cent. T he agents of course have a con stan t su pp ly of sam ­ples of a ll k in d s of tea , inc lud ing In d ian te a s from th e London m arket, in w hich th e re has been a sm all trad e done a t prices equal to London quota tions. T he tra d e has never been rea lly pushed , an d th e re is hero a sp lend id opening fo r o u r teas.

Follow ing is a com parative s ta te m e n t of th e ex p o rt of a ll teas , from C hina an d Ja p a n to th e U n ited S ta te s a n d C anada for th e p as t th ree years u p to 3 l s t O cto­ber. T hese figures I have com piled from th e la te s t advices from C hina au d Ja p an , an d are, I th in k , to be relied upon. T hey w ill serve to p o in t o u t how rap id ly th e te a business is grow ing in th is co u n try , an d should prove a pow erful incen tive to a ll in te re s ted in th e developm ent of th e In d ia n te a tra d e to m ake an effort to secure a foo ting on th ese m arkets, w hich as y e t m ay be sa id to be only in th e ir infancy, and w hich w ill, before a g re a t m any seasons have gone over o u r heads, be as im p o rtan t as any in th e w orld.

[T h is tab le is om itted as i ts resu lts are ind ica ted .]T he falli ng-off in th e sh ip m en ts from Ja p an th is y ea r is

accounted fo r by a la te crop, b u t i t is expected th a t w hen th e season closes th e exports w ill be q u iteequal to those of 1880.

Tea is tes ted here in an odd way, an d , in stead of w eighing th e sam ple to be ta s te d in to a tea -p o t and allow ing i t to d raw for five m inu tes, as w e do, th e p o t is d iscarded a ltogether, an d th e tea tu rn ed d irec tly in to 1 he cup, th e boiling w ater then being poured on. W h en i t h as sufficiently cooled, th e ta s te r commences ta k in g o u t a few of th e leaves on h is spoon to exam ine them , and w hen satisfied, re tu rn s th em to th e cup, and so continues th ro u g h th e “ b a tc h .” T h e w eight used is n o t so heavy by n early half as ours, an d i t would p robab ly be equal to th e w eigh t of a four- penny piece T he p lan is a m ore speedy one th a n ours, b u t I do no t th in k i t is possible tobe so accurate.

No d o u b t th e m ost rap id w ay for our In d ian teas, to ob ta in a foo ting on these m ark e ts w ould be, as I I advised you in Ju ly las t, to m an ufactu re th em to assim ilate as fa r as possible th e teas a lread y in dem and, b u t I am inclined to agre w ith th e decision of th e C om m ittee of th e Syndicate , th a t i t is b e tte r to allow our teas to s ta n d on th e ir m erits, as I th in k i t m ay be assum ed th a t th e reason th e consum ption of tea is so sm all in th is coun try is due to th e fact th a t th e a r tic le now offered to th e p u b 'ic is, on th e w hole, an in ferio r an d n o t very pala tab le one.

Before I close, one th in g I w ould lik e to im press s trong ly on those w ho ta k e an in te re s t in w ork ing u p these foreign m arkets, is, th a t th e p resen t s ty le of p ack ing considerably re ta rd s th e sale of in d ian teas. Large packages arc unsaleable, except at a considerably reduced price, h a t f chests containing 28 to 45 lb . nett w ill sell most rap id ly . T hey should be neatly finished a u d m arked , so th a t, in stead of being, as th ey are considered here, an eye-sore in th e re ta il dealer’s shop, th e y w ould p rove an a ttra c tiv e ornam ent. T here is a stro n g er feeling here agains t rough pack ing (of any k in d of goods) th a n I can give you an y id ea of. A re ta il d ealer w ill no t purchase a rough package as he “ calcu lates ” i t w ould be like ly to k eep custom ers o u t of h is “ s to re .” One reason, I th in k , w hy the Jap an ese have g o t such a s trong ho ld on these m ark e ts is th e rem arkab ly n ea t w ay in w h ich th e ir packages are m ade up , th e y are neatly m a tted and papered w ith a sty lish label se teing fo rth th e class th e y claim to contain, I canno t see w hy we shou ld n o t vie

w ith th e Ja panese in th is , an d th a t th e tro u b le ta k e n be w ell repaid 1 have n o t th e w ould s lig h te s t doub t. —I am , dear sir, yours fa itfu lly D, A . S ib t h o r p .

E x po r t of I n d ia n T ea to A u stra lia and N e w Zea la nd .—T h e q u a n tity of te a ex p o rted from C a lc u tta to A u s tra lia an d N ew Z ealand in th e m onths of Ja n u a ry an d F e b ru a ry la s t w as 126,657 lb. L a s t year, 135,8991b w ere exported in th e sam e p erio d .— C alcu tta Englishm an.

Cin c h o n a .—A consignm ent consisting of 138 bales of c inchona b a rk , w eighing in th e aggregate 24 tons, from th e G overnm ent c inchona p lan ta tio n s, D o d ab e tta , N ilg iris , w ere sh ipped to London d u rin g th e p as t m on th , an d in tim atio n of th e sam e conveyed to th e S ecre tary of S ta te . — M a d ra s Times.

T obacco in K a ffr a r ia . — O ur con tem porary , th e Colonies a n d In d ia , says tobacco has long been grow n successfu lly in K affraria, and its cu ltiv a tio n is rap id ly ex tend ing . O n a fa rm ab o u t 15 m iles from th e m o u th of th e K li, M r. K eigh ley is p lan tin g o u t ab o u t 9 ,000 p la n ts . I n v irg in so il th e w eed g row s m o st lu x u r i­an tly , q u ite r iv a llin g an y th in g p roduced in A m erica o r elsew here.

D r . F orbes W atson. —T h is gentlem an, who w as for severa l years D irec to r of th e In d ian M useum a t S ou th K ensing ton , an d w ho a rriv e d in M ad ras la s t w eek from C alcu tta , w ill leave M adras tom orrow for D h arw ar a n d B om bay, w hence h e w ill proceed to E n g lan d . H e has been engaged on enq u iries in to th e p ro d u c tio n of rh ea fibre ih U pper B engal, an d in gath erin g in fo rm a­tion ab o u t th e co tton tra d e in various p rov in ces.— M adras M ail.

M anitoba .—T he Liverpool Journal o f Commerce says :— “ T he lan d fever in M anitoba rem ains unabated , a n d B randon is now th e c en tre of a ttra c tio n . A th ree n ig h ts’ sale b y th e C anadian Pacific Railw ay, of lo ts in th a t tow n rea lised 8133,000, a n d i t is sa id t h a t one sp ecu la to r has cleared $60,000 by a q u a r te r section ju s t added to it. B randon w ould rap id ly becom e a to w n of considerable e x te n t b u t fo r th e w a n t of b u ild ­ing m aterial. A new tow n, nam ed G arfleld, has been fo rm ed tw en ty -five m iles from W innipeg , an d tow n lo ts are being offered by auction in th a t c ity . I t is rep o rted th a t th e trav e llin g over th e S t. P a u l and M an itoba ro ad to W innipeg is 100 per cen t, over t h a t of la s t year a t th is season. W h ea t has been selling in W innipeg a t 95 cen ts ., an d oats 70 cents, p e r bushel. T he h ig h prices a re due to local consum ption , th e su p ­p ly n o t be ing equal to th e d em an d .”

A g ric u ltu r a l Schools should be estab lished in C eylon as in In d ia , w here th e p up ils can acqu ire a know ledge of im proved m ethods of cu ltu re . N ew im plem ents of cu ltiv a tio n , used in E ng land , A m erica an d o th e r places, shou ld be in tro d u c ed an d facilities afforded fo r poor c u ltiv a to rs to h u y th em as cheap ly as possible. N ew p ro d u c ts and’,b e t te r seed-plants s u it­able for d ifferen t soils w ith d irections as to th e ir cu lti- v a tio n sh o u ld be d is tr ib u te d b ro ad cas t ov er th e land . A g ricu ltu ra l show s shou ld be m ade in th e chief tow ns periodically an d prizes aw arded . These a re obvious an d leg itim ate d u tie s of G overnm ent, m uch m ore, th a t of one w hichprofesses to be pate rn a l. I t canno t be p re ten d ed th a ttlie functions of a p a te rn a l despotism lik e th a t of C eylon shou ld be passive and re str ic tiv e , as in m ore civ ilized coun tries—p articu la rly , in m a tte rs w hich tou ch th e very ex istence of the people. Spontaneous g row th of th e natives in these th in g s w ill be a t best a th in g of th e d is ta n t fu tu re . H ence, active encouragem ent of G overnm ent is a ll-im p o rtan t. W ith o u t offering such aids o r encouragem ent, G overnm en t m ay w aste enorm ous sum s of money in th e rep a ir of tan k s an d an icu ts , an d w a it fo r cen tu ries befo re e ith e r th ey th e m ­selves o rthepeop le reapa n y benefits. —• L an k a Snahan .

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N .W ith m y la s t th e re w as enclosed th e e x tra c t of a

le tte r from th e Globe relative to coffee ad u lte ra tio n , I ts publication was follow ed alm ost im m ediately by an artic le in th e sam e paper on th e 11th in com m ent upon it, of w hich th e te x t is sub jo ined : —

“ C h i c o r y a n d C o f f e e / ’

A correspondent recently complained grievously of the compound now so generally sold instead of coflee. The pure article, he affirmed, is being driven out of this country, and certainly recent statistics appear to bear out the sta te ­ment. The Board of Trade returns for the first ten months of the year 1879 are now before us, and they show th a t home consumption of genuine coffee was 265,083 cwt. For the same p -riod in 1880 the amount was 243,277 cwt. and las t year the first ten months showed only 240,369 cwt. During the same period* the home consumption of chicory rose from 87,217 cwt. to 93,101 cwt. and than to 94,959 cwt This show clear th a t while we are drinking every year more “ coffee,” our im ­port is declining and our consumption of chicory is increas­ing. The real facts are probably much more serious than these figures show, because the Board of T rade, we believe, take cognizance only of foreign chicory, the “ home con­sumption ” being arrived a t by deducting exports from im­ports. I t is well known, however, that while all our coffee is imported and can be accounted for to a pound, only a p a r t of our chicory comes from abroad. Large quantities are grown in th is country. Indeed, if we are righ tly informed, the best of our chicory is home-grown and usually fetches a shilling or so a hundredweight more than the foreign. I t grows wild in alm ost a ll par.s of Europe, but the north of England appeais to suit it adm irably, and it is grown in Yorkshire very extensively. All authorities, we believe, agree th a t a decoction of the root is harmless enough, and th a t it affords a good deal of nutrim ent in the shape of sugar. They are equally agreed, however, th a t it has none of that invigorating character which alone makes coffee worth drinking. The best th a t can be said for it is th a t it is harmless. Y et we are assured on good authority th a t much of the article bought by those who consent to take a “ m ixture of chicory and coffee ’’ contains not more than one part of coffee, good bad, or indifferent, to seven parts of chicory.I t was new to m e to lea rn by th is a r tic le th a t so m uch chicory is grow n in E ng lan d , aud th a t th e home production is considered so superio r to th a t of foreign im portation . T he figures q uo ted in th e Globe from th e B oard of T rade re tu rn s show conclusively how extensive th e evil is, an d th e necessity th a t some step s shou ld be ta k e n to check th e increasing p rac tice . On th e 15th, th e Globe published a second le tte r h av ­ing reference to th e po in ts ra ised in th is a r tic le of th e 11th, a copy of w hich is as follow s :—

ADULTERATED COFFEE.TO T H E E D IT O R O F T H E “ G L O B E .”

S i r ,—May I ask the favour of some small space for an extension of my form er rem arks under the above head­ing which your article of February 11th renders desirable in the interests for which consideration is sought? As regards a certain admixture of chicory w ith coffee, it suits so many people’s taste th a t it will probably al­ways be practised to some extent. The present system of allowing the mixture to be sold w ithout any guaran­tee as to the proportion of the ingredients, leads, how­ever, to th a t excessive adulteration to which your article referred. But, even supposing such guarantee given, what ordinary purchaser, can te s t its genuineness ? And if fraud be discovered, what obstacle is a fine of forty shillings, as recently imposed, to the dishonest trader who can make 100 per cent, on every transaction ? B ut the evils of adulteration go far beyond the compara­tive innocent chicory. From abroad come all sorts of preparations which the best authorities in the trade state to be composed of roots, fru it stones, turnips, carrots, acorns, and cabbage stalks. Freely advertised under high- sounding names, and exhibited in temptingly-coloured packets this worthless stuff is palmed off on th e English working m an as the coffee which he is told on all sides is the

best stay for labour, and th e righ t substitute for th a t beer against the use of which he is so constantly warned. I t is to th e extension of a system so detrim ental to our people th a t th e recent Treasury M inute referred to in my form er le tte r lends the fu rther aid and countenance of the Government.—I am, sir, faithfully yours,

A r t h u r F o l k a r d . Thatched House Club, St. Jam es’s, S. W ., February 14.—

Globe, Feb. 15.T he m ore th e su b jec t can be v en tila ted by th e lead ­in g jo u rn a ls of th e hom e p ress , th e g re a te r th e chance w ill be th a t m em bers of th e H ouse of Com ­m ons m ay be d isposed to advocate some leg isla tive re s tr ic tio n upon th e d isgracefu l proceed ings w hich are now so common. In a conversa tion held w ith a gen tlem an , w ho d ispu tes th a t th e re is an y h a rd sh ip in perm ittin g w hat he c ab s “ free trad in g ” in these m ix tures, I learned th e views e n te r ta in e d by w h a t m ay be te rm ed th e opposition p a r ty , w hich is m ain ly com posed, i t may be suspected , of th o se w ho have some d irec t o r in d ire c t in te re sts to serve by th e m ain ­tenance of th e ex is tin g scandalous s ta te of th ings. H e considered th a t coffee is rea lly b e tte r th a n th e su b s titu te offered fo r i t ,— it m u st in th e end tr iu m p h — a n d th a t any lim ita tio n p laced upon th e sale of m ix tu res w ill be an in terference w ith th e lib e r ty of th e su b je c t. P rec ise ly : th e lib e r ty to p ay for stuff, w hich canno t be considered innoxious, and ce rta in ly can possess no n u trim en t, a p rice w hich, in th e long ru n , is dear, as com pared to th a t of th e re a l artic le . By such means, th e use of coffee is d iscouraged, for people buy an d d rin k m ost of these m ix tu res u n d er th e belief th a t th ey are d rin k in g “ coffee,” an d find­ing none of th e benefits expected , b u t ra th e r a s icken ­ing re su lt, w ill tu rn from its use a lto g e th er. N o sane or d is in te re s te d m an can, i t m u st surely be believed, fail to see how g re a t an evil i t is th a t th e food su p ­p lies of th e n a tio n are n o t w h at they profess to be. A p ro p o s of th is m atte r, i t is to be no ted th a t th a t horrib le d a te coffee is again th e su b je c t of litig a tio n . A n app lica tion has been m ade th is week to w ind up th e “ G erm an D ate Coffee C om pany.” W iser th an our own au th o ritie s , th e G overnm ent of G erm any has declined to g ra n t a p a te n t fo r th e m anufactu re of th is , to m e, nauseous m ix tu re , an d does all i t caa to d iscourage th e sale of sim ilar im postures. T h e Ju d g e ’s rem ark s when g ran tin g th e w ind ing-up o rd er are w orthy of p reserv a­tion . As he th en p o in ted ou t, how could th e D ate Coffee Com pany sell a r ig h t to m anufac tu re euch a m ix tu re in G erm any ? T here was and is no th in g w h a t­ever to p rev en t anyone g rind ing any rubb ish they like an d calling i t coffee in th a t coun try , and y e t— it scarcely seems possible—th is G erm an D a te Coffee C om pany had agreed to pay th e E ng lish D ate Coffee Com pany no less a sum th a n £50,000 for th is presum ed r ig h t. N o wonder, as th e judge observed, th a t th e sh a reh o ld ­ers in t ' e fo rm er Com pany ob jec ted to such a p ay ­m ent, an d th a t th e ap p lica tion to close th e affa ir w as before h im ! T his fac t shew s p re tty conclusively how th e d iv idends declared by th e E nglish D a te Cof­fee C om pany have been earned , for m any o th er such b ranch Comp .nies are sa id to have paid h eav ily for sim ilar illusory r ig h ts . At th e sam e tim e, i t is w ith g rea t reg re t to be noticed th a t th is n a s ty com pound sells here w ith a freedom th a t i ts m erits ce rta in ly do no t w arra n t ; b u t the ia c t affords s tro n g evidence of the necessity of leg isla tive restric tio n s.— London Cor,

R E V IE W OF T H E C O F F E E M A R K ET. W ith reference to th e B razil crop of 1882-83, several

B razil firms es tim ate theR io crop a t a m inim um of 4 ,000,000 bags A n d th e Santos crop a t 2,000,000 ,,

T o g e th er 6,000,000 bags But Messrs, R. Wursten & Co. estimate the total

q u a n tity available for sh ipm en t from th e tw o places a t only 5,000.000 bags.

As regards th e effect of low prices upon production of coffee in th e Brazils, M essrs. YVursten & Co. w rite : — “ YVe have n o t as y e t a rriv ed a t prices w hich cease to be rem unera tive . YVith in te lligence and econom y th e p lan te r finds, even a t p re se n t prices, a m oderate profit. W h atev er m ay ta k e place, w e are inclined to believe th a t th e low prices w ill have th e effect of in ­creasing th e p roduction , as no o th e r a r tic le of ex p o rt riv a ls coffee, and all p a rtie s in te re s ted are en d eav o u r­ing, by every m eans in th e ir power, to increase th e ir p roduction , in o rd er to repair th e losses m ade by th e con tinual decline in p rices .”

M essrs. K ern , H a y n & Co. w rite th a t a fa ir a v e r­age Rio crop m u st now be calculated to be from4,000,U00 to 4 ,500,000 bags, b u t th a t , as long as p resen t low prices la s t, th e low qualities w ill be k e p t back in th e in te r io r in ex pecta tion of be tter tim es.

In Mr. Schbffer’s celebrated circular of 1879, he gave th e follow ing tab le of th e average p roduction of coffee d u rin g tw o periods of 5 years ending resp ec t­ive ly 1872. 1879.

B r a z i l s 200,000 ... 283,000Ja v a ................ 65,000 ... 90,000C e y lo n ...................... 47,000 .. 45,000E ast In d ia and M anila 20,000 ... 23,000S t. Dom ingo ... 20,000 ... 30,000L a G uayra ... 16,000 ... 40,000C osta R ica and G u a­

tem ala ... 10,000 ... 27,000P o rto R ico and

Jam aica ... 4 ,000 ... 6,000M ocha A frica ... 5,000 ... 6,000

387,000 ... 550,000Since M r. Schoffer’s c ircu lar w as w ritten , th e p ro ­

duction of coffee in th e B razils h as fu r th e r increased, say 100,000 tons, and th e o th e r co u n tries of p ro­duction , tak en as a w hole, w ill p robab ly also now y ie ld more th a n in 1879, b u t no corresponding in ­crease in consum ption has ta k e n place, a n d no large increase is like ly to ta k e p lace, t i l l th e re has been some continuance of low prices, and u n til th e low prices reach th e consum ers, w hich we h a rd ly th in k th e y have done so far.

T he fac t th a t stocks in E urope have been stead ily increasing for th e pas t 4 years is an undou b ted proof th a t th e production of th e w orld is in excess of the com sum ption ; tb e equilibrium can only be re-established b y a contiuuance of low prices.— Robert Von Glenhn <fc Sons’ M onthly Coffee Circular.

R IV A L R Y IN S IL K A N D T E A .A C hinese tra d itio n a t tr ib u te s th e discovery of silk

to one of th e w ives of th e E m pero r of China, H oang-ti, w ho is sa id to have re igned abo u t tw o th o u san d years before th e C h ris tian era ; an d since th a t tim e—so th e ta le ru n s— a special sp o t has been a llo tted in th e gardens of th e C hinese ro y a l palace to th e cu ltiv a tio n of th e M u lb e rry tre e —called in Chinese th e ‘ golden tre e ’— and to th e keep ing of silk worm s. W ith o u t w aitin g to discuss th e p ro b a­b ilitie s of th is item of fo lk lo re , w hich has possibly as m uch foundation in fact as m ost o th e r popular notions on sim ilar sub jec ts, we proceed to know n facts. T he M ulb e rry p la n t is a n a tiv e of P ersia , from w hich co u n try th e se cre t of silk m anufactu re was in tro d u ced in to I ta ly via C onstan tinop le, and over E urope, becom ing dom iciled in the S outh of France as a g re a t m anufactu ring in d u s try before th e close of th e fifteenth cen tu ry . T h is is a brief h is to r i­cal sum m ary of an a rtic le now used in n early all coun tries as a lu x u ry in apparel, b u t only b efittin g those o f a h igher social g rad a tio n , o r those whose

m eans p e rm it of th e indu lgence of w earing su ch a com paratively costly tex tile fab ric . S ericu ltu re is now extensively p rac tised in various p a r ts of th e w orld, tem p era te an d trop ica l. T he cond itions w hich favor th e p la n t are p re ju d ic ia l to th e insect, an d vice versa. T he M ulberry th riv es b e tte r in a co ld clim ate , w hich im plies a la rg er size of tree bearing a m ore ab u n d an t crop of leaves th a n in w arm regions. B u t in these la t te r th e silk-w orm develops m ore rap id ly an d o b ta ins m a tu r ity in less tb a n ha lf th e period in th e form er o r colder localities. T h is is an over­w helm ing advan tage , as i t m inim izes a tte n d a n c e an d r isk by & saving of m ore th a n th re e w eeks. C ards of seed carried from C hina an d J a p a n have been found to reproduce successfu lly in th o se cou n tries w here th e m ulberry can be cu ltiv a ted . T he s ilk ­worm has been in tro d u c ed in to various p a r ts of A m erica w ith favorable r e s u l t s ; b u t th e m ost in ­te re s tin g se ricu ltu ra l experim ents of th e p eriod a re those now u n d ertak en in refe rence to th e acclim a­tisa tio n of th e insect an d p la n t in A u s tra lia and Ceylon, in bo th of w hich coun tries th e re a re reason­able g rounds for believing th a t silk -grow ing m ay in course of tim e prove a p rofitab le in d u s try . “ In E urope th e silk-w orm ta k e s ab o u t forty-five days to ob ta in m a tu r ity , b u t i t has been found by experience th a t in th e tem p era tu re of Colombo only from tw en ty - th re e to tw enty-five d ay s a re re q u ire d .” T h is q u o ­ta tio n su p p o rts w h a t we have a lread y s ta te d on th is sub jec t. I t is a m ost im p o rta n t considera tion , as th e sho rter period reduces th e liab ility of loss from disease, an d o th e r w ell-know n causes w hich p rey upon th e w orm , as well as lessening th e cost an d tro u b le in looking a f te r it. YVe have been induced to dw ell upon th is su b je c t from th e a p p a re n t fac t th a t local p roducts, w hich a t one period w ere a lm ost exclusively confined to C hina, have been produced successfu lly elsew here, and , in some instances, le f t C hina fa r beh ind in th e com petition . T h is is p a r t i ­cu larly conspicuous in th e m a tte r of porcelain w ares. T he chief ex p o rts of C hina are, as o u r readers are doubtless aw are, tea an d silk . In d ia is fast assum ing a position in reference to C hina te a th a t , ju d g in g from th e progress m ade d u rin g th e p as t few decades, th e re is every possib lity in th e im m ed ia te fu tu re of its becom ing som ething m ore th a n a pow erfu l rival. In silk , C hina will have to d read a m ore w ide-spread com petition . I t forbodes ill, as reg ard s th e fu tu re of th is in d u s try in China, th a t se ricu ltu re is com ­m encing to be developed in in te r tro p ic a l coun tries, which w ill p rec lude C hina from m onopolising th e ad v an tag e she possesses re cheapness of p roduction . I t has been a lread y acknow ledged th a t silk-grow ing canno t be rem u n era tiv e ly carried on by w h ite labor in A u stra lia ; w hich ob jec tion does n o t ex is t or m ilita te ag a in s t th e in d u s try in S ou th ern E urope, T he conditions are, of course, d ifferen t in Ceylon w ere coloured lab o r is th e on ly agency th a t could be em ployed fo r th e purpose, and i t is chiefly from such coun tries th a t C h in a an d Ja p a n have to d read r iv a lry ,— C hina M ail.

CINCHONA B A R K : M A RK ET P R O S P E C T S .I t m ust be remembered, th a t though on paper present

stocks appear very large, a certain portion of them , perhaps a larger portion of them than is generally supposed, is very common Bark. W e all know th a t some of the Cuprean Barks, a description which has so much helped to augm ent stocks, have been very common. If then a very large pro­portion of th e stock, carefully chosen and selected, is held by speculators, who, if circumstances favor them , will sell only on their own term s, the rem ainder being in the hands of importers, who, even if they disapprove, cannot well help assisting th is speculation, it may be th a t m anufacturers, if forced to buy later on bark in quantity , in order to fulfil their contracts for delivery in Quinine; may find priceg

materially altered. W e are unable ourselves to give an opi­nion as to the probable result, no t being sufficiently behind the scenes. The above is th e ordinary gossip of th e trade.

The consumption of Quinine, we believe, is supposed to be increasing yearly a t about the ra te o f 7 to 8 per cent. Satisfactory as this may be, we should like, for the sake of our friends in Ceylon and India, whose bark in another year or two ought to be ready for shipm ent in quantity to see, th is ra te still fu rther increased. Such a result is more likely to be obtained if we have a course of moderate prices, based only on the relative position of supply to demand.

Our friends will be glad to hear th a t Mr. Howard speaks very favourably of th e shaving system. The first shavings m ust no t be taken as a proof of w hat th is system can do, it being the second operation which generally gives satisfactory results. The B ark is then practically renewed, and Mr. Howard believes th a t th e tree has suffered little or no harm . Messrs. Howards quote Quinine Sulphate a t 10s; Quinidine Sulphate a t 5s, Cinchonidine Sulphate a t 2s fid, and Cinchonine (Mur.) Is 3d.—I . A . Rucker Bencraft’s Weekly Price Current, 16th Feb.

P U B L IC S A L E O F C IN C H O N A B A R K .M r. E . Jo h n p u t u p for pub lic sale th is m orning

th e follow ing lo ts of b a rk :—N o n p artil—Succirubra,

240 lb . 12 bags tw igs sold fo r...Rossm ore— Succirubra,

929 lb . 5 la rg e bales chips...5 bags ro o t an d sm all ch ips ...8 „ t w i g s

Greenw ood—Succirubra,1,240 lb . 27 bags tw ig s

H an g ran O ya— S uccirubra,146 lb . 3 bags tw igs, ch ips and

shav ings1 „ b roken qu ill ...

B ridw ell— Succirubra,75 lb . 3 , , shavings

Lindoola—Succirubra,562 1b. 11 , , tw igs

B unyan & Avoca—Succirubra,2 ,3261b.. 56 bags stem chips a n d shav-

ings ...2 , , d u s t ...

F lorence—Succirubra,|2,165 lb. 10 ,, ch ips an d shavings

30 ,, bold tw igs an d chips ...27 ,, shavings

3 ,, b ranch6 bales stem q u ill ...

E lbedde— S uccirubra ,3,122 lb. 67 bags tw igs an d pieces

5 ,, stem chips 5 „ „ qu ill5 ,, papery b ranch1 ,, roo t ...

Loinoru—Succirubra,2,457 lb. 53 ,, bo ld tw igs

2 , , chips an d pieces 1 ,, d u s t ... ...

W avendon—Officinalis,10,1381b. 7 ,, tw igs

39 „ roo t 11 ,, ro o t d u s t

142 ,, shavings 49 ,, tw igs1 , , b roken quill, (succirubra).

K . G .— Officinalis,59 lb . ro o t an d ch ips...

229 ,, chips ...R o th sch ild — S uccirubra,

473 lb. b ranch W an a R a ja h —S uccirub ra ,

1,7001b. b ranch Officinalis 643 a tem ...

R. c.0 10

0 500 300 16

0 274

0 3240 774

1 25

0 25

0 900 17

0 450 4740 8740 250 924

0 2740 7740 950 4240 70

0 300 450 7

0 160 000 220 000 250 60

0 650 60

0 40

0 401 30

L ib e r ia n Co ffee .— T he M anager of th e Uda- polla p lan ta tio n rep o rts a very fine blossom o u t an d the suspension of crop-p ick ing “ fo r a period of tw e n ty d ay s” a fte r w hich th e g a th e rin g of ripe cherrie s w ill once m ore be in fu ll force ! I t is h a rd to say w here th is sa tis fac to ry s ta te of th in g s is going to s to p ; a chron ic s ta te of p ick ing seem s to be th e d is tin g u ish ­ing fea tu re of L iberian p lan ta tio n s w ith trees in b ea r­ing. W e h ear th a t severa l Colom bo m ills hav e an appreciab le q u a n tity of th is coffee now being cu red for th e London a n d N ew Y o rk m arkets.

T h e T ea and Co ffee T r a d e and C ustoms R eform s. —In connection w ith th e w ork at th e docks an d wharves, i t is u nderstood th a t g rea t changes are to be sho rtly in tro d u c ed in th e system of th e customs. A t p resen t the w ork of keep ing an account of goods liab le to d u ty is done tw ice— once a t th e cen tra l office, and once a t th e dock or w harf. I t is s ta te d th a t th is a p p a r­en tly useless rep e titio n is to be p u t an end to , an d th a t th e w ork w ill be done a t th e bonded w arehouse only, and th a t i t is proposed a t th e sam e tim e to sw eep aw ay a m ass of useless fo rm alities w hich have so long ham pered th e te a trade. A t p resen t, fo r instance, for every chest of te a th a t is c leared th e custom s ask fo r the sh ip ’s nam e, th e place from w hich th e sh ip came, th e nam e of th e person w ho w arehoused th e goods, and th e d a te on w hich th e y w ere w arehoused, to be repeated on tw o sep ara te papers. By th e new system th is clerical labour w ill be m ore th a n halved, fo r one pap er alone w ill be asked for, an d th a t w ill bear a custom s num ber only, in stead of a ll th e above deta ils. F u rth e r , in stead of th e 48 se p a ra te papers now req u ired to clear 24 chests of te a by d ifferen t ships a t one w arehouse, one piece of paper w ill do th e e n tire w ork. T h e d eta ils of th e p roposed change have not y e t been published, an d th e p a rticu la rs w hich have been m ade know n as to th e new m ode of p ay in g d u tie s are n o t a lto g e th e r clear, b u t there appears l i t t le d o u b t th a t th e te a tra d e is abo u t to be released from a considerable portion of th e alm ost in to lerab le custom s ro u tin e t h a t has h ith e r to oppressed i t . I t is to be sincerely hoped th a t th e o p p ortun ity will be tak en to sim p lify th e an tiq u a te d w arra n t aud w e ig h t-n o te sy stem an d th a t th e wharfingers will a t any ra te keep ab reas t of sim plifications effected by th e custom s, by c o n te n t­in g them selves w ith th e custom s ro ta tio n num ber an d th e package num ber, for th e id en tifica tion of goods. A t p re sen t on docum ents w ith regard to te a o r coffee, th e w harfingers requ ire , in ad d itio n to th e package num ber, th e sh ip ’s nam e, th e p o r t of export, th e dock ro ta tio n num ber, th e sh ip , th e m ark an d th e w eigh t. T h a t th e re is room for m uch sim plification is ev iden t, as w ith a ll o th e r groceries, includ ing costly spices, de livery can be ob ta ined by sim ply nam ing th e sh ip , th e m ark , an d th e num bers. In som e cases th e d a te of im p o rt is also re q u ire d , b u t in no instance does an y th in g lik e fhe ex trao rd in ary com plication of th e te a system prevail, 'no r, i t m ay be added , is th e re an y o th er a rtic le so ld by grocers in w hich such in te r­m inab le delays in delivery ta k e place. W h e th e r th ig is d u e to th e p iling u p o f p recau tio n s a n d ro u tin e , w hich have been abandoned in every o th e r m odernized tra d e , is h a rd ly open to question . T h e te a tra d e , on th e o th e r hand, have th e consolation of en joy ing ingenious, in tric a te , an d indeed th eo re tica lly p erfec t docum ents in th e w a rra n t an d w eigh t-no te , w hile i t is m ain ly th e re ta il grocers w ho suffer b y th e cost and delay of th e system of clearing. I n a ll p ro b ­ab ility th e “ sm alls” charge of th e railw ay Com panies w hich inflicts such h a rd sh ip on th e g rocers, would n o t have been in v en ted h ad i t n o t been for th e com ­p lica tions in o b ta in ing deliveries of tea . Now th a t th e re is an o p p o rtu n ity fo r sim plification i t is to be hoped th a t i t w ill be ta k e n advan tag e of.— Produce M arket*’ B edew ,

A s b e s t o s , i t h as now been d iscovered , c ian be tu rn e d to good account in th e p rep ara tio n of p a n t. W e are to ld in N ature :— “ In a finely d iv ided sta te , i t is m ixed w ith a fluid m aterial, an d is used in a sim ilar m anner to o th e r pa in ts. U n lik e them , how ever, i t is uninflam ­m able, an d n o t only so, b u t is capable of com m unicating th is valuable a t tr ib u te to such substances as i t m ay be app lied to .”—Pioneer.

T h e I n d ia n T e a A s s o c ia t io n has com piled a r e tu rn of th e ac tu a l o u ttu rn of th e te a d is tr ic ts for th e la s t season, w hich th e y p u t dow n a t 47,063,194 lb . as com pared w ith , 45,245,569 lb. for th e previous season. T h is w as d iv ided am ongst th e d ifferen t d is tr ic ts as follow s A ssam 24,390,732, K ach a r an d S ilhe t, 13,903,016. D arjiling an d D uars 7,403,293, C h ittagong 746,895, o th e r d is tric ts 619,258. I t is considered the to ta l exports for th e season w ill be abo u t 47,500,000 — and of th is ra th e r over 46,300,000 w ill be av a il­able for G rea t B rita in .— M adras M ail.

C o f f e e P r o d u c t io n d u rin g 1881 has gone on stead ily increasing, an d th e re has been som e im ­provem ent in sugar p roduction . A s to th e form er, however, th e re are grave d oub ts as to th e w isdom of increasing production a t th is tim e. T h e re is already over-production th ro u g h o u t th e w orld , an d over two million bags of B razilian coffee are now sto red a t th e p r in ­cipal p o rts w aiting fo r a m arket. A n d besides a ll th is ,th e ex p o rt business d u rin g th e p a s t y ea r has been an y th in g b u t sa tisfac to ry , th e ap p a re n t losses be ing from tw e n ty to tw en ty -five th o u sa n d contos. W h en liq u id a tio n com es we sha ll know w here to lo cate th islo ss.— RioN ew s.

T h e t r ia l s h ip m e n t o f J ava bla c k t e a placed on th e M elbourne M arket, on 2nd F eb ., w as n o t a success. W e quo te th e descrip tions of th e few lo ts w hich sold :—

11 naif-chests Jap an Oolong, olive black even tw isted leaf, very strong rich pungent Oolong Is Old per lb in bond.

48 half-chests Japan green te a l 48 do do do J

even tw isted green leaf, very pungen t rich fresh young Hyson l i d .

13 cases (each 100 1-lb packets) Jap an pekoe, handsome sm all even w iry black leaf very full rich ripe tru e mellow pekoe Is 3fd

25 cases (each 18 5-lb boxes) Jap an pekoe sm all even w iry black handsom e leaf, pekoe tips, choicest full rich mellow.pekoe Is 3£d

9 cases (each 30 5-lb boxes) Japan pekoe sm alll even w iry black handsome leaf pekoe, tips very strong fu ll rich mellow pekoe Is l$d

8 half-chests Japan pekoe d u s t . Japan pekoe siftings 5d

The Japan Black Tea Company, the catalogue states, has been specially formed w ith the co-operation of th e Japanese Govern­m ent, for the purpose of grow ing, m anufacturing , and packing teas suitable for th e A ustralian m arkets.

S lavery in Br a zil .— W e ta k e th e follow ing from th e A ng lo -B razilian 'l imes of Ja n u a ry 8 th .— “ T he L egisla­tu re has con tinued th e ta x of 1,500 mils, on th e reg is tra ­tio n of slaves b ro u g h t in to th e p rovince, includ ing those b rough t in u nder colour of m ere con trac ts for h ire . The ta x on th e transm ission of slaves has bden raised from 30 m ils, to 50 m ils., b u t th a t on tran sfe rs to an o th e r m un ic ip a lity has been abolished. T h e ta x of 1,000 m ils, on slave dealers has been con tinued . A ll these tax es go to em ancipato ry purposes. T he m unicipal­itie s have been au tho rized to im pose 1,000 mils, to3,000 m ils, an n u a l ta x , an d ex ac t secu rity , besides, for 2,000 mils, on co u n try stores an d liquor shops aw ay from se ltlem en ts and S ta te an d p rovincial roads, as a check on th e ill ic it tra d in g w ith slaves w hich encourages th e p rev a len t serious nu isance of th e f t by slaves. T he Custom -house of B io de Ja n e iro collected in 1881 from tax es on im ports and exports 41,567,576 m ils, agains t 42,835,564 m ils, in 1880 and 41,7( 5,322 m ils, in 1879—viz., from im ports 32,346,178 m ils, agains t 33,314,931 mils, in 1880 and 31,903,964 m ils, in 1879; an d from exports, 9,221,437 m ils, agains t 9,520,628 m ils, in 1880 and 9,801,323 m ils, in 1879.— JSrazil and River Plate Mail.

A d d it io n s t o t h e Z o o l o g ic a l S o c ie t y ’s G a r d e n s . — A T oque m onkey (M acacus p ilea tu s) from Ceylon p re ­sen ted by M rs. Evans.

C o l o n e l H o w a r d , (nephew of th e g re a t Q uin- ologist) le f t Ceylon b y th e la s t F re n ch m ail- s team er a f te r a ru n th ro u g h our p lan tin g d is tr ic ts an d a good look a t th e cu ltiv a tio n of cinchona an d o th e r new p roducts. H e firs t v is ited th e P an g w ella an d D oom bara d is tric ts , an d th e n as th e guest of M r. E. G . H ard in g , he saw cinchona (w ith w hich he was h igh ly satisfied) in D ikoya, th e A gras, L indu la , U da- pussellaw a a n d M a tu ra tta . Colonel H ow ard (who is a d irec to r of a N ilg iri P la n ta tio n C om pany a n d largely in te re s te d in gold m ines,) ca rried aw ay a very favour­able im pression of our p lan ting in d u s try an d prospects in Ceylon. A m erch an t w rite s :—“ J u s t a lin e to le t you know th a t Colonel H o w ard k in d ly prom ised to w rite a le t te r g iv ing us his ideas on cinchona c u ltiv a ­tio n here , w hich we are to le t you have fo r p u b lica ­tion . M eantim e, you w ill be g lad to know th a t he was most favourably im pressed by w hat he saw in Ceylon, d u rin g h is v is it u p coun try , an d considers th e success of th is en terp rlze w ell a ssu red .”

I n d ia r u b b e r T r e e s in t h e R oyal B o ta n ic G a r d e n , C e y l o n .— T he Gardeners’ Chronicle fo r F eb ru a ry 25 th contains a very s tr ik in g fu ll page engrav ing of th is g roup of trees accom panied by th e fo llow ing rem ark s :—

F ic u s E l a s t ic a . — W e ow e to D r. T rim en th e op ­p o r tu n ity of figuring th e rem ark ab le g roup of ind ia- ru b b e r trees w hich bound one of the en tran ces to th e R oya l B otan ic G arden a t P e rad en iy a , C eylon (fig. 38). T h e curious aeria l roots, descending B anyan-fashion from th e branches, and th e bold, u n d u la tin g bu ttre sses w hich ru n along th e g round , are very s tr ik in g fea tu res, an d m u st te n d to p re v e n t th e tre e s from being over­th ro w n by h u rricanes. W e can n o t hope, even w ith th e resources of a K ew , to p roduce such g ro w th in th is co u n try , b u t as th e m eans of trav e llin g increase th e num bers of tho se p riv ileg ed to w itness such m a r­vels increase likew ise . T he m ode of fo rm ation of these b u ttre sses an d th e reason are n o t genera lly u n d e rsto o d , and w ould form a good su b jec t fo r fu rth e r investig a tio n . T hey are n o t confined to figs, b u t oc­cur on m any o th e r tro p ica l trees, as m ay be seen in severa l fine sections in th e W ood M useum a t K ew . A figure of these bu ttre sses, ta k e n from an iso la ted tree , was g iven a t p. 681 of o u r volum e for 1873, a f te r a sk e tch by C apta in Oliver.

A n A m e r ic a n V ie w o f M a n ito b a .— M r. H oratio Sey­mour, ex-Governor of New York, a gentlem an whose position renders his u tterances of m ore th an ordinary value, h as paid a visit to M anitoba, and has conveyed the result of h is experience in the form of a le tte r to a friend. H e declares, w ithout fear of successful con­tradiction , th a t if G reat B rita in were to impose a tariff of 10 or 20 cents per bushel upon American w heat and grain, allowing Canadian w heat and o ther products to en te r her ports free, she would bankrup t th e farm ers of the Am erican north-w est. H e saw thousands of acres of w heat clearing 40 bushels to th e acre and weighing 63 lb. to 65 lb. to th e bushel. People, he says, are crowding there rapidly, and towns are springing up as if by magic. T he G reat Canada Pacific Railway will be a t Puget Sound before the N orth Pacific of the U nited S tates, and th e distance to Liverpool will be 600 miles shorter th a t any American line which could convey D akota w heat for shipm ent th ither. T he best steel roads are being placed on the road— 100 tons to the mile a t $56 per ton , w hilst on th e parallel American line, the N orth Pacific, the sam e rails cost about $70— a difference of $1,400 in rails alone in favour of th e Canada Pacific. Mr. Seymour is equally dem onstrative on o ther points, and he has evidently been strongly im pressed by his visit,—■ Field.

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. C O F F E E C U L T IV A T IO N A N D S L A V E R Y IN

B R A ZIL No. V .D ollar, N . B ., 26 th Ja n . 1882.

G e n t l e m e n , —The re tu rn s given, a lthough re la tin g to only e ig h t ot th e provinces of th e E m pire, give us a p re tty fair idea of th e w ork ing of th e em ancipa­tion fund for th e w hole tw e n ty provinces in to w hich B razil is d iv ided. Y o u r readers, how ever, as coffee p lan ters, are m ore in te re s ted in know ing how th e labour m ark e t of th e th ree g rea t coffee-producing p ro ­vinces can be affected by it. A decrease in th e labour supply of these would very sensibly d im inish th e exports of coffee from Rio de Jan e iro an d San tos.

I m entioned th a t , for th e las t e ight years, th e re had been a general m igra tion of th e slave population from th e northern , to th e th ree coffee-producing provinces, j l i o de Janeiro , Sao P au lo and M inas Geraes, and S h a t th is m ovem ent corresponded w ith th e g radual extension of new coffee fields, an d th e increase of th e sh ipm ents of coffee. A n ag ita tion was s ta r te d against th is in terprov incia l slave trad e , and, s trange to say, was carr ed on principally by th e class who had benefitted m ost by i t—th e S&o P au lo p lan te rs In 1879. a law was passed by th e Provincial A ssem bly at San Paulo, im posing a ta x of 1.0008000 (£100) on each slave en tering th e province of Sao Paulo from an o th er province. T h is law was vetoed by th e G o­vernm en t as u nconstitu tional. In 1880, th e P rovincia l Assembly of Rio de Janeiro , when passing th e supply bill, included in i t a ta x of L1.5"0$000 (£150) on each slave being registered , com ing from an o th e r province, and th is p a r t of th e b ill passed alm ost u n ­noticed, and becam e law on 1st Ja n u a ry 1881. T he province of SSo P au lo im m ediately follow ed w ith a law , im posing a tax of R2,000$000 (£200) to come in force in F eb ru ary , and M inas Ger*es w ith one for th e sam e am oun t to come in force also in F eb ru a ry 1881. These taxes w ere to be paid on reg is tra tio n of slaves com ing from one province to ano ther, excep t­ing only th ree to accom pany each fam ily and ex ­em pting those th a t came by in h eritan ce an d th ro u g h jud ic ia l execution.

The law of 1871 regu la ted th e m achinery for collecting a ta x on th e tran sfe r of slave p ro p erty , and, as sales took place, an e n try was m ade in th e collector’s book. These new provincial laws were p ro ­h ib ito ry , inasm uch as tho ta x was m uch m ore th a n th e value of th e properly , the value of a field han d being about £200. T he co llector is liab le to a fine of 3,000$ (£300) for each slave neglected to be so registered , and th e ow ner liab le to a fine of 1.000$ ( £ 100) if he exceed tho tim e allow ed for reg istra tion , nam ely, th ir ty days.

I t is difficult to conceive th e m otive w hich prom pted th e in trod u c tio n of these law s, for th e p lan te rs of these provinces w ere loud in th e ir ou tcry abou t th e scarc ity of labourers, and th ey w ere th e people who bent fited m ost by th e en try of slaves from th e N orthern province. I t seem s u n ch aritab le to suppose th a t th e real object th e law m akers h ad in view w as th e ex ten ­sion of the tim e when slavery should be extinct. T here is strong circum stan tia l evidence to show th a titw a s so.

I am unw illing to in flic t on your readers a prosy review of th e even ts w hich ag ita ted th e public m ind previous to th e passing of these p rovincial acts, b u t th ey w ill have a b e tte r idea of th is B razilian slavery q u e s t­ion if I do so. Y ou w ill rem em ber th a t a congress of agricu l u ris ts , called to g e th er by th e G overnm ent, w as held in Rio de Jan e iro in J u ly 1878. This, congress w as to consider th e various questions th a t w ere d e ­pressing ag ricu ltu re , a n d th e p rin c ip a l outcom e of th is

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I g re a t g a th erin g w as th e decision of th e G overnm en t to | send an em bassy to C hina to negociate a tre a ty of

com m erce, an d g e t th e sanction of th e C elestial G o­v e rn m en t to C hinese im m igration . T h is la t te r m easure was considered th e b es t m eans of av e rtin g th e in e v it­able crash w hich m u st fall on th e ag ricu ltu re of th e coun try , shou ld an y th in g happen to accelerate th e em ancipation of th e slaves. T he allow ing of th e vote necessary for pay ing th e expenses of th is m ission w as w arm ly opposed by D eputy Joaqu iin N abuco, w ho w as supported by o th er able men in th e C ham ber of D epu­ties in R io de Janeiro . T he vote w as allow ed ; th e G overnm ent prom ising n o t to b ring , in Chinese coolies b y an y G overnm ent schem e, th e ir object being to pave th e w ay for th e ir in tro d u c tio n b y p riv a te en terprise .

T h is d iscussion and th e subseq u en t a rriv a l of th e envoy in London, on his w ay to C hina, a t tr a c te d ti e a tte n tio n of th e B ritish and F o re ign A nti-Slavery Sociely, and th is body n o t only se n t a p e titio n to th e Chin- se M in ister in London against th e B razilian m ovem ent, b u t w rote a le tte r th an k in g Senr. N abuco for th e s ta n d he m ade ag a in s t th e in troduc tion of Chinese labourers in to Brazil. D epu ty N abuco, in rep ly to the B ritish and Foreign A nti-S lavery Society d a te d 8th A p ril 1880, declared h is in ten tio n to it- roduce a bill in to th e C ham ber of D eputies in Rio de Ja n e iro estab lish ing th e d a te ot 1st J a n u a ry 1890 for th e en tire abo lition of slavery th ro u g h o u t th e E m pire. H ere is w hat he said him self :— “ I h a t b ill w ill n o t be con v en ed th is yea: in to law , b u t in tro d u ced every session in a L ibe ra l house b y m yself or some of m y friends, and in a C on­servative house by some prom inen t C onservative ab o li­tio n is t like Mr G usm io Lobo ; increasing every y ea r in votes, i t will tr iu m p h a t las t. T he d a te rem aining im m oveable, every delay w ould ren d er th e tra n s itio n p -rio d sh o rte r, b u t i t w ould n o t be our fau lt. The fro n tie r of n ex t decade, I hope, w ill no t be passed by any m an calling h im self a slave .” T h is le t te r , as m igh t be expected , caused a g rea t com m otion th ro u g h o u t th e E m pire.

T ru e to h is w ord, N abuco com m enced h is cam paign in A ugust 1880 by a forcible speech in th e C ham ber of D epu­ties w hen th e voting of supp lies for th e d ep a rtm en t of ag ricu ltu re cam e on for consideration . H e denounced th e sale of slaves im ported since 1831, th e m isappro­pria tion of th e em ancipation fund, th e pub lic w hipp ing of slaves a t th e request of th e ir m aste rs and o th e r cruelties. A fo rtn ig h t a fte rw ard s he b ro u g h t fo r­w ard his b ill for em ancipation in 1890. T he C ham ber fixed th e 27th of A u g u st fo r th e discussion of i t , tw o of th e m in isters vo ting in th e m ajo rity g ran tin g leave. The m in o rity , however, pressed th e Prim e M in ister ; so th a t nex t d ay he announced th a t, if th e discussion of such a m easure were forced on, th e M in is try w ould resign. T he C ham ber th u s b earded by th e M inister, an d having fixed th e 27 th for th e discu-sion by ils vote 011 th e 24th, d id n o t hold sessions on 26th, 27th, an d 28th A u g u st. On th e 30th N abuco again asked leave, b u t th e C ham ber th is tim e re jec ted th e m ition for the in trod u c tio n of th e bill b y 77 to 18. T h e P rim e M inister, on being pressed fo r h is reasons fo r m aking a C ab ine t question of th e in tro d u c tio n of th e b ill de­clared th a t th e E m peror and th e G overnm ent h ad m ade up th e ir m inds th a t slavery was to rem ain as i t was fixed in 1871.

C ongratu lations came pouring in from all p a r ts of E m pire . T he m in ister h ad saved th e cou n try . A g ri­c u ltu ra l Societies were form ed for th e purpose of re s id in g any a tte m p ts a t upse ttin g th e a rran g em en t m ade iu 1871, and at all th ese m eetings addresses were fram ed than k in g th e G overnm en t for th e s ta n d th e y had made.

I t w as th o u g h t th a t th is slave question was se ttled , b u t N abuco, no th ing d a u n te d b y h is d feat in th e C ham ber, called h is friends to g e th er a t his ow n re ­sidence, and form ed an A n ti-S lave ry Society,

A m anifesto was issued on th e 7 th Sep tem ber 1880, th e n in th anniversary of the passing of th e slave law . Some able m en joined th is Society an d B ranches w ere established in some of th e o th e r tow ns. T he ag ri­cu ltu ra l in te rest was en tire ly against th e m ovem ent.

The A m erican M in ister in Bio de Jan e iro w rote a ■ le tte r d e ta iling th e p rosperity of th e S ou thern S ta tes

in N orih A m erica since th e abolition of slavery th e re , an d a banquet was given to tbi< gen tlem an , Mr. H il ­lia rd , by the A nti-S lavery Society. T he speeches on th is occasion, p articu la rly th a t given by th e A m erican M in ister, enraged some of th e m em bers of P arliam en t. T he G overnm ent was called on to in terfere , for here was a m in ister of a frien d ly s ta te in terfering in th e ir dom estic affairs. T he d ebate was an angry one, and show ed how th e y w ould re sen t outside in terference, an d how th ey could abuse nations and indiv iduals, w ho d id n o t respec t th e tim e-honoured in s titu tio n of slavery . T he G overnm ent, how ever, saw no reason e ith e r to praise or blame the A m erican M in ister, and, in ju stice to th e P rim e M inister, we m nst give him c red it for saying th a t , a lthough the G overnm ent were fo r slavery rem aining as i t is, they respected those w ho held opposite opinions. I t was d u rin g these s to rm y tim es th a t th e p rovincial laws were passed p u ttin g a stop to th e in te r p rovincial slave trad e . C an i t be said then th a t it w as a step tow ards aboli­tio n ? D uring these deba'es. th e N o rth ern Provinces w ere accused of being anti-slavery , an d th e D eputies from the South, while openly declaring them selves as on the pro-slavery aide, used threats 10 com pel those from the N orth to hold on to the a rrangem en t of 1871. One illustrious o rator from the South used these words : — “ Y ou w ish to sell your slaves to us, and th e n you will by-and-bye ask us to liberate all slaves, w ithin th e E m p ire .’' A n o th er said, a llud ing to th e D eputies from the N o r th :— “ I look on these people as h igh­w aym en, and for such as these I have my revolver.”

W e m ust look to th e stoppage of th e in ter-p ro­vincial slave-trade as p u ttin g a check • on th e labour supply to the coffee-producing provinces, and p u ttin g a lim it on the exports of coffee from B io de Janeiro an d Santos. The Ceylon coffee p lan te r m ay console him self th a t the com petition in th a t d irec tion w ill no t be more th an it. is a t p resent, but, if slavery is n o t reduced more rapid ly than the death-ra te , and the w ork ing of the E m ancipation fund has shewn during the la s t ten years, we will have to w ait some tim e before there is m uch d im inu tion in the coffee exports.

W e have also to consider th a t, a lthough a ll th e ch ild ren are nom inally born free, they are really slaves and are of the same value as slaves to the coffee p lanter, un til they are twenry-one years of age. Slavery, we may say then , will rem ain in th e sam e actual condition u n til th e year 1892, w h en those born of slave m others in 1871 w ill be released from bondage. T he d ea th -ra te and th e lib e ra tio n s th ro u g h th e em ancipation fund taken together is n o t m ore in these days th a n th e death- ra te alone was in form er tim es, w hen th e re w as no t a p rospect of slavery becom ing ex tin c t. T h is la t te r fac t has m ade slave-ow ners see well a f te r th e h ea lth of th e ir slaves, and very s tr ic t p recau tions are tak en to lessen th e d ea th -ra te am ong th e negroes. The ra te now, as w e have seen in exam ining th e re tu rn s from e ig h t provinces, is for d ea th and liberation by th e fund to g e th er 25 per 1,000 annually . B u t supposing th e fund w ere increased by a ta x on slaves, w hich has n o t y e t been im posed, a lthough m entioned in the law of 1871 as th e first fac to r in m aking up th e fund — and suppose th a t th e f m d w ere b e tte r adm in istered an d th a t includ ing th e d ea th -ra te th e num ber would reach th ir ty p er thousand , th is calculating 1.800,000 as th e num ber of slaves a t p resen t (a very low ca l­culation) th e decrease w ould be only 40,000 p er a n ­num . A g ain s t th is we have to se t off' th e children , w hich a re sa id to be b o rn free, w ho w ill fill up th e ,

gaps m ade in th e e s ta te gangs th ro u g h d e a th and em ancipations u p till 1892.

T he physical condition of th e slaves in th e coffee p roducing provinces is good. A s a class, th e y are ro b u st and hea lth y . T he slaves b ro u g h t from A frica w ere generally young. T he m ost of th e n a tiv e A fricans one m eets were b rough t over w hen th e y w’ere boys and g irls of 12 to 18 years old. T he gaugs of slaves b ro u g h t from th e N o rth e rn P rovinces to th e S outh , w ere young. T he dealers would buy only tho se th a t w ould sell h ighest to th e p lan te rs of Sao P au lo an d B io Janeiro . T he pu rch ase r h a d to calculate in h is ow n m ind how m any years w ork he could g e t o u t of th e negro before he bought him .

L ooking a t a gang of slaves w ork ing on a coffee p lan ta tio n , one is s tru ck w ith th e large p roportion of young and strong-looking people am ongst them . W ere I asked to say w h a t w ould be th e average num ber of years of w ork th a t could be go t o u t of th e gangs I have seen w orking on th e coffee e s ta tes—very few being above fo rty an d m o st of them betw een th e ages of 15 to 30 years— I w ould te safe in ca lcu la t­ing th ir ty yea-s as th e average w orkab le tim e. As. I said before, th e d im inu tion from d ea th s and em ancipa­tion can be m ade up from th e young u n d er tw enty- one years. I t is a m a tte r of opinion to say th a t slavery can con tinue for th ir ty years : th a t is to suppose th a t th e se ttlem en t of 1871 can la s t u n til th a t tim e.

I t in t rests us Ceylon p lan te rs to know if the re is any p robab ility of th a t se ttlem en t being d istu rbed . I have before said th a t , iu th e evenc of any po litical d istu rbance th e slave m ay beuefic by i t . B u t th e re is l i t t le p rospect of any serious question d istu rb in g th e p ub lic m ind u n til th e E m peror dies, an d he is 57 now .

T he B razilian n ation hav ing been colonized from P ortuga l, B razilians are a q u ie te r race of m en th a n those w hich form th e o th er S outh A m erican S ta tes. A lth o u g h in te rn a l troub les do n o t occur in connection w ith th e election of r iv a l p residen ts , ow ing to there being a constitu tional sovereign, a t th e same tim e p a r ty feeling runs very h igh on v e ry insignificant questions.

T here is a p a r ty com posed of th e shopkeepers in th e to w n s in th e in te r io r th a t w ould benefit by th e la n d being cu ltiv a te d by free men receiv ing w ages; these com plain of a ll the m oney draw n from th e produce of th e soil being sp e n t in th e large tow ns a t th e coast o r a t th e cap ita l. The professional classes would also benefit by it, b u t all these are too m uch depen d en t on th e w ea lth y coffee p lan ters to openly s ta n d up for abolition. In th e ev en t of a revo lu tion , these w ould side w ith th e negro.

T h e free labourer of th e p resen t day is also a p ro ­slavery m an. H e th in k s it th e negro w ere free he w ould w o rk for sm all w ages, an d therefo re low er th e labour rate . T he free labourer looks dow n 00 the slave and does no t like to look fo rw ard to th e tim e when th e y w ill be on equal te rm s. E ven th e free negro is despised b y th e h a lf-In d ian cam arada. T he free labourer now a n d th en comes in for a handsom e sum for ca tch ing runaw ay negroes. Supposing he w ere for h u m a n ity ’s sake in favour of th e slave, an d w ould like to see s lavery a t an end , he is a fra id to tam per w ith th e negro in th e w ay of po in ting o u t to h im th e benefits of freedom . H e know s th a t th e p u n ish m en t w ould be death , if he w ere found in trigu ing .

I t is w ell for th e F azendeiro th a t th e free labourer is a p ro-slavery m an, as he could do incalcu lab le m ischief if he w ere not. A few free labourers by en te rin g the lock-fast slaves’ q u a r te rs , on a few es ta tes, and te llin g th e slaves how easily th e y could g e t freedom , if th e y w ould revolt, could p u t th e w hole co u n try in a blaze. T here is no police force t h a t could quell a slave d is ­tu rbance. A round th e to w n near w here I lived, th e re w ere five thousand slaves. T here w ere on ly some tw elve policem en th a t could be taken to he lp th e

au thorities . These policem en w ere used fo r no th in g b u t to keep w atch over th e ja il. I t w ould ta k e tw o days to get some two hu n d red soldiers from th e cap ital. T he slave does n o t know how easily th e th in g could be done, else he w ould free bim selt. Slaves are locked up a t n ight, an d th e eye of th e overseer is over th em all day ; so th ey have no way of know ing an y th in g . T he B razilian G overnm ent do no t calcu late on such an even t as a negro insurrection , an d are not p repared for it. The slaves would succeed w ith no o th e r weapon th a n th e ir ow n hands. T here is a very sm all organized arm y to b ring against them . T he police force is so sm all and inetticieut th a t th e beginning of a d istu rbance , how ever sm all, could n o t be stopped.

A slave rebellion w ill no t happen, unless influences from outside th e p lan ta tio n s were b ro u g h t to bear on th e m inds of the slaves. T h a t is n o t a lik e ly even t for some tim e. I t is b u t n a tu ra l to expect th a t those b »rn of slave m others since 1871 w ill t r y to free th e ir relations an d old friends, b u t, as th e y have to be slaves und er th e ir m others’ m aste rs u n til th ey are tw enty-one— the firs t of these—(and only those born in

^1871 can be libera ted in 1892) i t is very probable th a t some m easure w ill be b rought fo rw ard before th a t tim e to have these k e p t u n d er police inspection for some years after being se t free.

T he E m ancipation Society, w hich was form ed a year ago, and so ably supported by Senr. Joaquim N abuco could have done a good deal in th e w ay of d issem in a t­ing an ti-slavery opinions. A lthough Nabuco an d th e o th e r able men who s ta rte d th e Society have courage enough to c a rry th ro u g h w h a t th e y in ten d , th e re is a g re a t w ant or m oral support from am ong the pub lic men in Brazil. T oe in fluen tial people of th e nation seem to d isregard it. N early every Brazilian who can afford i t has slaves ; if he has not, his relations and friends have. T he question of p roperty is an im p o rtan t one. T h e leader of th e m ovem ent v isited E urope la s t year. H e was en te rta in ed by those of an ti-slavery opinions in all th e coun tries th a t he visited, an d th e B ritish and Foreign A nti-S lavery Society in London gave a b reakfast in h is honour. B u t on his re tu rn to B razil he was looked on as a tra ito r , an d accused of th e w orst of a ll treason, th a t of asking th e aid of foreigners to fu rth e r revo lu tionary m ovem ents. N o t long afte r his re tu rn cam e th e general e lection u nder th e new law, an d n e ith er Senr, N abuco nor any of bis an ti-slavery follow ers were elected . E ith e r in despair of doing an y th in g to forw ard abolition w hile resid ing in Braz 1, or th in k in g that, he could a id th e cause m ore by rem aining o u t of it. he w ent to p rac tice h is profession of law yer in London. I leave your readers to form th e ir ow n opinion on th e slavery question from th e facts I have se t before them .

I sha ll no d oub t be asked : “ B u t is th e re n o th in gelse th a t can in terfere to check th e heavy exports of coffee from Rio an d Santos” ? #

Pos>ibly th e low* price of B razilian coffee m ay have some effect in w ithdraw ing labour(from th e cu ltiva tion of it. T he low price of co tton , an d th e large export d u ty p u t a stop to th e cu ltivation of it, and th e p lan ter sough t ano ther ag ricu ltu ra l p roduct and gave h is a tte n tio n to coffee. T he sam e m ay be sa id of sugar p lan ting . Im proved m achinery an d a b e tte r m ode of cu ltiva tion have been app lied to sugar cane since w ith success.

B oth co tton an d sugar are yearly p lan tings and h a r ­vestings. Coffee, on th e o th er hand, is a p 'a n t of five years’ grow th, an d has a cap ita l equal to five years’ expense of cu ltivation ly ing on it, an d i t canno t well be th ro w n o u t of cu ltiva tion like co tton or sugar­cane w ith o u t g rea t loss of cap ita l. E ven w ith low prices p lan te rs w ill continue to cu ltiv a te their coffee fields w ith expectations of a rise in prices of coffee.

A Braz lian coffee p la n te r free from indebtedness can easily w a it. The expenditu re on h is e s ta te is represented by food an d c lo th ing fo r his slaves. T he

food—In d ia n corn, beans, rice, m andioca, an d p o rk — he produces every year, w ha tev er th e p rice of coffee m ay be. H e can grow some co tton an d r ig u p th e old spinning-w heels and th e looms which have been concealed in a corner of the coffee sto re fo r the la s t few years w hile coffee was se lling h igh , an d m ake clothes fo r the negro men and wom en

T h e p lan te r, who has his estate and slaves m ortgaged , w ill n o t be able to bear up a t p resen t prices of B razil­ian coffee. In te re s t m ust be paid an d th a t is no t u n d e r 12 p e rc e n t, per annum . T h a t charge can on ly be paid by coffee, and coffee has.to bear tra n sp o rt to th e sea-port, and m unicipal taxes an d church tax es ta k in g up on all abo u t 20 per cen t of its selling price. Before i t is sh ip ped it. bas to be fu rth e r tax ed 13§ p er cen t on value.

I do not know of any th in g to take th e place of coffee. C otton is p roduced cheaper in th e U n ited S ta te s th a n i t can be in B razil. S ugar cane w ill not grow well in m any of th e ccffte la n d s ; and , supposing i t d id , th e cap ita l requ ired for th e en-ction of m achinery and bu ild ings necessary w ould n o t be forthcom ing . Coffee is th e entire su p p o rt of th e B razilian G o v ern m en t; as th e d u ty on i t is ad valorem, th e low prices affect the revenue.

W e have been accustom ed to look a t th e labour q u es­tio n only, as influencing th e fu tu re of Brazil. T h is , i t will, in tim e, do, b u t unless some o th er se ttlem en t of th e slave question th a n th a t of 1871 is come to , w e cannot ex pect i t will n o t do so fo r som e years.

W e have to seek for o ther causes an d th e on ly one a t p resen t is th e low price of B razilian coffee. T h is w ill t^nd to em barrass th e C eylon p la n te r also, b u t n o t to th e sam e ex ten t. Ceylon seems to have a m ark e t of its own, w hich B razilian coffee canno t well supp ly , an d Ceylon coffee has n o t fa llen in th e p ro ­po rtion th a t B razilian coffee has.

A. SC O T T -B L A C K L A W .

No. V I.D ollar, 1st F e b ru a ry 1882.

G e n t l e m e n , —I in ten d ed to have finished these papers w ith o u t saying more, b u t, as I have m entioned th e low price of coflee as one of th e reasons like ly to d im inish th e exports from Brazil, yo u r read ers w ill ex pect th a t I shou ld give them some idea of W hat is th e low est se lling-price a t w hich B razilian coffee w ill g ive no p rofit to th e . grow er.

T his leads u s to consider th e am oun t of cap ita l in ­vested in and th e cost of labour em ployed on a coffee e s ta te in Brazil. T he lab o u r has been pi o lounced a failure. I t never can ex is t alongside slave labour. A t 3s a day for labourers, yo u r readers a t once w ill p ro ­nounce free labour im practicab le . In an y case, i t is b y slave labour th a t B razil’s la rge crops are p icked , an d we m u st confine our calcu lations to i t . T he average size of a Brazilian coffee p lan ta tio n is 200,000 coffee trees; these p lan ted a t 16 palm as (11J feet) a p a r t give 333 trees to th e acre. Coffee lan d rep re sen ts abo u t a th ird of th e esta te , tw o -th ird s w ould be p as tu re land, and low -jungle fo r grow ing corn, beans, rice, m andioca, &c. T he w hole es ta te m ay be ab o u t2,000 acres, 600 acres being p lan ted w ith coffee.

M any p lan te rs coun t on a slave fo r every 5,000 trees. T h is is too m uch, how ever ; m ost of th o se of m y acquain tance ca lcu la te on 3,000 trees to th e fixedhand , and , if th e crop is large, i t w ill n o t be a llpicked w ith o u t e x tra assistance. W e w ill, how ever, ta k e th is as a basis to go on.

F o r 200,000 coffee trees th e re w ill be 80 slaves re ­qu ired , th u s :—

For field w o rk a t 3,000 treesp e r h an d ... ... 65 slaves

H ouse-servants, ca ttle -m en , horse- keepers and sick .. ... 15 ,, 80 slaves.

T h e average crop from such an e s ta te is 10,000 arrobas*

T he p resen t price of good coffee in R io an d Santos is 4$000 per 10 k ilas., say (>$000 p e r a rroba ; for calculation we w ill take th e m ilreis a t th e value of 3». T he value in gold is 27d, b u t a t p resen t ra te of exchange currency , is only 21 to 2 2 /.

T he arroba , by w hich a ll B razilian calcu la tions are made, is 32 lb. ( 3 | to th e cw t.), a lthough sales ta k e place by. lo kilos., an d a sack of coffee is 60 kilos.

V alue of an es ta te w ith 200,000 coffee tree s :— Pasture , lan d fo r grow ing p ro ­

visions, houses, m achinery , ca ttle , horses, m ules, &c. ... ... i t 300,0008000 (£30,000)

V alue of SO slaves a t 2,000$000 each ........................................... 160,000$000 (£16,000)

T o ta l va lu e 460,0005000 (£46,000)

Y early expend itu re , c lo thes for negroes .. 1,6005000 (£160)

M edicines fo r do. 4008000 (£40)Boss by d ea th am or get

negroes 2k% ... 4,0308000 (£400) 6,0008000 (£600)

R epairs to m achinery, wages of m echanic and engine-m an ... 3,0008000 (£300)

R epairs to b u ild ­ings, &c. ... ... 5:000$000 (£500)

A dm inistration , overseers, &c. ... 6,0008000 (£600) 14,0008000 (£1,400)

T ran sp o rt, say 10,000 arrobas (2,857 cw t.) a t 18500 p e r a rroba ... 15,0008000 (£1,500)

Commission, &c. a ts e a -p o r t a t 300arrobas ............... 3 0008000 (£300) 18,000$000 (£1,800)

T o ta l ex p end itu re on crop of10,000 arrobas ... 38:0008000 (£3,800)

value of crop a t p resen t prices 48000 per 10 kilos, o r 68000 per a rroba (2,857 cw t. a t 43f.) ... 60,000$ (£6,000)D educt ex p en d itu re as above ...3 8 ,0 0 0 $ (£3,800)

Leaves profit ... ... 22,0008000 (£2,200)T h is w ould be 4£ p er cen t on cap ita l 460.0008000 (£46,000) invested. Some w ill say th a t 10,000 arrobas is a very sm all crop considering th a t a g reat m any give an a rro b a for every 10 trees. W ith young coffee 6, 7, 8 , an d 9 years o ld th is can be got, b u t only when th e cu ltiv a tio n is good, i. e ., w hen th e coffee is k e p t clean. M ost of th e e s ta tes are k e p t in a d ir ty s ta te , a n a a g rea t m any do n o t give over an a rroba to th ir ty trees. 35 arrobas per 1,000 trees was given as th e average crop by a p la n te r a t th e A g ricu ltu ra l Congress; and, a lthough m any people cried ou t “ not s o ” th e speaker w as n o t publicly con trad ic ted . T ak ing th e average fo r a num ber of years1 more, es ta tes g ive u n ­d er th e es tim ate I have g iven th a n above it. As r e ­gards th e price of coffee sold in R io o r Santos th a t can give a p rofit to th e grow er, Mr. R obert C lin ton W rig h t, a coffee m erch an t of n io de Janeiro , w ho had an experience of over fifty years in th e co u n try and d ied ab o u t a year ago, gave 78500 th e arroba as th e p rice requ ired to give 6 p er cen t on cap ita l in 1875; m y figures, as s ta te d above, 68500 p er arroba w ould give 6 per cent. T h is show s th a t I have n o t over­s ta ted th e ex pend itu re of th e B razilian coffee p lan ter.

T he late M r. W rig h t also s ta te d th a t a t 7$500 per a rroba an d add ing 13 p er cent ex p o rt d u ty cost of bagging, sh ipp ing expenses, commission fre igh t, and insurance invo lved a sale price in th e U n ited S tates of about 18£ cen ts per lb. w ith o u t profit to the sh ippers — m eaning thereby th e coffee b u y er in R io de Janeiro a n d Santos.

T he p resen t price of R io an d Santoscnffee in th e U n ited S ta tes is 10J) cents p e r lb. N o d o u b t coffee was p ro ­duced form erly a t a cheaper ra te in th e Prov ince of R io de Janeiro , b u t th e bu lk of th e crop w as grow n n ea r th e coast on h ills a round th e c ity of Rio de

; Ja n e iro on g round now abandoned. F o rm erly a slave could have been b ough t for £30 or £40 ; now a good negro can n o t be go t u n d e r £200. A t th a t tim e l i t t le coffee w as grow n in the P ro v ine of Sao P au lo , ow ing to th e d istance from th e sea, of land fit for grow ing coffee an d th e rugged range of m ounta ins th a t had to be crossed. T h e sam e app lied to th e in te r io r of th e P rovince of R io de Ja n e iro an d M inas G eraes w here th e coffee crop now shipped a t R io grows. R a il w ays have changed th is s ta te of th ings.

1 have sa id th a t only th o se w ho had no in d e b te d ­ness would be ab le to ca rry on a t th e p resen t price of coffee, an d th a t those who w ere w ork ing w ith b o r­row ed m oney would become insol ve t . I do n o t re ­quire to d em o n stra te to th e Ceylon coffee p la n te r th e hopelessne s of th e coffee e s ta te p ro p rie to r’s case, when he g e ts in to difficulties w ith regard to m oney m atters. I sha ll co n ten t m yself b y saying th e case is a g re a t deal m ore so in B razil, w here m oney canno t btt. g o t u n d e r 12 p er cen t p e r annum , even by g iving good security .

T he proceedings of th e Congress Agricola, held in R io de Ja n e iro in F e b ru a ry D 78, show ed n o t on ly th a t a g re a t m any w ere w ishing for some relief financially , bu t th e m a jo rity w ere rea lly feel ng em barrassed , an d w ere pressing th e G overnm en t to ta k e in han d th e fo rm atio n of A g ricu ltu ra l B anks, o r estab lishm en ts fo r advan c in g m oney on th e secur ty of ag ricu ltu ra l ho ld ings. I n fac t th e se ttlin g of th e financial ques­tio n seem ed to be considered th e p rin c ip a l— indeed w as to be th e g re a t cure of— ag ricu ltu ra l depression. T h e m in is te r of ag ricu ltu re said, in h is rep o rt in F eb ruary 1877 :— “ T h e w ant of money s til l continues to agg rav a te th e difficulties of th e p lan te rs , especially those of th e n o rth , w ho have h a d to pay in some provinces 18 to 24 p er cen t, and in some cases even 48 to 72 per cent. T he obligations of th e B ank of B razil to lend 25,000,000$000 (£2,500,000) in long loans to p lan te rs has rendered m uch service in th e provinces of Rio de Ja n e iro , Sao P au lo , M inas G eraes, E sperito S anto an d S a n ta C a therina . ”

A t th e Congress a g re a t m any speakers lam en ted th a t th e law of 1875, g iv ing a G overnm ent g u a ran tee to th e B ank of B razil fo r advancing m oney to ag ri­cu ltu re , w as a com plete failu re , ow ing to th e s t r ic t ­ness of th e conditions u n d er w hich loans to p lan ters could be given.

B u t you w ill ask : “ A re th e re m any of th e B raziliancoffee p lan te rs really in m oney d ifficu lties?” T h is is a very difficult question to answ er. M any am onest those w ho live in g rea t sty le in th e cities of R io de Ja n e iro and Sao P au lo are said to be owing m oney, and th e affi#rs of deceased persons o ften ex h ib it a s ta te th a t one w ould n o t have expected of the principals w hen in life . P lan te rs , whom popular opinion believed to be rich , have been found to have h ad e s ta tes and slaves heav ily m ortgaged.

T h e o ld Fazendeiro , w h o ' m ade m oney a t co tto n , grow ing d u rin g th e A m erican w ar and le ft th e c u lti­vation of th a t in tim e to have coffee in bearing du ring th e period th a t h igh prices ru led , in 1872-73-74-75, is w ell off. B u t d u rin g th e la s t five years a g re a t m any es ta tes have changed hands. T h e sales w ere genera lly tim e bargains, and a t very h igh valuations. T h e new proprie to rs of these m u st feel th e effects of th e low price of coffee; a g re a t m any of th ese w ill go to th e w all.

U n d er th is head we m u st n o t fo rget to note th a t of, th e 850 m iles of railw ay open in th e p rovince of Sao Paulo , 800 m iles were m ade by local capita], and th e orig inal shareho lders w ere th e coffee p lan ters,

B u t the labour is in th e coun try . Supposing coffee to be a t a price th a t cannot pay th e B razilian p lan ter, w h a t can th e labour be em ployed on, if tak en olf coffee c u ltiv a tio n ? T his can only be answ ered by asking an o th er: w h a t w as th e labour em ployed on, before i t was concen tra ted on coffee-growing? Cotton was only grow n in Brazil d u rin g th e A m eri­can w ar and for tw o years a fterw ards, b u t now th e p roduction of co tton b y free blacks in th e U n ited S ta te s is g rea te r th a n i t was before th e w ar and before th e slaves w ere em anci­p ated . A lready in th e valley of th e P arah y b a , in th e P rovince of B io de Janeiro , m any coffee d rin k ers are devoting th e ir a tte n tio n to sugar-cane grow ing. T h is show s th e d irection to w hich ag ricu ltu re w ould incline T he coffee lan d s a re a ll su itab le for suga r­cane. Those in S&o P aulo could be very ea-ily c u lti­v a ted by th e plough. No d o u b t coffee fields th a t are g e t­tin g exhausted w ill be abandoned , and som ethng else will be cu ltiv a ted . W e w o u ld -u p p o se th a t coffiee clearings w ill fur a tim e be neg lected , w hile coffee does n o t show prospects of g iv ing a profit on cap i­ta l invested.

I m u st now draw m y rem ark s to a close. I hope I w ill n o t be u nderstood to have advanced opinions of m y own as regards th e fu tu re of coffee p lan ting . M y ob jec t has been to place th e fa c ts concerning th e coffee en terprize in Brazil before y o u r readers, leaving them to form th e ir own opinions. T hey w ill par- ticu l..rly note th a t th e em ancipation law , which we all looked upon as hav ing an effect on B razil’s lab iur- supply , has n o t answ ered th e expecta tions form ed of i t a t th e tim e i t was passed. T n is need n o t sur-

* p riz- us m uch, when we see th a t th ■ t r a ty of 1825 w ith G n a t B rita in for th e suppression of th e slave trad e ; th e law passed, in B razd in 1831, declaring all A fricans im ported after th a t d a te free ; and a sim ilar one in 1850, w ere all w ilfully evaded. I do n o t requ ire to d raw th e a tte n tio n of C eylon p lan ters to th e railw ay system of B razil, for you yourself have over and over again done so. W e have here a convincing proof of w h a t railw ays can do for new coun tries

You w ill no te also th a t , since th e p roduction of B razi­lian coffee has so exceeded th e dem and for consum ption, th e price lias fallen. I t will be e x p c te d , if th e cost of p roduction am oun ts to m ore th a n th e selling price of th e a rt'c le , th e p roducer will transfer his skill, energy and cap ita l to som ething else.

I noticed before th a t Ceylon coffee has n o t fallen in th e sam e proportion as Bri zilian. Ceylon w ith her cheap labour an d her freedom from ex p o rt du ties, if i t could g e t r id of leaf-disease, could afford to w a 't for prices to rise again. I do no t app reh en d such d isa s 'ro u s effects on her ag icu ltu re , as 1 fear for th a t of Brazil, ow ing to th e p resen t low price of coffee.

I t w ill be well fo r u s a ll to w atch carefu lly th e course of events. A . SC O TT-B LA C K LA W .

1st Feb. 1882.P . S .— T he la te s t re tu rn s I have seen ' from B io de

Jan e iro give th e to ta l exports fo r y ea r end ing 31stDeer. 1881 a t.. ... ... 4,217,600 bags

I have no t seen re tu rn s b u t, Santosand o ther po rts w ill be ... 1,500,000 ,,

5,717,600 „equal to 6,700,000 cw t. T h e re is over 600,000 cw t. stock on hand in B io and Santos.

C EY LO N PB O D U C T S—N E W A N D O L D —IN LON- DON.

London, E . C ., 16th F eb ru ary 1882. D e a r S i r , — W e have to rep o rt a con tinued dullness

in o u r coffee m ark e t, a lthough we trace a b e tte r feeling du ring th e last^day or tw o. tW h a w ith th e s ta g n a­

tio n of dem and , th e w ish of holders to realize, drooping prices in B razil, an d dow nw ard ten d en cy in N ew Y ork , th e inactive position here is sufficiently accounted for.

T he tu rn of th e year has b ro u g h t forw ard a good m any annual c ircu lars from com peten t au th o rities , w hich go fu lly iu to th e prospects fo r th e ensuing year. A ll agree in ascrib ing th e p resen t s itu a tio n to over-sup­ply , b u t i t is s ta te d also th a t consum ption is increasing a t a considerable ra te and th a t th e reduced prices m u st needs g rea tly re s tr ic t th e use of a ll su b s titu te s . R e ­m arkab ly enough, how ever, th is c o u n try m akes one exception from th e experience as to th e w orld a t lai-ge, th e consum ption of coffee having, d u rin g th e p ist th i r ty years, ra th e r decreased a l i t t le , w hile th a t of tea has augm ented m anifold T h is is a fac t w hich should n o t be lost sight of by those engaged in th e younger in d u stry . As th e excess in preseu t stocks in th e U n ited k in g d o m is estim ated a t as equal to only abo u t one m on th ’s consum ption, th e s itu a tio n does no t look so g lo o m y ; only th e uneven location of these stocks will ren d er th e ir d is tr ib u tio n an d absorp tion a m a tte r of g rea ter tim e an d difficulty.

T here is no th ing to re p o rt in the qu in ine m ark e t, no th ing w orthy of no te hav ing been sold. S u lp h a te of quin ine con tinues qu ie t, H ow ards is q uo ted a t 10s, F rench 10s, an d G erm an 9s fid per oz.

We have received from B arranquila , S ou th A m erica, th e follow ing inform ation in reply to o u r inqu iry for ru b b e r an d cinchona seed :—

“ W e sha ll w ith m uch p leasure t r y to com ply w ilh yo u r w ish e s T his, how ever, w ill only be p a rtly possi­ble, as you w ill see by th e to liow ing in form ation , w hich we tak e th e lib e r ty to give you on th e subj ct. The cinchona ledgeriana orig inates from seeds of P eruv ian calisaya by fructifica tion w ith o th e r k inds, an d is an irreg u la r hyb rid , w hich very seldom gives seeds, and is, theiefore, to be p ropagated by cu ttin g s. T he c in ­chona calisaya S ta F e has n early been ex tirp a ted , years a g o ; therefo re no seeds can be go t of th is kind. T he seeds w e cou ld g e t you would be of th e •c u p re a ,’ b u t th is species, as w ell as th e ‘ qu in a of P a y ta ,’ which cam e to the m ark e ts a few years ago, a re n o t rea l cinchonas, and a re th e only false cinchonas (cisc-irillas) w hich con tain quin ine, and i t is th e re ­fore probab le th a t th e cupreas from seeds are valuele-s. T he seed of th e cinchona lancifo lia , th e only valuable k ind w hich grow s here, is very difficult to get, an d th en in a condition th a t does n o t germ inate .

“ W ith regard to rubber, i t is found in ' some a- bundanca and of good q u a lity th ro u g h o u t th e C entra l A ndes, w hich form th e w estern boundary of th is s ta te , and grow s a t an elevation of 5,( 00 to 7,000 feet. T he best class is found near th e la t te r figure. W e have desired several of those who b ring in th e ru b b er to procure th e seed you w ish, an d hope to send yon some a t an early date .

“ A gen tlem an b ro u g h t a t one tim e some seed of th e 1 Lancifolia R o ja ,’ w hich is one of th e best varieties, and has s ta rted a p lan ta tio n on th e high p la ins. W e hope to receive some seed from him p er re tu rn post.

W ith regard to C eylon tea , th e re has been a l i t t le sold d u rin g the la s t week B , 1881, 33 cases ( tin can isters) pekoe souchong a t 6£d p er lb .; A garsland , 27 boxes pekoe souchong a t l l f d p er lb. F o r sale n e x t w eek, th e re are 14 half-chests souchong under m ark C ourt-

Siopo, B osanquet & Co. The te a firs t-m entioned under m ark R w as of very bad q u a lity and m ake,— Y ours fa ith fu lly , H U T C H IS O N & Co.

B O B ER IN CO C O N U T T R E E S .N o ak h a lly , Bengal, 23rd F eby . 1882.

To the E d itor o f the “ 7Y, :<ical A gricu ltu ris t.”D ea r S i r ,— W ith re fe ren c . to “ E . E. A .’s ” le tte rs

an en t borer in coconut tre e s in your issue of F e b y ,, page

665, I would be obliged by “ E. E . A .” inform ing me (1) a t w hat seasons of th e year th e sa lt is to be app lied ? (2 ) If th e sa lt is to be applied to every tree in th e p lan ta tio n tw ice a year, w hether th e trees are a ttack ed or not ? (3) Is i t any use app ly ing th e sa lt to a ttack ed trees?—Y ours fa ith fu lly , SIGM A.

CO M FO RT FO R P L A N T E R S : F IN E C O F F E E SA M PL ES.

Dea r S i r ,— T he annexed w ill show th a t Ceylon coffee can hold its ow n against th e world.

T he p rop rie to rs of S tockholm , I im agine, echo th e w ish of th e Loudon agen ts th a t th e re was m ore of th e coffee to place on th e m ark e t, b u t w ith adverse seasons “ w hat can do?”

The coffee refe rred to w as cured an d sh ip p ed by M essrs. Sabonadiere &, Co.— I am, yours fa ith fu lly ,

E . J . T .M essrs, R unc im an & S m ith , London agen ts for

Stockholm E sta te , w rite to th is e ffe c t:— W e have pleasure in forw arding accoun t sales of th e las t sh ip ­m ent of Stockholm coffee and co ngra tu la te th e pro­p rie to rs on th e very favorable r ts u . ts realized. T here was a regu lar scram ble in th e L ane lo r th e S tockholm coffee w hich was certainly a very fine sam ple and fetched extrem e prices in th e p resen t s ta te of th e m arket, as u n d e r :—

1 c 1 barre l ............ I I 3s9 c 1 1 99s 6d2 c 1 t 107s 6d1 c I t 67s

C IN C H O N A COCC1NEA.B adu lla , 10th M arch 18S2.

D ea r S ir ,— I w as g lad to see, by y o u r paper of th e 4 th in s t . , th a t M r. J . E. H ow ard th e quinologist, is anxious to g e t some of th e leaves, flowers, f ru it, &c., of th e cinchona tree , I w ro te to you ab o u t on th e 30th N ov. last, an d w hich 1 th en suggested w as C. coccinea, as i t answ ered to th e p la te of th is v arie ty in th e “ I llu s tra te d N ueo. Q uinology.” A t your sug­gestion, I th en sen t D r. T rim en som e specim ens of th e leaves, flowers, f ru it, &c. These g o t d ried andm ouldy, as D r. T rim en w as aw ay a t th e tim e. Inhis reply he sa id :—

“ F rom w hat I can m ake of th em th ey differ from C. succir/ibra in several p a rticu la rs , b u t I am n o t p re ­pared to give any p a rticu la r nam e. V ery l i t t le is know n abou t C . coccinea beyond w h a t can be gathered from H ow ard’s p la te ; from which y our p la n t differs in th e sm ooth leaf-veins an d m ore ob tuse leaves. Unless o ur ‘ R obusta ’ tu rn s o u t to be i t , there is no reason to suppose th a t C. coccinea has ever been b rough t from S outh A m erica to th e E a s t ” On m y sending Dr. T rim en a second lo t of specim ens, he replied :—

“ I have exam ined yo u r cinchona, b u t I am no table to give you a nam e for it. I sha ll place i t near succirubra an d th in k i t probab ly one of th e form s ofC. ovatae, b u t w ith o u t au th e n tic specim ens for com ­parison i t is no t possible to nam e w ith an y k ind of ce rta in ty . T here are po in ts of resem blance to C. cord ifo ia , and . also, as you suggested, to O. coccinea. I have n o t seen q u ite t h a t form before. F ro m your acc u n t of i ts source, how ever, th e re sh ou ld be o therg in th e B adulla d is tr ic t .”

In describ ing th e tre e to D r. T riinen , I th in k I said it was from 9 to 10 years of ,-ige, an d orig inally came from tiak g a lla . I t answ ers Dr. T rim en’s descrip tion of C. cordif'tlia (Owen’s M anual) in some respects, b u t grows to even a g re a te r leng th th a n O. sucirubra.*

I send you by to d ay ’s p o st some of the leaves, flowers,

* I t is q u ite u n lik e th e R o b u sta varieties, Vubescens U ritu sin g a , &c., &c., og w hich we have g re a t num bers now in th e D is tr ic t,— B. G.

and f ru it ot th is tree , and sha ll be g lad if you w ould fo rw ard them to M r. H ow ard a t m y expense. Should he requ ire a l i t t le of th e b a rk for analysis, I sha ll be g lad to send h im some of th a t as w ell.—Y ours tru ly ,

B. G.[The leaves resem ble those of C. succirubra, b u t are

sm aller and m ore elegan tly veined w ith p in k . T hey w ill be du ly fo rw arded .—E d.]

C O F F E E C U L T IV A I ION A N D M A N U R IN G E X P E R IM E N T S : - 6 Cw t . P E R A C R E O F C R O P

, 4 Y E A R S R U N N IN G , IN C E Y LO N .M aria es ta te , W attagam a.

D ear S ir , — I have carefu lly looked over M r. Bosam- q u v t's le tte r of F ebruary 1st, in your T ropical A g r i­culturist of M arch 1st, ab o u t h is m anuring experim ents, for which he deserves th e th a n k s of a ll p lan ters.

H e w ill excuse me for a few rem arks I now m ake on th e su b jec t of m anuring .

N o. 1. — Coffee from e ig h t to n ine years old, w hich w as never m anured, if th e e a rth is well forked, th e trees w ill certa in ly th ro w o u t wood and give good crop for one year w ith o u t m anure, and m ay even do fa irly well th e second year, bu t, if no t m anured in th e second year, in th e t . ird year th e trees will be exhausted .

No. 2 .— C a ttle m anure 25 lb. w ith J lb. bone dust. T h is is no d o u b t well, w hen you can afford to give so m uch c a ttle m anure to each tree , b u t c a ttle m anure is expensive and I have found th a t 2 to 3 lb. ca ttle m anure w ith J ib . of a m ix tu re (ashes, lim e, fish an d poonac) m ixed w ith soil in holes o r trenches one year, an d th e n e x t year a fo rk ing w ith a top-d ressing of J m easure • lim e and ashes m ixed to a tree , has given m e in a c e r t­ain field abo u t 15 cw t. p e r acre in 1880 an d 12 cw t. per acre in 1881. I have th is year holed i t again and a p ­p lied th e firs t m ix tu re an d th e trees prom ise again a good crop. T here was a fair blossom o u t on th e 4 th and 5 th in stan t, w hich has se t well, an d lo ts of sp ike show ing. W henever th e re is any sign of leaf-disease I a t once ap p ly country lim e* (from a lim e kiln close to th is es ta te) an d wood ashes b o th over and und er the trees, an d have alw ays been able to k ill some and d rive aw ay th e rest.

A s regards th e o th e r m ix tu re , I w ould suggest p u ttin g some ca ttle m anure w ith all, even if only 1 lb . a tree . T hese a re some of m y experim ents a t an eleva­tio n from 2,000 to 3 ,000 fee t.—Y ours fa ith fu lly ,

J . H O L LO W A Y .P . S .— I am g lad to ad d an o th e r year, th is now being

th e fo u rth y ea r of th is e s ta te hav ing given its 6 cwt. p e r acre on coffee in bearing, an d p a rts of th e esta te prom ise to m ak e up for an o th e r fa ir average du ring th e com ing crop.

G OLD IN CEY LO N .

Colombo, 11th M arch 1882.D ea r S ir ,— W ith reference to a p arag raph re gold in

Ceylon, I beg to s ta te th a t each successive find of au rife r­ous q uartz is not th e m ost prom ising. T he o rd er of m erit,so fa r as I am aw are, for auriferous reefs is , R am - boda, H ew aheta ; R an g a la . T h e q u a rtz on C astlerea is n o t a t a ll of a very prom ising descrip tion , th e m ajo rity of bou lders I eing full of c iv itie s w ith decayed felspar. No mispeckel was found th e re . N o nugget w as ever found in R am boda, b u t on ly gold in tine grains.

A L E X . C . D IX O N .

A N O T H E R C H A M P IO N SU C C IR U B R A T R E E .G am pola, 11th M arch 1882.

D ear S ir ,— I m easured a succiru b ra tre e on Gam- palia, U dapussellaw a, w hich is 5 fee t'6 inches in g ir th near th e ground. T h is is 12 inches m ore th an th e G lencairn tree . T h e tre e is abo u t 17 years o ld ; i t had

orig inally 3 stem s, w hich w ere c u t dow n 6 years ago, an d i t has now one stem ab o u t 30 fee t h ig h .— Y ours fa ith fu lly , T . H . S.

No. I I .K elburne, H apu ta le , 10th M arch 1882.

D e a r S i r , — I have seen th e le t te r from yo u r co rre­spondent “ E . S. G .” w hich appears in y our pap er of 7 th in stan t. I t is alleged th a t th is D ikoya tree w as abo u t 14 years o ld , a single stem 42 fee t in h e igh t w ith a g ir th of 3 feet 3 inches i t a po in t six feet above th e ground. O ne of th e large trees I m easured was ab o u t 20 years old, a single stem, 441 fee t in he igh t, w ith a g ir th of 4 feet a t a point, free from knots, one and a h a lf feet above th e ground. T here is accordingly l i t t le difference in th e size of th e trees and I have no dou b t m ine was th e larger tree . I d id no t roo t up m y tree . T he figures for bark, w hich “ E S . G .” quotes, a re as follow, an d I set m ine beside them :—

Wet bark. D ry bark. Wet bark. D ry bark. lb. : lb. lb . lb .

S tem qu ill 142 joJ 70 S tem quill 75 26B ranch 40 12 B. & tw ig s 42

182 H 82 117

11

37

H ow is i t to be accounted for th a t th is tre e in D ik ­oya gave m ore th a n tw ice as m uch stem bark as m ine ? I observe th a t m y w et stem b a rk loot 65^ per cen t w eight in d ry in g against 50§ in th e case of th e I >ikoya siem bark , and my branch an d tw ig bark lost 74 per cen t as agains t 70 per cen t in th e o th e r case. I t is curious to note th a t th e branch bark was alm ost of same w eight in bo th cases.

I have s til l s tand ing some old trees w hich I feel very confident canno t be m atched o u t of H ap u ta le . M r. G . M aitland freqen tly stood u n d e r them , and pro­nounced them th e finest in Ceylon, and I have y e t to be persuaded th a t th e “ cham pion ” tree of Ceylon is, or w as to be found in D ikoya.— Y ours fa ith fu lly ,

JO H N H . C A M PB ELL.

S E W PR O D U C TS vs. C E Y L O N CLO V ES S E L L IN G W E L L .

Colombo, 14th M arch 1882.D e a r S i r s , — A t th e suggestion of M r. P e te r Moir,

w e beg to hand you c >py of a le tte r addressed to h im by M essrs. Brookes and F aith , London, w ith respect to the sale of a parcel of Ceylon-grow n cloves. Mr. M oir th in k s th e com m unication may perhaps be fo u n d su it­able for inse rtion in th e “ T ropical A g ric u ltu ris t.”— W e are, dear sirs, yours fa ith fu lly , GEO. S T E U A R T & Co

Copy.25, M incing L ane, E . C. London, 15th F eb ruary , 1882.

P e t e r M o ir , Esq.D e a r S i r ,— W e beg to advise th a t a t to -d ay ’s sale

th e firs t parcel of cloves grow n in Ceylon was offered, an d consisted of 8 cases tine b righ t heads and sh o rt stem s, bearing a g rea t resem blance to P enang and sold w ith s trong com petition a t 2s. Old to 2s Id per lb. T h is , we believe, is th e first sh ipm en t th a t has tak en place to any p o rt an d we are given to u n d e rs tan d th a t th e trees have been im ported from P enang , from w hich place w e receive th e best quality .

W e th in k th e prices realised m u st be very encourag­ing an d rem unera tive to p lan te rs , and as th e supply from P enang is a t all tim es, sm all we th in k th e re is p len ty of room for m oderate sh ipm en ts .—Y o u r obed ien t se rvan ts ,

(Signed) B R O O K ES & F A IT H .

C O F F E E L E A F D IS E A S E A N D T H E C A R B O LIC A C ID V A P O U R PR O C ESS.

Colombo, 15 th M arch 1882.I D e a r S i r , — I have read w ith considerable in te re s t

M r. S to rc k ’s paper pub lished in yo u r issue of y es­te rd a y . H is m ode of using the carbolic acid is, of course, ex trem ely sim ple and is indeed iden tical w ith m y own, in p rin c ip le , differing only in th e form of app lication . W h en a f tT some m onths of co n stan t experim ents I s ta te d , early in 1881, th a t “ u n ­mistakable evidence had been collected, that so long as the atmosphere was tainted w ith the vapour o f this most pow erfu lly antiseptic chemical, le a f disease could make. no progress," M r. W m . S m ith , one of y ou r o ldest and m ost experienced p lan te rs , asked m e w h eth er or n o t some such m ethod as exposing carbolic acid in vessels could he m ade to answer th e purpose. A fte r th e p re ­lim inary experim ents I had one goal before m e viz : to devise a p rac tica l m ethod by w hich w ith th e m inim um expenditu re in Carbolic A cid, we could ob ­ta in m axim um and sufficient resu lts , and th e program m e I ou tlined for th is year’s operations has been draw n up w ith th a t chief ob jec t in view. I would have been g lad to borrow an y th in g from M r. S to rek which m igh t have ten d ed to m ore abso lu te ly ensure th e success of m y » ork, b u t a p a r t from a ce rta in w an t of p rac ticab ility an d th e danger of giving th e pu re s trong acid in to th e hands of th e cooly, Mr. S to rck uses carbolic acid in th e leas t economical form in w hich it can be used fo r a perm anent trea tm en t. T he large expanse and con tigu ity of coffee es ta te s in Ceylon would necessitate here th e use of a much larger q u a n tity of carbolic acid th a n M r. K torck found suffi­c ien t in F i j i .—yours fa ith fu lly ,________________________E U G E N E C. SC H R O T T K Y ,

P e a r l O y s t e r s a n d S h e l l s — T here are on oyste rs and scarcely an y pearl shells on th e B arbadoes reefs, b u t a good pearl is now an d th e n , a t long in tervals, go t from th e conch, som e of w hich have b ro u g h t £5 . Mr. A rcher has heard of one th a t was valued in London a t £50. — Trin idad Chronicle.

I nsects.— The D octor’s Correspondence, in th e Am eri­can A griculturist, contains some am using as well as useful inform ation respecting insects and th e ir habits. Persons were ra ther astonished to leam th a t one of th e cock­chafers spent three years of subterranean life before seeking daylight, b u t some of the cicadas, i t appears, spend from th irteen to seventeen years underground 1 W e quote as follows :— “ As usual in summer, the le tte rs from my young friends are, alm ost entirely, about insects. I t is very natura l th a t th is should be so, as there is no th ­ing concerning which less is known, th an about our m ost common insects. These appear in such a m anner as to a ttra c t cur a tten tion merely as objects of curiosity, o r they may come upon the p lan ts in our fields and gardens in such numbers, as to m ake it necessary for som ething to be done to check then- ravages. I am always glad when a boy or girl asks me about an in ­sect, for two re a so n s: I am glad th a t i t shows a desire on their part to know som ething of the common things about them , and secondly, i t . often leads me to study up and learn about the insect myself. You m ust not th ink th a t “ The Doctor ” knows about every th ing ; in a tolerably long experience, the m ost th a t I can claim is a fair knowledge of the m eans of finding out about the th ings I do not know. The m en who knew the m ost about the g reatest variety of things, of any persons I ever m et, were Prof. Charles Pickering, and Prof. Louis Agassiz, yet, I have had both of these say to me, “ I don’t know.” So when the m ost learned of the world can say “ I don’t know,” you and I need never feel ashamed to say the same. B ut th a t should no t be the end of i t ; the fact th a t ice “ do no t know ," should set us a t once to finding o u t.”

N E W P R O D U C T S : C A N D LE T R E E (PA R M E N - T IE R A C E R IFH R A ) IN T R IN ID A D .

From M r. P resto e’a long an d in te re s tin g R e p o rt on th e B otan ic G ardens, T rin id ad , we quo te as follow s in reference to a tree w hich has been a lready in tro d u ced in to Ceylon, a lthough n o t m uch is know n of its p roducts :—

I t is now snme seventeen years ago th a t Mr. B ull of Chelsea in troduced th is ra th e r pecu liar tree to th e a tten tio n of cu ltiva to rs , hav ing ob ta ined i t from Panam a. I t received its nam e from th e resem bl nee of its f ru its—borne in masses from th e stem and larger b ranches—to hanging candles. So far, I do n o t find th a t any use has ever been m ade of th is tree in cu ltiva tion , n o t even th a t special one as fodder for horses and stock of a ll sorts, an d for w hich i t was orig inally recom m ended. T he tree now well estab lished in th e O rchard and N ursery G rounds has th e hab t of an erect-grow ing and th in ly -b ranched E nglish p lum -tree. Of m oderate h a b it or ra te of g row th , i t is em inently ad ap ted for field cu ltivation w here th e ground m igh t be too uneven o r stony for annual cropping. I t is also well su ited for h ill side positions. T he h igh ly sa tisfacto ry m anner in w hich th is tree has th riv en and produced its h igh ly n u tr itio u s f ru its—to g e th er w ith th e fac t th a t a ll k in d s 01 stock devour them g reed ily—induce me to give i t special m ention here as a fodder-p lan t specially ad ap ted for tro p ica l o r sub-tropical countries w here th e annual o r occasional severe d ro u g h t occasions a scarc ity of fodder for certa in periods, such indeed as occurs and is a notab le d raw back to p ro sp erity in some p a r ts of Ind ia , tro p ica l A ustra lia , N atal, &c. In th is la t te r colony i t is s ta te d on good au th o rity , th a t th e one g reat obstacle to b reed ing s ock is th e scarc ity of fodder for a few weeks annually , aud occasionally for longer periods. I t appears to me th a t th is tree is w ell ad ap ted to m eet th is v ita l w a n t as i t ex ists in N ata l. T he one d raw back w ith its cu ltiv a tio n in th e rough and ready sty le of farm ing in th e colonies, and th e absence of fences is, th a t owing to th e fondness of sto ck for th e leaves and branches as well as th e f ru it, young trees would alw ays be in d anger of being in ju re d or devoured if le ft u np ro tec ted . T here appears, how ever, to be a set-off to th is d raw back in th e ch arac te r of th e f ru it. I t is u sua lly 18 inche< long, and one inch or m ore th ic k , and of so firm a tex tu re as to ad m it of being tied in bundles, an d in th is form w ould beq u ite capable of bearing tra n sp o r t in waggon o r byra il 3 o r 4 days w ith o u t in ju ry , p rov ided ordinary p recau tion be ta k e n agains t im m ediate heating. T hus th e f ru its m igh t be grow n in one q u a r te r o u t of reach of ca ttle , and be conveyed to an o th e r q u a rte r for consum ption. T he tree is ev id en tly n o t particu la r as to soil, b u t like m ost trees i t th riv es b es t in good soil. Y e t i t is heav ily fru itfu l in very poor soil,such as th a t in w hich i t grows here. I t m ay besaid th a t i t is never w ithout, some f ru its , b u t a s trong po in t in its ch a rac te r is th a t of f ru itin g m ost heavily ju s t a t th e approach of a n d th ro u g h th e d ry season. W ith these ch aracters I regard th e tree as being capable of supp ly ing the* trop ica l d ry season w ith a source of fodder for stock , ju s t as th e tem p era te w in ter has its supp ly of fodder in m angles, and swedes, &c. A s to y ield according to w h a t th e trees bear—in th e December an d Ja n u a ry crops—and w hich is less th a n half for th e y ea r—25 to 30 tons w eigh t of f ru it to th e acre m ay be regarded as the average for10-year-old trees. T h e deciduous character of th e tree in d ry w eather, and its read iness in p roducing foliage an d rem aining green when th e w eather is n o t excessively d ry , lead me to conclude th a t th e n atu reo f th e p la n t is decidedly accom m odating, ie . , i t w ill th r iv e and be fru it- I ful u n d er m uch g rea te r ex trem es of clim ate as to tern- I p e ra tu re—th an i t has to bear here, b u t s till a m inim um I should not be below 60° Fah,—T rin id a d Chronicle. '

S a n d w i c h I s l a n d s C o f f e e . — T he coffee of th e Sandw ich Is lan d s , know n by th e nam e of kona coffee, is of excellen t q u a lity and easily c u ltiv a te d ; i t is sold a t th e ra te of 12 cen ts th e $ tti in th e cou n try . I t ik consum ed w ith o u t m ix tu re ; th e re is no need of an aux ilia ry , as w ith some kinds. I t s export, w hich rose in 1878-9 to 180.000 kilogram s, decreased in 1880.— Journa l des Economists.!;.

T anks for the reception of liquid-m annre from the stables or cow-houses and for house sewage are useful a d ju n c ts ; especially is th is the case where th e supply of ordinary farm yard m anure is lim ited in quan tity , and for use on fru it borders, where it is considered unad- visable to fork in m uch m anure, because of the num ber of surface roots, and where continued surface-dressings may be raising th e borders higher th an is desirable. H eaps of loam or compost in stock may be thoroughly enriched by being frequently favoured w ith a supply when available. W here the subsoil is a retentive clay, tanks m ay be constructed a t a trifling expense, as a11-inch brick-wall, set in cem ent, will generally be found sufficient for th e sides, provided they are well puddled a ro u n d : bu t on ligh t soils and stony ground two such walls m ay require to be built w ith a half-inch cavity between, which can be filled w ith cem ent.— Gardeners' Chronicle.

C o ffe e - le a f D is e a s e .— Mr. M arshall W ard has made his th ird and concluding report on th e Coffee-leaf dis­ease, which has caused so m uch mischief in Ceylon. The disease is caused solely by th e H em ileia, a parasitic fungus originally described in these columns by Mr. Berkeley. T he whole direct dam age done by the fungus is loss of leaves, whence, of course, arise evils conse­quent on starvation and suffocation. T he spores are carried by th e wind, germ inate in m oist w eather, and run the ir life cycle in about three weeks, to begin again th e ir course of destruction. E x te rnal applications, owing to th e countless num ber of spores and the impossibility of reaching them all, are useless, nor have the attem pts made to com bat the fungus while growing within the tissue of th e leaf been of any service. Mr. W ard re­commends the collection and destruction of diseased leaves, no t by burning, bu t by burying them and cover­ing them w ith caustic lime, sheltering the p lantation from spore-laden winds, and cultu ral proceedings so con­trived th a t there m ay be as little young foliage exposed during the tim e when the monsoons prevail, and the spores are m ost blown about.— Gardeners' Chronicle.

P a l m s .— One of the p re ttie st novelties among these is the new Caledonia* Kentiopsis divaricata, which has p innate leaves, the leaflets of which are broadish and alternate ; the leaves when first developed are of a rich brownish- red colour, and in th is stage th e p lan t is very effective. Another new pinnate Palm is th e P inanga patu la from Sum atra , which has a dwarf, slender stem from 5 to 6 feet high, th e leaves 4 to 5 feet long, w ith broadish leaflets. In Synechantkus fibrosus, from G uatem ala, we have ano ther dwarf and graceful species, w ith a trunk 4 feet high, and a crown of p innate leaves, the linear- lanceolate leaflets of which are from 1— 1J foot long ; the flowers of th is Palm are succeeded by orange-red drupes. Ravenea H ildebrandtii, from Johanna Island, a tta in s to 10 or 12 feet in height, and its p innate leaves arc made up of num erous narrow lanceolate leaflets. In N unnezliaria tenella we get w hat has been designated as perhaps the dwarfest known Palm , the entire plant, in a fruit-bearing condition, being only 9 inches h ig h ; its obovate-oblong nervose leaves arc bifid a t the extrem ity, and the yellow flowers are produced in long drooping slender spikes, alm ost as long as the p lan t itself. The beautiful P ritchard ia grandis, which has figured w ith such excellent effect in Mr. Bull’s prize collections, has been nam ed L icuala grandis by Mr. W eudland,—Gardeners’ Chronicle.

G O R SE AS FOOD FO R STOCK.I t is worthy of note th a t gorse takes bu t a small

percentage of minprnl ingredients from the soil, in com­parison with other fodder p lants. This is clearly shown by Johnstone, whose sta tem ent m ay well be reproduced:

Green. Dry.1. L ucerne...............2-6 9'52. Red Clover . . 1-6 7'5

Green. Dry.3. W hite Clover 1- 7 9 14. Gorse ............... 0 -82 3 1

In Ireland gorse is m uch grown for purposes of stock- feeding. In the western p art of C ounty Cork, and, in fact, in many parts of north Ireland, i t occupies a prominent place as food for both horses and cattle. One large farm er has been known to feed for m any years two or three hundred head of ca ttle from Nov. 1 to the following May on chopped furze only, Sunday ex­cepted, when they were regaled w ith turnips. And these ca ttle were said to be as fine and healthy as any in the country. B ut, generally speaking, horses in work, or cows in m ilk, are no t fed conclusively on gorse by farm ers who have experim ented w ith it. Y ouatt used to say tha t, “ If 20 lb. of furze are given to a horse, 5 lb. of straw , the beans, and 3 lb. of oats may be withdrawn.” Experience has shown th a t horses thrive well 011 gorse and a feed of boiled potatoes once a day. In every case where furze-feeding is practised, i t is desirable to mix a small quan tity of sa lt w ith the o ther food, particularly for horses, as furze is of a heating nature. Furze-fed cows yield m ilk rich in cream , and the bu tter produced from it is of a line natu ra l colour —far superior to th a t made from the produce of cows fed 011 hay and turnips.

The following table will be serviceable as showing the high rank which furze takes, among different kinds of w inter fodder:

F lesh-fo rm - F a t-fo rm - F les li-fo rm - F a t- fo rm ­ing m a tte r , in g m a tte r . in g m a t te r , m g m a tte r .

F u rz e 3-21 9-38 Swedes ..1 -94 5 93Cabbage . .1 63 5-00 C arrots . .0 60 1'018Kohl R a b i. .2-75 8-62 I Turnips ..1 -80 4-43Mangolds . . l 'o l 8-60 | •

I t is m atter for surprise th a t English farm ers have no t long ago extensively brought in to use such a valu­able food for their stock. Probably the true explanation is th a t they are, as a body, ignorant of its suitability for th is purpose.— G. G.— Fietd. [Gorse or furze (in Scotland whins) grow freely a t N uwara E liya.— Ed.]

A PLAN T TO R E PLA C E T H E V IN E.W e have received the following com m unication from

M. Auguste Deleuil, agriculturist, mem ber of the Agri­cultural Society of F rance, <Src.:—

Everyone has heard of the g reat losses' our national agriculture has sustained during th e last tw enty years from the ravages of the phy lloxera; more th an half of the French vines have already disappeared, aud none can foretel the extent of the devastation to come. Vainly have all kinds of remedies been tried, bu t w ith­out success. In spite of tlie thousand and one recipes employed in tu rn to combat and to destroy it, the phyl­loxera continues to ravage a t will our splendid and luxuriant vineyards. In the face of such a disaster, an energetic agriculturist, whose labours have already re ­ceived the sanction and encouragem ent of our learned societies, after m any fruitless efforts to remove the evil, has succeeded, not in destroying the effects of the phyl­loxera; but in bringing forward another wine-producing p lant. Thus, leaving the vine to its fate, he turned his a tten tion to find out if possible another p lan t to supply the elements of prosperity which we are losing by the disappodbanee of the precious vine.

At last th is p lant has been found. I t is a variety 01 red beetroot, unrivalled , in the whole world for its incomparable qualities, which m il in tim e replace all th a t we have lost in the vino. B eetroot produces alcohol of superior q u a lity : why, then, should not Its pulp,

199

treated like the m ust of the grape, produce an equally luscious beverage ? In fact, th is has been d o n e ; the very sweet red beetroot produces by ferm entation a wine quite as good as many of the soi-disant wines of our southern vineyards. I t possesses the additional advant­age of accom m odating itself to all soils, and flourishes in m ost climates.

W e wish, then, to m ake th is fact known, if i t be oi#y to stim ulate new discoveries or develope fu rther resources in wine growing.

W ith the view of popularising th is plant, th e propa­gator places himself gratuitously a t the disposition of agriculturists, to furnish them w ith the seeds they may require. Application can be made to M. Auguste Deleuil, Agronomc, a G ardanne, p r6s Marseille, F rance.—F ield .

D A TE C O F F E E . ■In view of the efforts now being made to popularize

date coffee in th is country, the following opinion of a chem ist who has recently given th e subject much a tte n ­tion will prove of in terest. Coffee, says he, referring to the genuine article, is em inently the beverage of the m asses and one of those things th a t should be kep t in th e best m anner, a t the m ost m oderate price, for the sake of common commercial m orality. I t is by all food authorities claimed to be a powerful respiratory excitant, and has a crystallized nitrogenous elem ent, called caf­feine, upon which the action chiefly depends. I t decreases the vaporizing action of the skin, and therefore dries th a t o rg a n ; it lessens the loss of heat of th e body, and increases the action of the heart. F or these rea ­sons coffee is also em inently the drink of the poor and feeble, because it augm ents energy and pulsation. B ut in date coffee the vegetable fibre strongly predom inates, and bu t for brown extractive m atte r and sugar, little volatile prop rties can be expected. On tria l, the chem ist above refei red to found th a t it coloured well, bu t pos­sessed a tas te no t agreeable, and a burn t flavour of a peculiar character, ra th er sickly th an otherwise. In h is opinion, all o ther known com binations in which coffee plays a part, such, for instance, as the Eichel coffee of the G erm ans and others, have a more arom atic tas te th an th is peculiar offshoot of the brain of an en terpris­ing m an. “ There have been testim onials given th a t date coffee is a healthy beverage,” says he, “ bu t these testim onials are no t comprehensive enough to make us change our grand old beverage for one which is far in ­ferior, really does not carry out the purpose i t is in ­tended for, and need not he fetched so far a t an immense expense. The Arab has the date atid coffee, bu t he pre­fers the la tte r as a beverage when he can get i t ; and we have various substitu tes of native growth less costly th an the date, which would answer the same purpose if the genuine article were scarce.” A lthough date coffee does not belong to the class of food adulterations, but to th a t of food im itations, it should of course be sold for what it is, if sold a t all. There is here a danger of fraud against which it is proper to guard.— New York Commercial Enquirer.

U M BR ELLA AND W A LK IN G -STIC K PLA N TA TIO N S.W hen Beau Brnmmel defied public ridicule in order

to found th a t useful in stitu tion the um brella, he prob­ably little thought to w hat enormous proportions the industry of m anufacturing those now indispensable a r ti­cles would grow’ : and we may take it for granted th a t neither he nor his representatives of the “ cru tch and toothpick " order ever im agined th a t the dem and for cer­ta in kinds of walking-sticks and umbrella handles would th rea ten w ith nest ruction a valuable and im portan t W est Indian p lanting industry, w’hich had its origin in the supply of spices. American sta tistic ians have calculated how m an) trees are required every year to supply the wooden toothpick which on th a t continent takes th e place of a fam iliar quill. The Jam aica Gleaner now

tells us th a t the pim ento or allspice walks in Jam aica are threatened with destruction owing to the ruthless way in which the young plants are pulled up in order to supply the demand for um brella and walking sticks, for which purpose the beautiful shape and grain of the wood render these sticks great favourites. A m onth ago it was estim ated th a t in Kingston alone there were half a million sticks aw aiting export to E ngland and Ame­rica, to be made in to walking-sticks and um brella handles. These sticks were alm ost w ithout exception pimenlb, and it is no t surprising to hear the owners aud lessees of pim ento walks are being alarm ed a t the growth of a trade which threatens to uproot in a few years all their young trees, and deprive them to a great extent of their income. The export re tu rns for the last five years show th a t an average of 2,000 bundles of sticks has been sent out of the island annually in the ordin­ary cBurse of trade, w ithout tak ing account of the num bers taken away by hand, by casual travellers, and those consumed in Jam aica itself. The present year has seen a large increase in th is trade, the retu rns for the first three quarters of the financial year showing an export of over 4,500 bundles, valued a t more th an £2,000. W hen i t is remembered th a t each bundle con­tains from 500 to 800 sticks, each of which represents a young bearing pim ento tree, th e extent of the destruc­tion may be realised. Even then a large addition m ust be made for faulty sticks, pulled up bu t rejected by the exporter. The pim ento crop of Jam aica during the last fen years is estim ated to be w orth over half a million annually ; and, although the p lan t is indigenous, and grows wild, those who make its cultivation an in ­dustry complain th a t walking-stick collectors do not con­iine their a tten tion to the wild crops, lm t prefer the better-shaped p lan ts 'o n private “ walks.” The p lan ts destined to provide walking-sticks are pulled up by the root, so the destruction is complete ; and the walking- s irk trade, whether carried on by legitim ate collectors or not, o ils fair to seriously interfere w ith the produc­tion of pimento, unless steps are taken to protect a due percentage of the stock .— Colonies and India .

SU LPH U R IC ACID—IT S U SE AS A PRO M O TER O F T H E R A PID G ERM IN A TIO N OF S E E D S.

The following extract from the Statesm an on the pro­perties of Sulphuric acid for hastening the germ ination of seeds, together w ith some notes thereon from a corre­spondent, J . N., will doubtless prove of in terest to our read ers:—

Certain experim entsrecently made by Professor Tyndall, upon the use of sulphuric acid in prom oting the more rapid germ ination of seeds, or ra ther fruits, contained in fbellj capsules, such as nuts, almonds and stones, have been attended w ith such marvellous results th a t atten tion may well be directed to it in India, where the diffi­culty of raising fru it trees from im ported stones with a view of improving stock, has been the frequency of mildew se tting in before germ ination takes place. Seeds and stones soaked in a solution of the acid receive such a germ inating im petus from th is tonic th a t they shoot in a space of tim e h itherto unknown to agriculturists. This should be good news to those residents of our hill sta tions who have failed h itherto in raising p lan ts from English or A ustralian s to c k : m any seeds of aquatics, such as w ater lilies, have been known to rem ain dorm ant for two years, sorely try ing the patience of those en ­thusiasts who have essayed tlleir g ro w th ; tea seed need no longer be forced in trenches but soakel for a fewhours only in the solution.

* * . . .T he properties of vitriol, as an agent for im parting

x ita lity to wheat seed and also as a preservative against th e charcoal-like appearance of the ears of the corn, are well known to some of the agriculturists of the Eouth of France. The la tte r say th a t wheat seed, scalded

w ith vitriolated w ater, produces a healthy crop, and some of the seed, which, sometimes, would indubitably ro t, if it was sown dry, has its powers of germ ination restored by the action of vitriol. I have no doubt th a t if tea or any o ther seed were treated similarly, a good percentage would be saved every year to the p lan ter or to the cultivator.

I saw the scalding process some 25 years ago, and if my rem em brance does no t deceive me, the operation is as follow s:— F irs t of all pu t in a basket the quantity of wheat you wish to sow the next day. Raise to boiling point enough w ater to scald your seed. Remove the vessel from the fire and pour in the boiling w ater the vitriol stones ; stir th e w ater w ith a stick, fro th or scum will be produced, I believe, and th e w ater will n se in the vessel; do no t be afraid ; no explosion will take place.

W hen the vitriol stones are dissolved, which ought to bo done in a few seconds, pour the w ater on th e wheat in the basket. As th e w ater is poured on the wheat, free escape m ust be allowed.

I could not prescribe the proportion of vitriol stones, bu t I th ink half pound of stones to a m annd of w heat should be sufficient.

As the process is simple and cheap, native cultivators ought to be induced to try i t .— In d ia n Tea Gazette.

TOM ATOS PLA N TE D OUT.The heds we p lan t in are 2 feet wide and 1 foot C

inches deep, and are formed by building up the sides w ith tu rf, comjpencing on the floor of the house, which is formed of rough gravel, and th is acts as drainage for the beds. T he soil for the Tom ato when planted out should be open and porous ra th er than rich. A good fibrous loam, with one p art of lime rubbish and a sprinkling of bone-meal, will be found to answer well, and re ta in its porosity for a considerable tim e, no t readily becoming soured with frequent doses of liquid m anure which will be required when the p lan ts get over their first flush of vigour, and commence to fru it the whole leng th of the rafters. The greatest m istake generally made in growing the Tom ato is in the train ing of the p lants, which are allowed to run in all directions till they become a confused mass, and th is is often aggrav­ated by stopping the p lan ts above every show of fru it. The m ethod we adopt is_ to tra in the p lan ts as single, double, or triple cordons. F or the first m ethod of tra in ­ing we p lan t about 10 inches apart, and for the o ther m ethods we give room according, th a t is, about 10 inches for each growth. Those cordons are allowed to run from the bottom to the top of the house w ithout being stopped, and ve never find them fail to show fru it about every six in c h e s ; and if the tem perature and atm ospheric conditions of th e house are kept right, every flower will set perfectly, and the result is a perfect w reath of fru it from bottom to top, and from end to end of the house.

As fast as the first fru its ripen and are gathered from the lower part of th e cordon, another leader is brought away from the base, and is allowed to proceed as fast as the fru it is gathered on the first cordon. The second shoot soon commences to show fru it, and w ith a little th inning of foliage and the removal of th e grea ter p art of the foliage from the lower p art of the original shoot, the young fru it has room to develope, and the result is th a t the house is keptl continually furnished with fru it, w ithout the growths getting in any way entangled or confused. A little care m ust l>e exercised in w atering when there are m any fru its ripening on th e p lan ts, as they are very liable to crack w ith a sudden dose of w ater, especially if the p lants have been allowed to get very dry, bu t the m ost prolific cause of crashing is closing the house, and w atering and syringinjFthe p lan ts a t the same time.

The varieties of Tom atos to select, from are now plen­tiful en o u g h ; our favourites are H athaw ay’s Excelsior

and Trophy. The form er is a handsome variety of m e­dium growth and a sure f ru ite r ; the la tte r is one of the largest varieties, very prolific, and perhaps unsur­passed in quality. Seed of some approved variety should be sown a t once in b risk ‘heat, shifting them 011 as they fill their pots w ith roots, and confining them to single stem s till they reach the height of the trellis to which they are to be trained, when they should be allowed to grow as single or double cordons.— F . R o b e r t s , Gun- nersbury.— Gardeners' Chronicle.

T H E C O FFE E AND SUGAR PR O D U C IN G C O U N TR IES O F T H E W O R LD .

IIA Y T I.T his island was discovered by Columbus in 1492, and

is next to Cuba the largest of the W est India islands. I t is upward of 400 miles in length , from east to west, and averages more than 100 in breadth, covering an area of 29.540 square miles. D uring th e past sixty years H ayti has a t tim es been a kingdom, an empire, and a republic after a series of revolutions, which finally, some forty years ago, enabled the Spanish portion to separate from H ayti and set up 'as an independent republic.

Sugar-planting has never revived in H ayti, bu t coffee- p lanting has. In a good crop year H ayti produces 30,000 tons of coffee, against halL th a t m uch th irty years ago. On the whole H ay ti coffee is prepared for m arket sloth- fully, containing m ost of i t little stones which have to be picked out by hand, too expensive a m ethod for th is country. H ence the bulk goes to Europe, and even the greater portion of w hat arrives here is reshipped to Havre, Antwerp, and H am burg. I ts quality is tolerably pure, bu t in appearance it is irregular, and in Europe, we presume, it is greatly used, to be mixed w ith o ther sorts. The present governm ent is prevailing upon the petty p lanters in the in terior to bestow more care and a tten tion .upon the preparing for m arket of th is, the chief product of the island, and issued a circular the o ther day to its consuls abroad prom ising a notable im ­provement in th is respect in the future.

T hat in th is item President Solomon and h is cabinet may have then* efforts crowned with success, we sin­cerely hope. ‘ Various sorts of H ay ti coffee are very fine indeed, not only in poin t of flavour, h u t in looks, and w ith a more diligent and intelligent p lanting, pick­ing and preparing, the e entire crop m ay in the course of a few years show a great improvement, and easily average 10 to 15 per cent more, which would be an annual gain of .$300,000 to $500,000, not to he despised in a comparatively poor country.

Cocoa production does not am ount to m uch in H ayti, the quality being too b a d ; 110 doubt likewise suscept­ible of improvement by better treatm ent. T he next im ­portant export to coffee is logwood, and there is some honey, a good deal of fine m ahogany and some other woods.—Rio News.

T H E W H IT E GRU B ON PA STU R E.E . M. Beach, Saugomon Co., 111., w rites us an account

of the pasture of h is neighbour, “ T. H . E .” T he w riter sta tes th a t the pasture, several years established, had never been fed very close, and la s t year, especially, the grass made quite a strong growth. This year about one- half of the pasture is quite killed by the W hite Grub. In places every root is so completely destroyed th a t the grass can be swept off “ as you would sweep snow from a plank.” H e asks, “ where do these grubs come f ro m ? ”—and “ will the pasture rest itself, or m ust it be brokqn up and re so w n ?” H e concludes his le tte r by sa y in g : “ The grab question has become a serious one, and our people do no t understand i t .” If our friend’s neighbour’s do not understand the “ g r u b q u o S - tion ,” it is no t because the American A griculturist has

j not kept them informed upon it. W hen we published* a few years ago, the rem arkable destruction which we witnessed upon the lawn of one of the finest places in New England, described the grub, and gave the remedies th a t seemed to be the m ost useful, it is probable th a t our friend took bu t slight notice of it, as it was so far away from home. So to begin anew, and answer the question, “ where do these grubs come from .?”— They are the la m e or grab sta te of the brown beetle, th a t is commonly known as the “ May-bug," “ June-bum ” or “ Dor-bug,” which, when it en ters the house, a ttrac ted by th e light in May and June , bounces about and knocks its head against the walls and ceil­ing in such a m anner as to a ttra c t notice. W hen a few of these en ter the house, it is probably th a t there are m any more elsewhere. I f the fru it trees in the neighbourhood be examined, no doubt bu t large numbers may be fo u n d ; they especially harbour in cherry trees. In early morning, when they are torpid, large numbers may be shaken down, caught upon cloths, and killed. Every female beetle thus destroyed prevents the laying of over 100 eggs, some say over 200. T he eggs are laid in the ground, and the grabs require three years to complete their growth. They feed upon young roots, bu t they do not appear to be large enough to do their w orst mischief un til their las t year, when their work upon the grass roots is often m ost disastrous. Our friend is righ t in saying th a t the “ grub question is a m ost serious one,” and i t appears as if it were to be­come to our farm ers w hat the “ Cockchafer q u e s tio n ” is in England, and the “ H anneton q u es tio n ” in France. In those countries, . a closely related insect, w ith very sim ilar habits, is such a pest th a t prizes are offered by Government, in F rance a t least* for its abatem ent. W ith us the com plaints are each }-ear more num erous, and the plague appears to increase ra ther th an dim inish. B ut a few days ago, a fru it grower came to us w ith a doleful face to tell of the complete ru in of his straw ­berry p lantation from th is cause. W hat can be done? T he presence of the grub itself is not suspected un til the mischief Is done. The m ost effective help against the grub is the crow, bn t th a t, should i t be seen after a grub -and its keen senses allow it to go for and destroy it—would lie a t once shot or driven away. Crows are the m ost active helpers, and should be protected by law. T hat unpopular anim al, the odoriferous Skunk is another friend of the farm er, bn t war is declared against him , because he is suspected of varying his d iet of grubs w ith an occasional spring chicken. No hum an help can avail while, the insect rem ains in the grub sta te . Aside from shaking the beetlps from the trees, they may be caught by m eans of lamps, so placed in lan terns th a t tlie beetles in flying against them , will drop in to water. W e gave a year or two ago a m ethod employed in Texas for thus,trapp ing the beetles.— Am e­rican Agriculturist.

T R E E PLA N TIN G .I t will no doubt be readily adm itted th a t th e best

tim e to p lan t deciduous trees of all kinds is soon after the leaves have fallen. I t may hardly be necessary in all cases to w ait for tjiis event tak ing place, bu t where p lanting has to be done in a large scale, the planting season has necessarily to be considerably extended, and p lanting may be successfully performed a t a n y tim e from the end of October until the beginning of March, when the condition of the w eather will adm it of its being done. Few seasons have h itherto proved so favourable for p lanting operations as the present. I t will also be adm itted th a t the Lest m ethod of preparing th e soil for the reception of young trees is to dig or trench it a t least two spits deep, and if poor to g*ve it a good dressing of m anure or fresh soil if it can he obtained, which is not often the case. W e may ah r> here allude to w hat is possibly the worst method of “p h r t in g trees,

and which is unfortunately the one too frequently p rac­tised, viz., th a t of digging a hole or p it so exceedingly sm all th a t the roots of the tree can with difficulty be crammed in to it. This m ethod is infinitely worse than what is known as the J form of planting, which is sometimes practised on poor rocky soils in Scotland and elsewhere w ith tolerable su ccess; and where anything in the form of digging • or trenching is out of the question.

Trees planted in this- way m ust necessarily h e of comparatively small dimensions. The operation itself is exceedingly simple, and consists of the operator merely m aking a slit in the tu rf w ith his spade, a n d * h e n in ­serting the same a t one end of the slit, a t right angles w ith it, and by pressing down the handle of the spade the slit will be forced to open more or less, when the assistan t passes the roots of the tree into the opening thus made, and a slight am ount of pressure with the foot is all th a t is required to steady the tree, care being taken to leave i t in an upright position. By th is method an immense num ber of trees can be planted by a m an and a boy in a com paratively short time.

In cases where p its or holes are dug out for the reception of trees, the same should always be of con­siderable dimensions as regards width as well as depth, and corresponding, of course, w ith the size of the trees about to be planted, but always sufficiently large to adm it of the roots of the p lan ts being spread out to their full extent, and sufficiently deep to adm it of a portion of the best of the soil being placed in the bottom of the p it, in order to raise the bottom to the requisite height, and to allow* the roots of the tree a portion of friable m aterial in to which to extend them ­selves.

B u t it is to the p lanting of trees in properly pre­pared soil— th a t is, iu soil which has been drained and dug, or trenched, th a t these rem arks are intended prin ­cipally to apply. Too deep p lanting of trees on such prepared soil has been no doubt deservedly condem ned; but i t is to be feared th a t some plan ters in their en­deavours to avoid Clmrybdis have fallen upon Scylla, and on some kinds of soil too shallow p lanting is as necessary to be avoided as too deep planting. On heavy and im perfectly drained land deep p lanting should by- all possible m eans be avoided, and the trees may in such cases w ith advantage be p lanted on a slight mound, or slightly elevated above the level of the surrounding so il ; while on very light land the converse of th is prac­tice should ra th er be followed, as in the event of con­tinuous dry w eather setting iu several inches of the surface of such soil becomes perfectly desiccated, and before the roots of recently planted trees can penetrate the soil to a greater depth, many of them m ust in ­evitably perish. Many years ago we had occasion to know som ething of a large estate, a portion of which consisted of very light poor-land, and a considerable p art of th is about the tim e alluded to was being planted with forest trees of various kinds, chiefly Larch, and the p lanting of which was en trusted to an old tru s t­worthy m an of great experience in such m atters, whose invariable practice was to p lant somewhat deeply, and in addition to th is to form, as it were, a shallow basin round each tree, as is done in the light soil a t Kew, thus securing for it as ample a •s h a re of the rainfall as was possible, or. a t all events, to effectually prevent the same running from it during sudden or heavy falls of rain . T h is practice was generally attended with every success th a t could reasonably be expected, considering the natu re of t i e soil aud the prevalence of ground game. B ut a change happened to occur in the m anage­m ent of the estate, and the new m anager, or agent, chanced to be one of those who fancy they have nothing to learn, and who had possibly been accustomed to land of a different character, So he demurred to th is method of tree p lanting, declined to discuss the m atte r wih the old p lan ter, and perem ptorily ordered liini tv p la t

as he (the agent) desired, which was accordingly done- T he w eather during the following spring m onths prov­ing dry, the result was iu all respects a complete fail­ure.— Gardeners’ Clu-onicle.

F L O W E R S OR SHOOTS.In the Gardeners' Chronicle of January 7, there is a

very interesting and suggestive extract from Count du Boyson, which I would like to notice. G ardeners very- well know th a t w hether p lan ts will flower profusely, sparingly, or not a t all, depends to a g reat extent on the s ta te of m aturation to which they have been brought previously. T his is true alike of Apple trees, Rhodo­dendrons, or Orchids, and alm ost all flowering p lan ts cultivated in gardens, as well in the open a ir as under glass. The idea th a t after flower buds are formed they m ay be changed in to leaf shoots is, to me, a new one, and so extraordinary th a t I venture to th ink some m isinterpretation of th e facts has occurred [and so do w e]. W e are all perfectly aware th a t when shoots, bulbs— w hat you will— of Dendrobes are imperfectly- ripened, they in m any instances, notoriously so in the case of D . nobile, produce leaf-stems where flowers gener­ally appeal-. This results, as has generally been under­stood— and as I , for one, still Tielieve— not because of any particu lar trea tm en t the p lan ts receive after the buds begin to grow, bu t because of the w ant of due exposure to the light the prqjious autum n.

Many, very many, p lan ts have the power of modifying their m anner of propagation according to the circum ­stances under which they are placed. Common Leeks, fo r instance, in cold clim ates produce many- m iniature bulbs on the top of the flower-spikes instead of the seed which they form under more favourable c ircum stances; no t because of an extra snpply of nu trim ent, bu t because of the w ant of enough ligh t and heat. O ther instances your readers will readily- recall. The idea presented to me in the extract referred to is th a t a certain m easure of starvation will m ake m atters right. So fa r as regards p lan ts growing under clim atal conditions which we can­not modify, such is the only course left us, and has been pursued by us for m any y e a rs ; for it is w ith th is end in view th a t u-e have used g rit in our fru it tree borders, and have employed loam w ithout m uch manure, and have ram m ed it hard to prevent a too rapid taking up of even w hat lim ited supplies of food were available. And when I did feed i t was by surface-dressings, which would encourage the roots to seek the sun-warmed food, so th a t no lowering of the tem perature of the trees m ight occur through cold sap. All th is I have done, and so far it agrees w ith w hat is hinted, excepting th a t we never dreamed th a t a wet spring would change our blossom-buds in to “ leaf-shoots,” although it m ight spoil th e flowers th a t did form.

I t is, however, more particularly to house plants, and especially Orchids, th a t the Count refers. As we difler altogether from the opinion th a t extra supplies in spring do the mischief, we th ink th a t, generally speaking, any degree of starving should he avoided, because we have the clim ate of hot-houses in our own hands to a great extent. I by- 110 m eans m ean by th is th a t Dendrobiums a t all stages of their grow th should l e liberally sup­plied w ith w ater, either in the soil or the ah-, for such would certainly- defeat our purpose if flowers were our

■aim. A t the same tim e I th ink th a t i t is no t good to starve in any degree. T he righ t th ing in the case of Dendrobium nobile, and m any other p lants— Vines, for instance, is to s ta r t early in the season, so th a t the growth may be made up early, aud fully m atured under the influence of the sun ere yet the sun 's beams have lost their power to m ature. No p lan t requires the same m oisture a t the root wliile ripening th a t it does while pmshir.g out shoots and leaves rapidly, and in m any instances d isaster will result if growing conditions are maintained for ripening plants.

THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. . . . . . •

In the case of Deudrobium nobile and m any others, we find th a t when the growths are fully made up by August, in a house not too m oist or shaded, and after­wards exposed to the full sun and abundance of dry warm air, th a t a very free sta te of flowering results. W hen the growth is made up la te , and in m oist shady quarters, the result of th is drying aud exposure la ter on is shrivelling, debility, a scarcity of flowers, and a predisposition to produce “ leaf-shoots ” in spring, no m atter w hat conditions they are then subjected to. This year our Dendrobiums are flowering less profusely than they did last, year, and yet they had both years the same treatm ent. The seasons, however, were in this d istrict very d ifferen t: 1880 was fairly sunny, while the autum n was particularly b r ig h t ; 1881 was cold and dull, especially in autum n. The consequence of this was th a t all our indoor p lants, even although helped by extra fire-heat, were la te r in m aking up their growths, and finished them under unfavourable circum stances. In the case of our Vines we fired on la te r to m ake up for deficiencies; but our Dendrobes (for w ant of sun in autum n, not because of too liberal supplies now), are producing flowers less freely th an usual, and m any more

leaf-shoots.” Those la ter on, as w ith the Count’s, produced more freely a t the tops of the bulbs, while the former are, like his, produced lower down. This, we consider, is .ow ing to the tops being less fully ripened, and no t to any special determ ination of sap to th e tops. Such a flow of sap may help to produce larger, finer flowers, but I cannot ‘th ink i t would change flowers into shoots.

I n the case of m any o ther orchids which grow freely but flower sparsely, or not a t all, all they w ant is more a ir , more light, and more heat, ra th er than a w ith­holding of supplies. Odontoglossum cirrosum, which, in a cool, moist, shaded house grows so very freely, and throws up long spikes which never flower, or only pro­duce one or two blossoms to the yard of spike, change for the better when grown in a light, airy position in an interm ediate house, bu t they will grow less freely. As a m atter of fact, N ature strives to reproduce the species by seed, and when the atm ospheric conditions for th a t are unsuitable, "she falls back on the vegetat­ive method as a la s t resource. Taking advantage of th is fact we can produce the m ajority of p lan ts a t will by whatever mode promises th e best results. Taking advantage of th is we improve the artificial clim ates in our vineries by firing—not by starving—so as to prepare the Vines to propagate themselves by seed to as great an extent as possible. Taking advantage of the know­ledge painfully and slowly acquired, we lim it the food supplies to our outdoor trees, where th a t is necessary, and secure the same re s u lt ; when the trees are young and scarce we follow the opposite course to secure, not seeds, but “ leafy shoots ” to graft with.

I t is the same w ith all our fru iting and flowering plants, Orchids no t excepted. I t is th is knowledge which causes us to adopt so very different practices where different results are w anted; and th is which makes us adopt quite different modes, according to the subjects we cultivate and the latitude in which we practise. I t is th is which shows one course to be righ t under bright skies and in dry localities, and wrong when clouds lower and rains reign, and rice re rm .— P r a c t i c a l .— Gardeners' Chronicle.

SUGAR PLA N TIN G IN JAMAICA.[This article is so able and good th a t we give the

whole. I t is an entirely new view of th ings in Jam aica, especially in regard to cooly im m igration, compelling the negro to work. I t has also a bearing on Ceylon in some things.— E d . ]

K in g s t o n , J amaica.

As the Sugar Bounties question is playing so prominent

a p a r t ju s t now in regard to foreign trea ties in E n g ­land, i t is im portant to hold correct idea concerning th e prospects of Sugar-growing in the W est Indies. O ut here people have been m uch exercised a t th e behaviour of the Home authorities. For, instance, the Board of T rade le tte r to th e Refiners’ W orking M en’s Com m ittee has been read with very qualified satisfaction. The allusions to the Sugar Colonies are ne ither flattering, nor do they exhibit a proper grasp of the facts of the case. W e read, “ I t would he unfair to ask the con­sum ers of the m other country to forego cheap Sugar,” in order to encourage Sugar-growing in th e colonies, fo r to do so would be “ to m ake th e possession of th e colonies a burden, and no t a gain, to th is country.” Such language not only savours* of the old-world colo­n ia l policy which i t was supposed E ngland had discarded for ever—a 'p o licy which, contrary to true and wide principles of economic science, regarded colonies and m other countries as rivals, and no t as allies—but also savours of a tru s t reposed in representations made in E ngland which have in tru th little co n n ec tio i^v ith the actual sta te of affairs out here. ™

I t is, perhaps, well th a t we can tak e Jam aica as a sample of W est Indian Sugar-planting, for the reason th a t Jam aica is generally allowed to be the w orst off and the Sugar industry there is pain ted as in a decid­edly “ ru inate ” condition. The question remains, does th is particular industry, even though in such bad repute, either need or [claim any self-sacrifice 011 the part of th e consum er a t hom e to enable i t to survive? And the question is completely answered, and altogether in the negative, if we regard the price per ton a t which Sugar can be grown here.

B ut the answer has to be arrived a t through an im ­m ense am ount of m isconception th a t extends even among people who live in Jam aica. T he very p lan ters are, m any of them , entirely misinformed as to their actual position. Some of them are indignant, for instance, if asked to believe the fact th a t year by year Jam aica is exporting m ore and m ore Sugar and Rum. Y et these are the official figures of am ounts exported :—

T ota l tons T ota l Puncheons Years. of Sugar. of Rum.

1850-59 . . . . 320,000 . . . 170,000' 1860-69 . . . . 330,000 . . 180,000

1870-75 . . . . 350,000 . . 201,000Thus, since m atters have arranged them selves after their upsetting in the abolition of slavery, the Sugar industry has shown steady growth.

There is, indeed, one great apparent contradiction to these figures, and th a t is the constantly quoted fact of th e abandonm ent of Sugar estates. T h is process has been proceeding until quite recently, bu t local experience yields th e true explanation th a t i t is a process a lto ­gether beneficial, and in tru th a pu tting off' of the old system, and not a failing of the new. I t is true the older planters themselves see b u t little consolation in the dismal fact th a t where once they aud theirs reaped fortunes now all is worthless scrub. B u t if we rem em ­ber th a t in the old days Sugar was a t £60 a ton, and th a t now £20 is the price for the same, we shall see some reason for a change. The fact was th a t in those good old days vast areas of soil were cultivated a t enormous profits, which areas a t present prices can yield none a t all. T hat these areas should get out of cul­tivation is a gain and no t a loss to the industry. In those tlays the “ margin of cultivation ” was lowered to a degree altogether untenable noov; aud it was, m ore­over, incidental to Jam aican affairs th a t long after the real conditions of their prosperity had passed away, m any of these estates cpntinued in cultivation— a t th e first, in the hope of better days; in the end, because such estates had for the m ost p art fallen in to the hands of m ortgagees or holders of jo in tures and charges upon them. Thus, as a rule, two or more estates came uudtsr tilts same absentee ownership, and what was lost

on those th a t ought to have been a t once pu t out of : cultivation was more th an made good by the profit from the others more favourably situated. B ut th is was obvi­ously a serious drag on the aggregate prosperity of the industry. And of la te years a wholesome change has come. T he m ortgagees have been largely realising, and a new class of unfettered and resident proprietors has arisen and bids fair to increase. These m en will not grow Sugar unless the soil and aspect are sufficient to make the cultivation pay a t present prices. And some of the shrewdest local men are investing largely in such cultivation. I t is the inauguration of a new order of things, in thorough and wholesome keeping w ith the times and the ir needs. •

There was m uch th a t was altogether wrong and “ u n ­economical ” in th is survival of a sta te of tilings hope­lessly out of accord with the tim es. The case was pithily • pu t to me the o ther d a y :— “ E ach estate of 300 acres is expected to keep five carriages— the owner in E n g ­land m u s^ h a v e his b rougham ; the m erchant in E n g ­land m ils® drive his barouche; and the m erchant in Kingston, the owner’s attorney, and the overseer on the estate m ust each of them m aintain his buggy.” In the , old days of £60 a ton such m aintenance was perfectly practicable, but when receipts fell from £18,000 to £5,000 per annum , such claim on the resources of the estate could no longer be m et, for expenses a t the least j rem ained (lie same as of old. And now each one of ; these five classes, from liis own point of view, declares Sugar-growing hopelessly ruined for ever. I t has now ; been found th a t when the profits are lowered by two- i th irds sim ilar profits are still to be made, provided the I num ber of those who share in these profits is reduced ; p ro tanto. And th is discovery is the secret both of th e j calum niations and of the present prosperity of the Sugar- i imowing in Jam aica.

Thus, if we penetrate these and o ther misconceptions, we shall appreciate aright both the present actual cost of production of Sugar and, above all, its fu tu re pros­pects. These costs divide themselves under two great heads, respectively dealing w ith cost of cultivation on the one hand, and cost of transferring the commodities and putting them up for sale in the English m arket on the other. In reghrd to the present cost of cultiv­ation, a wide experience of estates leads to the decided opinion th a t so long as Sugar commands £12 or £14 a' ton in the local m arket fair profits are made by the ! ■mowers. Beetroot-growers should pay a tten tion not only I to th is fact, but to the further consequent fact th a t ' there are many improvements in prospect, or a t all j events possible, th a t will considerably modify even th is | low first cost of Sugar grown in Jam aica. |

F or some tim e past there has been a forward move­m ent in Jam aica iu regard to Sugar-planting, and those who enjoy local knowledge are fairly nonplussed a t some of the evidence tendered to Mr. R itchie 's com m ittee as to the backward and unintelligent sta te of Sugar cul­tivation here. I t is tru e th a t in Jau laica there is agreater variety of estates th an in other co lon ies; th isis due to the fact th a t they extend over a fa r greater area, and an area of far greater na tu ra l variety. Con­sequently, there is no one uniform type of procedure, and on many estates i t is reckoned far more profitable to produce the coarser than the finer types of raw Sugar. This is specially so on estates where a large proportion of rum is made. B ut every year m ore care is being ,riven to improvements. Tho great item of cost, “ hau l­in g ” th e cane from the fields to the works, is nowreceiving much scientific trea tm ent. Tram ways and wire railways] laid down steep slopes and over ravines, are being introduced for th is purpose'. I t was no uncommon th in " in the old days for the working beasts to survive for but two, or a t m ost three, years. Now on many estates, by better handling and more skilled treatm ent, the oxen work for six and seven years a t a stretch, thereby reducing hugely th e cost of production. B etter

m achinery is being introduced for the crushing of the cane and the m anufacture of the S ugar; in fact, the. very ruined windmills and water-mills th a t one m eets in the country are the evidence of the in troductian of the more economical steam-power.

The actual cultivation is also capable of vast improve' m ent. At p resent th e tendency is to cultivate too much so il : th is is plentiful and cheap, and th e tem ptation to cultivate roughly is stronger th an the reasoning which shows th a t such cultivation enhances the evils, and fails fully to utilize the advantages of the work. The diffi­culties of weeding, of planting, of hauling, of m anuring, of irrigation, all implying extra labour, arc simply in ­creased by th is system of working roughly a large area, ra ther th an carefully cultivating a sm aller area. I t has been repeatedly proved th a t the sm aller area, if really thoroughly cultivated, will often yield two, three, and even more tons to the acre, whereas by the rough-and- ready m ethod barely one ton will result, while all the necessary expenses, as above detailed, will increase rather th an be lessened. This item of improvement alone would double profits in m any cases.

Thus, th e reasons for entertain ing high hopes of yet cheaper production of Sugar in Jam aica are many. They are greatly dependent on the fact th a t Jam aica has, since the old sta te of th ings was definitely done away with, become more and more a flourishing com m unity in itself, and less and less a mere exporting farm existing for the benefit of d istan t proprietors. T hus, though Sugar continues to increase in output, it- does no t do more th an keep pace w ith the increase in o ther Jam aican p ro d u c ts; and so th e p lan ter is now enabled to cultivate in o ther crops large areas th a t were valueless unless they could he devoted to Sugar. P im ento, logwood, coffee, and more especially fru it of all sorts, have largely developed as articles of export. The breeding of cattle , too, has become m ost profitable, chiefly because of the rise of a local demand, which already consumes over1,000 beasts per annum , and there are prospects of a large export trade to Cuba and o ther neighbouring islands.

The consequences of th is new-born activity is th a t the negro population is in a condition of m uch m aterial prosperity. I ts numbers increase year by year, and th a t they are successful is seen by the fact of the ir in ­creasing expenditure iu “ luxuries.” They buy largely th e beef above alluded to , which fetches (id. a pound. They are large consum ers of bottled ale and stou t, and, the crucial fact of all th is in regard to Sugar p lanting is th a t th is wholesome growth m eans an increasing and reliable supply of labour. Even a t the p resent it is difficult to find a d istrict where negro labour cannot be had for under Is . a day. This is an advantage of no m ean significance when we find i t reported th a t sim ilar labour in the Sugar S tates of the U nited S tates costs over 2s. a day. The negroes are well known to be capable workers ; the sole difficulty h itherto has been to prevail upon them to .work. However, both th e in ­centive and th e th rea t have been discovered in the im portation of coolie labour. T he present Governm ent of Jam aica has wisely seen th a t th is coolie labour is not of mere direct use to those who actually pu t coolies on to th e ir estates, bu t th a t it is fa r m ore th an th is— th a t it is of high benefit to th e whole com m unity, black as well as white, in rousing the negro to exertion in his own in terest. Iu th is respect th e im portation of a few Chinam en would, no doubt, add additional stim ulus. The negro can and will work, and work well, provided he can be roused from its na tu ra l inclination to “ save his s treng th ,” prone on the broad of h is back in th e sun.

Thus the prospects of reducing the cost of cultivation are good and su re ; but there is also a very good pros­pect of reducing the o ther item —viz., th e cost of p u t­ting th e Sugar in to the English m arket. Steam is assisting g re a tly ; and it is now possible to transfer Sugar cheaper by steam th an by sailing vessels, even

though freights are nom im lly higher. The shorter passages of steam ers do away w ith a great deal of th a t drainage th a t so lessens the ' bulk or value of m any of the coarser-made Raw Sugars. Then, too, Jam aica is a large island w ith m any ports. The Sugar estates near these ports ship their Sugar from them . In the old sailing-ship days, such was the expensive delay of load­ing from port to port—a few hogsheads a t each, and subject to every change of w eather— th a t freights from the north side of the island were actually £1 more per ton th an from Kingston. The present Governor has in a great m easure obviated th is dithculty by h is inauguration of weekly and regular steam service round the Island.

R ut where m ost hope is looked for in regard to th is transference to li(p m arkets is in a coming era of new commercial freedom, which shall em ancipate the new order of proprietors from th a t complex commercial sys­tem by which the transference of all Sugar to the E n g ­lish m arket fell to the monopoly of a group of indi­viduals in England. From the days of slavery down­wards capital has been advanced to p lan ters from ex­traneous sources, and in course of tim e estates became not only mortgaged heavily, bu t encumbered with jo in tures and charges of all kinds. The capitalists held to their liens, and the intervening m erchants, both in the supply of stores and m achinery to the estates and in the caftiage of the Sugar to E ngland and its sale there, found scope for the making of g rea t profits. B u t the low prices th a t have come in la te years show th a t there

* is no longer sufficient profit for all, and the middleman m ust be content to transfer much of his activity to other fields. H is profits 011 the cost of tran sit alone have been placed by good authorities as high as ‘2s. a cwt. lin t already th is system is passing away. The mortgagees are selling for what they can g e t ; old proprietors are se tting their houses in order to m eet the new necessities of the times. Thorough 'change is necessary, and even old p lanters have already so fa r throw n off their tram ­mels as to be enabled to ship their Sugar direct to the United S ta tes m arket—a m arket a t present highly favourable for coarser raw Sugars. Some of the m ost shrewd and m ost successful local men are buying up old Sugar estates under the new free conditions, and tiiere seems every pio^pect th a t Sugar will soon be pro­duced in Jam aica a t even cheaper cost than a t present.

There are authorities in E ngland who have lately been speaking “ on behalf of proprietors interested in the W est Indies,’* bu t there is arising a new class in Jam aica of pro­prietors, not only in terested in, bu t actually resident in the West In d ie s ; and these men will have a different, an a lto ­gether different, argum ent to pu t forward in regard to the bounties about which so much has been said and w ritten. These men notice th a t the m ost extreme leaders in th is bounty agitation allow two points— one, th a t a duty of 2s. a cwt. 011 Sugar from bounty-fed countries would altogether countervail all the efforts of the bo u n ties; the other, th a t of 700,000 tons of Sugar we annually im port, only 250,000 tons come from bounty-giving countries. In o ther words, bounties, even if the worsecase be made out of them , lower th e price of W estIndian Sugar only to the am ount of fid. a cwt. Even so the price has n o t as yet been forced down to the lowest level a t which Sugar can be now grown in Jam aica a t a profit; and, as we fipve seen, any single one of the numerous improvements in producing actually promised in Jam aica would fa r more th an counter­balance the asserted effect of these bounties, and all the other body of improvements would be so much cleargain, i t may, indeed, be argued th a t it would be agreat benefit, to Jam aican p lanters if th is tem oorirv effect on the bounties bhould rouse them to improve their methods of production, for in bringing about such im ­provements, fa r greater advance would be made than would be sufficient to countervail th is small ette^t.

To tnose who have scuuied the case it is well known th a t tut* uuuniic-o are no where more unpopular than in

t h e . countries th a t give them , and the only and sole m ethod of retain ing them in those countries is persist­ently and eloquently to point out to the growers of Beet th a t the bounties are destroying the production of Sugar from Cane. To persistently and eloquently urge th a t th is is their actual effect seems to be the strange policy adopted by the present representatives of the W est Ind ian Sugar industries in England. I t is to be hoped others will now come forward, establish the facts of th e case, and so pu t forward the opposite argum ent. These will a t once show th a t so far from destroying rival in ­dustries in British colonies, th e bounties, even if we allow them th e ir full effect, have been altogether unable to lower prices even to the level of the profitable cost of production of Cane Sugar possible in the fertile soils and genial clim ates of the W est Ind ia Islands. Thus, even se tting aside the asserted plea th a t so long as we consume Moist Sugar so long m ust we grow Cane Sugar, we find th a t in Jam aica, a t all events, Cane Sugar can be grown cheaper even th an “ bounty-fed” Beet Sugar, and th a t so fa r as the bounties have been intended to destroy Cane-growing in the W est Indies, in so fa r they have resulted in signal failure.— Ijondon Timex.

TEA C U L T U R E : T H E B E S T M ODE O F R E T A IN IN G T IP .

TO T H E E D IT O R O F T H E “ IN D IA N TEA G A Z E T T E .”

D e a r S i r ,— In reply to “ H . T. C. K .’s” queries anent “ Tip,*’ I have found th a t the best way to get tip is to pluck it separately and spread it out th in ly on m ats to dry in a warm atm osphere. W hen there is sun, an hour or two’s exposure to i t ’s rays gives it a good fin ish ; otherwise finish off the drying process over a slow fire by th in ly spreading the leaf on a dolla, covering U|> w ith another, and not touching it again un til it is ready. If the tips be rolled a t a l l ; they will lose th$ silver “ spangle,” which will tu rn golden and then black according to the am ount of rolling, which causes the juice to ooze out aud discolqy th e leaf.

Pure A ssai^ p lan ts give the best silver tip, and pure China the best golden tip. You can’t roll together all your leaf (especially if you pluck five leaf shoots) and expect to get m uch tip, bu t in such case I should advise heavy withering (spreading the leaf thinly), rolling slightly, ferm enting to an even copper color, and quick firing.— Yours faithfully, 1 S i l v e r Tii-.’

T EA PLU C K IN G .S i r ,— There seems to be some diversity of opinion 011

the subject of plucking, so as to obtain the g reatest am ount of leaf from one’s bushes. The question is, w hether i t is be*t to pluck two or three whole leaves and the bud, as the cause jn ay be, o r to pluck two and a h a lf or three and a half,, and half th e one below if soft, leaving the axis of the th ird and fourth leaves and the interlode or sta lk between them . I am an advocate, after years of fair tria l of both system s, of the second plan. My reasons are briefly these :—

l.sg. The rapidity with which the next flush com eson. 2nd. The absence of unsightly sta lk in the tea.8/7/. The greater facility in sorting the roll before

ferm entation, and separating the tine from the coarse leaf, so as to be able to trea t each according to its requ ire­ments.

The first reason is the m ost im p o rta n t as the differ­ence in yield I th ink is very marked. By leaving a whole leaf below, experi^hce shews th a t th a t leaf m ust,

I aud does fully m ature itself before the new shoot breaks i away, w heieis, by leaving the axis w ith a small portion j of the th ird leaf, the sap of the p lan t goes directly to i nourish the young shoots, instead of w asting itself on I m aturing the whole leaf left In Jhe o ther plan. A not j uncommon anpearanee is to see -he whole plucking sur­

face of a hush covered w ith hard dark gieen leaves

which go on m aturing and absorb all th e v ita lity of the bnsh, and keep back the young flush un til they are satisfied, and as hard as leather.

The difference of the two systems is very m arked a t the beginning of the season, when the bush is recover­ing from its pruning. I have known five weeks to elapse between a first plucking and the second, when hushes plucked two and a half leaves have gone on growing w ithout a check.

If a whole leaf is left, th is m aturing process goes on repeating itself after each plucking, always delaying the new flush and retard ing the grow th of the plant. •

The only argum ent I have ever heard brought for­ward in favor of leaving the whole leaf is, th a t it s treng th­ens the bush. This m ay apply to young gardens being plucked for the first tim e, bu t cannot to old established bushes. Even the m ost bigoted upholder of th is theory ought to be satisfied with the four o r five leaves always left on th e first shoots after the pruning, and those usually left after each plucking, for the good of the plant.

Reasons two and th ree are also im portant, bu t I w ill not encroach fu rther upon your space,

E x p e m e n i i a d o c e t .

T E A D R Y IN G -M A C H IN E R Y FS. CH A R C O A L.D e a r S i r , — T ea d ry in g b y m achinery v e r m s tea

d ry in g by charcoal fires over choolahs, is, I believe, s till d iscussed as to th e relative m erits of each. 1 w ill try and g ive you a fair es tim ate of cost, and speak from experience as far as I know re la tiv e to th e m erits , i lls , A c., &c., of b n th m odes of firing.

1st.— Charcoal f in n y and its m erits . — E xcept for those w ho persis t th a t th e fum es of charcoal are necessary to m ake good tea, I can see no m erit w hatever in charcoal d ry ing , e ith e r in cost, q u a lity , rap id ity , saving of labour, or an y th in g else, o^er m achine- d ried tea.Cost per m aund tea o f tea dried over choolahs by charcoal.

As. P.C harcoal a t R annas per m d. 1J mds. = 12 01 B attiw allah a t ans. 4-6, k u tch a firing = 4 6

Do. do. pucka firing say = 0 6

Cost of firing by charcoal R 1 1 0

N . B .—N otice th e labour staff requ ired for 3 m onths in th e year to m ake charcoal. T he im m nse space (and heat) tak en up by choolahs. Cost of tim ber used for charcoal. T he num ber of tra y s , geuz-, iron, Ac., iVc. requ ired . T he m asonry and ca rp en te r’s w ork alw ays m ore o r less o u t of repair. Loss of sm all tea falling th rough tra y s , &c., &c.

Now le t us ta k eCost o f m achine-dried tea p e r maund.

As. P.1st. Those, m achines w hich d ry by

coke, say cost of cuke = 8 03 men a t a s . 4-6 per 5 m ds. tea = about 2 8

C ost of d ry in g per m aund tea for a m achine, d ry ing b y coke 5 m ds. in 10 hours ... ... 10 8

I now give an estim ate of cost of 1 m d. tea d ried by a m achine of sim ilar capabilities, b u t d ry in g w ith any so rt of fuel—coal, wood, grass, bamboo, Ac., say2 m ds. of firewood a t 6 pie per m d. = 1 a ira i per 1 m d. tea .

J f . B . —P rice of firewood a t 3 pie p er m aund should be nearer th e m ark.

3 m ens’ pay as. 4 6 for 5 m ds. in 10 hou rs— as. 2-8

per m aund. T h e a n a l y s t of th e above comes to th is —*R . A. P .

C harcoal d ry in g ... — 1 1 0Coke ,, ... = 0 10 8*W ood fire ,, ... = 0 3 8

W o read of m achines d ry in g with any fuel, and doing double th e te a of w 'hat I have es tim ated above, and how people can still stick to charcoal, beats me.

A gain we genera lly see large gardens fu rn ished w ith d ry in g m achines : su rriy i t is th e sm all gardens th a t w an t them m ost.—Y ours fa ith fu lly , A . C. J .

P .S . — P rice of th e “ S iro c c o '’ is £85 f. o. b. in L iverpool, which m eans R l ,0 2 0 —a t l.s. Sd. exchange, and th e cost of carriage o u t to In d ia # x tra to pay ; s till th e m achine, if i t does 5 m ds tea in 10 hours, shou ld pay itse lf in one year, alw ays considering i t tu rn s out well fired and no b u rn t tea . B u t th e re a re b e tte r (or anyw ay cheaper) m achines th en th e “ S ircocco,” I see, advertized , i j the Englishman of the 8 th in s ta n t, viz., a descrip tion of R ob ert-o n 's “ T yphoon ,” doing £ m d. tea per hour, and probab le cost to be R300. A nd in y our issue of 3rd in s ta n t a m achine (A llen’s p a ten t), but, th e cost is n e t given, do ing one m aund p er hour, an d burn ing any furl.

R a is in g S e e d l in g s .— Mr. P eter H enderson’s m ethod is thus described in the American A g ricu ltu r is t:— “ Mr. e P eter Henderson having h it upon a m ethod which greatly increased the certain ty with which he could raise seed­ling p lan ts, not only of such rapidly growing th ings as Cabbages, bu t of slower sta rting greenhouse p lan ts and of shrubs, employed i t in h is own establishm ent to his great advantage. I t is very simple, as m ost valuable th ings are. In his seed-beds, or seed-hoxes— 1st, he puts down a layer of good loam, ru n through a half­inch sieve, and patted down m oderately firm. Over th is about one-fourth of an inch of dried spaghnnm — common peat moss, such as is used for packing, th o ­roughly dried, and ru n through a wire sieve about as fine as a mosquito-wire gauze— this powdered moss, about in the condition of fine sawdust, being evenly spread. Upon th is moss is placed a coating of loam about three-fourths of an inch thick, and well levelled. The seed is sown thickly- on th e loam, pressed down by a sm ooth board, and fine moss sifted on sufficient to cover the seed, and th e whole w atered w ith a fine rose. The top layer of moss keeps the surface always m oist, preventing all drying and barking, and allows th e young plan ts to easily reach the light. T he layer of soil below i t affords nourishm ent to the seedlings, which, as soon as their roots reach th e layer of fine moss below-, form a m ass of fibrous roots. No one fam iliar w ith raising seedlings need to have th e advan t­ages of the m ethod pointed o u t.”— Gardeners’ Chronicle.

M e x ic a n C o f f e e . —M uch has been published of la te in reg ard to th e p ro b ab ility of M exican coffee becom ­ing a dangerous com petito r of B razilian coffee in th e U n ited S ta tes, th e g re a te s t consum er of th e B razilian p roduct, an d th a t the re is serious basis for th e g rave fears e x p re s - td is p roved b y th e follow ing e x tra c t from a le tte r received by one of o u r lead ing export houses, and d a te d New O rleans. 1st Ju n e , 1S81:— “ T he receipts of M exican coffee a t th is p o r t since th e 1st J a n u a ry are in excess of previous se asons; an d one firm alone expects to receive 100,000 bags of 1001b. each o u t of the p resen t crop. T he sam e firm has h ad cargoes of 5 ,000 to 6,000 bags a rrived to th em th is spring. T he dem and for th is coffee is m ostly from Chicago and St. Louis, b u t a fa ir q u a n tity is sold here 'o grocers a t 1 to 1J cen ts above th e price of R io coffee !”— Anglo B razilian Tim es.

* I shou ld be g lad to be se t r ig h t if I have n o t r ig h tly calcu lated th e p rice of co k e .— A. (J. J .

T H E N U T M E G IN T R IN ID A D .T he N utm eg trees, alw ays a strik in g an d beau tifu l

fea tu re in th e G ardens, have conspicuously benefitted by th e m ild charac te r of th e las t d ry season, an d th e younger ti#es p lan ted in 1873 an d 1874 developed rap id ly in to th e f ru itin g stage. T he y ie ld p er tree, n e t t in th e m arket, of those in bearing, has again been over tw en ty pounds of p rep ared nutm egs, w ith an average price of tw o shillings an d tw o pence per pound du ring th e year. T h is gives a su rprising re tu rn per ac re per annum . F o r instance, tree s a t th e (ultim ate) d istance of 30 feet, would s ta n d 50 to th e acre. A llow ing only 30 of these to be fem ale or fru iting trees, th e value of th e yield w ould be £60 per acre p er annum . I t is somewhat, rem arkab le th a t th e re has n o t been any considerable fluctuation in price during th e la s t 15 years, b u t on th e whole, th e price has risen. T h a t th e nu tm eg tree is p e r­fectly a t home in T rin id ad needs no fu rth e r con­firm ation. I t m igh t be desirab le how ever for persons con tem plating th e p lan tin g of N utm egs to exam ine th e trees a t the G ardens carefully , as also account- sales a t m y office. I t m igh t fu rth e r be m entioned th a t a b a tch of young trees p lan ted in A ugust 1878— 25 inches h igh—from bamboo pots, are now five feet high an d s to u tly b ran ch ed .— Report T r in id a d Gardens.

T H E C O F F E E A N D SU G A R PR O D U C IN G C O U N T R IE S .

M e x ic o .Coffee production in M exico is a t p re sen t confined

to th e m ountain p la teau , m ost of th p p lan ta tio n s being s itu a ted in th e valleys w hich s tre tc h o u t around O rizaba and Cordova. I t grow s on volcanic soil, alw ays th e bes t for coffee so fa r as req u isite flavor is concerned. B oth in po in t of ou tw ard looks a n d superio r quality , M exican coffee from those localities need n o t sh rin k from com parison w ith C osta R ica . P ro d u c tio n does n o t now exceed 20,000 tons, abo u t one-th ird of w hich is exported , m ostly to th e U n ite d S ta tes, w here i t is very m uch liked . Should A m erican cap ita l ever tak e charge of th is ag ricu ltu ra l b ranch , even b u t to a m odera te ex ten t, th e y ield w ould soon be carried to five tim es w hat i t is a t p resen t. A nd th is is one of th e possibilities, n o t to say probab ilities . In deed no b e tte r in v es tm en t could, we believe, be m ade, p rov ided alw ays th e rev o lu tio n a ry period is closed fo r good.

T he expense of tra n sp o rta tio n on m u U back, especially (luring th e ra in y season, w as too W a v y to foster ag ricu ltu re and m ining in m ost p a rts of th e co u n try w ith a view to export, ex cep t so fa r as van illa , cochineal, indigo aud rich argentiferous ore w ere con­cerned. Even for coffee th e overland fre ig h ts dow n to th e coast w ere excessive til l th e ra ilo rad from V era Cruz to M exico was bu ilt, w hich trav erses th e m ain coffee region.

O ur im ports from M exico la s t year am oun ted to §14,524,898, inc lud ing 89,115,824 w orth of species, w hile we exported th i th e r §6,069,315 w o rth of dom estic goods. Coffee was received from th e re to th e e x te n t of 4,400 tons, being m ore th a n five tim es o u r im p o rt thence eigh t years ago^ th is ce rta in ly prom ises w ell.— Rio N ew s ;

N E W T A N N IN G M A T E R IA L S .TO T H E E D IT O R O F “ T H E B R I T IS H T R A D E J O U R N A L .”

S ir ,— As a re su lt of th e offer m ade th ro u g h th e m edium of your jo u rn a l in Ju n e la s t, I have received a sam ple of th e b a rk of a tree grow ing in th e upper provinces of Buenos A yres, know n by th e natives as “ Cum poe.” U n fo rtu n a te ly th e senders d id n o t enclose th e bark whole, o r auy po rtion of th e wood, lest

200

some qualified b o tan ist m ig h t have passed judgm en t as to the fam ily to w hich th e tree may belong. A n y o th e r of your readers who m ay send sim ilar specim ens should fo rw ard th e fru it, leaves, o r wood of an y p lan t, so th a t i t m ay be read ily identified w ith know n species.

Ju d g in g from th e tex ture, colour, and tas te of th e bark before me, m y own opinion is th a t i t is closely a llied to th e mimosa, and is p robably an A cacia. I t m uch resem bles th e A cacia Dealbata, of w hich large q u a n tise s reach us from A ustralia , th e b es t m im osa g iv ing 24 per cen t of tan n in . T h is new v a rie ty , if i t be so, y ields 13 55 p er cen t of ta n n in ; an d if • found in sufficient q u a n tity m igh t be w o rth exporting to E ngland . I f rough ly g round , to econom ise space, it w ould probably be w orth 91. o r 10/. p e r ton.

I have also received from In d ia specim ens of th e b a rk of th e babool tre e (A cacia Arabica), w hich gives a percen tage of 18 '95 of tann in . One fact w orthy of notice w ith th is b a rk is th e beau tifu l cream y w hite colour i t g ives when p rec ip ita ted w ith gelatine, th is being a t present th e only bark o r ta n n in m ateria l th a t gives th a t colour. T he babool is very ab u n d an t in In d ia , an d m igh t be w orth send ing to E ngland , were, for th e best k in d of w ork, i t would p robab ly be w orth from 12/. to 14Z. p e r . ton .

T hanking you fo r th e space accorded to th is le tte r , I beg to rem ain , Yours tru ly , W . N . E vans.

T an ners’ L aboratory, 13, Canon S tree t, T aunton ,

F E L L IN G T IM B E R .TO T H E E D IT O R O F T H E “ M A D R A S M A I L .”

S i r , — In a la te issue of th e M a il, th e re appeared a le t te r from a correspondent of yo u r signing h im self “ B ob S aw yer,” ask ing fo r in form ation as to th e p roper tim e of felling tim ber, an d as I have seen no answ er to it, th e follow ing rem ark s m ay be use­ful :—T he old received idea in E urope is th a t th e w in te r, i.e., th e tim e of inaction, when th e sap is o u t of th e tree , is th e p roper tim e for felling, be­cause th en th e w ood hav ing th e m inim um of sap in i t , and th e d ry in g of th e wood being m ore g radual th a n in h o t w eather, i t is less a p t to crack badly in seasoning. I t is therefore usual to fe ll in w in te r. B u t on th e o ther han d , m any p rop rie to rs fe ll in sum ­m er, and assert th a t prov ided th e tre e is b ark ed im m ediately o n i ts being felled, th e tim b er tu rn s o u t b e tte r th a n th a t felled in w in ter. “ Bob Saw yer” w ill th u s see th a t th e question is n o t se ttle d even in Europe, w here th e re have been F o re st D e p a rt­m ents fo r c e n tu r ie s ; so i t is to be hoped he w ill n o t be very h a rd on th e In d ia n F o re s t D ep artm en t if i t is n o t able to give h im c u t and d ried rules, as i t has no t been going fo r as m any decades. Nob being aw are of an y such ru les I can m erely give him m y ideas on th e subject. T h e old p rac tice p u rsued in E urope w ill n o t app ly o u t here. T he h o t w eather is th e dead season fo r m ost of our deciduous trees. T he consequence of felling th e n w ould be a too speedy d ry in g u nder th e fierce h e a t of th e sun, u n tem pered by th e foliage of th e su r­round ing trees which has th e n fallen. T he tim bhr w ould consequently crack bad ly . I t seems to m e th e n th a t th e b es t tim e for felling is th e monsoon an d cold w eather, w hen th e d ry in g goes on m ore gradually , I w ould recom m end too th a t th e b a rk and w h ite w ood be c u t off im m ediately a f te r felling, b y w hich means th e portions charged w ith sap w ould be go t of. , J u n g l e M a n .

T H E SAM AN T R E E IN T R IN ID A D .The g rea t Saman trees occurring in th e ravine, ever

extend ing th e fr g igan tic arm s m ore w idely an d w ith denser g row th , have rendered th e la rg er p a r t of th e

ravine unavailab le fo r th e g ro w th of trees requ iring sun ligh t for th e developm ent of th e ir flowers o r fru its . M any of th e Coffee tre e s th e re are in consequence , non-productive. T h is fine tree has la te ly a ttra c te d j some a tten tio n from hav ing ascribed to i t in S outh Am erica th e pecu liar capac ity of exuding a m oisture in th e form of fine ra in . I t th u s became invested w ith th e nam e of R ain-tree. T h e trees in th is q u a r te r however have nev er ex h ib ited any such pecu liarity . I ts ch a rac te r as a p as tu re tree is in h igh esteem everyw here, bearing as i t does large quan tities of h ighly n u tr itio n s beans w hich are an excellen t fodder fo r cattle, an d ripen ing a t a tim e, F eb ru ary an d M arch, when grass is m ost scarce—except th a t , b y th e ir astringency apparen tly , th e y certa in ly have th e effect of d im in ish ing th e y ield of m ilk in cows. There w ould appear to be an erroneous notion abroad as th e charac te r of i ts wood, conclusions h av ing been a rriv ed a t from th e s tu d y of th e ch a rac te r of wood found in young tree s—say below 20 years, an d th e wood h ad been pronounced sappy an d worthless. Such, how ever, is n o t th e case w ith wood of m atu red trees. In such, th e w ood is alm ost exactly th a t of old chestn u t, and th a t too w ith a very sm all am ount of sap-wood. M oreover th e wood is specially valuable as check blocks fo r th e R ailw ay brakes, and indeed for any purpose in w hich n o n-liab ility to w rap even in our suo, g rea t s tren g th , com bined w ith toughness, an d d u rab ility above g round are essential. T he sam an trees raised from seed and p lan ted in th e Q ueen’s P a rk in 1866—14 years ago, now m easure a t 5 feet from g round n early 8 fee t c ircum ference, an d w ith a spread from opposite a ides of 96 feet. This about equals th e size a tta in e d by E lm s in E urope in 50 or 60 years. T h e young trees p lan ted on th e w estern side of B elm ont p as tu re 18 m onths ago, have done w ell, and now m ake some e f fe c t: In g a sam an is 20 feet h ig h .—R eport Trinidad Gardens.

C H A N G E S A C C O M P A N Y IN G T H E R IP E N IN G O F C E R T A IN P L A N T S .*

B Y P . P . D E 'h b ' r a I N A N D B R e ' a l .

D6h6rain explains th e loss in w eight of d ry m a tte r w hich occurs d u rin g th e m a tu ra tio n of th e seed in th e cereals and o th e r p lan ts . T he fo rm ation of th e seed involves th e tra n sp o r t of carbohydrates and nitrogeneous bodies from one p a r t of the p lan t, to be a fterw ards s to red up in an o th er p a r t. In th e case of th e carbohydrates, th is tra n sp o rt does n o t necessita te an y loss in w eigh t, since they ex is t in th e form of reserve m ateria ls (starch , etc .), w hich ta k e no ac tive p a r t in th e phenom ena of grow th. B u t in th e tran sp o rt of nitrogeneous bodies a certain q u a n tity of pro toplasm has to d isappear from the liv ing cells in th e form of asparagine, to reappear in th e seed as legum in, g lu tin , etc. A ssim ilation then ceases in th e cells th u s dep rived of p ro toplasm , b u t ox idation s til l goes on, and th u s a loss of w eight is produced. T h e au thors d is tin g u ish th re e cases. In those p lan ts w hich flower rap id ly an d bear sim ul­taneously, a la rge num ber of flowers in p roportion to th e size of th e p la n t (Sinapis nigra, Coltvsia bicolor), there is a lw ays a loss in w eigh t of d ry m a t te r ; assim ilation sudden ly ceases th ro u g h o u t a large p o r­tion of th e p lan t, b u t oxidation still goes on. In p lan ts w hich do n o t produce m any flowers a t once, nor in too g re a t proportion to th e leaves, ripening is accom panied w ith only a tem p o rary loss of w e ig h t; a sufficient num ber of chlorophyll granu les rem ain in ta c t to carry on th e w ork of assim ilation, w hich proceeds w ith renew ed vigour after th e seeds have

* Ann. Agronomique. v i., 398—400. R ep rin ted from th e Journal o f the Chemical Society, J a n u a ry 1882.

r ipened (Eschscholtzia C alifornica, D elph in ium a jacisj. W hen th e flowers are v e ry few an d th e leaves num erous (Papavera somniferum, H esperis m aritim a, Silene pendula), th e d ry m a tte r increases in w eigh t d u ring th e rip en in g of seed .— Pharm aceutical Journa l.

SO M E E F F E C T S O F H E A T A N D L IG H T ON V E G E T A T IO N .

A curious m odification of th e n o rm a l s tru c tu re of p la n t stem s has been observed by M. P rillieu x on m aking th e tem p era tu re of th e g ro u n d ab o u t th e p lan t h igher th a n th a t of th e a ir above. Beans an d p u m p ­k in s gave th e b es t resu lts . T he seeds were p laced in e a rth in a large d ish , in which w as in se rted p a r t of a brass rod b en t a t a r ig h t angle and hav ing a gas flame app lied to its horizon ta l end. T he cham ber was m oist and cold. T he seed g erm inated w ell; b u t on com ing above g round th e p lan ts acqu ired a pecu liar shape, th e y grew b u t l i t t le in len g th an d became unsusually th ick , th e la t te r g ro w th involving m uch tension in th e surface layers, so th a t deep r if ts before long appeared (m ostly transverse ) an d m ade fu rth e r g row th im possible M. P rillieu x found th e en largem ent traceab le m ain ly to an increase, n o t of th e num ber, b u t of th e volum e of cells in the in te r io r (cells of th e cortical tissue and th e p ith ). T he excessive g ro w th of these cells occurred n o t on ly in th e cell w all, b u t in th e nucleus, w h ich w as often m u ltip lied . T h e excess of te m p era tu re of th e g round over th e a ir was abo u t 10 deg. A gain , th e view adop ted by th e o ld er bo tan ­is ts th a t l ig h t is e ither w ith o u t effect on germ ination , or as an adverse effect fails to harm onize w ith some resu lts la te ly a rriv ed a t by H err S teb ler, in th e case of m any seeds of .a g r ic u ltu ra l im portance, such as varie ties of meadow grass (p o a ). th e germ ination of w hich he finds to be favoured considerably m ore by lig h t th an by hea t. T hus, w ith tw o groups of 400 seeds each of P o a nemoralis, in one experim ent, th e re germ inated in lig h t 62 p er cent, an d in darkness 3 p e r cen t. S im ila rly w ith P oa pratensis in lig h t 59 per cen t;- in d arkness 7 p er cent, an d so on. S un lig h t being a very variab le force difficult of de te rm in a tio n , experim ents were fu rth e r m ade w ith gaslight, and w ith th e sam e re su lt— th a t lig h t favours th e germ in­a tio n of ce rta in seeds, especially grasses, and th a t these germ inate e ith e r n o t a t all, o r very scan tily , in d arkness. T he fac t was verified by H e rr S teb ler in qu ite a series of seeds, Pestuca, Cynosurus Alopecm-u,s, &c. In th e case of seeds th a t g erm inate qu ick ly and easily , as clover, beans, o r peas, be th in k s lig h tis p ro b ^ S y n o t advan tageous.— Planters’ Gazette.

M A TE.M r. L. Gouty, a f te r a special v is it to S ou th A m erica,

co n tribu tes to th e Revue Scientifique an a rtic le g iv ing th e re su lts of h is exam ination of th e food question on th a t co n tinen t, especially w ith respec t to n u tr io u s beverage know n as m atd, which he believes is d estined to replace qpffee and alcohol to a g n a t ex ten t. T he leaves are derived from th e I lex Paraguayensis, w hich grow s to a h e igh t of from th re e to six m etres, and covers acres of g round th ro u g h t P araguay , R io G ran d e ,P aran a , a n d th e p rovince of St. C a therine . T h is represents an e x te n t of coun try larger th a n F rance and G erm any com bined. T he leaves, w hich a re th ic k and oblong in shape are on ly picked every th re e or four years. T hey are d ried b y artific ia l means in th e woods by th e peasan ts them selves, w ho send th em in a rough s ta te to th e factories. H ere th ey undergo a separa ting process by m eans of sieves, an d are a f te rw a rd packed ready for sale. In p reparing th e beverage th e leaf is boiled for one o r tw o m inu tes, th e liqu id fu rn ish ed being less lim pid th an tea, an d n o t so dark as coffee. T he arom a is les» pronounced th a n th a t of good tea,

and th e m ate is sw eeter to th e ta s te th a n coffee, and m ay be d runk w ith o u t sugar. M oreover, i t m ay with advan tage pass th ro u g h seven or e ig h t successive boilings each tim e in fresh w ater, and th e la s t infusions w ill be b e tte r th an th e first, b u t in th is case i t m u st no t be allow ed to g e t cold.

This p ro d u c t is now sold a t th e ra te of 5s 6d an d 6s 6d p er 15 kilogram m es (33£ lb .), de livered a t A ntonine, a sh ipp ing p o rt in P a ran a , an d as each kilogram m e furnishes 40 litre s (about 36 q u a rts) of a s trong infusion , th e cost per litre s is less th a n a farth ing . B u t th is ra te would be s till leas if th e re were p roper m eans of traffic from th e woods, carriage being th re e tim es as expensive as th e o rig ina l a rtic le . A g rea t reduction m igh t fa irly be an tic ip a ted if ra ilw ays or even good roads w ere c o n s tru c te d ; b u t a t p resen t the tra n s i t is m ade by m eans of m ules along sw ep and rugged paths. F rom a chem ical analysis of th is p lan t, i t appears th a t i t con tains th e sam e properties as coffee, an alkalo id , w ith oleaginous essences a n d resinous gum s, b u t as th e q u an tity of th e la t te r p resen t is m uch g reater th an in coffee, th e n u tr it iv e elem ent is superior. T h is analysis is confirm ed b y experience. T he in ­h ab itan ts d rin k n o th in g else, and w ith m ate an d m eat th e y live w ell, w ith o u t experiencing any desire for bread or vegetable, a lthough th e co u n try is favourable fo r the cu ltiv a tio n oi m aize and potatoes, if necessary. T he ca ttle ten d ers o ften rem ain ab sen t for days from a ll hum an hab ita tio n w ith th e ir herds, an d are con­te n t to forego th e ir u sual m eals if only th ey have a good supply of m ate, w hich th u s appears to be an ac tive elem ent of food, and , u n like coffee, produces •neither sleeplessness nor p a lp ita tio n .—P lanters' Gazette.

M A TE D E IN K IN G .The follow ing com m unication has been addressed to

^ c o n te m p o ra ry :—S ir ,— F or som e tw o or th re e years I have been a

“ m ate d r in k e r,” and am delig h ted to find m yself n o t alone in m y “ indu lgence.” C onsidering th e easy com ­m unication and freq u e n t in te rco u rse betw een E ng land and th e A rgen tine R epub lic ,, i t has been a source of w onder th a t th e drink of P a rag u ay has n o t long ago been popularised in th is coun try . I n th e P aris E xh ib ition of 1878 th e “ y e rb a ," as i t is called , w as sold, b u t, jud ing from an ex trem ely m u sty an d sta le specim en w hich I saw in a frien d ’s hands, w as p e r­haps n o t calcu la ted to inspire confidence. T h e tea (or h e rb ra th er) w ill keep in perfec tly good condition for a long tim e, if p reserved In a cow -skin bag in w hich i t is so ld ; in fact, I have som e by m e now th ree years old. T he chief d ifficulty is to m ake th e tea . A lthough, to quo te th e advertisem en ts , i t is done b y “ sim ply pouring boiling w ate r,” y e t th is requ ires to be done very deftly , o r else th e p ipe th ro u g h w hich th e d r in k is sucked becom es clogged w ith d u st and tw igs, an d th e cup w hich does “ n o t in e b r ia te ” fails also to “.c h e e r.” T he process of m aking , to be successful, is th u s p erfo rm ed :— H aving procured your “ m ate,” w hich is th e sm all gourd from which th e te a is d rank , p u t in to i t tw o o r th re e spoonfuls of th e “ y e rb a ,” o r tea, an d th e n closing th e to p of th e m atb w ith th e hand , tu rn i t upside dow n, and shake i t well. T he ob jec t of th is proceeding is to bring th e d u s t to Ihe top an d th e tw igs to th e bottom (w hen th e cup is re tu rn ed to its norm al position). H aving shaken i t thus, tu rn th e gourd slow ly round til l th e “ y erb a" has fallen back ju s t enough to enable you to rem ove y our han d from th e orifice w ith o u t spilling th e con ten ts. T hen ta k e th e “ bom billa ," a silver tu b e w ith a p ierced bu lb a t th e end, an d sh ip the sam e carefully u n d er th e “ y e rb a ,” an d tu rn th e “ m ate" u p rig h t, being very careful n o t to shake th e con ten ts . T hen “ p o u r th e boiling w a te r ,” add ing

sugar if desired , aud th e d rin k is read y w hen i t has stood (say, one m inute). E ach “ charge” w ill bear w atering perhaps th ree tim es, a f te r which i t shou ld be cleaned out. I fear th a t some E uropeans w ill be inclined to o b je c t to th e process of drink ing , w hich is as follow s:—T he se rv an t, e ith er b lack or w hite, alw ays has first suck (in o rder to clear th e tu b e of dust), th e “ m at6” is th en handed to th e p a r ty one by one, and a ll draw in th e liqu id th ro u g h th e same pipe. B u t use accustom s one to any th in g , and I have d ru n k con ten ted ly from th e steam ing cup in very m ixed and som ew hat questionab le co m m n y ere now, upon th e p rarie , and should be q u ite re ™y to “ repeat th e dose.” The d r in k has one g rea t advan tag e—it is cheap; if m y m em ory fails m e no t, i t is ab o u t Is . p e r lb. T he m ate and bom billa cost, say, IQs. I believe m oreover, th a t i t has grea t “ s ta y in g pow ers.” T he G auchos in South A m erica say th a t if you w an t to ride “ long an d strong” ta k e a piece of b read and a “ m ate .” A Chileno I once m et on board sh ip said th a t he w en t th ro u g h th e fam ine of th e Com m une in P a ris on “ m a te .” Possibly, like A lexander S elk irk , “ h is r ig h t th e re w as none to d isp u te ,” an d w hile his h u n g ry b u t unen ligh tened fellow-sufferers w ould have q u arre lled over his boots, th ey allow ed h im to ta k e h is cup in peace. A pologising for consum ing so m uch of yo u r space in sing ing th e p ra ises of “ an o th er d rin k , ” I rem ain yours,

E r n e s t G e l d a r t .L ittle B rax ted R ecto ry , W itham .

— South A m erican Journal.

SO M E T H IN G A BO U T T H E PO TA TO .T he general cu ltiv a tio n of th e po ta to , as m ade

know n to u s b y the chem ists w ho have been s tu d y ­ing th is b ranch of th e tu b e r . G enerally speaking, large seed produces more larg e po ta toes th a n sm all Seed. M ost people m igh t ta k e th is fo r g ran ted , w ith ­o u t co rrobora ting th e supposition b y num erous ex ­p e rim en ts , as th e chem ist does, for th e chem ist m u st b ring fo rw ard positive resu lts only to bear o u t h is suppositions.

T h e influences of th e blossom s m akes a g rea t deal of difference in th e y ield of th e crop, as th e follow ­ing results show : - 208 een trs. 19 lb. of tu b e rs w ere ob ta ined from p lan ts from w hich th e blossom s had been rem oved, an d only 181 een trs. 48 lb . from p lan ts no t so trea ted . I do n o t th in k m any readers of Knowledge w ould have th o u g h t t h a t th e difference could have been so g rea t. .

I t has been found th a t th e g ro w th of sp ro u ts on po ta toes depends on th e ir nearness to th e apex of th e t u b e r ; if th e y are tre a te d w ith w a te r in su n ­ligh t, th e g row th increases fo rty o r fifty tim es, a lthough th is n o t th e case in th e d a rk . A bsence of lig h t is necessary for th e g row th of young tu b ers .

H e a t produces very beneficial re su lts to th e grow ­ing p lan t. On th is account too ea rly p lan tin g is in ju rious, fo r po tatoes requ ire th e sam e to ta l h ea t to. b rin g o u t th e leaf buds ; so, shou ld th e p lan ts be p lan ted too soon, i t w ould requ ire , as experim en t shows, perhaps fo rty days instead of fou rteen to b ring th em to th is stage, b u t i t is well, a t th e sam e tim e, to t>ear in m ind th e fac t t h a t if th e y a re le f t too la te , th e ground w ill become equally unsuitable .

P o ta to ro t is th e n e x t po in t to be .^ n s id e re d , of which th e re are th ree k in d s—viz., d ry , w et, and sw eet ro t. In th e d ry and w et ro t i t has been found th a t th e potatoes w ith th e m axim um sta rch resis t th e disease m ost effectually . P o ta toes grow n on m oist soils an d soils con tain ing m uch organic m a tte r are m ost liable to th e disease. T h e s ta rch iu diseased po tatoes is yellow , b u t can be used for m anufacturing a sesond q u a lity of dex trin . I n d ry ro t th e tu b e r is loose an d spongy, coated on th e o u tr id e w ith

m ould. T he disease is orig inally due to Bacteriae, and an o th er p a ra -ite is often p resen t a t th e sam e tim e. W e t ro t, I forgot to say, d iflers from d ry ro t in th is respect, th e in te rio r of th e tu b e r is p a rtia lly liqu id and th e ou tside coated w ith m ould. D uring ro ttin g , th e p o ta to lo«es h a lf i ts n itrogenous con­stitu tio n s an d th e w hole of the sugar.

T he Sw eetw ort is form ed by a parasite called M ueor mucedo. The m ycelium of th e parasite travels to a c e r t­ain d is tan ce in side of th e potato , an d th e n d isappears. B acteria rap id ly d estroys th e p lants. T here is an o th e r parasite , called Aspergillus niger, w hich produces a sim ilar re su lt* I t seems ra th e r uncerta in as to w h e th e r cane sugar or glucose is form ed : some chem ­ists say th e one, o thers th e la tte r .

W e a ll are fam iliar w ith frozen potatoes, b u t n o t m an y of us know in w h a t m an n er th e f ro s t affe ts them . F ro s t has th e effect of doubling th e am ount of suga r in th e tu b er, th e s ta rch d im in ish ing in p roportion ; p a r t of th e p ro te in passes from th e congulable to th e soluble form.

To p rev en t ro t in p o ta toes, th e tu b e rs , w hether sound or diseased when ta k e n from the ground , a re left in a w eak so lu tion of calcium ch lo rid e—one p a r t to a thousand of w a te r—for half-an-hour. T hey are th en transferred to a soda so lu tion of th e sam e s tre n g th , a f te r w hich they are w ashed w ith clean w ater an d a ir d ried . H alf k ilo of calcium chloride and th e sam e am ount of soda is sufficient fo r 250 k ilos of potatoes. A kilo is a l i t t le over 2 lb. 3 oz.

E ven though potatoes are bad ly diseased, th ey are s t i l l useful fo r c a ttle food-. T hey a re best c u t u pand boiled o r m erely scalded , m ix ed w ith choppedstraw or chaff, and sto red in narrow tren ch es covered up w ith clay. So stored , th e y w ill keep fo r m any years. I f steam ed, th e y shou ld be k e p t in casks, as th e re is m ore adhering m oistu re . I f i t is n o t con­v en ien t to h ea t th em as above, th e y should a t oncebe sen t to th e d istille rs .

W ith regard to th e best k in d of p o ta to fo r yield an d quality , th e re seems to be a good deal of differ­ence in opinion, as th e follow ing exam ples w ill show. 1. F o r q u a lity and q u an tity : C ham pion, R ich te r’s Im p era to r, Eos, &c. 2. R ich te r’s Im p era to r for yieldis fa r th e b e s t ; iS of a hard ly n a tu re , sm ooth, and th e s ta lk is ta ll an d s tra ig h t. N e x t in o rder are V io le t, V ic to ria , Irlach in , R ic h te r’s Snow rose, &c. 3. F o r s ta rch and y i e ld : Eos, A urora A lc o h o l;low er in y ie ld b u t very h ig h in s ta rch , A chilles and Ceres. R ich te r’s Im p era to r E a rly Rose, &c., very heav y y ie lds. T h e -above form s th re e Opinions of th re e ch e m is ts ; th ey a ll seem to agree th a t tlie Im ­p e ra to r is th e largest y ielder.

T he m ost successful w ay of m anuring is to partia lly d ig th e m anure in to th e ground. T he app lica tion of nitrogenous and phosphate m anures w ith o u t farm yard m anure is m uch less to be tru s te d on a poor soil th an on a rich one. M anuring on fe rtile soil is not p roductive of any g rea t gain. Sheep-dung produces a y ield of 50 p e r cent h igher th a n any o th e r a r t i ­ficial m anure, aud 60 p er cen t h igher th a n if no dun g be applied a t all. E x tra supplies of am m oniacnl and superphosphates produce no increase. Compost has th e sam e effect as if th e lan d w ere unm anure^l, excep t th a t th e re is an im--rea=e. of s ta rch . T he nn- m anured p lo ts are h ighest in disease. A good m ix tu re is C hili S a ltp ^ re an d B aker's superphosphate in th e propotion of one of th e fo rm er to tw o of th e la t te r m ixed w ith stab le m anure. Bone meal, one au th o r says, increa-es th e w eight of p ro d u c t, an d i t is also very lik e ly th a t th e w hole p lan t likew ise increases in w eigh t. T here is an o th er substance w hich has been tr ie d viz., pea t, and good p ea t is found to g ive even b e tte r re su lts th a n good s ta b le m an u re .—F . C. S .— Knowledge.

G O V E R N M E N T G A R D E N IN G A N D F A R M IN G -The rep o rt of th e progress an d conditions of th e

G overnm ent B otan ica l G ardens as S ah aran p u r and M assoorie is an in te re s tin g record of th e progress of botanical science in N o rth e rn In d ia . M r. D u th ie r e m a rk s :— “ T here is no h a rd -an d -fast line of d i­vision betw een resu lts of scientific and those of p rac tica l in te re s t, so th a t one se t of fac ts could be grouped as scientific, and an o th e r of p rac tica l, fo r science does n o t cease w here p rac tice commences, b u t is ra th e r m ade m an ifest by its app lication . T here are, of course, certa in sub jec ts w hich m ay be r ig h tly te rm ed p rac tica l, and o th ers u n m istak ab ly sc ie n tif ic ; th e re is also a th ird se t w hich m ay be said to p a r ­ta k e of th e characters of both. I t is th e p reponder­ance of ^ i s la t te r in m y p resen t re p o rt w hich has m ade itW nposaib le fo r m e to div ide i t sa tisfac to rily in to th e tw o sections as des ired .”

W ith A u stra lian grasses we no te th e usua l fa ilu re in an econom ic p o in t of view , none of th em equalling th e common In d ia n dub, o r h u rria lee . Indeed , w hen properly tre a te d i t w ould be difficult to find its equal, e ith er green , o r as hay in a n y c o u n try , for though w e m iss in i t th e sw eet A uthoxanthum oderatum of E n g lish p astu res, w e know its arom a to be excellent, w hile its n u tr itiv e qualities are incon testab le . I n th e h o tte r p a r ts of A u s tra lia w hich m ost resem ble In d ia , b o th dub and guinea g rass are decided acquisitions, so i t is d oub tfu l w h e th er any g re a t assistance can be given from th e A delaide G ardens to those in In d ia in fu rn ish ing im proved forage o r fodder p lan ts. I n S outh A u s tra lia one is s tru c k w ith th e fac t th a t th e fields once p loughed a re for years weedless, and o n ly a t leng th becom e w eedy w ith th e in road of im p o rted p lan ts ru n w ild ; y e t th e g re a te s t friend to th e hurrialee is th e plough, w hen used in m oderation. B u t if D r. S choinburg canno t send grapes from his lovely G ardens a t A delaide, he has co n trib u te d in the e a rth alm ond w h at m ay be a m ost des irab le tu b e s * A lth o u g h A u s tra lia has n o t so fa r y ie lded a grass o f m arked value w e n o te no deficiency from o th er countries. T h e guinea grass, fo r w hich Jam aica now pays ta x e s on over 100,000 acres is a t S aharunpore, as elsew here in In d ia a success, ju s t in p roportion to th e a tte n tio n i t receives. Tambokie g rass is also re p o rte d favorably on, as hav ing been received from th e Cape of G ood H ope, an d as being relished by ca ttle , an d Lucerne is valuab le as a perenn ial.

W e now tu rn to th e re p o rt of th e Caw npore E x ­p e rim en ta l F arm O perations fo r 1880-81, an d lea rn t h a t du ring th e Rabi season, th e farm w as th e m eans o f b ringing to lig h t .som e in te re s tin g ag ricu ltu ra l facts. W ith a ra in fa ll am ounting to only 2'21 inches in e ig h t m onths, irrig a tio n h ad to be em ployed to g e rm in a te th e crops, m ost of which w ere sown be­tw een O ctober lo th and N ovem ber 7 th . A s a n a tu ra l consequence ‘ p a tch y ’ crops w ere th e re su lt, a defi­ciency of th e m oistu re in th e subsoil being in im ical to h ea lth y ro o t grow th . T h e effect of tw o k in d s of m an u re were b ro u g h t very prom inen tly ! in to notice, b o th of th is being n itrogenous. T hese w ere, first en rich ing th e la n d by green soiling, th a t is ploughing a legum inous crop in to th e lan d before i t begins to form s e e d ; an d secondly, using hum an excreta. As b o th w ere h igh ly successful, aud w ere con trasted w ith c a ttle dung, and th e ashes of c a ttle d u n g as well as o th e r m anures, th e follow ing re su lts of th e experm eu t are w orth a tten tio n . T he figures show th e increase per acre.P e r cen t in gross o u ttu rn .M anures y ield ing n itrogen

G reen soilingP o u d re tte . .C a ttle dungC a ttle dung p lus gypsum

G rain . S traw . N e t profit. R . a. p.

151 91 26 0 9166 109 25 4 583 47 6 0 273 39 Loss R l-1 -1

M anures w ith o u t n itrogen G rain . Straw . N e t profit.Ashes of ca ttle du n g 56 23 L o s s , ,0 -2 5Bone superphosphate 33 8 Loss per acreBone d u s t ... 12 Loss 5 Loss R2-2-4T he m ost p rom in en t fac t shew n in th is tab le is

th e g rea t su p e rio rity of th e n itrogenous over th e non-nitrogenous m anures. U n d er th e head ing I r r ig ­ation th e value of a la te w atering is p rom inently b rough t forw ard, rfor while one, tw o, and th ree w aterings gave increases in g rain of from 300 to 370 per cen t over a p lo t unw atered w hich w as a to ta l failure, a fo u rth w ate rin g ra n u p th e percentage to 500 in grain , and 350 in straw , o r in o th e r w ords an e x tra watering, costing R4-14-0 p er acre, gave an increase of R20 in th e to ta l produce. Again, a useful experim ent is recorded as an off-shoot of th is , a lthough i t is given as a difference of p loughing tim e, as in th e one case ploughed-up lan d received and re ta in ed th e rain , while it w ould to a g re a t ex ten t be wasted on unploughed lands :—

O u ttu rn per acre. G rain . S traw . V alue.lb . lb. R . a. p.

P o rtio n ploughed in J u ly ... 1,630 2 ,676 '4 55 9 10N o t ploughed t i l l S ep t. 983 1,493 8 32 13 10H ence th e difference in value of o u ttu rn m ade by early ploughing am ounted to over R22 p e r acre. Follow ing on as a n a tu ra l .sequence, w e lea rn th a t a crop of castor oil grown on th e F arm on deeply cu ltiv a ted land , w as th e only crop of an y k in d gathered from land of th e sam e descrip tion for miles around.

•Of new stap les tr ie d we m ay d ism iss Cape o a ts as th 6 y do no t th riv e in S o u th e rn In d ia , w ith th e r e ­m ark th a t th ey y ie lded rem ark ab ly w ell, g iv ing 2,299 lb . of g ra in and 3,993 lb . of straw p e r acre. Some tr ia ls w ere m ade w ith acclim atized A m erican corn, of such a varie ty , nam ed th e A m erican C anada corn y ie lded no less th an 4,382 lb. of hu lled corn per acre, giving th e handsom e profit of R 64-8-7. T his should n o t be overlooked by E urasians w ho would be ag ricu ltu ris ts , for in S ou thern as w ell as N orth ern In d ia maize u n d e r com peten t m anagem ent y ie lds one of th e heav iest possible crops, as those w ho re ­m em ber th e la te B angalore E xperim en ta l F arm can tes tify . In th e section d evo ted to th e developm ent and construction of Im proved A gricu ltu ra l im plem ents, w e are am used a t th e accoun t of an a t te m p t to in tro d u ce a w innow ing m achine. F ir s t an English w innow ing m achine costing R200, and therefore beyond th e means of th e average ry o t, w as t r i e d ; th en an im plem ent of F a rm co nstruction value R35 was u s e d ; an d la s tly th e native m ethod w as tes ted . T he follow ing resu lts are record :—

T im e to Cost of M ethod of N um - winnow winnow-

w innow ing. ber. C ost. 100 m ds. ing.E nglish w innow er 4 Men. 6£ An. 18/i. 58m. 15 4 Ans-Farm ,, ... 3 ,, 5£ ,, 3 2 , , 1 6 , , 21 * 1 ,,N ative m ethod ... 3 , , 5 | ,, 2 8 ,, 3 3 , , 18'7 „E nglish w innow er 4 ,, 6£ ,, 2 0 ,, 5 0 , , 16 '9 ,,F a rm „ ... 3 „ 5£ „ 40 „ 39 „ 26 6 „N ative m ethod ... 3 ,, 10£ ,, 5 1 ,, 4 1 ,, 67 8 ,,

T he idea th a t w ind can be usefully converted in to a nlo tive pow er by m eans of an A m erican ^ m d m ill is d isproved, an d th e experim ent is c o n s ^ te n t ly valuab le in exploding a w idely en te rta in ed idea. T he w ork ing of th e w indm ill, costing w hen delivered R300, was, w ith th e wages of a boy to look after i t 5 annas a day, w hich is proved to be m ore th a n th e dhenkoli, w orked by tw o men, and th e w indm ill was to ta lly d isabled by a d u s t storm , ap p aren tly of no more th a n o rd inary velocity . T h is w indm illl was obtained a t th e suggestion of th e G overnm ent of In d ia who are ever on th e look-ou t for a h appy panacea

fo r th e ry o t in lieu of persuad ing h im to carry o u t th e o rd in ary ag ricu ltu ra l p rac tice of an en ligh tened age, deep cu ltiva tion , the use no t th e abuse of w ater, th e conservation of m anure, se lection of seed, an d so on . — M adras M ail.

T H E S U P P L Y O F C IN C H O N A B A R K .T hough th e enorm ous advance d u rin g th e la s t few

w eeks in th e price of quin ine su lp h a te an d of the bark from w hich th a t im p o rtan t m edicine is m an u ­fac tu re d has been caused p robab ly by speculative operations, th e fac t is suggestive of the necessity for a m ore assured reg u la rity in th e relation betw een th e supply of th e raw m ateria l and th e dem and for it . A t p re sen t th e South A m erican sources of supply , though n a tu ra lly abun d an t, are u n d er conditions w hich leave room for some apprehensions as to th e ir con­tin u in g to be availab le in th e sam e m anner th a t th ey hav e been h ith e rto . T h e cu ltiv a tio n of c inchonas h as indeed been u n d ertak en in some p arts* o f th e coun try , b u t from th e unse ttled s ta te of political affairs an d th e insecurity of p roperty , i t m ay be a long tim e before th is w ork is so generally e n te red upon as to provide a m ore co n stan t su pp ly of b a rk in place of th a t derived from th e n a tu ra l forests.

U n d er these circum stances th e cu ltiv a tio n of c in ­chona in Ind ia , Ceylon and J a v a acquires an especial im portance, and any step th a t prom ises to conduce to th e successful.prosecution of th is en te rp rise deserves to m ee t w ith encouragem ent. In th is re la tio n w e a re g lad to m ention th e p ub lica tion of a sm all w ork in Ceylon, u n d e r th e title of th.e ‘ C inchona P la n te r ’s M an u a l,’ in w hich th e au thor, M r. T . C. Owen, has fu rn ish ed a risum e of th e inform ation, sca tte red th ro u g h blue books and o th e r difficulty accessible works, con­cern ing th e experience w hich has been acquired since th e a ttem p t to cu ltiv a te cinchonas was firs t m ade by the D u tch and B ritish G overnm ents. W ith in th e space of 203 octavo pages, M r. Owen has g iven a very lucid account of w h a t is know n on th e sub jec t, free from scientific techn ica lities a n d w ell ad ap ted for guidance of p lan te rs engaged in th e cu ltiv a tio n of quin ine-y ie ld ing cinchonas.

In p reparing th is m anual th e w orks of D r. K ing , D r. Bidie, th e la te M r. M aclvor, an d th e rep o rts on th e In d ia and Ja v a G overnm ent p lan ta tio n s have been la id u nder co n tribu tion , w hile a m ost usefu l classification of such m em bers of th e cinchona gen u s as. are of interest, to p lan ters, w ith th e charac te ris tic s of each, has been fu rn ished by D r. T riraen , th e D irecto r of P eraden iya B otanical G ardens.

A fter g iv ing a concise sk e tc h of p la n t physiology and a general descrip tion of th e cinchona alkalo ids, as w ell of th e species an d varie ties of th e alkalo id - y ie ld ing cinchonas and of th e resu lts ob tained by th e ir cu ltiv a tio n in In d ia , C eylon an d Ja v a , M r. Owen proceeds to t re a t of those m atte rs w hich dem and th e special consideration of th e p lan te r, such as th e choice of lan d in reg ard to soil, s itu a tio n , c lim atic conditions, elevation , e tc ., th e several operations of clearing, w eeding, lay ing o u t of roads, d ra in in g an I p lan ting . T hen follow s a ch ap te r on th e m anagem ent of nurseries, on m anuring , an d harvesting , w hile in th e succeeding p a r t of th e w oik th e diseases an d enem ies of th e cinchona trees are d ea lt w ith .

In speaking of th e im p o rtan t su b je c t of h y b r id iz ­ation , M r. Owen endorses M r. B ro u g h to n ’s opinion th a t th e num erous so-called h y b rid s a re in m any cases ra th e r spo rts o r form s developing in to races w hich probably occur in S o u th A m erica. T h u s trees of officinalis ob tained by cu ttin g s from tw o ap p a ren tly iden tica l p lan ts show ed a ll the varie ties k now n as officinalis, Condaminea, Uritusinga, crispa, etc., th e tendency to vary being so s tro n g th a t even a tw ig in a tree show ed foliage d ifferen t from the parent

types. T h is seems borne o u t by th e fact th a t in p lan ts on a tw ig of w hich varieg a ted leaves have been developed, o th e r tw igs of th e sam e p lan t, w hen grow n as cu ttings, w ill n o t develops v ariega 'ed leaves. A w rite r in th e Ceylon Observer s ta te s th a t a t th e in term edia te zones, w here clim ates of inferio r su itab ility to th e g row th of various species a re m ot w ith , a large num ber of hyb rid form s have developed, b e tte r su ited to th e clim ate th e y grow in th an th e p a ren t trees. Dr. T rim en also is of opinion th a t some of th e so-called h y b rid s m ay be new or a t least previously unobserved form s, while o thers are more or less sim ilar to tbdke a lready noticed in Sjouth A m erica. T he tru e re la tionsh ip of th e various forms, however, probab ly requires a w ider consideration , in w hich th e m icroscopical s tru c tu re of th e b a rk and th e a lkalo ids y ielded by th e different form s, m aking allow ance fo r difference in clim ate an d elevation, are each allowed due w eight.

M r. Owen expresses h is opin ion th a t locally p re ­pared febrifuges w ill never be able to com pete w ith th e cheaper crystallized a lkalo ids p repared in E n g ­land, th e g reat m anufactu re rs hav ing appliances and probably secre t processes w hich g ive them enorm ous advantages. T hus w hile S ikk im febrifuge was being sold for 20 rupees p er pound, su lp h a te of c inchonine could be bought for 5 rupees and su lpha te of cin- chonidine for 17 "50 rupees in E ngland . H e alsobelieves th a t th e re is bu t l i t t le fear of th e supp ly of quinine y ield ing b a rk s exceeding th e dem and, w h ils t if th e local p rep ara tio n of febrifuge fromth e red bark s proves a success th e re w ill be less fear of th e la tte r flooding th e m arket. M r. Gam m ie, of Rungbee, is said to have discovered a cheap p ro ­cess, w hereby th e su lp h a te of quinine, m ixed w ith a sm all p roportion of c inchonine, can be ex trac ted so as to be sold a t about th e sam e low price as th e Sikkim febrifuge. T he g re a t d ifficulty experienced, how ever, is th e thorough exhaustion of alkalo id from th e bark .

In speaking of th e use of b a rk for pharm aceuticalpurposes, Mr. Owen rem arks t h a t som etim es th elarge d ruggists are obliged to b u y officinalis. W hen th is happens th ey usua lly resell th e b a rk to the m anufacture r, a f te r ex trac tin g by th e ir m ethod a p a r t of i ts con ten ts , and i t n o t unfrequen tly happens th a t th e b a rk proves to be alm ost as rich in quin ine as i t was before it had been subjected to th e t r e a t­m e n t of th e d ru g g ist. H is m ethod fails to ex trac t th e w hole of th e quinine, o r even of th e in ferio r a lk a l­oids. I t is obvious tha$ th e chem ist does n o t w ant a valuable quin ine bark , b u t ra th e r a softer bark, like th e succirubra, r ich in to ta l alkalo ids, w hich are separable by his m ethod, b u t com paratively poor in quinine. Though th e alkalo ids are n o t com pletely ex trac ted by th e process he uses, th ey y ield to in ­fusion sufficient to ju s tify h im in s ty lin g th e resu lt a “ ton ic m ix tu re .” A s a cheap bark , b u t ye t rich in th e m ore easily separable to n ic and febrifugal m atter, th e succirubra m ay th en r ig h tly be term ed , p a r excellence, “ d ru g g ists’ b a rk .”

T he fea tu res w hich M r. Owen describes as having m ost w eight w ith th e d ru g g ist are th e boldness and firm ness, th e reg u la rity of the ro ll, th e leng th and evenness of the quill. W ith a q u ie t iro n y he ob­serves th a t these po in ts a r e ■ “ evidences of care in “ preparation of th e b a rk , an d th e y therefore in- “ d irec tly te s tify , for th e sa tisfaction of th e chem ist “ and his customers, to th e id e n tity and, as a “ necessary corollary, to th e m edicinal v irtu es of the “ b a rk .”

A nothef p o in t to w hich he calls th e a tte n tio n of exporters, viz.. th e presence of a silvery coating of th e epiderm is of th e b a rk an d if possible th e p re ­sence of crnstaceons and stringy lichens, to w hich, he goes pn to say, tra d itio n has g iven a fictitious

im portance, hav ing declared i t to be, to g e th e r w ith th e b i t te r ta s te of th e bark , th e g rea test safeguard of th e chem ist agains t deception a n d th e s tro n g est proof of th e id e n tity of th e p a re n t tree. H e show s th a t ba rk possessing th is appearance w ill realize as m uch as 50 per cent, or som etim es even 100 p e r cent, above its in trin s ic va ue. T h is is because th e d ru g ­g is t m ay be said to b u y on appearance only, and w ith li t t le reference to th e in trin s ic value of th e b a rk .

These rem arks are very in s tru c tiv e an d show th a t th is l i t t le w ork is well w o rth y of perusal by th e w holesale an d retail d ru g g ists as w ell as by th e cinchona p lan te r . T h e re is no d o u b t som e t r u th in th e rem arks th a t are q u o ted above.— Pharm aceutical Journal.

T R A D E A M O N G T H E D Y A K S O F BO R N EO .As considerab le a tte n tin o n is being d irec ted to th e

p rospect of increased com m ercial re la tio n s w ith Borneo, ow ing to th e g ra n t of a c h a r te r to an E nglish colonising com pany, whose operations w ill be conducted on th e eas t coast of th a t island , w e e x tra c t from C arl B ock 's w ork , ju s t pub lished by M essrs. Sam pson L ow & Co., e n title d th e “ H ead H u n te rs of B orneo ,” th e follow ing parag rap h s descrip tive of th e com m ercial p ro d u c ts of th e island « t p re sen t u tilised b y th e n a tiv e s :—

“ D uring th e d ry season th e D yaks, especially th e wom en, go o u t in num bers a n d co llect dam ar, a so rt of resin , w hich is produced in abundance by ^ r t a i n k in d s of trees, th re e d iffe ren t k in d s being reedgnised — viz., d a rk brow n, yellow , an d n ea rly w h ite ad d tran sp a ren t. T h e ‘d a m a r’ ru n s from thie trees to th e ground , an d is o ften m ixed w ith e a rth an d very d ir ty . W h en th is is th e case th e n a tiv es m ake a so rt of p u t ty w hich th e y ca ll doempoel, f irs t pound ing th e resin, th en add ing to i t a l i t t le cha lk an d cocoanut-oil. W h e n p ack in g u p m y collections of b ird s, &c., I found th a t th e % o o d w as sp lit in several p laces, leaving crack s sufficiently w ide to ad m it a n ts an d o th e r d es tru c tiv e insects. O bserving th is , a D y a k m ade me some ‘doem poel,’ ' and filled up th e crevices, m aking th e case p refec tly tig h t . T h is p u t ty h ardens q u ick ly a f te r i t is applied , and is very d u rab le . T he ‘d a m a r’ is also used in th e m anufactu re of torches, w hich are m ade of bundles of leaves m ixed w ith pow dered resin. W hen burn ing , these to rches em it a very feeble ligh t, b u t a very s tro n g sm oke an d sm ell. T h e superio r advan tages of pe tro leum w ill, no d o u b t, soon be apprecia ted am ong th e D yaks, as th e y a re a lread y am ong th e M alays, w ho have fo r some years b u rn t th is oil, w hich th ey call minia tana (e a r th o il).

“ T he cu ttin g of r a t ta n is, how ever, th e chief occup­atio n of th e D yaks. T his is carried on in th e ra in y season, w h en th e y m ake excursions to th e very num erous rivers an d creeks, on whose banks th e several species of th is va luab le p rick ly clim bing p la n t are found grow ing in g re a t abundance . T here are th re e so rts in special dem and in tra d e —th e R otan irit, w hich is th e best, th e Sankolirang, a n d an in ferio r variety . T he p rice a t S am arinda varies from n inety-five florins to tw en ty -fiv e florins for 100 ikka t o r bundles—each bundle con ta in ing fo rty ra tta n s . T he ap p a ren t differ­ence i ^ e u a l i t y is so slig h t th a t i t requ ires an ex- periencCTPeye to d e te c t i t . T he ra tta n is sold to M alay trad ers , and by th em b ro u g h t down to th e sh ipp ing p o r ts on im m ense ra fts—th o se on th e B ari to river som etim es m easuring 300 or .400 feet long an d 60 or 70 feet w ide, m ade of a n u m b er of large trees t ie d firm ly to g e th e r by m eans of ra t ta n rope........................

“ Besides form ing -the chief a r tic le of tra d e in its raw s ta te , r a t ta n fu rn ishes th e m a te ria l for th e m an u ­fac tu re of an endless v a rie ty of useful objects. T ake aw ay h is bam boo, an d y o u ta k e aw ay th e D y a k ’a

house. T ak e aw ay h is ra tta n , an d you deprive th e D yak of half th e artic les indispensable to his existence. W h a t crochet-w ork "is to th e ' European lad y , r a t ta n p la itin g is to th e D yak housewife. She is a lw ays m anufacturing e ith e r sleeping m ats, s it t in g m ats, sirih boxes, baskets of all shapes an d sizes, an d for all k inijs of uses, besides long pieces of p la it to be used as cords, ropes, o r th read s , in dressm aking , house­build ing , r a f t construction , an d th e h u n d red and one o th er purposes of da ily life in th e forest.

“ In some parts of th e in te rio r I have seen b askets m ade from th e b a rk of th e trees w hich are prefectly w ate rtig h t.

“ T he n ex t p ro d u c t w hich claim s th e D y ak ’s a tten tio n , and is largely exported , is g u tta-percha (rnallau), w hich is y ielded by m any different species of trees. T he tree y ield ing th e best g u tta percha is called by the natives KomaXlau D urian from th e resem blance of its leaves to those of th e D urian . A n o th er v arie ty is know n as th e K om allau B am as. T he n a tiv es e a t the f ru it, w hich is som ew hat sw eet in flavour, T he juice when firs t ex trac ted is of a m ilk y -w h ite co lo u r; b u t i t tu rn s chocolate-brow n as i t h ardens by exposure to th e air. T he D yaks have no t y e t g rad u a ted in th e science of forest conservation. In s te a d of m aking incisions i t regular in te rv a ls in th e b a rk of a tree, an d extracting a portion of th e ju ice a t d ifferen t periods, by w hich its fu rth e r g row th w ould n o t be p reven ted , they usually ado p t th e rad ica l expedient of cu ttin g the w hole tree down. T he consequence is th a t th e m aterial is becom ing m ore and more difficult to procure, and w ill even tually become scarce, if n o t ex tin c t, in th e island. . . .

“ A no ther occupation is ga th erin g wax (Wing) from th e nests of th e indigenous bees. A long th e banks of th e rivers m ay be seen h undreds of h igh s tra ig h t trees, covered w ith from tw e n ty to s ix ty nests. I t is a curious fa c t—a t variance w ith th e alm ost un iversal h a b it am ong a ll an im als to conceal th e ir nests as m uch as possible—th a t th e bees alw ays select* for th e ir nes ts a tree w ith a l ig h t g rey b a rk , against which th e ir dark-co loured homes stand o u t very conspicuously. T hese w onderfu l a rch itec tu ra l s tru c tu res, again, are alw ays p laced near th e river, never in th e in te rio r of th e forests. I f th is is done by an in stin c tiv e desire to p ro tec t th e nests from th e ravages cf m onkeys and o th er anim als in h ab itin g th e woods, i t is s trange th a t the insects shou ld defeat th is ob jec t in th e colour of the nests. I was to ld by th e D yaks th a t th e O rang Poouan* (the fo res t people) are th e chief collectors of wax, pu lling dow n th e nests in th e n igh t, w hen i t is very dark , and d riv ing aw ay or suffocating th e insect com m unities by m eans of th e ir sm oke-producing dam ar torches. T hey often g e t s tu n g d u rin g th e operation, b u t bear th e pain w ith indifference. T he honey (madoe) is nearly a ll k e p t b y th e n atives for home consum ption, and the wax exported , th e price, uncleaned, being 80 florins per picol of 120 k a ttie s .

“ The natives, and especially th e O rang Poonan, also m ake i t a regu lar in d u stry tw ice a year to v isit th e caves in w hich a species of swallow, t ':e H in in d o escultnta breed, and to collect th e ir nests, w hich form th e basis of th e ce lebra ted Chinese dish of b irds-nest soup. These edible b irds-nests (sarong boeroeng) are of tw o varie ties , and fe tch high prices, th e w h ite r kind realising from 160 to (80 florins per six k a ttie s , and th e coloured or in ferio r q u a lity selling for from 110 to 115 florins per six k a ttie s .

“ A curious in d u s try is th e collection of galiga, or bezoar stones, w hich a re also m ostly secured by th e O range Poonan. T hese galiga a re h igh ly prized for

* A race of fair-skinned Dyaks, described and ske tched in h is book by th e au th o r, A’ho was th e firs t European to p en e tra te in to th e ir fo res t homes, and to see th e women of th e tribe .

to th e Boegis, w ho re-sell th em to th e Chinese m edicinal purposes, an d are sold a t fabulous prices. T here are tw o sorts, th e galiga landah and O. boeliis. The form er, the m ore expensive of th e two, are derived from an e x te rn a j w ound on th e porcupine. They are very lig h t in w eight, an d of a brown colour. T hey tas te exactly lik e q u in in e ; an d so strong is th is p ro p erty th a t w hen a piece is h e ld in side th e hand , aud th e tongue applied outside, th e b i t te r ta s te can be detec ted . I t appears to me th a t these galiga are com posed of b its of leaves, &c., g rad u a lly collected on th e w ound, an d form ed in to a ball b y th e congealed blood. T he o th e r so rt, the O. boeliis, are found a t tim es, th e D yaks te ll me, in d ifferen t p a r ts of th e body of th e bnehis m onkey (Semnopithecus cristatus), called in th e in te r ic r boehis. .T hey are of a greenish- brow n colour, o ften beau tifu lly polished, an d are m ostly k idneyshaped , though vary ing in colour. T hey are no th ing else th a n gallstones, sim ilar to those found in hum an bodies. T he Chinese g rin d th e galiga to a pow der, an d ta k e a l i t t le of i t in a tu m b ler of w ater. T he cu ra tiv e p roperties a ttr ib u te d to th is d rau g h t are leg ion ; th e re is n o t an ailm en t th a t i t is n o t able to cure. I t m ay, indeed, be called th e ‘ Holloway’s P ills and O in tm en t ’ of th e C hinese, ro lled a ll in to one. ”— Colonies and Ind ia .

T H E A L K A L O ID S O F C U P R E A B A R K .M r. D avid H o w ard ’s le tte r , in reference to a note

which appeared in th e Chemical N ew s la s t w eek, gives good reasons for w ithho ld ing assen t th e sugges­tio n th a t th e crysta llin e alkalo id , observed in cuprea b a rk sim ultaneously and in dependen tly by several chem ists, is m erely a com pound of quin ine and quin- idine. I f th a t w ere th e case w e should have to ad m it th a t b y th e com bination of these tw o alkalo ids the capab ility of one of them to form a very sparing hydrio d a te w as ob litera ted , an d th a t b y th e union of a d ex tro g y ra te a lkalo id w ith one of laevogyrate action th e ro ta to ry pow er w as augm ented in one d irec ­tion in stead of being reduced to noth ing , as analogy w ould suggest in such a case. M oreover th e occur- rence of qu in id ine to g e th e r w ith quin ine is n o t a circum stance pecu liar to cuprea b a rk , b u t is freq u en t in o th e r varieties, though th e c rysta lline a lkalo id obtained from th e form er has n o t been observed in them . I t seems to be unquestionab ly peculiar to cup rea bark , and from th a t po in t of view to ran k w ith th e unusua l crysta llin e form of th e su lp h a te ob ta ined from th is b a rk as one of severa l reasons for believing th a t i t contains a h ith e r to unknow n a lkalo id . — Pharm aceutical Journal, J a n u a ry 14.

N O TE ON A C O M PO U N D O F Q U IN IN E A ND A N D Q U IN ID IN E .*

B Y C. H . W O O D A N D E . L . B A R R E T .

(Pharm aceutical Journal, 21st J a n u a ry 1882.)The discovery of a new alkalo id , closely resem bling

quin ine, in th a t descrip tion of cinchona b a rk know n in com m erce as “ cuprea b a rk ,” recen tly m ade byD. H ow ard an d J . H odgkin, and alm osst sim ul­taneously announced by B. H . P au l and A. O. Co-vuley, and by \V . 61. W hiffen, w ill doubtless a t t r a c t m uch a tten tio n . As these chem ists a ll d e ­scribe th is new ly d iscovered alkalo id as chiefly re ­m arked fo r i ts p roperty of crystalliz ing from an etherea l solution, i t m ay be of in te re s t to briefly refe r to a pecu liar crysta llin e body which w e also firs t becam e acquainted w ith in w ork ing on sam ples of these cuprea barks.

W henA m prea bark firs t cm n e in to th e m arket, we noticed th a t an ethereal so 'u on of th e to ta l alkal-

* F rom th e Chemical New . , J a n u a ry 6, 1881,

oids ex trac ted from i t w ould freq u e n tly fu rn ish a notable q u a n tity of crysta ls th a t d id n o t resem ble those of any of th e know n c inchona a lkalo ids o b ­tained u n d e r lik e circum stances. A s th e analysis of th e to ta l alkalo ids, how ever, h ad no t revealed th e presence of any d istin c tiv e base, and* as th e cupreas are chiefly rem arkable for y ield ing an unusu a lly large q u an tity of quin id ine, * i t seemed probable th a t these crysta ls w ere a com pound of th e quin ine w ith the quinidine. W e, therefore, took tw o g ra in s of th e p ure qu in ine an d one g rain of th e pure quinidine, both yielded by th e bark , and disso lved them to g e th er in ether. T h e solu tion fu rn ished an a b u n d a n t crop of th e sam e crystals. These crysta ls , w hen collected, w ashed w ith e th er, and converted in to n e u tra l su lph­a te , fu rn ished a q u a n tity ef pu re su lp h a te of quin ine, and th e m other-liquor from w hich th e su lp h a te had been separa ted y ie ld ing a like q u a n tity of quin id ine.

The quinine an d q u in id ine used in the experim ent had been carefully tes ted , they h a d each given th e correct angle of ro ta tion to a ray of po larized lig h t, th e one to th e le f t an d th e o th e r to th e r ig h t, and the quinine had rem ained dissolved in e th e r for some weeks w ith o u t fu rn ish ing a trace of crystallization .

To sa tisfy ourselves th a t th e pow er of form ing th is c ry sta lline com pound was n o t pecu liar to th e quin ine and quin id ine y ie lded by cuprea barks, we to o k some pure quin ine prepared by ourselves from South A m erican yellow bark, and also some quin ine m ade in In d ia from the calisaya grown in S ikkim . W e fo rtu n a te ly possessed some p u re qu in id ine th a t h ad been purchased from an em inen t m aker some tim e before cuprea barks came in to commerce. E ith e r of these qu in ines dissolved w ith th e qu in id in e in e th e r fu rn ished a c ry sta lline com pound iden tica l in a ll respects w ith th a t ju s t described. T here could be no d oub t, th e re ­fore, th a t o rd inary quin ine an d qu in id in e possess the pow er of com bining to g e th er to form a crysta llin e com pound very sparing ly soluble in e th e r ; also th a t th e com pound is easily separa ted in to its co n s titu en ts b y converting i t in to n eu tra l su lp h a te , w hen th e quin ine su lphate crystallizes ou t by its g rea te r in ­solubility , th e quin id ine su lpha te rem aining in solution.

P erhaps th e easiest w ay of ob ta in ing th is com pound is to dissolve 1 p a r t of pu re qu in ine in 30 o r 40 of e ther, and add to th e liq u id a sa tu ra te d ethereal so lu tion of a lik e q u an tity of pu re qu in id ine . Upon m ixing, a crysta llin e p rec ip ita te of ihe body form s in abundance. I t s so lub ility in e th e r is m uch less th a n th a t of e ith e r of i ts co n s titu en ts , 100 c.c. of e ih e r a t common tem pera tu re only dissolv ing 0 '5 grm . of it.

I t is m ore soluble, however, in etherea l so lutions o f quinine or of th e am orphous alkalo ids, an d these so lu tions f req u e n tly ex h ib it supersa tu ra tio n very well, rem aining clear for some hours and th en suddenly g iv ing an abundan t c rysta lliza tion . T he com pound, w hen iso lated , m ay be re-c rysta llized from ether, a p p aren tly w ithou t change. O ur re su lts u p to th e p resen t m om ent indicate th a t i t contains the quin ine and qu in id ine in equal proportions. P ressu re of o th er work h ad m uch re ta rd e d us in th e stu d y of th is com pound, and th e announcem ent of th e new ly-discovered a lk a l­oid b y th e chem ists above-nam ed took us som ew hat b y surprise. W e a t once commenced th e exam ination of a ll th e alkalo id p roducts we have accum ulated from several h undred sam ples of cup rea b a tk in th e hope of g e ttin g some of th e new base, b u t as ye t o ur a ttem p ts have been unsuccessful. W e have th o u g h t i t best, therefore, to pub lish our resu lts th u s far, a n d reserve fu r 'h e r p a rticu la rs fo r a fu tu re com m un­ication . •

* W e have m e t w ith sevara l sam ples y ie ld ing over1 per cen t of crystallized su lp h a te of quin id ine.

In reference to th e foregoing M r. D avid H ow ard w rote in the n e x t num ber of th e Chemical Neios, th a t th e n o te by Messrs. W ood an d B a rre t d id n o t exp lain th e new a lkalo id described by th ree in d ep en d en t papers, since a ll w ho have found i t agreed th a t th e neu tra l su lpha te recrysta llized unchanged from w ater, th e m other liquo r g iv ing no sign of th e presence lof qu in id ine , See also th e follow ing le tte rs from Mr.£>. H ow ard and M r. W . G. W hiffen an d M r. C. H .W ood.

T h e A l k a l o id s o f C u p r e a B a r k .

S i r ,— A note of M essrs. W ood and B arre t in th e Chemical N ew s of las t w eek m ay seem to th row dou b t on th e existence of th e new a lk a lo id observed in cuprea bark , an d described in th e paper read a t th e la s t m eeting of th e C hem ical Society. T h e specim ens, how ever, w hich we have experim ented upon before pub lish ing th e resu lts cannot have been such a com ­pound of quin ine an d qu in id ine as is described in th e ir note, as th e su lpha te o r rep ea ted c ry sta lliz ­ation show ed no signs of separa tion in to tw o bodies, b u t rem ain unchanged in so lub ility an d action onpolarized lig h t. T he alkalo id also failed in a ll cases to give th e fam iliar h y d rio d a te of qu in id ine an d yielded a ta r t r a te of ex trem e in so lub ility . I f i t be proved to possess these charac te rs an d s til l to be a m olecular com pound of quin ine and qu in id ine i t is a very rem arkab le phenom enon. U ndoub ted ly in e s tim ­ating th is a lkalo id we m ust be on o u r g u ard against such a com bination as m ay easily be m istak en fo r it.

D a v id H o w a r d .

S i r , — 1 1 1 a no te by M essrs. W ood an d B a rre tt in th e Chemical News, of Ja n u a ry 6, th e y refe r to th e new a lkalo id found in cuprea bark as being “ chiefly rem arkable fo r i ts p ro p erty of c rysta lliz ing from an e th e rea l so lu tion .” A reference to th e papers a lready p r in te d in y o u r . Jo u rn a l on th is su b je c t w ill show s th a t i t is m ore rem arkable in th e s im ila rity of i ts sa lts to those of quin ine, and in th e g rea t ac tio n its so lu tion e x e rts on polarized ligh t.

T he com pound ot qu in ine and qu in id ine w hich these chem ists have noticed in th e ir analysis, and described in th e no te refe rred to , does n o t resem ble th e new cuprea a lk a lo id in any respect, an d I shou ld n o t expect i t to be m istaken fo r th a t . M oreover, a com ­pound of equal p roportions of qu in ine an d qu inid ine, such as th e y describe, should e x e rt a s lig h t r ig h t- har.ded R otation, w hereas th e cuprea alkalo id is pow er­fu lly lasvogyre to th e po larized ray .

I n m y experience th e new base is con ta ined in vary ing p roportions in alm ost every sam ple of cuprea bark , an d from a sam ple w hich a rrived in London in F eb ru a ry la s t I have ob tained as m uch as '9 p er cent, of th e su lpha te of th e new base.

W . G e o r g e W h i f f e n .

S i r , — M r. H ow ard in h is le t te r in yo u r cu rre n t num ber says, th a t “ th e no te of M essrs. W ood an d B a rre t in th e Chemical News of las t week m ay seem to th row d o u b t on th e existence of th e new alkalo id observed in cu p rea b a rk .” I w ould poin t ou t, th e re ­fore, th a t w e d id n o t m ake th is suggestion, and d id n o t in any w ay question M r. H o w ard ’s results.

W e sim ply described a com bination of quin ine w ith quin id ine th a t is c ry sta llin e and very s lig h tly so luble in e th er. I t m ig h t be m istak en from th e new alk a l­oid, as M r. H ow ard sta te s in h is concluding sentence, for i t easily crystallizes from an e th erea l so lu tion of th e to ta l alkalo ids of m any cupreas, and i t can y ield a c ry sta llin e su lp h a te w hich, w h en iso lated , m ay be as lsevogyrate as qu in ine su lpha te and g ive no hydio- d a te of qu in id ine .

Y et, I m ay ad d , th e im probab ilities th a t you p u t

forw ard in yo u r ed ito ria l no te a r e n o t invo lved ; these a re fanciful suggestions of yo u r ow n th a t find no w arra n t in our a rtic le . C. H . W ood.

[*** If th e p u rp o rt of M essrs. W ood an d B a rre t’s note was d ifferent from w h a t M r. H ow ard an d o thers have understood, i t is to be lam en ted th a t th e y d id n o t furnish th e exp lanation of its m eaning before. W e have th e ir ow n assurance th a t th e y failed to ob ta in th e new base, an d a com parison of th e above le tte r w ith th e ir orig inal no te show s th a t th e y m ay have m ade th e m istake referred to by M r. H ow ard as possible and requ iring to be gu ard ed against. A t any ra te , we have th e ir ow n a u th o r ity fo r th e in ­ference, since th ey describe th e m olecular com pound of quin ine and q u in id ine which th ey “ first became acquain ted w ith in w ork ing on sam ples of these cuprea b a rk s ,’’ as being separable— by crysta lliza tion from water in th e s ta te of n eu tra l su lp h a te —in to “ crystals of pure su lpha te of qu in ine” and a “ m other liquor” containing th e quin id ine ; w hile w e now learn on th e same a u th o rity th a t th is com pound “ can y ield a crysta lline su lp h a te w hich , w hen iso lated , m ay be as ltevogyrate as quin ine su lp h a te an d give no h ydriodate of q u in id in e .” T he p o ssib ility of m is­tak in g one th in g for an o th er is therefore th e only po in t on w hich we, like Mr. H ow ard , can agree w ith Messrs. W ood and B arre t.— E d . P h a rm . J ourn .].

E ST IM A T E O F T H E CO ST O F M A K IN G A 300 A C R E T EA G A R D E N IN D E H R A DOON, IN D IA .

I have read w ith m uch in te re s t th e s ta te m e n t in your la te issues of how to s ta r t a garden in Assam and m ake it pay. A s th e cost of s ta r tin g a garden in th e D ehra Doon, an d th e probab le profit to be obtained from it. m ig h t be in te re stin g to som e of yo u r readers, I have been a t some considerable pains to m ake o u t a tru e s ta te m e n t of th e cost of afSUO acre garden, and th e profit to be ob ta ined by th e end of th e te n th year. A s some of your num erous readers m ay have objections to urge w ith regard to some of th e item s, m y best plan w ill be to refer to them one by one. F irs t w e have re n t. A lthough only 300 acres are to be p lan ted w ith tea, I have allow ed an e x tra 50 acres for bu ild ings, roads, &c. L and fit for tea can be ob ta ined in th e Doon fo r R 3 4 per acre, b u t as land is rising in value, I have considered i t advisable to es tim ate th e re n t a t R 5 p er acre per annum .

Establishm ent.—T he pay of b ildars in th e D oon is R4-8 per mensem, bu t as th e re m igh t be difficulty in g e ttin g a large body of m en to g e th e r in a sho rt tim e a t th a t rate, I have given th e ir pay as R5 p er mensem. T he cost of Assam seed, th a tch in g seed-beds, & c., is tak en from actual accounts s lig h tly increased . T he supp ly of tools is very am ple, and th e cost is tak en from ac tu a l accounts. T he cost of th e bungalow is only an es tim ate , and I th in k a lib e ra l one. T he cost of th e b ildars’ lines is taken .fro m m y books. C on tin ­gencies are m ean t to cover li t t le p e tty expenses, such as sta tio n ery , postage, &c., &c. Bullocks food is es tim ­a ted for the whole year, b u t as th e y are n o t fed on Sundays and 011 days th a t th e y do n o t w ork , the charge for th is item can be considerably decreased. Three pies p er pound is th e am ount paid in th e Doon to coolies for p lucking leaf, b u t as th e w eighing is never so exact as I have rep re sen ted i t to be, a saving w ill also be effected here.

I believe th a t in Assam five coolies p ick a m aund of tea per day, b u t as o u r te a has ev iden tly m ore stick in i t th a n th e Assam, I have allow ed double thaf num ber per m aund.

T he cost of th e tea boxes an d lead lin ing is sligh tly exaggerated , as th ey cost a t p re sen t R2-9, an d not R2-10.

T he ra ilw ay carriage is exact. T he C a lc u tta A g e n ts’ charges a re ca lcu la ted on th e te a se lling a t 10 annas p e r lb ., and n o t a t 8 annas as r e p re se n te d ; so th is item can also be considerably reduced .

T he es tim a ted cost of th e fac to ry is a very lib era l one for a 300 acre garden.

C harcoal, oil fo r lig h tin g and fo r engine an d wood for engine are m erely estim ates, b u t even if u n d e r ­estim ated th e y w ould n o t affect th e to ta l m uch. T he m anure s ta te m e n t is m ade from actual experience.

I have allow ed R 10 ,000 for R olling M achinery , &c., —a very am ple allow ance I consider. «

I f any one w ith a know ledge of th e su b jec t w ill tak e th e trou b le to go over th e d ifferent item s, I feel Hire th a t he w ill confess th a t every one of th e m is over-estim ated , and th a t th e garden could be got up for a sm a ller cap ita l th a n I have fixed. In y o u r A ssam correspondent’s le t te r I no tice very h eavy charges fo r labour, b u t as th e m en oome u p to us for no th in g from th e N . W . P . (or if we b rin g th e m u p , th e ir ra ilw ay fare only costs R 5 per m an), w e have none of these heavy expenses to m eet.

I t m ay be ob jec ted th a t th e y ie lds p er acre in th e 8 th , 9 th an d 10 th years, viz. , 400 lb . , 450 lb . , an d 5001b., is too h igh , b u t i t m u st be rem em bered th a t th e class of p la n t is Assam H ybrid , w hich is supposed to y ie ld b e tte r th a n th e C hina varie ty . I have a large area of 8 y ea r o ld C hina w hich w ill th is y e a r y ield 400 lb. p e r acre, an d I know of a n o th e r garden w here th e 8 y e a r old p lan ts a re expected to do m ore th a n th a t.

I know a large a rea of old C h ina bushes, th e m anager of w hich assured me th a t la s t y ea r th e y y ielded over 800 lb . per acre. I d o n ’t th in k th a t an y c r itic w ill q u a rre l w ith th e r a te a t w hich I have estim ated th e te a to be so ld ' a t , and considering th a t th e v a rie ty is A ssam H ybrid , i t m ost lik e ly w ould b rin g one o r tw o annas p er lb. more.

In conclusion, I beg to po in t o u t th a t th e D oon is in no w ay beh ind As«am in th e po in t of profit from tea , an d considering its d e ligh tfu l, h e a lth y clim ate, is I consider in fin ite ly preferable to it.

P R O F IT ON 300 A C R E G A R D E N IN 10 T E A R S .1st Y ea r .

R.R e n t of 350 acres a t R5 p er acre ................. 1,750E sta b lish m e n t—M anager a t R 150 = 1,800,

H orse allow ance a t R 2 0 —240, M;ili a t R 6 =72, 3 T inda ls a t R 8 = 2 8 8 , 150 B ildars a tR 5 = 9 ,000, 1 C arp en te r a t R 10—120................. 11,520

250 m ds. A ssam H y b rid seed, lan d ed here a tR60 per m d. ... ... ... ... 15,000

G rass and sticks for th a tc h in g 25 acres of seed ­beds a t R72 per acre ... 1,800

Tools : 200 P h a rra h s —335 0, 100 Coorpas =20,600 P h a rra h hand les = 3 7 -8 ... ... 392

B u ild ings—B ungalow and O ut-houses for M anager, 3,000, L ines for 200 b ildars, (m udwalls) 1,050-0. ... ... 4 ,050

Contingencies, sa y ..................... 1,000

R eceip ts n il. 1st Y ea r’s E x p en d itu re ... 35,512

R em arks .— One acre of seed-beds w ill p la n t o u t 12 acres of ground 4’ x 4' a llow ing for fair germ ination , so 25 acres of seed-beds w ill be requ ired to p la n t o u t 300 acres of tea. 10 m aunds of seed sown 6" x 6" four seeds w ill sow one acre of seed-beds, therefo re 250 m aunds of Assam H y b rid si ed w ill be req u ired . B ildars em ployed th is year in tren ch in g , m aking, sow ­ing an d th a tc h in g seed-beds, keep ing beds clean, la y . ing o u t roads an d d igging 100 acres of p its.

2n d Y e a r .R ent ... ... ... ••• ... 1,750E stab lish m en t, sam e as la s t y ear ... ... 1,5205 acres of se ed -b e d s= 5 0 m ds. A ssam H y b rid

seed a t R60 per md. ... ... ... 3,000G rass, sticks, &c., for th a tc h in g 5 acres a t

R72 per acre ... ... 360Tools, sam e as la s t year ... ... . . . 387

C ontingencies ................ 1,000

R eceip ts n il. 2 n d Y e a r’s E x p en d itu re ... 18,017A d d 1st „ „ ... 35,512

T o ta l E x p e n d itu re to d a te . . . ' 53,530

5 acres of seed-beds a re necessary for filling up vacan­cies. B ildars to be em ployed th is y ea r in tren ch in g , m aking, sow ing and th a tc h in g 5 acres of se ed -b e d s; keep ing seed-beds clean an d digging 150 acres of p its.

3rd Y ea r .

R e n t ... ... ••• 1,750E stab lish m en t.—M anager a t R200 = 2,400,

H orse allow ance a t R 2 0 = 240, M dli a t R 6 =72. M oonshee a t R 1 2 = 1 4 4 , 4 T in d a ls a t R 8 = 3 r4 , 2 C arpen ters a t R 1 0 = 2 4 0 , 1 B lack ­sm ith a tR 1 0 —120, 200 B ildars a tR 5 = 1 2 ,0 0 0 15,600

A d d itional labour req u ired fo r tw o m on ths to p la n t o u t 300 acres of te a .—400 b ild ars a t 5-0 for 2 m onths =4,000. B ring ing them from th e p la ins a t 5-0 each = 2 ,0 0 0 ... 6,000

Cost of 10 ca rts and 10 p a ir bu llocks a t 100-0 p er c a r t an d bullocks ... ... ... 1,000

Tools—200 P h a rra h s= 3 3 5 , P . H an d les= 3 7 -8 ,Spades for digging o u t seedlings, 200 a t 8 annas each = i00, 400 b ask e ts a t 2 annas each R50 .. ... 522

B uild ing .—G rass h u ts fo r ad d itio n a l m en = 7 0 0 -0 R epairs to bungalow an d lines, th a tc h e s200-0 ... ... 900

B ullocks’ food d u rin g y ear a t 2 seers p e r p a ir per diem ... ... 360

C ontingencies................ 1,000

R eceip ts n il. 3 rd Y ear’s E x p en d itu re ... 27,132A dd 1st an d 2 n d y ea rs’ E x p e n d itu re ... 53,530

T o ta l ex p en d itu re to d a te ... 80,662

B ildars to be em ployed th is y ea r in keep ing seed­beds clean, d igging 50 acres of p its , clean ing o u t 250 acres of p its , p lan tin g an d deep hoeing 300 acres of p lan ts.

4th Y e a r .

R e n t ... ••• 1,750E stab lishm en t, sam e as la s t year ................. 15,600Tools—200 P h a ra lis= 335-0 . H an d les 37-8-0,

B askets 50 0 ... ... 422B uild ing .— C ow shed (should have been in 3rd

year’s account) ... ... 200Food for ca ttle , as la s t 'y e a r ... 360

C ontingencies................ 1,000

R eceip ts n il. • 4 th Y ea r’s E x p e n d itu re ... 19,332 A d d 1st, 2nd a n d 3rd y ears ' ex p en d itu re .. 80,662

T o ta l ex p en d itu re to d a te ... 99,995

B ildars to be em ployed th is y e a r in cu ltiv a tio n 300 acres of tea an d filling u p vacancies in te a p lan ted las t year.

5th Y ea r .

R e n t ... ••• ••• 1,750E stab lish m en t, sam e as la s t year ................. 15,600Tools &c., sam e as la s t y e a r ... 422 j

Food for ca ttle , same, as la s t y ea r ... ... 360Coolies for p luck ing 44,’oOOlb. of leaf a t 0-0-3 perlb 687

D o ,, p ick ing 12,0001b. te a a t 1^ annas per 81b 137E ach box con tains on an average 85 lb . of tea,

th e re fo re fo r 12,000 lb . tea , 141 boxes re ­q u ired a t 2-10 per box and lead lin in g ... 370

E ach box on an average w eighs when fu ll 115 lb .T o ta l w eight of 12,000 lb ., = 16,315 lb .C arriage from S’pore to C a lc u tta a t 0-0.7 peri b 594

C a lc u tta A g en ts’ charges on 12,0001b. a t0-0-5 p er ib. .. ... 312

B uild ings— F acto ry , L eaf shed, &c....................... 11,000C harcoal fo r firing tea , 200 m ds. a t 2 | m ds.

p er R upee ... ... 80Oil fo r fac to ry , say th ree tin s a t 5-0 each . .. 15

C ontingencies ... 1,000

5 th Y ear's E x p en d itu re ... 32,329S u b tra c t y ie ld of 300 acres a t 40 lb. p e r acre =

12,000 lb . tea sold a t an average p rice of 8 annas per lb . ... ... 6,000

26,329A d d le t, 2nd. 3rd an d 4 th y ea rs’ ex p en d itu re 99,995

T o ta l n e tt ex p en d itu re to d a te . . . 1,26,324

6 t h Y e a r .R e n t ... ... ... ................E stab lish m en t, sam e as la s t y e a r , M anager’s 1,750

p ay being raised to 250-0 p e r mensem = a d ­d itional 6U0-0 ... ... 16,200

T ools.—200 P h a rra h s= 3 3 5 -0 ,6 0 0 H a n d le s= 3 7 -8 372F ood for ca ttle , sam e as la s t year ................. 360B u ild ings.—R epairing bungalow and L ine

th a tch es ... ... 200M anure for 300 acres, 12,000 cart-loads a t

0-6-0 p e r load . . . .. 4,500C fclies p u ttin g dow n m anure, an d b ask e ts a t

4 0 p er acre ... ... ... 1,200Coolies p luck ing 1,00,000 lb . leaf a t 0-0-3 p er lb . 1,562

Do. p ick ing 30,000 lb. tea a t 1J annas per 8 lb. 351F o r 30,000 lb. tea , 353 boxes req u ired a t 2-10

p e r box an d le a d lin ing ... 926W eig h t of consignm ent 40,595 lb ., carriage to

C a lc u tta a t 0-0-7 p er lb. ... 1,480C a lcu tta A g en ts’ charges on 30,000 lb . te a a t

0-0-5 p er lb. ... ... 781P ru n in g knives, 50 a t 1-0 each . .. .. 50C harcoal for firing tea 500 m ds. a t 2 J m aunds

per R upee ... ... ... ... 200Oil fo r lig h tin g F acto ry , say 10 tin s a t 5-0 each 50

C ontingencies . . . 1,000

6 th Y ea r’s E x p e n d itu re ... 30,984S u b tra c t y ie ld of 300 acres a t 100 lb . p e r acre

= 3 0 ,0 0 0 lb . te a sold a t an average of 8 annas per lb . = ... ... 15,000

15,914A dd n e t t ex p en d itu re of 1st, 2nd, 3rd , 4 th and

5 th years ... . . . 1,26,344

T o ta l n e t t E x p en d itu re to d a te ... 1,42,309 7th Y ea r .

R e n t ... ... ... 1,750E stab lish m en t, sam e as la s t y ea r ................. 16,200Tools, sam e as la s t y ea r ... . . . .. 372F ood for c a ttle ... ... 360Coolies p lucking 2.000,000 lb . leaf a t 0-0 3 per lb 3,125

D o p ick ing 60,000 lb . te a a t 1£ annas p er 8 lb 703F o r 60,000 lb. te a 706 boxes 20" req u ired a t

2-10 p er box and lead ... ... ... 1,853W eig h t of consignm ent 81,190 lb ., carriage

a t 0-0-7 per lb, ... ... ... 2,960

C a lc u tta A gents’ charges on 60,000 lb. a t0-0-5 p er lb. ... ... ... ... 1,562

P ru n in g knives, 50 a t 1 0 each ... ................. 50C harcoal for firing tea , 800 m ds. a t 2 J mds.

per R upee . . . ... 320Oil for ligh ting F ac to ry ... 60

C ontingencies ... 1,000

7 th Y ear’s E x p en d itu re ... 30,306S u b tra c t y ie ld of 300 acres a t 200 lb . per

aq re= 60 ,0001b . tea , sold a t 8 annas p er lb , 30,000

306A dd n e tt ex p end itu re of 1st, 2nd, 3rd , 4 th , 5 th

and 6 th years ... ... ... 1,42,309

T ota l n e t t expend itu re to d a te . . . 1,42)615 Capital, say R l , 4 3 , 0 0 0 . ------------

8th Yea r .

R en t ... ... ... . . . ... 1,750E stab lish m en t, same as la s t y e a r p lus N ative

E ng ineera t20 -0 per m en sem = ad d itio n a l 240-0 16,440Tools.—200 P h a rrah s =335-0 , 600 H and les 37-8,

P run ing knives 50 0 ... 422R olling, S ifting and D ry ing M achinery ... 10,000Food for ca ttle ... ... ... ... 360Coolies p lucking 400,000 lb . leaf a t 0-0-3 per lb.* 6,250

Do picking 1,20,0001b. te a a t l j ans. per 81b. 1,406F o r 1,20,000 lb . tea , 1,412 boxes 20" requ ired

a t 2-10 box T lead ... 3,706W eig h t of consignm ent 1,62,380 lb. carriage a t

0 0-7 p er lb . ... ... .............. 5,920C alcu tta A gen ts’ charges on 1,20,000 lb. tea• a t 0-0 5 per lb. ... ... .............. 3,125W ood for engine, a t 1 m aund p er 100 lk te a =

1,200 m nds. a t 1-4 per 12 m aunds ................ 120Oil for engine a t say 4 annas p e r d ay for five

m onths ... ............... .............. 87C harcoal for firing te a 1,600 m ds. a t 2 j m ds.

p er R upee ... ... . . . • ... 640O il for lig h tin g F ac to ry ... .............. 50

C ontingencies ... 1,000

8 th Y ear 's E x p end itu re ... 51,232S u b tra c t y ield of 300 acres a t 400 lb. per a c r e =

1,20,000 lb . te a a t 8 annas per lb . ... ... 60,000

P rofit on 8 th y ea r’s w ork ing .. 8,767On C apital of R l,4 3 ,0 0 0 th is p ro fit= 6 per c e n t . -------------

9t ii Y e a r .R e n t ... ... s ... ... ... 1,750E stab lishm en t, same as las t y ea r w ith increase

of R50 per mensem to M anager, m aking his salary K300 per annum --ad d itional R600 ... 17,040

Tools, same as las t year ... 422Food for ca ttle ... 360R epairs to th a tch es ... 200M anure for 300 acres 12,000 cart-loads a t 6

annas per load ... ... * 4,500Coolies p u ttin g dow n m anure aud b ask e ts a t

R4-0 p er acre ... ... 1,200Coolies p luck ing 4,60,0001b. leaf a t RO O-6 per lb. 7,187

Do. p icking 1,35,0001b. te a a t 1§ ans. per 81b. 1,582F o r 1,35,0001b. te a 1,588 boxes required , a t

R2-10 per box and lead lining ................. 4,168W eig h t of consignm ent 1,82,620 lb ., carriage a t •

0-0-7 per lb 6,658C alcu tta A gents’ charges on 1,35,000 lb. a t

n .o .s «“» 1b. ... . . . ... ... 3,515W ood for engine a t 1 m d. per 1001b. tea -1,350

m ds. a t R l-4 per 12 m ds. ... 140Oil for engine ... ... 40C harcqal for firing tea , 1,800 m ds. a t 2J m ds.

p e r 1-0 ... ... 720

Oil fo r lig h tin g F ac to ry ... 50C ontingencies ... 1,000

9 th y ea r’s E x p en d itu re ... 50,534S u b tra c t yield of 300 acres a t 450 lb. per acre =

1 ,35 ,000lb. of te a a t 8 annas p er lb . ... 67,500

P ro fit . . . 16,965T h is profit:—11 j per cen t on C a p i t a l . -------------

10t h Y ea r .R e n t ... ... .................... 1,750E stab lish m en t, sam e as la s t year ................. 17,040Tools, sam e as la s t y e a r .. 422Food for c a ttle ... ... 360Coolies p lu ck in g 5 ,00,000 lb , leaf a t 0-0-3 perlb . 7,812

Do. p ick ing 1.50.000 lb . te a a t 1£ ans. p e r 81b. 1,757F o r 1,50,0001b. 1,764 boxes requ ired a t R2-10

p er lead-lined box ... 4,630W eig h t of consignm ent 2,02,860 lb ., carriage

a t 0-0-7 per lb. .. ... ... 7,396C a lc u tta A gents’ charges on 1,50,000 lb . a t

0-0-5 p er lb . ................................ ....... * ... 3,906W ood for engine a t 1 md. p e r 100 lb . te a = l,5 0 0 *

mds. a t 1-4 p er 12 m ds. . . . 156Oil for eng ine ... ... 40Charcoal fo r firing te a 2,000 m ds. a t 2 J m ds.

p e r R upee ... ... 800Oil for lig h tin g ... ... 50

Contingencies ... 1,000

10th Y ear 's E x p en d itu re ... 47,121S u b tra c t y ie ld of 300 acres a t 500 lb. p e r a c re =

1,56,000 lb . of tea a t 8 annas p e r lb . ... 75,000

P ro fit ... 27,878T h is p rofit equals 19 per cen t on C a p i t a l -------------

R . B. M.— Indian Tea Gazette.

T R E E S TO PLA N T F O R ORNAM ENTAL P U R P O S E S .T he m ost widely distributed of N orth American Coni-

ferro, and one little changed in appearance, is the Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). This tree is found as far n orth as la titude 50°, aud south to the G ulf of Mexico, extending from the A tlantic to the Pacific. At its ex­trem e northern lim it it is only a shrub ; 011 our own sterile hills i t becomes a rugged tree, and is of no little economic value for m any purposes; while in the warmer clim ates of F lorida the same species is banished to the swamps, and furnishes th a t clear, soft wood used the world over in the m anufacture of the best lead pencils. T he Douglas Spruce, which is one of th e m ost valuable of American forest trees, has a less extended range. I t is common from British Colombia to Mexico, extending east in to th e Rocky M ountains of Colorado. The m ost interesting point is t k » : children inherit the character­istics of th e ir p a re n ts ; and even the seeds of trees carry w ith them and perpetuate the constitu tions, delicate or strong, th a t the region in which they were produced developed in the parent p lants. The seeds of the Douglas Spruce from the Rocky M ountains produce trees which are as hardy here in New E ngland as th e Cedars 011 our hillsides ; while p lan ts raised from the seeds of the same tree growing in th e milder, m oister clim ate of the Pacific S tates, fail entirely to adapt themselves to our New England climate, as, indeed, do all the trees, w ith hardly an exception, from the region west of the Rocky M ountains. Therefore, having an insufficient knowledge of the distribution of a species, we cannot say th a t any particular tree is hardy, and will serve our purposes as m aterial for forest or ornam ental p la n tin g ; bu t we m ust know, in the case of widely distributed species, the exact physical conditions of the particular locality from which the individual was obtained. The E uropean Larch is said to be a be tte r tim ber tree in New E n g ­

land th an the American variety, the English E lm (Ulmus campestris) in dry situations th an TJ. am ericana, and Salix alba th an the American kinds. The trees of N orth­eastern Asia, N orthern China, and Ja p an are as well suited, i t seems, to the N orth A tlantic S tates of the Union as to our own clim ate. Of Rocky M ountain trees, the Blue Spruce—Picea pungens—bette r known as P. Menziesii, is a tree of rapid growth, g reat hardiness, and of a peculiarly charm ing blue-green colour. W e cannot say as much of i t here either as to colour or hardihood, for in some places it has been severely in ­jured by recent winters.— Gardeners' Chroniele.

A D U L T E R A T IO N S O F COCOA.

Cocoa is a seed of a tre e called T heobrom a cacao, w hich is c u ltiv a ted in M exico, W est Ind ies, S ou th A m erica ,. an d various tro p ica l p a rts . T he tree is an evergreen, an d grow s abo u t 20 feet in height. T he leaves are d a rk green, an d ab o u t 6 inches in len g th by 3 inches in b read th , th e flowers a re sm all and w hite . Thd f ru it som ew hat resem bles a cucum ber, an d is abo u t 6 inches in leng th an d 4 inches in d iam eter, a lthough some are m uch larger. These pods generally con tain ab o u t 25 to 30 seeds, a lthough some con tain m ore. T hese seeds, a f te r d ry ing , ro a s t­in g an d w innow ing from th e ir husks, a re broken in to coarse fragm en ts an d know n as cocoa-nibs.

Cocoa, as a food, is h igh ly n u tr itiv e , and. w ill som e­tim es n ourish w hen a ll o th e r th in g s have been tr ie d an d fa i le d ; b u t cocoa, as p rep ared d irec t from th e nibs, by boiling, is a p t to d isagree w ith som e p e r­sons on account of th e la rg e q u a n tity of fa t i t con­ta ins. T h is , in a g rea t m easure, w as overcom e by m ix ing s ta rch an d sugar w ith th e cocoa in such p roportions as to m ak e a very p a la tab le a r tic le ; b u t th is w as soon follow ed by add ing th e s ta rc h and suga r in such very large p roportions to a very sm all q u a n tity of cocoa a n d red ochre th a t i t w as very difficult, except b y analysis, to know w h a t was so lub le cocoa and w h a t was a m ix tu re of o ld sea b iscu its, sugar, red ochre an d cocoa husks.

F o r th e de tec tio n of ad u lte ra tio n of cocoa th e m icroscope p lays an im p o rtan t p a r t, an d in m any cases a m icroscopical exam ination w ill be found suffici­e n t for a ll o rd in ary purpose*. F o r th e exam ination a sm all q u an tity shou ld be p laced upon a slide and a li ttle w ate r added , an d th e n exam ined w ith a i inch o. g ., w hen th e s tru c tu re of th e cocoa-bean will be p la in ly seen, also th e presence o r absence of s ta rc h ; b u t a ll cocoas th a t th ick en in th e cup con­ta in sta rch . The sugar can be estim ated e ith e r by s ta n d a rd so lu tion ot copper, 01 by firs t m ix ing a w eighed q u an tity of th e cocoa w ith w a te r an d filte r­ing ; th e sugar w ill dissolve, and^ pass th ro u g h th e filter, while th e s ta rch w ill rem ain behind, and th e filte red p o rtion can be evapora ted an d w eighed. F or th e estim ation of th e sta rch , i t should be converted in to sugar by boiling i t w ith a few drops of h y d ro ­chloric acid . You m ay know w hen all th e s ta rch is converted in to sugar by te s tin g i t w ith a li t t le iodine ; th e red ochre can be d etec ted in th e ash . T he ash of pu re cocoa w hen tho roughly inc in era ted should be n early w h i te ; if red , i t show’s the presence of bole A rm enian . T he copper te s t is m ade in th e following m anner :—Dissolve OU gr. of su lp h a te of copper in 276 g r. of d istilled w a te r ; a d d to th is • 276 gr. of a sa tu ra ted so lu tion of ta r t ra te of potash , th e n add SO gr. of sodic h y d ra te , previously d issolved in 1 ounce of d istilled w a te r ; shake well together, an d place i t in a vessel ho ld ing 2,000 g r., g raduated in to 1,000 equal p a rts , a i d fill up w ith d istilled w ate r: Every 260 gr. of th is will decom pose 1 gr. of glucose.— A l b e r t S m ith .— Oil and D rug News.

SOM E FA CTS ABOUT C O N IFE R S.E conom ic V a l u e .— The economic value of the Conifer®

surpasses th a t of all o ther forest-trees together, supply­ing a larger proportion of tim ber used. The woods of the F ir, P ine, and Cedar are valuable for all purposes, and some of them are of immense durability. The m oney value of the F ir tim ber im ported in to G reat B rita in in to 1879 from Scandinavia and R ussia alone was about £5,000,000 sterling, the to ta l value of the im ported coniferous wood in th is country being about £9,000,000 per annum . M ost countries of E urope de-. pend largely for fuel and tim ber upon their p lantations of F ir and Pine. Even in our own country P inus sylv- estris, which formerly spread over a great p art of Scotland, has been a source of w ealth to its owners. The forest of Rothiem urchus, between C airngorm . and the Spe'V, 16 miles in extent, produced, according to Sir T . D. Lauder, sometimes as much as £20,000 per annum in P ine tim ber. F rom th e adjoining forest of Glenmore, sold by the Duke of Gordon for £10,000, were produced forty-one sail of ships of upwards of19.000 tons burthen.* The indigenous Scotch F ir is now, however, to a great extent superseded by th e Larch. Betw een 1759 and 1830 th e Dukes of A thol p lanted10.000 acres w ith Larch alone, and on th e ir B lair and Dunkeld property the to ta l num ber planted was 14,096,719, calculated a t the tim e of p lanting to produce a t the age of * severity years £6,500,000 as .tim ber for naval purposes. An instance of indirectly rem unerative F ir p lan ting is shown a t Bournem outh, "where some years ago p lan ts of P inus m aritim a were introduced in marshy land between Christchurch and Poole, which, spreading in all directions, partly by its own seed and by p lan t­ing, soon gave the country the appearance of an Amer­ican P ine barren. T he shelter and presence of these trees has been found so beneficial to invalids th a t one of the largest watering-places on the south coast has sprang up w ith alm ost unexampled rapidity , and sites w hich ' were formerly w orthless h iv e recently become extremely valuable. Sim ilar p lan tations have been made elsewhere. M. Javal has planted 80,000 acres of the barren Landes of Gascony w ith seedlings of P inus m ari­tim a. O thers have p lanted lesser areas. In M adeira the same P ine has been introduced, and now covers all the southern slopes above 2,000 feet, the inhab itan ts being alm ost entirely dependent on i t for fuel.

In o ther parts of the world the Conifer® are of equal im portance. The quan tity of Deodars, for instance, used in Ind ia is immense. T he P unjab F orest A dm inistra­tion R eports show th a t between 1874-75 40,000 logs of Deodar, besides those of P inus excelsea and o ther Coni­fers, were floated down the P unjab rivers. In 1870 over100.000 cubic feet of th e tim ber of A raucaria Cunning- haini reached Sydney m arket per * week, and about as m uch more was exported to M elbourne and elsewhere.

The seeds of m any of the Conifer® are edible, those of th e Chilian Araucaria especially form ing the staple diet of the Indians of Chile, and in Ita ly the seeds of the Stone Pine are made in to cakes. The sweet and nu tiitious n u ts of P inus Sabiniana are g rea t favourites w ith the Indians of N orth-W est America, who collect vast quantities of the cones. A sugar exudation occurs from th e bark of the Sugar P ine. The leaves of the H im alayan Yew are dried and used as tea, while the bark of P . sylvestris is formed, in years of scarcity, in to bread by the Norwegians. A species of Jun iper (J. squainata) is used in Ind ia in the p reparation of an intoxicating liquor and for m aking yeast, and in Europe the common Jun iper berry is used for flavouring gin. A large num ber were formerly, and several are still, used 111 medicine, and the L arch for tanning.

The value of the various giuns and resinous and o ther productions of the Conifer® is also large. The chief im ­portations in 1879 were—of Kawrie gum 50,439 cwt.,

* Selby, H ist. B rit. Forest Treest 1842, p. 401. *

value £122,901, from New Z ea lan d ; pitch, 57,188 cwt., value £12,979; ta r, 140,507 barrels, value £93,482—the greater p art of these products from R ussia ; Spruce-beer, 1,756 barrels, value £12,027 ; resin, 1,155,523 cwt., value, £328,021; turpentine, 258,054 cwt., value £290,647, nearly the whole coming from th e U nited S tates. O ther products are amber, Canada and a large variety of bal­sams, creosote, frankincense, sandarac, &c.— F . S t a r k ie G a r d n e r .— Gardeners' Chronicle.

IN D IA N F IB R E S .T he follow ing M em orandum b y M essrs. A hm uty &

Co., C a lcu tta , has been pub lished in th e Gazette by th e G overnm ent fo r general in form ation :—

Coir.— This fibre is very valuab le for its ex trem ely elastic qualities, and in cases w here “ give an d ta k e ” is requ ired , no o th e r know n rope fibre, excep t hair, can approach it. T h is fibre, of good qu a lity , will n o t grow beyond th e influence of sea-air, an d cannot for any great leng th of tim e be p reserved beyond th e influence of sa lt-w ate r. ’ Im m ersion in fresh w ater w ith o u t im m ediate d ry age re -u lts in d e terio ra tion and u ltim ate ro t, w hile constan t or occasional im m ersion in sa lt w ater will, w ith fa ir w ear an d tea r, preserve i t for p robably th ree o r four tim es as long as a rope of any o th er fibre w onld, u nder th e sam e con­d itions, last. W here a dead s tra in or heavy lif t is required , coir is n o t recom m ended as a safe or reliable rope, the fibre being too sh o rt and elastic . Coir is v ery largely used by the M arine D epartm en t for rid in g cables and springs fo r th e L ig h t V essels and for tow ing haw sers, w arps an d runn ing gear for th e M arine Service. F o r th e M arine Service, the S uper­in ten d en t of M arine an n u a lly invites ten d ers for th e m anufactu re of coir ropes an d cables, and th e M arine Storekeeper supp lies th e successful ten d ere r w ith coir ya rn , w hich is laid up to o rder, an d re tu rn ed to th e D ockyard. W e m ay no te here th a t we a t p re sen t hold th is co n trac t, and, w ith th e exception of tw o years, have done so Since 1858. W e a ttach some certificates from th e M arine D ep artm en t reg ard in g our supplies of coir ropes and cables.

M anilla H em p .—Is th e stro n g est of vegetab le rope fibres, an d w here heavy lifts of h a rd usage are r e ­q u ired , is th e m ost re liab le of ropes. D u rin g th e recen t cam paigns in A fghan istan we supplied large q u an titie s of th is rope for con trac to rs in Bom bay, K urrachee an d th e P u n ja b p resum ably fo r th e O rdnance an d C om m issariat D epartm ents for the •haulage of guns and stores over th e m ountain passes. F o r such purposes i t is adm irab ly adap ted . I t is ligh ter, stronger, an d more endurable th an o rd in ary hem p rope, and w eigh t for w eigh t p er coil*is ab o u t th e same price.

Calicut H em p . —Is grow n on th e M alabar Coast, and is of very g rea t s tre n g th and fineness, and is e s­pecially su ited for sm all ropes an d lines. I t is very l i t t le inferio r to th e best R ussian hem p, and is a m ost reliable rope for heavy purchases, second, in th is country , w here R ussian hem p is no t used , only to M anilla.

Jubbutpore H em p . —A m uch coarser fibre th a n th e above is in general use for heavy cordage. In u tiliz ing th is m ateri d th e re is m uch w astage, b u t i t tjirn s o u t a very sa tisfac to ry and reliable rope, is tough and strong , and will s ta n d m uch rough usage. H em p ropes are largely used by th e M arine, O rdnance, C om m issariat, an d P ub lic W orks D epaitm en ts .

Sunn H em p .— This fibre is of a so ft and som ew hat s ilky tex tu re , and w hen laid u p in to cordage looks well, b u t has n o t th e advan tage of possessing m uch s tren g th . I t is usually made up in to spun y a rn for engine packing, o r in to lig h t lines for pack ing dried fish, or for baling hides in th e in te rio r fo r tran sp o rt to screw presses.

Aloe F ibre .—Is produced in larg e q u an titie s in th e

S onthal h 'lls , and w hen new is of fa ir s tren g th , s tronger th a n coir, b u t in ferio r to M anilla o r C alicut hem p. I t is, how ever, incapable of resis ting th e ac tion of w a te r w ith o u t serious in ju ry , becomes b lack and u n ­sigh tly , and soon ceases to be a rope on w hich dependence can be p laced. N atives m anufac tu re th is m ateria l by hand pow er in to rough ropes, an d these are ex tensively used for th e hau lage, m ooring and ru n n in g gear of country boats, b u t p resum ably only for its cheapness.

Ju te . —W e m anufactu re th is for th e M arine D ep IrV m en t fo r m aroons used on board th e L ig h t V e s s e l a t th e Sandheads, an d also in considerable q u an tities for export to A ustralia, where i t is used fo r packing loose wool for tra n sp o r t to th e coast. I t is also very extensively used abo u t C a lcu tta as lashings for ju te bales. T h e fibre does n o t possess m uch stren g th , is unfit for heavy lifts or hard usage, an d quickly ro ts if k e p t w et o r even dam p.

Cotton. —T his we m anufactu re in to te n t ropes and lines and in to fine cord for d riv in g gear for co tton a n d ju te sp inn ing m achinery. T he yarn w e ob ta in from th e local co tton m ills an d lay up to any size to o rder, b u t its high price p ro h ib its i ts very ex tensive use un less in th e case of mill gearing, w here sm ooth ru n n in g is a desideratum .

Cannabina hemp pineapple. Fibre .— A bout up to th i r ty years ago th e re was considerable dem and for cordage m ade from these fibres, b u t th ey have been superseded b y th e in tro d u c tio n of M anilla hem p an d by th e g rea te r facilities for ob ta in ing C alicu t and Ju b b u lp o re hem p. The fibres are,how ever, of considerable s tren g th , and w ill stand a deal of h a rd handling. T h is m anufact. u re is now confined to n a tiv ^ h a n d - la id lines for cargo boat and household purposes.

Steel wire rope, iron wire rope.— T his w ire is im ported from E ngland an d is la id up to o rder. T he q u a lity is the best p rocurable . T hese we su pp ly for bridge- w ork in th e h ills and for sta n d in g rigg ing for vessels of th e M arine Service.

A e would condense th e foregoing as follows, viz :—Coir.— F o r m arine uses, l ig h t w ork , rough usage.M a n illa H em p . — H a rd w ork , heav y lifts , and w here

g re a t s tre n g th is required .Calicut H em p .— F o r fine lines and ropes, heavy

purchases, and w here g re a t s tre n g th is required .Jubbulpore H em p .—F o r heavy ropes, rough w ork,

h a rd usage, and w here g re a t s tre n g th is requ ired .Sunn H em p — E ngine packing, ba ling lines li ttle

streng th .A loe F ibre .— Cargo bo a t uses, gooning lines.Ju te F ibre.—M aroons, baling ropes and lines, ve ry

l i t t le s treng th .Cotton S taple .—T e n t ropes, m ill gearing, d riv ing

bands for m achinery.Cannabina hemp pineapple F ibre . — A lm ost obsolete.

B oat ropes and lines, household purposes.Steel wire rope, iron wire rope.— Bridge w ork across

khuds. S tan d in g rigging. - -M adras M ail.

O l d O r c h a r d s on grass frequently become worn out for w ant of some such assistance, for which tim e and m anure cannot often be spared. All crowding of branches should be prevented by regular atten tion , for the sudden removal of quantities of wood is no t unfrequently a t ­tended w ith loss of crop and impaired energy for years a f te r ; therefore, where necessary, remove annually a few

, of the w orst of the crossing branches, and prevent o ther young ones from proceeding in wrong directions by cu tting back or removal. W here i t is necessary to re ­p lant any trees, see th a t the old roots are carefully grubbed out, and th a t the fresh stations are trenched and enriched w ith m anure over as large an area as may be consistent w ith due care for the preservation of the roots of adjacent fru it trees.— Gardeners’ Chronicle.

M r . J a c o b R e e s e , is a paper read before th e E n ­g ineers’ Society of W estern Pennsylvania , r e m a rk s : “ T he g re a t w an t of th e p resen t age is a process by w hich th e s ta tic caloric of carbon m ay be se t free by non-lum inous com bustion, or, in o th e r words, a process by which coal o r oil m ay be oxidised a t a low degree w ithin an in su la ted vessel.” T h is cannot be too p rom inen tly b ro u g h t forw ard . ** I f i t can be accom plished,” as M r. Reese says, “ we w ould be able to produce from tw elve to fifteen m illion foot y m nds* of e lec tr ic ity from one pound of petro leum , or f r a n ten to tw elve m illion foot "pounds of energy from one pound of good coal.”— Athenaeum.

T h e O r a n g e r y in E n g l a n d .— Perhaps of all fruit trees Oranges are the m ost easily managed, if only they can be kept clear of insects. They require p retty much the same treatm ent from week to week, and when the fru it is ripening a high tem perature, w hether i t is win­te r or summer, and as far as my experience goes the fru it is of as good quality in midwinter as it is a t m id­summer. The m ain features of success are to obtain good varieties and good healthy trees to begin w ith ; and not only so, but they m ust be grafted on the right stock. The Lemon stock is the best, and gives the m ost vigorous trees, which are quite fruitful enough. They never lack a sufficient quan tity of blossom. The fru it will not be good if i t is ripened in a low tem perature ; 65° as a minimum is the best, and when it is ripening do not allow too much m oisture in the atm osphere, else th e fru its will not be firm and goo d ; and a t th a t time the trees require more care in watering. Good turfy maiden loam is the best potting m aterial.— F . D ou g la s .— Gardeners’ Chronicle.

R o s e s on t h e ir O w n Rooep.— I myself for the last five years have tried Rose cuttings, and I think I may say, on the whole, w ith a fair am ount of success. My first year was a failure. I placed the cuttings in pots in an old Melon-pit, and the result was they nearly all damped off. The following year I tried again, bu t tiiis time placed the cuttings in the open ground. In Novem­ber I gave the ground a good coating of burn t e a r th ; forked it in, and when dry on the top made i t quite firm, like an Onion-bed. I then pu t in the cuttings by thrusting them in to the ground as deep as I could get them. I find th is is a much better plan th an using a dibble, which is liable to leave a vacuum round the base of the cutting, and if th is happens, the cutting , of course, dies. I t is necessary to use a good* thick pair of leather gloves to p lan t the cuttings in th is way. L ast ivinter, in spite of the cold, about 60 per cent of the cuttings rooted (they were protected by a little short litte r), and m ost of them bloomed last autum n. I am trying the Baroness th is year for the first t im e ; a t present every cutting looks as healthy and fresh as poss­ible. Teas I am trying in pots, in a cold fram e on cinder ashes, and a t present I am satisfied w ith them. There is no doubt th a t the great secret of getting Rose cuttings to do well is to select ripe wood. I am quite aware th a t one does no t get a splendid m aiden bloom from a c u ttin g ; on the o ther hand I find th a t Roses on th e ir own Roots come in ra ther la te r th an budded ones, and are very useful for a la te show. On my soil (stiff clay) I never could get Charles Lefebvre to grow, either budded 011 a standard or on the seedling Brier. I tried cuttings, and i t grows “ like a weed,” and gives me splendid blooms. The following Roses I find do well on then- own roots :— C. Lefebvre, M arie Baum ann, Miss H assard, La France, Thomas Mills, Madame Nachary, Countess Serenyi, M arie Rady, Alfred Colomb, Captain Christy, Ju les M argottin, Edw ard Morren, Mad. S. Fro- pot, Sir G arnet XVolseley, Madame V. Verdier, Auguste Rigotard, Dupuy Jam ain , Abel Grand, Ac. To sum up,I consider Roses on th e ir own roots a g reat help to the a m a te u r ; bu t he m ust bud too, if he w ants fine maglen blooms for exhibition.— E dw ard L. F e l l o w e s , Wimpole Rectory, Royston.— Gardeners’ Chronicle.

B e e s a s F l o w e r F e r t i l i s e r s . — M r. D onbavand is m istaken in supposing th a t bees never v is it b u t te r ­cups. W h e th e r th e hive-bee in p a rtic u la r does so, I canno t say w ith c e r ta in ty ; b u t I am su re th a t th e com m on bum ble-bee is often found am ong the flowers. Of course, o ther insects also a id in fe r ti l is ­ing them .— G r a n t A l l e n .— Knowledge,

T h e G o v e r n m e n t E x p e r im e n t a l F a r m a n d A g r i ­c u l t u r a l C o l l o e . —T he section se lected for tb e G o­vern m en t E xperim en ta l Farm is ab o u t six m iles from G aw ler an d th re e from R osew orthy S tation . I t con­ta in s 728 acres, 100 of which are s till uncleared scrub , an o th er portion being lig h t poor soil, an d th e re ­m ainder fa irly represen ting th e o rd in ary soil of th e d istr ic t, w hich has been cropped for m any years, th u s beiug w ell adap ted for experim ents. T he s itu a tio n n ear th e R osew orthy S ta tio n is cen tra l an d easy of access from d ifferent d is tric ts , i t being a li t t le over one hour by ra il from A delaide. Should an in s titu tio n be es tab lished in connection w ith th e E xperim en ta l F arm for th e tra in in g of young m en in p rac tica l an d scientific agriculiure , i t is impori a n t th a t the College should be near A delaide, especially as i t m ay be necessary to obtain assistance in th e in s tru c tio n of s tu d e n ts from gentlem en resid ing in A delaide. W e presum e th a t as soon as th e land van be cleared, a series of experi­m en ts w ill be com m enced w ith th e o b jec t of ob ta in ing re su lts lik e ly to benefit th e farm er, an d of p rocuring accu ra te and positive in form ation on d isp u ted p o in ts of g rea t m om ent.— S. A ustra lian paper.

S. A u s t r a l i a : T h e N o r t h e r n T e r r i t o r y .— T he N o r th -rn Territory Tim es of pecem b er 10 sta te s :— “ P riv a te advices from A delaide by th e “ Tam bora” s ta te th a t a C om pany, called th e N o rth A u stra lian C om pany, has been formed in th a t c ity by a few gen tlem en , ac ting in con junction w ith E uropean cap italists, w no believe th a t th e T errito ry offers a leg itim ate an d profitable field for th e jud icious in vestm en t of cap ital in m ining, ag ri­c u ltu ra l, and p as to ra l ven tures. T he shareho lders have nom inated one o f th e ir num ber (M r. T hom as H a rry , w ho a rriv ed here by tb e “ T am bora”) to inspect and rep o rt upon th e resources of th e coun try . M r. H a rry inform s us th a t he proposes to proceed to H ongkong and thence to London, a f te r spending a few weeks in th e T errito ry . One very good fea tu re in connection w ith th e Com pany is th a t some of its m ost p rom inen t shareho lders have resided in th e c o u n try for years, and are w ell acqua in ted w ith its g rea t capabillities. T he p resen t G overnm ent appears very anxious to do a ll in its pow er To fu rth e r the in te rests of th e T e rrito ry , and w ill no dou b t m ake such a rran g em en ts as w ill fac ilita te th e C om pany’s p ro jec ts .”

T h e P a r a o r B r a z il N u t . — Mr. M orris, th e D irecto r of P ub lic G ardens, m ake th e follow ing rem arks on th e P a ra or Brazil N u t, th e seeds of w hich he has been endeavouring to d is tr ib u te th ro u g h o u t th e island , and have propagated as an artic le of com m erce. H e says :— To those w ho have la te ly received supplies of seeds of th is valuable tree from th e B itan c ia l D epartm en t, i t m ay be w ell to m ention tn a t owing to th e horny ch a rac te r of th e shell an d tb e n a tu re of its con ten ts , th e y w ill probably tak e several m onths in germ inating . Care should therefore be ta k e n th a t th e seeds are n o t neglected till all hopes of germ ination have passed aw ay. T h e ‘ P a ra N u t— Bertholletia excelsa-comes in to be iring in some p .r ts of B razil, according to Dr. H ansen E rch , in ten o r tw elve years, and i t m at be m entioned th a t in add ition to th e value a tta c h e d to its f ru it, th e tree itse lf is described as one of th e m ost m ajestic in th e S ou th Am erican forests. S hou ld th e clim ate of th is Is lan d be found su itab le for th e grow th of th is desirable tree , th e re is no d o u b t th a t to g e th er w ith th e export of th e f ru it for purposes of desort, a valuable oil m ig h t be ob ta ined by pressu re from th e seeds. T he fibrous b a rk of th e tree is also used for cau lk in g ships as a su b s titu te fo r oakum ,—A ustralasian .

T h e F u t u r e o f S o l a r P h y s i c s . — The fu ndam en ta l 1 problem s now pressing for so lu tion are, “ firs t a sa tis- j fac to jy exp lanation of th e peculiar law of ro ta tion on j th e su n ’s su rface ; second, an exp lanation of th e j

periodicity of th e spots, and th e ir d is tr ib u tio n ; th ird , j a determ ination of th e variations in th e am oun t of the solar rad iation a t d ifferen t tim es an d different po in ts upon its surface ; an d fo u rth , a sa tis fac to ry explanation of the re la tions of th e gases an d o th e r m atters above ttie photosphere to th e sun itse lf— th e problem of th e corona and th e prom inences.”— T he N ation .

T o ba cco has th e sam e effect upon th e nerve-cells th a t w a te r has upon a coal fire. A pply w ate r in sm all q u an tity , an d y our fire will b u rn m ore slowly ; apply a large-enough b ucketfu l, an d i t will cease to exist. W hen th e cook rak es up th e ashes, an d covers h er fire before going to bed, she perform s th e sam e physical experim ent as h er m aster, w ho soothes h is nerves w ith tobacco before re tirin g for th e n ig h t. T he cook w ishes her fire to sm oulder d u rin g th e n igh t. She therefo re applies an agen t w hich w ill check com bustion b$ p a r tia lly excluding oxygen from h er f u e l ; her m aste r applies to his nervous system an agen t which d im inishes ox idation , and th u s seriously in terferes w ith v ita l action . In bo th cases th e re w ill be less m ate ria l burned , less coal and less explosive food. B u t is th is a rea l advan tage to th e usefulness of th e fire o r of th e hum an m achine? T he cook w ould be very la te w ith- b reak fast if she tru s te d such a fire to boil th e k e ttle , an d th e work accom ­p lished by a b ra in m uch affected by tobacco is both sm all in q u a n tity an d in ferio r in q u a lity . I t is as d ifficult to send p roper messages along a nerve w hich is u n d er th e influence or tobacco as i t is to fire a tra in of dam p gunpow der. “ P ra ise God, an d keep y our pow der d ry ,” said th e g re a t Oliver C ro m w e ll;“ P ra ise God and keep yo u r b rain c lea r,” w ould have been hie b u rn in g advice bad he lived in these la t te r d ay s .— Knowledge.

W a t e r A r e a s o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . —A n in te r e s t­ing tab le appears in th e Am erican f ie ld , ex trac ted from th e U .S . census re tu rn s of 1880, which gives th e w ater area of each S ta te in th e U nion T he gross areas included a re 3,025,600 sq ua re miles i A laska—placed in th e census of 1870 a t 577,390 square m iles—n o t being here reckoned. T he to ta l w ater area is .15,600 square m iles, or 35,584,000 acres. T he re ­la tiv e proportions of w ate r an d lan d vary considerably. N ew M exico, for instance, w ith an area of 122,580 square miles, has a w a te r surface of no m ore th a n 120, an d A rizona only 100 to its lan d surface of 112,920. F lo rid a , in th e ex trem e sou th-east, contains th e la rg est w a te r area of any of th e S tates, 4,440 square m iles, and is followed, n e x t in rank in th is respect, by M innesota, w ith 4,160, located in th e extrem e n o rth e rn p a rt, an d well to th e w estw ard. T hen comes T exas, w ith 3,490 square m iles in th e ex trem e s o u th -w e s t; N o rth C arolina, w iih 3,670, on th e easte rn sea c o a s t ; M aine, w ith 3,145, in th e extrem e no rth -eas t ; L ouisiana, with 3,300, bordering on th e G ulf of Mexico ; and p u rsu ing o u r course to th e w estern boundary, w e pass th rough U ta h , w iih 2,780, reaching C alifornia, w ith 2,380, and Oregon w ith 1,470 square m iles of w a te r area. T hen take th e in land sta te s , an d we find a very unifo rm ly defined w ate r area, rang ing from 300 to 600 square m iles in each. “ N early all of th is im m ense ext, n t of w a te r ,” says our contem porary , “ is susp-ctib le of cu ltiv a tio n by th e in te llig en t fish cu ltu ris t, and can be m ade to yield a m uch la rg er proportion of m a rk e t­able p ro d u c t than the sam e q u a n tity of lan d of average q u a lity . W e, as A m ericans, a re prone to boast of our c o u n try ’s resources, an d w ith good reason ; b u t how m any have ever ta k e n in to considera tion

th e w ealth to be d erived from 35,584,000 acres of w ater, p roperly s tocked and cu ltiv a ted . Can any man s e t ‘a lim it to th e valne of th e aqueous p ro d u c t ?—Field.

B e t b l - n u t a n d F e v e r . — In No. 12 of Knowledge, I find b e te l-n u t chew ing given as a specific against fevers. T he Jav%uese and Sundanese are in v e te ra te betel chew ers, an d y e t th e y have been d y in g li te ra lly by thousands d u rin g th e pas t few years from fever. W hen I le f t Sam arang, Jav a , in Septem ber las t, th e natives w ere dy ing by hun d red s of fever. M y ex ­perience, ex tend ing over n early four years in various p a rts of A sia, has been, th a t th e natives w ho u n i­versa lly chew betel (w ith lim e, an d th e leaf of th e s ir ih p ep p e r-p lan t) , are m uch m ore easily affected by fever than are E uropeans.— E d w i n S a c iis . — Knowledge.

P r e s e r v i n g F r u i t f o r t h e W i n t e r . — D ry sand of a ll substances is found, from th e experim ent of P . Sarauer, to be the bes t in w hich to p reserve f ru it fo r th e w in ter. T he germ s of m ould a tta c k th e rough po rtion of f ru it packed in paper, w 'ith g re a t av id ity , th ro u g h th e openings in th e silk paper. I f packed in straw , th e lea s t dam pness of th e s traw im parts a m usty flavour to th e f ru it. S and has an o th e r a d ­vantage, which is th a t th e dam aged specim ens do n o t in fec t th e ir neighbours. Choose th e m ost p e r­fec t f ru i t w ith the w axy covering perfect. L eav ing th e s ta lk s on m akes th e fru it shrivel up q u ick ly .— F.C .S , —Knowledge. .

T a r a x a c u m . — D uring th e y ea r 1880-81, severa l in te r ­estin g ex perim en ts were tr ie d a t the Saharunpore B otan ica l G ardens. N o t th e leas t in terestin g was one w ith Taraxacum officinale. A n in d e n t for 2001b. ofth e ex trac t hav ing been received from C a lc u tta , an a tte m p t w as m ade to grow th e p la n t an d p repare th e e x tra c t on th e spot.. I t is sa tisfac to ry to find th a t th e experim ent was tho ro u g h ly successful. F ro m half an acre 109 lb . w ere m ade, a t th e follow ingc o s t :—

To cu ltiva tion , &c.............................. 13 8 0, , p reparing e x t r a c t ................. • 62 8 0

T o ta l 76 0 0o r 11'156 annas p e r lb. T he avarage p rice of th e d rug in E n g la n d is 2 s .-2d ., so th a t when fre ig h t charges and loss by exchange a re added, the cost in In d ia w ill n o t be less th en 1 rupee 8 annas per lb . F rom th is experim ent i t w ill be seen th a t an acre w ill produce over 200 lb . of th e e x trac t, and as im proved m odes of p repara tion w ill no d o u b t be found out, th e cu ltiv a tio n of th is valuab le m edicine will become one of our in d u str ie s . — Ind ian A gricu lturist.

M a n u r e . —T he value of hum an excre ta has been rep ea ted ly b rough t to notice, b u t we alm ost d espair of m ak ing any progress in in troduc ing th is valuab le m anurial agen t to th e notice of th e In d ia n ray a t. T he only form in w hich they w ill use it, is iu th e form of poudrette. A t th e Caw npore E xperim en ta l F arm a careful experim ent w as tr ie d , w ith m arvellous resu lts . T he crop grow n w as bare ly . T h e follow ing were th e re su lts :—

M anured. U n m anured .G rain ................ lb . 2,851 1,842S tra w , , 3 , 6 0 3 1,968Value of crop ... B.66-7-1 40-12-9

T he m anure cost p rac tica lly n o th in g beyond th e labour of incorpora ting i t . T he cu ltiv a tio n in b o th cases was g o ld , an d if th e p re jud ice held b y th e ra y a t against th is m anure w ere g o t r id of, m uch good w ould resu lt. T iie exam ple se t o u r M unic ipa lities by Poona an d U m ritsu r, m igh t be follow ed w ith ad v an tag e a ll over th e land. U m ritsu r conveys th e excre ta , d e luged w ith w ate r to la-g« ta n k s w here i t is p rec ipated , b u t Poona goes to th e roo t of th e m atte r, b y changing th e ex cre ta in to poudrette. in w hich form i t loses a ll i t- noxious p roperties , nud i- valuable as m an u re ,— I hid. v

T h e proper tim e for p luck ing tea leaf ia of im portance to tea p lan ters, th e tim e, however, w hen a flush is ready to be ta k e n off depends so m uch on clim ate and cultivation , th a t a hard and fast ru le m u st fail. In D arjeeling a correspondent of a con tem porary in ­forms us th a t “ a shoot from th e ax il of a leaf ju s t p lucked is about i to § of an inch long e ig h t days after, a t 20 days it is abo u t an inch long, a t 30 days 3 inches, a t 40 days 6 inches. On these H ills, if the p run ing has been well done and w ea th er favourable , th e young shoots ough t to be n ine inches h igh in six weeks, w hen p ick ing should commence. T he shoots should n o t be p icked off too quickly , o r th e te a w ill be too tip p y .—South o f In d ia Observer.

T h e S c a r c it y o f I n d ia r u b b f .r .— U nless some m eans are speedily tak en to p rev en t th e reckless d estruction of th e rubber trees, th is im p o rtan t and now world-

*wide m anufactu re w ill be g re a tly re ta rd e d ow ing to the scarc ity of th e raw m aterial. T he g rea t and g row ­ing dem and for rubber has stim ulated the ru b b er h un ters of C en tral and S outh A m erica to supp ly the same, b u t th e re su lt is, in th e ir eagerness tp meet th e ex tra dem ands, th e y destroy th e greater portion of th e tree. In m any places where th e ru b b er trees w ere seem ingly exhaustless a few years ago, th e fo rests have been decim ated. T he re su lt is th a t th e rubber ga th ere rs have to go fu rth e r and fu rth e r in to th e in te rio r and

.to th e m ountains for th e p resen t supply. U nless the G overnm ent of Colom bia and S ou th A m erican S ta tes do som ething for th e p ro tec tion and propagation of th is valuable tree , th e ex p o rt of raw rubber from these countries will cease iu a few years .—B ritish Trade Journal.

I n s e c t - D e s t r o v e r s .— Some years ago th e M assachu­se tts H o rticu ltu ra l Society .offered rew ards for a cheap and effectual m ethod of destroy ing th e rose fly o r aphis. T his b ro u g h t fo rth a p repara tion in th e sbape 'o f whale- oil soap, w ith th e d ic tu m th a t i t w ould d es troy the insect w hatever s ta te i t was in . T he recipe is to dissolve 2 lb. of w hale-oil soap in 15 gallons of w ater, o r if th e soap is of a weak s tre n g th , d im inish the p roportion of w ater by tw o gallons. T he m ethod of using i t is to s tra in th e liqu id th rough a fine sieve, w hen th e com position is dissolved, and th en apply w ith a sy ringe to th e leaves and shoots affected. I t is asserted th a t th e rem edy is effective also for th rip s , red sp ider, canker w orm s, and tiie m ildew on trees. As th e rem edy is so sim ple i t m igh t be app lied to orange trees affected with scale, as a t th e above streng tn i t is q u ite innocuous to vegetab le life, and as i t can be used ad libitum any falling on thejground w ill a c t as a m anure. C onsidering how troublesom e th e brow n beetle is on fig-tre s, i t m igh t be y n ployed in d e ­stroy ing those p es ts .—A ustralasian .

I n f l u e n c e o f F o r e s t s o n R a in f a l l . —In th e American N atu ra lis t fo r Ja n u a ry appears an a rtic le by D r. A nders on th e influence w hich fo rests exercise upon th e rainfall. T he p rac tice of r in g b ark in g has la te ly been advocated in A u s tra lia , on the g round th a t the am ount of surface w ate r is th e reb y increased , though th is effect is n o t d em onstra ted to be an y th in g b u t tem p o rary — indeed, by th e n a tu re of th e case, i t w ould seem se lf-ev iden tly so—an d th e effect of th is scan ty surface w a te r upon th e h u m id ity of th e a tm o ­sphere w ould be nearly nil. H ow fo rests affect th e hu m id ity i t w as th e ob jec t of th e w rite r’s experim ents to sh o w ; an d his experim ents appeared to prove th a t, w hile no m oistu re is absorbed by p lan ts from the atm osphere, th e y yield to i t a considerable q u a n tity by transp ira tion of w ate r ga thered th ro u g h th e roots— th e ra te a t which aqueous vapour is g iven off by p lau ts am ounting to m ore th a n an ounce and a q u a rte r per square foot of leaf surface in th e tw elve d iu rnal hours. T he evaporation from a fo res t area is probab ly more th a n from an equal a rea of w ate r ; an d th e conditions of th e soil p e n e tra te d by th e n e t­

w ork of roo ts ren d e r i t a reservo ir of th e ra in fa ll, to be g rad u a lly u tilised by th e leaf su rface above. T h is hum id ity im parted to th e a tm osphere Ijpnds to equalisation of tem p era tu re by p reven tin g undue r a d i­a tio n of h e a t ; an d th o u g h i t canno t increase th e general ra in fa ll—ra in being genera lly form ed from one to tw o m iles above th e surface of th e e a rth —y e t th e re seem s reason to believe th a t lig h t local ra ins are rea lly increased over fo res t land , besides th e ab u n d an t dew s by which i t and i ts v ic in ity are v isited . E x ­perim ents of tw o F ren ch observers a re c ited , which gave a to ta l ra in fa ll for six m onths over fo rest lan d of 192£ m illem etres, an d of 177 in th e open a ir, show ing a difference in favour of th e fo res t of 15J. T he action of forests is, of course, m ore o r less lo c a l ; an d therefore th e ir d is tr ib u tio n , as sources of hum id ity , as well as fo r th e sh e lte r th e y afford from sw eeping w ind, is a m a tte r of m uch im portance .—Field.

B if a c ia l O r a n g e s .—-In the Provence Agricole M. Heckel tells us how th e fru its which on one side p re­sent the characteristics of Oranges, and on the other those of Lemons, are produced. A nurserym an a t Cannes, M. Tordo, takes scions* (bourgeons) of various species of Citrus, Orange, Lemon, &c., and grafts them circularly along »the tru n k of a Citrus, arrang ing the scions closely together in pairs so as to bring about complete fusion of the scions. W hen th e g rafts have adhered th e tree is headed doyvn to within a short dis­tance of the grafts, and 'in spring branches are seen which give rise to m onstrous fruits, having the charac­teristics of the different g rafts blended together. T he branches which originate from th e ingrafted shoots p ro­duce leaves which are greatly changed in form and differ from those of e ither species, thus affording a strik ing proof of graft-hybridization. T he flowers of the two species are also fused.— G ardeners’ Chronicle.

T h e D i v i d i v i P l a n t . — T he D ivi-d iv i po Is a re em ­ployed for tan n in g purposes, as th ey con ta in 50 per cen t of pure tan n in . I have been to ld th a t in B angalore th e re is a large p lan ta tion of th is tree , and th a t its pods are largely used fo rg iv in g th e sk ins th a t superio r sm oothness rem arkab le in th e M adras an d Bangalore sk ins. I have also used D ivi-divi in dyeing, and 1 have em ployed a solution of acetate of iron a fte r th e ba th in D ivi-divi tin c tu re . The in k used in m ost of th e G o­v e rn m en t offices in F o r t St. George is m ade w ith th is p lan t. T he cu ltiv a tio n of th is e legan t sh ru b is very easy. T he seeds should be sow n in M arch, an d th e young p lan ts can be rem oved from th e nursery du ring th e follow ing ra in y season ; th e y requ ire som e w atering ti l l th e y have a tta in e d th e b r ig h t of th re e feet, a f te r w hich no m ore care is necessary. T h is p la n t grow s lu x u r ia n tly in a c lay i-h calcareous soil, b u t very slowly in red soil, as I have observed a t th e R ed H ills near M adras. I th in k th e difference in th e g ro w th in th e tw o soils re su lts from th e clayish soil re ta in ­ing m oisture for a very long tim e in th e sum m er, while in th e la t te r th e young p la n t is exhausted by the strong d ry w inds b low ing then . B u t I th in k i t s till possible to cu ltiv a te th is sh ru b in red soil w ith some success by add ing d ry m ud from ta n k s to th e soil before r p lan ting th e young tre e from th e n u rse ry . Gow dung ashes w ill prove u se fu l round th e p lan t. T he g rea t difficulty to con tend w ith , how ever, in such soil is th e w an t of w ater. T he cu ltiv a tio n I have m ade for th e la s t few years is qu ite a success, and I have made experim ents in both soils, clayey as well as red. I sha ll feel obliged if a p y of your readers w ill give m e som e inform ation regarding th e m a rk e t cu rren t p rice of th is dye in London or elsew here. I th in k th a t th e h igh ra te of fre igh t from In d ia to E urope will n o t allow a m arg in of profit in th e sh ip . • m en t of D ivi-divi h u sk s .— S e a r c h e r . — M adras Tim es.

L IB E R IA N C O F F E E , COCOA A N D IN D IA R U B B E R .

A correspondent, d a ting from a “ L ow country P r o ­d u c ts ” e s ta te abo u t tw e n ty m iles n o rth -eas tw ard from Colombo, w rites : —

F ebruary is u sua lly th e d rie s t m onth in th e y ear over all Ceylon. On the p resen t occasion, an d in th is locality , i t could not be called a w et m o n th ; b u t th e re w as ra in enough to p rev en t any check in th e g row th of our cu ltiva ted p lan ts. Indeed , if I were called on to nam e th e period of m ost rap id grow th , d u r ­ing th e la s t tw elve m onths, I w ould say, from th e m iddle of Ja n u a ry to th e end of F eb ru a ry . The coffee trees, in th e ir second year in th e field, have in th a t tim e, added tw o pairs of b ranches and tw o pairs of leaves on a ll those pre-ex isting , an d such of th e cacao trees as w ere previously th r iv in g have m ade m uch wood, and go t m ore and m ore in to form.

T he o lder coffee has had a heavy blossom every ten days during th e m onth , and th ere has been a considerable sp rin k lin g on th a t in its second year, an d m ore is s till to come. T here are no abortive flowers. A ll th a t open, se t, and, on trees p lan ted in N ovem ber 1879, 2,000 fa irly -estab lished cherries are an exceptionally sm all crop, m any of th e larger trees having o r prom ising m ore th a n double th is stan d ard .

T he larger cocoa trees produce m asses of blossom con­tinually , b u t th e few pods th a t have form ed drop before they a tta in th e size of a coffee cherry . I have abo u t 800 p lan ts , of th e C arracas varie ty , th riv in g in baskets, to fill in vacancies ; b u t I live in te rro r of th e w hite ants, when I am obliged to p la n t them out.

T he ru b b er p lan ts, re su ltin g from seed obtained four m onths ago, are now four feet h igh , m ost of them in flower, an d some of th em w ith pods th a t b id fa ir to ripen th e ir seed. T here is now no ques­tio n abou t th e success of th e .p lant. I t only rem ains to be se ttled w hether th e produce w ill p ay for collecting . Should experience decide th is question in th e affirm at­ive, Ceylon w ill be able to allay th e an x ie ty felt in E urope abou t w here th e ru b b er of th e fu tu re is to come from. A s th e ru b b er is no t a pernickety p la n t as to its trea tm en t, o r th e soil i t grow s in , i t m ay be ex tended over a ll th e abandoned coffee, in th e low er d is tric ts , w here th e soil is too much exhausted for tea, cocoa or L iberian coffee, to say no th in g of th e v as t plains of th e n o rth an d east.

Cardam om s are ra th e r slow coaches in th e early stages of w hich alone I have an y experience; ex trem ely te n d e r as seedlings, of slow grow th , and th e p rey of very m inu te insects. T hey seem now, how ever, inclined to m ake a s ta rt, and so fa r as I learn, how. sha ll m eet w ith all due encouragem ent. I am adv ised to p la n t o u t u n d e r shade and will do so, though no friend to th e system of h id ing aw ay cu ltiv a ted p lan ts from th e lig h t of th e sun. In Ceylon, th e A rab ian coffee h as long p laced th e question of shade beyond th e region of debate , aud the L iberian is asserting a lik e predilection for so lar influence. U n d er even m oderate shade i t becomes a large, open, long-jointed, large- leaved, b rillian tly-green tree , bu t i t y ie ld s little or no crop. Shade for cocoa is s till an open question , b u t th e decision w ill probably tu rn o u t th e same as for coffee. E veryone who a tte m p ts to grow th is p lan t w here w ind blow s soon leariis th a t sh e lte r for th e young p la n t is a necessary elem ent of success, and, young o r o ld—so far as m y observation has h ith e rto enabled me to judge—it is as m uch a sun-loving p lan t as any of its fellow s. S helter, by a ll m eans : tem ­porary sh e lte r for th e young p lan ts, and closely-planted lines of ja k w ould answ er, o r any o th e r valuable tim b er tree w ith heavy foliage a t regu lar spaces across th e course of th e w ind. I nam e

202

j a k as th e m ost su itab le tree I know , fo r sh e lte r be lts in th e low country , b u t th e re m ay be o th ers of equal value. In soil fit for L iberian coffee o r cocoa cu ltiva tion , i t w ill reach a height of 20 feet in th re e y ears; branches low, has dense foliage, and is w orth m oney, in th e course of 20 years, to say no th in g of the f ru it i t bears in th e m ean tim e. I have been th in k in g about th e ceara rubber for th is purpose, b u t i ts appearance is n o t favourable to th e idea ; i t has n o t the look of a good w ind-resister, w ith its sparse foliage, and b rittle 'lo o k in g branches. W e w ill how ever see how it behaves when fu rth e r advanced.

T he H em ileia has n o t been spread ing la te ly , and some of th e p la n ts fo rm erly suffering seem to be throw ing i t off. There are how ever m any to w hich i t s ti l l clings, and which w ill fu rn ish abundance of spores w hen J;he su itab le season fo r its p ropagation arrives.

I t is sa id th a t leaf-disease has n o t k illed o u t one A rab ian coffee tree in th e island , b u t i t k illed m any young L iberian p lan ts here, a ll grow n from one batch of seed highly recommended. I have no d o u b t th e lia b ility w as in h e rite d from th e p a re n t trees, and , w h a tev er o thers m ay do, I accep t th e w arning, never henceforth to ta k e seed from an affected p lan t.

I saw a curious w hirlw ind here th e o th e r day , trav e llin g across th e e s ta te from sou th to n o r th , a t th e ra te of abo u t th ree m iles an hour. I t w as some 15 fee t in d iam ete r a t th e base; i t p icked up a ll th e loose leaves in its course, ca rried th em fifty or s ix ty feet high, w here th e y g y ra ted lik e a flock of sw allows, and th en g radually se ttle d dow n, as th ey passed o u t of th e influence! of th e storm . I have seen th e sam e so rt of th in g before, b u t n ever h a d so long o r so good a view of it.

O ur readers w ill notice th a t our corresponden t’s ex p eri­ence of th e rap id grow th, an d precociousness and heav i­ness of bearing of L iberian coffee is co nsisten t w ith th a t of o thers, including M r. P re s toe of th e T rin id ad B o tan ­ical G ardens. • In a very in te re s tin g rep o rt on L iberian coffee, w hich w e hope to pub lish in an ea rly issue, M r. P re s to e says his fear is th e trees m ay ex­h au st them selves from bearing too heavily in th e early years of th e ir ex istence, an d he suggests th in n in g o u t th e cherries. Of course th is w ould mean ta k in g aw ay th e sm aller cherries, if th e crop cam e on a t once, as in A rab ian coffee, b u t in th e case of th is w onder­fu l coffee, th e o rd in ary process of p ick ing m u st be one of con stan t th in n in g ou t. B u t, no doubt, w h a t M r. P restoe m eans is th a t a ll th e cherries shouldn o t be allow ed to ripen . In th e case of cocoa, n a tu reseems to in te rfe re so as to p rev en t th e evil effectsof p rem a tu re bearing. B u t, if we u n d erstan d our cor­responden t a rig h t, Ceara rubber trees excel all o th ers in p recocity . T rees four m onths from th e seed, four fee t h igh and most o f them in flow er ! Does th is ex ­perience sq ua re w ith th a t of o th er grow ers, and w h a t degree of longev ity can be expected for tree s w hich flower and even f ru it a t four m onths from g erm inating an d w hich w ill be tap p ed for th e ju ices of th e ir b a rk ? W h a t o u r correspondent says ab o u t jak tre e s for sh e lte r be lts is w o rth y of a tten tio n . The p rim ings for fodder w ill be useful as w ell as th e f ru its for food, w hile th e tre e is m a tu rin g for tim b e r purposes. B u t m angoes an d oranges m igh t also be p u t in with reference to supp ly ing th e Colombo m ark e ts , which will be heav ily d raw n upon by th e passenger and m ail steam ers ab o u t to re so rt to th e p o r t in increased num bers.

A G R IC U LTU R E • ON T H E C O N TIN EN T OF E U R O P E .

(Special letter.)P a r is , 25th February.

A t th e end of M ay, th e sugar m anufactu re rs in ten d to ho ld a Congress, w hen, am ong o th e r m atters, w ill be d iscussed th e com parative value of beet pu lp by th e tw o processes for ex trac tin g th e ju ice and refining th e la tte r . In th e m eantim e, th e sugar bee t grow ers have m e t au d exchanged views as to th e b est means for cu ltiva ting th e ro o t &c. I n p o in t of p rac tica l u til i ty , th e Congress was v e ry rem arkab le . W h a t are th e m ost favorable conditions for th e cu ltu re of sugar beet ? D eep tillage , in o rder to have roots uniform an d n o t f o rk y ; ab u n d an t m anuriugs, b u t m anures easily absorbed and n o t r ic lf in n itrogen, for excess of n itrogen produces roo ts poor in sugar and difficult to be w orked u p ; sow as ea rly as possible, w hen frosts are no longer to be feared, and th e soil has been d ried a f te r th e w in te r ; select good seed ; no supplem ental m anures d u rin g th e g row th of th e p la n t, as such develope th e bu lb a t th e expense of th e sugar ; above all, no strip p in g of leaves du ring sum m er an d au tu m n . E leven roo ts to th e square yard are considered fair spacing, and i t is b e tte r to have the row s ra th e r d is tan t, and th e p lan ts ra th er close. Good seed is essential, an d to ob ta in such, th e bulbs for bearing ought to be se lected u nder norm al conditions of g row th an d analyzed to te s t th e ir richness and p u r i ty of ju ice , for i t is possible b y special conditions of eu ltu re to p roduce a bu lb excep tionally rich in saccharine m atte r, w ith o u t th e ro o t being able to tra n sm it th a t q u a lity h ered ita rily : fu rth e r , such cu ltu re m igh t produce an unbranch ing root, y e t th e n e x t g enera tion w ould d isp lay a ll the forkiness.

B eet ex trac ts a g rea t deal of po tash from th e s o i l ; so th e necessity of resto rin g th a t sa lt is u rged upon th e a tten tio n of growers. A deficiency of po tash in th e soil induces a p rem atu re fa ll of . le a v e s ; holes in th e neck of th e roo t, and a resum ption of vege­ta tio n in Septem ber— w hich rev ival tak es place a t th e expense of th e sugar-eells. P hosphates are ex ­cellen t, and th e m ore so if w h ea t be in ten d ed to follow the beet. Some recom m end app lica tions of m agnesia. R especting the period of so w in g : in cold regions ea rly sow ing is to be recom m ended, while, in w arm er d istric ts, th e p la n t is held to resis t th e b e a t in p roportion to i ts youthfulness. I t was ever a kno tty po in t w h a t o ugh t to d e term ine th e m onetary value (if beet, for t i l l la te ly i t was th e on ly agri­cu ltu ra l p roduct w here q u a lity w as ignored ? To tes t th e ind u stria l value of th e roo t w as n o t less an essen tial fac to r in price th a n determ in ing tb e w eigh t. Tw o m ethods were proposed ; estim atin g th e d ensity of th e juice, and th a t is now generally em ployed, and analysing its richness—a process abandoned as being laborious and unreliab le , a lth o u g h th e densim etric s ta n d a rd has also its draw backs.

T he question of pu lp d id n o t raise serious d is ­cussion, as practical stock fa tteners corroborated th e sc ien tis ts : w hen th e pu lp is too aqueous, correc t th e defect by d ry ra tio n s in increased proportions. The sugar in te re s t of F ian ce has tw o grievances : th e in ­lan d d u ties and foreign im portations. I t is proposed to double th e ta x on th e b o u n ty sugars of R ussia, A ustria, and G erm any, an d reduce the tax on th e consum ptive home p roduct still fa r th e r . As to levying th e o th er in land im post, on th e beet-root, as in G er­m any, in stead of a t p resen t on the brut sugar in th e factory, i t was agreed to leave th a t sub jec t as i t is.

Since Ju n e la s t M. P aste u r has vaccinated 90,000 bead of stock,, am ong w hich w ere 10,000 oxen, cows, and horses. In every instance his process was suc­cessful : th e anim als vaccinated escaped th e charbon

m alady , w hile th o se non-vaccinated fell v ictim s to th a t plague. M. P asteu r, and o th er w ho have corrobor­a ted h is view, lays dow n th a t th e effects of h is p reservative vaccine do’ m ot la s t longer th an e ig h t m onths ; so th a t vaccination m ust be rep ea ted annually , an d th a t A pril is th e best m o n th fo r execu tin g th e operation.

P erh ap s th e re is no c ity in tb e w o rld , w here so m uch is m ade o u t of th e soil in its v icin ity as P a r i s ; i ts early k itch en garden delicacies are pro- verb ial ; th e re are v eritab le fields of asparagus, peas, straw berries and v io lets Of f ru its I say no th ing ; only th a t th e y abound. Of la te years th e cu ltiv a tio n of violets has ta k e n an enorm ous ex tension , as also of figs in pots. N ice and P a rn ia violets have m ore th an a rival a t p re sen t in th e rich m a rk e t gardeners of th e suburbs. I t is n o t th e less singu lar th an tru e , th a t th e in h ab itan ts of th e suburbs have to obtain th e ir vegetables purchased in th e c ity m arkets. F rom 1,500 to 2,000 fr. p e r acre is th e n e t average produce of a k itchen garden . T he com m ercial c u ltiv ­a tio n of flowers is also becoming very p roductive , and, as fo r m ushroom s, th ey a re a veritab le “ gold- digg ings.” F ran ce alone consum es th e escu len t to th e value of n ine m illion francs p er year.

T he irrigation of v ineyards in au tu m n is universally recognized as efficacious against th e phylloxera. Some p rop rie to rs now re so rt to sum m er irriga tions, and sm all doses of su lpho-carbonate. A t bes t, such can be b u t a check, as w ate r is an insectic ide, an d in sum m er i t augm ents th e vigor of th e vine, by causing i t to th ro w o u t fresh ro o t le ts : b u t no process can so fa r place th e v ine beyond th e reach of re ­invasions of th e insect, u n d er th e form of sw arm s an d th e ha tch in g of i ts w inter eggs.

C oco-nut cake is being tr ie d for feeding purposes. T he analysis of P ete rm an n show s, th a t i t is rich (20 p. c.) in n itrogehous substances.

T he rep o rts respecting w in te r crops a re sa tisfac to ry . N o com plaints a re m ade respecting w heat, w hich bears up well. In d eed farm ers are here so con ten ted th a t th e ir a tte n tio n is chiefly g iven to ag ita tio n s fo r the suppression of several sm all an d vexatious taxes , th e m aking of good roads, an d th e reduction of railw ay tra n sp o rt rates.

E X P E R IM E N T S W IT H M A N U R E S .H ere is a paragraph on th e re la tive value of some

m anures you m ay th in k w o rth p reservation in th e Irop ica l A gricu ltu ris t:—

E x p e r i m e n t s w i t h M a n u r e s ,— M r. C ardno , F ra s e rb u rg h , h a s s e n t u s th e fo llow ing r e s u l t of e x p e rim e n ts w ith m a n u re s m a d e by h im fo r tu rn ip c ro p grow n on K in bog F a rm , seaso n 1881, w ith o u t du n g , fo u r d r il ls 12 y a rd s long by 27 in c h e s w ide, in c e n tre of fie ld , th e p ro p o rtio n g iven p e r a c re in e a ch ca se bein g seven c w t . :—W eig h t

T u r-

1 2 t h ’

E q u a l

A cre to

C ostp e rcw t.

C ostp e racre .

D esc r ip tio n of M an u re used .

Dec.L b . T . C w t. Q. L . S. D . £ s. D.106 25 8 3 24 3 9 1 6 3 O d am ’s S u p e r­

73$ 17 12 3 18 4 0 1 8 0p h o sp h a te .

H u o n G uan o .71 17 0 3 18 6 6 2 5 6 D isso lved B ones.68 16 6 2 0 7 3 2 10 9 B one d u e t.Prices of po tatoes con tinue ru inously low. R e ta il

d ia le rs offer to de liver o rders a t 4d per stone. L arge consignm ents are being shipped for America. A cargo by .steamer is to go from A berdeen to N ew Y o rk ; ano ther c a rg i from D undee to B a ltim o re ; a th ird of 1,700 tuns from In v ergo rden to N ewYork, th e la s t costing less for fi e ig h t to N ewY o rk th a n railw ay carriage to London w ould have been. L arge sh ipm en ts con tinue to be m adea t G lasgow, an d I re la n d has been expo rtin g su rp lu scrops of her stap le ta til . T he Belfast correspondent

,of- th e N orth British A griculturist w r i te s :— “ T h»

exporta tion of potatoes to America th is year is som e­th in g ex trao rd in ary . The S ta te L ine alone d u rin g one week shipped from Glasgow and L arne 3,000 to n s of po tatoes for the A m erican m arket and have been obliged to refuse cargo. T he steam ship ‘ S ta te of F lo rid a , ’ which sailed from Larne, took w ith h e r th e la rg est cargo ever sh ipped from Ire lan d to A m erica .”

T he local p resby teries of th e E stab lish ed , F ree and U nited P re sb y te rian churches recen tly appoin ted com m ittees to consider th e proposal to abolish fast-days. T hese com m ittees held a conference and com pared notes. T he U n ited P re sb y te rian s were unanim ous for abolition , th e F rees by 21 to 4 were also in favour of doing aw ay w ith th e fasts, b u t Old Zion by a large m ajo rity ob jected to an y change being made. Considerable d iscussion took place an d a d jo u rn ­m ent, w ith o u t any reso lu tion being come a t.

A Com pany has been form ed here th a t is abo u t to commence steam traw lin g . A tid y li t t le steam er of 75 tons reg ister and 100 horse-pow er has been p u r ­chased for th e u n d ertak in g .

A C O F F E E E X C H A N G E -A coffee exchange is in th e process of o rgan iza tion .

I t w ill be th e first of i ts k ind in th e w orld, an d bids fair to be an im p o rtan t ad d itio n to th e trad e of th is c ity . A rtic les of incorporation have been draw n up and signed by a m ajo rity of th e b ro k ers an d some of th e jobbers and im porters. A s soon as th e s ig n a t­u res of th e o thers are secured the o rgan iza tion w ill be proceeded w ith . T here is no opposition to th e en terprise , aud the idea appears to be w ell received th roughou t th e trad e .

T he in ten tion is to organize an E xchange on th e m odel of th e Produce and C o tton exchanges, an d to en ac t uniform ra tes of com m issions and ru les p res­crib ing grades for coffee im ported . Sam ples of coffee w ill be exh ib ited by a ll th e jo b b e rs ; “ ca lls” will be in s titu te d , and coffee sold fo r fu tu re delivery , th e sam e as cotton and grain.

T he object sought is n o t so m uch to fac ilita te specu­la tion , though th is is a fea tu re of th e enterprise , as to revive an d restore the tra d e of N ew Y ork , j W estern cities a re now im porting direct au d o ften I undersell New Y ork. R io de Ja n e iro , by its cable I com m unication, tho rough ly u n d e rs tan d s o u r m a r k e t ; ! and h er m erchants, in s tea d of se lling to our im p o rte rs , I are consigning goods to th is m a rk e t and d isposing of I them th ro u g h agents T hen, auction sa les have been j in stitu ted , w hich th e b rokers claim will d riv e them , ou t of th e business. A ltogether, th e tr a d e is sa id to 1 be in an ex trem ely unsa tis fac to ry cond ition , and is j rap id ly decreasing. T he exchange w ill, i t is believed, harm onize a ll in te re s ts and furnish a pow erfu l induce­m ent to outride buyers to purchase iu N ew Y o rk .

'1 here has alw ays been more o r less specu la tive -trading in N ew Y ork, and cargoes a re now so ld to a rriv e m onths ahead. T his has, also, to a c e r ta in ex­ten t, been done abroad. The E xchange will fa c ilita te fu tu re trad iu g as w ell as increase cash tran sac tio n s The d ffe e trad e is very large. A bout SSO.U00 000 w orth of coffee is im ported an n u a lly .— N e w Y ork Commercial Bulletin, N ovem ber 30 th 1881.

C O F F E E A N D A D U L T E R A T IO N .A s lig h t im provem ent in the H av re m a rk u t a t th e

com m encem ent of th e w eek im p arted some, firm ness here, aud prices ligh tly recovered fo r a ll d escrip tio n s . T ow ards th e close, however, the public sal.es show ed m uch ir re g u la r ity , for, while th e finest parcels of P lan ta tio n Ceylon have advanced from 2s. to 4s., low to m iddling grades have sligh tly given w a y , an d good m edium qualities have sold w ithou t m u c i change. O ther k inds have been m ore inqu ired for arn-J h,ave sold

read ily , th e dem and from th e C o n tin en t h av ing been m uch b e tte r th an for some tim e past. T he w eak po in ts of th e m ark e t are s til l th e excessive stocks held upon th e C on tinen t, and the con tinued enorm ous production in C en tra l an d S outh A m erica. U n til, therefo re , the p roduction is reduced , or the consum ption very m a te r­ia lly increased , th e re is l i t t le p ro b ab ility of prices bem g m uch h igher th a n they are a t p resen t. I t is tru e th a t th e consum ption on th e C on tin en t increased du ring la s t year abo u t 6 per c e n t .. b u t th e im ports also in ­creased a t th e ra te of 7 p re cent.

T he fe rm en t am ong th e im porters on th e su b jec t of th e ad u lte ra tio n of coffee has g a th ered s tre n g th th rough a recen t T reasu ry m in u te p e rm itiin g th e im porta tion of roasted coffee m ixed w ith o th e r com m odities, on p ay ­m en t of coffee d u ty . T he exac t object of th is p e r­m ission is unknow n, b u t those who have asked for i t have, of course, th e ir ow n in te re s ts in view. T in im - . p o rte rs of coffee th in k th a t these in te re s ts m u st be in im ical to th e ir business, an d th ey ask w hy th e G o­vernm en t shou ld t re a t th e ir com m odity so d ifferen tly to w h a t they do tea . I f te a , m ixed w itli o th e r su b ­stances, is im ported , i t is seized an d d estroyed by th e C ustom s’ au tho rities , whom th e T reasu ry now allow to sanction th e im p o rta tio n of coffee mixed w ith any ex ­traneous m a tte r w hatever, so long as the im porters pay th e du ty . T he revenue officers, ap p aren tly , w ill no t even requ ire th e m ost general d eclara tion th a t the coffee is adm ixed w ith an y th in g else, b u t w ill con ten t th e m ­selves w ith receiv ing th e m oney. Y e t, if a re ta il grocer received money for a com m odity m ark ed coffee, and m ade no declara tion of an y ex is tin g ad m ix tu re , he could be se n t to p rison fo r th e offence, even w ith an a r t 'c le w ith w hich such e x tra o rd in a ry “ su b s titu te s ” a re ap p a ren tly legal. T he ac tion of th e T reasu ry has n a tu ra lly in tensified th e feeling of th e coffee tra d e as to th e way th e ir com m odity is alio* ed to be trea ted . T hey fear th a t th e re su lt of th e recen t o rd er w ill be th a t tn e m ark e t will be Hooded w ith cheap foreign im ita tio n s of coffee, an d th a t th e public ta s te w ill be s till fu rth e r dep raved . In any ac tion th a t m ay be ta k e n , i t is seriously ques­tio n ed w h e th e r th e grow ers of chicory shou ld n o t be ask ed to jo in , for even chicory appears too dear for m odern “ coffee,” an d i t is q u ite possible th a t th e recen t T reasu ry o rder m ay prove even m ore in ju rio u s to chicory th a n to coffee.

No d o u b t, ves ted in te re s ts have been created by th e ad m ix tu res w hich have been allow ed w ith coffee, accom panied by only th e v aguest d eclara tion to th e p u r­chaser of th e k in d of goods he was buying, and people know more o r less th a t they do n o t g e t pure coffee, au d both th e se ller an d th e buyer have g o t used to th e idea. B u t th e coffee im p o rte rs argue th a t i t would be no m ore ju s t to allow a b ak e r when asked for bread to supp ly beans, o r fo r a d rap e r asked for s ilk to supply flannel, th an for a shopkeeper asked for coffee to supp ly som ething e n tire ly cliff-rent— how ­ever n u tr itio u s , o r m edicinal, o r valuab le in o th er nay s th e o th e r com m odity m ay be. I f o th e r roots, or fru is o r seeds, or w oody fiures, im prove coffee, th e im ­p o rte rs of th e la t te r com m odity argue th a t th e fu .l declara tion of th e im p iovers used, could only do good to th e vendors. I f au m ix iu re s, on th e o tn e r hand, spoil coffee, in stead ot im proving it, i t is a rgued th a t th e pub lic o u g h t to be p u t on its guard . T hese are som e ot th e argum ents free ly used in th e coffee m arket, b u t th e prac tices com plained of hav e reached such a he igh t, au d so m any sim ilar th in g s are done u n d er th e cover of a sim ple d ec la ra tio n of adm ix tu re , th a t very g re a t difficulty w ould be encountered iu any a t te m p t to app ly to coffee som eth ing b k e th e b'leacfi law , ny w hich th e p roportion of ad m ix tu re has o be declared . On th e othc.r hand , th e Jing l.-ii law appears to go a long w ay iu th e o th e r d irec tion , for i t seem s to cover n inety per cen t, of so-called ad m ix tu re ’ so long as, on som e p o rtio n of th e label, ih e ta c t is

s ta te d t h a t th e com m odity is n o t pure. W hatever difference th e re m ay be as to any proposal for a change io th e la w —and th e su b jec t is too in tr ic a te to be d e a l t w ith here—everyone w ill agree th a t the coffee tra d e is justified in feeling uneasy, w hen even th e R evenue officers tu rn against i t , a n d sacrifice its in te re s t to those of cheap su b s titu te s . T he B oard of In lan d Revenue has been th e m ain defence of th e gen u ­ine coffee trad e for m any years past, b u t w ith w h a t coun­tenance can th e ir analysts con tinue to search for, and report, on spurious coffee, when th e L ords of th e T rea ­su ry them se lves have signed a m inu te allow ing its im por­ta tio n ? I s th e re ta ile r to be p rosecu ted for se lling “ coffee as in K am ecatka, specially exam ined by H er M ajesty ’s Custom s, and found to con ta in all th e arom a of th e berry , an d to be im proved by th e ad d itio n of h igh ly n u tr itio u s and delicious substances” ? Supposing

• th a t a re ta ile r were p rosecu ted , and i t w as found th a t th e packer, w ith o u t tb e know ledge of th e shopkeeper, h ad p u t in 90 per cent, of charred cabbage s ta lk s o r of b u rn t peas, w h a t w ould th e public th in k of such a go­v ernm en ta l im p rim atu r, follow ed by th e prosecu tion an d a c q u itta l of th e g rocer ? T he la tte r would apparen tly , even in th is ex trem e suppositious case, be q u ite pro tected by th e d eclara tion of ad m ix tu re on th e lab e l .— Produce M arkets' Review.

T E A C L E A R IN G .T he new Custom s regulations w ill, i t is an tic ipated ,

sim plify th e p ay m en t of d u ty upon tea , an d th e o p p o rtu n ity is th u s a favourable one fo r considering how fa r th e p re sen t system of de liv ery , w ith th e endless delays to w hich i t leads, can be im proved. In th e tea tra d e th e “ w rig h t-n o te ,” a docu m en t abandoned in m ost o ther businesses, s t i l l form s th e key -no te of th e system . A te a w e ig h t-n o te ,, as is w ell know n, is an ex trem ely com plicated docum ent, for, in ad d itio n to con ta in ing fu ll p a rticu la rs of th e goods, i t form s a co n trac t, an invoice, an d a delivery o rder. In theory , a ll th is is very perfect, b u t in p rac tice th e re is so m uch ro u tiu e th a t despatch in delivery becom es im ­possible. In tim es of p ressure th e te a tra d e comes a lm ost to a deadlock, and, even w hen th e deliveries are sm all, th e delays are q u ite o u t o t p roportion to th e w ork done, sim ply because of th e com plication of th e system .

One of tb e reform s w anted in th e te a trade is th e abandonm ent of w eight-notes. P ay m en ts on account shou ld also be m ade to th e ac tu a l ho lder of the w arran ts, an d th e balance be se ttled w ith him a t tb e prom pt. D eliveries, as w ith m ost o th e r trad es, shou ld be m ade by sub-orders, aud th e w hole of th e p resen t com plicated system of clearing o r delivery should be rendered as sim ple as th a t in use in coffee or sugar. T he tea, trade, however, is th e m ost con • servative in its ways in th e K ingdom , a i d th e re is li t t le chance of such sw eeping reform s being carried . As th e su b jec t will sh -rtly have to be d iscussed in connection w ith th e new Custom s re g u la tio n s i t is qu ite possible, nevertheless, th a t some im provem ents may be effected .— Produce M arkets' Review.

L E A F -D IS E A S E A N D M R. S T O R C K ’S C U R E.A correspondent w rite s : — “ I see th e ed ito r of th e

Gardeners' Chronicle, in his p re lim inary observations, says th a t success depeuds on circum stances ‘ w hich should induce cautious 'p-periment on a sm all scale b e fo re em barkation on a large one .’ He, therefore, does n o t regard Mr. tito rck ’s s ta te m e n ts as conclus­ive. T hese are : ‘ th a t th e spores tu rn ed d ir ty yel-lo-v aud incapable ot p ropagation ’ th a t, if it d idno t ‘ im m edia te ly k ill th e spores, i t effectually iu-caoacitates them from g erm in a tio n ’ aud ‘ all diseaseie dead before the fall of lea f,' A ll these are s trong

sta te m e n ts , b u t th ey are ap p a ren tly m ere sta te m e n ts , un su p p o rted by any te s ts ; e ith e r of th e fac ts th e m ­selves, o r of th e cause hav ing ce rta in ly been th e carbolic vapour—post hoc does n o t necessarily m ean propter hoc, an d our p a s t experience show s so m any cases of sim ilar appearances, th a t th e fac ts could only be accep ted as effects of th e p a rtic u la r cause, a f te r th e y have been them selves proved and th e connexion e s tab lished . I w ell rem em ber a case where th e a p p ea r­ance of th e spores in six experim enta l sealed cases w as th e sam e in a l l ! T he spores in th e case w here no rem edial o r o th e r process h a d been carried o u t were ex ac tly th e sam e in appearance as th e re s t ; I s ti l l consider, a f te r read in g M r. S to rc k ’s rem arks, th a t th e firs t s te p to w ard s a settlement of th e ques- tio n is to prove t h a t m ild vapour, harm less to coffee, does ac tu a lly an d u n d o u b ted ly kill th e spore. I have seen th e appearances M r. S to rc k describes w here no t re a tm e n t w hatever had been app lied . I have also seen spores yellow as guineas, w hen strong vapours h ad been long su rro u n d in g th em . I f an y of our p la n t ­in g friends sh ou ld th in k i t s tran g e th a t th e spore sh ou ld be m a te ria lly m ore proof ag a in s t tre a tm e n t th a n th e m ycelium , th e y m ig h t be rem inded of th e difference betw een a seed of ceara an d a grow ing leaf au d of th e sam e ! ”

MR. GRAHAM A N D ERSO N ON F U N G U S -R E S IS T ­IN G C O F F E E j “ G. W . ” ON T H E “ CARBOLIC

ACID ” E P P E R IM E N T S .M r. G raham A nderson of M ysore is a coffee p la n te r

of such w ide experience, so close an observer, a n d , m an ifestly , so careful a s tu d e n t of p lan t-life an d b eh av io u r, t h a t an y th in g from his p en on th e su b jec t of coffee cu ltu re , is deserv ing of respec t and a tte n tio n . In th e m id st of depression such as never before affected th e coffee en te rp rise in C eylon, i t is ch ee r­ing to find th is experienced a n d in te llig e n t M ysore p la n te r u tte r in g w ords of confident hope for th e fu tu re . H e, a t least, does n o t d espair of th e rev ival of th e so re ly -tried A rab ian coffee en terp rise . N o p la n te r or in te llig en t observer can possib ly d isp u te M r. A nder­son’s s ta te m e n t th a t , in th e vegetable w orld , as in th e anim al, th e re a re causes an d conditions w hich p re ­dispose to d isease. W h en cholera, for instance, be-' com es epidem ic, i t finds i ts firs t an d i ts m ost n um erous v ic tim s in sub jec ts d eb ilita te d by d ru n k e n ­ness, w asting d isease or in n u tritio n . B u t u n fo rtu n ­a te ly th e ep idem ic does n o t s to p th e re , b u t proceeds, as i t increases in virulence, to s tr ik e dow n th e s tro n g es t an d those w ho have m ost relig iously ob­se rv ed th e law s of sa n ita tio n in regard to body an d abode. T he d ead ly fungus has v isited o u r coffee w ith a ll th e d e s tru c tiv e effect of an epidem ic, and, w hile trees o rig in a lly w eak, o r w hich have become w eak from im proper I rea tm en t or w an t of c u ltu re , inc lud ing th e ap p lica tion of fertiliz ing substances— w hile these suffered firs t an d w orst, th e m ust v igorous and m ost care- iu ily an d sc ien tifica lly cu ltiv a ted do n o t finally escape. A s heniileia va s ta tr ix seem s to stop sh o r t of abso lu te ly k illin g its v ic tim s, co n ten tin g itse lf w ith reducing v ita lity and fru itfu ln e ss to th e low est ebb, of course th e analogy w ith cho lera canno t be pushed too fa r ; b u t i t is close enough, an d i t m ig h t he b e tte r for th e p la n te r in th e end if h is p lan ts w ere a t once k illed

u tr ig h t , r a th e r th a n reduced to an invalid condition , eq u irin g .co n s tan t an d expensive tre a tm e n t w ith b u t

poor and u n rem unera tive resu lts . If, a t th e com m ence­m en t of th e p la n t pestilence, some th ir te e n years ago now, (T y tler's cycle), th e p lan ts had been k illed , th ey m ig h t have been replaced by th e seed of those disease- resis ting varie ties fo r th e existence of which Mr. Anderson so s trong ly con ttn d s. A s m a tte rs stand , th e existence of such varie ties, none of w hich seem as y e t to have reached Ceylon, (unless L iberian coffee prove an exception") can benefit only those w ho have th e courage now to commence a p u rsu it on w hich so m uch of d isa s te r has fallen. T he question a t issue is th e ex istence of d isease-resisting p lan ts . M r. M arshall W a rd ’s con ten tion was th a t tree s w hich had ap p a ren tly resis ted a tta c k s of th e fungus, ow ed th e ir tem p o rary im m u n ity m erely to position w ith reference to p rev a il­ing w inds an d he recom m ended tree -p lan tin g not for shade, b u t for sh e lte r . M r. G raham A nderson, w ith a ll h is fa ith in th e processes of cu ltiv a tio n au d m an u r­ing, has , i t w ill be observed, no belief in th e possi­b ility of w ard ing off a tta c k s of th e fungus bysuch “ m ech an ica l” m eans as sh e lte r belts. In th is , we hope, he m ay be m istaken . W e surely , allof us, in Ceylon, fu lly believe in th e value of th e ground tre a tm e n t of th e coffee p lan t, even if, asM r. M arshall W ard said, a certa in p o rtion of th e foodsupplied to th e tree roo ts w en t to feed th e fung i in th e leaves. A s for roo t-p run ing , th e cockchafer g rubs have done an d are doing only too effectually w h a t is equ ivalen t to t h a t process, an d w e tru s t th a t u ltim ate ly all e s ta te ! in th e colony w ill benefit, as some have a lready done, w hen th e in sect p run ers have ceased to graze on th e feeding ro o tle ts of a p lan t, th e leaves of w hich are sim u ltaneously used as food by th e fungus. L ight p ru n in g too, w e im agine, is th e ru le in regard to trees w hich have n o t s tre n g th enough le f t to p u t on sufficient wood for a p ro fitab le crop. B u t surely due a tte n tio n to th e ro o t-cu ltu re of th e p la n t o u g h t n o t to ju stify neg lect of topical tre a tm e n t, especially w hen , as in th e case of M r. M orris’s lim e an d su lp h u r an d j M r. S c h ro ttk y ’s carb o la te of lim e, th e topical ap- I plication m u st benefit th e soil an d so th e roots of th e 1 p lan ts. T he v as t m a jo rity of th o se connected w ith the coffee en te rp rize a re m uch m ore anxious to know w h a t w ill cure Ih e p lan ts a lready in th e g round th a n to lea rn th a t “ fresh b lood ,” in th e shape of seed from d is ta n t sources, m ig h t give them fungus-resisting trees. T h a t involves beginning de novo. A lkalies an d phosp h a tes w ere deficient in th e period a n te rio r to 1869, an d y e t th e re w as no v isita ­tio n of fungus. In d eed i t is ce rta in th a t never in its h isto ry h ad coffee received m ore ju s tic e in th e shape of cu ltiva tion and m anuring th a n in th e period when hemileia voMo.tr ix firs t developed over th e Ceylon esta tes. I f th e coffee p la n te rs v io la ted an y law a t all, i t was th a t, if i t ex ists, in n a tu re ’s code, w hich forbids ex tensive areas of one p a r tic u la r c u ltu re . C erta in ly th e effect of th e v is ita tio n has been to b reak up un ifo r­m ity an d d irec t a tte n tio n to new an d varied p roducts. In one of these, L ibe rian coffee, th e re seem s to ex ist, as y e t, very strong evidence in fav o u r of M r. G raham

* W e believe sm all consignm ents have also been received here of N a lk h an aa d seed : M r. J . S. M id ­d le ton of M ysore in 1880 h av in g firs t called local attention to this variety.

A nderson’s th e o ry of fungus-resisting trees. O ur re ­cen t v isit to U dapulla , as w ell as rep o rts of ex p eri­ence on o th er places w here th e p lan ts are cu ltiv a ted , a ll te n d to th e conclusion tn a t tre e s of a specially lu x u r ia n t and dense h ab it of g row th , do re s is t—a t leas t have as y e t resis ted—th e fungus, w hich m ay p rev a il in a v iru le n t form on trees in close p ro x im ity to those w h ich can claim a clean b ill of h ea lth . W e o u g h t also to ad d th a t, in C apt. B ay ley ’s experience, coffee trees from seed ob ta ined from M ocha are specially vigorous an d disease-resisting . Seedlings from W e s t In d ies seed, on th e o th e r hand , w ere a t once an d bad ly a ttack ed .

Mr. G raham A nderson does n o t, in th e p re sen t le t te r , in d ica te th e coffee of any p a r tic u la r d is tr ic t ̂ as n o ted for i ts d isease-resisting pow ers. A w rite r in th e A sia n (a C a lc u tta paper) is, how ever, positive and defin ite , as w ill be seen by th e le t te r w hich we quo te , p lac ing i t a f te r M r. G raham A nd erso n ’s elaborate a r ­gum ent. -The h a b ita t of th e d isease-resis ting coffee is th e d is tr ic t of N alkhuaad in Coorg, an d curiously enough th is coffee resem bles th e L iberian species in g re a t size an d deep colour of foliage. T he h a b it of th e branches, how ever, is drooping, or w h a t p lan ters- call “ um brella ” shape, m uch as we rem em ber H apu- ta le p lan ts in 1874. T h e Coorg p la n t is said n o t only to re s is t d isease b u t to give crops larger b y 25 to 30 per­cen t th a n o rd in ary coffee. W e believe coffee from seed of th is varie ty is now grow ing in C eylon, (im ported in 1880) au d we should m uch lik e to know liovv fa r i t has fulfilled th e conditions claim ed for i t ? T he s ta te ­m en t as to i ts su p e rio rity in Coorg is s tro n g an d unqualified . H as any C eylon p la n te r v isited M r. C hisholm ’s estates ?* A ll possible in form ation is ca lcu ­la te d to be of value, a lth o u g h a t p re se n t o u r hopes of revival for o u r o ld coffee, as a whole, re s t m ore on th e “ cycle” and “ effluxion of tim e” theories th an on an y th in g else. L e t us ad o p t fo r o u r m otto , how ever, Mr. G raham A nderson ’s se n tim en t : “ N i l desperaiulum .”

Since th e above w as w ritte n th e le t te r of “ G. W .” , a w ell-know n veteran w r ite r on p la n tin g top ics, has come to hand . H is ob ject, i t w ill be seen, is to shew th a t as regards th e efficacy of carbolic acid in cheek ing an d destroy ing th e leaf fungus, we are s t i l l a t th e very A. B. C. of scientific investiga tion . T his coucludon of our co rresponden t to 'k us by su rp rise an d we d irec ted his a tte n tio n to M r. W ard 's la s t rep o rt au d to M r. S to rck ’s paper in th e Gardeners' Chronicle w ith th e re su lt given in th e p o stsc rip t to h is le tte r . B u t “ G. W .” m u st rem em ber th a t a grave reflection w ill re s t on M r. W a rd h im self if he gave u p his special m ission in th is island , declaring he h ad done all th a t w as in h is pow er to in vestiga te th e H em ileia and th e m eans of figh ting it, w hile a t th e sam e tim e he hild n o t given careful and due a tte n tio n to th e v irtu es of an an tise p tic u n iversa lly ad m itted to be of so m uch efficacy as carbolic acid. T he very ex-

* Mr. R. H. Elliot (“ the Mysore p lanter”) attribu ted the freedom of his coffee from the fungus to “ shade” !: far more probable causes are the isolated position of his property surrounded by forest and the long dry season experienced in Mysore. Mr. J . S. Middleton, an old Ceylon planter, now holding property in Mysore for tw enty years, mentioned how an estate of his planted with ordinal--, coffee was snuffed out, aud how he had planted again with the “ Nhakanaad" variety and which successfully resisted leaf disease.

perim en ts w hich “ G. W .” desiderates, are ju s t those for w hich we shou ld lik e to have th e a id of th e C ryptogam ist. T here is how ever, a very strik in g con trad ic tion been th e experience of M r. W a rd as given in his R e p o rt (page 523, “ T rop ical A g ricu ltu ris t,” vol. I . ,) and th e s ta te m e n t of M r. S torck (w ho was A ssistan t to th e w ell-know n B o tan ist D r. Seem an,) w hich is corroborated , says th e ed ito r of th e G ard­eners' Chronicle, by in d ep en d en t reliable au th o rity :— ( th is w ill be found on page 911 of th e “ T rop ical A gricu ltu ris t ” seq). W e give th e tw o passages for purposes of com paiison :—

M r. Ward.Carbolic acid is very slowly

volatile, and with difficulty soluble in water, and where drops of the acid touch a leaf, &c., destruction of the

^ tissues ensues. Carbolic acid has, moreover, a powerful odour, and it appears to be assumed in the experiments th a t the odour is a measure of so much vapour passing off from the mixture to be dissolved iu the water on the leaf. I do not find, however, th a t the destruction of Hemil­eia spores in the neighbour­hood of the m ixture is com­mensurate with the alleged results. I t is true tha t, where w ater is in contact with the powder, a solution is obtained sufficiently strong to kill ger­minal tubes, but the diffusion of this over the leaf is a very slow process. Under any cir­cumstances the results of ex­periments with carbolic acid powder are not as yet en­couraging, though I am of opinion th a t more m ight be done with some modification of it,* if it were no t for the fact th a t the accumulated, powder and solution are a source o f danger at the roots.

I will pass on to the des­cription of a few illustrative experiments before reporting fu rther on the larger ones. A sturdy coffee plant, of which two leaves were dis­eased with “ rust patches,” was placed in a small war dian case, the whole of the inside of which was painted with a saturated solution ol carbolic acid in water. In the overpowering atmosphere pro duced the plant was tightlj enclosed. A fter 24 hours 1 opened the case and removed the plant: th e odour of car­bolic acid was so strong, that one could with difficulty hold the head in the enclosure Nevertheless, spores taken from one of the patches ger­m inated nominally in 24 hours, I t is thus clear th a t iu using carbolic acid (as with other reagents) the germinal tubes

M r. Storck.An acre of coffee laud con­

tains 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 tiuid contents of the vessel. They consist of a m ixture of carbolic acid And water in the proportion of from 3 to 10 per c tn t. of Calvert’s best No. 5 acid, a t 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 ten- derest young leaf or flower- bud. * * Two Liberian trees I simply furnished with a small bottle each, partly filled with iny m ixture 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 their close neighbours has been infected. They prove to have been completely isolated by th e treatm ent, not a single spore living to reach and infect the others, al­though in some instances almost touching. W ith the nursery, covering about three- quarters of an acre, I pro­ceeded in the following m anner:—Judging th a t with so small an area as the above I should be working a t 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 iittle closer than would be necessary on a large field, and put them 8 yards apart each 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 le ft a

Another experim ent throws light on th is subject. A th in layer of the m ixture of car­bolic acid powder and lime was sprinkled on the surface of the mould around two coffee plants, and a t once watered. The watering was continued a t intervals for three weeks, when one ot th e plants had bu t one yel­low leaf left, and th e 1 of th e o ther were pale and drooping. The effects of even a dilute solution of carbolic acid a t the roots are disas­trous, though in the case of a large strong tree they may be to a certain extent marked by o ther changes.

B ut observations 011 whole estates prove th e same, aud I have failed to discover the good effects said to have been produced on estates by the treatm ent. T hat the ger minal tubes are killed where- ever a solution of carbolic acid comes in contact with them is tru e ; but such a solu­tion is not produced in the way described in the expert m ents on Peradeniya, Glen- eagles, Pallakelle, &c.

I f carbolic acid powder could be used w ith safety, i t would be more efficacious w ithout the lime, which could be used w ith benefit as a m anure; bu t in face of the fact th a t whatever external application were used, it would have to be repeated a t least every three weeks or so, it would be highly injurious to perm it such an increase of carbolic acid in the soil as would be th e case here.

Storck. ( Continued.) mend a density of 10 per cent. The effects of the first week’s dense vapour will amply repay the extra out­lay iu striking a deathblow, not only against the rust in full development but—whith is the greatest trium ph oi m y 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 ah th a t may be sti,l alive on the dead aud dying leaves strew­ing the ground. If the dis­ease is not visibly present, all the better; the carbolic vapour will in a short time force it to show itself, chiefly

will have to be attacked witlvc]ear space of about I inch a solution of the acid. |jn depth between the rim of

* As, for instance, usiug tiiejthe cup and the cover. They weak powder alone on the were then charged with a leaves, and the caustic lime dilution of 3 per cent., and separately as a top-dressing,the effects noticeable after a to the soil, jfew days were most startling.

The ripe spores w ith which the plants, then some nine months old, were fairly reck­ing, began to change colour from the wellknown bright orange to a dull ochre, until they subsequently turned into d irty yellow and then greyish white. They all, instead of as usual dispersing, remained in a m anner glued to th e leaves, and afterw ards drop­ped w ith them , dead, harm ­less, incapable of propagation. As tim e w ent 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 th e th ird month a large proportion of the spots appeared pale green, whitish round the edges, and as if frying up iu the m id d le ; some pushed out a few sickly spores, but very frequently none a t all. The spots tu rned into dry tissue, and m ost of those leaves, unless too se­verely attacked, rem ained 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, hare contact with the vaporised atmosphere seems, i f not imme­diately to k ill the spores, to effectually incapacitate them frpm germination. From mov­ing round in the nursery, examining the effects of the treatm ent, 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 fu rther 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, th e effects, although ap­parently slower a t the begin­ning, are in the end still more pronounced. They lose a greater proportion of leaves a t the start, bu t all dissase upon them and in them is dead before the fall, a t once neutralising a fruitful source of re-infection. In the case of fairly vigorous trees a new coat of clean foliage, never

the character of dying | mycelia, and save still more ; or all of the foliage which

would have gone in the next'again to be soiled by the attack of disease. ***<Jhoose;devastating parasite, w illhava your trial patch righ t in the form ed by the tim e th e last centre of a good 100-acre^pore has disappeared, field, and th e experiment, * * You may go on charg- couducted with ordinary in- ing your vessels with a den-

sity of a t least 5 per cent., but, as said above, I would for the first charge recom-

telligence and regularity, will s in a few months convince 1 the most sceptical of the 1 value of my method.

M r. D . M orris used carbolic acid in one p e r cen t an d tw o per cen t solutions, b u t n o th in g was said in his lec tu res of th e re su lt of h is experim ents. Professor Stevenson M acadam of E d in b u rg h recom ­m ended in 1879 th e w ashing of th e stem s an d sto u te r branches of th e coffee tree w ith a so lu tion of one p a rt by volum e of carbolic acid to nine p a rrs of w ater, b u t th a t was w ith th e view of destro y in g M r. M orris’s “ fila­m en ts .”

COCOA CU LTIV A TIO N IN CEYLON.VVe owe m any apologies to th e able an d experi­

enced w rite r of th e le t te r in an o th er colum n on th is su b jec t for th e oversigh t w hich has d elayed p u b lica ­tion of h is le tte r . I t is s ti l l in good tim e, how ever, and w ell w o rth y th e a tte n tio n of th o se engaged in cu ltiv a tin g th e source of theobroma, th e food of th e gods. A s to hav ing no serious enem ies to con tend w ith , how ever, o u r frien d “ W . L .” differs toll* caelo from “ W . F. L ., ” and th in k s m ole-crickets an d w ind, especially th e la t te r , m ost serious enem ies fo r th e young p la n t to con tend w ith . In d eed , “ W . F . L. ” him self dep recates p lan tin g on w in d y ridges. O ur ow n observation leads us to th e conclusion th a t to no p lan t, w hen young, are tea rin g w inds m ore fatal. S h e lte r in th e ea rlie r stages, is, therefore , in th e case of th is cu ltu re , a sine qiic1 non, while “ W . F . L .” has also found a degree of shade beneficial. I f cocoa w ill “ m ake soil ” and con tinue bearing, as is hoped, fo r s ix ty years, we can su re ly w’a it four years for th e fu ll bearing stage. F o r “ cocoa,” as fo r L i­berian coffee, we canno t d o u b t th e re is a g re a t fu tu re in Ceylon. H as th e h ard ie r ch a rac te r of th e “ caraccas” v arie ty of cocoa been o b se rv e d : th e seed of some pods of w h ite caraccas go t from H en era tgoda have p roduced th e qu ick est grow ing an d h a rd ie s t p lan ts we have y e t seen in th e island.

CINCHONA AND CINCHONA H Y B R ID S.Amongst papers which have accum ulated we find a

le tter, from which we quote as fo llow s:—I have been som ew hat am used a t Colonel B eddum e’s

rep o rt upon cinchona. I cannot see w h a t benefit can arise from b iing ing new m en continually upon old subjects. F o r m y p a r t I can show every connecting link from a succiruba pure au d sim ple in every gradation u n til we reach an o rd in ary officinalis, calisaya w hat else you like. I have also had bark from bo th th e pubescen t and g lab rous leaved hybrids analyzed w ith th e averag eresu lt of the pubescent form proving the richer in quinine, often as m uch as 1 per cen t, above th e i-mooth leaved or g labrous f >rm, th e analyses having been made hy D r. P au l. I look upon these new- (?) questions as .m atte rs se ttled by M aclver 10 years ago, now to be theorized and b rought up as m,w again, owing to the inexperience and w an t of d isc rim ination of one m an. M y e x p e r i­m ents, as regards resu lts , prove Mac Iv e r to be righ t in all his poin ts, excep t in ex ten t, w herein alone, I th in k , he is w rong in a sli h t exaggeration of th e qualities of his pots. R em ove th is , and th e m ain facts coincide w ith m y know ledge, fa r more th an w ith eii her Cross or Beddome. C inchona, as a w ild p lan t, is >'S m uch rem oved from cinchona as a cu ltiv a ted one as an u n ­educated ru stic is from an educated m an. I am very m uch m istaken if cinchona has n o t th e pow er of cross­

ing and p roducing fe rtile seed. P ossib ly some special k in d s have m ore p o te n t influences in th is resp ec t upon o th er special k in d s th a n th e y have on o thers, b u t th e degree to which th is law applies has not y e t been de­te rm ined , b u t u n d o u b ted ly i t exists.

A nother correspondent, however, rem ains a sceptic in th e face of all evidence, and w rites :—

“ I have read yo u r a r tic le on th e h y b rid ity of c in ­chonas. I am so rry I canno t accep t a baseless th eo ry , in place of m y ow n know ledge ob tained a f te r 16 y ea rs’ close observation of th e iden tica l p lan ts now in d isp u te . I w ill rep ly in d u e form , n o tw ith s ta n d in g yo u r k in d ly w arning , to keep a calm sough. M y friend ‘ VV. F. L .’ (alias ‘ N ew P ro d u c ts ’) is sensible as u sua l, an d I am g lad to welcom e h im b ack a t th is ju n c tu re .”

This m ail has brought us the analyses of some barks, we had sent to Mr. E lio t Howard for his inspection, ‘ and he accom panies the figures w ith the following re­m arks of general in te r e s t :—

M arch 3rd , 1882.I can n o t say a n y th in g ab o u t th e trees from w hich

th e b a rk was tak en , except th a t th e analysis seems to in d ica te th a t th e y are all hybrids. T his is a very easy ex p lan a tio n I know an d m uch to o free ly re ­

so rted to, b u t in th is case i t is a ll I can offer.“ T he Span ish b o tan is ts an d recen tly D r. W eddell

w ere very carefu l in th e ir d escrip tion of species to pay p a rtic u la r a t te n tio n to th e barks. T h is has been too m uch neglected since in some q u a r te rs an d conse­q u e n t confusion resu lts .

“ I have heard from Col. Beddom e, b u t have not received th e specim ens h e prom ised. I suppose they have gone to Kew.

“ Is th e baric of th e (m isnam ed) m agnifolia th e sam e as th a t of pubescenst T h a t o f th is la t te r is very d is ­tinctive. T he nam e G. robusta seem s w ell app lied to th e pubescens of w hich I have a flourish ing specim en som e 8 to 10 fee t h ig h .”

The Quinologist therefore approves of the nam e sug­gested by D r. T rim en for th e vigorous Ceylon pubescent hybrids. In referring to some of the analyses of the bark from these hybrids, we shall give particu lars of th e trees.

ON T H E H IL L S O F CEYLON.B eyond au d around . N aw ala p itiy a is th e r e ­

gion of tea , ex ten siv e p lan ta tio n s of w hich a re p re ­p arin g traffic fo r th e ra ilw ay w h ich is scoring th e h ill­sides and passes th ro u g h m any abandoned coffee esta tes. S ir. W m G regory , in th e discussion on th e p recarious­ness of coffee, took care to say th a t in his opinion we w ere only a t th e beginning of d iscovering th e various p roducts w hich could be cu ltiv a ted in Ceylon. O ur la te G overnor w ould have been deligh ted h ad he seen w h a t w e saw a t “ S tra th e llie ” tw o days ago : 300 acres of lu x u r ia n t te a and a Ja c k so n ’s tea ro lle r a t w ork on th e g reen leaf, w hich a D av idson ’s Sirocco w as con- v ertin g in to d ry , of as good or b e tte r q u a lity th a n th a t fired over fu rnaces of charcoal. To g e t to M r. P. R . S h«nd’s p ro p erty th e tra v e lle r proceeds to G ini- g a th e n a ; th en about a couple of m iles dow n th e Y a tia n to te road , an d finally along an es ta te ro ad to th e r i g h t : 9 o r 10 m iles in all from N aw alap itiya . The pU ce is in o ld A m bagam uw a and w as b laz ing h o t when we w alked over and adm ired i t ; perfec t c o n tra s t as i t is to th e com paratively low an d level tea lan d we saw in Ja v a . B u t i t can ra in there , to th e e x te n t of 220 inches p er annum . T ea can grow w ith 60 inches, b u t i t flourishes u n d e r from 100 to 250. T here is no question as to th e ac tual success of te a here an d a t G albodde, o r th e p rospeciive suc-ess of th e la rg e acres on o ld C arolina, M oun t Jean , & \ U p here and all

th e w ay betw een, as also all tb e way down to sea-level, te a is e q ually successful, and Ceylon w ill y e t be a grea te a country . Of th a t there can be no doubt. Tea d ry ing by such m achines as th e “ S iro cco ” rem oves one of th e g rea t objections, th a t of hot, n ig h t w ork, w hich form erly weighed against te a in com parison w ith coffee. I was sorry to learn, en ro u te , th a t coffee grow n in C eylon from seed ob ta in ed from N alk n aad , in Coorg, possessed no im m u n ity from leaf-disease. T he ques- | tions now are, if th e v arie ty of L iberian coffee w hich resis ts d i-ease can be g ra fted on A rab ian an d up to 1 w h a t a ltitu d e i t w ill grow '! In K o ttiag a lla O ya j

valley I saw th e g re a t co n tra s t betw een s til l vigorous old coffee, and some only six years old, b u t from seed of trees enfeebled by leaf-disease. F o r tb e p resen t, th e p lan tin g of A rab ian coffee is a t a s ta n d ­still, unless there are sm all exceptions in LTva.

I have now paid m y th ird v is it of in spection to • L edgeriana g ra fts p laced on succirub ra p lan ts in situ

and in th e open air. T here can be no fu rth e r d oub t of th e p erfec t success of th e discovery w hich, and all th e consequences th a t m u st re su lt to th e p lan tin g ; en te rp rise of Ceylon, th e co u n try owes to M r. VVm. Sm ith. M r. M oens deals w ith stocks in fiow er-pots, uses only th e tip s of L edgeriana b ranches, and n o t only one covering of glass, b u t tw o are desidera ted in h is process. M r. S m ith g ra fts in th e open air, w ith no shade beyond a bottom less, u p - tu rn e d b ask e t and a b i t of sacking. H e can g ra ft rip e wood on w ell-grow n trees, an d n o t th e tip s m erely , b u t all th e b ranches of a good L edgeriana tree are available.

I hope soon to d ia l fu lly w ith th is g ran d d iscovery j

w hich, w hile conferring incalculable benefit on Ceylon, . will, I t ru s t, re su lt in fo rtu n e to th e ow ner of th e 150 fine Ledgerianas w hich he says he owes to seed I gave him . A p a r t from th e w onderfu l analyses, which are th e tru e te s ts , I can say th a t th e foliage-features of th e trees are ju s t perfec t reproduc tions of M r. M oens’ ce lebra ted L edgeriana g rove in Jav a . T he precious seed of th e M attakelle trees is being carefu lly collected by m eans of calico cages which envelope stem s and branches.

Close by them , in a beau tifu l shady piece of th e orig inal jung le , th e genial ow ner of th e Ledgers (one of w hich he values a t £5,000, which, in fac t he w ould not p a r t w ith a t th a t sum ,) gave, a few days ago a lad ies’ an d ch ild ren ’s p a r ty w hich was a de lig h tfu l success in th e large num bers p resen t and th e p erfec t enjoy, m ent w hich prevailed . T he L a ird of M a tta k e lle is n o t one of those whp despairs because depression has o vertaken tbe old coffee en terprise . H e believes as I do th a t th e re is life in th e old colony y e t, and th a t robust v ita lity w ill fu lly re tu rn .

E X H IB IT IO N O F C E Y L O N PR O D U C TS.W e are g lad to see th a t our frieuds in Ceylon are

se tting them selves to w ork to secure in th e m useum s of th e island space for th e exhibition of th e d ifferent k inds of coffee produced in various countries. T h e ir efforts have been backed up, an d th e re has n o t been m uch difficulty in ob ta in ing th e requ ired concession. One w ould have th o u g h t th a t i t w ould have been h a rd ly necessary to ask for room, because coffee is a produce ot such in te re s t to Ceylon th a t every assistance to exam ine w h a t grows in o th e r places o ugh t su re ly to have been tendered by th e G overnm ent A s we have I often rem arked , p riva te en te rp rise does a g rea t deal, : »ml w ill do more, b u t th e re are l i t t le th in g s iu w hich th e au th o ritie s can show an in te re st, and w hich a c t as a stim ulus to efforts tem p o rarily checked by bad seasons and unfavourab le circum stances. T he collection of n a tu ra l produc s is one of these w ays of show ing in te rest, and from th e m eans a t th e com m and of th e , Governm ent i t is very easy for th em to b ring w ith in th e j

observation of p lan te rs m any th ings of g re a t use to j

them . Seeking as th e y a re to find some new artic le to ad d to th e producing pow ers of th e co u n try , i t behoves th e G overnm ent to give them all th e a id th a t is possible, and, in view of th e losses sus ta in ed in recen t years, n o th in g should be le f t undone w hich will con­duce to a revival of p ro sp erity . M oreover, th e expense to be in cu rred in m aking such a collection is very sm all, an d can h a rd ly be reckoned as an y th in g beside th e possible beneficial resu lts. I t is not too m uch to ask tb e G overnm ent to see to th is , b u t th e re seems an am oun t of supiness an d lack of energy in w h a t shou ld be th e gu id ing s ta r . T hey should encourage in every w ay th e o p p o rtu n ity for b ringing to th e notice of th e p lan te rs a ll and every p ro d u c t w hich m ay be in ­tro d u ced w ith success in to th e island .— L . & C. Express.

M R . ED G A R L A Y A R D IN N E W C A L E D O N IA .F rom a long p aper in th e Field of F eb . 4 th , w e ex trac t

a few sentences of some local in te re s t as m uch on accoun t of th e w rite r as. of th e substance :—

In The F ield of th e 16th A p ril la s t w ill be found an account of th e unexpected fish ing I m e t w ith in th e , to me, th en unknow n r iv e r a t M oindou, on th e w est coast of th is Island . I th e re an d th e n “ prom ised an d vow ed th re e th in g s in m y n am e ,” an d I now in ten d to redeem my prom ises b e tte r th a n m o st god­fa th e rs o rd in arily do.

F irs t , I prom ised, if I lived , to go b ack a g a in ; secondly, to t r y th e fish w ith sp inn ing b a it and artific ial f l y ; and , th ird ly , to w rite and te ll m y b re th ren of th e angle a ll ab o u t i t in The Field.

I w anted to re v is it M oindou in th e m onths of A u g u s t and Sep tem ber, w hen th e huge o ld E ry th r in a trees t h a t grow on th e r iv e r b o ttom , o r flat, th ro u g h which tb e r iv e r m eanders, w ere in a ll th e ir g lo ry— one gorgeous m ass of sc a rle t and gold, and , as my k ind friend M ens. B oyer toid me, sw arm ing w ith parro ts. I w an ted to find one special k ind of p a r ro t—Glossop- s i t ta d iadem a— w hich I have no t y e t seen, an d w hich is very ra re A las 1 m an proposes, b u t G od disposes.

F irs t , I g o t p itched o u t of m y phaeton , an d d is ­abled m y le f t arm , w hich leaves m e w ith a p erm a­n e n t s tiff w rist. T hen ray “ b e tte r h a lf ” had a serious i l ln e s s ; an d so i t w as no t t i l l th e firs t days of O ctober th a t I found m yself steam in g along in th e lum bering old “ C roix du S u d ,” w ith h er head po in ted to T dretnba. O ur voyage was n o t a very even tfu l one. I t w as a dead calm , and th e on ly liv ing th in g s visible w ere dozens of a brow n-coloured sea-snake, w hich su rrounded us on a ll sides fo r miles. Some were sw im m ing lazily along, o thers lay m otionless and heedless of th e steam er as she p loughed pas t them ; some ex tended a t full length , o th ers coiled up.

I see a discussion in The F ield as to th e clim bing pow ers of these rep tile s. 1 cannot say I have ever ac tu a lly seen them clim b u p a haw ser o r rock e i t h e r ; b u t I have h ea rd so o ften of th e ir being found on board vessels ly ing a t anchor th a t I have no doubt th e y can clim b up a haw ser o r chain, an d I have bo th heard of an d seen th em in places on lan d to leach w hich th e y m u st have h ad som e power of c lim bing an d locom otion. H ere th ey are n o t d readed as venom ous; b u t in th e eas te rn seas I have h ea rd of m any accidents. * * * *

In m y form er account I m entioned th a t one of th e fishes I caught, a k in d of fresh-w ater herrino , was said to be very ab u n d an t in th e m arshes an d ponds.

T here w as a lovely pond, o r “ ta n k ,” as w e should hav e called i t in Ceyloo, w ith in view of th e house. I t lay r ig h t on th e boundary line of th e coffee p la n t­a tio n ; so one side had been cleared of a ll b u t ilie g igan tic e ry th rin a trees, the o th e r w as s til l covered w ith fine fo res t, th e branches of som e of th e trees sw eeping dow n to th e w ater. T h e b ig trees w ere s till in flower, a g ran d m ass of colour ; and , as tb e

B ett'ng sun shone on th e placid w ater, l i t u p th e sc a rle t of th e flowers to a b rig h te r flim e, and ren d ered th e dark som bre shade of th e fo re rt doubly d a rk by con trast, I th o u g h t I had ra re ly seen a m ore lovely b it of scenery.

D ay ’s la te s t glance on th e b row n h ill beam ing L ingers lik e lover, loa th to say farew ell,

C radled below , th e lake lies ca lm ly gleam ing.

I bade adieu to m y k in d friends, rode in to Tdrem ba again, slept u n d e r th e h o sp itab le roof of th e com ­m an d an t, and a t 4 a.m . boarded th e o ld “ C roix du S u d ,” and “ screw ed” back to N oum ea. T h e rain th a t had bo thered m e a lm ost every d ay of m y stay accom panied m e to th e las t. I saw a heavy th u n d e r ­storm travelling paralle l w ith us along th e m ountains, a n d as w e sigh ted N oum ea i t b u rs t over th e town. Such a vio lent dow npour has, 1 believe, never before v isited the p la c e ; an d th ree flashes of lig h tn in g and accom panying th u n d e r (of w hich we ra re ly have any) will long be rem em bered by th e in h ab itan ts . My box was full to th e b rim w ith b ird s ; I h ad severa l new b ird s’-eggs an d nests, a lo t of lan d shells, a stock of h ea lth , and, above all, fulfilled m y desire an d killed fish w ith th e artific ia l fly in N ew Caledonia,

E . L . L ayard ,B ritish C onsulate, N oum ea, N ov. 1881.

A G R IC U LT U R E IN E G Y P T AND ON T H E C O N TIN EN T O F E U R O P E .

( Special le tter .)A tte n tio n is being d raw n to E g y p t as a co u n try

adm irab ly su ited for a g ric u ltu ra l em igration . D espite th e bad ad m in istra tio n of th e co u n try , th e advan tages are m any and real. In p o in t of clim ate, i t would be perfection for th e farm er. I t nev er rains, hails, snow s or freezes. T he w a te r necessary fo r irrig a tio n is stored in reservo irs an d d is tr ib u te d by c a n a ls ; so the cu ltiv a to r can have th e eq u iv a len t of ra in w hen he pleases. T he N ile m arks th e lim it of fe rtility : w here its w aters reach n o t, th e re th e d ese rt commences. T he soil is in g re a t p a r t derived from th e sed im en t of th e N ile : i t is re la tive ly deep, and, b y a l i t t le am el­ioration in tilling , could be m ade to y ield th ree tim es m ore th a n a t p resen t. H an d labor is ab u n d an t, an d costs only ha lf a franc p er d ay , and no food. L and can be b ough t o u t for fs. 500 an acre, and fa r­m ing pays abou t 5 to 6 p er cen t on cap ita l. The system of cu ltiv a tio n is sim ple. W hen th e N ile com ­mences to rise in th e m idd le of Ju n e , rice o r maize, &a., is so w n ; in au tu m n , w heat, beans, o r clover ; and in M arch, co tton o r cane-sugar. A g ricu ltu ra l operations can be effected a t a ll seasons, since th e re are no m eteorological draw backs. N o m anure is em ployed, for th e natives d ry th e excrem ents of anim als for th e purposes of fuel. T he same k in d of plough is em ployed today, as in th e tim e of th e shepherd k ings, say,8,000 years ago : th e soil is sc ra tch ed to th e dep th of tw o inches : th e p lough is d raw n by tw o bullocks, or a cam el and an ass : no care is observed in th e selection of sew ing seeds : th e g ra in is never c u t t i l l i t com m ences to se lf-sh e ll; consequen tly th resh in g operations are easily conducted : th e la t te r are effected in tw o m anners ; bv a k in d of ro lle r arm ed w ith knife- te e th , w hen th e g ra in is in ten d ed for hum an con- sum ytivu and ex porta tion ; th e second consists in tram p lin g i t u n d e r th e feet of oxen, w here th e excre­m en ts of th e anim als also m ingle. C otton is th e m ost p ro titabb p ro d u c t to cu ltiv a te : b u t i t is very exhaustive, become ro n e of i t is ever resto red to th e soil : the fibre and th e oil a re n o t exhausting p roducts, b u t th e seed o r cake, w hich con tains th e fe rtiliz ing soil elem ents, are also exported to o th e r coun tries for ca ttle feeding. M ulberry trees could be g ra fted and so produce food fo r silkw orm s, w hile th e v ine could be m ade to y ie ld f ru it cap ita lly su ited for raisins,

203

an d hence m eet th e w a n t now m uch fe lt in th e m an u ­fac tu re of w ine. E v ery dom estic an im al has degener­a ted in E g y p t, save th e ass, ow ing to w a n t of ad equate food, su itab le care an d h ea lth fu l conditions. G reen fodder is m uch needed in th e w arm w eather, an d trench -p reserved food w ould adm irab ly fill th e void. O rd inarily , th e re is n o t m ore th a n one head of c a ttle fo r every 30 acres, while in farm ing d is tr ic ts , in o th e r lands, one b eas t is estim ated fo r 2 to 3 acres. T he d raw back is th e tax a tio n , w hich am oun ts to abou t one-fourth of th e to ta l revenue of th e land : some holdings, an d w here th e soil is of iden tica l qu a lity , pay fo u r tim es h igher tax a tio n th a n th e o ther. B u t th is is th e re su lt of m al-adm in is tra tion .

M. L adu reau , D irec to r of th e A gronom ical S ta tio n a t L ille, has pub lished his an nual report on experim en ts w ith bee t, to show th a t richness in suga r an d re la tiv e ly large-sized roo ts are n o t incom patib le . T hese des i­d e ra ta can be o b ta in ed by cu ltiv a tin g th e p la n ts a t close d istances, securing good seeds, an d se lecting ap p ro p ria te m anure, su perphosphate of lim e especially . T hese conditions fulfilled, th e m eteorological d ra w ­backs can be counterac ted . A q uestion has been raised , w h e th er th e pulp , th e re su lt of e x trac tin g th e ju ice by th e now general process (in F rance) of diffusion, in stead of th e o ld p rac tice of p ressure, dem ands an increase of d ry m a tte r , such as hay , chaff, c u t straw s, &c. T he pu lp from th e p ress con­ta in s b u t 70 o r 75 p e r cen t of w ater, w hile th a t from diffusion is as h igh as 88 o r 90. T b e au gm en ta tion of h ay , Ac., oug h t th en to be ab o u t 25 p er cen t.

M . D esprez, on h is farm of Cappelle, n ea r L ille , established a lab o ra to ry o stensib ly to co n tro l th e r ic h ­ness of th e ro o t cu ltiv a ted on 250 acres, grow n sim p ly for seed. Some 2,000 to 3,000 analyses can be m ade daily , an d th e b ee t found r ichest in suga r is k ep t for seed : from 12 to 15 p er cen t of su g a r is w h a t is a n t ic ip a te d : roo ts y ie ld ing less a re th ro w n aside. In d eed i t is every day becom ing m ore and m ore a c e r ta in ty in b ee t cu ltu re th a t success depends chiefly on the q u a lity of th e seed. T h is secured, th e r iots o u g h t to be purchased p ro p o rtio n a te to th e ir r ichness.

T he F rench G overnm ent organizes and subsidizes a series of regional ag ricu ltu ra l shows a n n u a lly ; th e y are official and so have m any draw backs, one of tb e chief being th e co n s tk n tio n of th e ju ries. T he num ber of ju ro rs is five, being tw o, too m ny , and th e ju ry th a t avvaids prizes to sheep does th e sam e duty7 toward:, pigs an d b a rn door fowls. In th e case of b lack ca ttle , m atte rs are s til l worse : th e sam e ju ry aw ards prizes to several d ifferent races of stock . I t is proposed to nom inate ju ro rs w ith a special know ledge of each class of an im als exh ib ited . I t w ould be well to exercise g rea te r severity to w ard s exh ib ito rs w ho m eie ly purchase stock to fa tten an d carry off a b lu e ribbon.

M. Lem orie has conducted a curious ex p erim en t to d e term ine th e ra tio betw een th e food consum ed by b a rn ­door fowls, and th e q u a n tity of m anure p roduced . H e enclosed a cock and six hens of the D o rk .n g breed. A hen, i t appears, consum es annually 374 lb. of food, of w hich i t excre tes 272 lb . : th e rem aining 102 lb . re p re ­sen tin g th a t se rv ing fo r th e sustenance of th e body. T h e value of the m anure was only one franc!

T he phy llo x era con tinues its ravages, an d some v ineyard p rop rie to rs f la tte r them selves to have con­quered th e foe. T h e G overnm ent is ce rta in ly n o t n iggard ly in i ts g ran ts to experim ent on a ll agents rep u ted efficacious to destroy th e scourge. A very com plete h isto ry of th e plague has appeared , rep le te w ith illu s tra tio n s of th e insect in a ll i ts s ta g e s : i ts m ode of propagation , of a t ta c k , an d of i ts ravages : h ealthy and diseased v ines a re so grouped th a t i t is im possible even fo r a ch ild n o t to ta k e in th e h is to ry of th e calam ity . T h e volum e speaks to th e eye, an d m u st be invaluab le w herever a v ineyard exists, or n a tu ra l h is to ry is ta u g h t.

P R O F IT A B L E G O LD M IN IN G IN A U S T R A L IA .Mr. T hom as C ornish, m .e ., in th e M ining Journal-.

—T he la te accounts of gold m ining from Ansi i alia, w h e th e r in V icto ria , N ew S outh W ales, Q ueensland, T asm ania, o r N ew Z ealand, are of a m ost encouraging n a tu re , and ten d to show th e rap id progress th e colonies are m aking in developing th e ir resources, an d th e am ple room th e re is for leg itim ate in v estm en t in gold m ining w ith every p rospect of profitable re tu rn s , and I can b u t th in k if cap ita lis ts and investo rs w ould b u t tu rn th e ir a tte n tio n to A ustra lian gold m ining in v est­m ents th ey would be m ore ce rta in of ob ta in in g sub ­s ta n tia l re su lts in th e shape of good d iv idends th an th e y a re like ly to g e t from o th e r coun tries w hich a p ­pear to o b ta in th e ir special favour. T he colonies th a t have p roduced such an enorm ous am oun t of gold d u ring th e past 30 years, am ounting to over £275,000,000, and th e gold-fields w hich a re s till producing such ex ­cellen t resu lts , are w orthy of m ote serious a tten tio n th a n has h ith e r to been paid them . T he A ustra lasian In su ran ce and B anking R ecord, of Nov. 10, 1881, gives th e follow ing as a p o rtio n of a lis t of d iv idend p a y ­ing m ines in V icto ria :—

Name of Company. District.Long Tunnel ... ...W alhalla £12,000 £786,000Pleasant Creek Cross R e e f ...Stawell 21,250 780,742Garden Gully United ..Sandhurst 21,614 680,949New N orth Clunes ..Clunes 37,008 487,734*Baud of Hope & Albion

Consols ..B allarat 449,000 413,640G reat Extended H ustlers ,...Sandhurst 24,500 336,300f Egerton ... ..Egerton 93,750 219,680G reat Extended Hustlers,

No. 1 Tribute ... ...Sandhurst 4,200 194,600Queen’s B irthday ... ..Dunolly 6,750 186,750United Hustlers & Redan ,...Sandhurst 4,800 109,200Extended Cross Reef ..Stawell 37,399 95,089Clunes ..Clunes 30,000 109,438Jo h n ’s Reef ...Sandhurst 69,300

48,375130,199

Lazarus No, 1 ...Sandhurst 75,375New Chum Consolidated ...Sandhurst 14,000 71,400South Clunes . . ...Clunes 40,000 71,tOOEllesmere .. .Sandhurst 14,616 73,850N orth Old Chun ... ...Sandhurst 16,200 68,175N orth Johnson’s ...Sandhurst 825 64,425Old Chum ...Sandhurst 10,800 59,062Lazarus Company ... ...Sandhurst 47,250 51,750Eilenboro ... ...Sandhurst 15,30 I 51,300Black Horse ..Egerton 12,750 62,250

T here are m any o th e r com panies n o t m entioned, suchas th e P o rt P h ilip and C lunes Com panies, w hich have raised bold from th e ir m ines to th e value of £1,625,529, and paid in d iv idends slid ro y a lty £366,166, as m en­tion d in th e n p o rts end ing Ju n e 30, 1679.

P L A N T IN G E N T E R P R IS E IN P R O V IN C E W E L L E S L E Y : T H E STE A M PL O U G H .(From th e S tra its T im es, M arch 18th.)

T he steam plough has, i t appears, been in troduced in to P rov ince W ellesley by M r. D aniel Logau, Soli- citor-G i n e ia l fo r th e S tra its S ettlem ents, an d who is also, th e P inang Gazette say s, an eu terpriz iug and persever ng ag ricu ltu ris t. T he steam plough u n d er notice is w h a t is called th e “ Single E ngine S e t'1 and is m enu a c tu red b y th e well-known firm of Messrs. Ko-vler & Co., Leeds. T he m ode of w orking is as fol­lows. To th e plough (which is a four-fu rrow ed one) is a ttach ed tw o steel r. pes, one of w hich works d irec t in to th e back w ind ing d ru m of th e e n g in e ; th e o th e r crosses to th e opposite side of th e field aud pas-cs round a pulley fixed to a m ovable anchor, from there it ru n s a t r ig h t angles passing th ro u g h an ingeniously fixed anchor au d th e n back again to the f ro n t w ind ing d ru m on th e engine. F rom th is dee- pription, i t w ill been th a t , w hen th e eng ine is ready

for w ork , th e w ire rope form s a triang le , of w hich th e eng ine m ovable and sta tio n a ry anchors are the corners.

T h e p lough w orks betw een th e eng ine an d th e move- able anchor, an d on its a r riv a l a t th e la t te r , by a n ea t arran g em en t i t is carried forw ard a d is tan ce of e ig h t fu rrow s, an d likew ise w hen i t reaches th e engine, i t ( th e engine) being a tra c tio n one as w ell, m oves fo rw ard th e sam e d istance. T h e w ork we had th e p leasu re of seeing perform ed w as in every w ay sa tis-

, fac to ry an d m uch su p e rio r to w h a t could have been done b y th e bes t C hinese coolies b o th as regards q u a lity an d q u a n t i t y ; it w as done ap p a ren tly a t a m odera te cost, and i t w as a p leasure to see th e L alang grass so ru th le ss ly to rn u p an d exposed to th e sun. D uring th e d ay of ten w orking hours i t finished th e cred itab le area of nearly seven acres.

W e w ill now place before our read ers a rough estim ate of th e cost per mensem, as well as th e cost per orlong, incu rred by p loughing w ith steam ; in all our ca lcu la tio n s we take as o u r d a ta th a t th e plough can only w o rk n ine m on ths d u rin g th e year an d tw e n ty days p er m onth .

Estim ate o f expenses o f steam plough per month.

D epreciation on cost §6000a t 12 p er cen t, p e r a n n u m .................. .. § 60.—

In te re s t ... .. ... 9 ... 4 . —E ng ine D riv er’s w ages ............................. 35 —Coolies &c. h e. ... ............................. 36,—F irew ood a t 800 pieces per day ... .. 120. —Oil, T allow , &c. ... ............................ 20. —

§320.

20 d ay s’ w ork a t 8 acres p er d ay 160 acresC ost p e r acre .......................................... 82.—Cost per day ... ............................. §16.

To do th e sam e w ork p e r d ay i t w ould ta k e 200 C hinese coolies, and , ca lcu la ting th e ir wages a t th e low est figure a t 20 cents p e r d ay th e cost w ould be fo rty do llars, or m ore th a u double w h a t i t cost b y th e steam plough.

Besides ploughing, th e engine can be used fo r h a r ­row ing, pum ping w ate r for irriga tion , an d th rash in g , if necessary.

W e have considered and looked a t th e b r ig h t side of th e question . A s we have said every th in g w orked sa tisfacto rily , th e soil was d ry an d n o t over stiff, th e w eather fa v o ra b le ; b u t on a previous occasion, w hen w e saw i t a t work, freq u en t stoppages had to be m ade owing to th e plough sink ing in to so ft soil : th is m ig h t be rem edied by co nstructing a lig h te r m achine, b u t a t th e same tim e equally as s tro n g ; th is is , however, a m a tte r for th e consideration of th e m anufacturers .

I n ad d itio n to th e steam p loughing m achine above m ention d, M r. L . C. B row n, of G lugor. Ii ,s la te ly im ported w h a t is called th e l.a laug g rass c u tte r , w hich is a m achine in tended to be w orked w ith e ith e r a p a ir of bullocks o r a single buffalo, b a t, ju d g in g fro II a tria l recen tly m ade in a p lan ta tio n a t Balow, buffaloes w ould no d o u b t be m ore su itab le for w ork­ing th e m achine.

In a li t t le und er tw o hours, one orloug of tn ic k Lalang was clear d, w hich was deem ed exceedingly sa tisfac to ry . O w ners of coconut p lan ta tio n s we.l know th e difficulty an d expense of keeping th e ir p lan ta tio n s clear w ith ca ttle , now ilia t disease is so r i f e ; and , In d ian labour being expensive an d scaice, th is m achine is no d o u b t of g re a t im portance, seeing th a t i t can be m anaged by th re e coolies and .me buffalo, aud. in a fa ir d ay ’s w ork, four to five orlviigs could be cleared, a lthough we u n d e rh an d th a t iu severa l p lan ta tio n s some expense w ould first have to be in ­cu rred in levelling th e g round and g e ttin g rid of th e w h ite a n t neato, w hich a re very num erous a n d eo

h a rd as ce rta in ly to b reak th e kn ives of th e m achine should th ey come in con tac t w ith any of th e m ounds. T here is an o th e r use to w hich th is m ach ine’ may p ro ­bably be p u t, i. e., in g a th erin g th e p ad d y crops.

W e u n d e rstan d th a t ce rta in Chinese p lan te rs , w ho w ere presen t a t M r. B row n’s tr ia l of th e cu tte r , w ere so satisfied w ith th e re su lt, th a t th e y have desired h im to procure from E n g la n d c u tte rs for th e ir rer- pective estates.

The m achine is a very lig h t one and n o t a t a ll ex­pensive; th e blade is so arranged th a t i t mows abou t th re e fee t a t a tim e an d continues its ac tion as th e anim als draw ing i t w a lk along. T h e m en requ ired are a d river, a m acbine-guide, an d an o th er cooly to occasionally clear th e b lade w hen com ing in co n tac t w ith roo ts b u t tw o m en w ould be enough a fte r some practice.

F ly in g F o x es a n d M a n g o es in N o r t h Q u e e n s la n d are th u s noticed in th e M ackay S tandard :—Owing to th e severe depredations of- th e flying foxes, th e crop of mangoes is suffering g re a tly T n e fum es of su lp h u r have th e effect of causing th em to fall off th e ir cam ps du ring th e d ay tim e, an d probably th e y w ould avoid orchards a t n ig h t w here a m oderate am ount of su lphur fum es a re floating abou t. T he e x ­perim en t is w orth a tr ia l.

E a r l y F lo w e r in g o f C. O f f ic in a l i s a n d R e m o v a l o f t h e B lossom s.—A correspondent w rites ;— I have noticed w h a t you have sa id from tim e to tim e abou t 0 . officinalis dy in g o u t in th e second and th ird year. I am g lad to say th a t on th is e s ta te we do n o t suffer in th a t w ay. I have some 4£ to 5 years o ld q u ite h ea lth y and strong an d only trees in dam p situa tions die off. W e are troub led w ith our G. officinalis trees seeding in tw o years and even u n d er ; th a t is a p roportion of them do so. I have c u t off a g rea t deal of flower an d seed, an d I believe th e trees have im proved since th a t was done.

P ro g r e s s in J o h o r e .—M r. R. W . Fow ke w rites, u n d er da te M arch 9 th .— “ I am felling a sha e c lea r­ing for cacao. I have ab o u t 120 acres down, b u t i t is n o t a ll cleared . M y d is tr ic t is in th e opposite direction to P u la i, an d th e h ig h es t po in t is only 300 feet above sea-level. M y bungalow is ab n it 30 feet above th e sea, b u t th e th erm o m ete r a t h a lf-past 5 in th e m orning freq u e n tly reg iste rs only 69 degrees. T h is , I suppose, you would consider low . I saw a le t te r in th e T. A . , say ing th a t th e safet-t w ay of sending cacao seed w as packed in saw dust. I have h ad tw o batches (the seeds o u t of 1,000 p o d s); bo th b a tehes were com plete failures. I found th a t th e pods packed in shavings had tHe few est percentage of bad ones.”

C in c h o n a in J a v a .— “ B a tav ia , 1st Feb.— F rom th e official rep o rt on th e G overnm ent ch inchona cu ltu re in Ja v a for th e 4 th q u a r te r of 1S81, we tak e th e follow ing :— Iu N ovem ber a beg inn ing w as m ade w ith p lan ting out, aud th e num ber of p lan ts grow ing in th e prepared g round was th ereb y increased by 65,220 Ledgerianas, 51,000 officinalis an d 40,000 succirub as. These p lan ts grew vigorously a f te r ra in had fallen. Form erly i t was alw-ays noticed th a t chinchona trees in gem ral, b u t especially th e Ledgerianas, flowered ab u n d an tly a f te r a regu lar long-con1:inued d ry season. T he -ame c ircum stance also happened in th e p enod u n d er repo rt. 1'he trees orig inally p lan ted are now almost all covered w ith blossoms, so . t i ia t in October n ex t abundance of seeds m ay be expected . A s soon as the presen t w et w ea th er adm its of it, a beg inn ing will be m ade w ith th e p a r tia l peelii g of th e trees. The whole bark crop of 1881 am ounted to fu lly 165 00U, A m sterdam pounds. '1 his q u a n tity was despa tch ed from Bandong in Uecember last, in tim e to be sold by auction a t A m sterdam in A p ril n e x t .— H andesblad.

L f .d g e r ia n a S e e d l in g s a n d a S n a i l E n em y .— Some of th e m erchan ts in Colombo w ho w e n t to expense and tro u b le to give a fa ir t r i d to th e < a ly packets of th e “ p recious seed ” from Ja v a , have found to th e ir d isap p o in tm en t th a t a lth o u g h nearly all th e seed germ inated , th e young p lan ts have been killed off. Iu one case, th e seed was sow n iu boxes carefu lly a tte n d e d to daily in th e F o r t office, an d every th in g prom ised well u n til th e d y in g down began. An exam ination w ith th e m icroscope shew ed a tin y sp ira l snail to be th e enem y, an d th is experience is a w arn ing to have th e soil used fo r such purposes carefu lly se lec ted and baked beforehand to kill off' in sect life.

T h e E d ib i l i t y o f C oir Rope has recen tly been proved. In la t. 43 N ., long. 143 E ., a b o a t con ta in ing 1 he c a p t ., h is son and eleven m en, th e crew of a J a p tnese fishing vessel, was p icked u p by th e “ A bbie C a rv e r.” T h e ir vessel had been blow n o u t to sea and caps zed in a sto rm , and th e y h a d been in th e bo a t fifteen days w hen th e ‘ A bbie C a rv e r” fell in w ith them . F or ten day s th e y h ad ea ten n o th in g b u t co ir rope boiled in sa lt w ater. W hen rescued th e fisherm en had a fire in th e ir b o a t an d a la rg e p o t on th e tire w ith rope boilingi in i t . T he m en w ere in an ex h au sted condition w hen ta k e n on board th e barque. M edi­cine an d n o u rish m en t w ere adm in iste red to them , and th e y subsequen tly reg a in ed th e ir s tre n g th .— M adras M ail.

C in c h o n a P l a n t s o n t h e s id e o f t h e M a h a w ilA ' GANGA.—A corresponden t w rites to u s : —“ In su rv e y ­ing th e M ahavillaganga I have come upon th re e young cinchona p lan ts grow ing to g e th er, b low flood level I f e a r : I believe th em to be robustas b u t am n o t sure. W h a t will you advise m e : to chance th e ir rem oval in to th e jung le or leave th e m alone w here they are. Being near th e Bellihuloya, w here lots of jung le is availab le, i t w ould be in teresting , I take it , to see if these p lan ts w o u ld flourish and how grow a t th is elevation . I th is is at a ll in teresting , I will ta k e th e elevation &c.” T he fac t is ce rta in ly in te restin g , and , if th« p lan ts can be tak en up w ith masses of ea rth an d placed beyond danger from floods, i t w ould be in te re s tin g to w atch th e ir progress.

L o w e r M a s k e l iy a , 19th M arch .— W e h a d a nice blossom o u t on 15th and 16th, which seem s to have se t well. T h is is No. 3 (a sm all one end of Ja n u a ry and sm all in F eb ruary ), an d now we have a very tine one in spike, w hich on ly requ ires a few days like tod ay and y es te rd ay to b rin g i t out. Seasonable w ea th e r now w ill g ive us a good crop th is com ing season T here are a few es ta tes th a t canno t give crop. T hey say i t is g rub . I f so, w hy n o t catch th e bettles now flying a t ab o u t six o’clock every evening in m illions ? Tbose w ho do -not believe th a t ca tch ing beetles does good, shou ld go an d see F o rres es ta te . T he po rtion said to have been m ost affected by g rub is now th e best c iffee on th e es ta te . N o one now would believe th a t a t one tim e i t was, as described , th e very w or*tin th e d is tr ic t. N ow I w ill defy any field of coffeeiu C eylon to b ea t it, in appearance o r show of spike. U nless seen, no one can form an y idea of th e num b ' rs of beetles th a t come o u t of th e grout d . W atch ed from a road look ing up a line of coffee i t seem s lik e asw arm of bee< rising o u t of th e soil in an y p a tc haffected by grub. M onday n ig h t’s ca tch was 272 chuudoes (3 to a m easure). 550 to each chundne gives127,600 beetles. 6 cen ts a chundoe I p a y ; dear, b u t w o rth it. M askeliya p la i t. rs should a ll jo in in t r y ;ng to reduce th is p lague, if we can n o t destroy it. I have sen t a good oea l of cinchona in m any d .s ti ic ts , and I th in k o u r succ iru b ra an d h y b rid s can hold th e ir ow n ag a in s t a llco m ers. N o t to speak of St. A ndrew ’s M ahanilu Ledgerianas, w hich a re w o rth eving, and, s ti l l m ore to th e po in t, m oney also.

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.

C O F F E E C U L T IV A T IO N A N D L E A F D ISE A SE , B Y A M Y SO R E P L A N T E R .

D e a r S i r , —A s one w ho has for m any years devo ted a tten tio n to th e cu ltiv a tio n of coffee, I feel you will most obligingly p e rm it me to jo in in tb e ren ew ed friend ly con troversy ab o u t leaf-disease and to offer a few more retm .rks in su p p o rt of m y long-cherished opinion both as to th e existence of special predisposing causes for th e a tta c k s of fungoid p arasites an d as to there being w ays an d m eans of raising trees from w ell-p repared and carefully-selected seed of hard y varieties, w hich w ill a t any ra te to a ce rta in appreciab le e x te n t, have d is ­ease-resisting powers.

H aving m ain ta ined in a ll m y essays and le tte rs d u rin g tb e la s t six years th a t co n s titu tio n a l deb ility , e ith e r h e red ita ry o r acqu ired , renders th e p la n t more liab le to disease, and th a t th is su scep tib ility increases in a corresponding ra tio to the persistence w ith w hich w e con tinue e ith e r to propagate from a deterio ra ted stock o r m ain ta in a system of im perfect cu ltiv a tio n of th e soil, or neg lec t to supp ly tho se co n s titu en ts w hich freq u e n t crops of coffee are known to rem ove from th e land , I do n o t desire to escape from a ju s t share of any censure w hich I m ay deserve for co n tinu ing to believe th a t a ll rem edies m u st go in to and affect th e soil so as to s tren g th en an d inv igora te tb e constitu tion of th e p la n ts .

A s you a re aw are, I have advanced a theo ry th a t H em ileia V astatrix finds th e beat conditions for its d e ­velopm ent d u rin g th e abnorm al con tinuance of an o therw ise tra n s ito ry condition of th e s ta rc h y and su ga ry constituen ts of th e cell-sap, an d I have ven tu red to assert on th e au th o rity of ce rta in hum ble a tte m p ts a t experim ental observation , th a t a w a n t of alkalies and phosphates in £u available form , a t certa in seasons of th e year in a soil iu defective m echanical condition, is a t lea s t one of the p rin c ip a l causes of our troubles.

A s fungi w ith o u t exception p resen t th e pi cu lia rity of never form ing s ta rch (Sach) 1 have concluded th a t i t is p robable fungoid p arasites o b ta in th e ir food in th e m ost su itab le form from such hosts as a re tem por­a rily (if I m ay be p e rm itte d th e expression) e ith e r of a lym p h atic tem peram ent, o r 11 re unab le to ob ta in a sup ­p ly of some stam inal p rincip les in sufficient abundance for th e ir requ irem ents.

I am far from believing th a t our soils arc suffering from abso lu te exhaustion , b u t I v en tu re to th in k th a t each varie ty of p la n t of th e same species undoubted ly possesses d ifferent pow ers of collecting from the land an adequate supp ly of inorg nic p la n t f od ivce.-sary to m ain ta in certa in obscure functions in h ea lth y ac­tiv ity . vVe know th a t ln a l th y p lan ts con ta in more alkalies th a n w eak ones (H arm an) an d ag ricu ltu ra l chem istry clearly p o in ts out th a t i t is ra th e r the con­d ition th a n th e q u a n tity of th e elem ents of p lan t- food w hich influences fe rtility .

I have carefu lly perused th e able aud elaborate re ­p o r t of th e G overnm ent C rypfogam ist, to g e 'h e r w ith th e in teresting ex p lan a to ry le tte r w hich appeared in y o u r issue of th e 13th December, and I feel thai every p lan ter is placed under th e deepest "obligations for th e u n tir in g zeal aud ab ility w inch has been b rought to bear on th e in vestiga tion of th e scourge, aud for th e courteous m anner in w hich th e argum ents aud suggest­ions of o thers, who have in te rested them selves in th e n v r 'e r , are dea lt w ith .

T ak ing advan tage of th e encouragem ent offered, I am induced, a lth ugh w ith th e g rea te s t diffidence, to ven tu re a few rem arks ou certain p o in ts touched upon, in th e ex p lan a to ry le t te r above re fe rred to , w hich

hav ing appeared in yo u r colum ns, I p resum e m ay be considered d ebatab le :—“ I t shou ld be rem em bered th a t th e crop o b ta in s its p rinc ipal n u tr im e n t from th e leaves ju s t as does th e fungus and u n fo rtu n a te ly bo .h ta k e sim ilar m a te r ia ls .”

A m ost im p o rta n t consideration is involved iu th is observation. A lth o u g h th e p lan t an d th e fungus m ay req iiire sim ilar food-m aterials for th e ir p rincipal n u tr i ­m en t, s till su re ly each can on ly u tilize th e m u n d er special favoring conditions. I f th is is n o t th e case, th e re can be no fu rth e r use fo r s tu d y in g physio logy.

The p lan te rs’ p rospects are indeed poor, if the. only req u irem en ts of th e fungus are a supp ly of h ea lth y coffee cell-sap and li t t le m oisture.

W hy was th is no t the case before ?W e kn o w th a t th e ash of th e coffee bean con ta ins

potash , lim e, an d m agnesia, to g e th e r w ith phosphoric an d su lp h u ric acid, an d w e a re ta u g h t th a t these co n s titu en ts are req u ired fo r certa in physiological purposes in th e economy of p lan t-life , and , a lth o u g h i t w ere im possib le to ga in accu ra te in form ation re ­gard in g th e likes and d islik es of H em i eia, I e n tire ly fail to com prehend w h y th e in v estig a tio n connected w ith th e n u tr itio n of p lan t-ce lls, even th o u g h i t shou ld req u ire th e “ appliances on ly to be found in th e w ell-equipped labo ra to ries of E urope,"’ shou ld be for an in s ta n t considered as u n w o rth y of pecu liar a t te n ­tio n , when m ak ing fu rth e r research re la tiv e to th e p e s t u n d e r notice.

T he follow ing e x tra c ts from S ach’s T ex t-book on B otany exp la in w h a t I m ean :—

“ T he com binations of food-m aterials m u st be su b ­je c t w ith in th e tissues to progressive changes of posi­tio n in a d d itio n to an d in consequence of th e ir chem i­cal tran sfo rm a tio n s .”— “ T he n u tr itio n a n d g ro w th of all p la n ts h ith e r to exam ined fo r th is purpose is im pos­sible o r abnorm al if an y of th ese e lem en ts a re w a n t­in g .”— “ T h e con stan t occurrence of com pounds of phosphoric acid in com pany w ith album ino ids as well as of potassium sa lts in organs con ta in in g s ta rch and sugar, p o in ts tow ards definite re la tions w hich th ey m ay possess to th o se chem ical processes t h a t im m ediately p recede th e processes of co nstruction in p lan ts.

“ N obbe has recen tly show n th a t if p lan t-m a te ria ls , o therw ise com plete, b u t possessing no po tassium , are supplied to p lan ts (as b uckw hea t) th ey behave as if th e y w ere absorbing on ly pure w a te r in stead of a so lu tion of food-m aterial. T hey do n o t assim ila te and show no increase in w eig h t because no s ta rch can be found in th e g ra ins of ch lorophyll w ith o u t th e assistance of p o tassium .”

P rofessor W o rth in g to n S m ith on Peronospera In - festans eays :— “ I haxy g o t m y m ust ab u n d a n t m ate ria ls from th e tu b e r w hen so ft an d alm ost tra n s­p a re n t lik e p a in te rs ’ size ; in th is s ta te th e s ta rch is u t te r ly d es tro y ed an d w h a t is m ore curious th e re is no offensive sm ell. T he tu b e r freq u en tly decom poses w ith a ho rrib le fcetor an d tu rn s w h itb h inside ; th e s ta rch is th en a ll p re sen t an d n o t m uch in ju red an d v e ry l i t t le indeed can be seen of th e fungus.”

“ Pred isposition to infection im plies th a t th e tree m u st have undergone some profound in ern a l change before i t could be a ttack ed * * * H ea lth y coffee is as easily infected as any o th e r .”

T he analogy w inch ex is ts between th e life of a p la n t an d th a t of a hum an being m u st of course be tre a te d w ith c a u tio n ; b u t is nevertheless useful for ex p lan a to ry purposes. T he various w orks I have con­su lted lead me (how ever erroneously) to believe th a t the w ord preH sposilion as genera lly understood does n o t im ply th e abso lu te necessity for an y such ex trem e c o n d itio n ; b u t m ay sim ply m ean e ith e r an acqu ired o r h e red ita ry fitness, liab ility o r ad ap ta tio n to a d m it of any change, affection o r influence under certain fav o r­ing conditions, w hich , u n d e r o rd in ary c ircum stances, w ould have been insufficient to a d m it of a s im ila r

effect. T hus we read in H arp e r’s — “ P h y sic ian ’s V ade M ecum “ T here are orig inal an d acqu ired differences betw een man and m an consequent on th e various and com plicated influences to w hich the body is exposed in all sta te s of so c ie ty ” and th e re are certain ly analogous d istingu ish ing p ecu liarities am ong p lan ts of th e sam e species.

In th e sam e m anner, therefore, as in th e hum anbeing. “ a w a n t of pow er to assim ila te one o r o th erof th e stam inal princip les m ay often be traced to hered itary pred isposition o r to those causes w hich im pair th e general to n e .” (H arper). I s i t unreasonab le to su p ­pose th a t , c e rta in obscure functions of th e p la n t m ay be influenced by errors in cu ltiv a tio n , or b y long-con­tin u ed neg lect of those p recau tions w hich are know n to every h o r tic u ltu r is t as ca lcu la ted to p rev en t th e g rad u a l de te rio ra tio n of stock ?

“ A residence in large tow ns ten d s to reduce the s tre n g th and vigour of the fram e and predisposes to disease characterized b y w an t of rone and pow er. N e x t to im p u rity of a ir as a cause of d im in ished h ea lth and v igour comes scan ty aud unw holesom e food * * *.A d iet n o t m erely unequal to th e w an ts of th e fram eb u t unsu itab le to th e age o r d e s titu te of som e essen­t ia l e lem ent o f th e g row ih of th e b ody .”

“ T he co nstitu tion m ay have been b ro u g h t b y th e con tinued action of one o r m ore causes in to a s ta te w hich sha ll cause th e disease itse lf to assum e a more o r less severe form or even to d ep a rt in some respects from i ts usual characters an d course.” (H arper.)

I presum e all will allow th e re are such th in g s as d e te rio ra ted stock , hard y varieties, &c. M y ow n ex ­perience of 19 years as a p la n te r leads me to en terta in th e opinion th a t th e benefits re su ltin g from a change of seed and v a r ie ty have only to be know n to be p ro ­perly appreciated . W hen w e have to deal w ith o rd in ­a ry w ell-conditioned coffee, m uch m ay be done to m odify even a con stitu tio n a l tendency to disease, and, as a proof of th is, we have only to no tice th e superb im provem ent w hich follows even th e ho ling opera tion iu a field of very o ld coffee about to be e n tire ly re- p lan ted , o r th e beneficial effects resu ltin g from efficient digging, d ra in in g and m ixing of th e soil.

A ll these operations, how ever, can a t th e b es t only be regarded as m easures calculated to give tem porary success b y assisting n a tu re th e m ore rap id ly to give up to our trees th e sto re of p la n t food in our soil. U n d er any ra tio n a l sys tem of coffee cu ltiv a tio n th e use of phospho-nitrogenous and alkaline m anures m u st have special a tten tio n ; o therw ise sooner o r la te r a w an t of tone or som e o th e r ind ica tio n of decreased v ita lity w ill in ev itab ly resu lt.

Owing to th e vary in g conditions of c lim ate an d th e im m ense num ber of poorly-w orked n a tiv e e s ta tes , M ysore is peculiarly w ell s u i t 'd for m ak ing accu­ra te observations re la tiv e to th e influence of cu ltu re generally .

E ven th e m ost casual inspection of one o r two densely shaded native p roperties will a t once d ispel th e idea th a t th e re is any chance of m echanically preventing infection.

I have had u n d er m y observation several large fields of apparen tly m agnificent o ld coffee u n d er w hich th e new varieties have long since been successfu lly estab lished . Leaf-disease an n u a lly a tta c k e d the o ld trees in S ep tem ber, b u t th e p lan ts below, a lth o u g h in a posi­tion to catch every spore th a t w as shed from th e um brella above, genera lly rem ained p erfec tly free from disease.

I f therefore p la n ts w hich have been raised from a change of seed do n o t possess som e pecu liar d is­ease-resisting pow er, i t is indeed stran g e th a t am ong th e thousands of p lan ts u n d e r m y carefu l observation i t shou ld be invariab ly found th a t every sheet of lu x u ria n t coffee in Sep tem ber is com posed of trees raised from care fu lly se lec ted an d im p o rted

seed, w hile every u n in v itin g collection of p lan ts a t ­tacked w ith H em ileia is found to belong to th a t v a r ­ie ty w hich has been p e rs is ten tly p ro p ag a ted from old trees w hich have been grow ing in the sam e soil for th e la s t 25 years.

I t is q u ite tru e th a t even th e h a rd ie s t varie ties som e'im es g e t s lig h tly a tta c k e d la te r on in the season; b u t genera lly only during , or after, a heavy crop, or in places w here th e re is e ith e r an u n d o u b ted w ant of m anure o r of some m easures for m itig a tin g th o se re ­su lts w h ich a re c learly a t tr ib u ta b le to p ecu liarities of th e m echanical o r physical condition of th e soil.

U nder these circum stances, I fail to see w hy i t shou ld be e ith e r rash o r unreasonab le to in fer th a t th e h a rd ­ie r v a rie ty has certa in d ise ase-n sis tin g pow ers, which a re only p laced in abeyance w hen th e c o n s titu tio n of th e p la n t is obviously suffering from d e b ility ; o r to th in k th a t th e o lder class of trees has suscep ti­b ilitie s w hich a re more readily influenced by less p e rfe c tly understood causes.

B e i t sim ple recupera tive energy' o r ac tu a l disease- resis ting pow er, it m atte rs little , so long as th e fact rem ains th a t one tree is v ir tu a lly free Irom disease a t th e m ost c r itic a l period of ils g row th , w hile th e o th er is u n ab le to m a 'u re a crop ow ing to th e im ­m ense loss of foliage.

If th e experim ent of grow ing coffee p la n ts in “ baked soil from E n g la n d ” was n o t ca lcu la ted to w eaken th e co n stitu tio n of th o se p lan ts, on the leaves of which th e fungus was success 1 a lly cu ltiv a ted , p lan te rs , how. ever re lu c tan tly , m ust in th e fu tu re believe th a t an y so rt of soil w ill do for coffee.

P ersonally I am led to ta k e a m ost favorable view of the fu tu re of coffee cu ltiv a tio n an d can n o t fo r a ll in s ta n t bring m yself to believe th a t H em ileia is an unconquerable enem y. J u s t as th e re are h a rd y and d e l­ica te varieties of g arden p lan ts and vegetables, so are th e re severa l d ifferen t so rts of coffee w hich can be in ­tro d u ced w ith o u t any very g rea t difficulty . E ach v arie ty differs in appearance, bn b it and requ irem en ts . A t th e sam e season of th e year, in cb>se p ro x im ity to each o ther in th e same soil, an d sub jec t to an iden tica l system of cu ltu re , th e rep resen ta tives of one so r t in ­dulge in vigorous grow th , w hile those of th e o th e r sort, although q u ite as h ea lth y in appearance, are a t a stand-still. E arlie r o r la te r on in th e season, no such difference is noticeable.

T h is m u rt ce rta in ly be th e re su lt of some pecu lia rity of co n s titu tio n an d doub tless d isease-resis ting pow er m ay be a t tr ib u te d to a sim ilar cause.

I t is w ell, w hile considering th is sub ject, to carefu lly regard assim ilation , g ro w th an d n u tr itio n as d is tin c t processes.

E xperience clearly proves th a t has tily -g row n ill- nourished p lan ts possess th e lea s t d isease-resisting pow er, au d w e m ay therefore o ften tru ly say th a t tree s w hich are o u tw ard ly th e p ic tu re of h ea lth are ju s t as liable to a tta c k s of fungoid disease as an y o th e r s ; b u t w ho shall be th e ju d g e as to w h e th er c o n s titu ­tio n a l vigour ac tually ex ists o r n o t ? I t is su re ly reasonable to believe th a t , w hile assim ilation , g row th an d n u tr itio n proceed sim ultaneously , p arasitic fung i have less favorable conditions afforded for developing in th e liv ing tissues of our trees. V isib le le th a rg y freq u e n tly succeeds a period of excessive g row th , and douotless w hen a heatthy -look ing p la n t is sudd en ly a tta c k e d w ith disease it is du ring th e period w hen v ita l a c tiv ity is d im inished.

T he use of ton ic and a lte ra tiv e m anures w ould th ere fo re appear to be clearly in d ica ted , an d a l­though slow ly ac ting p repara tions, w hich w ould n e ith e r force the p la n t nor fail to give i t su p p o rt a t c ritic a l periods of i ts grow th , are of p aram o u n t im portance for use e»rly in th e season, stiff w e m u st also keep in h an d some rap id ly ac ting agen t for a ll cases of em ergency. E ach opera tion of cu ltu re m u s t also be

arranged so as to he lp the p lan t to tid e over th a t b rief period during w hich leaf-disease does so m uch dam age. H eavy p run ing , which induces th e rapid extension of im m ature succu len t shoots, m u st assuredly be d iscon­tin u ed as calcu la ted a t leas t to cause subst q u e n t d e ­b ility . A lth o u g h m uch m ischief has been done by hack ing an d cu ttin g th e roots, s till th is shou ld n o t p reven t system atic roo t-p run ing being regarded as an indispensable operation of cu ltu re , a lth o u g h one w hich, to perform properly , requ ires a l i t t le e x tra supervision . H av ing read the superb lec tu re recen tly delivered by Professor P aste u r on th e w onderfu l influence of oxygen in m ain tain ing “ a m yeelieune cu ltu re ” of th e m inu te organism s w hich are associated w ith arith raco id disease, and P rofessor C laude B e rn ard ’s g raph ic account of th e d es tru c tio n of th e y eas t fungus by th e sam e agency, th e idea suggests itse lf th a t i t m ay y e t be found th a t th e oxygen evolved from th e s to m a ta of h ea lth y leaves d u rin g th e process of assim ilation has a t least some power of restra in in g th e advance in th e develop­m en t of those v egeta tive processes of H em ileia w hich n o t being parasitic are com paratively harm less. A l ­though , ow ing to m y lim ited experience re la tive to th e use of chem ical m anures, I am n a tu ra lly desirous to express m y views w ith th e g rea te s t possible diffi­dence, y e t th e hum ble experim ents w hich 1 have already* conducted have given me very g re a t encour­agem ent to con tinue m y stu d y of th e effect of phospho- n itrogenous and a lkaline p rep ara tio n s in checking fungoid disease, an d in conclusion I would ven tu re to hope th a t , before my b ro ther-p lan te rs agree to ac ­know ledge H em ileia an unconquerable foe, they will a t least t r y on a sm all scale some of th e rem edial m easures in d ica ted by me.

G R A H A M A N D E R S O N .B arguai, M ysore, F e b ru a ry 1882.

C O F F E E : “ N A L K N A A D .”TO T H E E D I T O R O F T H E “ A S I A N ,”

S ilt,—T hough , in th e h ead ing of yo u r paper, only te a and indigo of p lan tin g in d u stries are m entioned, I hope you w ill accept a le t te r ab o u t coffee, in w hich I w ill give some s lig h t account of a new v a rie ty , w hich seem s lik e ly to produce a revo lu tion in th e p la n te rs ’ favour.

T h is varie ty is te rm ed th e “ N a lk n a a d ,” hav ing firs t been found in th e d is tr ic t of Coorg. T h e leaf is broader, th ic k e r and of a d a rk e r green th a n any coffee leaf 1 have seen, excep t th a t of th e L iberian . T he b ranches neithi-r sw eep upw ards, like th e M aezerabad variety , nor are th ey horizontal, as in th a t of C eylon, b u t droop all round th e stem lik e an um brella . T h is gives each sh ru b th e appearance of a sm 11. so ftly -rounded h il­lock, c lo thed w ith in ten se d a rk green : in spring covered by th e b ridal veil of blossom , aud iu au tu m n , like “ th e row an re e ,” w ith beiries red . T h is v arie ty has h ith e rto resis ted th e leaf-dis<ase, ai d been u n h u rt by tb e borer. In th e opin on of tho se m ost qualified to judge, it has a stro n g er an d m ore en d u rin g v ita lity th a n any coffee we have as y e t seen in In d ia , aud q u a lity , perhaps, m ost valued by .pla te rs , y ields from 25 to 30 per cent, m ore crop.

A new variety , how ever, i t is n o t ; ve y possibly, indeed probably , i t is th e o ldest variety iu In d ia , b u t new to Europeans. T he A rabs have trad ed w ith th e W estern Coast of In d ia for thousands of years. L ikely enough, long before th e days w hen th e y brought th e spices of In d to th e Queen of Sheba, and carried th e gold of D evala to adorn th e tem ple of Sulim au Ben D auil. From th e ir in terco u rse w ith to o women of the C oast, a race called M oplahs has arisen . '1 hey are s tr ic t follow ers of th e P ro p h e t of th e S unni sect. an d h a ’-e m uch of the A rab in look an d dem eanour. T hese M oplahs to th is day look upon , au d ta lk of, A rabia as th e ir p roper lan d , m uch as m en bo rn in A ustra lia

s til l call E ngland “ H o m e.” N ow th e legend in Coorg is :—In p reh is to ric ages som e of these M oplahs, w ho had ob ia i ied M ocha c .ffee seed from th e A rab sires, sow ed i t in th e w ilds ot N a lk n aad . For long years th e M oplahs t r b d hard to keep th is in d u s try in th e ir own hands. T hey to ld w ild legends of th e fearfu l d e a th and doom w hich w ould descend on any a t­tem p tin g to in te rfe re w ith i t except tru e believers. R ich te r , in h is h is to ry of Coorg, says “ I ts suc­cessful an d p rofitab le cu ltiva iion w as a t first con ­cealed from th e Coorgs B u t th ese w ere sh rew d enough to find o u t for them se lves th a t, w h ils t none of th e fabled fa ta l consequences follow ed th e cu ltiv a tio n of th e sh rub , th e re was a ready an d lu c ra tiv e sale for th e p ro d u ce .”

W hen S tew art, M ann, &c., se ttle d in Coorg about 1854-57, th ey in troduced th e Ceylon and M anzerabad seed, an d the w hole of Coorg— in E uropean h an d s— was rap id ly p lan ted u p w ith th ese varie ties. F o r a tim e a ll w en t com parative ly well, b u t ab o u t 1866 cam e th e borer. T his pest, o ften iu a single season, le l t w hole es ta tes filled w ith n o u g h t b u t bare sticks, th a t m igh t n ever bud nor blossom m ore. T hen in 1871 th e te rr ib le H em ileia V asln trix , o r leaf-disease, a tta c k e d th e p la n t in its lungs, w eakening i t t i l l i t could b are ly live a faded, feeble life, unab le to ripen crop.

O ver tw e n ty years ago, a t h is residence in M er- cara, M r. M ann p la n te d a g arden , one acre in e x te n t, w ith s-mdlings from N alk n aad . T h is one acre has con­tinued to g ive crops of from te n to th i r ty cw t. to da te . I t now seem s in fu ll h e a lth and luxuriance, an d a ll th is tim e has never been, so to w rite , e ith e r sick o r sorry . In 1867 a 64-acre b lock was p lan ted on an e s ta te called P a l l ik e n y w ith seed from th is garden . In 1872, M r. Ja m es C hisholm , of E lk H ill, p lan ted H u n ch i B e tta coffee e s ta te w ith seedlings from th e P a llik e rry clearing . T h is e s ta te —H an ch i B e lta—th e presen t w rite r has seen, an d can speak to th e fine appearance i t has ever had , even to a superficial observer, w hile i ts c o p s have alw ays been th e h ig h est in th e d is tr ic t. W hen sold a f te r th e la te D onald S te w a r t’s death , i t b ro u g h t a p rice , I believe, u n p a ra lle led in Ind ia .

A s M r. C hisholm w as th e firs t to d iscern th e supe r­io rity of th is varie ty to a ll o th ers , so he has been th e m ost energetic in its cu ltiva tion . On w ritin g to him for inform ation he rep lies :— “ Since 1874 I have p lan ted n o th ing e se, an d have now over a th o u sa n d acres g row ing th e sam e um brella-shaped t r e e .” H e fu rth e r w rites, th a t th e dem and for th is v arie ty is y early increasing, and th a t he has h ad enqu irers from such ou t-of-the-w ay places as F iji and Perak , as .well as Ceylon, and all th e p la n tin g d is tr ic ts of Ind ia .

1 tiiin k the su b jec t w ell deserves tb e a tte n tio n of coffee p lan te rs everyw here. I t m ay be th a t by th is m eans th e long u n pro fitab le lane in w hich th ey have been w alk ing sm ce 1866 m ay find a tu rn in g , an d th e w hite blossom of th e N a lk n aad coffee be th e silver lin ing of th e cloud th a t has so p e rs is ten tly over-hadow ed them . I sincerely hope i t m ay. F o r th is end I w rite , aud because I believe the A s ia n is mor- w idely read in all th e various coffee d is tr ic ts th a n any o th e r paper, I w rite to you.

I am not, as I dare say you arc aw are, engaged m yself in coffee cu ltiv a tio n , an d m ay ad d , am n e ith e r d irec tly nor in d ire c tly in !erested iu coffee, excep t as a bevet age. A. L. V.C am p K u icm po lli, 31st D ec im b er 1881.

G E R M IN A T IO N O F C IN C H O N A L F.D G ER IA N A S E E D : CA L1SA Y A V E R D E N o . I.

Igoor, M unzerabad, M ysore, 8th M arch 18 2.D e a r S i r , — Seeing th e le t te r of “ One w ho bough t

an d was so ld ," in y o u r F e b ru a ry issue, I feel i t is b u t

ju stice to Mr. Sym ons th a t 1 should s ta te th a t I have recen tly p u t dow n some C. L edgeriana seed th a t he w as good enough to forw ard me, and th a t, although i t W i.s i-own b u t Id days since, i t is germ in a tin g very freely, m ore so even th a n th a t supp lied me of th e bes t cla«s of “ Y a rro w ” seed. 1 am so p leased w ith it, from w h a t I can see a t p resen t, th a t I in* te n d to invest in some m ore of th e same.

1 th in k I noticed, in a recen t T . A . f some rem ark s about th e reason of silv er sk in in som e in stances adhering m ore firm ly to th e coffee bean th a n in o thers, and a t tr ib u tin g its doing so to slow d ry ­ing. In Mysore, the crop reason is a hot one, a lm ost invariab ly free from rain , an d our o ld hands l l have been a t i t here for th e las t 20 years) a lw ays d ried th e ir parchm en t thoroughly before d espatch ing to coast for p repara tio n ; so m uch so th a t I have on severa l oc­casions been to ld by various curers th a t th e y like g e ttin g crop to p repare from th is d is tr ic t, as i t is generally tit to p u t alm ost a t once in to th e peelers, and , I believe, i t ia a w ell-know n fac t th a t M ysore coffee is rem arkable for th e large am ount of silver sk in adhering to th e bean. I f our p arch m en t coffee, a f te r dry ing, becomes dam p an d is again d ried , th e silver sk in becomes loose an d is easily rem oved by tr itu ra tio n . I have, therefore, concluded from m y ex ­perience th a t th e qu icker th e p arch m en t coffee is th oroughly d ried a fte r rem oval from th e cis te rns th e less chance th e re is of silv er sk in peeling off.

In the Planters' Gazette of February 1st, i t is s ta te d th a t , ‘‘ supposing th a t a large tree of L edgeriana gives 300 lb. of b a rk , y ie ld ing 6 to 13 pe*- cen t of su lpha te of quinine, a large tree of C. V erd e of th e sam e age w ould y ie ld 600 lb ., con ta in ing 5 to 9 p er cent of su lp h a te o quinine, an d fcnus g ive a c tu a lly double th e am oun t th a t th e L edgeriana does in th e sam e tim e .” From sta tis tic s of c inchona cu ltiv a tio n th a t I have beeu recen tly read ing , and hav ing no o th e r experience of it, I h ad concluded th a t a t m ust a few pounds of ba rk could be harvested from each tree , an d am n a tu ra lly m uch aston ished a ll a t once to hear th a t Ledgerianas give only abo u t 300 lb. per tree. A t th a t ra te i t would n o t requ ire m any acres of i t to m ake a m an’s fortune, even though th e m ark e t fa lls m uch below i ts p resen t ra te . H ave any of y<>ur energetic Ceylon pi .n te rs procured e ith e r C. V erde or C. M orada seed , and, if so, would th ey k in d ly give th e ir ne ig h ­bours a w rink le as to their success o r o therw ise and tlcv a tio u a t w hich they th riv e ?—l a m , d ear air, yours tru ly , M A H S E E R .

P .S .— I enelos* iny card.

NO. I I .C IN CH O N A C A L ISA Y A V E R D E A N D H Y B R ID S .

U va, M arch 7 th 1382.D e a r S i r , —T he follow ing is an e x tra c t from the

colum ns of a local con tem porary headed “ F rom O ur Lo idon C orresp in d e n t” : —

I t is difficult to credit all th a t has been said ot la te in cert­ain periodicals a t hom e, as to th e marvellous yield of the la test new variety of cinchona, th e Calisaya Verde, but however this m ty be, we are assured th a t the re has been qu ite a scram ble fo r'a sm all parcel of the seeds im ported by a London firm. The price was £10 per oz., and yet we are assured the im porters had tw o offers fur the whole lot, one from th e B utch Governm ent and the oth-. r from a M incing Lane firm. The price looks heavy a t first s ignt, but considering th a t an ounce contains about 65,000 seeds, i t dues not really am ount to very m uch after a ll. W e learn th a t several li ttle parcels of th is seed w ill find th e ir way to Ceylon.Iu your cmu colum us or elsew here, I have seen i t sta ted tn a t tree s of th is v arie ty of cinchona (C alisaya V erde) yield each ooer a ton o f wet bark o r from 500 lb. to 600 lb. o f d ry bark fro m each tree. Can you te ll me, if such sta te m e n ts have beeu m ade on reliab le au th o rity , for, if so, w e o ugh t to know w ith o u t lo»s of tim e m ore ab o u t th is ex trao rd in a ry v a rie ty of

c inchona sa id to be exce-d ing ly rich in quin ine. One w ould like to know , for instance w h at am oun t of d ry b a rk th ey w ould properly y ie ld w hen 5, 7 o r 10 y ea rs old, and th e probable percen tage of q u in in e a t these ages. W h e th e r o r n o t th e w orld c m cs to an end in fifteen years, one w ould ce rta in ly n o t care to in v e s t in a p lan ta tio n of trees, y ield ing eventually such prodigious resu lts , if th ey d id n o t com - to some so rt of m a tu r ity w ith in a reasonable tim e. Surely , tree s y ie ld in g 500 lb. to 600 lb. of d ry bark rich in quinine m u st have been p lan ted ages ago ? I f , hoxvever, th e y should tu rn o u t to be qu ick-grow ing trees, p roducing appreciab le q u a n titie s of qu in ine a t a com paratively e a rly sta^e, th e n th e sooner we ta k e th em in to serious consideration th e better. I t w ould also be in te restin g to kno v a t w h a t e levation trees of th is descrip tion have been grow n.

H ybrids (C. robusta)..—T he in fo rm atio n you have la te ly aflorued y o u r readers w ith resp ec t to th e g rea t value of th is v a rie ty of cinchona w ill doubtless be m uch apprec ia ted . Q uite recen tly , I have heard of p u rch ase rs of seed ta k e n from C. ro b u sta trees, 7 years old, gxowing in M a tu ra ta and now g iv ing seed fo r th e first tim e, th e bark o. w hich trees yield over 4 p er cen t of pu re sulp. of qu in ine and tij per cen t of to ta l alkalo ids, such seed being valued by the an a ly s t a t fu lly R10 per ounce. Seed from o th e r C. robusia trees (w hich m atu red ea Tier) h*s shew n m ost favourab le resu lts , th e consequence be ng th a t thou san d s are now grow ing on th e e s ta te w here i t is in con­tem pla tion to bark and u p ro o t th e succiru b ra trees, p la u u n g up in th e ir place O. ro b u -ta , w hich , i t is said , are fa ste r grow ing an d stro n g er th a n succirubra.

I f an y of yo u r reader’s experience in any w ay differs from th e above, th e y w ould do th e p lan tin g com ­m u n ity a service by m aking know n th e ir facts. B u t th e re are h y b rid s and hybrids, b u t a ll are n o t necess­arily C. ro b u -ta ln b rir is , nor are a ll C. robusta neces­sa rily of equal v a lu e .—Y ours tru ly , P L A N T E R .

[The follow ing is M a rk h am ’s reference to th e “ C a li­saya v e r d e b u t w hen he speaks of from 300 lb. to 1,000 lb of bark from single ttves, w h e th er w et o r d y is not m entioned , he u n d o u b ted ly m eans o ld fu ll-grow n tr e e s :—

Gironda and M artinez told me th a t there were th ree kinds of Calisaya tre e s ; namely, the Calisaya J im (C. Calisaya a vera, W edd), the Calisaya morada (C. Bolivana W edd.), and th e tall Calisaya xerde• They added th a t the la tte r was a very lurge tree, w ithout any red colour in th e veins of the leaves, aud generally growing far down the valleys, almost in th e open plain. A tree of th is variety yields six or seven quintals of bark, while the Calisaya fina only yields three or four quintals ; and Gironda declared th a t he 'had seen one, iu th e province of Munecas in Bolivia, which had yielded ten quintals of tabla or truuk-bark alone. — E d . ]

I I f F O R M A TIO N A B O U T M A N IT O B A FRO M M R . R E A .

L indula, M arch 10th, 1882, S i r ,— M y a tte n tio n has been d irec ted to a le t te r

iu th e Observer of th e 28 th u ltim o, in w hich fu rth e r in fo rm ation regard ing M an itoba is requ ired . 1 shall endeavour as b ro lly as possible to answ er yo u r cor­resp o n d en t’s questions, and th e n offer some o b serva­tions of my own on M anitoba an d its advntages.

T he w inter in M anit- ba is no dou b t long snow se ttin g m genera lly from th e beginning of D tcem ber, or even from th e m iddle of N ovem be and rem ain ­ing on th e g round till th e m onth of M arch , w hen i t rap id ly d isappears, an d by th e 1st A pril ploughing is general. A lthough th e therm om ete r records a m uch g re a te r degree of cold th a n in E ng land y e t th e air

is so d ry an d b racing th a t l i t t le inconvenience is ever felt. Several m en, whom I know in th e old c o u n try ,to ld me th a t, a f te r an experience of t »o or th ree seasons, they prefe rred th e w in ter of C anada to th a t of G rea t B rita in

So fa r from th e w inter being a d read , th e C anad­ians seem p roud of it, and have qu ite a round of v isiting and am usem ent. U nless th e re is som e chronic disease I am confident th e clim ate of th e N orth -w est is th e best t h a t could be elec ted by oue whose health had been underm ined by a residence in th e T ropics.

One m an to ld me th a t , on a rriv in g in Canada, he w as n o t expected to live m any weeks. “ N ow , ” he said, “ I am as w ell an d strong as anyone could b e .”

I t is d ifficu lt to say w h eth er a m an going o u t w ith a cap ita l of £300 could re tire on a com petency in 12 years. I can safe y say m any have been able to re tire in th a t tim e on a com petency. A m an 's suc­cess depends so m uch on him self ; his shrew dness an d energy. One m an will become rich , w hen an o th r m an w ill starve. F ro m w hat I have seen of Ceylon, 1 th in k th e se ttle r in .Manitoba would be m uch b e tte r off fo r neighbours th a n here. In th e one co u n try he is su r rounded by half n ak ' d c o o lie s ; in th e o th e r by Lis ow n race, an d tongue, who are invariab ly m ost k ind , civil, and hosp itab le to a stranger. In m y opinion no one should go to M anitoba w ho is no t prepared to tough i t for a y ea r or t w o ; a f te r th a t i t is p la in sailing. I never m e t w ith anyone w ho could be induced to re tu rn to E n g lan d to farm .

The Chicago Tribune U. S. paper, says: —“ T he wheat- field of th e G re a t N o rth -w es t of w hich W innipeg is th e key com prizes 200,000,0 0 acres w hich in fu ll crop w ould yield 5,21:0,000,000 bushels of w heat, m ore th a n tenfold th e g rea te s t w h ea t crop ever raised b y th e whole U n ited S ta tes. T h is reckons th e average yield a t 26 bushels. T he average y ield of barley is ab o u t 40 bushels, oa ts 5 , potatoes 300. T he S y n ­d ica te th a t is bu ild ing th e C anadian Pacific ge ts §25,000,000, and 25,000,000 acres of corn I t w ill, w hen done, no t only con tro l th e tran s-co n tin en ta l carry ing t ade up n o rth , b u t dominate the wheat m arket o f the w o rld ! T he road is being constru c ted , and its lan d d e ­p a rtm en t is a lready in receip t of thousands of applica- a tions for laud . W innipeg is a t th e confluence of the R ed and A ssinniboine R ivers. I he C anadian Pacific will have its general offices th ere . T he N o rth e rn Pacific, S t. P au l, N o rth W estern , B urling ton and Kock Is lan d roads w ill all even tually bu ild in to th e w orld ’s g rea t w heatiie lds. M ind m ay n o t conceive, n o r fondest an tic ip a tio n s foreshadow th e fu tu re of th is m agnificent co u n try equal according to all a c c o u n s to four 1 1 all- , supposing every acre of lan d in U tah to be equal to Colonel W in d e r’s farm , o r an y of th e farm s b o r­dering S a lt L ak e C ity o r an y of th e laud a t B oun ti­fu l.” To quote Lord Du f f e r n (no m an a u th o rity )“ W herever 1 have gone, 1 have found num berless p er­sons w ho cam e o u t w ithou t any th ing , and have since risen to com petence an d w ea lth . I have m et n ^ o n e w ho did n o t g ladly acknow ledge h im self b e tte r off th a n on h is first a rriv a l : and am ongst thousands of persons w ith whom I have been brought in con tac t no m a tte r w h at th e ir race o r n a tionality , none seem ed ev er to regret th a t th e y had come h e re .” To give a sh o rt sketch of th e new railw ay ro u te to C hurch ill H arb o u r on th e side of H u d so n ’s Bay, m ay also be in te restin g . I t is undeistood to be th e best h arb o u r on the bay ; is en tered by a channel abou t half a mile w ide and tw elve fathom s deep. T he east side affords ad m irab le s ites for w harves, etc.

H ow im p o rtan t th is is, m ay be estim ated from the fac t th a t th e d istance betw een C hurch ill harbour an d L iverpoo l is only 2,926 m iles, w hile from M ontreal v ia Cape R ace i t is 2 910 miles, au d from N ew Y ork , v ia Cape C lear 3 040 miles. T h is w ill fu rn ish a sea­p o rt 1,500 m iles n earer th a n Q uebec to th e cen­t r e of th e N o rth -W e st te r r ito ry . C hu rch il H a r ­

bour is only 400 m iles from th e edge of th e g re a t W heatfie ld . A line ot ra ilw ay of 30 miles, w ill connect th is p o r t w ith lak e W innipeg , aud hence by nav igation to W innipeg c i ty , or by a com paratively sh o rt w anch from the head of lake W innipeg, it w ill connect w ith th e railw ay system of th e N o rth -w es t S upposing there be on ly four m onths of open naviga tio n iu H u d so n ’s B ay an d H un d so n ’s S tra its ; th i- line is probab ly destined to becom e th e m o st im ports an t, for i ts leng th , on th e con tin en t.

I om m itted to say th a t th e N elson V alley R ailw ay and T ran sp o rta tio n C om panies have selected C hurch ill h arb o u r as th e ir p o in t of ju n c tio n betw een th e r a i l­way an d navigation.

A m an w ith tw o o r th re e g row n-up sons, a ll d e te r ­m ined to w ork, canno t fail to succeed in M anitoba . T he follow ing is th e expense of s ta r t in g a sm all farm :—

O ne yoke of oxen .................... § 120"00One w aggon .. ... 80 00P lough and harrow ................. 25 00Chains, axes and shovels ... 30 00Stoves, bedsteads ................. 60 00H ouse an d sta b le ... ... l'O-OOProvisions 135 00

T o ts l ... § 600 00 A se ttle r can g e t a g ra n t of 160 acres of free land from G overnm ent. T iiis, how ever, can only be done w here land is n o t y e t se lected , e ith e r far to th e w est or rein ved from railw ay accom m odation. I shou ld recom m end, ra th e r th a n th is , th a t he invests in good la n d , where railw ay and m a rk e t fac ilitie s ex ist.

P le n ty of sucii land can be o b ta in ed a t from 20 to 40 shillings p er acre.

T he best houses for se ttle rs are m ade by W ad e & C o , W ash in g to n , S t. Chicago, and are se n t reao y to p u t up. Tw o m en w ill in four days p u t to g e th er a com fortab le double wood h '.use of four room s w ith doors an d w indow s com plete. T h is w ill cost even w ith rail-’ ay carriage less th a n th e com m on log-house of th e coun try . 1 shou ld advise th e se t tle r im m ed­iately on a rriv in g in M anitoba to go to Mr. H espeler, or an y o th e r G overnm ent A gen t, who w ill be g lad to give every in form ation to th e new com er. B ut above a ll th ings, le t h im bew are of th e confidence n u n w ho are o ften to be found prow ling ab o u t s ta tio n s a n d too frequen tly r id th e em ig ran t of h is h ard -earn ed cash.

I n some cases, i t is advan tageous fo r the se ttle r to place h is m oney in a bank w here be w ill g e t good in te re s t and look abo u t th e co u n try before he finally decides upon a locality , o r he may engage him self to a fa rm er giving his services fo r h is boaid , and pursued , th u s become acq u a in ted w ith th e m ode of operations

I need scarcely say th a t th e se t tle r m u st be careful to a d a p t him self to those m ethods of cu ltiv a tio n w hich experience has found to be th e bes t ra th e r th an try to farm on a new country th o se p rac tices w hich he has been accustom ed to a t home.

I sha ll only m ention , as an instance, th e necessity of a lig h t an d w ide fu rrow in b reak in g u p p ra irie lan d iu Ju n e o r Ju ly , an d th e b a rk se ttin g in th e fall of th e year. L au d th u s p rep ared is read y fo r sow ing in the follow ing spring :—

T he probab le p rofits on a farm of 160 acres m ay th u s be p u t dow n :—

160 acres of w heat a t 25 'i bushels p s r acre and 75}- ... .. $ 3, 000.cen ts p e r bushe l . . )

160 acres a t § 5 = § 800 P loughing and

sow ing ... § 6 = §960H arv estin g and bring ing to ,

m ark e t ... § 4 = § 6 4 0 ... ... § 2,400.

P ro fit ... § 6 0 0

w ith lan d free fo r ever.T he above figures are reg u la rly pa id by co n trac t

in working land an d b ring ing th e produce to m arkets. 75 cen ts is low ; in O ctober last, w h ea t w as 90 cen ts p e r bushel. C H A R L E S R E A .

P. S .—Since w ritin g th e above, I have h ad p u t in to m y hands your pap er of y esterday , con ta in ing some very valuable inform ation regard ing M anitoba, and am glad to find th a t th e view s th e re in expressed are nearly iden tica l w ith m y own. I am h appy to say I saw no signs of grum bling am ongst th e farm ers in th e au tum n of las t year. On th e co n tra ry , th e crop was m ost prolific a n d the q u a lity unsurpassed I also saw m any excellen t m achines m ade in th e W innipeg factories. C. R.

H O W TO S E L L C H IN A T E A .K an d y , 16th M arch 1882*

D e a r S i r ,—I have ta k e n th e follow ing a d v e r tise ­m ent from a recen t n u m b er of Chambers’ J o u r n a l :—

T EA Dealers can save money and obtain good sound teas by purchasing of the London and China tea

Company. Chests, half-chests, Caddies, and packets. Prices, duty paid, 9 |d and upwards. Circulars, Price List, and samples free, by addressing—C. D. STOTT, Manager, 8 George Street, Minories, E.O. F 3

Y our w ill notice th e very m oderate cost a t 'which sound (?) C hina te a can be bought. W hy,- th £ d u ty alone is alm ost double th e cost of th e tea .

I t is an im posib ility th a t these can be sound t e a s ; b u t grocers no d o u b t find th a t , w ith th e add ition of a backbone, in th e shape of a pure In d ia n or C eylon tea , th e m ix tu re is saleable, and, as th e profit is large, th e system of m ix ing u p our teas w ith rubb ish of th is so rt w ill a lw ays find favor w ith a certa in class of shopkeepers. I t is sa tisfac to ry , how ever, to th in k of th e p robab ility of loss w hich th e p roducer of those “ sound” teas has incu rred . E ven a C hinam an could not do m uch m anipu lation and pay sh ipp ing and o th e r charges for 3^d per pound CO U LD H E ?

T H E L A R G E C IN C H O N A T R E E S ON G L E N - C A IR N , D IK O Y A .

G lencairn , D ikoya, M arch 21st, 1882.D e a r S in ,— M r. C am pbell appears to th in k th e re

m u st be a d iscrepancy in th e accoun t g iven ' of dry b a rk as com pared w ith w et. P erh ap s i t w ould ex­p lain m a tte rs if I m entioned th a t m uch of th e w et b a rk was fu lly £ of an inch th ic k .—Y ours fa ith fu lly ,

F . F O W K E .

C EY LO N C LO V ES A N D O T H E R N E W PR O D U C TS FO R C O F F E E LA N D .

M arch 21st, 1882.M y D e a r S i r ,— A sho rt tim e since, ab o u t a fo rt­

n ig h t ago, I saw a sale of Ceylon cloves w h ich q u ite topped th e m arket, and ever since th en I have felt som ew hat curious to know w here these w ere grown. Possibly, th ro u g h th e m edium of yo u r paper, th e pub lic m igh t be inform ed, and m ore p articu la rs of th is ag ree­able su rprise m ay be placed a t th e d isposal of all. F rom w h at I can see in my trav e ls , every p la n t w hich pays deserves a tr ia l, especially in coffee la n d .—Y ours t ru ly , W . FO R B ES L A U R IE .

[M r. P . M oir has been w ritte n to , to say w here the parcel of Ceylon cloves w hich sold so well, was p ro ­d u ced .— E d . ]

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N .D e a r S i r , —Y o u r London correspondent, in h is le t te r

of F eb ru ary 17th (appearing in th e Observer of M arch 16th) asserts th a t i t is a fac t new to him th a t

204

chicory is grown in E n g lan d to an y g re a t ex ten t. To shew th a t th e g ro w th of chicory as well as th e a d u lte ra tio n of coffee has been flourishing (?) fo r considerab ly over th irty years, I send you an e x tra c t from H ousehold W ords, S a tu rd ay , A p ril 12th 1851.

E xtra c t referred to :—Grocers wanted power, now, to sell chicory and coffee

mixed. They got th a t inestimable privilege. Nobody could be sure, when he paid for “ Mocha,” th a t he was no t paying for a m ixture of two-thirds chicory. A t once th e British farm er bestirred h im self; foreign chicory (taxed six-pence) was driven out of the m arket, and now th e home crop is a mostt important agricultural production. Ceylon soon found itself, (like Frankenstein) bearded by its own monster “ Protection.” I t was opposed by a rival a t home worse than the foreigner against whom i t was “ P rotected!” The feelings of the Ceylon coffee-growers, when they found their own “ Protection” had driven us here, in England, to drink decoctions of home-grown chicory, m ust have been very like the disgust of Poly­phem us’s butcher when th e m onster took to dining off pine tops. Mr. Armitage, in forwarding th e last of their memorials, says, th a t “ even th e m ost benighted of the colonists, are, a t length, awakening to a conviction th a t any fu rther clamour for protection is worse than useless,” and th a t “ many of the coffee planters are nearly ruined.” The memorial complains th a t “ chicory and o ther adult­erated substances”—being “ sold as coffee”—are “ subject to no customs duty or excise, iu G reat B rita in ; while coffee itself is burdened with an im port duty of nearly fo rty shillings per cwt. or one hundred per cent on its average value.” The melancholy gentlem en wish no persecution of the “ cliicorian ” s e c t: they are for fair toleration : free coffee ; unadulterated coffee ; or taxed chicory. A t the words “ o ther adulterating substances ” the reader (who has ju st breakfasted on old “ M o ch a :” and perhaps, be­ing of a fanciful turn, has been thinking of Mecca, w ith a d istant view of a mosque) turns pale. B ut le t his imag­ination carry him as far as it will in conjecture on th e subject, it will fall far short of the realities. I t is not enough th a t simple chicory should adulterate coffee; bu t even that m ust he villainously compounded, the adultera­tions itself being adulterated. Chicory begins but worse— th a t is to say, beans, corn, potato-flour; horse-chesnuts, acorns, dog-biscuit, rope yarn, Russian glue, brick-dust, mahogany saw dust, ro tten coffin wood, soot, and “ o ther manures ”—remain behind. I t reads like a bill of some Falstaff of tragedy—one halfpenny w orth of coffee to this intolerable deal of adu lteration1 A com petent au thority tells us of cases which came under his special observations: —first, of a large quantity of beans—which decomposition had animated' into an unfit sta te for feeding horses—being sold to a chicory g rin d e r: and, secondly, of large quan­tities of “ spent tan ” (the refuse of tan yards) being systematically ground up to form part of these floating masses of commercial pollution. There lies on our table, as we write, a red powder, (red ochre) commonly used to ‘ colour ” the floors of co ttag es: i t is known th a t waggon loads of th is have been seen discharged a t th e door of a well-known and extensive, “ coffee m anufacturer ” !! Look a t the summary of the re su lts : The colonists complain ; the shopkeepers become fraudulent and th e poor suffer

E.

C O F F E E L E a F -D IS E A S E : C A R B O L IC A C IDA N D M R . S C H R O T T K Y ’S E X P E R IM E N T S . D e a r S i r ,— I t is p robab le th a t th e p lan te rs w ill

be ask ed erelong to recognize in som e su b s tan tia l m anner th e serv ices of M r. S c b ro ttk y in h is efforts to cure th e leaf-disease, and , w henever th e y are so called upon, th e ir general w ish w ill be to do ju s tice to w hatsoever claim s th a t gen tlem an m ay reasonab ly estab lish . M r. S c b ro ttk y an d h is m ethod have been before th e p lan te rs now for a considerable tim e, an d th e experim en ts t h a t have been carried o u t u n d e r M r. S c h ro ttk y ’s ow n supervision an d d irec tion have been num erous an d ex tensive. In som e instances, a ce rta in

I degree of success h as been ad m itte d ; in o th ers i t h as I been a lto g e th e r denied. T here have been cases, in

fact, in w hich M r. S c h ro ttk y ’s ow n tre a tm e n t has been declared to have agg ravated ra th e r th a n ab ated th e disease. I n th e p re sen t s ta te of m a tte rs , any equ itable decision is sim ply im possible. T here are p robab ly few p lan te rs w ho w ould a lto g e th e r re jec t Mr. S c h ro ttk y ’s claim s, b u t th e re are few er s till w ho would a d m it them , unless, perhaps, to som e very lim ited e x te n t, as a so rt of com prom ise. How th e n sha ll th e p lan te rs d e term ine as to th e fac t of success o r its m easure, an d a d ju s t th e balance fa irly betw een th e tw o p arties ? T h a t is th e question .

I f fa irly an d sc ientifically tre a te d , th e question a d ­m its of an easy an d conclusive aqsw er. T here is no d o u b t w hatev er as to th e efficacy of carbolic acid as a pow erful an tisep tic . I suppose th a t th e re are few, if any, p lan te rs who have had th e lea s t d o u b t as to th e fa ta l effect of carbolic acid 011 a ll liv ing vegetable ti-su es . I t m ay, therefore, be assum ed w ith o u t ex- p erim en t o r question th a t th is agen t, if app lied to grow ing hemileia would destroy it. I t is equally ce rta in th a t i t is capable of d es tro y in g grow ing coffee. T he problem for so lu tion , therefo re , is so to app ly ca r­bolic acid as to k ill th e hemileia w ith o u t m a te ria lly h u r tin g th e coffee also !

M r. S ch ro ttk y has ce rta in ly succeeded in app ly ing carbolic ac id in such m easure an d m an n er as to do no appreciab le harm to th e coffee; b u t i t has y e t to be show n th a t in these cases he k illed th e hemileia. H e th in k s th a t he d id , b u t in n early all th e experi­m en ts he has tr ie d , he ce rta in ly failed, and in a few only has p a r tia l success been claim ed. Iu the m oat favourable case fo r M r. S c h ro ttk y ’s claim , th a t of G angapitiya , i t is a m a tte r of opinion, and th e very judges them selves are doubtfu l. In fact, th e question canno t be se ttle d by an y such experim ents as have y e t been publicly tried . T he scientific p rocedure w ould be to subm it spores and growing hemileia in the la ­borato ry to ac id of ascerta ined degrees of stren g th , a n d to te s t th e v ita l i ty or o therw ise of th e m y­celium and th e spore by subsequent m icroscopic ex ­am inations. I f m ild fum es s u c h 'a s inflicted no in ju ry on th e coffee p lan ts in th e labo ra to ry w ere found to have destroyed th e v ita lity of th e hemileia or its spore, bo th or e ither, th e n one im p o rta n t step in th e in ­q u iry w ill have been estab lished . T he only rem ain ­ing q uestion would th en be as to w hether th e sam e tre a tm e n t could be p rac tica lly an d econom ically c a r­ried o u t on a la rg e scale in th e field w hich h ad suc­ceeded in th e labora to ry .

U p to th is tim e, how ever, i t does n o t ap pear th a t any one know s w h eth er fum es of carbolic acid, m ild enough to be harm less to coffee, w ould be fa ta l e ith e r to the hemileia o r its spores. U n til th a t question is se ttled th e app lica tion of such fum es to hun d red s of acres of coffee is sim ple folly, n e ith e r m ore n o r less.

C arbolic ac id in pow der w as one of th e v e ry first rem edies tr ie d for leaf-disease before M r. S ch ro ttk y ever cam e to th e co u n try . I t w ould be in te restin g to know w hy i t w as abandoned by th e orig inal experi­m enters. W as i t found th a t even in s tre n g th sufficient to seve ely in ju re th e coffee th e hemileia spores came off sca theless? 1 ra th e r th in k so.

Y ou w ill rem em ber th a t, when M r. M orris tr ie d his su lp h u r cure, h is firs t s te p was to exam ine its effect on th e spores an d filam ents, an d th e re su lt w as th e discovery th a t th e spores retained th e ir v ita lity and th e filam ents on ly w ere killed. I t was th is effect on th e filam ents th a t in sp ired fa ith in h is trea tm en t and encouraged m any p lan ters to prosecute experim ents on a large scale. A nd th e la s t phase of th e M orris su lp h u r and lim e cure was th a t th e ap p lica tion m u st be so tim ed as to k ill th e filam ents. To k ill the spores w as proved im possible by any ruch m eans We a ll now know th a t in fac t th e filam ents had no th ing to do w ith hemileia a t a l l ; an d th e re was an end of th e su lp h u r cure,

T he ten ac ity of life in those low organism s is m ar­vellous. I g e rm in a ted hemileia spores a f te r th e y h a d been su b jec ted to fum es of su lph u ro u s ac id which would have k illed th e coffee, ro o t and b ranch ! I rem em ber m y old f rien d T bw aites p u ttin g some acari u n d e r h is m icroscope a f te r they h ad been im ­m ersed iu sp ir its 50 per cen t, over proof fo r m any hours an d th e y qu ie tly w alked aw ay u n d e r h is ey es! L ikew ise th e germ s an d spores of some in fusoria possess a v ita lity w hich is proof against conditions u su a lly reg ard ed as abso lu te ly incom patib le w ith life. I w onder w hether M r. S c h ro ttk y know s w h a t s tre n g th of carbolic ac id w ould k ill a spore of hemileia, an d w hat effect th a t sam e s tre n g th w ould have on coffee ! B u t u n til th a t is defin itively know n, nothing w hatever can be sa id to have been done effectually in re g a rd to th e cure of hemileia b y carbo lic acid fum es.

G. VV.P . S .—I th a n k you fo r d irec tin g m y a tte n tio n to

M r. W a rd ’s la s t re p o rt an d subseq u en t l e t te r ; an d also to M r. S to rck ’s r e m a rk s ; w hich I have read since w ritin g th e above le tte r . T h e h ig h ly dangerous n a tu re of carbolic acid, as p o in ted o u t so forcibly by Mr. W ard , an d th e d o u b tfu l re su lts of m ost of th e ex p eri­m en ts w hich have been m ade w ith th is ag en t on a la rge scale, seem to confirm s tro n g ly m y recom m endation to s tu d y th e tre a tm e n t, an d to w o rk o u t th e re su lts to a defin ite issue, on a sm all scale, before a tte m p tin g fu r th e r •ex ten d ed application . M a rk also th a t M r. W ard ac tu a lly germinated spores w hich h ad been for 24 hours sub jec t to an “ overpow ering a tm o sp h e re” of carbolic acid, th u s confirm ing th e suspicion expressed in m y le t te r to th e sam e effect.

N E W P R O D U C T S P A T C H O U L I ; IN F O R M A ­T IO N W A N T E D ?

M askeliya, 21at M arch 1882.D e a r S i r , — I sh a ll be m uch obliged if you, or an y

of your num erous correspondents, can give me som e in form ation ab o u t th e cu ltiv a tio n an d p repara tio n of pa tchouli.

I procured a few sm all pa tchou li p la n ts from P era- den iya about 18 m on ths ago, au d th e y are now sh rubs from 18 f t to 22 f t in circum ference, a m ass of foliage, b u t w ith no sign of flow er o r f ru it.

I s th e sc en t e x tra c te d from th e leaf, seed or ro o t ? H ow is i t ob ta ined ? W h a t is th e m a rk e t va lue of th e produce? A n d w h a t is supposed to be th e y ie ld of each bush or 100 bushes ? Also, could i t be grow n a t a p rofit in a w et d is tr ic t, elevation 3,000 f t?

A nsw ers to any, o r all, o t these questions w ill g rea tly ob lige.—Y o u rs fa ith fu lly , W . T . M .K .

[A ll we can g ive is from th e “ T reasu ry of B o tan y ” as follow s :—

Pogostemon.—A rather numerous g en u s .o f Labiatce, con­sisting of tall herbs found in various parts of tropical Asia, but principally in India and Ceylon, They have opposite stalked leaves, and. flowers collected into dense clusters or whorls forming term inal interrupted spikes or close panicles. The flowers have an unequally five-toothed ca lyx ; a some­what two-lipped corolla, w ith the upper lip tbree-lobed and the lower entire and ra ther longer; and four nearly equal stamens longer than the corolla, and sometimes slightly bent dowi.wards, the filaments usually covered with long hairs, and the an thers one-celled.

P . Patchouly affords the celebrated Patchouli perfume or Pucha-pat of ‘th<- Hindoos. I t is a shrubby herb about two feet high, a native of Sylhet, Penang, and Malacca ; and has broadly egg-shaped stalked leaves between three and four inches in length, with the margins slightly lobed and round-toothed , and both term inal and axillary dense spikes of small w hitish flowers tinged with purple. A l­though the odour of Patchouli is certainly peculiar, and even disagreeable to some people, i t is highly popular not only in Europe but in India, wheie it is one of the commonest perfumes found in the bazaars, f he odoriferous

part of the p lant is the leaves and young tops, and by distillation these yield a volatile oil from which essence Of Patchouli is p repared; sachets of Patchouli, however, are made of tho coarsely-powdered leaves. Genuine Indian shawls and Indian ink were formerly distingui hed by their odour of Patchouli, but since the perfume hue become common in Europe the test does not hold good. I ll effects, such as loss of appetite and sleep, nervous attacks, &c, have been ascribed to the excessive employment of Patchouli as a perfume. [A .S.]—Ed .]

“ JA K ” T R E E S A S S H A D E FO R C O F F E E ; W IN D B E LT S A N D L E A F -D IS E A S E .

24 th M arch 1882.D ear S ir ,— I hope some m ore experienced pen th a n

m ine w ill tak e up, p ro bono publico, th e q uestion of th e benefit ja k tre e s afford to coffee, o r any o th e r cu l­tiv a te d th in g b eneath them .

M eanw hile I subm it, w ith a ll deference, my opinion of th is tr e e , viz., th a t i t does fa r m ore harm th a n good on a coffee e s ta te . H as an y one know n coffee bear heavily , o r even fa irly w ell, w hen u n d er th e influence of th e artocarpaceous foliage ? I have no t. T h is I w ill say, th a t , w here ja k s are encouraged, coffee w ill fail.

Y ears ago I rem em ber being s tru c k w ith th e lu x ­u r ia n t foliage of some coffee (A rab ian) w hich was grow ing b eneath these trees, b u t crop th e re was none. The co nstan tly falling leaves too choke up d ra ins and l i t te r th e g round for a considerable space around.

As for the value of th e tim b er in 20 years’ tim e, th a t is as p rob lem atical, n o t to say rid iculous, as th e belief th a t half our is lan d ’s backbone will re tire to th e old co u n try cu rin g 1882 m illionaires. N o ! n o i l J a k trees m ay be all very w ell fo r a year o r tw o, and prom ise to do as m uch as th e b u b liest of bubble Com panies, bu t a f te r th a t period has becom e incor­p o ra ted w ith th e pas t, an d th e ir roots begin to know th e ir w ay abou t, look o u t for your coffee near them , and w onder ti l l doom sday, if you lik e , w hy i t never bears and appears to be fading aw ay.

I t m ay seem rid iculous to say so, b u t, I ta k e it, you requ ire to sacrifice 10 acres for w indbelts to secure to half th a t a r e a of coffee im m u n ity from w ind.

M any th iu k th a t leaf-disease m ay be shu t o u t w ith th e w ind. E ven if th is be g ran ted , w ill i t pay ?— Y ours tru ly , P . T . L.

C A R B O LIC A C ID A N D T H E C O F F E E L E A F F U N ­G U S :— M R. SC H R O T T K Y ’S E X P E R IM E N T S .

Colombo, 2o th M arch 1882.D ea r S ir ,— Y o u r esteem ed co rre sponden t “ G . W .”

has overlooked th e circum stance th a t a ll d u rin g N ov­em ber aud December 1880 an d the early p a r t ot 1881, I d id very l i t t le beyond w atch ing and observing ia de ta il th e effects of carbolic acid , used in various w ays, in so lu tion in w ater, as vapour, e tc ., upon th e d ifferen t form s of th e fungus, b o th in th e field and u nder th e microscope, an d th a t I recom m ended th e use of th is agent only after carefu l com parison w ith th e effects on th e fungus of neaily a ll o ther chemicals th a t I , as a chem ist, could th in k of as likely to p rove usefu l rem edies ag a in st coffee leaf d isease .—Y ours fa ith fu lly , E U G E N E C. S C H R O TT K Y .

COCOA C U L T IV A T IO N IN C EY LO N .D ea r Si r ,—No d o u b t w hatever can ex is t in th e

m ind of any one th a t cocoa w ill grow an d grow p ro ­fitab ly , in any w ell-se lec ted locality in Ceylon. I t has no very serious enem ies to con tend w ith , and w h a t th e re are, appear only to a t ta c k i t to any degree d u rin g th e tw o firs t years of its grow th, and as i t gets up, th e ir h a rm fu l influences decrease ra th e r th an ex tend . T h ro u g h o u t C eylon th e re a re severa l w ell

aged cocoa trees a ll bearing largely , m ost of th em averag ing upw ards of 100 pods to th e tree. A t B addagam a, in th e G alle d is tric t, a few years ago,I saw tree s sa id to have been p lan ted by M r. W in ter fo rty years ago bearing heav ily , an d of g rea t size and g ir th . On l ’allakelly . th e o ldest cocoa is rep u ted to bear a t th e ra te of one to n an acre. I n th e M udal- iy a r’s garden a t K urunegala , th e re is an o ld tree w hich y ie ld s nearly an hundred pods yearly , an d in o th e r places a t K aduganaw a, Saffragam , an d iu H ap u ta le , w ith o u t any special care, and, in some instances, w here th e coffee a round i t has become “ a ll stem au d sticks” au d alm ost a ll gone o u t, th e cocoa re ta in s i ts v igour an d goes on bearing . A ll these fac ts any one w ho chooses to tra v e l an d m ake inqu iries can a scerta in for him self. T he one g re a t objection in th e eyes of m any will be its slow ­ness in com ing in to bearing . In th e low country for th ree years no crop can be expected , an d in th e fo u rth year i t w ill on ly y ie ld sufficient to p ay expenses for th a t y e a r’s cu ltiv a tio n . A fte r th a t , how ever, i t w ill s te ad ily y ie ld pay ing crops, and w ill y e a r by year increase in its y ie ld p robab ly up as fa r as say to th e 10th year. A s fa r as any experience goes in th e N o rth W estern P rovince, I find th a t R50 p e r acre will p ay a ll expenses of cu ltiva tion an d upkeep , excep t w h a t is necessary fo r secu ring th e crop, an d w hich shou ld no t, as fa r as I can ca lcu la te exceed R 3 m ore per cw t. T hu s, a crop of 5 cw t. th e acre should be p laced in Colom bo a t ab o u t 1180 p er acre an d w ould a t p re sen t prices realize R200, leav ing a p ro fit of R120 p er acre, i . e. R12,000 fo r 100 acres—w hich is n o t a very sanguine ex p ecta tion w hen com pared w ith th e b earing of th e m any m a tu re d trees before re fe rred to . T here w ill, how ever, alw ays be g re a t care neces­sa ry iu se lec ting lan d fo r i ts g ro w th ; w in d y ridges m u st be avoided, and r ich sandy loam above a ll o th e r soils su its it best.

A s fa r as o u r experience goes, w e have been fa r m ore successful in grow ing i t u n d e r shade, o u r b es t c lea r­ings being w here th e larg e trees an d underw ood have been rem oved leaving sparse shade of jung le from 20 to 30 fee t h igh . T he d r ip and roots of th e la rg er fo res t tree s a re decided ly in ju rio u s an d harm th e young cocoa. T he shade left would average ab o u t 20 fee t a p a r t a t first, an d we hav e found i t b e t te r • to supp lem ent these by a few p lan ted H alm alila jaks , to tak e th e place of th e irre g u la r fo res t tree s and form ing th e earlie r shade. P la n te d th u s w e have found th e cocoa grow stro n g er an d faster th a u in open clearings, w here its progress appears to be c o n tin ­u ally s topped by th e h ea t of a w holly u n sh ad ed sun.

N e x t y ea r w e hope to have 250 acres y ie ld ing 4 cw t. th e acre, and th e follow ing y ea r 's crop w ill no d o u b t very m uch exceed th a t . 1 have had no experience of w h a t cocoa will do in o ld coffee, b u t from w h a t I have seen in D oom bera, where th e soil is good, i t certa in ly appears to th r iv e and ca rry o u t w h a t M r. F ra se r says of i t , “ th a t cocoa w ill m ake th e so il.” The g rea t draw back to its grow th upon new lan d w ill alw ays be th e len g th of tim e before i t comes in to bearing . Y e t w ith a ll those who can afford to w ait, th e y ce rta in ly canno t do b e tte r th a n benefit by th e firs t fu ll crops secured by a p le th o ra of p la n t food, w hich can only be found on new land . F ro m th e in fo rm ation a d ­duced i t w ould appear th a t , p rac tica lly speak ing , cocoa is a perm anent tree, w hich w ould in no w ay fall off in i ts bearing qu a lities for s ix ty years a t least. W .F .L .

[N. B .— VVe use the w ord “ cocoa” instead of cacao an d spell “ coconut” w ithou t th e ‘f a ” to d istingu ish th e palm .— E d.]

C E Y L O N T E A IN LONDON.

33, Basinghall Street, London, e .c., 3rd March 1882. Dear S ir ,—The tea m arket is still very quiet, but the

dem and is be tter thau i t was. The following Ueylon tea

lias been up in public sale since we last wrote, fetching fairly good prices:—

Dunedin 24 half chests Pekoe Souchongs. d.1 3 i

12 do llrok. Pekoe 1 4§Kuanwella 8 do Pekoe Souchong 1 2

7 do llrok. Pekoe 1 2M .R . 24 chests Pekoe Souchong 1 3J

1 half chest „ „18 do llrok. Pekoe 1 2

Sembawatte 10 do Pekoe Souchong 1 310 do llrok. Pekoe 1 2|

The tea under the m ark M. K., which sold so badly inDecember, has evidently been improved upon. There is, we hear, some Rookwood tea up next week, which will proba­bly go cheaply, on account of tb e accident to th e vessel bringing it home, although this has not, we hear, affected th e quality of a large consignment of Indian tea by the same steamer,—Yours faithfully, HU TCH ISO N & Co.

R em edy fo b S co rp io n S t in g s .— A very sim ple, b u t eflectual, rem edy for scorpion stin g s is to app ly heat to th e p a r t affected. I have tr ie d i t for several years, and never on a single occasion found i t to iajl.-T-M adras M ail.

S c o r p io n S t i n g s .— W ith reference to a sm all ex ­tr a c t from th e M adras M ail, w hich appeared in our issue of tb e 2 '2u d in s tan t, w e are rem inded by an old correspondent th a t m oistened qu ick lim e, or ehunam, as i t is called in Ceylon, if applied a t once, is a sovereign rem edy for a ll stings inc lud ing th e s*ing of a scorpion, an d th e n ex t best th in g is a pou ltice of ipecacul a 1a. Of course th is rem edy does no t apply to th e stin g s o r ra th e r b ites of snakes, in which case excision of tb e b itte n p a r t is all th a t can be done.

C h a s e r i c u l t c r e is a new te rm used to describe th e com bined in d u str ie s of tea an d silk. I t includes th e p lan ting , cu ltiv a tio n , an d th e m an ipu la tion of tea and th e m ulberry , an d th e rearing of th e silkw orm . “ C ha ” m eans th e d ry p repared leaves of th e tea- p l a n t ; ‘‘ se ri ’’ com es from eericum , silk j an d th e rem ain ing w ord is obvious. T ea and s ilk a re ad v an ­tageously c u ltiv a te d tog e th er, hence th e com pound te rm .— Chemist and D ruggist. [M r. Wm. Cochran, b ro th e r of M r. M. C ochran of Colombo has been a d ­vocating a tte n tio n to these industries in N ew Zealand

I n a paper read before th e Society of A r ts from w hich w e m ean to e x tra c t.—E d .]

S a l e o f C in c h o n a B a r k . — T h e D ep u ty C onser­v a to r of F o rests, in -charge of C inchona P lan ta tio n s , N eilgherris , in a re p o rt to th e C onservator of F orests, d a te d 18th Ja n u a ry la s t, says th a t th e auction sale of cinchona b a rk to o k place on th e 11th in s ta n t a t M essrs. O akes & Co.’s sale-room , M a d ra s ; th e at- tendence w as fair, an d M essrs. C roysdale & Co., a n d P a rry & Co., were th e on ly purchasers. A ccording to th e l is t of prices realized, one hu n d red bales w ere sold fo r Rs. 16,106. T ie u p se t price of th e above fixed in accordance w ith o rders of G o­v e rn m en t being Rs. 15,106, th e re was a su rp lu s of Rs. 592, considered as pu re gain over th e n e t sale proceeds, w hich th e 100 bales w ould have fe tched in th e L ondon m ark e t. T he D eputy C onservator con­sid e rs th e ex perim en t of a local sale sa tisfac to ry . H e does n o t th in k th e re is an y advan tage gained b y se ll­ing b a rk in th e c o u n t r y ; in fac t th e reverse. On th e above re p o rt tbe G overnm ent passed th e fo llow ­ing order. In d iv id u a l applications w ere being m ade to G overnm ent fo r th e bark , and i t was reso lved to t r y a few auction sales w ith th e o b jec t of develop­in g a local dem and , w hich p rivate grow ers m igh t supply. T he p resen t is th e only sale th a t has y e t tak en p laee , an d the n e t re su lt show s m ore profit th an if th e bark ‘ had been sold a t hom e. A couple m ure sales shou ld be m ade in th e course of a year, an d th e resu lts pub lish ed for th e inform ation of p riva te d ea le rs ,—M a d ras Times.

T i i e S i l k I n d u s t r y in B engal has for som e tim e p a s t been in a lan gu ish ing sta te . T he im m ed ia te cause is believed to be th e degeneracy of th e B engal w orm th ro u g h w a n t of care and cleanliness on th e p a r t of th e n a tiv e rearers. A t one tim e s ilk p roducers and silk m anufactu re rs prospered . T he supp ly of “ eggs” au d th e rea iin g of th e worm s til l th e cocoons are spun are le f t b y th e E uropean m an u fac tu re rs e n tire ly to na tive enterprise . A nd from indolence an d th e desire to avoid an y o u tlay th a t does n o t ap p ear to be abso l­u te ly necessary , th e n a tiv e g row er goes on an n u a lly rea rin g w orm s from seed th a t is degenera ting . — M adras M ail.

F l e x ib l e . I v o r y ,— Iv o ry , w h ich in its norm al s ta te is so h a rd and rig id , can nevertheless be softened-arti- ficially by th e follow ing process :—I t is to be firs t im m ersed in a so lu tion of p u re phosphoric ac id of specific g rav ity 1 3 u n ti l i t loses, o r p a r tia lly loses, i ts opacity , an d becom es tran slu cen t. I t is th e n w ashed in clean cold w ater, an d d ried , w hen i t w ill be found as flexible as lea th er, b u t i t speed ily h ard en s on e x ­posure to d ry a ir . D ipp ing i t in h o t w ater w ill, h o w ­ever, soon resto re its p liancy and softness. A n o th er m ethod consists in p lugging th e ivory in to a m ix tu re of th re e ounces of n itr ic acid an d fifteen ounces of w ater, and leav ing i t to steep for th ree or four days, d u rin g w h ich i t so ften .— H om e Paper.

C a l is a y a Y e r d e . —T h e seeds of som e valuable new species o r varie ties of cinchona th a t hav e no t, i t seem s, as y e t been in troduced to th e In d ia n p la n ­ta tio n s, have recen tly been consigned to M essrs. C h ris ty & Co. of Fenchurcli S t. T hese new form s a re very rich in quin ine. I t is said th a t b e tte r re su lts a re to be ob ta in ed by cu ltiv a tin g th e calisaya verde th a n th e calisaya fina, because a lth o u g h th e fo rm er y ields only 64 to 9 p er cen t, of p u re su lp h a te of qu in ine , y e t i t y ields tw ice the am ount of b a rk as th e Jina o r ledgeriana. T he produce of th e calisaya verde in eq u ivalen t to from 13 to 18 p e r cen t of quin ine. M oreover from th e fa c t th a t th e calisaya verde is a m ore v igorous tree th a n th e delicate ledgeriana an d w ill grow a t a low er elevation , i t is obvious th a t i t can be cu ltiv a ted to a m uch g rea te r e x te n t and m ay be ex trem ely valuab le fo r g ra ftin g th e ledgeriana upon m ore especially since th e a t te m p t to g ra ft th e ledgeriana on C. su ccirub ra has p roved u nsuccessfu l.—N a tu re_

I n d ia n S t u d e n t s o f A g r ic u l t u r e a n d L a w . — A reso lu tion was passed in 1879 by th e G overnm ent of B engal for th e e s tab lish m en t of ag ricu ltu ra l sch o la r­ships fo r th e benefit of natives, g raduates of th e U n i­v e rs ity of C a lcu tta , a t th e R oya l A g r ic u l tu ra l College, C irencester. T he firs t tw o scholars en te red th is college in Ja n u a ry 1880, and a re now m ak ing th e re a very successful career. T hese w ere Babu A m bika C haren Sen, M .A , an d Syod S ek h aw at H osein, B .A . T he Ind ian D a ily N ews s ta te s t h a t th e tw o new s tu d e n ts appo in ted by the Bengal G overnm ent to e n te r a t C irencester in Ja n u a ry n e x t are Baboos B ro jobullub D u tt, M . A ., an d G reesh C h u n d er Bose, M. A. T he form er is th e head m aste r of th e S reebeu r B ungshe- d h u r School a t N aw abguuge, and is th e G old M edallis t of 1880 in P h y sica l Science, and la tte r a le c tu re r on chem istry a t th e C u ttack College. A n allow ance of £200 a year—ten ab le for tw o an d a h a lf years—w ill be g ran ted to iach of these cand idates , an d an ou tfit allow ance of l , 000rs. has also been sanctioned to each of them . M r. M uncheerjee D adabhoy D ady- se tt, a Parsee gen tlem en from Bom bay, la te m agis­tr a te and sub-judge in B aroda, an d now of th e M iddle Tem ple, w ho was aw arded , in Ja n u a ry 1881, th e second prize, w o rth £25, iu Com m on Law , was y este rd ay again aw arded by th e Council of Legal E du- ca tion a fu rth e r prize of £25 in Com m on L aw . M r. D ad y se tt is ihe firs t n a tiv e of In d ia who has tw ice succeeded in a com petitive exam ination annually held by th e fo u r In n s of C ourt. — Colonies and Ind ia .

B ic e ,—T he B engal G overnm ent e s tim ates th e stocks of rice in and a round C a lcu tta for th e firs t w eek of M arch a t 22,22,308 m aunds, of w hich eleven an d a h a lf lak h s were available fo r e x p o rt.— M a d ra s Times.

T h e S h i p m e n t s o f C o f f e e from V enezuela to th e U nited S ta te s in 1880 am ounted to 44,415,994 pounds, against 28,676,541 pounds in 1879—an in ­crease of n ea rly 55 per c e n t .—R io New s.

T h e D u t i e s o n T e a i n t h e A u s t r a l i a n C o l o n ie s v ary from 3d per lb . in V icto ria , New S ou th W ales, and S outh A ustra lia , to 41 in W este rn A u stra lia and New Zealand, and u p t o 6d in Q ueensland and Tasm ania.

C o n r o y ’s M a l t C o f f e e . —T his p repara tion has been b ro u g h t before th e tr a d e by M essrs. E vans, Sons & Co., of L iverpool, an d th e process of i ts m anufactu re has been devised by th e ir w ell-know n chem ist, Mr. M. Conroy, F .C .S . I t con tains no in g red ien ts except m a lt aud coffee, an d th e fo rm er is certified by M r. E d w ard D avies to con tain m a lt d iastase in an ac tive forifi, th a t is we suppose, th e m a lt has n o t been roasted w ith th e coffee. T he com bination appears to be a happy one, as coffee is generally ta k e n w ith s ta rch y foods, th e digestion of w hich, i t m ay be expected , in th is form , to aid . W e can te s tify to th e excellen t flavour of coffee m ade from th is com pound, w hile th e s ty le in w hich i t is p u t up fo r sale leaves n o th in g to be d e ­s ire d .—Chemist and D ruggist.

O l e u m B i c i n i I n s i p i d u m . —P h arm acists in no w ay ju stify th e ir existence in th e com m unity b e tte r th an by im provem ents in th e p rep ara tio n of usefu l m edicines, ren d erin g th em less nauseous o r m ore convenient for adm in istra tio n . B y producing a tas te le ss an d odour­less castor oil M essrs. A llen & H a n b u ry s m ay be con­g ra tu la ted on hav ing achieved a rea lly notab le triu m p h of m ind over m a tte r . T h e ir p ro d u c t certain ly has no trace of odour, an d i t is as free from ta s te as pure olive o r alm ond oil. I t is ra th e r difficult to exactly appreciate th is fact, an d i t is probable th a t th e p resen t g enera tion w ill h a rd ly fu lly u n d e rs tan d w h a t has been done for them . C asto r oil has an evil repu ta tion clinging to it, which i t is im possible for an y of us to fo rg e t as we approach i t . I t is only necessary, how ever, now to dism iss all p re jud ice from th e m ind an d a dose of casto r oil need no longer in sp ire th e d read w hich c lu s te rs ro u n d i ts nam e in every house­h o ld .—Chemist and D ruggist.

T h e “ C l e r i h e w ” P r o c e s s a p p l i e d t o H a y a n d S t r a w . — A C orrespondent of th e London Tim es w rites :—T w o m ethods of artificially d ry in g w e t grass and corn are now before th e public . B y years of labour an d heavy ex p en d itu re of cap ita l M r. W . A . G ibbs, of G illw ell-park , C hingford, Essex, has perfec ted h is ap p ara tu s for in stan tan eo u sly converting grass in to hay, or as qu ick ly d ry in g g ra in in th e straw , load by load, as fed in to h is ho t-a ir m achine, and finished in p roper condition , open to inspection before being delivered upon th e s ta ck . A n d I believe th a t a Com pany of influential shareholders proposes to ex ten d th e use of these m achines e ith e r by supply ing them to h ay and corn growers or by purchasing grass nex t sum m er and m aking i t in to firs t-quality h ay undam aged by storm s, w hich would be a profitable ad v en tu re in case of a ra in y season. L a te ly , how ever, an o th e r system know n as “ stack-sucking ” has been spoken of, in w hich tbe w et grass o r corn is d ea lt w ith in bu lk b y its own fe rm en ta tive heating in th e stack , from which th e ex­cess of h ea t an d vapour is d raw n o u t by an ex h au stfan. T he m echanical ap p a ra tu s is of tw o kinds, p o r t­able an d fixed. T h e success of M r. G ibbs’s p lan has been dem onstra ted on m any farm s. I t rem ains to be show n on a u th o r ita tiv e tr ia l w h e th er th e o th e r is safe, econom ical, and sa tis fac to ry in th e cond ition of the hay or corn tre a te d by it, an d if so, which of th etw o system s m ay be offered w ith th e g rea test confid­ence to farm ers.

T h e C o s t o f c o n v e y in g M a c h in e r y t o t h e G o l d M i n e s i n S o u t h e r n I n d i a is th u s no ticed b y th e N ilg iri p a p e r :—W e k n o w of one case in w h ich , in ad d itio n to d ra u g h t ca ttle , two e lep h an ts w ere em ployed a t th e r a te of a h u n d red rupees a day to tu g up some heavy m ach in ery . T he d ra u g h t c a ttle an d superv ision cost as m uch again, an d th is ex p en d itu re of tw o h u n d re d rupees a day con tinued fo r no less th a n seven w eeks, w hen th e m ach inery a rriv ed a t its d es tin a tio n on th e tru n k roj,d. Such expenses as th ese , an d such difficulties, have h ad to be in cu rred and encountered , an d th o se w ho were n o t eye-w itnesses canno t form any idea of th e difficulties overcome.

P a p e r f r o m E l e p h a n t G r a s s . —T he B ally P ap er M ills recen tly tr ie d an ex p erim en t in paper-m aking from specim ens of e lephan t g rass received from th e C hief C om m issioner of B ritish B urm a. T he specim ens consisted of 144 bags of the grass, w eigh­in g 45 m aunds, o r 3,6901b. T h e grass had been col­lec ted b y M r. II . B uckle, D ep u ty Com m issioner, M aoobin. T he u p p er half h ad been c u t off an d th row n aw ay, an d th e low er half crushed an d w ashed in w a te r an d dried , undergo ing in th e process a loss in w eigh t of 62 p e r cent. T he d r ie d grass, on receip t a t th e m ills, was boiled in caustic soda a t 20 p er c e n t, an d bleached w ith b leach ing pow der a t cen t p e r c e n t . T h e paper m ade w as p ronounced a fa ir s im p le fo r a firs t tr ia l, though th e colour, i t w as said, d id n o t “ come up p a rtic u la rly good .” T he stuff' is described as easy of trea tm en t. T h e a u th o ritie s of th e m ills suggest th a t b e tte r re su lts m igh t be obtained by g re a te r care in th e p roduction of th e fibre .—Pioneer.

W a t t l e s .— Some in te restin g facts in connection w ith th e w a ttle bark q uestion were e lic ited y es te rd ay d u rin g the p rosecu tion of th e inqu iries w hich a re a t p re sen t being in s t i tu te d by th e T ariff Com m ission re la tiv e to th e lea th er indu stries , M r. F re d e rick W in, Beed, tan n e r, endorsed th e evidence g iven on th e prev ious day re la tiv e to th e rapid ly-decreasing supply of th e necessary artic le , an d suggested as a rem edy th e im position of an export d u ty . M r. B osisto said th a t m agnificent re tu rn s h ad been ob ta ined on cap ital invested in w a ttle p lan ting , an d suggested th a t th e ta n n e rs th e m ­selves should em bark iu th e cu ltiv a tio n of th e trees. H e fu r th e r observed th a t th e G overnm ent of th e da# had tak en im m ediate ac tion on th e rep o rt of th e ro y a l commission appoin ted to inqu ire in to th e question , an d acres of trees w ere p lan ted along th e railw ay lines. S ubsequen t G overnm ents h a d ignored th e com ­m ission’s suggestions, and w attles w ere becom ing scarce. In th e Geelong d is tr ic t th e tree s p lan ted w ould be re a d y for b a rk in g in th ree y e a rs ’ tim e, an d w ould y ield th e G overnm ent 100 per cent, on th e ir o u tla y .— A ustralasian .

I m p r o v e d F a r m i n g a t M a d r a s . — A very in te re s t­ing ex perim en t has been a ttra c tin g a tte n tio n a t M adras. Some lan d h ad been th row n o u t of cu ltiv a tio n in con­sequence of th e fam ine. T h is land was ta k e n u p by M r. S ab ap a th y M udaliyar, w ho d e term ined to t r y the effect of deep p loughing, and m anuring w ith T ow u Sew age, on th e co tto n and cholum crops, w hich are th e o rd inary stap les of th e d is tr ic t of B ellary , iu which th e experim ent is being tr ie d . T he re su lts w ere so effective, th a t th e neighbouring ryo ts h iv e been a t once converted to Sabapathy M udaliyar’s m ode of cu ltiva tion , a n d th e y have gone to h im w ith o rders fo r 300 p loughs of th e sam e descrip tion as th a t he h im self h a d been using. T h is is a rep e titio n of w h a t we have often found in B engal, viz. t h a t the ry o t is w edded to h is ow n system s, only so long as he th in k s those sy s tem s w ill give th e b e s t an d m ost profitable resu lts . T he In d ian cu ltiv a to r is by no. m eans blind to h is ow n in te rests , an d if he can be convinced of th e value of a change, experience has show n, bo th in B engal, M adras, a n d Poona, th a t he is by no m eans slack to ad o p t th a t change.—Indian D a ily News.

C A L ISA Y A L E D G E R IA N A IN C E Y L O N .W e d e lay ed th e le t te r , g iven in an o th e r colum n,

from M r. N o rth C hristie , w ith th e in te n tio n of em ­bodying i t in a com prehensive no tice of th e Ledgeii- anas, w hich we hav e n o t been ab le as y e t to o v e r­tak e , W e, therefo re , now p u b lish M r. C h ris tie ’s in ­te re s tin g and im p o rtan t facts. A s M r. C hristie , lik e o u r­se lves an d o thers, ob ta ined h is seed from th e la te M r. M c lvor, th e re can be no d o u b t now th a t th e N ed d iw u ttu m p lan ts, in w hich M r. H o w ard could n o t tra c e th e ch arac­te r is tic s of L edgeriana, w ere y e t tru e L edgerianas, a lte re d in ch a rac te r by adverse c lim atic conditions. T he b a rk of th e sp in d ly bushes realized 12s 8d per lb . an d seedlings from them , p lan ted a t a su itab le elevation , have resu lted in such ex trao rd in ary resu lts as M r. C h ris tie sends us. I t is im p o rtan t to see th a t seed in th is case and in th a t of M c lv o r’s hybrids has come t ru e to ty p e , fo r seedlings have th e g rea t m erit of being rap id ly an d cheaply p ropagated . W h a t th e re su lt of seeds from M r. C h ris tie ’s trees m ay be, w e should be curious to see.

O ur readers are already aw are th a t M r. W m . S m ith , of M a ttak e lle , ob ta ined re su lts equally good w ith those ob ta ined from th e M askeliya p lan ts . A second se t of analyses have reached M r. S m ith , w hich give for

Crystalized CrystalizedQuinine Cinelionidine

Sulphate. Sulphate.B 12 1 6 0-74A 8"60 0 4 8J 6"84 traceC 9"46 0"66R 7"13 1*10Q 7 34 0"70M N 7"90 0"30E 8-78 0-60F 11*9 0"16G 10"31 0-92H 8 04 0 6 0K 8-90 0-34I 7"82 1-42Mr. Sm ith , in send ing us D r. P a u l’s analyses,

w ro te :—“ I have g o t 12 m ore analyses from London by D r.

P a u l , th e y range betw een 7 "50 to 12"16 p e rc e n t su lpha te of quinine. T h is is very g ra tify ing , considering th e y were from trees re jec ted by Cam pbell an d Fairlie. T ak ing th e 30 sam ples w hich are now in M essrs. H ow ards’ bands, th is 12"16 per cen t is th e highest w e have a tta in e d to , being from a s trong robust tree w ith o u t seed, w hich will afford a sp lend id lo t of

rafts . ”t is now q u ite clear th a t C alisaya Ledgeriana has

been established in Ceylon an d th a t th e bark is likely to give resu lts equal to th e average ob ta ined in Jav a . T he fact is of g rea t im portance to th e fu tu re of our p lan tin g en te rp rise in connection w ith w hat we hope w ill be on ly the p a r tia l an d tem p o rary fa ilu re of the A rab ian coffee en te rp rise . T he g ra ftin g process has j been h ere even m ore successful th a n in Ja v a , as we have a lread y m entioned.

C IN C H O N A C A L ISA Y A L E D G E R IA N A IN C EY LO N .

S t. A n d rew ’s, M askeliya 23rd M arch 1882.T o the E d ito r o f the Ceylon Observer.

Dea r S ir , —T he follow ing analyses of L edgeriana

b a rk from th is es ta te , m ade by D r. B. H . P a u l, of London, w ill b e of in te re s t to y o u r r e a d e r s :—

C rysta llized Q uinine C rysta llizedC in- C inchonineS u lphate . chonid ine su lpha te .

No. 1 11 "55 1 0 4.. 2 12 03 0"30„ 3 12-79 0-40, , 4 4"63 0"64„ 5 1 1 1 0 0"40„ 6 10 20 0-84„ 7 11 09 1-52» 8 7"65 2-84

| O m itting No. 4, w hich w as se n t as a curiosity , i t : being from a so lita ry tree o f p ecu lia r type , w hich has

never blossom ed, th e average of th e sam ples is alm ost 11 p e r cen t su lpha te . As th e trees w ere b u t five years an d four m onths o ld , an d never m anured when th e sam ples w ere ta k e n , I th in k th is re s u lt is second to none. D r. P a u l rem arked ab o u t N o 4 t h a t it w as rem ark ab le for th e redness of th e b a rk com pared to o th e r L edgers th a t he h ad exam ined an d concluded (erroneously) t h a t th is redness m u s t have been due to m anure o r soil. W ith a l i t t le care in* se lecting a good ty p e of tree , I have no dou b t th a t a L edgeriana clearing w ould a t six years of age, average 11 p er cent. N ex t to Ledgers, though a t a d istance, follow hybrid s, and from th e ir ro b u s t h a b it th e y w ill d oub tless o u st th e m uch abused ephem eric officinalis, for th e g row th of w hich Ceylon, as a rule, seems ab o u t as u n su ite d as Ja v a . T he analyses of tw o 4 J y ea r o ld “ h y b rid s” grow n here are :—

N o. 1 5 33 su lp h a te qu in ine .No. 2 6 "35 to ta l alkalo ids, 3 1 5 su lp h a te qu in ine . I n fo rw ard ing them , M r. Symons said :— “ N o. 1 is

very fine, and 1 v en tu re to th in k i t is a L edgeriana , au d of a very good typ e , as i t con ta in s b u t l i t t le of th e in ferio r alkaloids, p a rticu la rly cinelionidine. I f th e tree is seeding i t is w ell w orth tak ing care of an d p ro tec tin g from ad jo in ing blossom s th a t m igh t cause hybrid iza tion . Of course I canno t say p o sitive ly th a t i t is a L edger b u t i t gives a ll th e appearance of being one, d u rin g analysis. N o . 2, a lthough good is q u ite a d ifferen t species an d con ta in s a large q u a n tity of o th e r a lk a lo id s .”

T he analyses of these trees are in te re s tin g because, as fa r as I know, th ey a re th e o ldest hybrids, p lan ted ou t as such, in the island an d th e only know n progeny of a h y b rid , y e t analysed in Ceylon. T hey w ere grown from some ot th e seed from Me Iv o r’s orig inal hybrid s, given to me by him self, an d i t is g ra tify in g to see th a t w ith good h y b rid seed th e value of th e p a re n t tree is tra n sm itte d . A t m a tu r ity No. 1, w ould, I th in k , show q u ite one per cent su lp h a te fo r every y ea r of its age. B u t of some 2,000 trees raised from Me Iv o r ’s seed, th e re are v e ry few exactly alike an d th is fac t, to g e th er w ith th e ir hardy h a b it an d rap id g row th , proves, I th in k , th e ir h y b rid origin, o r r a th e r th a t th ey are th e re su lt of th e cross-fertiliza tion of two varie ties.

The opponents of th e “ h y b rid ” theo ry , in its te c h ­nical sense, could h a rd ly deny th a t a m ongrel betw een a su ccirub ra an d an officinalis was ju s t as possible as a m ongrel betw een an E ng lish an d an In d ia n sheep .—

Yours fa ith fu lly , T H O S. N O R T H C H R IS T IE .

C O F F E E A D U L TE R A T IO N .

W e call a tten tio n to th e in teresting and weighty j le tte rs on th is subject in ano ther column, T h a t of

M r. Pasteur, the well-known London Broker, appeals m ore particularly to th e hom e public, while “ G. W .’s ” review of the case is calculated to revive the local in .

terest of planters and m erchants a t a tim e when the fortunes of our staple are apparently a t th e ir lowest ebb. Surely in the face of th e analyses now produced and of th e evidence of fu rther mischievous interm eddling on the p art of the Lords of th e T reasury w ith the legitim ate trade in coffee, there will no t be a single dissentient voice on th is side of the w ater, to the claim preferred for redress. Shoulder to shoulder, the m em bers of the P lan ters’ Association and Chamber of • Commerce ought to pu t forth their whole streng th to m ake th e appeal as forcible as is com patible with the respect they owe to the home authorities concerned. Ceylon fa r m ore th an any o ther coffee-producing country perhaps, has suffered through the abom inable and long-continued English adulterations. London is still th e g rea t depot for our coffee, aud if th e home consum ption had been a healthy one uninfluenced by m ixtures and adulterations as is the case w ith tea, we m ay feel sure th a t our fine coffees would have been in greater request. T he sooner the undeniable mischief of th e present system is remedied the b e tte r : th e im m ediate effect m ay be slight, but unless the English coffee trade is placed on a sound basis once for all, the decrease in consum ption w hich has gone on for several years back will continue un til only the m ost trifling quan tity of the genuine bean is required for G reat B rita in . W e tru s t th e hands of Messrs. Pasteur, D ickson and o ther friends of Ceylon in th is m atter, will be heartily and unitedly supported henceforward by the local public un til a grave in justice and a scandal to honest fa ir trade is removed.

C O F E E E A D U L T E R A T IO N A N D M IX T U R E S .To the E ditor o f the Ceylon Observer.

S ir ,—I t is sa tis fac to ry to see th e energetic aud effective m anner in w hich th is su b jec t has been tak en u p b y our en ligh tened frien d s a t home. T h e ir action con trasts strong ly w ith th a t of th e C om m ittee of our local C ham ber of Com m erce, w ho d id n o t th in k th e m a tte r of sufficient in te re s t o r im portance to be r e ­ferred to th e m em bers of th e C ham ber, b u t disposed of i t them selves in a curious and d isc rep an t sty le . O ur good friends a t hom e m u st n o t be le f t to fight th e b a ttle alone, how ever ; fo r v ic to ry will n o t be easily or q u ick ly won. T he re ta ilers are a large, pow erful and unscrupulous body', w ho exercise a g re a t iafluence a t th e poll. M inisters w ould be v e ry chary of exciting th e ir opposition or d isp leasure. M oreover, th e profit gained by th e su b s titu tio n of spurious and w orth less im ita tio n s w hich are sold in th e nam e and often also a t the price of genu ine coffee, is fa r too large to be conceded w ith o u t a desp era te struggle. W e ought, therefore , to buck le on our arm our, an d e n te r th e lis ts in h e a r ty su p p o rt of tho se w ho have so v igor­ously espoused o u r cause an d com m enced th e siege of th e enem y’s stronghold .

T he ex isting law , 'a s now adm in istered , is en tire ly a -ainst u s ; and offers th e g rea test fac ilitie s an d en­couragem ent to th e f ra u d u le n t dealer, w ho can palm off iu th e nam e of coffee an y tra sh w hatsoever, how ­ever w orth less i t m ay be, n o t only w ith im pun ity , b u t u n d er th e d irec t sanction of th e law , prov ided on ly th a t th e com position or su b s titu te he labelled a “ m ix tu re ,” an d con ta in a p roportion , how ever in ­significant, of genu ine coffee. T here are those am ongst u i who w ould have us believe th e dealers are our fr ien d s , an d th a t th e m ix tu res th e y vend are in ten d ed to m ake our coffee p a la tab le 1 T hese credulous persons con tend th a t the consum ers b u y these m ix tu res by preference ; th a t th ey could easily p rocure genuine coffee, b u t th ey p re fe r th e d ear an d d ir ty s tu ff w hich

th e good-natu red re ta ile rs su b s titu te . W e a re asked to believe th a t th e sale of o u r genuine, w holesom e coffee is prom oted by th e w ell-m eaning, k in d procedure of th o se w ho c a te r fo r th e B ritish p u b lic ; and th a t , if i t were n o t for th e ingenious devices by w hich i t is com m ended to th e p a la te of th e people by association w ith horsebeans, filings, and such lik e toothsom e artic les, our coffee would fa ll in o u t te r d isre p u te !

T h is argum ent, w ere if i t w orth answ ering a t all, would be sufficiently re fu ted b y a reference to th e w ay in w hich th e consum ption of rea l coffee is p roved to have declined in p rop o rtio n as these p rac tices prevailed . B u t, though th e a rg u m en t itself is u tte r ly u n w o rth y of any notice, an d could only o rig in a te in ignorance or in th e defence of fraud , th e fac t on w hich i t re s ts its only claim to com m on-sense canno t rem ain u n ­co n trad ic ted b u t m u st be proved to be a g re a t m is­ta k e . I t is ce rta in ly tru e th a t th e ex is tin g law p ro ­vides for th e su pp ly of genu ine coffee, an d for th e p un ishm en t of i ts frau d u len t a d u l te ra t io n ; b u t i t is also tru e th a t th e p ro tec tion th e law affords against frau d applies p rac tica lly to only a very few persons, w ho do n o t need i t ; an d is u t te r ly unavailing to th e m ill io n . whom i t shou ld benefit. The fa c t is th a t custom ers of th e h ig h er class app ly in g a t th e best shops for coffee w ould ce rta in ly be supp lied w ith th e genuine a rtic le , because, in th a t case, b o th v endor and vendee are aw are of th e p enalty fo r a breach of th e law , bu t th e w ork ing m an asks for coffee, an d is supplied w i b su b s titu te s m ore or less vile, a t prices li t t le , if a t all, below th e value of th e genuine a rtic le . T he fac t is th a t th e m illion do not receive genuine coffee even w hen th e y ask fo r i t . T h ey are supp lied w ith a m ix tu re or a su b s titu te , e ith e r in bold defiance of th e law , (w h at avails legal redress to a custom er of th is class whose dealings are in ounces an d w hose m eans are in pence!) w ith o u t label o r d e sc rip tio n ; or und er sh e lte r of a p recau tio n ­a ry label, perhaps in ty p e too sm all to be noticed .

In in v itin g th e a tte n tio n of frien d s a t hom e to th is su b je c t on m y recen t v isit, I la id m uch stress on th is aspect of our c a s e ; I begged them n o t to re s t satisfied w ith th e analyses of sam ples purchased by m essengers of respec tab le appearance, o r w ho m igh t be suspected of an object. In o rd e r to a scerta in w h a t is regu larly supp lied to th e m illion in th e nam e of coffee, I poin ted o u t th e necessity fo r ob ta in ing sam ples p u rchased by persons of th a t class, a t th e shops to w hich th e y resort. A cting on th is p rincip le , I ob ta ined sam ples from L ondon, L iverpool, M anchester, Sheffield, Chesterfield , P re sto n an d o th e r la rg e to w n s ; an d our London frien d s also have ob ta ined sam ples from London an d its environs. I n a ll these cases th e purchasers w ere in s tru c te d to ask for ground coffee, an d to accept, w ith o u t question o r rem ark , w h a tev er shou ld be given, an d to pay th e price dem anded. A n d w h a t was th e r e s u l t ! Of 37 sam ples purchased as coffee by our London friends, two only w ere genuine ! 18 were m ix tures, an d w ere so labelled for th e p ro tec tion of th e v e n d o rs ;—3 w erelabelled as specialities, b u t even these were n o t w h at th ey professed to be ! T hey w ere a d u lte ra te d su b sti­tu te s ! T he rem ain ing 14 w ere h anded across th e counter, w ith o u t an y a t te m p t a t disguise, in open defiance of th e law , an d p roved to be m ix tu res in w hich th e p ropo rtio n of real coffee v a ried from 7 to 04 p er cen t 1 T he re s t of th e ir co n stitu en ts w ere chicory, finings, dates, dandelion an d som e o th e r u n ­recognized substances. Such a re th e a rtic le s th e w o rk ­ing m an receives from his p u rv ey o r when he asks f o r coffee! Such in p rac tice is th e opera tion of th e law as regards th e re ta il tra d e in coffee !

A s regards th e sam ples ob ta ined from th e tow ns in th e co u n try , 48 in num ber, a p re lim inary exam ina­tion of ab o u t 20 proved th em all to be m ix tu res . N o t one of th e 20 was genuine ! F u r th e r exam ination an d analysis w as precluded, as m y eyes would n o t

b ea r th e s tra in of m icroscopic research . T he sam ples w ill therefore be h anded to th e P lan te rs’ A ssociation to be m ade such use of as th ey m ay deem proper.

Be i t rem em bered th a t th e samples above m entioned, those w hich w ere bought in London as w ell as those from th e cou n try , were supp lied as coffee. T hey th e re ­fore rep re sen t w h a t th e m illion receive as coffee an d accept as exponents of th e flavour and qualities of th e genuine a r t ic le ! T he w ork ing m an’s ta s te an d opinion of coffee, based 011 h is experience of the stu ff so ld to h im as such, is n o t lik e ly to be very h igh ! N o w onder he com plains th a t “ coffee” does n o t agree w ith h im . A g en tlem an w ho p ro­cu red som e of th e sam ples for me, said th a t h is w ork­people had ceased to d rin k coffee, because i t d is­agreed w ith them ! N o w onder th a t the genuine artic le , as so frau d u len tly su b s titu ted has fallen in to disuse, and th a t th e tra d e has become alm ost monopolized by proposed su b stitu tes. T he g reat bulk of the re ta il trad e in coffee in th e U n ited K ingdom now consists of substances w hich do no t even profess to be genuine coffee. T hey are advertized in flam ing posters in alm ost every grocer’s shop, as French, Date, Dandelion, or p ig coffee, o r as Pearson 's, B rau sto n ’s, P ra n k ’s au d everybody else’s coffee, excep t Nature's own. In a ll these su b stitu tes the p roportion of real coffee is only ju s t so m uch as w ill serve to palm off th e o th er constituen ts . T he p roportion which the tra d e in real coffee bears to th a t of i ts su b stitu tes m ay be inferred from the fac t th a t, a t th e g rea t Food E x h ib itio n in th e A g ricu ltu ra l H all in London last O ctober, I could see only one poor p la te of coffee beans w ith about half-a-pound of genuine coffee on it, though th e counters groaned under piles and py ram ids of canisters, w ith flash labels, represen ting m any tons of. su b stitu tes an d m ix tures, a ll deriv ing such v ir tu e as they posses­sed from th e sm all adm ix tu re they con ta ined of the artic le they so effectually supplant.

L et strug g lin g coffee p lan ters form th e ir own opinion from the foregoing facts as to w h a t is th e prac tica l effect of the ex is tin g law as regards coffee ad u lte ra tio n an d m ix tu re , an d le t th em jo in hand and h e a rt in th e effort now on foo t to ob ta in some am elioration of th e p re sen t condition . T he arg u ­m ents se t fo rth in th e d ra f t m em orial, su b m itted to th e P. A. la s t year, are su b s tan tia lly th e sam e as those adduced by M r. P aste u r and h is energetic allies ; and they are m ore th a n confirm ed b y th e fac ts of th e Case, as recen tly ascertained. L e t th e p lan te rs ex­hum e th a t d ra ft, an d am end i t if th e y p le a s e ; b u t le t th em n o t indu lge th e delusion , w hich led to th e shelv ing of th e m ovem ent la s t year, to w it : th a t th e m illion in our coun try know th e flavour and qu a li­ties of genuine coffee, an d buy th e su b s titu te s w ith th a t know ledge in p reference !—Y ours fa ith fu lly ,

G. W .

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N .T he follow ing is M r. H . P a s te u r’s second im p o rtan t-

le tte r on th is s u b je c t :—L ondon, 20 th Feb. 1882.

T he more th e la te o rder of th e T reasu ry concerning th e im porta tion of coffee, chicory, and m ix tu res is con- s ide red , th e m ore u n fa ir and u n ju s t th e ac tion of G o­vern m en t m u st appear, n o t only to those engaged in th e coffee tra d e b u t to th e general public. T o s ta te th a t coffee is one of th e b es t an d m ost useful of beverages, and th a t i t s use o ugh t to be encouraged on econom ical as w ell as sa n ita ry an d m oral g rounds, is to rep ea t a tru ism I t is esteem ed as such, and its use encouraged in all countries, save one, and its consum ption is stead ily increasing every wh i r excep t in G re a t B rita in . In A m erica th e consum ption is a t th e ra te ot over 8 lbs p er head per annum ; in G erm any, w ith a d u ty of 21. p e r cw t., it is 5 lb. p e r head ; in F rance , with a d u ty of

60s p e r c w t., i t is 4 lb . p e r head. In E n g la n d i t w as n early 2 lb . p e r head in 1847 with a d u ty of 36s p er cw t., b u t now, with a d u ty of 14s per cw t. i t is less th a n 1 lb. p e r head, an d y e t w e im port annually som e 70,000 tons of coffee o r five tim es th e q u a n tity consum ed. T he reason of th e grow ing d isfavour for th e a rtic le is- solely an d entirely ow ing to th e w holesale system of a d u lte ra ­tion , w hich flourishes u n d er th e regu la tions p e rm ittin g the sale of, an d since the 20 th Ja n u a ry , th e im p o rta tio n of any hind of stu ff m ixed in any proportion w ith coffee. T h a t th e regulations h ith e r to in force d id n o t p ro te c t th e revenue is am ply p roved . by fac ts ; th e du t y on coffee y ielded £216,800 in 1879, £203,500 in 1880, an d £199,600 in 1881 ; an d th e aggregate received in 1881 fo r du ty on coffee and ch ico ry is a c tu a lly less b y some £4 ,000 th a n th e am o u n t received in 1880. Do th e L ords of th e T reasu ry believe th a t , by ex tending th e d u ty to o th er vegetable substances im p o rted m ixed w ith coffee an d chicory, th ey w ill p ro te c t th e revenue und er t h a t head ? T hey m igh t know , an d th ey o u g h t to know , th a t th e re su lt w ill be exactly th e reverse ; th e pub lic w ill leave off m ore an d m ore d rin k in g th e w retched stu ff w hich is sold to th em u nder th e nam e of, o r coupled w ith th e nam e of coffee, au d th e y w ill ta k e to beer an d sp ir its instead .

B u t, se ttin g aside th e q uestion of revenue, an o th e r a s­pect of th e case appears to have e n tire ly escaped th e a t ­ten tio n of th e ir lo rdsh ips. I s i t ju s t, o r r ig h t o r fair, th a t th e nam e of coffee shou ld be used as a so rt of d e ­coy ? and th a t , by tack in g to i t some o th e r nam e or ep ith e t such as chicory o r French, Jersey, D ate, o r T ig coffee, any k in d of w orth less o r n as ty substances should be allow ed to be m ixed w ith i t for th e sole ob jec t of g e ttin g a profit w hich could n o t be got, if those a rtic les w ere sold u n d e r th e ir p roper nam e. T he public are powerless to p ro tec t them selves ag a in s t those prac tices a l­though w e a re gravely to ld th a t th e persons who infringe th e regu la tions of th e Sale o f Food and D rugs A c t render them selves liable to p rosecu tion ; th e endless fo rm ali­ties required , and the expenses of analyses, &c., are such th a t th e offending person is a lm ost su re of im m unity , o r a t tb e m ost, if p rosecuted b y th e excise officers of a fine so lig h t as to be a m a tte r of p e rfec t indifference to him .

T he G overnm en t can scarcely d isc la im an y idea or in- ten tio n of in v itin g a d u lte ra tio n by th e ir recen t action. I f p rocla im ing to th e w orld t hat henceforth perm ission is given to im p o rt any hind o f vegetable substances m ixed w ith coffee, w ithout any restriction as to the proportion o f the m ixture, is n o t an in v ita tio n to adu ltera te , th e n words m u st have su d d en ly ceased to have th e m eaning th ey have alw ays had before. In fac t th e fo reigner is to ld : - “ W e allow you to m ix any q u a n tity you lik e of saw -dust, of acorns o r ro ast carro ts o r cabbage s ta lk s w ith coffee o r chicory, and you m ay im p o rt them here ; o u r custom s officers will charge you a d u ty of 2d per lb. ; b u t, as you w ill be in fring ing th e A d u lte ra tio n A cts our B oard of In la n d Revenue officers m ay th e n proceed against you or y o u r agents, an d lev y fines fo r such in fringem en t.”

T h e T reasu ry allow th e im portation of s tu ff w hich th e y know to be spurious and of no value, and unsale­ab le here o r anyw here else, ex cep t u n d e r a fic titious nam e. I rep ea t : is i t r ig h t o r ju s t , o r m oral ? W h y countenance o r allow the im porta tion of those m ix tu res ? W h a t are th e in te rests w hich appear to G overnm ent so w o rth y of being encouraged an d p ro tec ted a t th e ex ­pense of the B ritish public and of a ll those engaged in an im p o rta n t a r tic le of tra d e ? I t can n o t be fo r th e sake of p lacing w ith in reach of th e m illion a wholesom e and pu re beverage a t a a reasonable p r ic e ; fo r those w retched m ixtures are sold a t Is per lb ., w h ilst good pu re coffee can be b ough t in th e shops, ro asted and ground , for lOd or l i d p er lb.

W e are told th a t m ix tu res an d ad u lte ra tio n s can be p repared here p riv a te ly , w dthout p ay in g d u ty , on th e

re ta ile rs ow n premises. T h is is bad enough, b u t is i t a reason w hy G overnm ent shou ld open th e door to th e foreigner so as to double o r tre b le th e q u a n tity of spurious stuff w ith w hich our tow ns and villages are a lread y in u n d a ted ? Cheap and free a re tw o g ran d words applied to trad e , b u t on condition th a t th ey are no t supplem ented by th e w ords nasty and adulterated , w hich legislation, d u rin g th e p a s t th i r ty years, has done its best to tack on coffee. H . PA STETJE,

38, M incing L .ane. L o n d o n , 21st February 1882*

E esult of analyses of samples of coffee purchased a t various shops in and about London, February 1882, anti subm itted to Messrs. G. W. Wigner and R. H . H ariand, Public Analysts, of 79 G reat Tower Street, City.

N . B—In nearly every instance the article asked for was coffee.Number Estim ated

of Labelled. percentage Sample. of Remarks.

Coffee.1 52 Adulterant, chicory.2 25 do. chicory and some so-

called finings.3 A mixture of chi- 32 A dulterated with chicory

cory and coffee. and probably dates.4 do 31 A dulterant, chicory and fin­

ings.5 Specially prepared

French coffee. 34 Adulterated with chicoryand finings.

6 Taraxacum. 10 Dandelion and some chicory7 26 A dulterated with chicory

and finings.8 21 A dulterated with chicory

and dates.9 12 Adulterated w ith chicory,

dandelion and some dates.10 37 Adulterated with chicory

and finings.11 10 A dulterated w ith 90 per

cent, of chicory, [containing some dates.]

12 A m ixture of chicoryand coffee. 32 Adulterated w ith chicory,

13 100 Genuine coffee,14 A mixture of coffee

and chicory. 47 A dulterated with chicory anddates.

15 A mixture of coffeeand chicory. 41 A dulterant, chicory and so

called finings.16 7 A dulterant mainly bu t not

entirely chicory.17 This compound con­

tains no injuriousingredient. 57 A dulterant, chicory.

18 A mixture of coffeeand chicory. 31 do. do.

19 A m ixture of coffeeand chicory. 41 do. do. and finings.

20 A m ixture of coffeeand chicory. 38 do. do. do.

21 36 do. do. and dande­lion.

22 54 do. do. finings.23 A mixture of coffee

and chicory. 17 do. do. probablydandelion.

24 A m ixture of coffeeand chicory. 28 do. do. and finings.

25 Admixture in whichno injurious ingre­dient has been used 14 do. do. a t least 85

per cent.26 A m ixture of coffee

and chicory, 37 do. do.27 26 do. do. and finings.28 100 Genuine coffee.29 A m ixture o f coffee

and chicory. 68 Adulterant, chicory.

30 A m ixture of coffeeand chicory. 50 do do. and probab­

ly dates.31 A mixture in which

no injurious ing re ­d ient has been used. 44 A dulterant, chicory.

32 23 do. do. and finings.33 39 do. do. and so -

called finings.34 A m ixture of coffee

chicory. 10 Adulterant, chicory and largeproportion of some other— probably dandelion.

35 A m ixture of coffeeand chicory. 10 A dulterant, chicory a t least

90 per cent.36 D ate coffee. 57 A dulterants, roasted date

and chicory.37 Dandelion coffee, none. Dandelion root and probably

some other substances.

The names and addresses of the vendors, represented in the above table by numbers, are in the possession of the Analysts.

H. P asteur, 38, Min cing Lane.

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N .(F ro m a London Correspondent.)

T here is y e t m ore to ad d th is w eek to th e sub jec t to w hich so m uch space has of la te been given in m y le tte rs , viz., the coffee a d u lte ra tio n question . A s regards no tices in the p ub lic press, th ey have been confined th is w eek to Colonies and Ind ia , and , a lth o u g h aw are th a t you received th is pap er and have p robab ly seen th e refe rence refe rred to, i t m ay be as w ell ju s t to q uo te i t here before passing to m y ow n experiences d u rin g th e w eek re la tiv e to th is m a tte r . T h e p a rag rap h ru n s th u s :—

“ S tro n g as is th e case of th e sugar-grow ers in th e colonies and of sugar-refiners a t hom e, th e case of coffee-planters an d coffee-coneumere is, perhaps, even stro n g er in th e ir p ro te s t against th e new T reasu ry o rder, a llow ing ru b b ish of all k inds, so long as i t is ca lled “ coffee,” to be im ported on pay ing th e sam e d u ty as pure coffee. H ith e r to an ad d itio n a l d u ty has been im posed on coffee m ixed w ith chicory and on th e pseudo-coffees w hich have la te ly come in to p rom inence : b u t now th e adm ission of coffee a d u lte r ­a ted to any e x ten t w ith chicory , beans, saw d u st, or any o th e r trash , is to be allow ed on th e same te rm s w ith th e pu re berry. S u re ly th e in te re s t of th e a u th o ritie s in th e h ea lth of th e people, if n o t in th e welf areof th e colonies, is g re a t enough to lead to th e ab rogation of th is m ost im politic regulation . T h e adm ission of sp u rio 1 s a rtic le s of food shou ld be p laced u n d er g rea te r d is ­ab ilitie s , in s tea d of being m ade m ore easy th a n ev er.”

T here is an e rro r in th e above p a rag rap h re la tiv e to th e d u ties on coffee an d these m ix tu res being iden tica l, th e pure bean p ay ing only l j d per lb, w hile th e la t te r are charged 2d. The difference, how ever, can in no w ay com pensate for th e d isadvan tage of coffee being exposed to com petition w ith valueless com ­pounds. D uring an interview , w ith M r. T hom as D ick ­son th is p resen t week, he in form ed m e th a t a p e titio n for considera tion of th is question has been signed by 130 of th e lead ing brokers and o th ers concerned in th e coffee tra d e . I t was in ten d ed to have sen t th is to a ce rta in G overnm ent D epartm en t, and to have sought an in terv iew w ith its head by a d epu ta tion , b u t i t becam e know n to those in te re s ted th a t t h a t head is la rgely in te re s ted in a concern by w hich a cer.'ain m ix tu re is m anufactured in Je rsey . I t was, therefore, th o u g h t to be im politic to p re sen t th e petition in such a q u a rte r, and i t has th ere fo re been forw arded to th e T reasury . W h a t its fa te will be there, i t is impossible- to say, bu t, as M r. D ickson has secured th e prtim ise of co-operation

from a considerable num ber of m em bers of P arliam ent, I an d has also been assured of th e sy m p a th e tic action of a ll th e lead ing C ham bers of Com m erce in th e N o rth , i t m ay reasonably be hoped th a t th is p e titio n w ill n o t be b u rk ed . To th e le tte r addressed by M r. D ick ­son to L ord C airns, he has received no reply . T h is can n o t b u t be considered discourteous, b u t i t is th o u g h t th a t h is lo rdsh ip p robab ly considers th a t coffee a d u lte r , a tio n and fiscal a rrangem en ts p roperly come only u n d er th e ju risd ic tio n of the H ouse of C om m ons, an d th a t on th a t g round he deem s i t w iser n o t to com m it h im ­self to th e expression of any opinion. M r. H . P as te u r, of M incing Lane, has issued a fu rth e r no tice concern­ing th e la te T reasu ry o rder, and you w ill find i t enclosed. I t review s th e fac ts of th e case w ith m uch s tre n g th and clearness, an d you w ill p robab ly like to re p rin t i t in fu ll. Y ou will also receive w ith th is th e re su lt pub lished by M r. P as te u r of th e analyses of 37 sam ples of coffee purchased a t various shops in and ab o u t London. Of these, as you w ill p e r ­ceive, only tw o w ere genuine coffee, th e ad u lte ra tio n of th e o thers vary ing from 32 to 90 p er cen t ! One in stance , indeed , exceeds even th o se figurese, th e sam ple con ta in ing no coffee a t all, b u t th en i t w as sold as “ D andelion C offee” !

P assing along th e S tra n d th is w eek, an announcem ent in the E a s t In d ia and Colonial Tea A gency’s w indow s tru c k m y eye. I t w as sim ply a p lacard announcing “ C eylon T ea, 2s 9d per lb .” N ow, as very recen tly th e sam e w indow announced C eylon te a a t 2s 3d p er lb . , i t is ev iden t th a t i t is ris in g in public favour, an d i ts sale ex tend ing . A trem endous fu tu re (th is is n o t too superla tiv e an expression) lies before C eylon tea .

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N IN E N G LA N D .An in te re stin g and m ost im p o rta n t docum ent re la tin g

to th e consum ption of coffee in th e U n ited K ingdom has recen tly been issued by M r. H . P asteu r, of Mincing- lane. I t appears th a t in 1847 an d 1848 d u ty w as paid upon over 37,000,000 lb. of coffee for hom e consum ption, and th a t , du ring th e p as t year, w ith an increase of population on 1848 of a t lea s t 10,000,000, th e hom e consum ption of coffee was ju s t u n d e r 32,000,000 lb. T h e re can be no d o u b t th a t th e consum ption of “ coffee” ( th e in v erted com m as are very necessary) is m uch more general now th a n i t w as in 1848, an d th a t th e consum ption of genuine coffee has fallen off to th e e x te n t of5,000,000 lb. is a s ta r tl in g fac t w hich every purchaser of coffee shou ld ta k e to h ea rt. T he consum ption of spurious coffee is lik e ly to increase s til l m ore, fo r a T reasu ry M inu te w as issued, on Ja n u a ry 20 th , 1882, d irec tin g H er M ajesty’s B oard of Custom s to perm it th e im porta tion u n d er a d u ty of 2d. per lb. of “ coffee, chicory, o r any o th er vegetable m a tt te r applicable to th e uses of coffee or chicory, ro asted or g round , mixed w ith ­o u t reference to the proportions of th e m ix tu re .” Those w ho lik e to know w hat th ey are buying will do well to b u y th e ir coffee w hole and raw , an d to ro ast i t and g rin d i t for them selves. Coffee contains an alkaloid, caffeine, and certa in arom atic p rincip les w hich gave to i t i ts s tim u la tin g an d p leasan t qualities, and th e la rg er o r sm aller p roportions of w hich in th e various sam ples im ported determ ine th e m ark e t value. I t ce rta in ly seem s odd, to use th e m ildest te rm , th a t th e im porta tion of chicory, tu rn ip s , carro ts , cabbage-stalks, and various o th e r vegetable rubb ish w hich o u r co n tin en ta l neighbours choose to ro ast an d send to us, shou ld be encouraged by th e G overnm ent, to th e d e tr im e n t of th e d ie taries of the masses, an d th e business of colonial m erchan ts w ho have a soul above vegetab le refuse. I t seem s l it t le sh o rt of d isgracefu l th a t th e tine coffee of Ceylon should find a read ie r m a rk e t on th e C on tinen t th a n in th e p a re n t c o u n try , . th e good people of w hich are

abo u t to tu rn (as som e ap pear to th in k ), from th e d rin k in g of ad u lte ra ted alcohols to th e consum ption of s til l w orse ad u lte ra ted “ coffee.” One w ell-know n firm th a t deals in coffee inc ites th e B ritsh pub lic by its advertisem en ts to “ call a spade a spade ” —a w hole­som e doc trin e , and w e t ru s t i t w ill soon be pen a l toap p ly th e nam e of coffee to an y th in g b u t th e genuineartic le ; fo r i t is n o t well th a t th e pub lic shou ld pay Is. 4d. or I s 6d, per lb. fo r m ateria ls w hich are dear a t a q u a r te r of th a t price. W e have h eard m uch in tim es p as t of a “ free b reak fast t a b l e ” ; we hope soon th a t i t m ay become an u n a d u lte ra te d breakfast tab le , and th a t tho se w ho have a fancy for d rin k in g decoctions of s tran g e th in g s w ill be able to do so w ith o u t th e expense of h av ing th e nam e of coffee g iven to w hatever m ay happen to be able toim p art to boiling w a te r a brow nish colour an d ab itte r ta s te .— Lancet,

T H E A G R IC U LTU R A L IN D U ST R Y IN B R A ZIL .W e now quote the whole of the docum ent alluded

to as m entioning “ th e plague ” in coffee. I t is a re ­m arkably outspoken paper, and, a lthough its au thors look to Governm ent for a cen tra l sugar mill, as well as roads and instructions, they yet deplore the w ant of private enterprise and the selfishness of the "wealthy classes. N either do they spare th e free population for leaving m ost of th e production to slave labour. The picture drawn of th e s ta te of a society where the slave population considerably outnum bers th e free is no t fla tte r­ing, and to those in terested in the fu tu re of B razil no t reassu rin g :—

In an e x tra session of th e M unic ipal Council of San ta M aria M agdalena, th e follow ing address to th e p resid en t of th e province of R io de Ja n e iro was a d ­op ted ;—

S ib ,— In com pliance w ith th e o rders of Y our E x ­cellency in th e official le tte rs of th e 21s t of la s t m on th and of th e 11th of th e c u rre n t m onth , in w hich you ask for in fo rm ation regard ing th e s ta te of ag ricu ltu re , stock-farm ing , silk an d hee-cu ltu re in th is m unic ipality , th e M unic ipal Council have to say as fo llo w s:—

T h e lan d s of th is m un ic ip a lity are in genera l ex ­trem e ly fe rtile and a re su ited to a g re a t v a rie ty of prodnots, such as coffee, cereals, sugarcane, tobacco, g rapes, co tton , m u lberry , potatoes, rice, m andioca, etc. T h e only a rtic le of ex p o rt from th e m un ic ip a lity , how ever, is coffee. T h e p roduction of corns, beans an d sugar is scarcely sufficient fo r hom e consum ption , an d a lready th e re has com m enced a considerable im p o rta ­tio n of sugar, rice, tobacco an d rum .

T h e cu ltiv a tio n for ex p o rt in th e m un ic ipality is therefore lim ited to coffee, and th is cu ltiv a tio n is carried on in th e ru d im e n ta ry ro u tin e system w hich leaves m uch to be d es ired b o th as to th e q u a lity of th e product, and th e q u a n tity produced in re la tion to th e population .

T he num ber of slaves in th e m unic ipality being 13,010, and supposing th a t only 10,000 are em ployed in th e cu ltiv a tio n of coffee, th e re m ig h t be p roduced, giving an average of 150 arrobas fo r each laborer, 1,500,000 a r ro b a s ; th e ex porta tion is how ever on ly 900,000 to1,000,000 arrobas. T he free in h ab itan ts , n um bering10,366, m igh t very well produce, if no th ing else, th e a rtic les of hom e consum ption , as we have no o th e r in d u stry , no im p o rtan t trad e , nor m echanic arte.

The p lan te rs whose profits can be ca lcu la ted a t m ore th a n 10 p er cent, are rare , an d th ese live r n excep tionally good lan d s an d consum e b u t l i t t le In genera l th e p la n te rs o b ta in from 8 p er cent, dow n­w ard . I t m ay be added th a t a te rrib le disease, called

th e p lague, is progressively destroy ing th e coffee trees an d is assum ing alarm ing p roportions w ithou t th e cause of th e evil o r th e m eans of com bating i t being discovered.

A s th e m un ic ipality has excellent lands for sugarcane, i t would seem to be of g re a t advan tag e fo r th e G o­vernm ent to encourage th e p lan te rs , w here th e coffee tre e s are being destroyed by t h e , p lague, to p la n t cane by g iving an in te re s t guaran tee for th e e s ta b ­lishm en t of one or m ore ce n tra l sugar m ills. W ith 100,000$000 th e re m ig h t be estab lished a m ill w ith A m erican m achinery w ith a capac ity of 400 arrobas p er day , since the F iguera m ill in Campos, belong­ing to Jose Pereira P in to , w ith a cap ac ity of 200 arrobas per day, cost 50,000$.

I t w ould also be advan tageous for th e G overnm ent to encourage th e p lan te rs by m eans of diplom as and m oney prizes, to estab lish free labour an d to give a t ­ten tion to th e cu ltiv a tio n of cereals and stock-breed­ing , especially th e b reed ing of sw ine, indepen­den t of coffee and cane. By reducing to th e low est possible figure th e railw ay fre igh ts on these p roducts, th e G overnm ent could also con­tr ib u te in favor of th e division of labor.

T here are m any obstacles to th e developm ent of agricu ltu re in th e m unicipality w hich, a lthough due to various causes, m ay be sum m ed up in tw o p r in ­cipal ones : lack of roads an d schools.

W ith th e exception of tw o k ilom eters of th e Barao de A raruam a ra ilro ad belonging to a p riv a te Com ­pany th ere are no ra ilroads in th e m u n ic ipality . W e have not even waggon roads w hich w ill enab le u s to abandon th e pack m ule, “ our b es t veh ic le .” T h is lack, w hich in a rich m unicipality can only be en- dftred th rough ignorance or ex trem e resignation , preven ts our vary ing p roducts or a ttem p tin g a d iv i­sion of labor w hich m u st be o u r m eans of ob tain ing th e m axim um production and perfection of ag ricu ltu re , and w hich m igh t lessen for some years to come th e lack of laborers th a t is a lready beginning to be felt.

Koads are a prim e an d in h e re n t necessity in a m ountainous an d em in en tly ag ricu ltu ra l m un ic ipality such as th is. Y our E xcellency will p ardon th e frankness, born of th e confidence th a t th e good ju d g m en t of th e p re sid en t of th e province in- sp ires in th e m unicipal council, w ith w hich we say th a t th e a tte n tio n of th e G overnm en t has n o t y e t been aw akened to th e roads of th is m un ic ipality T he sam e m ay be said of our people who appear to ignore th e fac t th a t p riv a te en terprise is an in ­d ispensable facto r in th e p ro sp erity of any coun try .

No one know s b e tte r th a n Y our E xcellency th a t th e people m ust have in stru c tio n in o rder to u n d e r­stand th e ir d u ty as citizens and to labor best in th e in te re s t of Society and in the ir ow n p riv a te in te re st.

O ur capitalists a lthough possessingabout 8,000,000§000 of available funds p refe r investm en t in ti p e r cent, governm ent bonds, to em bark ing th e ir cap ita l in in d u str ia l en terprises, an d th u s the sp irit of associ­a tio n , w hich m igh t con tribu te pow erfully to th e d e ­velopm ent of th e ind u stries of th e m un ic ipality , re ­m ains unproductive.

T h e stock-raising in d u stry is h ere very b ackw ard an d of lim ited p roportions. T he c a ttle a re n e ith e r good for w ork , m ilk, nor beef. A ll th e carne secca consum ed, an d th e q u a n tily is no t sm all, is im p o rted ; and for th e la s t six years th e p rice has varied betw een 6 and 9 m ilreis. B u tte r-m ak in g is alm ost unknow n, and the small q u a n tity of cheese th a t is made is of poor q u a lity an d n o t read ily salable.

O nly a few am ateurs, and these rare , have a ttem p ted to breed a horse o r so, of a b ad ly m ade and degenerate raee. P erhaps th is neglect of horse-breeding is due to our b ad roads for w hich m ules are m ore su itab le .

Sheep-breeding is alm ost unknow n. T h e few sheep

th a t we have are of v e ry o rdinary stock an d on ly se rve as food fo r invalids, th e w ool an d h id e being th ro w n aw ay.

Bee cu ltu re is only carried on b y a few fo r th e ir ow n use, and silkw orm -breed ing is e n tire ly unknow n in th e m unic ipality .

O ur b es t pub lic es tab lishm en t, a lth o u g h i t has not th e necessary accom m odation, is th e m unicipal hall. The churches of th is v illage and of Sao Sebastiao do A lto are in ru ins, a lthough th is la s t has been som ew hat im proved a t th e expense of th e p a rish ­ioners, T he few schools th a t w e possess a re in houses w ith o u t sufficient accom m odation an d w ith ­o u t fu rn itu re . T here is no benevolen t in s titu tio n in th e w hole m un ic ip a lity . A sm all ja il is being co n stru c ted in Sao S ebastiao do A lto : th e ja il of th is village is in to lerab le .

Such is th e s ta te of th is m un ic ipality , i ts ag ricu l­tu re a n d in d u str ie s , i ts d raw backs an d i ts m ost pressing needs.

S an ta M aria M agdalena, N ov. 23rd , 1881.

IN D IA N T E A D IS T R IC T S A SSO C IA TIO N .

T he annual m eeting of th is A ssociation w as held a t th e offices, 14 S t. M ary A xe, on Feb. 22, S ir D ouglas F o r­sy th , K . C. S. I . , C. B., p re s id en t of th e A ssociation , in th e chair. T here w as a good a tte n d a n c e of m em ­bers, inc lu d in g Col. R . H . K eatinge, V , C ., vice- chairm an ; M r. H . W im sh u rs t, of th e A ssam Com ­pany ; M r. W . R o b erts , M r. B urk inyoung , Mr. P a rk e P i t ta r , an d M r. S an g ste r, of th e Jo re h a u t C om pany; M r. C arpm ael, N oakacharee C om pany ; M r. R . L yell, of M essrs. G eorge W illiam son & Co., rep re sen tin g th e B orelli, Dejoo, L uckim pore, and M ungledye Com ­panies ; M r. D. H . Sefton, of th e L an d M ortgage B ank of I n d i a ; M r. A Law rie, of M essrs. A lex . L aw rie & Co, ; M r. J . H . W illiam son, of M essrs. W il­liam son, M agor & Co., C a lcu tta ; M r. Sam uel W ard , of the Lebong C om pony ; Col. P ro b y n ; M r. G eorge Seton, of MeSssr. O ctavius S tee l & Co. &c. T h e no ­tice convening th e m eeting h av ing been read by th e Secre tary , th e C hairm an briefly in tro d u c ed th e rep o rt. C om m enting on th e law re la tin g to th e in la n d em i­g ra tion of lab o u r to th e tea d is tr ic ts , th e speaker co n g ra tu la ted th e m eeting upon th e re su lt of th e labours of th e Commission appo in ted to inqu ire in to th e m a tte r—viz., th e passing of th e In la n d E m ig ra ­tio n A c t (1882), on Ja n u a ry 5 th . H e th o u g h t th a t th is A ct w ould prom ote th e in te re s ts b o th of em ­p loyers an d labourers, a lth o u g h i t had been u n fa ­vourably critic ised by th e n a tiv e p opu la tion of C al­cu tta . T he C hairm an said th a t, b y a m inu te of th e G overnor-G enera l re fe rring to th e A c t as a whole, th e G overnm ent of In d ia observed th a t i t w as of necessity a m easure in ten d ed to m ee t a tra n s itio n a l s ta te of affairs. T h e m ain reason fo r m ain ta in ing a t th is d a te a special law was th a t com m unications betw een m ost of th e labour d is tr ic ts an d th e re s t of In d ia w ere s til l im perfect. T h e im provem ent of com m unication w ith A ssam was engaging th e ea rn es t a tte n tio n of th e G overnm ent, and, w ith th e g ra ­du a l a tta in m e n t of th is o b je c t , i t w as hoped th a t i t m ig h t becom e p racticab le to leave b o th th e em ­ployers an d th e em ployed to se ttle th e ir re la tio n s in a ll cases under th e o rd in ary law , as th e y do in o th e r p a rts of B ritish In d ia . S teps m ig h t be ta k e n under th e fo u rth section of th e Act lead ing to th is resu lt. Local G overnm ents are em pow ered, w ith th e previous sanction of the .G o v ern o r-G en e ra l in C oun­cil, to declare th a t any labour d is tr ic t w ith in th e ir respective te rrito r ie s sha ll cease to be su b je c t to a ll th e provisions, o r any specified provision of th e A ct. T he successful in tro d u c tio n of a sy s 'em of

I free em igra tion w ill fulfil th e w ish of th e Go-

v ern m en t of In d ia to g rad u a lly w ithdraw th e a p ­plication of a special law . T he n e x t tiling n o te ­w o rth y in th e rep o rt was th e es tab lishm en t of an In d ian T ea A ssociation a t C a lcu tta . T h is was a d ­vocated in th e first in stance by th e H om e A ssocia­tion . I t was w ork ing on th e sam e basis, an d th e re ­fore shou ld m eet w ith approbation . E e fe rr in g to th e general s ta te of th e affars of th e A ssociation, th e C hairm an sa id he h ad m nch p leasure in in fo rm ­ing th em th a t th ey w ere in a good position. L ast year one of th e m em bers proposed some form of p ro ­tection for In d ia n te a in its com petition w ith th a t of C hina ; b u t he believed th a t th e tim e was n o t far d is ta n t w hen th e p o p u lir ity of In d ian tea w ould render all m ovem ents of th is k in d unnecessary. H e co ngra tu la ted th e m eeting on th e im proved tone of th e tea m ark e ts of la te . W ith reference to th e g rea t in ju ry done to tea by exposing an d b u lk ing i t a t th e C ustom H ouse, th e Chairm an said th a t th is had been, and s til l was, a su b je c t of discussion, an d a v ery im p o rta n t one, M em orials ask ing fo r som e re ­form h ad been freq u en tly sen t to th e Com m issioners of Custom s, b u t h ith e r to w ith o u t success. H e hoped, however, th a t th e y w ould even tu a lly ob ta in redress. H e th o u g h t th a t i t was a very d ifficult m a tte r toprocure boxes of a uniform w eigh t, as in m ost ofth e te a d is tr ic ts , th e wood was difficult to deal w ith.The rep o rt of the m eeting having been seconded byCol. K eating , i t was unanim ously ad o p ted . M r. Sangs- te r rem arked th a t he advocated the sam e policy he h ad pursued a t th e la s t m eeting of th e A ssociation— nam ely , to have th e d u ty on In d ian te a reduced to 3d. per pound. H e th o u g h t also t h a t i t w ould be advisable to give reports of th e m eeting to suburban grocers, and push tra d e w ith th em . H e was of opinion th a t In d ia n te a o u g h t to be rep resen ted a t th e I n ­terna tio n a l E xh ib ition in M elbourne. H e suggested also th a t some reduction m igh t be m ade in th e cost of th e m aking of In d ian tea , as th e p re sen t ra te w as too high. M r. S .ingster said th a t he h ad r e ­ceived a le tte r from M r. M e lv e r, th e m em ber for B irkenhead, who w ould give h is assistance in P a r ­liam en t on th e d u ty question a t a favourable o p ­p o rtu n ity , as th e su b je c t was one w hich had long occupied h is a tte n tio n . T he C hairm an said th a t i t w ould be a very useful th in g to g e t a p ro tec tive d u ty of 3d , b u t he couhl see no prospect of th a t ob jec t being a tta in ed . R eferring to th e proposed A m erican agency fo r In d ia tea, he rem inded th e m ee t­ing th a t th e C a lc u tta S yndicate w as estab lished for th e purpose of crea ting a tra d e w ith A ustra lia and A m erica, an d he th o u g h t its operations w ould be successful. A discussion th en arose on th e adv isa­b ility of leaving th e question of P a rliam en ta ry ef­fo rts to a w orking com m ittee. M essrs. C. S ander­son, O ctavius S teele , and P . It. B uchanan were u n a ­nim ously elected m em bers of th e general com m ittee, and th e m eeting separa ted a fte r g iving a vote of th a n k s to S ir Douglas F o rsy th for p re s id in g .— Over­land M ail, M arch 3rd .

B R A Z IL C O F F E E P R O S P E C T S ,An erro r in our la s t issue m ade us s>y th a t th e

aggregate stocks of coffee in th e p rincipal p o rts of Europe 011 th e 1st of J a n u a ry la s t w ere “ over tw ice t ie norm al export there from B razil.” W e should have said nearly tw ice th e norm al export. A lthough th e average ex p o rt d u rin g th e la s t e ig h t years has been 1,235,230 bags, th e norm al ex p o rt has been betw een one m illion an d eleven hu n d red th o u sa n d bags. The ex trao rd in ary large sh ipm en ts for 1881— 1,905,241 ba s—w hich w as due to specu la tive influences ra th e r th a n to any ac tu a l dem and, increased the average for th e e i" h t years since 1874 to over tw elve h u n d red thousand b.°- , O ur purpose was to show th e enormous accu­

m u lation of coffee in those p o rts w hich has n o t y e t en te red th e m a rk e t for consum ption , an d w hich r e ­p resen ts n ea rly tw ice th e norm al ex p o rt th e re from th is country. Some of th is coffee has been held for tw o years, an d now represen ts an enorm ous loss. I t is reasonable to presum e th a t these stocks can n o t be held m uch longer for a b e tte r m ark e t, because th e s tocks a lread y accum ulated an d th e c o n s tan tly in ­creasing p roduction all te n d to keep prices a t th e m inim um —even a t ra te s low er th a n tho se now ru ling . T hese accum ulated stocks in E urope rep re sen t ab o u t five m o n th s’ consum ption there, an d if th ro w n upon th e m ark e t early th is year, as th e y u n d o u b ted ly w ill be, th e y w ill cause a heavy decline in im ports . M ore th a n th a t , th e y rep re sen t an aggregate loss w hich can n o t fail to cause w idespread d isa s te r in th e trad e , of w hich Brazil m u st unavo idab ly bear no sm all share. W e do n o t ex pect m in isters of finance to take an y accoun t of these om inous facts, b u t m erch an ts an d p la n te rs w ill do w ell to ta k e th e m in to th o u g h tfu l considera tion .— B io News.

C O F F E E A N D S U G A R IN BA R ZIL .T he official value of th s exports of R io de Ja n e iro , in

th e p a s t year, w as 97,251,128 m ils,, of w hich coffee re ­presen ted 94,465,116 m ils .; sugar, 880,676 m ils.; h ides,909,598 m ils .; tobacco, 535,050 m ils .; rosew ood, 309,685 mils. T h e ex p o rt of gold and silver from R io de Ja n e iro in 1881 am ounted to 4 ,113,078 m ils ., of w hich 2,816,340 m ils, was to E ngland ; 189,168 mils, to F ra n c e ; 963,663 mils, to th e R iv er P la te ; an d 140,906 m ils , to B razilian ports.

T he ex p o rt of coffee la s t y ea r was 4,377,418 bags of s ix ty k ilog ram s, be ing 814,364 bags m ore th an 1880 Of th is q u a n tity th e U n ite d S ta te s to o k 2,241,976 bags, an d E urope, e tc ., 2,135,442 bags. I t sh ou ld be n o ted th a t , of la te years, th e U n ite d S ta te s would seem to be “ ta k in g p roportionate ly a decreasing q u a n tity of th e B razilian crop. ” T he prices realized p er k ilogram la s t year, as com pared w ith 1880, show a very serious re ­duction for a ll qu a lities , as follow s :—

F irs t ha lf 1881: F irs t h a lf 1880:F ir s t g o o d ..... 430 to 505 reis 560 to 635 reisSecond o rd in ary .. 390 ,, 475 ,, 525 ,, 605 ,,R e g u la r ................ 335 ,, 435 ,, 490 „ 590 ,,T h ird g o o d ..... 275 ,, 380 ,, 440 ,, 590 „Second o rd in a ry ... 230 ,, 330 ,, 390 ,, 470 ,,

Second h a lf of 1881 : Second h a lf of 1880. F irs t good ... 415 to 505 reis 450 to 600 reis F ir s t o rd in a ry ... 370 ,, 460 „ 420 ,, 570 ,,R egular . . . 335 ,, 400 ,, 375 ,, 525 ,,Second good ... 280 ,, 335 ,, 350 „ 470 ,,Second o rd in ary 240 ,, 290 ,, 300 ,, 410 „H is M ajesty th e E m pero r of B razil has been system ­

atica lly v isiting an d exam ining th e fac to ries an d w ork­shops of Rio de Ja n e iro an d its v ic in ity , w ith th e o b jec t cf judg ing , by personal in vestiga tion an d by hearing th e view s of th e p roprie to rs an d experts, of the claim s p u t fo rw ard by th e m anu fac tu re rs fo r h igher p ro tec tiv e tax a tio n o f foreign p roducts of a sim ilar k in d , and fo r th e reduction of im port taxes on su b ­stances em ployed in the B razilian m anufactu res.

To th e friends of B razil in th is co u n try i t is v e ry sa tis fac to ry to observe an y m ovem ent in th e E m p ire favourab le to th e ex tended cu ltiv a tio n of ad d itio n a l a rtic les of ex p o rt to th e consum ing m ark e ts of tl e w'orld. T he soil and clim ate of m any of th e p ro v in c ts a re su itab le fo r th e production of tea , vines, an d s ilk ­worm s, as well as sug a r and coffee. W ith reg ard to th e la t te r , we q u ite agree w ith a correspondent, who w rites to us as follows :— “ Coffee has seen its b s t days. T hey now m ix seven p a r ts of chicory to one of coftee w ith it, an d m any people prefer th e com pound. M any doctors say i t is m ore w holesom e, as pu re coffee hea ts an d thickens the blood too much in cold climates,”

T here ig also th e p rac tica l fact th a 1 th e prOj duction of th e w orld is in excess of th e consum p­tion , according to th e m ost re liab le s ta tis tica l in ­fo rm ation a tta inab le , by so m uch as 90,000 to n s a n ­nually , being equ ivalen t to 1,500,000 bags of GO kilogram s. In view of th is i t is n o t surpi iz 'ng th a t th e prices of coffee have been so seriously reduced as to ren d er its cu ltiva tion alm ost u n rem u n era tiv e to th e grow ers. U ndo u b ted ly th e B razilian G overnm ent has acted w isely in prom oting th e larger p roduction of sugar by th e g ran tin g of g u aran teed concessions for th e creation of cen tra l sugar facto ries w here likely to prove com m ercially successful an d of real serv ice to ag ricu ltu ra l in d u stry . U n lik e coffee, th e con. I sum ption is in excess of th e supp ly , an d is s te ad ily , on th e increase. I t is encouraging to observe th a t th e Brazilian p roduction an d ex p o rt of th is im portan t a rtic le of m erchandise is assum ing larger proportions. The Journal de Commercio in its ab le com m ercial review S fo r th e past year, m akes th e follow ing s ta te m e n t :— |

In 1881, com pared w ith 1880, th e re w as an in- 1 creased p roduction of sugar in th e province of R io de ■ Jan e iro , an d also in th e n o r th e rn ones, a result

. w hich m u st be largely a t tr ib u te d as to th e sopth to th e cen tra l sugar factories, which p erm it of a more advantageous an d rap id trea tm en t of th e cane , and J as to th e n o rth , to th e use of new ap p a ra tu s and im proved m ethods of w orking, to g e th er w ith increased p lan ting , encouraged by th e firm ness of sug a r abroad j a n d i ts g rea te r consum ption.

A ccording to th e “ E conom iste F rauqais ” th e b ee t resources of 1881 were on ly 348,042 to n s ag a in s t 385,630 tons in 1880, w h ils t th e consum ption is s te ad ily enlarging, so t h a t th e prospects of th e sugar-m akers are auspicious. D r. Paes Lem e has p u t dow n th e p roduction of sugar cane a t 1,875,000 tons, viz :

C uba ......... 700,000B ritish W e s t I n d i e s .............................250,000J a v a ..................................... 200,000Brazil ....................................................... 170,000M anilla ............................................. 130.000C hina ..................................................... 120,000P o rto R i c o ............................... 80,000L ouisiana .......... 75,000P e r u ............................................ 50,000

R io im ported in 1881, chiefly from Cam p is and the n o rth , 633,526 bags ag a in s t 407,778 in 1880. T he quality , especially of th a t from th e n o r th , show ed in 1881 no appreciable im provem ent. T he Burcellos fac­to ry im proved and th e Q uissam an m ain tained th e ir q u a lity . I t is said th a t m any p lan ters, especially in tiergipe, a re d isposed n o t to purge th e ir sugar, th e e x tra price n o t pay ing fo r labour.

T he ex p o rt from R io was 84,635 sacks, being m uch more th a n in 1880, w hich was one of th e bes t export years. A m ong' th e sh ipm ents from R io w as a lo t of w h ite to L ondon, an unpreceden ted occurrence, and a sm all cargo of w h ite wer.t from Maceio to th e sam e place. T he ex p o rt to th e R iver P la te has to s trag g le w ith th e cheaper sugar of E urope an d w ith th e p ro ­d u c ts of th e A rgen tine p rovince of T ueum an.

A developm ent of th e cu ltu re of tobacco is also noted b y our contem porary , w hich rem arks th a t “ bo th th e B ah ia an d R io G rande do Sul tobaccos a re in a re la ­tiv e ly prosperous s ta te .”

A p lan for com pleting th e R io G rande do S u l ra il­w ays has, i t is said, been d raw n u p by M r. Edw ard de jMornay, who has asked perm ission to m ake su r­veys for a line from T a g u u y to T orres, on th e sea- coast, an d for th e construction of a p o rt a t th e la tte r . M r. de M ornay has also asked th e G overnm ent to I declare th e p ro jected w orks to be of public u tility , w ith a view to ob ta in ing the legislative sanction to an appropria tion for th e paym en t of a guaran teed in ­te re s t on cap ita l ra ised for th e ir rea liza tion .— South American Journal.

T H E “ N E W C E Y L O N T H E D IF F IC U L T IE S O F P IO N E E R IN G .

L udvig V ern er H elm s, a tra v e lle r w ho has sp e n t som ething lik e 25 years of h is life in th e m ost im ­p o r ta n t islands of th e E a -te rn A rchipelago, who has v isited C hina an d Ja p an , trav e rsed th e N o rth e rn C o n tin en t of A m erica, a n d exp lored th e m in era l treasu res of L ap land , oug h t to be able to give an opinion on “ F ione rin g in th e F a r E a s t .” T h e fo rm a­tio n of a new E nglish C om pany to develop th e re ­sources of N orth B orneo is a s tep w hich th e a u th o r says is, a t lea s t from a p h ilan th ro p ic view, deserv ing of sy m p a th y and success, b u t th e ta sk of th e Com ­p an y will n o t p rove an easy one H e rem arks :—

In m any respects, doub tless , th e n o r th e rn p a r t ofth e island m ay be considered th e m ost valuab le ...............S till, if th e C om pany an tic ip a te an easy conquest of th e ir difficulties, th e y have n o t read th e chronicles of Borneo a rig h t. I t is true th a t S ir Ja m es Brooke, h is follow ers, an d successors hav e , to a g re a t ex ten t, cleared the ground for them . T he n atives have learned to associate th e E nglish nam e w ith th e noble w ork done by th em , w hile th e m igh ty advance of com ­m erce d u rin g th e la s t decades has been g rad u a lly e n ­circling th is s trongho ld of barbarism in i ts irres is tib le folds. B u t, even so, savage n a tu res w ill n o t easily y ie ld to civilizing influences w h ich m ake rap id s tr id es only when p ay ing th e ir w ay. S team ships, te legraphs, an d ra ilw ays are costly th ings, w hich a savage c o u n try w ith a sc an ty population can ill su p p o rt.

M r. H elm s po in ts o u t th a t th e 20 000 square m iles th e C om pany holds con ta in a population of upw ards of 100,000 aborig ines and M alays, w ho, i t m ay be assum ed, w ill c o n tr ib u te b u t l i t t le tow ards th e labour o r developm ent of th e co u n try . “ T he sponge m u st indeed have been squeezed d ry when such ru le rs as th e S u ltan of B runei and his m in isters consen t to p a r t w ith i t an d th e a u th o r is m uch m istaken if tro u b le and in trig u e do n o t resu lt, p a rticu la rly if th e Com­pan y become m onopolists. S ir Jam es B rooke’s g re a t influence over th e natives, he rem arks, was in a g rea t m easure due to th e fac t of h is stan d in g aloof from tra d e , and if th e C om pany’s position and s ta tu s are d ifferent from those of R a jah Brooke, th e cond ition of th e ir respec tive coun tries also m aterially differs as Saraw ak po.-sessed advan tages w hich N o rth B orneo does not. M r. H elm s th in k s th a t i t is to C hina th a t Borneo w ill look for population an d labour, and th is w ill he lp th e Com pany, b u t w hen th e C hinam an b e ­gins to feel h is s tre n g th th e anx ieties of governm ent w ill be fe lt by them . T he au th o r continues :—

B ut if th e Com pany is pav ing the w ay for a g re a t B or­nean Em pire, u nder th e B ritish flag, i t w ill be doing a good and useful work. A se ttlem en t th a t should em ­brace th e te rr ito ry ceded to the N orth B orneo Com ­pany, as w ell as B runei and Saraw ak, w ould prove no contem ptib le acquisition to th e B ritish C row n, an dhas, unquestionab ly , m uch to recom m end i t ...............A glance a t th e m ap w ill show how very im p o rtan t th e harbours of N o rth Borneo an ig h t becom e to an E nglish fleet, if th e day comes th a t E n g lan d has to fight to p ro tec t h er com m erce in th e C hina Sea, o r th e Pacific. T hese harbours a re backed by vast coal­fields, th e co u n try is healthy , w ith a m odera te tem ­p e ra tu re , an d th e island possesses unrivalled resources. W h at is w an ted is population , an d und er a s trong G overnm ent the co u n try w ould very soon be e n title d to th e nam e of “ New C hina,” ra th e r th a n “ N ew Ceylon,” as some w rite rs a lready call i t ; fo r to th e Chinam en, an d th e race w hich w ill sp ring from th e ir union w ith th e D yaks, an d n o t to th e decaying M alays, belongs the fu tu re of Borneo.

A ccording to Mr. H elm s, therefo re , th e B ritish N o rth Borneo A ssociation has a difficult and delica te task before it , b u t if it succeeds in ra ising th e island

from its p resen t condition , an d in ex ten d in g th e com ­m erce of the E aste rn A rchipelago, i t w ill do good w ork. — B r it^ h Trade Journal.

B R A Z IL IA N R E V IE W F O R 1881.D uring th e year slavery, sapped b y the F ree B ir th

of 1871, b y official em ancipation , by th e five fo ld m ore energetic operation of p riv a te benevolence, and by th e silen t b u t rap id ly progressive action of dea th , con ­tin u ed its accelerating m arch tow ards ex tinction . The year w as also m ade no tab le by th e p roh ib ito ry m eas­ures. against th e in tro d u c tio n of slaves, adopted by th e cen tra l provinces, m easures « h ich have p rac tica lly d estroyed th e in terp rov incial trad e in slaves, and by th e open ex tra-lega l po p u la r opposition in Ceara against th e obnoxious export. M oreover, th e general sen tim ­e n t of th e cities appears favourab le to a revision of th e law of 1871, w ith th e ob jec t of h as ten in g th e happy d ay w hen B razil w ill have shaken oil th e shackles of her in h e rite d cu rse of dom estic slavery.

[T he B io N ew s gives a fa r less c red itab le account of th e slavery question an d th e s ta te of pub lic opinion in reg ard to i t .—E d .]

A g ricu ltu re during th e p as t year w as prosperous, th e crops of our m ain stap les, coffee an d sugar, being considerably beyond th e average. U n fo rtu n a te ly , th e low prices of coffee gravely dim inished th e receip ts of coffee p lan ters, affected tra d e generally , and curtailed th e G overnm ent collections from th a t chief source of ex p o rt revenue. T he ca ttle in d u stry of the sou th con­tin u ed in its decline, and grave losses occurred in R io G rande do S u l th ro u g h d rough ts w hich prevailed du ring the ea rly p a rt of th e year. B u t th e ex trac tiv e industries* of th e Amazonian valley proceeded in an ascendan t m arch th ro u g h o u t th e year, ex ten d in g th e ir arm s w id ly in to rich and v irg in fields of exploration .

Of th e finances of th e co u n try we a re as y e t w ith o u t defin ite in form ation , no m eeting of p a rliam en t hav ing led to th e custom ary p ub lica tion of official re tu rn s . B u t on th e whole, th e revenue collections are likely to have exceeded th e estim ates, inasm uch as, though th e receip ts of th e S outhern provinces have a t best been sta tio n a ry , from th e causes a lready touched upon, those from th e n o rth e rn h a lf of th e E m pire w ill u n d oub ted ly show a considerable increase. Economy has also been th e o rd er of th e day in th e “ o rd in a ry ” expenditu res, and w e sha ll n o t be su rp rized to find in th e com ing exposition of th e M in is try of F inance th a t Senor S araiva has already a tta in e d h is d esidera tum of a balanced o rd inary ex p en d itu re an d income, n o t­w ith stan d in g th e ra th e r considerable increase in th e form er by th e depreciation of exchange and by th e in te re s t on th e floating deb t, incurved chiefly for th e service of th e G overnm ent w orks of in te rn a l im prove­m en t in hand, and in p a r t for th e acqu isition of naval an d m ilita ry m aterial in view of th e increasing a r ­m am ents of th e A rg en tin e nation .

[Then follow long deta ils of a w onderfu l series of ra ilw ay lines w hich w ill open u p the E m pire,] T aken in all, th e various lines in traffic fall l i t t le sh o it of 7,000 k ilom eters and m any hun d red s of k ilom eters m ore are in a condition of advanced con­stru c tio n . — South A m erican Journal.

A r t i f i c i a l I n d ia -r u b b e r prom ises to be soon a fact. B ouch ard a t has found a com pound by tre a tin g isoprene (C5 H 8) w ith hydroch loric acid, th a t has a ll th e p roperties of ru b b e r .— Chemist and D ruggist. [W e have no fear of artific ia l ru b b e r an y m ore th a n of artific ia l q u in ine— E d .]

* E x tra c tiv e in d u stries ” ? We suspect th a t n o t m in­ing In d ia b u t ru b b e r co llecting and sim ilar p n rsn its are refe rred to .— E d .

A R h e a M a c h i n e . — T he G overnm ent of In d ia have asked th e S ecre tary of S ta te , to send o u t to th is co u n try a rh ea m achine, b y M essrs. M artin , D ennis an d A lbert A ngell, for th e p rep a ra tio n of th e fibre of ju te , for th e use of th e G overnm ent experim en ta l farm s, as soon as th e m achine can be p ro cu red .— M adras M ail.

I n d ia n T o b a c c o . — A ll in te re s te d in th e g ro w th of tobacco in In d ia w ill be g lad to learn t h a t a la te sh ip m en t of th i r ty tierces of P u sa tobacco to London has been pronounced by th e experts, both m erch an ts an d brokers, to be of excellen t q u a lity , fully" equal to A m erican, an d th a t good prices w ere realized.- — C a lc u tta Englishm an.

W h i t e B u g on C in c h o n a .— M r. Sm ith of M attakelle has sen t u s a num ber of c u ttin g s of c inchona (?) b ranches an d stem s te r r ib ly “ b u gged” (w ith w h ite bug), b u t th e stem s a re also free ly covered w ith th e larvae of th e lad y -b ird s w hich have been feeding on th e bug an d w hich will no d o u b t do m uch to clear off th e enem y.

W a t e r . —In seek ing fo r a substance w h ich w ould destroy th e m icroscopic < an im als in w a te r w ith o u t in ju rin g i t for d rin k in g purposes, D r . L an g fe ld t found th a t oitwc acid (one h a lf gram m e to every l i t re of th e w ater) k illed a ll th e liv ing organism s, ex cep t cyclops and those w ith th ic k epiderm is, w ith in tw o m in u tes .— Chemist and D ruggist.

T h e B a rk S p e c u l a t io n .— T he principal of the M ilan Q uinine W orks w rites to th o P h a r m : Zeitung,to c o n trad ic t a s ta tem en t w hich h a d appeared in th a t journal to th e effect th a t th a t firm an d a few G erm an houses h ad form ed a synd ica te to buy up a la rge p a r t of th e London sto ck of b a rk , w ith th eo b jec t of forcing up th e price. H e says :— ‘ ‘ T hep resen t advance is th e exclusive w ork of a Londonim p o rt house, an d we have in no w ay sh a red in it.On th e con trary , w e consider i t ruinous to th e trad e , if th e artic le shou ld fall in to th e hands of speculators, and wo believe i t is th e in te re s t of a ll m anufactu re rs to p reven t, so fa r as possible, a ll such a rb itra ry a d ­vance or depression in the p rice occasioned by specu­la tio n . ”— Chemist and D ruggist,

C o n s u m p t io n o f C o f f e e . — I t is gen era lly th o u g h t in E n g lan d th a t th e F re n ch are th e g rea te s t con­sum ers of coffee, b u t i t appears th a t th is is fa r from being th e case. F rom re liab le s ta tis tic s we lea rn th a t in Englai.d , in sp ite of th e g re a t consum ption of tea , every person consum es 1J lb of coffee every year, in G erm >ny th e average consum ption is 4 lb a-year, in D enm ark f>.) lb, in Sw itzerland 0 lb , in B elgium 8J lb , in H o llan d 10J lb, in th e U n ited S ta te s 7 j lb , w hilst in F rance i t is only 2 | lb. W ith th e exception th e re fo re of E ngland , th e re is less coffee consum ed in F rance than in any of th e o th e r countries above-m entioned ; th e h ighest average, how ever, is found in C aliforn ia , w here 20J lb are consum ed per annum — L a P a tr ie . [T h e consum p­tion of coffee in E ng land now is less th a n one lb per head p er annum !—E d .]

T h e S a n t o s C o f f e e C r o p d a m a g e d b y R a i n .— T he Provincia de Sao P aulo of the 4 th Feb. ex trac ts th e follow ing from a p riv a te le tte r w ritte n by a p la n te r in th e in te rio r of Sao P au lo :— “ T he con tinued rains, o ften to rren tia l, are in ju rin g , in a discouraging m anner, th e nex t fu tu re crop of coffee. F o r m ore th a n th ir ty days th e ra in has n o t stopped, th e re re su ltin g from such con tinued hum id ity th e ro ttin g of th e peduncle of th e coffee f ru i t and , in consequence, i ts d e s tru c ­tion . W e have seen coffee o rchards strew n w ith f ru it, in g reat p a r t n early m atu red , and beside th a t th e fall of these had been caused n o t only from th e tree s m ost loaded, b u t also from those w here th e f ru i t is scarce. I f th e w eather does no t im prove sh o rtly , g rea t, very g re a t w ill be th e loss of th e cu ltiv a to rs of our a lread y too g rea tly d ep rec ia ted p ro d u c t.”— B io N ew s.

P a t c h o u l i o r P u c h a -p a t . — A herb nam ed Pogos- tem on P atchou li (N at. Ord. Labiatae.) T h e d iie d tops w ith leaves and flowers a re im ported in bundles about one foot, in leng th . They yield , by d istilla tio n , an essen tia l oil, in w hich form th e perfum e ex is ts , and by d igestion in w eak alcohol, a t in c tu re called essence of P atchouli o r P atchou ly . I t is im ported from Ind ia , in chests an d half-chests, th e form er weighing 110 lb each .— M. M.

S e v e r a l B a g s o f C l o v e s received in London la te ly from Z anzibar w ere ac tually found on .a rriv a l to con­ta in artificial cloves n ea tly m an u fac tu re d b y m achinery in stead of th e rea l spice. T hese cloves w ere m ade of soft deal, s ta ined a d a rk colour, and soaked in a so lu tion of essence of cloves to give th em th e r e ­qu ired sent; T hey w ere traced as hav ing been im ­p o rted in to Z anzibar from A m erica .— M adras M ail.

M a n u r e f o r T e a E s t a t e s i n t h e D u n . — B aring, in his fiuancial sta tem en t fo r 1882-83, gives th e olio wing figures as th e tea exports for 1880-81 :—

Q u a n tity ... L b. ... 46,413,510V alue ... £ ... 3,054,240

A verage declared j g J X g s ' 'at a v e r s e value per lb ., , exJhange L §g

E x p o rts for th e lirs t te n m on ths of th e year, from 1st A p ril 1881 to 31st Ja n u a ry 1882 :—

Q u a n tity .. lb . ... 43,667,412V alue .. £ ... 3,261,579A verage value p e r lb . ... 0-11-11.—

In d ia n Tea Gazette.A n A g r i c u l t u r a l C o m p a n y f o e T r a v a n c o r e . —

W e (Pioneer) learn th a t an A g ricu ltu ra l and I n ­d u str ia l C om pany, w ith lim ited liab ility , has ju s t been form ed in Bom bay, u n d e r in fluen tia l auspices, th e p rinc ipal ob jec t of w hich is th e cu ltiv a tio n on a la rge scale of coconut, sugarcane an d cinchona in T ravancore, where th e soil is p ecu liarly a d a p te d for th e purpose. T he shares a re n early a ll taken up, an d it is believed th a t th e C om pany w ill receive every encouragem ent from th e en ligh tened M ahara jah of T ravancore, who, n o t long ago, w ro te a pam phle t on th e ag ricu ltu ra l and m ineral resources of T ravancore, in w hich he stro n g ly advocated th e cu ltiv a tio n of the sugarcane an d th e m an u fac tu re of sugar b y m odern appliances.

C h in e s e E x p o r t s consists of tea , silk , sugar, and sundries. T ea is s ti l l th e . chief export, accounting for over 45 p er c -n t of th e gross value In earlie r periods it co n s titu ted m ore th a n one-half th e en tire com m erce ; b u t, d u rin g th e la s t five years, i t has been run close by th e s ilk trad e , w hich is averagely w orth 40 per cent of th e w hole. S ugar accounts for 3 p e r cent, and th e residue is apportioned betw een a num ber of m inor item s. Of th e tea sen t aw ay in 1880 (2,204,754 piculs) by fa r th e g rea te r p o rtion (1,456,747 piculs) w as ta k e n by G rea t B rita in and h e r possessions, th e form er alone tak ing 1,112,874 piculs. H ongkong and A ustra lia w ere th e n ex t b es t custom ers, w ith 168,467 piculs and 143,870 p icu ls ; w hile In d ia — to carry out th e o ld adage of “ ca rry in g coals to N ew castle”— took 13,297 piculs. Am ong foreign n ations R ussian orders im m ensely predom inated , no less a q u a n tity th a n 464,961 piculs being im ported in to th a t em pire, w hile , p ra c ­tica lly , th e whole rem ainder w en t to th e A m erican States. W ith regard to th e silk trad e , th e b es t cus­tom ers are W este rn E urope—F rance , in reality , as she tak es nearly th e whole co n tin en ta l su p p ly — E ngland, H ongkong, a n d th e U n ite d S ta te s . To th e w orld ’s o th e r q u a rte rs th e ex p o rta tio n is ex trem ely sm all ; In d ia , how ever, bnys abo u t a thousand p icn ls per annum . Chinese sugar goes p rin c ip a lly to F ra n ce and E ng lan d , b u t a fa ir am ount finds its way to American ports, Bombay, and th e S tra its . O th er fea tu res of th e commerce of these in te restin g people m u st be le ft to ano ther an d f itte r occasion to d iscuss.— O, Mail.

To k e e p M a c h in e r y f r o m R u s t in g : ta k e one-half ounce of cam phor, dissolve in one pound of m elted la rd ; tak e off the scum an d m ix in as m uch fine black lead as w ill give i t an iron colour. Clean th em ach inery a id sm ear w ith th is m ix tu re . A fte r tw en ty -fo u r hours, ru b clean w ith a so ft lin en c lo th . I t w ill keep clean for m onths u n d e r o rd in ary c ircum stances.— Exchange.

E u c a l y p t u s L e a v e s a n d I n s e c t s . — W e hav e h eard m uch of la te years of th e v ir tu e of th e E u ca ly p tu s tre e ; b u t, according to recen t rep o rts from A u stra lia , i ts good q u a lities are by no m eans exhausted . W e r.ow lea rn th a t i t is held in so m uch aw e or dislike by fru it-lov ing in sec ts , th a t a few of its leaves spread ro u n d th e tru n k s of the trees will p ro te c t them from spo lia tio n .— Graphic.

T o b a c c o .—T he ex p o rt of tobacco to th e M alabar C oast in In d ia is carried on very b risk ly an d hurriedly ', as th e N o rth -E ast m onsoon is approaching to its close. T he services of a ll sa iling vessels a re av a iled of and a f te r th e end of th is m onth cargo to those p o rts m u st be se n t in s team ers t i l l S ep tem ber nex t. T he B. I . steam ers w ill call here as w e requ ire th e ir services from tim e to tim e .— Cor. [Sure ly here is an opening for th e “ L ady L ongdon .”— E d . C. P .] — “ C. P a tr io t .”

D ig g i n g b y S t e a m . —T h e p rincip le o f th e D arby steam -d igger, re fe rred to in these colum ns som e tim e ago, has been im proved upon by d ifferen t m an u ­facturers, an d a new digger m ade b y M essrs. P ro c to r & Co. has ju s t been sub jec ted to a very th o ro u g h t r ia l a t S tevenage, H e rts , w ith successful resu lts . T he m achine is sufficiently lig h t in its construction to go upon any lan d in a fit condition to w ork, and th e digging appliances are q u ite d is tin c t from th e m otive pow er, so th a t I he engine can be used for tr a c ­tion purposes w hen n o t digging. T he digger, when a t w ork , tra v e ls a t th e ra te of 1 ,250 y a rd s p er hour, an d as i t digs 12 fee t w ide i t can cu ltiv a te m ore th an one acre in th a t tim e, allow ing for tu rn in g , &c. T he m achine can be easily m anaged by a m an an d a boy, an d w orks equally w ell a t various d ep th s— 1 foot, 1^ feet, &c.— Colonies and Ind ia .

S t i c k P r u n i n g —O ur co rresponden t “ F .” refe rs to w h a t he conceives to be a m istake in d e ­nud ing hushes of th e ir leaves. W e e n tire ly agree w ith h im , an d can find no ground , th eo re tica l or p rac tica l, to ju stify th e prac tice . A t th e sam e tim e i t m ay be sa id t h a t few agree on th e sub ject. S till i t m ay, we th in k on grounds of com m on sense, be safely affirmed th a t to deprive a bush e n tire ly of i ts leaves is v ir tu a lly to k ill th e p lan t, an d ren d e r i t valueless for th e purpose fo r w hich w e desire to use it. P ru n in g , w hich aim s a t cu ttin g o u t dead or unprofitab le wood, or w ith th e ob jec t of p roducing a larger flush, is one th in g , an d can on ly re su lt in good, since we do n o t cu ltiv a te th e ten bush as a tree , b u t as a leaf-yielding p l a n t ; b u t den u d in g th e bush of its leaves in th e hope of s tim u la tin g v ita lity , we hold to he an u t te r m istake .— In d ia n T ea Gazette, M arch 21st.

C a l is a y a B a r k . - -T he B elgian Consul a t A rica (Mr.E . W ich tendah l) s ta te s th a t th e to ta l annual p ro d u c ­tion of b a rk from th e chitichona calisaya in B olivia is be tw een 8,000 and 10,000 qu in ta ls. T he price has, on account of th e g re a t d es tru c tio n of th e trees, g ra d ­ually risen from 50 sols in 1866 to 104 sols p er q u in ta l a t th e p resen t tim e. T he con tinued difficulty of ob ta in ing th e hark has d irec ted a tten tio n to th e cu ltiv a tio n of th e tree , w hich h as been found so suc­cessful in th e E ast Ind ies, an d th ere a re severa l such p la n ta tio n s now ex is ting in B oliv ia w h ich prom ise well. A G erm an firm of La P az have b o u g h t large e s ta tes near M ajuri in w hich they in ten d p la n tin g900,000 trees, p a r t of w hich w ill be ready fo r b ark in g in one o r tw o years. T he Consul goes on to say th a t th e cu ltiv a ted b a rk gives a fa r b e tte r re su lt th a n th e w ild form , som e of th e fo rm er y ield ing as m uch as 5 per cen t, of su lp h a te of q u in in e ,— B ritish T rade Journal,

T h e T r e a t m e n t o f J u t e . — A t th e A tlan ta E xp is is tio n a L oui-iana gentlem an had on view th re e haled of ju te , which w ere alm ost w hite , and had been trea te - only by w ater. T he ju te w as sim ply p u t in to w ater and allowed to ro t, a process req u irin g from seven to n ine days in s ta g n a n t w ater, and above 20 in runn ing w ater. A fte r th is p oeess th e ju te com es from th e w ate r w ithou t a vestige of bark , and w ith th e fibre tho ro u g h ly separa ted . A fte r w ash ing i t is re a d y to be m anufactu red .—B r isk Trade Journal.

Y o u r (late) stap le , C o f f e e , is undergoing a fu rth e r t r ia l of endu ran ce . A bill has been in tro d u ced in to th e A ustrian P arliam en t heav ily augm enting th e du ties on tea an d coffee, and , as th e b ill is sure to pass, every effort has been m ade by im porters to push bo th these artic les in to th e em pire u n d e r th e ex isting tariff. To such a p itch have these efforts been carried , th a t

. 20,000 tons of coffee w ere in tro d u ced in a fo rtn ig h t ! T o perm it th is evasion of fu tu re d u ty proceeding any fu rth e r , on W ednesday la s t a special b ill was carried in the A u s trian P a rlia m e n t declaring all such im por­ta tio n s a f te r y es te rd ay liab le to th e h ig h er ra te of d u ty . I t is to be hoped th a t th e recen t im provem ent in th e price of coffee is n o t alone due to th e heavy buying u-hich th e im p o rta tio n s above re fe rred to has occasioned. I t m ay have considerab ly influenced, i t .— London Cor.

A g r i c u l t u r e i n B u r m a h . —T he B urm ese a g ricu lt­u ris ts in th e in te rio r w ill have very l i t t le su rp lus cash to spend, an d th ey can h ard ly y e t realize th a t th e p rice of p ad d y has gone dow n to som eth ing like th e price i t stood a t ten or tw elve years ago. G ener­a li}7 in th e m onth of M arch, eager b uyers from R a n ­goon, B urm ese, Chinese an d n atives of Ind ia , flocked to every village on th e ban k s of a creek , and ou tb id each o th er to ge t p addy a t ra te s vary ing from R75 to R85 j e r h u n d red baskets, according to th e ra tes ru lin g in tow n. T he b u yers being so exceedingly anxious to get g rain , J a c k B urm an, of course, ac­com m odated th em , and in s is ted on m easuring w ith a sm all basket, w h ils t he took no g rea t tro u b le to s ift th e grain , an d d ir t and p addy hu sk form ed a p roportion of ev e ry 1 oat-load se n t to Rangoon. W hen th e re was such a b risk dem and , w h a t need to ta k e e x tra tro u b le to clean th e g ra in , an d if b u yers d id n o t m ind pay ing a high price, th e re w as no reason n o t to m easure w ith a heap, m ix tu re of a few b askets of hu sk and e a r th from th e paddy-field w hich in ­creased th e bu lk . A ll th is is changed now. A B urm an c u ltiv a to r, w ho recen tly a r iiv e d h ere from M awoon, one of th e r ich est p addy d is tr ic ts , te lls me th a t a t R45 per h u n d red b askets la s t w eek th e re w ere no buyers in h is village, w h ilst, w here specu­la to rs had come up from Rangoon to purchase , th ey w ere m ost p a rticu la r in seeing th a t th e y go t good m easurem ent, an d also th a t th e g ra in th e y bought was really g ra in w ith o u t add ed husk or d ir t. T h is m an seem ed to th in k th a t cheap rice m ean t w ho le­sale ru in and desolation to th e people. W here nearly every one cu ltiva tes e ith er fo r sale or for h is own use, i t no d o u b t m eans t h a t th e re w ill be v e ry li t t le su rp lus cash a t th e end of th e season to spend in finery, or in v isiting d is ta n t pagodas, or giving ft a s ts an d th e a tr ic a ls to frien d s B u t w ith low prices, perhaps, we sha ll ge t m ore honesty and less frau d and deception in th e rice trad e , and those w ho do no t cu ltiv a te , b u t have to buy th e ir da ily food, viz , the residen ts in tow ns, « ill benefit from cheap food. T he B urm ese cu ltiv a to rs have for so m any years h ad h igh prices and a b risk dem and for p addy and rice, th a t they h ard ly u n d e rstan d th a t th e European m ark e t is overstocked, and th a t i t is only low rates w hich can induce sh ippers to send more rice o u t of th e country . A nother good result which w ill doubtless follow from low prices is th a t th e poorer classes in E urope m ay be induced to use rice m ore genera lly

as an a rtic le of food. I t s n u tr itio u s qu a lities are w ell know n, and if the poor find th a t they can o b ta in a susta in in g food a t ra tes m uch low er th a n have h ith e r to p revailed , th ey m ay, perhaps, be induced to overcom e th e p re jud ice w hich ex is ts am ong so m any classes of people regard ing changing o rd in a ry a rtic le s of d ie t. T he la s t ad m in istra tio n re p o rt for th e p rovince show ed th a t B urm ah rice had p en e tra ted to Iceland , and, if in such a cold clim ate rice is genera lly used by the people w ith advan tage, i t w ould surely be a valuab le food for the labouring classes in G re a t B rita in and Ire land . A nd y e t in how few households a t home is rice ever seen on th e table, unless in th e form of rice pudding , o r unless i t is cooked in honor of come A nglo-Ind ian who happens to be a t hom e on fourlough. — F riend o f In d ia and Statesm an.

S t r a w b e r r i e s . — I t is e s tim a ted , says th e N e w Y ork Tribune, th a t d u rin g th e “ S traw b erry m on th ” Chicago receives 10,000 bushels of th is f ru i t p e r day .

V i n e -g r o w l in g i n G e r m a n y .— I w as very m uch in ­te re s te d th is y ea r in th e d ifferent m odes in w hich th ey g row vines in th e w ine c o u n try w hich fringes th e R h in e fo r so long a d istance. I observed th em chiefly a t N ew hausen on Ju n e 10, an d found tw o modes of cu ltu re pursued . In th e firs t in stan ce th e vines w ere tra in e d up a 6f t. pole, an d stopped a t th a t h e ig h t. S ix or seven stem s w ere tra in e d up th e pole from th e sam e root, encouraging side g row ths for th e fru itin g wood. In th e o th e r m ethod, one leading stem w as grow n u p an d ben t dow n, an d tied to th e fo o tsta lk , so as to form a hoop, ro u n d w hich th e g ro w th was m ade an d th e f ru i t borne. — J . A l l e n . — Australasian.

E x p o r t s i n t h e s h a p e o f C o c o n u t O i l of a su ­p e rio r q u a lity , sleepers, an d logs of tim b er, from th e A ndam an Islan d s , are g rad u a lly increasing. T he oil, by th e w ay, comes o rig ina lly from th e N icobars, w here th e islan d s a re b e lted w ith coconut trees. I t is a curious, though w ell-know n, fact, th a t th e coco­nu t, indigenous to th e Cocos Islands to th e n o rth , and to th e N ieobar Is lan d s to w ard s th e sou th , w as n o t to be found some years ago in th e A ndam ans. E very coconut tree in th e se ttle m e n t owes its e x is t­ence to o u r colony. T he w ea lth of th e A ndam ans in o th e r k in d s of valuable tim b er fu lly m akes up, how ever, for th e absence of th e coconut pa lm .— Pioneer.

T h e M a u r i t i u s S u g a r E s t a t e s W e have m ore th an once said th a t a lm ost th e only m eans of se ttin g th e sugar-m aking in te re s t on a sound and solid footing is the creation of Sugar Estates Com panies. By th is m eans a ll m ortgage deb ts will g rad u a lly be liqu idated ; th e C olony w ill n o t pay so m uch in te re s t to th e cap ita lis ts of o th e r c o u n tr ie s ; th e esta tes w ill be adm in iste red a t a m uch cheaper rate, and th e pub lic w ill be m ore genera lly in te re s ted in th e chief staple of th e colony. A large nu m b er of persons who can com m and only a few h u n d red s of rupees or do llars w ill be able to ta k e a few shares T h e r iv a lry am ong th e E sta te s Com panies w ill be of th e m ost leg itim ate k in d ; i t w ill be, w hich e s ta te can p ro ­duce th e la rg est q u a n tity of sugar of the b es t qu a lity . W h a t has g iven th e im pulse in th is m a tte r has been th e success of, we believe, th e firs t com pany, the Sugar Estates Company of w hich D r. le e ry is th e m anager. A n o th er Com pany is now form ing to be called th e Central Sugar Estates Company, f t w ill com prise th e fo llow ing esta tes, viz :—Bonne , Veine, Esperanee, N ew Grove, Rose Bette, M are d ’A lbert. W e perceive by an ad v ertisem en t t h a t At on Trcsor is selling off every th in g . W e are so rry to lea rn th is . I f i t h ad form ed p a r t of a Com pany th is m igh t n o t have happened . T h e N o rth e rn S ugar E sta tes Com pany an d th e H ig h lan d s C o., are very successful. T h ir ty shares of th e N o rth e rn C om pany w ere w ith d raw n on th e 26 th in s ta n t a t R 286.— M au ritiu s M ercantile Record,

TR O PIC A L F R U IT S .#

TO T H E E D IT O R OF T H E “ F IE L D .”

S i r ,—Acting upon th e suggestions of F . T. P. anil T . D. M., I have made inquiries a t the fru iterer's (Por­ter, 278, Oxford-street), and find th a t th e mangoes came from Madeira ; so my supposition th a t they were from Bombay was erroneous, which shows th a t people should not jum p a t conclusions. The lo t I saw arrived late in November. T heir price is from sixpence to a shilling, which strikes me as m oderate.

F . T . P. m entions the custard apple and liecliie. I saw one variety (Anona reticulata, sim ilar to w hat is called in Jav a “ buali nyonya ”—ladies’ fruit) of the form er and the liechie in a dried s ta te a t th e same shop. Also the avocado pear (Persea gratissim a), and a th ing called the chew-chew, a substitu te for the veget­able marrow, both from M a d eira .. A fter the m istake I made in the case of th e mango, it is needless to say th a t I have never been to Bombay, bu t I have eaten the mango in Ceylon very early in February . They were no t quite ripe, though. I had always cherished a hope th a t mangoes and m angosteen could be brought over in a frozen sta te . I m ean literally frozen— not merely pu t in an ice-house. T he case quoted by T . D. M. seems to explode th is idea.

I am by no m eans sanguine th a t the m angosteen could be satisfactorily reared in E uropean hothouses. I say th is from my knowledge of the fru it, and no t from my acquaintance with hothouses, which is n il. T he only places where it reaches perfection are M alaya and South Amer­ica. In Malacca i t grows absolutely wild in the centre of the peninsula. A ttem pts have been made to grow it in Burmali, w ith bu t scant success. I t is impossible to say w hat are tlie clim atic or o ther conditions a t the bottom of all th is, ju s t as i t is impossible to say why the Prim ula im perialis will only grow to perfection on the solitary m ountain-top of the Pangerango, Jav a , and deteriorates when transplanted to o ther m ountain-tops.

F . T. P . m entions grapes and peaches from Ind ia and Assam. Does* not th is suggest th a t i t would be fa r more to the purpose to introduce these fru its in to Asia where i t is proved they would llourish, and thus provide a really needed luxury for the sw eltering A nglo-Indian in the plains ? W hat would one n o t give for a bunch of good grapes in C alcutta in Ju n e ? A t M andalay, Upper Burmaii, I have seen a grape vine as fine as ever I saw it in G erm an y ; and 1 was assured th a t th e crop was splendid. W hen I arrived there was no t a bud to be s e e n ; and w hen I left, a m onth la ter, the vine was covered w ith tiny bunches of fru it, so rapid was the growth. The vine was the only one in M andalay. In th e same garden were some fig trees, th e fru it of which I tasted , and found it perfect. T his was in th e m onth of September. As a proof th a t vine culture would pay • in India , I m ay m ention th a t the owner of th e M an­dalay vine was offered fifteen hundred rupees for his 1877, ’78 crop.— E . T. S.

T H E TONGA PLA N T.( E h p r e m n u m m ir a b il h , S c h o t t .)

“ Tonga, the specific for neuralg ia.” Such is an ad­vertisem ent of Messrs. Allen and H anbury’s th a t has now been before the public for m any m onths past. Tonga is a vegetable drug, and the m aterial from which i t is prepared is sta ted to consist of a m ixture of bark and fibrous m atter, the botanical origin of which was for some tim e unknown. The Tonga p lan t.itse lf is an o rna­m ental climber of rapid growth, w ith bold dark green p innatisec t leaves in the adult stage, and large inflor­escences, resembling those of a M onstera or Rliaphi- dojdiora. I t is a very suitable p lan t for tra in ing up pillars, trunks of Palm s, Tree Ferns, <frc., or th e back wall of a s to v e ; and besides its ornam ental character

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it is specially in teresting for th e m anner in which the p lan t changes 111 appearance as it developes from its juvenile sta te w ith sm all en tire leaves, to i ts adult flowering s ta te w ith large p innatisec t leaves; as well as for i ts m edicinal qualities, which appear to have long been known to the natives of th e countries th e p lan t inhabits, since Rum phius in liis Flora Aniboineusis, vol. v., p. 489 (where a t t . 183, f. 2, a very good figure ofthe p lan t is given), s ta te s th a t the natives of Jav a andBaly cook “ the h o rn s” (term inal buds of flowering stems) a little over a fire, bruise them and squeeze out the juice, which is given to lean and feeble horses and cows, and i t is said to cure them and bring them in toa fa t and healthy condition. The in ternal substance is

• pounded and used in the form of a poultice as a remedy for sprains. I t is also used as a dentifrice to w hiten the tee th , the heart or in ternal substance being chewed w ith P inanga and chalk. Cows feed upon th e leaves, especially during the hot m onths when the fields are destitu te of g ra ss ; they seem to be veiy fond of them , and also of the stems, as they are no t acrid . A lto­gether th e Tonga p lan t appears to be a ra th e r useful one, all the more so considering th e order to which it belongs, whose members are more noted for the ir doubt­ful and poisonous qualities th an for th e ir good and use­ful ones.

T he following is a description of the T onga p lan t, chiefly compiled from M r. Bull’s specimen, om itting licro the fu ll synonymy :—

E p i p r k m x u m m i r a b i l e , Schott, Genera A roidearuni p . 79.— Stem clim bing, in juvenile p lants slender, about one-ten th inch th ick , in adu lt flowering p lants about 1 inch th ick , clothed to­wards th e apex w ith th e persisten t fibrous rem ains of th e scale- leaves.* Sm allest leaves of juvenile p lants , w ith a petiole —1 | inch long, vaginate for about half its leng th , and a lam ina 1—1* inch long, J—1 inch broad, obliquely cordate-ovate, acute o r shortly cuspidate, en tire , w ithou t perfo ra tions; as th e p lan t gets older the petioles elongate am i th e lam ina increases in size, becoming obliquely oblong-ovate, or lanceolate-oblong, acu te or shortly acu­m inate , w ith sm all perforations or pellucid spots, m ostly arranged along th e sides of the m id rib ; from being qu ite en tire these gradually pass to n m ore and m ore pinnatifidly segm ented form, un til th e ad u lt stage is reached. Petioles of ad u lt leaves, s tou t,8—15 inches long, including the 1—1$ hich long genicules, convex 011 th e back, channelled dow n the face, and vaginate nearly up to the geniculus. L am ina 11—20 inches long, 7—12 inches broad, shin ing dark green, oblong or elliptic-oblong in ou tline, acute, cordate or subcordate a t th e base, m ore or less oblique, p innatisec t nearly to the m idrib, and having num erous sm all perforations and pellucid spots scattered along th e region of th e m idrib , b u t not confined to th a t p i r t ; segm ents vary ing from 4—10 in nnm - l>er on each side, b u t m ore num erous on one side th a n on th e other, s tra ig h t or som ew hat falcate , a ll except th e lowest of about, equal bread th th roughout th e ir leng th (usually 1—2 inches broad), apex truncate or som ew hat convexly tru n c a te , th e upper edge produced in to an acum inate p o in t ; th e te rm ina l lobe m ore or less diamond-shaped, m uch larger th a n th e res t. P rim ary la tera l nerves 2—3 in each of the basal segm ents, one only up th e centre of th e o ther segm ents, or sometimes tw o or m ore, w hen tw o or more segm ents are un ited in to one, spreading, run n in g o u t s tra ig h t alm ost to the m argin , and then curved in to th e acum inate p o in t ; m idrib and nerves ra th e r im pressed above, very prom inen t and rounded beneath. Peduncle 4—9 inches long, te re te . Sjiathe 4—44 inches long, ovate, boat-shaped, shortly cuspidate-acute, green outside, puce-coloured inside. Spadix sessile, m uch shorter than the spathe, cylindric obtuse, g reen , about tw o-thirds of an inch th ick . Ovaries cuneate, suV hexagonal, trunca te , one-celled, w ith a septiform placenta projecting one-third across th e cell, bearing tw o ovules, one on e ither side a t its base (rarely only one ovule); s tigm a sessile, linear.—Schott, Prodromus A roidearum , p . 3 88 . E ugler, in DC. Monog. PJianerog, ii , , p . 249! &c.

W idely distributed, inhabiting Java, S um atra , Baly, Amboina, Tim or, F iji Islands, T ropical A ustralia, and in the Kew H erbarium is a specimen of w hat I take to he th e same species from W ham poa, China (Hance, No. 15,600)— N. E . B r o w n , H erbarium , Kew.— Garden­ers’ Chronicle.

* If I understand th e descriptions a rig h t of the various authors who have described th is p lan t I th in k they m ean to im ply th a t these in s is te n t fibres a re th e rem ains of th e vagina of the foliage- ie av es ; b u t th is is n o t th e case, for they are th e rem ains of vataphyllary leaves, w hich are n o t developed u n til th e p lan t dowers', and accompany a change from a monopodial to a sym- podial m ode of grow th of th e s tem , exactly as occurs in Philo­dendron, for exam ple P . Sinisii,

ORANGE C U L T U R E IN CEYLON.W e have m ore th an once touched upon th e subject

of the cultivation of fru it in Ceylon, as a m eans of affording a livelihood to young m en w ith lim ited m eans who can find no opening in professions, or in general business. T he question assum es more im portance as the tim e approaches for Colombo becoming th e po rt of call for so m any m ore steam ers th an h itherto . Our a tte n ­tion is re called to orange culture by a notice which th is industry has received in one of the consular reports which en ters a t some length in to th e cultivation of and trade in oranges and lemons. T he trade in oranges from the W est Ind ia Islands, M alta, and E gypt to G reat B rita in has been of considerable im portance for m any years past. The first crop of the season is looked for w ith g reat eagerness by th e London dealers, and there is as m uch rivalry between clipper fru it steam ers with the new fru it of the seasons as there is w ith the China clippers w ith argoes of new Teas.

B u t th e trade to which our a tten tio n has been directed by a consular report from Beyrout, is th a t of the two Syrian d istric ts in which oranges are m ost plentiful, those of Jaffa and Sidon. T he orange trade from these two places we are told, began to assum e considerable proportions some forty years ago, when the new G o­vernm ent of E gypt took shape, and i t is now one of the m ost profitable industries in th e two tow ns above- mentioned. U nfortunately the inhab itan ts, allured by first gains, commenced p lan ting gardens and expending money beyond the ir resources, the resu lt of which has been th a t, in spite of all rem unerations for sm all ou t­lay's, their improvidence has placed m ost, of them in the power of money-lenders, who continue to advance a t in terest of 15 to 20 per cent. However a company has lately been form ed in Jaffa to negotiate loans w ith orange cultivators, and if its operations be carried on fairly, we m ay expect an extension of horticulture, w ith benefit alike to the company and th e borrowers. A t th e p resent m om ent Jaffa possesses some 340 gardens, averaging from 2,000 to 2,500 trees in each. T he crop of fru it from these m ay be pu t down a t about36,000,000.

A garden costs from 40,000f. to 50,000f. and brings in 4,000f. to 5,000f. per annum . F or several miles round Jaffa extends a fertile p lain on which w ater is always to be found a t a depth of 40 ft. or 50 ft.

T he cultivation of the orange is no t generally earned on w ith m uch enterprise or skill, and i t appears bu t little is done to aid the trees beyond irriga ting them , and even th is is earned on, on the m ost prim itive system. A t p resen t unp lanted land close to Jaffa able to sup­port 2,000 trees is w orth 2,000f. to 3 ,000f.; hu t a t two or th ree hour’s distance i t will fe tch only 5f. to Of. a deunmn. T he export is carried on chiefly by sailing boats for E gypt and Constantinople, and by steam ers for Russia, Trieste, and Marseilles. E xportation in cases is a com paratively recent introduction, which has given considerable impulse to business w ith Europe. T he orange gardens of Sidon are cultivated on the same principles as those of Jaffa. An acre of land a t Sidon is generally valued a t from 6,000f. to 7,000f., and is capable of bringing in an income of about 600f.

An abundant supply of w ater appears to be a neces­sity fo r th e orange tree, if i t is to produce abundant crops. I t will be seen th a t th e growers there receive no t more a re tu rn th an ten per cent upon the value of th e ir properties, the largest profits being realised who purchased them for th e supply of foreign m arkets, those m arkets in th e present case being Turkey and Russia.

Oranges are likewise cultivated to a considerable ex­ten t in Tasm ania, whence a large trade exists to the o ther A ustralian Colonies. W e are, however, w ithout da ta as to the re tu rn s yielded by th is industry, but seeing how little labor need be expended on the tree after i t has arrived to m aturity , beyond th a t involved in its irrigation , th e re tu rn in th is country should be

very considerable. T he produce of a tree is said to range from 200 to 800 fru it per annum . Tl% dem and for such fru it as these, will very shortly be fa r greater th an the supply can sa tis fy ; and considering a t w hat a lowr a te suitable land can bo purchased or ren ted on long leases, and having regard to the p leasant and not by any m eans laborious occupation of a fruit-grow er, an orangery should have a ttrac tio n s for the young men of th is country. H itherto the fru it has been grownw ithout care and a tten tio n , and certainly w ithout ir r i­gation, and we cannot wonder therefore th a t quality does not form a very prom inent featu re in th e article. In th e w estern province oranges are p lan ted chiefly on rising ground, under the im pression th a t it thrives best in a dry situation, bu t th is is n o t the case, and th e absence of m oisture in the soil m ay go far to explain the poverty of some of the fru it. W e are assured th a toranges grown in th e m anaar distric t are of a very finedescription and very refreshing to th e quality of juice they c o n ta in ; th is is probably explainable by th e fact th a t irrigation is easily obtained from some of the m any w ater-courses flowing through th a t p art of th e country.

W e would advise any in tend ing cultivators o f the orange to select land capable of being irrigated by m eans of wells and w ater ■ channels, and w ithout th a t trees can scarcely be expected to yield abundantly . A very little m echanical contrivance will unable w ater to be raised from the wells and distributed through an orangery, especially if bullock-power he available. To w hat exten t the demand for th is fru it exists in Syria alone m ay be gathered from the fact th a t 30,000 cases of th e fru it are annually shipped from th a t country.— C. Times.

COCONUT CU LTIV A TIO N ON T H E "MALABAR COAST.

One of th e chief agricultural pursu its on the W est coast, as also in different parts of th e peninsula, which ranks only second in im portance to paddy cultivation, is coconut p lanting, w hich is considered so profitable a speculation th a t the m ania for ge tting possession of reclaim ed lands, and lands along th e river side, favor­able for the above purpose, is ever on th e in c rease ; and if i t is cultivated on scientific principles, the profit will be ten-fold m ore th an under existing arrangem ents. As filings now stand, particu lar a tten tion is paid to th e following points, which those in terested in th e p ro­m otion of th is branch of industry will do well to bear in m ind. I n th e first place, great care is taken in the selection of the n u ts for growing. Only large-scarred nu ts of trees th a t have passed th e ir middle age, will fit for th e same, and these, when they have a tta ined th e ir full m aturity , have to bo gently le t down in baskets, and no t violently dropped on the hard ground as ordin­ary nu ts are ; bu t those who consider th is process ra th er too troublesome, generally select trees growing on the banks of tanks so th a t the fully-ripe n u ts m ight drop down in to them , which is considered less injurious. These n u ts are generally p lan ted on th e ground only half-covered a t a distance of one feet from each other. In some cases they are simply slung, two by two, over a large horizontal pole, while the more common plan is to place them on house-tops in a sim ilar m anner. In each case they are fully exposed to th e w eather, and rem aining thus fo r about th ree m onths they generally begin to g e rm in a te ; and when they pu t fo rth four leaves, or when they are about four or five m onths old, they are carefully transplanted , while on high roads, only p lan ts three years old arc considered fit for transplanting .

The p its in to which they are to be transp lan ted m ust be prepared w ith due care, a t least six m onths before they are to be used. One essential elem ent in the p re­paration of these p its is observing a proper distance between each, which necessarily varies according to the nature of the soil, a distance of 24 feet being considered sufficient in low gi.m ud, while in higher regions they

m ust be located a t least 30 to 40 feet apart, aud in every case they m ust be 2 feet square by 2 feet deep. After these p its are thoroughly burn t, which practice is by the way restricted to high grounds only, m arine shells are pu t in to form the first layer, over which comes ano ther layer of sand. These processes no t only add to the fertility of the soil, bu t prevent the en­croachm ents of w hite-auts, which object is also gained by planting two or three arrow root p lan ts in each pit along with the young coconut plant, the strong pungent smell of the form er having a very destructive influence upon these injurious insects. Young coconut p lan ts of the proper age for transp lan ting can also be purchased a t about IU 2 per hundred, bu t these cannot always be depended upon, as dealers very often bring up for sale p lan ts th a t have grown up from n u ts promiscuously stored up for the m anufacture of Copprah, as the dried kernel usually exported is called. T he p lan ts require to be w atered till they are firmly rooted, and throughout the h o t season, which will have to be repeated even in the ease of grown up trees if on a purely sandy soil. A sandy, clayey soil is best adapted for its growth. F ilth and refuse of fish form the chief m anure, while ashes and sand are also commonly used for the same purpose, the form er being generally restric ted to large coconut topes along the seashore very often occupied by a long succession of fisherm en's hu ts, and where possible, deposits of rivers considered highly fertilizing arc largely used. In addition to all this, llic base of the young p lant is yearly dug up and covered w ith a th ick coating of sand which practice, if kept up even a fter they become trees, will tend to benefit them much.

The tim e a t which the tree begins to blossom varies according to the natu re of the soil, th e earliest instance whereof being live years from the tim e of planting, and the la test twelve years, while there is a particu lar species which begins to bear when i t is 18 m onths old, but th is is no t likely to be of m uch use as it does not last long. A full-grown tree averages in height between 60 and 90 feet, and if in a favorable locality, produces between 90 and 100 nuts, while the sm allest num ber obtainable from the w orst specimen of the kind, ranges from five to ten , and these n u ts are gathered every m onth or a t least ten tim es a year. A tree under favorable circum stances will go on thus bearing for about 80 or 90 years, and live to the age of 120 years, though by th is tim e the produce will dwindle con­siderably. Toddy-drawing for the first three or four m onths after blossoming, is considered beneficial to the trees in th a t th e treading down of the branches is calculated to give them fresh life, bu t if continued, the annual income derived thereby will in no way stand comparison with th a t obtained by the sale of nuts.

Beetle and o ther insects som etim es eat up the tender shoots of th e young coconut tree. These arc carefully removed by m eans of a sickleshaped pointed iron instiu - m ent, and the p a rt affected well stuffed witli salt, ashes and sand which cure i t in no tim e. I f th is m eans be n o t resorted to , th e tree will w ither and die away. Leaving th is out of account, we know7 of no o ther baneful agencies to the trees, excepting of course such natu ra l causes as lightn ing and excessive drought, over which hum an precautions, however, can have 110 control. T he data given above arc, we hope, sufficient to enable those in terested in th is cultivation to draw th e ir own conclusions as to the paying character of the enterprise, which is all the more to be pursued, as it is a well- known fact th a t there is no t a single part of the tree th a t is valueless.— M adras Standard .

T H E N E W CEYLON AND IT S P R O D U C T S : T H E G U T TA T R E E .

The following extracts from th e diary of Capt. W itti (for which, as before, we are indebted to the directors o f th e N orth Borneo Company) describe the chief fea t­

ures of his_ journey in May and Ju n e la s t from M arndn, Bay, his form er sta rtin g poin t in the extrem e no rth of the island, to E lopura, Sandakan Bay, 011 the n o rth ­west c o a s t :—

May 14.— W e crossed th e U pper Bengkoka a t a point to the south of M andurian, where we had to stop, as the next village, Toyon, takes a whole day 's travel. T he reason th a t kept us was th e w ant of w ater between th is and Toyon. Tomorrow we shall have to c a n y our supply in bamboo-pipes as if we had to cross some arid p lain, and yet we shall move through a luxurian t forest as we did th is m orning.

T his is th e region pronounfied by a professional p lan ter to be th e Ceylon of th e fu tu re. H e m ay be lig h t, though he passed h is judgm ent on a d istan t view (from th e m outh of the Tandek). T he ground betw een th is and T andek rises along our route to 900 f t.; i ts m a x­im um is scarcely 200 ft. higher, and is confined to the ridge form ing the w atershed between th e direct d ra in ­age. to M arudu Bay and th a t to th e Bengkoka river. The rem ainder undulates between 200 f t . and 450 ft., and is m oderately sloped and well w atered. On the T andek side the alluvial p lain conies to an end near Kalimo ; the elevation of th e Bengkoka bed is 200 ft. above the sea. The vegetable detritus is 011 an average one foot and a half thick, a brown friable m o u ld ; the subsoil is disin tegrated sandstone. T he grow th is veiy d en se ; trees of more th an 3 ft. g irth are scarce. None of the industria l p lan ts are known to grow hereabout in a wild sta te .

T he Bengkoka river, forty yards wide, could in tim e of floods be ascended thus far, bu t th e curren t m ust be very strong then. A clearing indicates th e site of a form er D usun village. T he people evidently found th em ­selves between two fires, through visitors bo th from Bengkoka and Bongon, for they re tired to some un in­viting m ountain top and only show them selves 011 m arket day. W e passed pne m arket, held in th e bed of the T ankalanan, a tribu tary of the Tandek.

W e spent th e n igh t cam ping al fresco. T he leaves of wild p lan tains would have afforded a roof in case of ra in ; but, although wished for, i t did n o t como. Thus we kept waking all n ight, slapping a t m osquitoes, l i e had m ade a large fire, ju st as if we were in a H u n ­garian plain a t winter tim e, try ing to ke<:j> th e wolves off; b u t the mosquito is an undaunted brute.

M ay 16.— The trac t we have entered is decidedly hilly. F rom th e Bengkoka river we rose to 1,350 ft. in a steep p itch, and then, from a com parative clearing, we could see th a t there arc four different ridges in the east, w ith th e ir m ain axis running n o rth and south.

T he village of Penenian, situated to th e north of the p a th of Toyon, is a little com m unity r f M am agnn D usuns, who live a quiet existence on th e rice and vegetables they grow, oil the fowls they rear, and never bother them selves about indiarubber and the outer world.

Ascending from Penenian to th e south-eastw ard, we came through a heavy tim ber forest, th e highest level above sea being 2,300 ft.; and we are now in the Son- zogan country7, the source of nearly all the g u tia percha th a t finds its way over to M arudu.

Em erging from th e th ick forest, w hat a bu rst of land scap e! How the m ountains crowd tow ards th is penin­sula ! A coffee p lan ter would find i t w orth while to ex­am ine it. H e could select h is elevation up to 3,500 ft., and th e Bengkoka offers w ater carnage. The forest is partly th e same grow th as on the range betw een Tam -

■ bunan and Papar. T he soil is very porous.M ay 17.— The ridge along w hich we are moving con-

; nects those m entioned befo re ; we already passed two of them . T he slopes are s te e p ; no w ater is to be had for

1 miles, and there is no liiglier anim al life noticeable in 1 consequence. T he rainfall, during th e o ther seasons,

m ust be cop ious; th is is shown by th e presence of s g u tta p lan ts. W e travelled seven m iles m ore through 1 tim ber forest. The soil is open aud porous, w ith alm ost

no signs of surface drainage, and th e gullies are a t th is season all overgrown. W henever a spring occurs on the hillside there nestles a village close by, bu t villages are few and fa r between. T his com parative paucity of w ater applies by no m eans to the valleys.

Around T inaan a considerable space is under cultiv­ation, while w ith the o ther villages the p lan ting grounds lie a t a distance. These people live on th e Dioscorea bulb (yam), b u t they grow rice for sale. T he grain is no t to be had a t a sho rt notice ; our hosts were busy during th e n igh t in husking th e padi for our consum p­tion. T he Bajows coming from the coast only buy the padi for the sake of a triflng profit, and to give their women a t home som ething to do.

May 18.— The country traversed today is w atered by the Bonzogan rivulet, an affluent of th e Bcngkoka, and is a dense jungle instead of tim ber forest. In it we saw both the g u tta creeper and the g u tta tree. The la tter, a Spotaceous p lan t, yields th e stiff variety known in the Singapore m arket as “ G u ttah k ras,” or “ G u ttah merali ” (gu tta perclia). F rom the form er, representing “ Roxburgh’s Urceola elastica," is obtained the “ G uttali licliak,” o r “ G u ttah susu,” the indiaraubber proper, I believe. I t is a p ity th a t these D usuns cu t down the tree ju s t as they do the creeper. They ex tract the m ilk by a num ber of circular incisions from eight inches to one foot apart. The m ilk of tho “ U rceo la” we found snow white, bu t of little consistency a t th e tim e. The stem in question was one foot in diam eter, and bu t recently tapped. Among th e D usuns to th e south of Kinabalu a tine is imposed for cu tting a tree d o w n ; a t th e U pper K im anis the offender lias to pay a buffalo. As g u tta collecting gradually comes under the practical control of th e com pany’s officers, a sort of jungle-con- servancy m ight he established w ith advantage. Thus, the collector's ought to be taugh t th e South American (Para) m ethod. D usuns arc a tribe open to sensible advice.

The rock here is sandstone. In the Sonzogon we found noth ing bu t crabs, which however delighted our men, wlro are very keen on them .

M ay 10.— 111 the jungle today we saw trunks of the gutta-percha tree having a g irth upwards of six feet and nearly a hundred feet in height. One of tlicnr seemed to overbridge a crevice. Wo halted a t Palin , the last village in the Sonzogon country. These D usuns have the peculiarity of pronouncing th e yo , ;/«, as zo, za. B u t tlrcir indifference to the use of sa lt is m uch more peculiar. A briue-spring in the vicinity of P alin is scarcely ever resorted to, and they never give anything for sa lt brought to them from the coast. T his applies to the whole Bonzogan people, who live, as already sta ted , on sweet potatoes ami w ater. The re tu rn s for tlic ir rice and gu tta they hoard up in the darkest re ­cesses of "the bush, consists of. brass in every conceiv­able shape—th e only th ing tlicir heart is se t 011.

May 25.— Between Nolumpis and K agasingan the country does no t rise to more th an 1,100 ft. I t is m ostly covered with old forest., and well watered. I 11 tl.c fields around K agasingan th e N icotiana strikes the eye m o s t ; badly cured, i t yields a good sccond-class tobacco.

Juno 12.—W here the nom inal alteration of the river occurs, there stood form erly a village, Sapaan, and there also joins a rivulet, nam ed Luon do P arei, on the left shore. Below there the shores arc flat, and the jungle" is in terrup ted by abandoned p lan ting ground. The stream is fifty yards wide, easy, and too deep for snags. T he principal grow th is rice and sugar-cane. The Tam honuas know how to prepare raw sugar. The welcome gift of O rang K aya B inua consisted of a cup­ful cf molasses and a lum p of bay-salt. The quality of tobacco is even lower th an th e grounds whereon it is grown. I quite understand the troubles we had with the ra in (which I hear from Mr. P ryer was ra th e r u n ­seasonable), on seeing th e rice sta lks here two feet high.

At Tam passuk th e season is no t so advanced ; there they ju s t commence to dress the ir rice fields. O n the o ther hand, "the ra ins “ b e h in d ” K inabalu— th a t is, to th e S .E .. E ., and N .E . of i t— set in m uch la te r th an on th e west coast.

H aving had occasion to observe Tam hanuas in four different rivers p re tty far apart, I can safely assert them to be superior to th e D usuns proper in several respects. Ind u stry and quick perception arc common to all th e aborigines in northernm ost B o rn eo ; bu t the Tam bonua is free from drink and d irt, and there is about Tam bonuas no t only noth ing ferocious known, bu t they are possessed of th e only redeem ing fea tu re of th e pure 5 lalay race, namely, a sense of decency and politeness.

Juno 13.— On the way to the K iuabatangan we counted no more th an twenty-five houses, scattered over five miles of th e river-course. T he rem aining portion of the la tte r was found today fifteen m iles and a half long. T h a t gives th e whole L ukan river tw enty m iles th rough­ou t— a t floods, even for a steam er drawing 10 f t. To th a t th e ICoun Kouii would add, for smaR craft, th irty- six m iles, of which, however, only eleven are below the rapids. I t is, on the whole, a respectable waterw ay in to th e zone between K iuabatangan (Meliao) and L abuk (Linogn). I understand th e L ukan Komi IvOun to be the m ost considerable of all affluents to the K inabatan- gau, keeping its head-w aters apart.

T h a t the long stre tch of country between L abuk and K iuabatangan is alm ost uninhabited will hardly prevent i ts being resorted to as a source of g u tta , rubber, cam ­phor, beeswax, and ra ttan s . There is bu t a sm all trac t on e ither end of th e Komi Komi where collecting pro­duce lias been in itia ted , bu t th a t scarcely breaks in to such a vast field.

On th e general appearance of the K iuabatangan shores, &c., I have little to rem ark : the jungle is less im pos­ing th an th a t up Ivoun Koun, th e L inogu and Sugut, but will be so m uch the easier cleared of for agricultural p u rposes; and the constan t accession of fresh soil should guarantee g rea t fertility . Ju s t now the banks are flooded and a considerable area seems converted in to a lagoon ; the sedim ent is of tru ly Nilotic proportion. By estim ­a te the river has here (below th e L ukan fork) 30,200 cubic feet every second, and th e L ukan has about one- tw elftli of th a t quan tity . D ry and rocky spots arc bu t few, and on them I cannot discern flood m arks above the present level. T he river is seven • to ten fathom s d e e p ; it strikes one th e m ore to see in m id-stream some grounded log peeping out like a hippopotam us.— F ield.

M A NURE A D U L TE R A T IO N IN SCOTLAND.(Field, 11th February , 1882.)

D uring th e las t few years the grea ter p a rt of Scot­land has been covered by the operations and influence of d istric t analytical associations— i.e., associations formed in the various d istric ts w ith tlio view of checking m an­ure and fecding-stuff’ adulteration by providing increased facilities for analysis. W hile the operations— indeed, the bare existence—of these associations afforded farm ers a considerable degree of protection from the dishonest m anure m anufacturer and the unscrupulous agent or dissem inator, it was found by tho m ore intelligent in ­dependent farm ers th a t som ething of a stronger character was required—som ething of the nature of a central organisation. Accordingly, the H ighland Society was moved to reorganise its chemical departm ent, so th a t dishonesty m ight be no t only detected, bu t also exposed, as was done by the Royal English A gricultural Society, so fearlessly and effectually.

L ast year was th e first under the new regime of the H ighland Society’s supervision over the whole of Scot­land, and it has revealed an am ount of fraud th a t few expected could a t th is of day be practised w ith im punity.

The local analytical organisation? are not only continued, bu t are subsidised by the national society. T he H igh­land Society give a money g ran t for each analysis to the local societies who conform to certain conditions laid down by the central society. T h irteen of the dis­tric t associations were able to avail themselves of the Highland Society’s aid the first year, and m any more are about to qualify for th e grants.

These th irteen Societies, representing th e counties of Forfar, P erth , Caithness, Aberdeen, Inverness, Roxburgh, Kincardine, L anark, Ross, and Orkney, had las t season 195 analyses of m anures and 26 of feeding stuffs made, and the H ighland Society’s chem ist (Dr. A. P . Aitken) summarises the results of these analysis in an in te rest­ing and instructive fashion. T he H ighland Society’s contribution for each full analysis is 5s., and for each p artia l analysis 2s. Gd.; bu t the to ta l sum th u s spent by the society is a t p resent lim ited to £250 a year.

W ith reference to the undissolved bone m anures, the chem ist found good value sold as a rule, though a few samples were from 18s. to 30s. per ton short in estim ­ated value, according to ascertained composition. The average composition of undissolved bone samples repre­sented 51 per cent of phosphate and about 4 J per cent of ammonia. Some samples sold as bones, however, con­tained less phosphate and more am m onia th an genuine bones would yield, while a few others contained too high percentages of both. They had, in D r. A itken’s opinion, been m ixtures of nitrogenous and phospliatic substances, evidently no t pure bones, and costing about 20s. per ton less th an genuine bone meal. Such m ix­tures may be good enough m anure, bu t D r. A itken very properly suggests th a t they should be sold only as w hat they are—nitro-phospliates or bone-nitro-pliospliates.

Next came dissolved bones, w hich form ed th e largest portion of the m anures tested . I t was found th a t a g reat deal of stuff was sold under th a t designation which had 110 claim to the title . The practice is still common of selling nitrogenous m atters in com bination w ith solu­ble phosphate as dissolved bones, w ith very little bone in it. I t is here the unscrupulous m anufacturer or dealer obtains his big slice of profit. D r. A itken suggests th a t those m ixtures which are palm ed off as dissolved bones, but have no t m uch trace of bone, should by chem ists and m anufacturers be designated nitro-superpliosphate. D r. A itken’s conclusion is th a t farm ers pay too" dearly for then' bit of sentim ent in favour of the term “ bone m anures.” G reat difficulty is experienced by chem ists in determ ining w hether samples are made from pure bones or not, unless th e m ixture of th e substitu te for bones has been unskilfully m ade, and then th e d istinc­tion is quite easily traced. Sixteen of the sam ples of so-called dissolved bones which came under th e chem ist’s notice could no t have been pure bones dissolved in sulphuric acid. They had too low a composition for th a t, and had been evidently m anufactured from cheaper m a te r ia l; while the average value of the samples con­forming to genuine dissolved bones was £ 7 9s. per ton. T h a t of the mixed samples, calculated on th e basis of composition, was only £ 5 8s., and th e ir average selling price was £ 6 17s. per t o n ; so th a t fanners were paying a t least 29s. per ton too m uch for the m anure. W ith several of the samples there was an overcharge of £2 per ton, or about 25 per cent. D r. Aitken finds th a t, if the Caithness Association has paid £ 7 per ton for a m anure called vitriolatcd bones, whose value is £5 per ton, the S tra theam Society in Perthshire has paid £ 7 8s. for a m anure whose value is • £ 5 2 s . ; and the L anarkshire Association has actually paid £ 8 10s. for a m anure whose value, reckoned a t th e highest, is only £ 5 6s. per ton. T he Carse of Gowrie Society paid £9 5s. per ton for so-called dissolved bones, w hich were only value for £ 7 2s.

In Scotland, m ore perhaps th an in any o ther p art of the Kingdom, farm ers have alm ost a slavish adherence o the word “ hone ” in m anures. D r. A itken now gives

them one more proof th a t th e ir sentim ent on th is score is being taken advantage of by unscrupulous m erchants, who sell as bone m anures th a t which really con tains very little bone.

E xperim enters and experienced chem ists have in recen t years endeavoured to persuade Scotch farm ers th a t they need no t trouble them selves about th e sources of the phosphates and am m onia they use as m anures, provid­ed they get an article showing a reasonably good com­position. D r. Aitken now1 tenders fu rther advice in the sam e direction when he says: “ I f a fan n e r gets a m anure w ith 20 per cent or upw ards of soluble phos­phate, and 2J per cent or upw ards of am m onia, he need no t trouble him self to inquire w hether i t was de­rived from bones or not, and th e less bone he is able to see in i t th e better. Visible fragm ents of hone in such a m anure m ay seem a satisfactory th in g to a farm er who has a respect for bones, b u t they are really an indication th a t the bones have been im perfectly d is­solved, or perhaps added to some other phosphate of different origin.” T he dissolved phosphate in bone is a t la s t believed to be no better th an any o ther dissolved phosphate, and the am m onia in bones is slower in action th an am m onia in some o ther forms.

T he samples of suplierphosphate analysed showed a high range of quality, averaging about 30 per cent of soluble phosphate, and costing only about £ 4 15s. per ton. W ith three or four exceptions, the sam ples were quite up to the guaranteed analysis. One sam ple from th e Buchan d istric t of Aberdeenshire, costing £ 4 5s. per ton , was so inferior in quality, th a t i t was still about £1 12s. per ton above its value. A sam ple from E a s te r Rossa was £1 15s. per ton over its value.

T he Peruvian guano was well sustained in phosphates, bu t fell considerably short in am m onia. Almost all the sam ples were a t least 1 per cent short, and some were as m uch as 3 per cent under th e guarantee, represen t­ing an overcharge of £ 2 per ton. One sam ple from Lanarksh ire contained only about half the guaranteed am ount of am m onia, and was valued a t £ 3 8s. Cd. less per ton th an the selling price. Some of th e samples of guano dissolved in sulphuric acid showed very u n ­favourable results. T heir composition indicated an over­charge in price of about 50s. per ton . One sam ple of dissolved Peruvian guano from the S tra thcarn d istric t of P erthshire, sold at* £11 8s. per ton , was value for only about £ 6 6s. The application of sulphuric acid to Peruvian guano is "discouraged by D r. A itken, and seemingly is no t a cheap m eans of applying fertilisers to the soil.

T he so-called special m anures, however— such as potato m anure, tu rn ip m anure, oat m anure, grass m anure, &c. —gave a yet m ore unsatisfactory result. Talcing the tu rn ip m anures first, D r. A itken found th a t for these about £1 per ton more was paid th an the corresponding value of dissolved hones could have been obtained for. P o tato m anures arc still more deficient. Calculated on the same scale as the composition of dissolved bones, i t was found th a t the potato m anures which cost on th e average £ 9 7s. per ton were only value for £ 7 Is., showing an overcharge of £ 2 6s. per ton . One potato m anure from the Carse of Gowrie had been valued a t £ 3 8s. per ton below its selling p r ic e ; ano ther from S tra th eam , sold a t £11 per ton," had only value for about £ 6 15s. So-called barley m anure in S tra th eam has been yet m ore disappointing. One sample, costing £ 9 , was a t m ost w orth 110 m ore th an £ 4 17s. per ton, indicating an overcharge of nearly one-half. A few of the special m anures are up to, and one or two over, the g u a ra n te e ; bu t th e grea ter proportion have been charged far over value. The average overcharge Dr. A itken found to be about £ 3 per ton.

These resu lts should read an invaluable lesson to fanners who persist in buying special m ixtures, instead of purchasing the standard m anures and m ixing for themselves. T he whole of th e standard m anures, lo r

instance, analysed by th e S tra th e am Association, showed a deficiency in value of 3s. 6d. on the average per t o n ; while the special m anures— turnip , potato , barley m anure, and ' dissolved guano—indicated on th e average a defi­ciency of £ 2 13s. 5d. per ton. T he . oldest analytical association in Scotland (that a t Kelso) seems to have banished the unscrupulous dealer from its domains. The m anures analysed for i t la s t year yielded results on the average 12s. per ton over th e buying price in value.

D r. A itken re m a rk s : “ One is ap t to conclude, from a consideration of these analyses, th a t if m anure is made to contain a little of everything, you m ay call it what you like. If it is called dissolved bones, you may get it for £ 7 per t o n ; if it is called tu rn ip m anure, you may pay £ 8 per ton for i t ; while, if i t is called potato m anure, you will probably require to pay £ 9 per ton for it, or perhaps a little more. T he chief differ­ence seems to lie in the nam e, and th e nam e commands the price.”

I t is to be hoped th a t the farm ers, n o t only of Scot­land, bu t of th e U nited Kingdom, will profit by D r. A itken’s investigations and reports, of which, for 1881, the above is a summary.

Briefly sta ted, his advice to farm ers is to buy a rti­ficial m anures only by guaranteed analysis, to purchase the standard articles and m ix for them selves, to avoid so-called “ special m anures,” and n o t display such an attachm ent to th e word bone.

A C H E A P A P P L IA N C E F O R S U L P H U R IN G V IN E S .

T he follow ing le t te r has been ad d ressed to th e E d ito r of The (M elbourne) A rg u s :—

S i r , — A llow me th ro u g h y o u r co lum ns to m ake know n to my fellow vignerons a very sim ple and effectual contrivance fo r app ly ing su lp h u r to vines.

Anyone who has su lp h u red on a la rg e scale w ith bellow s know s how unsa tis fac to ry th ey are. E xpensive to begin w ith , th e y alw ays g e t o u t of o rder. T he th in wire gauze w hich covers th e narrow o u tle t b e ­comes c o n s tan tly choked w ith su lp h u r, an d besides, on accoun t of th e force of a ir ■wanted to g e t i t ou t, m ost of th e su lp h u r is se n t beyond th e vine i t is in tended for.

Some I ta lia n s in my em ploym ent suggested to me la s t y ear sm all bags of cheese c ld th , filled w ith su lp h u r an d shaken over th e vines, som ething of th e k in d being used in th e ir co u n try . T his, how ever, d id n o t answ er for an y len g th of tim e, the c lo th becom ing soon closed up by su lp h u r.

T he idea s tru c k me to ta k e four pieces of deal, each Sin. long and Gin. b road, an d to n a il them to g e th er in to a box, to p an d bo ttom open, Sin. h igh , an d 4in. o r 5in, inside. I closed th e bo ttom p a r t w ith a sq ua re piece of v e ry s tro n g w ire gauze, 144 squares to th e square inch , an d n ailed across th e open top a round piece of wood to be used as hand le . T h is answ ered adm irab ly . T he su lp h u r only comes ou t when shaken. T he m an w ho app lies i t holds th e box w ith one h an d over th e v ine, o r alongside, if th e re is any breeze, an d a ta p on th e side of th e box w ith a ttick in th e o th e r hand , ju s t causes an even sp ray of su lp h u r to fa ll th ro u g h th e wire gauze.

I have ju s t su lp h u red 20 acres w ith th is sim ple m achine, using ab o u t ha lf th e q u a n tity of su lp h u r w hich th e sam e am oun t of g ro u n d requ ired in form er years, and y e t th is tim e th e v ines w ere m ore tho ro u g h ly an d m ore evenly su lp h u red .— I am , &c.,

V i g n e r o n .

O S T R IC H F A R M IN G T he sub jec t of ostrich farm ing has been engaging

a good deal of a tte n tio n in S ou th A u stra lia . M r. YV. Jones, w ho has la te ly re tu rn e d from a v is it to th e

Cape of G ood H ope, has co n tr ib u te d in th e form of a le t te r to 'th e A g ric u ltu ra l Society p a rtic u la rs of an in te re stin g character in re lation to th e conduct of the in d u s try . T h e Observer quo tes M r. Jo n e s as follow s :— “ Good b reed ing b ird s m ay now be ob ta in ed a t an average of £150 a pa ir. So-called ‘ b reed ing b i r d s ’ m ay be b o u g h t for less, b u t b ird s of s ix 3 ears old and u p w ard s are n o t easily ob t lined. For. ex p o rt b ird s should be n o t u iu h r five years old, an d shou ld have b red a t least tw o seasons, as these b ird s are m uch stro n g er an d are n o t so easily im p aired as younger b irds. T h e la t te r a re very a p t 011 being r e ­m oved to cease to breed . T h is p a irin g of b ird s is a m a tte r invo lv ing m uch c ire , as th e ostrich is very fastid ious in choosing its m ate , and som etim es i t is necessary to change th e b ird th re e o r four tim es before pairing tak es place. A p a ir of ostriches landed in A dela ide by O rien t line w ould cost a t lea s t £200, unless a redu c tio n of fre ig h t could be ob ta in ed by expo rtin g a considerable n u m b er ; b u t of course if a sa i.ing sh ip w ere c h a rte red the cost w ould be less. A ssum ing th e larger price, say 50 pairs a t £200 each, £ 1 0 ,0 0 0 ; a farm of 100 acres a t £25 p er acre, an d necessary build ings, £4 .000. The bu ild ings req u ired w ould be of a cheap ch a rac te r if constructed u n d e r th e su pe rin tendence of a p rac tica l o str ich farm er. A bou t 20 in cubato rs would be requ ired . A p a ir of good b ird s w ould produce, s ta tin g a low es tim ate , GO eggs per annum , of w hich a t leas t 75 p e r cen t w ould be hatched , g iv ing 45 chicks per annum p e r pair, equal to 2 250 fo r 50 p a irs .. F io m th is 2,250 take off 20 p er cen t fo r loss d u rin g th e firs t th re e m onths, leav ing1,600 young b irds, w orth from £ 7 to £ 7 10s. each . T his m orta lity m ay be g rea tly reduced by properly constructed bu ild ings to g u ard ag a in s t sudden changes of tem p era tu re or ra in , w hich la t te r is m ost in ju rio u sto young birds. T he re tu rn s w ould th u s show 1,600b ird s a t £7 each, equal to £11,200. T he food necessary for a fu ll-g row n p a ir of b reed ing b ird s is 71b. of oats or b arley p e r diem , an d ab o u t a bushel basket fu ll of cu t green food, cabbage leaves, lucerne, clover, green barley , o r an y th in g of th is d escrip tion . T he best place fo r keep ing ostriches is on a lig h t soil, sa n d y in patches, sloping dow n to a liv e r , so th a t gre<-n food—an abso lu te necessity—can be depen dt-d on a ll th e y ear round. D uring th e la te long-con tinued d ro u g h t in th e Cape Colony b irds have dieci in large num bers w here no w a te r was to . be had, b u t on farm s n ear w ate r they have n o t suffered a t a ll. Y oung b ird s shou ld be k e p t fo r feathers, as i t is n o t advisableto p luck b reed ing b irds. A few long fea th ers m aybe ta k e n from th e cocks, b u t th ey a re n o t of m uch value ow ing to th e h a b it breed ing b ird s have of m oving in a peculiar m anner, w hich spoils th e feathers. T he value of b a th e r s is ab o u t as follows : —A bout e ight m onths o ld th e fea th e rs c u t a re w o rth ab o u t 13s. to 16s. per b ird ; a t 16 m onths, abou t £ 4 per b i r d ; a t 24, ab o u t from £ 5 to £7 per b ird , an d th e re a f te r ab o u t from £ 5 to £ 8 per b ird every e ig h t m onths, according to q u a lity .”

T he B ain isd a le A dvertiser m entions, as show ing th e confidence evinced in th e hop in d u stry , t h a t th e area h ith e r to p la n te d has been abou t doubled th is year, m ak ing a to ta l o f close on 200 acres u n d e r cu ltiv a tio n a t th e p re sen t tim e . A ll th e g row ers are now busy poling , and if th e yearlings y ie ld as expected th e re w ill be p le n ty of em ploym ent fo r a la rge add itio n a l n u m b er of p ickers a t th e beginning of n e x t year. — A ustra lasian .

R A S P B E R R IE S IN T R E N C H E S .In th e follow ing, from th e Jo u rn a l o f H orticulture

w e th in k m any of our readers m ay find a method* of grow ing raspb erries successfully in th e m etro p o litan and o th e r ra th e r w arm an d d ry d is tr ic ts :—

Some years ago an accoun t appeared in y o u r colum ns

of how a gardener form ed a m ost fru itfu l raspberry bed, by opening tren ch es and bu ry in g a la rge q u a n tity of vegetable refuse, I th in k . W ill you k iu d ly rep ea t th e advice as an appendix to th e artic le 011 raspberry cu ltu re la s t week ?—J . E.

T he follow ing is an e x tra c t from th e a rtic le re fe rred to , w hich was com m unicated by M r. L u ck h n rs t. W e saw the raspberries in question w hen in full bearing , and th e canes an d crop w ere r e n n rk a b le :—

“ H aving had occasion to pay m ore th a n o rd in ary a tte n tio n to th e cu ltu re of th is f ru it , a few w ords concerning a fa ilu re and its rem edy m ay prove usefu l to o thers. In p lan tin g a few row's abo u t fo u r years ago no p a rticu la r care o r p rep a ra tio n of s ta tio n s was th o u g h t necessary', a lth o u g h the soil was obviously th e reverse of rich . U nbroken success had very lik e ly g iven me an im pression th a t th e raspb rry would th r iv e anyw here an d in a lm ost any k in d of soil, and th is feeling was s tren g th en ed by th o sig h t of a bed of ‘ w ild ’ rasps grow ing lu x u r ia n tly in a n a ld e r sw am p w ith in 100 y a rd s of th e garden . T he soil w as th ere fo re sim ply trenched , m anured heavily as fo r vegetables, and th e raspberries p lan ted . A to le rab ly v igorous g ro w th y ield ing -fru it in due course w as th e resu lt. B u t I was n o t sa tis f ie d ; th e f ru i t was n e ith e t so large nor p len tifu l as w as requ ired , a n d I resolved to s ta r t afresh, reserv ing th e o ld p lan ts for p resen t exigencies.

In m aking th e new bed p a rtic u la r a tte n tio n was given to ensure a ro b u st g ro w th , w hich in th e rasp ­b erry im plies an abundance of f ru it, and to arrange th e whole so as t ) m ake i t an easy m a tte r to p ro tec t th e f ru it from th e ravages of b irds. T h is w as m anaged successfully by m aking th e row s side by side 5ft, ap a rt, and w ith the p lan ts . J ft. a p a r t in th e rows. T renches a y a rd w ide, 2ft. deep, an d filled w ith th e so il—leaves and dung of some old ho tbeds w ell chopped and m ixed, being p rep ared for each row . L arge frn it and p len ty of i t was th e ob jec t in view', an d P rince of W ales w as chosen as th e bes t kind fo r cu linary purposes, its f ru it being very f in e ; b u t as i t is no t so sw eet as some i t would p robab ly n o t be generally lik ed for a d essert fru it.

“ I t was reasonable to suppose that, th is carefu l p rep ara tio n of th e bed w ould p roduce p ro p o rtio n a te resu lts , b u t I m ust confess I ce rta in ly d id n o t ex pect to see an y th in g lik e th e e x trao rd in a ry v igour of th e first y e a r’s grow th . N o t only d id th e roots sp read over th e trenches, b u t they q u ick ly m et and becam e in terlaced in th e alleys, th e en tire surface soon b ris tlin g with suckers, w hich could on ly be k e p t u n d er by rep ea ted hoeings. T h e canes le f t to grow in th e rows w ere w onderfu lly r o b u s t ; an d th e old caues, w hich had been sh o rten ed to abo u t a foo t a t th e tim e of p lan tin g , p u t fo rth some shoots bearing such good f ru its as to cause one to reg re t hav ing shortened th em so m uch. I do not, how ever, th in k i t good p ractice to leave th e canes of a new bed unpruned as is som etim es done, b u t w ould alw ays reduce them to 1ft. or 2ft. In au tu m n w hen th e leaf had fallen tw o wires w'ere s tra in ed along each row, one 2 ft. from th e ground, an d th e o th e r about 3 ft. Gin. ; th e canes w ere th e n p runed a uniform heigh t of 4 ft., t ied u p rig h t to th e w ires, an d th e w ork was com plete.

“ T he bed has now been in fu ll bearing for tw o seasons, th e f ru it being bo th ab u n d an t an d fine. A heavy annual to p dressing of m anure is given to th e a lleys. T he soil is never d istu rbed , b u t rem ains in ta c t ju s t as i t was le f t a f te r th e p lan ting . A s th e f ru it ripens th e bed receives one o r tw o tho rough soakings of w a 'e r o r some liqu id m anure, w hich proves very beneficial to th e crop, m aking th e la te s t p ickings of f ru it q u ite equal to th e firs t in size an d co lo u r.” — A usiralasian.

T H E E S P IR IT U SA N TO P L A N T .Of a ll th e orchidaceous p lan ts t h a t grow on th e

Is th m u s of P anam a, th e re is none t h a t appeals to th e relig ious se n tim en t and popu lar im agination so strong ly as th e ce leb ra ted dove p la n t o r E rpiritu Santo o rchid . T he ex q u is ite m im icry of th is class of p lan ts is seen in th is sp.-cies to ta k e th e fo rm of a dove w ish out- sp'read wings, sh e lte red in th e bosom of th e Hewer. W h ile o th e r and m ere gaudy orch ids exc ite th e w onder a n d curiosity of th e beholder in seeing th e w onderfu l likeness to bees,' bu tterflies a n d o th e r insects, th e E sp fritu -Santo appeals to a h igher an d nobler se n ti­m ent. Tho p la n t produces a long spike of yellow ish w hite waxy Hewers, y ie ld ing a very pecu liar fragrance. On looking a t th e flower th e c en tre of i t exh ib its a colum n w hich , w ith its sum m it, an d th e p ro jec tin g g land of th e pollen m asses, bears a very s tr ik in g resem blance to th e figure of a dove, w hence th e E nglish nam e of th e genus.

T he Span ish ladies, w ith th a t respect for th e im agery of th e R om an C atho lic C hurch, in w hich th e dove tak es so p rom in en t a place, associated th e nam e w ith th e b ird se lec ted by th e H o ly S p ir it to w itness th e B aptism of our Saviour, an d by th is nam e i t is s ti l l know n. To call it th e H o ly G host flow er sounds harsh an d even ir re v e re n t to P ro te s ta n t ears. T he effect of th e E sp fritu S an to flower is a t once devo tional a n d poetical. T h a t i t shou ld fo rm a s tr ik in g su b je c t for the exercise of som e of th e Span ish A m erican poets, w ho have seen th e p la n t in its na tive wood is n a tu ra l and to be expected . T hey have no t only ce leb ra ted th e flower in tb e ir verses fo r i t s n a tu ra l b eau ty , w onderfu l s tru c tu re and fragrance, b u t have seized on i t to express an d m ourn over the sorrow s of poets in general, to w hom th e g if t seem s inseparab le, from w orld ly d isa p p o in tm en t an d p riv a tio n . M any of th em , in o rder to produce th e w orks th a t con tinue to charm th e w orld , “ h ad no t im e ,” as th e lam enled A gassiz said, “ to m ake m oney.” Thom as M artin F u ille t, of P an am a, w ho w rote som e exquisite pieces o f Spanish poetry , an d d ied young, has a poem on th e E sp fritu S an to flow'er of Panam a, ad d ressed to a lady . I n th e tw o la s t verses, he expresses a hope, w hen he is la id t > re s t in th e grav-*, th a t all hough he ex pect no one to shed a te a r to h is m em ory, som e k in d h an d w ill lay on th e b lack pall th a t covers his coffin a few flowers of the. E sp fritu Santo. T he verses are as follows:—

“ Ah! C nando h fuerza de to rm en to s horridos Cese de p a lp ita r m i corazon :C uando deje e s ta v id a tr is te y m fsera,P a ra d o rm ir tran q u ilo en el panteon,Yo s6 que nad ie verterii u n a litg riina ;I ojalit que s iq u ie ra por favor,A lguien coloque en m i en lu tad o fcre tro D el E sp fritu S an to a lguna flor ”

T he love of flow ers is very com m on in Panam a, an d few balconies are w ith o u t them .

T he E sp fritu S an to p la n t o r Periateria d a ta w as a favourite of th e N uns, b u t eanon t be m ade to go 011 flowering in Panam a. T he bu lbs m ay be p rese rv ed alive for a long tim e, b u t th ey refuse to produce flow ers. T hey m u st have a period of re s t .in a com ­pare fi vely cool atm osphere, b u t d u rin g th e ir g ro w th and flow ering they req u ire a cool an d very m oist a tm .sphere. T he h o t an d d ry seasons send th em to sleep, and sleep on th e y w ill in th e a ir of th e const and c ity , w hile such conditions of th e requ isite m oisture and tem p era tu re are kep t from them .

T he supply , how ever, is k e p t u p by severa l Jam aica- m eu, w ho m ake i t a business to seek for th em in th e fo rests th a t s k ir t th e h igher regions th ro u g h w hich R ailroad passes, especially ab o u t Lion H ill S tation . T h ey are not, found so far a we know in Y eraquas or (Jh iriqui, though th e Cordill ..'•s of bo th th ese d e p a r t­m ents abound in exq u is ite ai d ra re orchids. T hese

p lan ts are o ften offered for sale in th e s tre e ts and before th e G ran d H o te l of P anam a, w here passengers ob­ta in them a t from th re e to five dollars th e dozen of bu lbs in flower. T hey flower in J u ly , A u g u s t and Septem ber. T hough th e E sp fritu S an to p lan t belongs to th e te rre s tr ia l o rch ids its bulbs should never be covered w ith ear:h as is genera lly clone. T hey should be p u t in pots w hen th e y begin to grow , and though they requ ire a s tronger com post th a n those th a t adhere to trees, do n o t need so m uch dra inage as the la tte r . T he E sp fritu S an to is b es t grow n in ppis w ith fibrous loam , leaf m ould, an d sandy peat, w ith a good q u an t ty of w a te r d u rin g th e ir period of g ro w th a fte r w hich th e y m ust have a good season of rest, an d kep t n early d ry a t th e roots ; if allow ed to g e t w e t during th e ir re s t th ey a re a p t to ro t. In th e hothouses in E urope th is p la n t continues bloom ing for tw o m onths when th e flower sp ikes a re strong. I n C hiriqu i th e species th e re called b y th e sam e nam s is a Cycnoches hav ing no resem blance a t a ll to th e E spfritu Santo p la n t of Panam a, an d is an ep ip h y te grow ing on trees, aud so nam ed from th e flowers tak in g th e form of a sw an. T here ex is ts on th e -Isthm us a v arie ty of the E sp fritu S an to w ith yellow flower, and th e dove a faw n co lour.—Jo u rn a l'o f A pp lied Seience.— [In Ceylon th e Pigeon p la n t is com m on, c u ltiv a ted on th e stem s of coconut palm s or o th e r g arden tre e s .— E d . T . A .]

TW O “ N E W P R O D U C T S ” D IS T R IC T S IN CEY LO N .

Some inform ation regard ing tw o d is tr ic ts in w hich new p ro d u c ts are being c u ltiv a te d w ith u n d o u b ted su c cess ; oue of th em being an o ld d is tr ic t re ju r-venated w ith new p ro d u c ts : an d th e o th er e n tire lynew , being c u ltiv a ted w ith L iberian coffee an d tea, w ith a l i t t le ru b b e r here an d there . T h e firs t of these, nam ely th e d is tr ic t of M atale gives -promiseof as good resu lts as an y o th e r p a r t of th e island ;and all w ho have w itnessed th e cocoa an d L iberian coffee w hich a re th e p rincipal p ro d u c ts th e re c u ltiv ­a ted , agree in opin ion th a t th e se could be n o th in g finer th a n is to be seen there . H ow i t comes to pass th a t e s ta tes th a t have for years refused to y ield p rofitable re tu rn s in the “ A rab ica” v arie ty of coffee, are doing so rem ark a b ly well in o ther p ro d u c ts is, a m a tte r w ith w hich we do n o t in ten d to d e a l ; o u r sole ob jec t a t p resen t being to se t fo rth th e progress m ade in these new in d u stries , an d w h a t is like ly to be ob ta ined from them . A lthough w e have said th a t th e old-fashioned coffee A rabica has n o t been answ e ing expecta tions of la te years, m uch of it is und o u b ted ly a t th e p resen t tim e prom ising re m a rk ­ab ly well, and in a n um ber of in stances w ill give la rg er crops th a n m ost of th e estates in th e new d istric ts . T he e s ta te to w hich a tten tio n is p a rticu la rly d irec ted is s itu a te d ab o u t th ree m iles from Mate.le, in a n o rth -eas te rly d irection . F o r a y ea r or two the old coffee on th is e s ta te suffered te rr ib ly from th e in roads of hemeleia, an d m ost p rop rie to rs would have lo st h e a r t b y successive failures of crop, and probab ly have ab ard o n cd th e es ta te , or a t an 37 ra te ceased to to have any care for i t B u t n o t so th e s to u t­h ea rted p rop rie to r w ho has nev er lo s t faith in th e u ltim a te re su lts of careful and system atic cu ltiv a tio n : n o t th e -cultivation w hich m eans sim ply pouring in cart-loads of m anure, b u t th e cu ltiv a tio n which is d irec ted to m orta l com bat w ith hemileia, and th is ob jec t has n tv e r been lo t s igh t of on th e p ro p erty of w hich w e are now w riting . D iseased leaves have been carefu lly ga th ered and dug in to th e soil, 1 ''o trees have been carbolised n o t p r ifusely, b u t suiii- c ien tly , and th e re su lt, a f te r an in te rv a l of tim e, is q u ite sufficient to encourage th e p ro p rie to r 10 p e r ­severe in h is efforts. Every one who has v isited th is p ro p erty ad m its th a t th e coffee looks as w ell as coffee

can lo o k ; an d th a t if v igorous v ita lity can fight disease, these trees hore are bound to do it.

B u t i t is to th e new p ro d u c ts such as cocoa and L iberian coffee to w hich a tte n tio n is m ore p a r tic u la rly d raw n. On passing th ro u g h th is e s ta te one m igh t w ell im agine on looking a t th e sp len d id cocoa trees now b u rs tin g in to f ru it , th a t th e y have been p lan ted in v irg in soil. T he red rip e f ru i t on th e L iberian coffee have a cheerful, p leasan t look, an d assu res us th a t th e re is som eth ing good in store , and one only reg re ts t h a t som eth ing of a ll th is was n o t done a dozen years ago in stead of so recen tly . T his, i t m u st he rem em bered, is in a d is tr ic t n o t over-favored w ith rain , an d in th a t respec t very m uch the reverse of th e conditions to w hich new p ro d u c ts in lo w -co u n try d is tr ic ts are cu ltiv a ted .

One of th e new est opened, an d ce rta in ly one of th e m ost flourish ing of th e low country d is tr ic ts is th a t of K a lu ta ra , w here, a lth o u g h th e firs t L ib e rian coffee e s ta te was opened th re e o r four years ago, y e t th e d is tr ic t itself is co m p ara tiv e ly of recen t d a te , and m uch of th e lan d is s till being opened and p lan ted . T he on ly p ro d u c t w h ich does no t seem to have th riv e n in th is d is tr ic t is cocoa, w hich has h ith e r to been a failu re . Opinions a re som ew hat d iv ided as to w h e th e r th is is ow ing to too m uch w ind or an in ­sufficient d ep th of soil, b u t i ts non-success is a fac t a ll th e same. T h e first e s ta te 011 en te rin g th e d is tr ic t is th a t of P u tu p a u lla , now a th r iv in g L ib e rian coffee esta te , a lm ost in fu ll bearing, an d shew ing a crop on th e trees th a t is - re fre sh in g to look upon . T here is no sign d istin g u ish ab le of hang ing back or refusing to ripen, as asserted b y som e w rite rs ; and th o se w ho a re in te re s ted in th e p ro p e rty declare th e y are w ell satisfied w ith th e re su lt of th e v en tu re . P e rh ap s we can m ention no m ore ce rta in ind ication of confidence in new p roducts in th is d is tr ic t, th a n th e ac tio n of one of th e la te s t p ioneers,—one of th e co n trac to rs for th e N aw alap itiya a n d K a lu ta ra P tailw ay lines, w ho has pu rch ased four o r five h u n d red acres in th is p a r t of th e co u n try , and in ten d s to open th e w hole of i t o u t for L iberian coffee an d tea , as being th e m ost p rom ising p ro d u c ts for lo w coun try cu ltiva tion .

N o th in g could possib ly surpass th e appearance of th e Ceylon C om pany’s te a e s ta te in th is d is tr ic t. T he trees a re s trong , h ea lth y , an d w ith a m agnificent show , of wood and lea f-ju s t w h a t one w ould desire for a good paying te a es ta te , an d th e re is no d o u b t t h a t the Com pany is fo rtu n a te in possessing th is p roperty . T here are o th e r p ro d u c ts c u ltiv a te d in th is d is tr ic t, such as cardam om s, ru b b er, &c., b u t these are a t p resen t of em ail e x te n t. A ll t h a t th is d is tr ic t now req u ires for i ts developm ent is a good road, w hich sha ll open up th e b u lk of th e es ta te s , an d connect th em w ith th e b locks of C row n lan d s itu a te d beyond them , in an eas te rly d irec tion , w here a large e x te n t of fine fo res t is available. B y th e end of Ja n u a ry th e road being com pleted, a v is it to these p ro p er­ties w ill form a p leasan t excursion from Colombo, and we can im agine no m ore a ttra c tiv e ob jec ts th a n th e n um ber of new p ro d u c ts in h igh cu ltiv a tio n and yield , w hich m ost of these w ill shew n e x t y e a r .— C. I'imes.

P h y l l o x e r a . —A ccording to th e Queenslander > a rem edy for phy llo x era is claim ed to have been d is­covered by a M r. D. M. Johnson , of P elham M anor,N ew Y ork , who sta te s th a t he finds cru d e petro leum au excellen t destro y er of th e insect. H e makes num e ous holes in th e g round w ith a sh a rp -p o in ted stick all abo u t th e vines, an d in to each pours about one ounce of th e oil, w h ich soaks in to th e soil and d es troysth e in sects on th e roo ts of th e vine. M r. Johnsonin ten d s to claim the rew ard offered b y th e F ren ch G overnm ent for a p rac tica l phy lloxera d es tro y e r.— A ustra lasian .

ANALYSES O F CINCHONA BARK.

There is now a very general consensus of opinion th a t, however m uch distinctive characteristics of flower, fru it and foliage (in the Ledgeriam s, for instance) may indicate the probable quality of the bark w hich trees will yield, the only certain tes ts are analyses of the bark of typical trees a t different ages and in different circumstances of soil, elevation, aspect, &c. These we m ight more correctly th an the w riter of a short editorial in our local daily contem porary call “ fe a tu re s” : only we cannot well see how “ records kep t by th e various “ D istric t Associations of the resu lts of analyses of “ bark * * * would form a very in teresting and instructive ' ‘fea ture , which [the fea ture , of course] m ight properly “ be communicated to the parent body and prin ted [the “ fea ture] for general inform ation in the annual volume “ of proceedings” ! The objection to frequent and num erous analyses is the heavy expense, but, if a “ featu re ” is to be printed, th e cost of a photographer’s services will have to be added to th a t of the chem ist’s analyses. The same w riter sta te s th a t

I t has fu rth e r been n o ticed b y tho se engaged in sy stem atic analyses of c inchona th a t th e a c t of se p a r­ation of the b a rk from th e tre e has freq u e n tly th e effect of increasing th e secre tion of qu in ine in th e rem oved bark , w hich has been found to y ie ld a h igher percentage of th e a lkalo ids th re e m onths afte r rem oval from th e tree , th a n a t th e tim e of separ­ation.W e have had some experience of cinchona, bu t th is fac t is entirely new to us. I f bark increases in yield of alkaloids up to three m onths a fter removal from the tree, the ra te of increase m ay be so g rea t w ith each succeeding m onth, th a t i t m ight pay to keep bark in estate or Colombo stores for a year or more. All would depend on the ra te of increase, and we desiderate in ­form ation as to the percentage a t the end of three m onths. B ark absolutely removed from the tree is evidently m eant and not bark partially separated, as in Mr. K arslake’s process. T h a t process had in view the protection and im provement of th e renew ed bark and not any im provement in th e partia lly separated strips of original bark. In favourable w eather, however, we should th in k th a t strips adhering to a tree a t both ends would be more likely to improve in alkaloids than bark finally removed from all contact w ith the juices which fed it and circulated through its cells when alive. W e do not dispute the sta tem ent m ade : we only say we do not understand i t in connection w ith the “ shock to the t r e e ” theory, and we should like to have further inform ation. H as bark been known to improve in quality between analyses in Colombo before dispatch and analyses in London before sa le? M r. C. E . H . Symons, w ith reference to a question asked in the local Times replies as follow s:—

I m u st say th a t, w ith o u t tab les fo r com parison, I do n o t th in k th e analysis of bark of a tw o y ea r old tree w ould be any guide as to th e value of th e bark a t m a tu r ity : b u t, w ith tab les for com parison, such an analysis w ould be of g re a t value and sa tisfaction to th e p lan ter, and I w ould offer th e follow ing sugges­tion to th e D is tr ic t A ssociations, exp lain ing a t firs t th a t a com parative analysis of one e s ta te b a rk would be no crite rion of th e value of an o th er, as a lti tu d e soil, aspect, wind, and m any o th er th in g s in c id en ta l to a p lan ta tio n , w ould m ake such an analysis sim ply

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useless for genera l com parison. A n average an a ly s is of th e bark from th e d is tr ic t shou ld be m ade. E ach p lan te r shou ld be asked to send a sm all piece of bark ol a ce rta in w eigh t, from a certa in h e ig h t on th e tree , from an average tre e (of course k eep ­ing varie ties separa te ) or trees , w ith d ifferen t a s ­pects on h is estate . H e shou ld give a sep ara te sam ple from trees g row n a t 2.000 to 3,000, from 3,000 to4,000, and 4,000 to 5.000 feet an d so on ; an d of 2 years old, 3, 4, 5 an d 6 and so on a t these severa l a ltitu d es. An analysis shou ld th e n be m ade of ihe m ixed b a rk of th e tw o y ea r o ld a t 2,000 to 3.000 feet

do do 3 000 to 4,000 ,,an d so on, an d also of th e 3, 4, 5 &c., years o ld a t various a ltitu d e s . T he re su lt w ould be a fa ir average of the d is tr ic t for th e severa l e levations an d a g e s ; an d th en , an d th en only , could com parisons be m ade. A p la n te r could send h is tw o or th re e y ea r o ld b a rk an d have i t analyzed , an d th e re su lt w ould show him if h e w ere u p to o r b e tte r th a n th e average of h is d is tr ic t, and w h a t h is b a rk w ould even tually be w orth .

In ta k in g th e sam ples, th e season of th e year m u st be tak en in to consideration , as I th in k i t has been c lea rly shew n th a t h a rv es tin g bark to th e b es t advan tage for th e g row er can n o t be done h a p ­h azard a t any tim e of th e year.

No doubt Mr. Symons’ doctrine of averages is correct, bu t w hat is really w anted is a system of very simple analyses, for quinine and cinchonidine only, which would be so cheap as to enable each p articu lar p lan ter in a distric t to have his bark a t all ages and in all situations examined and reported on. I f 20 or 30 p lan ters in a d istric t got a series of such reports, those repo rts could periodically be combined and compared in a general report, and then deductions of great value, founded on extensive and reliable experim ents, could be m ade. T here can be no donbt th a t on m any an esta te trees of g reat value, Ledgerianas or “ hybrids,” exist, the tru e w orth of which is unknow n to th e proprietor because he cannot afford the expense of analyses. W hat is w anted is a system by which th e chem ist could be fairly rem unera ted by a very large num ber of analyses, instead of tru stin g as a t p resent to paym ents on a high scale for testing samples few and fa r between.

F O R E S T R Y IN IN D IA A N D C E Y L O N .O ur readers a re well aw are t h a t w e are n o t of

th o se w ho believe th a t in regions such as Ceylon and W e s te rn In d ia , exposed to th e influence of m o n ­soon m o istu re an d w ith c lo u d -a ttra c tin g an d m oistu re- condensing ranges of m ou n ta in s an d h ills , i t is poss­ib le b y d en u d a tio n of fo res t to lessen th e abso lu te am o u n t of ra in fa ll. W e do n o t believe t h a t th is w ould be th e case, even if n o th in g w ere su b s titu te d fo r th e o rig ina l forest. So long as th e h ills and m oun ta in s exist, th ey w ill squeeze o u t th e m o istu re borne in lan d from th e sea. On th e ranges of C eylon large areas hav e seen coffee bushes on ly 3 J feet h ig h ta k e th e place of fo res t, averaging 40, o r 50, o r 60 fee t in h e ig h t ; b u t, in s tea d of com plain ts on th e score of d im in ished ra in fa ll, i t is excess of m oisture, w ith its consequences, w h ich is charged w ith m uch of th e d isa s te r t h a t has o v e rtak en th e coffee en terprize . Excessive m oistu re has generated fungus an d d estroyed blossom and so reduced crops to a m inim um . W ith coffee, tea , c inchona an d o ther p ro d u c ts of a sim ilar na tu re , p lan ted w here th e p rim ev a l fo res t stood, and

th e ground tilled an d k e p t open, th e rea lly in ju rious consequence of fo rest d en u d a tio n on m ountain sides —th e rap id escape of th e ra in in th e shape of floods —is reduced to a m inim um . Of course, if es ta tes are abandoned and no trees have been p lan ted on them , th is ob jec tio n w ould app ly . T here is fanatic ism in F o re s try , as in ev e ry th in g else, and , if M r. (? D r .) B randis, in th e lectu re, rep o rt of w hich w e quote from a M adras paper, w as d ep reca tin g th e d es tru c tio n of forest in a r iv e r va lley for purposes of coffee o r tea o r cinchona culture, our sym pathies do no t go w ith him . W e rh 'n k the G overnm ent of a country quite jueiified in preserving the forest on th e tops and ridges of m ountain systems. Such a course is beneficial even to cultivated lands a t low er elevations on the sides of the m ountains. W e al.-o believe in a rule, not for preserving th e orig ina l forest on the sides of rivers—experience bus proved th a t device to be of little use, as the isolated belts rap id ly perish , besides being nes ts of w eeds an d verm in. B n t p lan te rs shou ld be b ound to p la n t u p one o r tw o chains on each side of considerab le s tream s w ith fa s t grow ing trees, such as A u stra lian gum s or acacias. Such trees G overnm ent o u g h t to supply fo r th e p u r ­pose a t m odera te ra tes . W ith such precautions, the g rea t p lan tin g en te rp rise , so beneficial to th e coun try , o ught to be allow ed to ru n its course.

1 'estrietiou of w h a t in In d ia is called “ joom ” cu ltiv a tio n ai.d in Ceylon chena (or, as th e learned p u n d its w ill have it, Itera) is fa r m ore ca lled for, because, in th is case, fo res t is abso lu te ly d es tro y ed fo r th e sake of one or p erhaps tw o poor crops. T he lim it of restric tion should be w here d anger of fam ine m ig h t occur. B u t w ith th e spread of ra ilw ays, roads an d canals, in In d ia and C eylon, th e re canno t be m uch d an g er in th is d irec tion . T he question has, we know, been ho tly d eb a ted , an d th e n a tiv e side in th e chena con troversy w arm ly su p p o rted by good w ell-m eaning Europeans. B u t here, as w ell as in regard to th e w astefu l an d dangerous custom of se ttin g fire to fo rest grasses, M r. B rand is 's a rgum en ts of p resen t convenience being p ostponed to fu tu re good comes in to full force. W e arc, of course, ta lk ing of firing fo res t and grass in lands, w hich a re s t i l l th e p ro p e rty of th e G overn , m e n t ; th a t is of th e genera l com m unity . I f a m an h a s purchased a piece of lan d o u tr ig h t, we suppose h e m ay do w h a t he likes w ith h is own an d indu lge h is ta s te for conflagra tion , so long as he does n o t so a c t as to endanger th e p ro p erty of his neighbours o r th a t of th e public. T hose who have n o t trav e lled in Ind ia , in th e d ry season and a t n ig h t, can have b u t a fa iu t idea of th e b r ill ia n t lines of fires w hich lig h t up th e d arkness an d define th e fea tu res of th e h ill and m ou n ta in ranges. O n some m ountain ranges, as in th e E aste rn H im alayas, below D arjee ling , the explosions of th e air-filled large bam boos ad d th e idea of b a ttle to th a t of uncon tro llab le conflagration. A bsol­u te ly to re s tr ic t o r p ropetly regu la te such practices, so th a t forest reserves may be enabled to y ie ld regu lar su p ­plies of good tim ber, a F o re stry D epartm en t is of g re a t value ; as also for th e purpose of grow ing a n d d is tr ib ­u tin g p la n ts an d encouraging th e ir g row th , wherever they can be made to grow, as in th e d ry regions of Coim ­b ato re and in th e n o r th a n d eas t of Ceylon.

In Coim batore, w h ich lies ex ten d ed below th e N il- g iris, even th e coconut pa lm s a re g row n b y ir r ig ­a tion , and up to a certain p o in t, irrig a tio n stream s and ta n k s shou ld be scenes of tree-grow ing th e re an d here. A lth o u g h we do n o t believe th a t tre e s , grow n w ith g re a t d ifficu lty in a r id regions, can c rea te rain , any m ore th a n tre e d enudation can lessen ra in in h ill reg ions—an d w hile w e ho ld th a t , over la rge re ­gions, tree s do n o t ex is t because th e re is no rain , in ­stead of th e popu lar no tion th a t th e absence of tree s is th e cause of th e absence of ra in —y e t we m ost thoroughly believe in th e beneficial influence of b e lts and groves of tre e s in m odify ing and im proving clim ate locally'. O ur h e a r tie s t good w ishes, th e re ­fore, go w ith th e efforts of F o reste rs , free from th e fanatic ism to w hich we have a lluded . T rees are so valuab le as w ell as b eau tifu l, t h a t m uch en thusiasm is com m endable in th o se w hose o b jec t i t is to p reserve, im prove o r c rea te fo rests and groves a n d avenues of trees. A n d by no m eans can th e g re a t o b jec t be b e tte r a tta in e d , w here fo res ts ex ist, th a n by th e jud ic io u s rem oval of o ld trees, so a d ­m ittin g lig h t and a ir and encouraging th e grow th of y oung and h e a lth y sap lings. B n t m en of one idea can do h arm as w ell as good, and, if M r. B rand is m ean t t h a t he w ould n o t allow a tre e to be c u t in a m o u n ta in valley th ro u g h w hich ru n s a la rge river, we ce rta in ly d issen t from h is views, and for th e reasons a lread y given. A s fa r as th e C eylon p la n t­ing en te rp rize is concerned, i t is probable, now, th a t one of th e g re a t benefits i t w ill confer 011 th e island w ill be th e in tro d u c tio n an d cu ltu re of ex o tic trees, fa s te r grow ing, an d y e t q u ite as valuab le as m any of our ind igenous fo rest trees. T here are many h undreds of thousands of b eau tifu l an d valuable trees sc a tte red over e s ta tes a lready, and w e believe th a t an increase of th e n u m b er w ould be good fo r e s ta te ow ners a n d for th e w hole coun try .

M B . B R A N D IS O N T H E F O R E ST Q U E STIO N .(From the M adras papers. )

M r. B randis, c 1. E., Inspector-G enera l of F o rests w ith the G overnm ent of Ind ia , a t p resen t on d ep u ­ta tio n in th is P residency , delivered a sh o r t lec tu re on som e aspects of th e forest question a t C oim batore on S a tu rd ay last. A m ongst the audience, w'ere Mr. S tu a r t, th e A cting Collector, M ajor C am pbell W alk e r C onservator of Forests, M r. Peel, D eputy C onser­v ato r, M r, W edderburn , A ssis tan t Collector, M ahom ed A lly Sahib, S u b -A ssis tan t C onservato r, a num ber of th e jud ic ia l and revenue officials, an d m ost of th e lead ing m em bers of th e n a tiv e com m unity . T he A c t ­ing C ollector, in in tro d u c in g M r. B randis, d rew a t te n ­tio n to th e G overnor’s rem ark s on h is re c e n t v is it regard ing fam ine, an d th e influence of fo rests on th e clim ate, an d supplies of fuel an d fodder. Mr. B rand is h ad had g; ea t experience th ro u g h o u t In d ia , a n d had k indly agreed to g ive th em th e benefit of h is opinions, before leaving th e d is tr ic t. M r. B ran ­d is said :—

“ I reg re t th a t m y v is it to C oim batore h as been v ery sho rt, and , as I am leaving by th e tra in th is m orning, m y rem arks m ust m cessarily be brief. C oim batore is a b eau tifu l place, b u t i t m ig h t be a desert. T h e clim ate is d ry an d h o t ; th;. b ills d ry , rocky , an d devoid of trees. T he g rea t beauty of C oim batore is due to th e fine s tre tc h of p a d d y cu ltiv a tio n , an d th e palm forests. I have

been to ld th a t th e se la s t y ie ld from E . 50 to R. *00 per a c r - , b u t 1 th in k even R. 200 w ould n o t bo an excessive estim ate. T hese form th e sources of th e w ealth of Coim batore, and are dependent on w ate r for th-'ir perm anency. B u t w hence does th e w ate r come ? N o t from th e ra in fa ll, w hich is very sm all, b u t from th e N oyel river. T u is river eo ca lled , though rea lly i t is only a sm all stream , is th e source of fe rtility , p leasure and happiness to C oim batore and its people. I t is a m ost rem arkable streauV As you a re aw are, i t ta k e s its rise in th e B o lau ip a tti V alley , and i t is on th e ra in w hich falls th e re , an d on th e m ountains which su r ­round it , th a t th e p rosperity of C oim batore depends. I exam ined th e valley th e o th e r day w ith m ixed feelings of grief, d isappointm ent an d p le a s u re : grief a t th e destruction of for sts, w hich I saw on every s id e ; d is­appo in tm en t th a t such w holesale alienation had nob been p re v e n te d ; and p leasure th a t th e re w as s til l som ething left, an d th a t th e dam age was nob irreparab le . The effects of heavy ra in falling on h illsides devoid of fo re 'ts is well know n ; th e w ate r ru shes off as i t falls, causing d isastrous floods, and none is re ta ined to ensure a m oderate an d perm anent supp ly . T he ce rta in re su lt of th e d es truction of th e fo res t rem aining in th e Blum* putfce valley w ould be th a t th e w ate r in th e river Noyel d u rin g th e d ry m onths w ould becom e g radually less an d less, and C oim batore w ould become a desert. I t is a very p re t ty , I m igh t say, a g ran d s ig h t to see th e h illsides round y o u r tow ns l i t u p a t th is season each n ig h t by fo res t fires, a lovely s igh t, bub ru inous to th e fo r sts . T he f in s g radually but su re ly , ea t in to th e m , destro y in g tw en ty trees tlu s year, ten th e nex t, an d k illing a ll y o u th t ill th e sponge, w hich re ta in s the m oistu re , w ill g rad u a lly cease to ex ist. T hese fires ore supposed to be necessary, an d have h- come an annual in s t i tu ­tion. I t is sa id th a t th e y are necessary to enab le th e c a ttle to g e t fresh fodder. T here is a good deal to be said in favor of th e a rgum en t, hub I th in k we can effect the sam e th in g in an o th e r way F orests in o th e r p a rts of In d ia have been p ro tec ted from fire, an d th e food for ca ttle has im proved bo th in q u a lity and q u a n tity . T he g rea t difficu lty w hich is every­w here experienced in th is , as in m ost o th e r m a tte rs , is th a t th e p ie se iit has m ore w eigh t w ith ns th an th e fu tu re , uud i t is u o t easy to forego p resen t gain for fu tu re benefits ; b u t you have ch ild ren and I w ould ask you to th in k of th em , and w h a t w ill be th e ir condition , if th is lovely C oim batore of ynurs, w ith its fertile fields and palm, groves, he reduced to a desert, w ith th e tanks, w hich are reservo irs in w hich th e w ate r from th e h ills is sto red , em pty and th e river d ry ! I t is necessary to p u t u p w ith a l i t t le tem p o rary inconvenience for fu tu re benefit, and th e p e rm au -u t w elfare of yourselves an d your descendants. I w ould n e x t call y ou r a t te n t 'o n to th e benefit of trees in a ho t and dry country . I have seen fo rests w hich fo rm erly consisted of only a tree here an d th ere , becom e th ick , close, an d m oist. T he effect ex ten d ed to fields in th e neigh b o u r­hood ; w here form erly on ly one poor crop has been obtained , tw o good crops w ere obtained a f te r th e protection of th e adjo in ing forests. T h e tem p o r­a ry inconvenience w as w ell repaid b y th e p e r­m anen t advan tage . I t has been sa id th a t fo res try is an exotic, and not necessary or su itab le for In d ia . T his is n o t th e case. 1 have seen forests in o th er p a r ts of In d ia , w hich have been carefully p ro tec ted an d im proved by n a tiv e chi« fs w ith (he best results. I w ould in stance K esh ilghnr, in Raj- p u tan a , w here th e reserves y ielded a p len tifu l su p ­p ly of grass and leav es for fodder du ring th e d is ­as trous fam ines of 1867-68 and ’69, w hilst th e s u r ­rounding co u n try w as devoid of th e scan tiest v eg e t­ation . Besides conserving th e ex is tin g forests, g rea t benefit w ould re su lt from p lan tin g th e d rie r and

h igher p a r ts of th e d is tr ic t betw een th e r iv e rs N<>yel an d T Jm ravutti. A m an w ho p lan ts a tope, o r even encourages th e grow th of trees an d sh ru b s oq h is g raz ng w aste , confers a la s tin g benefit on th e com m unity. Y ou a re doub tless aw are th a t yo.ur collector has proposed a system of ‘ fuel anti fodder reserves’ th ro u g h o u t th e d is tr ic t, an d I know of no th in g m ore lik e ly to p rom ote y o u r ha piness and p rosp erity , and to m itig a te , if indeed i t d;»es n o t p reven t, th e effect of fu tu re fam ines. T h e Noyel r iv e r a lread y irrig a te s a very large area, considering the sm all e x ten t w hich i t d ra in s ; b u t 1 have l i t t le d o u b t th a t , w ith careful conservancy an d ex tension 0 ? th e w oodlands, t h a t a re a m ig h t be increased, an d th e w ate r-su p p ly ren d ered m ore certa in . M y visit to C oim batore has afforded m e g re a t pleasure, and T hope you m ay continue p rosperous an d happy .”

M r. S tu a r t on behalf of th e aud ience th a n k e d Mr. B rand is for h is in te re s tin g lec tu re , th e g is t of which he tru s te d th e native gen tlem en p resen t w ould n o t fail to com m unicate to those who, th ro u g h w ant of know ledge of E nglish , h ad been unable to u n d e r­sta n d , an d to th e people of th e to w n au d d is tr ic t generally .

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N A N D M IX T U R E S .T h e follow ing is th e M em orial g o t u p in L ondon

an d th e rep ly receivedTo the Lords Commissioners of H.M. Treasury.

London, 6th February 1882.The atten tion of your memorialists has been drawn to

a m inute of Treasury dated 20th January, 1882, which directs H.M. Board of Customs to perm it the im portation, under a duty of 2d per lb., of coffee cr chicory, roasted and ground, mixed, without reference to the proportion o f the m ixture; and the permission to extend to any other vegetable matter applicable to the use o f chicory or coffee.

Your memorialists beg to submit to th e consideration of your lordships th e following objections to th e above o rd er:—

1st.—That i t is m ost unwise to give such sanction to practices which tend to deteriorate so valuable aud whole­some a beverage, so well fitted to advance tem perate habits among th e people.

2nd — T hat th e legislator has been m ost desirous of protecting th e food of th e people from adulteration, and th a t the order ju st issued by th e Treasury is in contra­diction w ith the le tte r and the spirit of the Acts of Parliam ent 38 and 39 Victoria, chap. 63, clauses 6 and 8.

3rd.—T hat the substances whicli it is proposed to adm it in a mixed state w ith c- ffee would of themselves find no favour, bt-ing of comparatively small v a in - ; and it is only becau-e they assume the name of cnfFee, or ore foun i in association with th is name, th a t they become saleable.

4th.—'th a t no good reason can be shown why coffee should not deserve as fair a treatm ent as other articles of Indian or Colonial produce, such as tea for instance, where regulations prohibit the sale of the pure article, with any mixture whatsoever, and even with “ exhausted tea ”

5th.—T hat th e chief reason why coffee has fallen into disfavour in th is country, is the systematic way in which it lias been adulterated, and the consequent difficulty ex­perienced hy the g rea t mass of population in obtaining not merely a pure article, hut a wholesome and palatable beverage suitable to th e ir mea s. The poor classes, pur­chasing coffeo in small quantities, will always ask for it ready ground.

6th .— T hat coffee is grown in the British Posses­sions in India, Ceylon, Jam aica, and other Co’onies, at the cost of many millions of English capital, its cultivation and preparation g iving employment to many thousands < f Hr tish subjects ; th a t Ceylon in 1877 exported 105,000,000 lb. of coffee, and B ritish India about 50,000,000 lb.; th a t by far the larger of those crops used to find their way to th is country, which con­sumes chiefly Ceylon and Indian coffee; th a t London is gradually losing a portion of its trade, es the crops are shipped now more and more to the Continent direct, to the

detrim ent of British shipping, and of English importers, dealers, brokers, and others interested in th is article.

7th.—T hat the consumption of coffee in th is country, which, in 1347, with a duty nearly th ree tim es as heavy as the present one, was 37,472,163 lb. or about 2 lb. per head of population, has now declined in 1881 to 31,943,400 lb. or less than 1 lb. per head, notwithstanding th e large in­crease of population, and they believe th a t the consump­tion, if i t had no t been checked by unfair legislation, would probably exceed now 60,000,000 lb.

For those reasons your memorialists deem th e effect of this Treasury order to be of such injury to the consumption of coffee, and the well-being of the community, th a t they feel constrained to urge its withdrawal.

R e p ly :—‘ ‘ T he L ord s Com m issioners of H er M ajesty ’s T reasu ry

have carefully considered th e s ta te m e n ts m ade in your m em oria l, w hich reached them on th e 6th u ltim o , com ­pla in ing of a recen t o rd er w hereby coffee an d chicory m ixed w ere p e rm itte d to be im p o rted upon paym en t of th e d u ty charged upon coffee o r chicory se p ara te ly ; an d th ey have com m unicated i t to th e B oard of T rade , upon whose recom m endation th e concession w as orig inally m ade. I am to exp lain th a t the effect of th e T reasu ry o rder is s im ply th a t th e articles, w hich form erly m ig h t be im p o rted separa te ly , and th en m ixed and sold in E ngland , m ay now be m ixed o u tside E ngland and im ported together. T h is p e r­m ission was given, because th e re appeared to be a tra d e dem and fo r it, an d m y lo rds deem i t th e ir d u ty to rem ove res tr ic tio n s on tra d e w here p rac tic ­able. I t involves no a lte ra tio n of th e conditions und er w hich m ix tu res of coffee and chicory m ay be sold in E ngland. T he question of th e adv isab leness of a llow ing th e sale of m ix tu res u n d er prescribed con­d itions is one w hich shou ld be considered ra th e r in connexion w ith th e a d u lte ra tio n A c ts th a n w ith th e Custom s tariff .”

H IG H C U L T IV A T IO N O F E ST A T E S .In th e m id st of a ll th e depression a ro u n d u s , i t

is refresh ing to receive, from M r. W m . D. B osanquet, le tte rs of such cheer, confidence an d com m onsense, as tho se in th is issue, follow ing o th ers of a like n a tu re . Some profess to have lo st fa ith in m anure, b u t th e la rg e m ajo rity of p lan te rs are sim ply u nab le to cu ltiv a te , as they could w ish if m eans w ere av a il­able. Crops a re low , because th e trees are enfeebled ; an d because of low crops p lan te rs can n o t afford to pay for th e fertiliz in g substances th e y w ould g ladly app ly . H ap p y th o se w ho, lik e M r. B osanquet, can carry ou t, even in such “ h a rd tim es ” as th e p resen t, w h a t th e y believe to be th e r ig h t p rincip les of c u lt­ivation , an d a ll honour to him for g iving h is fellow- p lan te rs th e benefit of h is valuab le an d costly ex p e ri­m ents. A p a r t from th e com m onsense ab o u t bu lk y m a tte r a n d i ts value, th e g rea t po in t now in ­sis ted on b y M r. B osanquet is th e reversal in m anuring of th e po p u la r fo rm ula of tw o p a r ts of cas to r cake to one of bones. H e w ould use tw o of th e phosp h a tic m anure to one of th e nitrogenous. I t is n o t th e bones b u t th e n itrogenous m anure to w hich over-forcing is due- T h is q u ite accords w ith experience related to us by th e la te M r. A n ton , w ho

•believed in th e value of steam ed bones alone. A s a “ com plete m anure” M r. B osanquet recom m ends th a t of M essrs. C rossm an an d P au lin , and h is recom m end­ation w ill carry w eight w ith h is b ro ther-p lan ters. T here n ever was a crisis w hen wise m anuring was more req u ired th a n now, an d g ra titu d e is due to M r.

B osanquet, fo r p lac ing th e re su lts of h is experience a t th e disposal of th e whole body of p lan te rs . W e suppose however, th a t m any w ill sh a re th e w ish w e feel to know th e co n s titu en ts of th e “ com plete m an u re .” I t is p robab ly p repared a fte r one of th e formulae in th e book of M. V ille, w hich w e copiously re ­view ed in th e Observer ab o u t th re e years ago. I n th a t case, w e should th in k th e m odify ing influences of tro p ica l sun an d ra ins m u st be taken in to accoun t ?

I n a n y case, th e re is th e g re a t lesson :—use tw ice as m uch bones as cas to r cake, and in a ll ex cep t very h igh places rem em ber th a t b u lk y m a tte r re su ltin g in hum us is an essen tia l to good m anure.

A s M r. H ughes has been re fe rred to , w e can n o t h e lp recalling h is fearfu l calcu la tion , founded on o b se rva­tions b y th e Rev. M r. A bbay. T he com pu ta tion is th a t one to n per acre of soil is w ashed aw ay from esta tes by every 12 inches of ra in . T h is m eans 5 to n s per acre p e r annum , w here th e an n u a l ra in fa ll is 60 in c h e s ; 10 to n s p e r an num w here th e fa ll is 120 in c h e s ; an d 20 to n s p e r annum w here, as in som e places in A m bagam uw a, th e ra in fa ll is 240 inches ! In th e face of such figures, a p a r t from com bustion by so lar h ea t, how u tte r ly insignificant a re th e q u an tities of fe rtiliz in g m a tte rs w e a re able to add to our p roperties , m uch of w h ich , w ith th e r ic h e st partic les of o u r soil, goes dow n to th e sea to be u p h e a v e d . fo r th e benefit of a p o s te rity so d is ta n t as some m illions of years, p rob ab ly . I f M r. H u ghes’ calcu la tions are not exaggerated (?) no w onder th o u g h estates, especially tho se w ith steep fea tu res, g e t ex h au sted . B u t the ca lcu la tio n is su re ly fa r too high ? W h a t have M r. B osanquet an d o th e r p lan te rs to say to i t ?

T H E H IG H C U L T IV A T IO N O F C O F F E E P L A N T A 'I IO N S.

No. I.To the E ditor o f the “ Ceylon Observer. ”

Yuxford, D im bula, M arch 31st, 1882.D e a r S i r , — I t has been borne in upon th e con -ic-

tions of m ost p lan te rs , and w ould be an opin ion now generally accep ted by th e agen ts b u t th a t th e y are freq u en tly ill adv ised by those w ho sh ou ld be b e tte r in s tru c ted , th a t th e fu tu re W'ell-being of coffee in C eylon depends m ain ly upon high cu ltiv a tio n an d libera l m anuring .

A s th e general teach ing of m y experim ents on Y ox- ford seem s to have been by m any b u t p a r tia lly ap-

rehended , an d , as i t is m ost desirable th a t th e re shou ld e g rea te r clearness of view as to w hat c o n s titu te s a

safe system of m anuring , I am co n stra ined to pub lish w h a t m y experim ents an d general p rac tice have led me to regard as th e tru e course to pursue, in o rd er th a t o thers m ay com pare th e ir practice w ith m ine an d see in w h a t p o in ts we differ, an d in th e hope th a t d iscussion may te n d to th ro w ad d itio n a l lig h t upon a su b jec t w hich has such a deep in te re s t for a ll of us.

In th e firs t place, I consider th a t th e perfec tion of m anuring is a tta in e d by m ixing b u lk in some form, i. e , c a ttle m anure, pu lp or decayed vegetable m a tte r of any kind, w ith artific ial m anure, as th e vegetable m a tte r , by p roviding a co n s tan t source of carbonic acid in th e soil, gives th e fertiliz in g p roperties to th e roots in th e m ost read ily availab le form an d m akes th e m anure doubly effective and lasting . Therefore I say in stead of using a fu ll b ask e t of c a ttle m anure alone to each tree , ad d J lb . of bones to ha lf th e

q u a n tity , and you will g e t a b e tte r re su lt w ith less ex ­haustion to soil an d tree. W ith pu lp o r sim ple vegetable com post, use -j 11). of a com plete artific ial m anure. In m anuring low -ly ing esta tes, I w ould never ap p ly an ounce of artific ial m anure w ithou t some vegetab le add ition . On e s ta tes a t high elevations I believe th a t th is is of less im portance, as th e ex hausting pow er of th e sun is less fe lt by th e vegetable m a tte r o rig inally ex is te n t in th-> soil.

Iu th e second place, instead of using th e custom ary m ix tu re of 2 of cas to r cake to 1 of bones, I would advo­cate th e reversal of th e proportions, ad d in g 2 of bones to 1 of cas to r cake b y w eight. I t is, I believe, th e popu lar delusion, an d one th a t I certa in ly laboured u n d e r a sho rt tim e back , th a t th e ill effects follow ing th e use of any large ap p lica tion of th e form er m ix ­tu re a re due to th e over-forcing pow er ex erted by th e bones : th is I now beli ve to be en tirely erroneous. W e have, m ost of us, ei h e r heard of o r seen for ou r­selves th e fa ta l effect of doses of guano, when applied alone to coffee, and y -1, 1 believe, th a t , iu m aking use of casto r cake and bones in the first proportions, we are follow ing, though at a som ew hat slower pace, an equally su icidal policy ; th a t we are in fac t ob ta in ing increased crops a t th e expense of th e fu tu re . I t has been gen­e ra lly adm itted th a t large applications of n itrogenous m anures ten d to th e fu tu re exhaustion of th e soil. W ith cereal crops th e effect of n itrogenous m anures is to stim u la te the p lan ts to tak e up excessive supplies of m ineral m a tte r from th e soil : equally so w ith cof­fee, b u t being a perennial, th e ac tion of m anure upon i t is m ore com plicated . M y explanation of th e ex ­h au s tio n follow ing th e use of la rg e ap p lica tions of casto r cake and bones in th e usua l p roportions is th is : T he effect of th e n itrogen in th e cas to r cake is to stim u la te th e tree in to unusual ac tiv ity , and i t conse­q u en tly sends o u t roo ts in a ll d irec tio n s in search of food. A s long as th e supply of m ineral m a tte r is well susta ined by th e m anure and soil th e tre e flourishes, b u t th e re comes a tim e w hen th e phosp h a te of th e bones or th e available potash of th e so il is ex h au s ted . T he n itrogen of th e castor cake from being in excess s till, how ever, con tinues its s tim u la tin g action upon th e tree , b u t i t is unable a n y fu rth e r to supply itse lf w i th a ll th e m ineral m a tte r i t requiries e ither to sustain th e crop or to keep th e tre e itse lf in good heart, and exhaustion se ts iu in th e tree i t s e l f ; it is in fac t s ta rv ed in respec t of some im p o rta n t c o n s titu en t of its food. I f , on th e o th er hand , th e p roportions are re ­versed, and tw o of bones used to one of cas to r cake, th e n itrogen exerts b u t a m oderate stim u lu s iu p ro ­p o rtion to tho m ineral m a tte r available, and . should the nitl'ogen of th e castor cake become exhausted , th e re is s ti l l sufficient le ft in th e bones, to g e th e r w ith th a t w hich is n a tu ra lly supplied by th e ra ins, to en ­able th e tree to perform its d u e functions w ith o u t any feeling of sta rv a tio n .

1 sha ll be to ld th a t th is is a ll th e o ry and n o t p rac tica lly proved . I t is t ru e th a t I have in tro ­duced th is theo ry to account for th e fact, b u t, as to th e fac t itself, m y own experience seem s to prove to me beyond room for dou b t th a t , in th e one case, the re is over-stim ulus an d subsequen t ex h au s­tion , w hile, by follow ing th e course 1 recom m end, no ill resu lts ensue.

T h ird ly , th o u g h i t m ay be safe to app ly such p a rtia l fertilizers as casto r cake an d bones, w here th e re ­qu irem ents of th e soil are w ell understood , I should recom m end for general use a com plete m anure ; th a t is one th a t con tains every necessary elem ent of food, such for instance as th e p a t-n t of M essrs. Crossm an an d Vaulin, w hich , w ith me, has h ad such a fine effect for, if th e tree is insufficiently- supp lied w ith any, necessary elem ent, i t canuo t fail to suffer.

L astly th e axiom n .u st n o t be fo rgo tten , th a t w here coffee bears w ell, th e re m anure w ill m ake i t bear b e tte r .

T here a re ce rta in e s ta te s or p o rtions of es ta te s w hich from clim atic o r o th e r influence a re ou tside th e line of high p roduction . To such as are above th e line, I would say, p in y o u r fa ith to C inchona R obusta , and to those below-, to some p roduct w hich you have found to su it yo u r elevation . T hen w ill th e fu tu re p ro sp e rity ot C eylon be assurd , and , in a few years, investo rs and m ortgagees w ill a lik e agree th a t th e re is no c o u n try equal to th is of ce rta in ty of in te rest. T h a t th e num ber of th e la t te r class m ay th e n be few is th e ea rn es t w ish o f,—yours fa ith fu lly .

W m . 1). BO SA N Q U ET.

N o. I I .Y oxford , D im bula, A p ril 1st, 1882.

D e a r S i r , — I have by th is m ail received a le t te r from M r. Jo h n H ughes, d isc la im ing th e association of h is nam e w ith th e m ix tu re used on p lo t No. 4 of m y pub lished experim ents. I m u st offer m y apolo­gies to M r. H ughes for m aking use of h is nam e,l.u t m y reason fo r calling th e m ix tu re his, w as th a t , in a special rep o rt to th e C eylon Com pany, L im ited , he h ad advised th e m ix tu re as bes t for ap p lica tion on th e ne ighbouring e s ta te , M eddecum bra, th e soil of w hich I had concluded w as genera lly sim ilar to th a t of my m an u re plots.

T he m isu n d ers tan d in g arises from m y overlooking th e fac t th a t M r. H ughes an d m yself a re w ork ing in opposing l in e s : Mr. H ughes teachi-s th a t th e la ­bora to ry w ill te ll us b y analysis w h a t m anure to u se ; w hile I, as a pup il of M . V ille , hold th a t th e only sa tis fac to ry analysis of th e soil is th e m anure itself. P erhaps some of th e e s ta te m anagers of th e d fferen t estates, whose soil was analyzed by M r. H ughe-, an d for w hich special m ix tures were recom ­m ended, will publish th e re su lt of th e app lica tions. Such in form ation w-ould be very valuable to th e public. — Y ours fa ith fu lly , W m . D. B O SA N Q U ET ,

T H E P A P A W T R E E .(F rom th e S tra its T im es, M arch 28 th .)

T he follow ing is a tran s la tio n of an a r tic le on th e papaya tre e ap p earin g in th e P adang HaixdeUblad of th e 16th F e b .—

The P a p a ya .—T he P a rica C apaya (in Jav an ese Kates, M alay , P isang Pelo, an d N ias, B ala ) is a tro p ica l p la n t w hich , on account of its hygienic p ro ­perties, has, of la te , been a t tra c tin g th e a tte n tio n of m edical m en. I f i t be tru e , of w hich we have no d o u b t, th a t th e ju ice of th e p apaya tree possesses d igestion-prom oting p roperties , every one w ho stands in need of i t shou ld give th e preference to “ p ap a in e ,” th e vegetable pepsine, p repared from papaya , over th e anim al one, w hich those aw are of its orig in m ay find i t difficult to sw allow . T h e papaya is a h a n d ­some tree , w hich may best serve as an o rnam en t to gardens, w here , however, i t allow-s very l i t t le room to r th e g ro w th of sh ru b s and bushes, from its ab so rb ­ing an in cred ib le q u a n tity of m oisture. W hen no t topped , i ts cy lind rica l stem a tta in s a h e ig h t of 10 to 20 feet, crow ned by a n u m b er of large leaves. T hese fall off w hen w ithered , an d w here the hoof­shaped ends of th e s ta lk s had been a tta c h e d to the tru n k , leave m arks, w hich being sym m etrica lly arran g ed and consecutive, th e tree b -a rs th e appearance of being lined w ith rings m ore or less regu larly . W hen tho p ipaya a tta in e d its fu ll g row th , a very pale green flow er appears on th e stem a t th e foot of e ich leaf s ta lk . T he flower unfailingly becomes a fru it, so th a t , a l­m ost da ily , every period of g ro w th from th e b u d to fu ll ripeness m ay be observed on th e papaya tree. N a tiv e cookery com prises severa l d ifferen t k inds of ta s iy curries an d sam hals p rep ared from th e a n . ripe b u t n o t too young f ru it of th e papaya, w hile, as d esse rt, th e r ip e f ru it, in its tu rn , affords u s

th a t relief alleged to be given by vegetable pepsine T he seeds a re som etim es tak en as a rem edy against worm s. T here is ano ther v a rie ty of papaya, w hich differs from th a t described above, by bearing flowers, one or tw o feet long in c lu ste rs , th e .unripe f iu it i t bears being Used in preference as presei vrs. Of th e form er variety no m ale trees ex ist < r are know n, w iiile th e la t te r one has them . F rom th e leaves of bo th sorts of papayas, a d from th e flowers of th e second one, m any ta s ty k inds of cum ies and 8irnbals a re p rep ared in native cookery. P reviously , however, th e ir b itte rn e ss can be rem oved by bo iling them tho rough ly w ith th e leaves of the Jamboo-bol and Jamboo-ayer (tw o species of Eugenia) and those of th e Sikadndu, w hereby an a rtic le of food is o b ­tained , w hich in b itte rn e ss is no t in fe rio r to e n d iv e T he effects b rough t abo u t by th e use of th e leaves and flowers of th e papaya are again confirm atory of w hatever has been w ritte n in recom m endation of pepsine, fo r those w ho have experienc d them can bear w itness th a t these leaves and flowers ac tu a lly possess d igestion-prom oting properties. H ence th e natives m ake ireq u en t use of d i-bes p rep ared from th e papaya, especially those w ho consum e m uoh an im al and heavy food. I t is, how ever, less to be recom m ended for persons of w eak constitu tions, because on th em , a f ie r use, th e pepsine w o iks in a d isqu ie ting m anner, b ringing on diarrhoea, w hich sometinivs m ay degenerate in to dysen try . T his m ay serve as a w arning. F rom th e ste rna* w ell a s f to m th e blossoms and unripe f ru it of th e papaya, a m ilky ju ice m ay be obtained, w hich , a f te r being exposed a sh o rt tim e to th e air, coagulates. Bofcii in a fluid an d coagulated s ta te it causes a bu rn in g se n sitio n w hen placed on th e u n p ro tec ted sk in , fol­low ed n o t unfrequi n tly , by blisters. Should by ill luck a single d rop of i t fall into th e eye to ta l b lin d ­ness is th e unavoidable re su lt. T his fluid has been used w ith rem ark ab le success in rou ting o u t corns an d w arts. I f th e s tronger ou tw ard portions of our bodies are so g rea tly affected by th e raw . unprepared juice, w h a t m ay no t be th e consequence of in jud iciously adm in istering and using i t ? T h e w rite r of th is hence earnestly hopes th a t the ,F rench apothecaries, who, by th e ir p repara ion of th e papaya, aim a t benetittiog sufferers from indigestion , have ta k e n or m ay ta k e th e fore­going in to consideration . One com fort rem ains, how ­ever, to us. T ne ripe f ru it of th e papaya is a sovereign rem edy against dysen te ry . I t is a n a tiv e rem edy (hence p robab ly de-p ised on th a t account) b u t th e w rite r has exper.enued its healing pow ers. N o t very len g ago a schoolm aster here la id m any p aren ts under deep ob ligation to h im for cu ring th e ir ch ildren Buffering from th is d read fu l disease, and whose recovery th e doctor in a tten d an ce had d espaired of m ore or less, Bolely and exclus4vely by adm m istvriug to them ripe papay a fru it. W h e th e r th is doctor profited by i t is doub tfu l. A t leas t th e rem edy has n o t y e t been m ade w idely know n. Y e t i t is an efficacious rem edy.A decoction of p apaya leaves is also a wholesom e m edicine in obstinate inw ard fevers. A friend of m ine, th e la te M r. A hrens, was once fu lly cured by m eans of it. T h a t i t is an exclusively n a tiv e rem edy m ay be in fe rred from th e fac t th a t i t w as prescribed for m y friend by bis m other-in -law (a native) and th a t th e d- c to r in a tten d an ce step p ed h is v isits 011 i t being adm in istered , on the g round th a t he would n o t be j

a witm-ss to th e death of th e p a tie n t in consequence of th e use of th e papaya w hich tie had been consum ing. ■ T he lo o t of th e p ap ay a rubbed fine a n d laid as pap ; on th e forehead has b -en used w ith good t fleet ag a in s t 1 acu te headache. I t is also an excellen t su b s titu te j for akar kelor in foot b a th s , and likew ise does d u ty ; for m u sta rd p laste rs , when prescribed. May th is j a rtic le d raw th e e tte n tio n of N e th e rlan d s Ind ia m edical | m en an d chem ists to the papaya, w hich is no t only i

usefu l in o th e r respects, b u t also possesses m uch healing pow er. W hen we no longer need receive from abroad prepara tions from a p la n t so a b u n d a n t in th ese coun tries, th e re w ill be fulfilled th e w ish of

L u d w . H .A .S .”

T H E SE A SO N IN IN D IA .(F or the week ending the, 28£/i M arch.)

x S ligh t ru in has fallen in some of th e d is tr ic ts of th e M adras. Bom bay and Bengal P residencies and in p a r ts of th e P u n ja b an d M s<>re an d Ooorg ; in Assam th e re has been a good genera l rain fall. H a rv e s t opera*ions are in progress th ro u g h o u t M adras, an d genera l p ro ­spects are g o o d ; th . re is a good deal of fever an d stnall-pox abou t, as w ell as some c a ttle disease. In Bombay th e rabi h a rv es t is s ti l l in progress in some of th e d is tr io is : sc a rc ity of d rin k in g w ater in D har- w ar con tinues, an d t h ’-re is s lig h t fever an d ca ttle disease in p a r ts ; cholera continues in T hana. In B en ­gal ra in is w an ted to fac ilita te p loughing and for crops on th e ground ; ow ing to th e sc an ty ra in fa ll du ring th e cold w a th e r , th e rabi h a rv e s t is n o t ex­pected to y ie ld a very good crop th is y e a r ; cholera and sm all pox. con tinue in p a r t4, b u t no cas« s of ca ttle diseases a re repo rted . H arv estin g is n early over in th e sou thern d i- tr ic ts of th e N o rth -W e ste rn P rov inces and O udh, and th e o u ttu rn is generally f a i r ; th e re is some sickness in A llahabad and four o th ^ r d is tr ic ts o therw ise public h ealth is good ; c a ttle disease con­tin u es in Jh a n si and K um aun , an d th e re have been some fresh cases of cowpox a t Benares. I n the P u n ­ja b h arv est prospects an d h ea lth are generally good, although th ere is some sm all-pox in D elhi c ity , and fever and sm all pox in tw o t-ihsil of th e R aw alp ind i distric-. R abi harv estin g con tinues in th e C en tra l Provinces, and pm spec’s a re genera lly good ; b u t sm all pox a n d ca ttle disease are som ew hat p revalen t. In B ritish B urm a th e re is a l i t t le sm all pox and cholera, an d c a ttle disease con tinues in H enzada. A kyab an d Tuungoo. P rospects are good in Assam , B e rar and H y d erabad , C en tra l Ind ia , R a jp u tan a , and in M )so re am i C oorg ; b u t ra in is s t i l l m uch needed in N o rth Coorg.

M adras .—N o rain , ex cep t in G anjam an d B ellary ; genera l prospects good.

B engal.—T here has been ra in in severa l d is tr ic ts in Bengal P roper an d in p a rts of th e B hagulpore D ivision ; elsew here ra in is m uch w an ted to fac ilita te ploughing, a u d lo r crops on th e g ro u n d ; rabi h arvest is no t expected to y ie ld a V v r y good crop th is y ear ow ing to w an t of ra in d u rin g th e cold w e a th e r ; in

i some places th e crop is said to be m uch below th e average, and in o thers i t is on ly fa ir ; mohua crops in C hota N agpore and tion thal Pergu im ahs, an d m ango crop in m any places, are v e ry poor ; cases of cholera an d sm all-pox con tinue to be rep o rted from several places.

G e o l o g i c a l — A m ongst o th e r useful w o rk done b y th e offic* rs of th e Geological Survey of In d ia d u r ­ing la s t year, th e follow ing re su lts have been ob-

i tam ed :— A n exam ination of a trac t of gneissic u p . lan d in T ravaucore dispelled th e belief fo rm erly e n te rta in ed th a t th e rocks w ere auriferous ; some good coal seam s were traced in th e South R ew ah basin, u n fo rtu n a te ly a t p resen t too fa r d is ta n t from an y line ot railw ay for an a tte m p t a t w o ik in g th em to p rove profitab le ; an d some copper beds in th e D arjilin g d is tr ic t w ere exam ined. t h e G overnm ent of In d ia h as review ed the an n u a l re p o rt of th e d e ­p a rtm e n t, an d expresses sa tisfac tion a t th e efficient m anner in which M r.M ed lico tt and his subord inates have d ischarged ih e ir im p o rtan t d u tie s .— Bom bay Gazette,

$otHjespontienoe. ---

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.M E . STO R C K ’S C U R E F O R C O F F E E L E A F -

D IS E A S E .U pper R ew a, Feb. 10th, 18S2

Sik , —I n one of y o u r N ovem ber ie=ues I am in ­form ed th a t i t is m y in ten tio n to v is it C eylon via Java , b u t I am n o t aw are of having authorized any one to m ake th e s ta tem en t. [ I t appeared first in a Jav a p -p e r .— E d .]

Y ou also suggest th a t, in th a t case, I should have, an o p portun ity provided for proving my me:hod sim ul­taneously and u n d e r even conditions w ith those of M r. S ch ro ttk y and M r. W ard, w hich 1 tak e to mean a so rt of public com petition . I do n o t fear com peti­tio n an d would co u rt a tr ia l, for w hich I have l i t t le scope in th is c o u n try ; b u t w h a t is th e su b s ta n tia l inducem en t, th e aw ard to be m ade to th e succtssfu l m an because of barren honors I have had p lenty ?

L et th e P la n te rs ’ A ssociation g ive me guaran tees for expenses, w hich, on an aw ard being m ade me, I w ould u n d e rtak e to refund.

A fter w h at I have w ritte n to th e Tropical A g r i­culturist, an d since again to th e Gardeners' Chron­icle, on m y “ M ethod of P erm an en t V apo risa tio n ,” I canno t conceive th a t any one could d o u b t th e bona fid es of m y sta te m e n ts ; th e very pub lic ity I have g iven th e m a tte r m u st be m y p led g e .—I rem ain, sir, yo u r obed ien t se rvan t, JA C O B P. STO R CK .

[W e are g lad to learn t h a t a Cex Ion p rop rie to r has a lready w ritte n to Mr. S torck d irec t, th a t lie is p repared to pay him th e sum of £200 it lie keeps off H em ileia vasta trix from his coff-e e s ta te for one year. T here a re o th e r ‘Ceylon p rop rie to rs no d oub t p re ­pared to p ay iu th e sam e p roportion , p rov ided the condition s tr in g en tly in te rp re te d is exactly com plied w ith . If M r. S to rck is certa in of success, th e re can be no d o u b t of a good field fo r him in Ceylon ; b u t we w ould advise him first to tr y th e cure on th e largest fie d of coffee availab le iu F iji for a year. W e have had w onderfu l “ cures ” iu Ceylon la - tin g over a few m onths, b u t no th in g perm an en tly successful as yet. W h at has M r. A . J . S tephens t > say of M r. S to rck ’s re m e d y ?— E d.]

C H A M P IO N COCOA PO D S IN T H E PA X - W IL A D IS T R IC T .

G oonam bil e s ta te , M arch 31st, 18S2.D ear S ir , —In m y le t te r to you, d a te d N ov. 26th,

I inform d you th a t I go t '43-41 seeds respectively o u t of tw o cocoa pods and w hich in y o u r note below you said was e x tra o rd in a ry and q u ite unpre- ced tn ted . I have now th e p leasure to inform you th a t tod ay I c u t tw o m ore pods from th e sam e t t t e an d found in them 44 and 41 s< eds. F rom th e la s t lo t I w ro te you abo u t 1 have 80 fine p lan ts in th e n u rsery . I find th e average from th e pods from G angw arily and o th e r esta tes is abo u t 23, b u t th en th e y are n o t th e sam e k in d as th e tre e 1 am g e ttin g m ine from .—Y m rs fa ith fu lly , H . A. G IL L !A T .

G E R M IN A T IN G CARDAM OM SE E D .(E llagalla) R a tto ta , 3 rd A pril 1882.

D e a r S i r , —T he follow ing p lan for germ in a tin g cardam om seed m ay be ust ful to some : a f te r various experim ents I have found i t th e m ost successful.

A ll th a t is requ ired is a shallow an d w a te r tig h t open tin pan or box; say four to five in- hes deep, w i.h its edges c u t level, aud a flat piece of tin to cover it. T he tin box is filled to w ith in 1 inch of th e rim w ith

a m ix tu re of good m ould and r iv e r sand , equal p a r ts ; a piece of flannel sp read on th e m ix tu re a n d p ressed closely dow n.

T he seed is th e n la id on th ic k ly an d w arm w a te r p oured upon i t , u n ti l th e soil is th o ro u g h ly sa tu ra te d and th e w ater rises ju s t above th e seed. The lid is th en pkm ed on th e box and held dow n b y a w eigh t.

T he box shou ld be placed in a w arm sun n y place and looked to every four o r five days as in h o t w eather m ore w ate r m ay be necessary, b u t iu o rd in ary w ea th er th e w ate rin g process w ill go on of itse lf fo r m any days, if th e lid be properly k e p t dow n.

T he seed germ inates (for cardam om seed) very q u ick ly u n d e r th is process, in from 17 to 21 days.

W h en a ll are well g e rm in a ted th e flannel is rem oved w ith th e seed ad h erin g to it, and held ovor an o rd in a ry roofed n u rse ry bed, au d tapped on th e reverse sid e . T h is w ill shak e off th e seed, w hich shou ld th e n be very lig h tly covered w ith sifted soil. I have grow n m any fine h ea lth y p lan ts in th is way,- b u t only for th e sake of e x p e r im e n t; as I find a f te r a ll t h a t sow ­ing w ell-soaked seed “ a t s ta k e ” is bo th th e m ost sa tis fac to ry an d cheapest p la n .—I am , you rs fa ith fu lly ,

E . G. R.

C O F F E E A D U L T E R A T IO N A N D T H E E N G L IS H C O N SU M E R S,

Agraa, 4 th A pril.D e a r S i r ,— I have read w ith in te re s t in your paper

of tn e eff >rts bving m ade in E ngland by M e-srs. Dickson, P asteu r, &c. to t r y an d s to p th e a d u lte ra tio n of coffee, and th e le tte rs of yo u r co 'respondents bearing on the su b je c t, b u t I have never seen w h at has alw ays appeared to me th e real evil, even a lluded to.

T he fau lt chiefly lies w ith th e B ritish public, w hich , from ignorance aud laziness, persist iu buying coffee ready ro asted aud ground , or else som e h o rrid p re p a r­a tion in b o ttle o r tin , labelled Coffee Essence, F ren ch Coffee, Coffee and M ilk , &c., &c., th e reb y p u ttin g a d irec t prem ium on ad u lte ra tio n . In ad d itio n there is a w idely sp read idea th a t pu re coffee is unw hole­some an d th a t a m ix tu re of chicory o r dandelion is h igh ly beneficial.

On th e con tin en t of E urope (I speak chiefly of France an d I ta ly ) th e poorest K borer w ho can afford to d rin k cofUe a t all, ro as ts an d g rin d s i t him self. I t is t ru e th a t o ftm roasted beans an d peas are add ed ; b u t th a t is from necessity, n o t choice. U n til th e m ass of consum ers can be b ro u g h t to recognize th a t cofiee is n o t w o rth y of th e nam e, un less fresh ly ro as ted an d ground , th e re will be no appreciab le increase in th e consum ption. C heap cookery schools a re doing an incalcu lab le am o u n t of good am ong th e m an u fac tu rin g classes in Scotland ; b u t 1 do n o t know if coffee- m ak ing is included in th e in s tru c tio n given. F rom i he several p rospectuses an d class lis ts I have seen,I fear not.

T h a t th e value of these courses of p rac tica l in s tru c ­tion i i cheap household cookery is only beginning to be fe lt, I k tt° w from th e papers of th e G lasgow society w hich is tiie centre of th e movi ineu t in S co tlan d , a n d I fee! convinced ilia t b-fore long the schoolboards w ill include simpl-' cookery am ong th e su b jec ts of com ­pulsory education . In th e m eantim e, if th e d irec to rs of th e m any s -c ie tie s fo r th e im p io v em en t of th e w orking classes w ere to im press on th e people th e a v an tage of p reparing th e ir coffee them selves, more w -'uld be gained in m .m ths th a n by y ea is of parliu- m eu ta t y v g ita tio n ag a in s t vested tra d e in te re s ts , w ith w hich a il G overnm ents a re equaliv loa th to in te rfe re .— I rem ain , yours fa ith fu lly , H . D Y C E P A T E R S O N .

C IN C H O N A D Y IN G O U T A H IN T .5 th A pril 1882.

D e a r S i r ,— H av ing la te ly h eard , in m any places, th a t cinchonas a year old and upw ards are d y ing ou t to a g rea t ex ten t, I w ould offer a suggestion to c in ­chona p lan ters, w ho consider th a t th e ir trees are d y ing out from excessive m oistu re a t th e roots, caused b y a clayey or re ten tiv e subsoil, viz., to dig a hole tw o feet deep, im m edia te ly below and as near as pos­sible to th e stem of th e tree. I have found th is succeed ad m irab ly , as trees about 18 m onths old, w hich w ere alm ost dead from s ta g n an t w ater, re ­covered in a very sho rt t ine after th e deep h o h s were c u t below them .

Of course, m illions of c inchona have d ied o u t th rough th e p lan ts having been raised from seed off im m ature trees, and, in m y opinion, n o th ing can save such from d.ving young. R eferring to hy b rid s, I have p lan fed pubescens an d succiru l ra side by side on p a tn a lands a t an elevation of ab o u t 2,500 feet, and th e h y b rid s have beaten th e succ iru b ra in g ro w th .— Y o u r fa ith fu lly ,

R O B U Sl'A .

COCOA C U L T IV A T IO N ; . A N D C U R IN G .G ang W arily , Dolosbage, 6 th A pril 1882,

D ea r S ir ,— R eferring to Mr. G illia t’s le t te r of 31st M arch in w hich th is e s ta te is specially m entioned I w ould lik e to s ta te th a t I th in k he is w rong in th e average of seeds con ta ined in m y cocoa pods. T h ir ty , I consider th e average n u m b e r ; and th is is borne o u t by w h a t a friend w r i te s : “ In th eObserver to band th is evening I no tice a le t te r signed H . A. G illia t, re I e rrin g to th e g row th of cocoa on G oonam bil esia te an d th e num ber of seeds con ta ined in each pod. I am glad to hear of th e successful cu l­tiv a tio n of cocoa an y v here in th e island , b u t M r. G il­l ia t’s experience of G ang W arily pods m u st be very lim ited if he ha* only go t an average of 23 seeds. I have bad ahout 4,000 pods from G ang W arily and in all th e lo ts 1 have counted th e average has been over 30, generally ab o u t 32. ”

B u t too m uch stress need n o t be laid on th e n u m ­b er of seeds per pod. (I am glad M r. G. has x tt ined a m axim um of 44 th is tim e, and I hope he w ill g e t 54 n e x t tim e.) I have freq u en tly noticed th a t m y sec .md class pods con ta in more seeds th a n th e firs t class.

I consider ja k b e lts useful as b reak w inds w here cocoa is concerned, or ja k trees p lan ted a t regu lar d istances, say a chain (66f t . ) a p a r t for shade purposes, &c. T hey m ay be p lan ted closer a t first, and then th in n ed out. A correspondent object* to th e l i t te r of leaves. A ll th e b e tte r , th ey form a covering of organic m a tte r to th e s o i l ; an d w ith th e ad d itio n of lime, a good m anure. A n o th e r corresponden t th o u g h t the shade w ould be too dense for c-coa, bu t rem em ber you can lop judiciously to su it a ll p rac tica l purposes.

In show ery w ea th e r I daresay cu ring w ill be troublesom e, i>nd som e m odification of a “ S irocco,” or d ry ing ap p a ra tu s necessary . I have not been able to give curing a fa ir t r ia l vet, m ost of m y pods being d espatched h ith e r and th th e r for seed purpose*. T he m ore experience I gain in cocoa cu ltiv a tio n 1 lik e i t th e b e tte r. As i t blossoms a num ber of m onths in th e year i t w ill n o t be such a precarious crop as A rab ian coffee. Ju d g m e n t is requ ired as to th e places you p lan t w ith th is p roduct. E le v a ­tion , roil, .-'lid sh e lte r have to be m ore tak en in to account th an in th e case w ith c< ff c o r tea. W hit e a n ts are my g rea t enem y, b u t w ith frequen t su p p ly ­ing I a t ta in a good m easure of success. T hough t requ ires a good deal of c >axing w h ils t young, th e only w ay is to persevere— and, you w ill conquer, nev.„r fear !—Y ours tru ly , JO H N D R U M M O N D .

L LA M A S H E E P IN S T E A D O F C A T T LE ON C O F F E E E S T A T E S —H O W W O U L D T H E Y D O.

D e a r S i r , — In lo> k ing th ro u g h y o u r colum ns of th e 3 rd in s tan t, I was s tru ck by an ad v ertisem en t th a t a t once fired m y im agination as th e expression of a long m issing need w hich has fo r som e tim e lain d o r­m an t in m y m ind for w ant of a p rac tica l so lu tion .

T he ad v ertisem en t in question w as “ A uction sale of L lam as” b u t 011 ru n n in g m y eye th ro u g h its par* ticu la rs I was d isappo in ted to find th a t i t was n o t to th e an im al so-called th a t a llusion w as m ade, b u t to some so rt of c lo th ing m ateria l of a green an d vio* le t descrip tion , of w hich M essrs. A u w a rd t are the p ro ­viders. I t was, how ever, on th e an im al and n o t on M essrs. A u w a rd t’s m ate iia l th a t m y th o u g h ts tu rn ed , for 1 have o ften been to ld by those whose profess a know lege of n a tu ra l h isto ry th a t th e hairy fluff of th e Llama is th e finest m ate ria l from w hich c lo th of th e C ashm ere d escrip ion can be m ade.

N ow , 1 am n o t aw are of th e c lim ate o r c o u n try to w hich th is anim al is a deniz m, though i t has a so rt of vague association in my m ind w ith T h ib e t, b u t th en again I have an equally vague id ea th a t th e L lam a of T h ib e t is a m y th ica l personage connected w ith T ales of T ravel. Indeed 1 do n o t know w here T h ib e t is.

A ssum ing, how ever, th a t th e h a b ita t of th e L lam a eheep is a trop ical or sem itrop ical co u n try an d assum ­ing also th a t th e w ool-bearing q u a lities of th e L lam a are as correc t as those w hereby I am alone fam iliar w ith it, nam ely, i t s h a b it of ex p ec to r­a tin g freely w hen s tir re d u p w ith an um brella a t the zoo, i t appears to me th a t i t w ould be a m ost useful c rea tu re to in tro d u ce in to th is coun­try as a supp lem en t to o u r coffee in d u s try and a su b ­s t i tu te for our ca ttle es ab lishm en ts. Of course i t w ould be rid iculous to im’a g in e th a t any ind iv id u a l would go to th e expense of im p o rtin g a herd of L lam as, b u t w e are so co nstan tly rem inded of th e blessings con ­ferred on us by our pa te rn a l governm ent (w hich a d ­m its of no p riv a te en te rp rise in ra ilw ays an d has given such ab u n d a n t evidence of its p a te rn ity in p ro­v id ing us w ith a M useum an d an A lfred M odel Farm ), th a t th e suggestion th a t i t shou ld em ploy its sleep­ing facu lties in th e d irection of a L lam a es tab lish ­m en t to w ard s encouraging th e p rodu c tio n of th is m uch desid era ted wool on our e s ta tes m ay no t be out of place.

Indeed , th a t useless incubus of s tin k s , th e M odel F arm , m ig h t be as w ell ad ap ted to L lam a cu ltu re as it is to th e breed ing of m osquitos an d m alaria, and , since a general recreation g round is so m uch needed in Colombo, i t would, I am sure, form a p leasing re ­so rt for a ll classes ou a S unday afternoon.

M y suggestion is a crude, and m ay p erhaps be a rid iculous one, b u t hav ing ven ted i t on th e pub lic I leave th em to apprecia te or n o t th e idea of

W A L K IN G IN T H E ZOO.

L ib e r ia n C o f f e e .— W e are pleased to learn th a t an o th e r sm all consignm ent of P u tu p a u la k a n d e L ibe­r ian coffee, se n t b y M essrs. A itk en , Spence & Co. to th e N ew Y ork m ark e t, has ju s t been sold for 18£ cenis, th e eq u iv a len t a t th e ru lin g ra te of exchange of 80s 3d in th e Lundon m arket. T h is is an exceed­ingly encouraging q uo ta tion : th e A m erican m a rk e t is ev ideu tly th e r ig h t one for Ceylon L iberian coffee.

I m p o r t s o f C h in a T e a t o I n d ia .— The In d ia n Tea Gazette, says th e C a lc u tta Englishm an, p 'od n ces some s ta r tlin g figures to show th e tendency to in ­crease th e im p o rts of C hina te a in to th is c o u n tn . In stead of h av ing been a lm ost d riv en o u t of th e m a rk e t by th e local p ro d u c t, as w e suppose to be th e case, its consum ption has n early doubled d u rin g th e 1 tsr th ree years, th e im ports for 1880-81 being 3.322,407 lb . as com pared w ith 1,822,3451b. in 1878-79.