the cinchona-tapping beetles. - eVols

T H E CIN CH O N A -TA PPIN G B E E T L E S .To Mr. Green we and onr readers are indebted for

the following in teresting details respecting a species of beetle found feeding 011 th e renewed hark (after shav­ing) of succim bra trees in Maskeliya, whence the speci­men subm itted to Mr. G reen was brought carefully tied up w ith thread. F rom w hat Mr. G reen w rites, it would seem th a t the object of the beetles in wounding the bark is to cause it to exude th e resinous juice on which they as well as the an ts f e e d :—

“ A male stag beetle (fam ily Lucanidoe). T he fem ale has m uch sh o rte r m andibles, an d is said to use th em in form ing a hole in th e tru n k s of trees for th e reception of its eggs. W estw ood says in h is m odern Classification of In sec ts vol. I , pp. 187 and 188 :— ‘ T he perfect insect according to D e G eer, feeds on the honeydew upon th e leaves of th e oak, th e y also feed upon th e sap exuding from th e w ounds of trees, w hich th e y lap up w ith th e ir finely c ilia ted maxillse and low er lip. I t has been supposed th a t th e larva of th is insect, w hich chiefly h ides in th e w illow an d oak, rem ain ing in th a t s ta te several years, is th e anim al so m uch esteem ed by th e R om ans as a delicacy, an d nam ed cosstis. T he in ju ry w hich i t causes is often very considerable, boring no t only in to th e solid wood but also in to th e roots of th e t r e e .’

“ T he specim en (stag beetle) received from M as­k eliya about a w eek ago is s ti l l liv ing and feeds on m oistened sugar an d jaggery . I t is a m ale in ­sec t w ith im m ense m an d ib le s . and g rea tly resem bles Lttcanus cervus, th e common stag b eetle of E u ro p e .”

N E W PRO D U C TS IN T H E L O W C O U N T R Y : G e n e r a l P l a n t in g R e p o r t .

W estern P rov ince , 31st M arch 1882.In th e firs t w eek of M arch, w e h ad a few showers

and again on 16th to 19th. On th e la t te r d ay th e ra in w as com bined w ith hail. T he la s t tw elve days of th e m onth w ere in ten se ly h o t an d d ry , causing m uch discom fort to your hum ble se rv an t, b u t no t o therw ise in jurious.

T he d ry w ea th e r checked th e g ro w th of th e p lan ts som ew hat, an d th e n u rse ry needed hu n d red s of gallons of w ater daily , to keep th e sm all p la n ts alive. T his is one d isadvan tage in th e use of baskets ; th e y give ou t th e m oistu re too rap id ly for th e h ea lth of the p lan ts in them . T he blossom is p re tty well over for th is spell, and such of th e coffee trees as have reached a h e ig h t of from four to five feet, are ru n n in g up stem w ithou t p roducing branches. T he w hite a n ts are developing new ta s te s . I long held th a t th e y touched no liv ing p lan t, b u t I found th e th e o ry w ould n o t s ta n d when I cam e to cu ltiv a te cocoa, an d now I find them a tta c k in g L iberian coffee. I t is tru e , I have found only tw o p lan ts destroyed , b u t th e re could be no m istak ing th e cause. I believed fo r some tim e cocoa was safe from th is enem y afte r th e firs t year, b u t now I find them th ro w in g u p th e ir en trenchm ents round stem s an inch and a half in d iam eter, an d d en u d ­ing th em of b a rk from th e surface upw ards.

I see th a t th e question of shade for cocoa is u n d er discussion in th e Observer. A ll th a t I can ad m it on th is m a tte r is th a t, for th e firs t tw o years, th e p lan t m ay benefit from p a rtia l p ro tec tio n from th e sun, as w ell as thorough sh e lte r from w ind, b u t th a t when fu lly estab lished , th ey grow so free ly w ith a ll th e sun th a t shines here, th a t I cannot im agine them g e ttin g on b e tte r w ith less of th e so lar influence. I am n o t sufficiently advanced to say how far shade, o r its absence, m ay affect fru it-bearing . I f th e tree shou ld be found to bear b e tte r u n d e r p a r tia l shade th a n in th e open, then le t th em have shade by a ll m eans.

208

I am n o t fan a tica lly in fav o u r of th e A rtocarpus integrifotia f jak ) as sh e lte r be lts. I f i t be g ra n te d th a t such belts are usefu l to th e chief cu ltiv a tio n in ce rta in ocalities, th e n , su re ly , i t is b e tte r to use fo r th e purpose trees th a t have ^some in trin s ic value, e ith e r in th e ir f ru i t o r th e ir tim b er th a n tho se th a t a re of no use w hatever. N or can I on reflection discover a n y th in g rid icu lous in p rov id ing a fu tu re supp ly of tim b e r on a low -country e s ta te , even a t some sacrifice of th e space devoted to m ore im m ed ia te ly pay ing p roducts. Y oung m en w ho come to C eylon to m ake th e ir fo rtu n es an d re tire to en joy the p leasu res of affluence before th e y a re too old, canno t be ex p ec ted to g ive th e ir sole a tten tio n to tim ber, b u t i t w ould no t be difficult to dem onstrate th a t few th ings w ould p a y b e tte r than forest cu ltivation to him who m ade no d istin c tio n betw een h is ow n and h is g ran d -ch ild ren ’s intel-est. A dm ittin g th a t th is w ould be ca rry in g the love of poste rity to an ex trem e, th e estate th a t has te n tim ber trees com ing fo rw ard fo r every cu ltiva ted acre, w ill, o ther th ings being equal, have a h igher se lling value a t an y age, th an th a t w hich has none ?

T h e ru b b e r p la n ts con tinue to th r iv e and flower copiously, b u t I have s til l only one pod th a t prom ises to reach m a tu rity . T he y o u n g cardam om p lan ts ta k e such s lig h t hold of th e soil, t h a t th e y c an n o t keep u p rig h t, and w hen th e y fall over, if not im m edia te ly a tte n d e d to , th e y d ie . W h a t th e y m ay do u ltim a te ly I do n o t know , b u t w ith m uch care th e ir g ro w th is very slow.

H em iteia is in sta tu quo—n o t spread ing , b u t m any tre e s have m ore o r less of it, an d som e are very bad. I know th a t d u stin g th e affected trees w ith lim e has no effect, b u t I th in k i t p robable, th a t i t affords some p ro tec tio n to th o se th a t a re free from i t . T h e re is c e rta in ly one of th e num erous varie ties th a t has h ith e r to rem ained un touched in th e m id -t of dangerous neighbours.

M y experience of nu tm egs has n o t been v e ry en ­couraging. F o u r years ago I p u t dow n 100 seeds, from w hich I h ad 32 p lan ts w hich I p lan ted o u t in th e field. T hey have kep t d y ing off one by one ever since, t i l l only ten rem ains, and of th ese on ly th re e are fine prom ising p lan ts. I am , how ever, inclined to give th em ano ther t r ia l u n d e r m y ow n eye, w hich advan tag e , th e fo rm er a tte m p t h ad no t. T he p lan te rs of th is age are p robably n o t aware th a t above 40 years ago, M r. A n s tru th e r , th en C olonial Secretary , p lan ted above a h u n d red acres, a t W elisa ra on th e N egom bo road . H ad C eylon been searched, for th e leas t su itab le lan d , they could n o t have found a w orse piece. T he soil w as cabook gravel of th e poorest q u a lity . W hen I saw i t first, th e few rem ain ing trees w ere a good size. T hey w ere p ro tec ted b y m ovable k a jan screens, and tw o ca rts were em ployed b ring ing w a te r to keep th em alive. T he lan d finally w ent in to n a tiv e hands, an d I know n o t w h e th e r th e re now rem ains a single n u tm eg tre e on th e place. T here is one noble specim en of th is tree , in th e com pound of th e railw ay engineer’s office, M aradana, and an o th e r a t R iverside Lodge, M utw al. F ro m w h a t I saw a t A n iakanda in o ld days an d from th e p lan t u n d er v a r i­ous circum stances m ore recen tly , I ju d g e th a t i t cannot th r iv e w ith o u t som e shade. H av ing a rough bark on w hich the seeds of th e m o st common of our p arasites read ily lodges, i t is ve ry su b jec t to th is pest, an d i t is a favourite re so rt of th e ilemias, in w hich i t is by no m eans alone, fo r th e re d a n t is a te rrib le pes t to th e cu ltiv a to r of any fru it-bearing tree , w ith in its range, and to be fought w ith fire, w herev er th ey appear.

4 th A p ril 1882.—R ain came w ith A pril. I t was m odera te on th e 1s t an d 2nd b u t y es te rd ay th ere fell one of those trem endous deluges th a t defy a ll calcu­la tion . I th o u g h t I had by heavy em bankm ents and v a s t w aterw ays p ro v id ed fo r re ta in in g m uch of th e

s ilt w ithin th e e s ta te b u t w ith in te n m in u tes, d itch es th re e feet deep an d four feet wide w ere fu ll an d over- lowing, and w ith in an o th e r five m inu tes gaps six fee t Aide w ere w rough t in th e em bankm ents . T h is was w n ly th e d rainage of less th a n te n acres. T he rain oasted abo u t tw o hours and I th in k th re e inches fell.

B R IT IS H T E A A N D C O F F E E D U T IE S .W e are g lad to see th a t th e question w as p u t to

L ord H artin g to n w hether the im port d u tie s on In d ia tea and coffee could n o t be abolished. A tten tio n m ust be d irec ted to th e m a tte r , and th e claim s of In d ia in th is d irec tio n m u st be fu lly v en tila ted . I t m u st n o t be cause for discouragem ent th a t th e rep ly was so unfavorable , for i t w ould nev er do to show a too- y ield ing disposition to a ll th e dem ands m ade upon th e finances of G rea t B rita in . A n d th e re m a y ' be some techn ica l reason in th e reply th a t th e rem ission of th e cotton du ties on th is side is in itse lf no ac tu a l g round for rem ittin g tea an d coffee d u tie s on th e o ther. B u t th e re is more reason fo r th e dem and th a n tb e m ere rem ission of th e co tto n duties. T he p rin c i­ples so s trong ly upheld as g round for th e one course m u st be as .s tro n g ly insis ted on w hen dealing w ith th e o ther. T he close connection of th e in te re s ts of In d ia an d E ngland , and th e adv isab ility of hav ing no cause of fric tion an d d issa tisfac tion betw een th e tw o countries, w ere s trong ly in sis ted on when th e repeal of th e co tton du ties was dem anded. These sam e re a ­son* ex is t for th e repeal of th e te a an d coffee du ties. A s th e cham pion of free trade, an d as th e g rea t a d ­vocate of th a t sy stem w hen dealing w ith In d ian im ­p o rts from E ngland , th e la t te r co u n try o u g h t to be jn - t «s active an advocate fo r free tra d e in th e case of English im ports from In d ia . E n g lan d can fa r m ore easily bear th e loss of th e revenue th u s derived th a n In d ia can, and th is fac t m u st n o t be overlooked. A difficulty , we see, m ay probably arise , if trea tie s are a lready en tered in to w ith C hina and o th e r countries w ith respec t to th e d u tie s on tea and coffee. T hese coun tries m ay claim th e “ m ost favored nation ” p r iv ­ileges, and m ay dem and th a t w h a t is done in th e case of these exports from In d ia should be done also w hen th e y come from o th e r countries. A nd if In d ia is tre a te d as a foreign co u n try in th e sam e way th a t C hina or Brazil is a foreign co u n try , th e con ten tion w ould be w ell founded. So fa r as In d ia is on th e sam e footing as o th e r foreign nations, a dem and from th e one m u st be trea ted as i t w ould be if i t cam e from th e o thers. B u t w hen th e col ton d u tie s in th is co u n try w ere abolished th e o th e r day , th e g re a t a rg u m en t w as th a t In d ia w as n o t foreign. T h is country w as held to bo, to a very p rac tica l ex ten t, p a r t an d parcel of th e B ritish E m p ir e ; an d i t w as on th is very g round th a t p ressure was p u t on her, w hich a foreign n ation w ould n o t have endured . O ur g re a t objection to L ord H artin g to n 's rep ly —supposing R e u te r has given i t to us in an accura te ly sum m arized form —is th a t th e noble lord fails to acknow ledge th a t th e sam e p r in ­c ip le s shou ld govern both cases. I f In d ia is to be tre a te d as a p a r t of E ngland w hen co tton goods are concerned, E n g lan d shou ld tr e a t Ind ia as an in teg ra l p a r t of th e sam e g rea t co u n try w hen teas and coffees are concerned. T h e p rincip le on w hich th e H om e G overnm ent forced 011 us th e one abo lition should be of equal force w hen In d ia asks for a co rre­sponding ab o litio n . A part from th e question w h e th e r E ngland o u g h t n o t to encourage th e im porta tion of th e p roducts of h e r ow n colonies, by g iving priv ileges w hich o thers do n o t possess, the re is a special reason w h y In d ia should be peculiarly favoured in th is re s­pect. The in tim a te connection betw een In d ia and E ngland , if used for th e advan tage of th e s tronger in th e one case— an d no one can d o u b t th a t th e recen t instance of th e c o tto n d u tie s rem iss io n is a

case of advan tage to s tro n g er E n g lan d —th en m uch m ore, a fo r tio r i, sh ou ld th is in tim a te connection be used to th e advan tag e of th e w eaker in th e o th er case .— M adras Times.

SO U T H A M E R IC A N C IN C H O N A A ND T H E “ Q U IL L a I T R E E ”

W e an d our read ers are in d eb ted to an o ld C eylon p lan te r , M r. P. D . M illie, fo r som e in te re s tin g in ­fo rm ation w h ich , a t o u r in stance , he has o b ta in ed from S outh A m erica w here h is b ro th e r is re sid en t. O ur read ers w ill see t h a t C eylon has n o t m uch to fea r from th e ac tion of w re tch ed Bolivia, th e v ic tim of her; ow n treacherous conduct in th e w ar w ith C hili. T h e “ Q uilla i ” tree m igh t, as M r. M illie suggests, be tr ie d on th e N u w ara E liy a ranges. B u t, p erhaps, lik e so m any o th e r p ro d u c ts w hich form m a tte r of d iscussion , i t has been in C eylon fo r th e la s t score of years, only “ b lush ing unseen ” ?

E dinburgh, 16th M arch 1882.To the E d ito r o f the “ Ceylon Observer.”

D e a r M r . E d it o r ,— Some tim e ago, you asked me to try and procure some inform ation from my brother in South America, upon the position of cinchona there, and also about th e Q uilla i tree. Enclosed find papers from him on both subjects.

From w hat he writes, i t seems to m e th e Q uilla i tree would do well on th e N uw ara E liya slopes.

W ith regard to South Am erican cinchona, I do no t th in k Ceylon cultivators have m uch to fear from th a t quarter. Our facilities of inland transport to sea-port, and in shipping, give Ceylon an advantage in a ll its products, which none of the South American coffee and cinchona producing countries ever can realize, unless, as is possible, steam navigation on the river Amazon opens up the unexplored forests and facilita tes th e transport of bark .— Yours tru ly , P . D. M i l l i e .

T H E PR O S P E C T S O F C IN C H O N A IN B O L IV IA .

Coquim bo, Chile, Ja n u a ry 1882. T he M ercnrio, d a ily of V alparaiso , gives th e follow ­

ing item s of inform ation in regard lo th e p rospects of c inchona in th e in te rio r of Bolivia. T he artic le is w r itte n by a correspondent in T acna P e rn , an d is d a ted Dec m ber 31st, 1881. L ike th e p ro jec t of th e p artitio n of th e v ictorious republic of C hili, w h ich has tu rn e d o u t a very sad fiasco in deed for bo th P e ru and Bolivia, th e estim ate of th e value of th e cinchona p lan ta tio n s is n o t likely to fulfil expectations, an d th e “ D irecto r-G eneral of Im p o rts ,” of Bolivia, m u st be a w onderfu lly sangu ine ind iv idual, and, perhaps, counts upon cinchona taxes as th e panacea for th e chron ic condition of em ptiness of th e public tre a su ry of h is w re tch ed co u n try , w here every a sp ira n t to political pow er helps h im self to w h a t l i t t le he finds in th e coffers of the G overnm ent, and keeps them empty d u ring h is te rm of office. H eaven know s we have heard enough of Peruvian bark d u rin g th e w ar betw een th e allied republic of P e ru and Bolivia against C hili, an d no d o u b t the D irector-G eneral a llu d ed to hopes to ren d e r th e genuine a rtic le q u ite as p len tifu l by and bye as th e “ ta ll ta lk ," w hich w as th u s desig­nated by us foreigners

A llud ing to th e resources of th e P rov ince of Y ungas (Bolivia) Senor Aepiazu, in his “ R eport, ” s ta te s “ U n til th e p resen t tim e the C'ascarilla c u tte rs have only devo ted them selves to hew ing dow n th e trees an d ex te rm in a tin g th e fo rests of th is p l a n t : now th e d es tro y ers have been converted in to cu ltiva to rs .

“ T he p lan ta tio n s of q u in a a re daily increasing very considerab ly th ro u g h o u t th e region of th e E aste rn A ndes.

T h e p lan ta tio n s es tab lish ed are as follow s : —In Y ungas.. ... tre e s 200,000 i„ Songo .. . ... ,, 70,000,, M aipiri ... ... „ 3,500,000 I,, G u a n a y ... ... , , 32,000,, Camato ... ... ,, 30,000,, C anpolican ... ,, 10,000

„ 3,842,000w hich m ay, perhaps, be fu rth e r increased to 4,000,000, if th e p lan ta tio n s of C ha llana w ere inc luded in th e . estim ate.

“ U n d er th e supposition th a t each tree w ill afford from six to eight tons (sic) of cascarilla, the re w ould re su lt for th e p la n te r a clear a u u u a l profit of from one to tw o bolivianos (about 3s ste rling ) for each p lan t, so th a t 4,000.000 trees a t 5 bolivianos each, rep re sen t a cap ita l of 20,000,1 00 bolivianos.

“ These trees, w hich a t p resen t a re on ly from 5 to 10 years old, w ill a rriv e a t th e ir full s ta te of develop­m en t in from 10 to 15 years m ore, and w ill then re ­p resen t a cap ital of 80,000,000 bolivianos, presum ing th e price of th e bark to be 100 bolivianos p e r q u in ­ta l (10 th s .) ”

T he B olivian D irector-G eneral of Im p o rts ’ head m ust, i t is to be feared , have g o t ra th e r m udd led by o vertax ing h is b rain in o rd e r to provide fund's for carry ing on th e hopeless w ar w ith Chili, as h is mode of reckoning does seem w ild. I t servi s, how ever, to p rove th a t in th e in te rio r of B oliv ia something is being done in th e way of preserv ing th e cinchona trees from destruction .

One th ing is certain , an d th a t is th a t la rge q u a n titie s of cascaiitla are s till exported by B oliv ia—or ra th e r f r o m Bolivia—for th e sh ipm en ts a re m ade from th e P eru v ian po rts occupied by th e Chilians, who have, fo r reasons of th e ir own, a llow ed the im p o rt an d ex­p o rt tra d e w ith th e in te rio r to be carried on u n d e r th e ir supervision.

I t is said th a t , w ere steam n av igation to open up sufficiently th e alm ost unexplored regions of th e "Jpper ! A m azon and its num erous p artia lly navigable branches, j

th e supp ly of b a rk which w ould be obtained from th e ; A ndean slopes, w here few w h ite m en’s feet have ever trod , m ight, alone, exceed in tim e th e dem and of th e i w orld 's m arkets.

T h is , however, appears to be m ere specu la tion , and th e rea lity m igh t am oun t to very li t t le . A s th e s ta te ­m en t is m ade by parties in New Y ork w ho are in te re s ted 1 in g e ttin g up what, appears to be a new “ B ooth Sea B u b b le ,” in th e shape of th e ir “ P eruv ian C om pany ,” j i t is of l i t t le value, an d need crea te no alarm in In d ia ; o r Ceylon. T . J . W . M i l l i e .

Coquim bo, Chile, J a n u a ry 1882.T H E QTJILLAI T R E E . I

T he qu illa i t re e (pronounced in Spanish keelyay) | Warn. (B otan .) rosaceas is a n a tiv e of th e tem p era te ! region of so u th e rn Chile, and is seldom , if ever, m et I w ith to th e no rth of la titu d e 30 S. I t is a tree of considerable size, grow ing o ften to th e heigh t of 50 fee t o r more, and is chiefly found in th e rav ines of th e spu rs of A ndes and of th e coast range of bills.

T h e bark contains an a lk a li of ex trao rd in ary sapon­aceous v irtue , and, for washing and cleansing wool o r silk , has no equal as a de te rg en t, w hich, w hilst tho ro u g h ly cleansing th e fabrics, does n o t in ju re them . A good deal of th e b a rk is an n u a lly exported from C hile to F rance, an d some of i t finds i ts w ay also to E ngland . In E urope detergen ts, designated “ ex trac ts of q u illa i,” are sold for the purpose of rem oving grease s ta in s , a n d as h a ir w ashes. T here

seem s to be no d ifficu lty in ob ta in in g a crysta llized ex trac t,

I t is n o t probab le th a t th e tre e w ould succeed in Ceylon, a lth o u g h on th e H im alayas o r N eilgherries i t m igh t. I say th is w ith o u t hesita tio n , as i ts h a b ita t in C hile is very fa r beyond th e tropics, ai d i t grow s w here th e apple and gooseberry flourish— plan ts w hich requ ire a m oist tem p era te clim ate in o rd er to exist. As, how ever, th e re is n o th in g like try in g , I sha ll endeavour to p rocu re som e seed an d forw ard it.

CAI.ISAYA LEDGERIANA.U p to th e p resen t tim e I have been unab le to procure

any seed, an d th e tw o Consuls a t T acna and M ollendo in P eru , w ho w ere app lied to, do n o t afford m uch hope of o b ta in ing th e genuine k iu d , th e w ar hav ing rendered i t m ore d ifficult th a n i t w ould o therw ise have been to g e t re liab le people to g a th e r an d send i t down to th e coast. T . J . W , M i l l i e .

C EY LO N T E A S .C e y l o n T e a .— The following are details of two sales this

w eek ; the first by Messrs. S. Rucker and ,the second by Messrs, \Y. G. and H . T hom pson:—

T 22 half-chests Pekoe average gross 2 qrs. 5 lb. 516 to 537 sold a t Is 3 fd.

T 25 half-chests broken Pekoe average gross 1 qr. 25 lb. sold a t I s 4d,T 24 half-chests broken Pekoe average gross 1 qr. 25 lb 1 to 24

sold a t Is 4d.T 49 half-chests Pekoe average gross 2 qrs. 5 lb. 25 to 73 sold

a t Is 3p l.T 43 half-chests Pekoe souchong average gross 3 qrs. 4 lb. 74

A 116 sold a t Is Id .T 50 half-chests souchong average gross 3 qrs. 4 lb. 117 to 106

sold a t ll^ il.T 42 half-chests broken te a 167 to 208 ; 40 half-chests broken tea

average gross 2 qr-s. 6 lb, 209 to 248 sold a t lO pl.T 18 half-chests Pekoe dust average gross 2 qrs. 13 lb. 249 to

266 sold a t 8d.Hope T 17 half-chests broken Pekoe average gross 1 qr. 25 lb.

267 to 283 sold Is 3d.,, T 27 half-chests Pekoe average gooss 2 qrs. 5 lb. 284 to

310. sold a t Is 2d.,, T 18 half-chests Pekoe souchong average gross 2 qrs. 1 lb.

311 to 328 sold a t Is fd .,, T 25 half-chests souchong average gross 2 qrs. 329 to 353

sold a t Is 1<1.,, T 19 half-chests broken te a average gross 2 qrs. 4 lb. 354

to 372 sold a t l i d .,, X 5 half-chests Pekoe dust average gross 2 qrs. 13 lb. 373

to -377 sold a t 7)il.A J P o & Co., 4 cases 378 to 381, each contain ing 18 2-lb. leaden

packets sold l l£ d .J 5 cases 382 to 386, each contain ing 18 2-lb. leaden packets

sold a t Is £d.J L 3 cases 387 to 389, each contain ing 18 2-lb. leaden packets

sold a t Is 3)d.A G S cases 390 to 394, each contain ing 18 2-lh. leaden packets

sold a t Is 2d.M 5 cases 395 to 399, each containing 18 2-lb. leaden packets

sold a t Is.Sale 13th inst.

Rookwootl 90 H alf chs Pekoe Souchong.Ceylon Is 1 jd , offered in room ;

do do Sold privately a t Is 2Jd.ex Gannet.

As regards the tea belonging to the Ceylon Company sold by Messrs Rucker, the prices realized are considered to be fair, considering the quality of the tea. I t is described to me as beiug a good looking break and showing im ­provem ent in m anufacture. The unassorted tea was of a common character and was estim ated only to produce lOd, and the prices realized for it excited surprise and i t may­be due to having been packed in small quantities of 21b. The lot sold by Messrs. Thompson was decidedly superior in liquor to the Ceylon Company's tea, but it was inferior in make of leaf. The fact th a t Messrs. Rucker’s lots so d better relatively than Messrs.Thompson's is thoughtto be gi eatly due to th e fact th a t there was more of it and competition was consequently more excited. Messrs. Rucker tell me th a t th e importation by the Ceylon Company is about the best they have had yet of their brand, hut it is still susceptible of great improvement and I here the Mana­ger of th a t Company has received advice fn in their new superintendent, th a t ho has discovered where the faults of preparation lie and lie hopes to scud improved

i o o 4 t h e Tr o p ic a l a g r ic u l t u r is t . [ J u n e i , 1 8 8 2 -

Samples overland shortly. The arrival of these will be anx- ^u sly looked for, as of 166,697 lb. Ceylon tea imported here last year no less than 82,130 lb. were the produce of the Company’s estates. W hy, it is asked, is the Com­pany’s tea inferior to such brands as Loolcondera and W indsor F o re s t: there is no known difference in soil to account for it and Messrs. Kucker attribu te it to its being kept too long on the estate, to under-ferm entation and over-burning. Ceylon tea in th e good kinds are much liked by the trade in possessing the valued “ malty- burnt” flavour, but much th a t is received is coarse burnt causing a flavour most objectionable to experts. These la tte r gentlemen say th a t the difference in quality of Ceylon teas is distinctly referable to errors in ferm enting and they do not believe in differences of soil or altitude. I t requires but little more advance for Loolcondera, W ind­sor Forest and some other brands to rank equal to Dar­jeeling and the samples from Rookwood sold th is week approximated very much to th a t valued kind in flavour. In fact Darjeeling is looked on as th e standard up to which your teas m ust be brought before they can compete successfully a t level prices w ith Indian teas in tl.is m arket. The attention of the trade is now strongly (irected to Ceylon teas and a little 11101 e care in the preparation will ensure all you cun send us going off a t prices which will favourably compare with those rea­lized for Indian tea.

LOW C O U N T R Y PR O D U C TS IN T H E U D U G A M A D IS T R IC T .

O u r readers w ill peruse w ith in te re s t th e glow ing d e ta ils of th e success and progress of th e lowcoun- t r y d is tr ic t in th e sou th of th e island , where, und er th e experienced and in te llig e n t supervision of Mr. D obree, eo m any trop ical p roducts, from L iberian cofi'ee an d cocoa to nutm egs, cardam om s and b lack pepper, a rc being cu ltiv a ted . I t seem s ev id en t th a t, a s regard lu x u iian ce an d ra p id ity of g row th , th e conditions a re a ll th a t cou ld be desired , a n d we t ru s t th e re m ay be equal perm anency in crop-yield ii.g A lready a steam highw ay, in ad d itio n to existing road an d river com m unication, is con tem plated , and w e need n o t say th a t every p ro jec t of th e k in d w ill m ee t o u r h e a i ty su p p o rt, excep t w ill-o-the-w isp op­position schem es to o thers w hich have been w ell-con­s id e re d and finally decided on as th e best for th e w hole coun try as w ell as for p a r tic u la r d istric ts . M ay U dugam a so flourish as soon to need a ra ilw ay for th e tra n sp o r t of i ts produce.

NEW 7 PR O D U C TS IX T H E O O DUG AM A D IS T R IC T , N E A R G A LLE.

{From a Correspondent. )U dugam a, 6th A pril, 1882.

I venture to send you a re p o rt 011 th is d is tr ic t as of possible in te re s t to some of yo u r readers.

S ince i ts firs t com m encem ent, in th e p lan tin g of 50 acres, w ith N ew P rod u c ts , p rinc ipally L iberian cofi'ee, on th e U dugam a esta te , g re a t strides, in th e te e th of h a rd tim es, have be u m ade in its develop­m ent. N o t only has th e above, e s ta te i ts p u lp er in full w ork ing o rder to m eet as good a crop as from a pioneer, an d consequently v.-ry irreg u la r clearing , could be expected, m ost of m e trees (for I m u st excep t a lew of certain types) in full bearing h av ing been, and th ey again are for n ex t year, hi den w u h berries ; b u t th e re a re now patches of L iberian coffee, an d o th e r products also, com ing in to y ie ld on tw o o th e r p roperties , l i ie s e w ill supp ly a fo re taste , b u t ce rta in ly n o t a crite rion of the re tu rn s to be an tic ip a ted from th e L. V. P . Co. w ith its 100 acres p la n te d an d read y to p l a n t ;

th e severa l o th e r e s ta tes of 100 to 200 acres in c u lt iv ­a tion , an d I hope and doubt not a goodly num ber of o th ers as ex tensive before long, w hen cap ita lis ts have satisfied them selves th a t th e y can here find a safe in v es tm en t fo r th e ir money w ith every prospect of large profits.

P ro p rie to rs upcou n try a re bem oaning sh o rt crops, as the re su lt m ainly of unfavorab le seasons, an d th is y ea r a t any ra te w ith good cause, from all accounts . B u t i t only goes fu rth e r to prove w h a t a p u ll L iberian coffee has over its lesser b r e th r e n ; for w ho y e t in Ceylon has know n it, in su itab le localities, fa il e ith e r to blossom freely, o r se t and rip en its crop alm ost to a flower an d b e rry ? D rought m ay d es tro y both, b u t in the p a r t of th e co u n try w here th is is know n to occur, o r a t h igh elevations, I d oub t th e en te rp rize prov ing an en tire success, if even a rem unera tive m ves m ent. R a in ; steam ; h e a t ; an ev erlastin g stew in fac t, w ith perhaps a sh o rt b u rst ot fine d ry wea- tlie re now and again, a re , as fa r as I can judge, th e clim atic conditions th a t i t a n d a m a jo r ity of o th e r p ro d u c ts—to w it, tea , cocoa, cardam om s, pepper, nutm egs, arecas, sapan, an d I fancy v an illa ,revel in ; and u n d er w hich th e y prove m ost g ra te fu l n o t only as re ­gards g ro w th b u t y ie ld— for any a tten tio n , be i t b u t sm all bestow ed on them . I f I am rig h t, th e y find a perfec t hom e here : th e clim ate is n e ith e r an u n h ea lth y one n o r u n p leasan t to live in ; fo r heavy th o u g h th e ra in ­fa ll is (about 150 inches annu a lly ) th e unceasing ly w et an d d fea ry days of th e S. W . m onsoon, experienced elsew here, are here unknow n. On no t one day d u r ­ing the la s t year h ad th e coolies to be kpocked off w ork ; an d though te n days (and th a t on one occa­sion only) is th e longest spell know n w ithou t any rain , th is invariab ly comes in th e form of o ft-recurring show ers (in th e N .E . m onsoon very heavy p lum ps occa­sionally ) w ith very cheerfu l in te rv a ls of sunshine.

A s regards th e soil, i t is gen era lly in appearance sim ilar to a g re a t deal to be m et w ith u p co u n try on w hich coffee has done w e l l ; an d i t is p a rticu la rly fo rtu n a te in th e subsoil—th is being, I m ay say th ro u g h o u t th e d istr ic t, th o ro u g h ly free an d friab le to a dep th of severa l feet. T he ro o ts of m any of th e larger forest trees p en e tra te to a g re a t d ep th . T he m erits of such a subsoil over a cold clay o r h a rd one, so o ften p rev a len t, are su p e rla tiv e ; and co n jo in tly w ith a p e rfec t clim ate, inc lud ing com plete freedom from w ind, form an unansw erab le recom m endation anyw here. T he fo res t g ro w th itse lf is very fine, m any trees being of unusua l dim ensions, a n d inc lud ing am ong th em a v arie ty of valuab le woods saleable in G alle a t a profit a t lea s t w orth considering. O n one place over R 1,000 n e tt p ro fit has a lread y been realized. F ro m w here I now w rite a calam ander treo has la te ly fallen and is to be saw n : an d I fancy a good sp r in k ­ling of th D ,—above a ll, handsom e, valuab le fu rn itu re wood, are nice to have on a p ro p erty , if b u t for pri vate u se—w ill be found everyw here nearly .

I have m entioned th a t an excellen t crop for n ex t year h as a lready se t on all th e trees o ld enough. Suffice it, as regards L iberian coffee, to ad d th a t a ll la s t clearings, p a rticu la rly th e earlie r p lan ted ones, though very sm all p lan ts w ere p u t in , a re com ing o u t sp lend id ly , an d w ith b u t l i t t le loss o r troub le , from crick e ts o r an y o th e r pes t, an im ate o r inan im ate. Of th e o th er p ro d u c ts a ll a re com ing on equally well. Some very d rin k ab le tea lias been made a t U odagam a. T hree-year old cocoa—w h a t few trees th e re a re of th is age—have ripened abou t 60 pods each ; a ll are th e Creole variety . T he average num ber of seeds p r pod ex ­ceeded 30, and th e trees them selves are large and h ea lth y . M any thousand nu tm egs have been p u t ou t in baskets w ith scarce a fa ilu re . I m ay here m ention th a t I t r ie d g ra ftin g on to w ild nutm egs, ab o u t a year ago, an d , th o u g h w ith o u t success, th is w as no d oub t d u e to a w rong system , o r fa u lty w ork ; an d I in te n d renew ­

ing experim ents. T he th eo ry and various m ethods of g ra ftin g are easy enough to com prehend ; b u t th e w h ittlin g of th e w ood sufficiently d e ftly to in su re s u c ­cess is ano ther m a tte r qu ite ! I w ro e a t th e tim e to th e P eraden iya gardens suggesting i t , b u t am u n ­aw are if an y tr ia ls have been m ade there . H ere th e jung les are crow ded w ith several w ild varie ties. P ep ­per over a considerable acreage has been p lan ted o u t on th e m ost approved fashion in -v o g u e am ongst th e Chinese a t th e S tra its . Sm all fo rests of pepper posts now shew ing up h ere a n d th e re ; an d a considerable e x te n t of th e ground has been terraced . To s tu d y th e system , and draw tru s tw o r th y conclusions, on the spot, as to th e re tu rn th a t m ay be safely calcu la ted on from pepper an d nutm egs w as th e express object of M r. D obree’s recen t v isit on behalf of th e Com pany to th e S tra its . W ild pepper of several varieties are to be found grow ing in profusion everyw here in th e jung les, and num bers of fine vines of the best k in d grow a t th e villages spontaneously , and q u ite u n te n d e d ; th o u g h th e crops are g a th ered carefu lly an d sold in Galle. C eara rubber, arecas and sapan have been p u t o u t extensively, and a ll shew good g row th . B u t ca rd a ­m om p lan tin g (M alabar) is th e in d u stry , above all o thers, th a t seem s to m e to prom ise g re a t th in g s here. N um bers of bushes n o t tw o 3 ears old yet, an d though raised from sm all seedling p lan ts, (said to ta k e a year o r m ore longer to come in to bearing th a n bulbs) are 10 to 12 fee t h igh , covering th e g round in a m ost lu x u r ia n t fashion, an d now th ro w in g o u t a m ass of flower stem s. A sp lend id success though th e en terp rise is shew ing itse lf to be u p co u n try , w orth if rep o rt speaks tru e of its n e t t profits from R 1,000 p er acre th e re , I have the au th o r ity of a m an in te re s ted largely in it, bo th here and th e re in th e q u a r te r of th e co u n try i t has h ith e r to succeeded b es t in, for saying th a t , in th e m a tte r of rap id g row th and early yield , we have here a t leas t 12 m onths th e advantage. A n d no one w ho has seen th e p resen t v igour of th e bushes w ill go away in d oub ts as to th is being m ain ta ined fully as long an d profitab ly . H ere again th e su rro u n d ­ing jung les are crow ded w ith tw o indigenous kinds, ind iscrim inate ly co llected by th e natives for sale; and, I am u n d e r an im pression , pecu lia r to th is p a r t of th e country'. T he S inhalese call i t ‘ cardam on ’ and th e common C eylon k in d , from w hich i t differs g rea tly in appearance, ‘ E n se l’, I t is a m uch sm aller p la n t th a n th e la t te r , th e leaves a deep re d behind, a n d th e f ru it sm aller.

T here are a nu m b er of o th e r p ro d u c ts beiug a t ­tem p ted , b u t none a t p re sen t w o rth y of m ention, unless i t be cinchona, of w hich , p lan ts of L edger and calisaya are b o th doing well in th e open, b u t seem im p atien t of n a tu ra l shade, p robab ly ow ing to excess of m oisture.

In th e m a tte r of roads, th e P rov inc ia l B oad Officer has ju s t been u p expressly to re p o rt for G overnm ent on a tra c e th ro u g h th e h e a r t of th e d is tr ic t connecting th e tw o c a r t roads of K o tto a and U dugam a. H is repo rt being en tire ly favourable , th is road w ill, I suppose, be co n stru c ted fo rth w ith , com plet­ing a com plete system of com m unication on both sides, and a p a r t from th e cheap tra n sp o rt close by and available a t a ll tim es and seasons v ia riv e r to G alle, w ithin J of a m ile of our rice sto re on th e O odugam a road. B u t we look to th e m eans of tra n sp o rt being fu rth e r fac ilita ted , good as th ey a t p resen t a r e ; and th e sub jec t is a lread y und er discussion ; one repu ted cap ita lis t hav ing a lready offered w hen th e tim e arrives to supp ly th e needful for th e construction of a l ig h t steam line to G a l le ; o r m ay be, if th e m ain line from Colombo is com pleted so far, to B en to ta ! I t is b u t a few th o u san d acres in bearing th a t are needed to decide th e question as to a 10 per cent d iv idend favourab ly , for such a line going th ro u g h each an easy c o u n try need cost b u t l i t t le , an d w ould

: also absorb and crea te , as steam com m unication alw ays m u st w herever th e re is a sufficient popula tion , a considerab le am oun t of n a tive traffic. T hey are a lready tak in g to cu ltiv a tin g L ibe rian coffee in th e p rovince an d th is will ex tend , believing, w ith good reason, th a t th e d is tr ic t is des tin ed 10 ra n k first favorite as regards th e low country , a n d consequently to be­come a v e ry ex tensive one, for th e re is am ple scope as regards availab le land . A n o th er five years hence, if G overnm ent w ill give th e ir sanction , w ill probab ly see th e line com m enced, if n o t com pleted.

In conclusion— w hilst able to speak favorably of the n a tu ra l capabilities of th e d is tr ic t— it w ould beungracious not to ad d how m uch is due forw hat is now to be seen h e re —an d . th e th in g to do is come, see, an d ju d g e personally ! ! —to th e u n tir in g ly energetic w ay M r. D obree has p ioneered th e d is tr ic t, h is choice, an d th e p rac tica l know ledge of p lan tin g he has been able to b ring to b e a r ; forI w ill back " a ll th e esta tes, w ith th e excep tion of th efew b its opened d u rin g a tem p o ra ry absence from th e island , to ho ld th e ir own as regards goad work an d good o rder w ith an y e s ta te o r clearing, in th e island o r o u t of it. U D U G A M A .

P . S .— I am fo rg e ttin g to say th a t o u r first lad y resident, Mrs. P ic k th a ll , has ju s t a rriv ed in th e d is tr ic t from hom e, w ith h e r husband , th e p ro p rie to r and m anager of D aphne.

T H E N O R T H B O R N EO C O M PA N Y A N D C H IN E S E IM M IG R A T IO N .

T he la te s t accounts in d ica te t h a t affairs a re p ro ­gressing in N o rth Borneo an d th a t th e G overnor of th e new B ritish S e ttlem en t hoped w ith in a m on th o r so to rem ove h is h ead q u arte rs from L abuan to M am da B ay. S tores of coal w ere being arran g ed for a t San- d ak an Bay (a very noble h arbour), for passing steam ers. Mr. R obson, th e C om pany’s S urveyor, h ad been poorly, b u t w as a ll r ig h t again an d w ork ing h a rd a t th e s u r v e y of S andakan . F ro m th is place, how ever, M r. von D onop h ad sh if ted th e B otan ica l G ardens to Silam , as th e neighbourhood of th e la t te r is m ore ad ap ted to th e com m encem ent of p lan tin g operations on a la rge scale th a n > is th e form er. T he soil a t S ilam is also rep o rted to be first-class.

I t is in te re s tin g th u s to w atch an d record th e begin­n ings of an enter'prize, th e end of w hich no m an can p re ­d ic t, ex cep t th a t i t is m orally certa in to re su lt in changes of g re a t m agn itude an d equal benefit to th e region over w hich B ritish influence has com m enced to sp read . In an a rea equal to th a t of Ceylon, conditions of soil an d clim ate are to a large e x te n t all th a t could be d es ired for th e cu ltiv a tio n of tro p ica l p roducts. B u t if th e o ld Ceylon, w ith 2 f m illions of popula- tion , is com pelled to im p o rt labour, w e leave our readers to jud g e w h a t th e g re a t w an t m u st be of th e N ew Ceylon, w ith b u t ab o u t 100,000 in h a b ita n ts (or less th a n th e p opu la tion of Colombo) fo r 25,000 sq ua re m iles of te r rito ry . T he D irec to rs of th e Com­pan y a rc tu rn in g longing looks to th e cooly regions of In d ia , b u t th e ir chief dependence m u st re s t on th e chances of a t tr a c tin g Chinese to N o rth Borneo, as th ey have been a t tra c te d to B atavia, S ingapore, P enang and M alacca. In send ing S ir W a lte r M ed- h u rs t to China, th e b es t possible step has been ta k e n to th is end. S ir W a lte r is perfec tly fam iliar w ith th e language an d pecu liar (very peculiar) custom s of t h e people, an d a g re a t ad m ire r of th e race which

m en of E uropean d escen t in th e U n ite d S ta te s and A u s tra lia are leg isla ting against. T he very qualities of th rif t, spare living an d u n tirin g in d u s try in th e m ost pe tty pursu its, from m ark e t garden ing to peddling, w hich m ake th e Chinam an a hated com petito r of the E uropean a rtizan an d labourer, are those which render th e celestials so valuable as colonists in a lan d w here E uropeans cannot toil a t o rd in ary labour au d w here population is th e g rea t w ant. Coolies from In d ia w ill be needed fo r p lan ta tio n work, how ever; for Chinese prefer to sq u a t and cultivate bits of gam bier, indigo, and like p roducts on th e ir ow n account, ra th er th an render s teady labour to the ow ners of large estates. T he ru le rs of N orth Borneo m ust guard against a process w hich has denuded th e larger p o rtion of th e islan d of S ingapore of its fo rest, converting i t in to w h a t in Ceylon w e w ould call chena. I t is only re ­cen tly th a t a regu lar su rv ey has been possible, and thousan d s of C hinam en, w ho h ad se ttle d dow n qu ie tly on th e sides of h ills m ost “ rem ote from public v iew ,” are now , to th e ir d isgust, com pelled to p ay th e ir share of a revenue w hich is rap id ly increasing, in th e shape of lan d tax . G am bier cu ltiv a tio n seem ed to us to be as w astefu l an d ex h au stin g to th e soil as even tobacco. To regu lar m ining th e C hinese seem to have ad ap ted them selves fairly in M alacca, a lthough th e re have been “ sudden flows of m u tin y ” and serious o u tb reaks. In A u s tra lia an d C alifornia, th e function of th e C hinese digger, however, seem s to he th a t of ‘•fossicking ” a lluv ia l g round a lready tu rn e d over and searched b y E uropean m iners. A s m asons and car­pen ters th e Chinese vie w ith our ow n M oorm en and S inhalese . F rom B uitenzorg, in Ja v a , a special tra in s ta r te d every m orning w ith C hinese artizans em ployed on th e w orks of ra ilw ay ex tension , w hich now, we observe, has reached th e b eau tifu l in lan d to w n of Sukabum i, and w hich , i t is hoped, w ill soon connect B a tav ia a t sea-level w ith B andong 2,000 fee t h igher up, and w hich a t p re sen t can only be reached by a m ountain ro ad r is in g to over 5,000 feet. W e could n o t a t firs t u n d e rstan d th e stream s of w ell-dressed Chinese who, in th e m orn ing ou tw ards an d in th e evening inw ards, flowed p a s t the G overnor-G eneral's residence and along th e g ran d avenues of th e Buitenzorg B otanic G ardens. M alays an d Javanese can ti l l th e soil, b u t in m ost o th er pu rsu its i t is th e p ig -ta iled race w ho are p rom in ­en t, in Batavia, Singapore and Penang. The Chinam an can tu rn his hand to any th ing . H e w ill g a th e r sea- slugs and b ird ’s nests ; t i l l th e soil and m ine i t ; w ork as a m ason or a carpenter, b u t h is tendency is tow ards commerce. C onten t to begin in th e hum blest line of peddling, he no t unfvequently rises to th e level of the European m erchan t. K ong Meng is one of the notables of M elb o u rn e ; th e house and gardens of th e late H on. M r. W ham poa, mem ber of th e S tra its Legislative Council, are am ong th e sights of S ingapore ; and in B a ta v ia and its suburbs are num erous Chinese villas grotesque in architecture, b u t d isp lay ing signs of g rea t w ealth and m uch tas te in th e ir surroundings of gardens blazing w ith flowers. A perfect stranger visiting the chief tow ns of Ja v a and the S tra its , if unacquain ted w ith the h isto ry of the Settlem ents and the ir in h ab it­ants, m igh t be pardoned if he concluded th a t th e bulk o f th e in h ab itan ts were Chinese, ru led by a few E u ro ­

peans. N ine-ten ths, a t least, of th e shops, from the sm allest buu 'ique to th e m ost extensive store, cram m ed with miscellaneous goods, are owned and served by Chinese, men varying in colour from d a rk yellow to pure w hite, and all looking o u t keenly from those queerly set eyes of th e irs . T h e ir eyes m ay n o t be q u ite s tra ig h t, b u t they ce rta in ly enable th e ir owners to keep a good look-iout fo r th e m ain chance, F rom th e ir association together in secret soc ie ties; th e ir lia-’ b ili ty to sudden risings in which th ey show an u t te r d isregard of hum an life, th e ir own in c lu d e d ; and a lso .th e ir tendency to go back to th e in stin c ts of the p irate and the gang robber, the Chinese requ ire to bo well watched and firm ly ruled. In Java, the D utch had a t one tim e lo fight fo r existence against the num erous Chinese who rose against th e m ; and in the S tra its Settlem ents stringent measures have several tim es become necessary to repress clan fights and punish the au thors of gang robberies. M r. Cameron, w riting in 1865, a f t1, r describ ing th e Chinese —bird s of passage m ost of th em an d saving m oney w ith th e view of re tu rn in g to C hina—as th e m ost in d u strio u s an d valuab le class of th e population ; th e p roducers of gam bier, pepper, sago an d tap ioca an d the m iners of lin , goes on to say th a t th e secre t societies an d th e ir oa th s ; in te rfe re seriously w ith th e ad m in is tra tio n of ju stice . A good m any of th e C hinese sm oke opium to excess an d a g re a t m any are in v e te ra te gam blers. T he M ahara jah of Jo b ore m akes a considerab le p o rtion of h is revenue b y a gam - bliitg farm , and we a re n o t lik e ly ever to fo rg e t th e h ideous s igh t of crow ds of alm ost nude gam blers w e saw in a “ h e l l” in th e o u tsk ir ts of th e cap ita l of Jo h o re . M ost o f th e inm ates of th e ja ils a re C hinese, an d w e saw oue s ta lw a rt c rim ina l in th e ja il u n d er C apt. G rey’s charge w ho h ad ta k e n th e lives ot six of his fellow, beings.

W ith a ll th e ir fa u lts th e Chinese are v a lu ­able for th e ir in d u s try , an d m en like S ir W a lte r M edliu rst do n o t h e s ita te to te rm th em th e m o st valuab le of a ll races as colonists. H e ask ed us if we could accoun t for th e ir a lm ost e n tire absence from C eylon ? O ur rep ly w as th a t th is prob lem h ad ex ­ercised our m ind ever since w e had passed th rough B atav ia , S ingapore an d Penang, an d th e only conclusion we could a rriv e a t w as th a t th e Chinese h ad som ehow discovered, th a t we h ad a lready p resen t in o u r m idst, races w ith whom th e y could n o t successfully com pete : T am il coolies ( “ K lings ” as th ey are called in th e S tra iis ), for th e cu ltiv a tio n of th e soil an d M oorm en as artizan s, pedd lers an d shopkeepers. C onsidering th e close co n tig u ity of C eylon to th e S tra its S e ttlem en ts , an d th a t w hile th e p ig -ta il (often in terw oven w ith silk th re a d of r ich est dyes) is th e m ost p ro m in en t s ig h t in th e stree ts an d bazaars of th e S tra its tow ns, here in C eylon th e re is scarcely a lv p ie se n ta tiv e of th e race , th e problem is su re ly u curious one. A n d i t isn o t from w an t of effort m ade an d in d u cem en t offered,th a t C hinese a re n o t here. L ieu t.-G overno r B irch who, from having served in th e b tra its , knew th e Chinese well, d id his best to a t t r a c t som e of them h ith e r byth e offer of w h a t w ould seem to be t im p tiu g p riv il­eges in connection w ith lan d s “ u n d e r” irriga tion tan k s . A ll in vain. I t m ig h t be w ell to in v es tig a te

w hat appears to be a p re jud ice ag a in s t our island, an d w hether th e re is any trad itio n a ry ground fo r it.

One th in g , how ever, is ce rta in , th a t if th e ru lers a n d d irec to rs of th e new colony, w ish to a t t r a c t Chinese to th e ir te rrito ry , th ey m u st abandon th e idea w hich seems to have tak en possession of some of th e m —de­riv ed from Mr. M oney’s fascinating b u t fallacious book “ H ow to m ake a Colony p a y ? ”—of re so rtin g to th e cu ltu re system w hich G overnor-G eneral V ander Bosch in itia ted in Ja v a — w hich was so successful for a tim e, in enrich ing H o llan d a t th e expense of Ja v a , b u t which has broken dow n and w hich th e H u tch are rap id ly m odify ing and g e ttin g r id of. In ju s tice and im policy were stam ped on a system which reversed th e positions of G overnm ent and th e ti l le r of th e soil, so th a t th e poor peasan t received only the t i th e , w hile th e bu lk of his earnings was ap p rop ria ted by G overn­m ent, and th a t n o t to be spen t in th e lan d w here i t was earned b u t se n t to H o llan d to help h e r to pay th e legacy of deb t which Belgium d ishonestly handed over to her ! M onopoly of tra d e and sh ip ­ping in th e hands of th e C om pany w ho le n t th e ne­cessary funds, w as a necessary concom itan t of the system , w hile, as regards coffee, th e com petition of p riv a te p lan te rs was an d s t i l l is, as m uch as possible discouraged. E ven if th e A ch in w ar had never oc­cu rred , a system w hich crippiled com m erce an d sh u t o u t w hat is th e v ita lity of a co u n try , cap ita l and e n ­te rp r is e , m u s t have u ltim a te ly b roken dow n. T he soil of Ja v a is so fe rtile th a t even a w rong policy c an n o t p reven t th e p opu la tion from being genera lly w ell-to-do. H u tch ru le in th is genera tio n is a great im provem en t on days of o ld and is immensely' b e tte r th a n any ru le th e people could organize fo r th e m ­selves. T h e w ay to look a t i t is th is. I f J a v a has flourished n o tw ith s tan d in g a w rong system , how m ust she n o t p rosper w hen com m erce and cap ita l are a l­low ed fair p lay . I n an y case, th e policy w hich th e D u tch app lied to a large re s id en t population , h o ld ­ing th e ir lauds by a species of feudal tenu re , can ­n o t possibly be applied in such a country as th e N ew Ceylon, and w e t iu s t no a t te m p t a t try in g i t will be m ade. R evenue to ca rry on G overnm ent m ust be ob ta ined , b u t excep t in th e case of n a tu ra l m on­opolies, such as our own pearl fishery, revenue should consist of a m oderate percentage of th e earn ings of th e people. I f th e D u tch policy should be t r ie d on th e Chinese, we suspect th ey w ould m ake sh o rt w ork of (he experim ent an d its au thors. A n A m erican poet has im m ortalized th e heathen Chinee, a n d poor W ingrove Cook, w ho w as in Colombo on w h a t p roved h is fatal m ission to China, has pain ted th em in prose. “ W here, ” he w rote, “ th e roses have no fragrance, an d th e wom en no p e t t ic o a ts ; w here th e labourer has n r S abbath , an d th e m agis­t r a te no sense of h o n o u r ; w here th e need le po in ts to th e sou th , an d th e sign of being puzzled is to sc ra tch th e an tipodes of the head ; w here th e place of honour is on th e le f t hand , and th e se a t of in ­te lle c t is in th e stom ach ; w here to ta k e off yo u r h a t is an in so len t gestu re, an d to wear w hite g a r ­m ents is to p u t yourself in to m ourn in g ,” i t w ould seem useless to seek for any p o in t of s im ila rity w ith ourselves. But, “ one touch of nature makes the

w hole w orld k in ” and in an ig n o ran t im patience of tax a tio n , th e C hinam an fra tern izes w ith th e E n g lish ­m an. T h e D irec to rs an d th e G overnor of N o r th B orneo have a d ifficult an d an im p o rtan t ta s k b e ­fore th em , au d those who, lik e ourselves, w ish th em success, are n a tu ra lly anx ious th a t th ey should n o t endanger th a t success, by experim ents w hich have n o t succeeded in a densely p opu la ted co u n try an d w hich w ould be sure to end in d isastrous fa ilu re , if t r ie d in a scene w here th e chief w a n t is p o pu la tion and th e chief d u ty of th e G o vernm en t to a t t r a c t i t au d re ta in it.

M R. CR O SS A N D T H E G O V E R N M E N T C IN C H O N A E ST A T E S .

I t m av b e rem em bered t h a t in J a n u a ry la s t D r. B idie was d ep u ted by G overnm ent to proceed to th e H ills to in v es tig a te c e r ta in m a tte rs in connection w ith th e G overnm ent cinchona p lan ta tio n s a t N ad u v a ttam . T he in s tru c tio n s g iven to Dr. B idie w ere to te s t th e accuracy of M r. Cross’s a larm ing assertion regard ing th e id e n tity of th e p lan t, h ith e r to know n as th e red -b a rk tree , cinchona m ccirubra, and to m ake a careful collec­tio n ' of bark , leaf, and flow er of a ll th e cinchonas grow ing a t N ad u v a ttam for transm ission to E n g la n d fo r purposes o f exam ination an d analysis. On h is a rriva l a t N ad u v a ttam , D r. B idie’s firs t object was to ascerta in w h a t M r. C ross’s view s were ex ac tly , a n d these he found to be as follows ;— “ T h a t th e p la n t h i th e r to reg ard ed as th e C inchona S ucc iru b ra w as no o th e r th a n th e com paratively useless C inchona M icran- th a -, th a t w h a t w as term ed ' M c lv o r’s H y b r id ,’ a n d 1 P ubescens’ was th e tru e C inchona S uccirubra, an d th a t th e ‘M agnifolia’ was th e P a ta -d e G allinazo of th e S ou th Am erican R ed bark region. A fte r a carefu l considera tion of a ll th e botanical ev idence o n th e sub ject, D r B idie a rriv es a t th e conclusion th a t th e t re e know n as th e red b a rk on th e G overnm ent p la n ta tio n is th e t ru e cinchona succirubra, and to p rove how hazy M r. C ross’s notions w ere r e ­gard ing th e species, lie m entions the follow ing c ir­cum stance. O n firs t m eeting M r. Cross lie po in ied o u t to him p la tes of cinchona succirubra, au d cinchona vnicrantha, b u t w ithou t names a ttach ed , an d asked h im for h is opinion regard ing th e species ; b u t th e re was considerab le hesila tion on h is p a r t , and th e m a tte r was allow ed to d rop. Besides, n o tw ith s tan d in g h is p re ­sum ed fam ilia rity w ith th e bo tan ica l characters o f th e cinchonas i t to o k h im th e whole period of bis s ta y on th e h ills , w hich ex ten d ed to m ore th a n a year, to a rriv e a t h is conclusion, and, though he was in f re ­q u e n t in te rso u rse w ith such bo tanical experts as Colonel Beddom e, he never once h in ted a t th e p o ssib ility of such a m istake.

R egard ing M r. C ross’s iden tifica tion of th e p la n t know n as “ M c lv o r’s H y b rid ,” Dr. B idie concludes from th e facts a t h is com m and th a t i t is n o t th e tru e cinchona succirubra, as asserted by him , but (from its strong resem blance to a cinchona known in E cuador as ‘ C uch icara ’) a cascarilla serrana o r h ill-b a rk w hich was d iscovered by Spruce, th e g re a t exp lo rer in th e forests of LI alia, a t th e foot of th e M ounta in A ssuay, and described by h im in 1859, an d he th in k s t h a t i t will probab ly prove a pubescent varie ty of th is species. To se t aside a ll d o ub ts on th e m a tte r , how ever, he recom m ends th a t th e N ilg iri specim ens be com pared w ith tlio-e se n t to K ew by Spruce in 1859.

W ith reference to M r. Cross’s iden tifica tion of our m agnifolia w ith th e P ata-de-gallm azo, Dr. B idie is of opinion th a t he is p robably correc., as i t agrees suffi­cien tly in its ch arac te rs w ith S pruce’s descrip tion to w a rra n t i ts being considered a sm ooth-leaved cuchi- ca ra4or P ata-de-G aU inazo,

In connection w ith th is subject D r. B idie in fers from th e num ber of hybrid -look ing cinchonas on the G overnm ent e s ta tes th a t cross-breeding is very com ­mon, an d th a t th e s tru c tu re of th e flow ers confirm s th is view . H e po in ts o u t also th a t Colonel Bed- dom e’s opinion was th a t n a tu ra l h y b rid isa tio n could scarcely occur in the cinchonas, as from th e m anner of m a tu rin g of th e flowers, se lf-fe rtilisa tion is p re ­ven ted . and crossing of species rendered possib le . Mr. M clvor, whose experience was exsensive, also believed in th e ex istence of na tura l and artificial h y b rid s, and, as th e varie ties on th e e s ta tes su p p o rt th is view, he considers th a t i t o ugh t to be accep ted u n ti l proved by ex perim en t to be w rong, a n d poin ts ou t th a t in th e case of “ pubescens,” o therw ise called M a n o sa ,” Mr. M clvor had doub ts as to i ts being a h y b rid o r d is tin c t species, an d believed th a t i t w ould n o t come tru e from seed. B u t i t is a fac t t h a t on a p riv a te es ta te , in w hich he was in te re sted , i t was p ro pagated from seed, an d ex tensively p lan ted ou t. T here was a so lita ry “ pubescens” tree on th e N a d u v a ita m es ta tes w hich Dr. B idie was anxious to com pare w ith th e o rd inary varie ty sca tte red over th e e s ta tes , as b a rk ta k e n from i t y ie lded w onderfu l results, b u t he found th a t i t h ad d isappeared and reg re ts th e c ircum stance exceedingly.

T here are many varie ties of th e yellow b a rk tre e on th e es ta te s w ith d is tin c t characters, a lthough th e y do n o t generally th riv e a t N ad u v a ttam , an d , as i t is ini- p o r ta n t th a t th e value of these should be ascerta ined , he m ade a com plete collection of th e ir b a rk s w hich in ­cluded no less th a n fifteen varieties, and he is confident th a t , though some m ay prove w orth less, o th e rs will be found valuable. T hough, a sp o in ted ou t above, the yellow bark trees a re very delicate , be d raw s a tte n tio n to a signal exception in a tre e of w hich a few specim ens ex ­is t on th e es ta tes, w hich grow vigorously, a t ta in a g re a t height, and are very h a rd y . T h is h ad h ith e r to been considered a h y b r id , b u t i t has a ll th e ch a rac te r of a ty p ica l calisaya.

T he to ta l nu m b er of b a rk and herb ariu m specim ens collected am ounts to 38, and every care w as tak en in th e ir collecti-'n , so th a t th e re su lts of th e ir exam ina­tio n m ay prove of value bo th in a- p rac tica l and bo tan ica l p o in t of view. P n cau tions were also adopted to avoid confusion in any fu tu re reference.

G overnm ent, in th e ir o rd er, express th e ir indebtedness to D r. B id ie for his repo rt, w hich fu lly satisfies them on th e p o in ts raised hy M r. Cross. Tb© specim ens co llected are to be packed and despa tch ed to th e S ecretary of S ta te . — M adras Tim es .

S T A T IST IC S O F C IN C H O N A : Q U A N T IT IE S IM ­P O R T E D IN T O A N D P R IC E S R E A L IZ E D

IN B R IT A IN .W e and our readers are g rea tly in d eb ted to M r.

D obree for hav ing , w ith th e efficient a id of M r. H am ilton , • p repared so very sa tis fac to ry an answ er to h is ow n question , p u t, some tim e ago, th ro u g h our colum ns. H ere i t is

T o the E d ito r , “ Ceylon O bserver”U dugam a, A p ril lo th , 1S82.

D e a r S i r , — A bout tw o years ago I w ro te a le t te r to your paper, ask ing w h eth er th e price of c inchona b a rk w as likely to keep up w hen th e large acreage p lan ted w ith cinchona in Ceylon, In d ia an d Ja v a com m enced to be harvested .

N o sa tis fac to ry answ er w as ever given to m y le tte r, bu t th e enclosed account of cinchona bark in lb, im ported in to G rea t B rita in d u rin g th e las t five years, and the am oun t pa id for th a t bark is, I consider, a m ost sa tisfacto ry answ er.

All official reports on cinchona imports are given

in serons, cases an d bales, an d a re no rea l gu ide to th e t ru e am o u n t im ported , b u t th e follow ing, w h ich w as com piled fo r m e by M r. J . H am ilton , w ho is h im ­se lf la rgely in te re s te d in cinchona, shew s th e im ports in lb. Y ou w ill notice th a t th e im p o rts have steadily increased th ree an d a h a lf tim es in q u an tity , and four and a ha lf tim es in value, du ring the five years, and th e average value p er lb . has increased from 2s O^d to 2s 7d.

T he increase has been steady, and , therefore, I th in k , is a ll the m ore likely to last.

The im ports of b a rk in to F rance , G erm any and Ita ly are , I believe, also increasing in nearly the sam e p ro ­p o rtio n .—I rem ain , yours fa ith fu lly , T . S. D o b r e e .

“ Peruvian Bark” S tatistics, compiled p artia lly from B oard o f Trade lle tu m s . Im ports in to G reat B ritain for five years and valuations.F or the m onth of

Jan u ary 1877.

1878. 622,608

1879. 412,720

1880. 562,352

1881.636,160

1882.1,984,410

valued a1 £19,715 average per lb. 1/9

do do £61,342 do do 1/11

do do £61,744 do do 2/11

do do £81,243 do do 2/10

do do £85,264 do do 2/8

do do £240,151 do do 2/5 j

a c J S«5

3 3,

F or year endingDec. 1877.

3,912,832 do do £402,234 do do 2/0*)1878.

6,131,552 do do £658,288 do do 2/11879.

6,818,336 do do £973,163 do do 2/1 V $ •1880. 4 '

8,937,824 do do£l,185,334 do do 2/71881.

14,024,304 do do £1,812,501 do do 2/7

I n reducing th e im ports to pounds M r. H am ilto n has done a very im p o rta n t serv ice to a ll in te rested in th e en te rp rise of c inchona c u ltu re . T he re su lt of h is figures, which we m ay accep t as re liab le , is, th a t , in th e face of im ports of “ P eruvian- b a r k ’’ in to B rita in , shew ing an increase in five years of th re e an d a half tim es, th e average value, in stead of going dow n, has ac tu a lly increased beyond th e increase in q u a n tity , th a t is by four an d a h a lf tim es. I n figures th e in ­crease in average p rice is rep re sen ted b y 6£d p er lb ., th e difference betw een 2s OJd a t th e com m encem ent of th e period, an d 2s 7d a t th e end. A n d M r. Dobree has reason to believe th a t th e im ports of b a rk in to th e leading countries of co n tin en ta l E urope have in- ereased in ab o u t th e sam e proportion .

I t w ill be observed th a t , w hile th e im ports of b a rk in to B rita in in 1877 am o u n ted to on ly 3,912,0001b., valued a t £402,000, o r an average p er lb. of 2s OJd, th e figures for 1881 h ad gone up to 14,024,0001b., valued a t £1,812,000, an average per lb. of 2s 7d.

This is a case, beyond m ost, where onr rejoicings are not m erely of a selfish o r local n a tu re , b u t are as expansive as th e lim its of h u m an ity . In d eed we see no "reason to exclude th e b ru te crea tion , for, in th e trea tm en t of th e diseases of ca ttle , sheep, horses an d dogs, th e cinchona b a rk alkalo ids a re jn s t as valuable as th e y are in th e case of h um an p a tien ts . I n th e sw am py a n d m alarious regions of th e e:irth, an d th is descrip tion em braces th e co ldest p a r ts of R ussia and th e n o rth of E urope as well as th e h o t a lluv ia ls an d deltas of th e trop ics, increased use of q u in ine an d th e o th er p roducts of th e b i t te r bark m eans h um an suffering relieved, th e sick rescued from dea th ,

and fam ilies saved from the d es titu tio n w hich w ould fo l­low th e loss of th e ir b readw inners. W e feel t h a t th e re is no irreverence in saying, w ith reference to th e im ­p o rtan t and cheering in fo rm ation con ta ined in th is issue about th e increased use of qu in ine in th e w o rld : “ L e t us th a n k G od an d ta k e courage .” I t seem s certa in now th a t i t is alm ost im possible to place lim its to th e q u a n tity of c inchona b a rk w h ich th e w orld can use. W ith a ll d raw backs counted, C eylon is one of th e countries bes t ab le to p rov ide supplies, and th e figures we publish shew th a t p lan te rs m ay dism iss a ll fears of overdoing th e p u rs u it .

Mr. H am ilton , w ho has supplied th e valuab le figures placed a t our disposal by M r. D ’bree, is a w ell-know n D ikoya p lan ter of g re a t in telligence and en terp rise . W hen on a journey th ro u g h D ikoya recen tly , w e g rea tly reg re tted th a t w e could n o t tu rn aside and see th e process of p rep arin g b a rk on h is e s ta te . W e were to ld th a t for largeness an d u n ifo rm ity of size, an d evenness and goodness of q u a lity , such cousign- m enfs of bark had never reached th e London m ark e t. W e hope to hear th a t Ihe prices rea lized were in proportion to th e tro u b le ta k e n an d o th e r care bestow ed.

IN D IA N E X PO B TS.

W e are indebted to the Governm ent of Ind ia for the T rade and N avigation reports m ade up in detail for the 11 m onths of 1881-82, ending 28th February . Our readers will be interested in learning th a t caoutchouc (Indiarubber) to the value of R976.000 was exported. The exports of coffee were only 238,000 cw t. valued a t BIO,002,000, against 311,000 cwt. valued a t R13,567,000 for the corresponding period of the previous year. The exports of coir were 194,000 cwt. valued a t B l ,612,000, against only 98,000 cwt. valued a t R815.000. W h at could have been the reason for a doubled export of co ir? Cotton also shews an increase, the figures being 4,101,000 cwt. valued a t R122,207,000, against 3,972,000 cwt. valued a t B l 16,340,000. The exports of cinchona bark were425,000 lb. valued a t R155,000, against 563,000 lb. and R658,000, so th a t here there has been a decrease. The export of coconuts had gone down from 708,000 to327,000, and oopra from 43,000 cwt. to 10,000. The exports of rice (the only export on which duty is now levied) had reached the enormous figure of 21,752,000 cwt., so th a t the to ta l for th e year was no doubt fully up to 24,000,000 cwt. Of course, much of the inferior B urm a rice sent to Europe is used not as food but to size cloth. The increase on the previous year had been about 700,000 cwt. The 21,752,000 cwt. of rice exported was valued a t R64,922,000. The quan tity of rice in the husk exported (“ paddy ” ) was 295,000 cwt. valued a t R487,000. In w heat there had been an enorm ­ous rice, from 6,948,000 cwt. to 19,142,000. Of ivory, the exports were 9,994 lb. valued a t R50,000. Of ju te, the exports were 6,667,000 cwt. valued a t R45,202,000, an increase of nearly 1J million of cwts. T here werei besi les th is quan tity of raw ju te , nearly 40 m illions of gunny bags of a value of over B 10,000,000, w ith gunny cloths, rope, twine, &c. The exports of coconut oil had gone down from 1,323,000 gallons to 973,000 gal­lons. Of cardamoms the exports were 2L",0101). a g i ’.n

2)1

214,000. Of t e a t h e e x p o r t s i n t h e 11 m o n t h s o f t h e

t h r e e y e a r s w e r e :—

1st April to 28 .h Feb. 1879-80.. 36,893,000 lb. B29,510,000........................ 1880-81..45,232,000 lb. R29,785,000

„ 1881-82.. 47,527,000 lb. R35,287,000I t will thus be seen th a t there had been an increase of over 10,000,000 lb. in three years, bu t i t is reported th a t th is process has now been arrested, as a conse­quence of th e low prices which prevailed fo r several years back. The export of tobacco leaf had gone down from 12,666,000 lb. to 9,226,000 lb., while “ m anufact­ured ” had risen from 365,000 lb. to 718,000 lb. Of teak the export had been 54,000 cubic tons against 58,870. Sandalwood had been exported to th e value of R330.000. The to ta l value of Indian produce and m anu - faetures exported was for the 11 m onths R704,049,000, so th a t for the whole year th e sum was probably R770,000,000. This is apart from exports by land to Burm a, Nepal, and o ther bordering countries. W ith the abolition of all duties except th a t on rice, and the facilities of transport provide! by m eans of railw ays and lines of steam ers, we may confidently look for the early day when the value of the exports of B ritish Ind ia will reach and exceed a value of 100 millions sterling.

T H E B O TA N Y A N D C IA s S I F I J A T IO N O F T H E C IN C H O N A S .

T h e substance of D r. B id ie’s rep o rt, w hich we copied in to S a tu rd a y ’s Observer, canno t b u t be re ­garded as a valuable co n trib u tio n to th e con troversia l an d general li te ra tu re of w hich th e fever, o r ra th e r fever-curing, trees of th e A ndean regions of A m erica have become th e su b jec t since th e era of th e ir w o n ­derfu lly successful in tro d u c tio n in to th e E aste rn W orld . F o r poor b um ptious Cross, who so dogm atically a f ­firm ed th a t th e Cinchona succinibra of th e N ilg iris (identical w ith th a t of Ceylon an d Ja v a) w as n o t “ th e real Sim on P u re ,” b u t a grey b a rk , (7. m icrantha, b u t w ho, w hen shew n p la tes of ihe txvo species, w ith ­o u t nam es a tta c h e d , w as u nab le to s ty w hich was w hich, we can now feel only p ity . T h e w onder is tn a t Col. Beddom e, w ho com plained of M r. C ross’s co n trad ic to ry s ta tem en ts , accepted so read ily his te s t ­im ony, in d irec t opporitinn to th a t of D r. Spruce, as to th e now ce leb ra ted “ P itft-de-G allinazo .” B u t D r. Bidie him self, i t w ill be observed, a lth o u g h h e be­lieves in th e ten d en cy to h y b rid iza tio n and n o ticed th e frequency of hyb rid -look ing p lan ts, y e t leans to th e belief l i n t *• M r. M clvo r’s h y b r id ,” th e seed of w hich cam e tru e to ty p e , is rea lly a p u b escen t ty p e of S pruce’s “ C uch icara .” C. m agni/olia , on th e o th e r han d , D r. B idie supposes, M r. Cross is r ig h t in id en tify in g w ith th e sm ooth-leaved varie 'y or ty p e of l) r . S pruce’s “ C uchicara.” I t is w ell th a t a com plete se t of bo tan ica l specim ens, leaves, flowers and f ru its , have gone to K ew for id en tifica tion , th e re su lt of w hich canno t b u t be to th ro w valuab le lig h t on ihe w hole qu estio n . D r. B idie, how ever, does n o t seem to be aw are th a t Dr. T rim en had a lread y sen t to Kew specim ens of ‘ ‘ Cinchona robusla" (iden tical, we believe w ith “ M r. M c lv o r’s h y b r id ,” lanossa or pubescens), th e re su lt of w hich w as to p rove th a t w hatever th e tre e m igh t tu rn o u t to be, h y b rid o r d istin c t species, Pdtd-de-O allinazo it w as n o t . B u t

th e m ost in te re s tin g m a tte r to us is, th a t am ongst th e fifteen varie ties of yellow b a rk s on N eddi- wutfcum, all, w e believe, derived from th e po rtion of L edger’s secif purchased by M r. M oney, th e re is one specially robust. L ik e th e sim ilar one in Jam aica, w hich is able to flourish on w in d y ridges, it was regarded as a h y b rid . T he p lan ts w ill p robab ly tu rn ou t to be iden tica l, an d we m ay now look forw ard to th e es tab lish ing in In d ia an d C eylon of h a rd y varieties of th e very b es t k in d s of cinchona.

A G R IC U L T U R A L N E W S FR O M T H E N O R TH .(F rom O ur Own Correspondent.)

A b e r d e e n , 23rd M arch 1882.I notice in an Observer an account of a se t of experi­

m ents tes tin g th e effect of diff re n t m anures on coffee, and th in k th e ir va lue w ould have been m uch enhanced had th ey been done in dup licate , as is now the prac tice in m anure experim ents conducted u n d er the d ire c io n of ag ricu ltu ra l associations in th is co u n try . I t w ould be a good th in g i»lso to inc lude in these experim ents te s ts for th e value of th e d ifferen t m ethods of storing dung. A ccording to high au th o rities , iliere is a very m ateria l difference in th e value of dung th a t has been sto red in open y a rd from th a t kep t und er cover. Speaking of open y a rd s one a u th o r ity sa y s : 11 T here is no d o u b t th a t th e very essence of them anure is carried off and lo s t I am certain th a t th is loss, from experim ents m ade, is far more th a n we have th e leas t conception of. T he la te Mr. Hope, of F enton Barns, go t 4 tons of po ta toes more per acre from duug m ade u n d e r cover th a n from th a t in open y a rd .”

M r. A. S tephen W ilson’s p ap e r em bodying h is d is­covery in th e life-h istory of potato-disease was read a t a m eeting of th e Linnaean Society, an d m ay be looked for in whole o r p a r t in th a t so c ie ty ’s Jo u rn a l. The fo .low ing has reference to an o th e r d ep artm en t of Mr. W ilso n ’s w ork , and is of in te re s t to cereal grow ers, as show ing th e ex trao rd in ary reproduc tive pow er th a t m ay be developed in seeds u n d e r condi­tions favourable to

“ T i l l e r i n g .”

In the record of the Edinburgh Botanical Society, we find the following summary of a paper “ On Tillering.” by A. Stephen 'Wbson, Esq., N orth Kinmundy, Aberdeen­shire, illustrated by photographs

By the word “ tillering,” as applied to a cereal grass, is m eant the producing of more stalks than one from a single seed. The plumule of the embryo grows into the first or primary stalk, and all the secondary stalks arise either directly from the primary stalk or from secondary stalks thus directly produced. All the secondary stalks are buds growing of stalks, and not out of roots. Indeed, it can­not be properly said th a t the primary stalk itself grows from the roots ; this stalk aud the roots grows simultane­ously, and have a biological interdependence, but the roots no more produce the stalk than a man’s legs produce his head.

All the tillers or secondary stalks are thus of the nature of branches, the buds or beginnings of which arise from the two or three lowermost nodes of the primary or se­condaries. No such buds are thrown out upon the in ter­nodes. The secondary stalks or tillers, which are really branches, throw out roots from their bases aud lower nodes, bnt no stalk whatever arises directly from any root. In some plants a stalk may arise directly from a root, or a root may arise directly from a stalk, but iu the grasses no stalk ever arises from off a root.

B ut this note is not intended to be an exposition of th e principle of tillering, but merely an introduction to th e accompanying photographs of barley and oat plants.

These plants were grown in the garden a t N orth K in­m undy along w ith some others not quite so prolific, in prder to te s t th e lim its of tillering. Previous experiments

had shown th a t the main condition necessary to ensure tillering is shallow planting. W hen a seed is pu t down two or three inches the plumule is drawn out aud exhausted before reaching the surface, where the tillering .arises. W hen a seed is merely covered wibh earth it goes into tillering a t once. The first set of seeds was tom up by th e sparrows, so th a t a partoof the tillering season was lost. The second set was p r te c te d until safe. The bes t barley p lant produced about 140 stalks. 130 of which showed the ear out of the sheath. The second had 121 ears; others had fewer, diminishing down to about 50. The oat plant subm itted stood through the winter and produced about 10,000 returns.

Now, as the tillering process in th e barleys was going on during the whole season, some of the ears were not ripe when th e plants had to be pulled. B ut notw ith­standing this, there can be no doubt that, in order to reap tbe^ full advantage of seed corn, it should be sown or de­posited as near the surface as possible. This would be true of autum n sowing as well as spring sowing, were the form er not affected by f ro s t ; but a severe w inter renders deeper seeding advisable for o ther reasons than those directly connected with the development of the seed.

1 had th e plevsure on F rid ay n ig h t of lis ten in g to a lectu re delivered by M r. W ilson to the N o rth of Sco tland H o rtic u ltu ra l Association, in th e t h r is 1 ian I n s t i t ­u te H all, on th e sub jec t of c lub ro o t in tu rn ip . R eview ing th e chief p cu lia-ities w hich are m istak en for disease and th a t in te rfe re w ith th e w eigh t of crop, he described fu rca tio n as com m on to a g r -a t m any roots of p erfe c tly h ealthy p ’au ts . N e x t “ finger and to e ,” w hich is believed to be th e re su lt of c lu b -r-o t an d w as so understood by th e R ussian b o tan ist who discovered th e club roo t fungus. M r. W i'so n had been ab le to prove th a t th^ fioger-and-toe-like nodosit­ies w ere q u ite d is tin c t, from th e c lubb ing caused by th e in roads of th e fungus, and th a t th ey e x is t-d free from any trace of fungus, and w ere in fac t fleshitied leaf-buds. I t was for th e gardener, th e farm er, or th e ag ricu ltu ra l chem ist to find o u t w h a t excited th e tu rn ip to sp o rt in leaf-huds, and check th e tendency, since i t was a p ecu lia rity th e y w .sheu to repress. A s a botanist, he had d ischarged his share of th e w ork by in v estig a tin g th e n a tu re of th is ob jectionab le featu re . H e exh ib ited a g rea t m any specim ens of te r r ib l) finger anil-toed tu m p*, from th e lowest, dow n ** bu d s” of w hich he had cu ltiv a ted a profusion of leaves. A n o th er proof of fingei-a .d-toes bei:;g ion- c- e n t of fungus w h s dem ons ra ted by th e specific g rav ­i ty of club-root, w hich s in k iu w ater, * h d e h ea lth y tu rn ip and iin g er-aad -to j floated. Ohib-vo -t p roper is the result of a fungus w h 'ch a tta c k s from th e o u t­side and spreads th rough th e root, causing clubb ing au d ren d erin g th e tu rn ip liab le to ro t u n d e r curta in a tm ospheric changes. In th e d iscu-siou w hich fol­lowed th e lec tu ie , Mr. Jam ieson , chem ist [whose rep o rts of experim ents have fr.q n e ’ t 'y appealed in th e Observer], was aked to mf jrm th e m eeting of th e re su lt of his efforts to e lic it inform ation by th e circulars he S '- n t to farm ers two y -a rs ago w ith rvf-reuc" to th e re la tions betw een m anure- and d i-ease -n tu ru ps, b u t he had n o th in g to impm- . fu rth e r th au th a t th e replies received w ere so v*ry co n trad ic to ry th a t he could form no conclusion from them .

T H E SODA D E PO SIT S O F N EV A D A .In N e \a d i , says '.he T er-itoH al E n terpnze of V irg in ia

C ity , c rysta llized soda can be dug u p as ice is dug from a pond, excep t m th e case of soda no one knows how far i t is to the bottom of th e pond. U u t near R ig to w n th e re is an inexh+ ti-tib le supp ly of pu re soda ex ten d in g down to an unknow n dep th . On th e surface of th e ground are tw o or th ree feet of sand, b u t below th is lb s th e soda, looking like a solid m a-s of ice. I t was th is ►oda th a t gave rise in th e e -r ly d a ,v s—w hen th e em ig ran ts w ere crossing th e p la in s— to th e sto ries th a t iu places on the plains there was to be found,

u n d e r a few inches of -and , a .’d id m ass of ice. T he soda, as dug up fiom t.te pi tin in sheets from tw o to th -ee inch s m i h iukm ss, really does look m ore like ice : I an d es .any o th e r n a tu ra l m ineral fo rm a tio n .— O il and D rv 'j X n v s .

TflT3 TEA Q U S H l'i; N IN MELBOURNE.M r . J . O . M o o d y ’s L e t t e r t o t h e I n d i a n “ T e a

G a z e t t e ”(Copy o f h tter addressed to ihe Editor o f the Calcutta

“ t'e > G a z it te f and fo rw «rdedper shannon, leaving Melbourne on 30111 M arch lbS2.)

D ear .'IR —lu yo u r paper of 20th F eb ru a ry la s t a p ­peal ed a l e t e r fn-m M r. E verard , w hich , for m endacity and unscrupulousuess, I should hope, is unsurpassed in tiie annal- of le tte r-w ritin g . T here is no d o u b t b u t th a t you h iv e been purpo-ely m isled.

11 is sta tem en t th a t *• no such letter {as mi»e) ever a p ­peared in the *A g e is co n trad ic ted by his ow n re ­ply to t is p a rticu la r le tte r , and w hich also appeared in the Age ivw>paper.

Hv re are the tw o in jux tap o sitio n :—[ I hen follow th e le tte rs w hich have a lready appeared in th e Observer. ]

The editor, in honouring my le t!e r w ith a place in his leader, did so in a m ost com plim entary w ay, though a t th e sam e tim e he excluded the m oney challenge and my nam e, both of no consequence, and n o t to the po in t perhaps he th o u g h t th e m oney challenge in fra dig. on my part.

You [tn e ed ito r of th e Tea Gazette] w ill find, in th e Calcutta Tea Gazette of 19th D ecem ber last, th is leader p rin te d in lu ll, and con ia ning aL o my le t te r , p r in te d in your columns for the second tim e ; and if, Mr. E d ito r, you had only noticed th is , i t w ould have saved m e from th • unm erited reproof for “ care lessness” con ta ined in your artic le of 20 th F eb ru ary , an d w hich has been republished in th e M elbourne A rg u s of 25 th M arch.

I now in tend to prove t h a t nearly every p arag raph contained in the re s t of Mr. E v e ra rd ’s le tte r t j you is untrue. [This is a s trong word to use, b u t i t is th e only appropr a te te rm to u=e w hen M r. Jo h n E v era rd makvs s ta te m e n ts .— E d .]

If you will k ind ly tu rn to th e “ Official R ecord of th e M lbourne In te rn a tio n a l E x h ib itio n ,” ju s t p u b ­lished (copy of w hich is p osted to you), on page 164 you will lind th e L st of ju ry m en for sections 31 ■and 32, w hich gives M r. David G ib-on as c h a ir­m a n - no t M r. E verard , who assum es th e title . F u rth e r , th e official rep o rt from th e section of th is ju ry on tea is signed by Mr. D avid G ib­son, as chairm an, n o t by Mr. E verard . T he tea section or subdivision of th e ju ry was com posed o f :— Mvs rs. D. G ibson (chairm an), J E verard , VV J Cow deroy, A. H arvey, W . P i i t Brown, E. 8 . H arley . A ll jurx men aoout 4v0) go t me-ials f »r th e ir g ra tu ito u s services. [This was to m eet E v e ra rd ’s a tte m p t to shew th a t his rece ip t of a m edal w’as any m ark of special approval of his conduct.— E d . ]

I was appointed to th is ju ry , b u t resigned on re ­ceiving in;, app -intm ent, l>ccau<*° 1 rep resen ted Jas. H cutx & Co., th e agen ts of the C a lc u tta T ea S ynd ic­ate, wn-- m ight be consider* d ex h ib ito rs and come u nder the tuilowing ju ry clause -'page 1 Official Record): — “ T n a t no person in terested , e ith er as a p a r tn e r or em pl y£, in a hvute ex h iu itr; ■, sha ll be a ju ro r in th e classes in which such house or person ex h ib its .”

On Lin; firs-t m eeting of th e full ju ry , Mr. E v erard in um im asived language denounced Ind ian an d Ceylon teas and all co u n tc ted w ith them , and th is being re- p o - t 'd to Mr. D. A. S ib thorp , Commissi n e r for India, and M i. A. M. F -rg u sm , com m issioner for Ceylon, those gen lemen filte red a p ro test against M r. E verard ac ting o i the ju ry , and requested th a t Mr. W . P i t t B imw a should be nom inated , m ore especially as Mr. E v e ra id had ac ted as agen t for one of th e Jap an ese

xh ih ito rs— producing M r, Everard's own advertisem ent in the “ A r g u s ” in support o f th is—Mid claim ed th a t he cam e u n d e r th is clause of th e ju ry regu la t.ous. M r. E v erard was n o t rem oved from th e ju ry * but Mr. Brown was p laced on it, a f te r th e ju ry was form*, d aud c e r t­a in ly was th e only one of th e num ber w ell u p in Ind ian teas, and th e w ork fell on him , n o t M r. E v erard , as s ta te d by th t gentlem an.

T he ex h ib its of te a a t th e M elbourne In te rn a tio n a l E xh ib ition w ere as follows :—

I n d ia .................................................................. 3 3 9C e y l o n ............................................................... 78S t r a i t s S e t t l e m e n t s ................................... 1J a p a n .................................................................. 3 5M e l b o u r n e a n d C h i n e s e ...................... 5 4

T herefore th e rep resen ta tiv es of 417 sam ples o u t of 507 sam ples were n o t satisfied w ith Mr. E v e ra rd as a ju ry m a n .

In confirm ation of m y s ta te m e n t I refe r \ ou to M r. S ib tho rp , an d also give ex trac t from M r. F« rguson’s re ­po rt to his G overnm ent (see Weekly Ceylon Observer of 15th Ja n u a ry , 1 8 8 ]):—

“ As regards judging our Ceylon teas and o ther teas a t th is Exhibition, I felt so strongly the necessity of guard­ing against notorious prejudices in the case of a t least one juror (Mr. Everard), who has a direct in terest in Japan tea, th a t I considered it my duty to address Mr. Newbery, th e Superintendent of Jurors, a t considerable length on the expediency of applying to teas and coffees the principle on which spirits, wines and beers were judged, the jurors receiving numbered samples w ithout any inform ­ation as to the origin of the liquors; and Mr. Newberydeferred to my request, and accordingly bottles were p ro­vided . . . . numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on. . .

A nd ta k e a la te r opinion (see Observert 17 th N ovem ­ber, 1881):—

“ TH E TEA PLANT, &c.“ Dr. W allich had far more excuse for his mistake than

has the now exploded wind-bag, Mr. Everard, for his gross ignorance displayed in a speech a t a public m eeting held specially in the interests of China teas,” &c., &c. “ I fthere should be anyone so credulous as to attach theslightest weight to Mr. Everard’s statem ent th a t ‘ during the past 20 years he had done his utm ost to introduce Indian teas,’ they need not wonder a t his fu rther sta te­ment, ‘ although with but little success,’ in view of his own astounding confession th a t he considers the China tea superior to the Indian from the fact th a t the able and experienced celestials, who had been 2,000 years in the business, had discovered the secret of depriving tea of th a t very principle—theine—which until now was deemed essential to true tea. I t will now be the tu rn of the honest chemist to tu rn round on the advocate of the libelled teas and sa y :—‘ I t is you, not we, who have told the tea con­sumers th a t the stuff supplied to them from China has been systematically and deliberately deprived of its theine and tannin.’ ”

M r. E vevatd poses as th e friend of Ind ian tea . Y ou see w h a t Mr. Ferguson’s opinion of th is is, and I d is ­tin c tly s ta te he Las been hostile to In d ian te a ever since M r. S ib thorp and I dt clined to alb w h im to sell a portion of th e S ynd ica te ’s sh ipm ents, for reasons th a t a re in d ispu tab le . [T h a t is tb e w h de secre t of E v e n rd ’s anim osity aguinst M r. M oody and Mr. M oody’s friends, M essrs. Buck, Ing lis , S ib th o rp and Ferguson, all of whom were honoured w ith E v e ra rd ’s abuse. W e are acquain ted w ith M r. M oody’s very conclusive reason for n o t consenting to Mr E v e ra rd ’s im p u d en t request, considering th e circum stances, of being allow ed to sell a p o rtion of th e S vnd icate’s teas. —E d. O. O.]

Do you th in k th a t a friend to In d ia n teas w ould w rite to th e A rgus, as Mr. E v e ra rd d id as follow s :—

“ And notwithstanding Mr. Inglis’s assertion (viz., ‘ there has never yet been placed on record an instance of adutl- erated tea having been sent from an Indian warehouse’), I now inform him th a t in India fer sever.V: seasons th e

* Because it was really impossible to obtain disinter­ested judges.—E d .

planters have gone in for quantity a t th e expense of quality. . . . A number of parcels of w ithered leaves have been shipped to London and realized under 6d per lb.”—Argus, 30th June 1881.O r as he d id a t th e m eeting of C hina tea m erch an ts , w hen he show ed sam ples of In d ian te a in bo ttles, w hich he asserted w ere th ick , gum m y, and d ir ty , &c., and w hich he confirm s in h is le t te r to th e Age o f3 1 s t O ctober?

T h is s ta te m e n t c learly show s h is w an t of know ledge of w h at he is w ritin g ab o u t. T h a t som e of th e In d i­an teas tu rn th ick w ith s ta n d in g is ce rta in , b u t never gum m y an d d ir ty , w hich is as u n tru e as all h is o th e r s ta te m e n ts .

T h is th ick en in g in In d ian te a is only found in few sam ples h igh ly prized by many buyers, an d w h y ? Because i t in d ic a tis th a t th e tea is so strong th a t a h o t so lu tion cannoi hold th e e x tra c t on cooling. W h y d id M r. Jiverard n o t try m ore w ater, or less lea ? B u t, really I am giving a techn ical education to th is gentlem an free of expense; and am ongst o th e r fallacies th a t he stu ck to, an d I have cured him of, is his idea th a t C h iu .se g r en teas were n o t artificially coloured ; b u t I was g lad to see, in his la s t le t te r on th e sub ject, th e adm ission th a t even th e best of such teas (green) have a s ligh t bloom given to them artificially .

W h ils t on th e scientific p o rtio n of th is su b jec t, I n1 ay as well refe r to M r E v era rd ’* assertion (vide his le tte r , 31st O ctober) th a t the rep o rte rs a t th e cele­b ra ted burlesque m eeting held a t th e M elbourne E x ­change had reported him wrongly, and th a t he d id n o t say “ theine was ex trac ted irom te a .” B u t W'e have only M r. E v e ra id ’s word ag ainst th e re p o rte rs’ ; and , as Mr. E . ad m its in th e atiove le t te r th a t th e tan n in is ex trac ted , b u t n o t th e theine, i t is easy to see he is o u t of his d ep th , and eery ignorant of the sub­je c t be is w ritin g about, for tann in cannot be taken out o f tea w ithout also taking the th e in e ; and, therefore, th e re is n o t a doubt in my own m ind b u t th a t M r. E v era rd d id sa y — “ The C hinese ex rac ted (he them e and tann in , which th e In d ian s allow ed to rem ain in — n o t know ing b e tte r how to p repare i t ” ( te a ) ; and M r. E verard said th is w ithou t know ing exactly w h at was th e m eaning of th e te rm he was using.

A llow me to give e x trac ts from the h ighest a u th o r ­ities on te a analysis :—

“ In te a th e the ine ex ists in com bination w ith tann in . T heine exists in tea in th e form of tan n a te of th e in e .”— W anklyn.

“ T heine exists in com bination w ith tan n in in te a .” — Bell.

In d isp u tab le evidence, I shou ld th in k , th a t m echa­nically i t is im possible to rem oveany p o rtio n of tan n in trotn te a w ith u u t also rem oving its eq u iv a len tiu theine.

In h is le t te r M r. E verard endeavours to score a p o in t by s ta tin g — “ A nd I also poin ted o u t th a t the sc ien tis ts them selves adm itted , by th e ir ow n published tep o rts , th a t th e re was m ore th e in e in Chinese te a th an In d ia n .” Mr. E . is w rong a g a in : we stopped g iv ing th e th e in e te rm in a tio n s because of th e tim e i t took to make them , and p articu la rly th e cost, w hich w as a guinea for each the ine te rm ina tion .

B u t h ere is th e analysis of 570 half-chests of F o o ­chow tea , purchased by Mr. E verard him self, a t public auction , in F ra ser 's rooms, on th e 6 th O ctober, 1SS1 :—

I n d u s t r t l a n d T e c h n o l o g ic a l M u s e u m L aborato ry , 17th O ctober IS81.

Upon A nah/sis they gave :—Per centage of P er centage of P er centage of P er centage of Number. Mineral Ash Extract. Soluble Salts. Theine.

3x3... 5-32... 28-18... 2-78... 0-11)347... 5-20... 31-44... 2-C0... Onlv a trace34-... 5-52... 34-5(1... 2-26... 0-26351... 5-92... 28-50 n. 2-64... b-2335 V... 6-20... 32-24... 3-14.. Only a trace

All the samples contain exhausted leaves, and in most the tea is in a vety broken condition.

Excess of stalks boi"g very marked in L o t 351, which is faced with plumbago.

Perished leaves are plentiful in lots 323, 362, and 347. The hitter contains foreign st-m s.

348 also contains foreign stems.L ot 323 contains rice husks and foreign stem s.

(Signed) J- C o sm o N e w b u r y , N .B .—Number 323 was not purchased by Mr. Everard.

The rest of the num bers are his pm chases.A s In d ian teas have never gone below 2 ‘92 a n d ru n

over 4 "00 p er cent., I t ru s t I bave conclusively show n th e value of M r. E v eraril's s ta te m e n t th a t C hinese tea shows m ore th e in e th a n Ind ian . [W hile M r. Cosmo N ew bery , a m an of th e h ighest possible character, proved th a t C h ina teas, purchased by E v e ra rd , to be sold again, w ere m ade up of “ ex h au s ted ” an d “ perished leaves,” “ foreign s te m s," &c,— E d .]

W ith regard to the T>a New s, w ith which I have nothing whatever to do, i t is m eiely a rehash of reports , le tte rs , &c., th a t have appeared in th e new spapers, a n d as, M r. E d ito r , you republished i t in full in yo u r isi-ue of 17tn O ctober 1681, I presum e you found no th in g specially wrong in its con ten ts . [P ro b ab ly th e t ru th is th a t th e p erm an en t ed ito r, w ho copied th e Tea N ew s, w ith ta c it approval, w as ab sen t w iien Mr. E verard s le tte r was received, an d its false s ta iem eu ts accep ted as tru e — E d.]

Such tra d e puffs as th e Tea N ew s appear constan tly in a condensed form in th e new spapers of th e day, and are a fea tu re of th e 19th cen tu ry .

A llow me to ask you w hy th e vendors of our old favourite , c itra te of m agnesia, don’t hold a m eeting to condem n th e m anner in w hich th e new favourite , E u o ’s F iu i t S alt, is puffed ?

M r. E v e ra rd d raw s h is conclusions from th e Tea N e w s ; th e w rite r of th e Tea N ew s d raw s h is from th e e x trac ts (which a re tru e in them selves) th a t have a lready appeared in th e daily press ; bo th w iite rs draw th e ir ow n conclusions an d both are un fa ir, in the absence or omission o f the context.

T h e C hina tea m erchan ts would have done fa r b e tte r (if th e y h ad such confidence in th e ir leas as they p ro te s t th ey have) by appealing to th e h ig h est t r ib ­unal w e bave, viz., th e ana ly tica l chem ist, an d w e have m any such in M elbourne.

M ere ta lk and abuse will n o t se ttle th e qu estio n — “ Is C hina te a a d u lte ra te d o r n o t ?”

A fte r all, th e real a ttack has been on M essrs. Cosmo N ew bery , an d D unn, th e chem ical an a ly sts , w ho have repeated ly p roved th ey a re tho ro u g h ly m aste rs of th e sub jec ts th e y discuss. T hese gentlem en, as fa r back as 1877, have issued periodical re p o its on th e food supply of M elbourne, and m ore p a itic u la r ly on con­fectionery , m ilk , tea , coffee, cocoa, chocolate, m u s­ta rd , preserves, a irated w aters, ales and po rte rs , sp irits , vinegar, kerosene, &c., po in tin g o u t th e a d u lte ia t io n s or defects th e y have found in each, an d nearly all th ese rep o rts have appeared in th e A rgus, and, u n ­questionably , have done m uch good. T herefore, in stead of denouncing these gen tlem en , I th in k th e tl an k s of th e com m unity a re d u e to them for th e ir in v a lu ­able services.

M r. N ew bery p e rtin en tly p u ts i t : — “ T he C h ina tea dealers have h ad a m eeting to denounce o u r an a­lyses and sta te m e n ts . I sha ll expect to see th e m ilk ­m en, confectioners, an d o thers now do th e sam e.1 can only say th a t , since we com m enced our labours, th e la s t exam inations show ed n o le a d in c o n -

! fectionery , b u t w hich was found in i t b e fo re ; kerosene was highly explosive, b u t a recen t exam ination show ed all brands to be w ell over th e slan d ard . M any o th e r artic les now show im provem ent in th e lig h t d irec tion , and te a m ust aiso cuiue up to s ta n d a rd . W e recognize no co u n try o r m ake of t e a ; b u t w hen we find th e grocer re ta iling to th e consum er an a rtic le n o t p u re tea , or

con tain ing exhausted leaves, w e shall con tinue to d e ­nounce such in th e in te rests of the consum er o n ly .” — [T h is is w h a t is honest and r ig h t, and therefore i t is th a t Mr. E v e ra rd denounces th e “ s ta te m e n ts” of th e chem ists, those s ta te m e n ts being sim ply th e re su lts of severe analysis !—E d .]

In answ er to one of these reports , w hich appeared in th e Argus of 5 th O ctober 1881, a t a tea auction sale he ld in M efsrs. F ra se r’s room s th e same day, M r. E verard m oved th e m otion th a t has been thoroughly burlesqued in M elbourne, viz. :— “ That th e s ta te m e n ts m ade by Messrs. C osm oN ew bery and F . D unn regard ing th e ad u lte ra tio n of C hina teas are u n ju s t to th e m erchan ts an d traders , and u n tru th fu l .” Im m edia te ly a f te r th is m otion M r. E verard purchased th e four lines of tea a t th e auction, th e analysis of w hich I have ju s t fu rn ished you w ith, and are so strong ly condem ed by M r. N ew bery

M r. E verard s ta te s th a t 300 w ere p re sen t a t the m eeting—the A rg u s and Age bo th say 150 ; b u t th is is on a p ar w ith o th e r M unchausen sta tem ents , and characterizes th e gen tlem an . Of these 150, a t least 100 are to be found c o n s tan tly abo u t th e exchange, fo r i t is th e stock , share, and m ining exchange as well. A nd I have i t from th e c lerk I sen t to w atch th e pi oceedings th a t only abo u t tw e u ty te a m erchants o r dealers w ere p re re n t; th e re s t w ere a ttra c te d by the fun they expected , and w hich ac tually d id tak e place ; and a m ore undignified m eeting was never beiore held in M elbourne.

T he M essrs. H en ty nev er in ten d ed and d id n o t go to th e E xchange meeting, fu r i t w as arranged from th e firs t th a t I should ta k e a p a r t, b u t, finding a p re lim inary m eeting h ad been held , slips d is tr ib u ted , and ex ery th in g done to p rev en t discussion, I d id n o t a tten d .

F o r m any years p as t I have endeavoured to im ­prove th e s ta n d a rd of te a used in V icto ria , and, failing to g e t fine teas from Foochow of la te years, have im ported sm all lo ts from H ankow , b u t so fa r th e leaf has been agains t i ts sale.

D uring th e la s t tw elve m on ths I have sold 2,000,000 pounds w eight of C hina le i , and , therefo re , do you th in k i t likely , M r. I d i t o r ,* t h a t I shou ld ru n d o w n C hina teas, in w hich we are so largely In te le s ttd , fo r ihe purpose of d riv in g th e m o n t of th e m a ik e t? C erta in ly n o t; m y sole aim is to im prove th e stan d a id .

T a te the to ta l sa lts by auction (only) of C h ina teas, for la s t season, 1880-81— 2,829.680 ib . to ld a t 3^d to Is. p e r lb .; 1,565,840 lb. sold a t Is U jd to Is . lOd. per lb .; and the bulk th is season also consists of teas to ld a t 4d. to 9 J .p e r lb. in bond. W ill an y sane m m te ll m e th a t teas a t 3£d and 4d p er lb. are pu re and un au u ltf ra te d ? T hese are facts and figures w h ich can be checked. A gainst m y w ish teas do come dow n from C uina th a t I don’t lik e selling, fo r we a re loo much in th e hands of th e Cninese, and th e re fo re th e value of th e T ea A ct ju s t passed. Hence, a l o, th e su p p o rt I have given to M essrs. Cosmo N ew b erry and D unn in th e ir endeavour to im prove th e foods su p p lied to th e con­sum ers of M elbourne.

A nd now, as I have been slandered , a few w ords for m yself. The firs t In d ia n te a th a t ever reached M elbourne (a sm all q u an tity ) w as sold by me years ago, and cam e from M r. .Jam es D. B ruce’s gardens, M u n d a ld y e ; i t realized 3s 6d p e r lb. A sm all lo t was th e n im ported w hich I sold a t 4s per lb , an d followed i t up by heav ier sh ipm en ts for tw o or th ree years, being well backed up by one o f m y assistan ts , a new a rriv a l from London, and w ho had been j ears in the In d ia n te a trad e , an d w as th e n th e only person in M elbourne thoroughly u p in i t ; b u t lie le ft to b e tte r him self. I could tlieu o b ta in no one in M elbourne w ith sufficient ab ility to show custom ers th e value of

* R e a d e r s of t h e Observer w i l l b e a r in m in d t h a t Mr. M oody is addressing t h e Indian fl'ea Gazette.— E d .

In d ian tea , and m y tim e w as too m uch occupied to a tte n d to i t myself.

W hen th e S ynd icate com m enced th e ir operations in th is m a rk e t I en tered zealously in to th e w ork ;* and to me, as th e rep re sen ta tiv e of Ja s . H e n ty & Co., is due th e success of In d ian tea in th e M elbourne m ark e t. T he tra d e rs only gave m e support. T he b ro k ers a t firs t (w ith th e exception of M r. H arley , tb e o ld es t t ia -b ro k e r in M elbourne) were ag a in s t i t ; such ex ­pressions as “ m ig h t as well take leaves from th e ti- t ie e sh ru b ,” “ too h e rb y ,” “ m ade me s ic k ,” “ beastly lea f ,” &c., m et me a t every tu rn , a ll k in d ly g o t up in the in te re s ts of Chinese im porters . W h a t w onder, th en , th a t I shou ld re to r t by hav ing th e In d ia n teas analyzed , and p ay ing also for w hole tea sales of C hina k in d s to a c t as com parisons. P u t on m y m e ttle ,

I I have induced no less th a n tw en ty -n in e firm s to I b lend In d ia n teas, and have shown th em a ll how to

do it. E v e ry S a tu rd ay afternoon an d ho liday for th e la s t tw elve m onths I have been found a t m y office, e ith e r b lend ing teas fo r some custom er o r else try in g new ci’m binations, o r analyzing te a in th e labo ra to ry I have a ttach ed to th e tea-room .

A n d w h a t is th e re su lt ? T h a t In d ian tea , pu re and sim ple, is ob ta inab le in nearly every shop in M elbourne and suburbs, an d a ll over V ic to ria , an d in an o th e r year or tw o th e g en tle p ub lic w ill n o t be able to do w ith o u t it. A nd in th is th e C a lc u tta Tea A ssociation—no connection w ith th e S ynd ica te— have le n t in valuab le a id , b y being th e first to pack pu re In d ian te a in 1 lb. and ^ lb. packets , tin s , &c.

A ll th e circu lars is s u td on b ehalf of th e Syndicate have been sen t to yon, and you can jud g e if I have used o th e r th a n fair and leg itim ate c r itic sms in push ing Ind ian teas. C i in a im p o rte rs an d b rokers bave run dow n In d ian teas ; I reply by analyzing bo th and com paring them to g e th er. T h is is m et by ta lk th a t too m uch tan n in is le f t in In d ian tea , g iv ing i t a h trb y flavour. I show , by analysis, th a t som e China teas are ex h au sted and a d u lte ra ted , an d th is has been th e r e s u l t ; every auction sale of In d ian te .s has show n an advance in p rice on its predecessor— and th is in th e presence of a stock of te a 4,000,100 lb. over th e sam e q u a n tity htdd last, season— w hilst every sale of C hina tea has show n a decline on i ts predecessor.

I don’t ta lk tw addle, nor am I ever abusive, and generally only show (in answ er to repeated a ttack s) th e analyses of th e C hina and In d ia n teas to g e th e r , w ith a b rief footnote , such as— ‘' A. B.— T he re su lt in favour of In d ia n teas is too m arked to need fu rth e r com m ent. M any of th e C hina teas w ill n o t p iss th e s ta n d a rd of a genuine te a .”— ( Vide C ircular, ‘20th Ju ly 18M .)

Do you th in k , M r. E d ito r , an y money value w ill rep ay me for th e tro u b le I have ta k e n ? C erta in ly n o t. I have ta k e n u p th e su b je c t con amore, and w ith th e sincere conviction th a t In d ian teas a re th e fin est produced in an y p a r t of ihe w orld.

T h e C a lc u tta T ea S yn d ica te have done th e ir w ork w ell an d th o rough ly , an d th e ir b ran d on th e package is now considered sufficient ev idence th a t th e te a i t con ta in s is p u re an d g en u in e ; by a ll m eans let yo u r te a p lan te rs g ive them libera l support, an d w ith a good supp ly of tea to th is m ark e t, th e con tinuance of th e analysis of th e te a s—w hich is now deem ed so im p o rtan t h ere ih a t even re ta ile rs are send ing in sam ples to th e technological M useum for exam ination , and M essrs. Cosmo N ew bery and D uun an d staff have

* M ost zealously : th a t we can te s tify . T he Iu d ia n G overnm ent w’ere fo rtu n a te in th ie r rep re sen ta tiv es , Messrs. B uck, Jnglis and S ib th o rp , b u t these g en tle ­men w ould be th e first to acknow ledge th a t th e ir success, rap id and g rea t as i t was, w as m ain ly due to th e u n tirin g an d zealous efto rts of M r. J , O. M oody.— E d.

th e ir hands p re t ty fu ll—and w ith th e su p p o rt of true friends of 1- d an tea,* I fu lly expect to see th e con­sum ption of Ind ian tea ju s t doubled in V ictoria, and increased th ro u g h o u t th e colonies.

A|.«'l g 'z ii 'g tor trespassing so m uch on y our space, —I rem ain , yo u r obedient se rvan t,

J . 0 . MOODY.

P U B L IC S A L E O F C IN C H O N A BA R K .Mr. E . Jo h n disposed of th e follow ing lo ts of bark

a t a public sale held in th e F o rt today (19 A pril): —R illam ulla.—19 bugs Succirubra chips and tw igs 20c ; 1 do do

Dust 10c; 12 do Otticinalis chips 46c.F ru it H ill .-S u e . : 4 bags tw igs and chips 10c ; 19 bags tw igs 25c.Elbedde.—2 bags Succirubra stem pieces 624c ; 4 do do stem

quills 874c ; 1 do do root 60c ; 4 do do branch quill 40c ; 103 do do beaten tw igs 24c ; 1 do Officinalis stem quill RT55 ; 4 do dobeaten tw igs 2Uc ; 1 do do stem pieces HI 30.

G onagalla.—133 bags Succirubra branch anal. "51 Sulph. of Q.30c.

St. Regulus.—12 bags Succirubra root and stum p pieces 574c ; 18 do do ch.pb aud pieces 374c ; 26 do do branch and tw igs 21c; 2 do do papery quill aud branch 224c ; 53 do do branch 25c ; 46 do do stem quill anal. 135 Sul. of quinine 75c ; 26 do Of­ficinalis chips and tw igs 22c ; 7 do do branch 21c; 6 do do quill R 1 3 5 ; 5 do do stem chips HI.

G lashaugh.—Succirubra: 65 bags chips and scrapings and !£> do do do 27$c ; 76 do large branch shavings anal. "96 Sul. of Q .,50c.

Fordyce.—Succirubra : 39 bags tw igs 20c; 23 do chips 674c.W avendon. O fficinalis: 54 bags tw igs l c ; 3 do root 9 2 |c ;

13 do stem chips 874; 4 do quill 75c.Templestowe.—6 bags Succirubra bold tw igs 21c; 1 do do

root -24c; 3 do do stem pieces 824c; 2 do do broken quill 824c ;2 do Officinalis stem chips 20c.

Abbey Craig.—Officinalis: 10 bags tw igs 19c ; 1 do root 674*» 1 do chips and tv ig s 14c; 21 do stem chips and shavings 85c.

Bogahaw atte.—15 bags Succirubra stem chips 15c ; 5 do doroot 624c ; 2 do do chips aud tw igs 12c; 1 do Officinalis root 40c ;3 do do chips 30c.

Agra.—Succirubra : 26 bags shavings anal. 1*62 Sul. of Q. R1'05: 35 do brauch and tw igs 274c.

R ade lla .-4 0 bags Succirubra bold tw igs 21c ; 2 do Officinalis chips aud tw igs 25c.

D erryclare.—& bags Succirubra tw igs 10c.Avoca.—33 bags bucciruLra chii-sanal. 1*30 Sul. of Q.; 8 ‘4c.G alkaudew atte.—78 bags Succirubra tw igs and chips 30c ; 9 do

do tw igs 15 c; 4 do Officinalis tw igs 15c.D unnottar.—Succirubra: 25 bags branch and tw ig25c ; 46 do

branch and stem shavings anal. 53 Sul. of Q.; 324c.Maskeliya. —7 bags Officinalis scrapings 18c; 5 do Succirubra

scrapings 45c; 2 do do quill 35c; 15 do do tw igs 2 c : 25 do do tw igs 2 lc.

Bridw ell.—Succirubra 8 bags brauch and tw igs 25c ; 112 do stem shavings R *30. Analysis 1*83 sulph quinine.

Halloowella.—6 bags succirubra root stem aud brauch 65c; 1 do officinalis do do 424c.

K . G.—171 lb succirubra root 65e; 642 do do stem shavings 80c; 79 do do shavings and root 70c; 137 do branch shavings aud tw igs 25c.

Ambewelle.—470 lb officinalis tw igs 12c ; 380dosuccirubra tw igs 16c.L.—154 lb succirubra good du»t 25c.Lippakelle.—3*9 lb succirubra branch and tw igs 20c.Troup.—9 lb succirubra stem quill 80c; ; 42 do sue. stem and

branch chips and tw igs m ixed 50c.Mossend.—1,516 lb officinalis chips 60c. Anal. 1*13 su l. q u in ;

292 do succirubra do 30c.E ton .—50u lb succirubra tw igs 16c; : 90 do do chips 60e ; 30 do

do dusty chijw 2c.A rdlaw.—1UU su u irubra tw igs 18c.

A G R IC U L1 U R E ON T H E C O N TIN EN T OF ' E U R O P E .

(Specia l le t te r .)P a r is , M a rc h 2 5 th .

The Societe dee Agriculteurs has held its annual Congress, aud discussed several questions of general in ­terest. In the case of wheat i t was adm itted th a t much could be done to increase the yield, and so combat the effects of im ported bread stuffs, by eacti agronomic s ta ­tion conuucting experim ents, bearing ou varieties and suitable m anm es. t a r e should be taken not to employ fertilizers too immediately soluble, more especially of a nitrogenous character, which would provoke the laying of the crop. A m otion was carried inviting rail.vay

• Who are no t men of the Everard stam p.—E d.

companies to establish, in some of tlieir principal s ta ­tions, a meteorological office. R especting m anures for vines : those of potarii salts, and under th e form s of sulphates and chlorides, were to be preferred, aud em in­ently suitable to vines under trea tm en t against the phylloxera. T he superphosphates soluble in c itra te of am m onia possess the same agricultural value as such sa lts soluble in w a c r . On the im portan t subject of trcnch-pre.erved green forage, i t was decided th a t the plan deserved ad o p tio n ; th a t every kind of green stuff adm itted of such trea tm ent, even to rushes and broom and vine leaves, crushed or cut. I t is no t absolutely necessary for the successful preservation of green fodder to mix i t w ith dry m atter— straw , chaff, Ac.— or to em ­ploy even sa lt. W hen coming in to flower is th e best period for cu tting forage intended for trench-preserv- ation, and neither ra in nor dew in terferes w ith th a t conservation. No special kind of trench is necessary, bu t such as are constructed in m asonry have ever given the best results. The g rea t aim is to exclude the a i r ; the fodder ought to be placed in th e trench regul­arly ; chaffing th e fodder is no t indispensable, save in the case of the th ick stem s of m aize and Jerusalem artichokes. T he alim entary value of th e forage ap­proaches more to th a t in its fresh th an in a faded con­dition. T he subject of agricultural education received m uch atten tion , and a petirion was drawn up, th a t the sta te , no t the locality, ought to defray the expenses of such instruction in the case of the prim ary schools. A. M. de H au t made some curious observations respecting the flooding of vineyards in the Crimea. In F rance, th a t operation is employed as a remedy against the phyllo­xera, and is fam iliarly known as the Faucon process, bu t in Southern R ussia the p lan has been found to im ­prove the quality of th e fru it.

For sick horses carro ts constitu te a favourite d i e t ; now th a t root has prem aturely decayed th is m ild winter, and many farm ers are desirous of obtaining a substitu te. M. Boussingault suggests Jerusalem artichokes, bu t ad­m its th a t the peculiar character of the tubercle renders cleaning a very difficult operation. M. de Bdhague removed th e difficulty by placing the roots in heaps, leaving the ra in to wash them , and w hich it did so effectually as to satisfy h is sheep.

A discussion is tak ing place as to the best period for castrating bulls. Ordinarily, those intended for the butcher are cut a t the age of five or six m onths, on th e ground th a t the anim al then exacts less nu trition . Animals thus treated fa tten rapidly, hu t, if destined for work, they will be found deficient in order and streng th . In some regions the bulls are never cas tra ted ; they are thus unquestionably better fitted for work, though diffi­cult in point of d o c ility ; bu t as for fa tten ing th a t is out of the question. Experience, however, in ieates th a t castration can lie best effected between eight and ten m onths, when the anim al exhibits signs of p u b e r ty ; it will prove easy to fatten or will take to draught work w ith facility. In any case bullocks intended for labour ought to be well fed from their earliest age.

The steam plough is improved to su it the h reakirg- up of new lands in Algeria, where palm and o lmr scrub arc the chief uiiiiculties against reclam ation. T ee m achine is made iu forged iron and steel, very solid, and the sock descends to U inches in the soil, and can be arranged to penetra te to 20. M. Puzenat has introduced am eliorations in th e articu lated harrow which impw „ great elasticity. H e replaces tuo movable bar F . an assembly of liars, all of which are, however, inoe^ehdent, and preventing the teeth from following ’"g identical

1 wakes. T he m anure distributer of M. ('- cun has the drum s so arranged th a t the quan tity of fertilizer dis­tributed, over a w idth of 88 inches, is regulated w ith m athem atical accuracy, following the rapidity with which the horse travels, and whether the f e i t l 'z e r be dry or pasty. M. D auten has invented a very ingenious tee t- dibbling m achine. T he drum s can he se t to m eet a

specified distance for opening th e holes in the soil, then the seed is dropped in , and a sm all layer of fine earth covers i t ; by an endless screw arrangem ent, a certain quantity of m anure can be sim ultaneously deposits t.

The cultivation of beet-root, a t p resent a monopoly in the north of F rance, is rapidly extending to the east and centre. Societies are being established no t only to work up the roots, b u t to grow them . T he aim of French cultivators now is to produce a root containing one per cent more in yield of sugar, which is a super­io rity th a t the G erm an farm ers a t present possess.

T he common enemy, the phylloxera, has encountered a new remedy in the employment of bitum en against its ravages. So fa r hack as 1879 th a t agent was spoken of favourably, especially such as was im ported from Judea. Sulphuret of carbon is still, however, regarded as among the perfect cures, double the quan tity of th a t high-priced chemical being employed in 1881 as com­pared with the previous years. T he governm ent ra il­way com panies contribute liberally to testing all practical rem edies. N othing serious is now attached to the vines of Soudan and Cochin China. American stocks alone are in fa v o u r; the others are bu t curiosities.

M. Plauchon a ttrib u tes the plague to which th e chest­n u t trees are subject to a microscopic m ushroom feed­ing on the roots, the same as th a t which created such havoc in the pine forests of G erm any a few years ago. M. Bella draws a tten tio n to the depredations of ra ts on trees growing along the banks of r iv e rs ; the anim als in winter, when short of food, feed on the roots and so kill the trees.

W Y N A A D C O F F E E PR O SPE C TS.(M adras M ai!, A pril 12th.)

S i r — I w onder if m any of y o u r p lan ter-readers have noticed in th e ir d is tr ic ts h undreds of m oths fly ng about th e coffee tre«s du ring th is blossom, an d could te ll me if th e y ever saw i t before. They w ere seem ingly a f te r honey, m ak ing q u ite a din w ith th e ir w i gs, b u t on w atch in g u.oser, th e females w ere seen to be as busy as could be laying eggs, sm all green balls no t so large as a p in ’s head, on th e > oung snoots of coffe •, depi S 'tyd sm g 'y , an d on t- e under side "f a te n d e r leaf. Toe n v th to d eerihe it roughly , was a yellow ish g n \ u color, cl< a r w inged, like a bee, w i.li a b lm k ‘.m sh on t:ie tad . ab->ut 1 inch long in body, ai d incite-* from tip s of wings. N"W the larvse of th is w ill bo no sm all i-iz , w h m full grown, and, if tin re are s e w r ,1 to a tree,, they will gohbb U|>:’ m any pounds of ie.t\>s daily . As y e t the coffee lcav«s are w ondeifully fr e from any insect p< st. Can th e wily I'-pnluptera have m.ulu a m istake ? I fear no t ! Is th is to bo anoth r p n u u e , though only fo r a 8<*a*on'! I t w as th e last straw th a t broke th e cam el's back. XVh it w ith le d-disease everyw here, borer w ith in and ca terp illa r w ithou t, and c ,ffce a t 07s, th ings are n o t looking b righ t.

6 th A pril. S o u th W a in ad .jT he c rea tu re a lluded to is eurely n o t a m oth , b u t

th e bee-like beetle w ith w hich we are fam iliar enough in C eylon, as abounding in bh s o u tim e .—Ei>. ]

D E P A R T M E N T O F A G R IC U L T U R E .T he follow ing is th e te x t of th e Bill a ’o p +ed by j

th e H ouse C om m ittee on A gricu ltu re , a:- W ash ing ton , on Fe b ruary 13th, and subsequently in n duced in t o e House of R epresen tative-. A rim a r b id i- far more w anted n Ind ia th a n fresh am endm ents of th e Crim- iu. 1 and C ivil P rocedure Codes :—

“ A Bill to e, large th e pow er and du ties of the D epartm ent of A griculture.

Be i t enacted, e tc ., th a t th e D epartm en t of A g ri­cultu re , es tab lished a t th e sea t of G overnm ent of the U nited States, shall be an executive departm ent, under

th e supervision and contro l of a S ecre tary of A g ricu lt­u re . w ho shall b • appoin ted by tit- P es d^u t, by an d w ith th e advice and co m en t of th e Senate.

“ S#-c 2. T h a t th e re shall in said d ep artm en t an ass .s t in t S ecre tary of A gricu ltu re , w ho sha ll be a p rac tica l agrivu tu ria i, an d th e severa l ch iefs of th e

I bureaus here inafte r nam ed to be appoin ted by th e P resid en t, by an d with th e advice and consen t of th e Senate, for a te rm of fo u r years, w ho sha ll perfo rm such d u t es as m ay be req u ired by law o rp re sc iib e d by th e Secretary .

“ S? c 3. For th e purpose of co llecting and d issem in ­a tin g a ll im p o rta n t a u d u>e u l in fo rm atio n concern­ing ag ricu ltu e, and also concerning such scientific m atte rs and in d u s tr ia l p u r u i t s as re la te to th e in ­te re s ts of ag icul ure, th e Secre tary shall o-ganise the follow ing bureau*, nam ly :— 1. T h e B ureau of A g ri­cu ltu ra l p roducts, w hich sha ll include d iv isions of bo tany , entom ology, and ch em is try , th e c> ief of w hich bureau sha ll be a p ra c u c d a ^ tic u h u r s t , w ho - h d l inveshiga e th e mod s of farm ing in th e severa l S ta tes aud T erri ori -s, and sha ll r< p )rt -ueh p rac tica l inform - tion as sha ll te u d to increase th e p ofits of th e farm er ; resp ec t’ng th e v ar ou* m ethods, th e crops m ost p rofitab le in the several sections, the p refe rab le varie tie- of seed'*, vines, p lan ts au d fru>ts, fe rtib z rs, im plem ents, building'-, and s im ila r m tite rs , 2. T he B ureau of A nim al In d u s try , t » be in charge of a com peten t v e te rin a iy su ig to n , who sha ll in v estig a te and re p o rt upon th e num ber, value, and con- d tion of th e dome>tic an m als of th e Unit- d S ta tes , th e ir p ro tection , g row th , a d use, th e cans# s, p reven ­tion , an d cure of coi tag iou-, com m unicable, o r o th e r ui-eases, and th e k inds, races, or breeds, best ad ap ted to th e severa l * c tio u s fo r p ro fitab le raising. 3 T h e Bureau of Lauds, th e chief of w hich sha ll in v estig a te and rep o rt upon th e resources o r capab ilities of th e public o r o th er lan d s for farm ing, stock raising, tim ber, m anufactu ring , m u ing, o r o th e r in d u str ia l uses, an d all pow ers aud du ties vested in th e commi sion now know n as th e Geological S urvey , toge her w ith a ll cl- ik s. employes, an d agents, aud a ll inshum e# ts , records, b mks, papers, &c,. a re hereby tra i.s fe n e d to th e D ep a rtm en t of A gricu ltu re, an d th e S ec ie ta ry m ay, th ro u g h said bureau, iu sti u ie such iu v- stigutions mvi collect such m toim iatum , tac ts , and s ta tis tic s re ­la tiv e to the m ui-s au d m ining of th e U n ited S ta te s as m ay be d e tn v d of value an d im portance . 4. T he Bur<an of > ta tis tic -, th e chief of w inch sha ll co llect a d rep o rt th e ag ricu ltu ra l s ta tis tic s of th e U n ited S ta tes, > nd , in add ition , all im port-n .t inform ation or s ta ’istios relating to in dustria l, ed t.cadunal, and agri- cub u ra l colleges ; to labour an d wag# s in th is and o th e r vouutiies ; to m arkets and p rice -; to m ode and cost of tra n sp o rtin g ag iicu tu ra l p roducts ; nd live sio ek to th e ir final m a rk e t ; to the d< m and, supp ly an d p r ic ts m foreign m ark e ts ; to th e lo«:ati< n. r u tu ­ber an d products of m anu iac uriug es tub l.s l.m en ts «-f w ha tev er S " i t, th e ir sources of raw m ateria l, m ethods, m a kt-ts, au d pi ice*, and to such com m ercial and o th e r conditions as may affect th e m a rk e t value of farm p roducts or th e in te rests of th e in d u str ia l ctai-ses of th e United S ta tes A nd th e S ecre tary is hereby au th o rized to est-ddish su c h d iv isions in thU bu reau , and to m ake such m onth ly o r o th er repo rts as he s udi d'-em m ost effective f t th e p ro m p t d is s m in - ati-m of such reliable inform a ion re -p e c 'in e c. ops a. d dom estic an d foreign m arkers as w ill bo or service

I to the farmer* an a o ti i tr in d u str ia lis ts ot he U u it td Stages

1 Sec. 4. T he S e e r ta -y of Agr c u 'tu re sha ll here* | a fter receive the auie sa lary as is paid to th e Secret- ’ » r\ of each of tb* executive d e p a r to r lit*. The sa lary | uf th e A ssistant S cre a ry of A gricu ltu re shall be the ; sam e as th a t paid to th e A sis tan t S ecre ta ry of the 1 D epartm ent ot the Interior, The salary of a chief of

bureau shall be th e same as th a t paid to th e Commissi- j oner of Ind ian Affairs.

“ dee. 5 A ll laws and parts of law s re la tin g to th e I D ep artm en t of A gricu ltu re now in ex ist nee, as fa r as i th e sam e a re applicable and n o t in conflict w ith th is I Act, an d only so far, are con tinued in full force an d j effect.”- -M adras .1/.. if, A pril 12 h. .

A N e w C a r b o l ic P o w d e r . —A good form ula of | producing a new caibolic pow der is given bv a B erlin I journal. S ix ty p a rts of rosin an d fifteen of s tearine | are m elted together, an d when the m ix tu re has cooled I som ew hat, b u t s till liqu id , tw enty-five p a rts of cavb- j olie acid a re ad ded . E ig h t hundred p a r ts of pre- I c ip ita ted carbonate of lim e a re incorporated w ith the m ix tu re , and reduced to a p u lveru len t cond ition . T h is I pow der is in ten d ed f.T use in surgical cases, and m ay | be applied w ith a sp rin k le r, and form s a good d isin- j fec tan t for general purposes.—C 'iland Drug News. i

T h e D iv i-D iv i.— Ih e S u p e rin te n d en t of th e Go- ' vernm en t Farm , K handeish , recen tly sh ipped a con- I signm ent of Divi- Divi to th e London m ark e t D ivi- ! D ivi is th e f ru it of a tree w hich has some resem blance j to th e tam arind . I t is u s-d fo r tan n in g purposes, | and m eets w ith a ready sale. T he consignm ent con- j sis ted of 14 c w ts ., and realized £10 7-1, or oloseupon £15 th e ton . F ro m th is sum , however, m u st be de- ! d ucted th e charge fo r freight, insurance, brokerage, &c , a deduction w hich b ro u g iit dow n th e balance to £6-17 -7 ; which, a t th e ra te of exchange a t th e tim e of th e tran sac tio n , w as equal to 1183-1-1. T he ex­penses of p roduction in India had am ounted to R29-7 ; accordingly th e superin ten d en t cleared a balance of R53-10-1. A t these ra tes , for every to n of D ivi-D ivi sold in London th e ex p o rte r m igh t cou n t upon a profit of R80. T he advan tages of th e cu ltiva tion of the D ivi-D ivi tre e are th a t it w ill grow in soil w hich is sandy an d con tains l i t t le nourishm en t and is th u s useless for average ag ricu ltu ra l purposes, an d th a t consequently , as m ay be im agined, th e tree needs li t t le a tte n tio n and care. T he dem and in E ngland can be reckoned upon as a fixed e lem en t.— Englishman.

A g r i c u l t u r a l E x h i b i t i o n s . — T he P resid en cy of M adras took th e lead in In d ia in th e m at er of A g ricu ltu ra l exhi itions. Opinions differ som ew hat as to how fa r th ey w ere successful. B etw een 1855 and I860, several exhibitions w ere he ld in the d is tr ic s ; Mr. R ooertson, Superintendent, of th e G overnm ent Farm s, th inks “ they appeared to h a w proved on th e whole as sa tisfac to ry as cou ld reasonably have been ex p ec ted .” M r. P. nning ton , refering to exh ib itions in T innevelly , said “ the re su lt (especially of the las t) was far from encouraging.” P eriodical Show s used to be held a t A ddanki in th e N ello re d i s t r i c t ; and the Revenue Board rem ark th a t “ in th e marked im provem ent in ca ttle resu lting from 'liese show s, exceptions are to be found to th e general fa ilu re of such efforts in th is co u n try .” M r. R obertson p resents G overnm ent w ith a com prehensive schem e for holding five d is tr c t E xh ib itions a year, t i l l all the d is tr ic ts in th e M adras j Presidency sha ll have had th ir tu rn , and th en ho ld ing j a large exh ib ition in th e cap ita l. On these i t is proposed to spend R15.000 a year, K. 3,000 for each d is tr ic t. T he Board propose one larg e n o r th ­ern exh ib itio n , and one large so u th e rn exh ib ition to be held annually a t a cost of R 8 ,010 e ich ; th e s ite o r scene of th e exh ib itions to be som ew here near th e line of ra il , an d cen tra l. T hey offer to send fu rth er d e ta ils of th e ir schem e, if requ ired . Pe- haps a com bination of th e tw o schem es w ould be best. L e t the re be, in every year, an exh ib ition , the expenses o f which are to be paid o u t of local funds and p riv a te subscrip tions ; and le t only such exh ib its as have gained prizes a t these be p e rm itted , an d sen t a t I th e expense of th e E xh ib itio n F und , to com pete r.t th e i g rea t N o rth e rn & S ou thern exh ib itions . — M adras Tim es.

T h e L a t e s t C o n s ig n m e n t of G overnm en t cinchona b a rk from the N iL ir i p lan ta tio n s sen t to E ng land for th e purpose of being m anufactu red in to quin ine, an d n o t for sale in th e open, has been valued by th e brokers a t Is. 6.1. a pound. T h is is a considerable falling off, com pared w ith price s p revailing a sh o rt tim e ago .— South o f In d is Observer.

Q u i n i n e . —Considerable discussion has ta k e n place of la te in th e U nited S ta tes , upon th e q uestion of th e ad v isab ility of re-im posing a custom s d u ty of ten per cent on the sa lts of cinchona. F rom p resen t a p p e a r­ances, i t is ex trem ely dou b tfu l if th is can be accom ­p lished . I t would b» only fair, how ever, to rem ove th e d u ty on im ported m ateria ls u sed in th e ir m an u ­factu re , and efforts in th is d irec tio n shou ld receive th e enc m ragem ent of a ll physic ians and pharm acists . In th is connection we m ay m ention th a t popular jou rnals have la te ly pub lished num erous com plain ts th a t th e benefit to th e consum er, w hich was expected to follow a red u c tio n in th e p rice of qu in ine , con- seq u en t upon rem oval of im p o rt d u ty , has n o t been exp -rienced as y e ' : th a t w hile th e cost of qu in ine in bulk has g rea tly d im in ished , th e p rice per g rain , as paid by ihe consum er, has h a rd ly varied from w h a t i t was when th e price in b u lk was n ea rly th ree tim es m ore th a n i t is now. One re su lt of th is popular com plain t has been th e h a b it of b uy ing qu in ine by th e ounce for “ f irm ly u s e ” I t is very lik e ly th a t h in n fu l e ffe cs w ill som etim es follow th e in d isc r im ­in a te use of su lpha te of qu in ine as a household panacea, and i t is equally t ru e th a t a ve ry general adoption of th is custom would correspondingly d im in ­ish th e p ro fi's of th e pharm acist. 1'h a t th is fact is apprecia ted m ay be in ferred from th e an nounce­m ents published by some pharm cists in th is n e ig h ­bourhood of th e price p er g ra in for w hich th ey will fu rn ish th e artic le , w hether in pow der, m ix tu re , or p ill .— N ew Rem edies.

M a n u re fo r T ea E s t a t e s in t h e D u n .— T he M anager of th e D ehra Dun le a C o ’s es ia tes has a very in te r ­estin g p arag raph in h is lust re p o rt on th is sub jec t, w orthy th e a tte n tio n of those w ho po-s-ss tea p roper­ties in th a t d is tr ic t. M r. N elson w r i t e s :—

M anure . —T his is becom ing y ea r by year a m ore serious question . 50 cartloads are requ ired to m anure an a c r e ; therefore to m anure annually one-th ird of th e entire area u n d er p la n t (or ab o u t 298 acres) 14,900 cartloads are necessary. T he C o ’s vattlesbeds supply ab o u t 4,000, th e Z m iu d a ry villages about2.000 and I canno t now purchase m ore th a n ab o u t2.000 loads from su rround ing villages. M ny young gardens have sp rung up in th e D un since 1876, an d th is has not only enhanced th e value of m anure, b u t in ide i t m uch m ore difficult to ob tain . T he only way I can see o u t of th is difficulty, is to th row nearly th e whole of th e Z -m iudary in to grazing lands, buy a large nu m b er of ca ttle , (all coun ted we have now only 182), build large c a ttle sheds, an d keep a num ber of ca rts cai tii g in rough grass in to the sam e, a t a ll seasons of th e year w hen such is procurable U nless some arran g em en t of th is k ind can be m ade, i t w ould he folly to go on increasing th e area of th e gardens. I t may be ob jec ted to th is th a t th e loss in ren ts w ould n o t be com pensated by th e increase in th e q u a n ti ty of m anure. To th is I am n o t at p resen t able to give a sa tis fac to ry answ er, b u t to me it is p lain th a t e ith er th e te a m u st be sacrificed to th e Z in indarv o r th e Z em indary to th e tea , as w ith o u t m anure th e p resen t resu lts cannot be k ep t u p . — In d ia n Tea QazeVe.So it is even on th e rich volcanic soil of Java , tea m ust be manured. As ca ttle are expensive to keep on the higher e.-tates in Ceylon, artificial m anures m ust he used and the railway by cheapening tran sit will render th is possible.

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.IN S E C T - D E STR O Y ER S.

A rdallie E sta te , A grapatana ,27 th M arch 18S2.

D e a r S i r , — I m a y n o w g iv e y o u a d e s c r i p t i o n o f a n ‘ ‘ i n s e c t - d e s t r o y in g a p p a r a t u s , ” o n e o f t h e l a t e s t in v e n t io n s in A m e r i c a , t h a t m i g h t b e b r o u g h t t o g o o d a c c o u n t h e r e , i f s c ie n c e is e v e r t o h e lp u s i n a n y w a y w i th the dreaded leaf-disease.

T he cotton-w orm . Colorado bee tle and o th e r insects in ju rious to the co tto n p lan t, m ay be destroyed e ith er by sp rin k lin g so lu tions of various chem icals, such as London pu rp le , over th e p lan t, o r by d u s t­ing th e foliage w ith various poisons iu th e form of d ry pow ders. A nu m b er of appliances fo r show ering th e p lan ts w ith th e so lu tions o r pow ders have been in troduced , b u t none have been co n stru c ted upon so large an d com plete a scale as some new m achines shew n a t “ A t la n ta ” f o r the f ir s t time. T h e la rg est of these sp rink lers is au tom atic in action , m ay be easily m oved by one horse o r m ule, an d w ill tho ro u g h ly d rench every p la n t in tw e n ty row s a t th e sam e tim e.

I t consists of a horizon tal tr ia n g u la r form of wood and iron supported on th re e w heels—one gu iding-w heel in f ro n t and tw o tra ilin g w heels b e h in d —a tan k for th e liq u id , and a sp rin k lin g device of novel form ,

On th e to p of th e fram e is e rec ted a wooden tripod , o r d e rrick , and from th e cen tre is suspended near the to p a b arre l for ho ld ing the solution.

A rope, pulley , an d sm all w ind lass are also p rov ided fo r lif tin g th e b arre l to i ts place. A ru b b er pipe ex­ten d s from th e bo ttom of the b arre l to th e re a r of th e m achine, w here i t d iv ides in to b ranches ; each branch hang ing dow n beh ind the m achine an d betw een every second row of p lan ts.

Thus, if the re are tw e n ty row s of p la n ts to be sp rin k led , th e re a re ten branch pipes. T he elevated position to th e barre l gives a good head to th e s tream s, and th e m otion of the ap p a ra tu s over th e g round keeps th e so lu tion ag ita ted and p rev en ts th e m ix tu re from clogging th e pipes. T he delivevy-pipes th a t hang betw een th e row s of p lan ts a t th e back of th e ap ­p ara tu s d iv ide ju s t above th e g round in to tw o branches.

In side th e tw o branches a re coiled springs th a t te n d to keep th e pipes spread ap a rt, and a t th e end of each is a brass nozzle, designed to tr a i l along th e g round as the m achine m oves forw ard .

The d istance betw een th e row s of p la n ts is g rea te r th a n th e spread of these b ranch pipes, aud, as th e y are dragged over the g round , they s tr ik e th e stem of th e p lan ts on each side.

T he spring allow s them to pass and th e n spreads them o u t again, so th a t each nozzle m u st pass close u nder every p la n t in its row .

I t lias been found th a t to d es tro y th e insects, th e spray m ust be d riven upw ard from below th e p lan t. 1

T h is a rrangem en t of th e deliveiy -p ipes an d the fact th a t th e je ts are a ll de livered u p w a rd , accom plishes th e purpose adm irab ly , an d is a m ost ingenious a p ­plica tion of m eans to ends. T he ja rr in g of the e lastic pipes ag a in st th e p lan ts also ten d s to sc a tte r th e show er of sp ray in every d irection , and every p la n t and leaf is reached by the liq u id poison.

T he nozzles used in th is ap p a ra tu s are of new form , th a t m ay prove of value in o :h er hydrau lic m achines.

T hey consist of b rass cups fitted w ith t ig h t covers, having a sm all hole in th e cen tre . The delivery-p ipe ! en te rs th is cup a t th e side n e x t th e bottom , an d th e j w ater is carried round and round the inside of th e j cup till it is filled, w hen t i n excess escapes u p w ard ! in sp ira l or reflex je t. T he m achine exam ined w as !

210

in operation and of a sm all size, and th o ro u g h ly d renched every p la n t in twelve row s a t one tim e.

In p ractice, th e b arre ls filled w ith th e poison in so lu tion are placed a t conven ien t d is tan ces in the fields, and w hen one is em p ty it is low ered from th e m achine and e ith er refilled and hun g on the m achine, o r a fresh barre l is tak en . I n m oving th e m achine on roads I he horizon tal form is sh u t up by slid ing th e p a rts of th e form one over the o th e r and clam ping them in th is position.

T he w heels and th e u p r ig h t tr ip o d rem ain fixed, b u t th e y are sufficiently near together to enable th e ap p a ra tu s to pass th rough an y o rd in a ry farm -gate . A ll th e m ateria ls a re of th e cheapest and m ost com ­m on ch arac te r consisten t eiith s treng th , an d th e a p ­p a ra tu s can be read ily m ade in any wagon-shop fo r a m odera te sum of m oney.

T he ap p a ra tu s fo r blow ing d ry pow ders over col ton p lan ts consists of a horizon tal triang le of wood, m ounted on th ree wheels and in tended to be draw n by one horse.

Over th e fo rw ard w heel is a hopper for ho ld ing the d ry pow der, and closed by a tig h t-fittin g cover.

U n d e r th e hopper is a sm all fan-blower, tlia: m ay be connected by a crossed-belt with the axle of th e lead ing w heel. A t th e top of th is blower is an open­ing in to the h opper w ith a second on the opposite side, so t h a t th e b la s t of th e b low er e n te rs th e hopper a t th e bo ttom on one side an d passes o u t a t th e o th er. T he m otion of th e m achine over th e g round d rives th e b low er, an d th e b la s t of a ir i t sends th ro u g h th e hopper ta k e s up a p o rtion of th e pow der an d carries i t to th e d ischarge pipes a t th e re a r of th e m achine: These p ipes are ot sheet-iron , and hang dow n betw een th e row s of p lan ts , so th a t th ree p ipes cover six row s of p lan ts . W h en th e m achine is d riven over th e field, th e pipes d ischarge clouds of d ry pow der th a t com ­p le te ly cover any p la n t in reach. In a s trong w ind, w hen th e m achine is m oved side to th e w ind , th e nu m b er of row s covered m ay be m uch larg er, as th e w ind b low s th e pow der over th e p la n ts fo r som e d is ­tance .

A n o th er an d cheaper form of th e sam e m achine, and designed to discharge only one je t of pow der, em ­ploys a com m on hand-belltiw s a tta c h e d to th e hopper. I n th is case th e m achine is fastened to th e ha; die of a plow or cu ltiv a to r, and th e bellows is opera: d b y th e foot of the p loughm an as he w alk s b eh in d , these tw o m achines, th e au to m atic sp rin k le r a n d th e ro ta ry dust-b low er, are th e la rg est an d m ost com plete tools of th e ir class y e t b ro u g h t out. T hey are ad m irab ly designed, and , a t th e sam e tim e , cheap and easily m anaged—ra th e r un u su a l m erits in large ag ricu ltu ra l im p lem en ts .— I rem ain , respec ted sir, yours fa ith fu lly ,

JA M E S D. W A T S O N .

T H E SEA SO N A N D CR O PS.M ata le E ast, A p r i l 7 th .

D e a r S i r ,— In y o u r issue of th e 4 th in s ta n t, yon say in effect t h a t th e la te su p e rab u n d a n t an d long- con tinued ra ins a re chiefly, if n o t solely, th e cause of th e fa ilu re of blossom s, so fa r as th e season has y e t gone. A nd I believe th is opin ion is h e ld by m any p lan te rs of experience, I th in k , how ever, i t is n o t a lto g e th e r th e r ig h t one.

Is i t n o t ra th e r to th e increasing ten d en cy of leaf, d isease to prolong its a ttack s , fostered, in som e degree, perhaps, b y a long con tinuance of rain , th a t we owe th e p re sen t sc an t appearance of blossom 1

I look upon th e ra in as m erely a subsid ia ry cause of {this m ost d iscouraging re su lt.

T h e accom panying ta b le of figures, if i t does n o t e n tire ly prove m y ease, will, I th in k , go v e ry fa r to w ard s doing so.

A ssum ing th a t th e coffee is in ju rio u sly effected,

as fa r as th e p ro p ag a tio n of blossom is con­cerned, by th e superab u n d an ce an d inceasancy of th e rainf ill, ta k in g i t from th e com m encem ent of th e year up to, say, th e en d of M arch, i t w ill be seen from th e tab le p roduced th a t th e re o u g h t to have been a sh o rt crop here in 187^*79. N ow , th e fac t i-, i t was th e largest, by f ir, I have g a th ered sii.ee I took charge of th s e s ta te in 1876. A nd if th '-re a re any who ho ld th a t th e superabundance and con tin u ity of th e ra in s ttin t may fail in the la t te r m onths of th e previous year also in ju rio u sly affect th ti p-opagation of blossom , 1 give ad d itio n a l tigm es to show th a t, even in th is case, m y theo ry is not m ateria lly im paired. As ev idence of th e fact th a t rain do 'S no t alw ays p red spose coff e trees to an a ttack of le if-dis^asv, w hatever M r. W ard may say to th e co n tra ry , I m ay s ta te th a t I have never before seen, at this season o f the year, so m uch of th e pest as p re­vails here a t th e p ivsen t m om ent. A nd w e have h ad only one heavy, an d tw o very sligh t, show ers since th e 6 vh of last m onth . Y ou w ill observe from th e tab le sent, th a t , a lthough th e q u a n tity of ra in for th e firs t th ree m onths of 1852 was s lig h tly in excess of th a t for th e sam e period of 1877, th e num ber of days on w hich ra in fell w as less by tw o.

P L A N T E R .Table referred to in le tte r ?

Q uantity of No. of days Crop, Bus. on w hich No. of Parchm ent. B ain fell. Inches.

1877.January ... ... —F ebruary ... ... —J la rc k ... ... —

Crop 1878-79 ... 6,500

1882.January ... ... —F ebruary ... ... —M arch ... ... —

Estim ated crop a t th isd ate iucludiug a blos­som uvw in spike ... 1,500

387‘J.November ... ... —

211

1510

3

2024

22-00*10

3-72

25-82

21-503 l854-14

21*8919-67

41-56

1881. November ... December ...

2528

14-623313

A pril 7th, 1822.

47-75

T E A P R E P A R A T IO N A N D E X P E R T S .M askeliya, 8 th A p ril 1882.

D e a r S i r , — I wish some of o u r tea-experts, w ould te ll us poor c u f fe p lan te rs th e p roper w ay of m an u ­fac tu rin g te a , how to w ith er th e leaf w hen i t c unv:1 in soaked w ith w et ; in try in g to w ith e r i t , no end of leave* tu rn red —although i t is th in ly sp read out, having p len ty of a ir and lig h t. L find it alm ost im nossible to m ake good te a in ra in y w eather. “W j have a num ber of ex p erts in th e island. One says, “ w ith er th e leaf sha rp off.” A no ther says, “ do it, gradually in a n a tu ra l w a y .” I say th e natural way ;s th e best. W h> do n o t these gentlem en decide am ong them selves th e p roper w ay of m anufac tu rin g t i a ? 1 som etim es th in k th ey are a fra id of tack lin geach oth- r, n o t lik e us coffee m en. W e have i t o u t.— Y ours tru ly , H Y B R ID A SSAM .

[In regard to te a even m ore th an coffee, ex p erts hold d ifferen t opinions. One says “ you canno t ro ll too in avi!y ; ” an o th er, “ roll lig h tly fo r th e cake of th e t ip s .” Apart from experience which is th e g rea t gu.de, w e shou ld tr u i u th e In d ia n te a -p lan te r to give

advice w ho h im self tu rn s o u t first-class tea . T he d ifficulty of w ith erin g properly in v e ry w et w eather is a serious on<\ T here a re m achines to d ispe l the m oistu re , b u t how far th e y have been successfu l w e do n o t k n o w .—E d .]

COCOA IN DOLOSBAGE.Y a tiy an to ta , 13tb A p ril 1882.

D e a r S i r . — I notice in y o u r c-dum ns a co rre sp o n d ­ence abou t th e average num ber of seeds in G ang W arily cocoa pods. H aving received a good m any pods from th a t e rto te , I can give th e averge of seeds in tw o lo ts received th is year, as I k e p t a no te of th e n um ber each tim e. T he average num ber was 32 seeds to a pod. In one pod I counted 4 1 seeds, and I th in k my con­d u c to r g o t 43 in an o th er, b u t th is la s t I am n o t positive about.

A ll pods I have received from G ang W arily have been in excellen t condition an d ev iden tly co llected w ith care . I f a ll tran sac tio n s w ere as sa tis fac to ry as G ang W arily pods, I w ould be co n ten t.—Y ours fa ith ­fu lly . H . W . M.

M R . W M . C A R R Y ’S S Y S T E M O P V A P O R IZ ­A T IO N .

S i r , — I t has appeared in th e C eylon p apers th a t one M r. S to rck was abo u t to v is it th e island fo r th e purpose of in tro d u c in g h is sys tem of cu re for coffee leaf-disease, th e chief m eans being s ta te d to be v a ­porization . I beg to inform you th a t t h a t system has been carried on, on an e s ta te in th e N egom bo d is tr ic t, fo r th e la s t th re e years, fo r th e purpose of d es tro y in g th e ravages of th e b lack, brow n and red beetle , re -u ltin g * in double crops of coconuts of enorm ous s ze, th e sam e being sold to th e natives a t very h igh prices com pared w ith n a tiv e produce in general. U pw ards of a y e a r ago I gave m y plan in w ritin g to a Colombo m erch an t, u n d e r th e p o m ise of secrecy, + an d th a t th e p lan w as app licab le to th e in tro d u ;ti n of coffee cu ltiv a tio n from th e fact of coffte trees in th e v ic in ity of co ly ho tves an d bungalow s on a ll th e es ta te s havini; re ponded to th e vapor e m itted on th em , and w h ;ch m ay be seen all over th e co u n try . Tw o gen tlem en cam e to C eylon m any years ago an d trav e lled over th e country-, v is itin g coconut e s ta tes in general, and w hen th ey re tu rn e d to Colombo, th ey pub lished in th e O y-o n Observer th e m iserable condition of coconut trees a ll over th e co u n try , excep t th o se in th e v ic in ity of houses an d h u ts , fa iling to see a good tree tw e n ty y a rd s from th e houses an d hu ts .

I ce rta in ly d ra n k in every w ord of th is s te rn re ­buke, w hich I have never lo st s ig h t of. W ith reg ard to M r. W illiam F erg u so n ’s in q u iry ab o u t th e d e ­s tru c tiv e qu a lities of beetles, I may inform him th a t th e sm all spear, th e knife , th e bellows, tobacco and su lp h u r a re n o t requ ired an y m ore in th e expulsion of beetle. L ast y ea r I in form ed M r. H . W . G reen th a t I w ould give, th e p lan to M r. Saunders, G overn­m e n t A gen t of th e W e s te rn Province,, h is experience being general and h is influence so g re a t th a t i t w ould be p roductive of m uch good to th e vast num ber of u ny ie ld ing [non-y ield ing .— E d . C. O.] coconut trees in h is province. B u t I have been unab le to c a rry o u t m y object, undergo ing a severe a tta c k of diarrhoea and hav ing lost th e pow er in m y r ig h t sid e . I feel b e tte r ; th a n k s be to G od for h is g re a t m ercies.

W M . C A R H Y , Senior.

* T he sm oking of th e trees, n o t th e ravages of th e b ee tle s .— E d .

t W e h ea rd m any years ago th a t th e process w as ju s t one of fum ig a tio n .— E d ,

T H E R E D A N T N U IS A N C E : W H A T IS T H E R E M E D Y ?

lo th A p ril 1882.B e a r S i r ,—A friend m entioned to m e th a t lie saw

a few m onths ago, in yo u r valuab le an d in te re s tin g daily paper, a n m e d y fur destro y in g th e red an t, so common iu th e low coun try on alm ost a ll f iu it- trees, bu t he fo rgo t w hat the rem edy was. I d id n o t sec i t m 3 s-lf, nor can I tind i t in th e Tropical A griculturist, w nich 1 have ca itfu lly look- d th ro u g h from O ctober 1861 to M ivch 1882. If you, o r any of y ou r num erous readers, can rem em ber th e receip t, I shall be much obliged if th ey w ill send it for p u b ­lication ; o r shou ld any o th e r of y our read e is know a rem edy, I an d o thers in th e low country w ill be u n d er an ob ligation if th e y w ill g ive it. T hese red an ts are n o t only a nuisance au d expense, b u t they are th e d read of th e coolies ; and no w onder, seeing they are so num erous, and th e ir b ite pain fu l. They are as pugnacious as bull dogs, and q u ite as obstina te an d blind in th e ir a ttack s . 1 assure you, a consider­able am oun t of very strong language is used by th e coolies when p ick ing and handling ; and , in th e in ­te re s ts of m orals, i t is th e du ty of all, and especially our chem ists, to try and Hud a rem edy for th is pest 1 W h a t th ey subsist on I cauno t te ll, though I fancy i t is on th e honeydew of th e leaves. T hey are found on, I th in k , every f ru it tree in th e low coun try , and n o t only a t th e tim e of f ru its b u t a ll th e y ea r round, and aUo on m any trees no t y ie ld ing f ru it ; so th a t i t is no t th e saccharine m a tte r from th e coffee cherries th a t a ttr a c ts them . I canno t tind any insects th a t th ey can use as m ilch cows, as th e li t t le b lack an ts do th e “ m ealy b u g ” B y-the-byc, these la t te r are doing harm to C eara ru b b e r trees, as I have observed hundreds 011 each leaf 011 th e u nder-side , no d o u b t suck ing o u t th e ju ic e ; aud the trees look m iserable u n d e r th e opeiation . T he leaf is also su b je c t to a b ligh t, and abou t th is tim e of th e year, and, say fr 111 Ja n u a ry , th ey seem to have it b ad ly .— 11. J .

[W e no ticed th is red a n t nuisance in connection w ith our v is it to th e Udapoll.i L iberian coffee es ta te , and we recalled th e h isto ry of th e proposed rem edy for *' b lack bug ” in th e days w hen th a t pes t was as p rev a len t au d nearly as d es tru c tiv e as th e leaf fungus is now. T he proposed rem edy was th e in tro d u c tio n of th e red an ts to e s ta tes w orked b y alm ost nude coolies ! N o w onder, a lth o u g h the rem edy w as ch ar­acterized as being alm ost as bad as th e disease. The w hole h isto ry of th is form idable w asp-like red a u t is w o rth y of carefu l in vestiga tion an d record. W e know th a t th e red an ts carry aw ay an d gree lily de­vour th e so-called “ whiue an te ” (termite?*), an d as to th e ir loud generally w e suspect i t must be largely composed of insects. A few days ago we d irec ted the pulling up of some w ithered sticks, aud th y w ere covered n o t by ‘'w h i te a n ts ,” b u t by th e b ig • red fellows, w hich b ite so furiously and so veiiom oa-I/. T iie ir nc^ts ar<‘ common 011 th e “ dang ” trees in th e C innam on G ardens. W e are n o t able to recall th e rem edy alluded to . — E d ]

G e t t in g I i m of W h it e A n t s .—W hen travelling in Queensland, a gentlem an in our company received a le tte r from a F rench lady in l/u rt D arw in to the effect th a t the sugavcanes there had been destroyed by “ leg term ites.” Our friend was puzzled un til we informed him te a t th is was the scientiiic, as i t ought to be also the popular nam e of the destructive insects known as 41 white a i t s . ” R ecent accounts from the N orth T erri­tory of South A1., tra lia announce th a t the term ites had been “ alm ost overcome by the free use of lime and crossploughing,” a fact which we commend to tea planters in Ind ia and p lan ters of cocoa and o ther lowcountry products in Ceylon.

C o c o a i n T r i n i d a d . —T he Ltrge sh ipm en ts of cocoa la s t y ea r ouly in p a r t m ake up for th e grea^ de­ficiency in th e la s t m onths of 1881 , nor was all very good in quality , from th e d ism al N o v u n b r w ea th er so in te rfe rin g w ith th e course of curing . T he ra ins d id also m uch harm in th ro w in g duw u g re a t num bers of flow rrs, w hich w ill cau-e a p o 'r ga th erin g of f ru it fo r som e m on ths ahead ; b u t a f te r th a t th e prospect is good, th e sam e ra ins w itb su b ­s' quern s ow ers hav ing sta rted fresh buds th a t pro- m i-e a fa ir crop in good season — I'rinislod Ch onic'r,

A W e d g e has been en tered in to th^ acr levying d is - c r im n a t in g d u tie s on im p o rta tio n s from coun tries ^ eat of th e Cape of Good H ope, by the bill f irm th e C om m ittee on W ays an d Menus w hich abrogate~ th e d u ty on te a an d coffee produced in those u. uu ties. B u t w hy not a ttach ciuchona b a rk s to th-* bill ? T he d isc rim inating tiuiv s pa id on coffees, teas and c in ­chona bark s en tered for consum ption d u rin g th e p as t th re e fiscal years w ere as follows :—

C- ff e. Tea. C inchona B arks.1879 ..................... $13,218 $12,792 $15,9581880 ..................... 29,680 7,008 8,5781881 ..................... 533 8,927 8,724

T o ta ls .. .. $43,431 $29,3^7 $33/260— U, S . Oil and D rug Nf-ws.

F o o t a n d M o u t h D i s e a s e . — W e are in form ed by Mr. M a rk C harrock, farm bailiff to M essrs. G reenw ood and Roberts, R udholm e L aund, C litheroe, th a t he has found g re a t benefit from th e use < f caib t 1 c acid in cast s of foot and m outh disease. The disease h r ke o u t in a herd of 83 ca ttle , • f wh;c.i 13 were i f f c tcd win n th e experim ents w ith C a lv e rt’s No. 5 curb lie acid ap­p lied by m eans of C a lv e rt’s “ V ap o rise r.” A fu r ­th e r ou tb reak occurred tw o d ay s a fte rw ard s , b u t from th a t tim e th e sp read of th e disease was a r . r» sted an d th e w hole of th e uffected an im ds sp u d d y re c o v e r d. T h e success in th is case was so m a rk 'd , b o th w ith re g a id to check ing th e sp re -d of th e d is­ease an d curing i t , th a t an ex tensive tr ia l of th is rem edy will probab ly be m ade . — M a rk Lunc Express, M arch 20th.

F o r e w a r n e d i s F o r e a r m e d .— P lan te rs and farm ers th ro u g h o u t th e d is tr ic t w ill do well to pay a tte n tio n to th e m a tte r to w hich we now refer. A gentlem an rid in g along th e N- bo road had h is a tte n tio n d irec ted to a large p a tc h 01 flock of locusts ; which w re se ttle d on one of th e cane fields a t th e Palm s e s ta te , hy his horse refusing to pass b y th e sp o t withe u t exh ib ­i tin g signs of g re a t fear. On a lig h tin g to m ..ke ex ­am ination he found th a t these insects in tmlliung were d ep as tu iin g 011 th e cane of which every v es t’ _e d isappeared as they slow ly tra v e lle d along A clvse im pectiou show ed th a t th e locusts w ere in the t a i ly stage < f deveiopem ent and m igh t easily be d estroyed w ere p roper m easur e adopted . B u t if th ey are a llo w d to grow to m a tu rity th e ir sp read ing over th e d is tr ic t is a m a ile r q u ite w .tlm i th e bound* of prob b lu y and a m ore te rrib le scourge can scarcely ho im ag in 'd , should th e y do so. We are :n:„ rn . _d t h. b m tl vir p rim a ry stage th e y may be sw ept up or covered w ith c lo ths o r bags au d destroyed, and we should to the gen tlem an in charge of th e V dm rs ta t" . as w ell as to any o th e r per ous w ho may b-» v v ite d l y these locusts, th e d es irab ility of ar. once st* psto arit-st the spread of these insects, i t : '.e 1 >cu-u can be erad ica ted from th e d is tr ic t, i t w ill be w ell w orth th e ex p en d itu re of a t-uin of money < n ho work. T he v is ita tio n a lluded to took p la te b u m * the recent heavy rain , w hich may t o>sibly have 1 ff vt*d th e w ork of destruction , b u t in any case w-- tu s g our ailusion to th e sul j c t will be borne iu m v-d m> th a t upon th e re-appearance of th is p!a_;uc i t m ay be stam ped o u t, if possible .— M ackay (Ar, Queensland) Standard.

I . ocal S a l e s o f C in c h o n a B a r k seem to be now quite an institu tion . Mr. E . Jo h n has issued a program m e of a very extensive sale of all kinds, the lo ts being no fewer th an 92 in num ber. In consequence, the sale will commence punctually a t 11-30 on W ednesday, the 19th in stan t. Bids up to 25 cents can be a t the ra te of 1 c e n t ; h u t over 25 cents the bids m ust be 2J c e n ts ; and over B l , the bids m ust be no t lower th an 5 cents. Elhedde sends 120 bags, of which 103 are “ beaten tw igs.” S t. Kegulus sends 218 hags, and so f o r th ; hu t Fankqrton “ heats a ’, ” as th e Scotch say. T he q u an t­ities are represented in lb., and one lo t includes 1,045 lb. of branch h a rk : th e quan tity from th is estate being altogether over 1,800 lb.

C o l a N u t s — In te re s t in th is p ro d u c t has been r e ­v ived by th e reference in the la s t re p o rt from K ew . A correspondent, w ho sends us an e x tra c t from Cham­bers's Journal, enqu ires : “ H as i t reached Ceylon y e t? A n a tiv e of S ierra Leone w ould p robab ly th r iv e here. ”— “ S ir Jo seph H ooker’s rep o rt on K ew G ardens, la te ly issued, contains an in te re s tin g accoun t of th e cola n u t— th e seed of th e cola acum inata , a tre e w hich has been very successfully p ropagated in th e gardens. T he cola n u t is sa id to enhance th e flavour of an y ­th in g ea ten a f te r i t , an d is also sa id to possess e x tra ­o rd inary pow er, in a llay ing th e pangs of hunger. I t is, how ever, chiefly used as a lu x u ry , an d is in g rea t dem and am ong th e n a tiv es of th e G am bia. T he tr ade in lh is n u t lias m uch increased of la te years, and in 1879 reached seven h u n d erd and fo rty th re e thousand pounds. T he p la n t—a n a tiv e of th e S ie rra Leone d is­tr ic t— has been in troduced in to th e W e s t In d ie s and h as been d is tr ib u te d from K ew am ong th e B otanic gardens in various p a r ts of th e w orld . ”— So long ago as 7 th M ay 1879, w e gave th e follow ing inform ation in th e Observer :—

Cola Nuts.—U ntil the arrival of the paper promised by Mr. Christie on the cola nu t of Africa we give the follow­ing information on the subject:— I t was formerly described as several separate species of Sterculia, a genus of plants of which there are several species in Ceylon, one of them, the S . foetida, having very vile stinking flowers, as its name implies. I t is now the Cola (Sterculia) acuminata, Hors, and Bennet,X and has been described as Sterculia grandi- flora, n itida, macrocarpa, verticillita, and oblongifolia, and also as Lunania Biehy.—U nder two of the above names Don in liis Gardener’s Dictionary vol. 1. p. 515 gives the follow­ing account of it, showing th a t the tree and its nuts were well known in 1831

5 S. a c u m in a t a (Beava. fl. d’ow. 1. t 24.J leaves oblong- acum inated, quite entire, smooth, on long s ta lk s ; flowers in axillary panicles ; an thers in two rows, sessile; carpels 1-2- seeded. S. Native of the tropical parts of Africa particularly On the w estern coast. Flowers white with spreading segm ens Carpels usually 2, opposite from abortion. There are two varieties of the Cola, one with white, the o ther w ith redd­ish seeds. The seeds are about the size of horse-chesnuts.

The seeds ot this species are known throughout tropical Africa by the name of Cola or Kola- They have long been celebrated by voyagers as possessing a high degree oi value among the natives of Guinea, who take a poition of one of them before each ot their meals, tor they believe them to enhance the flavour of anything they may subsequently cat or drink. The seeds foimerly were said to be held in such high estim ation among the natives of Guinea, th a t 50 of them were sufficient to purchase a wife, but a t present 20 or 30 seeds can be purchased for a handful of cowrie?, while 2 or three tons of cowries would not purchase a perfect fenn.le a t the present day. We have eaten the seeds, they h ,ve a very b itter ta s te ; they are about the size of a pigeon’s egg, oi a brownish colour ; they are supposed to pos­sess the same properties as Peruvian bark.

Acuminated-leaved Sterculia or Cola. Clt. 1795 Tr. 40 ft.6 S. MACROCARPA; leaves oblong, acumina'C, entire,

smooth, on long stalks ; flowers axillary, pan iclid ; anthers in two rows, sessile ? carpels 4-6. seeded. S. Native of Guinea. Flowers white. Pcds generally 2 from abortion, opposite. The seeds of th is tree are also known under the name of Cola in G u in ea ; they possess the same qualities as those of Sterculia acuminata.

T h e G o v e r n m e n t J ava c o f f e e cro p for 1882 is es­tim ated a t 850,700 piculs.— S tra its Times.

M e d ic in a l B ar k s im ported in to the U nited S ta tes in ­creased from 4,638,000 lb. in 1880 to 5,648,000 lh. in 1881.

Q u i n i n e i n N a s a l C a t a r r h . — D r. N . F o llio tt, w ritin g to th e B ritish M edical Jou rn a l, s ta te s th a t coryza o r nasal c a ta rrh m ay be cured in a few hours, if ta k e n a t th e onset, o r a t m ost tw elve h ours a f te r ­w ards, by th e inhalation of a sp ray of su lp h a te of quinine. T he solution used is m ade by dissolving 4 grains of qu in ine in an ounce of w ater, w ith ju s t suffici­e n t d ilu te su lp h u ric acid to dissolve it, a n d -sce n tin g w ith any agreeable perfum e. T h e so lu tion is in jected u p th e nostrils in th e form of a sp ray , w ith an o rd in ­a ry h an d ball sp ray p ro d u cer in such a w ay th a t th e qu in ine can be ta s te d a t th e back of th e m outh . T h is is done every ho u r o r o fteuer according to th e urgency of th e sym ptom s. H e sta te s th a t th is rem edy has been tr ie d w ith success in hay fever, and th a t if nasal ca ta rrh is of parasitic orig in , as he strong ly suspects, th e action of qu in ine is a t once ap p aren t. I t m ig h t be add ed th a t , even supposing c a ta r rh to be th e re s u lt of sudden change of tem pera tu re , th e action of qu in ine in co n trac ting th e superficial capillaries w ould be q u ite as obvious. I t is som ew hat su rp riz in g th a t th is p ro p e rty of quin ine does n o t appear to have been tr ie d for chilb lains in th e itch in g stage, when th e cap illa ry vessels arc d ila ted . [A fter th is w ho know s (nose) to w h a t uses qu in ine can be app lied ? I f i t co n trac ts th e nose w hy no t th e m outh ?—E d .]

T h e E n g l is h T e a D u t y . — A s E ng lan d can n o t p ro ­duce tea , th e E n g lish tea d u ty is n o t p ro tec tiv e a t all, b u t is p u re ly a revenue d u ty , aud as such , is open to no ob jection excep t t h a t i t increases th e cost of liv ing to th e m u ltitu d e s w ho use if. W h a t th e w rite r w an ts is th a t E ng land , reg ard in g In d ia as p a r t an d parcel of herself, shou ld protect In d ia n te a ag a in s t C h ina tea . A m om en t’s considera tion show s th a t for E ng land to ad o p t such a policy, and p ro te c t In d ian te a ag a in s t C hina, would be an open d e p a r tu re from h er iree trad e- princip les, an d w ould seriously d is tu rb a ll o u r re la tions w ith C hina. I t is p robab ly too m uch to expect th a t our critic s shou ld consider th e ru in th ey propose to in flic t on th e Chinese p roducers of te a ; h u t th e y shou ld a t lea s t face th e fac t th a t rvhat th ey ask really is, th a t E ng land should ad o p t a d is tin c tly p ro tec tio n is t policy in favour of In d ia an d against C h in a .—-Friend o) Ind ia d- Statesm an. [W e can understand and sym pathize w ith a movement in favour of a reduction of th e B ritish tea duty all round from Gd to 3d, hu t to ask, as sonic of the In d i­an tea p lan ters and Ind ian newspapers having asked for a reduction only of the duty as far as tea from Ind ia is concerned, is to ask for the reversal of p rin ­ciples which have long ago been accepted by all po lit­ical parties and by the com m unity, as true, fan- and beneficial. W e sincerely hope the sta te of the British revenue may speedily adm it of the reduction by one- lialf of the tea duties, but th a t reduction will infallibly apply to all teas, whatever then- origin. D uties are levied and are justifiable only so long as revenue is absolutely needed. In B ritain , the day of distinctive or protective duties is over. Sometimes th e tem ptation to re ta lia te on sta te s which lay prohibitory duties on our products, the U nited S tates, for instance, and on those which give sugar bounties, and so fo rth , is very strong. B u t in any such action, it is th e B ritish con­sumer who would first and chiefly suffer. I n Ceylon we need the Customs revenue, and indirect taxes are easily collected, and their incidence light. People pay them readily, who would denounce aud evade righ t tax ­ation. They ought not, therefore, to he tam pered with. Nevertheless, if we also could c a n y out free trade principles, we ought to do so.]

R O O T-G R A FTIN G RO SES.I t is probable th a t th is way of increasing roses m ay

in some cases be carried out earlier th an the la s t week in F eb ru ary ; bu t we do no t usually get our propagat­ing bed ready before th is tim e, and genial tem perature is required to insure prom pt success. T he dog rose grows abundantly in the hedges round here, and I have ju s t grafted a quan tity of th e b riar roots dug from th e banks in the fields w ith pieces of rose shoots taken from the best hybrid p e rp e tu a ls; and I shall be m uch dis­appointed, judging from previous experience, if th e p rin ­cipal part of those grafted roses do no t flower th iscom ing dim m er and autum n. T he chief requisites of success are to obtain healthy roots of fair streng th— pieces of roots will do—ju st s ta rtin g in to growth, and the scions or g rafts should be obtained from dorm ant shoots of strong healthy p la n ts ; weakly shoots do no t succeed so well. A sharp knife is an absolute necessity. A sm ooth cu t should be m ade on th e best face of th e stock, and the scion cut to fit i t ; th e two should then be bound together tightly w ith soft m atting or raffia. I prefer the la tte r. The bark of the stock and scionshould fit closely on a t least one side. As fast as they are grafted they should be potted in to large 60-sized pots if they are large enough, p o ttin g the stocks suffici­ently deep to bury the bottom of the graft, to excludethe a i r ; th is saves grafting wax or clay. P lunge thepots in to a bottom heat of 75 degrees, in a close fram e or pit, and shade from bright sunshine un til th e grafts are able to bear it w ithout injury. I prefer sawdust for a plunging m aterial, as i t m aintains a nice moist, steady heat.— H .— Field.

PLA N TIN G AN ORCHARD.Some few years ago I planted about an acre with

standard apples, pears, and plums. They have done well, bu t since p lanting out these standards I have p lanted about fifty or sixty trees on wire espaliers, and if ever I were p lanting an orchard again I would pu t i t all on wire, for these reasons : I could pu t more trees on the same space, the fru it on the espalier is finer, and i t is quite safe from the wind, which often completely strips the standards of th e fru it when only half ripe. T he only drawback to th e espalier is th e first expense, b u t th is need not be great. The rails removed from the sleepers m ake capital end standards o r s tra in ing posts ; th e in te r­m ediate posts have only to sustain the weight of light w ile s ; there is noth ing of the n atu re of- a fence to resist cattle . They m ay be made of perforated quarter- inch iron bars, m erely driven a couple of feet in to the ground, as, a fter a year or two, when the trees have clothed the wires, the trees them selves will support the wires. This is w hat I would recom m end: buy an old rail, say 16ft. long a t the price of old i r o n ; cu t it into two lengths of 10ft. and 6ft.; get the sm ith to bore a dozen holes in the 10ft. length for the w ire s; sink i t in th e ground 3ft., leaving 7ft. above ground, and use the 6ft. length as a stay. There are no stones or anchor necessary for the 10ft. standard—it has only to resist the w in d ; bu t one of the wire holes should be made about an inch in diam eter, and through th is hole an iron bolt is driven for the head of th e stay to rest on. F o r th e foot of th e s tay a stone o r sla te laid flat about a foot below the surface, and ano ther stone a t right angles for the point of th e stay to press against like a half-open book. Wire is sold by weight, and very light wire would do. 1 have not tried it, hu t I th ink common copper hell wire would he as economical as any. T he espaliers should run no rth and south for the sun ; if 7ft. high, ab o u t 8ft. apart to adm it the sun and air. There is ample room for a row of gooseberries or cu rran ts between each espalier. I f a m an objects to the sight of an old rail, it is easy to p lan t a climbing ose to hide it. In p lan ting an orchard seo th a t you e t young vigorous trees, no t old stum ps th a t have been

cu t back for years, and also open roots, n o t stun ted and clumped or p o t-g row n; also get trees from a colder county— the extra w arm th and clim ate will bring them away. A single espalier should ru n east and west, hut rows of espaliers should run no rth and south.

Pitgaveny, E lgin, N. B . J . D u n b a r B r a n d e b .— F ield .

H O P C U L T U R E ON T H E N IL G IR IS .In a recent issue we drew a tten tio n to th e advantages

to be derived to th e hill se ttlem en t on th e Nilgiris by th e extended culture of barley, w heat, and o ther ce rea ls ; and in th is connection we would now desire to add the culture of hops. T he la te Mr. M clvor, of the G overn­m ent G ardens a t Ootacam und, w as of opinion th a t hops would thrive and become highly productive under pro­per trea tm en t on the Nilgiris, and he gave a preference to situations enjoying a somewhat m ilder clim ate than th a t prevailing a t Ootacam und, and considered th e land in the vicinity of K otaglierry and the eastern portion of the p lateau generally very suitable for i ts cultiv­ation ; bu t we believe there is noth ing on record toshew th a t Mr. M clvor’s recom m endation was a t anytim e carried in to effect. An attem pt to grow hops a t th e Lawrence Asylum Farm , Lovedale, was made some two years ago, a t the suggestion, we believe, of Mr.Batblrelor, th e p resent local m anager of th e NilgiriBrewery Company, L im ited, bu t proved unsuccessful. T he report of th a t in stitu tion , while simply recording th e failure, has no t in any way placed on record p a r t­iculars. T h is is all the more to he regretted , inasm uch as there are no d a ta for com batting th e causes which led to such failure. W e may not, perhaps, be fa r wrong in concluding th a t th e experim ent was left in the hands of an experienced person. Be th is as it m ay, i t would have been in teresting to have had all th e inform ation we could obtain on th e subject for fu tu re guidance. Farm ing is a profession, and the farm er, if he desire to be successful, m ust be a m an of general, and in some things—particularly agricultural chem istry— deep scientific knowledge ; and in course of tim e our local A gricultural College ought, we th ink , to be able to tu rn ou t a few such men. The m ere fact of a failure resu lting solely from w ant of experience in fann ing operations ought no t to be a drawback. Clim ate, soil and certain situ ­ations on the Nilgiris, are adapted to the culture of the hop, and we shall be glad to see an effort m ade in th is direction.

The Isle of T hauet was considered to be unsuited to the perfect cultivation of tiro hop p lan t on account of i ts exposed situation , and th e prevalence of cold n ip ­ping w in d s; hu t th e experience of the las t few years lias shewn completely the fallacy of th is opinion, and proved th a t w ith skill and care as good hops m ay be grown there as in any p art of K e n t ; and we see no reason why a sim ilar resu lt m ay not, w ith tim e and perseverance, be obtained on th e Nilgiris, and tire hop become a stap le article of production of those hills. Owing to the national predilection for, and th e vast consum ption of beer, the cultivation of th e hop p lan t ought lo be an object of the m ost careful and assiduous study iu th is country. True, hop-growing in E ngland, in consequence of num erous contingencies, has come to be regarded as a species of agricultural gambling, in which a great deal is staked by th e farm er on the oft' chance of his having a good crop when generally there is a had one. Chance i t is and nothing more—like alm ost every o ther u n d ertak in g ; hu t th is alone ought no t to be an obstacle to its culture. The hop will thrive on arty land where good w heat can be grown— it prefers a deep soil, the deeper th e better. A hill top is not favo rab le ; a site should be chosen as m uch protected from cold winds as possible, and th e selection made by the la te Mr. M clvor of land in K otaglreny and on the eastern p lateau of the Nilgiris is deserving

of atten tion . The E urasian and A nglo-Indian Associ­ation m ight, a t some fu tu re tim e, tu rn its a tten tio n to hop-farming on the N ilgiris .— M adras Times.

T R E E P R U N IN G .The secret of obtaining a complete cure in all oper­

ations requiring the rem oval of a branch, either living or dead, consists in cutting close to, and perfectly even w ith, the trunk. M any authorities have hin ted a t this, the cardinal principal of all p ru n in g ; bu t M. de Courval first clearly dem onstrated its im portance, while his dis­covery of th e value of coal-tar or the refuse from gas­works as a covering for wounds m ade in pruning renders the application of his ru le in all cases entirely safe.

Form ation o f Wood.— The reason th a t a branch should be cu t close and even w ith the tru n k is found in one of the simple laws of p lan t life. I t is known th a t sap has a double movement— th a t i t m ounts from the roots to the leaves, and re tu rns again in an elaborated condition to th e roots. Roots take up w ater from the soil in which there are various sa lts in solution. T his w ater rises to the" leaves; these absorb from th e a ir and decompose carbonic acid gas, the basis of which is carbon, which combined w ith w ater constitu tes the elem ents of wood. T he sap thus elaborated by th e leaves is carried down again in a liquid sta te , aud is deposited, year after year, in th e successive concentric layers of wood which form the trunks of all trees, w ith the exception of palms, yuccas, &c., which need no t now be considered.

I t follows th a t a wound caused by the am putation of a branch m ust, in order to heal properly, he made per­fectly even with the trunk , th a t every part of its outer edge may be brought in to direct com m unication w ith the leaves through the netw ork of cells destined to convey th e descemling sap. Although th is theory rests on one of th e m ost elem entary principles of vegetable physiology, i t has no t been applied before to practical forest m anage­m ent. The am putation having been made even w ith the tru n k in the m anner explained, new wood will soon appear, form ing first round the top and .sides of the wound, which is soon completely surrounded by the new g ro w th ; th e wound is gradually healed over, and the decay of th e tru n k prevented. T he tim e required for the complete healing of a wound depends, of course, upon its dimensions and the natu ra l vigour of the tree.

The principle being established th a t large wounds can be made w ithout in ju ry to the tree if care is taken in the m anner indicated to prevent decay, i t is easy to show the advantage of cu tting off in jured branches of any size. I t is preferable to avoid, of course, the necessity of m aking large wounds by properly pruning trees when young. All foresters agree th a t trees should be trained when young, hut De Courval has amply dem onstrated by num erous rem arkable specimens exhibited a i the A gricultural Show of Paris, in 18G1, and a t the Universal Exposition of London, in 1SG2, th a t it is beneficial, and often indispensable, to prune tne oldest trees if care and judgm ent are use .1 in tn e operation. H e has clearly shown, too, th a t trunks so trea ted atta ined a larger size aud a greater value in a given tim e th an those which, under sim ilar r.cinlilions of growth, had been allowed to re ta in all tl eir badly placed branches.I regret in th is connection to differ from so em inent an au thority as D e j.rec ii, who gives the fi ller,m g ru le : “ A m putations m ust t e performed in such a m anner 11.at the diam e.er of the wound shall no t exceed th a t of toe end of the branch.” Such a practice m ust, I believe, be disastrous, for whenever a branch cf large size is am putated in th is way, it is evident th a t a cavity in the trunk of the tree will sooner or la te r appear.

I t is only necessary t o . m ake the am putation even w ith the trunk and then cover the wounu w ith coal-tar, to avoid all bad results. Although wounds caused by tho am putatipn of small branches heal over in spite i : th e faulty methods of pruning generally employed, sucn

operations are, nevertheless, attended w ith considerable danger to the tree.

Experience and common sense show th e objection to leaving any portion of an am putated limb, hu t there is g reater danger in allowing stum ps one or two feet long to rem ain on tiie trunk , a common practice even among persons in crested in the preservation of trees. These stum ps, deprived of com m unication w ith the leaves, die, th e b a tk falls off, while the stum ps themselves rem ain like plugs of decaying wood driven in to the tru n k .—Forestry.

T H E ALKALOID O F C U PR EA B M tK .1 0 T H E E D IT O R OE T H E “ PH A RM A CEU TICA L JO U R N A L .”

S i r ,— I am glad to observe from th e concluding lines of your note appended to my last le tte r, th a t we have a t least one point of agreem ent. Perhaps in tim e you will also recognize th a t if a compound is separable in to 11 crystals of pure sulphate of quinine” and “ a m olher- liquor,” i t “ can yield a crystalline sulphate which when isolated may he as hevogyrate as quinine sulphate, and give no hydriodate of quinidine for surely, “ pure sulph­ate of quinine,” “ when iso lated ,” fulfils these condi­tions? At any ra te th is is the su lphate we obtained.

By sta ting in our artic le th a t we had no t succeeded in obtaining the new base, vve did n o t question Mr. H ow ard’s r e su lts ; for th a t chem ist did not describe honioqninine as p resent in all eupreas, and he m ight have, and probably has, obtained it from some particu lar variety th a t had no t th en fallen in to our hands. W e have some reason for believing th a t Mr. H ow ard does no t find hom oquinine in the m ajority of the better sorts of cuproa, and so fa r therefore, we are simply in accord w ith him . T h a t our sta tem ent m ight be con­sidered to cast doubt oil th e existence of h is new alkaloid in cuproa barks generally, we do no t deny, and I am even willing to em phasize th is doubt, although I regret to find th a t I thereby pu t myself a t issue w ith Mr. Wliiffen. T h a t anything like OT per cent of a new base, crystallizablo from ether, exists in the m ajority of good typical cuprea barks, I do no t a t p resent believe ; and I aw ait w ith some curiosity th e fu ller researches on the new alkaloid, or alkaloids, • th a t the au thors will probably publish. Only th e abstrac t of Mr. H ow ard’s paper has as ye t appeared ; b u t in th a t certain definite characteristics of hom oquinine are given. I t will be in teresting to _see how fa r the base noticed by the o ther authors agrees w ith th a t of Mr. Howard in these char­ac ters of precision.

A t present Mr. Whiffen seems to a ttach chief im ­portance to the lievogyrate character of the base he has obtained, hu t unfortunately his sta tem ents regarding th is property are not sufficiently explicit. H e operated on the “ effloresced” sulphates of einchonidine, quinine, and th e ne w b a s e ; bu t ne does no t sta te the com­position cf the effloresce sulphate cf the new base, i.e., t .e am ount of w ater :i rc allied, nor does he s .a le the solve:.is used, :iltin.;; o : id ; is well known to g reatly rtibv i ,.o an In. 1 v. vV.hi.lbn gives for eff.cresced sulph­a te cf c r.inii.o (ff)j— h'JG. Hesse gives for the anhydrous sq lpha 'e in : ho ..,d ie solution (« )j—1PV47 and in acid solution (:!() - i per so. t of t i c sol.) (o)j- ~228'78. Efib r< 1 1:1 vie of ; c . v j f is sta ted to re ta in 2 mole-ru ier : i vvws'. r.u 1, tl ved/.o. nee, re ing to H esse’s results, s h e .I t give an r.lcvLelic solution (« )j= 1 8 7 , ar.d in acid solution 2 .'S '-ti); the l c ’cr m o th e r being again subject to variation .le c r r ii’ig to to.) pioportion of r.ciil present. I refer to the. o p o ir ls r o t v,i:Ji t i e in ten tion of casting any doubt < n Mr. W hiffen’s experim ental observations, bu t to shot, the necessity for fuller ( t ra i ls if chem ists are to m ake any use of th e num bers Mr. Whiffen has published. C. f j . W ood.

S ib ,— I n Mr. W ood’s le tte r to your Jo u rn a l las t weeknotice th a t he adm its a doubt as to the existence of

the new alkaloid in cuprea bark generally, a lthough he believes in the homoquinine of Mr. Howard.

There can be no doubt th a t th e alkaloid I have described and homoquiuine are th e same substance, and th a t it is identical w ith the alkaloid described by Dr. Paul and Mr. Cownley. I can again assert th a t th is alkaloid exists in some of th e very finest samples of cu p rea; and th a t its occurrence is more nearly the rule th an the exception in modern imp rta :ious of these barks.

In my com m unication to the Pharm aceutical Journal of December 15th, I published th e ro ta ry angles of cinchonidine, quinine, and the new base, as determ ined under like circum stances, to show the relative position of the new alkalo id ; for I am fully aware of the need of caution in expressing the result as well as in determ ­in ing the polariscope angle of any alkaloid. 1 p u r­posely om itted all details in my prelim inary note, but shall no t fail to give such description in a fu rther notice of th is in teresting alkaloid.

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

CIN C H O N A M IN E; A N E W CINCHONA ALKALOIDO BTA IN ED FRO M CINCHONA “ C U PR EA .” *

BY H. ARNAUD.# The first alkaloids isolated from cinchona harks in a

sta te of purity were cinchonine and quinine, by Pelletier and Caventou, in 1820. O ther chem ists la te r on dis­covered two new a lkalo ids: quinidine, which is isomeric w ith quinine, and cinchonidine, isomeric w ith cinchonine. These alkaloids, the existence of which was a t one time denied, then again adm itted, were thoroughly studied by Pasteur. Pelletier and C am ol had announced the exist­ence, in certain barks, of an alkaloid which they nam ed aricine. Hesse, in some late researches, confirmed the existence of th is body and also the com position assigned to it. In 1872, Hesse discovered quinaniine, and an isomer of it, conquinamine, in certain cultivated E ast Indian barks. F inally, W illm and Caventou obtained, by oxidizing cinchonine with perm anganate of potassium , a new bod y : liydrocinchonino, which differs from cin­chonine only by having two atom s of hydrogen more. This is also the composition of th e new alkaloid, of which I have presented a report to the Academy of Sciences. The new base differs completely, im its chemical and physical properties, from hydrocinchonine. I propose to call i t cinchonamine in allusion to its relationship w ith cinchonine and quinaniine.

I ascertained the presence of cinchonainine in a very dense bark, of a deep red-brown, w ith resinous fracture, coming from the province of San tandar (U nited S tates of Columbia). T his bark does not resemble th a t usually exported from those regions. Vincbonamine exists in th is bark simultaneously w ith cinchonine, a fact which I affirm. The proportion of these a lk a lo id is 0*8— 1 0 per cent of cinchonine and 0 2 per cent of cinchonainine. In order to ex tract them , the lank is trea ted with m ilk of lim e ; the m ixture, dried a t the ordinary tem perature, is exhausted by strong boiling a lcoho l; th e la tte r is ‘distilled off, and the residue taken up by an excess of dilute hydrochloric acid. The hydrochlorate of cinchon- amine, but little soluble in the col 1, crystallizes, while the hydroclilorate of cinchonine rem ains in solution. Upon th is fact is based the m ethod of separation.

CinchonimVio isinsoluble in co ll . ' I t crystallizes from the boiling alcoholic solution in cob>ur!v>s brilli­an t and a a .iy h 'j.is p r im * ; t\* > a wav.n etnoroalsolution, or on spontaneous ovanora'ion, it ery dallizes in fine nee lies. One p a rt of the alkaloid is t olublo in 100 parts of ether, sp. gr. 0*720 a t 17" C., an i in 31*6 parts of alcohol of 90 per cent. I t m elts b.dow 195° C., and on cooling, becomes a transparen t amorphous m ass. I ts alcoholic solution has an alkaline reaction.

* F rom Expert, de P hann ., 1881, 507. R eprinted from Kew Remedies, January , 1881.

I t is dextrogyre, th e angle of ro ta tion for th e solution in alcohol of 93 per cent is [ a ] p = + 117*9°. T he so­lu tions of its sa lts are precipitated by potassa and am m onia. I t completely neutralizes acids, form ing sa lts W'hich are generally bu t little soluble. I ts ta s te is slightly b itte r. T he salts, in acid solution, are not fluorescent.

The clilorhydrate, C19H 24N 2 O.HC1.H 2 O, crystallizes very easily in prism s or prism atic p lates, b u t little soluble in cold w ater, m uch m ore so in w ater acidulated with hydrochloric acid.

T he chloroplatinate, (C19H 24N 2 O.HC1) 2 P tC l 4 , is a bright-yellow, crystalline powder, obtaine .1 by precip it­a ting a sa lt of cinchonainine in acid solution, by an excess of platiuic chloride. T he precip ita te is nearly insoluble in pure and in acidulated wrator.

The sulphate , dried a t 100° C., (Ci9H 2tN 2 O) 2H 2 .6 0 4 , very* soluble iu w ater, crystallizes well from alcohol; By spontaneous evaporation of th e alcoholic solution i t is deposited in the form of an am orphous resin.

The n itra te , a crystalline p recip itate, is nearly in ­soluble in dilute n itric acid.

T he hydriodate and the acetate are very little soluble in cold w a te r ; they are likewise crystalline.

T he sulphate is dextrogyre in acid solution, bu t the ro ta to ry power of the alkaloid is greatly diminished, the angle of ro ta tion being only [a]i> — + 45*5° a t 16° C.

The resu lts of the analysis of cinchonainine and its sa lts agree well w ith th e form ula C19H 24N 2 O, as well w ith C20H 24N 2 O. I f th e form er form ula be adopted (according to Skraup) for cinchonine, th e same form ula m ust be adopted for the new alkaloid, since th e two are distinguished only by two atom s of hydrogen. On th e o ther hand, cinchonam ine has two atom s of oxygen less th an quinainine. T he following are th e analy tical d a ta :—

Found (mean). Calculated for C19H 24N 2 O.Carbon . . 77*20 77*02H ydrogen 8*41 8*10N itrogen . . 9*30 9*46Oxygen . .F o r th e chloroplatinate (C19H 21N 2 O.HC1) 2 P tC l 4 there

w 'cre:—Found. Required.

P la tinum . . 19*45 19*70Chlorine . . 20*75 21*20

— P harm aceutical Journal.

C assava .— According to the Scientific Am erican (De­cember 31, 1881, p. 415), a company has been form ed in Philadelphia to ex tract glucose from cassava root, which is said to yield about tw enty tim es as m uch as corn, or a t the ra te of 21,000 pounds the acre.— P harm ­aceutical Journal.

H a y t i — Ih e Consul’s report; from Jacm el, recen tly pub lirin d, gives a w retched descrip tion of th e condi­tion of H ay ii. “ A gricu ltu re ,” he s-'ys, “ is in a m ost p rim itiv e s ta 'e ; indeed , ev ery th in g is le f t - to n a tu re . H o rtic u ltu re is unknow n. By ex perim en ts1.:ado by m yself since I h ive resided litre , i t is am ply proved th a t n e irly every k in d of vegetable can be successfu lly cu ltiv a ted in th e rich so l. Th* re are no m anufactu re s iu th is d is tr ic t. T here is a sa lt pan 4. it.h’u fifteen m inute*’ r de from t h ‘s tow n, w here fcuifiuieut ta l t for th e d is tr ic t could he m a d e ; an d \ e t the in h ab itan ts prefer to pay 2s. 6(7. a bushel du ty ;.>r tHe im ported sa lt th an to w ork th e resources a t L aud .” O.i th e question of th e im p o rt tra d e th e C onsul w rites :— “ T he A m erican m ak e t is push ing the English closely, and from tim e to tim e travellers for A m eric 11 tvuns com e round enquire in to the e ta ’e of th e m a rk e t and th e changes necessary, an d a t once n v e t t.ie dem and. On th e o th e r han d , the English m erch an ts leave th e liol.« vn, and du ring an e ig h t m o u th s’ residence here 1 iiave o rdy seen one com ­m ute al traveller, rep resen t!;,.' a firm in B elfast, arrive iu th is to w n . ”— Colonies a ,.d In d ia ,

C o p p ic e in te n d e d to s h o o t a g a in s h o u ld n o t b e c u t w h e n i t sh o w s a te n d e n c y to “ b le e d , ” a s th e e x c e ss iv e lo s s o f s a p e x h a u s ts th e s to o ls a n d r e n d e r s th e m b a r r e n .— Forestry.

Ca lum ba R oo t .— At the drug sales th is m onth, a large quantity o f false calum ba root (Coscinium fencstra tum ) was offered. This drug seems of ra re occurrence in the m arket, no t having been observed apparently since it was noticed in th is Journal, in 1850 and 1852. In Septem ber in the la tte r year eighty bales appear to have been offered. In Ceylon it is highly valued as a tonic and anthelm intic, the kno tty part of th e stem s being used. I t also appears to have been im ported, under the nam e of “ calum had,” or “ columbo roo t,” in 1694, when a pam phlet was published by a doctor of medicine, of London, “ shewing its adm irable virtue in curing the gout and easing all sorts of rhenm atical pains.” Japanese s ta r anise also still continues to be ofiere4. T he cuprea bark which yields A m aud’s cinchonam ine has been noticed in th e m arket th is m onth, mixed w ith o ther varieties of cuprea bark .— Pharm aceutical Journal.

C in c h o n a .— In a note to the Gardeners' Chronicle., Mr. T . Christy sta te s th a t the greater quan tity of the fine quill calisaya bark which has been cultivated in Bolivia during the past few years goes chiefly to G er­many. H e sta tes also th a t the p lan ters find th a t some varieties of cinchona, especially th e verde variety, yield much more bark th an others, and hence it pays the planter b e tte r to cultivate these ra th e r th an the trees which yield less bark aud grow more slowly, but afford a greater percentage of quinine. The natives, he sta tes, judge of the quality of the bark by th e colour of the leaves and the veins in them . H e has succeeded in obtaining seed of the better kinds, which he is given to understand yield a larger percentage of quinine th an even the ledgeriana, and these have been obtained from th e d istrict whence Ledger obtained his seed.— Ib id .

M a c e .— In the Pharm. Z e itu n y (1881, No. 74), Mr. A. T irsch describes a kind of mace, called Bombay mace, which, he states, is occasionally found in the m arket, bu t which differs from ordinary mace in several p a r t­iculars. T he lobes are longer and th inner, the colour of a dark red-brown, and on the inside i t has adhering to i t a th in parclim ent-like crumbled m em brane never found in tm e mace. The epidermal cells are twice as high, narrow and radially elongated,— the cells of true mace being low and tangentiafiy elongated,— and show well the cellulose reaction w ith iodine and sulphuric acid. The oil cells are very num erous, oval, somewhat radially elongated, often in groups of two or three, and contain a dark yellow usually resinified oil, and some­tim es a brownish resin. No m ention is made of aroma, so th a t i t is not possible to say w hether or not th is product is obtained from 31. malabarica.— Ib id .

R e m a r k a b l e S il v e r F i r .—Any tree th a t has atta ined a height of 144 ft. in B ritain , may, I th ink , be fairly entitled to be considered rem arkable. Such was the height of a silver fir cut down on Saturday, September 17th. I t was the highest tree in Longleat P ark (prob­ably the loftiest tree in B ritain), and formed one of a group of nine silver firs, standing on ra th er an elevated level piece of ground. The site is fully exposed on the north-east side. I ts dead w ithered top has been con­spicuous in th e group for several years, and i t was evident from the appearance of the tree th a t i t was gradually dying from the top dow nw ards; doubtless, however, the severity of last w inter hastened its death. The belt is quite sound for about 60 ft. up, where i t divides into two h ea ls . A lthough it was the highest tree in the group, it was by no m eans the finest and bulkiest speci­men, as i t only girthed 10 ft. 10 in. a t five feet above the ground, aud contained about 350 ft. of tim ber; whereas the largest tree m easures 15 ft. 3 in. a t five feet up, and contains between 400 ft. and 500 ft. of t im b e r ; its height is 138 ft., and it is still in full healthy vigour. The age of the group I should guess to be nearly 200 years old.— G e o r g e B e r r y , Longleat.— Forestry.

A m e r ic a n P e a c h e s .—W e learn from an in te re s tin g p am p h le t on th e Garden F a rm L a n d s o f the Peninsula, th a t from th e bes t inform ation o b ta inab le th e re a re ab o u t 5,000,000 peach trees of all ages betw een tb e D elaw are an d C hesapeake, and th e B randyw ine aud Cape C harles. These trees cover 50,000 acres of th e best and m ost p ro d u c tiv e land, enough to m ake 500 farm s of 100 acres each. R epresen ted in m oney, th e re is an aggregate in v ested cap ita l of 2,750,000 dol. F rom th e official rep o rts th e re w ere sh ipped in 1871, by ra il, 2,456,876 b a s k e ts ; by w ater, th e n u m b er is e s tim ated a t 543,124 b a s k e ts ; m aking an aggregate of 3,000,000 baskets. B u t a ll th e peaches a re n o t exported . M any a re canned an d d ried . So fa r as know n, th e re are six canneries in D elaw are, and, perhaps, as m any in M ary land , tu rn in g o u t over1,000,000 cans of f ru i t .— Australasian .

T h e suggestion th a t th e slopes of railway em bank­m ents m ight be profitably utilized by p lan ting them with trees has several tim es been m ade in these columns, and in the U nited S ta tes th e experim ent has been tried, we believe, w ith great success. A correspondent of our contem porary, Land, raises an objection to th is, which, however, appears hardly w orth considering. H e says th a t during the fall of the leaf th e drifting of leaves along th e line would seriously impede the power of th e passing engines by preventing th e wheels from “ b iting ” the rails, thus causing th e engine to slip. I t is quite poss­ible th a t for two or th ree weeks during October there m ight be a sufficient collection of fallen leaves to have some such effect, h u t th e leaves would soon get dis­persed by the wind, while a t best th e objection only applies to deciduous trees, which in m ost situations would be better replaced by Scotch firs or larch. W e hope th is objection will no t deter railw ay companies from carrying out w hat we consider a very valuable im provement.— Forestry.

K e e p in g G r a p e s .— The system of keeping grapes over th e w inter, w ith a piece of wood attached to the bunch and its end in a bottle of w ater, is too generally practised to require co m m en t; but, surprising to say, some have complained th a t by th is m ethod the fru it becomes deteri­orated in flavour. Our own experience is exactly the rev erse ; iu fact, a fter th e fru it has hung a few m onths, the flawmr has become more sugary and in every way pleasanter. T he preparation of the fru it, by early and thoroughly ripening it, has m ore to do with successful

. keeping th an anything else. Some prefer leaving a piece of wood an inch or two long beyond th e b n n c h ; th is we never do, bu t have always cu t p re tty close to the bunch, and often n ib the cu t w ith styptic, so th a t evaporation cannot take place. This year we trea ted all our shoots in th is way. L ast year th e berries were plum p and in good eatable condition to the 1st of Jun e . W e have tried to keep them in all sorts of structures, bo th in light and in darkness, bu t never found much difference under e ither condition. In a fru it room, where all the shelves were filled w ith apples and pears for a considerable p a rt of th e season, Lady Downes always kept adm irably. This was over a stable where the tem p­eratu re was very even, and no fire heat ever employed. Probably the best position we ever employed for such a purpose xvas a cupboard of a dwelling-house, kep t close ; there A licantes were always extra good till May. L ast year we bottled a num ber of bunches w ith the wood left beyond the hunch, th a t between the bunch and the vine being cut closely off, and no perceptible difference was the result. T he kinds were Gros Colm ar and Barba- rossa, b u t they were used before the end of February, and were no t tested like the others. W e have proved again and again th a t when the roots are in a sweet healthy soil, no t soured by heavy applications of m anure, the keeping has been of th e highest order. Ripening is supposed by some to be complete w hen colouring is finished, bu t h ea t and air are w anted long afterw ards.—H . T .— Field .

T H E JA M A N T R E E .

TO T H E ED ITO R OF T H E “ MADRAS M AIL. ”

S i r , —A bou t th re e or four years ago, an a rtic le appeared in th e A gricultural Gazette, in tim a tin g th e re su lt of some experim en ts sa id to have been m ade by a gen tlem an in th e n o rth of In d ia , w ith th e jam an or “ ju m b la m ” fru it, and s ta tin g th a t he h ad succeeded in m aking an excellent w ine from its juice, b u t no notice appears to have been ta k e n of th is in these p a rts w here th e jam an tre e is to be found in every avenue and tope, an d th e f ru it d u rin g th e m onth of A ugust, p a rticu la rly in th e M ysore coun try , is found ro ttin g in heaps on th e roadsides, an d th e side d ra ins a re black w ith them . T he f ru it contains an abundance of saccharine m atte r , an d d is tille rs w ould, I th in k , tind i t an efficient su b s titu te for jaggery in th e m an u ­fac tu re of sp irits , th e supp ly being alm ost u n lim ited , and th e only cost to be incu rred w ould be th a t of collecting and ca rtin g it. T he seed of th e f ru it is h igh ly a s trin g en t, as is also th e b a rk of th e tree , an d perhaps th e la t te r w ould answ er as a tan n in g a g e n t; b u t I have n o t heard of its ever hav ing been used for , th e p u rpose .— Y ours, &c., A n |; l0 i s d i a n .

T H E R A IN -T R E E .Some travellers in S outh America, in trav e rs in g an

a rid and desolate tra c t of coun try , w ere s tru c k (says L a n d and Water) w ith a s tran g e co n trast. O n one side th e re was a b arren desert, on the o th e r a rich and lu x u ria n t vegetation . T he F rench consul a t Loreto, M exico, says t h a t th is rem arkab le co n tra s t is due to th e presence of th e T am ai Caspi, o r th e ra in -tree . T his tre e grow s to th e heigh t of 60ft., w ith a d iam ete r of 3ft. a t its base, an d possesses th e pow er of stro n g ly a ttra c tin g , absorbing, and condensing th e h u m id ity of th e atm osphere. W a te r is alw ays to be seen d rip p in g from its tru n k in such q u a n tity as to convert th e su rrounding sail in to a veritab le m arsh . I t is in sum m er especially, w hen th e riv ers are nearly d ried up, th a t th e tree is m ust active. I t th is adm irab le q u a li ty of th e rain-tree w ere u tilised in th e a r id regions near th e equator, th e people there , liv ing iu m isery on account of th e unproductive soil, w ould derive g re a t advan tages from its in tro d u c tio n , as w ell as th e people of m ore favoured countries w here th e clim ate is d ry and d ro u g h ts freq u en t.— A ustralasian .

[W e d o u b t a g o o d d e a l o f t h i s . — E d . T . A.]

PLA N TIN G RAILW AY EM BA N K M EN TS.Some objections or restrictions which apply to the

rearing of tim ber on railway em bankm ents, briefly in ­dicated, are :—

1. T he risk of windfall.2. The risk of fire.3. Lodgment of fallen leaves against the rails.1. H indrance of view over the ad jacent country.1. All trees of a largo tim ber size are exposed to

the danger of being overthrown by the strong winds of w inter, blowing generally from a westerly direction. Those certainly which have grown np from their earliest youth in constant exposure to the wind become in a m easure w indproof; bu t no development of th e roots, and no feasible precaution, will ensure perfect stability against severe storm s. Sometimes, even though the roots rem ain firm, the force of the wind will tea r off large branches, or even snap th e trunk in two. A tree grow­ing on the outward slope of a railway em bankm ent, which had atta ined the m oderate height of only 50 ft., would always, or nearly always, considerably overtop the level of the m etals, and, if rooted in the upper p art of the em bankm ent, would reach higher th an th e te le­graph wires. The unregulated fall of such trees m ight do damage, and in terrup t the traffic or com m unication.

211

L arge trees on th e bank of a railw ay cu ttin g would in a still h igher degree m enace the traffic and th e telegraph wires. I n general trees fifty or m ore feet in height, especially on the west side of a line running towards n orth and south, e ither in a cu tting or in an em bank­m ent, would add to the danger of travelling on a dark night in a high wind. These considerations would lim it the age of trees on railway em bankm ents, and would be prohibitory to the production of strong tim ber. The trees would often have to be cu t down in the ir th irtie th or fo rtie th year as a m easure of precaution, and it would probably be convenient to tre a t them as coppice w ith a cycle of from fifteen to th irty years. F ru it trees too m ight he cultivated, even to an advanced age, w ith­out th e ir a tta in ing any dangerous height or bulk.

2. The risk of fire kindled by sparks from the loco­motive is peculiarly attached to pines and o ther coni­ferous trees in dry weather, and especially in ho t sum ­m ers. Broad-leaved trees, when bare of their leaves in w inter, are no t entirely exempt from the same d a n g e r ; bu t in th e ir case th e danger is no t nearly so great. I n N orth G erm any such fires have occurred sd frequently among pines (P inus sylvestris— Scots fir) th a t i t is now an ordinary precaution where a railw ay skirts or in te r­sects a pine forest to interpose a belting or narrow strip of birch or some o ther leaf tree. T his birch [safeguard, being in leaf and green, will no t b u m in th e sum m er­tim e, and serves to in tercep t th e sparks which o th er­wise would have ignited th e resinous and highly in ­flammable pines. T he same precaution has to be ob­served, even along th e more frequented highways in pine forests, against the incautious disposal of burning to ­bacco or m atches. In E ngland the danger would per­haps no t be so g reat nor so regularly re c u rre n t; bu t a t intervals of several years there comes occasionally a summer of scorching h ea t and long-continued drought. Such a season wuuld endanger the pines and firs which m ight have been reared on th e railway em bankm ent.

3. The th ird objection indicated has aiready been referred to in these columns.

4. The fourth objection hardly needs am plification, bu t seeks to give prom inence to th e desire of tourists, farm ers, foresters, sportsm en, and m ost travellers to see th e country through which they are passing. — Journal o f Forestry. S.

T H E C O F F E E A N D S U G A R PR O D U C T S O F G U A T E M A L A .

A co rresponden t of th e N ew O rleans Democrat, w ritin g from P u e r to L iv ingston , H onduras, says th e re are qu ite a large num ber of A m erican p lan te rs , chiefly from M ississippi, located th e re , an d th a t th e co u n try is m aking ra p id com m ercial progress. H e a d d s : “ N ew Y o rk an d P h ilad e lp h ia are m aking strenuous efforts to secure th is s tead ily increasing in te r-tro p ica l traffic. T heir m erchan ts have a lread y se n t d rum m ers to th e p o rts th a t lie a long th e coasts of th e C a rib ­bean sea an d th e B ay of H on d u ras an d th e M osquito G ulf. T h e grow ing coffee tra d e of G uatem ala has a ttra c te d th e serious a tten tio n of th e business m en of th e N o rth ; an d i t seem s th a t th ey have d e te rm ­in ed to w rest i t from th e ir t r a n sa tla n tic rivals. Besides th e increasing p roduction of suga r in B ritish H onduras, th e colonists have begun th e m anufactu re of a cheap ru m —from th e low est grade of m olasses— t h a t is suscep tib le of being g rea tly im proved, such is its pecu liar flavour an d p u r i ty ; th e A m erican p lan ters of P u n ta G orda do n o t h es ita te to asse rt th a t i t can be m ade to equal, if n o t surpass, the- celebrated rum produced in Jam aica , an d Which h as for such a long period been an im p o rta n t a r tic le of com m erce. T hey inform me th a t th is ru m and th e ir h igher g rad e m olasses is so g re a tly esteem ed in E u ­rope th a t together th e y abo u t p ay th e e n tire expenses of ru n n in g th e ir p lan ta tio n s .”— R io N ew s,

E N Q U IR Y A S TO T H E B E S T M O DE O P R E T A IN ­IN G “ T I P ” IN M A N U F A C T U R E .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ INDIAN TEA GAZETTE. ”

S i r , —M ay I be p e rm itted to reply to th e above enquiry w hich appeared in y o u r issue of Septem ber 26th la s t. I t w ill be found th a t th e shorter th e tim e in w hich th e leaf is ro lled an d d ried , th e fresher and b rig h te r th e tip , an d th e b e tte r th e liquo r. T he te a leaf, in o rder to assum e a cond ition th a t i t w ill retain i ts valuable p roperties , has to be ro lled u p and d r ie d ; d u rin g th e process of ro lling and d ry in g i t canno t gain an y th in g to enhance o r increase these p roperties, b u t in p ro p o rtio n as these operations are prolonged, so a re th ese p roperties lessened an d d is ­sipated . S ix m inu tes is am ple tim e for ro lling th e leaf, an d from 10 to 12 m inu tes fo r d ry ing i t ; and a m achine w hich can efficiently ro ll one m aim d of leaf a t a fill in six m inu tes, is to be p refe rred , an d w ill give a b e tte r re su lt th a n one which can ro ll 1J m ds. of leaf- a t a fill in n ine m inu tes. To prove th a t te a leaf can be ro lled , an d ro lled w ell, in six m inutes, I annex copy of a le t te r from M r. H . L. Grossm an, M anager M ini Com pany, to W illiam son , M agor & Co. ; an d I m ay a d d t h a t ' in o rd er to enable th e leaf to be ro lled in th e m in im um tim e, an d each fill of the m ach ine to be su b je c ted to th e sam e am ount of ro lling ac tion , these C en trifugal Kin- m ond R olling M achines w h ich M r. C rossm an’s le tte r refe rs to , have th is y ea r h ad a tta c h e d to th em a p ressure In d ic a to r an d a w ork Ind ica to r. T he first shew s th e exact p ressu re on th e leaf, and the second tne num ber of revo lu tions of th e p la te s ,—th e tw o to g e th er g iving a com plete index of th e ro lling ac tion g iven to th e leaf.

London, O ctober 19th, 1881. I t .

Copy o f letter fro m M r. I I . L . Crossman, M anager, M im Tea Com pany, to Messrs. W illiam son, M agor # Co,

M achinery now in fu ll s w in g ; a ll han d ro lling stopped : a m ost p erfec t su ccess: 1 m aund of leaf in six m in u te s : th e best m achine ever inven ted . I am perfectly charm ed w ith i ts w ork , and will send sam ples of tea m ade b y i t in a few d a y s : no han d ro lling can com pare w ith i t . E ng ine sp lend id , and does th e work w ell. I have been repaid fo r m y h a rd w ork in getting a ll in such t ip top order.

M im , 1 0 -9 -8 1 . (Sd.) H . L . C r o s s m a n .

T H E P R O G R E S S O F IN D IA N T E A IN A U S T R A L IA ,

M r. J . 0 . M oody, of th e w ell-know n firm of M essrs. Jam es H en ty an d Co., M elbourne, in a le t te r to us d a ted th e 10th O ctober la s t, w rites as follow s :—

Y ou w ill see by .th e tw o papers I send you, Argus 5 th O ctober an d Age 6th O ctober, th a t a s trong a g it­a tion is going on, in favor of an A d u lte ra tio n A ct fo r the colony, and w hich I hope, w hen passed, w ill sh u t o u t a g rea t deal of C hina rubb ish th a t a t p resen t floods th is m ark e t.

M essrs. Cosmo N ew bery an d F re d e ric D unn, w hose nam es are so free ly used, a re ana ly tica l chem ists con­n ected w ith th e L ab o ra to ry of our In d u s tr ia l and T echnological M useum , th e fo rm er as S uperin tenden t, and th e la t te r as h is ass is ta n t. T hese g en tlem en have fo r some years pas t d evo ted considerable a tten tio n to th e analysis of tea , and are w ell up in th e sub ject. T he large -exhibit (some 500 d ifferen t sam ples) show n a t our M elbourne In te rn a tio n a l E x h ib itio n , and of w hich M r. N ew bery was S u p e rin te n d en t of Ju rie s , p laced a t th e ir disposal for analysis, an d p robab ly gave th em o p p o rtu n ities unequalled by any previous inv estig a to rs in to th e chem ical analysis of teas.

Y ou cou ld a id th e ir in vestiga tions b y p ro cu rin g for th em sam ples of y o u r d ifferen t g ro w th s of te a from I

th re e o r fo u r d is tr ic ts , say a few leaves in air-dried, cond ition only, th a t is to say; h av ing passed th ro u g h no m anufactu ring process, an d a few sam ples.o f th e sam e k in d s m anufactu red . H av e these sam ples c a re ­fu lly m ark ed w ith a ll p a rtic u la rs an d th e tim e of p icking, &c.

Some of y ou r p lan te rs would p robab ly be g lad to fu rn ish sam ples for th e sak e of th e in vestiga tions i t opens up , an d th e p rac tica l in fo rm ation i t m ay give. C eylon has a lready fu rn ish ed som e sam ples w hich are being analysed . I m ay m ention th a t th e re is d ifficu lty in g e ttin g th e a ir-d ried leaves over in a sound cond ition , b u t w ith a l i t t le care th is can he m an ag ed . P erh ap s p ack ing loosely betw een Sw edish filtering p ap er (p rocurab le a t an y chem ist’s) w ould p rove a good plan.

W ith regard to th e req u est m ade by Mr. M oody for sam ples of th e d ifferen t g row ths of te a from our various te a d is tr ic ts , we t r u s t our read ers w ill h e a r tily respond to th e call. W e w ill be h appy to fo rw ard free of cost a ll sam ples in ten d ed fo r M r. M oody sen t to th is office. T he teas shou ld be carefu lly packed in tea lead an d so ldered dow n secure ly . A s th ey are in te n d e d fo r th e purpose of analysis, from 5 to 6 ounces shou ld be sen t of each k in d .—In d ia n T ea Gazette.

COCOA C U L T IV A T IO N IN DOLO SBA G E, C E Y LO N .

I t appears t h a t th e m o n ste r pod of cocoa, recen tly shew n in Colombo as th e p roduce of an e s ta te in Dolosbage W est, w as g a th ered from a tree of ab o u t e ig h t years o ld , grow ing in th e sam e field w ith o ld coffee, n o t in any way superio r to m anv o thers abo u t it , b u t on th e co n tra ry p erhaps less well g row n th an o thers. These trees have had, i t appears, no special cu ltiv a tio n , an d w ith reg a rd to m anuring th ey on ly received th e ir due share when th e coffee w as m anured. T he soil on w hich i t was produced is of a m edium q u a lity and character, b u t we m ay m ention th a t th e p a r tic u la r tre e from w hich th e pod w as tak en , as w ell as o th ers in th e v icin ity , h ad h ad th e benefit of p a r tia l shade from large ja k trees grow ing a t in te rv a ls am ongst th e coffee.

A t th e p resen t tim e th e re are on th e sam e t re e from w hich th e g ia n t pod was tak en , a num ber of o th e rs n early as fine. One of these grow ing close to w here th e b ig pod w as ta k e n from, is ab o u t th re e q u a rte rs grow n, an d prom ises to be as large as th e o th er. T here a re also a nu m b er of o ther trees in th e v icin ity having some very fine pods, w h ich w ould ap p ear to w eigh from one to two pounds each, g la d ­den ing th e eye of th e p ro p rie to r as he w atches th e developm ent of th is in te restin g an d prom ising new cu ltiva tion .

N o d o u b t th e cocoa tree is in its ea rlie r days som ew hat capricious in its g row th and developm ent, looking for ce rta in cond itions w ith o u t w hich i t m akes b u t poor progress, b u t w hen once fa irly established in th e ground it appears to be h a rd y enough, an d in its a f te r g row th i t m ay be le f t p re t ty m uch to its own devices an d the a id w hich n a tu re is p rep ared to g ive it. W h a t i t does requ ire , how ever, to in ­duce a good deve 'opm ent, are fa irly deep soil, p a r tia l shade, au d shelter from strong w inds. So fa r as ex ­perience y e t goe?, it w ould appear th a t i t th rives b e tte r as a m ixed cu ltiva tion w ith o th er produce th a n in fields devoted especially to its ow n grow th . B y th e l i t t le cu ltiva tion in a f te r life requ ired by i t : by its co n s tan t an d prolific bearing , i t holds o u t excellen t prospects to th e p la n te r u n d er su itab le conditions, w hen i t is bound to p ay w ell. I t w ould ap pear as th o u g h i t were w ell su ited fo r n a tiv e v illagers in th e p lo ts of ground abou t th e ir dw ellings, and m ig h t w ell be tak en up in preference to th e cu ltiv a tio n of L ibe rian coffee.—C. Tim es,

O R A N G E C U L T IV A T IO N .T he leng th of tim e th a t an orange tre e ta k e s to

come in to bearing is n o t so g rea t as m any people im ­agine. Ju d g in g from experience, we belieye th a t in th is clim ate an orange tree , grow ing in m oderately good soil and k e p t free from w eeds, w ould n o t as a g en ­era l ru le take longer th a n seven years to com e in to bearing from th e tim e of p lan tin g th e s e e d ; b u t an orange p la n t of considerable size can be tra n sp la n te d w ith o u t so m uch r isk as m ost o th e r trees, an d if th e re were nurseries w here w ell-grow n orange p lan ts could be bought, an orange o rch ard m igh t be p lan ted w ith a reasonable p ro sp ec t of g e ttin g a crop in four years. T he tim e of bearing cou ld also be sho rtened by g rafting bearing wood from an o ld tre e upon a young one, b u t g ra fted trees do n o t grow so large nor live so long as trees th a t have n o t been so trea ted .

A s th e re is likely to be a d em and for orange p lan ts before very long, i t m igh t be profitab le even for those w ho have n o t land for an o rchard , o r who, hav ing land or th e m eans of p rocuring i t , have n o t patience to w ait for a crop of oranges, were th ey to m ake nurseries in the m eantim e fo r th e purpose of selling th e p lan ts. W e, how ever, w arn an y w ho m ay in ten d so doing th a t th ey m u st m ake up th e ir m inds to hav ing very m any of th e ir young p lan ts b itten off an d d estroyed b y crickets. T here is no th ing for i t b u t p lan tin g m ore seed, b u t we have learned b y ex ­perience th a t by perseverance th e d ifficu lty of e s tab lish ­ing an orange n u rse ry can, in sp ite of th e crickets, be overcome, O range nu rse ries are n o t sin g u la r in requ iring perseverance in sp ite of rep ea ted failures. A fter th e orange p lan t is too h a rd for th e crickets to destroy it, i t seems to have few er enem ies th a n m ost o th e r c u ltiv a te d p lan ts. T he leaves are liab le to be devoured by th e ca terp illa rs of tw o or th re e species of butterflies, b u t no t, apparen tly , by th e ca te rp illa r of any k in d of m oth o r haw k m o th , nor is th e wood of th e tree, so fa r as w e know, liab le to be a tta c k e d by any k ind of borer.

T he orange tre e never grow s very large, as i t does n o t increase m uch in size a f te r i t begins to bear, b u t it lives to several h u n d red years old, an d th e f ru i t is said to im prove in stead of d e te rio ra tin g w ith th e age of th e tree , th e re being few er seeds an d fewer div isions in th e f ru it of o ld trees th an in th e f ru i t of young ones. A n orange p lan ta tio n , once estab lished , w ill th e r e ­fore la s t fo r generations. L iberian coffee, cocoa, tea , an d o th e r new p ro d u c ts are a ll very good in th e ir w ay, b u t for a sm all piece of lan d s itu a te d a t no

rea t d istance from Colombo, oranges w ould p robab lye found to be m uch m ore -profitable. T he orange

is n o t th e only f ru it th a t m ight be grow n w ith p ro ­fit in such a situ a tio n , b u t th e orange tree is m ore prolific in f ru i t th a n an y o ther, an d th e f ru i t keeps fresh for a longer tim e a f te r being gath ered from th e tree th a n any o ther, an d i t is these advan tages th a t m ake th e orange, as a f ru it used in a raw an d u n ­prepared sta te , of m ore com m ercial im portance th a n an y o th er k in d .— G. Messenger.

C A W N P O R E E X P E R IM E N T A L F A R M .T h e experim ents recen tly t r ie d on th e Caw npore

E x p e rim e n ta l F a rm have been of a m ore th a n o rd in a rily p rac tica l character. Tw o se ts of ex perim en ts in deep p loughing an d inversion of soil w ere tr ie d , and though th e y were perhaps n o t qu ite conclusive on a ll those p o in ts on w h ich in fo rm ation w as desired, th e y w ere a t lea s t perfec tly conclusive as to th e general a d v a n t­age secu ring from deeper cu ltiv a tio n th a n a t presen t ob ta ins in Ind ia . O ver e ig h t experim enta l p lo ts of 2C0 sq ua re y a rd s, po rtions of w hich w ere carefu lly irrig a te d , an d o th e r p o rtio n s le f t u n irrig a ted , th e

follow ing w ere th e average re su lts p e r acre, th e crop being sorgo g row n as a g reen crop :—

O u ttu rn of g reen crop .. .. 114-13 m aunds.C ost of cu ltiv a tio n R l 4 4 0V alue of p roduce , ,3 8 0 8P ro fit p e r acre 23 1 8

W ith co tto n sim ilarly trea ted , th e re su lts w ere— O u ttu rn of c leared cotton ... 291 pounds.Cost of cu ltiv a tio n .................R 13 4 0V alu e of p roduce ................. „ 59 15 9P rofit per acre ................. , ,4 6 11 9

T he benefits of irrig a tio n w ith deep p lough ing w ere c learly show n d u rin g th e course of these experim ents,, and th e conclusions a rriv ed a t by M r. J . B. F u ller, w ith regard to th e sorgo ex perim en ts, w ere—

“ Inversion o f the soil f o r a depth o f six inches, two m onths before sowing, increased th e o u ttu rn b y 72 p er cen t, w hen once irrig a te d , an d by 100 p e r cen tw hen tw ice irrig a ted . Grubbing to a depth o f six incheswithout inversion, increased th e o u ttu rn by 68 p e r cen t w hen once irrig a te d , an d by 107 p e r cen t w hen tw ic i ir rig a ted , w hile inversion o f the soil to a depth o f six inches im m ediately before soloing d im in ished th e o u ttu rn b y 16 p e r cen t w h en once irrig a ted , an d b y 16 per cen t, w hen tw ice ir r ig a te d .”

A nd w ith reg ard to C o ttonIncrease p e r cent.

On u n irrig a te d On irrig a ted p lo ts . p lo ts.

In v ers io n of th e soil to 6 -in.two m on ths before sow ing 135 75

In v ers io n b u t im m ed ia te lybefore sow ing 119 75

G ru b b in g to 6 -in. w ith o u tin v e rtin g th e so il...................... 27 16

T hese figures requ ire b u t l i t t le com m ent. T ak ing firs t of a ll th e u n irrig a ted p lo ts , w e find th a t deep cu ltiv a tio n gives, in a season in w h ich th e ra in fa ll w as on ly J tb of th e norm al, an o u ttu rn w o rth some R 70 an acre, w hile th e o rd in ary cu ltiv a tio n of th e co u n try could only y ie ld R30. T h e condition of half p lo ts 1 an d 2 w as a m a tte r of su rp rise to a ll who saw them ; u n irrig a ted as th e y were, the co tton p la n t s tood th ic k ly on th e m a t an average h e ig h t of 2J fee t, w hile in p lo t 4 (w hich closely resem bled th e c u tiv a to rs’ u n irrig a ted co tton fields in th e neighbourhood) no p la n t stood m uch h ig h er th a n 9 inches .”

T h is is th e so rt of experim en ts w e requ ire . I n these instances th e resu lts , w h e th er good or bad , are p a t e n t ; th e re is no d o u b t as to th e effect of deep p loughing u n d e r ce rta in conditions, and if we are to benefit b y th e lessons of these experim ents, we m u st first of a ll aim a t im proving our d ra u g h t ca ttle , as good p lough­in g canno t be done b y th e p re se n t b reed of In d ian c a ttle .—F riend o f Ind ia .

T H E S T U D Y O F A G R IC U L T U R E .T he la te an d p re sen t s tu d e n ts of th e M adras A g ri­

c u ltu ra l College (g rad u a te s an d u n d e rg ra d u a te s of th e U n iversities of M adras, Bom bay, an d C alcu tta) have fo rw arded th e follow ing p e titio n to th e S enate of th e U n iv e rs ity of M adras

“ T h a t, in th e year 1874, H is E xcellency th e G o­v ernor in Council, recognising th e im portance of th e app lica tion of w estern science to ag ric u ltu re in th is cou n try , founded an A g ricu ltu ra l College in M adras, and th u s conferred on th e people a boon for w hich th e y are an d w ill ever be g ra te fu l. T h a t th e sa id college has -now been in ex istence fo r ab o u t 5 years, and th a t th e in s tru c tio n im p arte d th e re in em braces a stu d y of th e a r t an d science of A g ricu ltu re , C h em ist­ry —Inorgan ic , O rganic, an d A gricu ltu al— Zoology, V e te rin a ry M edicine an d Su rgery , B otany in its various d ep a rtm en ts , M eteorology, P h y sica l G eography , Me-

ohanics, Book-keeping, L and-survey ing , an d M en su r­ation , in th e ir re la tio n to A gricu ltu re . T h a t, con­sidering th tf curricu lum of s tu d ies p u rsu ed in the college, i t w ould be reasonable to expect th a t th e local U n iv ersity w ould patron ize th e in s titu tio n and tak e u n d e r its fo stering w ings a science, th e s tu d y Of w hich, y our petitio n ers subm it, is no less im ­p o r ta n t th a n th a t of C ivil E ng ineering and M edicine.

“ T h a t, seeing th e p rim a ry im portance w hich th e profession of th e husbandm an occupies an d m u st occupy in th is co u n try in th e face of a rap id ly -increasing po p u la tio n , w ith th e a rab le area a lread y pushed a lm ost to its ex trem e lim its , y ou r p e titio n ers feel sure th a t you w ill th in k i t necessary an d desirab le th a t th e in te llec t of th e co u n try sh ou ld be d irec ted to th e s tu d y of scientific ag ricu ltu re w hich alone can p rev en t th e results w hich such a cond ition m u st b rin g abo u t if unchecked . T h a t, from th e im provem en t of a g r i­cu ltu re , as g re a t benefits w ill accrue to th e people of th is co u n try as from th e s tu d y of C ivil E ng ineer­in g aud M edicine which have been patronized by th e U n iv e rs ity . T h a t your p e titio n e rs hope th a t , if th e U n iv e rs ity affiliates to i t th is in s titu tio n , and g ran ts D egrees in A gricu ltu re , th e a r t now so degraded w ill r ise in th e eyes of th e people, and its t ru e im p o rt­ance as “ the most useful, the most noble em ploym ent o f m an ," w ill come to be b e tte r recognized. T h a t A g ricu ltu re is a recognized p a r t of th e U n iv ersity cu rricu lu m of m any A m erican , Scotch an d G erm an U niversities, Cornell, K en tu ck y , M assachusetts, E din- borough, H alle , G ottingen , M unich , Leipsic, Berlin, Bonn, V ienna, E ldena, G iesen, K iel, and th a t d is ­t in c t D egrees in A g ricu ltu re are now g ran ted in some of them . T h a t your petitioners believe th a t th e A g ri­c u ltu ra l p rosp erity of these countries is, to a consider­ab le ex ten t, ow ing to th e encouragem ent afforded to th e study of A g ricu ltu re by th e ir respec tive U nivers­itie s ; and th a t y o u r petitio n ers hope th a t a sim ilar encouragem ent h e te w ill be a tte n d e d w ith sim ilar resu lts . T h a t th e course of s tu d y w hich y o u r p e t­itio n ers undergo extends over a period of th ree years in w hich tim e th e y w ould be able if u n d e rg ra d u a te s of th e B om bay U n iv ersity to proceed to A rts an d C ivil E u- g neering D egrees, an d if u n derg raduates of th e M adras U n iv ersity to have n ea rly com pleted th e necessary course of s tu d y for sim ilar Degrees.

“ T h a t, regard ing th e n a tu re of s tu d ies w h ich your p e titio n e rs undergo an d th e te s t of app lication to them , yo u r p e titio n e rs hum bly beg th a t the P rin c ip a l of the A g ricu ltu ra l College an d th e D irec to r of P ub lic In s tru c tio n m ay be consu lted , w ho, yo u r p e titio n e rs t r u s t , w ill te s tify th o se studies to be no less arduous th a n those req u ired for underg rad u a tes to p roceed to D egrees in th e Faculties already estab lished in yo u r U niversity . T h a t in M edicine tw o Degrees are open to underg rad u a tes of U niversities, one to M atricu lates, and th e o th e r to those w ho have passed th e F irs t E x ­am ination in Arts. Y our petitioners therefore p ray th a t th e y m ay be ad m itted to th e p riv ilege of proceeding to D egrees in A gricu ltu re , as o th e r undergraduates are allow ed to do in M edicine and C ivil E ngineering , an d th a t if th e S enate do n o t deem i t fit y e t to open special D egrees iu A g ricu ltu re , a D egree in Science m ay be in au g u ra ted hav ing ‘A gricu ltu re ' as an optional su b je c t.” — M a dras M ail.

IN T R O D U C T IO N O F T H E H U M B L E B E E TO N E W Z E A L A N D .

W ith o u t tho se b eau tifu l and in te re s tin g insects, our hum ble bees (Bombus lerrestris), w hose first boom ing hum on a s till sp ring d ay com ing fo rth from th e ir w in te r’s h id in g place, so g ra te fu l to th e e a r of every c o u n try re sid en t as th e h arb inger of balm y g row th , i t m ay n o t be genera lly know n th a t w ith o u t th e a id of tLeir long proboscis th e re d c lover p la n t canno t

be fertilized ; hence a t th e an tipodes a very large sum is ann u a lly expended in th e purchase of im p o rted red clover seed, w hich w ith th a t in sect c lim atized could be g row n in th e colonies.

A ll a tte m p ts a t th e ir in tro d u c tio n alive, how ever anx iously longed for, have h ith e r to s igna lly failed, even u nder th e d irec tion of so d istin g u ish ed a n a tu r ­a lis t as th e la te lam ented Mr. F ra n k B uckland , and even under th e patro n ag e of th e P rim e M in is te r of N ew Zealand.

T he p resen t w rite r w as consulted la s t au tu m n by M essrs. Geo. N eighbour & Sons, of Loudon, who had been com m issioned to endeavour to collect an d despatch fertilized hum ble queens to N ew Z ealand, an d sug ­gested th a t as previous failu res w ere in a ll p robab ility d ue to th e qneens h av ing been aroused from th e ir w in te r dorm ancy on en te rin g th e tro p ic s, lik e th e im prisoned b ird , d ash ing them se lves to d e a th on th e w ires of th e ir cage, th e b e tte r p lan w ould be to pack, w hile d o rm an t, in moss, an d place th e package for th e voyage in th e ice room of th e steam er.

To carry o u t th e recipe, firs t th in g to be done was ca tch the queens, no t q u ite so easy a feat as 1 th e h a re ,’ w hen i t is rem em bered th a t hum ble queens a lto g e th er abandon th e ir sum m er nes ts an d h y b ern a te singly deep in woods a t tre e roots, m ossy banks, tu r f dykes , h a y r ic k s , &e., &c. To go abroad to p ro sp ec t on a D ecem ber day to th e u n in itia te d is som ew hat ak in to eearching for th e proverb ial need le in th e hay s ta ck . B u t th a n k s to th e ir abundance , due to th e by p a s t h o t sum m er, an d en listing th e services of M r. D uncan K eir, th e in te llig en t forem an of th e C ross­fla t N urseries, P a isley , w ho w en t in to th e m a tte r con amore, th e w rite r succeeded, a f te r m uch p a in s ta k in g labour, in u n ea rth in g no few er th an e igh teen fine specim ens, w h ich w ere d u ly despa tch ed by th e steam er ‘ Jo h n E ld e r,’ from London to M elbourne, on 9tli D ecem ber la s t. T h ro u g h an u n fo rtu n a te delay in t r a n ­sh ipm en t to th e ‘ A raw a te r ’ fo r C a n te rb u ry , on d e li­very of the package th e re on ly tw o queens rem ained alive. A ccording to th e T im a ru H era ld of 7 th F eb ru ­a ry , ju s t received, th e fo llow ing e x tra c t is g iven :— ‘ H um ble B ees.—T he tw o queens, th e su rv ivo rs of a sh ipm en t of eigh teen , w ere tu rn e d o u t on M r. B ris to l’s fa rm on S a tu rd ay m orn ing (5 th F eb ru a ry ) . T hey w ere s tro n g an d h ea lth y , an d flew aw ay b risk ly ag a in st th e w in d , being lib e ra ted am ongst clover fields, th e re is every chance of th e ir doing w ell. N o t being aw are of any successful a t te m p t a t th e acclim atiza tion being m ade hereto fore, we believe th a t th e p a ir of queens se t free on S a tu rd ay have th e h onour to be th e first of th e ir k in d in th is co u n try ,’ &c., &c.

A fu rth e r sh ip m en t, of th ree hum ble queens, from sam e source, was despatched d ire c t from London to C a n te rb u ry , N ew Zealand, by th e steam ship ‘ N o r­fo lk ,’ on 20 th Ja n u a ry , in sam e m anner. A s th e re w ill be no d istu rb in g tran sh ip m en t in th is instance, i t is to be hoped a ll m ay a rriv e in sa fe ty , b u t as y e t no in telligence has reached th is co u n try .— A R e n ­f r e w s h i r e B e e K e e p e r . — Scotch Paper.

F O R E S T A N D S T R E A M C O N SE R V A T IO N IN M A U R IT IU S .

A correspondent in M a u ritiu s fu rn ishes us w ith p a r ­ticu la rs of th e pro je t d 'ordonnance recen tly in tro d u ced by th e G overnm ent for co nsidera tion by the Legis­la tiv e Council, which has caused so m uch excitem en t in th e Colony, and to w hich our special correspond­e n t’s le tte r , pub lished la s t w eek, drew a tten tio n .

W e have a lready described th e jud icious m easures w hich have la te ly been adop ted in th e Colony for p re ­ven tin g th e fu rth e r d es tru c tio n of fo rests th ro u g h o u t th e island ; and th e a tte n tio n of th e G overnm ent is now tu rn e d to th e no less im p o rta n t m a tte r of Ihe “ p ro tec tio n of m ou n ta in an d river rese rv es .” T h e

o b ject is a laudab le one, an d w e d o u b t n o t an y m eas­ures to ensure i t w ould m ee t w ith h e a r ty co-oper­a tio n from th e in h ab itan ts , p ro v id ed alw ays t h a t th e m easures proposed w ere fram ed w ith a due regard to th e rig h ts of p ro p erty an d ves ted in te re s ts .

U n d er th e ex is tin g law s i t is p rov ided th a t in “ river re se rv es”— i.e., w ith in 50 feet on each side of a river, 25 feet in th e case of a r iv u le t, an d 10 fee t for a s tream or feeder—proprieto rs o r occupiers of lau d are fo rb idden to erec t any b u ild ing or to c u ltiv a te th e land otherw ise th a n by p lan tin g sh ru b s o r trees.

On Septem ber 10 las t a d ra f t ordinance w as pub lished, in which i t w as proposed th a t th e “ reserves ” should be increased to ab o u t 150 fee t in th e case of rivers , rivu le ts, o r feeders, b u t no m ention w hatever was m ade of any proposal to indem nify landow ners for th e loss w hich such an ex tension of th e G overnm ent reserves would cause. This om ission caused g re a t d is ­satisfaction, an d w hen, on S ep tem ber 13, th e new ly- appointed P rocureur-G dndral m oved in Council th e first reading of his proposed ordinance, th e delin itio n of th e reserves was le f t b lank , to be d e term ined b y th e C oun­cil. A t th e sam e tim e th e P rocureur-G 6n6ral affirmed th a t he d id n o t propose to in troduce any com pensation clause, bu t, on th e co n tra ry , underto o k to po in t ou t th a t ow ners of lan d to be converted in to reserves had no righ t to auy in dem nity . Some concession on th is la t te r po in t appears to h a re been la te r m ade by th e G overnm ent, for in rep ly to an ap p lica tion for th e requ isite G overnm ent au th o rity to hold a pub lic m e e t­ing on th e subject, th e Colonial S ecre ta ry replied th a t “ shou ld th e o rd inance in its u ltim a te shape inflict auy real in ju ry upon th e ow ners of p riv a te p ro p e rty , th e p roper com pensation clauses w ill, as a m a tte r of course, be a d d e d .”

These assurances, how ever, d id n o t sa tis fy th e Colon­is ts , w ho, a t th e public m eeting , passed th e reso lu tion a lready rep o rted in these colum ns, condem ning th e p rsposal of th e G overnm ent.

I t is, to say th e least, u n fo rtu n a te th a t a d ra f t o rd ­inance should have been published , invo lv ing so large an in terference w ith th e r ig h ts of p ro p erty , w ithou t an y provision being m ade fo r com pensation to ow ners affected b y its operation . L ooking to th e fac t th a t M auritiu s is a C row n C olony, and th a t th e official m ajo rity in C ouncil can a t all tim es ensure th e ado p ­tion , nom inally , by th e C ouncil of any G overnm en ta l m easures, we a re n o t su rp rised th a t th e lan d ed p ro­p rie to rs in th e C olony shou ld have ta k e n frig h t a t th e orig inal schem e of th e G overnm ent. T h e ir concerted ac tion and subsequent p ro te s ts have a lready b ro u g h t abo u t considerable m odifications in it. A s o u r special correspondent po in ts ou t, i t is n o t th e proposal to ta k e m easures for p reserv ing th e w ate r sources th a t is ob jected to, p er se, b u t th e om ission of com pensation clauses, w hereby th e value of land , in stead of being increased by such m easures, is seriously d im inished. M eantim e, u n til th e ord inance sha ll have been iu some form or an o th e r ad o p ted by Council, i t rem ains only for us to say th a t ad eq u a te com pensation is due to those whose p ro p erty is req u ired for th e public good. T h is po in t, once ad m itted , w ill suffice to keep th e “ reserved lan d s ” w ith in p roper lim its ; o therw ise i t is difficult to es tim ate th e o u tlay w hich w ould be necessary to indem nify th e landow ners w ere th e original lim its of th e reserve— 150 feet on each side of a s tream — ad h ered to . W ith in t h a t d istance from stream s, and even rivers , m any valuab le su g a r houses, an d even p riv a te residences, now exist ; and from a l is t now before us i t appears th a t lan d v ary in g in ex ten t from 230 to 550 acres each, and am ounting as a to ta l to 3,503 acres, w ould , under th e orig inal proposal, he w rested from th e p rop rie to rs of only ten es ta tes. T his alone w ill suffice to show w h at th e e x te n t of land ren d ered unproductive th ro u g h o u t th e C olony w ould am o u n t to . O ne es ta te , i t is repo rted , w ould d is ­

ap p ear a ltog e th er, w h ils t of an o th e r re fe rred to only o n e -th ird w ould rem ain to its ow ner.

T h e ob jec t w hich i t is so u g h t to a t ta in — viz., “ p ro tec tion of m ou n ta in an d r iv e r re se rv es ,” is an adm irable one, and i t is m uch to be reg re tted th a t , by h as ty an d ill-considered a tte m p ts a t legislation , th e G overnm ent should have excited a prejud ice agains t th e ir proposal w hich w ould n o t o therw ise have ex isted . — Colonies and In d ia .

SU G A R G R O W IN G IN F I J I .O ur sugar p rospects are very cheering . T h e new

| m ill on th e “ P euang ” e s ta te a t R a k irak i (n o rth coast of N av itilevu ) belonging to D r. Chalm ers, has se n t

I to L ev u k a its firs t consignm ent of sugar, w hich is of | exce llen t q u a lity . M r. S tan lak e Lee’s m ill on th e

L ow er R ew a is now ready lo r w ork , an d w ill begin c rush ing on th e 1st proxim o. T h is m ill w as e rec ted specially for th e cane grow n by th e n a tiv es of th e R ew a d e lta on th e ir to w n p lan ta tio n s, from w hich th e p roduce is ra ised for th e p ay m en t of th e ir taxes. T h is is th e ir first year of suga r p lan ting , an d if no d isa ste r occur, th e re cun be l i t t le d o u b t th a t th e ex-

! perim en t w ill be very successful. T he cane is looking j w ell, and , on a rough com putation , th e re is enoughI of i t to bring in some £4,000, w hich is £1 ,800 overI aud above th e assessm en t for th e w hole d is tr ic t. T h is | large su rp lus, if realized, w ill be re tu rn e d to th e j natives, au d can n o t fa il to encourage them to fu tu re I efforts.I O th er m ills are going u p e lsew h ere ; b u t o u r g rea tj event in sugar is th e erec tion of th e Colonial Sugar-

refin ing C om pany’s m ill a t N auso ri, on the b an k s of ; th e R ew a R iver. T he w orks are being carried on ! energetica lly u n d e r able m anagem ent, an d som e no tion I of th e ir m agn itu d e may be gathered from th e follow - I ing p articu lars . In ad d itio n to a crow d of “ im p o rted

la b o u r ,” th e com pany has in constan t w ork about 60 w h ite m en, chiefly m echanics, liv e tte rs , &c. T hree ships, of 800 to n s an d upw ards, have b ro u g h t th e m ach inery and o th e r ironw ork from London an d Glasgow. A n o th er vessel has been em ployed to b rin g tim b e r from N ew Z ealand, th e com pany’s own steam er ‘ F iona ’ has delivered tw o cargoes, an d large q u an titie s of fre ig h t have been b ro u g h t dow n by th e A. S. N . Co.’s steam er ‘ G unga. ’ A bou t 3,000 tons of concre te— river sand, g ravel an d P o rtlan d cem ent—are expended in lay ing th e foundations on w hich th e w orks are to be erected . T h e follow ing iron vessels a re being p u t to g e th er in th e com pany’s sheds, th e ir p la tes an d o th er m ateria ls having been im ported in a finished s ta te , read y for co n stru c tio n :— T h ir ty p u n ts , each capable of load ing 60 tons, fo r conveying th e cane from th e p lan ta tio n s to th e m ill, and a fla t b o ttom ed steam er fo r tow ing them , 100 fee t in length , and d raw ing w hen fu lly loaded no m ore th a n 20 inches of w ater,

j F o r conveying cargo to au d from L au th a la P o in t, j a t th e m ou th of th e Rewa R iver, w here th e com pany ! w ill do all i ts sh ip m en t an d d ischarg ing , th e re are

being co n s tru c ted e ig h t barges of 1 fcO tons each, w ith a d ra u g h t of 5 J feet w hen laden . F o r tow ing th em tw o pow erfu l steam jlunches have been bu ilt, an d a re now in use as tu g s an d m essage boats . T hey have a h igh ra te of speed, an d i t is as ton ish ing to see th e ease w ith « hiuh th e y w alk aw ay w ith th e big bargee loom ­ing huge beh ind them . T n e vessels which ta k e aw ay th e sugar will com e dow n laden, to some e x te n t a t leas t, with coal, of w hich th e com pany w ill be a large consum er, no t only fo r i ts fu rnaces b u t also for th e m anufactu re of gas. E v e ry p a r t of th e e s tab lish ­m en t w ill be lig h ted w ith gas d u rin g th e crush ing season, w hen w ork w ill be ca rried on unceasingly day an d n igh t. T he gas-holder is a lready erected . W hen com plete th e m ill w ill crush about 4,000 to n s of cane p e r w eek d u rin g th e season, from w hich , in ro u n d

num bers, some 350 tons of sugar be expec 'ed . The requ isite am oun t of cane is g u aran teed by th e p lan ters ; and , large as th e q u a n tity appears, i t is l i t t le m ore th a n one to n of cane to th e acre of sugar lan d in the d is tr ic t. On good lan d th e y ield is said to be about 40 to n s to th e acre, an d th is th e com pany takes, deliverd on th e river bank of th e various p lan ta tio n s, a t a fixed ra te of 10s. per ton . I t is expected th a t th e m ill w ill be read y fo r w o rk in Ju ly , 1882, and th a t th e p lan te rs w ill th en be ready to fu rn ish th e ir q u o ta of cane.

T he Rewa R iv er P la n ta tio n Com pany, w hich has done such good service in th e past, an d whose m ill is some d istance fa rth e r up th e river, endeavoured to secure them selves ag a in s t th e ir fo rm idab le rival b y refusing to crush for th e p lan te rs unless th ey w ould g uaran tee to fu rn ish th e m w ith a ce rta in am oun t of cane for a te rm of years. T h is caused a q u av er of co nsternation am ong th e p lan te rs , for, if i t h ad been persis ted iu , i t w ould have invo lved th e loss of th e g re a te r p a r t of th e crop now ripe. H app ily , however, th e com pany d id n o t persist. T heir m ill is once more in fu ll sw ing, and th e cane is tu rn in g o u t th e sa tisfac to ry d en sity of 10°, a b e tte r figure th a n th a t w h ich th e pas t tw o years have been ab le to reach .—Queeslander.

IN D IA N K A O L IN S .TO T H E E D IT O R OF T H E “ MADRAS M A IL .”

S i r , — Y o u r correspondent “ School of A r ts” in y ou r issue of th e 3 rd in s ta n t I find som ew hat obscure in th e localization of th e difficulties experienced h ith e r to , in th e w ork ing of In d ia n K aolins in th e m an u fac tu re of porcelain . H e says :— “ N ow a ll th e In d ian K ao lin s we have tr ie d contained so m uch silica te in th e form of silica te of a lum ina th a t th e y canno t m ould th em in to shape .” W h e th e r by “ silica te” is m ean t th e p roportion of th e alum ina, o r th e p ropo rtio n of silica— silicic acid of th e silicate of alum ina, I am unable to follow . I f th e la t te r , an ad m ix tu re of th e K aolins in question , w ith a su itab le p rop o rtio n of th e white clay occurring in th e la te r i te ridge in th e n e ig h b o u r­hood of C uddalore, k now n as M o u n t Cappa, w ould p robab ly give a clay of req u ired com position. T he clay in question is w h ite v iened in p a r ts w ith red. T ak ing rough ly an average sam ple, no p ick ing out of re d p o rtio n , th e analysis ob ta in ed was :—

Sand ... ... ... 41-67C om bined silica ... ... 15-81A lum ina ... ... 26 '27F e rric oxide ... ... 2-51M agnesium an d a lkalies ... 2 82W a te r ... ... ... 1 1 0 0

100 08T he am oun t of m agnesium w as very sm all. T he am oun ts of p o tash and soda, co n s titu tin g in th e above analysis, th e ‘ a lk a lie s ,’ I d id n o t d e te rm in e , as I requ ired to use the clay for m an u fac tu re of fire b ricks only. T h e above clay con ta ined less ‘ sa n d an d‘ w a te r ,’ has th e com position,

C om bined silica (silicic acid) ... 33 3A lum ina ... ... ... 55 4Feri-ic-oxide... ... ... 5 "3M agnesium and a lkalies ... ... 6 0

100-0T he approx im ate com position of th e silicate of a lum ­in a of th is clay, a p o rtio n of th e iron p lay in g th e p a r t of alum ina, is :—

A12 03 Si02C o n s titu tin g w h a t is techn ica lly know n as a “ w eak ” c lay , w here in th e p roportion of a lum ina is large to th e q u a n tity of silicic acid. B y w ash ing th e clay, th e san d could easily be e lim inated , to g e th e r p rob ­

ab ly w ith a large p o rtion of th e alkalies, an d iron m igh t be largely avo ided b y p ick ing . U n d e r fav o r­able circum stances, th e clay m igh t possib ly be re ­duced to th e com position, u n d e r these o p era tions of :—

Silicic ac id ... ... 3 6 ’0A lu m in a ... ... 59 0F e rric oxide ... ... 2 ’0M agnesium and a lkalies ... 3 ’0

100-0a com position w hich d iverges w idely from th a t of a porcelain clay, having, in fact, th e p ro p o rtio n of silica to alum ina exactly reversed , so th a t if, by ‘ so m uch silica te ’ chem ically com bined, “ School of A r ts ,” m eans too m uch com bined silica in th e clay, a h ap p y m ean m igh t be s tru c k by m ixing th e tw o clays (w ashed and lev ig a ted well), re su ltin g in a com position ap ­p rox im a ting th a t of tru e porcelain clays, w hich varies, on th e dry clays, from 50 to 60 silicic ac id com bined w ith from 40 to 30 a lum ina , speak ing in ro u n d num bers. “ School of A r ts ” would p ro b ab ly have h is labours in th e search for a porcelain clay m uch ligh tened , if he had analyses m ade of those clays, w h ich have a t a ll th e com position of fire clays, w hich he m ay com e across, an d p ro b ab ly in th e con­sid e ra tio n of these analyses he w ould find useful, a paper, on “ C hinese P o rcela in M an u fac tu re” by A. H ein tz D eng ler’s P o ly tech n ica l Jo u rn a l, C C X V I, 156, 66, appearing in an ab s trac ted form in th e Jo u rn a l of th e Chem ical Society , Vol. I I , 1876, page 671.

In th is a b s tra c t th e analyses of tw o C hina ( I and I I ) an d of tw o F re n ch ( I I I an d IV ) porcelain clays a re g iven as follow s :—

Loss b y ign ition (alm ost wholly w ater)

Silicic acid A lum ina F e rric oxide Lim e M agnesia P o tash

Soda

F . N . G . G i l l .

I . I I . I I I . IV .

11-2 8-2 12-6 7-250-5 55-3 48-3 56 933-7 30-3 35-0 31-6

1-8 2 0 1-3 0-5— — — 0-50-8 trace 0 41-9 — — —

— 2-4 3-8 3-4U — — Y ours &c,,

O R A N G E T R E E C U L T IV A T IO N .T he follow ing facts as to orange cu ltiv a tio n a t th e

Azores, com m unicated in a le t te r to an A ustra lian contem porary, w ill th ro w som e lig h t on th e causes of decadence in th e tree and th e m eans of p rev en tin g i t :—

U n til 1836 th e orange trees b u d d ed , blossom ed, and f ru ite d w ith u n v ary in g re g u la rity . T he g row er w ould as soon hav e suspected th e sun of v a ria tio n from his d iu rn a l course as th e orangeries from th e ir y e a r ly round of d u ty . They w ere h an d ed from fa th e r to son, an d la s tin g as they d id from genera tio n to generation , i t is n o t su rp ris in g th a t th e y becam e a sym bol of p e rm an ­ence. T hese trees cost th e g row ers no care, no a tten tio n , no labour, save th e lab o u r of p ick in g and packing, so fa r as we can u n d erstan d . T h e people m igh t dance an d d rin k th e y ear round , an d th e orange w ould blossom an d f ru it th e year round , w ith o u t tre n c h ­ing, w ith o u t m anuring , w ith o u t d ra in in g —i t m ay be w ithou t p run ing . T he p la n t w as n e ith e r fickle nor fastid ious, an d th e islanders rejo iced in th e ir orange trees. S udden ly , how ever, th e re cam e a change. T h is b r ig h t p icture of th e grow ing, green leaved , self- con ta ined tree, su rro u n d ed b y a joyfu l, sun loving, d ancing people, dissolves aw ay, an d gives place to a pale-leaved an d sick ly tree , su rro u n d ed by a carefaced and in q u irin g popula tion . T h e ir firs t p roceedings were tho se of th e pan ic -strick en , th e y were ca rried to ex ­trem es. F ro m ab so lu te indolence th e y ru sh e d in to

alarm ing a c tiv ity ; b u t i t was th e b lu n d erin g ac tiv ity of ignorance. H aving h ad l i t t le need to in q u ire in to th e physiology of th e p lan t, o r th e re la tions subsisting betw een th e soil an d th e p lan t, th ey adop ted m easures to se t th in g s r ig h t w hich o u trag ed bo th , and only m ade th ings worse ; b u t g rad u a lly , by th e a id of the suggestions of science an d a teach ab le disposition , a m iddle course w as h it upon, an d re s to ra tiv e process were prescribed w ith an in te llig e n t know ledge of th e p a tie n ts ’ requ irem ents . A t firs t th e trees w ere overloaded w ith m an u re an d stifled w ith she lte r, an d a g re a t deal m ore was done to them th a n th ey cou ld w ell bear. N ow th e y perceive th a t tho rough dra inage is a t th e foundation of successful orange grow ing ; th a t nex t to th is , tren ch in g to a g rea t d ep th is e s se n tia l; an d th ird ly , th a t m anure m u st be app lied—b u t w ith discretion . I t is tru e th e trees are m ore fickle th an th ey w ere, a n d d ie m ore freq u en tly , an d th e f ru i t will n o t keep so long. B u t grow ers can again cou n t w ith to lerab le ce rta in ty upon th e ir crop. T he disease of th e orange w as firs t d is­covered in th e Azores in 1-36, w hen i t was found t h a t th e o ldest an d b es t trees, as m uch as 200 an d 300 years old, and producing each 6,000 to 20,000 oranges, w ere disappearing. I t was observed th a t all th e trees affected produced a very heavy crop th e very year th a t th e disease m anifested itse lf, th a t th e leaves b e ­cam e yellow an d fell off in g re a t q u a n titie s , au d on th e tru n k s o r stem s near, and som etim es b en ea th th e ground , th e b a rk opened, and drops of a k in d of je llo w gum exuded. T he drops resem bled" tea rs (lagrim as , in Portuguese), an d th e re fo re th e disease w as nam ed lagrim a. M any orangeries w ere qu ite destroyed, and a rem edy w as eagerly sought. O pinions as to th e cause of th e disease w ere m uch d iv ided M any th o u g h t i t m u st be th a t th e orange tree h ad a lim ited period of existence, an d th is being reached, th e tree m u st th u s n a tu ra lly decay. A s we th e n only p ro pagated trees by layers, th is exp lanation was n o t th o u g h t too unreasonable, b u t a f te rw ard s it was found th a t se fi­lings w ere a ttack ed in th e sam e w ay. T hen i t was found th a t superabundance of m o istu re in th e soil was one of th e w orst cond itions for th e disease. Soon it w as d iscovered th a t th e d es tru c tio n of th e diseased bark an d wood in the stem of th e tree w as th e bes t m ethod to save it. F rom F eb ru a ry till A u g u st a sk illed h o r tic u ltu r is t v is its every tree , and a t th e s lig h tes t sign of exudation of gum he cu ts th e b a rk across, to allow it to ru n ou t. I f th e disease is in an ad ­vanced sta te , th e b a rk and th e w hole of th e diseased wood is c u t out, th e roo ts being bared to a d istance of a foot or tw o fee t from th e stem , every p o rtion of diseased roo t being c u t aw ay. B y th is m eans th e tree is cured if th e disease is found a t an early stage ; if n o t, i t is dug out, an d a fresh tree p u t in from a reserve w hich is alw ays k e p t for such con­tingencies. A lthough th e disease still continues, th e gardens now look very prosperous, fo r th e rem edyis know n...........................So w e are re tu rn in g to th e oldtrad itio n a l c u ltu re . W e are c learing th e shelters, p run ing th e in te rio r of th e trees fo r th e adm ission of a ir and lig h t, are less lib e ra l w ith m anure, and keep tiie ground free of weeds, except w hen we w a n t to excite vegetation . W e have abandoned propagation by layers, an d g ra ft good chosen k in d s upon seedling stocks. F o r sh e lte r we prefer trees w ith th e ir foliage, aud tak e care n o t to le t th em grow too h ig h . — From tlte R a a ff Griorel H erald.

T H E TOBACCO O F B U R M A .A Rangoon p aper an tic ip a tes th a t , u n d e r th e p re sen t

conditions of tobacco-grow ing> th e su pp ly of B urm a cheroots w ill soon fail a lto g e th er :—

F o r a good m any years p as t cheroots m anufactured in th is p rovince have been he ld in very h ig h estim -

‘ a t ion b y a la rg e class of sm okers ; and a t th e p re sen t m ore so num erous are th e lovers of good B urm a cheroots, th a t i t is n o t easy for E uropeans here to purchase them , th e dem and for ex p o rta tio n being so g re a t. D uring th e past te n years ,th e cost p e r h u n d ­red of B urm a cheroo ts has increased cen t p er cent, an d i t is n o t by any m eans an easy task to get cheroots a t one rupee eigh t annas a hun d red , so gcod as th o se w hich te n years ago eould be purchased a t tw e lv e annas a hundred . Increased dem and has, no d oub t, very m uch to do w ith th is en chan tm en t of c o s t ; b u t one have g rav e d o u b ts as to w h e th e r i t is en tire ly to b lam e. T he p o pu la tion of th e province has s tead ily increased, an d i t w ould pay to m an ufactu re an d sell cheroo ts a t tw elve annas a h u n d red ten years ago, one w ould th in k th a t i t w ould pay w hen th e p ro d u c t of such m an ufactu re fetched double o r m ore th a n d o u b ts th a t sum . I t m ay be th a t th e greap and ra p id rise in th e se lling p rice in th e local m ark e t of paddy had som eth ing to do in th e cheroo t m anufactu re . T he cu ltiv a tio n of p addy being so easy, au d under th e h igh ly-enhanced ra tes so p ro fitab le , c u ltiv a to rs le f t every o th e r a r tic le of produce along in favour of p addy . B u t th e cu ltiv a tio n of tobacco m ig h t be m ade h igh ly p rofitab le if sonic one could only be g o t to ta k e the m a tte r in hand . T h e G overnm ent have tr ie d it, and failed , fo r reasons in to w hich W'e do n o t here in te n d to e n te r . T h e fac ts rem ain th a t good tobacco w ill g ro w in B urm a, th a t th e d em and for good B urm a cheroo ts is increasing , an d th a t th e supp ly has a lready fallen sh o r t of th e dem and. N ot only has th e supply fa llen sh o rt, but i t b id s fa ir to go on in th e sam e d irec tion u n ti l Burnras a re as h igh iu p rice as m au- illas, o r any o th e r fav o u rite b rand . B ad as th is m ig h t be fo r sm okers w ho lik e B urm a cheroo ts, i t m ig h t be good fo r th e prov ince g enera lly , if even ce rta in th a t men cou ld be found to p ay a high price for th em . T he B urm a cheroot has n o t a prepossessing appearance. I t looks a very p lebeian affair a long­side a m em ber of th e M an illa o r H avannah b ran d s. A ud th e h a b it of sm oking B u rm a cheroots, and g e t­tin g to p re fe r them to a n y th in g else, is an acqu ired one, in p roof of w hich i t m ay be s ta te d th a t th e chief consum ers of th e p re se n t day a re tho se w ho have e ith e r liv ed fo r some tim e in B urm a, o r w ho have had frien d s here w ho furn ished th em w ith reg u la r supplies, w hereby th e y g o t to lik e th e m . I t w ould seem desirab le , th en , th a t th e su pp ly should be k e p t up, and th e question is how can th is best be done ? T h e G overnm ent sh ou ld do a ll in th e ir pow er to p ro m o te and encourage p riv a te en terprise . T h e c a p it­a lis t com ing to B urm a is confron ted by tw o very fo rm idab le difficulties, nam ely, th ese connected w ith th e te n u re of land, an d w ith labour, and bo th th ese difficulties i t is w ith in th e pow er of th e G overnm ent to reduce to a m inim um . A s m a tte rs s ta n d ju s t now, th e re is, w e a re g lad to notice, a 'desire on th e p a r t of th e G overnm ent to exercise lib e ra lity in th e m a tte r of m ak ing g ra n ts of land ; and , p erhaps, if th is w ere m ade k n ow n m ore w idely th an i t is a t p resen t, i t m ig h t have th e effect of a t tr a c t in g cap ita l, b u t th e labour question , as w e have o ften p o in ted ou t, is under ex is tin g c ircum stances p rac tica lly in su rm o u n t­able. T he p e tted cooly is v irtu a lly m aste r of th e s itu a tio n . T he law is a ll in h is favour. H e m ay leave th e e s ta te on w h ich he m ay be em ployed to n ig h t ; an d b y th e tim e the co u rt opens tom orrow , he m ay be m iles beyond i ts ju risd ic tio n . B esides ; w h a t is th e use of p ay ing te n rupees costs an d w aste tw o or th re e valuable days in g e ttin g a decree against a m an whose esta te , rea l and personal, am oun ts to l i t t le m ore th a n a w aist c lo th , w h ich no person w iih an y reg ard fo r cleanliness w ould touch w ith h is w a lk ing -stick . A C o n trac t A ct, such as is suggested here, w ould c e r t­a in ly in one sense involve an in fringem en t of th e lib e rty of th e s u b je c t ; b u t i t m ay w ell be questioned w h eth er

in th e presen t o rd er of th in g s freedom is n o t tu rn e d , by th e labouring class in to license. An em ployer gets labourers, le t us say from C alcu tta . 13y th e tim e each m an is lauded iu Rangoon he has coat h is em ployer some fo rty o r fifty rupees. H e leaves a clay o r tw o , a f te r he gets here, and his em ployer has no rem edy ( b u t to sue him for dam ages. Of th e value o r r a th e r worthlessness of th is rem edy we have a lready spoken, and have only now to rep ea t w h a t we, an d m ost of . our Ind ian con tem poraries have o ften sa id before, th a t i t is high tim e a change was m ade. W hen th is ■ is done, we m ay perhaps hope for b e tte r days for . B urm a m anufactures, p a rticu la rly of th e m anufac tu re 1 of B urm a ch e ro o ts .— Pioneer.

T H E D E H R A F O R E S T SCHOOL.Seven sub jec ts for s tu d y h ad origiuaJly been pro- 1

posed by M r. B rand is, nam ely (1) F o re s try (p rac tica l ; and th e o re tic a l); (2) M athem atics, (elem entary) ; (3) Surveying up to th e low er s ta n d a rd . 'These th re e ! subjects only w ere first to be ta u g h t, an d as arrange- , tnen ts could be m ade, (4) B otany ; (5) R ocks an d Soils ; (6 ) Meteorology-; .and (7) Law w ere to be in troduced . B u t ow ing to th e delay th a t has occurred i t has been found p racticab le to open w ith a fu ll p rogram m e, and in struction in B otany, th e E lem ents of N a tu ra l Science, an d Law is being given in ad d itio n to th e ob ligato ry subjects. T he m ost im p o rtan t b ranch of in s tru c tio n given in th e F o re s t School is, of course, Forestry or S y lv icu ltu re . Some of th e p robationers an d a p p re n t­ices have been em ployed in th e fore«ts for n early tw o years, and m u st be able fu lly to apprecia te th e th e o ­re tica l in stru c tio n th e y are now getting . The orig inal p lan w as to ad m it th e ap p ren tices on 1s t Ju n e , so th a t four m onths of th eo re tica l teach in g would open each year of the tw o y e a rs’ c o u rse ; a n d 110 d o u b t u ltim ate ly th is w ill be th e o rder of th ings. F o re s try is ta u g h t in th e class-room s by M r. F ish er, th e D epu ty D irector, assist' d b y M r. A. Sm yth ies, A ssis tan t Con servato r, in charge of th e Jaunsav D ivision. Mr. F ish er’s course em braces (I) an exp lanation of th e func­tions of a ll tlie p a rts of a tree, its physiology in fact ; (2) an d (3) a descrip tion of th e mode of g ro w th of different k in d s of trees, and of bam boos ; (4) d e ta ils uf a ll th e o th e r k in d s of fo res t produce, which a ranger m u st u tilize , such as fibres, f ru it , caoutchouc, resin , lac, honey gum s, and wood oils ; (5) he t r e a ts - of the com position of wood an d charcoal, an d th e in - I fluence of rock an d s o i l ; (6 ) of clim ate, a ltitu d e , an d 1 aspect in t iu i r influence on forests ; (7) of th e re lation of forest tree s to each o th e r in m ixed fo re s ts ; (8 ) of th e ! classification of forests, w hich is necessary w ith a view to p lan ts fo r w ork ing th em ; (9) of artificial an d n a tu ra l re­production ; ( 10) "f the tre a tm e n t of forests, as regards selection of fellings, th in n in g an d cu ttin g of c reep e rs ; ( 11) of different, system s of m anagem ent, a* h igh forest, coppice, o r coppice w ith s tandards, and (12) p ro te c ti­on, from fire, pastu rage , fro t, fungus and lichens in jec ts and o th e r anim als. M r. S m ythies tre a t of (1) th e pvopertios of tim ber, and o th e r fo res t p ro d u ce ; (2 ) forest operations, i.e , p reparing th e tim b er and o th er produce for th e m a rk e t; (3) of t r a u s p o it by land and w ater ; (4) of tUe disposal of tim b er ready for th e m ark e t, w hether s tand ing , or felled and w orked up. In s tru c tio n is given by o th e r lec tu rers in M athe­m atics, Surveying, N a 'u ra l Science, B otany an d Law, its bearing on fo res t affairs. T he s tu d e n ts a tten d in g th e school a re of th ree classes, and in stru c tio n is ad ­m inistered to th em a c c 'rd in g ly : and all have abo u t six hours of a tten d an ce to get th rough daily . The jun io r class is composed of tin* n a five a p p re n tic e s ; senior class (a) com prises th e p robationary officers; of whom th ere are no-v 2 Europeans and 3 Bengalis, and these tw o classes work p re tty m uch tog e th er. T he senior class (b) is form ed of 6 E uropean Sub- (

A ssistan t an d A ssis tan t C onservators, w ho hav e n o t received a E u ro p ean fo res t tra in in g , and w ho have been d e p u ted from various provinces, a t th e in v i t ­a tion ot th e G overnm en t of In d ia , to a tte n d th e school for th is session, w ith th e view of im prov ing th e ir th eo re tica l know ledge. A t th e close of th e ir tw o yearn’ course of tra in in g an d in stru c tio n th e ap p re n t­ices w ho qualify w ill receive a certificate s ta tin g th a t th ey are com peten t to ho ld th e position of a fo rest ranger. F o r P ro ba tione rs th e re a re tw o s ta n d a rd s of qualification (o) for th e position of a fo re s t ranger, an d (b) th e h igher certifica te of being elig ib le for p ro ­m otion to th e class of S ub-A ssis tan t C onservators. T h is la t te r w ill be g ran ted only to tho se p robatio n ers w ho d istingu ished them selves by special a p titu d e for th e superio r staff, an d w ho are o therw ise fu lly q u a li­fied. Prom o: ion to th e su p e rio r s ta ff w ill on ly be given a f te r tw o y ea rs’ service as fo res t ranger, b u t canno t th e n be claim ed as a r ig h t. A lto g e th er th e F o re s t School seem s to have fa ir chances of su ccess; and in s titu tio n s of th e so rt a re ce rta in ly necessary now th a t i t has been recognized th a t th e d ep artm en t m u st be rec ru ited in th is coun try . In a fo rm er a r tic le i t w as s ta te d th a t an area of 25 sq u a re m iles, or 1,600 acres w as to be th e average for a fo res t range, an d th a t 600 executive officers would be req u ired , with- 100 con tro llin g officers. F rom a la te r pap er by M r. B rand is i t appears th a t th e a rea of d em arcated foreet under th e G overnm ent of In d ia now 15,000 square m iles w ill probably be increased to 20,000, b u t th a t th e average a rea o f a range w ill no t be less th an 30 square m iles. T he num ber of th e ranges w ill th e re ­fore have to be tti60. T he con tro lling sta ff is now 93, an d is n o t lik e ly to be increased beyond 1 0 0 ; b u t th e num ber of rangers is now only 97, an d hence ranges are frequen tly in charge of m ere fo resters, or of m em bers of th e upper estab lishm en t. 563 ad d itio n a l tra in ed F o rest R angers a re th erefo re req u ired , an d on th e p roper selection and tra in in g of th e cand id a tes for these posts w ill m ainly depend th e success of F o re s t A d m in istra tio n in In d ia .— Pioneer.

T H E P A N D A N U S O R S C R E W PA L M . fFrom “ Coral L a n d s ” by H . S . Cooper, 1880.)

. I have before m en tioned th e pandanus, o r screw- palm ; th is rem ark ab le tre e flourishes m ost a b u n d a n tly in th e T uam o tu s; though i t is to be found m ore or less a ll over th e islands of th e Coral Sea. T h is is a m ost valuable p ro d u c t, an d deserves to be b e tte r know n. I t is a very suggestive fac t t h a t th e pandanus, custard -app le an d o th e r tro p ic a l p roductions of th is region are found in a fossil s ta te in th e Is le of SHeppey, in E ngland . T he pan d an u s is ca lled ‘screw-palnV for th e reason th a t i t grow s w ith a tw is t, lik e the screw of an augur. I t s h e igh t is genera lly from tw en ty to forty fee t, th e stem being s tra ig h t lik e a colum n, sending fo rth b ranches a t reg u la r in te rv a ls in such a form as som e;im es to rem ind one of th e golden c an d le ­s tic k in th e tab ern ac le of M oses. Each of these lim bs te rm in a te s in a tu f t of long drooping leaves, hav ing in th e centre, a large yellow ish flower, of an ov er­pow ering odour, very agreeable, b u t sick ly by reasonof its in ten sity . U nderneath th is tu f t hangs th e f ru it, w hich is of u dark g reen colour, o u tw a rd ly of th e size of a m an’s head, an d a form resem bling a p in e­apple, o r m ore e ra c 'Iy th a t of th e cone w hich onan c ien t sc u lp tu res is made to su rm oun t th e th y rsu s of Bacchus. T h is f ru it is com m only reg ard ed by w hite m en n o t only as unpala tab le , b u t eveu as uneatab le ; nevertheless, it constitu tes a lm ost th e sole subsistence of thousan d s of natives in th e K ingsm ill and M arshall G roups, w here 110 vegetable food exist.*.

W h en th e fru it is ripe i t easily com es to pieces, an d is found to consist of a m u ltitu d e of separa te capsules, each of th e form of a tru n c a te d cone, w ith

sq u a re corners, th e sm all ends b. ing arran g ed a round a cen tra l cone. T h e ir surface is b r ig h t an d sm ooth as ivory; in one species yellow , in th e o th e r blood-red. T he o u te r en d is as h a rd as a stone, th e in n er soft, of th e consistence of sugar-cane, an d con ta in ing an equal if n o t la rger p roportion of saccharine m atte r. T he in te rio r of the capsule is fibrous. T he custom of th e natives is to chew th e soft end, an d h av ing th u s ex trac ted a ll th e n u tr im e n t, to th ro w on one side th e hard portion , w hich th d y le t lie in th e sun ti l l thorough ly d ry , w hen th ey craek i t between tw o stones and e x tra c t th e kiko o r kernel, w hich is sim ilar to a filbe rt an d very wholesome. The ripe f ru it w hen boiled dow n produces a large percentage of excellen t m olasses; also, w hen steam ed in th e S aw aiori oven and m ashed up in w arm w ater, i t y ields an in to x ic a t­ing liquor when ferm en ted , an d a s tro n g s p ir it by d istilla tion . B u t th e chief use to w hich i t is devo ted is th e p repara tio n of w h a t is called on th e eq u a to r kabobo, w hich serves the savage of th e move b a rre n isles in th e place of bread . T he so ft p a r ts of the f ru it are grated , an d th e pu lp so ob ta in ed is d rie d in the sun. I ts appearance is th e n th a t of coarse pine saw dust, of a dark-brow n colour an d sw eetish taste . I t is packed fn baskets, solidly tro d d en in to a hard m ass w ith th e feet, and w ill keep fo r an y len g th of tim e. W hen requ ired for use, i t is m oistened, kneaded , and baked on th e stones. I t is s tro n g food, easily d igested and very w holesom e, b u t no t very p a la tab le to a E uropean.

T he pandanus * tree grow s u sua lly upon coral, g ravel, and clean sand, where th e re is no p a rtic le of m ould, or soil, so th a t i t seem s beyond m easure surprising th a t its roots cou ld th e re find e ith e r m oistu re o r nourishm ent. N evertheless i t con tains a supe r­abundance of oily sap w hich exudes freely w herever i t is c u t w ith an axe. G row ing as i t does on th e seashore, it w ould be liab le to be b low n down easily by a s tro n g w ind, were i t n o t fo r a m ost m arvellous p ro tec tion given i t by a beneficent G od. F rom th e g round upw ards, round an d ro u n d th e stem in a sp ira l row follow ing th e tw is t of th e tree (to th e h e ig h t of ab o u t tw elve feet), are w h a t a t firs t ap pear to be excrescences, looking like w arts ; th ese con tinue to p ro tru d e in th e form of horns grow ing dow nw ard , s tra ig h t, and abo u t th e th ickness of a m an’s arm , u n til they tou ch th e ground , w here the)- ta k e deep ro o t and send o u t suckers in a ll d irec tions, a n d so form a series of s ta y s round th e tre e on every side, so th a t it safely defies th e pow er of th e m ost fu rioussto rm s.

These stay s, w hen m acerated an d freed from th e ir o ily pulp, yield a fibre sim ilar in appearance to ju te , exceedingly w hite aud exceedingly s trong . T he tru n k of th e p andanus tree , a t m a tu rity , is as h o l­low as a stove-pipe ; th e wood, never m ore th a n a few inches th ick , is as h a rd as bone, an d tak es a very tine polish.

T he leaves of th e pan Ja n u s tre e are m ore th a n six fee t in leng th , aud from iwo to four inches wide, of a b r ig h t green , w ith a rib dow n th e centre an d edged on bo th sa les w ith a row of sha rp p rickles. Roofs of houses, sails of canoes, flooring m ats, an d c lo th ing of all so rts are m anufactu red from the leaf. W onderfu l and beau tifu l fabrics are m ade from it, all p la ited by hand and dyed various colours, W aist-clu thes and sashes, as w h ite as linen an d as so ft as silk , are also m ade from th e leaves of th is rich tree .

I do n o t know of an y th in g th a t will approach th e leaves of th e pandanus tree , as a paper-m aking m a­te ria l. T he tree grow s from one end. to th e o th er of Coral L ands. I ts leaves can be had for th e tro u b le of cu ttin g , and all th a t is w anted is to steep them in sa lt w ater, pound them and bleach them in th e sun, and they will become . s so ft au d w hite as a linen rag.

* S inhalese V etakfyiya d i3@ ,s)8c03 ; common to th e •ea board of Ceylon.

212

IN D U S T R IA L P R O M O T IO N .A n association fo r th e p rom otion of dom estic in ­

d u s tr ia l en terp rises has recen tly been organized in th is c ity u n d e r th e t i t le of “ Associa^ao P ro m o to ra d a In d u s tr ia B razile ira .” A ccording to a prospectus w hich has been sen t o u t in to th e provinces th e te rm s of m em bership, or share-hold ing , are 5$000 p e r m onth , w ith loss of r ig h ts and fu ll d iv idends in case of failu re to m eet th e pay m en ts regu larly . T hese fees w ill co n s titu te th e fu n d of th e association, w hich w ill be used, (1) to advance th e schem e itse lf and m eet its expenses, an d (2 ) to prom ote th e rea liza tion of in d u s tr ia l pro jects. E v e ry shareho lder will be re ­q u ired to e x e r t h is influence in favour of th e association , an d th e p ro jec ts prom oted by it. W h en th e funds sha ll be sufficient, a com m ittee of th e as­sociation w ill se lec t one from th e m any in d u stria l pro jec ts presen ted to it, w hich p ro jec t w ill th en be assisted from th e fund, th e p a r ty th u s assisted being req u ired to re fund tw ice the arhount received from th e firs t rece ip ts of th e en terprise . T he surp lus receip ts of th e association w ill be em ployed as follow s :— 25 per cen t fo r d iv idends, 25 p e r c e n t, for th e reserve fund, an d 50 per cen t fo r th e rea liza tion of in d u s tr ia l en terp rises. T h e association offers, also, to a c t as an in te rm ed ia ry betw een cap ita lis ts an d th e p rom oters of in d u str ia l en terprises, its office se rv ing in th a t sense as an in d u s tr ia l agency. T he prospectus is signed b y Thom as B urns, Geo. S . B arnsley , J . J . M arch an t an d P h il. S laughter.

W ith a ll due" resp ec t fo r th e en te rp rise an d op in­ions of th e p rom oters of th is schem e fo r a id ing dom estic in d u str ie s , and also fo r th e asp ira tions of th o se who w ould b u ild u p a d iv e rs ity of m anufac tu rin g in d u str ie s in Brazil, w e beg leave to in q u ire w h eth er th e schem e above ou tlin ed is rea lly feasible.

One of th e firs t e lem ents w hich shou ld en te r in to every in d u s tr ia l en te rp rise is th a t of p rac tica l ex ­perience. Does th is schem e prom ise an y th in g of th e k in d ? A re its p rom oters sk illed m anufactu re rs? an d have th e y any one in d u s try in con tem pla tion ? On th e co n tra ry , th e p rospectus is s ile n t on th e question of experience, an d refe rs to dom estic in d u str ie s only in th e m ost genera l w ay. I n a ll p ro b ab ility th e estab lishm ent of a co tton m ill w ill be le f t to coffee p lan te rs , of an iro n fo u n d ry to sug a r cane grow ers, of a suga r m ill to law yers, an d of a sh ip y a rd to physicians. T he en te rp rise w ill be es tab lished because th e c o u n try s ti l l lacks th a t p a r tic u la r in d u stry , an d because som e d ream er fancies th a t he would lik e to u n d e rtak e it.

A second elem en t in every in d u s tr ia l en te rp rise— an d i t is a very necessary one—is cap ita l. Now w h a t does th is schem e offer on th is score? S im ply m on th ly fees from shareho lders a t th e ra te of 58000 per m on th . Suppose t h a t th e re is a m anifest desire to assist som e m an to s t a r t a cen tra l suga r fac to ry in a locality w here th e re is an apparen t need for such an es tab lishm en t. T ak in g 300,0008 as th e cap ita l req u ired for th is en te rp rise , i t w ill requ ire th e fees of over ten th o u san d shareho lders fo r one year, o r over five th o u sa n d fo r tw o y e a rs—only 50 per cen t of th e su rp lu s receip ts can he used fo r th is purpose— to realize th e sum needed. A nd in th is es tim ate w e leave unspecified th e sum necessary fo r p rom oting th e in te re sts of th e association an d th e expenses necessary fo r i ts m anagem ent, b o th of w hich w ill be fa r from insignificant. I t w ould seem, therefo re , th a t th e elem ent of cap ita l w ill be a ve ry u n ce rta in fac to r in th is schem e

A th ird elem ent in every in d u s tr ia l en te rp rise is th a t of m anagem ent—to use th e w ord in i ts m ost general sense. T here should be unan im ity of purpose a t th e ou tse t, com pactness of association fo r efficiency ot" con tro l, and th en a definite aim . I n w h a t sense does th is schem e _meet any of these requ irem ents ?

T o s ta r t w ith i t has no purpose b u t th e very general one of a id ing dom estic in dustries, th e specific m eans to be determ ined hereafter, f t seeks to organize an unw ieldy association th ro u g h sm all fees, w hich w ill be fa ta l to its efficient con tro l and business-like action . I t has no defin ite aim.

T h is schem e—an d w e have no personal m otives in se lecting i t for critic ism — is only one am ong the m any w hich are seeking to accom plish an in d u s tr ia l re ­g enera tion of Brazil. A s a ru le th e y a re a ll based on sen tim en t, and a re to ta lly deficient in alm ost every elem ent w hich can co n trib u te to th e ir success. T hey expect to estab lish a d iversity of m anufactu ring in d u stries in B razil th ro u g h appeals to p opu lar su p ­p o rt an d governm ent patronage, aud th ey expect th em to live an d grow w herever th e y are p lan ted . I t seems to us th a t th e w hole m ovem ent is a m istaken one—not, perhaps, in th e w ish, b u t ra th e r in th e m eans em ployed to b rin g i t about. E very in d u stry w hich can be estab lished on a sound basis w ill be a source of w ealth to th e coun try , an d should th e re ­fore be w elcom ed an d encouraged. A n unsound an d unprofitab le in d u stry , how ever, is n o t on ly a source of loss, b u t it is an elem ent of w eakness. A sound in d u str ia l system is essen tially of slow g row th , and can n o t be has ten ed w ith o u t endangering its p e r­m anency an d profitableness. F or th is reason, i t w ould seem best to le t th e system grow n a tu ra lly , au d le t capital, w h ich is a lw ays cau tious an d con­se rvative , seek o u t those in d u stries w hich can bes t be carried in to p rac tica l operation . B y such m ethods th e re may be no rap id progress, b u t th e re w ill c e r t­ain ly be a su b stan tia l g ro w th an d an avoidance of m any h um ilia ting fa ilu res .— R io N ews.

T H E C U L T IV A T IO N A N D M A N U F A C T U R E O F T E A IN JA P A N .

(E x tra c ts fr o m the U. S . Consular Trade R eport f o r K anagaw a, Japan , f o r 1880.J

The cu ltiv a tio n of tea , i t is alm ost needless to say, is one of th e m ost im p o rtan t b ranches of Japanese agricu ltu re . A lthough th e area w ill value of its p ro­d u c t m ay n o t be as g re a t as th a t of rice an d barley, s till, as an a rtic le of commerce, i t is m ore im p o rt­an t. T he am oun t exported has increased from less th a n 5 ,0 0 0 j'0 0 lb. in 1869, to an estim ated export of 40,000,000 lb . in 1880. T he to ta l p ro d u c t for 1880 is estim ated a t 90,000,000 lb . T he w hole pop u l­atio n of th e co u n try d r in k tea . I t is I he national beverage from infancy to o ld age. I t grow s in all th e Kens o r provinces of th e em pire, b u t i ts favourite locality is so u th of th e 40 th paralle l of la titu d e . So m uch has been w ritte n a n d pub lished of te a c u l t ­ure, th a t I sha ll on ly briefly speak of th e m ethods a d o p te l for i ts p ro d u c tio n in Japan .

Tne soils m ost sough t a f te r for i ts grow th are th e sh e lte red hill-sides, a lth o u g h i t flourishes on th e plait.s along th e sea shore. I f w ild lands are to be used, th e soil m u st be tho rough ly tille d an d subdued. I t is grow n in row s. A th r if ty te a sh ru b is from 3 to 5 feet high. T he p lan ts requ ire co n s tan t care in a ll seasons. T hey m u st be carefu lly p ru n ed and trim m ed , and th e soil m u st be co n stan tly fertilized . The th ird year th e p lan ts begin to y ie ld some re tu rn , and th e fifth season th e y ield is q u ite good. I have been inform ed b y th e tea-fa rm ers th a t 2,500 lb . of tea-leaves to th e acre is a fa ir y ield , and th a t m ore th an 3,000 lb . are often produced. *

I shou ld s ta te th a t th is is th e w eight w hen p re ­pared by th e Japanese , and th a t th e re is a sh rinkage of abo u t 1 1 0 th b y th e foreign m ode of firing. + T here

* G reen leaves, of course, reduced 75 per cen t in d ry in g .— E d . T. A .

+ U tte r ly incred ib le ! 3,000 lb. reduced b y one-ten th w ould be 2,7001b. nf d rie d te a p e r acre, w hich never Jias been g o t .- -E d . U. A ,

are large areas w here th e soil and clim ate a re w ell adap ted to th e g row th of tea , and , as th e re is an abundance of sk illed cheap labour availab le , th e re is no im m edia te lim it to th e increase of th is im p o rtan t p roduct, except in its foreign dem and.

As I repo rted la s t year, th e re is a de term ined effort upon th e p a r t of th e G overnm ent and th e te a grow ers, to produce black teas. A large num ber of Chinese experts have been em ployed and se n t in to the tea d is tr ic ts . T he re su lt is th a t a good artic le can be p roduced a t prices th a t place Ja p a n am ong th e com ­p e tito rs for th e b lack te a m arkets of E urope. T he prospect for th e Jap an ese tea grow ers seems in every w ay to be fu ll of prom ise. I forw ard h e rew ith a sam ple of th is b lack tea , p repared in th e province of Gifu. The processes of te a p repara tio n w ill be tre a te d of u n d e r the bead of m anufactures.

# # * * #I have p u t dow n te a as an artic le of m anufactu re ,

for a lth o u g h i t is the lea" a sh rub , its t n a ’m en t and p rep ara tio n are such as to en title i t to be tre a te d u n d e r th is head. The firing aud p rep ara tio n of te a for m a rk e t as p rac tised iu Jap an , is as follow s :— T he Jap an ese green tea m ay bo d iv ided in to th re e genera l classes : colored, uncolored and b ask e t fired. T he leaf used for a ll these is from th e sam e p lan t, differing only in q u a lity , condition , e tc . A ll tea s used by foreigners are firs t fired by th e n atives in th e places w here grow n. If a grade of colored tea is to be m ade, th is fired leaf (4 to 5 lb .) is ta k e n and p u t in to iron pans or bowls, w hich are h eated , som e­tim es u p to a tem pera tu re , of 212 deg. F ah renheit. T he leaves are th en rap id ly s t ir ed by han d against th e sm ooth iron surfaces som e 20 m inu tes. A te a ­spoonful of thoroughly pu lverized soap-stone (saponite), an d five grains, or so, of p o w d tred Chinese Ind igo a re p laced in th e pan, and th o ro u g h ly ru b b ed in to th e leaf for ab o u t 20 m inu tes more, w hen ha lf a tea-spoonful of soap stone o r gypsum , and pu lverized tam arak b a rk (a species of larch) is added , aud the s tirr in g and rubb ing is con t nu ed for 20 m in u tes more. I t is th e n p u t in to cold pans, an d sim ply cold rubbed ag a in s t th e iron surfaces u n til i t has th e required polish , which is a rriv e d a t in from 40 m inu tes to an hour. T h is is the o rd in a ry w ay of p rep arin g colored tea. O th er m ateria ls are p erhaps som etim es used, b u t so fa r as I can learn , a ll are as these m entioned. T h e d ifferen t m anufacturers , of course, v a ry the process a l i t t le now and th e n to produce slig h t changes of color. T h e leaf is th en ru n th rough th re e to five sizes of sieves, t i l l a ll th e d u s t and loose coloring m a tte r is separa ted . T he sh rin k ag e is ab o u t 12 per cent.

T h is coloring process is considered beneficial to th e leaf, ten d in g to preserve its shape and flavor. T here can be no d o n b t th a t th e Japanese p rep ared teas are fa r superio r in p u r ity to th e Chinese. In coloring C hinese teas, various d rugs are used th a t are d e le t­erious to h e a lth , unless i t be th a t th e h e a t to w hich th ey are sub jec ted ren d ers th em innocuous. P russian blue is frequen tly used in stead of indigo in th e ir green, and black lead in th e ir black teas. U ncolored teas are m a le in th e sam e way an d q u a n t­ities, and rubbi d agains t th e irou pans u n til th e surfaces have th e desired polish, a n d are th en sifted u n til no th ing b u t th e w hole leaves a re le ft. B ask e t firing is done In bam boo-baskets, shaped som eth ing like our hour-g) isses w hich are shaken over h o t pans. T he leaf is p u t in to th e upp er lobe of th e b ask e t and w orked in to th e low er, aud so, back an d fo rth , u n til finished. T he loss of w eigh t is ab o u t 3 per cen t.— T h o s . B V a n B u r e n , C onsul General.

COCA” ( H’R Y T II ROXY L O N C O C A )In M r. M ark h am ’s “ P e ru v ian B a rk s ,” he has g iven

th e re su lts of h is ow n observations, and co lla ted th a t

of o th e r travellers , respec ting th is substance, an d to th is account we are chiefly indeb ted for th e follow* ing fa c ts :—

“ Coca,” th e beloved^narcotic of the P eruv ian Ind ian , was first nam ed botan ic illy though th e labours of Joseph fie Jussieu . The h is to ry of th is noted b o tan is t is a m elancholy one. H e le f t F ran ce in 1735, in th e ever*memorahle expedition of La C ondam ine, and a f te r M. La Condam ine le ft S outh A m erica, Y Jussieu con tinued his bo tan ica l researches, m ak ing num erous journeys on foot, no tab ly those to th e cinchona regions. T he re su lt of fifteen years’ labours w ere con tained in certa in cases of d ried p lan ts, &c., and a n a tiv e se rvan t a t Buenos A yres, th in k in g these cases con tained money, sto le them , and th is loss had such an effect on poor J u s ­sieu th a t he re tu rn ed to F rance in 1771 deprivedofreason.

T he Coca is th e g rea te s t source of com fort an d en joym en t to th e P eru v ian Ind ian . I t is to h im w h a t th e kava kava is to th e S outh Sea Islan d er, th e bete l to the H indu and M alay, an d tobacco to th e re s t of m ankind, b u t w itli th is difference, i t produces inv igora ting effects. T he P eruv ian In d ia n looks upon Coca w ith veneration . Iu th e palm y d ay s of th e U ncas or Yncas, Coca w as sacrificed to th e sun, th e h igh priests or H uillac U m u chew ed i t d u rin g th e cerem ony, and before th e a rriv a l of th e Spaniards, Coca was used in lieu of m oney. A fte r th e Spanish Conquest m uch w as done to prescribe its uses because, as a Council of Bishops held in 1569 sa id , i t was a “ useless and pernicious leaf, an d on account of th e belief sta ted to be e n te r ta in e d by th e In d ian s, th a t th e h ab it of chew ing Coca gave them stren g th , w hich is an illusion of th e dev il.” Coca, indeed, from its p o pu larity , being used by ab o u t e ig h t mi lions of people, has alw ays h ad a g re a t com m ercial im portance, and one V iceroy, Don Francisco T oledo, issued no less th a n seven ty ordinances concerning Coca in th e space of four years (1570— 1574).

T he Coca p la n t is a sh ru b of four to six feet high, w ith s tra ig h t and a lte rn a te b ranches an d leaves like those of th e T ea p lan t, au d is cu ltiva ted a t e levations from 5,009 to 6,000 feet above th e level of th e sea in th e w arm valleys of th e eas tern slopes of th e A ndes. H ere the only a lte rn a tio n s of c lim ate is from w et to d r y ; fro s t is unknow n, and i t ra ins m ore or less every m onth of th e year. T he seeds are sow n on th e surface of th e soil as soon as th e ra in y season commences, and begin to sp ro u t in a fo rtn ig h t, being carefully w atered, and p ro tec ted from th e sun by a th a tch ed roof. T he follow ing y ear th e seedlings are tra n sp la n te d in a soil carefu lly b roken up an d freed from weeds. T he an c ien t custom w h s to raise th e p lan ts in terraces on th e hill sides, b u t now p lan ta tio n s on th e level g round a re resorted to , a lth o u g h In d ian s aver th a t p lan ts raised und er th e form er conditions y ie ld a m uch superio r quality of leaf. A t th e end of eighteen m onths th e first h a rv est is ready , and th e picking of th e leaves, perform ed b y women and children , is very carefu lly proceeded w ith , so as no t to in ju re th e young and still te n d e r shoots, As soon as one crop of leaves is rem oved, if well w atered , an d the ground carefully w eeded, an o th e r crop is read y in about fo rty days. A p la n t con tinues to y ie ld for iibou t fo rty years, an d Dr. P< eppig gives th e profit o f a Coca p lan ta tion as about 45 p er cen t. E ach p ic k e r carries a piece of c lo th in w hich the leaves, plucked one by one, are p laced . T hese leaves a re th e n ta k e n to th e d ry ing -yard , form ed of s la te flags. H ere th e leaves are spread o u t in th in layers, and c ire- fully d ried in th e sun. Too m uch exposure to th e sun spoils th e flavour of th e leaf, an d if heaped too m uch together, th e leaves ferm en t and become foetid. As soon as d ried , th e leaves are packed in hags m ade af banana leaves, w ith an outside covering of clo th , or packed tig h tly in large parcels of abou t 50 lb. 5*ch, In th e Sandia d is tr ic t of C aravaya tw o varieties

of Coca are recongnised , th e Y p ara an d th e H a tu u Y unca, th e la t te r hav ing a la rg er leaf th a n th e form er. I n Bolivia, Coca is tre a te d as a G overnm ent m onopoly, and th e r ig h t is generally farm ed o u t. I n 1850, Coca b ro u g h t in to th a t c o u n try ’s exchequer a sum of 200,000 dollars. T he w hole y ie ld of Coca in S outh A m erica is e s tim ated a t th i r ty m illions of pounds. Coca soon de te rio ra te s in keeping, an d In d ian s tr e a t i t as value­less if k e p t longer th a n seven m onths. Such is th e fa ith in Coca, th a t i t is believed if a dying m an can b u t ta s te a Coca leaf w hen p laced on h is tongue, his fu tu re bliss is assured . N o In d ian is w ith o u t his cuspa o r Coca bag, m ade of llam a c lo th , and th re e tim es a day, s ittin g dow n, he takes leaf by leaf and ro lls them up in his m onth t i l l he form s a ball. Then app ly ing a sm all q u a n tity of pow der consisting of carbonate of po tash , m ade by b u rn ing th e s ta lk s of th e qu inoa p lan t, m ixed w ith lim e an d w ater, he goes on h is w ay rejoicing. T h e use of Coca is w idely spread. T he sh epherd on th e cold slopes of th e A ndes has b u t th is an d a l i t t le m aize as his sole n ourishm ent, and th e ru n n e r m essenger looks to i t as his solace an d support. A s to th e p roperties of Coca, i t seem s very ev id en t th a t , i t allows of a g rea ter am oun t of fatigue, w ith a lesser am oun t of n o u rish ­m ent, and p rev en ts difficulty of resp ira tio n iu ascend­ing steep m ountain slopes. I t has an agreeable and arom atic ta s te , accom panied by a s lig h t ir rita tio n , w hich excites th e flow of th e saliva. W h en m ade in to a tea , in ta s te it is like t h a t of g reen tea , an d effectually p reven ts drow siness. A pplied ex te rn a lly as a poultice, i t m oderates rheum atic pains, b rought on by exposure to cold and w et, and also cures headache. M r. M arkham chew ed Coca leaf very fre ­q u en tly , an d sta te s th a t he found i t to produce an agreeable soothing feeling, th a t he could endure longer abstinence from food w ith less inconvenience, and th a t w hen using i t , h e could ascend precip itous m ountain sides w ith a feeling of ligh tness and e lastic ity , an d w ith o u t losing b rea tb . H e also considers i t th e least in ju rious of a ll o th e r lik e substances, even w hen taken in excess, an d a t th e sam e tim e th e m ost so o th ­in g and inv igo ra ting . — Produce M arkets' Review.

A V IS IT TO T H E POOS A TOBACCO F A R M .A decade o r tw o hence th e pub lic w ill p robably

look back w ith w onder an d su rp rise a t th e languid grow th of th e tobacco in d u s try in In d ia , au d th e ind ifference exh ib ited to w ard s th e p o ss ib ility of com ­peting w ith th e A m erican m arket in th e cu ltu re and curing of th e w eed for genera l consum ption. E x p e ri­m en ta l crops have from tim e to tim e been raised and cured , u n d e r E uropean supervision , u n d e r th e fo s te r­in g w ing of d ifferen t G overnm ents, b u t th e cu ltu re w as firs t u n d e rtak en on com m ercial p rinc ip les by M essrs. Begg D unlop of th is c ity , an d th o u g h th ey have for th e past tw o years h ad a som ew hat uph ill experience, I believe th e re is l i t t le d o u b t th a t th e re su lts a re of a sufficiently encouraging n a tu re to induce th em to considerab ly ex ten d th e ir operations, and th a t the grow ing dem and for th e ir produce is lik e ly to far o u ts tr ip th e possib ilities of supp ly . T he e s ta te of Poosa is th e w ell-know n s tu d d epo t, and is situa ted 7 miles from th e W in i s ta tio n on th e T irh o o t S ta te R ailw ay : i t consists of some 1,500 beeg&h*, bounded by a bend of th e l i t t le G u n d u k river, and is one of th e m ost p ic tu resque sites in B ebar. T he g rounds are beau tifu lly w ooded, and a re in te rsec ted by drives, some 12 m iles in e x te n t, shaded b y w ell-grow n avenues of T eak and Babool. I t w ould have been d ifficult to find elsew here a p ro p erty , w here a ll th e requirem ents in th e form of d ry in g aud cu ring houses w ere w ith few a lte ra tio n s read y b u ilt , an d i t is doubtless ow ing to th is h appy acciden t th a t th e b ir th of ther in d u stry is due. T he stables, fifteen in num ber, th a t were in

use for th e s tu d , are now th e curing houses, an d the large and com m odious ho rse hosp ita l ie th e tobacco factory . Of th e 1,500 beegahs belonging to th e estate , only some 250 are a t p re sen t u n d er tobacco cu ltiv ­ation. l'h is, we believe, is in a m easure owing to th e d ifficulty in p rocuring m anure, an d to th e fact th a t th e lan d needs to be changed yearly . I h e agents, how ever, have been successful in a rra n g in g w ith th e cu ltiva to rs , in th e su rround ing d is tr ic t, to grow the p la n t on w h at is called th e Ja v an system , w hich ap­pears to be th e G overnm ent opium system , p u re and s im p le ; or, in o th e r words, th a t th e cu ltiv a to rs grow th e tobacco for th e facto ry , delivering i t in its crude or green s ta te —cash advances being m ade to th em from tim e to tim e, th e account be ing finally se ttled w hen th e crop is delivered . T h e seed is supp lied from th e facto ry , and th e cu ltiv a to rs are now conten t, and even eager, to use th e A m erican seed, th o u g h th is con­cession to a new dustoor has been of g rad u a l g row th , as th e y were a t firs t ve ry lo th to use th e foreign seed. Ju d g in g from th e area u n d er tobacco, t h a t w e saw du ring a six m ile’s d rive , th is Ja v a n o r Opium system shou ld enable th e fac to ry to secure an alm ost u n lim ited supp ly of th e leaf, p rov ided alw ays th a t th e ra te s are sa tisfacto ry , and th a t am icable re la tions are m ain ta ined betw een th e con trac ting p arties . T he Assam i or ou tside cu ltiv a tio n is a t p resen t only some 150 beegahs, as th is am ount in add ition to w h a t is g row n on th e e s ta te fu lly tax es th e in tra m u ra l accom ­m odation of th e facto ry . So fa,r th e p resen t m anage­m e n t a t Poona m ake no pre tence to secrecy in respect to th e modus operandi iu trea tin g th e leaf, an d th e cu ltiv a tio n itse lf is in all respects sim ilar to the tobacco grow n for n a tiv e requ irem ents. T he system of curing is th a t th e leaf is hung upon s tic k s in th e d ry ing houses, an d k e p t in th is s ta te t i l l th e action of th e a ir absorbs th e m o is tu re : i t is th e n taken dow n and packed in heaps, and allow ed to sw eat or fe rm en t sligh tly . T h is differs from th e nativ e tr e a t­m en t only in th a t th ey expose th e leaf to th e sun by day , an d pile i t in heaps a t n ig h t, repeating th e oper­a tion t i l l th e leaf assum es a light-brow n colour. Ex- perience show s th a t th e fo rm er m ethod re ta in s the s tre n g th aed flavour so valuab le in th e tobacco, w hilst th e u np leasan t acrid flavour so noticeable in th e native production is u n doub ted ly due to th e rep ea ted p ro­cess of ferm enta tion ob tained by th e a lte rn a tio n s of h ea t and cold in th e ir tre a tm e n t.

A fte r th e curing and sw eating process has been com pleted , th e tobacco is so rted according to colour an d size, an d tie d in bundles of te n or tw elve leaves each, a f te r w hich i t is sen t in to th e fac to ry for m anu- fac to rin g purposes, or packed in hogsheads, contain ing1,000 lb. each fo r export to E ngland , th e m anufact­u re rs th e re having, du ring th e p resen t year, tak en some 60,1 (X) lb ., and though th is is a very fa ir be­g inning, i t w ould have been m uch larger, had n o t th e factory re q u ire m e n t exhausted th e rem ainder of th e stock in m anufactu ring for In d ian requ irem en ts The prices realised in E ng land com pare favourably wi*h th e sales of A m erican tobacco of th e sam e class, a n d as th e dem and is practically unlim ited , th e p ro ­p rie to rs are n a tu ra lly tu rn in g th e ir a tten tio n to th is o u tle t fo r th e ir produce, and purpose increasing th e ir hom e sh ipm ents. T he m an ag ir is hopeful t .a t large# consignm ents w ill realise more profitably th an these p rim ary sm all sh ipm ents have done, as th e agency an d fre igh t charges h ith e r to have nearly equalled th e cos1 of production . I t is also expected th a t , as th e tra d e becomes b e tte r estab lished , th e fac to ry w ill be able to adop t a system of curing and packing in accordance w ith th e requ irem en ts of th e home m arket, an d th u s ob ta in b e tte r prices w ith o u t increased o u t­lay . The fac to ry a t Poosa, as we have a lready sta ted , was rhe o ld horse hosp ital, Ihe sta lls of w hich have been rem oved, and a second sto rey add ed to th e b u ild ­

ing, w hich is d iv ided in to seven room s. T h e first of these is called th e s tr ip p in g room , an d here some 30 boys are em ployed in rem oving th e m id-rib from th e leaves, an d m aking th em up in to bundles. In th e second, or soak ing room, severa l m en a re em ployed in d ipp ing these bundles of tobacco in to a m ix tu re of boiled sugar and liquorice, an d th en passing th em th ro u g h ro llers. In th e th ird , o r d ry ing room, th e sw eetened and pressed tobacco is hun g o u t on racks, and d ried by charcoal fum es a t a tem p era tu re of 120°. W h en th e leaf is d ry , i t goes th ro u g h an o th e r d am p ­ing process, a m ix tu re of rum , oil of cinnam on, and severa l o th e r essen tial oils, being sp rin k led over i t w ith a spray , i t is then p iled up , and covered w ith b lan k e ts u n til i t becom es so ft an d p liable, w hen i t is ready fo r th e fo u rth , o r hem p room , in w hich th e re are ab o u t 60 persons em ployed a t 30 tab le s w ith a d iv ision in th e cen tre of each. A boy on one side of each tab le rem oves th e m id-rib from a p ile of la rge dark red tobacco leaves th a t he is supp lied w ith , an d passes th e cleaned leaf to a m an on th e o th e r side of th e tab le , each of these leaves th e m an w raps round a q u a n tity of th e cured or sw eetened leaf heaped in fro n t of h im , each roll w hich looks lik e a very large cigar, con tain ing about th ree ounces of tobacco, is techn ica lly know n as ‘ a lu m p .” These lum ps are p laced in boxes an d rem oved to th e fifth o r p ress room ; here each lum p is forced in to an iron shape 6 by 1 inches, 24 shapes being in th e fram e, 10 of th ese fram es are th en sub jected to an h y d rau lic p ress­u re of 350 tons. T h e lum ps a re now cakes, a n d are n e x t p laced in a s tro n g iron box in layers w ith oiled sheets of t in betw een each and sub jec ted to ano ther p ressure, w hich gives th e tobacco th e polish an d finish fam iliar to consum ers of th e A m erican p roduct. T he cakes are th e n packed in boxes 20 by 6 by 6 inches, again p u t u n d e r pressure, four boxes being bound to - g e tlie r by au iron band and p ressed to g e th er. T he tobacco is now read y fo r th e m ark e t, and, once sold, can be labelled by an y of th e fancy nam es know n in V irg in ia . T he seven th room is used as a desp a tch room, an d for p reparing an d cu ttin g th e cake, caven d ­ish an d golden leaf iu io th e Poosa sm oking m ix tu re , th e sale of w hich is rap id ly increasing in Bengal. F o u r classes of th is are now being p rep ared a t the fac to ry , know n respectively as golden leaf, b r ig h t and dark , th e difference being only in th e shade of th e leaf. H oney dew , a sw eet brow n cake tobacco, and cavendish, w hich is b lack, s trong , an d sw eet. These t in n e d tobaccos are sold for ve ry m uch h igher prices and pay well, b u t th e trad e is sm all. 111,500 to2,000 p er m ensem being considered a good m o n th ’s business, an d th e prospects of i ts ex tension is no t encouraging. T h e dem and for th e cake cavendish on th e o th e r h an d increases s tead ily : th e tobacco is very sim ilar to th a t supp lied to th e troops, an d though there was a p re ju d ice against i t at. firs t as th e re w as against h ill beer, i t seem s to be g iv ing w ay as th e sale from a few thousand pounds reached 79,000 lb ., la s t year, and th is season’s sales are over 104,000 lb ., n o tw ith s tan d in g th a t ihe p rice of sim ilar A m erican tobacco in In d ia has fallen from 10 to 8 a n d 6 annas per lb. w ith in th e p as t th ree y ea rs ,—a ra te w hich i t is believed entails a loss on ihe im porters.

The p rop rie to rs of th e Poosa F ac to ry an d F a rm d e ­serve bo th c red it an d profit for w h a t th e y have done to w ards estab lish ing th e m anufactu re of an im proved class of tobacco in Ind ia , and if th e ir experience so fa r does, as we believe i t w ould, bear a c ritica l sc ru tin y in to th e soundness of th e ven ture, we t r u s t th e y w ill ta k e steps to carry on th e en te rp rise on a fa r m ore ex tended scale th an i t is w orked a t present, o r th a n i t can be w orked w ithou t g iea tly increasing th e cap ita l invested . T he to ta l o u ttu rn a t p resen t is some 300,000 lb . a frac tion in com parison w ith the A m erican supply in In d ia to say no th ing of E urope . — In d ia n D a ily N ew s.

T H E R IV A L R Y O F IN D IA N A N D C H IN A T E A S , A N D T H E C O N SU M PTIO N IN

A U S T R A L IA .T he s tead y g row th of th e te a in d u stry in B ritish

India , n o t only prom ises to place th e w orld in pos­session of an a lte rn a tiv e source of su pp ly of tea, in th e even t of the C hina supp ly being in te rru p te d by w ar o r revolution , and n o t only ho lds o u t th e prom ise of increased revenue and p rosperity to th is coun try ; b u t i t also w arns people in terested in th e w ell-being of th e te a tra d e in C hina, to be on th e a le rt. I t is a m oot question , w h e th er China or In d ia is th e o rig inal hom e of th e tea p l a n t ; an d i t has been con tended by some people th a t the sh rub is indigenous in both countries. I t is now beyond a d oub t th a t te a can be grow n as easily on th e h igh lands of In d ia , as on those of C h in a ; an d th a t i t is on ly a question of tim e, w hen C hina w ill tind th e w orld a t large w avering iu its affection for h e r special p roduct. T here is a w ide difference betw een th e flavours of th e riv a l com m od­ities ; and i t is a serious m a tte r fo r C hina, th a t so agreeable is th e flavour of In d ian tea, th a t those people w ho have once becom e accustom ed to it, do n o t read ily resum e th e use of C hina tea . M oreover In d ia enjoys th e g rea t advantage over China, th a t h e r teas are cu ltiv ­a ted , an d p repared fo r m arket, u n d e r im m ediate E uropean superintendence. In C hina te a is grow n by natives, in ancien t n a tiv e fashion ; and i t is only w hen i t has been p repared for m arket, th a t it is b ro u g h t u n d e r th e con tro l of Europeans. I f tea could n o t only be bought a t th e tre a ty p o rts aud shipped, b u t could be cu ltiv a ted u p co u n try in China, by E uropeans th e re w ould be m uch less chance th an th e re now is of In d ia cu ttin g C hina o u t in th e trade . A S hanghai paper perceives th is , and recen tly po in ted o u t :—

“ T here are no squeezing M andarins in In d ia : th e re is E uropean supervision in th e pack ing and firing of th e leaf, and th e p lan ta tions are connected w ith c iv il­isa tion by th e ra ilw ay an d th e te leg raph . E v e ry ­th in g is done to give In d ia an u n fa ir ad v an tag e over C hina. C onsequently , In d ia n tea of th e sam e q u a lity is fa r cheaper in London th a n the ill-regu la ted produce of H ankow an d Foochow, and i t is only th e conserv­a tism of th e consum er w ho is n o t y e t en tire ly h ab itu a ted to th e In d ian flavour th a t p rev en ts ourlosses being m uch heav ier th a n th ey are. E very yearth is preference fo r th e leaf th a t has been longer know n is w earing aw ay, and o u r buyers w ill soon have to reckon w ith its d isappearance. A s y e t In d ian te a is h ard ly ta k e n on th e C o n tin en t of E u rope a t all, b u t here too i t w ill p en e tra te sooner or la te r, as i t is doing in to A m erica an d A u s tr a l ia ; and th en tb e re w ill be no corner of th e ea rth w here th e sw ay of C hina tea w ill be und ispu ted . U n til foreigners can supervise th e packing of the leaf in C hina as th e y do in In d ia , th e produce of th e la tte r co u n try w ill con tinue to have an unfair advan tage . T he tim e no d o u b t will come w hen we sha ll be able to go u p an d buy th e raw leaf on its n a tiv e h ills, pack i t by our ow n m ethods, an d b ring i t dow n b y ra ilw ay to S hanghai fo r sh ip m e n t; b u t for years y e t w e sha ll labour und er th e d isadvan tage of hav ing to buy i t ju s t as th e C hinam an chooses to p repare it, w ith o u t any rea lknow ledge of th e to ta l crop a t an y tim e, o r anyim m ediate pow er to m an ip u la te th e teas to su it the ta s te s of consum ers.”

O ur contem porary is to be com m ended for looking disagreeable fac ts full in th e face, instead of seeking to a llay local an x ie ty by u n d erra tin g th e danger ahead. T he Chinese ■ them selves will be slow , perhaps, to c red it th e character of th e r iv a lry th a t is r ising in far d is ta n t, and , to them , l i t t le know n I n d ia ; b u t w hen th e y find th a t th e ir own p ro d u c t ceases to com­m and th e h igh price i t used to do, th e y will begin to a sk " th e reason w hy an d w hen the t r u th has

been b ro u g h t hom e to them , th e y m ay be u rg ed by se lf-in terest to h eed a t la s t th e w orld’s p ro te s ts ag a in s t th e sy s tem atic ad u lte ra tio n , an d unscrupulous vam p­ing up of th e ir tea .

T he follow ing s ta te m e n t shows th e q u a n tity of tea exported from In d ia , an d its official valuation , in th e tw elve years end ing 1878-79 :—•

Year. Quantity. Value.1869-70 ... lb . 12,750,000 ... £1 ,080,0001870-71 ... 13,232,000 ... 1,139,0001871-72 ... 17,460,000 ... 1,482,0001872-73 ... 17,920,000 ... 1,590,0001873-74 ... 19,442,000 . .. 1,754,0001874-75 ... 21,392,000 ... 1,963,0001875-76 .. . 24,561,000 ... 2,183,0001876-77 ... 27,925,000 ... 2,620,0001877-78 ... 33,656,000 ... 3,061,0001878-79 ... 34,800,000 ... 3,170,000187980 ... 38,173,521 ... 3,050,0001880-81 ... 46,413,510 ... 3,054,000

I n th e tw elve years end ing 1880 th e im p o rts of te a in to th e U n ite d K ingdom from a ll q u a r te rs w ere as follow s :—

Year. Quantity. Value-1869 ... lb . 139,223,000 ... £10,311,0001870 ... 141,020,000 ... 10,097,0001871 .. 169,898,000 ... 11,635,0001872 ... 184,927,000 . .. 12,933,0001873 . .. 163,765,000 ... 11,372,0001874 . .. 162,782,000 ... 11,532,0001875 . .. 197 505,000 ... 13,765,0001876 ... 185,536,000 ... 12,697,0001877 . .. 187,515,000 ... 12,480,0001878 ... 204,872,000 ... 13,048,0001879 184,076,000 ... 11,262,0001880 ... 206,971,000 ... 11,613,000

I t th u s appears t h a t th e exports from In d ia increased from 1 2 | m illion of lb . in 1869-70 to n early 40 j m illion of lb . in 1880 81, o r by ab o u t 3 "33 p er c e n t ; and th a t in th e tw elve years end ing 1880 th e im ports from all q u a rte rs in to th e U n ited K ingdom increased by ab o u t 50 per cen t. T he te a in d u stry in In d ia is a th in g of y es te rd ay ’s crea tion ; and th e es ta tes th a t are com ing in to bearing w ill y ea r b y year ad d to the form idable to ta l of export. T he in d u stry is cord ially su p p o rted b y a civilised and pow erful G overnm ent, and is stim u la ted by local and foreign en terp rise . I t is th e re fo re n o t u n reasonab le to expect t h a t w ith in a few years In d ia will be able to ex p o rt a fu ll 100 m illions of lbs.

M nch a tten tio n is being d irected by th e G overnm ent of In d ia an d th e C a lc u tta T ea S yndicate , to th e d e s ir­a b ility of In d ia ’s cu ttin g in for a share of th e lea tra d e of th e A ustralasian Colonies. Coffee is b u t l i t t le valued by th e colonists ; b u t th ey a re q u ite Johnsonian in th e ir love of tea ; and as the co u n try is m ore opened o u t, an d becom es more populous, th e dem and for tea w ill become very g rea t. The im ports s ta te d in m illions of lb . w ere as fo llo w s: —

Year. Victoria N .S . Wales S . A u st.1865 ... 4-6 ... 5-3 1-3 m illion lbs.1866 ... 7-0 ... 6 0 0 8 do.1867 ... 6-8 ... 4-3 1-2 do.1868 ... 10-1 . . . 7-0 1-4 do.1869 .. 6-9 ... 6-2 1-5 do.1870 .. 6-9 ... 3 '8 0-8 do.1871 ... 7 1 ... 5 0 1-3 do.1872 ... 6-6 ... 3 9 1 0 do.1873 ... 10-5 ... 5 0 1 6 do.1874 ... 7-1 5 1 1-6 do.1875 ... 9 '0 ... 5 '2 1-8 do.1876 ... 9-7 ... 4 .9 1-9 do.1877 ... 8-3 ... 6-0 1-2 do.1878 ... 8-2 ... 5 3 2-3 do.1879 ... 8-3 ... 7 6 1-9 do.im ports of T asm ania am o u n t to about 350,0001b.,

an d those of N ew Zealand to abou t 1,500,0001b. per annum . I 11 th e la t te r colony, no record is k e p t of th e q u a n tity of tea im p o rte d ; th e value was £146,187 in 1865, an d £197,997 in 1879. Q ueensland ta k e s from 14 to 2 m illions of lb. of te a per annum . A ltogether th e A u s tra las ian Colonies a t p resen t im p o rt abo u t 22 m illions of lb . officially valued a t £1 ,500,000 per annum . H ith e r to C hina has monopolised th is tra d e ; and i t is only recently ' th a t th e colonists have had i t b ro u g h t practically hom e to them , th a t n o t only is te a cu ltivation an established fac t in Ind ia , b u t th a t genuine In d ian te a is a superior artic le to th e stu ff w ith which they have a t times been supplied from China. They perhaps, s tudy q u a n tity , and h igh colour, ra th e r th a n refined flav o u r; b u t th e y are too add ic ted to tea n o t to re lish th e fresh an d pala tab le iufusion from th e In d ia n leaf. I f even in E ngland , i t is ex trem ely difficult to discover a grocer, w ho sells rea lly good te a a t a m oderate price, i t is n o t to be w ondered a t th a t in th e Colonies sound te a is ra re ly met w ith T here are shops in London, w here n o th in g b u t te a is sold ; and a t these sp ie ia liti p laces, a g re a t boast is m ade of “ our favourite b lend ” of In d ian and China te a ; b u t experience usua lly teaches th e pala te accus­tom ed in In d ia to th e d rin k in g of In d ian tea , th a t th e p roportion of firs t class In d ia n tea in th e v au n ted “ b le n d ” is sm all, a lthough th e price is u n doub ted ly firs t class. In M elbourne and Sydney sim ilar “ blends” are being sold, an d as th e y are calcu la ted to m ake buyers come to th e conclusion w ith respect to In d ian an d C hina teas, th a t “ Pom pey sam e lik e Caesar” th e C a lcu tta T ea Syndicate are w isely tta k in g step s to open in those cities shops of th e ir own, w hereat th e public can ob ta in th e genuine In d ian a rtic le , and no deception. T he im port d u ty on te a is 3d. p e r lb . in N ew South W ales, V ic to ria , and S outh A u s tra lia ; 4d. p e r lb. in W estern A ustra lia and N ew Zealand ; and 6d. p e r lb . in T asm ania an d Q ueensland. In E ng land i t is 6rf. per lb . So, m ost of th e A ustralasian Colonies have se t th e m other-coun try , th e exam ple of charging a low er d u ty th an she y e t cares to impose on tea. N o t im probably M r. J o h n B right w il y e t suc­ceed in h is efforts to give h is countrym en th e boon of a “ free b reak fast tab le an d th e Colonies m ay no t be long in follow ing su it .— M adras M ail.

A G R I-H O R T IC U L T U R A L O P E R A T IO N S O N T H E S H E V A R O Y H IL L S .

T he follow ing notes on th e season on th e Sheveroy H ills from D eputy-Surgeon G eneral Jo h n S h o rtt, k.l .s., e tc ., are published w ith the I’roc edings of th e m eet­ing of th e Com m ittee of th e A g ri-H o rticu ltu ra l Society of M adras held on th e 7 th of la s t m onth :—

Believing th a t a few notes of th e season on these H ills for th e pas t year (1880; m ay prove of in te re st,I beg to subm it th em an d reg re t th e delay th a t has occurred in th e ir p repara tion . T he y ear 1880 was a good one as regards general h ea lth , as w ell as for A gricu ltu ral an d H o rticu ltu ra l operations. R a in had fallen in every m onth of th e y ear excep t th a t of M arch. T he ra in fa ll am oun ted to 66 inches an d 83 cen ts d is tr ib u ted over eleven m onths and ex tend ing over 133 days. T he m axim um fa ll occurred in O cto­ber w hen 14 inches and 60 cents w ere reg istered , and th e m inim um qu an tity of 1 inch and 30 cen ts fell in i Ja n u ary . Of th e 133 days in w hich ra in fell, 90 j inches came dow n chiefly a t n igh ts, an d th e rem ain- : in g 43 du ring th e day , bu t chiefly tow ards th e a f te r­noon.

T he heavy rain in O ctober caused some dam age to coffee, an d a landslip having occurred on th e steep slope of a h ill, some 4,000 coffee p lan ts on one esta te were destroyed by it, an d th e subsequen t crop of j coffee also fell sh o rt of th e es tim ate on m ost estates. ; T his d isappo in tm en t seem s to have been g e n e ra l; as j

I observe from th e new spapers th a t in m ost of o u r p lan tin g cen tres th e coffee crop for th e y ea r und er notice w as sm all on these h ills ; th e ra in s th re w dow n th e first blossoms, b u t th e p lan ts m ade a second and th ird effort a t bloom w ith b u t p a r tia l success, re ­su ltin g in sm all crops. T he p rice of land has g re a tly increased an d fa ir p lan tin g lan d fetches from * 374 to | rupees th e acre, w h ilst a bu ild ing s ite com prising a b lock of 3 acres (all stones) fe tched 550 rupees d u rin g th e y ear u n d e r notice. C inchona h ith e r to on these h ills has been p lan ted sim ply as an ex perim en t : one o r m ore trees only w ere to be seen on a few es ta tes. Of th e d ifferent varieties, th e cinchonaS uccirub ra th r iv e s w ell here, an d th is v a rie ty is best su ited to these h ills . E fforts a re now being m ade by a few p lan te rs to ex tend cinchona cu ltiv a tio n , an d on m y e s ta te self-sown seeds of th is v arie ty w ere found grow ing in th e v icin ity of th e p a ren t p lan ts ; an d th e trees a re so extrem ely prolific in th e ir seed productions, th a t I have been able to collect an d d is ­tr ib u te th e seeds freely . T he d ifficulty of g e ttin g th e seeds to g erm inate is ra th e r try in g , as th e p ro ­cess requ ires m uch care an d a tte n tio n , m ore especially w ith o u t th e a id of a propagating house. Of th e cinchona trees on m y E s ta te one seems a hybrid , and on send ing specim ens of th e flowers an d leaves to M r. Jam ieson, th e S u p e rin te n d en t of th e G overn­m en t G ardens, O otacam und, th a t g en tlem an recog­nized i t as one w hich he says has been n am ed c in ­chona L anosa. T h is p la n t also seeds very free ly an d largely .

T hrough th e k indness of th e Society I have been favored from tim e to tim e w ith A u stra lian an d o r­nam ental tree seeds, as w ell as th a t of severa l species of grasses ; m any of those sp ro u ted w ell an d m ade a vigorous grow th , b u t d ied subsequen tly , a f te r a tta in ­ing some 6 to 12 inches in h e ig h t, ow ing to th e season th is y ear hav ing proved v e ry d ry , so th a t we h ad no ra in fa ll to speak of d u rin g th e firs t 6 m onths ; nevertheless I have a few p lan ts of th e d ifferen t varie ties of th e E ucalyp tus. T h e E u ca ly p tu s G lobulus th rives well and seeds free ly ou th e se h ills . T here are some tre e s over 60 fee t in h e ig h t w ith a d iam eter of stem of 2 to 3 feet. T h e G revillea R o b u sta an d B uxifo lia grow well an d m a tu re th e ir seeds to perfection , an d th e re a re a la rg e n u m b er of these trees on these h ills now.

T h e P ithecolobium sam an, o r R a in lree . Of th ese I received 27 p la n ts from th e Society’s G ardens, M adras, in O ctober, 1878; a few w ere d es tro y ed by insects th ey w ere firs t “ R u n g ” a t th e Collum by a species of worm a f te r w hich th e p la n t never recovered ; these have a tendency to sp read a n d seem to grow very slow ly a lth o u g h looking th e p ic tu re of health , so th a t I bad to c u t them in closely and otherw ise freely p ru n e an d th e n s ta k e th e m o u t in th e hope th a t th ey will grow lo fty and afford shade to coffee, so far th ey have belied th e confident assertion of a respectab le a u th o r ity th a t th e y a re n o t su ited to h ill ranges, as I have now over a dozen p lan ts ranging from 3 to 5 fee t in he igh t.

Conifers.— W e have severa l species grow ing w ell h e re includ ing those of th e so-called C ypress and T h u ja ; of th e C ypress we have th r re varie ties w ith perfec t seeds successfully . W e have also th ree or four varieties of th e A raucaria , th e largest sta n d in g about 30 fee t in h e ig h t; th e y have n o t flow ered as y e t as th e trees a re young. W e have also some tw o or th re e sam ples of th e P ine . Of these P inus M aritim a an d th e P in u s A u stra lis are also young, Standing abo u t 4 to 5 feet in height.

* T he m axim um price R 37-8-0 ; th e m inim um price RO-12-0; th e average price from 1877-80 (b o th years inclusive) w as R7-1-0 p er acre, u n d er th e W aste lan d R ules,

T he C eratonia S iliqua o r C arcob tre e has n o t suc­ceeded here. I go t a few p lan ts from th e Society a n d o thers from M r Cam eron of th e G overnm ent G ardens, B a n g a lo re ; th ey con tinued sta tio n a ry for nearly tw o years m aking no advance w hatever, and d ied of d u rin g th e early p a r t of th is year.

T he T rincom aliee w ood tree Bt-rrya A m m onilla I in tro d u ced here severa l years ago, b u t i t does not t h r iv e ; th e p lan ts are sim ply alive, an d have no t exceeded one foot in h e ig h t a f te r a tr ia l of severa l years.

T he C h ittagong w ood tree , o r C hicknassia T abul- a r is ,— I p rocured one p la n t from B angalore, an d by a m istake i t was p lan ted o u t on ra th e r rock y s o i l ; i t was slow of g ro w th an d a tta in ed some 3 fee t in h e ig h t, w hen d u rin g a very d ry season i t perished . I mean to give i t ano ther tr ia l as soon as I can get som e plan ts.

T he Sapota P lu m or A chros S apo ta does n o t th r iv e here. I gave i t severa l tr ia ls ; as also g ra fts on th e B assia w hich does n o t m eet w ith b e tte r success. I have now tw o p lan ts in po ts , th e y are a l>out four years old, an d th e y do n o t exceed 3 to 4 inches in height.

Grasses and Fodder P la n ts .— Of th e 7 k in d s th a t germ inated an d on w h ich I rep o rted to the Society (vide proceedings 3 rd Septem ber 1870, page 91), th ey flowered free ly b u t form ed tfo seeds an d th en d ied off. T h e sam e re su lt a tte n d e d th e C anary seeds I h ad experim en ted w ith .

Tlie R eana L uxu rio u s sp ro u ted and p roduced seeds which also g erm inated free ly , b u t d u rin g th e cold w eather th e tops g e t b u rn t off. T h e p lan ts a tta in e d from 4 to 5 feet in h e ig h t and .each th re w o u t from 10 to 20 side s h o o ts ; these com ing off from th e Collum, gave th e p la n t a very fu ll and sh ru b b y ap- pea .an ce from th e clum ps th e y th u s form ed, and looked handsom e an d like th e maize or In d ian corn ; th e m ale flowers form ed on th e sum m it, w hile th e fem ale flowers w ere in the axilla of th e leaves, hav ing som ething of th e m in ia tu re cob in form , and as soon as th e p lan ts perfected th e ir seed, th ey d ied off. T he d raw back to th e in tro d u c tio n of th is grass is th e tendency i t has to suffer from th e cold up here. T h is does n o t m a tte r s > m uch, p erh ap s ; as th e p la n t is an annual an d dies o u t a f te r seeding.

The P ric k ly Com fry (S ym phy tum A sperri mum) I have given a t i ia l to for u pw ards of tw o years and can say no th ing in its favor, a lthough it was in tro ­duced w ith m uch en thusiasm as a w onderful fodder p la n t ; b u t as far as m y ow n personal experience ex ­tends , i t has proved a com plete fa ilu re b o th as regards its rap id ity of g row th , luxuriance , and its n u tr itio u s qualities, and i t does no* seem to me to be genera lly relished by c a ttle o r horses.

Cytisus P ro liferus.— Se^ds of th is p la n t received from the Society and from Col. Beddom e w hen placed in a ra th e r d ry p lo t of g round did n o t g erm inate for m o n th s, b u t in p lo t g erm inated read ily . I have now several p lan ts of it. In general appearance i t has some resem blance to th e C ajanus In d icu s in its pubescent an d p in a te ly tr ifo lia te leaves, &c. ; b u t as th e p lan ts are young, s til l being about fee t iu heigh t, I m ust reserve for a fu tu re occasion fu rth e r reference to it.

T he la s t rece ip t of fodder g rass seeds th ro u g h th e Society from K ew is th a t of th e P an icum Spectabile ; th e seeds resem ble th a t of G uinea grass, and on being sown in pots, th ey sprou ted read ily and free ly , and are now abou t 6 inches in height. I m u st reserve fu r th e r descrip tion of th em to a fu tu re occasion.

I have now te s te d a good m any k in d s of fodder {grasses bo th foreign and indigenous, and I m ost con­fiden tly a sse rt th a t th e re is n o th in g to excel th e

H u rria llee g rass (Cynodon D actylon) an d th e G uinea g rass (Panicum Ju m en to su m .) Of th e H u rria llee i t m ay be sa id i t grow s everyw here, an d a t a ll season a n d places, on th e p lains equally as w ell as on th e H ills , in abundance, form ing th e g re a te r p a r t of th e food of c a ttle in th is c o u n try ; in m oist lands i t th ro w s up long tea th erly shoots ex tend ing to 2 and 3 fee t in he igh t, w hen i t becomes p rocum bent, and du ring th e d ry season th e re is th e creeping succu len t stem with dw arf shoots a t each node or jo in t. T he horses ab o u t of M adras fo r th e g re a te r p a r t of th e y ea r feed on these succu len t stem s supplied to them by so-called gr.iss cu tte rs , b u t w here tillage, m anure and w a te r are supplied , i t grow s to th e g re a te s t perfection , y ie ld ing from 6 to 9 crops d u rin g th e year, an d m akes the so fte s t of bay and surpasses a ll it h e r k in d s of bay in n o t only its n u tr itico u s qual- toies b u t th e relish w ith w hich a ll c a ttle feed on i t .

T he G uinea g rass comes n e x t, b u t i t does n o t grow in some localities. W here i t th riv e s i t becomes lu x u ria n t, and innkes a large re tu rn per a c r e ; i t has a ten d en cy to form Clum ps or “ T ussucks ” as i t is term ed, an d requ ires to be ta k e n u p every second o r th ird y ea r to have its clum ps b roken up for rep lan tin g to increase i ts p roduction .

Arrow root or M a ra n ta A rundinacea .— In an experi­m ent, a p lo t of g round 2 2 £ x 3 2 feet p lan ted w ith A rrow root p roduced 430 pounds of corns y ie ld in g 65 pounds of farina.

Tapioca or Jatropha m anihot.— A p lo t of 29 x 43 feet, carry ing 145 p lan ts , p roduced 255 pounds of roo ts y ield ing 30 pounds of fa r in a . These roo ts a re rep o rted to be poisonous ere th e ju ice is w ashed o u t ; of th is I had an in s ta n c e ; a p e t lam b about 3 m onths old happened to d r in k some of th e w a te r in which th e roots w ere w ashed and d ied in one sh o rt fit of convulsion in 3 o r 4 m inu tes ; som e coolies are rep o rted to have d ied some years ago on one of th e es ta tes here from eating th e raw roots. T hese experim ents are on too sm all a scale to d raw any practica l ap p lica tio n from , nevertheless th ey are of in te re s t I th in k .

“ I received some P ersian D ate f ru its from th e W estern Coast ; these f ru its in no w ay differed from those of th e sam e kind procurab le in the bazaars abo u t M adras ; I co llected some 30 seeds of th em and p lan ted th e sam e to see if they w ould g e rm in a te ; to m y surprise , o u t of th is num ber 8 p lan ts sp ro u ted an d a re now in a th riv in g c o n d it io n — M adras T im es .

C H IN E S E LABOR.A s an in tro d u c tio n to our com m ents on th e in tro ­

d u c tio n of Chinese c o n trac t lab o r in to B razil, th e G azeta de Porto Alegre, of th e 3 rd u lt ., discusses th e question briefly, as follow s :—

A discussion has been going on betw een th e Cruzeiro an d th e R io News in w hich we can n o t agree w ith th e labor organ, th e reason app earin g to us to be a ll on th e side of th e N ews. O ur read ers know th a t we have a deep in te re s t in th e econom ic p ropaganda raised by th e Cruzeiro , p a r t ly because w e a re in accord w ith m an y of i ts opinions, an d p a r t ly because even those very ideas w hich se^m to us to be ill- founded provoke discussion from w hich lig h t m u st come. In th e opinions p u t fo rth by th e Cruzeiro on th e lab o r crisis, i ts inc lin a tio n to w ard s C hinese im ­m ig ra tion has alw ays s tru c k us as a surrogate [.sur• rogado] of slavery. W e here, in th is province, w ho have te s te d th e problem of sm all farm ing, an d whose only asp ira tion is th e im m igra tion of colonists w ho m ay become sm all farmer-- and in te lligen t labourers, am i no t sim ple in strum en t? . <‘anno t share th ese ideas in com m on w ith th e g rea t jo u rn a l of th e c ap ita l.— R io N ew s.

S u l p h u r f o r P o t a t o D is e a s e . — A l e t t e r w as read (a t a recen t m eeting of the R oyal H o rtic u ltu ra l Society) ad v o ca tin g th e notion th a t th e disease w as due to constitu tional d e b ility , consequen t on m ism anagm ent. The tre a tm e n t recom m ended w as to m ix substances, snch as su lp h ite s , w ith th e soil in w hich th e P o ta to is grow n, so as to d es troy th e fungns germ s, and to tre a t th e grow ing p la n t w ith flow ers of su lp h u r for the sam e pu rp o se .— Gardeners' Chronicle.

P e r u v i a n B a r k . —In d ia is rap id ly com ing in to th e m ark e t as a com petito r w ith S outh A m erica in th e supply of P eruv ian bark . T h e am ount sen t to th e L ondon m ark e t in 1879 80 is d iv ided as follows :—

lb.Colom bia ................................................. 6,002,330In d ia an d Ceylon .............................. 1,172,060*S outh A m erica (except C olom bia)... 959,030 Jam aica, a b o u t ....................................... 21,140B esides Jav a , fo r the A m sterdam m arket70,088

— B ritish Trade Journal.C in c h o n a a n d E u c a l y p t u s in M a u r i t i u s .— The

su p e rin ten d en t of th e B otanical G ardens a t P o r t Louis in h is p a s t an nual rep o rt sta te s th a t 287,000 useful trees, sh rubs, an d p lan ts w ere p ropagated in th e gardens d u rin g la s t year, th e g rea te r p o rtion of w hich w ere e ith e r p lan ted on pub lic lands or on th e road sides, or else sold. T he L ieut.-G overnor, in p lacing th e rep o rt before h is council, s ta te d th a t th e euca ly p tu s an d cinchona p lan ta tio n s had been su ccessfu lj and th a t i t w as in con tem plation to try an ad d itio n a l p lan ta tio n of th e la t te r a t 2,000 feet above sea level, th is being th e low est a lti tu d e a t w hich i t is believed th e chinchona p la n t th riv es in those la titu d e s .— Colonies and Ind ia .

T h e G e r m in a t io n o f S e e d s . —T he Lahore paper m entions th a t P rofessor T y n d a ll has, by a series of experim en ts, proved th a t su lphuric acid possesses th e pow er of p rom oting th e m ore speedy germ ination of seeds, o r ra th e r fru its , con ta ined in shelly capsules —such as nu ts, alm onds, an d f ru it stones—in a re ­m arkab le degree. In In d ia , a difficulty has o ften been experienced in raising f ru it trees from im ported stones, mildew so often se ttin g in before germ ination takes place. If, how ever, seeds and stones be soaked in a so lu tion of th e ac id th e y “ receive such a germ inating influence from th is ton ic” th a t th ey shoot in an in ­cred ib ly sh o rt space of tim e . — M adras Times.

L i b e r i a n C o f f e e tak es longer to ripen th a n th e A rab ian varie ty . L ast y ea r’s crop took th irtee n m onths,

a n d th is y e a r’s w ill, I expect ta k e eleven, b u t i t does ripen, an d reaches Colombo in a m ore sa tisfac to ry s ta te th a n coffee A rab ica has been doing of la te years. I t is too soon to say th a t L iberian on good soil w ill not bear 10 cw ts. an acre, an d p u ttin g ex trav ag an t estim ates out of th e w ay, th e re is no d oub t th a t con­fidence in th is p ro d u c t is da ily increasing bo th am ongst E uropeans and natives, au d I see no reason to d oub t th a t large tra c ts of the low country w ill sh o rtly be covered w ith i t — how ever as h a rd ly a tree in th e Is lan d has y e t a tta in ed its fu ll g row th , i t is p rem atu re to ta lk positively one way of th e o th e r .— P lan ter , C. Times.

F o o d Vo n s u m p t o n i n A u s t r a l i a . —T he follow ing are th e ra te s of various a rtic les in A ustralia, show ing th e q u an titie s used per head p er annum , th e calculationbeing th e m ean of 1878-80—

T ea ... ... 8-05 lb.Coffee, C hocolate an d Cocoa ... 1 0 9 ,, S ugar ... ... ... 82 '2 ,,R ice ... ... ... ... 15*61 ,,D ried F ru it ... ... 7 1 0 ,,S p irits ... ... ... ... 1 '43 gall.B eer (im ported only) ... ... 15 0 ,,

C om pared w ith th e consum ption of th e sam e artic les in th e U n ite d K ingdom , th e difference is strik in g .

* Ceylon alone sen t 1,000,000 lb , in 1879 80 to London. —E d .

T hese a re—Tea ... ... 4-66 lb.Coffee (alone) .. 0 '97 ,,S ugar ... ... 48"55 ,,Rice ... ... ... ... 7-05 „

U nless A ustra lia tu rn s its a tte n tio n to grow ing tea, th is consum ption opens up a fair fu tu re for tra d e w ith In d ia . W e do no t th in k A u stra lia w ill ev er do m uch in te a grow ing, as tn e clim ate is n o t su itable, excep t p erhaps tow ards th e n o r th , an d even th e re th e ra in ­fall is deficient. T h is opinion receives w eight from th e recen t success of th e tea sy n d ica te in in tro d u c ­ing te a in to A u stra lia , and i t is to be hoped th a t th e efforts recen tly m ade w ill be follow ed u p by a jud ic ious nursing of th e new tra d e .— Produce M arkets Review,

T h e W e s t e r n C a t a l p a .— D octor Jo h n A . W ard er p repared fo r th e Jo u rn a l of th e “ A m erican A g ricu ltu ra l A ssocia tion” a m em oir upon th e W estern C a ta lpa , w hich paper has been issued in a p am p h le t form by its au th o r. Some th re e o r four years ago, w hen th e discovery was m ade th a t th e re w ere rea lly tw o species of C atalpa, h ere to fo re reg ard ed as one, w e pub lished th e fact, an d also gave th e evidence of M r. E. E . B a rn ey , D ay ton , O., as to th e rem ark ab le d u rab ility of th e wood, an d have from tim e to tim e g iven notes as to th e value of th e tree. T he presen t pap er b rings together, in a com pact form , th e fac ts th a t m ake up th e h is to ry of th is tr^e . T h e new species is nam ed Catalpa speciosa, an d differs from the o rd in ary Catalpa bignonioides, in being a ta lle r an d s tra ig h te r tree : i ts la rger n e a r ly pure w h ite flowers appear one to th re e w eeks ea rlie r; th e pods are larger, m ore c y lin d r ic a l; th e seeds also a re larger, w ith the w ing b roader and n o t p o in ted as in th e o ther. T he C a ta lp a has such a rem ark ab le a d a p ta b ility to a varie ty of soils and clim ates, is so easily ra ised from seeds, an d grows so rap id ly , th a t i t is w o rth y of th e a tte n tio n of a ll w ho propose to ra ise fo rest trees. T he d u ra b ility of i ts tim b er has been su b jec ted to th e severest te s ts , and th e re a re few of o u r n a tive woods th a t excel i t in th is resp ec t.— Am erican A griculturist.

E a r t h W o r m s . —The in te re s t ex c ited in these c rea tu res since th e p u b lica tion of M r. D arw in 's book on th is sub jec t, rev iew ed in our colum ns (vol. xvi, p . 500) w ill be increased b y th e in te re s tin g com m unic­a tion m ade by Dr. G ilb ert to th e Scientific C om m ittee on T uesday las t, an d repo rted in an o th e r colum n. T he q u a n tity of n itrogen in th e w orm -casts in p ro ­po rtion to th a t of meadow or a rab le land is no t abso lu te ly g re a te r , b u t w h a t th e re is is ren d ered m ore availab le by being b ro u g h t m ore to th e surface and m ore w ith in th e reach of th e roo ts b y th e agency of th e w orm s. N itrogen in W orm C asts.— Dr. G ilb e rt announced th a t since the p u b lica tion of M r. D arw in’s work on e a r th w orm s he had collected a q u an tity of e a r th casts from his law n, d ried them to rem ove th e w ater, an d th en d e term ined th e percen tage of n itrogen th e y contained , com paring th e p ropo rtio n w ith th a t ob ta ined from a sam ple of soil ta k e n from th e firs t 9 inches of th e soil of a d ja c e n t p as tu re land. T he re su lt w as th a t th e d ried ea rth casts y ie lded a p er­cen tage of "35 of n itro g en , w hich is h ig h er th a n th a t of th e o rd in ary p astu re soil in th e ad jacen t park , w here th e percen tage p roportion of n itrogen is '25 to '30. T hus th e p ro p o rtio n a te am o u n t of n itro g e n in th e worm cas ts is h igher th a n in th e p as tu re land , an d tw o or th re e tim es h igher th a n in o rd in a ry arable surface so il; b u t n o t so rich as in th e h igh ly m anured soil of th e k itch en garden . T en to n s p e r acre of worm casts w ould, i t was es tim a 'ed , su pp ly about 80 lb. of n itrogen p er annum — m ore th an double th a t of rd in a ry m eadow land w ithout m anure. I t would appear th"n th a t th e re w ould be no abso lu te gain in n itrogen from th e action of th e w orm s, b u t th a t th e y w ould b ring up from below a la rg er available supply , ju s t as w ould be afforded by tre n c h in g .— G ardeners’ Chronicle.

R O Y A L B O T A NI C G A R D E NS .

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR THE YEAR 1881.

I .— P ^ r X d e n i y a G a r d e n .

D u r in g the year every effort has been made to increase the beauty of these grounds by the further removal of decayed, useless, and unsightly trees, careful pruning and thinning out of old wood in those which remain, and planting young ones of fresh kinds in suitable positions. There still remains a large number of old sapu, jack and ilang-ilang ( Cananga) trees and large barren mangos, most of which it is intended to supplant gradually by a variety of different species; but the lawns near the bungalow and the lake, the old palmetum and the backs of the main flower borders have now been all more or less thoroughly thinned out and improved. Such work is necessarily gradual, and to a certain extent tentative, but has so far been amply repaid by the greatly improved health and appearance of the selected trees (several of which the access of sunlight and air has permitted to flower for the first time), and the opening out of new views and vistas.

- Roads.—The heavy rains of November and the early part of December have caused much damage to the roads and paths from wash. A large brick culvert has now been constructed under the main drive at one of the worst spots, and several smaller ones in different places. There is also a considerably increased carriage traffic in the garden, and much work on the roads will be necessary in 1882.

Lawns.—No solution of the grass-cutting problem has been arrived at. I must again insist on the great saving annually which would be effected by the use of a large hay or grass-cutting machine, the means of purchasing which will, I trust, be granted me.

Buildings.—These are generally in good order. During the year the roof of the herbarium and library has been repaired, and the interior repainted and varnished; the house of the head gardener has also been added to, altered, and improved.

The condition of the “ Assistant Director’s” bungalow (in the occupancy of the Cryptogamist) is very bad, and has been already reported upon, and I have requested that it should be put into thorough repair; the departure of Mr. Ward affords an excellent opportunity.

The house of the plant collector, partially thatched with maana grass, requires tiling.JYew South Garden.—With the aid of an addition to the vote for cooly labour, I have been

able to make great progress in laying out this portion of the garden. The outline plan which I sketched in my last report has been followed and will be carried out to completion.

The principal part of the area is occupied by an arboretum in which the trees and large shrubs, both native and exotic, are to be planted on a system based upon their natural affinities. This includes a small hill, the highest elevation in the garden, on the summit of which (whence a fine view is obtained) it is intended to set up a small arbour. The planting commenced in June, but has been much interfered with by the weather, which rarely remained wet for any number of consecutive days. However, about 250 species have been successfully established, belonging to the natural families Leguminosce, Myrtaceoe, Melastomacece, Rubiacece, Myrsinece, Sapotacece, Eu- phorbiacece, Urticaeece, and Coniferce. As much space as can be afforded has been left for the additions which will be constantly intercalated in their places. The planting of the remaining families will be gone on w ith; the ground however is not sufficiently extensive to accommodate the whole of them.

The new carriage drive is nearly completed; it is over 600 yards long, curving round the lake (where some gneiss boulders have been preserved in situ and planted up with rock- and sun- loving plants), and terminating in a wide loop whence a foot-path leads to the second entrance opposite the Deltota road. The large space, 100 yards long and 95 broad, enclosed by the drive will be entirely devoted to a classified collection of palms of which the gardens are accumulating a fine collection, and most of which grow here with a perfection that cannot be surpassed. The steep sloping bank of the high road behind this it is intended to utilize for an arranged series of climbing and twining woody creepers, which will there well exhibit their graceful beauty towards the garden, and at the same time afford protection against trespassers ; the most exposed part is to be devoted to the prickly rattans, a very efficient barrier.

213

The herbaceous ground has been entirely finished, and consists of 48 beds of different sizes symmetrically occupying about three-quarters of an acre. Narrow paths paved with cobble stones run between all, and drainage has been carefully provided for. No commencement has yet been made in the planting out of this, which must occupy largely the next rainy season. Herbaceous perennials do not play an important part in the vegetation of the tropics, and it cannot he expected that a large number of species can be here cultivated. Only those which will bear full exposure to the sun as well as a heavy rainfall will succeed. The space to be allotted to each natural family has been planned out, and I anticipate that this scientifically arranged collection will be ultimately of great service, especially in the more ready and systematic collection of seed.

Another portion of the ground is devoted to experimental culture, and is partly occupied at present with the Trinidad cacaos and their shade trees, the American rubber-trees, several varieties of coffee, Manila hemp, gutta sundek, cardamoms, &c. The remaining part has been formed into nurseries and a small kitchen garden. The nursery beds are arranged round a little circular tank, 20 feet in diameter, where it will be possible to grow in pots some of the smaller aquatic plants.

Lake.—Little or nothing, I find, can be effected here in the way of growing aquatics; even our native species soon die out. This appears to be partly due to want of sufficient sunlight, much of the surface being shaded by the grand bamboos near the margin, and at times completely covered with a layer of their fallen leaves; but the foulness of the bottom is the principal cause. It is a matter for regret that this little piece of water, the only one in the garden, can be made so little use of.

Labelling.— Of the large and expensive glass labels only 36 have been set u p ; and it is not my intention to continue to employ them, as I find it impossible to get them uniformly and neatly made in this country. But the ticketing has been actively carried on since the smaller zinc labels arrived. The painting and writing of the names and localities are done in the garden. Over 250 have been fixed in their places. In those fastened on to tree-trunks pegs of areca wood are found far better than nails, which in this wet climate make serious wounds. The labels are found to. require pretty frequent cleaning with a sponge or wet cloth to remove a small black fungus which, in damp weather, quickly covers painted surfaces here, and produces an effect curiously resembling that of the smoke of London.

It will be my endeavour to push on the labelling as rapidly as possible; it is gratifying to observe how greatly their value is appreciated by visitors. A systematic catalogue of the contents of the garden is also in a forward state.

Propagation.—The temporary shed used as an orchid house (mentioned in my last report) is found to be too much shaded by large trees, and it is hoped during the coming year to build a permanent house in a more open situation, and with a glass roof instead of a maana-grass covering.

The old nurseries, the soil of which had become much exhausted, have been mostly aban­doned. Part of the ground will be used for raising forest, shade and shelter trees, and a portion will be converted into a swamp for sago palms.

A small room has been set apart for a seed-store, and a cabinet of 64 drawers has been made and erected there.

The garden has been deprived of the services of Mr. Clark for the latter half of the year as he has been placed in charge of Hakgala since the retirement of the late Superintendent.

II.— H a k g a l a G a r d e n .

The late Superintendent, Mr. E. Thwaites, retired on pension in the middle of the year, and in my uncertainty as to the future, the absence of any successor, and from other circumstances, I have found it impossible to do more than maintain the garden in its old condition. In fact it may be said to have been almost in abeyance, so far as any active work is concerned, during the year. Mr. Clark, however, whilst locum tenens, successfully grafted several hundred C. Ledgeriana shoots upon stumps of C. succirubra (in the manner detailed in my last report), as it was very evident that the plants of the former in the clearings were rapidly dying out.

Some necessary repairs and alterations were made to the bungalow at the end of the year; but all the windows and doors require repainting, new hinges, locks, &c., and the kitchen and out-houses are also in a leaky condition.

The proposals submitted by me to Government at the end of 1880, though approved gener­ally, partially fell through from the difficulty of obtaining a suitably qualified occupant for the

proposed p o st; it was not until late in 1881 that Mr. W. Nock, Superintendent of the Cinchona plantations in Jamaica, was appointed. He had not arrived to take up his duties at the end of the year.* A native clerk and foreman has been appointed to assist him.

My intentions with regard to the future contemplate an alteration and enlargement of the scope and functions of the garden, and its proper constitution in concert with the central establishment at P^radeniya. It should be worked as a branch of the latter devoted to the cultivation of temperate and sub-tropical plants of interest, utility, or beauty.

As regards cinchona, the position has greatly changed within the last few years ; the best varieties are now in general cultivation, and the necessity no longer exists for a Government depdt for the distribution of seedlings and cuttings. With reference to plantations, there are not and can never have been anything deserving the name at Hakgala, the whole six or seven semi-abandoned clearings together not extending to more than eight acres (the “ garden” comprehends about 550). It is not indeed probable that any one, with the present knowledge of cinchona requirements, would now select such a site as Hakgala with its severe and unavoidable winds and cold wet sub-soil at the base of the steep and almost inaccessible rocks for its cultiva­tion ; but whatever may have been the original ideas on the subject, Government cinchona Plantations do not now enter into any one’s plans. It will however be the duty of the Superintendent to cultivate a sufficient number of each of as many species and varieties as possible, both for the purposes of comparison, for the supply of seed, and for experiments in propagation, &c.

But there is a wide field of utility for Hakgala outside of cinchona propagation and distribu­tion. There are numerous drugs, dyes, fibres, fodders, and other economic products which ought to be experimented with. While we may look forward with confidence to some years of good returns from cinchona culture, no one can regard the present commercial position as a permanent one. We shall in Ceylon indeed show little wisdom, if, after past experience, we neglect any opportunity of adding to the stock of useful plants which can be grown at the high elevations. Further attempts at fruit and vegetable cultivation are also required. The proper treatment of patana lands much needs investigation. Nor must the scientific and ornamental aspects be neglected. The greater popularity of Nuwara Eliya as a health and pleasure resort, which may be confidently expected to follow on railway extension to Eanu-oya, render it desirable that the aesthetic side of the garden should be developed. A moderate expenditure would render it an interesting and beautiful botanic garden, in which our native mountain plants (many now ^becoming scarce) should be cultivated along with the trees, shrubs, and flowers of Australia, the Cape, China, and Japan, and the tropical mountains of the Andes and Nilgiris. Shade and shelter trees for the higher estates are also now in great demand, and it is of course impossible for the low-country gardens to supply them. Under an active Superintendent it is to be expected that much valuable information will proceed from Hakgala, and that the garden will start upon ;a new era of public utility.

In view of this, I would urge the necessity of providing a good propagating house in the place of the present little rotten and dilapidated structure, which is quite beyond the possibility o f repair, and far too small for the requirements of the garden. Without this it will be nearly impossible in such a climate to raise and propagate with any certainty the more valuable plants.

III.— H e n a r a t g o d a G a r d e n .

I have little fresh to report of this garden, the condition of which is very satisfactory and testifies to the industry and continued interest in his work of the Sinhalese Conductor, Amaris de Soyza. Some more of the large trees of the garden have been felled, and additional portions of the jungle cleared for new vanilla and cardamom plantations. A new well has been constructed. The various low-country plants in the garden are all in a thriving state. A large quantity of young Liberian coffee has been gratuitously distributed during the year.

The success of this garden has encouraged me to attempt the acquisition of a similar centre in the hot districts of the North of the Island, and arrangements are in progress for the transfer to this Department of the experimental garden near Anuradhapura, which was formed five years ago, and has since been carefully fostered by Mr. Dickson, the energetic Agent tor the North-Central Province. This is already conducted by a trained gardener supplied from Peradeniya. The acquisition of a garden where it may be possible to grow plants requiring a more prolonged dry

* M r. N o ck a rr iv e d a t H a k g a la 14 th J a n u a ry , 1882. [A W * added,']

season than any of the existing ones possess will he a great gain and should prove of signal benefit. It will also be the means of bringing into the northern districts numerous food- plants, &c., of the moister climates, many of which can be readily grown there, provided only a constant water-supply can be assured.

IV .—E c o n o m i c a n d U s e f u l P l a n t s .

Commission on the Introduction o f New Cultures. — With the view of assisting planters to develop new industries, and also to relieve the strain lately put on this establishment and on the Eoyal Gardens at Kew— resulting from numerous demands which their organization was not framed to meet, aud to supply which is no part of their proper duties—the Secretary of State, at the instance of Sir J. Hooker, recommended the appointment of a small Commission to enquire into the possibility of framing a scheme of Government assistance outside of Botanic establish­ments. The Planters’ Association at about the same time addressed Government on the subject of aid in obtaining in quantity such seeds as the better varieties of cinchona and Ceara rubber. As a result the Commission has recommended a scheme in which Government undertakes to use the Imperial machinery at its disposal to procure the plants and seeds required, if the planters will institute a permanent body to communicate and work with Government in the matter, and under­take the distribution, &c., to applicants. I trust that this arrangement will meet the case, and regulate satisfactorily the relations of the Botanic Gardens to the agricultural enterprise of the colony. At the request of the Commission I prepared a memorandum (published as an appendix to their report) on the work done by these gardens iu the introduction and acclimatization of useful plants in Ceylon, which sufficiently demonstrates their great direct utility to the colony.

Coffee.—The principal interest of the year has naturally been the publication of Mr. Mar­shall Ward’s third and final report on leaf-disease, a document which for careful accuracy and laborious thoroughness is all that could be desired or expected.* As it seemed indeed to leave no point of practical importance to he investigated, I fully concurred in Mr. Ward’s view that a prolongation of his enquiries during a third year, as originally contemplated, was unnecessary. With reference to his work, I feel myself warranted in saying that we now know definitely and exactly the life and ordinary mode of dispersion and propagation of the cofi'ee-fungus, that a vast distance thus separates us from the state of things formerly existing when nearly all was uncer­tain, and that we shall not do wisely if we neglect to act iu accordance with the present level of our knowledge. The sooner it is generally recognized that the principles of action are now settled, the better. The evident unwillingness to accept this position it is, 110 doubt, not difficult to account for, but I cannot too strongly insist that the hope of relief must be based on a common agreement and co-operation on the sound principles of action now given, and the abandonment of the paralyzing notion of the chance discovery of a “ cure.” 1 would earnestly recommend all concerned to re-read with attention the 7th— 12th paragraphs of the Cryptogamist’s report, and consider the state of things it reveals. I have already expressed my opinion in support of “ a general combination to destroy spores and hinder their dispersion” ; the actual methods to be employed for effecting this, I think it is the province of practical agriculture to devise. They must necessarily vary according to the peculiarities of seasons and climate in particular districts and even individual estates, and, almost equally, with the special circumstances connected with estate management; but the guiding principle will be ever the same,—to diminish the chances of infection, and prevent or avoid the lodgment of spores on the leaves by every check and device possible.

But a general co-operation is a prime necessity, and I venture to hope that all interested in this important industry will recognize their public responsibility to assist in limiting the dissemination of the disease. Especially, should owners of estates which have quite gone out of cultivation feel themselves called upon to see that their now useless trees, which have become merely a focus of disease, be rooted out and destroyed.

There is also another important factor which cannot he overlooked in the consideration of remedial measures on a large scale—that is, the condition of the native cofi'ee. This is in some considerable degree under Government control, and should be simultaneously dealt with. The

* T h e m ore s tr ic t ly te c h n ic a l p o r tio n s o f M r. W a rd ’s m icroscop ic re sea rch es on I le n iile ia h av e a p p e a re d in th e n u m b er fo r J a n u a ry , 1882, o f th e “ Q u a r t . J o n r n . M ic ro sc . S c ien ce ,’’ i l lu s tr a te d by th re e e x c e lle n t p la te s r e p ro d u c e d frdiu th e a u th o r 's d raw ings.

1 , , „fn 1 qi*(Ta nrrmnrHon of this, which has become almost absolutely valuelesscomplete destruction 0 o P P , t j advocated wherever it can be effected; and and is a perfect hot-bed of H e m lm , is to be s t r o n g 8 ift of other useful food plants.compensation, where necessary, o community against the common enemy, it is

By such a c o m b in a t io n o n the p a r t experience of other truly parasitic fungireasonable to expect a Oo eradicate Hemileta by these means, but there can be little doubtthat e v L ™ Sib7eancTsuStained diminution in kaf-disens. ovould result in a considerable recovery

in the a leJ rf n°Ct0f S ^ on the p r a c t i c a l aspect of the question is also important.itie 0 admirable plant is, I am glad to see, yielding to a more just appre-

A temporary disriusto Vli er^a is of course severely attacked by the leaf-disease fungus,ciation of its Qreat al . J/ 1 wni, varieties of. Carabiea, is less damaged by thet e Qe-and fth in k a more regular and heavier crop maybe generally calculated upon. Possibly disease, ana 1 tninh. a „ T • • some advantage. Some disappointment has beenc^ause b^atte^^tT to”g*ro w it in unsuitable localities ; Liberian coffee requires a nwist atmosphere S w e l l L a hot climate ; exposure to dry heat readily scorches the berries, and on light soils mav even destroy the plant. In Trinidad slight shade is considered a necessity, and is I think desirable here in some localities, at least while the plants are young. , ,

In m y last report I expressed regret at the small response to our efforts to get the cul­tivation of this kind of coffee taken up by the Sinhalese, and I am now glad to be able to report a considerable clian^e for the better. A rather large demand indeed has sprung up in many parts ot the low-countrv. ° In partially meeting this over 50,000 young plants have been gratuitously v I * ™ TTAnnrato-oda throuo-h the Government Agents by the headmen to native cultiva­tor ” “ 0 ^ ^fo entirely supplant the old village coffee, and I think it might well be made a condition of gratis distribution that this old coffee should be destroyed.

Cinchona— The observations I made last year on the supreme importance of selection based on analysis in the scientific cultivation of (7. Ledgerlana have been supported by our further exnerience In reference to this it is satisfactory to note how well, as a general rule, the botanical characteristics tally with the bark value, so that selection intelligently made on the former basis L usually iustified by the subsequent analysis. It must however be allowed that one occasionally finds very distinct exceptions to this general statement, forcing one to the conviction that the uroduction of alkaloids must be largely personal (so to speak) to the particular tree, apart from its inherited external characters. We must therefore still regard analysis as the only certain guide. I t m aybe well also to note here another cognate fact (liable I find to be misunderstood): the uroporiion of quinine is not taken into consideration in determining whether a given tree is to be nS l e d a e A a n a or Calisaga. That question is a botanical one, and is decided wholly by external n ? v S b le characters. It is in accordance with experience that quite undoubted C. Ledgenana mav afford a very poor bark, but that does not make it any the less C. Ledgenana, as some people seem to think. I have published the distinguishing characters of C. Ledgenana Moens, m a paper accompanied by two coloured figures, in the “ Journal of Botany for November, paper, acou P ^ ^ . ]e oce8B 0f grafting on succirubra has proved very easyand successful* in a large proportion of cases ; and it or some similar process must become the general practice in the cultivation of specially valuable trees on the principles advocated.Benerai p „enerai recognition of the necessity of analysis has led to a request on the partof cultivators, that Government might afford some facilities for such assays. It is perhaps remarkable that there is here no qualified analyst in official employ. Did such an officer exist however it is to be presumed he would be engaged entirely in Government work and as, happily, the Government does not grow cinchona lor sale, that work would not often be bark analysis. The uractice of the Governments of Madras and of Java (somewhat infelicitously adduced as an example to that of Ceylon) has been dictated by very different motives to those which rule here ?where'competition between Government and private enterprise is unknown), and has always been directed wholly to the Government advantage. A t the same time the desirability of frequent assavs of bark made on the spot is so evident, that it is to be hoped the matter will be earnestly considered with a view to the initiation of some combined action 111 the matter between the planters interested and the Executive, due regard being ot course paid to the interests ot local analysts.

Much attention has been drawn, especially since the visit of Colonel Beddome to Ceylon in September, to the large and usually readily distinguished trees to be found scattered over estates in Ceylon, and variously known as “ hybrid,” “ lanosa,” or “ large-leaved condaminea.” These have been sent out from Hakgala nurseries in past years as (usually) succirubra but sometimes as officinalis, and are identical with the “ magnifolia,” “ pubescens,” “ robusta,” &c., of the Nilgiri Government Plantations, from which we doubtless originally received them. In usually attribu­ting to these a hybrid origin, we in Ceylon took the same view as the late Mr. Mclvor of the Nilgiri Plantations, who first noticed them, and who published his belief that they originated there by crossing between succirubra and officinalis—a view, however, which he appears to have more or less modified afterwards. Colonel Beddome, as a result of his examination of these same plantations while under his care, has strongly denied the hybrid origin of the trees, and thinks they form a well-marked and distinct species, in which view he is, I believe, supported by Mr. Howard. In this opinion I am unable to share ; it was largely based upon the positive state­ment of Mr. Cross (now in the Nilgiris) that the plant is the “ Pata de Gallinazo” bark of Chim­borazo which he collected there when with Dr. Spruce; but there are great difficulties in accepting this story.* On the whole, the view most in accordance with the facts seems to be that it is a hybrid which originated in the plantations on the Nilgiris, and has acquired some permanence and stability. I am not however in a position to give definite information as to the amount of perma­nence from seed. Colonel Beddome maintains it to come as true to type as any other specie® (which if invariably true would be so far against the view of hybrid origin); the majority o f observers here however positively state that a large proportion, variously estimated, turn out to be' succirubra and officinalis. In Sikkim, where this kind (originally from Ceylon) is called “ ignota,”' fully half the seedlings are said to come up officinalis. As it seemed very desirable that this; valuable cinchona should possess a definite name, I have proposed to select from those in use the1 name robusta, the only onef which is not pre-occupied or otherwise unavailable. In the case o f this also I think those who can should propagate from known good (analyzed) trees by cuttings ; but the more rapid increase by seed need not be neglected, as the young plants which show reversion can be readily removed.

I am indebted to Mr. Moens, Director of the Cinchona enterprise in Java, for seed of C. cordifolia (from Carthagena) and C. lancifolia var. discolor of the Government plantations there; to Mr. Gammie for seed of the Darjiling C. Ledgeriana-, and to Mr. Rowson for very carefully collected seed of the Nilgiri “ pubescens” and “ magnifolia.”

Seed of several species has been supplied to Australia, where both in Queensland and Victoria attempts at cinchona cultivation are being made.

Cacao.—The varieties from Trinidad were planted out in February at Peradeniya, a few being also sent to Heuaratgoda. Their names are as follows:— Condeamar (3 varieties), Forastero (3 varieties), Criollo (creole), Cayenne (2 varieties), Verdilioo, Sangre Toro. The plants suffered from wind at first, but there was but a single casualty, and all are now doing well. The shade- tree called “ Bois Immortelle,” Erytkrina umbrosa, was planted with them, and already forms trees 12 feet high4 A further instalment arrived (through Kew) iu October, containing, in addition to some of the varieties previously sent, the yellow Criollo. These have also been planted out.

In accordance with the instructions of the Secretary of State, a proportion of the first consignment were transmitted to Singapore and to Fiji, respectively. Those for Singapore arrived in that Settlement in March, and with the exception of four which died were expected to “ make fine vigorous plants.” On the contrary, I regret to say, that the Fiji consignment, which was ten

* A comparison o f the N ilg iri p lan t w ith Spruce’s original specim ens a t Kew does n o t lend it any support, whatever. On the con trary the two kinds a re seen to be qu ite d istin c t in several respects. I am inform ed by Mr. O yer th a t Spruce’s specim ens have been re fe rred by M. T riana, one o f the m ost careful and accu rate botanists, who has m ade cinchona a special study, to C. erythrantha, Pav ., which is considered a varie ty o f C. pubescens, Vahl. H ow ard’s p la te o f ‘ C. coccinea' M. T rian a refers to C. hirsuta, R . & P . [Note added.]

f T h e name “ magnifolia” was given by M aclvor under the erroneous notion th a t th e tree was th e C. magni­fo lia o f H ow ard’s “ Quinology.” T h a t to ta lly different p lan t being no longer considered a m em ber o f th e c inchona genus, b u t re fe rred to the genus Buena, W edd., th e nam e C. magnifolia is technically available. Since how ever confusion m ight re su lt from its em ploym ent, i t seems b e tte r to avoid its use,

j This Erytkrina suffered in Ju ly from th e a ttacks o f a boring larva. T he eggs seem to be deposited in o r im m ediately above the ax illary buds on th e young shoots, and th e g rub bores a t once into th e p ith . Tobacco w a te r freely applied had a good effect, b u t m any trees had to be topped. Tw o q u ite d istinc t though nearly allied specie? a re m ixed iu these T rin idad “ Bois Im m ortelles" (exclusive o f course o f E . suberosa which was al-o sent).

weeks on the journey, were all completely dead on their arrival at Levuka. I have therefore despatched a second instalment (on November 4th) containing 18 plants, representing 7 varieties, which have arrived at Sydney, en route for Fiji, “ in perfectly good condition,” which I trust they will maintain till they reach their destination.* W ith them were sent 11 plants of the “ Bois Immortelle.”

Mr. Prestoe, of Trinidad, who selected and forwarded these varieties of cacao to Kew, has devoted a great deal of attention to the cultivation of this 'Important product, and I may here refer with advantage to the valuable information on the subject contained in his report for 1880 of the Trinidad Botanic Gardens.

A considerable gratuitous distribution of seed from the gardens has been made, with the sanction of Government, to native cultivators.

Cardamoms.—The demand for this profitable plant has necessitated the formation of an additional plantation. Both planters and natives however now cultivate this so largely that it will be unnecessary for the gardens to further increase the stock. Both plants and seeds have been sent to the Andaman Islands and to Jamaica.

A singular variety has been twice sent to me, and is said to form a large proportion of certain plantations, in which the flowering branches, instead of as usual proceeding from the base of the leafy stems and trailing over the ground, are carried upwards and come off from the axils of the uppermost leaves, thus appearing terminal. This variety is called here (I know not on what grounds) “ Mysore Cardamom it does not appear to differ in other respects from the typical Elettaria Cardamomum of Malabar.

India-Rubber.—Much activity is being shown in the search for new rubber-yielding plants. As I have before observed, caoutchouc seems to be more or less produced by nearly all apocy- naceous plants, and a large number of artocarpaceous and euphorbiaceous ones also, but it is not in a state available for ready extraction or for commercial purposes in any very large number of them. Thus in our native species of Willughbeia ( W. zeylanica) which I have had the opportunity— through the kindness of Mr. J. C. Roberts of Udugama—of experimenting with, and which gives plenty of milk, the caoutchouc, which is abundant, after first passing through a viscous sticky condition dries into a putty-like substance of no great tenacity and scarcely any elasticity, and this whether treated by heat, with alum, with alcohol, or simply allowed to dry. The plant is a climber, and the stems, which are said to attain over six inches in diameter, extend to an immense length. This result is disappointing, as a congener at Singapore ( W. Burbidgei of the Kew Report for 1880, formerly referred to W. martabanica) affords a very fair rubber known as “ Gutta Singgarip.” Of this sort we have received a case of 50 plants (which was kindly brought from Singapore by Mr. F. A. Fairlie) and we previously had a few plants from Mr. Murton. This and other less-known species of Willughbeia also apparently afford some of the rubber of Borneo, called “ Gutta Susu” in the market.

But the most promising of the new rubber plants are the species of Landolphia. The African kinds of caoutchouc are mainly, and on the East coast wholly, supplied by these; and, by the exertion of Sir J. Kirk chiefly, several have been now brought into cultivation. To him directly I am indebted for a consignment of seeds (in the fruit) of the narrow-leaved species called “ Matere” or “ M’tiri,” which affords the best rubber of the Zanzibar coast, and which it is proposed to call L . Kirkii. Of this we previously possessed but a single plant at Henaratgoda, now over two years old and widely climbing over a wild nutmeg tree. Young plants of this have also been received from the Royal Gardens, Kew, during the year, as well as of three other species, for an account of which reference must be made to the Report of that establishment for 1880, pp. 38-43. Of two of these, L. Petersiana ( Willughbeia, Klotzch), and “No. 4.” (I.e. p. 43), the broad-leaved species, we have some 18 plants at P6r&deniya, and of the other, L. Jlorida ( “ Mbungu” of Zanzibar), a single fine specimen. These and several other allied and undetermined kinds (including two plants of a Madagascar rubber from the Ceylon Company, Limited, and the West African “ Apocynaceous” rubber of Mr. T. Christy’s “ Few Commercial Plants,” No. IV., p. 13) have been planted out, some at the foot of old trees, others against large dead trunks and branches fixed in the ground.

* I have th e p leasure to add th a t these reached F iji in ex ce llen t order, and th e Colonial Secretary (M r. T h u rs­to n ) w r i te s : 11 O f two p lants only have I any doubt, and fortunately they a re Nos. 5 and 13 o f which th e re are trip ic la tes.” [N ote added ]

The wonderfully rapid development of trade in these African rubbers is, in spite of their habit of growth, leading to their destruction. From two districts of Eastern Africa alone the export of rubber in 1880 exceeded 1,000 tons, the price having risen in one year from £140 to £250 per ton.

Sir J. Kirk thinks the Landolphias (especially L. K irkii) by far the most promising of rubber plants for cultivation in plantations ; their stems can be cut down at frequent intervals for the rubber, and fresh shoots readily spring up from the stools. He quotes with approval, in reference to the extraction of the caoutchouc, the suggestion of Mr. T. Christy (Commercial Plants No. I., p. 9) that the stems after cutting “ could be taken to the rolling mill, and the crushed mass digested with bisulphide of carbon in which the rubber is soluble, but which does not dissolve the gum and resinous matters contained in the plant, and which if left in the rubber would injure its quality.”

Of other African kinds, Mr. T. Christy has sent a few seeds of a plant determined at Kew to be Taberncemontana crassa, and a specimen of Ficus populifolia; whilst we have F. Vogelii also from Kew.

With regard to the American rubbers, Ceara (Manihot Glaziovii) continues to interest planters by its rapid growth, ready propagation, tenacity of life, and early production of seed. From this latter quality chiefly it has resulted that the loud and urgent demand for seed has almost ceased in Ceylon in the course of one year. We have distributed it to several private planters in India and to the Government establishments there, also some to Singapore for a further trial, as well as to Jamaica and other colonies.

A single tree of Hevea flowered at Henaratgoda and produced a few capsules in April. The growth of Para rubber is not rapid ; our largest is now 21 inches in circumference at a yard from the ground, an increase of 5 inches in the year. New plantations of Hevea have been formed, and some trees at Peradeniya have been planted in a position in the new garden where they are flooded when the river is high, with a view to an imitation of their native habitat.

One plant of another species, Hevea Spruceana, which gives valuable rubber, was sent direct from British Guiana by Mr. Jenman, but has unfortunately not survived.

At the request of the Government of India—at whose expense the plants were originally imported to Ceylon—a consignment from Henaratgoda, consisting of 28 good stocks rooted in a Ward’s case, was despatched (from Henaratgoda) in November to the Andaman Islands. The climate there is likely to prove eminently suitable for Para rubber which has not succeeded in Peninsular India, but is going on well in British Burmah.

The Castilloa, both at Peradeniya and Henaratgoda, also produced flowers during the dry weather of A pril; on examination, however, these were all male. This species is said not to produce seed till eight years old. The finest tree at Henaratgoda has now a stem of about 22£ inches in circumference at a yard from the ground.

During the early part of the year I made a preliminary and tentative investigation to ascer­tain the condition of the milk in our Ceara trees at Peradeniya, and the best means of obtaining it. The principal conclusion I arrived at was that the trees had not their milk in a sufficientlyconcentrated state to invite tapping. I was quickly led to the opinion that the method ofparing the stem as practised by the natives in Brazil (according to Mr. Cross) would not be found either convenient or economical. The milk-vessels occur in two layers, the richer one is ip the innermost stratum of the bark just outside the cambium, but there is a smaller one immediately beneath the thin green layer ; this latter is sacrificed by the slicing process which also causes loss from the milk adhering to the shavings. In the culture of this kind of rubber the principal difficulty will, I think, be the extraction of the milk. It appears to be present in good quantity, but a very small amount flows from each cut, and it is difficult to avoid drip and loss if the stems are not perpendicular. It is not possible at present to make any estimate of the slightest value as to the probable average yield of a tree. The plant is evidently very hardy and rapidly recoversfrom bark injury. I think I should repeat here what I said two years ago (Notes, p. 4) that theyield of a few trees cannot be remunerative, and only large plantations can hope to repay the cost of collection. The quality of the dry rubber (resulting from milk laboriously obtained from one tree by small incisions) appears identical with the Ceara scrap of commerce, in spite of the extremely watery character of the milk. Further experiments will be shortly made.

The more valuable Para and Central American rubbers have their milk already in a more concentrated condition than the Ceara; Castilloa especially affords a milk which spontaneously coagulates in a few hours into a very elastic rubber. Mr. Cross states (Report to Madras Govern­

ment, March, 1881) that a tree of Castilloa H —2 feet in diameter if carefully and judiciously tapped should yield about 12 lbs. of rubber per annum ; and with regard to llevea , Mr. Wickham, who brought the seeds from South America to Kew, informs me “ it bears tapping very well if properly worked, and I have known productive Ciringals (rubber walks) the property of several generations of Indian Ciringaros. In their native woods the large trees (they grow to a great size) are selected for working as being profitable by taking a large number of cups or a long vine band, but were a plantation formed the trees could no doubt be profitably worked whilst still small—say 24 inches in circumference. The great thing is to avoid cutting too deeply into the bark.”

Gutta Percha.—A plantation of the “ Gutta Sundek” from Perak has been formed in the new garden. The trees are healthy, but, like all their tribe, grow with extreme slowness.

Sago P alm .—To Mr. C. Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, I am indebted for a quantity of seed of Metroxylon Sagu, the smooth-leaved sago palm. All had been decorticated before being sent, a plan the Rajah informs me the natives of Borneo prefer. Nearly all germinated readily. I am further informed by him that among seedlings from either the smooth or the spiny kinds, there are usually to be found a mixture of both sorts. “ The thorny ones are supposed to produce the most sago, but natives prefer planting the smooth as the thorns wound their hands and feet severely.” “ The best land for sago is a wet alluvial deposit, undrained, with stiffish stuff under­neath. It comes to maturity after 10 years ; wild pigs are its great enemy. After this time there is a succession of young trees growing around the parent stem. These should be thinned out and planted ; they grow better and faster than from seed, but cannot be kept out of ground for any time without rotting. Sarawak supplies two-thirds of this product for the world.”

Manila Hemp.—A small plantation of Musa textilis has heen formed on the river bank at PSradeniya. Two Wardian cases full have been sent to Calcutta for the Indian Government who are making experiments with fibres in Bengal.

Fodder Grasses.— In my report for 1880 I included among the additions, Panicum spec- tabile, Nees, a fodder-grass long celebrated under the name of “ Caapim de Angola.” This was obtained from Dr. Glaziou, the well-known botanist of Rio, through the Kew authorities. I had suspected some error when first examining the seed, and ultimately on growing up it proved to he our common Mauritius grass, Panicum sarmentosum. I have this year obtained by application to Dr. Schomburgk of Adelaide seed of the grass known there as “ Caapim de Angola” which seems to be also called “ Phillips’ Grass.” Strangely enough this turned out equally wide of the mark, being merely a common Sorghum allied to S. halepense. So far back as 1845 ordinary Guinea grass was sent here direct from Brazil as “ Caapim de Angola,” to Dr. Gardner. The real plant belongs to quite a different section of Panicum, being closely allied to P. (Echinochloa) Crus-galli; it is hoped that it will yet be obtained from Brazil and should form a good addition to our few fodder grasses.

A packet of Mauritius grass has been forwarded to Fiji, and a selection of tropical pasture grasses to the French colony of the Gaboon.

“ Rice- Corn.”— In consequence of some very favourable accounts of this in American papers, an application was made through the Foreign Office to the Agricultural Department at Washing­ton, and a supply obtained. A letter from the Commissioner was also received stating that it was merely ordinary Indian Sorghum which has been grown in America for some 50 years. Cultivation proved that to be the case ; it almost exactly corresponded with one of ten South Indian sorts of cholum sent by Col. Beddome, but I am not prepared to say what may be the name of the precise variety. I have distributed some of these to Chilaw, Vavuniya-Vilkpkulam, Anuradhapura, &c.

Sugar Sorghum.— For a stock of seed of 14 varieties of this ( Sorghum saccharatum) we are also indebted (through the Royal Gardens, Kew) to the U. S. Agricultural Department. This is being cultivated on a large scale in the States for sugar, and has heen the subject of some admirable chemical reports. My object in its experimental culture here was rather to prove its value as a cattle fodder, which is certainly great. The largest and most leafy varieties appeared to be those called “ Wolf-tail,” “ Orange,” Link’s Hybrid,” and “ Neeazana” ; they afforded an abundant sweet and succulent food much appreciated by the garden bullocks. The plant of course is an annual. It also affords a very good grain, suitable for the hot districts of Ceylon.

Jalap .—A consignment of tubers has been received from Ootacamund and mostly sent to Hakgala. There can be no question of this plant succeeding well th ere; and the new

214

Superintendent will be well versed in its cultivation as he has had several acres under his charge in Jamaica.

Benzoin.—Seeds of Styrax Benzoin received from the Buitenzorg Garden, Java, have given us young plants which are growing with great vigour and beauty. Gum Benjamin, the resin of this plant, is obtained in Sumatra and forms a large export from that country through Singapore and Penang to Bombay and Europe. Though not now much employed in medicine it is largely used for incense and in making pastiles, &c. Benzoic acid is also obtained from it.

Cola N ut.—Two ycung plants of Cola acuminata, the seeds of which are a well-known masticatory among the negroes of W. Trop. Africa, have been received from Kew. Of this tree we already possess several examples in the gardens.

Annatto. — Several gentlemen have made enquiries as to the mode in which this is prepared for the market; and as I could find no very definite published account, I applied to the authorities at the Royal Gardens, Kew, for information, and have received several communications from them, the most, important being from Mr. Vilmorin’s report on “ Produits Agricoles non Alimentaires ” (Paris Exhibition “ Rapports du Jury International). The following is a summary:— Bixa Orellana is native to Tropical America, but fairly naturalized iu other hotcountries, as in India and Ceylon. Annatto (lioucou is the French name) however is prepared almost wholly in the French colonies, chiefly Cayenne (French Guiana) and Guadeloupe (which each produce about 400 —500,000 kilos)’, but lately taken up also in Reunion and the Indian Possessions of France. The Guadeloupe samples were the best at the Paris Exhibition. The best method of preparation appears to be (there are some discrepancies in different accounts) the following. The seeds with their pulpy envelopes are pounded in a wooden mortar, and after adding hot water the mixture is left in the mortar for several days after which it is passed through a sieve. The liquid is then left to ferment for eight days, when the water is decanted off and the deposited pulp left to become concentrated by evaporation in the shade. When it has acquired the consistency of firm putty it is made up into cakesof 1-j—2 kilos weight. These are packed with plantain leaves, and have a lively orange-yellow colour; the value is about 4 fr. the kilo. In Cayenne it would appear that the pulp is sometimes boiled for four or five hours and afterwards put under weights to squeeze out the water. It is also sometimes made into rolls instead of cakes, in which state it appears to fetch an inferior price.

It is remarkable that none is made in British Guiana; even that required for local consumption there is imported from the neighbouring French colon)'.

The trade in Annatto is a limited one. It is used as a dye occasionally, but its principal employment is for colouring cheese and butter.

Timber Trees.—About 25 young trees of the valuable Greenheart of Demerara (Nectandra Rodicei) have been planted out in the old arboretum. They were obtained from the Botanic Garden in that colony, some directly and some through Kew. The tree is figured in Bentley and Trimen’s “ Medicinal Plants,” t. 219, on account of the bark and the alkaloid Bebeerine contained in it being included in the British Pharmacopoeia ; but it is now little employed in medicine.

To Mr. Jenman we are also indebted for another excellent timber tree of British Guiana, the Mora, Dimorphandra Mora, or Mora excelsa.

A Wardian case of 30 young Mahogany trees has been sent to the Governor-General of Netherlands India, Java, and one of 39 to the Collector of Tanjore. A single capsule ripened on one of our largest trees iu Peradeniya in January, the sole result of myriads of flowers.

Sandal Wood has often been claimed as a native of Ceylon, but does not occur here wild. Attempts to raise trees in the moist climate of Peradeniya have not hitherto been successful, but a few seedlings (from Mysore seed kindly sent by Col. Beddome) planted out on a dry sunny slope in August last give promise of succeeding well. In some of the drier districts young plants formerly sent out from the gardens have done well. In the event of any steps being taken towards an efficient Forest Conservancy, proper plantations of this extremely valuable tree may be therefore contemplated.

“ Lon-country Products.”— Of the estates opened lately in the low coast districts of Ceylon, the group at Udagama, some 25 miles from Galle, is of special interest. These are not more than 300 feet above the "sea and have*a rainfall of 150 inches well distributed over the year. The cultivation of nutmegs and pepper especially has been undertaken in a systematic manner,

and bids fair to become a success. Our fine old trees in P6radeniya supplied during the year over 4,000 nutmegs for these estates alone.

Planting enterprise is rapidly pushing its way into other parts of the East, and not a few pioneers go out from this colony. Thus Ceylon seems likely to become a sort of centre for the new districts in the Malay Peninsula and in Borneo, for our emigrants naturally refer hfere to supply their needs. Thus to North Borneo haVe heen forwarded from the Gardens cocoa, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, ipecacuanha, citronella grass, and many fruit trees, and a similar supply to Johore.

V.— I n t e r c h a n g e o f P l a n t s a n d S e e d s .

The Gardens have maintained the usual relations with other Botanical Establishments in the way of mutual exchange.

Wardian cases havebeen received from the Gardens of Kew (6), Calcutta (2), Singapore (2), British Guiana and Buitenzorg (2), also from Messrs. Bull (2) and Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea. We have despatched cases to the Royal Gardens, Kew (2), the Imperial Gardens St. Petersburg, and the Gardens of Calcutta (3), Singapore and Java. Also to the Colonial Secretary of Fiji, the Commissioner of the Andaman Islands, the Collector, Tanjore, and Messrs. Bull of Chelsea.

Small packets of plants and seeds have been received from the establishments of Kew, St. Petersburg, Ootacamund, Calcutta, Saharunpore, Buitenzorg, Brisbane, Adelaide, British Guiana and Jamaica; and from the cinchona plantations of Darjeeling, Neddiwuttum and Java. Seeds, &c., have been sent to Kew, Calcutta, Ootacamund, Bangalore, Singapore, Brisbane, British Guiana, Jamaica and Trinidad, and to other Foreign and Colonial Government officials.

The Gardens are indebted to the following for gifts of seeds or plants during the year : — Rajah Brooke, Sarawak ; Sir J. Kirk, Zanzibar ; H. Low, C.M.G., Perak ; Col. Beddome, Madras ; Major Seaton, Moulmein ; Dr Hance, Whampoa ; Sir F. von Mueller, Melbourne ; Dr. Schwein- furth, Cairo ; Mr. A. B. Moens, J a v a ; T. Christy, London ; &c. And, in Ceylon, to :— Mrs. Baker; Messrs. T. Berwick, C .C .S.; T. S. Dobree ; B. Ffanshawe; W. Ferguson, F.L.S.,; W. S. Fraser ; M. F. Rainsford Hannay ; E. M. Hay ; T. C. Huxley ; Lee, Hedges & C o.; H. Nevill, C.C.S.; J. V. H. Owen; C. J. S cott; W . M. Smith & Co. ; J. Taylor; W. H. W right; and the Ceylon Company, Limited.

Ornamental trees and other plants and seeds have been supplied gratis to the Government Agents, &c., at Anuradhapura, Chilaw, Negombo, Puttajam and Vavuniya-Vilapkulam ; the Municipal Council, Kandy ; the Provincial Road Committee, Kurunegala ; to the Police Barracks, Kandy ; and the Cemeteries of Badulla and MdtalA

V I.—A d d i t i o n s t o t h e C o l l e c t i o n s .

The following are some of the more important or interesting foreign species introduced into P6radeniya during the year:—

D IC O T Y L E D O N S .

T a la u m a B odgson i, H k . f. & T li . H im a la y a . (C a lc u t ta .) ------------- p u m ila , B l. (M a g n o lia , A n d r . ) J a v a , C h in a . (V e itc li .)G ynocardia odorata , R . B r . S ik k im , B u rm a h . T h e seeds o f th is afford th e C h a u lm o o g ra o il o f

In d ia n m ed ic in e . (C a lc u tta .)P ittosporum u n d u la tu m , V e n t. N . S . W a le s , V ic to r ia . (B r isb a n e .)P avonia M akoyana. B ra z il. (B u ll .)------------- m ultijdora . B raz il. (B u ll.)H ibiscus tricolor. J a p a n , (d e C ock, G h e n t .)M a lp igh ia urens, L . W . In d ie s , (B r isb a n e .)C anarium bengalense, R o x b . S ilh e t. (C a lc u t ta .)S a p in d u s Saponaria . L . T h e S o a p B e rry . J a m a ic a . ( J a m a ic a .)R h u s veru ie ifera , D C . T h e W u ru z i o r U ru n o k i o f J a p a n , u se d in th e fam o u s la c q u e r o f th a t c o u n try .

(M rs . B a k e r .)M a n g ife ra sylva tica , R o x b . S ik k im , K h a sy a . (C a lc u t ta .)M ille tlia racemosa, B e u th . S . In d ia . (B e d d o m e .)H erm in iera E la p h ro xy lo n , G .& -P . T ro p . A frica . T h e A m b a s h o r P i t l i - t r e e o f t h e N i l e . (S e h w e in fu r th .) ,

D ip te ryx odorata, W illd . G u ia n a . T h e T o n q u in B e an . ( B r i t is h G u ia n a .)Sophora in te rru p ta , B ed d . M y so re . (B e d d o m e .)O rmosia travancorica , B e d d . T ra v a n c o re . (B ed d o m e .)Cassia corym bosa, L am . B o liv ia , S . B ra z il . (R o b e r ts , M e lb o u rn e .)Ceratonia S iliq u a , L . E . M e d ite rra n e a n . T h e C aro b B e an . ( S a h a ru n p o re .)D im orphandra M ora , B e n th . T h e M o ra o f G u ia n a . A la rg e a n d m ag n ifice n t tree , an d one o f th e

fin es t tim b e rs k n o w n . A lso g ro w s in T r in id a d . (B r i t is h G u ia n a . )C hrysobalanus Icaco, L . T ro p . A m erica a n d A frica . T h e C ocoa P lu m . ( J a m a ic a .)C ouroupita gu ianensis, A u b l. T ro p . S . A m e ric a . T h e C a n n o n B a ll T re e . (K e w & B r i t is h G u ia n a .) E u ca lyp tu s . A se lec tio n o u t o f m an y species a s b e in g m o s t l ik e ly to e n d u re th e c lim a te o f P e ra d e n iy a ;

v iz ., E . a m ygda lina , L a b . ; E . bicolor, A . C u n n .; E . hem iphlo ia , F . M . (B o x ) ; E . hcem astom a,S m .; E leucoxyton ( I ro n B a rk ) ; E . p ilu la r is , Sm . (B la c k B u t t ) ; E . siderophlo ia , B e n th . (W h ite I ro n B a rk ) ; E . urn igera , H k . f, ( F . v o n M u e lle r .)

A ra lia , S p . S ik k im . (C a lc u t ta .)T revesia Novce-guineensis. N e w G u in e a . ( J a v a . )M ikan ia p u lvera len ta . T ro p . A m e ric a . (K e w .)D iospyros M elanoxylon , R o x b . S . In d ia . M a la b a r E b o n y , “ T u m b i” o f th e T am ils . (B ed d o m e .) S ty ra x B enzo in , D ry a n d . S u m a tra a n d J a v a . A sou rce o f th e f ra g ra n t re s in c a lled “ G u m B e n z o in ”

or ‘‘ B en jam in .” ( J a v a . )W illughbeia B urb idge i, K e w R e p ., 18 8 0 . G u t ta S in g g a r ip . M a la y P e n in su la , B o rn eo . (S in g a p o re .)-------------------s p . ? ( “ V a h e a g u m m ife ra ” H o r t ., K e w ). (K e w .)L a n d o lp h ia J lo r ida , B eau v . "J-------------------P etersiana ( W illu g h b e ia , K lo tz s c h .) I E . T ro p . A fr ic a .-------------------K irk ii, K e w R e p ., 1880 . [ T h e L a n d o lp h ia sp . o f l a s t y e a r ’s R e p o r t] f (K e w .)------------------- sp . (N o . I . ) J-------------------sp . M a d a g asc a r. (C e y lo n C o m p an y , L im ite d .)Cerbera T a n g h in , H o o k . ( T a n g h in ia vencnifera , P o i r ) . T h e O rd ea l P o iso n o f M ad ag asca r, (K e w .) Taberncem ontana crassa, B e n th . S e n e g a l. O n e o f th e ru b b e r-p ro d u c in g p la n ts o f W . A fr ic a . ( T .

C h ris ty .)Urceola ( C havannesiaJ esculenta, D C . B u rm ah . A ffo rd s a ru b b e r, a n ed ib le fru it, a n d a b lu e dye.

(M a jo r S e a to n .)Cordia sebestena, L . W . In d ie s . (K e w .)S o la n u m hyporrhodium . V en ezu e la . (B u l l .)B ig n o n ia m agnifica . C olom bia . (B u ll .)Tecom a speclabilis. (K e w .)W h itfie ld ia laleritia , H o o k . T ro p . A fr ic a . ( J a v a . )E ra n th em u m eboracense. ( B u l l . )B eloperone ( S im on isia ) chrysophlcea. B ra z il. (B u l l .)A p h e la u d ra p u n c ta ta . (B u ll.)

' ------- fa sc in a to r . (V e itc h .)F itton ia g igan tea . (V e itc h .)V itex sp . S ik k im . (C a lc u t ta .)S cu te lla r ia M ociniana, B e n th . M e x ic o . (V e itc h .)P ip e r {A rla n th e ) a u gustifo lium , R . & P . T ro p . A m e ric a . T h e leav es fo rm M a tic o , a w e ll-k n o w n

h a im o sta tic . (K e w .)P epcrom ia clusicefo lia . (B u ll.)C ryptocarya a ustra lis , B e n th . Q u een s lan d . (B risb a n e .)N ec ta n d ra sanguinea , R o ttb . W . In d ie s . (B r isb a n e .)---------------- Ilodicei, S chom b. T h e G re e n h e a r t o f G u ia n a . A f irs t r a te t im b e r tree . F ro m th e b a rk

is o b ta in ed th e a lk a lo id B eb eeria , a to n ic m ed ic in e . (K e w & D e m e ra ra .)G rev illea H illia n a , F , M u e ll. Q u een slan d . (B risb a n e .)B u ck in g h a m ia celsissim a, F . M u e ll. Q u een s lan d . (B r isb a n e .)

[T h e “ Croton E lu te r ia ” o f last y e a r’s lis t is C. niveus, Ja c q .]

P h y lla n th u s Seem ann ianus. N e w H e b rid es . (B u ll.)D orstenia C ontra jerva , L . T ro p . A m e ric a . ( J a v a .)F icu s V ogelii, M iq . W . T ro p . A frica . A ffords one so r t o f A fr ic a n ru b b e r. (K e w .) p o p u li fo lia , A. R ich . Prop. A fr ic a . A n o th e r ru b b e r-y ie ld in g F ig . ( T . C h r is ty .) cxscu lp tn . P a c if ic I s la n d s . (B u ll.) sj). S ik k im . C a lc u tta .C asuarina hum ilis , U tto & D ie tr ., v a r . tephrosperm a. W . A u s tra l ia . (A d e la id e .)

G Y M N O SPER M S.

A ga th is lo ran th ifo lia , S a lisb . (D a m m a ra alba, A u c t .) M a lay A rc h ip e lag o . A ffo rd s th e w h ite D a m ­m ar re s in . ( J a v a . )

Cycas, sp . nov. A n a m a lla y H ills . (B ed d o m e .)M acrozam ia M oorei, F . M u e ll. Q u een slan d . ( F . M u e lle r .)E ncepha lartos H ild era n d tii, A. B r . Z an z ib a r . (K irk .)■---------- -------villosus, L em . S A frica . (B u ll )

M O N O C O T Y L E D O N S.M aran ta K erchovei, V e itc h .M u sa uranoscopus, M iq . A m b o y n a , &c. (B u ll.)

B R O M E L IA C E2E . (A ll from K ew .)

(Echm ea g lom erata , H o o k . B raz il.B illb e rg ia L ibon iana , D e J o n g h . B ra z il.— ———— W etherilli, H o o k . B ra z il.

— --------- thyrso idea , M a rt. B ra z il .—— ---------sp lend ida , L em . B ra z il .-----------------pan icu la la .C ryp tan lhus Cacautes.P itcairrda A ndreana , L in d e n . N ew G re n ad a . ■-------------- lep idota , R e g e l. Ib id .--------------- D eca isnei, K . K o ch . T ro p . A m e ric a .--------------- recurva ta , K . K o c h . Ib id .----------------- stam inea, L o d d . B razil.-------------- u n d u la la , S c h e id w . T ro p . A m erica .---------------zece/olia, K. K o ch . G u a te m a la .T illa n d s ia ( V riesea) g laucoph tjlla , B a k e r . N e w G re n a d a .

O R C H ID E A i.D endrobium chrysanthum , W all. N e p a l. ( C a lc u t ta .) ------------- densiflorum , W all. N ep al. „• ■--------------- F arm eri, L in d l. In d ia . „-------------------nobile, L in d l. C h in a . „-------------------P ierard i, R o x b . B e n g a l. „------------------D alho u sia n u m , W all. In d ia . (V e itc h .) — Jenkin sii, W a ll . In d ia . (76 .)N e p h e la p h y llu m p u le brum , t il . J a v a . ( J a v a .)Ccelogyne fla cc id a , L in d l. N e p a l. (C a lc u tta .)---------------elegans. (C a lc u tta .)Otochilus, sp , ( lb . )A ru n d in a bam busifo lia , L in d l. N e p a l, &c. (H a u n a y .)M acraden ia lutescens, R . B r . T r in id a d . ( J a m a ic a .)B ra ssa vo la g la u ca , L in d l . M e x ico . (B u ll.)-------------------D ig b ya n a , L in d l. H o n d u ra s . (B u ll.)------------------ cordata, L in d l. J a m a ic a , B ra z il. ( J a m a ic a .)Lcelia m a ja lis , L in d l. M ex ico . (B u ll.)S chom burgkia L yo n sii. ( J a m a ic a .)E p id en d ru m acieulare, B a te m . B a h am as . M ex ico . (B u ll.)--------------------- cra ssifo liu m , L in d l. T r in id a d . ( B u l l )---------------------coch lea tum , L . W . In d ies . ( J a m a ic a .)--------------------- fr a g r a n s , S w . W . In d ie s . ( 76. )---------------------nocturnum , L . W . In d ie s ( 76. )B ro u g h to n ia sangu inea , R . B r. J a m a ic a , C u b a . ( J a m a ic a .)C attleya Mossine, H o o k . \ en ezu ela . (B u ll.)------------- citrina , L in d l. M ex ico . (B u ll.)C ym bidium elegans. C a lc u tta .C atasetum m a cu la tu m , K u n th . N ew G re n ad a . (B u ll.)B u rlin g to n ia fr a g r a n s . B ra z il. (V e itc h .)O dontoglossum R ossii, L in d l, v a r, m ajus. M e x ico . (B u ll.)

B ra ss ia cauda ta , L in d l. W . In d ie s . (B u ll.)------------- m a cu la ta , R . B r . J a m a c ia , G u a tem a la . ( J a m a ic a .)Saccolab ium a m pu llacenm , L in d l . N e p a l , &c. C a lc u tta .A ngrcecum citra tum . (V e itc h .)-------------------- sesquipedale , T h o u a rs . M a d a g a sc a r . (V e itc h .)A rg yro rch is ja v a n ic a , B l . J a v a . ( J a v a .)C ypriped ium A shburtonice, (V e itc h .)-------------------Veitchii, ( /6 .)-------------------se lligerum , ( lb .)

[a n d m an y u n n a m e d sp e c ie s .]

C rinum M acow ani, B a k e r . N a ta l . (V e itc h .)P a n cra tiu m fr a g r a n s , R e d ? T ro p . A m e ric a . (V e itc h .)

P A L M 2E .A reca tr ia n d ra , R o x b . var. B a n ca n a , Scheff. B a n g k a . ( J a v a . ) P inanga , sp . B a n g k a . ( J a v a .)P lychosperm a W en d land iana . ( J a v a .)------------------------gracilis , L a b . ‘N e w I re la n d . (K ew .)IE nocarpus B acaba, M a r t . B ra z il, &c. (B . G u ia n a .)O ncosperm a J ila m e n to sa , B l. ( J a v a .)O rania m acroclada, M a r t . M a la c c a . ( J a v a .)■ p h ilip p in e n s is . (J ava .)Socratea exorrh iza , W en d l. ( Ir ia r te a , M a r t .) B ra z il, & c. (B . G u ia u a .)Cctryota ocklandra , H a n c e . S . C h in a , (K e w .)Phoenix H anceana , N a u d . S . C h in a . (K ew .) sp . ( J a m a ic a .)W a sh in g to n ia J ilife ra , S . W a ts . C a lifo rn ia . (K ew .)T h r in u x parviflo ra , Sw . W . I n d ie s . (K e w .)------------ argentea , L odd . W . In d ie s . (K ew .)L iv is to n a Tem bisii. ( J a v a .)P holidocarpus Ihur, B l. A m b o y n a , &e. ( J a v a .)C alam us ( Dmm onorops) m a rg ina tu s, B l. B orn eo . ( J a v a . )H eterospathe e la ta , Scheff. ( J a v a .)B a d r is , sp . (B . G u ia n a .)D esm oncus, sp . (B . G u ia n a .)Cocos (G la z io v a ) insign is, M a r t . (B u ll.)

A R A C E 2 E .P o thos aurea, H o r t . L in d . S o lom on I s . (B u ll.)• celatocaulis. (V e itc h .)A n th u r iu m Scherzerianum , S c h o tt . T ro p . A m e ric a . (V e itc h .) regale, L in d e n , T ro p . A m e ric a . (V e itc h .)Scindapsus B eccarii. N e w G u in e a ? ( J a v a .)D ieffenbach ia sp ., v a rs . amcena, C arderi, L eopo ld ii. (B u ll.)A lo ca sia L o w ii, H o o k f. B orneo . (V e itc h .)—--------------- , v a r . Veitchii. J a v a . ( J a v a .)---------------- in term ed ia . (V e itc h .)

A lo e P e rry i, B a k e r . S o c o tra . A ffo rds th e tru e S o c o tra n a lo e s . T h e p la n t w a s o n ly m ad e k n o w n to sc ience in 1880, th o u g h i ts p ro d u c t h a s been re g u la r ly e x p o r te d s in ce b e fo re th e C h r is t ia n e ra . F ig u re d in B o t. M a g . t . 6 5 9 6 (D e e r ., 188 1 .)

C ordyline term ina lis. K u n th . , v a r . a lba . (K e w .)D raccena G oldieana, H o r t., B u ll. W . T ro p . A frica . (B u ll.)---------------- vesta lis. B u ll.C yanotis m u ltico lo r , (v a r . o f Z eb r in a ?) (B u ll.)Tradescan tia , sp . ( J a v a . )

F E R N S , &c.N ephro lep is D u ffi i , D u k e o f Y o rk ’s Is la n d . (B u ll.)L a strea arista ta , v a r ie g a ta . (B u l l . )

I have included in the above several “ Florists’ ” plants of interest, but most of these— e.g., varieties of Ixora, Begonia, Abutilon, Coleus,Dracaena, “ Croton” {Codiceuni), &c., are omitted.

Numerous subtropical and temperate seeds have been sent to Hakgala, but I am unable to give an accurate list of those which have succeeded there, at present.

V II.—H e r b a r i u m a n d L i b r a r y .

Herbarium.—More than half of the collection of Ceylon plants has been during the year mounted on thick paper, and is now very much more convenient for reference and consultation. This work will be continued when more paper can be obtained.

I have also re-arranged a considerable portion and written up the names in accordance with the most recent floras and monographs.

An examination has been made of the duplicate specimens which were suffering much from insects. They are now being steadily gone through, cleaned, poisoned, and laid in fresh paper.

Numerous additional specimens have been intercalated into the collection. .The general herbarium of exotic plants is being sorted into genera and arranged in cabinets,

instead of being kept tied up in bundles. Some progress has been made in this work, which will necessitate a number of additional cabinets, if the whole series is to be so accommodated.

A selection of medicinal plants was dried and sent to the Museum of the Medical School atColombo, and another set forwarded to the Pharmaceutical Society in London.

Five parcels of Indian and Malayan plants have been received from the Kew Herbarium, and one from Col. Beddome collected in the Cuddapah Hills.

I made a tour of four weeks’ duration in February and March for collecting, visiting several parts of the Southern and Western Provinces between Mataraand Ratnapura, and made large collec­tions. I have also to thank several correspondents in the colony for specimens, especially Mr. H. Nevill, C.C.S., and Mr. W. Ferguson, F.L.S., whose investigations on the West coast have added several species to the flora of Ceylon.

The Draughtsman has added fourteen finished drawings to the series of figures of Ceylon plants ; he also furnished Mr. Ward with several illustrating the external characters of diseased coffee leaves. I find him very neat and efficient at herbarium work, and much of his time has beenoccupied with the sorting, re-arranging, and cleaning of the dried specimens.

Library.—1 have completed a catalogue of the Library, in which the books and pamphlets are arranged under subjects. A copy of this, now being made, will be immediately forwarded to the Auditor-General, and it is hoped will be printed in due course.

The following books have been added to the Library during the year : —B e n th a m a n d H o o k e r (fil.) , “ G e n e ra P la n ta ru m ,” V o l. I I I . . P a r t I . , 1880.D e C an d o lle , A ., a n d o th ers , “ M onograph iae P la n ta ru m ,” V o ls . I I . aud I I I . , 1879, 1881.D ick so n , J . H ., “ F ib re P la n ts o f I n d ia .”D ru ry , “ U se fu l P la n ts o f In d ia ,” 1858 .F ra n c h e t a n d S a v a tie r , “ E n u m e ra tio P la n ta ru m Ja p o n ise ,” 2 V o ls., 187 2 — 1879.H o o k e r’s “ L o n d o n J o u r n a l o f B o ta n y ,” V o ls . fo r 1 8 4 3 -4 4 ( to w a rd s c o m p le tin g se t) .H o o k e r (fib ), “ F lo ra o f B r i t is h In d ia ,” P a r t 8, 1881. (P re s e n te d .)H o ra n in o w , ‘ P ro d ro m u s M o n o g r. S c ita m in e a ru m .” 1862.H o o k e r’s “ le o n e s P la n ta ru m ,” V o l. X I V ., P a r t s 1 and 2, 1862 ( in c o n tin u a tio n ) .M o rr is , D ., “ O n L ib e r ia n C offee,” 1881 (p a m p h le t) . (P re sen ted .)M o o re , F ., “ L e p id o p te ra o f C ey lo n ,” P a r ts I . a n d I I . ( d o .)O w en , T . C ., “ C in ch o n a P la n te r ’s M a n u a l,” 1881. ( d o .)T rim e n ’s “ J o u r n a l o f B o ta n y ,” V ols. fo r 1 8 7 3 ,1 8 7 7 (to w a rd s c o m p le tin g th e s e t) . (P re se n te d .)R o x b u rg h “ P la n ts o f C o ast o f C o ro m an d e l,” p la te s 2 5 1 — 300 , 1819 ( to co m p le te th e boo k ).

“ T ra n sa c tio n s o f th e L in u e an S o c ie ty o f L o n d o n ” V o ls . X X X I I I . — X X X ., 1 8 6 2 -7 5 (c o m p le t­in g th e o ld se ries).

“ A c ta H o r t i P e tro p o li tn n i,” V ol. V I I . (in c o n tin u a tio n ) .

Also the numbers for the year of the following Periodical publications (mostly presented):— Belgique Horti cole, Botanical Magazine, Botanische Zeitung, Gardeners, Chronicle, Flora, Garten Flora, Indian Forester, Nature, Pharmaceutical Journal, Journal of Botany, Tropical Agriculturist; and the usual^Reports of Botanic Gardens, Cinchona Plantations, Indian Forest Department, &c.

V III.— S a l e s .

The receipts for the sale of plants, seeds, &c., in the year 1881, paid to the Colonial Treasurer, w ere:

R s. c ts .F ro m P e ra d e n iy a . . . 3 ,9 1 5 14H e n a ra tg o d a . . . 5 6 2 36H a k g a la ' . . . 4 6 0 82

T o ta l . . . R s. 4 ,9 3 8 32

In addition to this, the experimental sale of C. crispa and other bark in London in February last [see last year’s report, page 5] produced, clear of all charges, Rs. 3,219‘63, making the total receipts for Rs. 8,157-95.

The number of purchasers has beenF ro m P e ra d e n iy a ••• 885H e n a ra tg o d a . . . 2 2 8H a k g a la . . . 34

T o ta l . . . 1 ,147

I desire to call the attention of Government to a kind of work which this establishment is being increasingly called upon to perform. No less a number than 28 Wardian cases of ferns, orchids, &c., were purchased here by private persons during the year 1881, for conveyance to England or elsewhere. This is, I submit, not a desirable channel into which to direct the work of a State Botanic Garden. In every way the supply of these cases is a loss to the establishment. The Rs. 20 charged for the plants is paid into revenue, aud the Gardens receive no benefit whatever from the transaction. The proper principle in making use of the contents of a Govern­ment Botanic Garden is to insist upon a quid pro quo, or exchange ; and I cannot see without protest the increase of a system, which while continually exhausting our stock of good plants, gives us nothing in return.

More serious is it that our proper exchanges with other public Gardens suffer ; for the time of our small staff has to be employed in filling and packing these private cases (often ordered with little consideration at short notice) to the neglect of work on which the well-being and public utility of the Garden almost wholly depends—i.e., foreign exchange. The legitimate demands upon these Gardens also, not only from this colony but from the East generally, are now such as to render it essential that our small resources should be wholly devoted to meeting them, and not to be wasted in the business of a nurseryman.

I therefore feel that the time has come when I should be permitted to use my discretion as to acceding to private orders for Wardian cases. One would think that, as the demand is now so large, some private man of business might find it worth while to undertake the supply, and the Garden be altogether relieved of this uncongenial and harmful work.

IX .—E x p e n d i t u r e .

The whole expenditure of the Department (excluding the salary and travelling expenses of the Cryptogamist temporarily attached) has been :—

S a la r ie sG a rd e n e rs ’ a n d L a b o u re rs ’ W a g e s—

P e ra d e n iy a (R e v en u e S e rv ice )H a k g a la ( do )H e n a ra tg o d a ( do )P a v ilio n . K n n d v ^M isce llan eo u s S e rv ice )

Office C ouliiigvuoicd T ra v e ll in g (T ra n sp o r t)

Rs. cts.1 5 ,0 7 0 54

8 ,1 8 9 92 ,9 9 8 671 ,993 742 ,1 8 6 482 ,9 4 9 141 ,997 75

T o ta l . . . R s . 3 5 ,3 8 5 41

P6r&deniya, 1st January, 1882.HENRY TRIMEN, M.B.,

Director.

C O M P A R A T IV E T R IA L S O F M A N U R E S .

A correspondent suggests, w ith respec t to M r. W . D . B osanquet’s valuab le experim ents, th a t th e y w ould have been m ore conclusive if th e y h ad been in d u ­plicate. T he fac t th a t th e y w ere m ade on squares also m ilita tes against th e ir value, as each w as th e reb y confined to a p a rtic u la r spot an d n o t app lied over an average of th e soil of th e field. I t is im p o rt­a n t th a t in a ll com parative ex perim en ts th e con­d itions should be such as to m ake th e resu lts re liab le and conclusive. I w ould suggest th a t such experi­m ents should be m ade in lines, ra th e r th a n in squares. W hen different m anures o r trea tm en ts are tr ie d on strips, ad jacen t to each o ther, from th e bo ttom to to p of th e field, each s tr ip be ing of ab o u t 10 lines in w id th , th e resu lts m ay be com pared m ost read ily , especially if th e field be com m anded from som e po in t whence th e w hole experim enta l a rea m ay be v iew ed a t a l i t t le distance. M oreover, each s tr ip w ill trav erse a g rea ter v arie ty of soil, and give m ore reliable ev id ­ence th a n any m ere p a tch o r square. In an e x ten s­ive tria l of m anures, w hich I m ade some years ago, 10 l ’nes of coffee from th e bo ttom to th e to p of th e field were m anured or tre a te d in a d jacen t s tr ip s , w ith in terven ing strip s, here a n d th e re , of lik e w id th without m anure, o r t re a tm e n t, to fac ilita te com parison. T he re su lts in th is case w ere m ost conspicuously seen, so far as regards th e appearance of th e trees, from a field opposite. I have n o t now th e record of th e resu lts of th is experim ent, n o r w ould these esu lts be of any general value, though th e y served an im p o rtan t purpose on the p a r tic u la r e s ta te for guidance in subsequen t m ore ex ten d ed operations. I m ay m ention, how ever, th a t th e m anures tr ie d were P eruvian guano, Bolivian guano, p o u d re tte , coco­n u t poonac, bonedust, woodashes, lim e, &c., an d some m ixtures of poonac w ith b onedust, o r w ood­ashes. T he m ain genera l re su lts w ere as follow s :— 1st as regards appearance. T h e s tr ip m anured w ith P eruv ian guano w as th e firs t to show up w ith a fine dark glossy foliage, an d w as q u ick ly follow ed by th e poud re tte , poonac, an d Bolivian guano, in o rder, w ith th e sam e ch aracteristics , b u t in lesser degrees. T he o thers show ed m ore o r less im provem en t, b u t n o t of th e same m arked character. 2nd, as regards crop : u n fo rtunate ly , a ru sh of crop over th e w hole es ta te p reven ted th e p o ssib ility of keeping th e crop of each s tr ip separate . T he record, therefore, w as based on observation of th e progress m ade in each s tr ip by th e pickers, aided by observations in th e field itse lf, and is n o t so ex ac t as i t m ig h t have been. T he palm w as und o u b ted ly carried b y th e m ixtures of bones and poonac, and bones an d woodashes. N ex t follow ed th e bones alone and poonac alone in order. 3rd , as regards appearance a fte r crop. T he s tr ip s m anured w ith th e m ix tu res looked fit, none th e worse for th e ir crop, an d read y fo r fu rth e r service. Those w ith bones alone, and poonac alone, looked ra th er less vigorous th a n those w ith m ix tu res . B u t th e h igh ly am m oniacal m anures, th e P e ru v ian guano an d th e p o u d re tte showed severe re-action. T h e trees looked sick ly and yellow , w ith m any dead points. I refe r to th is experim ent, how ever, less fo r i ts resu lts

215

th a n as illu s tra tin g th e g re a t advan tag e of th e linear system for experim ents on com parative trea tm en ts of coffee.

T he im portance of p re lim in ary tr ia ls of m anure on a sm all scale, in an tic ip a tio n of m ore ex ten d ed op er­a tions, canno t be o v erra te d : an d w hen i t is con­sidered th a t, on an a rea of 25 acres, no few er th a n 10 d ifferent trea tm en ts m ay be com pared each w ith a s tr ip of 10 lines of 300 trees, o r say 3,000 tree s for each tre a tm e n t, th e re is no excuse for b lundering on a large scale. One needs n o t to grope in th e dark , b u t m ay be gu ided by th e light, follow ing M r. W ,D. B osanquet’s good exam ple. G. W .

H Y B R ID IT Y O F C IN CH O N A S A N D G R A F T IN G

L E D G E R IA N A C U T T IN G O N TO SU C C I- R U B R A STOCKS IN T H E O PEN A IR .

M r. W m . S m ith , w ho has been so m uch grieved by our defection to a belief in th e “ hyb rid ity -o f- cinchonas ” theo ry , an d who, w hen he w ro te th e very in te re s tin g an d valuable le t te r w hich appears below, im agined th a t he w as m erely a so lita ry voice cry ing in th e w ilderness, oug h t to be g rea tly com ­fo rted b y th e alliance an d su p p o rt of so em inen t an au th o rity , sc ientifically and p rac tica lly , as M r. Ja m es G am m ie, w ho has so long been in charge of th e C inchona G ardens in B ritish S ikk im (D arjeeling). To th e d ic tu m of H ooker an d Thom son, t h a t hy- b r id ity is a process very ra re in n a tu re , on w hich we so long founded o u r ob jections to th e sta te m e n ts th a t h y b rid s h ad appeared am ongst th e cinchonas in tro d u ced in to Ja v a , Ceylon and In d ia , M r. Gam m ie pins h is fa ith s t i l l ; an d as for M r. W m . S m ith , he considers th e idea of spontaneous crossing a s an im ­peachm ent of th e B eing w ho c rea ted a ll p lan ts and gave th em th e ir law s of ex istence and reproduction . M essrs. G am m ie an d S m ith can p o in t, as w e so long d id , to th e w onderfu l differences betw een young and m atu re foliage and th e in v e te ra te h a b it of spo rting ch a rac te ris tic especially of th e m ore valuab le species of cinchonas, th e crow n an d yellow b a rk s—C. officinalis an d C. calisaya. I t is n o t like ly th a t w e w ho on th is sub ject, had th e te m e rity to b reak a lance w ith Jo h n E lio t H ow ard , th e very p rince of quinologists, shou ld ligh tly ad o p t a belief in th e h y b rid ity of cinchonas. W e d id so, s im ply w hen we found a ll th e lead ing au th o rities , inc lud ing H ooker him self, w ith T rim en and M oens,—and, am ongst p rac tica l as w ell as scientific p lan te rs , F orbes L aurie, a rra y ed on th e side of n o t only possible h y b r id ity , b u t, from w hat was s ta te d to be th e p ecu lia rity of th e blossoms, a s trong ten d en cy in t h a t d irec tion . In going over th e Ja v a p lan ta tio n s w ith M r. M oens, we w ere shew n th e bee an d th e b u tte rfly which w ere th e ac tive agen ts of th e process of a d u lte ra tin g th e p ure L edgerianas w ith th e pollen from P ah u d ian as , Joseph ianas. H asskarlianas, Javan icas, an d o th e r in ­ferior so rts, a ll of w hich w ere to be p rac tica lly e x ­tirp a te d , so th a t seed w hich could be d epended on (a large crop an tic ipated th is season, b y th e way) could be ga th ered from th e Ledgerianas. M eantim e , Mr. Moens was, as rap id ly as possible, p u sh in g fo r­w ard th e g ra ftin g process, so as to g e t a good supp ly

of p lan ts tru e to th e bes t types. D r. T rim en is a b o tan is t of no m ean stand ing , and our readers have seen h is p ro te s t against th e "hasty an d u nau tho rized conclusions of Col. Beddom e : a very able m an, b u t n o t to be com pared for scientific position to m en like H ooker, T rim en, Moens, K ing, &c. A m ongst p rac tica l p lan ters in Ceylon th e re is M r. F orbes L aurie , whose testim ony to th e tendency an d th e fac t of hyb rid ity amongs our cu ltiv a ted cinchonas is em phatic ; th e re ­su lt, he says, of experience ex ten d ed au d observation of a carefu l and cum ulative natu re . T h a t am ongst blossom ing cinchonas th e re is no t only th e danger of h y b rid ity b u t th e tendency to it , we feel i t im ­possible to deny . A s to re su lts , w hile in Ja v a th e inferior de terio ra tes th e superior, many here hold, am ongst th em M r. Forbes L aurie , th a t hybrids have arisen and may arise, fa r superio r to e ith er p aren t. 0 . robusta u nder its various designations, of pubescent &c., is quo ted as an exam ple, and th e belief seem s to be th a t not only d id th e la te M r. Me Ivor produce i t artific ially , b u t th a t i t appeared spontaneously and does so still, w herever C. officinalis and C. succirubra are cu ltiv a ted tog e th er. T he case is one, how ever, w hich shew s th e wisdom of D r. T rim en’s caution in recom m ending th e nam e of C. robusta as a tem porary or in te rm e d ia te nam e, un til th e question of h y b rid or species is se ttled . Com ­parisons w ith specim ens a t Kew seem to have se ttled th e question th a t th e P d ta de GaUinazo of A m erica th e tree is not, b u t th e re has been no decision by scientific men th a t, beyond a ll question, th is p articu lar tree, so valuable in many respects, is really a hybrid. Indeed , the s ta tem en ts m ade b y M r. S m ith an d espe­cially w h a t M r. U am m ie w rites, backed , we m ay say, by our ow n recollection an d observation , w ould go to prove th a t , i f th e p la n t is a h y b rid , th e process of h y b rid iza tion took place in i ts n a tiv e h a b ita t on th e sides of th e A ndes. T here can be li t t le or no ques­tio n th a t la rge num bers of th e large-leaved, robust- grow ing p lan ts appeared am ongst th e ea rliest cu ttin g s from Ilak g a la , especially am ongst those of C. officinalis. As M r. G am m ie says, D r. T hw aites alone can se ttle th e question as to w h e th er specim ens of th e tree d id n o t grow in ila k g a la from some ofth e seed firs t se n t th ith e r , and we t ru s t hew ill, from his honourab le re tirem en t, do w h a the can to finally se ttle a question w hich bo th froma scientific an d prac tica l po in t of view is so im p o rtan t. T he ev iden t leaning of D r. Bidie’s m ind is to th e belief th a t on th e N ilg iris th e tree grew up with th e orig inal succirubras, officinalis and ealisayas ; bu t if so, how can we account for M r. M clvor’s a n ­nouncem ent to M r. H ow ard , th a t, as th e resu lt of carefu l and large experim ents in artificial hybrid iz ing , he had p rocu red tw o rea lly good form s, w hich appear to have been th e tree in question, iu i ts pubescen t and glabrous varie ties. Seeds from p la n ts so produced, used by Mr. M c lv o r on h is ow n p rivate p ro p erty an d sen t to us aud o thers in Ceylon (under, a t first, th e nam e of Lanosa), came true to ty p e ; and so i t seem s to have been w ith seed p rocu red from M r. How son. I t really does seem possible th a t “ C. ro b u sta” cam e to In d ia and Ceylou am ongst th e seeds o rig inally received, and th a t th e very sam e form resu lted from

M c lv o r’s experim ents. I f th is shou ld be p roved an d ad m itted , i t w ill follow th a t , a f te r a ll, th e p la n t is a h y b rid , b u t a h y b rid o rig in a tin g in th e forests of th e A ndes, and , once o rig in a ted , bearing a vigorous and p erm an en t form . W h a tev e r we m ay th in k of th e doctrine of h y b r id ity , w e feel confident th a t th e bu lk of th e seeds from a good L edgeriana w ill give good L edgeriana seedlings ; and from all wre have heard th e sam e princip le seems to hold good in the case of “ C. RO BU STA.”

I n th e case of Doth, how ever, an d of a ll superio r species or varieties, no d o u b t certainty of ty p e can b e tte r be preserved by th e processes of ta k in g cu ttin g s, of “ b u d d in g ,” an d of “ g ra ftin g .” B u t fo r the fact, th a t th e very valuable L edgerianas are generally d e ­licate, th e obvious m ode of p ropagating th em would be by cu ttings. B u t in J a v a an d o th e r places i t has been found th a t a large p ropo rtio n of th e c u t ­tin g s failed, an d th a t in th e case of e ith e r seedlings o r p lan ts g row n from cu ttin g s, a large n u m b er e ith e r failed to grow vigorously o r d ied off. M r. M oens, to w hom th e w orld owes so m uch of i ts know ledge of th e m ost valuable species of th e c in ­chona tr ib e , w as led , from th e fac ts we have m en­tioned, a t an ea rly stage of h is connection w ith th e cu ltu re of Ledgerianas in Ja v a , to t r y th e ex p eri­m en t of g ra ftin g th e d elica te L edgeriana on a stock of th e ro b u st grow ing succirubra. T he trees u n ite d perfectly , an d analysis p roved th a t th e L edgeriana so g ra fted an d grow ing on th e succirub ra stock preserved i ts valuab le p roperties unaffected in th e s lig h te s t degree by th e ju ices of th e stock w hich sup p o rted i t . T h is led to ex tended experim ents, w hich a re s till going on, w ith m arked success, th e only d o u b t w e heard M r. M oens express ta k in g th e form of an apprehension th a t b ad re su lts m ig h t follow th e d isp roportiona te grow th of stock an d stem . W e believe all fear on th is su b jec t m ay be dism issed. W h a t we d id notice in th e flourishing p lan ta tio n s of g rafted trees, years old an d u p ­w ards in th e field, w as th a t th e y grew w ith ra th e r dw arfed form s, th e tendency being to expend th e ir vigour in la te ra l g row th . W hen we d rew Mr. M oens’s a tte n tio n to th is fact, he s ta te d he had care­fu lly observed i t , and th a t he believed th e p ru n in g aw ay of th e low er b ranches, a process w hich was abo u t to be carried ou t, would cu re th is defect and induce th e trees to grow ta ll and stra ig h t. W h a t M r. M oens does is to p repare abundance of sto ck p lan ts, grow ing them in pots u n til th e y a re abou t a foot high . T hey a re then tak en

! in to a conservatory, a s lan ting incision is m ade in ! th e stem , and in to th is is in se rted a succu len t cu ttin g | from th e end of a b ranch or tw ig of a L edgeriana

of p roved good q u a lity . C are is, of course, taken , th a t a t leas t on one side, (if on both, so m uch th e b e tte r ) th e b a rk cf sto ck an d g ra ft m eet. O therw ise th e y w ill no t unite, and w ith all th e care ta k e n there a re a good m any failures. T h read from old gunnies is w ra p ­ped ro u n d stock p la n t and g raft a t th e junction , the native

j w e saw a t work being able to com plete th e process on | 300 p lan ts p er diem . W hen th e ty in g is done, th e '• p o ts a re p u t in to m elon fram es slan tin g for conveni- - ence sake. T hey are th u s u n d er a double p ro tec tion ‘ of glass. I n abo u t six weeks, i t can be seen w h e th e r

th e g ra ft is to grow or not, and, if th e success is com ­plete, th e to p of th e stock p la n t is carefu lly c u t off a l i t t le above th e jun c tio n . H encefo rth th e v igour of th e stock is th row n in to th e g ra ft, which grow s apace- T he p lan ts are gi adwally hard en ed b y being tak en o u t of th e m elon beds to the floor o r shelves of th e conservatory ; th en to a sh e d ; an d finally to th e open air. W hen thoroughly estab lished an d a t th e proper p lan tin g season, th e g ra fted p lan ts are tak en o u t of th e po ts and p u t o u t in to th e field. Of course th e re is a degree of risk in all th e processes u p to th a t of ta k in g th e p la n t o u t of th e pot.

I t never seems to have occurred to M r. M oens— a t lea s t he n e ith e r tr ie d th e experim ent nor sa id an y ­th ing about try in g i t—th a t on sto ck p lan ts grow n in situ g rafting in th e open a ir m igh t succeed. M r. W m . Sm ith of M attekelly , Ceylon, having (th rough our means, he is good enough to say) become th e possessor of a considerable num ber of Ledgerianas, proved by analysis to be of m ost valuable typcW de­term in ed to t r y th e experim ent of m u ltip ly in g them by g rafting on to succirub ra trees a lread y sc a tte red over his e s ta te . Of course th e application of glass in such a case, even in th e case of handbells, w ould be im possible on th e score of expense. T h e she lte r reso rted to was obtained by reversed bottom less m an­ure baskets, fu rth e r shade, where deem ed necessary, being ob tained by m eans of pieces of old g unny bags. E ven th is am ount of she lte r, M r. S m ith believes he can dispense w ith, by com m encing h is g ra ftin g oper­ations w ith th e ad v en t of th e sou th-w est m onsoon ra ins, which th is season he m eans to do. W e t ru s t he m ay be even more successful th a n he has been w ith h is orig inal experim ents, w hich we have w atched w ith a degree of in te re s t iu proportion to th e im portance of the re . su its to th e p lan tin g in te re s t in C eylon. B eside p u b ­lic roads, along e s ta te pa ths an d sca tte red over p la n t­ations generally , are h u n d red s of thou san d s of succi­ru b ra p lan ts capable of y ie ld ing , w hen m ature, bark giving abo u t 3 p er cen t (a h igh average) of qu in ine. These are all, up to th e age of 5 or 7 years, M r. S m ith holds, capable of being converted by th e g ra ft­ing proce-s in to Ledgerianas, w ith bark y ie ld ing from 7 to over 12 per cen t of th e m ost precious of th e cinchona alkalo ids. T ak ing only th e succu len t ends of tw igs for h is grafts, M r. M oens’s pow er of rep ro ­ducing his L edgerianas is, of course, considerab ly lim ited , b u t M r. S m ith im proved on th e Ja v a system n o t only by g rafting in th e open a ir b u t by using ripe wood as well as succulent, so th a t , p rac tica lly , every po rtion of a tree excep t th e stock an d th ic k b ranches can be u tilized . W e repea ted ly v is ited M r. S m ith ’s p lan ts, an d we w ere n o t con ten ted w ith th e ju n c tio n an d grow th of th e g rafts . “ T he g rea t d a n g e r ,” w e said, “ will be dea th from copious b leed ing and its effects, w hen you cu t off th e tops of th e , in so m any cases, th ick stock p lan ts .” So w e w ent back again, when th e p lan ts h ad had tim e to recover from th e shock of th e tops being ta k e n off, w hich th ey were, very sk ilfu lly , by m eans of an am p u ta tin g saw , len t for th e purpose by Dr. D uke. “ H ealed w ith th e firs t in te n tio n ” w ould have been th e w orthy docto r’s v erd ic t, had he been w ith us w hen we inspected the p lan ts , a t a period sufficiently subsequent to th e am ­

p u ta tio n to p u t fu rth e r danger o u t of th e question. Some of th e g rafted p lan ts are now sigh ts w o rth seeing, and , as M r. S m ith s ta te s , h is failures in th is prelim inary experim en t w ere fa r less num erous th a n m igh t be expected . W e have suggested to M r. S m ith th a t she lte r from heavy ra in as w ell as from h o t sun m ay be necessary, b u t he, hav ing tho ro u g h ly s tu d ied th e su b je c t of g rafting , know s w h at he is about, an d we can only rep ea t o u r good w ishes for h is perfect success, because, as w e have a lready said, th a t success m eans th e success of h u n d red s of Ceylon p lan te rs , and th e revival la rgely of th e p ro sp erity and progress of th e colony.

SO U T H A U ST R A L IA .T H E M IN IS T E R IA L V ISIT TO T H E N O RTH ERN

TE R R ITO R Y .

P o r t D arw in , M arch 21st.—T he M in ister of E d u c ­atio n an d p a r ty re tu rn e d tod ay from th e ir v is it to D elissaville, where th e y w ere cap ita lly en te rta in ed a t a form al d inner, a t w hich th e usual speeches were m ade. A n inspection was m ade of th e sugarcanes w hich have been p lan ted there . T hey are in a h ea lth y condition , though n o t big. T he appo in tm en ts of th e p la n ta tio n belonging to th e De L issa Sugar C om pany are com plete. Tw o h u n d red acres are u n d er sugar, and fifty u n d e r m aize. T he w h ite a n ts have been alm ost overcom e by th e free use of lim e an d cross-ploughing. A dozen lb. of tab le suga r w ere m anufactured in p re ­sence of th e p a r ty from th e p ro d u c t of th e crushing. T h e G overnm ent G arden m ay be considered th e best in S outh A ustra lia . T h e land about here is generally good, w ith ironstone patches. A t th e ban q u e t, which w as g iven to th e p a r ty , th e speakers expressed th e ir g re a t sa tisfac tion and as ton ishm en t a t the am oun t of w ork w hich h ad been done on th e p lan ta tio n . I t was s ta te d th a t a rum our was afloat th a t i t w as in tended io m erge o th er sections on Cox's P en in su la in th e D e­lissav ille p lan ta tio n u nder th e pow er given b y th e A ct of la s t session, b u t th is w as opposed strong ly , and th e a rgum en ts used by th e Register a t th e tim e th e m easure w as u n d er discussion w ere upheld . S ix teen thousand pounds have been sp e n t on th e D elissaville p lan ta tio n , w hich is beyond th e requ irem ents of th e A ct, and if an o th er 10,000 acres w ere m erged in to th a t p la n t­a tion n o t a fa r th in g need be sp e n t on th e added area. T here are also p lan ta tio n s of tobacco, rice, an d coffee on a sm all scale on th e Cox’s Peni.qgula.

P o r t D arw in (L a te r.)— M r. E dw ards, p lan te r of R a ta l an d F iji, and M r. Reece, a sugar and co tton p la n te r in F iji, have arriv ed from th e D aly in a sm all open boat. T hey inspected O w ston’s Palm erston P la n ta tio n Com ­pany’s laud, w hich consists of tw e n ty thousand acres, an d also th e blocks of th e o th e r selectors. M r. E d ­w ards considers th e land cap ita l, an d fa r b e tte r th a n D elissaville for th e p lau ta tio n of sugar, b u t M r. R eece fears th a t i t is n o t s trong enough, though th e soil is deep black and chocolate loam. He, how ever, th in k s i t very good for cotton . F o r th e firs t th ir ty m iles from th e m outh of the riv er, flo ids su rro u n d th e land iu th e w et season, and th e d ry g round is caked and p rac tica lly useless. T hence, as fa r as is know n, ex tend boundless p lains of im penetrab le grass, w hich have a g rand soil, are lig h tly tim bered, an d a re w ell d ra ined by th e river. M r. Reece in ten d s to im ­p o rtu n e th e G overnm ent to g ra n t him land for th e cu ltiv a tio n of co tton on sim ilar conditions to th e g ra n t m ade to Mr. O wston, guaran teeing to im m ediately s ta r t a p lan ta tio n and im port m achinery from F iji w ith M elbourne cap ita l. T he P a lm erston < om pany have tw en ty acres of cane p lan ted , which is lor,king healthy , especially th e m eera k in d . M aize is g r >wing prolific-

ally . F ifteen C hinam en a re em ployed a t £1 per w eek, and th e E uropeans engaged average £ 2 p er w eek. T he clim ate is ho t, th e la s t w eek being 100° in th e shade. A lligato rs a re p len tifu l, and th e river is diffic­u lt of n av igation .— A ustra lian paper.

P O U L T R Y .E d itor o f the “ M adras M ail."

15th A pril 1882.Sir ,— I n rep ly to “ G am e F ow l,” in your issue of

12ih in s tan t, I have found th e follow ing trea tm en t successful. W ith a feather, sm ear a ll th e parts affected w ith insects, w hich are sm all fleas, w ith kerosine oil once a d ay for four o r five days, le ttin g th e oil soak dow n to th e sk in w here th e fleas are fastened , ( it w o n 't h u r t th e fow l’s eyes) a f te r w hich th ey w ill be found to be dead , and can easily be ta k e n off, or th e y will d rop off in tim e . T he floor of th e fowl- house, if of ea rth , shou ld be dug up, one or tw o inches of the surface removed, an d rep laced w ith fresh m ud, beaten dow n an d p las te red w ith cow -dung, and, w hen d ry well sprinkled w ith wood ashes, th e ashes to be rem oved every few days. T h e nests in th e house to be burned.

E X P E R IE N C E .

T A N N IN G A N D T A N N IN G M A T E R IA L S IN M A D RA S.

T he M adras M ail, in noticing th e g reat advance in th e tra d e in h ides and sk ins, re m a rk s :—An investiga tion in to our local tanneries, m ade a few years ago, d ivulged th e fact th a t m any sk ins of anim als w ere regularly sen t in a salted condition from the Bom bay P residency , and even in larger num bers from Bengal, for th e purpose of being tanned a t M adras, an d se n t to th e London, Con­tin e n ta l, an d A m erican m ark e ts , as consignm ents from th is locality . T he reason for th is w as n o t a t firs t sig h t obvious, as in some p a r ts of Bom bay th e re are ex tensive tanneries, and for m any years C aw npore has enjoyed a local rep u ta tio n for th e excellence of i ts lea th er. Yet it was an undeniable fac t th a t , in a ll th e m ark e ts ou t of Ind ia , M adras-tanned sk ins an d hides com m anded a h igher price th an those tu rn e d o u t fu rth e r to th e north . T ne difference in value w as so g rea t as to cover the heavy cost of th e long tra n s it by rail, w hich th e des­p a tch from from such d is ta n t s ta tio n s as D elhi, L uck ­now an d Caw npore involved. A t th e la t te r sta tion , th e tan n e rs im ita te d as fa r as they could th e M adras resu lts , an d tr ie d to pass off th e ir sk ins as “ M adras”, b u t th e deceptidB w as soon d e tec ted by th e Loudon experts, an d consequently for some tim e th e re were separate en tries in th e home tra d e lis ts for “ skins, M adras” and “ skins, M adras, Caw npore im ita tio n ,” th e la t te r being priced a t a low er figure. T he superi­o r ity of th e form er arises from fo rtu n a te ly las ting causes. W e do n o t p resum e to say th a t th e w ate is in th e neighbourhood of th e silvery Cooum are softer and better th a n those o ftheho lyU anges, n o rd o w eev en assert th a t th e local tanners and cu rriers are more sk illed 111 th e ir a r t th a n those w ho are sim ilarly em ployed in th e o th er P residencies. In fact i t m u st be ad m itted u n it th e hides of Bengal, p a rticu larly those of buffaloes, are finer and stronger t han w ith us. Large num bers of anim als are there fed up and sla ugh te red w hile in condition , for th e num erous M ahom edan population, and our countrym en iu Bengal rejoice in m u tto n clubs, w inch are p roductive of superior skins as w ill as of tender flesh, b u t w hich are scarcely heard of in our P residency .

i t is to th e ta m in g m aterial to w hich w e m ust Ion s to r ih e reason ot th e ap p a ie u t anom aly iu home pnees. I n Bengal, and we oelieve also 111 Bombay, the hark alm ost invariab ly used in tan n in g is th a t of

th e B abul (Acacia A rabica). T h is tre e is also n a tu ra l in M adras, and is so prolific an d so h a rd y , th a t i t o ften struggles in to vigorous life, n o tw ith s tan d in g all th e ill-usage w hich i t has to endure, and w hich has ex tirpa ted m any o th e r species. I t s b a rk is, however, l i t t le used in th e M adras P residency. O ur cu rers of lea th er p refe r a tan n in g com position, th e principal ing red ien ts of w hich are th e bark of th e Cassia A uric- ulala , and th e n u t called m yrabolam s. T he la t te r are m uch ap precia ted in foreign m ark e ts . Those from th e Salem d is tr ic ts com m and abo u t one-fourth h igher prices th a n those com ing from th e G odavery . B u t few of th e form er are shipped, a lthough th ey are read ily pu rchased for th a t purpose w hen procurable . T hey have locally such a name, and th e ir superio r qualities are so evident, th a t they are alm ost en tire ly bought u p for use in o u r own tanneries. T he n u t is th e produce of a jung le tree, happily n o t of easy ex tirpation , and we m ay depend on th e supply lasting . T here a re several cassias in th e M adras P residency, inc lud ing th a t from th e sou th , w hich produces th e finest know n senna, b u t none of th e ir barks can be com pared for tan n in g purposes w ith th a t of th e A uric- u la taQ T h e sh ru b grow s free ly in th e Deccan, in M ysore, an d over m ost of th e M adras P residency , and seems to p refe r b a rren and a r id soils. I t s uses are v a ri­ous. W orkers in iron em ploy its ro o t in tem p er­ing th a t m etal. P ow der from its dried seed is re ­m edial in opthalm ic cases. T he sm all stem s form th e favourite to o th brushes of o a r n a tiv e fellow- subjects, an d doubtless th e preference is form ed on some good physica l reason, as th e w hole p la n t p a r ­ta k e s of th e s tr in g en t qualities conspicuous in its bark . In M ysore i t is regarded as good m anure for rice fields. I ts stem s are c u t dow n for th is purpose an d spread over th e g round ; w ater is th en le t out, in w hich th e y soak for a fo rtn igh t, w hen th ey be­come soft, an d are ploughed in to th e soil. W h en re ­m oved from th e ir n a tu ra l localities for tan n in g p u r­poses in th e M ysore te rrito ries , a sm all ta x is now im posed per load. T h is gives a sort, of p ro tec tion to th e p lan t, and satisfiies the jealousy of th e ag ri­cu ltu ris ts , w ho from tim e im m em orial have consid­ered i t th e ir special p ro p erty . A soft enduring lea th er resu lts from th e use of its bark in tann ing . T he sk ins an d hides p repared w ith i t fo r e x p o rt­atio n are, how ever, n o t fu lly tanned on th e spot. T hey are found to be p articu la rly suscep tib le of tak ing dyes of beau tifu l and fa s t colours ; and our P residency in fact p roduces the m ate ria l of m ost of th e so-called “ R ussia” and “ Morocco” lea ther, sold in E ng lan d for m u ltitu d in o u s purposes. T here is no d oub t t h a t to th e hum ble Cassia A uricu la ta we owe a g rea t portion of the increasing p ro sp er­i ty of our h a lf-tanned lea ther trad e , an d were we to follow th e exam ple of E ngland , Sco tland and Ire lan d , in adopting such floral badges as th e rose, o r th e th is tle , o r th e Sham rock, M adras m igh t ap­p rop ria te ly take as its emblem th e p re tty b rig h t yellow flower of th e Cassia.

A bu n d an tly , though , as Cassia bark a t p resen t supplies our w ants, we need n o t rely on i t , and on m yrabolam s for tann ing m aterials. The local ab u n d ­ance of babu l b a rk has a lready been m entioned. The A ustra lian press la te ly a lluded to an appre­hended scarc ity of th e w attle b a rk . This acacia has become a nuisance on th e N ilg iri H ills , w hence a supp ly cou ld be produced in inexhaustib le q u a n ti t­ies. M ention was also recen tly m ade in th e In d ian P ress of a sh ipm en t from K andeish of D ivi D ivi for th e London m arket. T h is tree w as in troduced fom S outh A m erica m any years ago. I t grow s freely w ith us, an d produces its pods iu abundance, and is w ell supplied w ith tann in . B u t fo r some reason i t never cauie in to ex tensive use, n o r was it apprecia ted by th e natives. I t was em ployed to a considerable ex­

te n t a t th e G overnm ent tan n eries a t H oonsoor, and a t th e A rtille ry tan n eries a t Bangalore.

[Cossio auriculata, an d its qualities an d uses, have been frequen tly noticed in our colum ns. I t grow s p len tifu lly in th e Ja ffn a P en insu la , w here we have seen its foliage used for m anuring th e cu ltiv a ted lands. T he properties of i ts b a rk are also w ell-know n to th e fishermen. W e do n o t see why p lan ta tio n s of th e sh ru b could n o t p rofitab ly be form ed. W e re ­com m end th e idea to en terp riz ing n atives in th e no rth and eas t of th e island. E ven E uropeans m ig h t find i t w o rth a tten tio n . D r. B idie em bodied m uch valuable inform ation on th e sub jec t in h is M elbourne E x h ib i­tio n list, w hich we noticed a t th e tim e—A ugust 1880. WTe should lik e to know th e price a t w hich th e bark is quo ted in M adras, as well as th a t of th e th o rn y acacia w hich grow p len tifu lly in th e w oodlands of th e n o rth an d eas t of C eylon.— E d . ]

M E . FO R B E S L A U R IE O N H Y B R ID S .I t is a ll very w ell fo r Mr. Fo rbes L aurie saying

“ m ore ano n ,” b u t w hile he is incubating w e are in danger of being d riven insane. W e h ad scarcely issued our a rtic le dw elling on th e fac t th a t th e singu la rity of “ 0 . robusta," id en tica l w ith C. Lanosa, and C- pubescens, was th a t , if a h y b rid , as m ost p lan te rs believed, i ts seeds produced seedlings tru e to typ e , w hen th e follow ing le t te r reached us, shew ing th a t, in th e opinion of th e g re a t advocate of th e h y b rid ity theory , th e seeds of h y b rid s do not come tru e to type

Leangapella E sta te , R angala, A pril 20 th , 1882.My d e a r S i r , —In y our ed ito ria l of 18th in s t. I see

we have an o th er nam e for new ly-discovered cinchonas, found among o thers u n d e r cu ltiva tion . As a very carefu l reader of M clvor’s repo rts au d th e In d ia n Blue Books on cinchona, I w as und er th e im pression th a t n e ith e r Pubescens nor L anossa came u p tru e to seed, an d th is w as th e only com plain t th e re was against them . I canno t believe in an y specially tru e form , and, from th e m any analyses I have had m ade, I find hybrids (spu rts, if you will, o r any fine nam es) differ vastly in th e bark value. A very fine h y b rid by no m eans uncom m on in Ceylon, C. Calisaya Anglica, y ie ld s less quin ine th a n succirubra, an d an o ld tree very m uch resem bles a Pubescens. T here is also a very fine h y b rid (to look a t) w hich also resem bles Pubescens, an d w hich from th e roundedjform of the ends of i ts leaves I conclude to be a cross w ith P ahud ian a , w hich has th a t pecu­lia r ity m ore th a n any cinchona I know . I t is one of tjie handsom est an d poorest of cinchona trees, y ie ld ­ing no t m ore th a n "90 of qu in ine a t 4 years old. Now 1 very m uch w an t to know to w h a t varie ty o r form M agnifo lia has been given. T he finest leaves I have alw ays seen grow n from M icran tha seed varied in character, b u t a ll th e p lan ts were very robust in grow th Also w h at is “ R o b u s ta ” ? A m ong th e m any analyses of hybrid s 1 possess, th e re are none of high value w ithou t a m arked resem blance to e ith e r some of th e Officinalis form s or to L edgeriana, and th o se very ro b u st are often w orth less, although resem bling th efiner kinds. One very handsom e glabrous form a t 4years old gave '60 of quinine. A good Pubescensselected from a clearing grow n from seed (w here only S uccirubra and Officinalis are grow ing) gives onH ow ard ’s analysis 8'31 quin ine su lpha te w ith hard ly any o th e r alkalo ids. M ore anon .— Y ours tru ly ,

W m . F o r b e s L a u r i e .

H ow is a poor ed ito r to preserve h is five w its in th e m id st of a discussion w here no princip le is adhered to ? Mr. W m . Sm ith , th a t g ian t P h ilis tian , w ill of course triu m p h , bo th in G a th an d in th e G ates of

Ask61on, cry ing o u t : “ D id I n o t te ll you ? F orbes L aurie is a v era clever ca llan t, b u t he canna im peach th e w isdom of th e C reato r by prov ing th a t H e p e r ­m its th e confusion of h y b rid iz a tio n .” W e ho ld th a t i t is for M r. F orbes L aurie to rep ly , an d n o t for th e ed ito r of th e Observer, w ho sim ply gave up h is long cherished opinions on evidence w hich he deem ed to be unquestionable .

W h a t M r. B roughton sa id abo u t h y b rid s ( th e p ro ­d u c tio n of w hich he d id n o t deny) was th a t th e y p arto o k of th e bad qualities of b o th p aren ts an d the good p roperties of ne ither. T h a t opinion so d iscouraged M r.M cIv o r th a t he, for a tim e , gave up h is experim ents. B u t he resum ed th em , and , o u t of a num ber of w orth less h y b rid s, se lected an d grew C. pubescens, w h ich gave to H o w ard ’s analysis 10 per cen t of a lkalo ids. I t is very tru e th a t th e seed d id n o t come t ru e to ty p e in producing tree s equal to th e orig inal, b u t trees were produced, superio r to th e one p a re n t (succirubra) in qu in ine an d to th e o th e r (officinalis) in ro b u st h a b it of g row th ; an d o u r im pression w as t h a t fo r severa l generations C. robusta had come fa irly tru e to seed. Mr. L aurie’s le t te r sends us a ll to sea again, and we m u st rea lly ask h im to lose no tim e in te llin g us a ll he know s ab o u t h y b rid s : th e ir r e a l i ty ; th e ir q u a l i ty ; an d th e ir perm anency o r evanescence. W e hav e no p e t th eo ry to support, w e are m erely anx ious to o b ta in an d p u b lish t h e t r u t h .

“ G R A P H IT E ” O R “ PL U M B A G O .”T he im p o rtan t adm ission is m ade in th e recen tly

pub lished Economical Geology o f In d ia th a t , a t th e p resen t day , nearly all th e p lum bago of com m erce comes from Ceylon. W e w ere to ld of finds in A us­tra lia , an d we a re constan tly hearing of deposits in S iberia , C anada, th e U n ite d S ta tes , and elsew here. B u t e ith e r th e m ineral is im perfect as a carbon, o r m ixed w ith g r i t a n d im p u rities . T he labour q uestion is also an im p o rtan t fac to r in th e question , an d , a lthough In d ia is specially favoured in th a t respec t, th e re seems a t p resen t no d anger of Ceylon losing h e r p rac tica l m onopoly in rea lly good, p u re plum bago. T h e only p ity is th a t th e dem and for th e a r tic le is n o t suscep tib le of m ore rap id expansion. Pure! g rap h ­ite , i t appears ranges from 95 to 99 per cent of carbon, so t h a t a perfec tly p u re piece m ay be said to be w holly composed of carbon. I f we could now only discover th e process of converting th is p u re carbon in to diam ond. H e a t, p ressure an d “ m agnetism ” are , p robably , th e chief agents of th e conversion of an opaque body in to a c ry s ta l. I t is n o t m erely th e abundance of th e m ineral in Ceylon b u t its general p u r i ty w hich gives our island th e m onopoly of th e tra d e . F o r cylin- ders an d lu b rica tion , as fo r pencils, g r itin th e carbon is bad . O ur plum bago has lite ra lly , n o t m etaphorically , no grit. W e quote M r. B all’s sum m ary no tice :—

G rap h ite o r P lum bago : G eneral R e m a rk s .— P u re g rap h ite , as found native, con tains from 95 to 99 per cen t, of carbon. T he com m ercial values of th e differ­e n t qualities o rd in arily found depend upon th e am oun t of im p u rity w hich th e y include. Fore ign m a tte rs can be g o t r id of by grind ing , w ashing and th e use of acids, and th e purified p ro d u c t m ay be em ployed for a ll th e purposes to w hich g rap h ite is app lied , b u t th e process is costly , as th e sm allest partic les of g r i t a re

in ju rious. F o rm erly pencils w ere a lm ost exclusively saw n ou t o t th e fine-grained m assive qualities, such as th u t produced in th e now exhau sted m ines a t Bor- row dale, in C um berland.

T he form er h igh value w hich th is s till valuable su b ­stance possessed has no d o u b t been th e cause of m uch of the im portance w ith w hich deposits in various p a rts of In d ia have been tem porarily invested . T he only one of these, save possibly th a t a t V izagapatam , which, tak in g in to consideration its q u a n tity and th e m eans of transport, is of any p resen t prom ise, is th a t w hich occurs over a w ide tr a c t in T ravancore. A lthough th e opinions of experts m any years ago w ere unfavourable, i t is conceivable th a t an increased dem and and im ­proved and m ore economical m ethods of purification m igh t render its exploitation a profitable u ndertak ing . A t th e sam e tim e th e possib ility of fu rth e r search proving th e existence of a q u a lity equal to th e b e tte r k in d s found in Ceylon cannot be denied, as th e p robab ility is th a t th e includ ing rocks are of id en tica l age.

A t th e p resen t day nearly a ll th e plum bago of com ­m erce comes from Ceylon. I t is classified u nder three heads, th e prices of w hich in th e London inai k e t on th e 11th M arch 1881 w ere as fo llo w s:—

L um p ... ... ... £17-10 to £19 per ton.C hip ... ... ... £10-10 to £14 ,, ,,L u s t ............................. £ 8-10 to £10 ,, ,,A lthough g raph ite occurs in m any parts of th e U nited

S ta tes, i t is only m ined successfully a t T iconderoga in th e S ta te of N ew Y ork.

I t m ay be of in te re s t here to enum erate the p rincipal uses to w hich th is substance is p u t. I t is used in th e m anufacture of pencils, crucibles, stone o r g ra te polish, as a lu b rica to r for m achinery , electro typ iug , faces for m oulds or foundry facings, refracto ry m ix tu res, aud for giving a p ro tec ting surface to the in te r io r of blow­ing cy linders in b las t furnaces.

T h s pencils o f-th e p resen t day are m ade by m ixing very finely d iv ided g rap h ite w ith a p a rticu la r k in d of clay in vary ing proportions according to th e shades re ­qu ired . T here is m uch adu ltera iion in th e black leads com m only s o ld ; b u t for inform ation on these subjects and on th e various proceesses em ployed, reference m ay be m ade to th e usual tex t books.

T hen follow a lis t of th e places in In d ia w here p lum bago or traces of i t have been found. G eneral C ullen rep o rted i t in T ravancore in 1845, b u t Some sam ples, w hich were forw arded to th e A sia tic Society from a locality south of T rivandram , w ere con­sidered b y M r. P idd ing ton to be too soft and scaly for th e m anufacture of pencils, i. e... by the old m ethod. T he m atrix appears to be a p seudo-laterite form ed of decomposed gneiss in situ- One specimen now in th e G eological M useum is covered w ith a sa lt efflorescence, and certa in ly , i t may be said, ju d g in g fioni the various o rig inal samples in th e collection, th a t w ith o u t m uch g rin d in g an d w ashing th e y could n o t be m ade av a il­able even for th e in ferio r purposes for w hich g rap h ite is em ployed. Sam ples from th is locality , V izagapatam , an d A lm ora, w ere exh ib ited in London a t th e exh ib ­ition of 1851.

M r. K ing has sen t sam ples of a m uch p u re r look­ing g raph ite , obtained d u rin g th e p resen t year from a deposit close to V ellurnad, near A iin au d ; p robably th is locality is th e sam e as G eneral C ullen’s. T he veins in w hich i t occurs are said to cross th e s tr ik e of th e gneiss. A pparen tly th is n o t easily accoun t­able mode of occurrence has been observed in America also.

I t is, perhaps, needless to observe th a t th e sm allest partic les of g r i t in g rap h ite for pencils is m ost p re ju d ­icial, w h ilst for lu b rica tin g purposes, if g rap h ite be no t abso lu te ly pure, i t m ay be m ost in ju rious 10 m ach inery ; for th e coarser purposes of m aking crucibles th e p re­sence of iron would certa in ly d im in ish th e re frac to ry p roperties of th e m aterial.

Move uncerta in is General Cullen’s alleged discovery of th e m inera l in T innevelly . D r. K in g of th e Geo­logical Survey saw traces in th e K is tn a an d G odavery D istric ts.

V izagapatam D is tr ic t.—-G raphite is s ta te d to be found near K asipuram , in th e te rr ito ry of th e M ahara ja of V izianagram , also a t R am pilli of S alu r, an d one or tw o o th e r localities. I t is used fo r g iv ing a polish to p o tte ry , an d can be had in any q u a n ti ty a t a rupee for 241b. a t V izianagram . A sam ple, now in th e G eo­logical M useum , is included in a heavy ferrug inous gneiss, an d is no t of very prom ising appearance.In Bengal only one doubtfu l lum p has been seen. Iu th e C en tra l P rov inces i t is too im pure to be of com ­m ercial value. In R a jp u tan a very in ferio r m inera l is found, w hile plum bago is sta ted to be one of th e re ­gu la r productions of N o rth e rn A fghan istan . T here is a long notice of discoveries in th e K um aun d is tr ic t of th e N o rth -W e ste rn Provinces, b u t th e substance is so im pure th a t

U n d er th e curcum stances of q u a lity a n d position th e re are no g rounds for believ ing th a t th is g rap h ite can ever be w orked so as to become a p rofitab le com ­m ercial com m odity.

E qually valueless was a supposed deposit of g rap h ite a t th e foot of th e D arjeeling H ills, th e percen tage of im purities being equal to th a t of th e carbon.

TEA.D ealers are a t p resen t exercised ab o u t efficient

m ethods of packing th e te a fo r carriage. T he old, long-stand ing system of packing te a in wooden chests lin e d w ith lead has been in force in C hina for cen turies, probab ly . W h e n th e in d u stry w as s ta r te d in In d ia , we follow ed th e sam e custom , b u t i t has been found a failure. In th e firs t place, th e wood we used w as n o t so tough, largely consisting of m ango an d o th e r cheap an d com m on woods ; b u t m ore recen tly we have used teak . W h ile th e fo rm er was too frag ile to a d m it of rough handling , th e la t te r tu rn s o u t to be too heavy for safe handling. T h e w ood u sed b y th e C hinese is th in , ligh t, an d exceedingly to u g h . W e im agine, how ever, th e g re a te s t m istake w e com m itted was in using iron corner c lam ps o r hoops. These m ade th e boxes p rac tica lly uny ield ing a t th e corners, an d w hen a s tra in occurred, som ething h a d to give w ay . T he Chinese, on th e o th er h an d , use w ooden sp lit hoops, w inch give an d ta k e , and a box seldom falls to p ieces under rough handling . A n o th e r th in g w hich induced us to tu rn our a tte n tio n to som e o th e r m a te ria l w as th e dem and w hich has recen tly sp rung u p a t hom e fo r half, q u a rte r and e ig h th chests. T h e ta re on these w as o u t of all p roportion to th e n e t con ten ts . A n en- te rp riz in g firm a t hom e s ta r te d th e id ea of using t in boxes for these sm aller packages, an d considerab le d i­v ersity of opinion ex is ts as to th e ad v isab ility of using t in for th is purpose. Some hold th e opinion th a t te a packed iu t in is bound to acqu ire a m eta llic flavour, an d th a t if i t is a t a ll dam p, i t m u st corrode th e t in eventually . T h is is very t r u e ; b u t th e objecto rs fo r­get th a t if th e tea is dam p, i t is only tit to be th ro w n aw ay. D am p tea w ill fe rm en t a n d decay, w hatev er i t m ay be packed in . Some even go th e len g th of re ­m ark ing th a t i t is q u estionab le w h eth er, even if tea be thoroughly dry w hen packed, th e chem ical c o n s tit­u e n ts con tained in i t w ill n o t in some w ay com bine (cheu iicd ly) w ith th e tin , and th e tea im bibe th e reb y some k in d of ta in t. P ap er for lin ing is suggested as a pa llia tive. W e do n o t th in k th a t any one w ho has tr ie d pap er lin ing w ill rep ea t th e experim ent. L e t tea be ever so d ry , li w ill d raw a ce rta in am oun t of dam p w hich seizes upon th e sta rch in th e paper and reduces i t to pulp . T he advan tages of th e t in boxes a re m any ; if th ey a re p roperly so ldered dow n, th e co n ten ts a re im pervious to w ea th e r ; th e sam e boxes can be need

again an d a g a in ; th e t in enveloping th e te a is absol­u te ly p u re r th a n lead , an d ta re can be ad ju s ted w ith th e u tm o st ex actitude . T h e re are o th er advantages, b u t le t these suffice. The co n ten ts being abso lu te ly sh u t in from atm ospheric influences, th e n e t w eight of th e packages do not vary . I t is w ell know n th a t th e n e tt con ten ts of chests vary considerably , th rough th e d ry ing or absorbing of m oisture, as th e case may be, and th is leads to m uch confusion in accounts and m uch vexation of sp ir it to th e u n fo rtu n a te p lan ter. W e t ru s t th a t th is m ode of pack ing te a w ill become m ore un iversal, especially for boxes up to 50 lb ., and no chest need con ta in m ore. T here is no th in g to h in d er each p la n te r hav ing a couple of tin -sm ith s on his estate, to m ake his own boxes. W e saw them used on a fac to ry in the N o rth -W est, half-a-dozen years ago, and no com plain ts w ere ever m ade as to d e terio ra tion in pack ing .— Friend o f Ind ia .

[W h a t we have heard is th a t from th e im possib ility (alleged) of g e ttin g th e separa te pieces of t in boxes to jo in together w ith e perfect closeness dam p is ad m itted en route to selling m ark e t. W ill those w ho have used, or who are in te re s ted , in t in boxes eay how far such objections hold good and how th e y can be ob­v ia ted ?— E d . ]

C O P P E R IN IN D IA .In P en insu lar In d ia copper ores are found in th e

older crysta llin e o r m etam orphic rocks , an d in the ex tra pen insu la r regions in a h ighly m etam orph ic rock of an uncerta in age. U sually th ey occur d issem inated , o r in nests, rare ly in tru e lodes, a lthough occasionally cracks and Assures of rocks w hich have become infil­tra te d , yield a deceptive semblance. B ellary, K urnool, C uddapah an d N ellore are th e chief localities of occurrence in th is P residency. T he ores are also ob ta in ­able a t Som adupilly and A griconda, in th e sam e d istric t. In th e la t te r , large p its m ade by ancien t m iners are s till apparen t. M alach ite an d azu rite are found on th e surface su rround ing them . F ive o r six m iles from th e can tonm en t of B ellary , H yder A li appears to have tu rn e d his a tte n tio n to copper m ining, b u t h is suc­cess w as so s lig h t th a t th e endeavour w as qu ick ly abandoned. So recen tly as la s t year, an application w as m ade to th e M adras G overnm ent for m ining rig h ts here ; b u t th e req u est was no t com plied with.

I t is to th e d is tr ic t of Nellore th a t , in th e m a tte r of la te n t copper, m u st be y ielded ihe palm . H ere mines seem to have been in existence du ring th e days of the early H indu m onarchs, and, w hen these princes were sw ept aw ay, th e conquering M ahom edans con­tinued excavations. A t G unnepenta, large am ounts of refuse le ft d u rin g th e process of reduction are still m onum ents of th is ancien t in d u stry . T h ir ty m iles south of th is village, a t G argaupully , o ld m ines of a dep th of 30 an d 100 feet are to be seen. In 1S30, in 1831 an d in 1840, various a ttem p ts in m ining were made by Europeans, in each case w ith no p erm anen tly profitab le re tu rn s . In 1867, a request was m ade to th e M adras G overnm ent th a t a lease m igh t be given, b u t th e proposal was rejected. T he q u a lilty of the ores varies m uch. T hus occasionally specim ens contain ing fu lly 75 p er cent, of copper are p rocurable in some places, w h ils t in o thers they are largely m ixed w ith q u artz and iron. M r. W illiam K ing, who is w ell know n as a cautious observer, sta tes i t as his opinion th a t fa ilu res in th is d is tr ic t have h ith e r to been due to a w an t of know ledge on th e p a r t of th e operators ra th e r th an “ to a deficiency in e ith er th e q u a n tity o r quality of th e o re .” H e classifies the specim ens sen t to him by M r. Lavelle, who carefu lly exp lored m ost of th e localities, as follows :—

A .—Chrysocolla (in gam etiferous schsists, of which the garnets, though small, m ight from their colour and trans­parency be called precious garnets.

B .—Copper glance (chalcocite), chrysocolla and m alachite,C.—Chrysocolla, m alachite and ferruginous red oxide.I ).—Copper pyrites, chrysocolla and malachite in Anionite.E .—Copper glance with chrysocolla and malachite.

Should m ining ever be ca rried o u t in N ellore, i t is sa tisfac to ry to know th a t boats can convey th e ore to M adras a t a cheap rate.

A s fat* as we a re aw are, no reduction of copper is a t p resen t carried o u t by n a tiv es in th is P residency . T he im p o rt of English m eta l lias long since an n ih ila ted th e ind u stry , ow ing to a g re a t ex ten t, as we poin ted ou t th e o th e r d a j , to th e dearness of fuel in th is country . T he ty p ica l m ethod of reduction follow ed by natives m ay be assum ed to have been sim ilar to th a t s till conducted in ce rta in n ative s ta te s . T he face of th e rock in w hich w ork ing is to be com m enced is sp lit by use of hea t, an d is subsequen tly w orked in narrow tu n n e ls by th e g ad an d ham m er. T he ore ex tra c te d is pounded in to a condition of pow der, ro lled in to a ball by m eans of cow dung, and sub jec ted to a p re lim inary roasting . I t is th e n placed in a furnace, b u ilt p a r tly of m ud and fire clay, in w hich th e h earth is form ed by tilling a p i t of abo u t fifteen inches in d ep th w ith com m on sand. T h e nozzles of tw o or th ree o rd in ary co u n try bellow s a re in se rted near th e bo ttom to produce th e b las t. T hese furnaces are charged w ith a lte rn a te layers of charcoal, roasted copper ore an d iron slag— the la t te r being used as flux. The slag is d raw n off a t a hole specially le ft fo r i t , w hilst th e copper, being received in th e sand p it or hearth , is rem oved a f te r cooling .— M adras M ail,

TH E PLEA OF TH E PLANTER.Good people of Britain of every degree,W ho love to consume either coffee or tea,

Give ear to my counsel, a tte n d !For your taste is not chaste,' and your faith is misplaced In men w ho’ve th e trade of your country disgraced :

I speak to you now as a friend.Tea and coffee are made by “ th e tricks of the trade”— Many mysteries mingled—oh ! be not dismayed—

From rubbish both ancient and new :Microscopical skill, diabolical will Are united w ith fraud to ad u ltera te ; still

I t is done but to gratify you !For the grocers they say, in th e ir own lying .way T hat you are unable to drink either sole,And it takes a few particles mixed with strange articles Ju s t to produce a delectable whole.Tea and coffee are bettered, they say, if unfettered By purity’s bonds; so they cunningly blend Rubbish th a t shall, it is said, suit your palate ; Sweepings and refuse of kinds without end.

Ground acorns and straw, boiled turnips or raw,The retailer sells these and a great many m o re :

Anything suits your elegant t a s te !And hence an economical law Is established: there shall be no door Open in N ature’s general store

To allow such a thing as w aste !Coffee and tea should always be Mixed and blended until you see

Only the title (N. B.) rem ains:Svkness and death may both be hid W ithin the wrapper or under the lid B ut the British public is only bid

To add to the grasping grocer’s gains.

Any litter and dust, all refuse and shavings,These will, of course, all satisfy cravings

Felt by even the m ost refined ;For, if only you pay so much per pound.W hat can i t m atter w hat m atter is ground ?Rubbish m ust pass while fools are found,And the mixing machine will still go round

Till reason enlighten your mii.-lN inety per cent of chicory, peas Broken cabbage stems, beans, al. these Are trifles th a t your retailer may please

To convert into coffee (these do not make teas): Market-garden haulms

Carefully blended w ith ten per cent Of low-class coffee, to give it a scent.Yes! and a name, for th a t ?s what is meant,

Ju s t to prevent your qualms !You ask for “ coffee ” or “ tea, ” but dare Not ask for w hat you know to be there Mixed and sold to you under the glare Of a gaudy label th a t looks so fair

That nothing, i t seems, could be truer :And th e smooth-tongued tradesm an pockets your pence And laughs to himself a t his p re tty pretence,And wonders if you will ever have sense

To see th a t you buy w hat is pure.Few of you, doubtless, have ever seen Such a thing as a coffee bean,And not knowing whether i t ’s blue, red, or green,

You prefer the brown m ixture th a t’s sold you;W hile the used-up leaves from the Chinese “ hong,” Packed as “ new teas,” ab usu belong To the British public just as long As ignorance is within you strong And you are bound by the tradesm an’s th ong

And scorn w hat your friends may have told y o u !I f a nobleman lends his name to such ends As date-grit and dirt-miscifacturing blends,

To get him a living, why, le t him ?Posterity will not enshroud him w ith fame,And you, if y o u ’ve sense, will soon clothe him with shame

And then do your best to forget him .Do you think the Creator, mistaking H is plan,Made coffee a poison, and left i t for man

To improve and complete his design ?Or th a t company-mongers’ sole object is justTo benefit man, not to gratify lustIn deceiving their fellows, seducing their t r u s t :—

Is th is your belief P ’T is not mine.You retailers, ’t ’is useless to offer to you,Of course, any words of good, honest advice;For from all th a t is moral and upright and true,By nature and habit, I may say you are As distinctly removed as is water from tar,Or as earth from the sun, or the tropics from ice. Pestiferous knaves, may your trade fall away

As fast as your ill-gotten gains have been made.Bring forth all your filth to th e light of the day,

And eulogize d irt w ithout any hired nam e:State all its m erits: its value: its aim!

Then take note w hat the public say,Also how much a pound they pay

And w hether they u tte r cries of “ Shame,”Or w hether they praise free t r a d e !Now, you ladies who love to believe th a t you know A really fine tea from a compound pekoe,

Have you never a sense of disgust To th ink th a t yourselves and acquaintances drink Poison from which your own grocer would shrink:—

Filings, turmeric, dust?You ladies still younger, the fair coterieW hose attendance adds charms to the 5 o’clock tea,

I appeal just as strongly to you :Do you think to retain all the freshness of youth By drinking a m ixture—I speak but the tru th —

Of willow-leaves dyed Prussian blue?Now, you labouring men and you slaves of the pen

W ho sometimes take coffee to keep your heads clear, Don’t you think acorns crushed and all such rubbish m ust, Be it even well blended w ith chicory dust,

Be considered, to say the least, dear A t tenpence per lb., yes, though bought finely-ground And labelled in language attractive? Y o u ’ve found, Perhaps, i t saves trouble to pay even double

The price of good coffee for coffee’s good nam e?Yes! you pay for the name on the wrapper or tin,N ot for the poison (that ’s worthless) within.

How long will you foster the dealer’s foul aim ?H er Majesty’s Customs, for twonpece per lb.W ill adm it any rubbish th a t’s roasted and ground,Any substance, In fact, th a t ’sw ell broken and browned,:

Oh, fair trade, how unfair th y expedients!For consumption of coffee does no t now increase Although th is should be one of the blessings of peace, B ut rather it seems from its steady decrease That im ports of coffee should very soon cease

I f “ my lords” can get “ foreign ingred ien ts” !Now, my Treasury lords, fit figures for boards,L et us see if y o u ’ve fibre within you:You can deal out an answer evasive and brief To a body of men who implore for r e lie f :

Can a little fair argum ent win you?You were raised to your present position—we ’11 now N ot stop to enquire w hether nobly or how,

B ut if you should chance to pursue A course th a t is honest and moral and right,As far from your present as darkness from light,

W ould it bring bu t disaster to you?You would lose th e support th a t so boldly you bought

By worshipping freedom of tr a d e :You are tethered to d irt and you cling to th e skirt

Of the creed whose professions y o u ’ve made.Yes ! you lordly commissioners hold a position as

Likely as not to degrade.B ut public opinion and taste m ust improve Ere justice will rise such low acts, to reprove %

And come to m orality’s aid.For “ my lords” (I but quote from a Treasury note)

“ Deem it their duty restrictions to move,I f trade demands trash ,” lest their interests clash

And things don’t go on in a calm, easy groove.For votes m ust be bought, though the poor may be taught

To fatten on garbage well blended by law,And th e goddess of fraud takes the head of the board,

W hom every commissioner ’s bound to adore!Oh, people of Britain, a final appeal I make for your own and th e general weal,In the hope th a t good judgm ent will solemnly seal

A compact firm, lasting and sure.For your planters are sorely tried abroad W ith adverse seasons, and London’s fraud

Is more than they can endure So I ask you again, as I once have before Asked you, never to drink any more Rubbish or d irt, though im ported by law—

B ut to see th a t you drink w hat is pure.AUSPEX.

Ceylon, 24th April 1882.

A N T S A S IN S E C T IC ID E S .I t is a curious coincidence th a t ju s t as w e had w r it­

ten our rem arks ab o u t an ts a n d term ites th e papers from China should have b ro u g h t u s th e in terestin g paper by D r. M acGowan of th e A m erican B aptis t M ission, w hich w e place below. D r. M acGowan is an observer an d n a tu ra lis t of considerable m ark , an d some of our readers m ay recollect t h a t we copied in to th e Observer so long ago as a score of years back, a paper by h im describ ing th e mode in w hich th e Chinese ob ­tain nacre-covered im ages of B uddha and ornam ents of a ll descriptions, by placing th em betw een th e valves of a m ollusc cu ltiv a ted for th e purpose. l i e now gives us in form ation w hich shew s th a t th e Ceylon idea of em ploying red an ts as insecticides, how ever ingen i­ous, w as no t original. T he Celestials, in fa c t, seem to have d iscovered every th ing , from th e m ariner’s com pass to th e em ploym ent of re d and yellow an ts to r id th e o range orchards of worms. C ap tu red in b ladders filled w ith larrl, th e an ts seem a t once to get dom iciled in th e ir new aeria l abodes, w alk ing from one tree to an o th e r on th e bam boo rods p rovided for them , in q u es t of th e ir prey. T he w orm s refe rred to m ay probab ly be id en tica l w ith those w hich in fest oranges in Ceylon, if th e f ru it is a llow ed to ripen o n th e trees, a fac t m entioned by th a t w onderfu lly careful observer, R o b ert K nox , in th e accoun t of h is c a p tiv ity in Ceylon. T h e question is how the fru its , when ripe, are collected w ith o u t th e labourers suffer­ing from th e a tta c k s of th e an ts ? P ro b ab ly one reason

is th a t’th e Chinese h o rticu ltu rists are more fu lly clo thed th a n are th e o rd in ary natives of C ey lon ; and i t m ay be th a t the red and yellow an ts of C hina m ay n o t be so furious and venomous as are th e ir congeners in Ceylon. T he grea t red a n t of Ceylon, th e dim iya of th e S inhalese (Formica sm aragdm a , F ab . ), is a t ru ly form idable insect, as persons have h ad reason ever to rem em ber w ho, u n w ittin g ly o r purposely , have b roken one of th e nests w hich th ey form by g lueing th e leaves of trees together, and have consequently received a show er of red an ts about th e region of th e neck and shoulders. T ennent w rite rs of th e re d a n t :—

“ I t is particularly abundant in gardens and on fruit trees; i t constructs its dwellings by glueing the leaves of such species as are suitable from their shape and pliancy into hollow balls, and these it lines w ith a kind of transparent paper, like th a t m anufactured by the wasp. I have watched them a t the interesting operation of forming these dwellings. A line of ants standing on the edge of one leaf bring another into contact w ith it, and hold both together with their mandibles till their companions within attach them firmly by means of their adhesive paper, the assistants outside moving along as the work proceeds. If it be necessary to draw closer a leaf too distant to be laid hold of by the immediate workers, they form a chain by depending one from the o ther till the object is reached, when it is a t length brought into contact, and made fast by cement.

u Like all their race, these ants are in perpetual mo­tion, forming lines on the ground along which they pass, in continual procession to and from the trees on which they reside. They are th e m ost irritable of the whole order in Oeylon, biting with such intense ferocity as to render i t difficult for the unclad natives to collect the fru it from the mango trees, which the red ants especi­ally frequent. They drop from the branches upon tra ­vellers in the jungle, attacking them w ith venom and fury, and inflicting intolerable pain both upon animals and man. On examining the structure of the head through a microscope, I found th a t the mandibles, instead of merely meeting in contact, are so hooked as to cross each o ther a t th e points, whilst the inner line is sharply terrated through­out its entire len g th ; thus occasioning she intense pain of their bite, as compared with th a t ofthe ordinary ant.

“ To check the ravages of the coffee bug (Lecanium coffe,ce W alker), which for some years past has devastated some of the plantations in Oeylon, the experiment was made of introducing the red ants, who feed greedily on the coccus. B ut the remedy threatened to be attended with some inconvenience, for the Malabar coolies, w ith bare and oiled skins, were so frequently and fiercely assaulted by the ants as to endanger their stay on the estates.” T ennent, a f te r describ ing inoffensive a n ts s ta te s th a t besides th e d im iya , the re is an o th er a n t of sim ilar size and ferocity w hich is called b y th e S inhalese Jcottl- deya. R egard ing th is a n t th e y have a legend th a t th e cobra de capello invested th e insect w ith her ow n venom, in adm ira tio n of th e singu lar courage d isp layed by these l i t t le ereatures. I t is n o t m eans of procuring an d using a n ts as in ­secticides, about w hich some of our correspondents are anxious in Ceylon, b u t th e b es t m eans of d es tro y ­in g w h at th e Chinese value and pay for. I t seems to us th a t, as form ic acid is p len tifu l in a ll th e a n t trib e , th e best m ode of destroy ing th e a n ts w ith o u t in ju rin g th e trees w ould be a p len tifu l application of caustic lime, th e nes ts being previously opened up by a pole, so as to receive and re ta in th e lime. C orros­ive sub lim ate w ould effectually dispose of th e insects, b u t i ts use w ould be expensive an d dangerous. H as carbolic acid received a fa ir t r ia l ? I f th e orange growers of C eylon could be induced to leave f ru i t on th e trees u n til tu rn in g >el!ow, th ey , to circum vent th e l i t t le m aggots to w hich we have refe rred , m igh t be glad to be allow ed to collect the red an ts w hich are such a nuisance to cu ltiva to rs of L iberian coffee. VVe have m yriads of an ts in Ceylon, some very curious an d some of large size, b u t w e ^can n o t com pete w ith th e one-legged an t, w hich can m ove b u t n o t “ loco-

216

I m o te ,” as D r. M acG ow an’s countrym en would say. A s to size, we m u st ce rta in ly d raw th e line far sh o rt of th e dim ensions of th a t o th e r one-foot p ick led a n t in C hina w hich m easured 12 inches in leng th . W e are, we confess, tak en considerably aback by w h at D r. M acGowan s ta te s of th e scaly an t-e a te r (th e pangolin) a p p a ren tly as of h is ow n know ledge, an d n o t as derived from Chinese gossip o r tra d itio n . T he c re a t­ure exists in Ceylon, and its h ab its have been carefu lly observed, T en n en t finding th em very affectionate pets. W e hove n ever h ea rd o r read th a t th e so-called “ a rm ad illo ” a ttra c te d th e an ts b y its odour, or used its a rm a tu re of scales for an y purpose b u t th a t of defence. W hen a tta c k e d i t ro lls itse lf u p like a hedgehog, an d its ta il scales defend i t , lik e a coat of m ail. B u t th e only m ode in w hich i t is believed to ta k e its p rey is by th ru s tin g o u t i ts long and w orm -like tongue, covered w ith a viscid substance.On to w hat p robab ly they tak e fo r a specim en of ophidian, Cacila glutinosa , th e an ts crow d an d cannot g e t aw ay u n til a t th e an t-ea te r’s convenience th e tongue is re trac te d and a ll th a t covers it , includ ing li t t le pebbles an d sand, which probably help digestion , are conveyed to th e c rea tu re ’s siom ach. W e a re su r ­p rised to find T en n en t s ta tin g th a t th e n atives re ­gard th is innocen t an d in te re stin g c rea tu re w ith aversion, some calling i t “ th e N egom bo d e v il.” W h a t w e heard w as th a t th ey prized its flesh, and to th is p ropensity we a ttr ib u te d th e loss of a specim en w hich we w ere about to ship to E ngland . T he crea t­u re n o t only defends itse lf w ith its ta il, b u t s ta n d s on th is organ as on a fifth foot, an d surveys th e la n d ­scape. Such a ta il beats t h a t of w hich O’O m uell w as th e head, and has m ore cohesion th a n th e ta il of th e tr a i to r P arnell has been p roved to have h ad u n d er th e te s t of th e C ldture.

In th e a r tic le on “ A n ts ” in C ham bers’s Encyclopaedia th e re is a large am oun t of valuab le inform ation , bu t th e w rite r does n o t seem to have seen T e n n e n t’s books, as th e re is no reference to an ts in Ceylon. B u t w e find fu ll d e ta ils of th e fearfu l p lague of an ts in G renada alluded to briefly by D r. M acGowan, th u s :—

About ninety years ago, prodigious numbers of a p art­icular kind of an t (F. saccharivoi'a)appeared in the island of Grenada. This species makes its nests under the roots of plants, and th e sugar-canes were so weakened and in­jured in consequence, th a t the plantations became nearly unproductive. ‘ They descended from the hill, like torrents and the plantations, as well as every path and road for miles, were filled w ith them . Rats, mice, and reptiles of every kind became an easy prey to th e m ; and even the birds, which they attacked whenever they lighted on the ground in search of food, were so harassed, as to be a t length unable to resist them . Stream s of w ater opposed only a tem porary obstacle to their progress ; th e foremost rushing blindly on certain death, and fresh armies instantly following, till the bank was formed of the carcasses of those which were drowned, sufficient to dam up the waters, and allow the the main body to pass over in safety below. Even fire was tried w ithout effect. W hen i t was lighted to arrest their route, they rushed into the blaze in such myriads as to extinguish it.’ A reward of £20,000 was offered in vain for an effectual means of destroying them ; but in 1780 a hurricane which tore up the canes, and exposed their habitations to a deluge of rain, freed the island from th is plague.T he provisions fo r defence and offence of these curious c rea tu res a re th u s described :—

The females and neuters of some kinds (genera Fonera, M yrmica , Atta, and Cvyytocerus) are arm ed w ith stings; o ther kinds (Formica and Polyergus) have no sting, but have the power of ejecting a peculiar volatile acid, formic acid (q. v.), from a small sac iu th e abdom en; by this means effectually repelling many adversaries, to which th e • pungent fumes are intolerable. Small animals are soon killed by the vapour of an an t-h ill; and a dog has been known to retire yelling from the effect upon his eyes, either of th e vapour, or of a discharge of th e fluid itself. I t is

said, th a t when those ants th a t are unprovided w ith a sting make use of their mandibles to inflict a bite, they curve round their abdomen, so as to be ready immediately to squirt this acid into the wound.Our readers are, of course, fam iliar w ith th e sto ries to ld of an ts keeping herds of Aphides for th e sake of honeydew and tap p in g them as hum an beings keep an d m ilk ca ttle ; and, if we are to c red it a ll th a t is to ld us, th e slaveho lders of th e W e s t In d ia islands an d th e S ou thern S ta te s could, as th e p lan te rs of C uba or Brazil s ti l l can, quo te th e exam ple in th e ir favour of th e species of pale-coloured an ts w hich m ake slaves of th e black coloured.

T H E U T IL IZ A T IO N O F A N TS A S G R U B D E ST R O Y E R S IN C H IN A .

The N . C. D a ily N ew s publishes th e follow ing paper by D r. M acgow an of W enchow :—

A ccounts g iven of th e depredations of th e coccids on th e orange trees of F lo rid a induce me to pub lish a brief account of th e em ploym ent by th e Chinese of an ts as insecticides. In m any p a r ts of th e p ro ­vince of C anton, w here, says a Chinese w rite r, cereals cannot be profitab ly cu ltiva ted , th e land is devoted to th e cu ltivation of orange trees, w hich being sub ­jec t to d evasta tion from w orm s, requ ire to be p ro ­tec ted in a peculiar m anner, th a t is, b y im porting ants from neighbouring h ills for the d es tru c tio n of th e dreaded parasite. T he orangeries them selves supply an ts w hich p rey upon th e enem y of th e orange, b u t n o t iu sufficient num bers ; an d re so rt is had to hillpeople, w ho th ro u g h o u t th e sum m er an d w in te r find th e nests suspended from branches of bam boo, an d various trees. T here a re tw o varie ties of an ts , red an d yellow, whose nests resem ble co tton bags. T he “ orange aut-breed- ers ” are provided w ith p ig or goat b ladders which are baited inside w ith la rd ; th e orifices of these they apply to the en tran ce of nests, when th e an ts en te r th e bags an d become a m arketab le com m odity a t th e o rangeries. O range trees are colonized by depositing th e an ts on th e ir u pper branches, and , to enable them to pass from tre e to tree , a ll th e trees of an o rchard are connected by bam boo rods.

I s th e orange th e only p la n t th u s susceptib le of p ro tec tion from parasitic pests ? A re these th e only species of an ts th a t are capable of u tiliz ­a tio n as insecticides ? In d u b ita b ly n o t ; and certa in ly entom ologists an d ag ricu ltu ris ts w ould do w ell to in s titu te experim ents w ith a view to fu r th e r discovery in th is lin e of research . L est, however, th e U n ited S tates E ntom ological Commission or Soci6l6 d ’A cclim a- ta tio n of F rance should u n d e rtak e to acclim atize these C antonese form ica, I m u st in terpose a w ord of caution. Ther. is found in th e same province, in th e p a r t of w hich Sw atoiv is th e p o rt, an a n t th a t is a toe and n o t a frien d of ag ricu ltu re . I t is called th e “ horse- a n t ,” from its fancied equine appearance. H orse-au ts are so d es tru c tiv e th a t a tem ple has been erec ted for th e w orsh ip and p ro p itia tio n of th e A n t God, th e producer and ancestor of an ts . D uring th e fifth m onth of every y ear th e an ts assem ble to pay court to th e ir progenitor, w hich is th e season w hen farm ing people presen t offerings to th e A n t God, pray ing th a t th e ravages of th e insect m ay be m inim ized. T he in tro ­duction of th is species in to A m erica o r E urope w ould be calam itous. I sha ll m ake due acknow ledgm ent of specim ens of an ts th a t m ay be fo rw arded to me from C anton and of in fo rm ation respec ting th e orange insect and specim ens. * H ere 1 m ig h t conclude

* Since w riting the above I have m et with a passage in the Botanical Encyclopsedia of H su-kuang-ch’i, the Christian statesm an and philosopher (a posthumous work 1640)

• which seems to indicate th a t ants generally may be em­ployed for protecting the orange. Under orange culture he simply directs the placing of an ts’ nests on tree-tops, which, he adds, will drive away the worms that injure th a t fruit.

th is com m unication, b u t, as S ir Jo h n L ubbock has recen tly ad ded so m uch to our know ledge of an ts , m any people in m any lands have becom e curious to s tu d y fu rth e r th e h ab its of th is rem arkab le in ­sect. I append therefo re a few rem arks, w hich w ill show th a t th e B ritish leg isla to r m ig h t find m uch in China to rew ard p a in s tak in g research .

W h a t P lin y h ea rd respecting a g ig an tic a n t in Ind ia , th e size of an E g y p tia n wolf, reached C hina som ew hat exaggerated ; w hile an Encyclopsedia s ta te s th a t red an ts are found in the w estern deserts as big as e lephants an d th a t th e y k ill p e o p le ! W h a t, how ­ever, Chinese w rite rs s ta te concerning th e anta of th e ir ow n co u n try is n o t incredible. B efore th e y acqu ired th e a r t of w ritin g these observan t people had no ted th e m ost ch aracteristic fea tu re of a n ts—th e ir o rderly subm ission to au th o r ity ; and therefore , w hen w ritin g began, th ey devised a ch a rac te r expressive of th is t r a i t of th e form ica, com posed of “ in se c t,” and, fo r th e phonetic elem ent, “ th a t w hich enables th e h e a r t to ru le itse lf , th e ru le of se lf-d ign ity and respect, w h a t is p roper an d ju s t p e r s e because, says lexicography, th e a n ts have p rinces a n d m in isters, im ply ing in te llig en t ad m in is tra tio n and obedience. A fu rth e r evidence is fu rn ished of th e ir regard fo r eq u ity in th e ir u n itin g to in flic t cap ita l p un ish ­m ent on offenders, and in th e ir co-operative and com m unistic p roceedings w ith regard to food. P a tie n t observations have been m ade of th e ir sub ­te rran ean abodes. I t has been discovered th a t th e y live in c ities w h ich have crenelated and carved w alls, w ith in w hich are reg u la r s tree ts , dw ellings, galleries an d m arkets. I n one of these cities tw o m agnates w ere observed, one of a p u rp le color, w ith w ings and legs of golden h u e ; in an o th er, a regu lar court was observed, th e p rince g iving audience to a p riv ileged few, m enial officers a t a d is tan ce keeping order. On q u ittin g th e ir nes ts , th e y som etim es m arch five abreast in m ilita ry rank. T hey afford prognostics of w et w eather, know ing w ell w hen it is about to ra in ; to p ro te c t them selves from deluges th e y close up th e ap ertu re s of th e ir nests. I n classic tim es a m ilita ry lead er being in s tra its for w ater was advised to observe th e position of a n ts ’ nes ts—w hich in w in te r are to be found on th e sou thern accliv ities of hills, an d in sum m er on th e n o rth e rn aspects—and to d ig for w ater w here th e ir ea rth w o rk s w ere to be se e n ; an d on digging as d irec ted w ate r was ob tained . T h e ir passion for carrion is p articu la rly noticed by native n a tu ra lis ts , and th e predacious an d pugnaci­ous ch arac te r of an ts is o ften refe rred to . T hey have been seen figh ting in pairs, advancing and re tre a tin g in duels a w hole d ay and n ig h t. Several of th e ir b a ttle s have been recorded, hav ing obtained th is d is tin c tio n in consequence of c iv il com m otions th a t follow ed, of w hich th e y w ere considered to be p o rten ts . In th e y ea r 466 A. D ., b lack an ts an d redd ish an ts in S han tu n g fought in g re a t num bers, filling a space fo rty y a rd s long a n d four inches wide. T he red an ts were d estroyed . A bou t a cen tu ry la te r an o th e r g rea t action is recorded betw een yellow and b lack an ts a t N anking , w hen th e form er en tire ly p er­ished. T h e re is no record of enslavem ent of b lack an ts by w h ite an ts iu Chinese n a tu ra l h isto ry . E ith e r slavery has n o t been observed am ong them , o r th e y have no t a tta in ed to t h a t stage of advancem ent. In b a ttle th ey show no quarter, w h e th er th e fight is am ong th e ir ow n or against o ther colours.

T he sudden m ultip lica tion of an ts has been no ticed ; b u t no such d isaster is recorded as th a t in th e island of G ranada, w hich a cen tu ry ago was devasta ted by th is form idable race. In 636 A. D . th e cap ita l was am azed by th e appearance of an ts covering a space of fo rty y a rd s in length and five to te n feet wide, and p iled over each o th er from six inches to a foot in th ic k n e s s ! A n ts of la rge size, bo th re d and b lack,

abound in th e h ills of N ingpo, and, as th e ir b ite is r a th e r poisonous, th e in h ab itan ts would suffer g rea tly from them b u t for th e manis ja va n ica or pangolin , th e scaly an t-ea ter. T he odour of th is anim al a ttra c ts th e an ts , as i t lies w ith a ll i ts scales open, beneath w hich these insects press in sw a rm s; th en , when th e scales close upon th em , th e ir cap to r repairs to h is la ir, and drops th e asphyx ia ted an ts p reparato ry to th e ir deglu t­ition. These an ts are said to be betw een tw o and th ree inches in leng th , w hich is n o t a t a ll incredible, if we can believe a s ta tem en t pub lished respecting a dism issed functionary in Chaouchou, w ho se n t to h is friends in th e n o rth , an a n t p ick led in salt, w hich m easured a foot in leng th !

On the borders of T ungking a n ts ’ eggs a re so ab u n d ­a n t th a t a picul an d a half a re som etim es collected by hunters. P erhaps larvae are m ean t. T hey are con­sidered a g rea t d a in ty , resem bling flesh in tas te . A certain species of red an t, w hich m akes its nes ts on tree-tops, are also eaten w ith g inger an d salt, used as a condim ent. I t is very pungen t. W h ite an ts are used as food, bu t, being no an ts a t all, b u t te rm ites , have no place in th is note. A n ts possess m edical p ro ­perties, and before form ic acid was p repared by chem ists, th e y were accordingly used in th e west. I t is s trange th a t th e C hinese pharm acopeia, w hich abounds in b izarre m aterials, should n o t include th is insect unless th e “ singlefooted a n t ” , to be nam ed in th e sequel, belongs to th e form ica Chinese p harm aceu tists , how ­ever are aw are th a t an ts y ield “ v inegar,” an d th e e a rth of an t-m ounds, w hich is probab ly sa tu ra te d w ith th e acid o r a form icate, is an a rtic le of m ate ria m edica. A n ts have been tu rn e d to use also in th e a rts . A b rief notice of a varn ish-furn ish ing a n t is found in an o ld w ork. “ R ecords of th e W u S ta te ,” in one of th e d is tr ic ts of w hich, Changchou or Sucban, a cottony creeper grows, beneath w hich an ts have th e ir abode. By p iercing the ground w ith th e bark of th e creeper, an ts clim b up i t , an d these produce varnish .

In conclusion I m ay m ention a un ique insect which is denom inated th e “ monopedal a n t ,” an d w hich th e early P un tsau recom m ends for boils and u lcers, th e insects to be applied locally a f te r being crushed. T his “ a n t ” has b u t a single leg by w hich i t is perm an­en tly a ttach ed to th e roots of a tree , and i t possesses th e power of m otion w ithou t locom otion !

T H E RA V A G ES O F “ G R U B ” IX C E Y L O N : PR O PO SE D A C T IO N IN T H E M A T T E R .

T he correspondence w e publish to d a y shews th a t “ some one had b lu n d ered ,” so th a t a le t te r in ten d ed to reach Dr. T rim en when M r. W a rd w as s til l am ongst n s d id n o t reach th e D octor a t P erad en iy a u n til the M ycologist h ad closed h is ow n life h is to ry in C ey­lon, as w ell as th e whole life h is to ry of th e le f t fungus. W ould th a t be h ad closed th e la tte r iu he sense we all desire, an d would th a t we could hope for any th in g b e tte r th an learned and in te restin g d is­se rta tions on insect life from an en tom ologist speci­a lly sen t o u t o r a coterie of consulting entom ologists in E urope. “ Bug ” is th e generic te rm for insect in th e U n ited S tates, and th e “ bug ” li te ra tu re of th a t g re a t coun try is in p roportion to its vastness and th e m u ltitud inous pests which ravage th e co tt n fields, ea t u p the w heat, and choose (chews) tobacco as a lu x u ry when sa ted w ith m ore solid food. O ur readers are of course fam iliar w ith th e story of th e Y ankee fa rm e r w ho going o u t to see w h a t was le f t of h is tobacco p lan ta tio n had in su lt added to in ju ry . T he grasshoppers, hav ing m ade a full clearance, w ere a r ­ranged along h is fences, squirting tobacco juice at h im !

1 T he poor fellow m ay be forgiven if he fe lt a l i t t le “ m a d ,” w ith th e devastating “ cusses. ” W e have read and are s till read in g volum es an d jou rnals of “ b u g ” lite ra tu re , ta k in g in ev ery th in g betw een “ th e arm y worm ” an d th e “ K a ty d id r , an d p ropund ing innum erab le rem edies. B u t one aftee an o th e r has been p ronounced im possible o r ineffectiv. ” I f w e could ven tu re to enclose flocks of pigs in our coffee, w e believe th e y would m ake sh o rt w ork of th e g ru b s—b u t also p erh ap s of th e coffee bushes. F u ll a n d certa in in form ation respecting th e varie ties of “ g rubs," an d th e w inged insects w hich o rig ina ted th em and in to w hich th e y tu rn , can n o t b u t be valu ­able, and an effectual an d cheap an d possible rem edy m ay be discovered. If, in th e course of our read ing , w e can find i t ou t, w e sha ll le t o u r readers know . “ L ondon purp le ” and a score of o th e r th ings are effectual, if w e can follow th e d irec tio n s of th e person w ho inven ted a liqu id fo r th e destru c tio n of fleas : “ C a tch them by th e neck an d po u r i t dow n th e ir th ro a t. ”

C O R R E S PO N D E N C E B E T W E E N T H E P L A N T ­E R S ’ A SSO C IA T IO N O F C E Y L O N A N D

T H E C E Y L O N G O V E R N M E N T .OX THE SUBJECT OF THE EAVAOES OF GRUB, AND THE SERV­

ICES OF A NATURALIST.

T he follow ing has been se n t to us b y th e P . A. Secretary for p u b lica tion .—

C olonial Secre tary’s Office, Colombo, 27 th F eb . 1882.S i r , — W ith reference to y our le tte r of th e 16th

A p ril la s t, I am d irec ted to in form you th a t th e D irec to r of th e R oyal B otan ic G arden a t P eraden iya has been consu lted on th e m a tte r in question, an d I forw ard herew ith for th e in form ation of th e P la n te rs ’ A ssociation th e rep ly received from D r. T rim en.

2. T he G overnor desires me to s ta te a t th e sam e­tim e th a t, if th e suggestion th ere in m ade should be adopted , he w ill be g lad to fo rw ard th e s ta te m e n t to th e S ecretary of S ta te an d to a sk him to procure th e b es t scientific advice ob ta inab le in E ng land as to th e b es t rem edial m easures.— I am , sir, your obedi­e n t se rvan t, (Signed) J . A . S w e t t e n h a m .

fo r Colonial Secretary.T he S ecre tary , P la n te rs ’ A ssociation, K andy .

R oyal B otanic G arden, Peraden iya, 15th F eb ru ary , 1882.

T he H on. th e Colonial Secretary .S ir,— In reply to yo u r le t te r of th e 27 th A p ril 1881,

w hich is now received by m e for th e firs t tim e (as an enclosure in your le tte r No. 10 of 6 th F eb ru ary ) I have th e honor to inform you th a t I could scarcely feel justified in u n d e rtak in g an investigation of such im portance an d difficulty on a su b jec t outside of m y ow n stud ies. Such a piece of w ork w ould also of necessity require th a t m uch lim e should be sp e n t on e s ta h s , and th is I could n o t give w ith o u t neglecting th e p roper supervision of th e gardens u n d er my charge.

2. I t is to be reg re tted th a t I d id n o t receive y o u r com m unication a t th e tim e w hen i t was w ritten ,* an d M r. W ard w as s till in the island , as he m igh t have been w illing to use his o p portun ities d u rin g h is freq u e n t jou rneys iu th e coffee d istric t* of collecting in form ation on th is insect pest ; b u t I feel su re he w ould n o t have considered him self com peten t to tak e up a question of entom ology.

* “ The reason why” should be stated. I t is a new style of business to write to a man in April of one tea r and send him the letter only in February ol the nt xt.—Eli.

3. I believe, how ever, th a t th e m ain fac ts reg ard ­ing th e n a tu ra l h istory of g rub are p re t ty com pletely know n, and, failing th e special ap po in tm en t of an Entom ologist, I wonld suggest th a t the C om m ittee of th e P ia u te rs ’ Association d raw u p a succin t an d p lain s ta te m e n t of th e po in ts in connection w ith th e insect upon which th ey requ ire inform ation and advice, especi­a lly w h at have been th e rem edial m easures h ith e rto em ployed an d in w h a t respects th e y have been found w anting. I f th is is fo rw arded to m e I have good reasons for believing th a t I can obtain from th e p r in ­cipal au th o rities on economic entom ology a t home answ ers and suggestions w hich m ay prove of serv ice.— I am, &c., (Signed) H e n r y T r i m e n , D irector.

M O BE A B O U T “ G R U B S ” A N D T H E M EA N S

O F T H E IR D E ST R U C T IO N .

W ith reference to th e , re so lu tio n ab o u t w hite grub, passed a t a la te m eeting of th e M askeliya P. A., w hich we pub lish today , w e learn th a t th e Colombo firm s in te re s ted have a lready been addressed on th e sub ject. I t is u n d o u b ted ly of th e firs t im portance th a t steps shou ld be tak en in concert to fight th is pest, and it is only by com bined ac tion on th e p a r t of th e Colombo agen ts an d th e re s id en t p roprie to rs th a t an y th in g approaching a general victory can be gained. I t is now alm ost too la te to commence catch ing th e cockchafers th is season, as i t is p rinc ipally w hile th e h o t w eather lasts th a t th e ir evening flight tak es place, an d by th is tim e m ost of th e eggs have been deposited . I t behoves, however, every super­in ten d en t to satisfy him self, in th e first place, w hether h is e s ta te “ has g rub ” o r n o t ; fo r i t is qu ite pos­sib le for bo th th e beetle an d th e g rub to rem ain u n n o ticed u n ti l th e re su lt of th e ravages of the. la t te r becom es a p p a ren t in th e going off of the coffee. F o rtu n a te h e w ho can decide th is question in th e negative. I f , on th e o th e r han d , i t shou ld appear th a t th e beetles a re p resen t, n o t a m om ent should be lost. N ow is th e tim e to act. C areful experim ents, we a re to ld , carried o u t b y an experienced p lan ter, d u rin g la s t season, have shew n th a t an application of lim e a t th e ro o t of th e coffee trees has th e effect of e ith e r p rev en tin g th e eggs from germ in a tin g or d riv in g th e sm all g ru b aw ay from th e p a rts so tre a te d ; in any case freeing th e g round of th e pest to th e g re a t advan tage of th e tree, an d help ing th e la t te r to recover condition a t th e same tim e. No d o u b t o th e r applications could be recom m ended and m ig h t p rove equally efficacious. M ore or less suc­cess has a tte n d e d digging o u t th e g rub , covering th e so il w ith sacking, e tc ., bu t, fo r a p rac tica l and a t th e sam e tim e com parative ly cheap m ethod, no th ing has y e t been a tte m p te d th a t can com pare w ith lim e ap p lied as described. A to n of caustic lim e per acre w ould be a very sufficient dose, and those in te rested can easily ca lcu la te th e cost of such an application , w h ich , of course, need only be applied w here th e grubs w ere known to be in force. I t m ust, however, as w e said before, be tak en in han d a t once, an d we w ould u rg e upon all those in com m and of th e purse- s trings of an y es ta te w here g rub is pronounced to be, to sanction an im m ediate expend itu re for th e purpose.

T H E C E Y L O N B O T A N IC G A R D E N S .T hrough th e cou rtesy of th e G overnm ent we are able to

give D r. T rim en ’s elabora te and valuable rep o rt on th e gardens und er his charge. I t w ill be seen th a t in regard to scenic b eau ty as well as u t i l i ty g re a t im provem ents are being m ade a t P eraden iya , l ig h t an d a ir being a d m it­te d by th e th in n in g o u t of superfluous trees, to th e g rea t advantage in g row th an d b eau ty of foliage an d blossom of tho se w hich rem ain. As w ell-trim m ed grass p lo ts

I are am ongst th e chief elem ents of a ttrac tiv en ess in such in stitu tio n s, we hope th e D irec to r’s dem and for a good law n-m ow ing m achine will be favourably m et b y G overnm ent. T he increase of carriage traffic on th e roads shew s th a t th e P erad an iy a g ardens are in ­creasing in favour w ith th e “ d riv ing ” p o rtio n of th e public. A “ new S outh G arden ” is being added in w hich trees a re to be p lan ted accord ing to th e ir n a t ­u ra l affinities. T h is is w h a t w as done a t B uitenzorg in J a v a from th e beginning, and th e effect in some cases is a s to n ish in g : u n til w e saw th e screw pine com partm ent, we could n o t have believed th a t th e w orld con tained so m any varie ties of th is curious p la n t, in C eylon genera lly se m i-aquatic an d s ta n d in g on n a t­u ra l s tilts , as i t were. T he n a tu ra l o rder to w hich o ur ja k an d b re a d fru it tre e s and th e del belong was s till m ore num erous an d varied . In th e new gardens a t P eraden iya abo u t 250 species have been a lready fu lly estab lished , au d th e w ork is to go on . T here is a new carriage d riv e from w hich u ltim a te ly w ill be v iew ed one of th e bes t co llections of palm s in th e w orld , fo r D r. T rim en inform s us th a t “ palm s grow here w ith a perfection th a t canno t be su rpassed .’’ T h is consoles us som ew hat fo r the con tinued fa ilu re of a ll a ttem p ts to grow aquatic p lan ts on th e l i t t le lake. T here are the shade an d leaves of the g igan tic bam boos aud th e foul bo ttom of th e w ater, I n th e B uitenzorg G ardens Victoria regia flowers very freely ; b u t w e found D r . T reu b agreeing w ith us th a t th e flowers w ere scarcely superior to those of th e ord inary w a te r lily . T he b road flat leaves w ere th e s tr ik in g fea tu res on th e w a te r in fro n t of G overnm ent H ouse, grounds w hich were “ V erboden ’’ to th e general public, w ho were welcome to th e b o tan ic gardens. T hrough i t indeed lies a thoroughfare, an avenue of g ran d old trees, w hich w ere w ell grow n even when Stam ford Raffles buried h i s first w ife in th e ir shade.

W h a t is sa id abo u t th e p rick ly ra t ta n palm s sug ­gests th e idea of cu ltiv a tin g these w ith sapau p lan ts to form im penetrab le fences for low country estates. W oe to th e hum an being or an im al w hich a tte m p ts to break th ro u g h a tang led mass of th o rn y ra t ta n . T rin id ad cacaos an d th e ir shade trees are to be grow n together, w ith rubbers , varie ties of coffee &c., and i t seem s a good idea to form nu rsery beds round a sm all c ircu la r w ate r tank . Our p lan tin g readers w ill note th a t iron nails a re a p t to m ake serious w ounds in trees in a dam p clim ate , an d th a t zinc labelsjw hen p ain ted g e t quickly covered w ith dark fungi p ro ­ducing th e effect of L ondon smoke. H as D r. T rim en noticed how rap id ly lim e applied to buildings in Colombo g e ts b lackened as if w ith old age ? W e sup- pose a fungus is responsible for th is ? W here kirim eti (kaolin o r pipeclay) is app lied to reepers near th e seaside, th e fungus w hich speedily covers th e clay

is of a v iv id green colour. W e find i t d ifficult to persuade v isito rs to a seaside verandah th a t th e reepers w ere n o t p a in ted green. Some of th e old g round a t P erad en iy a is to be converted in to an a r t i ­ficial sw am p for th e g row th of sago trees. Sago is so p len tifu l a lready th a t i t is used in E n g lan d to feed u p calves. W e d o u b t if m uch p rofit can be ex p ec ted from th e cu ltiv a tio n of th is aq u a tic palm in Ceylon. I n th e H a k g a la gardens, i t appears th a t M r, Clarke, w hile in charge a f te r M r. E d w ard T hw aites le f t and before Mr. N ock arrived , was successful in grow ing L edgeriana g ra fts on succirubra stocks, w hich w as w ell, as th e L edgerianas in th e clearing w ere d jin g off. D r. T rim en in te n d s t h a t H ak g a la should be w orked as a branch of th e m ain in s titu tio n and devoted to tem p era te an d sub trop ica l p lan ts. E xcep t to keep up th e d ifferen t species, th e H ak g a la gardens are no longer required for cinchona p ropagation , and th e opinion of D r. T rim en expresses of th e situ a tio n and c lim ate is a perfec t co n tra st to th e couleurde rose descrip ­tio n given by M r. C. M arkham , a f te r h is v is it to» it. D rugs, dyes, fibres are to be th e sub jects of experi­m ents. F ru i t an d vegetab le cu ltiv a tio n a re to re ­ceive fu rth e r tr ia ls , an d shade an d sh e lte r trees for es ta tes are to be grow n. B u t a good propagating house is w an ted . T he H enara tgoda T rop ical G ardens have succeeded so w ell th a t th e experim ental gardens a t A n u rad h ap u ra are to be ta k e n over by th e de­p a rtm en t. U ltim a te ly , w e suppose, th e re w ill be a garden in each P rov ince, and w hy n o t a t th e cap ital, Colombo ? T he operations of th e Com m ission on the in tro d u c tio n of usefu l p lan ts are refe rred to , au d th en as reg ard s our suffering chief stap le , A rab ian coffee, th e “ para lyzing notion of th e discovery of a c u r e ” is denounced and p lan te rs an d th e G overnm ent are asked to com bine to d es troy spores an d p rev en t th e ir sp read ­ing. O n w orn -o u t lan d a ll coffee tree s shou ld be destroyed, an d m ost of th e n a tiv e coffee shou ld m eet th e sam e fate, G overnm ent g iv ing th e natives L iberian trees in place of th e in ferio r species. F o r th e en tire d is­appearance of th e d es tru c tiv e fungus, D r. T rim en does n o t look, on ly th a t b y m eans of com bined m easures “ a sensib le an d susta ined d im inu tion in leaf disease” w ould re su lt in a considerable recovery in th e s ta p le p ro d u c t of Ceylon. B u t how is com, bined ac tion on a sufficiently large scale to be secured. A rb itra ry leg isla tion would be needed, an d m eans to enforce it. D r. T rim en speaks w ell of L ibe rian coffee a lthough in th is rep o rt he does n o t refe r to th e large p roportion of d isease-resis ting p lan ts. W ith reg ard to L edgerianas an d o th e r cinchonas he insists on b a rk analysis as th e tru e te s t ; a lthough , botanically- external appearances m u s t decide th e question w hether a p la n t is L edgeriana o r no t. I t comes to th is : th a t w hile some L edgerianas are very rich , o th ers are poor, inferior to o th er calisayas an d to “ h y b rid s ." In regard to C. robusta D r. T rim en re ta in s h is belief in i ts h y b rid character, trac in g its origin to the N ilg iris, W e are n o t aw are th a t M r. M c lv o r ever qualified h is belief th a t th e p la n t w as a h y b rid , seeing th a t he a r t i ­ficially p roduced i t . D r. T rim en has received seeds and d is tr ib u ted o th ers . Cacao from T rin id ad has succeeded well and has been d is tr ib u te d n o t only in th e island b u t to S ingapore an d F iji. Of cardam om s,

seeds an d p la n ts have been sen t to th e A ndam ans and Jam aica. T here is a sin g u la r v arie ty in w hich th e flowing branches are carried upw ards. I t differs only in th is h a b it from th e reg u la r ty p e . T here is m uch in fo rm ation ab o u t ind iaru b b er, th e species of trees y ie ld ing w hich seem to be alm ost w ith o u t lim its . I t is to be noticed , how ever, th a t only b ig p la n t­a tio n s of th e best k in d s a re lik e ly to be successful. T rees firs t ob ta ined from th e In d ia n G overnm ent have y ielded p lan ts w hich have been sen t to th e A ndam ans. G u tta P erch a trees have been trie d , b u t th e y grow w ith extrem e slowness. Seeds of fodder grasses seem to be genera lly a delusion a n d a snare, an d we supect th a t in A m erica as w ell as In d ia th e sugar-y ield ing sorghum s will be m ore valuab le as ca ttle food th a n as su b s titu te s for th e t ru e cane. W e w ish F ij i joy of a p ack e t of M a u ritiu s grass. Y ou can easily g e t i t in to a sw am p an d th e n th e d ifficulty is to keep i t w ith in bounds. T here is a recipe for th e p rep ara tio n of Annatto , used for colouring b u tte r an d cheese. T h e tree is a p re tty one, and com m on in Colombo gardens. D r. T rim en m akes favourable reference to th e ex tended c u ltiv ­a tio n of “ L ow country P ro d u c ts ” especially in th e U dagam a V alley , 25 m iles from G alle, an d notices how p lan ts and p lan te rs an d en te rp rise a re ra d ia t­ing from C eylon to N o rth Borneo, th e M alay P en ­insula, &c. L arge add itions have been m ade to th e collection of p lan ts , a n d we a re g lad to lea rn th a t a revised l is t of th e co n ten ts of the G ard en s is in progress. B u t w hen a re we to expect th e P o p u la r B o tan y of Ceylon ?

S O U T H C O O R G : T H E N A L K N A A D C O F F E E .In y our issue of th e 24 th M arch , I read w ith m uch

in terest th e le tte rs by G raham A nderson and “ A. L. T .” whicli [ la tte r j you copy from th e A sia n , an d in th e la t te r th e re is an erro r I w ish to be th e m eans of cor­recting , and g iv ing honour to whom honour is due.

T he superio rity of th e N a lk n aad over th e o th er varie ties of coffee w as fu lly recognized long before Mr. Chisholm came to Coorg, o r probab ly even d ream t of such an event.

T he recognisee w as an old Ceylon p lan ter, who, years ago, w ent over to th e m a jo rity , and who was p robab ly as w ell know n in C eylon before he le ft as he w as in Coorg. S andy Bain w as th e m an who firs t saw in the N alknaad tree its la s tin g an d cropping properties, and, w hen he opened Culdees, he h ad no th in g else b n t seed­lings raised from selected seed and from selected trees. To ensure hav ing good caste trees he v isited th e n a tiv e gardens an d m arked th e trees he w ished re ­served fo r seed, w hich, when ripe, he personally saw p icked an d ca rried to th e e s ta te , “ as coolies w ill cheat, y ou k now .” T o th is care is due th e p resen t condi­tio n of Culdees com pared w ith o th e r o ld G h a u t estates.

M r. M ann never was an ad m ire r of th e N a lk n aad tree, w hich he term ed a “ leafy th in g ,” b u t w as one of th e m ost a rd en t adm irers of th e “ ch ick ” we are ever like ly to hear of, and insisted on several c lear­ings being p lan ted with no th ing else. N eed I te ll you th e re su lt? B orer commenced a n d leaf-disease com ­pleted th e w ork of d es truction , and, though a tte m p ts have been m ade to re p la n t these fields, y e t I reg re t to say th e y have been unsuccessful, as i t is im possible to rea r a decen t tree on G h au t lan d a fte r i t has been open five o r six years.

M r. C hisholm firs t to o k u p th e N a lk n aad tree in 1871

and 1872, w hen lie was raising nurseries for H anchi B e tta esta te , w hich he opened fo r Mr. D onald S tew art in 1872. D uring th e years he m anaged M r. S te w a rt’s Bamboo es ta tes he insis ted on no th in g being used b u t H anchi B e tta seed, and , w hen opening fo r him self, he used n o th ing else, an d h is acres are alike free from borer an d leaf-disease. T here are several Ceylon men w ho have seen M r. C hisholm ’s estates, b u t by for th e best p lan w ould be fo r some men, such as A. G. K . Borron, F . L au rie an d o th ers to come over in S ep t­em ber o r O ctober n ex t an d see for them selves, and, having seen, re tu rn and te ll th e ir fellow p lanters. I am p erfec tly sure th a t th e Bamboo p lan te rs w ould be deligh ted to have th e opinions of such men.

D ubarri e s ta te ’s firs t c learing was p lan ted from P a llik erry seed. T he crop th e re speaks well for th is variety , b u t i t is n o t unparalelled , as Peram boo Cadoo, an adjoining e s ta te , has given as m uch acre fo r acre (also N alknaad coffee).

S ilver sk in adhering to th e been is one of the m arks by w hich b rokers can te ll M ysore and Coorg coffees, and is due to th e long d ry season we have and n o t to p ick ing of unripe cherry.

Some early sh ipm ents of Coorg coffee have b ro u g h t good prices :— Craigs T illy 110s 6d. Craigs E liza 109s 6d, and D ubarri 108s. T h is bodes well for Coorg, and where w ork ing expenses are u n d er R85 an acre th ere is a f&ir m arg in left fo r profit.

D uring th e p as t w eek w e have h ad abu n d an t b los­som show ers, w hich , th o u g h la te , are s till in tim e to ensure good, though , perhaps, no t bum per crops.

Cinchona, cocoa an d ru b b e r are being tr ie d on sm all c le a r in g s ; th e tw o la tte r as ex p e rim en ts . C in­chona is being tr ie d on a la rge scale. T h e G hau ts and F orest are fa r ahead of th e Bamboo in th is , m aking as m uch g row th in th ree as our trees do in five y ears .— Bamboo.

T H E NICOBAR, ISL A N D S.A bou t tw o h u n d red m iles as th e crow flies to th e

S. S. E . of th e A ndam an Islands, in th e v ic in ity of la t.8° 9' N . and long. 94° 7' (the approx im ate position of Oam orta, w here our b ranch convict se ttlem en t is) lie th e N icobar Islands, th e la rg est g roup of islands, excep ting alone th e A ndam ans, to be found in th e Bay of Bengal. L ike th e A ndam ans, the N icobars owe th e ir origin and ex istence chiefly to th e prolonged labours of th e industrious coral in s e c t ; an d th e ir shores are, for th e m ost p a rt, surrounded w ith a fringe of dangerous sunken coral reefs. T he nam es of th e more im p o rtan t islands composing th e N icobar group, tak in g them in th e precedence of th e ir size, are th e g rea t N icobar Is lan d (th e m ost sou thern and th e nearest to Aelieen and Ja v a ), C am orta, the L ittle N icobar (separa ted from th e G rea t N icobar b y St, George’s C hannel), K atchal, Terressa, T illanchong, C how ry and N ankow rie Islands. B esides these larger islands, th e re are a num ber of jungle-covered islets, a ll m ore or less inhab ited .

To th e N. N . W . of C how ry and th e tw o or th ree sm all islands neighbouring it, a t a d istance of about 80 or 90 m iles in th e d irection of the A ndam ans, lies a lonely island , called th e Car N ico­bar. T h is g ia n t’s stepping-stone betw een th e A nda­m ans and th e Nicobars is of considerable size ; and, on occasion of th e recen t ea rth q u ak e betrayed its vol­canic origin by an erup tion . T he earth q u ak e of la s t D ecem ber caused th e g rea test a larm am ongst th e islanders. M any coconut trees came to grief on th e C ar N icobar Is lan d du ring i t . Several v isits have been paid to th e C ar N icobar b y expeditions from P o rt B lair, and ab u n d an t evidence to prove th e original creation of th e island h y volcanic agency has been obtained. T he shore is a difficult one to lan d on, owing to the heavy su rf a n d breakers continually

beating upon i t . T he N icobar Is lan d s p roper are, like m ost sub-trop ica l islands, in a g re a t p a r t covered w ith dense, very b eau tifu l jung le ; tow ering up above w hich are to be seen th e m ost m agnificent tre e s— such trees as th e eye never sees in In d ia , n o t even in th e v irgin forests of th e h ills. T he sy m m etry of th e tru n k s of these N icobarean trees is to a g rea t h e ig h t u n d is tu rb ed by branches, an d th e ir tops are crow ned w ith rich m any-shaded foliage, a f­fording a secure re tre a t for th e w ily N icobarese pigeons, in num bers p len tifu l, and in r ich -p lum aged species various, b u t difficult to g e t w itn in sm all sh o t range of. T he jung les of th e N icobars abound in th e various k in d s of valuab le tim ber to be found in th e A nda­mans, and , in add ition , th e so u th e rn islands a re rich ly belted w ith coconut palm s. I t is a curious c ircum ­stance th a t th e coconut palm , w hich is to be found in such profusion on th e Cocos an d in th e N icobar Is lan d s is now here to be found indigenous in th e A ndam an Islands. H ow do bo tan ists accoun t fo r th is ex trao rd in ary absence of th e coconut from th e m id­d le of these th re e groups of tro p ic a l islands ? * T he produce of th e N icobarese palm s, in th e shape of copra, coconuts an d th e nut-o il, form s th e chief ex p o rt and w ealth of th e is lan d s .— Pioneer,

M O TH S A N D C O F F E E T R E E S .(To the E d ito r of th e ' ‘ M adras M a il.”)

K u lp e tta , S. W y n aad , 13th A pril.S i r ,— Y our correspondent “ S outh W y n a a d ,” whose

le t te r of th e 6 th in s ta n t appears in y o u r im pression of th e 11th idem , enquires w h eth er any of h is confreres have observed “ h u n d red s of m oths flying ab o u t the coffee trees ” du ring th e recen t blossom, a phenom enon w hich he apparen tly fears to be th e h a rb in g er of fresh d isaster. P erh ap s D r. S h o rtt can en ligh ten your co r­responden t as to th e scientific nam e of th e “ m o th ” refe rred to. I th in k i t is a species of “ sp h in x ,” and if so, I have freq u en tly observed th e id en tica l “ wily lep id o p te ra ” in form er seasons. O. C.

L E D G E R IA N A SE E D .(To th e E d ito r of th e M adras M ail.)

S ir,—I notice in th e second colum n of yo u r p ap e r an advertisem en t runn ing th u s :— “ F o r S ale,—G u aran teed : M oens’ C inchona L edgeriana seed ju s t received from Ja v a .” I am g rea tly in terested m yself in th e p ropag­a tio n of th is m ost valuable k in d of cinchona, an d have every advan tage in o b ta in ing seed from M r. M oens, w hen i t can be spared by th e D u tch G overnm ent. L ast m ail, received from Ja v a , b ro u g h t m e a le tte r from M r. M oens him self. M ay I give you the,foIlow ing e x tra c t of h is le t te r verbatim :—

“ M y G overnm ent does n o t allow m e to send any L edgeriana seed o u t of our colonies as long as a ll th e p lan ters in J a v a who apply for i t have n o t g o t th e fu ll q u an tity they ask . A nd as th e cu ltivation of c inchona is ex tend ing so very fast over our islands, i t w ill ta k e a long tim e before I am ever able to do th is. So I cannot possibly spare you any seed w ith in th e firs t y e a r .”

H ow , then , can “ S .” have ju s t received from Ja v a L edgeriana seed w hich any one read ing h is ad v e rtise ­m ent m u st be given to u n d erstan d comes d irec t from M r. M oens ? M r. M oens is too honest a m an an d too tru e to th e G overnm ent he has served so w ell for so m any years to give or sell h is seed to one person, when d u ty o rders him to refuse i t to a n o th e r .—Yours,& c,

N ilg iris, 13th A piil. L E D E G R IA N A .

* T he answ er, no doubt, will be th a t i t is in ­d igenous to no island of th e groups ; b u t th a t in to som e i t was successfully in tro d u ced .—Ed.

$otiitespoMenoe.To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.

A N E N Q U IR Y A BO U T L IB E R IA N C O F F E E .D e a r S i r , — Can any one te ll m e a t w h a t ra te th e

L iberian coffee tree s a re bearing , p lan ted on Mausaxva estate , G alagedara ? T hey should now be five or six years of age, and w ould, therefore, be a good c rite rio n of w h a t L iberian could do in th is island.

E N Q U IR E R .[W e hope th e p ro p rie to rs of M ausaw a w ill com ply

w ith th is request, th e su b je c t being one of public and im p o rtan t in te re s t.— E d .]

M R . G A M M IE O F D A R JE E L IN G O N C IN C H O N A P U B E SC E N S O F H O W A R D : IS IT A

H Y B R ID O R S P E C IE S ?D arjeeling , 8 th A pril IS82.

D e a r S i r ,— W rite rs on th e above su b jec t are about equally divided, one half ho ld ing th a t th is pubescens is a h y b rid an d th e o th e r h a lf t h a t i t is a sp ec ies; b u t n e ith e r p a r ty has b ro u g h t fo rw ard any th ing s tronger in th e w ay of arg u m en t in su p p o rt of th e ir p a rticu la r views th an m ere assertion . I n y o u r a rtic le in th e Observer of th e 4 th M arch on h y b rid ity of c in ­chonas, you quote th e s ta te m e n t of H ooker & T hom ­son, to th e effect th a t in n a tu re h y b rid ity is exceed­ing ly rare . T h a t th is is tru e , n o t one observer in a thousand w ill question . R u n yo u r m ind over a ll th e species of p lan ts and anim als you know in Ceylon, in a s ta te of n a tu re , an d I ven tu re to say th a t you w ill n o t th in k of a single p lan t o r anim al th a t can be suspected of h y b rid origin. I t is b u t fa ir to assum e th a t th e sam e s ta te of affairs obtains in th e South A m erican cinchona regions, and, if i t can be show n th a t th e C. pubescens of H ow ard is n e ith e r of Ceylon nor of In d ian origin, b u t th a t i t was o rig ina lly in- tro d u ced d irec t from S ou th America, we m ay as fairly assum e th a t i t is a tru e species an d n o t a hybrid .

I may m ention th a t w hat I refer to as C. pubescens is th e hairy “ P ata-de-G allinazo ,” an d th a t I d id no t know w h a t was know n in Ceylon an d S ou thern In d ia u n d e r th a t nam e u n til Colonel Beddom e’s la te visit- to th e S ikk im p lan ta tions. H e saw o u r so litary original p la n t of i t , and , as i t is so very d is tin c t a k in d , th e re can be no m anner of d oub t as to V s iden tific­a tio n ; an d th e re is absolutely no d o u b t w hatever about w here w e go t i t from . I t appeared am ong th e p ro ­duce of a packet of C. officinalis seed received in Ja n u a ry in 1866 from D r. T hw aites, for w hom th e older officers of th e S ikk im p lan ta tio n s w ill ever re ­ta in a live ly sense of g ra titu d e and esteem for his k in d ly assistance and advice a t a tim e w hen these p lan ta tio n s w ere in th e ir infancy and m uch in need of help. W e alw ays h ad a large share of th e first seeds he h ad to spare, and, as he did no t send us any of C. succirubra till 1868, th e p robab ility is th a t th a t species did no t flow er iu Ceylon til l 1867, and, if i t d id no t, th e flowers of C. officinalis, w hich y ielded th e seed se n t us in Ja n u a ry 1866, could n o t have been crossed by it. H ad th e re been only C. officinalis in flower, so decidedly d ifferent a p la n t as C . pubescens could scarcely have been produced. M y idea is th a t th e re was an unnoticed seed-bearing p la n t of C. pubescens th e n am ong th e H ak g a la C. officinalis, and th a t i t was an acciden ta l in tro d u c tio n from South America. 1 can h ard ly be wrong in as-um ing th a tC. officinalis tree s bearing seed so early as 1865 could n o t possibly have been raised from o th e r th a n d irec t S outn A m erican stock, e ith er p lan ts or seeds I f D r. Th waites will k in d ly ad d to th e heavy obligations cinchona cu ltu re a lready owes him , by te lling us the earliest d a te of flowering of C. officinalis and G. succi­

ru b ra in Ceylon, and th e ir previous h is to ry a n d origin, we sha ll be a t leas t one step nearer th e so lu ­tion of th e vexed question , is C. pubescens of H ow ard a species or h y b rid ? J AS. A. G A M M IE .

[W e hope to hear, in rep ly , n o t only from D r. T h w a ite s , b u t from M r. W m , C am eron who, w e b e ­lieve, ra ised th e firs t c inchona seed in C eylon .— E d .]

M R . W M . S M IT H O F M A T T A K E L L Y , ONG R A F T IN G C IN C H O N A S IN T H E O PE N

A IR A N D ON T H E H Y B R ID IT Y Q U E ST IO N .

G. 0 . H ,, Colombo. 20th A pril 1882.M y d e a r S i r , — A s p r o m is e d , I n o w s e n d y o u a

f e w c r u d e id e a s o n t h e g r a f t i n g o f c in c h o n a s , a n d t h e i r “ n o n - h y b r i d i t y , ” a s f o u n d in m y e x p e r ie n c e .

T he operation of ou tdoor g ra ftin g is so new to us all, I sha ll sim ply s ta te m y ow n experience.

On 25th of la s t October, being th e coolies’ “ Tee- v a lie ,” I along w ith my assis ta n ts took advan tag e of th e day to commence g ra ftin g L edgeriana shoots on to su ccirub ra stocks.

W e se lected s tro n g h ea lth y p la n ts of th e succirubra ju s t as th e y w ere, grow ing in convenien t position along th e roadside, being from 12 to 18 m onths old. A s g rafts of th e L edgeriana, w e took suckers from trees, w hich h ad been coppiced 12 or 14 m onths previously .

W e sim ply follow ed th e p lan genera lly adopted b y nu rserym en in S cotland, w hen g ra ftin g th e com ­m oner fru it- trees out-of-doors ; th e g ra fts being p u t on as near th e bo ttom of th e s to c k as th e o pera to r finds convenient. A fte r m aking incisions in stock an d g ra ft, as o rd in arily practised , th ey are b ro u g h t in to con tact, and carefully secured in position by being bound ro u n d ' w ith com m on w h ite tap e , an d im m ed ia te ly a f t ­erw ards enveloped in a m ass of p lastic clay w hich is m ade to em brace bo th stock an d g ra ft ; h e rm e ti­cally sh u ttin g b o th up for th e tim e being, excepting , of course, th e u pper end of th e g ra ft con ta in in g th e bud, w hich should be le f t exposed for abo u t an inch p ro tru d in g from th e clay ? W e th e n drew a sm all m ound of e a rth round th e stem of th e tree , cover­ing up th e clay w hich enveloped th e whole, in o rder to save i t from cracking by th e a lte rn a tio n s of w eather. W e a fte rw ard s in v e rted w orn-out, bo ttom less m an ­u re baskets over th e m ound of ea rth , and shaded th e opening p a r tia lly by pieces of eu nny bag.

I m a y , h o w e v e r , m e n t io n I d o n o t i n t e n d in m y p r o je c te d o p e r a t io n s o f th e p r e s e n t s e a s o n t o u s e e i t h e r b a s k e t s o r s h a d in g , a s I d o n o t c o n s id e r e i t h e r n e c e s s - s a r y , p a r t i c u l a r l y a t th i s s e a s o n o f t h e y e a r .

1 found th e g rafts begin to show signs of life in about 20 days, by th e buds g e ttin g tu rg id ; an d before a m onth m any of th e buds had b u rs t an d w ere push ing o u t leaves on h ea lth y shoots.

A t ahout 5 w eeks a f te r th e g ra fts h ad been p u t on, an im p artia l friend along w ith me exam ined th e first put-on lo t, of som ew hat over 100, and found less th an 5 per cen t, e ith e r dead or doub tfu l, a proportion of w hich grew afte rw ard s . Some fa ilu res were found to arise from causes w hich were p reven tib le , such as p u t,in g on w h a t I call b lind g ra fts i. c. g rafts , which, a lthough th ey ap p a ren tly had eyes, had no t th e germ s of a bud in th em . S trange to say m any of them u n ite d to th e stock firm ly, an d a few have been le ft, and are s till living, b u t have n o t p u t o u t a ehoot y e t. I t is in te re stin g to w atch them , now th a t the ac tive season of life has a rriv ed ; I am hopeful th e y m ay yet pu sh o u t a shoot.

A d ry tra c t of w eather came early in December, and th e clay go t cracked , for th e w a n t of a tte n tio n d u rin g m y absence from hom e. A few succum bed from th a t cause ;

s til l those now grow ing show a m ost encouraging aspect, m any of th e g ra fts being from 18 to 24 inches high, h av ing from 2 to 3 shoots on them , grow ing w ith a v igour exceeding L edgeriana on its own stem .

I conclude, from w hat I now see, t h a t th e oper­ation of g rafting out-of-doors m ay become a ready an d easy m eans in th e hands of in te llig en t p lan ters of th e ir being able to convert th e ir free-grow ing succi­ru b ra in to valuab le L edgeriana. 1 consider th e oper­a tio n of g ra ftin g very sim ple and inexpensive, causing no harm to th e stock op era ted on, should th e g raft fail, as th e p la n t in m y opinion shou ld n o t be cu t dow n u n ti l th e re are certa in signs th e g ra ft has tak en a firm and vigorous hold. This w ould be exceptional in o ld trees, say of 4 to 5 years old ; as th e g ra fts could on ly be p u t on a fte r th e tree had been coppiced, an d th e n 3 o r 4 g ra fts m ig h t be p u t on one stock, th e re being p len ty space an d vigour in a h ea lth y 4 o r 5 year old tree . I t w ill, how ever, be m ost obvious “ to a ll" th a t g ra ftin g can only be valuable, when used as a m eans of im prov­ing th e tree opera ted on, by using g ra fts tak en from L edger trees, of ascertained com m ercial value, or fr o m plants raised fro m , seed, carefully taken fr o m valuable trees o j known analysis : then i t w ill be re ­duced to a certainty, an d too m uch care an d a t te n ­tio n cannot be bestow ed on such an easy m eans of im proving th e value of p roperty .

So fa r as I am able to judge, I look on g ra ftin g as u ltim a te ly becom ing one of our o rd in ary indus. t r ia l p lan tin g operations, aud m en w ill be repaid in p roportion , according to th e a tte n tio n an d applieation th ey give to it. Coolies can readily be ta u g h t, and tak e a keen in te rest in it, as I experienced in m y sm all beginning. I m ay m ention I p u t Ledger g ra fts on pubescens stocks, also on officinalis, an d found them grow as read ily as on succirubra.

I used shoots p artia lly ripe, as well as fu lly m a tu re d ; a lso b ranches c u t o u t of th e cen tre of trees, w ith ­o u t th e sign of buds, and a ll have succeeded well. T he operation of g rafting cinchonas in hot.houses has been long p rac tised in Ja v a , and also here for some tim e by an en terpriz ing few, an d w ith g rea t success ; b u t n o t hav ing any prac tica l experience of it, I decline to offer an opinion. G rafiing in-doors and out-doors, each has i ts advan tages and disadvantages, an d tim e and a tte n tio n only can decide w hich is m ost suitable. I am p u tt in g in no claim as being th e firs t out-door g rafter. Budding, as a m eans to ­w ards th e sam e end, is being practised , an d I have no d o u b t w ill have its success as g rea t as g rafting .

T here are m any o th e r points connected w ith th is in terestin g operation w hich m ig h t be noticed , b u t le t th is suffice m eantim e; and, as men tu rn ih e ir a t te n ­tio n to i t , each po in t w ill arise in its place, an d no d oub t receive th e a tten tio n i t deserves.

The o th e r m a tte r , viz , hybrid ity o r non-hybridily, I confess I approach w ith fear and trem bling , well know ing how I shall g e t scoffed a t, for m y “ unbelief” in a now, I may say, “ un iversa l th eo re tica l ado p tio n .” W ell sir. I w ill be plain. I am a notorious “ u n ­believer ” in th e h y b r id ity th eo ry ; i t is repu g n an t to m y every sense, m oral and m aterial. I have been very anxiously look ing a round me for now 18 m onths, and have failed even to see a truce of such an agency a t w ork am ong o u r cinchonas. I see vary ing form s am ong th e recognized species, b u t no m ore th a n I see am ong p lan ts of any o th er genera, o r am ong men or anim als, and, unless you call a ll crea ted th ings hybrids, I m ost em phatically p ro te s t against your r ig h t to select th e cinchona fam ily as an excep- j

tion ; m ore p articu la rly a t th is tim e, w hen m en’s i m inds are earnes tly tu rn e d to cinchona as a m eans | of again resto ring th e lo st p rosperity of th e island : I i t has caused d o u b ts an d u n certa in ties, as to th e

fitness of cinchona grow ing, arising o u t of th e h y b r id ity heory.

I t w ould be o u t of place fo r m e to e n te r in to a theo re tica l discussion as to “ what, h y b r id ity is .” L e t us be con ten ted m eantim e w ith th e fac ts before us, a u d accept som e of th e best-know n h y b rid form s. F or exam ple le t u s ta k e th e cinchona know n as “ th e h y b rid ” a ll over th e country , w ith a ll i ts o th e r aliases, pa td de gallinazo, pubescens, an d now recen tly re-baptized robusta.

I have know n th is form of cinchona grow ing in C eylon fo r over 17 years ; I am able to trace its descent from seed for seven generations. D u rin g th a t p eriod indeed I can p rove its co-existence w ith th e succirubra, side by side, before o u r cinchonas were raised from seed in th e country , being on ly p ropag­a te d b y cu ttin g s ; I s ti l l find i t the same beautiful graceful tree , never varying, “ th e m ost e legan t of a ll our c inchonas” ; an d y e t accord ing to th e popular theory , I am asked to accep t i t as a “ m odern h y ­b rid crea tio n .”

A ll th e seed I have sow n of th e v arious form s of cinchona have come tru e to type.

Men have to ld m e th e y have sow n seed of one tree , an d i t has come u p an e n tire ly d ifferent form from th e paren t. I n each case, how ever, w hen pressed to say if th e y gathered th e seed w ith th e ir own hands, and sow ed i t also, I have been to ld i t cam e from In d ia or J a v a o r elsew here. W ith o u t in ten d in g any im pu ta tion to anyone, I m u st decline such a s ev idence of a h y b rid tendency.

A n o th er common error, you o ften see an d h ear m ade, tend ing to fo ste r th e h y b rid theo ry ; m en look possib ly on p lan ts in th e seed-bed o r n u rse ry an d form op in­ions o u t of th e d isp a rity ex is ting betw een young an d old form s, as, fo r instance, a six-year o ld pubescens w ith its b eau tifu l pendulous b ranches and sm all—a l­m ost g labrous—leaves, hav ing g iven seed w hich p ro ­duces p lan ts of a strong, coarse h a b it , w ith bristly leaves even up to th e tim e th e y are 12 m on ths old, and from th a t period u n til th e tree begins to give seed and assum e its m atu re , g racefu l form th e re is g rea t d isp a rity .

1 tru s t you, sir, w ill allow m e an ea rly o p p ortun ity “ m atu red you a chance of d istingu ish ing the of g iving m ic ra n th a ” from th e com m on succirubra, as, had you known th e g re a t sim ilarity , you w ould have been less severe on M r. Cross for failing to do so w hen draw ings w ere used o n ly ! A g rea te r d iss im ila rity can scarcely ex is t betw een a paren t and progeny th a n betw een m a tu red m icran th a and th e young p lan t, grow n from seed ta k e n from th e tree ; y e t in from six to te n years bo th w ill be alike. T his holds good m ore or less th ro u g h a ll th e species I know of th e cinchona. W ho th a t had n o t seen i t could believe th e very pre tty Ledger seedling, w ith pink- veined, soft, velvety leaf, could ever degenerate in to th e sm all-leaved u n in te re s tin g rig id p y ram id a l tree we find i t a t six years old ?

T im e only can ever se ttle th is th eo ry . M en m u st educate them selves to know young an d old form s as th ey are, and th is can only be a tta in e d by years of observation on each stage of th e grow th an d life of cinchona p lan ts.

M u tila tio n by c u ttin g off low er b ranches has done a g re a t deal in destroy ing n a tu ra l b eau ty in th e c in ­chona fam ily and rendering th e ir d istin c tio n more d ifficult.

T he th eo ry of h y b rid ity can on ly be believed for a very sh o rt period longer, for, when m en see p lan ts, as th ey grow up , asum ing th e form of th e paren t, and no new hybrids being produced, th e t r u th w ill be forced on th em and h y b r id ity w ill perish.

I m ake no p re tension of hav ing m ore know ledge of th is sub jec t th a n m any m en I know , am ong w hom a re som e of m y o ldest an d m ost esteem ed f r ie n d s ;

b u t we seem to have view ed th ings th ro u g h d ifferent m edium s, and our experience differs. I have had con­siderable tim e given me to w atch th e g row th and developm ent of cinchona in Ceylon. The, p la n t w as fam iliar to m e w hen you could have counted th e num ber on th e d ig its of one hand.

Allow me, sir, m conclusion, to add my testim ony to th e recognized fact, th a t to yourself more th a n any o th er m an in the co u n try do w e owe a large am oun t of our know ledge regard ing th e cinchona p la n t.—I am , yours fa ith fu lly , W . S M IT H .

S P A R R O W S AS IN S E C T IV O R O U S B IR D S .Q ueen’s H otel, K andy, 17th A p ril 1882.

S ir,— D uring a p leasan t v is it to th e h ill country , I h eard m any d iteussions upon th e d iseases now ravag­ing th e coffee trees, an d also various m ethods proposed for destroying them .

I have n o t stud ied th e m a tte r scientifically. T h is has a lready been m oat ab ly done by w iser m en, b u t th e expenses w hich m ust a tte n d th e suggested chem ­ical appliances, te ll much against th e ir being generally adop ted , w ith o u t w hich th e y would be useless.

N ow i t seems to me th a t a cheap an d practical rem edy is a t hand, i.e., th e common sparrow . N o­body th a t has trav e lled in th e F a r W est can have fo r­go tten th e snug l it t le breeding boxes p u t up fo r these insect destroyers a t every v au t <ge place, and even as recen tly as 1873 i t was an offence (w ith a fine of five dollars) to k ill one ; for w ithout them vegetation was unable to m ake m uch w ay against th e ravages of grubs, e tc ., etc. A t any ra te i t would be an inexpensive experim ent to have a few dozen sparrow s tu rn ed ou t upon an estate . T hey w ould very soon be a t home in th e cinchona trees, and n o t welcome guests to the big green g rubs and beetles th a t now abound, and are the cause of these diseases, w inch, in my opinion, in th e course of a year o r tw o, w ould th en d isappear.

I do no t im agine th e au th o ritie s a t Colombo or K andy would allow the sparrow s abo u t these tow ns to be c iu g h t and sen t upcou n try (th ey value them too h igh ly I guess) b u t some could q u ick ly be obtained from F rance or E ngland , an d for increasing th e species i would back them against rabb its. I enclose m y card , hoping you w ill give th is le t te r space iu y ou r paper, an d th a t th is , or some o th er m eans, m ay soon be found to relieve th e p lan ters, for k in d er or m ore hosp itab le men I never m et. — I am , sir, yours obed ien tly , P . M.

O U TD O O R G R A F T IN G .N u w ara E liya, 22nd A pril 1882.

D e a r S i r , — W ith reference to y our a rtic le o n o u t­door g r a f t in g , I rem em ber tran s la tin g for M r. de B avay, as fa r back as Novem ber 1880, a le tte r on th is subject, w hich was pub lished in your puper-

E xperim ents in th is system of propagation w ere tr ie d by h im on S pringke ll estate , D im bula, in Ju n e 1880, w here various k in d s of cm chona w ere g rafted on to euccirubra stocks and severa l g ra fts w ere se n t to D rayton and Logie.

Great, care should be tak en th a t th e cambiums of stock and grate touch each o th er, o therw ise th e y will no t u n ite .— Y ours fa ith fu lly , M. B R E M E R .

L IB E R IA N C O F F E E T R E E S A N D SPA R R O W S.23rd A pril 1882.

S i r .— W hen I saw Mnusawa L iberian trees a y ear ago, I was to ld , I th in k , th a t th ey w ere nine y e .r s old. T hey w ere “ off bearing ,” b u t seem ed to have about a ton an acre on them . D oubtless, h o w ­ever, th e owner-', Mr. Rollo o r Mr. P h ilby , can give \ou m ore exact in fo rm atio n .— Y ours faith fu lly ,

PT E R O D A C T Y L .P .S .— W h a t price w ill “ P. M .” give for h is sp a r­

row s Y G uaran teed to th riv e upcountry .

A C U R E FO R R E D A N TS.D im bula, 23rd A pril.

D ear S ir , —Y our correspondent “ H . J . ” will, I th in k , find fire a very effective rem edy . I once used i t on an esta te in the B adulla d is tr ic t where th e re was a p a tch of coffee thar, coolies avoided as m uch as possible : some of th e trees had so m any as th re e n es ts in them . A s i t w as im p o rtan t to d estroy th e nests w ith o u t arousing th e an ts , I tie d branches of d ry m ana grass to long poles, an d hav ing sp rin k led th e grass w ith kerosiue (a very sm all q u an tity ) p laced th e fire u n d e r each nest in succession. A grea t m any of th e an ts w ere b u rn t, an d those th a t escaped took c ire n o t to come back.

P recautions should , of course, be tak en ag a in s t the h ie burn ing an y th in g m ore th a n th e n e s ts .—Y ours fa ith fu lly , B.

{ T h is rem edy, if adopted , shou ld ce rta in ly be tr ie d only in w et weathet*.— E d .]

D IS E A S E -R E S IS T IN G L IB E R IA N C O F F E E T R E E S .

U dapolla , Polgahaw ela, 24th A pril 1882.D e a r S i r ,— On some of th e L iberian coffee p lan ts

th a t I consider leaf-disease resis ting , I no ticed a few yellow spots on a few leaves, w hich 1 th o u g h t m igh t be h-mileia, an d some leaves had sm all p e rfo ra tions in them , th e re su lt, as I th o u g h t, of these spots. To se ttle th e m a tte r I fo rw arded a few leaves of each so rt to D r. T rim en, an d asked h im for h is opinion, w hich he very k in d ly an d p rom ptly gave ; an d i t is very encouraging to learn from h im th a t he can “ find no trace of kemileia. ” This s tren g th en s me m uch in my belief th a t we have tw o, if n o t th ree , varie ties of L iberian coffee th a t can effectually re sis t th e disease, though th e y m ay n o t be really -proof against i t . W hen i t is considered th a t these d isease-resis ting varie ties are sc a tte red a ll over th e es ta te , an d in a ll situa tio n s , of soil, aspect an d exposure a re equally free from disease, w hile those in th e ir im m ediate neighbourhood are affected m ore o r less, 1 th in k i t is s tro n g p re su m p t­ive evidence th a t th e re is som eth ing in th e trees th e m ­selves th a t gives them th is im m unity . A s D r. T rim en ’s le tte r will no doubt in te re s t your readers, I enclose i t .— Y ours tru ly . W IL L IA M JA R D 1 N E.

Peraden iya, 20 th A p ril 1882. D ear S ir,— I can find no tra c e of kemileia in th e

spo tted leaves of L iberian coffee you send, an d see no reason to consider th e spots due to “ leaf-d isease .”

Such discolourations, o r local changes in th e green colouring m a tte r , are b y no m eans uncom m on in very m any d ifferent k in d s of p lan ts, and , a lth o u g h evidences of fa ilu reo fperfec t nu tr itio n , a re n o to f aserious character.

I am g lad to h ear th a t you find so m any of yo u r L iberian p lan ts keep free from kem ileia , an d hope th a t th e y w ill con tinue so. I t is I th in k a t lea-it p rem atu re to speak of th em as “ proof” ag a in s t it. I canno t conceive an y coffee p la n t being th a t . B u t it is a g rea t th in g to get a coffee w hich suffers so m uch les-; dam age from th e a tta c k s of th e fungus, and th a t we have, I th in k , iu L ib e rian .— I am , yours, fa ith fu lly , H e n r y T r i m e n .

M R . T . N . C H R IS T IE O F M A S K E L IY A ON H Y B R ID IT Y A N D O P E N -A IR G R A F T IN G .

i5t. A ndrew ’s, M askeliya, 24 th A p ril 1882. D e a r S i r , —T he le tte rs from M essrs. W m . S m ith

and Gam m ie, in yo u r issue of 21st, give new life to th e a n ti-h y b rid is ts ; so, as a be liever in th e cross- fertilization of th e varie ties of cinchona, I claim space for a counterb last.

F a c ts a re w h a t w e w an t, a n d I g lad ly co n tr ib u te m y m ite . In J u ly and A ugust la s t, I enclosed ca re ­

fu lly , in bags of th e finest goesam er gauze, several clu ste rs of L edger-buds, and, as th e buds opened in to blossom, I fertilized them w ith officinalis and succirubra pollen, by m eans of a fine hair-pencil. A fte r destroy ing th e unopened buds, I replaced th e gauze covering. In one case I opened th e buds before th e y b u rs t and c u t o u t th e stam ens and fertilized w ith officinalis pollen. In a ll cases th e blossoms se t and produced fru it. O th e r c lu ste rs of blossom enclosed in th e gauze an d n o t fertilized failed to se t one-th ird of th e ir blossoms, and in some cases n o t a single blossom se t. On an officinalis tree , I se lected tw o c lu s te rs ; covering as before, one 1 fertilized w ith Ledger pollen , th e o th er 1 le ft alone.

T he blossom s so fertilized becam e f ru it an d w ere to ta lly d ifferent from any of th e o th e r capsules on th e tree, being la rg er an d rounder.

In th is one case, u n fo rtu n a te ly , an acciden t h ap ­pened to th e seed before i t waq ripe.

T he o thers have been sow n and are now tin y seed­lings. W h a t form th ey m ay ta k e rem ains to be seen, b u t I am convinced th a t th e blossoms w ere crossed, and w h a t I d id w ith a hair-pencil could, 1 canno t d oub t, be done b y th e antennae of an insect. I do n o t suppose th a t such crossing goes on to any very g rea t ex ten t, for, as a rule, th e d ifferent varie ties are p lan ted separa te ly , an d in some degree differ in th e ir blossom ing seasons, besides th e re being b u t few insects to carry th e pollen.

So far th e h y b rid b a ttle has been fought on th e question of a p articu la r, though vary ing , form being o r n o t being a m ix tu re of succirubra and officinalis, b u t are th e an ti-h y b rid is ts p repared also to discover in th e L edger-succirubra and Ledger-officinalis hyb rid s new varieties ?

A m ongst th e Y arrow Ledgers th e re are th re e or four sp lend id ly grow n trees w hich, w hen young, h ad a ll th e velvety bloom an d o th er charac te ris tics of a L edger, b u t are now obviously a cross w ith succirubra. One of th em a t 3 years of age, analyzed by H ow ard, gave p er cen t su lpha te . I n tim e to come th is h y b rid will oust th e succi-officinalis hybrid , as i t is q u ite as ro b u st an d m uch richer. T here a re also a t Y arrow tw o or th ree specim ens of th e Ledger-officinalis h y b rid s : th e y also as young p lan ts, and th e ir suckers, shew ed th e ir L edger paren tage, an d of th is h y b rid I have tw o specim ens here, ris in g 3 years of age. I consider th is to have th e officinalis s tra in in it, be­cause, firstly , its leaves are in te rm e d ia te betw een L edger and officinalis; secondly, because its g row th a t 3,000 fee t ( th o rg h very good) is n o t so g rea t as a t 4,200, w here i t riva ls any cinchona in size ; and th ird ly , because ray specim en here is now blossoming, a precocity w hich a pu re Ledger, free from officinalis ta in t , w ould never be gu ilty of. I ts blossom ha? m uch of th e droop of th e L edger w ith some of th e colour of officinali-. I w ish I could convert M r. S m ith to m y ideae of hybrid s as easily as he d id me to his idea* of g rafting . A fte r seeing his g ra fts and g e ttin g a less >n, J f u n d no d ifficulty , even though i t was th e w rong season, in succeeding, and tw o m onths o ld g rafts have now a 2-inch sp rou t on them . I f th e stock be p lian t enough, I th in k bending over an d pegging i t dow n sends th e sap in to th e scion suffici­en tly . w hile p rev en tin g any danger from bleeding. So far, I have been m ore successful in m y outdoor g ra fts th a n in those u n d er glass. W ith coolie? as operato rs, i t is p robab le th a t indoor g ra ftin g iw ill have th e advan tage of being m ore easily superv sed , b u t th a t , I th in k , is its only advan tage .—Your? f a ith- fu lly , T H 0 8 . N O R T H C H R IS T I E.

P . S .— From S a tu rd a y ’s paper, ju s t to han d , I am g lad to see th a t M r. Forbes L aurie now agree? w ith m e abo u t h y b rid seed often rev ertin g to o th e r types. I th in k he is r ig h t as to th e re being h y b rid s and

hybrids. T he p resen t rush for any p la n t o r seed th a t has th e s lig h tes t claim to illegitim acy w ill end in d isappoin tm ent.

M R . J . B A G R A ’S ID E A S ON H Y B R ID IZ IN G , S P O R T IN G A N D G R A FT IN G .

A p ril 24th.D e a r “ O b s e r v e r , ” — I am very m uch in te rested ,

an d edified from th e perusal of yo u r a r tic le on cinchona, iu yo u r issue of th e 21st iu s t., am i also M r. S m ith ’s le t te r on g ra ftin g and hybrid ity .

I have been a sem i-practical working b o tan is t since I was 14 years old, and am now tu rn e d 40 years. I m ight th u s a lm ost claim th e r ig h t to croa.s sw ords w ith such an au th o rity as Mr. S m ith —a man for whom I bave the g rea te s t esteem as an ag ricu ltu ris t in a ll i ts b ranches. B u t as I w rite th is in a ll good fa ith , agreeing w ith him on th e whole, and on ly in th e hope th a t an y h in t I g ive m ay be useful to him or to som e others, I t r u s t he will no t h i t me in th e eye n ex t tim e we m eet, because I see fit to differ w ith h im on some poin ts of in terest.

In th e firs t place, g rafting in U va has no t been a success in m y experience, an d w ould requ ire m ore care th an w e bestow ed on th e few tr ia ls , and for open-air I shou ld advise th e su ccirub ra stocks to be p lan ted firs t in a long bed, say 4 fee t wide by an y leng th a t 9 inches ap a rt, an d when a t p roper size, say 15 or 18 inches h igh an d £ to j an inch d iam eter, th ey are ready fo r th e g ra ftin g process. To shade th e bed w ith coir m a ttin g —double, if i t is considered necessary— and for g ra fts never to tak e side branches b u t suckers, e ith e r from th e good tree o r stools a f te r coppicing of approved varie ties, th e process as described by Mr. S m ith is qu ite correct. Only I should break out th e to p or c u t it.* T h is w ould n a tu ra lly send th e sap m ore to th e g ra ft. In th e case of o ld stools t. e, trees th a t have been cu t dow u, I find th e excessive flow of sap is very a p t to k ill th e g ra fts before th ey can ta k e a h o ld ; so on th e whole I q u ite d isapprove of th is system . T h e reason w hy 1 ob jec t to side b ranches for g ra fts is th a t they seldom ta k e th e u p rig h t form b u t go off in u n h ea lth y branches w ith o u t any leader. Now as to hybrid iz ing , i ex pect M r S m ith w ould be m ore correct, if he refe rred ra th e r to the. an im al th a n th e vegetable kingdom . In i t we can g e t “ m ules” b u t no th ing fu rth e r : and, if he w ill only consider and ask h im self where our im proved varie ties of cabbage, Iu rn ip s , oats, apples, pears, peaches &c.. come from , t th in k , w ith th e b eau tifu l flowers th a t bo tan ists have raised, he m ust g ive way an d ad m it th a t h y ­b r id ity is n o t on ly possible b u t common in a ll p lan ts of th e sam e geneva ; an d th e c inchona—le t i t be succirubra, officinalis or an y o th er v a r ie ty —is still a cinchona, and, a lthough a herm aphrod ite , is as sensitive to contam ination from o th e r varie ties w ith in reach as a p a tc h of seed tu rn ip s . I could g ive crucialinstances in m y own experience, m w hich I am p er­fectly satisfied of th e fact, b u t have n o t space a t th is tim e. As to th e sp o rtin g theory, I d o n ’t lik-* th e n a m e ; in fac t l a m as m uch opposed to i t t as is M r. S m ith to the hybrid . In a seedling of any k in d . I should p u t i t to hybrid iz ing iu som e shape. Abranch o u p la n t or tree ta k in g new colour in leaf o flower a sport, and m ay be p erpetuated by- cu ttin g s or g rafts , alw ays liab le to re tu rn to th e orig inal.—Y ours very tru ly , J . BA G RA .

* M r. C hristie ’s suggestion to bend and pegdow n th e to p ot th e stock p la n t seems preferable. — E d .

+ T he “ C olum bine,” p e tun ias, &v., sp o rt in a m anner th e m ost m arvellous, w hile in .lava th eL an tan a is “ a th ing of b e a u ty ,” w ith rich orange, pale yellow , rose p in k and snow w h ite blossom s ou th e sam e bush .— Ed .

MR. W. IX B O SA N Q U ET’S C O N T R IB U T IO N TO T H E " H Y B R I D ” C O N TR O V ER SY .

Y oxford, D itnbula, A p ril 25th , 1882.D e a r S i r ,—T he con troversy on th e sub jec t of

robusta, Cinchona is fa s t a rriv in g a t th e vehem ent stage betw een th e tw o rival parties. Is i t n o t possible th a t th e t ru th is to be found halfway?

I would v en tu re to suggest, su b jec t to th e cor­rec tion of bo tan ists , th a t we are being led a s tra y by th e misuse of th e word hybrid , and th a t w e should be more s tr ic tly correct in looking upon th e robusta as a cross betw een officinalis and succirubra. Cross fertiliza tion is in n a tu re a daily occurrence an d D ar­win has proved th a t its tendency in p lan ts is to th e production of more robust offspring, while eelf-fertiliz- tion has the opposite result.

T h a t the robustas are a cross betw een officinalis an d succirubra seems to me a fac t da ily p roved to one’s observation. I have sow n seed from so-called h y b rid trees, w hich has p roduced bo th officinalis and succirubra p lan ts with every v a rie ty of in term edia te type. I have in m any cases seen p lan ts w hich showed all th e well-known characteristics of succirubra, change between th e firs t and second y ea r in to robustas. I have also seen a robusta tre e of th e best ty p e th ro w ­in g up a sucker, w hich was to all appearance a fine su c c iru b ra ; and , in th is es ta te , I have a young su c­c irub ra w ith a sucker grow ing up ev iden tly a robusta.

In rep ly to M r. G am m ie as regards th e p lan ts around us, w hat is th e te a which is being so rap id ly ex tended b u t a so-called h y b rid ?*

I hope th a t m y suggestion m ay come as a resto ra tive to some bew ildered brains, and , if n o t s tr ic tly scientific, y e t th e facts I have quoted are som ew hat difficult of d igestion for those who hold th a t robusta is a d is tin c t species.— Y ours fa ith fu lly , W m . D, B O SA N Q U ET,

[On t h e o t h e r h a n d t h e r e c a n b e n o d o u b t t h a t f o rm s n o w k n o w n a s h y b r i d o r r o b u s t a a p p e a r e d a m o n g s t t h e e a r l i e s t c in c h o n a c u t t i n g s f r o n t I l a k g a l a . — E d ]

S p a r r o w s a s I n s e c t ic id e s . — W e have received a le t te r on th is subject, w hich will be found elsewhere. W e m ay s ta te th a t th e sparrow is p len tifu l enough in our Ceylon tow ns, how ever ra re he m ay be in country d istric ts . B u t, even if sparrow s abounded on estates, w ould they or could th e y d ig out th e cock­chafer g rubs from th e ir beds deep dow n in th e soil ? F o r th is purpose an insectivorous bird far m ore likely to be valuable is th e large A ustralian shrike, popularly know n as th e “ m agpie ,” a supp ly of w hich we hope soon to in troduce. If sparrow s w ere w anted, th e A ustra lian colonists w ould th a n k ­fully m ake us welcome to th e hundreds of thousands for th e d estru c tio n of w hich th e y are offering rew ards. These birds, and even th e xnina*, p refer th e f ru it so largely cu ltiv a ted near A u s tra lian tow ns to insects of any sort, and are so destru c tiv e as to be reckoned, like th e rabb its, a form idable curse. P erhaps the sparrow so usefu l in A m erica is a d ifferent species. O ur corresponden t is, of course, aw are, th a t w h a t coffee chiefly suffers from is a fungoid plague, w hich no b ird we fear w ould m eddle with. I f w e could g e t r id of “ leaf d isease ,” we could m ore easily deal w ith g rub or bear w ith its ravages, T he coffee tree is now a tta c k e d by g rubs a t th e roots an d a fungus in the leaves.

* This is an illustration which has weighed strongly with us and which we have emphasized in arguing with the anti-hybridists. No Indian planter doubts th a t

best Assam hybrid tea,” owes its origin to the indige­nous Assam tea and the China teas introduced at the instance of Lord AVm. Bentinck’s Government by Mr. Fortune. Hybrids resulted, which are less delicate than the indigenous and in every way superior to China. The quality of the hybrid, too, seems persistent, although exceptional plants occur.—Ed .

C o f f e e P e s t s .— S ir,— T h e m oths described b y your corresponden t “ S outh W y n aad ” a re com m only called H um m ing B ird H aw k m oths (Sphingidse). 'i h ir ty -th re e new species w ere described by M r. A rth u r G ardener B u tler, f .l . s . , F .z s . , in th e proceedings of th e Zoolog- ical Society of London, for 1875. One of these new species is from Coim batore, so th a t S outh W y n aad should secure specim ens in case i t m ig h t tu rn o u t th a t h is pests are a new species. D ilu te carbolic acid w ill probably destroy th e eggs.—H . R. P . C. in M , M ail.

C a r e f u l an d observant gardeners have long been aw are th a t th e shade of grow ing trees wes exceed­ing ly unfavourab le for th e developm ent of p lan ts, an d now scientific research gives the reason as follow s : — M. P aul B ert has show n th a t green lig h t h inders th e developm ent of p lan ts, w hich is th e reason th a t g rass does n o t g row well u n d e r trees. W e have often u rged th e necessity of avoiding tb e shade of grow ing trees as m uch as possible, m ore especially w ith reference to an y th in g p u t in to th e open ground ; b u t i t is equally w rong in princip le to grow p o t p lan ts u n d e r such, or, in fact, under an y liv ing sh a d e .— Queenslander.

P a p e r a s C o v e r in g f o r S h a v e d C in c h o n a . —As a tten tio n seem s to have been excited by an adver­tisem en t for o ld new spapers, we m ay say th a t, as y e t, all w e know is th a t , in in ter-m onsoon periods, s to u t b row n paper has been found an effectual p ro ­tec tion for shaved cinchonas, on E rro ll es ta te , D ikoya. B u t M r. P o rte r, who a ttra c te d our a tte n tio n to trees so p ro tec ted , d id n o t hope th a t th e pap er w ould s ta n d th e force of th e sou th -w est monsoon. W e suggested “ -and we m ean to tr y the ex p erim en t—th a t th e brow n paper m ig h t answ er if th e outside was ta rred . W e are also going to tr y w h a t the sta tio n e rs call “ duck-back p a p e r ,” b u t t h a t is expensive. If th e o ld new spapers a re w an ted fo r th is purpose, we suspect several folds m u st be la id on, ta rred on th e outside. B u t th e in g en u ity of p lan te rs , once on the tack , will soon d iscover a cheap an d effectual covering. P ap e r rea lly can be used fo r any purpose : from a la d y ’s billet doux to ra ilw ay carriage wheels. W hy n o t th en as clo th ing for cinchonas ?

G o v e r n m e n t P l a n t a t io n s in A s s a m .— A m ong th e experim en ta l p lan ta tio n s k e p t up by th e F o re s t D e­p a r tm e n t in A ssam , tb e m ost im p o rtan t appear to be th o se reserved fo r teak , ru b b e r an d cinchona. T he te a k p lan ta tio n a t T u ls i is rep o rted as being in a m ost p rom ising s ta te of progress w ith reg ard to th e shape an d g row th of the trees. T be o ldest of tb e trees w hich w ere p lan ted in 1872 have now reached an average h e ig h t of 50 fee t, w ith a g ir th of 1 foot 9 inches, and th e younger blocks of trees a re said to be equally prom ising. T here is also a sm all p lan ta tio n a t M akani, in th e L ak h im p u r d is tr ic t, consisting of 2,160 trees, w h ich are said to be g row ing w ell. T he ru b b e r p la n t­ation in th e D urrung d is tr ic t J s also favourab ly re ­p o rted on. T hese young tre e s have h ith e r to suffered m uch from th e dam age done b y deer, b u t du ring th e la s t year a p roper system of p ro tec tio n was organized, and th e re has consequen tly been a m arked im prove­m ent in th e vigorous g ro w th of th e trees. T he p la n t­ation contains abo u t 10,600 trees, besides abo u t 500 o thers along th e roads an d boundary lines. T he nurseries are also in a very flourishing condition , a considerable num ber of th e tre e s being over te n fee t h igh ; and i t is now hoped th a t the re will every year be a sufficient num ber of p la n ts to com m ence regu lar annual extensions. T h e cinchona p lan ta tio n is un- favourab ’y repo rted on ; th e site on th e K hasi h ills is ev id en tly n o t a t all su ite d to th e grow th of the p lan ts. Some slig h t a ttem p ts have also been m ade to form an orchard a t Shillong— an ex perim en t no t im m ediately connected w ith fo res try — and th e s e e d lin g , as w-H as grafted trees, of apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, and o th e r f iu its are doing w ell.—M . M ail.

T h e local paper te lls u s th a t, a f te r severa l days of unusually su ltry w eather, a th u n d ersto rm h u rs t over D arjeeling on Friday- afternoon, b ring ing w ith i t a fall of ra in w hich la s te d for some hours. Some hail also fell on the road betw een K urseong and Sonada, b u t noth ing so far has been heard of dam age being done to te a p lan ta tions. Tea m anufactu re is now in fu ll sw ing th ro u g h o u t the d is tr ic t. T he h o t, sunny days w hich follow ed th e rain th a t fell la s t week have had th e n a tu ra l effect of forcing o u t th e flush very rap id ly . — Pioneer.

L a r g e D e m a n d a n d H i g h P r ic e f o r T e a S e e d i n 1882.—W e are im form ed on th e b e s t a u th o r ity tlm t th e dem and for tea seed th is year for season 1883 is a lready large, an d is lik e ly to be very m uch larger, w hile th e prices a sk ed an d ob tained a re exceptionally high . W e believe th a t the w hole of th e crop of th e lead ing A ssam seed gardens is already bespoken a t a very h igh figure. T h is show s the in ten tio n to ex ten d , considerably in th e various d is tr ic ts . Those desiring to secure seed for n e x t season h ad b e tte r lose no tim e in m aking arrangem ents. — In d ia n Tea Gazette. j

A d u l t e r a t io n i n t h e U n it e d S t a t e s . — B ad as , w e a re in th e m a tte r of a d u lte ra tio n in E n g la n d , ; th ings a re ce rta in ly w orse in th e U n ite d S ta tes, according to a rep o rt ju s t p resen ted by a com- ; m ittee on th e su b jec t to Congress. F o r exam ple b lack pepper has been so effectually sophistica ted th a t the tra d e appears to have lo st a ll know ledge of th e genuine artic le . F o r tea U ncle Sam d rin k s black-lead , indigo, P ru ssian blue, chrom e yellow , V enetian red , carbonate of copper, and arsenic of copper. T he cup will h a rd ly cheer th e d r in k e r w ho knows its com position .— Globe.

R u b b e r S e e d s . —W e have seen some of th e new k in d s of ru b b e r seeds im ported b y a gen tlem an w ho has p laced th em in th e han d s of M essrs. Lee, H edges , & Co. fo r sale, T he im p o rte r w rites :— “ T hey a re j th e firs t seeds of th e k inds, I believe, ever im ported i in to Asia, w tili th e exception of a few P a ra seeds sen t from K ew to P erad en iy a . T h e re have been a few P ark cu ttin g s d is tr ib u te d from these t rees a t P e rad en i­ya, b u t i t was found th e y w ould n o t grow' from cu ttings, and th e trees are sa id n o t to have borne a seed as y e t. So, w ith th e excep tion of these few trees a t P eraden iya p lan ted fa r too close, I bi-lieve, and iu an u n su itab le place, P ark rubber has not as y e t h ad a tr ia l in C eylcn. I was p a rticu la rly w arned of th e lim ited dem and for C eara ru b b er, an d I was to ld th e y d id n o t use i t a t a ll, b u t th a t th e dem and for th e superior ru bbers w as un lim ited . I have had th e g rea te s t d ifficu lty in g e ttin g these seeds, an d I believe th e m to be of th e very best k inds of rubbers or c u ltiv a tio n .”

A N e w l y P a t e n t e d T e a B o x has been in troduced , says th e H . <k 0 . M ail. I t is th e inven tion of Mr.Y\ . H . B ennett. In appearance free from an y str ik in g novelties in design or construction , M r. B ennett s box is said to deserve a tte n tio n . I t s chief m erit aud pe­cu lia r ity is th a t four novel and ingenious corner pieces g ive to th e box a s tre n g th and so lid ity w hich are very rem arkab le . I t w ould be d ilficu lt to give an idea | of these s ingu lar co rner pieces. I t m u st suffice to say th a t th ey are angular, and th a t th e sides and ends of th e box are fixed to them in such a way th . t , sh o rt of ex trao rd inary violence, no th ing is likely to d is tu rb th e ir con ten ts . I s n o t th is p a te n t th e same as C antw ell’s invention , w hich w e refe rred to som e m onths ago ? T he descrip tion is alm ost id e n t­ical. A nyhow , w e should say i t was tru ly sending coals to N ew castle to send wooden boxes to C a lcu tta , w here th e y could be m ade q u i'e as well, and in ­fin ite ly cheaper. W e have often expressed surprise th a t some euterprizing m an does n o t s t art a sm all saw ­m ill in C alcu tta . T he p resen t te a chest is a barbarous affair, and in new m ark e ts is enough of itself to se t th e tia d e against looking a t our teas ,— Ind ian Tea G autle.

T h e “ T r o p ic a l A g r i c u l t u r i s t . ” — A Coorg p lan te r is good enough to w rite :— “ A ll who receive th e T ro p ­ical A griculturist in th is q u a r te r are m uch p leased w ith it , an d will, I th in k , con tinue to be regu lar supporters, th e num ber of whom canno t fail to increase as th e value of th e pub lica tion becomes generally k n o w n .”

T h e increase of th e grow th of Ind ian te a (says th e Friend o f In d ia ) has been very rem arkab le . T h e im ­po rts of C hina te a in to th e U n ited Kingdom am ounted , as early as 1804, to 120,214.000 lb . and in 1881 th is had only increased lo 161,608,0001b. or by 34 per cent. T he im ports of In d ian tea for th e sam e tw o years w ere 3,285,000 an d 46,105,000 lb ., an increase for th e la t te r y ear of 1,300 p er cent. I n 1864 th e In d ian a rtic le was 2 0 p er cent, of th e w hole im ­ports, an d in 1881 29 2 p e rc e n t . T h e follow ing are th e im ports for a considerable tim e h ack : —

China, Japan, and Java Tea. Indian Tea.Y ear. Lb. Year. Lb.1664... 2 1851.. 262,8391745... 730,000 1861.... 1,520,0001746... 2,358,589 1864.... 3,285,0001784... 4,948,943 1865... 2.510,0001533 | Term initionof the

E .I. Co.’s monopoly1866...1867...

5.133.0007.081.000

1S64... 120,584,0011 186S... 8,133,0001868... 118,450,000 1869... 15,522,0001869... 145,422,000 1870.. 18,434,0001871.. 151,149,1 0I> 1871.... 16,101,0001872... 161, f,02,000 1872.... 17,748,0001873... 144,610 000 1873... 19,390,0001874... 139,876,1 00 1874... 18,374,0001875... 168,886,000 1875... 26,114,0001876... 155,997,000 1876... 30,253,0001877... 152,747,000 1877..., 33,753,0001878... 164,808,000 1878.... 66,852, 001879... 145,212,000 1879..... 38,865,0001880... 157,380,000 1880.... 45,729,000188L... 161,66^,000 18 1... 46,195,000

F i s h C u l t u r e a t t h e P e o p l e ’s P a r k , M a d r a s .— M r. T hom as, th e ta le n te d a u th o r of the “ R od iu In d ia ,” has u n d ertak en 'o im prove th e stock of fish in the People’s P a rk . T he au th o rities have prom ised h im assistance, in th e shape of money' an d m achinery', &e., an d th e lovers of th e gen tle cra ft w ill, w e b e ­lieve, ere long be able to enjoy excellen t fishing in M adras. In th e ponds a t p resen t, a g rea t v arie ty of fish are to be found; some of considerable size and of g re a t beau ty , b u t they are badly arranged. P redato ry fishes should he in a ta n k by them selves. T h is Mr.

: T hom as is abo u t to rectify . Y esterday m orning, a t about G a .m ., a large num ber of gentlem en and several lad ies assem bled to w itness th e cap tu re of a lo t of fish from a pond a t th e n o rth e rn end of th e P a rk . A steam pum p was se t to work, and, soon cleared o u t alm ost th e whole of the w ater. A s i t becam e low, th e fish p layed an d d a rted ab o u t in every d i­rec tion ; th e n a body of fisherm en en tered the w ate r w ilh c a s in g nets, e tc ., an d d rew o u t h u n d red s of fish. T he tierce-looking m urra l was d raw n o u t in th e sam e net w ith th e lively m agalops, and shoals of p re tty silver fish of a ll shapes an d sizes. N u tr itio u s eels w ere n e tted w ith lazy to rto ises ; th e banks of th e pond w ere soon a g litte rin g m ass of fish. T hey w ere quickly sorted , p laced in ch a ttie s and conveyed to o th e r ponds, a ll th e fierce o r p red a to ry fish being p laced in one p a rtic u la r pond. T he scene p roved very exciting to a large num ber of k ites an d crows, w ho had a rich cho ta hazree on any strugg ling fish th e y could catch . A fte r having p a rta k e n of tea and coffee provided by M r. Thom as, and enjoyed th e m orn­ing very m uch, th e p a r ty w ent aw ay pleased w ith w h a t th ey had seen . — M adras M ail. [W e should be glad if our riv ers and pools w ere equally w ell slocked. B u t th e p red a to ry fish, tu rn ed in to th e sam e pond to feed on one ano ther, m u st have fe lt, as d id th e pickpockets a t th e E xh ib ition of 1851, w hen th ey found th e Police show ing thnre a ll in to one room !—E d . j

N IL G IR I C IN C H O N A B A R K D E S P A T C H E D TO

LONDON.

A M adras G overnm ent paper, d a ted 8 th M arch , con- a ius a form idable array of figures, each one of 360 bales of cinchona, sen t by P . & 0 . steam er N epaul, being des­cribed in detail. T he uniform n e t w eigh t of th e balesw as 102 lb ., so as to leave 1001b. n e t, a fte r 2 lb . h ad been ta k e n for analysis. T he w eigh t of each gunny package was 8 lb ., so th a t th e gross w eight of each package w as 1101b. VVe quote th e a b s tra c t invoice of 360 bales of bark fo rw arded from th e G overnm ent C inchona P lan ta tio n s, N aduvatam and P y k ara , N ilg iris , d u rin g th e official y ear -1881-82 :—Marks and Numbers. Gross. Tare. N ett.

lb. lb. lb.r 171 to 239 and 292 to 315 )

N -< and 320 to 343 and 401 to V 19,030 1,384 17,646a(.456. J

N f 240 to 274 and 376 to 400 [ and 466 to 470 j 7,150

1520 6,6306

f275 to 291 and 316 to 319N -< and 344 to 375 and 457 V 6,820 496 6,324c

I to 465. JP 1 to 17 1,870 136 1,734dP 18 to 30 1,430 104 1,326cP 31 to 44 1,540 112 1,428/P 45 to 60 1,760 128 1,632,/

Total... 39,600 2,880 36,720Description of bark Number of Bales.

a Natural red bark, 1869 p lan tin g ; grass 173land, Naduvatam ; 5,050 elevation.

6 Prunings red, 1869 p lan ting ; grass land, 65Naduvatam ; 5,050 elevation.

c Root bark red, 1869 planting grass 62land, N aduvtam ; 5,050 elevation.

d Branch red bark (sun-dried), 1866 17planting; Hooker. Decaying trees.

e Root red bark (sun-dried), 1866 13plantation; Hooker. Decaying trees.

/ Renewed red bark (sun-dried), 1866 14planting; Hooker. Decaying trees.

// Natural red bark (sundried), 1866 16planting ; Hooker. Decaying trees.

360A lso a le t te r from J . H . T ay lor, E sq ., L ieu ten an t,

R .N .R ., M aster A tte n d a n t, M adras, to th e Secretary to G overnm ent, R evenue D ep artm en t, da ted M adras, 8 th M arch 1882 :—

“ I have th e honor to inform you th a t , on th e requisition of th e D eputy C onservator of Forests, in charge of C inchona D epartm en t, N ilg iris, f re ig h t has been engaged p er P . & O. S team er N epaul for 360 bales of cinchona bark , consigned to th e R ig h t H on. th e Secretary of S ta te for In d ia , L ondon , a t th e ra te of (£3-12-6) th ree pounds, tw elve shillings, an d six pence per ton , an d th a t they have been insured for (£4,000) four thousand pounds a t th e ra te of one per ce n t., covering a ll risks. B oth fre ig h t an d insurance p rem ium are payab le in London. I h erew ith forw ard tw o copies of th e b ill of lad ing, w hich also covers insurance risk for th e above consignm ent. T he accom ­panying lis t show s th e m easurem ents of th e bales as ta k e n by th e second A ssistan t M aster A tte n d a n t or A gent fo r S h ipp ing and L and ing G overnm ent Con­signm ents, an d i t w ill be seen th a t th e y am oun t to 54 tons, 25 feet, an d 1,454 inches. T he freigh t p ay ­able is (£197-12-5§) one h u n d red an d n inety-seven pounds, tw elve shillings, and five-and-live-eighth pence, and th e insurance prem ium is (£40) fo rty pounds. T he N epaul sailed on th e 4 th in s ta n t (M arch).” [ I t w ill th u s be seen th a t th e m easurem ent tonnage of 306 bales of cinchona, w eighing gross 39,600 lb . and n e t 36,720; 54 tons, 25 feet an d 1,454 inches ; th e P . & O . Com pany fre igh t being £197 and insurance £ 4 0 .—E d.

B U G -S U C K E D C O F F E E B E A N S .A B adulla corresponden t w rite s :— “ T he accom pany­

ing sam ple of coffee beans a re fo rw arded fo r yo u r in ­spection. T hey were p icked a few d ay s ago on an e s ta te in th is d is tr ic t, an d ap pear to be affected by some disease w hich has h ith e r to n o t come u n d er m y o b se rv ­ation . C an you account for th is seem ingly new p e s t .” W ith th is le t te r came a m atch-box filled w ith p a rc h ­m en t beans w hich look as if they had been c u t in pu lp ing . On tu rn in g to N ie tn e r’s. “ Enem ies of the Coffee Tree, ” we find th a t th e o rig in a to r of th e d am ­age is a bug, Strachia geomelrica, a llied to th e so-called green or foetid bug. The la te M r. A lexander B row n seem s to have been th e f i r s t to receive specim ens from B adulla, an d subsequently th e d es tru c tio n caused by th is insect w as confirm ed by several o th er gen tlem en from B adulla. The bug feeds on th e juices of th e berry w hen very young, an d th e evil effect is shew n w hen th e beans m atu re , in th e shape of p u n c tu res iu th e p arch m en t skin, o r m uch la rg er m ark s as if p a rc h ­m en t skin an d bean h ad been eaten aw ay. T he m a rk e t value of th e coffee se n t to u s m u s t be m ost m a te ri­a lly d im in ished . H as th is p es t o r i ts effects been noticed in any o th er d is tr ic t save B ad u lla?

A p la n te r who was in our office th is m orn ing to ld us th a t he had seen coffee w h ich h ad been s tru c k by hail and w hich, w hen pulped , looked as if i t h ad su f ­fered from sm allpox. T h is very appearance of sm all­pox comes o u t on cinchona bark w hen hailstones s tr ik e against it. In Ceylon, how ever, h a il show ers are rare and innocen t of evil, as com pared w ith co n tin en ta l In d ia .

L O W -C O U N T R Y PR O D U C TS.N ear H enara tgoda, 2nd M ay 1882.

A p ril.—T he w eather th is m on th has been d rie r th a n th e norm al A pril. T here w ere some heavy show ers th e firs t th re e d ay s , and again show ers for five days in th e m iddle, b u t, th ro u g h a ll, th e w a te r in th e w ells has con tinued to go dow n, and th e la s t w eek of th e m onth w as in ten se ly dry .

T he L iberian coffee p la n ts have h ad to be w atered tw ice a day , excep t on th e days on w hich ra in fell, an d I am now anxious fo r p lan tin g w ea th er, t h a t I m ay g e t th em o u t to th e field, w here th e y w ill be sa fer th a n in baskets, from w hich th e sun sucks every atom of m oistu re in a few hours, unless we keep p u ttin g on an d ta k in g off shade co n tinually a n d keep th e w atering pans going a ll day . I grudge th e cost of those operations, which th e c rick e ts have h ith e r to rendered necessary , b u t th is season th e y have n o t appeared iu th e ir u sual force, and w ith th e exception of a few seedlings in th e sheds, I have lost none on th e p re sen t occasion. I have th e re fo re p u t dow n 20,000 seeds ou tside for N ovem ­b er p lan ting .

On th e la rg er trees th e crop is ju s t as m uch as can be packed on th e branches, b u t on la s t y e a r ’s p lan tin g th e re is only a s lig h t sp rink ling . T he g row th of th e p lan ts continues sa tisfac to ry . Those p lan ted in J u ly an d A ugust, w ith th re e pairs of leaves, are now from one to tw o feet h igh , an d are beg inn ing to branch , b u t suckers are very troublesom e an d have to be regu larly a tte n d e d to , if a p roper form of tree is desiderated .

D uring th e m onth disease spots have appeared on m any p lan ts h ith e r to free from it, b u t, on th e w hole, i t is n o t so bad as m ig h t be expected from th e n u ­m erous cen tres of in fection th a t ex is t ou th e p ro ­p e rty , an d m any p lan ts have m ore o r less of i t w ith ­o u t suffering m ateria lly from its presence ; an d again, i t has ce rta in ly been shaken off by m any p lan ts th a t h ad m ore or less of i t some m onths ago. I p lan ted o u t a few h u n d red cocoa p la n ts in th e m idd le of th e m onth , an d th e w h ite an ts have a lready gone w ith one-th ird of them , n o r do th e y confine th e ir attentions to very young plants, as they often de­

stroy those th a t a re th re e fee t h igh and in s trong g row th . T h e o lder trees con tinue to p roduce m asses of flowers, b u t s till no signs of fru it.

I paid a v isit to th e H eu ara tgoda garden th e o th er day . T he p lan ts th e re have all the advan tages of good soil an d p e rfe c t she lte r, an d th e cocoa p lan ted th e re a t 10 x 10 feet is ev id en tly fa r too close, and in stead of 100 feet p er tree ev iden tly needs from 200 to 250. On less favoured spots i t may be p lan ted closer, b u t 10 x 10 is too close anyw here. I h ad re ­se rved a low -sheltered po rtion of my new clearing for cocoa alone, w hich I lin ed 1 0 x 1 0 ; now I m u st tak e up th e pegs an d p u t them 13 feet a p a r t on th e qu incunx . T he L iberian coffee trees on th e ad jo in ­ing ground 10 x 10 do n o t now appear a b it too wide, even w here th e y have been allow ed to ru n up , and those th a t have been topped are ev id en tly crow ded.

T he m ost advanced of th e ru b b e r p lan ts are ten feet in he igh t. I suppose th a t is th e usua l grow th in six m onths. A ll th e firs t group are in flower, and I now th in k I have pods th a t w ill rip en w ith in th e year. I feel anxious to ascertain th e re tu rn tin s p la n t is lik e ly to give. A fte r th e firs t tw o years, its cu ltiv a tio n w ill cost only a trifle, b u t I fear th e cost of collecting and p reparing th e produce for th e m ark e t m ay swallow up th e profit. H as th e tree n o t been long enough under cu ltiv a tio n in th e island , for th e ea rliest ad v en tu rers to offer some defin ite inform ation to th e ir less advanced b re th re n ? 1 have a fa in t im ­pression on m y m ind th a t D r. T rim en experim ented on one o r m ore of th e o ldest tree s a t P eraden iya, and th a t th e rep o rt was favourable; but, if th e re w ere an y deta ils , I e ith er never cam e across them , or th ey have escaped m y m em ory, as m any o th e r im p o rtan t fac ts do, if th ey come n o t hom e to m y im m ediate occupations. I w ish you w ould record all know n facts in th e nex t num ber of th e Tropical A griculturist.*

I have n o t been fo rtu n a te w ith cardam om s ; th e y germ inate free ly enough, b u t th e roo ts ta k e such s lig h t hold th a t th e g en tles t w atering w ashes them ou t. I lost one-half iu th e shed, an d n ea rly th e half of w h at rem ained a f te r tran sp lan tin g , an d have only made tw o poin ts. T hey m ust be very sparing ly w atered a n d shaded w henever th e sun sh ines. I am th an k fu l fo r th e w rin k le th a t cam e from th e south , as I had designed to p la n t o u t as soon as th e re was su itab le w eather. Now I w ill defer i t t i l l th ey form bulbs.

1 have p u t dow n a few van illa cu ttin g s ex p erim en t­ally . If th e annual produce of an acre is w orth so m any h u n d red s o r even thou san d s of rupees, I w ish to give m yself a chance of success in such a d e lig h t­fu lly p rofitab le cu ltivation .

W ith such m asses of rock on th e place, I have long been m uch exercised in m ind how to tu rn th em to account, and have finally decided to tr y w hether th e pepper-v ine canno t be tra in ed on them . T he evil days on w hich coffee has fallen, teaches us to d ire c t a t te n ­tion to every cu ltiv a tio n from w hich a possible p ro­fit m ay be derived.

[? Orange, m ango aud o th e r f ru i t trees w ith th e ir branches fixed to th e surface of th e rocks an d ea rth for pineapples p u t on th e tops and in crevices. F ru it w ill be w an ted for the s te am ers .— E d .]

T H E PROG hi-.SS O F IN D IA N T EA IN A U S T R A L IA .

Mr. J . O. M oody, of th e w ell-know n firm of M essrs. Jam es H en ty an d (Jo., M elbourne, iu a, le t te r to us d a ted th e 10th October la s t, w rites as follows :—

Y ou w ill see by th e tw o papers I send you, Argus 5 th O ctober and Age Gth O ctober, th a t a s trong a g it­a tio n is going on, in favor of an A d u lte ra tio n A ct

* Our corresponden t had n o t, apparen tly , read D r. T rim en’s la te s t re p o rt,— E d .

fo r th e colony, and w hich I hope, w hen passed, w ill sh u t o u t a g rea t deal of C hina rubb ish th a t a t p resen t floods th is m ark e t.

M essrs. Cosmo N ew bery an d F re d eric D unn, whose nam es are so free ly used, a re ana ly tica l chem ists con­n ected w ith th e L ab o ra to ry of our In d u s tr ia l and T echnological M useum , th e form er as S uperin tenden t, an d th e la t te r as h is ass is ta n t. T hese gen tlem en have for some years p as t d evo ted considerable a tten tio n to th e analysis of tea , and a re w ell up in th e sub ject. T he large ex h ib it (some 500 d ifferen t sam ples) show n a t our M elbourne In te rn a tio n a l E xh ib itio n , and of w hich M r. N ew bery w as S u p e rin te n d en t of Ju rie s , p laced a t th e ir disposal fo r analysis an d probab ly gave th em o p portun ities unequalled by any previous in vestiga to rs in to th e chem ical analysis of teas.

Y ou could a id th e ir in vestiga tions by p rocu ring for th em sam ples of y o u r d ifferen t g ro w th s of lea from th ree or four d is tric ts , say a few leaves in air-dried condition only, th a t is to say, hav ing passed th ro u g h no m anufacturing process, an d a few sam ples of th e sam e k in d s m anufactu red . H av e Ihese sam ples care­fu lly m ark ed w ith a ll p a rtic u la rs an d th e tim e of p icking, &c.

Some of yo u r p lan te rs would p robab ly be glad to fu rn ish sam ples for th e sake of th e investigations i t opens up , au d th e p rac tica l inform ation i t m ay give. C eylon has a lready fu rn ish ed some sam ples w hich are being analysed. I m ay m ention th a t th e re is d ifficulty iu g e ttin g th e a ir-d ried leaves over in a sound condition , b u t w ith a l i t t le care th is can be m anaged. P erh ap s p ack ing loosely betw een Sw edish filtering pap er (procurab le a t any chem ist’s) would prove a good plan.

W ith regard to th e req u est m ade by Mr. Moody for sam ples of th e d ifferen t grow ths of te a from our various te a d is tric ts , we t r u s t o u r readers w ill h ea rtily respond to th e call. W e w ill he h appy to forw ard free of cost all sam ples in ten d ed for Mr. M oody sent to th is office. T he teas should be carefully packed in tea lend an d so ldered dow n securely. As th ey are in te n d e d fo r th e purpose of analysis, from 5 to 6 ounces shou ld be sen t of each k in d .— Ind ian Tea Gazette.

COCOA (OR CACAO) C U L T IV A T IO N IN . T R IN ID A D .

A t page 5 of D r. T rim en ’s R e p o rt he refe rred to M r. P re s to e ’s rem ark s on th e above cu ltiva tion , and , as w e have been since favoured w ith a copy of th e elabo ra te rep o rt pub lished by th e D irec to r of th e T rin id ad G ardens, w e g lad ly pub lish th e po rtion refe rred to . A p o rtion of M r. P re s to e ’s useful observations on L iberian coffee have a lread y appeared in th e Observer.

323. C acao,—Theohroma cacao.—Considerable tim e and attention, although greatly interrupted, and in consequence attended w ith much waste of material, have been given to th is subject during the year.

324. A larger stock than usual of good varieties has been got together for planting and for distribution in course of acquiring seeds to m eet current demands and for examination aud experiment.

325. The subject I need hardly rem ark is of vast im port­ance t,o Trinidad which—with a leading position as a cacao growing country—possessing very fine varieties of cacao and enjoying highly favourable conditions for their culture— continues to export the bulk of her cacao in an extremely inferior form both as to the natural intrinsic character of the beans and the m anner in which they are prepared.

32G. I t is not desirable, even if it were practicable, to make any lengthy observations on this aspect of the subject, but I m ight properly mention th a t the most im portant points to which I have devoted my attention are : the relative value of the different varieties, and the manner in which they are affected in course of preparation for the m arket and other circumstances on which good or bad cacao depends ■ and in doing so I find a very wide field for investigation open

out,—and in it abundant opportunities for th e employment of high intelligence w ith every prospect of profitable results in respect of cacao produce. In short there is very g reat room for improvement, both in cultivation and in the pre­parations of the ripe cacao bean, suitably—not so much for the m arket—as for the consumer and grower. This, i t ap­pears to me, will depend more largely on a full knowledge of th e different varieties and a correct estim ation of their characteristics—both in the field aud in the curing house— than 011 anything else.

327. U ntil quite lately cacao cultivation has been regarded generally as a common, though ra th e r profitable pursuit, and, except in the capacity of the m erchant dealer, so easily managed and requiring so little knowledge and skdl th a t th e employment of any assistance above the capacity of a labourer was considered unnecessary: so many cutlassings of weed growths a year, and pruning with th e cutlass a t so much per 100 tre e s : supplying plants—no m atter whence obtained—as vacancies may occur : picking th e pods, collect­ing, shelling and laying in heaps, so many days to sweat (and clean); rubbing with or withotit red earth and drying in the sun as weather may p e rm it: bagging and carting to “ store” —all simple operations, and easily got through by th e la­bourer—and which constituted three-fourths of the work of a cacao estate and its store. W ith the m ajority of growers —especially the little once—these are all th e operations necessary ro desirable in the production of cacao. And the local influences are such th a t the prices are accepted as being “ high” or “ low” by causes in no way dependent on the kind or quality of th e cacao produced. The value of th e sample locally is taken to depend m ost largely on its weight. In other respects it may be good or bad, and its character is accepted as unavoidable—whatever it may be. More­over, the bulk of th e cacao grown by small holders or per­sons not capable of, or not caring to do more than, or th ink beyond, the above-named round of plain work, the result is an immense quantity of cacao which becomes by th e tim e it is shipped more or less decayed vegetable tissue: yet, under th e Trinidad name, paying prices are still realized.

328. W ith the vigorous effort now being made, however, a t producing high class cacao in o ther colonies, th is abnorm­al sta te of things is not likely to la s t ; and i t would be well to keep steadily in view th e fact th a t there is no suffici­en t reason or excuse for anything but high class cacao being exported from Trinidad—not all a t once, for, quality depending largely on variety, it would be too great a sacri­fice to suppress the inferior varieties ; yet I venture to say tha t, by properly preparing a ll th e cacao, and separating the good from the inferior kinds, an improvement of 30 per cent m ight be at once realized.

329. The chief cause of th e comparative inferiority of quality in th e great bulk of Trinidad cacao seems to be a want of appreciation of the fact th a t cacao both as to cultivation and preparation is in its infancy, and with rare exceptions there is no thought or desire (as there is no t seen to be any necessity) for pushing it beyond th a t stage.

330. Meanwhile, however, the cacao tree w ith its many varieties of different value to dealer and consum er; its re­quirements in cultivation, in different soils and sites; the systematic gathering aud scientific preparation of th e beans in such manner as to secure to the consumer their substance not only pure and undecomposed, bu t combined w ith all their natural distinctive characteristics of flavour and con­sistence—now rarely p resent—present a new and wide field for the exercise of the best intelligence and skill—alike to the scientific agriculturalist, th e chemist, and the engineer, quite independently of the requirem ents of the m anufact­urer in Europe or America.

331. This will, perhaps, become more apparent on the fol­lowing facts and circumstances being considered :—

1 ° . The export of cacao from Trinidad is now over 13,000,000 tb. and values about £500,000.

2 ° . There is a margin for improvement on the gross export, equal to a t least 20 per cent by a more careful and prom pt preparation even under th e present method (sweating &c.) of preparing. That is to say, if all the cacao produced wer*> as well prepared as th a t of “ San Antonio,” the value would W enhanced to th a t extent. Total value then £600,000.

3 ° . There is a difference of value in th e varieties of cacao amongst the higher class as to quality and productiveness, of a t least three times, and very much more than this be t­

ween the very best and very worst. I f then th e higher class varieties only were grown, there would be again a very im ­portan t improvement in th e to ta l value,the inferior varieties a t present largely predom inating: or, if the inferior varieties as they occur were a t all tim es rigidly separated from the su­perior—and which a t present would be the only way to prevent the occurrence of more or less damaged cacao—an immediate and great gain would result.

4 ° . The cultivation is full of defects th e more serious of which having their origin in the contract system, under which by far the greater p art of th e trees planted during 30 years in the island have been planted. F or instance, no regard has ever been paid to the difference of habit in different varieties; some trees attaining the height of only 10 or 12 feet w ith compact branching, while others are often large spreading trees 40 to 50 fee t high, sim ilarly no attention is paid to varieties in respect to their suitability in different soils and situations, nor, as a rule, even to using seed of good varieties. Thus yield is. affected as well as quality—greatly to the disadvantage of the grower.

332. Cacao trees were form erly planted a t 10 or 12 feet distance or even less by peasant p roprietors; an3 they are still very rarely planted to be perm anent a t greater distance than 15 fee t: the larger growing trees in consequence seriously injure the lesser and slower growing, the larger ones themselves being injured in the process.

333. A nother drawback attending the present too thick and unmethodical planting is the difficulty—if not im practic­ability—:of judicious pruning so necessary fo r regular and full productiveness. In a m ixture of trees of g reat variety in habit of growth, a m aster mind combined w ith the strong hand of the labourer would be necessary to deal w ith the requirem ent in each tree successfully; whereas w ith a uni­form “ plane” over large breadths the work of pruning is reduced to simplicity.

334. Again, some varieties require shade to thrive well; others do n o t : and this requirem ent of shade is again greatly modified according to “ lay ” of land and other conditions of locality.

335. In respect of yield the range is from nearly nothing to 20 IT) of dry cacao per tree for a season. In respect of the value of variety as dependent on the character of the pod and its contents the difference ranges commonly from one to five : some pods consisting of tissue many tim es heavier than their contents, while in others the contents (beans) are as heavy as th e ir pod tissue.

336. As commonly known there is a great difference in the colour, consistence, taste and odour, in the Recently gathered cacao, of different varieties. I t does not appear to be so well known, however, or i t is no t commonly regarded, th a t these distinguishing characteristics are retained into the dried (prepared) state, provided the samples are kept separate and are not subjected to treatm ent th a t will affect the beans abnormally—th a t is to say such as would affect the tissue or chemical constituents beyond what would arise in germination (hastened by m oderate heating) and subsequent prom pt and uniform drying (which process is simply a kind of malting, and w hat is accomplished in the familiar “ sweat­ing” process) and by which the characteristic flavours are greatly developed and made perm anent in the bean. W ith a very wide range of variety as to consistence and flavour, from those inferior beans w ith scarcely any, but w ith a stone-like consistence of tissue, or accompanied w ith intense bitterness, to those having the characteristics of high-class cacao, it is easy to understand how much is lost in respect of distinctiveness of flavour and aroma in the mixture under winch the great bulk of cacao is prepared, and which under the present method—as a rule m ost carelessly conducted— thi- result is the one well known—and only too often “ sour and fusty”—“ new ” cacao flavour.

337. “ Sweating”—th a t is to say, m alting—is commonly regarded as the only means to produce high-class cacao; a t the. same tim e it is well known th a t a t least one kind will “ not sweat;” th a t is to say sweating has no effect to improve its quality in the consistence and flavour of the beans. The “ reason w hy” of this is now well made out, b u t as its ex­planation would be lengthy and necessarily involve an examin­ation of the structural differences of the beans and the various physiological phenomena connected therew ith in germination—and as i t is n o t im portant in th e object of th is Iteport, I leave it for notice in another place.

338. Meanwhile, there are varieties which by simple germ­

ination—of the m atured beans of course—and prom pt drying without the aid of heat, give a high-class sample, both as to consistence and flavour. In both cases the results are dependent on the original chemical constituents of the beaus, as also and largely on the proportion of fat contained, and which is the preservative element in the prepared beans or ‘‘n ibs.”

339. Cacao submitted to the process of m alting judici­ously and afterw ards prom ptly and thoroughly dried is secure against harm from ordinary damp and consequent mildew; for, should the parts or “ n ib s” become by ex­ternal moisture invested in mildew, the internal tissue remains unimpaired and the whole can be cleaned inexpens­ively. On the other hand beans not improveable by “ sweating ” readily take mildew and are a t once damaged all through. They are deficient in fat, and thus readily absorb moisture and spoil even when well dried.

340. In two ordinary varieties of cacao lately analyzed fresh from the pod by Prof. McCarthy, the Government Analyst, the fa t was only 18 per cent in one, while in the other it was over 2b per cent., Theobromine being in nearly the same proportion.

341. The importance of keeping the higher class variet­ies separate would appear obvious, but this should be ar­ranged for in the field in course gathering ; but to do this successfully under the present state of m ixture exist­ing in plantations, skill and special aptitude would be necess­ary.

342. P rom pt drying of the cacao beans on being “m alted ” or germinated, and otherwise treated in a manner to be ready for the drying stage is, perhaps, th e most im portant part of the whole process of preparation, and it is, (under a dependence on sunheat) owing to the generally defective means for doing this iu damp or showery weather during five or six months of the year which contribute m ost largely to the result of an immense quantity of not only badly prepared, but positively damaged cacao yearly exported from the colony.

343. This is more particularly the case with cacao con­tributed by small growers, who, looking to returns by weight and not by quality sweat their cacao (almost always inferior from being gathered without discrimination of ripe and greatly unripe pods) only for the purpose of cleaning the beans to some extent of their mucilaginous covering by common decomposition. Iu this way the beans are more difficult to dry and very often there is not suffici­ent sun heat to prevent them turning black during a single night under the effect of “ mould,” and the sample is ruined.

344. Again, pu t up in sacks for conveyance to store or dealer, while insufficiently dried, mildew and decomposition quickly damage the sample, and various means are there­fore employed to improve the quality externally, for in­ternally no improvement is possible.

345. The remedy to this, and w hat is urgently needed in all parts of the island, is a means for drying artificially —at least as promptly as can be done by the best sun­shine—and to act either as an adjunct to sun-heat dur­ing the day or independent of it both day and night.

346. The requirem ent has suggested to me the applic­ation of the old flue—heated floor of orangeries and con­servatories in Europe, and which, by the simplicity of its construction, its non-liability to get over-heated, (with the simple contrivance of a “ damper ”) and its great power of retaining moderate heat, and otherwise its easy manage­ment, appears to be peculiarly adapted to m eet this require­m ent as it exists with small growers, and who have a cacao house of some sort, for howsoever small the structure, this mean of heating its floor can be applied, a t a pro­portionally small outlay.

3-47. The same means for heating can be applied, not only to the largest estate cacao house, but also to any Receiving House or Ventral Factory th a t m ight be de­vised, and which, after all, is probably the best, if not the only means by which a radical reform and im provement can be wrought in the general work of preparation and export of Trinidad cacao.

318. Tin* ch irf functions of such Factories would be to receive cacao by purchase from the growers—fresh from th e tre< < or }>ods, and so relieve them —or such of them ;us have not the means for properly preparing it them ­selves—of all the work of preparing the beans for the markets, and subjecting them instead to a carefully re­

gulated and scientific process of selection, curing and drying, so th a t only high-class samples of cacao m ight result.

349. W ith the establishm ent of such Receiving Houses or Factories a new phase in th e cacao industry would be entered upon, and a wide field opened up for the employ­m ent of the highest skill and intelligence and by which th a t most im portant p art in th e work of preparation would become practicable v iz :—sorting th e fresh cacao pods into their distinctive varieties, and by which, as I have shown, the value of the samples would be greatly improved. Under such means, and a system as tim e and experi­ence would make perfect, th e outcome of cacao produced m ight be as superior to w hat th e bulk of cacao produced now is, as the Usine crystal sugar is to th e old * Browns’ (w ithout, however, the great expense attending the former) ot as the San Antonio cacao fetching its 105/ to 120/ is to the 4 shop ’ cacao o f the valleys fetching its 30/ to 50/.

350. I t may be expected also th a t th e present m an­ner of exporting cacao as beans in bags would soon be­come obsolete, and the pure unsoiletl nibs or natural seg­m ents of the bean or ‘ kernel,’ (cotyledons) take their place in well-made chests lined within, an d figured and orna­m ented without—to preserve to th e consumer all the aroma and flavour of the well prepared article in its natural purity, and to indicate th e varieties and their characteristics, and a t the same tim e th e ir respective values in a way similar to w hat has become a necessity in re ­spect of wines, teas, tobaccos, cigars, &c.

351. I have designed a plan o f a cacao drying-house (of the style commonly in use a t th e present time) fu r­nished with a flued floor as kiln on the principle m en­tioned, and by the kind assistance o f the Director of Public Works, I am able to append an engraving of same to this Report. I t will be seen from th is th a t th e application of the plan of a ground floor involves no alteration in the style of structure now in vogue ; but, where th e plate is less than 2 feet from th e ground, th e roof m ust be raised, or excavation be made to adm it th e flued floor and furn­aces. As a rule, however, th e heigh t of the cacao house is such as will adm it the flued floor w ithout alteration.

352. The engraving will sufficiently well explain the arrangem ent of the flues &c., but i t m ight be explained th a t th e supporting walls m ay be for small structures of ordinary rough stone, and th e flues would be best laid in gravel, or firm soil w ith which th e whole of th e space between the supporting walls m ight be filled up to level of floor.

353. The flues would in all cases be best and m ost economically laid if formed of concrete in moulded lengths of two feet, w ith movable top and which, now th a t con­crete is being so well understood and largely used here, could be easily obtained or made on the spot.

354. The fuel to be used may be wood of any sort, dry clippings even of the cacao trees ; coarse grass or even leaves, and with a tire kep t going for one hour a t sunset the flues would be sufficiently heated to prevent mouldi­ness for the night.

355. I t will be observed th a t th e trays in which the cacao is placed, run free above the kiln, and they should iu every case have open and spleeted bottom s to allow of of the free circulation of the heat from the floor up through them.

356. This plan to be efficient in respect of a large cacao house or central factory would simply have to be extended, and additional accomodation in the way of racks and dry­ing trays provided.

357. The heat— which of course m ight be developed to any needful degree—being generated in th e floor will naturally ascend, and affect in its course the cacao arranged in trays one above the other to any practicable height.

358. V entilators m ust necessarily be provided for the escape, (a t top) of moisture from the drying cacao. The sides of the;structure should be so arranged as to adm it of th e trays being run out on each side of th e building on running frames for sun-drying when desirable.

359. The house or rooms in which the cacao would be carried through the o ther stages of preparation botli be­fore and after the drying m ust of necessity be very near to, if not connected with, th e kiln drying-house, bu t they should always be to windward—for safety, as for the cout venience Mid com fort of the operatives.

P L O U G H IN G M A TCH ES AT M A D R A S.T he following is a le tte r from Mr. W . R . R obertson,

m . R. A. c., S u p erin ten d en t of G overnm ent F arm s, to th e Secretary to th e B oard of Revenue, da ted Said&pet, 6 th F eb ruary 1852 : —

Our am ual ploughing m atches w ere held on th e S aidapet E xperim en ta l F arm on th e m orning of S a tu r ­day, th e 20th u ltim o. T he lan d on w hich th e com ­petitions were held w as of two descrip tions— “ irrig ­a te d ” and “ un irriga ted . ” T he la t te r was a sandy loam, free aud easy to work ; th e irrig a ted lan d co n ­ta ined m ore cla}q and i t was therefore stiffer au d more difficult to w ork, especially as i t h ad b u t ju s t produced a crop of paddy. T he d ry land h ad been u n d e r ragi, and a ll th e laud was in stubb le . T he com petitions were so d is tr ib u ted th a t th e public m ight see th e w orking of both im proved an d coun try p loughs in land differing in charac te r aud condition.

T here were fifty com petitors ; of these e ig h t w ere farm employes. T he m ajo rity of th e com petitors used th e common country plough ; a few w orked im proved ploughs, w hich th ey h ad purchased from th e farm and elsewhere.

The conditions of th e com petition an d program m e w ere as follows :—

(1.) T he com petition w ill com m ence a t 6-30 a .m . precisely. T he com petitors w ith th e ir c a ttle and ploughs m u st b e in th e field a t 6 a .m .

(2.) A p lo t of g round contain ing 480 square yard s w ill be a llo tted to each com petitor.

(3.) P o in ts in all cases w ill he aw arded for, deep and efficient tillage (50), s tra ig h tn ess of furrow (20), and speed in execu ting th e w ork (30) ; and th e prizes w ill be given to th e com petitors in each class w ho ob ­ta in th e h ighest aggregate of poin ts.

(4.) D uring th e com petition, besides th e co m p etit­ors, only th e Ju d g e s w ill be allowed to w alk over th e lan d . ( I t is of th e u tm ost im portance th a t th is ru le should be s tr ic tly adhered to, P lough-cattle a re tim id when strangers are near, an d som etim es become u n ­m anageable w ith th e very p rim itive gear used by th e ploughm en, an d any irreg u la rity of th is sorb m igh t a ltogether spoil a co m petito r’s chance of success.)

(5.) A fte r each com petition every o p p o rtu n ity w ill be afforded for exam ining the p loughs an d th e w ork done.

(6.) T he nam es of th e com peting ploughm en, w ith a descrip tion of th e p loughs to be used, m ust be en­tered a t th is office one clear day before th e d ay on w hich th e com petition tak es place.

Prizes w ere offered in six classes as below :—Class 1.—R yots using any k in d of plough.

,, I I .— S tu d en ts of th e A gricu ltu ra l College.,, I I I . — Laborers using im proved p loughs in u n ­

irrig a ted land.,, IV .— do. do. in irrig a ted land .,, V .— do. o rd in ary country p loughs in u n ­

irriga ted land.,, V I .— do. do. do. in irrig a ted land.

The prizes ranged in value from R2 to 10, excepting in th e case of th e s tu d e n ts ’ com petition , th e firs t prize of w hich was a silver watch and chain.

[Then follow lists of th e judges and of th e successful com petitors.]

Mr. R obertson pr-needs -I t m ust be rem em bered, w ith reference to th e fore­

going, th a t th e character of th e p loughs used and of th e w ork perform ed differed considerably iu th e various classes, and th a t , therefore, th e p o in ts aw arded in ^ach class do no t ad m it of com paii-on.

The average d ep th uc which th e co u n try ploughs w orked was n o t m-uu th an 3^ inches; w hile, as is usually th e case w ith these ploughs, more th a n half of th e lan d was loft unm oved in ribs, w hile th e grassy su tface w as u n tu rn ed , being sim ply loosened in th e m anner effected by th e cu ltiv a to r. T he im«

218

proved ploughs w orked, on th e average, 6 inches deep th e w hole of th e soil w as m oved an d th e g rassy surface was well tu rn e d over.

A s regards speed in perfo rm ing th e w ork , th e im ­proved p loughs w ere equally superior. O n th e average th e y com pleted each p lo t in 45 m inu tes, w hich is equal to an acre p loughed in 7 J hours, T he un im ­proved p loughs too k , on th e average, 60 m inu tes to com plete each p lo t, th u s g e ttin g over an ac re in 10 hours.

T he re su lts of th e m atches w ere conclusive in show ­ing th e g rea t su p e rio rity of th e m ould-board ploughs over th e o rd inary co u n try plough as regards efficiency of w ork, cost of perform ing th e w ork , o r speed in com pleting th e w ork. T he ca ttle th a t w ere em ­ployed to draw ' th ese p loughs were ce rta in ly m uch superio r to those used in d raw ing th e co u n try ploughs, b u t th ey were no t superio r to th e c a ttle generally used in C uddapab , Salem, N ellore and in o th e r d is­tr ic ts . I f th e im proved plough could b u t be in tro ­duced generally in to th e d is tr ic ts ju s t refe rred to , th e benefits th a t w ould re su lt therefrom would be enormous.

In several d istric t? th e p lo ugh-cattle are n o t f itted to d raw th e la rg er im proved ploughs, b u t for these localities a sm aller k in d of m ould-board plough can be provided.

T he s tu d e n ts ’ com petition w as held to d e term ine th e best p loughm en in th e senior class. I t w as an in te re s tin g m atch from th e fac t t h a t th e com petito rs belong to localities w idely a p a r t: one to B engal, one to Bombay, and to different p a r ts of th is P residency . T he Bengal s tu d e n t carried off th e first prize. T he w ork done wras very good indeed.

W e hope to see sim ilar m atches in Ceylon. B e tte r entile, im proved p loughs an d deeper tillag e w ould re su lt in g rea tly increased crops.

A N A L Y S IS O F “ H Y B R ID B A R K .”The annexed analysis, we a re inform ed, is derived from

b a rk .obtained from six consecutive h y b rid tree s grow n upon B roughton e s ta te , th e y (as self-grow n seedlings) oeing th e p ro d u c t of a m ixed fringe of su ccirub ra aud officinalis trees p lan ted (probably 20 years ago) by M r. Jo h n Atw’ell on th e M ah ap ittiy a (now p a r t of B rough t n ) estate. T he exac t d a te of p lan tin g of th e orig inal trees is n o t know n. P erh ap s Mr. A tw ell could en ligh ten us upon th is po in t an d also s ta te if th e trees cam e from H akgala .T he average age of th e 6 analyzed tree s is 5£ years

tt ,, h e ig h t , , is 17ft. 10 in .,, g ir th a t co llar ,, is 19£

„ ,, g ir th 3 fee t above c o lla r ,, is 14T he s tr ip s for analysis w ere ta k e n 2 J fee t from above th e collar. M ore ro b u st even as seedlings a n d p lan ts , a t 3 years these h y b rid s are said to be ta lle r, stro n g er an d m ore fu ll o t bark th an succ iru b ra trees of th e sam e age. T he seed from these trees is also sa id to be pecu liarly tru e to th e h y b rid typ e .

T he 6 trees analyzed are grow ing a t an e levation of abou t 4600 feet.

Copy.Memo 3/75. Colombo, 15th March 1882.

Analysis of H ybrid Cinchona Bark :Crystallized Sulphate of Quinine ... 4 21 per cent

Dried ... Dried.Gross value m London m arket ... 5/2 per lb.W ith Howard Sulphate of Quinine @ 10/ per oz.

Total Alkaloids 7*15 per cent.Remarks : Average of 6 stem quills.

(Signed) C . K. H . S y m o n s . [The following letter has been cut out of the “ T im es”

and sent to us. The tacts stated ought, to be sufficient even, for our good friend M r. Sm ith .—E d . ]

H y b r id it y o f C in c h o n a .

Sib .—A le tter of Mr. Wm. Smith of M attakellie appeared in the columns of your evening contemporary the other day, which contained an interesting account of the writer’s ex­perience regarding the grafting of Ledger cuttings and shoots on to succirubra stocks, and also some argum ents of his in support of the theory th a t cinchonas do not hybridize. I t is only the latter subject which I wish to speak of here; and w ith all due deference to the opinion of one who has had so m uch experience of the cinchona tree, I cannot help arriving a t a different conclusion, as de the g rea t majority of my brother planters. How does Mr, Sm ith account for the presence of hybrids or Robustas on estates, where no other seed bu t th a t gathered from the trees on th a t estate has been sown, and where no Robusta tree old enough to give seed is to be found ?

On th is estate there were 103 succirubra and 44 officin­alis trees [unfortunately cut down and sold in London in 1879] growing alternately along a road when I took charge, and a tew self-sown trees in the coffee, but they were cert­ainly not older th an two years then, and th e original trees were 11 years old, having been planted as far as I am able to ascertain in 1867. I am certain there was not one solitary Itohusta among the original trees, which have since been coppiced and have thrown out fine, healthy, ta ll shoots, and anyone can satisfy himself th a t th e succirubra are pure and the officinalis too : the la tte r of course should be called Oondaminia.

U ntil last year no other seed b u t th a t from my own trees lias been sown here, and 1 have many thousand hybrids growing all over the estate ranging in age from one year to six. Now the question naturally arises where these hybrids, and particularly the oldest of them, six years old, come from ? I have one or two M icrantha plants about a year old, but I have no M icrantha tree, I feel con­fident. W here did they come from ? I am certain th a t most practical planters have adopted the hybridization theory— not without sufficient proof—and are not to he perverted even by so g rea t an authority as Mr. Smith.

Any opinion of M r Smith is entitled to great consideration a t on'r hands, but, if he is so confident, as he expresses himself to be, th a t no hybridization can take place, why has he had his valuable Ledger trees enveloped in muslin w hilst in ilower, as I have heard he had done ?

Does not th is look as if he thought i t was ju st as well to be on the safe side ? I t is useless to dismiss the many facts th a t go to support th e hybridization theory .with general!-ations such as “ th a t the hybrid theory is repug­nan t to my every sense, moral and m aterial.”

I will ask him are there no cases of hybridization or cross-breeding in nature, as he seems to imply ?

H . H. C a p p e r .Broughton E state , Haputale, 25th April 1882.

IN F L U E N C E O F F O R E S T S ON C L IM A T E .

I t is perhaps, from a feeling th a t th e continuance of our presen t, o r ra th e r, o u r la te , system of forest conservancy is in serious danger, ow ing to th e b re a k ­ing up of th e E o res t B oard, th a t D r. Schom burgk, th e D irector of th e B otanical G ardens has added to h is recen tly issued rep o rt a len g th y appendix on th e sub jec t of th e influence of fo rests on clim ate. T he ob jec t of th is paper is to prove th a t th e d estruction of fo rests usually has th e effect of red u c tin g th e rain fall, w hile on th e con trary , th e p lan tin g of trees b roadcast over a co u n try is one of th e best m ethods w hich can be adop ted fo r am elio rating its c lim ate a n d increasing th e annual fall of rain . I t cannot, indeed , be p roved th a t th e clim ate of S ou th A u s tra lia is a lte rin g for th e w orse in th is respect. In fact, a com parison of th e m eteorological records w ill show th a t th e annual average ra in fa ll fo r th e colony du ring th e p a s t te n years has been 2 1 pl inches, as com pared w ith 20 ’1 inches for th e previous ten years . The fact is th a t in th e ag ricu ltu ra l d is tr ic ts of th e colony, and especially in th o se w hich w ere n o t o rig inally tim bered, th e b ring ing of th e land in to cu ltiv a tio n has h ad the effect of sligh tly favouring the fa ll of ra in . P loughed

lan d a ttra c ts m o istu re to a m uch g re a te r degree th a n th e unbroken soil. In considering th e effect w hich the removal of forests per se has, in a lte r in g th e clim ate in S outh A u stra lia , th e only d irec t te s t th a t cou ld be ta k e n from th e records issued by th e G overn ■ m en t A stronom er is th e experience of th e neigh bourhood of Adelaide. If we d iv ide the tim e w hich has elapsed since 1839, th e year in whien observ­ations w ere com m enced, in to tw o periods, we find for th e firs t an average ra in fa ll of 28"S inches and for th e second one of 21 ’7 inches. I t w ill th u s bs seen th a t on th e w hole the .ra in fa ll a t A delaide is d im inishing, though very sligh tly , and, perhaps, th e d im inu tion in th e am oun t of tim b er may have som e­th in g to do with th e change. T here is, how ever, a com parison w hich is m uch m ore in te restin g th a n th is , nam ely , th a t betw een th e resu lts ob tained a t th e O bserva'orv , a t w hich th e re arc very few trees of any size, b u t w hich is near to th e sea, and those observed on E ast-terraoe , a t w hich they are m ore num erous, an d w hich is n earer to th e hills. T here is a difference in th e average ra in fa ll of ab o u t th ree- fifths of an inch betw een these tw o places. This, of course, is in itse lf very sligh t, and would be scarcely w orthy of notice b u t for th e curious fac t w hich is observable, th a t th e advan tag e a t E ast-te rrace is e n ­tire ly in th e w in ter and spring m onths, w hile W est- te rrace has th e g rea te r am o u n t in th e sum m er m onths.

D r. Schom burgk, in search ing for illu s tra tio n s of th e effect of trees on clim ate goes fu r th e r afield, and brings forw ard some str ik in g h isto rica l in s ta n ­ces, in w hich i t is ev id en t th a t loss of fo rests m eans loss of ra in fa ll, and vice versa. H e recalls to m em ory how th e R ussians by burn ing down some of the T rans- Caucasian forests a t th e tim e of th e ir strugg le w ith th e b rav e C ircassians converted th e co u n try from a fertile lan d in to a desert, sim ply th ro u g h th e cu ttin g off of th e supply of rain . S im ilar in stances of ra in having d eserted a co u n try denuded of fo rests have occurred in th e M auritius, in Jam aica , the Azores, and i t m ay also be added to a s till m ore rem arkab le e x ten t in several of th e sm aller W es t-In d ia islands. N o sooner h ad th e forests of these places been d estroyed th a n th e springs an d r ivu le ts ceased to flow, th e ra in ­fall became irregu lar, and even th e deposition of dew was a lm ost en tire ly checked. On th e o th er hand i t is genera lly accepted as an h isto rica l fac t th a t th e g rea t M ehem et Ali, th e m ost rem arkab le of th e ru le rs of E g y p t, increased th e fe rtil i ty of his co u n try enorm ously by p lan tin g trees. H e alone p lan ted some 20.000,000 on th e D elta ; his successors follow ed up th e work an d i t is a n o tew o rth y circum stance th a t th e ra in fa ll rose from six to fo rty in ch es .* P la n tin g has also, i t would seem, produced rem arkab le effects in F rance an d A lgiers. E x tensive regions have been p lan ted w ith gum s and o th er trees, which, for th e most p a r t, grew to abo u t th ir ty or fo rty feet in he igh t, and i t is noticed th a t th e quan tities of ra in and dew w hich now fall on th e ad jacen t land are double w hat th ey fo rm erly were. To th e F rench G overnm ent is due th e honour of hav ing m ade experi­m ental te s ts , w hich p laced th e m atter, a t leas t as r e ­gards th e E uropean clim ate, a lm ost beyond a doubt. In th e h isto rica l m ethod of research one m u st tak e th e con­d itions as he finds : hem, and m ay very often be deceived by overlooking some fac t of m aterial consequence B u t w hen experim ent is possible the conditions in one case can be rendered exactly sim ilar to those in th e o ther, an d th e te s t is then one of scientific exactness. R ain- gauges w ere erected u nder th e supervision of th eF o rest A cadem y of N anoy, some being placed inth e neighbourhood of forests an d o thers in th e sam e d is tric ts , b u t eorrouncied by open plains, and th e s tr ik in g fac t w as estab lished th a t th e

* I f th is is ti ue, th e re is an end to discussion,b u t is i t t ru e ? W e u tte r ly d isc red it th e w ild s ta te ­m ent. W ho k ep t th e E gyp tian records ?—E d ,

land in th e neighbourhood of forests received one- q u a r te r more ra in in th e year th an th a t w hich was denuded of trees. I t w ould certain ly be w orth th e troub le involved, if th e G overnm ent A s 'ronom er or th e F orest Board, or, perhaps, th e D irec to r of the Botanical G ardens himself, w ould m ake sim ilar tria ls in th is colony. The com parison to w hich w e have already called a tten tio n , nam ely, th a t betw een th e ra in fa ll on W est-terrace and on E ast-te rrace is one which would ju stify fu rth e r investigation , as th e differences w hich we have pointed o u t canno t be sim ply a m a tte r of chance, but are probably due to the influence of trees.

The controversy on th is sub ject is like ly to be in ­term inable unless some steps are tak en to determ ine definitely w h eth er th e presence of trees in th is clim ate ten d s to augm ent th e rainfall. T he F o re s t B oard has gone to work, m ost of th e m em bers firmly believing th e affirm ative, w hile th e Surveyor-G eneral, whose opinion is e n titled to respect, inclines w ith equal resol­u teness to a negative answ er. W e have already sta te d our belief th a t th e Forest Board, in o rd e r to estab lish its raison d'etre, does n o t requ ire to prove th e theory . T he provid ing of a supp ly of tim b er ; he encou ragem ent of profitab le ind ustries connected w ith fo res try ; an d generally the w ork of rendering th e open p lains of the colony more hab itab le , m ustafford am ple grounds for th e ex istence of th e Board,independently of th e ra in question. H ow ever, if th e m em bers, o r ra th e r th e latw m em bers, w ish to estab ­lish th e theory th ey cannot do b e tte r th a n collect and record th e experiences of those p a r ts of th is colony w hich have been a t one tim e covered w ith tim ber, an d w hich have since beeu denuded of it. C ertain i t is th a t such an enqu iry would be justified by the au th o rity of nearly all th e b es t w rite rs on m eteorology and physical geography. T he connection betw een forests and rain fall is n o t an y th in g of a m ysterious o r incom prehensible na tu re. On th e con­tra ry , i t can be explained by very well-defined physical laws. One of these is th e law of th e rad iation ofheat. A forest-clad p la in is m uch slower b:>th inp artin g w ith and in receiv ing its h ea t th a n is a bare o n e ; and, consequently , i t is m uch m ore freq u en tly a t a different tem p era tu re th a n th e clouds, and m ust, therefore, assist in causing them to fall. T he con­duction of e lec tric ity from th e a tm osphere is ano ther w ay in w hich i t has recen tly been d em onstra ted th a t trees assist th e fall of ra in . A th ird po in t to be observed is th a t trees in te rru p t th e low er and m oister cu rren ts of a ir, and fac ilita te th e deposition of dew a t n igh t, and, sim ilarly , of lig h t rains in th e w in ter tim e. I t should be noticed th a t the place for ob ­servations on th is im p o rtan t p o in t is no t one in w hich trees have been c u t dow n only to m ake room for houses or o th e r erections, as in a c ity . T he com ­parison should be betw een a p la in covered w ith trees and one abso lu te ly bare. T here is no reason w hy th is vexed question should no t be se ttled in a very sh o rt tim e, if th e enquiries w ould only proceed in a reasonable, sp irit, instead of, as a t p resen t, con ten ting them selves, th e one p a r ty w ith a bare affirm ative and the o ther w ith a bare negative . — South A ustra lian Register.

[The difference in ra in fa ll for tw o periods is so s lig h t as possibly to be m erely th e re su lt of a d ifferent ! m ode of observation . C uriously enough n o t a w ord i is said abou t th e influence of th e neighbouring M ount L ofty on th e ra in fa ll of Adelaide. Jf th a t m ounta in i

w ere rem oved, th e re su lt w ould be m ore d isastrous th a n a ll th e d enudation of trees w hich has occurred. E ven if tree p lan tin g does n o t increase ra in fa ll, i t , w ill do good o therw ise .— Ei>.]

T H E U N E X H A U S T E D V A L U E S O F M A N U R E . |A t th e special request of L ord Rosebery, th e Scot- I

tish C ham ber of A gricu ltu re have p repared a l is t of )

suggestions w hich m ay be ad o p ted as a basis for com ­pu ting th e com pensation for m anures u n ex h au sted a t th e te rm in a tio n of a tenancy . T he follow ing is th e l i s t :—

1. L im e . —In a ll soils to w hich i t w ould be p roper to app ly lime, and th e p roper q u an tity (over five tons) is applied, i t is good. In lig h t soils, for te n crops; iu good, deep, loam y soils, fo r tw elve crops; in clay soil i ts beneficial effects are n o t lost in fou rteen or fifteen crops; an d iu p ea t soils i t is good fo r te n or tw elve crops. I n new grazings i ts effects are seen in tw e n ty crops, and in old perm anent p as tu res its effects are discernible for th i r ty years.

2. Horse, Cow, and Tow n M anures .—W h en app lied in sufficient q u a n tity (above fifteen tons), th ese m anures are exhausted in th e o rd inary five-course sh ift. The ra te is m ore rap id in th e firs t tw o th a n in th e re ­m aining th re e years—say, ha lf in tw o years and th e o th e r h a lf in th e rem aining th ree years of th e ro ta tion .

3. Guanos.— If h ighly am m ouiacal, th e exhaustion of the n itrogenous m a tte r w ill be rap id in th e firs t and second year. B u t th e re are o th e r valuab le fertiliz ing elem ents in good guano, an d these are m ore enduring . Experience dem onstra tes th a t half the m anurial value of guano is exhausted in th«3 firs t crop, an d th e o th e r half le f t availab le for th e rem ain ing crops of a ro ta tion . I ts beneficial effects are obvious in m ost soils, even in th e fourth year of a ro tation .

4. Bones.—B one-dust will benefit, according to the n a tu re of th e soil, from th re e to five crops of cereals and grasses. D issolved bones are m ore rap id in th e ra te of exhaustion . T h e firs t crop tak es ab o u t one- th ird of th e m anurial va lue ; th e second w ill bring th e one-th ird u p to a half, and a th ird an d fo u rth crop will exhaust th e whole.

5. Phosphates decom posed b y v itrio l w ill be ex­hau sted a t th e ra te of d issolved bones, and ground phosphates a t th a t of bone du st, an d th e ra te of ex h au s­tio n m ay fie ta k e n as th a t of guano.

6. Sulphates a re vo latile, an d experience leads to th e belief th a t, w hen app lied in sufficient q u an tities , these are m ostly exhausted by th e crop to w hich applied, to th e e x ten t of tw o -th ird s , and to th e ex­te n t of th e balance in th e n ex t crop, and are of

j li t t le appreciable value to subseq u en t crops in S co t­lan d . I t is r ig h t, how ever, to s ta te th a t Mr. Law es's experience in E ngland seem s to be different.

7. Special M anures .—T hese are th e m anures p re ­pared fo r special crops, an d know n by th e nam e of th e crop to w hich th ey are app lied , such as “ t u r ­n ip m an u res,” &c. T he ra te of exhaustion of the°e depends upon th e in g red ien ts of w hich th ey are m ade up. E xperience would class the ra te h igher in endurance th an su lpha tes, b u t of less endurance in guanos—say th ree years—tw o -th ird s firot year, an d one-th ird th e rem aining two years.

K C lay .— A w ell-know n app lica tion to p e a t and o th e r vegetable soils, w hich endures for seven years a t least, an d which m ay be held to he exhausted one-seventh of i ts cost each year. In Sco tland th e cost of i ts app lication is its only c o s t .— In d ia n Tea Gazette.

A G R IC U L T U R A L IT E M S .(From th e Queenslander, 25th M arch )

T he la rg est room in every cheese an d b u tte r fac to ry of th e lan d is th e room for im provem ent.

A n A m erican farm er rep o rts 110 appai n t in ju ry to p a rts of an asparagus bed covered w ith a coating of sa lt so m uch as 2 in. th ic k .

M uch se lected land in S ou th A u s tra l a is N o rth of G cy d e r’s line of ra in fa ll, aiu l useless for agricu ltu re .

T he w heat h arv est ju s t garnered in Sou h Au» ra lia is sm all b u t b e tte r in q u a lity th a n has ’ ve;i seen fur years.

A s a bee forage p la n t n o th in g is b e tte r th a n mignion- e tte , an d th e honey m ade from i t is deliciously frag ran t and com m ands a h igher figure.

N o m an can rem ain perfectly h ea lth y w ith o u t a good supply of vegetables. A ll exclusive flesh d ie t begets grossness, fa tn ess and laziness.

Y oung la rk sp u r an d casto r oil p lan ts are d estructive to locust life.

T he E nglish consum e on an average 201b. of cheese each per annum , o r a to ta l of 500,000,000 lb.

In an experim ent a t th e Illino is In d u str ia l U niversity , corn cu ltiva ted six tim es gave 8 p er cen t m ore crop th an th a t u n d er sam e conditions, b u t cu ltiva ted only 3 times.

Glucose is largely superseding barley m alt in th e m anu­fac tu re of lager beer.

C rushed bones form an excellent m anure for suga r­cane.

In poor land i t is a g rea t m istake to p u t th e surface m ould too deep. In trench ing , work so as to keep i t on th e top.

T H R O U G H T H E D A R K P R E S E N T TO T H E B R IG H T F U T U R E .

E v ery th in g seems so to obey th e cycle th eo ry th a t a m an like S tan ley Jevous even, w ent th e len g th of advancing the p roposition th a t com m erce an d finance w ere ru led by th e sun-spo t periods. Of course, th e p roposition m u st have a ce rta in am oun t of t r u th in it, if we believe, as w e suppose m ost in te llig en t ob ­servers now do, th a t th e w ea th e r an d th e harvests , on w hich th e p rosp erity of com m erce so m uch d e ­pends, are affected by th e sun-spots, th a t is, by so la r influences. O bservations of a lim ited n a tu re m ay seem adverse to th e d octrine , b u t w hen ex tended areas an d ex tended periods are th e m ate ria ls for in ­ference, very s tr ik in g conclusions are a rriv ed a t. I t may be—w hy n o t ?—th a t, as depression in Ceylon has reached its low est d ep th s co inciden tly w ith th e close of a period of quiescence in th e su n ’s gaseous envelope, so a reaction to p rosp erity m ay be coin­c iden t w ith th e abnorm al a c tiv ity recen tly developed in th e forces w hich dw ell in an d rad ia te from th e cen tre of th e so lar system ? T here is no place in th e w orld w here belief in th e influence of th e sun spo ts on th e e a r th ’s m eteorology aud , therefore, on th e in te re s ts affected b y th e w eather has been more p ersis ten tly ta u g h t th an in M auritius by th a t careful observer an d able generalizer, M r. M eldrum . R igh tly , therefore , on a ll accounts has our correspondent used th e sugar colony as an il lu s tra tio n of w arning, or ra th e r w e should say of cheer, to us in O eyl.n . W h a t he s ta te s is tru e . I t was only th e o ther day th a t sugar p ro p e rty iu M auritius, w hich is now a t a very h igh prem ium , as th e e x tra c ts w hich follow “ M erca to r” ’s le t te r w ill shew , could be purchased for an old song. O ur own co n stan t com plain t was th a t a com pany w hich ow ned so m uch of n e x t to w orth less p ro p erty in M au ritiu s should ta k e its t i t le from th e isle of th e prosperous and prom ising coffee. Lo !th e change. M any shareho lders in th e Ceylon Com ­pany (L im ited) m ust experience b itte r reg re t th a tth e ir d irec to rs p a rted w ith es ta tes w hich are nows i exceedingly valuable. W h y should no t th e p ro ­cess w hich in a few years has raised M auritius and her sugar in te re s t from th e d ep th s alm ost of despair,

to g rea t and s till advancing p rosperity , n o t be repeated in C eylon ? In th e h isto ry of our is lan d ’s en terprise , severa l such rebounds to p rosperity from alm ost hope­less ad v ersity have occurred, an d “ th a t w hich h a th been, th a t i t is w hich shall b e .” T h e doctrine of cycles is roughly em bodied in th e popular proverb th a t “ W hen th in g s are a t th e ir worst, th e y w ill be su re to m en d ,” and th e m ending tim e m u st be close a t hand , for i t is difficult to suppose th a t th in g s w ith us can become worse th an th ey are : especially in regard to our g rea t s tap le , A rab ian coffee, an d in a m inor degree w ith reference to our secondary staples, coconut oil and cinnam on. W e m ust n o t be mis-

1 understood as now a llud ing to th e re trie v a l of th e I colony’s position by th e m eans of “ new p ro d u c ts ” :

tea , cinchona, cacao, &c. W h a t we look for, con­fiden tly and soon,— if a ll analogy in hum an affairs is n o t to fail u s ,— is a reaction to p ro sp erity in our old staples and especially in th e so re-tried coffee, so long th e v ic tim of abnorm al seasons ; so long th e p rey of enfeebling fungus an d w asting g rub . H aving done th e ir w orst, those malefic agencies m ay now be ex ­pected to d e p a r t a ltogether, o r m uch and con tinually to abate in virulence u n til th e norm al condition of o u r g re a t and o lder indu.-tries is resto red . O ur g ra t­itu d e is due to th e corresponden t w ho has s tru c k th e key-note of hope, au d we com m end his argum ents and h is very s trik in g illu s tra tio n to th e best a t te n ­tion of our readers, especially those inclined to look exclusively on th e d a rk side of th e shield. T here is a b r ig h t side, a lthough for a tim e i t has been obscured.

W e do n o t know half th e uses of e lec tr ic ity as yey P rofessor S co u tte ten assures us th a t e lec tr ic ity in a n t form , w h eth er by conlinued an d d irec t cu rre n t, o r by cu rre n t of induc tio n , o r by spark , a le ays ac ts in th e sam e m anner w ith v in es , an d m akes th e h ard est and m ost acrid v in tages soft, m ellow and agreeable to th e palate . I n fact, e lec tric ity gives age to new wine. T his was discovered in France, n o t very recently , though no scientific action has y e t been tak en on it. T he case was once repo rted to th e A cadem y of Sciences by a vine­y a rd p rop rie to r of Digne, w hose house w as struck by lig h tn in g .— Pioneer.

A n A u s t r a l ia n R e m e d y f o ii A s t h m a . —A co rre­sponden t of th e Sydney Tow n anti ( ountry Journa l w rites to th a t paper lo bear personal testim ony to correctness of th e claim w hich has often been m ade on behalf of a species of Euphorbia indigenous to Q ueensland, and know n scientifically as E. pilulifera, th a t i t affords a rem edy for a s th m a tic and bronchial

! affections A n ounce of th e leaves of the p la n t placed in tw o q u a r ts of w ater. an d allow ed to sim m er ti l l th e q u a n tity is reduced to one-half, w ill afford a m edicine which, taken a w ine-glassful a t a tim e, tw ice o r th ric e a day, w ill relieve th e m ost obstinate cases of asthm a, as well as coughs and o rd inary cheat affections. The leaves m ay be easily g a th ered and dried, and k e p t for a considerable len g th of tim e. E vidence of th e v irtues of a decoction of th e leaves of th is species of Euphorbia is very general in Queens­land and parts of New S outh W ales as o th er k inds of Euphorbia have a considerable m edicinal repu tation in In d ia and elsewhere. T hus leaves of th e E . nereifolia are prescribed as a pu rg a tiv e by th e native p ra c t­itioners in Ind ia , while th e ro o t of th e E. ipecacuanha is said to be equal in all respects to th e tru e ipeca­cuanha. T his ex tensive genus of p lan ts evidently deserves th e careful s tu d y of sk illed bo tan ists an d d ru g g ists .—Colonies a m i Ind ia .

To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer.H A W K -M O T H S ON C O F F E E .

R am boda, 25 th A p ril 1882.S i r , — In reference to your footnote to th e M adras

M a il ex tra c t w here “ S outh W y n aad ” m entions a g rea t num ber of haw k-m oths bu sy am ongst th e blossom on his coffee, I beg to send you one w h ich I have little d oub t is th e insect a lluded to . I t u n fo rtunate ly has th e ta i l destroyed by a spider, in whose w eb i t h ad be­come entangled . I n your n e x t quo ta tion from th e Indian pap er I see i t is described as one of the sphinxes. As I have a ll along supposed, though not p re tend ing to scientific know ledge, these sphinxes a re no t uncom ­m on here; b u t I certain ly never saw such num bers before, as w ere observable am ongst th e coffee w hen in blossom a fo rtn ig h t or so back. H ow ever, th ey do no t confine th e ir a tte n tio n to coffee b lossom ; but, w ith m ultitudes of insects of m any k inds, could be seen a day or tw o ago on a large jung le tre e in fu ll flower close to th e bungalow.

I t seems to me som ehow th a t insects of m any k inds are especially num erous th is se a so n : caterp illars of various k inds ; m oths in varie ty , such as I never observed b e fo re ; b e e tle s ; an d those evil sm elling green bugs, w hich suck ihe sugar from th e ripe coffee berry , m entioned, if I recollect a r ig h t, as th e la s t of h is lis t of enemies to th e coffee tre e b y la te J . N eitner. One com fort, however, th e cockchafers th is season have, w ith me a t an y ra te , been fa r less num erous th an th ey w ere la s t y e a r .—Y ours tru ly , E. W .

[O ur entom ological au th o r ity s ta te s :— “ One of the clear w ing hum m ing-b ird haw k-m oths belonging to the fam ily Sessidse.”— E d .]

T H E Q U E STIO N S O F C R O S S -F E R T IL IZ A T IO N A N D H Y B R ID IT Y IN C IN CH O N A S.

A pril 25th , 1882.S i r , - In te re s tin g though th e discussion now going

on is in reference to h yb rid iza tion am ong cinchonas, and valuable th e opinions so fa r m u st be w hen com ­ing from i n * so well qualified e ith e r by th e ir scientific a tta in m en ts , o r by p rac tica l experience, to express them selves em phatically , is i t n o t possibly tru e th a t th e y are, a f te r all, a ll pu lling a t an im aginary rope? T h a t M essrs. S m ith an d Gam m ie are qu ite r ig h t in saying there can be no such an occurrence as hybrid ization am ong cinchonas, ow ing to a m isapplication of th e te r m ; th e foot being th e d ifferen t varieties as l i t t le deserve to be considered an y th in g beyond th is as do w hite m en and b lack, figura tive ly speaking , all men w ith as l i t t le r ig h t any of th em to be regarded as m onkeys 1 A nd is it w rong to suppose th a t th e re are instances of a cross betw een, say, an E nglishm an and a H indu , ac c ru in g : though , fo r an ideal specim en of robusta , i t m ay be necessary to refe r to th e W est Ind ies, w here an A frican m u la tto , from all I have heard , w ould h ard ly be a com fortably safe m orta l to call a hybrid a t too close q u a r te rs—as good a t h itt in g o r k ick ing as any “ N esto r ” !

M r. G am m ie calls for a single instance in e ith e r th e anim al o r vegetable k ingdom of n a tu ra l hybridization. H ow as to rabb its and hares ? A nd w h at abo u t his near neighbours, the Assam an d C hina varieties of te a ? Do they , o r not, cross freely, a rtific ially fertilized th rough the agency n a tu re so abundantly provides, in th e m u ltitu d e s of bees th a t fly from flower to flower, in th e case of a ll species of p lan ts who w ithin their own species are so inclined'{ Among these, a so ind ispu tab le bo tanical a u th o r ity as th e D irecto r of th e B otanical G ardens te lls us th e cinchonas afford s tr ik in g examples, ow ing to th e pecu liarly a p t construction of th e ir

flowers. As to outw ard appearance, no tw o varieties of cinchona differ more from one an o th er th a n do Assam an d C hina te a . p la n ts ; and do th e y differ m ore essen tia lly in o th e r respects ?

W ere th e question as to a cross betw een auy o ther of th e quin ine-y ie ld ing species of th e sam e fam ily , (instance cuprea !) and th e tru e cinchonas, say betw een a chim panzee and a Chinam an, i t w ould be q u ite a d ifferen t m atte r. Such a cross m igh t be called a typ ical hybrid . A nd i t is qu ite possible to realize th e necessity for m ental, in terven tion to effect i t .— Y ours fa ith fu lly , X .

A D E V IL ’S A D V O C A TE ABO UT JO H O R E .G alle, A pril 26th , 1882.

D e a r S i r , —T here has been a good deal w ritte n to th e Observer regard ing th e prospects of Jo h o re aud great deal of i t is calculated to m islead readers.

M r. Dobree, w ho v isited Jo h o re to w ard s th e end of la s t year, gave a very unfavorab le accoun t of the P u la i d is tr ic t, an d hav ing la te ly v isited th e B a tu P a h a t d is tr ic t, w hich is th e la rg est d is tr ic t u n d e r cu lt- tiv a tio n , I can only say th a t I consider th a t i t is a com plete failu re. T h e soil is sand m ixed w ith sour clay and qu ite u n su ited fo r th e g ro w th of Coffea A rabics, L iberian , o r cocoa, and th e clim ate is very unhea lth y bo th for E uropeans and T am ils and Chinese. Labor is very expensive : 30c. a day , i. e. abo u t 60c. Ceylon m oney ; chiefly Chinese, w ho a re only good fo r c o n trac t w ork. T am ils canno t be procured now. T he d is tr ic t is s itu a te d 70 m iles from Jo h o re and Singapore, and th e re is no road w hatever to i t , n o t even a jung le p a th , th e only means of com m unication being Chinese boa ts o r tongkongs, w hich go up tw o or th re e tim es a m onth , an d ta k e th ree o r fo u r days over th e voyage, an d are m ost uncom fortable to trav e l by, and residen ts th e re cannot ob ta in any fresh provisions w h a t­ever. To shew w h a t people in S ingapore th in k of th e prospects, th e “ L e tty b ro o k ” e s ta te , w hich w as la te ly advertized in th e Overland Observer, w as sold for $800, abo u t £150. T here are 100 acres p lan ted w ith L iberian coffee, 11 acres read y to p la n t an d 177 acres forest. W hen an e s ta te lik e th is is sold for such a rid iculous figure there m u st be som ething ro tte n in th e s ta te of D enm ark . H aving had nearly 20 y ea rs’ experience p lan tin g in C eylon an d seen a good deal of coffee p lan ted , I th in k I m ay say th a t I have never seen an y coffee such a com plete failure, or p lan ted in such m iserab le soil. I w ould n o t advise anyone to go over to Jo h o re to invest, o r even to tak e a b e rth , ce rta in ly n o t to th row up one in Ceylon, how ever sm all, to go over th e re .—Y ours tru ly ,

C O F F E E .[The w riter of th e above sends us a p riv a te le t te r to

th e follow ing effect :—Enclosed I send a le t te r regard ing Johore , w hich ,

! should you th in k fit to in se rt in th e Observer please do so. I th in k th a t i t is only fair to th e public to hear both sides of a question, and Ja hore has been praised up too m uch. E very C eylon p la n te r of experi­ence who has v isited i t has condem ned it. M essrs. Dobree, M acartney , Y oung and several o thers have a ll h ad th e sam e opinion.These le tte rs having been w ritten on A pril 26th , of course th e w rite r h ad n o t seen M r. D obree’s favourable opinion which appeared in our columns on S aturday. T h a t Mr. D obree gave an adverse opinion regard ing an A rab ian coffee e s ta te a t too low a level is, we believe, certain ; b u t no one w ho has seen tea , L iberian coffee and cocoa w ith in easy reach of the cap ita l of Jo h o re can d o u b t th e su itab ility of soil and clim ate. L abor is ano ther question. We saw Chinese a t w ork and w ere d isap ­po in ted th s t th e aborigines em ployed by the M aha­ra jah were absent. W e have no dou b t M r. D obree and o thers w ill reply .— E d.]

T H E T R A D E IN C IN N A M O N .■27th A p ril 18S2.

S i r , —I find th a t a correspondent, w ho signs him self “ Cinnam on,” has been addressing y our daily contem p­o rary as to th e m eans to be adopted to raise th e price of cinnam on even b y a sm all am ount. I venture to address you on th e sam e sub ject, as g rea te r pnblcii- ty here and iu E ngland will be given to th is im p o rt­a n t m atte r by its finding a place in th e colum ns of th e Observer. A t th e p resen t tim e, when a pow erful agita tion is se t on foot to p rev en t adu ltera tion of coffee and th u s raise th e price of o u r stap le p roduct, i t will n o t be am iss to m ake an effort to sim ilarly benefit a p ro d u c t w hich has given a name to th is island. As th e production of cinnam on is confined w holly to th e island , com bination to effect any change w ill be much m ore easy th an in th e case of coffee, tea, cinchona or any o th e r p ro d u c t w hich has foreign rivals. <

F irs t and forem ost w e w ant m on th ly sales of cin­namon. A lukew arm and half-hearted effo rt was made some tim e ago to effect th is change. A change could n o t th en have been m ade, ow ing to th e com bined fro n t p resen ted by th e English b rokers agains t any d e p a r t­u re from th e o ld-established q u a rte rly sales, .’ lie b rokers p red ic ted a s til l fu rth e r fall iu prices, if a change were m ade, and th e ag ita tion , if it could be dignified by such a nam e, ceased. Now to us w ho are n o t well versed in th e m ysteries of brokerage i t occurred th a t any p lan th a t w ould rem ove a m iddlem an betw een th e grower and th e consum er would be a decided advan tage to bo th . By th e p resen t system of q u a rte rly sales, im m ense q u an titie s of cinnam on ac­cum ulate, and are purchased by large cap ita lis ts , who supp ly th e w an ts of th e consum ers, w ith a profit to them selves. I f m onthly sales are established , sm all cap italists, i. e. consum ers, can afford aud will be able to buy cinnam on them selves, and th e profit m ade by th e m iddlem an, th e large cap ita list, will be d iv ided betw een them selves and th e grow er, as th e consum er will, even if he pays a penny per lb. m ore th a n th e large cap ita lis t a t th e q u a rte rly sale, be pay ing less th an w h at he w onl 1 have to pay were he to buy of th e m iddlem an. I fear th a t to i l lu s tra te m y m ean­ing I have been ra th e r pro lix ; b u t I have been endeavouring to m ake m yself p lain to my n a tiv e friends, w ho are th e chief grow ers.

N ex t in im portance to m onth ly sales is th e necessity to do aw ay w ith th e trad e in chips. T here w ill be m any who w ill open th e ir eyes a t th is suggestion, and consider i t th e proposal of a m adm an to s til l fu rth e r lessen th e income from an a lready poorly paying pro­duct. To prove th a t th e idea is n o t a w ild one, and w ill even tually benefit th e grow er, I sha ll re so rt to figures. L e t us tak e , for exam ple, an e s ta te of 100 acres, th e fair average y ie ld of w hich ought to be a bale (1001b.) per acre p e r annum . T he o u ttu rn of chips le t us take as ha lf of th e qu illed cinnam on; and th is o u ttu rn any experienced p la n te r w ill te l l you is very high. T he local p rice fo r chips is from RIO to R 45 per candy of 5 ow t., o r say roughly from 7c. to 8c. per lb. The cost of scraping chips is 3c. per lb; so th a t th e profit w ill be from 4c. to 5c. per lb. L e t us re ­solve th is to a profit and loss account :—

D r. Cr.To loss of suppressing By th e 2c, per lb.2,500 lb chips, being $ increase in price on y ield of 100 bales cin- 100 bales cinnam on,nam on, a t 5c. p e r lb. ...125*00 i. e. 10,000...................200*00P rofit by th e su ppres­sion of th e ch ip s 75 00

R200 00

chips being w ith h e ld from th e E ng lish m arket, w e w ill benefit by a rise of a t least 2c. o r I penny per lb a t th e sales. I f th is be ad m itted , then i t w ill be clear th a t , in stead of being losers, we sha ll be gainers by n o t p e rm ittin g chips to be scraped on our estates. C onsidering th a t th e tra d e in chips is of very recen t g row th , i t w ill n o t be a very h a rd m a tte r to suppress i t . A com bination on th e p a r t of th e p rincipal n a tiv e an d E uropean p lan ters n o t to have chips scraped on th e ir es ta tes, to g e th er w ith an u n d ertak in g w ith m erchan ts n o t to sh ip chips, will, 1 am sure, effect th e d es ired change ; w hile those w ho scrape chips am ongst th e sm all lan d h o ld ers can find

j a read y sale for them for th e purpose of d is tillin g oil.I hope p rop rie to rs of cinnam on lan d , th o u g h th e y

h iv e n o t a rep re sen ta tiv e association, w ill see th e necessity of calling together a m eeting, absen t p ro ­prie to rs being represen ted by th e ir agen ts , to consider w hat steps oug h t to be ta k e n to p ro tec t th e ir in terests , —T ru ly yours, P L A N T E R .

B200-00

A N T I-W H IT E A N T D E V IC E S ,A pril, 29 th 1882.

D e a r S i r , —If th e sides of a hole are b ak ed su f­ficiently to preven t w h ite an ts from g e ttin g in, will th e y n o t be ab o u t hard enough to keep th e roots of th e p la n t from g e ttin g out ?

A s a ru le white an ts a ttack th e cocoa below th e su r­face. So I do no t th in k chopped aloe leaves spread on th e to p of the holes round th e p lan ts will a c t as a preventive. I have tr ie d m inced aloe, m ixed largely w ith th e soil in th e holes, and have even p u t a good layer of i t an inch or so below th e seed o r plant, b u t I can’t say w ith m uch success. W h ite a n ts don’t like aloe juice, b u t th e y w ill go th ro u g h a good deal in th e w ay of tem porary inconvenience to get a t w h a t th ey do, au d th a t ’s Y O U N G COCOA.

P .S .—W h en L iberian cocoa* w as p lan ted a t W ella- w aya in 1876, enorm ous holes w ere cu t, and a fire b u ilt and lig h ted in each, I believe. I d o n ’t know how

| t i answ ered, o r w hether th e o b jec t w as to get rid of j “ poochies,” or to add to th e food of th e p lan ts .

! A N A L Y S E S O F N A T U R A L A N D R E N E W E D | “ PU B E S C E N S ” B A R K ,j A g rapatana , 29 th A p r i l 1882.j D e a r S i r , — I notice, in y our issue of 22ud A pril, aI le tte r from M r. Forbes L aurie, in w hich he says ;— “ A ' good Pubescens se lected from a clearing grow n from seed j (w here only S uccirubra an d Officinalis a re growing)* gives, on H o w ard ’s analysis, 8*31 quin ine su lp h a te w ith 1 h a rd ly any o th er a lk a lo id s .” As th e analyses of th is ; species I have previously seen show , on H ow ard’s

analysis of n a tu ra l bark , a v e ry large percentage of einchonidine, b u t in renew ed b a rk a very sm all percen tage—as, for exam ple, ta k in g tw o d ifferen t trees : No. 1. (n a tu ra l bark ) 8*28 qu in ine su lpha te , 3 37 einchonidine ; No. 2, (renew ed bark , 8 m ouths) 8-30 qu in ine su lpha te ; 0 03 e inchonidine—I have th e re ­fore im agined th a t th e renew ed bark gave a v ery m uch p u re r analysis of quin ine, and I canno t he lp th in k in g th a t th e analysis quo ted b y M r. F orbes L aurie m u st have been from renew ed bark . W ould th a t gentlem an k in d ly te ll us w h e th e r i t was renew ed, and , if so, how m any m o n th s’ renew al ’! an d w hat covering—if

I an y —was used ?—I rem ain, dear sir, yours faithfu lly ,R E D B \R K .

M R . JA M E S S IN C L A IR ON P L A N T IN G PRO ­SPEC TS A N D C IN C H O N A H Y B R ID IZ A T IO N ,

i D e a r S i r , —I rea lly th in k w e, in the younger dis- : tr ic ts , a re over th e w orst. R id us of grub, and th e

fungus is n o t to be m uch feared. I t is w here you

I th in k h ard ly an y one w ill deny th a t , by th e ! * Sic. W e suppose Liberian coffee was meant.—E d .

have poverty of soil an d Jiemileia as well, o r g rub and th e disease com bined, th a t Our efforts to p u t crop on th e trees are baffled. T he la t te r you have in th e o lder d is tr ic ts ; th e form er iu th e younger and unexhausted soil?. W a it till you see w h a t M askeliya will y e t do. For some years I had fine pay ing crops on one of my places. Tw o years ago I ga th ered 7,000 bushels of parchm ent ; th e follow ing year 1 go t 1,500 aniv. Am I to believe th a t th e fungus was the cause of th is sudden falling-off ? C erta in ly no t. H ad i t been the cause, i t w ould have been m arked b y a yearly d im inution in stead of th e sudden falling-off

T h a t was an in stru c tiv e lei te r by our good friend of M a tta k e lly ; b u t one is forcib ly rem inded of D r. Gumming and his p red ic tion abo u t th e w orld ’s com ­ing to -an end a t a d a te he fixed: an d y e t he took a lease of his house afte rw ard s for 10 years sub ­sequen t to th a t date .

I f Mr. S m ith is such a non-believer in h y b rid iza tion , w hy was he so very careful th a t no cinchona o th -r th an Ledger should flower n ear his fine L edgers ? H is con­fidence in n a tu re ’s laws, as he professes to u n d e rs tan d them , cannot am oun t to m uch.

E ven were I n o t a hum ble follow er of th e la te Mr. D arw in , I th in k i t can scarcely be d oub ted th a t cinchona has th is pow er strong ly developed.

F our lines of seven year o ld succirubra trees run paralle l from one end of th e esta te to th e o th e r about 300 yard s a p a r t; in tersec ting these and abo u t th e same d istance a p a r t a re tw o lines of officinalis. T here arc th u s eigh t po in ts a t which th e lines cross. F rom u nder th e trees ' a t these poin ts thousands of p lan ts have been p u t o u t, q u ite one-th ird of w hich have tu rn ed o u t a n ice-looking hybrid . T he p lan ts are from th e seed dropped a t th e in tersec ted p o in ts only ; and y e t my good frien d of M attak e ly pronounces th em to be a fine ty p e of Ptitti de Gallinazo.

T he plants, when qu ite , young can scarcely be recog­nized from officinalis, b u t th e hybrid between t a t and succirubra soon becom es apparen t. I have offered to shew him thousands of th e young p lan ts growing only a t these points I m ention , b u t he declines to be con­vinced. L et h im p u t th a t in his pipe an d sm oke it. —Y ours tru ly , JA M E S S IN C L A IR .

N E W PRO D U CTS.U dugaina, M ay 3rd , 1882.

S i r , —E nclosed you will find an account of w hat m ay be a usefu l new p ro d u c t for Ceylon (good m a t­erials for new brooms would be very useful in Ceylon ju s t now ). T he P iasava fibre is q uo ted from £20 to £40 per ton , and, from th e account of th e size of th e tree, m ight, I should th in k , be p lan ted abo u t 24 feet apart. A t a y ie ld of 20 lb. of fibre per tree, th is w ould give about 1,500 lb . of fibre per acre, and selling say a t 13c., or £30 a ton w ould give R195 per acre. W h a t th e cost of production is 1 cannot say , b u t, as it is no t likely to be m ore th a n K100 an acre, i t looks as if i t m ight be a profitable cu ltiva tion .

I w onder sago has never been cu ltiva ted in Ceylon, for th e re is any q u a n tity of land adm irab ly su ited for it. In the S tra its th ey ev iden tly th in k i t a paying product, as I h ea r from M r. B ailey th a t he is to p lan t up 400 acres for a com pany a t Johore.

L iberian coffee, cocoa, nutm egs and a ll low country products are grow ing splendidly a t Johore, and th ey cannot well help growing in such a soil and situa tion as I saw a t M r. B ailey’s place a t P in n e ra n g —I rem ain, yours fa ith fu lly , T . S. D O B EE E

’ T H E T R A D E IN C IN N A M O N .Colombo, 5 th M ay.

S i r , —Y our correspondent “ P la n te r” finds fault w ith the q u a rte rly sales of cinnam on in th e London m arket, an d w ith th e aversion of London brokers to any change.

A llow me to p o in t ou t th a t “ P la n te r” is in no w ay

com pelled to subm it to a system he ob jec ts to , b u t th a t in th e local m ark e t he w ill alw ays find buyers read y to pay the equivalent of th e London quotations.

T he local m ark e t offers all th e advan tages “ P la n te r” asks for. H e m ay sell a t any tim e he l ik e s ; he does away w ith no t one b u t tw o m iddlem en, and. above all, he has a chance of form ing an opinion of his ow n as to th e ac tual s ta te of ihe m a rk e t and th e probab le fu tu re by th e a t t i tu d e of buyers on th e one hand, and th e know ledge of prospective supplies on th e o ther.

I t seems th e local m arket is grow ing in re la tiv e im portance for all o th e r ar 'ic les : w hy should cinnam on p lan te rs adhere to the o ld system , th e defects w hich do n o t lie in th e q u a rte rly sales b u t in th e h a b it of con­signing ?—I am , sir, yours fa ith fu lly , M E R C H A N T .

T u b condition of th e im m igran t labourers in Assam does no t n early approach th e s ta te of “ slavery” w hich a few ag ita to rs in C alcij^ta recen tly p a in ted in such v iv id co lou rs. From th e Assam A dm in istra tio n R eport for 1880-81, i t appears th a t th e d e a 'h -ra te am ong these labourers fell to 35"2 per 1,000, w hich is considered th e norm al figure for an In d ia n population ; and th e conditions of life are th u s described :— “ Food has been ex traord inarily cheap, health has been good, an d th e im provem ents, w hich are every y ear being m ade on tea p lan ta tio n s in th e w ater-supp ly , th e housing of th e im m igran ts and th e ir families, th e provision of b e tte r accom m odation for th e sick, and th e lik e , have generally raised th e labourer's stan d ard of com fort in a m arked degree. ”—Pioneer.

T h e r e a c h t r e e in C h i n a is, according to th e N o r th t'h ina H erald , c red ited w ith m any v irtues, an d th e artic le gives in te re s tin g in form ation , th u s :— On one occasion two bro thers, nam ed respectively T ’u Y u Y u Liu, who had p o n e r over disem bodied sp irits, passed th e ghostly legions in review beneath a peach-tree, and, hav ing bound all those w ho w o rk ­ed evil against m ankind with scarlet w ithes, th rew them as food to tigers. In m em ory of I bis i t was custom ary fo r officials on th e las t day of ihe y ea r to have figures c u t in peach-wood m ounted upon reeds, and to p a in t th e likeness of a tig e r upon th e door­way as a ta lism an . At p resent, adds M r. M ayers, th e names of th e two b ro thers are pasted on th e en­tran ce doors of Chinese houses on N ew -year’s eve, to guard the dwelling from harm . Peaches, too, figure largely in Chinese fairy-tales and m ythology, and formed p a r t of th e banquet p repared by th e R oyal M other of th e W est w hen she paid a v isit to th e E m peror Cheng, better know n as Shih H u an g T i; while a peach-garden was th e scene of one of the m ost celebrated events in Chinese history, w hen th e O ath of B rotherhood w as taken betw een th e th ree heroes w ho played so im p o rtan t a p a r t in th e h isto rica l rom ance of th e T hree K ingdom s. T here are m any o th er in ­te re s tin g deta ils connected w ith th e peach-tree in Chinese lite ra tu re , bu t we have no space to enlarge upon them . Some p u n d its av er th a t , properly sp e ak ­ing, th e peach is an em blem , n o t of longevity , bu t of dea th ; while W estern th eo ris ts have a ttem p ted to connect i t w ith th e tree of th e know ledge of good and evil, whose fair f ru it presented so fa ta l a te m p t­ation to our m other Eve I t seems, how ever, certain th a t, according to an c ien t w riter?, peaches w ere no t adm issible in sacrifice : th a t those w ith double k e r­nel , were a m ysterious b u t unfailing posion ; and th a t th p rem ature fructification of one species of peach- tre e was a harb inger of na tional calam ity . A ll th is m ay be very in te restin g , b u t it. is no t prac tica l. W e wi 1 conclude with tw o facts w hich have th e m erit of being bo th . T he best m anure fo r peach-tree?, ac­cording to Chinese h n rticu ltii ' ?ts,' is snow ; an d a cold decoction of pig 's-head, pom 1 abo u t th e roots an d in to th e tru n k itse lf, is a sm ■ rem edy for th e insects w hich p rey upon i t .

T H E SEA SO N IN IN D IA .{For the week ending 25th A p ril.)

S ligh t rain has fallen in th e N o rth -W este rn P ro ­vinces and Oudh, in th e C en tra l Provinces, in Assam, and in tb e Bombay P residency. In B engal, M adras, M ysore an d Coorg, an d B ritish B urm a th e ra in fa ll has been m ore or 1 ss general, a lth o u g h m ore is still w an ted in some places in Bengal. S carc ity of drink ing- w a te r is s till rep o rted from D harw ar in Bombay. The recen t ra in in M ysore has been beneficial as fa r as i t goes, h u t th e w et crops continue indifferent. H arvesting of rahi crops is in progress in ihe P un jab , w ith good prosp c ts and has alm ost been com pleted in th e Bombay P residency and in th e N orth -W estern P rovinces and Oudh, w ith good or fa ir resu lts generally . In Bengal th e spring rice crop, w hich is now been h arvested , is expected to yield a good o u ttu rn . In th e M adras P residency reap ing of crops s till continues, w ith o u ttu rn on th e w hole an Arerage one. In one ta lu k of th e B e llary d is tr ic t th e d ry stand ing crops are repo rted to be p a rtia lly w ithering . I n tb e C en­tra l P rovinces th resh in g and w innow ing of rahi crops s till go on, an d harvestin g of w h ea t is in progress in th e C entral In d ia S ta tes. G eneral prospects con­tin u e to be good th ro u g h o u t th e c o u n try , and land is being p repared fo r k h a r if sowing in Bombay, B erar, and th e C en tra l P ro v in c e s ; w hile in Assam an d B en­gal ploughing and sow ing continue.

M adras.— N o ra in in K istna , C hing lepu t, T anjore, an d T rav an c o re ; general p rospects good.

Bom bay.— Rahi h a rv est generally com pleted ; p re ­p ara tion of lan d for next season begun in a few d is­tr ic ts ; sligh t ra in in D harw ar, Belgaum , aud K an ara ; scarc ity of d rin k in g -w ate r in six ta lu k a s of D harw ar c o n tin u e s ; s ligh t fever and ca ttle disease in a few p la c e s ; cholera in R a jko t, Tatm a, B elgaum an d in S atara , increasing in S a ta r a ; prices generally steady.

Bengal'. — S lig h t ra in fell in m ost p a rts of these p rovinces du ring the w eek ; in some places th e rain was com paratively heavy ; ploughing is proceeding, an d in some places sow ing of au tum n crops is going o n ; more ra in s til l w an ted in several p la c e s ; indigo, sugarcane, an d o th er crops on th e g round are doing w e l l ; boro (spring) rice is being h arvested , generally w ith prospect of a good o u t tu rn ; cases of cholera are s till repo rted from m any places, and sm all-pox re ­ported from some places ; th e public h ea lth is how ­ever generally fair.

N . - W. Provinces and Oudh. —S ligh t ra in fell in seven d i> tricts ; prices have risen slig h tly in A llahabad, Caw npore and F a ru k h ab ad and fallen in M oradabad, elsew here they are s ta tio n ary ; th e m ark e ts are well supplied ; cholera is s till p revalen t in F yzabad, bu t is decreasing in G orakhpur and S itapu r ; a few cases are reported from Lucknow , P a rtab g a rh , Allahabad, and K um aun ; sm all pox continues in Caw npore, Mo­radabad, A gra, and Jh an si, and ty p h u s has appeared in K um aun ; cattle-d isease has d isappeared in A lla h ­abad, b u t continues in Lucknow , K um aun, and Jh an si.

P unjab . —H arv est prospects and h ea lth good ; prices generally steady.

Central Provinces■— W eather cloudy and ho t, w ith cool n ig h ts ; th resh in g and w innow ing of rabi crops going on ; p repara tion being made for k h a r i f sowings ; cholera an d small-pox in severa l d i s t r i c t s ; ' prices s te ad y .— M adras M ad.

W e tak e the follow ing rem edy for sim ple con tinued fever from th e Scientific A m e rc a n “ Acid, hydro- brom. 1 d r. ; Syr. siinplicis, *2 d r. ; Aq. ad. 1 oz. M. Sig.—Every hour. —Fothergill. In speaking of th e above form ula D r. F o th erg ill is rep o rted to have s ta te d th a t i t w ill p robab ly co n s titu te p a r excellence th e fever m ix tu re of th e fu tu re . I t is especially ind ica ted , he says, w here th e re is cerebral d istu rbance .—Pioneer.

j T a n n in g i n t h e M a d r a s P r e s id e n c y . —T he M adras Mail, in no ticing th e operation of a fo rm er G overnm ent ta n n e ry , sta te s :—T he bark chiefly used w as th a t of th e cassia auricu la ta , w hile th e pods of th e d iv i divi, an d g all-nu ts or m yrabollam s, w ere em ployed to p ro ­duce th e finishing liquor.

A S t r a n g e S i g h t . — T he B athurst Free Prees reports a s ingu lar s ta te of th ings a t L ocke’s esta te , a t Locksley. In th e bush , near th e residence, is to be seen a s tr ip of coun try on w h ich every liv ing sh ru b and tree has, by some m y sterious process, been deprived of life. T he trees, leaves, an d u n d erg ro w th are all d ry and hard , as though destroyed by fire, and n o t a blade of g rass o r a leaf is to be seen w ith any life. The s tr ip of c o u n try is ab o u t 300 y a rd s w ide, s tre tc h ­ing as fa r as th e eye can reach , ru n n in g along th e p lain an d up th e side of th e m oun ta in . Oppoeums lie dead a t tb e foot of some of th e trees, supposed to have been k illed . A h o t w ind or an elec tric cu rre n t or bo th are supposed to have caused th e d estruction .

M a j o r J a c o b , of Jeypore , In d ia w ho superin tended th e erection of th e necessary p lan t, now s ta te s th a t he is able to produce a gas from the oil of cas to r beans, w hich w ill in a ll respec ts bear favorable com ­parison w ith th e best sam ples of coal gas. L arg e w orks have been co nstructed , from w hich th e en tire tow n is supp lied w ith cas to r oil gas w ith as m uch fac ility as though coal w ere the raw m ateria l used. N ow th a t th e system is in efficient w orking o rd er i t is found possible to produce tw elve hu n d red and fifty cubic feet of gas of nine-candle power from eigh ty-tw o pounds of oil. T he lig h t is soft, y e t pow erful, easy of storage, is com ­pressible, and is said to possess no dangerous explosive properties.— Oil and D ru g Neivs. [Jeypore , in R a j- pu tana , is f a r in land , w here railw ay carriage w ould render coal expensive. T he casto r oil p la n t grows p len tifu lly in m ost p a rts of In d ia . L ike a ll o il-y ie ld ­ing p lan ts th e crop is exhausting . T he ra ilw ay com­panies have large m anufacto ries near A llahabad for th e p repara tio n of th e o il.— E d , ]

C e y l o n C o f f e e P l a n t s n o t to b e I m p o r t e d to R e ' u n i o n . —T h e Gazette con tains a despatch from the E a rl of K im berley to G overnor S ir J . R . Longden K . C. M. G ., w hich calls th e G overnor’s a tten tio n to th e follow ing d o c u m e n t:—

The Foreign Office to the Colonial Office.Foreign Office, 10th March 1882.

S ir ,—I am directed by the Secretary of S tate for Foreign Affairs to transm it to you, to be laid before the Earl of Kimberley, a despatch in original from H er Ma­jesty’s Consul a t Reunion, transm itting a Decree pro­hibiting th e im portation of coffee plants and berries into the colony from Mauritius, India, Ceylon, Java, Sum atra and the F iji Islands.—I am, &c., C h a r l e s W . D ilke .

Consul Annesley to Earl Granville.Commercial.—No. 3. British Consulate,

Reunion, 16th December 1881.M y L o r d ,— I have the honor to transm it to your Lordship

herewith enclosed, a slip taken from the “ Journal Officiel de la Reunion,” of the 14th instant, containing an Arrete dated the 13th instant, issued by His Excellency th e Govern­or of Reunion, which prohibits, until further orders, the introduction into th is colony of all coffee plants and coffee berries, and even of all kinds of plants, coming from Mauritius, India, Ceylon, Java, Sum atra and the Fiji Islands.

This measure has been rendered necessary owing to the information received from th e M auritius Government of the appearance of a disease on the leaves of the coffee trees in th a t colony and in the other countries named in the Arrete ; also upon the recommendation of the Commissioners who were specially named by the local authorities to report on th e best measures to be adopted for th e pre­vention of the introduction into this colony of the said coffee plant disease.

I beg to enclose a copy of the report sent in by the Commissioners.—I have, kc .f A. A. A n n e s l e y ,

H. B. M.’s Consul a t Reunion.