Cotndl ^Inivwsitji lEibtavn BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Hettrij 133. Sage 1891 .1 *< M. , IT.*- • *• fc • • L * V;, , / (No. 1. A 'X' II 12 Vol. XI. COLOMBO, JULY ist, 1891. “UORXICRING” CEYLON TEA. E must await fuller details ■.“■ban those furnished by our .. Loudon Letter as to Mr. Elwood. May’s soheme for the distribution of our toss before wo can venture to dooido fully with respeot to it Ho far ao we can form an opinion upon our c.Drraspondcut’s abstract of that gentleman’s letter, wo should be disposed to adopt the view already taken of it in London. In the first p.aoe, wo have always expressed ourselves — as wo have felt —to be strongly opposed to the praotioe universally known by the term of “ cornering " which Mr. May apparently suggests. We hold it to bo not only opposed to the true principles of genuine trading ; but, owing to the ill-effect it has upon thousands of people, to be morally indefensible. Against monopolies of all sorts — especially when they are resorted to by Govornments — the public stiiso of modern days revolts. Wo do not say that they are absolutely indefensible. In some instances, as in that of our own salt trade, they may be indis- pensable as a moans of securing the cheap and regular distribution of an indispensable food article, as well as of raising revenue, though we could perhaps wish that that and similar forms of taxation could be abolished and compensated for in some other way. But apart altogether from objections of this nature, to the monopoly in dealing with Ceylon tea which it seems to bo Mr, May’s desire to create, •here is the fact of the utter impracticability o* accomplishing the end in view. When first our island grown teas attracted notice, and when there appeared to be groat diffloulties in the way of making them popularly known in the countries of oonsump' tion, it Boemtd to many of us that it might be both necessary and desirable to establish agencies having •be imprimatur of our Planters’ Association. It is soms central control of that kind which it seems to be Mr, May’s desire to establish now. But the day for this has gone past, and it ii singular that the fact has not been realised by the President of the American Company established for the sale of our teas throughout that vast continent. We could not, did we desire to do so now upsot the manifold private agencies which have been established, and which have already had such a marvellous effect in widening the area of the sale of our teas throughout the United Kingdom, We do not understand Mr. May to intend to limit his prosposals to the field in which he i^ now specially working. His idea seems to be that every Ceylon planter should sell his tea to the vast organization he proposes, with himself as its head ; that no one outside of that organization should, in fact, be able to procure Ceylon tea for the supply of markets yet established or to be established all the world over. This, as it seems to us, is a thoroughly Yankee notion. But it is very certain that any attempt made to give it effect, to restrict our planters rom selling in the dearest market open to them, would utterly and entirely fail, although some measure of sneoess might possibly have attended it if it had been made in the days when tea planting in Ceylon was a young industry and channels for disposal of its produce had not been opened out. It is no wonder that a reference made to a gentleman specially fitted by bis local ex- perienco both here and at home to give an opinion on I the scheme should have resulted in bis emphatically ' declaring it to be “ Moonshine I” A very few ' minutes of conference with Mr. Mitchell and bis colleagues of Messrs, Barley, Butler & Oo. will, we feel assured, have convinced Mr. May of the impracticability of any such idea as he has broached. It is only wonderful that be should ever have entertained it, after having conversed I with Mr. Grinlinton during his recent visit to the States. Mr. May will certainly return to New York, , after his present visit to London a “ wiser,” I though we hope not a " sadder” man. But if j mortification should be the result, he must lay the blame on his own " o’er-vaulting ambition,’’ 2 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1891 THE EASTERN PRODUCE AND ESTATES COMPANY, LIMITED. RflFoaT pioseated at tho Fourth Ordiiiar.> General ^Uairng, to bo held at Winchester Hou«e, Old Broad Street, at 12 o'clock hood, od the 30th April, 189]. The Directors herewith submit Report and Balance- sheet for the yuar’a workingf, ending Sist Deocmbor. 1890. The protit for tlie year has amoauted to j622,i22 Is and, after providmg All, 749 138 for payment of Interest en Debeolures and Preference Share divide^ad, carrying £2,800 4i Id to the RoKetvo Fund, to ooiaipleie tho required an oant of £10,000 end setHng aj-ide X3,00O a« a Siukiiig Fund for retirement of Dobeutares io neoordauoe with the Company's Articles of Asauomtion, there remauia a balance of £4,572 4s. Id. to be carried forward. This result which has again been assisted by tho yield from the Ooffeo still remainiug on tho B'ttates, and by a satisfactory iucreaio iu the Company's Agency and OommUalou business, iudloatus a steady aouuul ralo of progress wbioh the Directors ventni’e to think oannot be otherwise than encouraging to tlie Share- holders. As shewn in the schedule annexed, there are 9,266 acres of the Oompauv's K dates under tea cultivation, of which about 5,400 sre over feur years old. The yield of tea iu 18‘JO was 1,618,000 lb., the average gross price obtained, inclusive of purchased leaf, being approximately Hid. per lb. The crop for the current year is estimated at 1,7.10,000 lb. The Directors in the exorcise of their discrotiou have sold Oigraa Ella Kitate and a store near Colombo, and have purchased tho Kolapatua and Gougalla properties, The UqnidiUon of tho Ceylon Company Limited having been now Aually completed, the balance of amount retained by the LiquidaUTB to meet o; nt.ng- eiicies has been haudud over to the Company and carried, together with an amount released on aottlumeut of tlio Corbet aoit, to the ort^clit of Tho Kstates Keservo A c in the sum of £13,066 19s. 8i. Schedale of tho Company's estatos at 3lst December, 1^90;— ArapoUkaudo, AsgerU' and Maddawella, Bulat- watte Ditto, Belgodde, Cdombo (Let on lo.<&se), Condogalla, DaudukoUwa, Doomhagastalnwa, Drorao. laud, Hopo. Inguru^ialla and Bercewells, Kirrimittla, Koladenio, Kolapatna and Gongalla, KumaradoU, Kolacloma, Kolapatna and Gonyallo, Kumarndold, Labookell c, Meddocoombrn, Montetiore, Norwood, Rothschild, Sinuegodde aud Bello Vue, Sogama, Vellai Oyu, AVovekellie, Woodslce. trader Ten 8,698 Aoros Tea (with some remain- ing Coffee) ... ... 570 — 9,266 (f Coffee 160 1) Cocoa 624 Oiuohona, Cardamoms and Sundries 3S2 Forest, Grass aud uncul- tivated Land 7,382 Total 17, Zd*] Acres. Balance Sheet, SIpt Decbmdeb 1890. Dr. Idabilitiee. £ e. d. To Capite.l 8(ock Nommal Capilal, GO, '500 Ordi- nary Shares, £5 each £;i03,000 4,000 Preferred Shares, £5 each 20,000 Ordinary Sharon, 59,6.38 al- lotted, at £5 ... 297 690 Ordinary Shaves, 289 uu- claimed, at £5 ... ],445 Prefenuil Shares, 763 issued, £1 per Share called up ... 753 299,888 0 0 „ 6 percent Debentures £195,200 0 0 „ Debentures Interest M. 845 16 4 193,046 15 4 Estates ResecTo Account, liealizatious and Recoveilea „ Fire Xnguraiico Arcount ... „ Sundry Creditor Balances „ Bills payable ,, Roservo Fund ,, Profit and Lot-s A/c ... Proposed appivpriation Dividend on Ptefored Shares ••• Oomiilotion of £10,000 Kc- serre Fund ... Debenture Sinking Fund.. To be carried forward ... 20, ♦‘20 18 10 906 17 3 10,386 6 7 14,826 5 4 7,199 15 8 10,410 1 5 £37 13 0 2, SCO 4 4 3,U00 0 0 4,573 4 1 £10,410 1 5 £500,283 0 4 Or. Assets. By Amount reprcscntlug Landed and other Property acquired at lat January 1888, under agreement dated lOih Ootobf*-* 1887 „ Outlay on Tea extensiona and Acquiai, lion of land ... ••• „ Balance of outlay on Machinery & Build- ings at list Dec. 1889 ... ... £4,592 In » Kxponded in 1890 ... 7,222 19 3 430,117 4 0 17 8 £11,615 16 0 Less amount writteu off for depreciation iu 1890 ... ... 1,877 1 8 „ Produce on hand „ Advances against produce and supplies for Eitfttes ,, Furaituro ,, Sundry Debtors „ Loan on mortgiigo „ luvestmeuts ... „ Bills reoeivublo ... „ Cash ou Deposit and at Bankers 9,938 14 4 31..654 10 1 11,958 5 3 77 15 11 13,799 10 0 9,U0 0 0 8,482 10 11 301 0 3 19,533 6 a Dr _ «.iOoU,*ol V Profit and Loss Account, for Year ended 3l6T December 1S90. To Produce on hand, Ist January, 1890 ... ,, J-xpendlturo j— Upkeep of Estates, including oost of purchased Toa leaf and alluwaace for depreciaiiou on maobinery and buIltliDgs Salaries, Office expenses, aud Genorai charges ij» London and Ceylon, in- cluding Directors aud Managing Director’s and Auditor’s romuiie- ration and lucomeTax ,, Interest on Debeuturte ... „ Balance £ s. d 27,377 1 1 9 85,450 6 11 6,306 0 7 11,712 0 0 10,410 1 6 £121,256 0 8 By Balance, .3Ut December, 1889:— Divitlend ou I’roferrcd £ « Shares ,, 3y jjj * Balance te Reserve Fund 6,761 y £ 8. d. 6,801 14 10 6,801 14 10 By income j— Proceeds of Produce sold and bouuli to account at 3Ut December M and profits from Agency businesi interest, &e. EsUmaced value of Produce on hand a dist Dofember 1690 ... 89,701 10 7 31,854 10 1 £131,066 08 * rROPOSED “COENEE” IN TEA. Mr. Ehvood Muy, oue of the Directors of the Deylon American Tos Company of Now York, has cal/ed upon niauy of the firms iutoresfced in toa pro- auction, with the view of propounding his scheme for July i, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 3 - 'f'J" '■ ‘I - ail American Ceylon Tei “corner ” on a large scale. What his reception lin.a been I can gather pretty well from the Vipinioni thoae interviewed have erprCRsed to TOO in -convorsatiou on the subject. Judging of it in the form in which he has EUbniitlcd his project, they ■do Viot hesitate to-.jsy that it is unworkable and un- 'dcsirab'o. The rustlt of an interview with him is a rather favourable impression of his personality. He is quite young and somewhat of the “ masher ” in his got up, and cockiioyish in hie speech. In America only the best of evorythiug was tolerated, and that wt.e why Chinn tea was taking a back-sent and Ceylon leaf coming to the front. Quality made all the running in their great country, and that was the reason why they wiiliei to place tho article in a favorable position in Ihoir market. In England cheap JU. a are wanted because the bulk of the public are not weaiVd;*, hut too often the reverse, whereas in the great land of tlip Stars and Btrines, where marvellous developments are taking place, the great hulk of the population ate well-to-do, and, being that, they can afford to buy good articles : iid will have none other, and that is why Ceylon tea has coma into favor with them so rapidly. They niim'iered sixty millions of inhabitants, and they could and woul 1 buy sixty million lb- of Oeylou tea if they could get it. They have lu’herto been great consumers of coffee, but tlie berry has risen so much in price that very many were taking to ten in preference when they could obtain it good* His ostiuiate, be said, had been sub- mitted to trade experts and prouotinced perfec'ly sound. New bis idea was that, by judicious combin- ation, they could buy up these sixty millions ol Ceylon tea, and, by having it all packed on the spot where labor is cheap, in neat, attractive, and oriental looking packets much outlay would be saved and if in addition they could procure the sanction of the Ceyloo Government to stamping each packet wi‘h the official seal or arms of the authorities, by payment of a small royalty, the tea would make rapid w'ay in public estimation with snob a prestige ns tho s'ainp would give. They should not want for funds, ol which they could command any amount when tlie arr.irigements for obtaining sole ouiiimand of the island produce were finished ; the strongo-t financiers would bo with them, and the capital required could be had in a day. Mr. May was a.ssnred that there would be no diftionlty ill purchasing crops in advance on contract if the rates suited, without resort to the device of a “cor- ner”, hilt ho did not ocnsidir tha* mode of making the arrangement in question would be suftioiontly “ comprehensive ", and preferred absorbing the entire tea interest of the i-Iand — how could estate ownirs possibly object? Claims on their properties could be arranged for, and, though there would perhaps be some liBviiig an interest in the existing state of things by shipment to Europe and Australia, that matter could bo easily arranged. There is, 1 think, no doubt but that Mr. KIwoud May is thoroughly in earnest and a full believer in the praoticability of his “ corner”; but as to bow many others ho will succeed in bring- ing to his way of thinking is another matte- —London, Cor. local “ Times.” Uow TO Srcurk Americans for “ I’i'he OevlonTea." — There are two places where, away rom their own Continent, Amerioans most do congregate, namely Paris and Cairo or Egypt gene- rally. The Indian Tea Associabion have been before us in Paris and greatly may they continue to flourish. But why should our Ton Fund Committee not tabs some active step to promote tho free sale of pure Ceylon tea in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said ? if once it be known that the Committee want an agent for Egypt to sell only “ Pure Ceylon Tea” in its towns, the right man will no doubt quickly turn up- * This heardly agrees with the previous statement about tbo buying capabilities of the American people. — En. DEVELOPING THE ZAMBESI REGION. The British South African Company have engaged a practical botanist |A. Whyte, lately of Nuwnra Eliya. — Ed. T. A.] who has had over twenty years’ experience in tho cultivation of produce in Ceylon, to proceed to heir territories in Zambesi and superintend the development of their vegetable resources. The gentleman in question, with whom we had an inter- view a taw days ago, loaves early in May for Zanzibar, whence he will proceed by way of tho Zambesi to bis destination in the neighbourhood of the Shird Highlands. His attentions will be directed not only to tho collection and export ol such native produots as are likely to find a market in Europe, snob as rubber, gums and gum resins, olesginous plants, and so forth, but he will also try the aoolimalisation of tropical and subtropical produots. Coffee is already oultivatod with success in Zambesia ; tea is going to be tried, but the company are alive to tho danger of over-production in this article. Cocoa and tobacco are thought to hold out greater hopes of success. As regards drugs, needless to say, cinchona will not bo tried. Opium- culture has been experimented in before in Mozam- bique, tho result being a signal failure. Cardamoms and vanilla are among the first drugs to be tried, and Iho aulhorilies have promised to lend every possible assistance in procuring plants and giving advice as to cultivalion. Now thata train ’d botanist is about to proceed to the country ol the strophan- thus, wo may expect the speedy elucidation of the mystery still surrounding tho botanical olasaifluation ol (he drug, The first soBion or two, however, are likely to be taken up with preliminary investigations ol the climatic conditions of tbo country, meteo- rological observations, *o. Native labour will be employed in tho first instance, under the supervision of overseers from Zanzibar, Ceylon, and British India, — Ohemiat and DmogiH. MICA IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. An experienced prospootor sent rut by a number of gcuUorat n in Adelaide last December has discovered a large deposit of mica ot superior quality amongst the ranges about sixty miles from Farina. The place is called by the blacks ‘Miltc Miltaua,’ meaning ’big mica, or anreat lot of mica’. It is ou a steep mountain creek, which is so plentifully strewn with large pieces of mica that a person is oontinnally expecting to come npou tho source of the snpply, hnt he has to travel about a mile and a halt before the creek cuts sharply through a dyke of fully 150 ft. wide, and exposed on cither side to a height of 200 ft. Tho rook in which it occurs is a compact felspar with veins of quartz and mica throughout it. He reports that there cau be no question about the abundance of the mica. The rock is solid, and requirca a few shots in it before largo pieces can bo got, but with proper means he tliiuks he can send down a largo qnautity of very fine pieci R. He has found a good road for drays into the mica over a saddle in the i-angc, and ho says that drays can bo taken within fifty yards of tho plnoo. The cost of carting to the railway would not exceed £-1 per ton. The Government geologist also reports that several prospecting parties are looking for or obtaining mica in the dietriot of tho Alice Springs. The mica is generally fonnd in coaise granite dykes nisooiated with quartz reefs or blows, scattered through the rooks, and also in bnnohos and layers. It is uncertain in its ooourrenop, and the small surface enterops are easily worked. When these have been worked out, shafts will have to be sunk in the granite and gneissio rook, and tho bunches and irregulor layers ot mica sought for by drivers and crosaouts. The mica outcrops arc tolerably numerous, bat it is only in exceptional cases that the plates are of a size considered worth working. 4 THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST [July i, 1891 TECHNICAL AORICULTURAL EDUCATION IN FR.ANCE AN EPAMRLE TO CEVLON. At a meeting at Fakenham, at wbiob Sir AVillongbby Jones presided, Mr. Bnokmaeter referred to the te- oent efforts of the French Government for the techni- cal eduoatioD of smnll fiiriucrs. At iho annual agri- cultural show at Chartres, the children, both hoys and girls, exhibilod a largo number of copy-books, which contained detcriptious of the best melhods of budding and grafting trees, specimens of the various kinds of wheat and other grain grown in the dUtrict, speci- mens of the iuseots injurious or otherwise, the different grasses and weeds— all illustrated by simple hot fairly executed drawing.’. The children varied in ago from ten to thirteen. Now we have nothing like this in English rural schools of much higher pretensions, and with lads of greater age. In the Depaitmont of the Haute Marino an agricnltural text-book is daily nred in all the riital schools, hoys are taught to distin- guish between the usefnl snd useltss, and prizes are given. Mr. Buokmastor concluded as follows:— I see industrial schools in all parts of the country, where lads are daily at work on the land. Cannot something be done with these schools? Is there notliing to learn on the land except digging, and hoeing, and planting? Would not the teaching of these French schools make lads more intelligent, belter able to think and to reason, better colonists and better citizens? — Daily Xews, «. PADDY AND DRY GRAIN CROPS IN CEYLON. SEASON REPORTS. From the ahstruot of season reports for April IbOl published in the latest Onzettf wa learn that in the Colombo district tho condition of the paddy and gram crops was good generally. In some- villages of Hewagam Korale tho muttes harvest is being reaped and in some parts of Siyane Korale East preparation for tbe maba cultivation is being made. There is no distress or want of food anywhere, and the health of the district is good. In Kalutara Bowing for ysla is reported to be nearly finished. There was the usual extent sown but very little dry grain ouUivation. In Negombo the fields were being ploughed and sown, there being a fair extent in both koralcs. Coming now to tho Central Province and dealing with the Kandy District it is reported that in Yatinuwara the prospects generally of yala are good and that in Turapane where tbe maba barveet has been closed the crop of paddy and dry grain is loss than in previous years by a half. In Pata Hewaheta the paddy har- vest is also closed. A fair crop has been reaped from irrigated lands but bad from land dependent on rain, some fields have been wholly abandoned. In Uda Dumbara where tbe maha barveet is in progress the crop of paddy is reported fair and of dry grain middling, In Udupalata yalu has been sown with snoccss. In Matalo the hill paddy is being reaped and is very poor in Matnle North. Of tbe three districts comprising Nuwara Eliya, Walapane is tho only one where there is dry grain and owing to the drought the crop which is being reaped is very indifferent. Here paddy is in ear and the prospects are fair. There ate also fair prospects (or the crop in Uda Hewaheta and a good paddy crop is being reaped in Kotmalc. The Northern Province comes next and opposite Jaffna there are the following remarks; — “Threshini! of paddy going on in Karachi division. Bain general on the 7th, 10th, and 25th April. Dry grain crop of the second quarter being gathered in. The grains usually cultivated this quarter are sown in paddy fields mainly dependent on rain, very few oi tfio fields being irrigated from wells, Though the rain proved benefioial, it was not suffioient. Tobacco— a good orop being cut through- out all tho district." In Mannar tbe Kalapokam paddy oroi s are all reaped. Sowing for Sirnpokam has not begun and there is no dry grain. From Vavuniya it is reported that the paddy and dry grain crops have been reaped tbe former being “bad" and tho latter " poor,” due in both oases to drought. There is also this remark — “ Last year's ohenae sown with gingelly; too early yet to judge of pro- bable crop, soaroily of food anticipated shortly and relief works under consideration. From Mul- laittivu tho report under the beading of dry grain is “lair,” and under paddy “Kalapokam orop reaped ; good in maritime pattue, bad in Tunnk'-^ai and Karunavcl pattus, fair elsewhere.” In Galle the condition of both crops is good, in Matara the pros- peots (or the whole are favourable, althongh in one or two places oomplaint is made of drought. InUduki- riwila some damage has been caused by floods and loss of dams. From tbe BatUcaloa district of the Eastern Frovinco it is reported “ Early munmari excellent. Orop of Batticaloa north on about IC.SOO acres harvested. Later munmari orop of Batticaloa south on about 7,500 aores is being cut ; alleged damage by blight. Early pinmnri of Batticaloa south on about 1,000 acres is in ear ; later pinmari ouUivation is in progress— about 15,000 acres. Tank water not much used as yot owing to river supply being plentiful still. Other grains snd vegetables are report! d last year {Sic)." Regarding ihe condition ot piddy in Trincamalio the following report ie made:—" Jfunmari crop good in the gravets. Tampalukam and Katukulampattu harvesta nearly over. In Kottiar, (air, ready (or harvort, except at Malliakative, where somewhat damaged by inseots. Pinmari cultivation delayed by murrain." In the North-Western Province the prospects are fair but some damage has been done by rain. From Nuwura Kalawiya in tbe Anuradhapura dis- trict of tho North-Oenlrol Province it is reported : “ Rainfall defioient and partial. Some tanks have one halt {and one-third filled, others close by have barely drinking water. Eainfall due to local thundcretoim and not general. Rivers here and in Noith Matalo dry. A small meda harvest expooled. Tho showers are beneficial to the glowing tala and mondiri ehenas. Prospects of yala crop unfavourable. Rico very scarce in villages. Kurakkan suffioient for present nerds." In Tamankaduwa the rainfall is reported to have been only middling. The general condition of the crops is fair. In the Uadulla dislriot of the pro- vince of Uva the dry grain is reported as middling in Bintenne, and the paddy in the eatno oondition in Weilawaya. In Udakinda the paddy orop is improving owing to recent rains, but in Bintenne it has been affected by drought. In Buttala Wiyaluwa poor crops are anticipated owing to the many appesranoa of worms in many flehis. In tho Hstnapura Di.-triot of tbe Provinoo of Sabaraga- mnwB the “ Operations for sowing yala harvest throughout district much lavoufftl by recent rains, but results of murrain seriously reduce extent oultivated in Meda and Kolonna Koralcs. Ohenas cleared for el-wi and fine gr-in durirg month; not burnt off yet.” Prom Kegalla it is reported “ Pour Korales fields ready (oryala sowing W6ath>r favourable. Cbenas being fltnnd (or lull paddy. Kurakkan about to be eown in Four K irnles. Bain plentiful. Olearitigs going on for hill paddy. No cattle murrain. Outlook good.” On Ma> 21ih a Goveriireid Gazette Extraordinary was issued containing a return of tbe grain crop pro"^- pects for the first quarter of 1B91. In tbe Colombo district of the Western Province the prospects ot JWLY I, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AQRTOOLTURIST. S the crops i»re stated to be lair ; and ia Negombo " crops damaged owing to want ol rain in Sept. 18!>0; " and in Kalutsra rain is desirable dnriog the third and fourth weeks ol the second quarter.’ In the Central Province it is reported from Kandy that the want of rain ia much felt, and the same complaiat comes from .Matale South. In other dis- tricts the crops have been aOeoted not only by the want of timely rain but by insects. Coming now to the Northern Province the remarks opposite Jaffna arc— “ Prospects generally good, the unusual raino in February andMarcb having benefited the standing crops and the pasture for cattle.” BegardingVavuniya it is said : “ lu a month or two food will be scarce. Very little seed paddy in the district lor this year’s cultivation. From Mannar the report is the rainfall in the previous quarter was deficient, particularly in December, and the tanks did not fill. Very few remarks are made regarding any of the districts in the Southern Province, but regarding the Battiosloa district of the Eastern Province the observations are of a lengthy character. The following general remarks however is perhaps all that is necessary to give : — “ With such favourable seasons, there ia every prospect ol a prosperous year. Trade is reviving, credit restored, and money available for fresh investment, as evidenced by my having al ready received application lor several hundred acres of land lot ooconuts and paddy. Nor ia this sur- prising, considering that a good year, such as the present promises to be, throws pro- bably an additional 11800,000 into tli« district.” From Triucomaleo it is reported that the water supply is good expect at Kantali where it is not quite euffloient. In the North Western Province it is reported from Kurunegala. " Weather at pre- sent favourable for yala cultivation, but the rain was too late to do any good to the maha crops.” In other districts the supply ol seed paddy is said to be short. In PuttaUm a failure ol tire paddy and kurakkan crops was feared but they were saved by a heavy fall ol rain towards cod ol Jan. In Ohilaw the prospects arc fairly good. The reports from the Province of Uva vary a good deal, some diatriota suffering from drought, while others have had plenty of rain. In the Province of Sabaragamuwa the harvest seems to have been on the whole good. From the North-Central Province the report ia that Chena is sufficient for present needs, but that there is very little rice available at paddy is held up for seed lor Yala sowing if tho usual rain falls. ♦ VADENTYN’.S HISTORY OF COFFEE. {Continued from page 874, Vol. X.) Paut III. M. Pasohiu.i who maintained that Coflea was known m the tune of King David— Parallel passages from Scripture iho Author’s own opin'on ub mt it — Du lours Hook ou Ootf-e— The Parisims believe Ooffee to bo a *P®c'6-i of .Mulberry— The o|)inioas pro and con or divers I lulosophers, Apo'hecarios and Physicians as to tho effects of O. ff,)e drlukli'g — -Nicholas de Hlegi*y *8 rvalue on Coffee, Tea an.i Ghocolale wliicli app-ared ’1‘ Mr. A' tbony Uallaiui’s H jok on Coffee — Abdulcidor Moliaincd and Abdul Oaffar the ea-liest writers on ti e subj'-cl— Quo Mohame! Ibu Siib of babiian in Arabia I’vlix goes over te I’ersia in llOd, .''nd finds .some of ids brethnn tliore in the Imbit of drinking Oeft-e: on his way iiac’s, feeling sick, ho thinks of it takes a good strong draught nud finds it very oflicaoious in raising bis drnoging .yjirits — How the people of Mecca prepaiMd Coltvo from tho husk, and how they played Clisss and Tjjuka and kept attentiou awako by takiii!} sundry sips of tho bovvrago — The use of Coffee prohibited in Egypt by the Saltan Kair Beg, and, in Mecca, by its Governor, who, despite the arguments of the learued, believed that Coffee like Wine was intoiicatiug- The Governor summons an assembly of Divines who state tlieir opinion — The matter is then referred to two eminent Persian Phy- sicians of Meona, brothers, who are both opposed to the use of Coffee — Oac Heujaazlali, however, oomes ont strong in favor of the beverage and is backed by a powerful majority; but the Persians insist that Ben- jaazlati knows nothing about it — All concur however that Coffee has tho effect of disordering the ” Organs of the lirain,'* the Mufti of Mecca alone disseutipg; and the use of Coffee is accordingly prohibited and put down by the strong Arm of the Law— Coffee Bibbers of Mecca persist nevertheless in sipping iha beverage by stealth, at tho risk of losing their necks, and of being paraded thro’ the Town on the hack of a Jack- -Iss— Tile Sultan of Egypt taki s nubrage at certain assinine proceedings of his Deputy at Mecca and orders him fotthioith to rescind tho obuoxions d'-cree — The Deputy obeys and rescinds it accordingly- The Persian brothers, thus discomfited, betake themselves to Cairo, whore they amu.so themsf-lvea by lampooning the Grand Bigoeur Selim, andlose tUiirncokaiu the bargain. “ A certain gentleman M. Pasebius by name maintains iu his Latin Work published at Leipsio in A. D, 1700, that the parched com spoken of in Ist S imiiol ixv. 18. which Abigail, amougst her other gifts, presented to David to appease aud avert his wrath, was no other than Coffee beaus. Of such psrehed meal <4o. we read in God’s Holy Word more than once, as in Lev, vi. 2l.vii. 12. and let Cliron, xxiii. ‘29; but I oiiiuot admit however, that by that gift of Abigail wo can understand aiiytliiug else than what the word implies, to wit, parched corn more especially as I find in 2nd Simuel xvii. 23, the di-tinction clearly drawn ; for, amongst the presents of Berzillai and other trioiids of David, mention is mnile of roasted wheat, b irley, nud meal, nud of parohed beans and leutdes; aud honoo I opine that they were all parched or roasted, not excepting tho moil and the wheat, and the passage iu question bereforc cannot bo understood as haviug iice 0 Coffee beans in particular. Hence it ia clear on the one hand with reference to these nice distinctions, that the parched corn aud pacclied beans in Atiigail's gifts, cannot bo understood to moa i Ooffeo beaus; but on the other hand liowovro it appears quite evident from tbs same passage 2ad Sam. xvii. ‘28. that tho ancients were wont to go iu quest of a certain species of beans auj lentilos (Iho same distinction being observed between l/eans and lentiles. Ever since I became acquainted with Coffee 1 was ncliued to believe that the beaus referred to in this verse could be none other tliau Coffee beans, or at leat some sorst of beans used in a similar manner as the Ooffeo. I was not, however, lo 1 to this belief by the strong opinions expressed by M. I’asoliius or any other person ; but this idea ooourr d to me whilst I was occupied in translating the Bible into the Malay language about the year 1(190, and it was not till after n careful cousideration of tlie verso rofevred to that tho idta forced its df upou me, {o/igeborreld, liter- ally, bubbled up. I bare since adhered to this opinion There are others again who went still farther and insisted that th" red p.ittsge, wliiuli Essn longed for Gen. XXV. 30., was nothing mor.^ or loss tbaii liquid Coffee, though this does 11 t s.oru to me q lite as prob- able as the foregoing supp. s’Li 11, But to return t > Du Four, who asserts that Coffee was not known iu F iinoe till ufti'r 11145, uud that when he wrote bis Bo k, only 25 years lin 1 elapsed since Coffee begiu to bo uu-d there; that even it’s proper name w.s not known tbqii, and that when it was first use 1 iu i’aris.itw.i8 believ-d tube a species of the mulborry. At a later perm 1 whou Coif e bioame more widely known, the Pli lusophers, .Vpithecaii-'s, and Pliy.siciims wore not unauimoiis iu their opinion respecting it’s quality or its effects. Some rojeotod it altogether us a Caput Mortuuin, and hence as prejudicial to hualtU. 6 THE TROPICXL AQRIOULTURISI. [July i, 1891. others again, more grave auil less choleric, wceo of opiuiou, that Coft’ce even after it had uudergoiio the prooBSS of roasting still retained many of it's oily and wholesome properties, nnd tihattho’ it inight not tend to improve (he health oJ pereonsof a dclicito frame it was very henefloial to persons of a sound and vigorous constitution who used (die same moderately and did not overload their sloraacdis with too copious draughts, nor with too .slroug ioftmions. Coflaa like medicine however healing in it’s offeots might, other- wise, prove injurious to heilth if uaed immoderately. In IC87 a small Book appeared which professed to treat of Coltoe, Tea, and Chocolate, hy Nicholas de lilegny, but it consisted in the main of extracts from Uu Four’s Psmphler. Mr Anthony Ga land wuo was also a Traveller in the Levant and well skilled in t ha oriental languages wrota likewise a treatlso on the origin and progress of OolToe. , . - „ TT« obtained sU his information from a manuscript in the King’s Library and. afterwards sold hiH Book in Paris in 169'-'. The writer of that manu.script was ono Ahdulcader Moliamed, whose anoeators were natives of Medina Ho waa born in Mesopotamia and was of ths sect or persuasion of lloubeli well known amongst the Moor-. The Title of this Hook was “Whatbo- hnves one most to consider and believe oonoHrmng the trnenatureTnd efficacy of Oolloe.” That is - Whether it was lawful for (he Mohimmtdam to use it. This little work which consisted of seven chapters dwelt on the Etymologvof theworil Co«f./i, the virtue of Coffee and the land where that beverage was (irst used. ^It W..8 written in Egypt. Anno Ilegiim 990 or m the veat of the flight of Mahomed from Mecca which according to the reckoning of some (tlio tlioro exists a great difference in the osloulntioas) would answer oerhans tO the year of Our Lord 1578-* ft seems after all the Abduloader Mohamed liimself borrowed The anb ec’ from the writings of one Szoieli Abeddion Ibu Abdul Galfai-, who O" the subject long 1. doro him. Rid hi order to point out the exact time when a ri.ht knowledke of Coffee drinking was estaldishcd, it is iieoosiary to seek for information from a remote '’^nremaloddieii Aboe Abdnllali Moliamod Ibu Saib, of Dhabban, a town in Araliia Felix, then Muf.i of Aden repaired about th« middle of tho year 1400 to Persia and during his sojourn there, found some ofhis countrymen lake Coffee; bnt he ?»■' partiouhr attention to the circumstance at tho time; on his re- turn however homewards to Aden, finding himself in a very wiak state, be thouglit of the Ooifon which he saw used by his conntrym n and trlod some m the hone that it might do him some good and expetienee.1 tlie r, lief that ho songht. llo l u.ther discovored mahy other qualities in tho Coffee, viz , that it was efficsci-- ous in removing h?a baches, enlivening the spirii, and keening ' off drowsines-. Theso stimulating qualities induced him an 1 a VI rviso tu partake of tho beverage when they went to prayers at "‘RoL He likewise partook of it dnring the performance of many other of bin devotional exercises, and since that time this drink became mo e gone-al in Adm amongst oU people of consequence, partly upon tha reoommondntioii of Dzemaleddien biinaelf and partly upon that of Mobamod of Uadramaut n town in Arabia Felix. - * %_• Prior to this period, Ooft e was not known m Arabia where this beau grows, ror elsowhiro in the Kiat, hut a curling to this A-abian wri’or. Coffee was long before this in use in Abyssinia, slthough Messrs. Jobus Ludolf Piero Tellea, and many others who had ardten aenuun'ts of Ethiopia made no mention thereof From Aden this beverage was lutroducoii into Mecca in 1600 where it wss not then ptopared from the beans, but from the shells (husks) wliioli were brought from Yemen; tor Mecca lies not (ns many suppose) propo ly in Arabia F.llx, but in the Government and dcputysliip of a stony region ot Arabia which some call labaniah and others Hinzasr siul which is situated on li a border. »A D. 022. Era of tho Hcgvra or flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina. Tytler’s Table of Chronology. Tho use of CcfVdo uow became more t?encral and almost every body partook of it, as he whiled away his time in a gsme of cho48, tzooka, the gfime of btau® or some other Amusement ot the kind. From Mecca it pA^sed to the other towns of Arabia, and thence to Kgypt eepocialiy to Grand Cairo; all which took p^ace not long efter 1511. But shortly alter thi< the use of Coffee (wliioh was introduoed somewhat later from Cairo into Turkey) wag prohibited in Egypt by tho ISulUu Khait liog. The Governor of Mecca also who held office under tho Prinoe of the CircABsian Mamtnoluke?, then Masters of EfrVpt, prohibited it's use there, Imsgining it waa wine, for ho found some people partook of this liquor in the Tomplo to keep theinselvei awftko during the rocit ition of thoir orations. In spife, however, of She explanation given him of the hartnleri qualilies of Coffije, he whs obstinate, and boing, at the time, quite ignoiMut of the inooouous quaUt'efl ot tho beverage which he supposed like wino bau an iutoxioat> mg effect (and the uno of wine wa-i forbidden by their Law) he instautly ordered tho, offenders to quit the Temple and warned thorn agrtinsta rccurreuoe of similar conduct. On the following day he tummonoj an assembly of divines and related to them what had occurred. They wf-ra all nnanimously of opinion that Coffee drinking was oppos'd to the MohammedHn Luv and coniic- qiiently that it ought to be aiippresaed, Tlioy carried this matter, however, to far greater leugflM hero. An inveitigation was to take place in order to a‘^c8rtain whether or not Ootfeo was detorimental to the body as well us tho spirit ; and it was aocordingly judged txpadiput to refer t ie matter to the Faculty aud take tlieir opinion upon the p*ii)t. Her* upon iho Governor sent f«>r two Persian brothers, the prioci]>al PhysiciHna of M« cc%, who had bub a ^up.rtioial knowledge, of tho sriaiid one of whom had already written soniethiog disparagiiij^ly of Coffee, and subui'tted tho case to them for opiniou. They said that the C..ffo6 husks being in their nsturo very cold and dry were detrimental and i jiirioua to lualtb; but a PhyKician of lingdad named Beojaazlah, who was one of assembly, obeervod that Coffee promolos the digestion of tho phlegm, and that aocording to his opinion it was hot and dry {oonlrary to the opinion ot th»i two olhers.) Tho rest concurred with him, aud the opinion that it was not injurious prevailed. The J^erHians then .said, that Heujtz uh was nusstaken, and that they spoke of another plant alef)gothor, which ho mistook Cor Ooffrtc. Finally, they came to the cpnelusiou, that bo tho ellVcts ol the Coffee good or bad, it would be tho lafest plan for a Mohammedan to nbst tin from tho use of it, especially as there sve:o gome omongst them, who placed Coffee amon-ist the things which disor-iored and con- • used the brain. (Te meer, alsoo er zominioe waren, die da Coji onder de dingen sUlde/if die de herssenen bed- weJmden.) The Mufti of Mecca alone, a great Jurist and Divine, ventured to arguo with some vehemence in favor of Coffee, despite the G jvonior aud the whole assemblv; but his opinion und nrgiiements were rejected and laid aside by luo Zealots of their L iw, audtheuge of and all deal- ings in Coffee were prohibited nndersevore punishmenl. Injunctions wore given the Ohinf Magistmtes to watch against all Infractions of tho order, aud all the Coffee found in Meooa was direetod to b • burnt and destroyed, not excepting thn Coffee in tho Watohousos, the property of tho Merclmufs. Bub tUeso rigorous and Bev<*re moanuroa did not either prevent or restrain those who were alptutly strongly a-idict-d (Joff^.o. Irom coatimiing the use of it stealthily in their houses, undor n coiisci usnesa, that tho prohibition was tho result of ftu ill-juigoe niou on the subject and comes to the oonclosion that tho Great Soliman is a fool and a knave'* — Mr. Anthony Galland again ; and some choice verses on the virluts of Coffee by a Turkish Bard — Constantinople — How Sjenis end Hokem liorished there and how their Coffee honses happened to be always chokt -full of Poets, PhiloAophers and Che-s players— The Mosques begin to be negb'cti'd the Turkirh Divines snnnd the ‘‘ Toenn of n/ar;n,” and the Multi or Pope thinks it high time to shut up the Coffeo shops, and they aro shut up accordingly — The Turks get to be cxou’ssively fond of the beverage and won^fc give it up for “love or money” — Of a Vizier who attempted to suppress tho free expression of public opinion and of his two sons who played tho part of eavea-droppers and brought certain innocent people into scrape — And lastly of oeriaiii hone*t shop -keepers who took advan- tage of the Coffee drinking mania and sold their good at a high premium. After the conquest— of Egypt by Bolim (which took place in 1516,) it appears that Coffee drinking was more properly understood in Turkey, and by degrees the use of it booamo known throughout the country, especially as tho use of Coffee was re-establised md restored in Mecca, and no further questions were raised there up to tho year 1625, The Cadi or Judge of tho town, however, caused all the Coffee- house to bo closed up that very same year owing to the great irregularities which took place dally, but without preventing, in partfclunr, any person uRing tho drink in his own house. His successor however, ordered thu re-opening of (the Coffeo-houso, forbiding only tke reourtenee of similar irregularities and disturbances. From Cairo the u.«o of tho Coffee spread gradually, 'ere it was known in Turkov, first to Damascus, and then to \leppo, and eventually to Coustantiuople. Subsequently in 1511, a oarvau from Damascus reached Mecca with sn Edict from Soliman the Great denouncing tho use of Coffee, but this order was not strictly observed, ns it was generally, known that it emanated from the Turkish Sultana, in her overwhelm- ing solicitude for the Einporor, who indulged iu the drink, Whilst at the same time the Basbaw of Egypt took the opinion of all the Teachers of their Ijuw in writing, shewing the vanity of snob an order, and tho ignorance of those who oonJemeDd this drtok. Howeit tbforo prevailed some years aftnrwards a great deivoreity of opinion in respect of the u‘;e of Coffee at Meoon; the people of that twon being divided into two parties each maintaining a different opinion, Thus far proceeds the account of the aforesaid Arabian whose manuBoript Mr, Galland have availed himself of as also that of a Turkish writer named Pitsjevelli (after Fitsjeri a town in Hungary) one of the three Treasurers of the turkish Empire. Mr. Galland aUo obtained some information from a Poem written by Be- ligi, a Turkish Poet, which agrees, j’n suhstancCt with he foregoing account, and of which I subjoin a poetical translation : Tot JIalop vind in’, en tot Damascus by do OrootHii Kii ool( tot Cairo (dmir m’ si medo wvet ic ontblooton Do (’olh— Boon van hare schil) do Cofli- vrngt Die I «v« en tUero drank, die wel Zoo’n d*epo zupt Uit menig augstiK hurt na hovcn wist to haalen, Eer die by ’tTurka derail bogou to Zogonraalon. * # # • # [Tha following, it must bo coufesseJ, is rather a free rondorieg of the Dutch versiau of this short Turkish Poem, from which a few lines have been given above. Your readers will, of comse, e.xcnse the shortcomings of tho TrMiHla'or in his attempt to give, at least, the spiHt of the oriyinal in Eogliali verse,] 1 ping Iho Cgfft*© Plant, whiah, tho’ oppos’d by Fate Has spread thro' cv'ry Country, City, Sta'e, At Hall*]), Cairo .and Damssous too It ha^ aecitr’d the fame winch was lt« due. Buy, who oould est’matc 'iho virtual of that drink Which mndo not one, But ma-iy tboihands th’nk. And write such work« a.s made the vulgar shire Ami fill’d tho woild witli disputations rare ! ! Buy, V ho could well describe iia wandrous pow'r To flKHT tbo htarl in “ sorrow’s lonoly hour” SuHtiifn the drooping spirits of the fair Who cag’d in Harems, pine in sadniss there; (tTnhrtppy birds, I wi^b I hat the key To opo I wide your doors and bid you all be free Coffee ! rurc plant Where’er thou deign’et to grow, The source of wealth To hundreds hero below ; Some thong’it that thou dids't once Thft place of wine sujply. As well o,'^ Beer As some ■will scirco deny. Whato’er Uiou art. fair plant, Of whatsoever clime, Tliy virtuea gjval have pnazl’d oft The wTs of oUien time ; But now we know thco well, fair plant, and all Hiy virtues too My task is o’er, farewell my muse Ye Coffee, plants adi»‘U ! I Prior to the ycir 1854 very little wa« known of Coffee ate onstaiitinople and .till leas of Coffeo honseo It \va« tho Snl’ana who did her best to put a etop to Coffee drinking at Mecca, hot in tho pamn year nearly a century after Coffee had begun to bo 'llrat UfOd iu Aden, and in tlie reign of fcsolimnn tho Great two individuils named Sjonis and Hakein, the former of DamawtiP, and the latter of Aleppo eatabliahed Coffee hotiaes in Constantinople in a cer ain qnarter called Tahhta-Oalah, and Bold the liquid to pooala of learning, Poets, Cheas Players (more properly Sz'ih-Playera or lovers of the King’s Game, for ed on the practice of Coffee drmkiog, though not so pnblickly as before the order being entirely disregarded, ‘ 8 THf? TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1891 This order was still I^bs regarded during the time of the Bucceediug Mufti or Tutkiah Pope) who wsi hot as solicitous ftboiit it as his predecessors. He fat aside this order, aud nut ooly permitted a fr-e and undisputed uso of‘C iffee, but he hims» lf and the rest of the fraternity ludulgei iu if aad tboir example ^vas immediut Jy f' ll'>wedby the countries, &c. It is also worthy ot romnrk that these OufTea house brought griut iraiii to the Prime Minintoror Chief Vizier, who got from euoh house from one to two ucats daily, be^idts tho one Asdar* hitberlo levied on every cup of Cotfee. Mr. UalUud further narrates that s-rico the war of Caudia when Stito aflairs wtr^ discussed with some freedom of speech in these CofFoe-houses by thoeo who frequeuiod tlieni, the sanio were directed to bo close 1 by the 0:aut Vizi.r Koeprncli or Kioeperli, who wi'h h's two son-*, who nctod part of vigiUnr mformvrs, spared no paiiis in visiting these houses incogtiiio, an \ lisVmng to all sltnderous discourse'* at^ai'iat the Guv- rnma f, iu order to pun- ish the (!• linqneuts with great rigour — aud theimie vizitr duririg the minority of Mohammed the 4 h caused nil the^fi house » to be closed up, regardless of tho great loos which this proceeding entailoJ upon bimpolf. Although the Cuffeo houses were suppreflaed there was no dimiuuttou iu the ceusumption or tuat heveriigf , for it was now curried tj the public market amt about the priuoipal streets, fresh and hot, aud sold to the public, who partook of it iu the ueiglibouring shops, whore the couaumcra wliery very woIcoidp, os it waa one of the means whereby the shopkeera succoedod in Uiawing tboir attin ion the go da exposed by them for sale, and which thcao Goffee quaff ra were obligbed, nolens voleus, to purchase.’^ (To ba continued ) Till': KCWAIIA KLIVA SHOW. The nromotera of the ARri-Horticultural Show at Nuwara J'lUya may well Bo congratu ated on the oiioLaa which haa HO aboundatitly attended their rfforta It has been tlio means of creating a great social 'gattiering when all classes from the Qneon s R^enreslntative to the native gardeners, liave met to- oetLr with inutiial pleasui'o and, we may liope, with mutual advantage. Other considerations apart, were H for this oliject alone, such Exhibitions deserve ;i.„ i;r,»rtv sunnort of ovoryonc, and should bo fostered wUh alfy s^Ele BolieituL; wliile the Flower Show Ws afforded an opportunity for lloncuiturisU to shew mis aiiorue flowers on which tlioy have others the P , ..ttontion, and of which tlicy may bestowed so ^ Wlien wo come to the exliibition :?-CdX P ‘Ke ^0 take leave of tho beautiful 01 gaiami I ^ useful tLugb! it mi; be iimrtTstic; and. t'liough the culture of flowers is at once interesting and roflniiig, attention to culinary produce is also iirohtablo and conducive o the pr^rvatiou of liealth. The addition of a borsrai d poultry sliow was, no doubt an ingenious So to iiicrease the attraction of tl.o exhihitio.i so far as the gentlemen are concenied, many of regret to^bservo, fail to regard a l?voly lou^r as “a thing pf beauty aud a joyforovei. there appear to liavo been a number of small pi ixes wliTcb fmled to attract competitors, the exliibition was Tn cxcLdiiigly pretty affair, and afforded a vast miiouiit of pleaLre to a great mmiW oi visitors from « ni rts oi the country. Kegrct has been expressed i^n s'everal aiiartevs tliat planters pMve so >ndifleren nhoiit tlio exhibition of estate products. No doubt “ “woSia “add cousidirably ^'to'tUrintleit Sinay arc ais\imlined to rdga«l n» the Sbwer.shows at Nuwara Eliya. I'laiiting interest hir undergone very great cUiigea' suioe tbe^vs '•A Tiitkisb coi“ equivalent to three faithinge of pat money . of the highly successful Shows held in Kandy and Colombo some years back. We may remark in parenthesis tliat Kandy is much more favorably situated for an Agricultural Show tlmn is Nuwara Eliya, and much more likely to secure tho exhibition of produce end machinery. When those Sliows were hold a variety of products had been iiitroduoed to take tho place of tho declining coffee. Cocoa and toa were comparatively new to tiie imblic; cinchona was looked npon as a groat stand-by; and the different qualities of quill, cliips, renewed, Ac., Ac., were all eajiorly inspected by an interested public. Hut it is quite a different matter now. Tea has taken the place of coffee, and cinchona is totally disregarded ; ovoryon e knows all tliov care to know abont cocoa, and ovon cardamoms and India rubber have fallen into disrepute, to say nothing of annatto, sapan, Ac., A’o. Moreover, it must not he forgotten that tiie judging of tho to*, samples in Kandy was attended by unpleasant differ- ences of opinion, mainly, it is true, about what con- stituted a lair commercial sample, Imt nevertheless a feeling of irritation remained in the minds of many in spite of all efforts at explanation. Wlien a planter found the toa ho exhibited in Kandy fetching in London a penny a pound more than tho gold-iiiodiil tea of the Kandy show, ho naturally felt that that modal had been wrongly bestowed. Tea-making is now the business liy which planters make tlieir living, and when it conies to an oxhiliition in London or Melbourne, where great interests are concerned, and where the competition embraces the jirodnce of rival tea-produc- inc countries, we have no doubt Ceylon planters will again come forward as they have done in tho past, and do their best to take the front place witli their estate products. Hut in these petty local exhibitions it is not worth wliile; they lend to no husilloss, and they require just the same care and troulilo as regards the exhiiiitn as do the more important Shows in foreign couo'.ries. In short, the flower-shows at Nuwara Eliya aud Kandy are rogarded as mere sources of anuisoment and sociability; whilst the exhibitions iu other countries are meetings of com- mercial value and iiiiportauee. Amongst the exhibits at Nuwara Eliya we notice some cinchona crown hark said to liave been live times renewed. Wo should ho very glad to know how this “ fifth renewal" bark turned out an analysis, as for a longtime there was an impression atx-oad that "renewed" hark, as well as very old "original," was apt to lose its value by deterioration: In regard to tlio india-ruliher not thoroughly drying, hut becoming hard outside, whilst tiie interior slioiiod a mass of soft decaying milk, it is pretty evident that it liad not been exposed to dessication in sufficiently thin layers to enable the drying process to lio thorough. The Indians in South America are said to smear the coagulating juice over a clay mould sometliiiig in tho shape of a soda-water bottle holding it over a fire, and, as one layer becomes dry, another is iiut on, until a soli*-! lump is attained. The clay mould is then broken or cut out. On the East coast of Africa, and in Madagas- car, the rubber is collected by the natives and brought to the trader in irremilarly shaped lumns bigger than a mail’s fist. These lumps are promptly cut in two with a heavy knife — to see if any earth or stones are present — and thou tiie rubber is weighed. We limy add tliiit tlio riibher has an abominable smell in this stage of preparation, and the same mny be said of the ruhlier wliich comes down from tho Chindwin and other parts ot Upper Hiirmah. Wo have always thought that ruliber cultivation was too hastily abandoned in Ceylon, hut at tho saino time we fail to see any prosjiect of its being again taken up as a commercial undertaking. — Local ‘‘Times.' IiipomtHT 10 Plantebs. — An annoanoeroent of some importnnoe to planters appears in our adver- tising columns today. Messrs. J. M. Kirwan & Oo., Billiter Square Buildings, London, announce that tho planters desirous of giving a trial to the firm’s prepared paper for lining tea chests which has now been sucpessfully tested on the London market, can have suflioient to line 25 chests free of charge on applying to Messrs. Bosanquet & Co,. Oolombo. July i, 1891.] fHF Tf^OPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 9 TKCIINICAL IXSTRUCTION IN NORTIIKRN INDIA. VVe have been favoured with the peia^al of a very able Minute on Tacbnioal Inalruotion drawn up by tiir Anokland Oolvin for the guidanoo of hia Government in the North-Woat Provincea of India. Aa there ia muoh of interest in it to us in Cjylon we append the following anmmary, and call attention to the prominenoe given to the need of a training in meohanioal indutirieB: — The roinnie ia au exhaustive document oompriaiug thirty^aiz boada abows what up to the present moment baa been the coarae of matters in the North- West pro- viuocs and what baa been dune in Madras, Hombay and Bengal. Ou Idth Sopt. 18d5i the Goyemmeut of India forwarded for oou^uderatiou oertain papers from the Mairas Government oontaiuiiig a echeme for pro- moting technical education in industrial arts and mauu- faclures by oiTering grautf*in-aid to encourage tho teaching in sobools so aided of toobuieal science, arts and handicrafts, and hy teating that ti aching by u system of poblio examiuatioiiK. The aim of the schema was too'eateaud encourage teobuicnl instruc- tion in middle-class sobools. In reply to a “ note from the Secretary to the Governmeut of India in tho Home Oepirtinent the Director of Public In- sbriiolion poioUd ont that the question of establishing Faculties of Medicine and Engineering whs under oou- fiideratiou lu Allahabad University which was also oonstderiug the prtpiratory course for stadenta de- siriug to matriculate and the course for decrees in law and arts. The question had been brought to a practical iaaue of Oadb, and in Lihore it had aPo beeu oonaidored. The qnestion of agricultural and veterinary schools he propoeud should be referred to the Dopartmeul of Land Hecorda and Agricultural as also the toaobing of land surreying. Co/. Forbes on the question of instruction in ongin^'eriug statr d that the practical instruction gained by imtivHS at the large railway workshops at AlUhabad, Lack- now, and Lahore, and at the Government workshops at Hoorkde was now bearing fruit at Delhi where there were at present 17 foundries and mechanical shops, ODG with a 20 horao-power engiuo, worked entirely by natives, without European supervision; at iloorkee whero there was a small foundry and shop under native management; at M.^erut where ihero were two native fonudriea and shop, and at other places. He thought it unnoo0‘»6ary therefore for tho G.jV6ru. njunt in these places to start schools for technical engineering, bat facilities might be given to selected middle or high schools students for going throngh n four or five years’ cotirsu of work at h railway or Government workshop. The Director of Land nnd Agriculture pointed out that surveying and menaurstion were largely langht m tho aohaols Un«!er the Educational Department and that in every district in those provinces there wav a schod of practical surveying. Ho advocated tho (freation of a Normal School for surveying only at Cawopore or Lucknow. Lads he so wt^ll trained in horticulture at the baharanpuf and Lucknow Gardens; and at the Cawupore farm there were a few apprentices jn training. There should be small scholarships for the maintenance of boys at the varhms workshops ; an art school at Lucknow; sgriouUural and veteri- nary schools or elasses in , high sohools ; and rawing should be made compulsory Dr. Kioe, uspeotor-Oeneral of Civil Hospitals, disapprove! the proposal to teach up to a higher standard than lat of tho hospital aHsictant olssj. After a number details tho minute goes ou to state th4t the abliebn eat of what has been described as ** n special ® commercfal and practical obarseter ” j le University of Allahabad ii kIro under consider- being to give a preliminary instruction withuut which no larae growth of te,jhuioal education A “ hoped for. The off.jr of tho British India £«H(jciation to establish a Jubilee School of Industry at JJ^cknow is also recorded, and various papers from the tAA? • ^ and BeugAl Governments on tho subject of Veonmcal instruction referred to, us well aa lengthy quotations made from a letter of Sir Alfred Oroft and the OdvernmenUs reply thereto. Proceeding, the minute says it aeomed probablo that the railway, Roorkee, and other workshops pro- vide sufficient training for the more arlizau and that bis training may bo left to them, What set ms mostly needed at present in these Provinces is the proviMon of greater facilities for a somewhat higher class of training in those now raeohanica! industries which have been iiitrudiioed by British capital into these Provincea, and in regard to which though there may be a growing dumand fur skilled labour, there is no indigenous supply. Facilities should be given for gaining a compident ihoorelical and ptaotical knowieigeof the more subordiimte grades of moebauioal engineeriog, such as is Lccesaary to a fore- man mechanic, more specially in conm ctiou with the steam engine, the railway workshops and the iron foundry ; and also of the procossoK of polton-spinniug as employed iu tho mills established in tiu se Provincos. At Roorkee there is a Government engineiTiug college and Government workshops and it rc.'nin prolnbli -''A': there is th« rnelf-us of tli.- ‘ =-• r\ nere Prior to adndasicii to hucI' ' • . il al i ' u‘y lo establish scM^e eurh a-: ! • uj;l -vert » - :r .n’ddle-cIsKS. to su in- ‘ Mcr^ 1 k*t 'wlcdi! i. ‘f*f Eugli-h, and Lt giur> ' 'e of i; -* g. -d Ittitli of lliOHO w'm nought for in‘.traotI(in. A three or four years’ cjur-^r! ot i\jstriic:i n. iheoro'icHl and practie »1, would be rcqnic d, wlreh would pJ^bibly inclu ie a •.enu of practicil training in tho r-tilwny workshops and the cotton mills. Th'' proposal which seems most practicable at present is that a certain nunibi r of scholarships sbr uKI be given lo be competed for by ttud.nts desirous of entering the college and that tho holdi-rs of tho fcholarships should by moAua of thnni, he ensble to pass through their cuurae of iustrociion, whether at Roorkee or, (as part of their course) in atieudauce at woikshofs or mills. Before any decision however is arrived at, it is wished to learii the opudoDS of railway authorities and employers or directors of mill-hauda as to whether thoru is a field of omploymeiit for natives trained iu the kind of edu- cation proposed; ih ^t is qs foremen raechanios and nut mere artizaup; and whether for the present the means of instrur^tiou for the ordinary artizan are sufficient; and if not what s'eps are possible iu view of tho means at Government command for improving that inatrnotion. Assuming the class of instruction proposed is that which is most desirable it will he necessary to learn whether the railway and mill-employers are willing to allow studentH to go through a practical trainiug at their eptahlishments and if so under what oouditions. It is o m^idered promainre to go fully into the question of funds until it has been ascer- tained that the bases ou which it is proposed to mild are practical. ■ ' BLACK DRAULS AND RXl’RUl KNCR OF TJIR PKARL FISHERY. We had a call on May I5th from Mr, W. de Carolis LeaLher merchant of Kollupitiya who had a fine black poarl to ebow us. It was one of the finds in the present Fishery and ia valued at from 11750 to Bl.OUO. It is not a perfect one in ehapu, though not far out, weighs 7 carats and measures over an inch in oirouraference. Mr. Carolis had besidoa half a dozen small black pearls and two goodly lots of white ones, tho proceeds altogether oi his in^■^atm0ut in oysters. We were curious to 800 how his experience had worked cut. He had sent three of his relatives to the Fishery and they bad bought altogether 01,000 oysters at a cost of some Kl.SOO. In return they brought him one lot of ordinary pearls, some middle size, many small valued at R1 100 ; another bt value R‘200 ; and the biauk pearl, say Kl.OOOi altogether Iti.MOO. A poor return this considering the expenses of the party and the risk attending the Bale— if the pearls should be sold — at these valuations, Mr. de Carolis intends to send the black pearl to the London market. 10 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1891 CEYLON PRODUCE SHIPiMENTS— ESTIMATES— AND PROBADLE TOTAL EXPORTS IN SEASON 1891 ; TEA. In their circular of May 1-lth, Meesrp. Forbea & Walker put the total ahipmanla of tea from Colombo at 25 millioua Ib. from lat January to 14tb May of the current year. At tbia ratio, wo ahou'.d have to put down the probable total exports of the whole year at 6t) millions lb., against estimates varying at the beginning of the aeason from 62| millions (Mr. Kutherford's) to 58 millions (Mr. b'orbes Laurie’s). But it is ac- knowledged on all hands that, so far as it has gone, the season haa been a moat unusually favourable one all over the country lor tea. There haa been no stoppage of lluching due to drought ; on the contrary the weather has been so oontinu- oualy moist ell through what is oommoniy our dry hot a.’ason, that the tea bushes have been as if in a forcing l.tu .e an 1 liave kept “dueh- ing’ at a rate' wbiuh art nil precedent and oBUraateB at difiaiioe. The ixpirhnco may bo very different if we gel a oold raw South-west nion»oou with Euch heavy conlinnouB ram us stops the Hudi, at least in 'he higher districts. Still, there is no reafioti to aotieipate a worse monsoon in this respect tbau usual, while as fur the drawback to which low distriuta chit lly object, namely drought, there is, we fancy, not the slightest ehanee of that extreme being experi- enced between June and Deoemter on the South- west side of the island. On the whole then we do not see why the ratio we have adopted should not very nearly hold good for the year j for usually, the pi roeiiiaga of ship- ments has been heavier in the latter than in the first half of the year. A table in out last “ Handbook and Direotory” sliews the peroentagts worked ont from the experience of the seven years 1883 to 1889 inclusive, as follows ; — SiiiruBiiTs oi’ tEvnoN Tka Crops i'uom Colombo, Qallk and for Uland. For the Seven Years 1883-89, and Terceotagos, in Each Year For Volombo. os fl) ^ For Colombo. ■S’” • § C 1- V 4< O t** > ^ < fcw w o s S k y o £ ° Int Quarter ... 17,8211,3,81 2,515,764 21) -39 ... 3,715,740 ;-0'i4 ... 2ii, ?l<,0:i5l a,‘.)6’i,r):9 i3-72 Ath do 3.v3.i,8yy I'SSO Total, Colombo ... 87.401, 87-8 i2,i-5,ttba 1001 U This shows how much less is the percentage (61-74) that we leave for the shipments of the rest o f this year, than was required in the three previous years. We may now show the wonderful way in which the Ceylon tea crops have run up beginning with 1885, and giving the percentage of increase for each year. Of course it will be borne in mind how much le.aa important is a large percentage on a small export, than one on the large shipments of recent jeuts:— 1885 lb. . . 4,41 1,.578 Aimuftl increase. Porcoutago of annual incroase. 1886 . . 8,111,137 3,099,659 84 1887 .. 13,800,5'16 .. 24,381,296 5, 089, -108 70 1888 10,580,751 75 1889 . . 34,0-18,085 9,000,789 40 1890 .. 46,901,554 .. 03,000,000 (To be 12,853,109 37 1891 10,098,4-10 continued.) 34 BARK AND DRUG REPORT. (Prom the Chemist and Druggist.) London, April 23rd. Cinchona.— The public sales which took place hero on Tnestlny were rather heavier than the preceding aiictioiiH, the catalonrB coUHisting of Packages Packages Ceylon bark ....1,144 ot which l.lvS wereeold Eatic ludlau bark I.’JOO do 1,70b do South American bui-k .. l73 do 160 do Total do 2.981 do A fairly eleady tone provsiled. and nearly the whole of the auiiply offered sold at rates which are said to show souio aligtit iuiproveineDt on Itio last auctions, although they cannot he anid to be quotably higher. 'I'ho average unit may h. put at about id pet lb. The assortment of barks offered was very poor, and again the Kaat Iinliau cinehouas largely untnuuibered those fromOeyluu. The following are the approximto quantltioiV purchased by the principal buyers : — Lbfl. Agents for the French manufaclurera ... IIIG.SU Agents for the Brunswick work .... isn.aie Agents fur the American and Italian works .... 88,11 Agents for tlio Auerba-. b w vks .... 611.489 Agents for Iho Kr-inkfort o/.M aid Btuttgart works ea.diS Agents for the Mi>uuhcim i.ua Amsterdam works C3.nu3 Messrs. Howards & sous works ...... 55,388 Bundry druggials works .... 36,1)19 Total quantity sold ... #53,179 Bought in or withdrawn ... ... 9,390 Total qiiButity offered ... 6 a, 678 Quininu.— The market is just a shade better this week, sab 9 being reported of 6,0 0 or. " Auerbach ” brand at II id, and about .6,900 (>g. B & 8 or Brunswick, all iu second hiiiids, at mid per oz. It is said tbat there are no further sellers under lOfd per oz. For Qallo 879.85.1 TEA IN INDIA. This shows that we should be juatifiod, aooordiiig to the above experience, in regarding tho EhiprucnlB of 25 millions ib. up to 14ih May as only equal to 36 per cent of the total export lor 1891, which should thus aggregate 70 raillioiia lb 1 lu antioipating a total in excess of 60 and not far ehort ol 65— say 63— millions lb., wo are therefore apparently well on tho safe side, unless the present low prioes check shipments. H we go by the Chamber s latest return and com- pare the shipments for four seasons up to Us latest date with the totals for the years, tho result works out as follows ; — Total Years. 8hipmiui.s, 1891 (ssj) 63,1310,01)6 1890 ... 46,9l)l„b51 1889 ... 34,048,085 1888 ... 24,881,796 Shipments Ter to Uth May, oeuUgo. 21,105,748 ... 38-26 I. 5.038,489 ... 32 06 II, 6il3,l)ll) ... 34 07 6,006,512 ... 24 80 ( From IVatsnn, Sibthorp <£ Co.'s Report.) 1, Hare Street Calcutta, May 6th, 1891. Tlipy hiive now th® jileumirato iJiTe you the figures showing the nelual out'.urn ot tltc luUiHii tea crop of l89u. Aoiiial outturu of crop of IhUu. Thu tot.ul fhipaio. t» to uU places# from the 1st May 1890 lo March ISwUiavit.g been li-., the difference reprer-GUtk* the hH-ai consi ipp'ion oni nu> small puit on of Uht scaa n*s er. p still to go forw ard. It will bo f-cen from l.ho fthovo titfurert that th« actual outturn win# less than the oiipiaa] eMiiniate by moro ihun d million lb. T1 o followii'K fiKurwj kimlly f. rnnihod to the Uineral Committ«H show the oftinoa.e of the ciup ot ]«9l ; — Orinbial Estimate of crop o 1891. n9,79‘,'‘U beiotf 4} aiiliiou lb. orer the origfual estimate of the crop of 18U0. Tukhi#c the shipraeiits to nttuir places st 10 pur cent ovir !hOB«‘ of liit year and inakirg allowance for local coiiSumpUon, there will rcmHiu about 112 million lb. fur exp Tt to great Ilr-tain agah wt ’t illion lb. shipped thur® during the past tcasou. It U pobslble, however, thuc the BClUfil oulLurn of the crop of 1801 miy bo consider'ably less thao the estimate as was the cave last scaiou July i, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. II Toiai. ExroRTSs or Tea fbom Calobtta, fuom Ibt Max 1890 to end Apbii, 1891. Great Britain... AusiraiiH and New Zealand Amt‘nua ... ... Bombay ... ... Sundry Porta... ... 1 8110.91. 4,»;tr,yy8 131,818 1889-9'. 9,8.3u;{.1Iq 3,69rt,(;4rt 1.133,974 419,601 104:,319,b31 103,0^u,U^ FLOODING TUE FKODUCE AlAEKETS. The followiag editorial from the ChcviUt and Druggist (April IBth) coutamd a grave lesoon to Ueyiou planters, who, indted, know too well already from their experience of cmuhona bark, what over- production and ruinously low prices mean. The question is now whether there should be any further extension of tea cultivated here, seeing the heavy production and the scarcity of labour which are likely to be encountered Not the least mtoresting among tLo roftults of the im[Ufn8e tzpanniou which the boundariOB of our empire have undergone in Africa and Aaia during the la^t hve years, und of the extraordinary n vival of the fceiiog-i of kinship among the scattered parts of the Empiie are the numerous scht mea to render the outlying portions ot Greater Britain more pioductive und t<) utilise their luieut resources to a greater extent than heretofore. To say that, from cUmHtio and ecunonjiu standpoints, there is soatcely a Latural product which cannot he produced w.thiu the limits of llio Britiiih dominions in a truism so trite that w.i almost npol jKiau for repealing it, and general sympati.y with aii elforts to iucresAC the productivity oi any p^rt of the Empire and enhance the wcll'boiug of its inhabitants, may bt similarly usaumed. But eudiu-iiasm for GolouUl de- velopment has its dungt-rouA side. And to no one should the reverse ot the medal be mure apparent than to the produce merchant, who wuh an inteliig* nt interest keeps himself informed of the new sources of prodne* tion of the raw mat irialBof industry, an i compares their probable supply witu the demand which m »y fairly be ex- pected lor them. Ttie drug uuporier in particular enjoys unusual means of fb^crvatiou on this point. No other niercbsnt draws his raw maieriais irom so many sources, and there is probably no other trade in whicu tbe grades of unuiulnt ss of any given article, from the aimost absolutely valuele-s to the Lighi'St oxotllence, are liabl:' to vary so nuicli as iii bis. To the produce importer, who ser'S the probability and ofien actuaily experiences the difficulties attcfiiding the glut of his market by tho iutroduciion ol new developments of enterprise, the proveibial beneftiotor who enriches the world with that often-mentioned additional blade of grass, is not always so weici me as he expects to be. The authorities of tho Koysl Gardens at Kew, who are doing emiueutly useful ex- perimental work in oonneetiou with the acclimatisation of produce, are not free from the risk of allowing their zeal to outrun their, discretion, from the importer's point of view. It may be suggested even to them that in selecting their new investigations they might at least first ascertain approximately the world’s requirements aud capabilities of absorption. A case m point has occurred this week. Belore tbe Uoyal Colonial Institute, on Tuesday night, Mr. Morris, the energetic assisVant-direotor of ICew Gardeos, read an interesting paper on tho “ Leeward Islnuds ''—that little group of western paradises entwining the Carib- bean Sea with a girdle of fragrant verdure, Mr. Morns has previously spent many years iu botaidcal pursuits in tho Antilles, and has just returned home, filltui with re-awakeu6il memories ot the unexhausted fertility of the Antilles. He talks of their woiiderlul productive- ness, aud urges tho investment of a •* moderate amount ” of capital iu their development. Dominica produces annually about 8,000^, worth of lime-juice; and in Montserrat a thousand acres are covered with Uuo plantatioDs, Xho proh(S| as a commuuioative planter rashly explained to him, as it were with a view of inviting oihcrs to come and compete, are large. All outlay of l.OtKjL will establish a 2().acre plantation iu full working ord'.r, with works and plants complete, and deiray the expenses of supervision for seven years. At the end of that liuie the estate would yield at tbe rate of 40 hogsbeaiis of oonoentiated lime-juice, worth 4CU each, or 4801.; while the yearly cast of cultivation aud mauufseturo would be about half that arnunnt, leaving 24U/. as the set annual profit. If (be iitduatry U saub a profitable one at the present time, the h^ippy liniequicers of Dominica had better rest oouteiit m their muderu Arcadia, instead of bragging of their gains to tbe promiscuous visitor ; but what prospect is there, we ask, that (his rate of profit would bo maintained if, say, tbe acreage under oultiv* ation were doubled or trebled ? So with gambler. The Kew authorities have lately been paying special attention to this valuable tanning materia], aud num- erous attemptn at iu propagation are being made in the VVest India islands. Ttiu Un.ted States being among the largest consumers of gaiubier, it is certainly rea- sonable to expect that, if they could obtain it as cheaply at their own duors, they would not go to the Straits Settlemi-nts fur it. But while wo do not say that there 18 not room for an increased output of gambler, it should be borne in mind that its mauulaoture iu the straits Setilemonts la praoiioally a monopoly of the Chinese, who havii t\UB far been the only people who can make the culture pay. Whut Cbinese oompetitiou would m*aD, if it is a quehtinn of producing cheaply, there is no need to particu arise. Aio onr West Indian colonies prepared, at a time when Australia and the iStates are compelled to exclude Obinose frum their labour markets, to rush iu where the Eiropeau planters of the 8traiia Settlements have hitherto fearid to trfad ? It is not quite enough thst the warm moist valleys of Dominica are likely to suit the gambier-plant In every vay. The question is, whether tbe planters there oould face the pont idiiig to ih ir spuial r< qu re- nie its." But. is it i-O'. i f ihut th- cultiva ion ot n<. :>• ly every one of the i* pr mIuc s is ulrciidy, ii n-a -.i r- dAine, at (east ^u lulj provided fur that lui h. r e uu- petitiou OKU oulyptaie disasuous from a financial point of view ? P. ppur, f>r itin’anre, is almost 7.90 1.31 1«KV) ... VJ.72 l.SA 9.20 IhHtt ... : .-JG 0.b9 i.no l.i^7 ... 1.21 8.no ].H3 iMHii ... li.lJO l./O 9.20 1.35 1HS5 ... 10 03 1.20 0.4f) l.lf) ... U'.n LtS 9.10 1.10 ... 1‘'.27 l.!0 i.2iJ ... lU.eH i.l ► J.4G l-iHL ... a/j-i The. d oresre in the per o pita consumption of coffee drr.n;' the pa.st iJi.' as compartul with thi four yt . " b:i!iti, s ue *0 the ii'cressi d oott of tbo article, bf I ■ .1 : N' truling tea bus been cbrai', it is not as freely Ilf. -d wua t- n yeurs ago. On the other hand, the ue.3 oi be r steadily increases fr uii year to year, leaping wi bill ton years from 8 65 to l!t 08 gallons par capita. Thi< meant, In ISUO. the use of 855,792,385 gallons, all uxcHpt a, 71*t,iiril g ilhma of domestic manufaotnro. The present conpiimptioii of foreisii wines is only abnat our- half the quantity, as compared with tbequiniity used during tl.e period 1870-7'1. Tho use of dnmi-stin wines has advanced from an average of abunt 20,01X1,000 gal- lons in 1878 82 to about 30,090,000 gallons annually for the past llireii year s. T’cio consumer- of the United S'.atos paid at retail for tho year 1800, the following earn for dtink : Malt and spirituous Ihiuors ... ... $900,000,000 An iiiorcaso of $200,000,000 in four years Octfeo ... ... ... ••• 122,500,000 Tea ... ... ... ... — aOOOO.OOi) $1,052,500,000 Hero is spent for beverages over one billion dollars annually, or about the amount expendeil by the last OoDgress. Tniiik of it... two tlioosand millions per annum for bo r, whiskey, ot Ifce, tea and a Congievs. Truly we are a grovt people ! ! . TheOovermnsot dftives a rovenue of $107,000,000 from liquor, which is $20,000,000 less than is r. quired to pay pensions. It lookt like robbing I'ater to pay Paul. — -dvtert'can Grocer. VALENTYN’S HISTOKY OE UOFEEE. ( Concluded from page C.) Paiit V. Coffee houses at Constantinople for the accomoda- tion of Svilots — III spituof Mandates aud Edicts, the Oollee Kettle is still 'singing on the hearth” sud the Turks ate sippiug away Coffee like mad — If a 'I'utkish wife did not get a quantum suff': of Cctfoo she WU.S entitled to sue her Lord tor a divorce — I'eopis t f rauk and fa-liiou and their trii/iymetfes— Their Silver Trays and tiold Cups — A fow drop.s of tho Essenco ot Amber or Clove give an agreealdo odour to Octfeo— Monrr. Tbevanot makes a Coffee Patty iu Paris ill 1057, and invites his friends— Of the Vene- tians who aro supposed to have been the 6rat Cof- fee hi: hers amoug-t European Nations— Petto dalle Valle once more— nl the IJruggists of Marseilles who carried on a roaring trade with tho Egyptians How certaiu Coffee Houses were eetablished iu that rising Town, and how c rtam Meioha. s and Urokors dis- cussed Commercial matters aud enjoyed their Pipes therein- How certain Doctors and l*^Dysioinua mado aui.ther foulish attempt to suppress the use of Coffee aud most sigiiiilly failed — The probable supposition that Coffee was first introduced intj Paris by Soli- mail Aga and his K' timia in the Kuign of Louis XIV— and lastly how tho said Soliman .iVgs sought ail audience, which wag vouchsafed to him by tho French Monaroh after a d. ky of only six months. ■‘Whilst Mr. Gillaiid was still in Constantinople there were 2 or 3 Cuffue house.- at O.ilata for iho aooomiuodatioii of the Sailors in particular, though tiiori) wore many more houses in tho other Towns of tlio Turkish Empire, which were for the most part frequented by People of Irarniiig and rank. iho Ortier or Alaudate from Coustautinoplu had the effect of bringing about only a more extensive use of Coffee iu the other Towns, so much so, that twice a day by strangers ; and besides, the Coffeo kettle used to be kept In oonstaut rosdi- iiets by some in order to ha able to offer to visi- tors a single cup at loa-t. The custom wa.g carried to snch ail extreme, that tho uou-presonting of a cup of Coffee, or of its refusal when offurod was coiiaiilerod as indicative of a great waut of ci.iictosy. Some spent on Coffee as much money perliaps as would have p,id fur tliair Wine iu I’ans or eltc- Where; ami what was more extraordinary was, that if a husband did not provide his wife with a quantum siilficit of C.ffee. this was cousidered saflicioxit to entitle her to mu ftir a divorce. People of rank and station here, have a special Cup henrer or Kahveligi, and Overseer over Coffeo wlio is statioued in a certain apnrtuieut near tho hall wln ro they generally receive company. In serving out this hoverago, it is first presented to Btraugers, and lastly tho owuor of the house, ex- ceptiug when tho (Irand Vizier eutertiiiis Envoys at Coffee. On sncIi occasions lie drinks aimultaueously With his guests. Tue non-presenting of Coffee, indi- cates a want of friendly feeling, and i.s commonly regarded as one of those things likely to lead to n breach of the peace. Here Coffeo is seivcd out upon a varnished or Silver Tr.ny or Salver capable of holding from 12 to 20 Cups wliioh tho wealthier classes get partially mounted witli silver. Their Cups arc somowliat larger than ours, but they uevor fill them to overflowing. ^ They take it very hot without any sugar, but rsther strong. At Court a few drops of the essence ot Amber are adtied to each Cup, and sometimes a hit or two of Cloves or Cardamon or soma Indiau Aniseed whioh imp-rt a very agreeable odour to the Coffee That well kuowu Traveller Mr. Thevouot. was the first who lutfoduoed the use of Coffee into Paris on his teturn homewards from his first trip iu 1057, when ho oiiteriaino I some of his particular feiendsaud treated them to a dish of Coffee. July 1, THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 13 The Armenisns also’ it wodM appear subsequently imported Ooflee into Franco, aa we sliall presently Bee. Itis not possible to ray the exact period when Cotfee was firat introduced from Arabia or E^ypt iu to Europe, hut the most probable conjecture la, that the Veuetiaus and some oibo> Itaiians were the medium thro* which a knowledge of it was imparted to other European Nttfens. ttoiue assert that Potro delU Valle was the fir^t who introduced OoQoe into Italy, and he himself mentions iu‘ the Ist Vol. of his Work page 90, that he brought it with him to Italy in 1016, when Ootfee was not even known there. It was Mr. Theveaot, however who first introduced it iu Prance far perhaps as ita wRfl concf^rncd, for it would setm that Mr, GalUnd'a father, who was an Attache to the Ligation of Mr, de la Hayo in IGU, brought Ooffee into France and all it’s appurtensnees with him from Constantinople. Coffee was imported to Prance by the Merchants of Mareeillos in IGGO; since which time an extensive Coffee trade wm Oirried on bj the DrOggisls of tho place, who ordered ont whole bales of it from Egypt {doende die met geheeU Baaltn B^ypt^n koyiieri.) iu I67I the fir»i Coffte hoinse was istabliHhed iu Marseilles u»!ar the rende^vvu^ {vtryadcr plants der koopliedei\) of the ilorchmbs where smoking aim games of all kinds were also permittee iiltk* work entitled “ The disponsing with Faats ' was printed at Paris in 1705, and Mr. Andry. who wrote an answer to it entitled '*Tho maiiitenanco or nph bi- iiig of Pacts” which was iu favor of Cotfee, lu 1710 a similar disemaiou tcok place in Lfttiu at VaUntia, which was pnblished in tho Daiiphino. As Cuffee was Introduced into France from tho Levant, it seems prohable.^ that mnoh about the >amo time belween 1070 and lObO it became known lu Kiigiand, capecial-y in Loudoui from which place, after some years, it was cairied over to Holltud, tiist to AiuBturdam, Uotterdam, tliu lUgue and DordtecUt and Budseqaently to all tlie otSor Towus, yi.a to thu very iliresliolda of tho Peaamts with whom Ooll'ec liko Tea, haJ now hoc >m6 so c inmon a beverage. There woro aome iu line Country too, w ho at the vi ry bi ginuiug, liko the Oppositiouiets iu AiaMa. Cairo, and Oouetauliuoplo wero v. hemonlly oppo»ed to tho uso of Coffee, rei oratiug all ttie reasons which worO ailviiucod by the French ThyaitiauB b. fore alluded (o. llelvolins the venoiable Geinmii Physciau ol the Raaue wrote a little work iu oppeBiti m to this popular upiZien, hut it never saw the light. The oelohnved I'hisioiau Boult koe also wrote « small work lu which he pomted out very cloariy the utility and beiicllcial effects ol thiH beverage upon hetltli. This led to a more extensive use of it, so that lhare is now scarotly a house of any t spectiLility whore Coffee is not re- gulailv taken lu the nuriiiugs, not to speak of tho great iiumhet of Coff- e-housea which have Binoo been asta.liaheil in all tho streets of llollaml and which are R^umite n^ by Merchant, and Foi eigne, s, hut, now and then, by eveu the Itulers of ihc phoe who enjoy the beverage iu sp-cial apartments, dhese housi B aro hoB.des, situated so veiy close to the exo isuge, that they likcWiBO afford an opportunily to the Merchants to meet and talk to each other, whilst sipping their C.ffeO, ou Comme c al ailairH. Indeed ilia practice of lakiiig CjHoo has been carriod to such lougtUBheie, that Ladies and tlonll men even after they had sinupiuously entertained their ftieuds at dinner psrtiea, imagine that iheir hospitality is ■1, complete if they omit, tho’ it he near imdinght to odor them aUish of O.ffce, which is aUays diuiik with ‘^'we'conMscatcel, passthe street of ‘be Town without nni oinir the uumber » f houhoa Where Oi«u 0 ana Ti a are rold- a clea'’ “‘at tli s trade has in suite of ail torraor opinions become uiioommouly exloiiBivr nor ato there Physiuia.iB to bo found who tho’ over .0 olevet, woiilil not atsiid up a, advocates for tho moderate uho of Iho drmk. The only nasonal le ol'i-ictinn that coubj bemadoto thruse of 'Fea and Coffee is the groat injury and loss which is experienced by the br« wora ot Keer. Again there aro many who make nao of some strong drink (die slerken drank drinken) immediato y alter their Coffee' and 'i'ea to BOive as a Uiuretiok us they call it Ibis is certainly a very pernicious practice, but this Bhonld not thi refute provent a modern to use of (C-eo by llio more abten.ioua olasa of people. One the same way easily abuse tue most whole- „. ,.l,vsio which would ctliorwise he bencecial to heal b i?rea and eeasons. So it is with Coffee. ,, , „i.„ still worse is, that many common piople whose oonditiO spend tuo much ol tlieir time in dnnk"rc:ffef»nd Va- “ the great pro- ^ndice of thmr calling, and. the latter to the detriment and iuoonveiiieuoe of tlicir mabterH and mistresncs Thus son’ll perceive that I have wished to say of the Ooilie Tree, iU Iruit, and its u-e in oom.cction with tlio trade of Mocha, and 1 shall now rloso this Chapter of the Company’s TtausnctioiiB, in order to ptooeed on with “i® »2aiis of I’etsja. The learned Historian thus closes his iuteiostiug chapter ou GctYee aud proceeds to give an account uf Fers n. Had we time we would tullow him to the land of Ferdousi aud Hahz whore the Moon shines as bright as the Sun at noonday, and listen in raptures, to the nightly serenadera who walk the Btretts of lsp»hnn. But te “loturu to ouc muttons’* — It would 1 think, bo a very prohtable task if rome of yonr clever Flmtiug frieudtf would take up the subject where Valentyu leit it off and bring the Hisiory of (JofTco down to the present time, when tbe cuUivAtiou of it euems to have attained a high htate Ol perteotioo. Yab ntju appears to have taken conaiderable pains to traoo out, atop by step, iho inauuor iu which (jotfje was gradually iniroduced into Hurope; and, aoiougat other cuiioas facts mentioned by him, as already ubscivod, is tho prep^raiiiii of a kind of beverage reHeiiiblioK Beer from the Cotlee husk or shell. Perhaps some of your onterpnsiug fiiemls who are verbed iu tho iu>Bteries ol Coffee planting and aru intimatily acquainted with all the uses to W'hich Coflce may bo applied, may be disposed, tw- proviny u^>oh this idea-, to tr> the expeiiuient ; and I wish them every Buccess. The imperfect translation, which you have been good enough to publi^h, is the production of a few leisure hours ; aud if it has, in any smdil degree Ci’UtribtUeU to the amuBcmcnt of your readers, any little trouble to which 1 may have been put, is amply rapid. If i liappen to stumble upon any similarly in- teiebticg passages iu old Dutch Authors, 1 may per- haps at home future period, trouble you for a corner of your valuable paper. Aud now fatewcH, doxr Sir, and believe me, Year’s truly. P. B, Colombo, StptemberPi, 1856. ^ — NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. Bt Du. J. K. Taylor, v.l.s., k.o.s., &c., Editor OF “Scienck Oossip.” An Italian experiiudr.tcr has found that sunlight exercises a deotdod influeuce upon mtcro-or^unisms. Stoiig hunligbt is both deleterious an: alenliMiig to their growth and development, and eveu diffused light hab a laLarwiog action upon th m. Ihe ater lising action of«».nligUt WAS inoftt powt-rlully experienced when ihe sui.’h rays f< U perpendicalut ly upon the suiface of tho tuodiuiu iu which the micro-orga.usms were being cuU tivatod. There is a fttshlou iu scientitio research just as there id iu bouuets and walking sticks. Jit>t now everj thing is al out ysm5— microbes, luicro-organisms, baefena, bacilli, <&c., as nearly all Ihebame things are dificreutly Culled. One feds surprised they were uev'er discovered belore. Now that we have di.*»coTered them, we don’t know what to do w.tU them, except to grow them artificially as if their natural growth was not Bufhoieut. Dr. Dwlaii has just pablisheit a little book ou Vasteur and RabieSt in which h« practica ly ansorts that Paateur has created more rabies tbau he nns curoJ. Prolesbor XCoch’s **Umph” seems to be very much a modern revival t-f the meditvikl uyua viUt notion — so far as preserving consumptives from speedy death goes. The idta is based ou the physical changes iu the blood eiwironment ot mioiobes. 8troug coffco is now taid to be a germicide* A Dr. Luderwitz states he has proved this to bo tho case. Ho shows that cortain raicrocuuoi die iu a 10 per cent, solutiou of cofieu. Tho bacilli of typhoid fover died in two or three clajs under the same treatment, and the cholera bacillus in three or (our lijurs. The adult germs of apl nio fever, or anthrax, endured the solution for only two or throe hours, although the spure.s, or young germs, survived there n for th ee or four weeks. Where a 30 per cent, solution of cofieo was used the typhoid germ perished iu one day, and Ilia cholera geim in from hult-au-hour to two hours. Ho found that the owltivatiop medium of bacterial organwins (gelatine) iti July i, 1891.] THE TROPlC^lL AtaRTOOLTURlST, IS practically Bterilised when it contaioR only from 1 to 3 per cent, ol oolfee extract. One is to hear coffee BO well spoken of, and biuhraen and travellrr^ in Australia ought to take it instead of tea, inasmuch as coffee requires cooking (ought to be boiled and produced as a decoction)^ but this procef^s really converts tea into a dang«*rou8 duid, for tea should never be drank except as an infusion. Some vfllnablo botanical experiments- iu the life-history of green leaves have recently been pnbli^hed by Professor Hobitnper. They relate t^ practical eipenmonts made by himself on the part played b/ mineral frilts in the economy of plants, lie shows that, immediately on germination, the phosphates begiu to leiive the seed-. In coiijunctiou with orgadc s'lb'tauci s, their ultimate goal 18 the growing poi* t and the meif>phyll (or midole substance oFloavis). The miutral acids, he shows, passthrough th'i inter -cellnlar parts of stems and liat through which the sugars and amides also pas.?. Potassium passes upwarUn out of the s« eds as potassium phosphate. The leaves ot the vine [>l.iiit more particu- larly (and this ought to interest Australian viticulturists) oontaiii, in addition to oxalate of lime coiisid* rable quantities of tartrate and malato of calcium (or lime). Lime ha-* practicady (by a stud, at of oraganic ch^'inis- try) to regarded as a carrier of ot-ier and pt-rhaps more importaiP and fragile chemical partiolo.s to the parts uf the growing organism wiiere they are required, and wherv, us iu a market-piac> , thny are iniinediat: ly picked up. Tiieu the *‘cirrier'* {Itme) returns to the oanh as it was, as it does in the case of old bones which dead men and animals cannot walk about with. One important botanical fact has rcceutfy hejii proved— that plants can bo stotil sod. This is efftcied by parasitic fungi attacking pistils and stamons res- pectively, and, of course, dostroying them. There is a tendency among botauiats to bol cv« this mny have been the inducing cause of tho ( rgatiifatiou of momecious and (luecaius plants, which are not condoed to any particular botanical order, although they are more abundant ill some than others. Munceeioa-i (one hous:- liold) signifies tbat pUtils and stamens nro fou id of the same plant, and dicocious (two households) on separate plat t'*. A Frem h wine merchant, M. Girard, has for some time past been uoilertaking practical experime nt? to prove the poasibility of pro6tnbly growing po'aties for the mauufactnrt? of potato brandv. He dcclies it is an industry wh-ch cannot fail to bo comniercially sucoe&sful. Only ought not the words “potato brandy" to be ou the label of each bottle? — AimCralasian, BURXT KAHTH. As the subject of burnt earth is commauding a good deal of attention from gardeners at the present time, and we think properly so, a few words upon t}\e Bcientific side of the question may not be out of place. The improvement of sterile soils by burning is a very old practice, and was known to the Komans. Ihe theory of its operations has occasioned much tliacussion, both among scientific men, horticulturists, and farmers. It is quite evident, however, that the action of burning a sou iy not a merely mechanical one of but is decidedly chemical. Xfae burmug process does not answer on all clay sous, but It does answer on most of thorn, especiaJly ^ u which crosses England in a wide babd; it answers also in Essex, Cambridge- aluro, Bedfordshire, and in AVorcosterahire. ihe operation renders the soil less compact, less tenacious, and retentive of moisture; and when ^ converts a substance that was Stitt, damp, coiiHoqueutly cold, into one powdery, dry, and warm, and much more suitable as a bed for egetable life. A plant to grow up strongly and freely, must have not only good and aBundaut food, buta suitable and healthy abode ; it must be well fed and well bedded. • greftt objection usually made to burning hoIIb 18, that It deatroys vegetable and animal matter, or the nianuro in the aoil; but in caaoa iu which tlie tex- ture of its eartiiy ingredients is permanently improv- ed, there is more than a compensation for the tem- porary diuadvautago. It must always understood that the ashes of burnt earth are best wlien tliey- aro blackest— that is, when produced by slow oombus tion. The burnt subatance, wtien mixed with other soil, makes it work more easily, renders it more friable and leas tenacious, and tends to make strong, thin, sterile clay-soils less compact, and more productive. The vegetable matter which was burnt is guickly converted into an enriching ingredient, which in some classes of soil may lie dormant for ages. Whenever there is an excess of inert vogetahle matter, the destruction of it by fire is most beneficial ; the ashes being mixed with tlie soil produce vigorous and healthy plants on ground which before was unproductive j burninjg, therefore, destroys tlie inert vegetable matter of a soil, and converts it into a valuable manure. In well and satisfactorily burnt eortli, it is esti- mated that about one-sixth of its weight should bo destroyed, the other five-sixths being liroiiglit into more vigorous action, and resulting in positive good. Ou the other hand, coarse sands, or ricli garden soil, whose texture is already sufficiently loose, and the organic nitrogen sufficiently aolnble, tlie process of burning must be detrimental,— J. J.W'inws, Hurpenden. — Oarcitners' Chronicle. Salt in Askiculture. — A further communi- cation from “B.” in regard to the use of salt in agriculture has been seut us for publication, Ilo gives us some curious information about the use of salt for cattle and the effect it lias upon the pro- duction of milk, and mentions the custom of placing a block of rook salt in tlie stable for cattle to lick This was— and probably is still— a common tiling upcountry in cattle-sheds, and perhaps "B." may not bo aware of the manufactnre of oybuders of salt on a metal aprindle wliich can bo hung up in convenient positions iu tlie sheds or out of doors. As re- gards the working of the ground in the Mahaoya valley, has “B. " ever tried thatching the ground with mans, grass or other vegetable litter? w’o have seen wonderful results from this operation iu a dry district upooiiutry ; whilst the rest of the estate was absolntelv burnt up and drooping and the surface as hard as a brick, the soil beneath throe or four inches of thatch was always moist and friable. The grass itself was tired into tinder and thence rose tlie danger of fire which was only avoided liy a liberal sprinkling of earth ever the thatch. If "B." will pffint out to Mr. Dawson how he proposes rendering the salt unfit for human food, it is very probable he would be allowed to make a trial.— Local “ Times " The Tallow Trek i.v Cui.na — .Mr. Jiogia the British Consul at W’f>nohow. iu his last report describes a curious vegetable product which is cultivated in his district. This is the tallow tree (Slilliiigia Bobifera, Roxb.), the fruit of which produces oil as well as tallow. The berries, whicli resemble coffee beans in appearance and size, are first steamed ami then pounded in an ordinary rice-trough. By pounding the soft mealy mesooarp is partially separated from the kernels. 1 lie whole is then placed iu a bamboo sieve tlie meshes of which are just large enough to allow the mealy matter to be scrubbed through and small enough to keep back tlie kernels which are hard, black, and about the size of peas' From the mealy matter tlie tallow is expressed in primi tive wooden presses To obtain oil the kernoJs arc dried and passed between two millatonea lieid at such a distance apart by means of a bamboo pivot as to crush the hard shells of the kernels without injuring the white interiors. The wliole is then paRsed through a winnower, which neperateu the broken sheila from the solid matter. The latter is then placed in a deep iron pan and roasted until it begins to assume n brownish colour, the process beine accompanied by continual stirring to prevent burninir The criwhed snelU make an excellent fuel for the purpose. It IS then ground by a huge stone roller m a circular stone well, steamed, made into circular cakes with bamboo and straw casings, and passed through the wooden press. A good lighting oil of a brownish-yellow colour is thus obtained. The al ow IS called “P'lyu "-that is, skin, pr external, wh— Lendgn Ttmes. ’ i6 THE TROPIOAt. AQR10.0LTURI8T [July i, .1.891. MR. THOS. CHRISTY, R.L.S. I( flesh still ba belt to any ailments for the care of whieU no "new drug or remody” baa yet been found, no blamo attaobos to ilr. Tbor. Christy, of Lime Street and Sydenham. Jia at least has done all that mortal man coulii do to secure his lellow-orooturea snob to- liot as the introduction of aomu ibreoor four huudrod new remedies may t-e aide to alford. On Afnoan fish-poison and obilDaiu.oures, on kols-iiUls for - too intemperate and airophautbna for the woak ot heart on Myocom tty-gum ond jamb.'id, Mr. Thoa. .Lhristy is regarded in H-linoing Lane as the fount of all wis- dom. The recent addition of ObtUlia to the armoury of eurgioal applinuoea. and the reflection tOat the garden of Mr. Cbristy’a reiidoiioe at Sj dauliam wouau Took at its beat on a genial spring day, caused our towu trayelk.r to take a trip to the uoigubourliood of the Cryalal I’alaoe lu soatch of new ujrormatioo. Mr. Ctiriaty wos found engaged, as represented on ocir picture, in the critical exomination ot a spurious kola- nut, oil object which be holds iu particular horror. ‘‘It is a most extroordinary thing,” ho said — ^“Iho most wonderful thing that has over oowe under luy notice — how these natives go ou shipping spurious kolas, though wo have explained to them moat eatcfully that thov could not bo too pariicular iu sending over only the' genuine kolas ot the A'tsrrufin acuuitnata. You havo no idea of the wouderlul action of the true kola as a nerve stimulant and a remedy lor dipro- mania. Tboutauds of unhappy patients arc pinicg beoanso we cannot supply the true hrug fast enough, while tlitse vile substilutioua with which our markets are flooded are bringing the drug into discredit. With that Mr. Ohrisiy dismissed the spumous kolas, and took onr man for a walk through the hotbousos iu whioh he rears ihousauds of young plants from seeds and uutlioga, and whence aoi*res of tropical plantations annually receive a supply of soonomio plants,, nauvos of other tmipioal countries, for aoclinia- tiaatxoB. The first hotboiieo ooiitaiutd huu.lreds of young camphor-plaute, aU propagated irom seedlings ihich Mr. Christy obtained from China some yiars ago. Uo considers the cumphor-trse a pailiouiarly suitable one for acolimatiraiiou purposes, and has ftirbAily forwarded coogi^onioutH froui SjdtJijbttni to iotondio^ cultivhtorB i» Su'ith Africa aud Oaliiornia. From his buyertt iu tlio iHit-uamed country, who huvo now had their supply in the grouud for about four and a half years, he hears favourable leporte. Close to the camphor-trees are numerous sp-jcjmeus of the larije green-and goid-leaved Pothos orU, a plant much sought after for the purpose of tablo-doeora ion; of the upus-treo from Java, which in this hothouse has attainfld an average height of feet, but grows to a bei^jht of 60 feet in its uitUve c -untry. From a Germau firm of chemical manufacturtrs, Mr. tributes to ignoranee or wunt of skill sn effect which in truth, is tbe remit of a taste more delicate and finished than ours. We think that the Oriental would have brilliaots and roase, and the rest, if he oould— a grotesque error. Everybody nowadays, or almost everybody, is prepared to laugh at verdict of the jury delivered after the Great Exhibition of 1851. To oast a glauoe at the jewellery of India,” said that amusiiig record, is enough to oonvtnco us that those uations have remained stationery from a very early period of manufacture Some of them, indeed, develop ideas full of graco and originality, but their productiuus are always iminatare and imperfect; and the skill of the workman is called in to make ameuds for the inadequateoess of tbe mauufactui ing process.” The rhilistino never made a more strik* ing declaration of faith. We have left that a long way behind, anyhow. When precious stones generally lose their value it maybe hoped that we shall take a greater stride for jewellery than will show not so much the length of the buyers purse as tbe quality of his taste.— iS'f. James's Budget. ♦ THE TEKFUME INDUSTRY AT GRASSE. loan article on Grasse and itaJPerfumo Industry,” published in the Pictonal ]\'orld of April 18th some account of the old town is given, with views of the Grand Hotel, where the Queen baa been htayiug, the catbe> dral, aud some ot tbe scenery in the neighbourhoud. The proprietors of the Bictorud lUorW have been good enough to lend us one of the engravings, representing an interesting Roene in ooo of tho large purfumc- factories of the place. Tho women shown in tho picture are all engaged in separating the pistils from the petals of roses previous to using the latter lor ^’rose pomade.” Tbe photograph from which tho view was taken aud the following partio liars were supplied to the Pictorial IVorld by Mr. J. E. lloldaworth, son of a member ot the weilknown firm of Osborne, Huuor & Gheoseman, the perfumers of Golden Bquare. Mr. Holdsworth, juur., it is stated, hns had tbe opportu- nity of beoomiug practically acquainted vniii tho subject, having studied the manufaclure of ilural pro- ducts at M. Bruno-Oourt's factory. There are processes for extracting perfume from fiowers ; tbe hot process or uiaceralioo; the cold pro- cess, or €njieurage\ and distillation by steam. The hot process consists in throwing the flowers into hot grease directly they arc picked; after a given time they are strained off, but as they take up ^ueb a (tuantity of grease, they are wrapped up in cloths aud pressed by hydraulic pressure. Every day fresh dowers are pub into the same pomade, until it is at full cou- centratiou. In the cold process the flower.s are laid on cold pomade, which is spread on pieces of glass, about two feet tquare, ia a wooden frame; the giass is covered with pomade on both sides, and tbe frames are stacked one upon the other, thus making a kind of box which fits 80 well that it is almost air-tight. This process is also oonlinned until full concentration is obtained. The floral season commences in January with tho violet, the perfume of which is extracted by the hot process. Next follows the jonquil in March, from which the perfume 18 extracted by means of the cold process. From the middle of April until the commencomoDt of May cornea the reieda, or mignonette. Then in May oommeooes the busy Bcoson for Grasse ; women and children are employed in all tho factories to pick the pistils from tbe rose-leaves, as the latter are only usud for the ” floral pomade.” Tho leaves are thrown into baskets, and are at ooce treated by the hot process ; and this is continued until the middle of Juuo. Tho orange-flower blooms the came time as the rose, and is treated io the same way. What surprises tho stranger moat is the enormous quantity of bloom; it is not spoken of by the pound, but by tUo ton, The work of piokiug makes ajong day’s labour ; as it is csieutial that the flowers should be treated while they are perfectly fresh, it is necessary to commence work as early as four o’clock in the morning, and to continue someiimea until iniduigbt. From July to September come tbe jasmine and tuberose, which are tre.ited by tho cold process ; and the season closes with castie in December, treated by tho hot process. The third process, distillation, is carried on all tho your. There are only two out of all the flowers men- tiouod that are thus distilled; they are the rose and orauge-fiowor. The rose gives very little otto of roses, but is distilled mainly also for the rose-water ” ; (he orange-flower gives an oil called '* ueroH ” aud orange- flower water. Whea tbe abuvomentioned flowers are not in season patchouli leaves, cloves, geranium, i^c., are also treated by distillatiou. During tbe Queen's visit to Graa.«4e she has visited the factories of M. Bruno-Court and of M. China. At tbe works of M. Obiris the last of the violate and jonquils which will be used this year had just been received, aud before the Queen arrived, the floors of the quadrangle and the rooms to be visited bad been carpeted with them. The Queen saw in operation the proceH^iOs of capturing these odours, and as Utr Majesty loft M. Gbirlis presented a basket of perfumes beautifully displayed in a bed of violets and decorated with apple-greon ribbons and Marceohal Niel roses,— Ohemist and Druggist* ^ SPURIOUS CUBEBS. We had our attention called some weeks ago to the offer of an Amsterdam firm to supply to Euglish houses ’’spnriouH cubobs for duggists’ use,” says the Chentist and Druggist. W’o have been fortunate in securing a tample of these, aud of three kinds for distillation. Of the latter, Riiuiple a consisted of ex- tremely small and bUrivelled barrtls of a black color, mixed with stalks, most of which were smooth and some sbowed the char.icteriotio iimrkingH of the piper tachis. The sample contained 100 grains of stalk aud MO grains ot '-erry. The latter was very dt ticieut in uronia, aud unlike immature eubt.-bs, did uot give the crimsou colorud reaeliuu with sulphuric acid. Tho impresalni Itic from the examinnttou ot this Rumple was that the bciries had already been iu the btill : were tho feeble aroma due to immarnrity, wo should liivo expected to get a better cubeb in reHction. Agalust this supposition it may, however, be Htatod that last week 60 bags of similar berries were disposed of in Miucing Lane. These were of direct import from Singapore. Samples b and e were recogni-Hed at true cubens, differing only iu propurtion of titalk, aud c showed the pnscuoo of a sniiili percentage of tho unnamed cubeb substitute which is more globular aud larger than the true berry, but \n not Dipir craMsipos. Sample b oontaiueu 205 grains of --tHlk, chiefly bold raeuw, to 300 grains of berry. The earn- pie was rich in esseutiul oil. Samp e c oontaiuod 130 grains of very bold rachis to 300 grains of berry less abundant iu oil than the former. Sample d. ” spurious for druggists’ uxe,” was the fruit of B per crassipcj. Apart from tho queaiiou of admixture with Bpurious fruit, the pruporinn of stalk is a matter which disCillora should look into more care- tudy than they do. Cubobs yield from 12 to 16 per cent, of esseutisl oil, aud the stilks only 1 ptreenb frt^qiionlly less. While their piesenco is not objectiousblR, the fact that to tho eye ssniplo c con- tained lobS than b, while it actua ly showed about 6 pur cent, more, is a sufiioiout argument for more careful consideration on tho part of buyers. Tho question alfco naturally arises *• Do all th* so stalky cubebs go into the still, or may some not find their way into the mill ?” That can only be deteriuined by microi^copic examination of the commercial powder, aud comparison witli the hi'^tological characiers ot cubeb stalks. It may bo mentioned tliat what we h.ive estimated as the best oi the three diadlatiou samples was the lowest priced. We learn regarding THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, iSgii 20 the epurioufi oubebs that 150 bags of thmi were imported into Amsterdam lust year, aud were sold at 39, per lb., this beiug the limit fixed by the growers in Java. It is from the iiost Coast of Java that they are imported. — Oil, I’aint and Drug llegorUr. to numerous applications for the above blooka of land, it has been decided to put them up to auction at our sale room. No. 4, Queen's Street, Port, Colombo, at 3 p. m. on the 18th of May 1891.” The property belongs to the estate of the late Mr. C. H. Do Soysa. IMl’OUTANT SALE OP FOREST LaND. Today (May I8tb) an important sale of virgin forest and took plaee in the premises of Messrs. Uoo. Armitagn dt Co, regarding which the following letter will be read with interest : — Office of tbo Colonial Secretary, Colombo, May 18th, 1801, To Messrs. Gao. Armitage & Co. Oeutlemeu, — With reference to my telegram of the 29th ultima, in which I de.sired to know, on behalf of tbo Government, the lowest price at which the forest land in Udapussollawa belonging to the estate of tbo lato Mr. O. 11. do Soysa would bo solil, and to your reply that tho ownors insisted on tho land being dis- posed of at auetion, 1 am desired to inlorm you that tho Government, after duo eomtideration, has coocurred with you in Ihinkiog that tho course proposed by you is the fairostwayot asoottaining tho true market value of thelaod, and of securing that value lor the estate in question. 8. Tho Goverument has been urged to acquire the loud for public purposes, aud some intending purchasers have otferod to abstain from bidding if tbo Govern- ment would announce its intention of acquiring the laud. The Government has therefore determined not to announce its iuteution, or to interfere with the sale till the auotiou is over. 3. The Government has however determined ou the acquisition of the laud for public purposes, and a formal notice tu that effect will duty appear iu tho Ooaemment OuMtu. 4. 1 shall be obliged by your causing Ibis decision to bo nnuouDced by reading this Totter at the conclusion of the public sale, iu order that the highest bidders wlio will rueeivu ten per centum ou their rospcctivo bids may not bj i>ut to any further inounveiiiinco or expense. I shall he further obliged bp your iuruishing mu with tho names of tho highest bidders tor each lot, ill order that I may place luyselC in diriot communi- cation with them — 1 am, Gentlemen, your uhedicut servant, It. W. GaniiN, Asst. Colonial Secretary. The following is the result of tho sale : — IiOt. Purchaser. Extunt Ptico Total. acres, per acre. (1) Hon. J. J.Griuliuton 182 0 0 Jtl64-32 R2.'),000 (2) Hon. J. J.Grinhntou 149 3 0 RI53 33 1123,000 (3) T. U. Oampbell 142 0 0 IIISIGO l{21,5tiO (4) K. Msoaudtew 209 0 0 K150 71 1131,500 Total .... (182 3 0 ItlaJ 11101,009 It was at the oloso of tho sale an- nounced the Goveinraent would take up the lots for public purposes ; and regarding this a man of fausiuess expresses tbo opinion — ” 1 think tho Go- vernment have done quite right and that the best way of arriving at the value was a xmb.ie auction. Government will not be ungonerous to tho purchaser. This they have clearly hidioated. Had Oi/vernment said they were going to purchase I don't think they would have obtained the lots for loss than B200 per acre." The following is the advortised description of the property ; — " C02 acres fine virgin forest in Udupussel- lawa bounded by St. Leonards, Ragalia, Goatfell, Heathecselt, Danmark Hill, Gracelyn and Coneygar estates. 'These blocks of laud aajoiu each other and are said to eou'ain very fine timber trees. The land itself is very Euitabla for the cultivation of tea, and owing to the climate, elevation and exieusivo views obtained from the properties they would make excellent residential estates. Owing PLANTING IN PER AJi. The Government of Perak, being desirous of ooconra- ging agriculture in the tstate, draws attention by cir- culsr to the existence of large arcse of virgin land available for both hill and low coniitry cultivation, and 5° following, among other, advantages which the btate hnlda out to intending planters. («.) Proximity to Singapore and Penang — twodtys’ sleam Irom the former anil six boors from the latter. (h.) The country is traversed bv good molalled cart- roads. (c-) Taipiug, the capital, is connected with its port, at Port Weld, by a short railway. A railway oonneot- ing tho Piirt of Teluk Anson with tho iulaud distriots of Dating Padang aud iCiuta is under ooustruotiou. (r acre over tlio wlu lo country, as against the 30 bushels of Eng'and. A largo proportion of this goes for export, aud tbe increasing area under wheat shown in the agri- cultural returns denote! that this export ia one that is likely to continue. Tho possibility of soil exhaustiou going on can only be determined by a careful study of what is removed from iho I'.ud, and how fat this is replaced either by the foroea of nature or by tho artitioial reiT-nishmcnt of manuring. 1 have mentioned the dtfioioncy of nitrogen which 1 observed in the case of several liidisn soils, but it is worthy of note, too, how very largo a proportion of the crops annually grown, olsoot tho trees and shrubs, and even of the weeds, arc legumnous in oharnoter, and may tbus, if recent invesCgatons bo correct, possibly derive their nitro- gen d reot from tho atmosphere. • * * The next point of striking imporlsnoo in the oxtecual surroundings of agriculture ia the supp y of wood for timber and fuel, and tbe provision of gtuzing by moans of those forests which still remain to the country. There can be little dcubt that India in tho past has suffered great detriment both SB regards its climate and its agrioulturo by the reckless devastation of wood and forests which has until within recent years been allowed to go on unchecked. It is, therefore, a matter of much satiafaotion that now, late though it be. tho charge of tho forests has been put under a responsible Deportment, and that they are being pre eived for tlieb. nefit of tbs State and the wel- fare of the people. Not that the work is complete, nor that reservation of forest land has been rffentod without considerable friction from an inoreasing population whii b presses its cultivation up to the limits of the forest area in the endeavour to find room for itself. But it ia equally certain that the Native if left to himself, would as speedily ex- terminate what remains as he has done in the past July i, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 29 whether by wholesale olearanoo for ouUivation, or by exeepsive grazing with cattle, and, worst of all, by the destructive herds of goals. Then but only when too late, would the discovery be made how important is the relation which the forests bear to agriculture, and how osseDlial to the latter the forests really are. The spread of cultivation to the limits of the forests has altered in great measure the scops of the Forest Administration, which was at first non-agricultural and ooufined itself to the produc- tion of large timber. Now, however, the poeition is ohanged. and the Forest Department is reocgnising that tho areas under its control must be more used in the direct interests of agriculture, and that, as far as possible, not only a timber supply for the great works of the ocuelry is needed, but also that the provision of wood for agricultural purposes and|for fuel, as also of fodder and pasturage for cattle, forms part of its duties. That this is so is only fully understood when it is remembered what tho raiyat'a difliouUirs are in the way of providing fodder for his boasts, and when it is explained that, while the only really available source of manure is utiltle-dnug, this is largely burnt as fuel, and is thus lost to the land, simply because there is no a sulliciency of wood available to take its place. This agricultural loss might to a considerable extent be met by the extension of the Wood-supply of the country, and steps in this direotion are being t ikon both by the Forest Depart- ment and by the local authorities or towns. Tho importance of provision of pasturage and ,heUer for cattle in times of drought is very great, whilst etc. holding up the soil and preventing ite denudation by the unbroken How of water over its stirlao •, the covering of tho ground with trees and herbage has an indirect bearing upon the climate of the heat d regions. In tho oourea of a journoy one fn queiilly passes vast open but pi rfsclly barren spaces ovi r which largo herds roam, those are not the nsar plains referred to pravionsly. but they are tho “ village wastep." the oomuion property of the villagers, and molanoholy tximplts do they afford of what tho oullivalors would, by excessive socking and overgrazing, do with the rest of the land now under forest, were it left to their unchecked control. I have briefly touched on the supply of manure to the land. Of this, as stated, the ouly really available source is the cattle-manure produced on the hold- ings, and of it a great part is lost owing to its beiug used as fuel in the absence of wood. In Indian agriculture manure by itself is not sulfioient, water is needed along with it ; nor is water by itself enough, mat ure must go with it ; the two are in fact interdependent. Oould the raiyat have both of these where there is need of tluni, he would be behind none in tho results of his cultivating skill and diligtnce — Madras Tivws. I We cannot help feeling, with all due respoot to Dr. Voelckor, that his view iu regard to culture as oouduoted by the natives of India is too optimistic. There can be no quesliou that deeper ploughing of grain lauds and more attention to pasturage for cattle are reforms urgently needed.— bln. ,T .A.] NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. Ft Dlt. J. E. TAVLOrt, p. o- s., P. o. s., &c. Editob op “Science Gossip." Professor Perry, the well-known electrician, has just written a cheap and lucid hlilo l.ook ou .S'/iLi- niny Tops. It is one of tho mess suggestive books I have come across for some time, iutense'y optimistic and almo.st prophetic. He bolds that acitntific discovery will increase during the next century in a multiple proportion rstio. One of his conoluiling passag 8 is as follows; — “ Imagine the following H IPS ion 81 1 ill a scboi 1 ixeraiuatiou pap r of 2090 a. d — ‘ Can you aoconnt for the crass ignorance of our forofathprs in not being able to see from England whsl their £i lauds were doing in Australia? Or this — ‘ .Me.s.sage8 are being received every minute from our friends on tho planet Mais, and are now beiug answered, floa’ do you aocouut for our ancestors b’iiig utterly ignorant that these racssagos ware oeoisionally s ut to them?’ Or this — ' Wnat metal is as strong compared with steel as steel is compared with loud ? and explain why the dhoovery ot it was nut made in Shtffi 11.’” Tins is prsctitally sn age of metallic alloys. Motallurgis's are con'tmtly experimeiiting uih.u tho relative proportions of tho admixture of metals. A new alloy hiis just been brousbt ont whoso olBctricsl resistance dimiuisHes With iucreasti of temperature. Ills com|ioscd of c ipper, manganoso, and nioktl. Another new alloy, bru.ight out by the same experi-meuter, .Hr. E l. Weston, whose electriosl rcsi-taoce is practically iudepeudent of temperature, oonsials of TO parts copper combined with 30 parbs of ferro-msii-gauese. A new liuo-lhrowing gun baa been invoute I, for the purpose of accu ntely throwing a line trout the shi-re to ships in di. tress. It consists of a shoiililer- RUii, and the lino bs packed awsy iu the .stook. A rod is fastened to the Hue, and the gun is lirad at a high elivatiou. Dut, instead of casting lines front the Iniin to a ship, why are not ships provided with means of casting lines to the land? There would not be so many misses theu. A romaikablo invention h.sboeu prtented iu Nor- way—nothing ie