April i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



721 



INTERCOLONIAL TOPICS. 

 Mr. E. W. Emerson Maclvor has recently analysed several 

 samples of ashes from AustraUau timber, and we learn 

 from the Leader with the follovTiug results : The specimens 

 of wood were obtained from the Western district of Vict- 

 oria, and for the purpose of analysis they were reduced to 

 thin shavings (bark included), and those were burnt to a 

 white ash, which was weighed. Bluegum gave ■2-32 per 

 cent, of ash, equivalent to 49-37 lb. per ton of wool. Eed- 

 gum yielded 2-35 per cent., or 52'64 lb. per ton. The fol- 

 lowing are analyses of the ashes : — 



• 2,240-0 2,2400 



Reviewing these results Mr. Maclvor says:— ** The most 

 abundant constituent of gum ashes is carbonate of lime, 

 which is familiar to all farmers in its natm-al forms of chalk, 

 limestone, and marble. Thus the amount of this substance 

 in the two specimens of ash is about 63'23 and 75"89 per 

 cent, respectively. Heuce, a farmer using a ton of redgura 

 aah as manure applies to his land no less than 15 cwt. of 

 carbonate of lime. The quantity of potash in this weight 

 of ash is under 2 cwt. In the case of bluegum a ton of ash 

 contains about I2h cwt. of carbonate of lime and 3 l-5th 

 cwt. of potash. It will be noticed that the percentage of 

 phosphoric acid in both specimens of ash is low, and, hence, 

 that the manure would uot be effective in soils deficient in 

 phosphates." 



THE ADULTERATION OF COFFEE. 



(From the Planters' GazetU:, Feb. 16tb.) 



Messrs. Patry and Pasteur, the well-known brokers, of 

 38, Mincitig-laue, call public attention once more to the 

 preiudicial influence of ailultcration oi>thc consumption of 

 cotfee in this country. In a recently published circular, 

 after demonstrating that there has been no expansion in the 

 deliveries of coffee for home use, they say, — " Nor is this to 

 be wondered at whilst the ingenious system invented by Mr. 

 Chamberlain and Mr. Courtenay remains law. Under the 

 regulations whicU these gentlemen imposed in July, 188-, 

 the honest trader who wants to sell pure coffee is almost put 

 out of court by the manufacturers and sellers of spurious 

 mixtures, who are allowed to prepare any trash they like in 

 imitation of, or for the purposes of being used as, coffee, and 

 eell it under any attractive name, .such as French or Belgian 

 coffee, providing they put themselves in order by attaching 

 to the packet one of the new excise or adulteration stamps, 

 destined to bring in a little revenue as well as to 

 leagalize cheating. Au eminent medical authority, Dr. G, 

 V. Poore, in the course of a most interesting lecture on 

 coffee and tea given recently at the Parkes Museum, said : 

 * There is no doubt whatever that the present state of 

 the law leads to the wholesale cheating of the working 

 classes. It is to be hoped that those who have striveu so 

 haril to give the labouring man what is called a '* free 

 breakfast table," will make some honest endeavour to free 

 it from adulterations, and cease to put in the way of 

 tiadesmcn the leagalized temptation of giving a totally in- 

 92 



adequate value for the poor man's pence. The countenanc- 

 ing of these admi.xtures is distinctly antagonistic to the 

 spirit of the Adulteration Act, and surely it should be 

 the main principle of all legislation to encourage the 

 honest man rather than give opportmiities to the rogue. 

 I cannot help thinking that it would be wise to attempt 

 a policy with regard to coffee similar to that which has 

 proved so succeessful with regard to tea. Honesty is the 

 best policy, and I believe the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 would find it so. At aU events, nothing can be more 

 disastrous (financially) than the present policy with regard 

 to coit'ee. Here is work which the temporence party 

 might well take in hand. "When I can step into a coffee 

 tavern and get a really fi.rst-rate cup of stimulating coffee, 

 and not au insipiii mess, than I shall believe in the 

 chances of a permanent establishment of temperate habits 

 among the masses of the people.' We commend theso 

 words to Sir Wilfrid Lawson and those apostles of the 

 temperance movement who, strangely enough, Liave been 

 among the most strenuous supporters of the adulteration 

 policy of Mr. Chamberlain. The iniustic<': and unfairness 

 of that policy become more apparent still when we com- 

 pare the increase that is taking place from year to year 

 in the consumption of tea and coco;i, with the paltry iu- 

 crease on coffee and chicory, as the following tiible, taken 

 from the Board of Trade Returns, will show. — 



Home connonption in twelve uionths. 

 1S83. 1882. 



1881. 



160,225,00 

 97,2950 

 285,200 

 113,9(10 



Tea . ... lb. 170,812,000 165,079,900 



Cocoa ... cwt. 114,892 107,107 



Coffee ... „ 289,700 285,400 



Chicory ... „ 102,900 100,000 



Everywhere else, in Europe and America, the consump- 

 tion of each of the three articles, tea, coffee, and cocoa, 

 is increasing largely ; alone, in the United Kingdom coffee 

 does not find favour with Mr. Gladstone and his col- 

 leagues, who discourage its use in every possible way, by 

 making it almost impossible for the labouring classes to 

 obtain the pure article." 



TREE PLANTING IN AaOTORlA. 



The report of Mr. WiUiam Fergu.son on the State 

 Nurseries, and the forest regeneration at Jlouut Macedou, 

 is a very interesting document, not only as showing the 

 work that has been done, but also what may be done in that 

 direction and the ease with which it may be accomplished, 

 and proving that the very important work of forest regener- 

 ation rests entirely upon the Government and the Parlia- 

 ment of the colony providing the necessary funds. Had 

 these been dealt out more liberally, there is no doubt that 

 instead of one or two hundred acres, as many thousands 

 would, by this time, have been progres.sing. It appears that 

 an area of 75 acres on the Mount has been fenced and cleared 

 during the last two years, but only 10 acres have been 

 planted; though we know that the trees were ready for being 

 planted in that ground three years ago, but the means wore 

 not forthcoming. It is gratifying to find, though not sur- 

 prising, that the trees first planted, ei■^'llt years ago, on the 

 Mount are doing well, thousands of Cahtnruiau pines having 

 attained an altitude of 20 feet ; while h ird wooded Euro- 

 pean trees have done equaUy well, according to their kinds. 

 Though a growth of 20 feet in eight years is not excessive, 

 the bleakness of Ihe situation must be taken into account, 

 for that is most unfavorable to the progress of young, and 

 especially of tran.splanted, trees. 



The most effective, moile of re-afforesting is that tried "in 

 the Majorca State fori st reserve, where abinit 200 acres were 

 sown this year with Acacia pycuantha, and about 20 acres of 

 blue gum, which have done well, and promise to become a 

 valuable plantation. Altogether there are about 400 acres of 

 wattle plantations formed in the district." 



As a proof of the efficiency of sowing the seeds where 

 they are to remain, it is stated that — "'I'lie plantations of 

 blue gum (oO acres) sown broadcast about four ye^irs since 

 in the State Forest Reserve have now att lined the height 

 of about 20 feet and i.'5 feet and 6 inches in diameter, and 

 promise soon to become of considerable vah e for mining and 

 other purposes." Also at Longerenong a padd.ck of 60 

 acres, adjoining the nursery, was set apart for wattle cultiv- 



