October i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



237 



THE AMMOXIAO-WATEK OF GAS-WOKKS UTILIZED 

 FOR AGKICULTUEE. 



The Jmtrnel ties usines d Gaz records a few facts iu one of 

 its latest issues, concerning the good results that have been 

 obtained in Belgium, by aspersing meadow-laud with the 

 auimouiac-water from the Gas-works. 



This lifjuid is so much appreciated by the farmers in the 

 envirous of Jhdincs, that all the water of the gas-works of 

 that city has, of late years, been eagerly brought up by the 

 farmers at 60 or G5 cents per hectolitre. 



If we are well informed, the fai'nicrs iu North Brabant 

 are equally eager to buy up this Uquid for the same purpose. 



The liquid is mixed with from two to four times the 

 quantity of water, and theu spread over the land. The 

 technical periodical hi question, mentions a letter from a 

 correspondent, from which it appears that in rainy seasons 

 the ammoniac-water is used without the addition of water; 

 in that case a hunth-ed hectolitres of the liquid is sufficient 

 to manm-e a hectare of land thorougldy. In dry seasons 

 50 per cent of water is added, and then two hundred hecto- 

 litres per hectare, are required to obtain the same result. 



We must add that the liquid must be aspersed as equally 

 as possible over the laud, ^^'atering-carts such as are used 

 to water the roads are the most efficient. -India Mercui-i/. 



COFFEE AND TEA. 

 The annual report of the New York Chamber of Com' 

 merce, recently received, contains some statements re- 

 specting the com-se of the coffee and tea trades which are 

 worthy of the serious attention of producers. Regarding 

 coffee, the report says : — 



"The chief feature has been over-production. Supplies have 

 continually poured in, far beyond the demand, largely in- 

 creased, though it has been, by the f alling-off in price. Under 

 these conditions the trade has been, of course, unsatisfactory 

 to all concerned in it. Moreover, there has been a radical 

 change in its methods, old channels having been abandoned 

 for new to such an extent, that a new era, is said to have 

 commenced in the trade. By the increased facilities 

 iu communication and transportation, the foreign factor has 

 been brought into close relation with the jobber, without the 

 intervention of the commission merchant on the sea-board. 

 The increased distribution of roasted coffee has produced a 

 great change in the general course of business. But in 

 these changes it is noticeable that New York has been a 

 gainer. The bulk of the increase in consumption has been 

 taken from this port. At present she holds the control 

 of the markets of the United States, which consumes one- 

 fifth of the entire supply of the world, and she bids fair to 

 become the controlling coffee market. 



The general features of the trade in tea have not been 

 unlike th,at in coffee. The entire course of the business has 

 been changed. The bankers extend facilities to the jobbers, 

 who now m.ake direct purchases at the ports of supjily. 

 In this multiplicity of transactions it is extremely difficult 

 for the large importer to form any sm-e judgment as to the 

 quantities or qualities which may come forward, and the 

 course of the market is full of sm-prises. In 1880 the large 

 importers, who had never favored the disposal of teas at 

 auction, gave their .support to a new auction room. Iu 1881 

 the brokers formed an auctioneer association and new plans 

 are on foot for still further modification. These attempts 

 at change show the unsatisfactory nature of the trade in 

 its present form. — Platilen' Gazette. 



♦ 



THE PLANTING INDUSTRY ON THE NILGIRIS. 

 It is really marvellous to observe the extent to which 

 the hills of Ootacamund have been clothed with plant- 

 ations during the pa.st fifteen years, and the diversity and 

 numbers of the trees planted. Tea. cinchona, accacias and 

 gums of all .sorts, pines, tanning bark trees, nielanoxyolous, 

 &c., flourish together in a manner ca'culated to surprise the 

 planter from other climes, and to demonstrate an adapt- 

 ibility of soil and climate for the cultivation of the most 

 diverse products of the vegetable kingdom, such as could 

 not be equalled in any other part of the globe. It is 

 impossible to get a clear and full view of Ootacamund 

 since these plantations have grown up, unless one ascends 

 to the summit of Dodabetta, the highest point on the 

 Nilgiris, and then a v.ist panorama of luxuriant verdure 

 can be observed, that would fascinate the gaze of any true 

 31 



KSthete. Only here and there can a house be seen peep 

 ing out from amid a mass of foliage. In the Botanical 

 Gardens which show forth prominently at the foot of tho 

 mountain, rare flowers and shiu-bs from many lands mmgle 

 their leaves and blossoms together, and bloom side by side 

 The term, "Garden of India," might ap])ropriately be 

 applied to this lovely spot. It might be thought from 

 all this that Ootacamund should be the paradise of Plant- 

 ers; but such is far from bemg the case. The pLautmg 

 community of the hills is at the present time passmg 

 through a crisis of a grave and important nature. A 

 series of bad seasons, and the numerous destructive pests, 

 which first attacked coffee, and are now steadily trans- 

 ferring their attention to cinchona, have caused great de- 

 pression iu planting matters, and rendered the out-look 

 for planters gloomy. Over coffee "Ichabod" has to be 

 written, and cinchona has developed enemies in such un- 

 expected profusion and variety as to occasion serious ahaini 

 among those who, heedless of the proverb anent putting 

 all one's eggs in the same liasket, have invested the 

 whole of theu- capital in the enterprise. Under the.se 

 circumstances, it is unfortunate that the planting coni- 

 nmnity should be hampered by Government restrictions 

 regarding the destruction of wild animals which ravage 

 their estates, and the vagaries of so-called Settlement 

 Officers. These last appear to have been named in a spirit 

 of irony, as they generally contrive to unsettle everything, 

 and greatly antioy planters. This the jilautiug community 

 should resent by caUmg an indignation meeting, and 

 protesting against the arbitrary proceedings to which 

 they arc subjected. Perhaps, then. Government might 

 take measures to redress their grievances. The planters 

 should bear in mind the trite old saying that "the gods 

 help those who help themselves," and should act unitedly 

 and resolutely for the repeal of impracticable regul- 

 ations, and the redress of their wrongs. — Madras Timei. 



♦ 



SUGAR AND BEAN-CAKE AT SWATOW. 



Reporting on the trade of Swatow, China, for the year 

 1882, Mr. Consul Phillips says there ai-e at Swatow two 

 factories which merit notice— the sugar refinery and the 

 bean-cake factory, both of which are doing a |jrofitable 

 business, and a "stranger arriring at the port and seeing 

 clouds of smoke issuuig from the lofty chimneys has the 

 impression left upon his nnnd that Swatow is a busy and 

 a thriving place. 



Large ([uantities of sugar ai-e refined here. At first the 

 out-turn w,a.s 2.5 tons a day of raw sugar, but now it makes 

 50 tons a day. The tables which accompany the report show 

 that some "l;i.S.088 piculs of white sugar were sent to Hong 

 Kong in 1882. Of this 113,000 piculs umlerwent a process 

 of refining at the refinei-y. Up to the present this estidjlish- 

 ment has only hail machinery adapted to cleansing the sugar 

 from molasses and impurities by the Weinrich ]iatent process, 

 the cleansed sugar being all shipped to the refinery in Hong 

 Kong, owned by the same company, wheie it undergoes 

 the complete process of refining through animal charcoal, 

 after which it is fit for direct consumption. Buildings are 

 now being erected at the refinery at Swatow for the reception 

 of these animal charcoal filters, and the necessary machinery 

 in connection therewith, which will make the refinery a 

 complete refining establishment capable of turning out the 

 refined sugar in a fiiushed state. 



The cultivation of the Sugar-cane has been largely deve- 

 loped since the establishment of the refinery at Swatow, 

 and nmch of the land formitrly used for growing sweet 

 Potatos, Rice, &c., has been put under sugar cultivation. 

 Owing to the cheap rates of freight and steady steamer 

 communication v»-ith the Rice producing ports. Bice can be 

 laid ilown at such a price as to compete successfully with 

 the home-grown article, and the tendency will be. no\i' that 

 the natives can depend on purchasers for their sugar, they 

 will cultivate the article more and more. This will cause 

 an increase in the trade of the port, for while there will 

 be more sug.ar to export, there mil be more Rice to import, 

 and also bean-cake, to be used as manure for Sugar-cane. 

 This increased cultivation of sng.ar, besides ofl'ering scope 

 .-for refining industry, commands the attention of merchants, 

 as it is now frequently possible to export sugar with profit 

 to the large markets of England and America, .and this 

 branch of business is yearly receiving more atfention. Sup.> 

 plies of Bugar from the smallest sea-ports.in the neighbour" 



