932 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[June 2, 1884. 



It should be distinctly remembered that the tea must 

 not be allowed to continue boiling. If it is, it will only 

 advantage those who prefer it stewed — a luxury so exclus- 

 ively the privilege of coffee-houses, that one might well 

 abandon it at home if only for a change. Should a change 

 be really wished, no better one could be devised than the 

 following: — 



An Easy Way op Scenting Tea. 



One of the easiest and perhaps the best methods of 

 giving to tea a highly-scented character — an odour as as- 

 tonishing as it is simple, to those who have never ti-ied it, 

 and unquestionably a vast improvement — is to put into the 

 teapot a leaf or two, according to taste of the herb errone- 

 ously calle.l the Scented Verbena (Alat/sia citriodora). 

 The plant is common enough amongst nurserymen, and is 

 readily procurable for a few pence. If not, an ordinary 

 lemon will answer the purpose very well — equally so ac- 

 cording to some people. Take, therefore, a little of the 

 peel, ab' ut the size of a shilling, and put it iuto the tea- 

 pot. Recollect that a very little of this goes a very long 

 way. The secret is, to use only a minute portion, other- 

 wise its origin will be readily detected; though for the 

 matter of that, many people will prefer a decided smack 

 of the lemon like the Russians, who hardly ever omit a 

 generous squeeze into their glasses, from which they take 

 the luscious beverage that Englishmen pine for but never 

 get. — Kke PoTTE. — Practical Confectimier. 



CUKE FOR BLIGHT. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY TELEGE.IPH," 



Sir. — As it is one of the leading questions of the day 

 among the agriculturists — " AYhat remedy is there for blight 

 iu the vegetable kingdom ? " and as agriculture is the most 

 noble pui'suit of man, and intelligent farmers a blessing to 

 us, as well as being the most useful members of society, 

 it cannot be out ot place to make your numerous readers 

 acquainted with the following remedy for blight. 



To irrigate the land with liquid manures is the most 

 scientific and proper manner to keep away blight and to 

 nourish the plant. Liquid manures can be made in large 

 quantities at small cost. Let the farmer procure a barrel 

 of tar, and tar his water-tank inside, then fill it up with 

 water, which will in a couple of daj's be tar-water. A 

 hundred tons of liquid manure can thus be made with ouc 

 b.'irrel of the best Stockholm tar (wood tar). The tar could 

 also be made out of the Eucalyptus trees. The tar-water 

 must not be made too strong, because tar has an irritating 

 ])roperty as well as an antiseptic one. The object is to 

 render and preserve the water in an antiseptic state, or 

 iion-putrid condition, and to influence the air in the vicinity 

 of the plant. Charcoal and jieat (which every farmer can 

 make on his own land; put around the plants will also 

 nourish the plant and keep away the blight. The farmer 

 who does that will have the largest crops and least quantity 

 of blight. He should top-dress his lands with suitable anti- 

 septics when the plant is above ground before the blight 

 commences. This should be particularly attended to by 

 growers of hops, as it would cpntribute to prevent the fly. 



Hop plantations should be freely manured with charcoal 

 and peat, as an excess will not injure the plant, because 

 it has no irritating properties, but is purely antiseptic, more 

 so than any other substance in nature. 



Botanists know that a root or acorn put in a glass with 

 water will not grow unless the water is frequently changed, 

 because the water would perish, but if a piece of charcoal 

 were put in the water it would preserve it, and the acorn 

 would not perish, but become a small oak. Again, the cook 

 knows that .should a joint of meat soiell when i)ut iu the 

 pot to boil if a piece of charcoal be put in the water the 

 meat will become sweet. Again, the poulterer knows, or 

 ought to know, that when he sends game a week's journey 

 if he puts a piece or two of fine charcoal wi^h it, it will 

 preserve it sweet. Tlie butcher knows, or ought to know, 

 that should a joint smell if he rub fine charcoal on it it 

 will turn it sweet. Florists .and ladies who love beautiful 

 flowers should always sprinkle charcoal on the soil, as it 

 will create in the flowers the most delightful hues and 

 brilliant colours. It is not only the vegetable life that 

 is benefited by charcoal, but also the animal life, and if 



the farmers would give a dozen of cattle some charcoal in 

 their food they would see that they would greatly increase 

 in weight us compared with any dozen of cattle not sup- 

 plied with charcoal. Racehorses are much benefited by the 

 use of charcoal. A leading industry in all forests is the 

 production of charcoal; and a few words as to the best 

 way to make it may be useful. It may be made in mounds, 

 caverns, or ovens. The best method adopted is that in 

 mounds or meilers, and to this I may devote a few ex- 

 planatory words, as not every one here may be conversant 

 with the process. Simple- as that process may appear, it 

 is after all not performable without some skill, it coal of 

 a superior quality is to be the result. The wood is closely 

 packed around a central post in regular form, the pieces 

 either all horiznntall^-, or ofJener the lower vertically. Only 

 such wood should be used as is unfit for timber. It must, 

 however, be of one sort only, or of such various sorts as 

 require l!ie same degree of heat for being converted into 

 a perfect coal. It must be sound and almost air ilry. A 

 loamy s.and-soil forms the best base for a moMnd. anil this 

 soil requires to be broken up. levelled and pressed, also 

 dried by branchlets being burnt on the ground. The form 

 of the mound or meiler is usually hemispherical, and sup- 

 port is given to this mound in the manlier indicated, the 

 outer sui)port consisting of short logs of wood. The inner 

 part of the cover is formed of sods of grass, branchlets, 

 rushes, and similar substances. Over this is placed the 

 outer portion of the cover, consisting of moist forest soil, 

 particularly fresh humus. The united covering must iiermit 

 the^ vapours of the glowing meiler to escape. Shelter 

 against wind is absolutely requisite ; the operation of liurn- 

 ing coal can therefore be well performed only in still air. 

 The ignition commences from an opening left purposely, 

 either at the base, or, less frequently, at the summit of 

 the structure, but either opening is closed again during 

 the burning process. Caution is needed to prevent the 

 expansive vapours and gases causing explosions during the 

 glowing of the wood. To promote combustion at places 

 where it may have been suppressed, holes are forced through 

 the covering on the second or third day, particularly on 

 tlie lee siile. Over-great activity of fire is suppressed by 

 water applied to the covering, or by adding to the thick- 

 ness of the latter. 



The specific gravity of charcoal stan'ds generally in a 

 precise proportion to the specific weight of the wood em- 

 ployed. l>rier wood produces a hearier, moister wood a 

 lighter comI. Slow combustion also renders the coal heavier 

 than a mure rapid burning process, because in the latter 

 case more carbon is consumed for various volatile products 

 formed from the wood. As a rule the quantity of coal 

 obtained is about a quarter of the weight of wood em- 

 ployed. (Ir.od coal has a light metallic lustre, is firm, not 

 friable, causing a clear sound when thrown on the ground. 

 It must burn without flame or smoke. 



The heating power of coal as compared to wood is as- 

 certained to be as one hundred to fifty-five or sixty, so an 

 equal volume of wood produces less heating eft'ect than 

 the same space of coal. 



I thank you. sir, for giving space for the above, which 

 must be of interest to many of your readers. I have the 

 iuQumerable proofs of the good results following the use 

 of the above-mentioned remedies for blight on the veget- 

 able kingdom. — Yours, etc., Hans P. RasM0SSEN, B.C., 

 Botanist, Launceston. 



WHY DO SOILS DUFFER? 

 [gardener's and farmer's reason wm.] 

 The differences of soils are, to a very great extent, ex- 

 plained by the geological characteristics ot the localities 

 in which they exist. Any one who has observed the ap- 

 pearance ot large rocky masses, the clefts ami crevici-s 

 they present, the bare surface of their smoother ami harder 

 parts ; the growth of mosses and smaller plants on the 

 more softened portions; the accumulations of gravel, smaller 

 fragments of luineral.s, and fine mud, with I heir luxuriant 

 vegetation at the foot of these rocks, and iu the valliys 

 of UKJuntanious districts, iiuist be aw.are of the importance 

 of these ever continuing operations in nature. Thus, soils 

 originate in the disintegration and duoumpositiou of solid 



