December i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST' 



443 



Siroccos and their Wop.ks. — Mr. Davis of 

 Stratliellie estate, wTites as follows : — " I see the 

 Indigo Piantera^ Gazette, quoted by you on tbe ISth, 

 states that siroccos requii-ed a large number of men 

 to work them ; but, though I have two working con- 

 stantly, I never have more than two men attending : 

 one to place the leaf on trays and stoke, the other 

 to attend to the drying tea (and with four siroccos, 

 I believe, three men aie sufficient). I find one turns 

 out tea at the rate of 3 lb. in 4J minutes, being 

 20 per cent more than the Indigo Planters' Gazette 

 states. I have had one erected nearly two years, 

 and have worked it ten days at a stretch several 

 times, but have never had to renew a tray, only 

 the false sides, which were then made of iron, and 

 the diaphragm plates, which can be done in a few- 

 hours. For fuel my coolies each bring a piece of 

 wood to the muster ground, near the store, so I 

 only have the cost of cutting — about a cooly a day." 

 We are much obliged for the information, and the 

 obligation will be increased if Mr. Davis will add 

 the quantity by weight and cubic measurement of 

 the fuel consumed for each pound of tea prepared 

 by the sirocco. We have asked for similar particulars 

 in regard to a Jackson's improved drier, and we 

 wish to compare tlie results for the benefit of the 

 tea-planting community. Fuel is still plentiful and 

 cheap on many estates, but the question of the 

 quantity needed by driers will, with the lapse of 

 time, increase in importance. 



Cac \() IN Ceylon.— The following ia what Bennett, 

 in his " Ceylon and its Capabilities, " says on the 

 subject : — 



The soil is also admirably adapted to the growth of 

 the hitherto much neglected chocolate-nut tree ( llieohmma 

 Cacao, L.), which, in the coiu-se of a few years, might 

 rank as a staple of the island. I hav had [Bennett was here 

 from 1807 to 1827.— Ed. O. O.] very fine specimens of the 

 fruit in my own garden, from tree.s planted by the late 

 Jacobus Burnand, Esq., a Dutch gentleman, whose name 

 is deservedly remembered at Ceylon with respect and 

 regard; for he was distinguished, both by his zeal for 

 the welfare of the island, through the introduction of 

 the culture of valuable exotics from the Malay peninsula, 

 and the Dutch islands of Java, Banda, and Amboyna, and 

 by his botanical acquirements. The nuts were equal to 

 the finest I had seen at Penang and Malacca, or in the 

 West Indies, and in no degree interior, either in size or 

 nutritious properties, to the best iJroductions of South 

 America. This tree requires shade ; and, for that pmpose, plant- 

 ations of banana ami plantain trees, which are of rapid 

 growth, might be formed in parallel hnes, leaving spaces 

 of ten or twelve feet between each, for the reception of 

 the chocolate plants. I am well aware of the objections likely 

 to be opposed to my suggestions upon this subject, arising 

 XL-pona. prima faciev\e-w of it, from the comparatively slow re- 

 tinn for the outlay, owing to the great difference of'time be- 

 tween the produce of the chocolate tree and that of the coffee 

 busl> attaining matm-ity : but it should be taken into con- 

 sideration, that here "the steed does not stai-ve. whilst the 

 grass grows;" for, independently of the annual value of 

 the fruit* of the banana and plantain trees, which is in 

 general request by the natives of all classes, the medicinal 

 usefuhiess of the leaves, which also afford excellent fodder 

 for Cattle, and the several mechanical piuiwses to which 

 the fibrous stalks m.ay be appHed, a,s already described; 

 indigo, ginger, turmeric, cardamoms, cassada, arrow-root, 

 maize, Guinea grass, and the Princijral grains, after rice, 

 to which the native farmer tiirns his attention, particularly 

 those called— Ciingillio (Sexsanmoi onentale, L.), Mun anil 

 Mimg, a species of Phaseulu,, Meneri (JlUlium. Zet/lanicum, 

 mtimx), Korakau :^Ci/nosurux Comcaum, L.), Badhaarau, a 

 species of Do/irlios; and a few othoi-s, known by the native 

 namesof Mutches, Oadecouriu, Oambaupullo, Warego, Swaray 

 Tinni'swatiiy, Panm'swamy. and, although the last' not the' 

 least in value, for its domestic purposes, dholl and horse 

 gi-am, might be plaijted and sown, by way of under crop, 



without injury to the chocolate plants. To these mightbe 

 added, an extensive cultivation of the black pepper vine; 

 for, notwithstanding the sod is well adapted to its growth, 

 the isLind is still dependent upon Malabar for supplies of 

 this spice, which is indispensable for the preservation of 

 cinnamon bark during the homeward-bound voyage. 



Surely, this is a speculation worthy of the attention of 

 British capitaHsts; indeed, but a moderate ca pital would 

 be required, to bring very large tracts of ground into a 

 profitable state of cultivation; and if a few zealous in- 

 diriduals woidd but determine to adopt this system of 

 agricultm'e, and give it a fair trial, it would establish 

 the truth of my assertions, that the returns from the 

 under crops would be as rapid as the most sanguine 

 could have anticipated, and be ultimately increased l)y an 

 abundant harvest of the chocolate nut. 



CccoNtrr Confection seems to be of some importance 

 in the United Stites, judgia^; from an advertisement 

 we Hud in the American Grocer, which states : — 



No Grocer can afford to sell second-class or short weight 

 Cocoanut. The Metropolitau Crystallized Cocoauut is decid- 

 edly the best preparation of Cocoanut in the market, and 

 as we handle from seven to ten millions of Cocoanuts a 

 year, we claim to be the largest importers and operators in 

 Cocoanuts in the United States, and can afford to sell a pure 

 full weight article, (16 oz. to the pound) in bulk, or in 

 fancy decorated tin canisters, at prices quoted. Bellevue 

 Medical College, New York. Messrs. Herron and Spencer, 

 City. — Having witnessed in detail your process for prepar- 

 ing the Metropolitan Crystallized Cocoanut, from the re- 

 moval of the shell through tho various operations to its 

 final dessication, and baring examined the appetizing 

 product, I am able to testify to its freedom from injurious 

 chemicals, to its purity and wholesomeness. — R. Ogdks 

 DoBF.MUS, M.D., Prof. Chemistry & Toxicology. 



Fancy one firm handling ten millions of coconuts in one 

 year. Has coconut kernel ever been candied in Ceylon ? 



EuBEEK ExPERi.MKXTS. — Mr. Wallwrit.'s: — "I send 

 a small sample of rubber iu a new form, and I 

 think it is better than the cakes, though these are iu 

 many ways very convenient. The daily cake 

 shows the fluctuations of the collections, as it is 

 made from the same trees always. I (ind, however, 

 that, on cutting them in two. there are holes con- 

 taining liquid in them. So I dry it iu strings now". 

 Mr. Wall adds :— " I should like to stick to the cakes 

 or many reasons, if possible, but I apprehend that 

 tho ball-rubber wjul 1 be purer and more valuable. 

 I think it will be a tight lit, in any case, to make 

 rubber pay. So I have not regarded the spirit dodge 

 with any interest except experimentally. In all mti 

 experiments, the coagulntion is only too rapid. I dou't 

 want to h.asten that part of the process. The only 

 thing is to exclude the impurity and avoid its form- 

 ing blow-holes in the cakes. I am satisfied iucisions 

 will never do. Some I made three months ago are 

 not closed up yet They were J inch or less wide 

 «ben I made them, and have bjcone great gashes J 

 inch »ide and only partially renewed over." On re- 

 ference to aa "expert," the report is: — "It is 

 good average quality, and buyers do not care 

 whether they get it in ball or cake, so long as 

 both are big and in Qu.iNTmES. The labor of ball- 

 ing must be costly, much greater than clapping flake 

 on fide- to make cakes." A further report runs : — 

 " I return you the rubber sample. It is valued by a 

 practical Singapore buyer at 4s per lb. as against 

 Para at 4s lid. But my friend tells me that it would 

 not, he thinks pay to prepare so cleanly for the 

 buyers make their bids after allowing for a certain 

 peicontage of bark, sand, gravel, &o., — in some cases, 

 tho dirt in the nibber comes up to 40 per cent." 



• Mandrakes of Scripture, Dodaim of the Hebrews. Gen. xix, 14 



WELLS' "ROUGH ON CORNS." 

 Ask for Wells' "Rough on Corns," Qucik relief, com- 

 plete, permanent cure. Corns, warts bunions. B. S. 

 Madon & Co., Bombay, General Agents. 



