Si(5 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURISl'. 



[JANUARVI, 1884, 



AMENDED REGULATIONS FOR THE "WEIGHING 

 OF INDIAN TEA TO OOMMENOE 



1ST JANUARY 1834. 

 {From Messrs. Stenni'iuj, Jnskljjp tj- Co.) 

 The weight of Indian tea for duty, may, if desired 

 by the Importers, be ascertained under the following re- 

 gulations: — 



1. The packages on arrival to be weighed to ascertain 

 the gross weight of each pacliage. 



2. With each entry the Importer to give and endorse- 

 ment or statement of the net contents of each package. 



3. To test the accuracy of the endorsement or state- 

 ment of the net contents, 10 per cent of each break to 

 be turned out and weighed net, but in no case should 

 less tlian 3 chests be turned out. 



4. If the variation in weight of the test packages be 

 found to exceed I lb., the whole parcel to be weighed net. 



"When the average of the packages weighed net amounts 

 to so many pounds and a half, or more, the half or more 

 will be charged as a full pound ; when the fraction is less 

 than a half pound, it is to be rejected and disregarded. 



29, Mincing Lane, 20th September 1883. 



NEW PRODUCTS IN UDAGAMA. 



Sir, — Tlie excellent growth of the Tea plant on Oodigama 

 estate and other properties proving the district to be pre- 

 eminently well suited so it — no place bett-er in the island 

 probably. A moist, humid climate, represented by over 

 150 inches of rain evenly distributed throughtout the year, 

 and a deep free soil impregnated with iron, and rich in 

 alkalies, reads something like pefection, and the bushes 

 where pruned, have (as might be expected) shewn a 

 marked tendency to flush very rapidly. We may fairly hope 

 to hold our own with other low-country districts regading 

 the generality of new products — but certainly as regards 

 tea, for the facilities for cheap production are all that 

 could be desired. Cai-damoms are now a proved success, 

 with a considerable acreage uurler cultivation ; and arecas 

 likely to develope into a very extensive and highly pro- 

 litable industry in the district. We know I think now 

 about all that can be urged it its (the latter's) favor — 

 and this no little, — but cannot hit on any arguments against 

 it. Can any of your readers suggest any, say that no 

 appreciable crop can be expected till the 5th to Cth year 

 after sowing the seeds at stake ? If so they will much 

 oblige OODIGAMA. 



[Note by Editor. — We believe arecas will, in suitable 

 localities, prove a most remunerative cultivation. The de- 

 mand is large and steady, whilst the upkeep is very small. 

 As regards tea, there is undoubtedly a splendid future 

 before Udugama and Kalutara in the cultivation of tea, 

 for all the elements of success are there, and we shall 

 always be glad to hear of the progress of tea or any other 

 product from our correspondent. — Local "Times,"] 



AGRICULTURE ON THE CONTINENT OF 



EUROPE. 



{Sjiecial Letter.) 



Paris, Decemter 8. 

 Sorgho has never really taken in France; it was in 1S51 

 i"aat the French Consul at Shanghai sent a number of the 

 ]>Iants for experiment. It was introduced with too many 

 flourishes of trumpets. However, it was from the industrial, 

 not the fodder point of view, that its culture was advoc- 

 ated. It was thus brought into competition with maize, 

 and beet. Sorgho requires rather much care, and is cutiv- 

 ated as maize. The soil must not be poor, nor made 

 too rich; the climate must have at least a mean temper- 

 ature of 69 degrees for 150 days; associated with these 

 conditions, must be a fair amount of humidity or irrig- 

 ation, for sorgho is a tropical plant. The plant grows to 

 () and 11 feet high, in a tuft of 8 to 10 stems, of which 

 two or three bear the seed. Dr. Sicard has discovered, 

 that the saccharine substance disappears from the summit 

 of the plant, pending the maturation of the grain, while 

 it continues to aC2umidate in the stem. The experiments 

 of Riat and Soubeiran confirm, that on removing the 

 tars of maize before their maturity, this did nor increase 



the secretion of juice in the stem more than 2 i^er cent. 

 The same remarks apply to sorgho. Bear in mind, the 

 maturation of the plant must not be confomided with its 

 natural de.siccation, a process quite distinct, and taking 

 place at a different epoch. In France, the yield of sorgho 

 is about 25 tons per acre, giving 25 per cent of its 

 weight of juice, that which represents about 19 cwt of 

 crystallized sugar. But this corresponds to the yield of 

 beet sugar, and the latter can be worked more easily, and 

 above all, more surely. For forage — tilled like maize — 50 

 tons per acre have been reaped ; the plant must be cut 

 before the stems harden and the knots get woody. It is 

 chaffed and mixed with bran. Some suggest to dry it 

 like hay. Its great comiDetitor, however, is maize. 



THE ADVANTAGES OF SHADE. 



The farmer or planter has only one method of shading 

 oi^eu to him, and that is mulching, or protecting the sur- 

 face of the soil with dead litter of any kind from the 

 suu's rays. The material burnt otf the land every year 

 on many farms would more than pay for the extra labour 

 it would entail in saving and storing it, if it were resei-ved 

 and applied for mulching purposes. Although and unusual 

 practice, it is a quite natural one, for in nature the young 

 seedlings of any land are invariably protected with a mulch- 

 ing of dead vegetable matter, which shades the soil and 

 conserves the moisture, thereby helping the seed to germ- 

 I inate, and afterwards in decom2)osing adds to the fertility 

 [ of the soil and invigorates growing plants. For some plant- 

 ations, such as coffee, mulching is not only desii-able but quite 

 practicable, and it has this further merit, that while it 

 encourages the growth of anj' cultivated crop it has the very 

 o])posite effect upon weeds, which it tends to smother and 

 keep back. It is cjuestiouable whether coffee will ever be 

 cultivated to protit in Queensland imder any living shade ; 

 but mulching the soil may probably prove a very suffici- 

 ent substitute for the shade afforded by trees in more 

 humid climates. 



It is in market gardening and floriculture, as well as in 

 orchard work, however, that shading in various ways will 

 prove most effective. As in cold countries protection is 

 constantly sought from bleak winds and the severest cold, 

 so in hot countries shelter is desirable from the fervour 

 of the sun's raj'S, and from drying and withering winds. 

 Breakwiuds may be living, if far enough away from growing 

 plants not to rob them of moistiU'C or nutriment, and that 

 means a long distance if the breakwiud consists of large 

 and strong growing trees. For shade pm'poses only, how- 

 ever, nothing living is admissible. Only mulching is avail- 

 able for the orchard, and it would be well if all who 

 cultivate an orchard regarded this method of shading as 

 indispensable. — Qneenslanilcr. 



QUALITY OF THE NEW COFFEE CROP. 



The eifect of leaf-disease on the constitution of our coffee 

 trees has been a subject of frequent discussion in oiu' 

 own and our contemporary's columns; and it was by no 

 means unnatural that, looking to the much smaller crops 

 of late years, the inference was drawn that leaf-disease 

 had prejudicially affected the health and strength of 

 the trees, and in this way prevented them from setting 

 their blossom, and maturing all that did set. This being 

 the view generally taken, it is exceedingly giatii'ying to 

 note, as we have done during the present early months 

 of the new coffee season, the superior quality of nearly 

 all the coffee anivmg from the interior, whether low or 

 high-grown. It was notice<l some weeks ago that much 

 low-grown coffee fully equalled in quality high-grown parcels 

 of last year, and now that some of the produce of the 

 higher estates has arrived in Colombo, wo find that the 

 quality of thesi; far surpasses that of pai'cels tb.at had 

 reached Colombo during last season; and, m fact, is quite 

 as good as any that we remember in the palmy days of 

 coffee. 



Now that coffee such as this is produced on our estates, 

 we are naturally led to ask: can it be inferred that the 

 con.stitntion of the trees has been seriously weakened ? 

 If it weie so, they would not mature such a sample as 

 that to which wo "have alluded. It is true that the past 

 season has bee» one favorable to thegiowtb of all veget- 



