Aug. 2t 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



105 



to Montevideo or Buenos Ayres would not get the 

 infusion at the cafes (as I have said, European habits 

 prevail in the large towns), but he would hardly get 

 anything else in the country. The camp people often 

 remain without anything but yerba for considerable 

 intervals. Wherever visitors put in an appearance 

 they are certain to obtain yerba, and though it may 

 seem strange to European notions they are not re- 

 ((uired to pay for it. In short, throughout the country 

 both friends and strangers find yerba to be an im- 

 portant element in social intercourse. 



Below I produce an analysis which I have conducted 

 upon a bulk sample of the caa-guaza species from 

 Pai-aguay. 



Mechanical Analysis 



Leaves 64 



Stalks 30 



100 



Freliminarii Analysis. 



* This is the active principal or alkaloid of yerba 

 hitherto called by others caffeine (the active principle 

 of coffee). Dr. Peckolt found in air-dried leaves from 

 Parana 16 per cent, and Professor Hoffman 03 

 per cent. 



■\ Inorganic {mineral) Analysis. — In 100 parts of 

 yerba : — 



Carbonic oxide, CO 2 



Sand (insoluble in HCl) 



Silica 



Phosphoric oxide, PoO^ 



Sulphuric oxide, SO 3 



Ferrous oxide ... " 



Alumina 



Lime 

 Magnesia 

 Potassa .. 

 Soda 

 Chlorine .. 



1-360 

 1-142 

 1-208 

 1-209 

 0164 

 0029 

 0-152 

 3-267 

 1-4-27 

 1-006 

 1-406 

 0-230 



11-600 



After infusion yerba has the following composition, 

 the moisture being taken at 9 '40 per cent. — 



Per cent. 



Moisture 9-^100 



Vegetable matter 87-060 



Ash 3-540 



100-000 



Yerba yields 28 per cent, soluble matter in boiling 

 water, of which about 8 per cent, is of the ash con- 

 stituents. 



The lare quantity of albumen contained proves yerba 

 to be a nutritious diet. 



The volatile oil, belonging to the phenol group, I 

 obtained by distillation from the matters extracted 

 by ether. 



The estimation of tannic acid I conducted throughout 

 according to Mr. Procter's method, which gives very 

 satisfactory results. 



I have lately seen an analysis of yerba, showing 

 no ash whatever; this to me is totally inexplicable. 

 Compared with Chinese teas, the ash in yerba is 

 greater. It has been observed by different chemists 

 that the more costly teas contain less ash than cheaper 

 qualities. In all the samples of Chinese teas, analysed 

 by a Russian chemist, the quantity of ash was found 

 to be in inverse relation to the quality, as indicated 

 by the price ; the ash being especially high in teas 

 adulterated by admixture with other leaves. In case 

 of Japanese teas analyses do not all agree with this. 



Dr. Peckolt is reported to have found in yerba 

 gathered in Neufreiburg: — 



Per cent. 



Oxide of manganese 8958 



Sodium 10062 



Potassium 14615 



As will be noticed the percentage of soda and 

 potassa, which I find in the ash, bears no sort of 

 comparison to the amount Dr. Peckolt found contained 

 in the leaves. But even supposing that his results, 

 in potassium were obtained from 100 parts of ash, 

 this would amount practically to double the percent- 

 age found by myself, and would represent an 

 extraordinary richness of that element. Further, I 

 fail to discover the minutest trace of oxide of manganese 

 in the sample I possess. — Pharmacevtical Journal, 



Chena Cultivation. — In a brief editorial on the 

 Province of Uva, the " Dinakaraprakasa " suggests 

 that for the encouragement and assistance of the 

 poor cultivators that they may be allowed by Govern- 

 ment to cultivate chenas (burn forests), and grow such 

 vegetables, as cucumbers, potatoes, &c. They should be 

 supplied with a good kind of cotton seeds. A small 

 amount of the proceeds sale of these vegetables, &c. 

 should go towards the rent of the lands thus cultivated. 



Darteelinc. Tea Prospects. — The Darieeling cor- 

 respondent of the Kmilishinan says: — "The weather 

 in this district during the last fortnight has been 

 all that could be desired for tea manufacture. A hot 

 sun with an occasional heavy shower brought the 

 leaf out in abundance, and many factories have been 

 obliged to work night and day to keep pace with it. 

 A change in the weather has just now taken place, 

 amounting almost to a disastrous storm. In some 

 parts of the district the wind blew a terrific gale, 

 and the cold rain has sent the temperature down 

 considerably. This will somewhat stop the growth, 

 and give the planter time for packing and despatch- 

 ing. Most gardens are well ahead of last year, and 

 although very poor prices were realized at the first 

 Calcutta sales, the teas manufactured to date are 

 qviite equal to those of previous seasons for quality, 

 if anything better, and it is expected that when this 

 fact is established on the London market the prices 

 will become better, both here and at home, for Dar- 

 jeeling teas. It has been an excellent season for 

 leaf so far. Red spider has increased rapidly with 

 the late favourable tea weather, but this heavy rain 

 will prevent any further .spread, besides washing off 

 a great deal of that already in existence."— fwMcer, 



