368 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Drc I, i8S6. 



■ ■- 1 ' ■LM" ? -'-Ul? 



BREAD AND FLOUR— INFORMATION FOR 

 HOUSEKEEPERS. 



Colombo, '2nd November 1880. 



Dear Sir, — With reference to correspondence in 

 your paper sometime ago regarding outturn of 

 bread, we annex extract of a letter on the subject, 

 received from an expert, Mr. E. Freeborn of the 

 Western India Flour Mills, Bombay : — a gentleman 

 whose experience in connection with Hour and bread 

 industry extends over the past twenty-live years.— 

 We remain, dear sir, yours faithfully, 



pp Fraji.iee, Bhikhajee & Co. 

 Pestonjee Dixsuawjee Khan. 



" Our ptreenfage in bread made with our Hour 

 18 140 lb. bread for every lOu lb. flour ; but iu 

 Colombo, where toddy is pure, and the dough is 

 made softer so as to turu out light bread, the bakers 

 ought to realize about 115 1b. Flour with pleuty of 

 strength and very dry will take more water than 

 moist flour, or flour that has not much gluteu iu 

 it. To liistiuguish good flour coutainiug strength you 

 need only mix an ounce in suliicient water to m^ike 

 a bolus or pill, and then to knead it well and draw 

 it out into a string to see how long it will go 

 without breaking. If it breaks short you may ci^n- 

 clude it has little strength ; but if the fibre extends 

 and is elastic it is good strong flour aud the per- 

 centage will be better. In colour, a pale white or 

 chalk colour is not a healthy colour, good flour 

 must possess a bright rosy hue or what millers call, 

 a bloom on the flour."— pp. F. B. i Co., P. W. K. 



A W'rixkle for Tea-1'Lanters (By a returned 

 Colonist). — On your tea-cheats, put only the nett 

 weight, say " 50, 90 or 100 lb. nett " — nothing more ; 

 and then state in invoice not simply the total, 

 say "9 chests cijualling UOOlb. "; but rather put 

 in 9 chests, each containing 100 lb : 900 lb. The 

 word " each " is of much practical importance. 

 Of course, a few ounces say ^1 b. extra, should 

 be put into each chest. 



Recent P.\tents. — Tonic or Coca Bitters. (.S'- 

 ]V<i(,T.-;. No. (),.S99. May 22nd, ISHH.) Any British 

 or foreign wine is taken, and quinine, " cinchona," 

 quinidine, or other bitter alkaloid dissolved in it 

 until the proper degree of bitterness is acquired, and 

 therefore it is mixed with coca leaves or an extract 

 thereof, solution being, if necessary, aided by the 

 addition of sulphuric, citric, or other acid, and the 

 mixture afterwards clarilied with isinglass or other 

 finings. The claim is for the pre^jaration termed 

 coca bitters, and for a beverage containing an 

 extract of coca leaf and a bi.ter alkaloid. — Chemigt 

 and l>ru(i(jii>t. 



The Successful Cultivation, since 188-1, of the 

 Ramie or China grass plant [/(velimericu/ivea) on the 

 Champ-de-l' Air at L-iusaune (altitude 520 m.) by Prof. 

 Sclnietzler, i.s an interesting fact iu botany. This 

 shrub, a native of China and Sumatra, bas been grown 

 in the south of the United .States and of Fiance for 

 thirty years. Recently it bas been introduced into 

 Algeria. There is of course a striking difference in 

 the conditions of temperature between Lausanne and 

 llie places in Asia where Ramie is grown. Wliile the 

 latitude of the latter is from 15*^ to 3.")*, that of Lau- 

 sanne is 46'^ 31'. The mean^ temperature at Lau- 

 sanne is 9'^ "5 C. Last winter the plants underwent 

 long periods of great cold; in one cise, <•</., the ther- 

 mometer being below zeio for 124 hours, witli a mini- 

 mum on the ground of — 12" 'oC: — Siitiut. 



" LoNi'ON Pur.ri.K" as an insecticide is thus 

 noticed in the Melbourne Leader: — 



Phiquiries having been made respecting the collin 

 moth poison, we republish the following particulars 

 from an American source : — Mr. T. G. Yeomans, speaks 

 from experience in the Conntitj Qe)ithinan of London 

 purple for orchard enemies as better than Paris green, 



because it is cheaper, mixes well with water, and does 

 not need to be stirred to prevent precipitation. A pound 

 to 100 gallons is a suitable proportion, the poison being 

 first mnde like paste in a small dish and then added to 

 the tank. He applies it with force pump, suction pipe, 

 hose, &c.— costing, all complete, 10 dul.— one man driv- 

 ing the team and directing the nozicle, while another 

 works the pump vigorously. Thus hundreds of tn es 

 m;.y hesprajed in a day ; bethinks the best time is 

 about when the blossoms fall, or as soon thereafter as 

 may be convenient, and the effect is very noticeable in 

 improved (piality of fruit, due to the destruction " not 

 only of cankerworms and codliu moths," but of ail 

 other insects injurious to the ajsple. 



Mica or Talc— A correspondent writes :— I saw 

 your para re Mica or Talc, and give you the 

 following information received yesterday from a 

 friend of mine in London. I send a large 

 sample of the Talc he took home, and enclose 

 herewith two small pieces, one is a bit off one of 

 my samples, and the other is a piece of a mar- 

 ketable sample, and my friend alludes to them 

 as being as different in color as a white man and 

 a colored one :—" J/ua. I spent money and time 

 to succeed, but the one white quality is all I could 

 get quotations for. I am in contact with the real 

 buyers, and can sell quantities, but they must be 

 large white clear sheets, any suspicion of amber 

 or brown, I cannot get even an offer for. What I 

 brought home is too brown and wavy, but I learned 

 that a man of colour (a native no doubt) had been 

 in the habit of shipping from Galle to Germany, 

 mica of the right sort and quality, which fetched 

 good prices, but suddenly supply ceased, • and 

 sometimes afterwards it was discovered he had 

 died. Who it was I could not learn, but was told 

 lie shipped the mica from Point de Galle. It is 

 used in Germany for making lamp shades, as per 

 sketch, also for ovens. Magnetic Instruments, Screen 

 paintings for fire places etc." I send this so that you 

 may make any use you like, as some of those 

 reading about Talc might go to a lot of expense and 

 never get the rgiht volar, not being aware that 

 the brown is worthless. The specimens sent are 

 certainly very clear and tine. — Ed. ] 



J.wa ANn SuMATiiA.- The Colonial report of 188.5 

 has beeu is.-ued. It shows that the population of Java 

 and Madura was on Dec. 31st, 1884, ;i7,6»0 Europeans, 

 228,404 persons belonging to various Eastern nations, 

 and 20.G()5,510 natives, together 20,931,654, against 

 20,G:J0,102 iu 1883, the population having tims increased 

 during 1884 by 301,552 persons. In the district of 

 Bagelcu an epidemic prevailed during the tir.st six 

 months of 1884, which caused a decrease of the popul- 

 ation of 20.289 souls ; in all the twenty-one other dis- 

 tricts there was an increase of 321,791 souls, viz. 37l.82-i 

 natives, and 8,907 foreigners. About the condition of 

 Java aud ^ladura the following information is given. 

 Owing to the small (Jovernment colTee-crop and the 

 low prices realised for the plentiful rice crop, the natives 

 have earned only a small amount of money, but the 

 sanitary conditions generally gave satisfaction, almo.st 

 all districts being free from epidemic diseases. Order 

 remained undisturbed, except in certain cases of religi- 

 ous excitei^ient, but v.hich were soon suppressid. The 

 relations with the various native Courts, and theiuigh- 

 bouring Colonial Powers, have continued to )e of the 

 most friendly nature. Agriculture was satisfactory, 

 the outturn of the lice crops being plentiful. The 

 coffee cultivation was less favourable, the plant having 

 suffered much from the continueil aridity anil the pre- 

 vailing disease of the leaves, which involved consider- 

 able damage and loss. The sugar cultivation has been 

 satisfactory, but the tobacco crop unfavourable. Mid- 

 dle and Eastern Java suffered very much from inun- 

 dations. A'olcauic eruptions were only observed in April 

 aud October, the con.sequences of which were of little 

 importanct.'. The amount of the land-rent was 19 265,807 

 guilder.s, against 19,301,700 guilders in 1884.— Z. ^ ( ', 



yi'.iy);'tf.>-.<. 



