April t, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUKlSTo 



659 



Mexic.vn Ixtle.— The United States Consul of 

 Mexico writes that the ixtle fibre, which comes from 

 the lechuguilla, is becoming more widely known 

 in Europe and America. Ii is used largely in the 

 manufacture of brushes, sacks, mats, ropes, cordage, 

 ladies' coi-sets, carpets and coarse cloths. It is 

 also employed with success in the fabrication of 

 imitation Brussels carpet, and in the imitation of 

 hog bristles for brushes. Ixtle is exported from 

 Mexico only as raw fibre. There are no factories 

 in Mexico for the manufacture of goods from the 

 fibre. The fibre is extracted from the lechuguilla 

 plant, which grows wild in certain mountainous 

 regions. — B)-adstrcet\<i. 



Ceylon Peppek. — Pepper has been one of the 

 oldest of Ceylon exports ; the Dutch paid atten- 

 tion to it, but since then, it has become of little 

 importance, save in its growth by natives for 

 consumption m their local markets. Among " new 

 products," however, which have of late years beea 

 claiming the attention of European planters i? 

 p=pper, and we are glad to learn that a favor- 

 able report has been obiained on tli« North- 

 Matale--4rown article which has been valued in 

 quaut-ty at Sd to ."•^■d per lb. The report goes 

 on to say : — " It is highly charged with the natural 

 oil, i. e. pepperiue, on which account it would 

 be valuable for mixing purposes." Seeing that 

 the treatment cf the product in preparation, in 

 the case referred to, was that of beginners, the 

 report should, we think, be considered eminently 

 eatisfactory. 



Tea at High Elevation in Cevlon.— The actual 

 yield last year of six different estates of varying alti- 

 tude from 4,200 to 6,700 ft. The yield of each field 

 had throughout the year been kept separate, so that 

 on!}' the results of tea five years and upwards was 

 taken. The highest yield from a 20 acre field was 

 631 lb. and the altitucfe almost as high as any others 

 5,800 ft. The lowest was 320 lb. and the altitude 

 4,960ft. All the tea was grown on old coffee land, though 

 the coffee was not very old and not a bit worn out 

 when removed to make way for the new product and 

 realized good prices in London, none selling under an 

 average of Is 2^1 so that the financial results were 

 capital. The real significance of this result c^n only 

 be understood when I say that three-fourths the laud 

 likely to l»e in tea two } ears from now will be old coft'ee- 

 land and very much more than (half will be over 

 3,500 ft. altitude. — Cor. — Indian Planters' Gazette. 

 Feb. 22nd. 



The Samples of Cinnabar found up the Segama 

 river in the vicinity of Pulo Itok Batu, mentioned 

 in a previous number as having been sent home 

 for assay have proved to be of a most satisfact- 

 ory character. Messrs. Johnstone and Mathey re- 

 port the average assay of the two samples to be 

 53 per cent, one sample averaging considerably 

 better than the other at 75 per cent. This assay 

 Ib decisive as to the fact of the Segama country 

 containing payable Cinnabar lodes and a system- 

 atic search for the lodes should be set on foot. 

 There are Sarawak men engaged in digging for 

 gold in the Segama, men who have also v/orked 

 for Cinnabar at Sarawak, These men should be 

 only too glad to prospect for the sake of the 

 Government reward. Mr. Sun Knong Lung on 

 being shown samples of Cinnabar at a meeting of 

 the Gold Committee on the 27th January at once 

 Recognized them as identical with stones he had 

 got in washing in the Bole river, but not know- 

 ing their value had thrown them away. Some of 

 his coolies also indentified the samples. As those 

 assayed came out of th*^ main river some con- 

 siderable distance above the junction with the Bole, 

 it is evident the Bole deposits are distinct from 

 these found in the main Segaitia. —North Borneo 

 Merald. 



Potvtoe Disease.— Some highly interesting experi 

 ments have recently been made by Messrs. Jensen and 

 Nobbe to protest potatoes from disease. The main 

 thing m the system experimented upon is to earth 

 the stalks as high as possible. Mr. Nobbe has con- 

 structed and used a special plough for the purpose ; 

 and he reports that all his experimental fields were 

 free from di.sease, although tiie latter prevailed in the 

 district. The experiments were continued for three 

 years, and in all cases the potatoes were free from 

 disease. It was found, however, that the total yield 

 of the protected crops was less than those which were 

 unprotected in the above manner. It is thought that 

 the loss is due to the injury caused to the leaves and 

 stalks by ploughing.— ^!4,5^rrt^asta/i. 



Snake Poison.— A German chemist has been experi- 

 menting with snake poisons, and the following are the 

 the conclusions he has arrived at :— In the Indian 

 cobra the venom is not due to living germs, as some 

 people have stated : nor even the so-called " cobric 

 acid." All the alkaloids are entirely absent from the 

 venom. The " cobric acid " crystals are in reality com- 

 posed of sulphate of lime. ]\Ir. Wolfenden says that 

 the poisonous properties of the snake poison are due 

 to its proteid constituents as follows— Globulin, which 

 is always present, and kills by causing asphyxia; syn- 

 tonin, very similar in its action to globulin, but less 

 intense, and serum albanum, also poisonous, which 

 produces ].;aralysis. Again, in the venom of the Indian 

 viper, Mr. Wolfenden found no germs, toxic anids, nor 

 alkaloids, only three of the proteids above mentioned.— 

 Australasian. 



Sawdust.- Some of our best cultivators have lately 

 been advocating the use of this for propagating, and 

 it posse.sse.-? all the qualities claimed for it, but,' as a 

 rule, I think it rather light and open for some things 

 rooting freely when used by itself. "When, however, 

 a hnlf-and-half mixture of it and sea or silver sand 

 is made up, cuttings in it then root both quicker and 

 better. Further, as the time is now upon us when our 

 fresh Cauliflower, Cabbage, &c., will be planted out, 

 and will offer tempting meals to snails, many will 

 be at their wit's end as to how to prevent loss, and 

 I may tell them that nothing proves a ^afer remedy 

 than eawdust. If a good handful in placed around 

 the stem of each plant it acts as a mulching to the 

 roots in dry weather, and wheiher wet or dry a snail 

 will hardly ever attempt a passage across its surface.— 

 G. D . ia The Garden. 



Getting EiD of ^Tmiva— The Scientific American, 

 gives the following important informition to those 

 who desire to get rid of stumps on their farms : — " In 

 the autumn or early winter bore a hole one or two 

 inches in diameter according to the girth of the stump, 

 and about eight inches deep. Put into it one or two 

 ounces of saltpetre, fill the hole with water, and 

 plug it close. In the ensuing spring take out the plug, 

 and pour in about a gill of kerosene oil and ignite it. 

 The stump will sm ulder away to the very extremity 

 of the roots, without blazing,leaving nothing but 

 ashes. — Rural Australian. 



EisH F.vKMiNG is an industry that will yet 

 find scope in Queensland. A great success has been 

 realised with carp, perch, tench and other 

 British ^ and Continental fresh water fishes in 

 Lake Wendouree, on Ballarat, Victoria '■ and ar! ex- 

 ample furnished us (^ueenslanderg to go and do 

 likewise. Very deep tanks or waterholes are not 

 best adapted for fish of this description, V/ater 

 three feet deep, if shaded and permanent, is 

 better than if ten feet in depth, We have very 

 little confidence in the success of the experiment 

 of letting fish— carp, perch, etc., loose in the Gold 

 Creek Beservoir for that very reason. The best carp 

 ponds in the old country are very little more than 

 two feet deep ; and there are plenty of fish farma 

 now in America where the water is always shallow 

 and often warm. There is no reason whatever — 

 save lack of enterprise — to hinder Qupensland be- 

 coming well stocked with this welcome addition to her 

 bill of fare. Fanners, gardeners, and squatters could 

 easily farm ihais owu Hdh.'^i'lantcr anU k'armcf 



