724 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May 2, 1887. 



All the Jruits that grow with a pit, a core, or with 

 Beecls, cau be maJe to grow without them, when it is 

 uuderstooJ, says the Live Stock Eecord. It is accom- 

 plished by reversing the scion — rooting the top end of 

 the plant. To do this yoa bend the scion to sprout 

 down and cover with dirt. After rooting, cut it loose 

 and let the root end be up. Apples are grown wit;hout 

 cores, peaches without seed, aTid grapes and other vines 

 also, by simply reversing the plant. — Southern Planter. 



Tka. — In tlie course of a recent discussion at the 

 Bociety of Arts, Captain Temple mentioned a fact 

 which should commend itself to the attention of 

 Indian tea-growers. The natives of India, said 

 Captain Temple, were very fond of tea, but they 

 liked a peculiar quality, which was ascertainable 

 by the people who grew it. He had himself seen 

 in the Kangra district a native owner who made 

 a tea estate pay because he supplied the kind of 

 tea which the people of the Punjab like ; 

 whereas the European tea planters did not do 

 this, and while they were complaining that they 

 could not find a market, this native grower was 

 making a good thing. — Pioneer. 



Cevlox Arrack. — At present distillers manu- 

 facture for home consumption principally ; would 

 they be able to meet a large demand for export ? 

 Our inquiries tend to show that they would not, 

 at least for some time, because the supply of the 

 toddy is limited and their apparatus imperfect. 

 Moreover, before the spirit is fit for export it must 

 be much more carefully rectified, and stronger than 

 it is made at present. The expense required to 

 effect these improvements would bring the price 

 up to at least 2s per gallon in the Ceylon market. 

 The additional charges for freight, &c., would bring 

 the iirice on the English market to about 23 6d— 

 quite a prohibitive sum in these days of cheap 

 German spirit, which is placed on our market at 

 about Is fid per gallon, duty unpaid. We refer 

 more particularly to spirit suitable for manufactur- 

 ing purposes, but we should be pleased to learn 

 that our calculations are excessive. It is far better 

 if we have to import such products that we should 

 secure our supplies from our own dependencies, and 

 we at present undoubtedly obtain from Continental 

 distillers much of the spirit that we use. If Ceyon 

 is able to compete with them, it is not too late 

 to begin. — Clu'mi--<t and Drugf/ist. 



On the subject of fertilizers Messrs. Edward Packard 

 & Co., of Ipswich and London, have issued a circular 

 to "West Indian planters, in which they say : — " We 

 have much pleasure in directing your attention to 

 the following facts in connection with our manu- 

 facture of specially prepared fertilizers for the West 

 Indies. The differences of climate, soils, period of 

 growth and system of cultivation between those 

 colonies and home, and, as regards many of those con- 

 ditions, between one colony and another, materially 

 affects the composition of the fertilizer best suited 

 to meet the requirements of the planter, and to 

 give an adequate return for the outlay of capital. 

 Although manure manufacturers are well informed 

 upon the question of fertilizers for home crops, grown 

 in a few mouths, they are often at considerable dis- 

 advantage when preparing them for the very different 

 conditions of tropical agriculture. With a view to 

 placing ourselves in the best position to formulato 

 really suitable fertilizers, we have secured the services 

 of Mr. George Hughes, i'.c.s.,as our consulting chemist 

 for the West Indies, knowing that he has had long 

 and practical experience upon these important points. 

 We have also consulted Mr. J. McCarthy, r. c. s.. 

 Chemist to the Government of Trinidad, especially 

 in reference to our cocoa manure, and the formula 

 those gentlemen have determined upon will be care- 

 fully adhered to by us. All manures will be sold 

 under distinct guarantee, and all exports will be accom- 

 panied by Mr. Hughes's certificate of analysis of a 

 sample authentically drawn at the time of shipment. 

 Onder these conditions we trust we shall be favoured 

 >vJtb your esteemed orders for the new year, and 



take this opportunity of expressing our hope that i 

 may bring better times to those interested in the 

 success of our West Indian Colonies." — Home and 

 Cufouial Mail. 



Indian a.nd Cevlon Teas. — Although the supplies of 

 Indian tea continue to be much smaller than during 

 thn earlier weeks of the year, tbey are apparently amply 

 sufficient to meet the present limited requirements of 

 the trade. Prices have been irregular, and the depre- 

 ciation in values h;is in some instances made further 

 progress. As was to be expected with such a prepon- 

 derance in the supply of very common teas, these 

 have suffered in value to a greater extent than 

 other discriptionss, so long as the supply 

 of very common tea outweighs to such an 

 extent as at present that of other sorts, none 

 but very low prices can possibly be anticipated, espe- 

 cially as many of the so-called " common " parcels are 

 much commoner than the bulk of Ind:'aa teas usually 

 coming under that detinition. Large quantities are 

 being Bold at the exceedingly low prices of 5jd to GJd 

 per lb. ; but many of these draw so thin an infusion that 

 they cannot be described as particularly cheap when 

 compared with teas at some pence per lb. more. The 

 better kinds of tea have fetched prices quite equal to 

 those ruling a few weeksago, notwithstanding a marked 

 dulness in the general inquiry, but the quantity of good 

 tea at present offerecil is comparatively small. As 

 there appears every probabiUty of the supplies of the 

 medium and better descriptions continuing on a limited 

 scale for the present, buyers will probably not be 

 wrong in holding reasonable stocks of them, as even a 

 moderate improvement in demand bids fair to streng- 

 then the present very low range of values. A larger 

 quantity of Ceylon teas has been brought forward, and 

 has fetched generally declining rates, as the quality of 

 most of the parcels was very poor. Increased supplies 

 of Java growths have also been offered, and have sold 

 at easier prices. At the public sales 18,407 packages 

 of Indian, 2,655 Ceylon, and 1,S94 Java teas were 

 offered. With the exception of tea possessing quality, 

 values were rather easier, and about ;-),460 packages 

 were withdrawn. — Produce Markets lieviev; Feb. 26th. 



Ceylon Tea. — The event of the week has undoubt- 

 edly been the sale of 27 packages Oeylox Tea, " Maria- 

 watte " mark, in the new Andrew's patent steel chests, 

 realizing a half-penny or a farthing above valuation on 

 account of the package. There was a good competition 

 for these, and the prices realized showed that the con- 

 tents of the new packages had come to hand in excellent 

 condition, an 1 no doubt is entertained in the Line that 

 as these steel chests become more generally known 

 they will be favorites, and always meet a ready sale. 

 Their cost on the estate is said to be one rupee and ten 

 cents, very nearly, if not quite, the sime as wooden 

 chests ; and, looking to the difdeulties attending the 

 employment of woods for tea chests, the damage to 

 packages from which these are free and the greater 

 uniformity in weight secured, I should say there can be 

 no doubt that Andrew's patent steel chests will come 

 into use pretty generally. Previous to the sale I in- 

 spected the whole of the packages lying in the Cutter 

 Street warehouse, where I found only two that had 

 sustained any damage, all the others beirg in excellent 

 order, and their contents in good condition. As I 

 ne: lioned in a previous letter, succeeding shipments of 

 tbc.ve will have an inside coating of lead deposited oa 

 the steel ; but the necessity for this precaution is not 

 obvious, as the contents of the present chests are in 

 first-rate condition. There is but one change which 

 occurs to me as i^srhaps desirable— viz., the dispensing 

 with the metal rings in the wooden surface of the lids, 

 placed there to enable the lid to be readily removed. 

 The warehousemen thought these were intended for fix- 

 ing rop ;s through for the purpose of hoisting up the 

 chests; and the same idea may occur to ship's crews, 

 and then the fear would be that if the rings be so used 

 the great strain brought on thehd would destroy its 

 air-tieht property, notwithstanding the screws inserted 

 for boiling it in its place. Instead of the ring I wnuld 

 advise the use of a simple " thumb catch," which would 

 serve all the purpose of the liug without the possibility 

 of any misapplication of its ^use, — London Cor, LocM 

 "Times," 



