^i6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIgT. [June f, 1887. 



CUBEBS IN THE GALLE DISTRICT. 



Our correspoudent at Galle forwarded us the other 

 (lay a small tin containing a sample of cubeb pepper 

 gathered wild in the Galle dictrict, and asked us to 

 ubtain a report upon it. We at ouce forwarded the 

 sample to Dr. Trimen, who writes as follows: — 



"[ opened the box accompanying your letter and 

 found within a small kind of pepper in fruit. This 

 is not cubeb pepper, and bears indeed no resemblance 

 to it. True cubebs are not found wild in Oeylon, 

 and is a plant about which very little is known though 

 the medicinal product has been common in trade 

 since the Kith century, I believe it is cultivated in 

 the .south of Java only for commercial purposes." 



The sample sent us, therefore, must be a species 

 of wild pepper, and not cubebs at all. We should 

 much like to be informed as to where it was found, 

 and whether it is to be obtained in any quantity. 

 The following particulars as to the production of 

 cubebs, taken from the Pharmacographia, are of 

 interest : — 



Cultivation and Froduction.—Oubehs are cultivated 

 in small special plantations, and also in coffee planta- 

 tions, in the district of Bangoemas, in the south of 

 .Java. The fruits are bought by Chinese, who carry 

 them to Batavia. They are likewise produced in Eastern 

 Java, and about Bantane, in the north-west ; and ex- 

 tensively in the Lampong country, in Sumatra. There 

 has of late been a large distribution of plants among 

 the European coffee planters. The cultivation of 

 cubebs is easy. In the coffee estates certain trees 

 are required for shade. Against these piper cuheha 

 is planted, and climbing to a height of 18 to 20 ft., 

 forms a large bush. 



DeMfiptioii. — The cubebs of commerce consist of the 

 dry globose fruits, gathered when full grown, but before 

 they have arrived maturity. The fruit is about l-5th 

 inch in diameter when very young sessile, but sub- 

 sequently elevated on a straight thin stalk. By this 

 stalk the fruit is attached in considerable numbers 

 (sometimes more than 50) to a common thickened 

 stalk or rachis, about Ih inch long. 



Commercial cubebs are spherical, sometimes de- 

 pressed at the base, very slightly pointed at the apex, 

 strongly wrinkled by the shrinking of the fleshy 

 pericarp ; they are of a greyish brown or blackish 

 hue, frequently covered with an ashy grey bloom. 

 The stalk is the elongated base of the fruit, and 

 remains permanently attached. The common axis or 

 rachis, which is almost devoid of essential oil, is 

 also frequently used with the drug. 



Cubebs have a strong, aromatic, persistent taste 

 with some bitterness and acridity. There smell is 

 highly aromatic, and by no means disagreeable. — Local 

 " Times" 



TRADE OF THE PHILIPPINES. 



MANILA. 



The report of Mr. Alex. Gollan on the consular 

 district of the Philippines for the year 1886 states: — 

 I had occasion to point out in my report for 1885 

 that the official statistics are never published here 

 until about a year after the period to which they 

 relate. I am, therefore, only able to give the full 

 figures, in the form prescribed by the recent instructions, 

 for the year 1885 ; but through the courtesy of some 

 of the leading merchants I am enabled to give the 

 following particulars of the export trade for the year 

 ending Dec. 31, 1886. 



The receipts of hemp from the districts where it is 

 grown have been : — 



In 1886. In 1885. 



Bales. Bales. 



At Manila 342,015 302,024 



„ Cebu 60,693 61,051 



The local consumption of hemp in 1886 is estimated 

 at 5,000 bales, and the stock afloat and in store on 

 Jan. 1, 1887, at 26,363 bales, while 21,500 bales are 

 on their way to the consuming markets. The market 

 value of hemp at the end of the year was about $16 

 per bale. The total value of the shipments during 

 1886 amounted to about §6,000,000, or at an average 

 rate of exchange of 3s. lOd. per dol. (£1,1.50,000). 



Coffee. — Exports have been about 7,500 tons in 1886, 

 as against 5,000 tons in 1885, and as the price steadily 

 advanced during the year from about £37 per ton 

 in January, 1886, to about double thit figure in 

 December, 1886, it is to be supposed that a con- 

 siderable impetus will have been given to the further 

 cultivation and development of the article. 

 Other articles of export in 1886 are : — 



Articles. Quantity. 



Cigars Number ... 103,000,000 



Leaf tobacco ... Quintals ... 183,943 



Indigo „ ... 1,284 



Sapanwood ... Piculs ... 70,748 



Imports, 1886. 

 I am sorry to say that I have found it quite impossible 

 to obtain the necessary data for 1886. 



CEBU. 



IMr. Vice-Consul Cadell writes as follows : — The 

 value of the exports from this district during 1886 

 shows a marked falling off as compared with the figures 

 for the preceding year, the decrease being due mainly 

 to the smaller shipments of sugar. Prices of this 

 commodity have ruled on the whole low throughout 

 the year, and consequently less cane has been planted 

 than in former years, whilst a good deal of sugar is 

 no doubt being held back in the provinces by those 

 whose means permit of their waiting for an improvement 

 in prices. The coming crop of cane, however, promises 

 to be a good one. 



Keturn of principal exports for 1885-84 : — 



1885. 1884. 



kilos. £ kilos. £ 



Hemp ... 53,330,554 1,244,000 51,085,027 1,441,000 

 Sugar ... 204,222,480 1,936,000 122,128,325 1,375,400 

 Coffee ... 5,467,830 183,800 7,529,564 254,000 

 Cigars ... 972,975 226,000 800,093 252,000 



Uwnj^anufactd. 5 g3j^3„9 290,000 1,246,470 110,000 



— London and China Express. 



Total ... 402,708 423,075 



or a falling off of about 20,000 bales. The shipments 

 duriug 18S6 have been :— To United State.s, 186,211 

 bales; to Great Britain, 164,148 bales; toother coun- 

 j^iies, 21,323 bales; total, 371,082 bales, 



THE INDIAN CONSERVATORY. 



[by a practical gardener.] 

 Of recent years, amateur gardening in India has 

 become a very popular amusement. Many of our 

 compounds are gay with flowers, and our verandahs 

 with pot plants and foliage shrubs, but the general 

 tendency of Europeans in India is to cultivate our 

 home species, and the wide and interesting field of 

 tropical flower gardening is considerably neglected. 

 At a little cost, however, the amateur gardener 

 could add to his collection many a "thing of beauty " 

 from the plant world of India, and so enrich his 

 collection. I have managed an Indian conservatory, 

 or, as it is called a Betel House, for several years, 

 and my experience may be of some value to others. 

 The site for the building should be in the open and 

 not underneath trees, as the drip from the branches 

 in the rains, and the falling of dead leaves in the 

 dry season, are objectionable. The size and shape 

 of the structure must be regulated by taste and con- 

 dition ; and the material used for the framework of 

 building, iron, wood, or bamboo, is a question of 

 cost and durability. Many of us are not permanently 

 placed in India, and it would often be folly to 

 erect a heavy structure at considerable expense. To 

 birds of passage* I would recommend a bamboo 

 house, say 18 or 20 feet long, by 14 or It; feet wide. 

 The roof should be sloping, the ridge being 14 or 

 15 feet from the ground, sloping down on each side 

 to nine or ten feet. Care should be taken to procure 

 strong seasoned bamboos; those used for the posts 

 and for the ridge of the roof should be stout, and 

 those for the framework of the roof much lighter. 

 If the posts and the framework of the roof are given 

 a couple of coverings of coal tar, tl^e bouso will last 



