6So 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1883. 



with sheet lead, are sent off to Calcutta or London. 

 The season's Tea is sent in as few consignments as 

 popsilile, to secure uniformity of appearance and taste 

 to the various "brealss." — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



COMMERCE BETWEEN INDIA AND CEYLON 

 AND THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. 



As a result of the Melbourne International Ex- 

 hibition and the representation of Indian and Ceylon 

 products, a very considerable expansion of trade has 

 already taken place between the Eastern and the 

 Southern P'lssessions of Britain. The one article tea 

 has risen troni the most modest dimensions in 1879 

 to a quantity already represented by a couple millions 

 of lb., the demand for this strong and pure article 

 being still ahead of supjily. In other products the 

 trade is increasing, so that the" lines " of goods taken 

 by the southern colonists from India have consider- 

 ably more than doubled since ISSO. Australia has horses, 

 preserved meats (in due time frozen meat), wines, 

 fruits, &c., to send in return for tea, coffee, cinnamon, 

 oils, seeds, fibres, &e., The great hindrance to 

 almost indefinite expension of the commerce is the 

 paucity of di;"ect tonnage, and this want the British 

 India Company are about to supply to a good extent, 

 by adding a line of steamers ti> run to Melbourne 

 from Calcutta via Colombo, to that which already plies 

 from Colombo to Brisbane. Ceylon is, of course, but 

 a small place, compared with the vast continent of 

 India audits varied resources; but we also can exchange 

 what the Australians want for what they can supply. 



At this juncture we are favoured with a visit from 

 Mr. J. Harward de Binzy, of the Melbourne firm of 

 Messrs. James Siiunders & Co, which during the period 

 of the Exhibition and subseciuently, were conspicuous 

 as the recognized commercial agents of the Indian Com- 

 mission, They have devoted themselves specially to 

 the development of the Indo- Australian commerce since 

 then and Mr. de Einzy has just returned from a visit 

 to India, over large portions of which he had 

 previously travelled armed with a testimonial from 

 Mr. E. C. Buck, to the following effect :— 



From E, C Buck, Esq., President. Goverument of India Com- 

 mittee for Melbourne International Exhiljition, and Secretary to 

 Government of India, Agriculture, Revenue and Commerce. 

 Tj all Collectors, &c. 



SiK, — Mr, de Riuzy who is introduced by this letter lias made 

 an arrangement with the Goverument of India Committee for the 

 Australian Exhibition to take down to Melbom-uo a hii-^e consign- 

 ment of India ornamental and other ware for sale during the 

 time that the Exhibition is open. Ho has now been requested to 

 visit some of the principal places of manufacture in India and to 

 make terms with merchants, dealci-s or mannfacfurers in whose 

 behalf he will act as agent. 



The principal object in view is to stimulate a demand f^r ludian 

 productions in a new field, and to offer the most ample facilities 

 to ludian dealers and manufacturers for sending these their con- 

 signments to tlie Colonies. In future a permanent agency will be 

 established in Melbourne. It is hoped therefore that traders of 

 position and capital will be induced to come forward and to make 

 mutual arrangements with Messrs. Sauuders & Co., who have given 

 ample security to the Committee for carying out these arrange- 

 ments and for the due payment for goods entrusted to their care. 



Dealers or others should understand that they will receive the 

 full price in rupees charged by them at their own place of busi- 

 ness, all other charges being undertaken by Messrs. Saunders — 

 deduction only being made for cost of carriage on unsaleable articles 

 (if any) which will be returned to the consignees. 



Arrangements will be made to remit money by telegraph for a 

 further supply of any articles which are found to meet with a 

 ready sale. 



I request tlie favour of your allowing the bearer of this letter, 

 lilr. de Rinzy, who is the managing partner of i\[essrs. Sauiider-.' 

 firm, to be introduced to any merchants or dealers in your district, 

 with whom be may wish to make arrangements, as an agent 

 ai'credited by the Government's Committee for the MeUourne Ex- 

 hibition, with such explanation of tlie object of the proposals as 

 you may consider desirable. 



AtMjloaizing for the trouble I am giving, I am vom-s faithfidh', 



E. C. Buck, 

 President, Goierameut of India Ccmmittee 



ton jUelbourue lutemational Exhibitioa. 



In the present scarcity of hops in Europe (a scarcity 

 which is sure to stimulate production in' Tas- 

 mania, in Gipps Land and other portions of Austra- 

 lia) attention has naturally beeu turned to cinchona 

 bark as a substitute or as standing on its own merits 

 as a bitter. As twig bark sent to London recently 

 has sold at prices which can scarcely cover 

 freight, the Australian market migi«t be tried, and 

 as Messrs. Saunders & Co. have large dealings 

 witli brewers in the supply of drugs, if any grower 

 will send a consignment, say of 5 cwt. , of twig or other 

 cheaper kinds of bark, Mr. de Ilinzy will do his best 

 with it and report to us I he result. If cinchona 

 febrifuge were prepared here, Messrs Saunders & Co. 

 would take a good share.' Mr. Saunders has lelfc it 

 his duty to caution us in Ceylon against comfrey as 

 an ineradicable weed. We do not know that this 

 quality has been noticed in the plant in Ceylon, but 

 as a forage plant we suppose comfrey has proved a 

 failure. Mr. de Riuzy is much interested in fibres and 

 has brought with him from India a series of speci- 

 mens. Mr. Buck will be ready to supply seeds 

 of fibre plants and specimens of fibres. We were 

 much interested to learn from Mr. de Rinzy that 

 one of the most promising fibre plants is Aheluwschus 

 c.'^cttlintus ("ladies' fingers"), the wellknowu bend- 

 of India and Ceylon, familiar in America and other 

 parts of the world as the okra plant. Our readers 

 will have fresh iu their memory the recent impudent 

 hoax, which went the round of the papers, to the 

 effect that a cottou of magnificent flowers and transcend- 

 ental boles had resulted from the hybridizing ot the 

 okra with Egyptian cottou. It is not from its seed- 

 vessels but from its stems that the bende yields a 

 fibre, of which Mr. de Rinzy is to receive a quantity 

 from Mr. Buck, the ludian Agricultural Secret- 

 ary, and for fineness, strength and good colour 

 he reports it superior to liemp. The fibre Mr. 

 de Kinzy has secured was grown at Poena in the 

 Bombay Presidency, whence 30 tons are to be supplied 

 at Rl-8 per inauud (the Bombay mauBd equivalent 

 to 281b). This price is equivalent to R6 per cwt., or 

 R120perton. This seems a low price compared with 

 £30 to £40 per ton for aloe fibre, but Mr. de Rinzy 

 tells us that by thick sowing (which also increases 

 tlie length of the stems) 400 mauuds or 100 cwt. (eay 

 5 tons) can be jjot from an acre of ground, and that at 

 least two crops per annum can be raised. Of durse in 

 crowing the plant for fibre it is not allowed to blossom or 

 bear fruit. Irrigati'm, we suspect, will be necessary, and 

 after a time manuring we should say, although a good 

 deal of woody icfuse from the steins will be left to be 

 applied to the ground. If any one cares to try ex- 

 periments with the cultivation and preparation of this 

 plant (it will require to be " scutched" likeheinpor 

 riax), Mr. de Riuzy adthorizes ns to say lie will take any 

 quantity of fibre, equal to his sample, at the price 

 mentioned : R() per cwt. The plant is largely culti- 

 vated in Ceylon for the sake of its excellent and nutri- 

 tious fruits, which contain much mucilage enclosing 

 grains like peas. They are au excellent anti-scorbutic, 

 and we know a case of bad " sore-mr.uth" (inflamed 

 mucous membrane) which has received the utmost 

 benefit from a diet composed mainly of this fruit 

 boi'ed as a vegetable, prescribed by Dr. Vandort. After 

 a lapse of some eighteen months, the patient still 

 enjiiys this simple food. Whether, in addition to the 

 plants which are grown for the sake of the fruit, the 

 supply of suitable soil, water and labour in Ceylon is 

 equal to further extensive cultivation for the sake of 

 the fibre, remains to be proved. For rapid and 

 plenteous production, we should say the bende stalks 

 have a great advantage over aloes, pineapples and 

 fuch like. Over and over again for the past genera- 

 tion we have read of the bende as a S( urce of nier- 



