912 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May 1, 1883. 



and the Wynaad are concerned, for it is there where 

 cineliona cultivation is being pushed forward so vigorously. 

 It is estimated, however, that private plantations in Bengal 

 yielded some 250,000 lb. of bark in 1881, the area under 

 cultivation being 381 acres, containing about 325,000 plants. 

 In Mysore, the private plantations are returned as only 

 15 acres, with a yield of 1,364 lb, of bark. In Coorg, cin- 

 chona cultivation was developed enormously during the last 

 five yea; !. Tii 1878 there were only 23,900 cinchona plants 

 laid down, l)ut the return for 1882 is 617,156 plants, and 

 it is estimated that nearly 800 acres are already under 

 cultivation, or an area nearly equal to the Government 

 plantations on the Nilgiris. It is abundantly clear from the 

 above figures that the cultivation of cinchona is assuming 

 enormous proportions in Southern India, and there is every 

 prospect of cinchona bark becoming one of the most valia- 

 able exports from India. — 3Iadras Mail. 



EXPOKTS OF DRUGS AND CHEMICALS FROM 

 THE PORT OF LONDON, 



It is curious to note that Holland took nearly 

 half the cinchona bark exported during February, 

 or 17,783 lb. out of a total of 38,270 lbs. The ex- 

 port of aniline, valued at l,7S4i. in February and at 

 4,243Z. iu January, to India, China, and Japan — at 

 least half going to the two latter countries— gives 

 rise to curious reflections. Hamburg shows itself the 

 second drug market in the world by taking half the 

 Loudon exports of drags, half the gum, half the essenti- 

 al oils, and a very considerable proportion of nearly 

 all the other articles enumerated. Boulogne has taken 

 the 18 owt. of bismuth exported this year, Bruges 

 receives more than- a quarter of the rapeseed, and 

 Belgium and Holland together absorbed two-thirds 

 of the rape and oil seed we export. One curious item 

 was the export of 1,950 lbs. of opium to Alexandria 

 during January. This was anticipated in our trade 

 report, foritis probably the ''large quantity of Persi- 

 an opium, which will be sent bnck to whence it came " 

 (page 42, top of column 2). The opium sent to 

 Trinidad <ind Guayaquill is perhaps for the use of 

 Hindoo sooliee. The enormous quantity of 700 lbs. 

 of chloral hydrate sent to Yokohama in January is a 

 striking circumstance. 



It is, of course, absurd to believe that 5 or 10 tons 

 represent all the alkali we export in a month, that 

 no acids are sent abroad, that 4 oz. of quinine sent 

 to St. Lucia in January and 500 oz. to Calcutta in 

 February represent, even approximately, our real 

 business in those articles. The small recorded ex- 

 ports of heavy chemicals repreeent those cleared from 

 the port of London ; but the alkali trade is done 

 further North, and we must probably look to New- 

 castle and Liverpool for the true figures. Quinine is, 

 perhaps, included under the heading '•Chemicals," 

 which must cover a large number of unspecified com- 

 pounds used in small quantities. "Drugs" is another 

 extensive heading which it would be interesting to 

 dissect. 



Doubtless our friends the exporting druggists will 

 notice what goes abroad and where it goes, and ask 

 themselves if they are doing their share of the busi- 

 ness. We ask them to note, first of all, what im- 

 portant customers our Australian colonies are. For 

 sponge, Genoa and New York are the largest customers 

 for February, taking 10,728 lb., but of the remain- 

 ing 1,869 lb. sent to all other parts of the world, 

 iustr.-ilia and Newzealand took 1,319 lb., besides 

 nearly 1,600 lb. in January. Of cnrks 67,252 lb. 

 were exported in February to all parts of the world, 

 37,212 lb. going to the Antipodes. A sixth of the 

 eseential oils, a fourth of the almonds, more than a 

 third of the chemicals, three-fourths of the ether and 

 a fifth of the chloroform, nine-tenths of the licorice, a 

 fourth of the castor oil. a sixth of the perfumed siiirit, 



three-fifths of the transparent soap, half the olive oil, 

 nearly all the train and cod oil went to that part of the 

 world. '1 he proportion of licorice consumed there is 

 curious, and seems more like the state of things in 

 America thau iu the mother country. — Chemist and 

 Druijrjist. 



INDIA: CROP AND WEATHER REPORT. 



Foe the Week Ending the 10th ApkiL 1883. 

 (From the Pioneer, April 17th.) 



Geneeal Eemaeks. — Slight rain has fallen in a few dis- 

 tricts in the Madras Presidency, in the Punjab, in British 

 Burma, and in parts of Bengal proper. There ha.s also 

 been some rain in Mysore and Mercara and iu Cachar. 

 Elsewhere there has been no rain to report during the 

 week. 



The harvest of summer ragi, cholum, and paddy con- 

 tinues in nearly all the districts of the JIadras Presidency, 

 and prospects are good, except in Madura, where the 

 standing crops are reported to have failed in parts. In 

 the Bombay Presidency the rabi harvest is over ; sugar- 

 cane is being planted in parts ; scarcity of driidtiug-water 

 BtiU prevails in some places in Dharwar. Locusts have re- 

 appeared in the Dekkau districts, and measures for their des- 

 truction have been commenced in Satara. In the Bengal Pre- 

 sidency the rabi harvest is for the most part over, with gtn- 

 erally a fair outtiu'n : rain is much wanted throughout Bengal 

 proper for general ploughing, and for sowing of autumn 

 crops and also for standing crops iu Orissa. The rabi 

 harvest is in active progress throughout the North-Western 

 Provinces and Oudh, and has been nearly completed iu 

 some places. Prospects are good ; but raiu is wanted iu 

 Kumaun for late rabi and for kharif sowings. Harvest 

 oiierations have commenced in two districts of the Punjab, 

 and prospects are generally good. In the Central Provinces 

 harvest prospects are good, and in one district the rabi 

 outturn is reported to be above the average. Iu Assam 

 ploughing and sowing is reported to be in progress. In 

 Mysore and Ooorg paddy and sugarcane has been more or 

 less harvested in all districts, and in the Nizam's territories 

 reaping is still in progress. In the Central India States and 

 in Kajputana the harvest is in progress and prospects are 

 good. 



Madras. — General prospects good. 



The Employment of Cocoa Meal in the rations 

 of French cavalry horses has produced such satis- 

 factory results that the practice will be coutinuded 

 permanently. — M. Mail. 



Sylhet Tea Disteict. — Au ex-Colombo resident, who 

 has gone to assist on a tea estate iu this division of 

 Northern India, writing on the 8th April says : — 

 " The heat here is intense." 



PuNEKiA Berky. — The plant " Puneria " known to 

 Botanists as Withania Coagulane, and common iu the 

 Trans-Indus tracts and along the salt range up to an 

 elevation of 4. 500 feet, yields a berry which the Afghans 

 and Beluohis use for curdling milk to make cheese, 

 and it occurred to Sir James Fergusson, the Governor 

 of Bombay, that it might form a cheap substitute 

 for rennet. Accordingly, a consignment of the berries 

 was sent to the Kilkerran estate, the property of His 

 Excellency, and distributed to some of his tenants who 

 instituted a series of experiments which were most 

 succeasfnl, the small number of failures being attri- 

 buted to the use of hot instead of cold water in 

 steeping the berries. The cultivation of the plant is 

 being tried at the Government Botanical Gardens at 

 Saliaranpnr, and it is believed that it would grow 

 almost in any part of the north-west of India. 

 Withania Coagulans does not grow in Southern India, 

 but Withania Somnifera does, and as it would be 

 interesting to compare the results obtained by the 

 use of the two allied species, the local Government 

 have directed the attention of Mr. Wilson, Director 

 of Agriculture, Dr. Bidie, and Professor Laweon to 

 the sah]9c\i.— Madras Standard, 



