May I, 18S3.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



875 



though not a few Ixavc died. The scale bhght reqiurcs unre- 

 mitting' attention, but late and more economical remedies now 

 enable me to overcome this with case." 



Being desirous of learning, that I might make known 

 the remedy, I again wi-ote to Mr. Officer, who replied 

 thus : — 



"Soft soap, lib (not less) to four gallons of water, and applied 

 so hot that the syringe has to be held in a cloth, and used at 

 a distance of a few feet. By the time the jets reach the tree 

 the temperature has fallen sufficiently to not in any way , injure. 

 I have found tliis plain solution both here (Toorak) and at 

 Murray Do'utis to bo all we ooidd desire. The trees may i-equii'e 

 a second dressing, if bad with the insect, but rarely so," 



He adds — 



**The soil and climate of the Murray, from at any rate, 

 Echuca downwards, are admii'ably adapted for the growth of the 

 citrus family, ^\ith the aid of arti£cial watering, energy, industry, 

 and steadiness of pui"pose. Fi'om about 20 miles below that place, 

 where the banks become low, and the rise and fall of the river 

 is not more than 12 to 16 feet, to about 15 miles above MuiTay 

 Downs, on both sides of the river, the Munay banks for a 

 quaiier of a mile- inland, and as much fui-ther as pipes could 

 be extended, might be made a perfect garden of Eden for pro- 

 ductiveness of fiiiit." 



In concKision, I venture to assert, as fair inferences from 

 the facts and illustrations adduced, that (1) wherever in all 

 \ictoria a supply of water can be secured, every suburban 

 cottage, every farmer's homestead and selector's shanty 

 should have at least two members of the citrus family 

 attached to it, viz., tlie orange and the lemon; (2), care- 

 fully tended during the first three years, and not ne- 

 glected afterwards, they will amply repay, by their hardy 

 beauty and fertility — aye, and fragi-ance too — for neroli oil, 

 one of the most delicious perfumes, is extracted from theii" 

 blooms — all your trouble ; and, meet companions of the 

 vuie and fig, will unite with them at once to bauish the 

 reproach of bare walls and unsightly surroundings, and to 

 replenish the domestic board with their healthful juices 

 and valuable conserves. Let us not forget, however, Mr. 

 Officer's admonition as to " energy, industry, and steadi- 

 ness of piu-pose." Nature resents your perfunctory, happy- 

 go-lucky attentions. She yields her riches to those only 

 who give her their hearts as well as their hands. Rightly 

 wooed, she honours her suitor after no scanty fashion. 

 Note. — It seems that good plants of the citrus family, 

 about 3ft. high can be obtained from Parramatta at £5 

 per 100. — Australasian. 



Teade of Borneo — Brunei. — The following is from 

 the Keport by Consul-General Leys on the trade and 

 commerce of Brunei for the year 1881: — The retiun of ex- 

 ports shows a very decided increase in the values of all 

 the jimgle produce (bees-wax, birds'-nests, gutta-percha, and 

 camphor, especially the last) exported during the past year ; 

 the amount of gutta-percha, however, although less than 

 that exported in 1880, was greater than that exported 

 during the five years preceding 1880. The greatest decrease 

 occms under the head of sago flour, the value of which 

 export forms about half of the total value of the exports. 

 The great decrease in the value of sago exported during 

 the last two years is mainly due to a di'ought that occurred 

 in 1878, followed by extensive jungle fires extending over 

 many miles of country. This drought lasted six months, 

 and was the most severe that has been experienced in 

 this part of Borneo for many years. These fires increased 

 the actual amount of sago brought to the market during 

 1879, as many of the palms that were not fully grown, 

 but had been severely scorched or killed by the fijes, were 

 cut down, and the raw sago extracted before they I»egan 

 to rot. The quantity of sago brought to market during 

 the last two years was also much iiifiueuced by the low 

 prices sago commanded ihiring that i)eriod. As before re- 

 marked, these figures only show the value of sago floiu* 

 exported from the two factories in the city of Brunei, and 

 not fom the other two factories on the coast. The only 

 other export of any importance is tapioca. Several hundred 

 acres of it were planted by an enterprising Straits-born 

 Chinaman in 1870, on a low lull two or three miles from 

 the city of Brunei. The expcniuent has not proved a success. 

 Much of the ground (m \\hich it was planted was so steep 

 that the heavy rains kept constantly washing the soil from 

 the roots : the soil itself is not rich, and the depredations 

 by men and wild pigs on the roots which did grow well 

 were very considerable ; agricultural labour also is very 

 scarce and dear in Bruuci, — London and Chinu Ex^n-ess. 



Esparto Fibre for PAPEE-HLiKiNO. — A meeting of paper- 

 makers and others interested in the paper trade was held 

 ou Tuesday afternoon at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Man- 

 chester, to hear a statement as to a movement for bringing 

 an increased supply of esparto til>re into the market. JMr. 

 "NV. Huntingdon (Darwen) presided. Dr. Matter (London) 

 said the Franco-English Esparto Fibre Supply Company 

 had been formed for the purpose of developing a conces- 

 sion by the Bey of Tunis to M. Duplessis of the exclusive 

 right to collect and export esparto grass grown in the terri- 

 tories of Bouhedma, Majoura, Aiclia, and Haldji. He had 

 been to Bouhedma and satisfie^l himself that from that 

 district alone 30,000 tons of esparto grass coiUd be exported 

 annually, and the labour necessary could be obtained on 

 the spot. A tramway would be laid down to the nearest 

 port and hydrauHc presses erected, and the grass could be 

 delivered in Liverpool for £3 18s. per ton, against £7 5s., 

 the price of Sfax grass last year. A resolution was adopted 

 to the effect that if the Company could do what it pro- 

 posed it would have the support of the trade. — Public 

 Opinion. 



Tanning : Analyses of Barks. — The following analyses 

 of samples of bark, leaves, &c., supposed to be useful to 

 the tanners, has recently been fiu-uished to the British 

 Trade Journal by Mr.AV.N. Evans, of the Tanners' Laboratory 



Taunton : — 



West Indies — 

 Locust tree , 

 Buttell tree . 

 Guava tree 

 Pimento tree. 

 Broadleaf tree 

 Trumpet tree 

 Red maugi-ove tree 

 Seaside grape tree 

 East Indies — 



Lepidospesuria tree 

 AVynaad bark 

 Vaingra bai'k 

 Spain — 



Jara plant 



Leaves 



Bark of root 



Dead leaves 



Seed pods 



Tannic Acid. 

 Per eent.. 



10-02 



6'OG 



9-77 



19-70 



20-32 



4-52 



2713 



1416 



8-72 

 11.22 

 17-20 



12-33 



1509 



11-35 



9-50 



As many of the above trees grow in this colony, the 

 information as to these new tanning materials may be of 

 service to the trade. — Queenslander. 



Ploughson theSaidapett Farm, Madras, by lV[r. Robertson 

 are thus noticed: — Great difficulty has been met in cxj leriment- 

 ingon the farm with single-handle ploughs ma. U- like the coun- 

 try plough. The farm ploughmen have, for years, u.-^edouly the 

 double-handle ploughs of the European pattern, which require 

 far less exertion on the part of the ploughman, than countrj'- 

 ploughs. The men most decidedly prefer the double-handle 

 ploughs. A great deal of nonsense has been written regard- 

 ing the supposed advantage of a single-handle plough, in 

 its admitting, when at work, of the ploughman using one 

 of his hands in twisting the tails of his cattle. The farm 

 ploughmen plough a much larger aroa of land in a day 

 than is usually ploughed elsewhere, yet, as has already 

 been noticed, they work only double-handle jjloughs, and 

 never touch the tails of their cattle; indeed, any such 

 reprehensible performance in tail-twisting, though apparently, 

 in some quarters, deemed inseparable from ploughing with 

 cattle, would lead to the immediate dismissal of the 

 ploughman. Each ploughman uses a pair of reins, and 

 carries on his plough a hght whip, which he occasionally 

 uses. Each man manages entirely his own plough and cattle; 

 some of the men can make as straight a fmTOw as, is 

 made in other countries. A new implement was constructed, 

 which promises to be useful. It is a copy of one used 

 largely in Germany. It consists of a strong iron beam, 

 which has holes for the reception of coulters fitted with 

 shares; these are broad and narrow for l)road sharing, 

 grubbing, or sub-soiUng: and one of the coulters is fitted 

 with a mould-bard, so that the implement may be used as 

 a cultivator, a grubber, a sub-soiler, and as a plough. 

 Attention is being given to this implement, in view to its 

 further improvement and adaptation to the wants of this 

 country. 



