270 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[September r, 1882. 



NEW PEODUOTS. 



Sin, — Perhaps it may be interesting to you to know the 

 degree of favour in which the several new products are 

 now held, as judged by tlie demand for seed and price 

 of the different sorts. 



Liherian Coffee. — I am sorry to say this once much run 

 after article is now (most undeservedly I think) at a dis- 

 count. There is no irland demand for seed, and even good 

 nursery plants are unsaleable. I have heard of only one 

 enquiry lately. It was from a part of Dumbara, which, 

 I fear, is too dry for the proper maturing of Liberian coffee 

 fruit. I shoidd like to see another letter from UdapoUa, 

 on the relative merits of Liberian p'ants and ^ti'mpi. I 

 know the e-xperience of some differs from that of Mr. 

 Jardine. Another point which should be settled is, whe- 

 ther it be true that Liberian trees do not fruit in their 

 6th year. Whether true or not, some believe it, .and I 

 have even heard the Peradeuiya gariieu authorities quoted 

 as being of this opinion. It is a pity this product should 

 be viewed with distrust, as it is undoubtedly a sturdy 

 grower, and adapts itself to old soil in a wonderful manner. 



Tea. — There is a great demand for seed of the Asasm- 

 hybrid variety, but very little faith in the seed generally 

 sold as such. I am glad to see one firm advertising that 

 the seed they sell is from selected trees. But query I is 

 there not the danger of some crossing with the inferior 

 qualities adjoining? For, although not allowed to grow 

 up unpruned, as is the case with plants reserved for seed- 

 ing pui'poses, it is well known that the inferior kinds are 

 given to flourishing much more freely than their better 

 class neighbours. I cannot help thinking that there is 

 source of much and easily acquired gain open to any one who 

 will isolate a few acres of really first-class tea bushes, and 

 allow them to seed. Men would much sooner pay RSO for 

 undoubted seed, than pay K40 for a mixed lot. At pre- 

 sent, those who have seed, cannot meet the demands made 

 upon them, and the public owe the growers thanks for 

 seUing at the comparatively low prices of E40 to E50. 

 There is no doubt the \ip-country faith in coffee has been 

 rudely shaken within the last six mouths, and planters as 

 well as V. A.'s are beginning to see that cinchona will not 

 grow everywhere. "Were the money available, there would 

 be a great rush into tea in old districts. Every estate 

 ought to have a few acres of a fine variety, if only as 

 a nursery for future requirements. The day will come 

 when cinchona wdl become rare on most estates ; and as 

 it has to be rooted out, somethimj (and tea is the only 

 alternative I know of at present) must take its place, 

 unless European industry is to retire from the hills. 



Cinchona. — There is not much activity just now in cin- 

 chona seed or plants. Not that there is no demand, but 

 that there is no siipp/i/. Officinalis seed might be gathered 

 literally by the ton, but bitter experience bids us leave it 

 alone. Plants can be had for E2 per J ,000 instead of the 

 E20 of a year or two ago. Svccindira trees .are not seed- 

 ing much at this season, but there will be plants by-and- 

 by. Many have been shaved, and people are shy of seed 

 from such trees ; most have been lopped, and it is from 

 the lower branches that seed is chiefly obtained. There 

 an unlimited demand for plants. E20 per 1,000 can be 

 readily got for Succirubra or Hybrid plants, but nm-series 

 were few this year, and have long ago been disposed of. 

 There are some coming on for N. E. planting. Natives are 

 now keen purchasers, and strange to say for cash too. 

 Ledger seed of all kinds is not much trusted. This especi- 

 ally applies to imported seed. When Mr. Taylor again 

 sends seed from his trees into the market, he will find 

 by the ready sale it will command that planters generally 

 appreciate the care bestowed by him on the selection and 

 gathering of it. Of his seed I have heard no complaints ; 

 of imported seed I have frequently seen and felt the un- 

 happy results. If Mr. Smith went round the country and 

 examined nurseries grown from " undoubted Ledgers of high 

 analysis," he would speedily become a believer in sport- 

 ing and hybridization. 



Cocoa Seed is now comparatively very cheap, as there is 

 any amount to be had. The reasons why the extension 

 of this product is .so slow, are : 1st, that tin re is no laud 

 being Si -Id which is suitable to it, — I might go further and 

 say that it is helieved there is not much land in the Go- 

 vernment hand which is well adapted for it. Were it not 

 gO, there would be many applications, for belief in the 



product is strong. 2nd, in old soil, cocoa is probably the 

 most perplexing and disheartening thing planters ever 

 touched. Its enemies are hke the stars in the firmament, 

 and planting, supplying and resupplying are often done 

 with very small residts. Perhaps the best method is to 

 put a few seeds into each hole at stake. 3rd, as trees 

 get up to four and five years of age, the returns are 

 much beneath the expectation. All blossom copiously, but 

 only one tree in ten sets and retains its fruit. It is'now 

 quite certain, especially in the case of old soil, that pa- 

 tience wUl be sorely tried before fortunes are made in 

 cocoa. But patience will be rewarded, and a cocoa estate 

 can be handed down to posterity. 



Rubber has been under a cloud, from which Dr. Trimen's 

 recent revelations should tend to rescue it. It is being 

 slowly extended in a cautious and experimental fashion, 

 and I predict a sudden change of feeling and its exhaltation 

 into a favorite. Seed is now a dnif/. 



Cardamom is the popular king of new products wherever 

 there is land to grow it, and the money wherewith to 

 buy the bulbs. In the northern districts it reigns supreme, 

 although it has great difficulty in taking possession of 

 much territory, from the great scarcity of bulbs and the 

 immense price they command. Even natives pay Es.50 

 per l/iOO for single bulbs, and if owners refuse to sell they 

 take them bi/ stealth. I heard recently of one case, in 

 which a small clearing was completely robbed of its bidbs 

 in a single night. Belief is beginning to spread that shade 

 is not nescessary for cardamoms, or if so, that the shade 

 of cinchona trees is sufficient. I even learn that the 

 oldest shipper of cardamoms is now planting in the open. 



The chief requisite for this product is c/ood soil. It 

 will grow almost anywhere ; but on a poor soil fruit will 

 be deficient. Can any one give us an idea of the probable 

 future market for cardamoms ? — New Product. — Times of 

 Ceylon. 



INDIA: OEOP AND ATEATHEE REPORT. 



{For the week endinij Sth Aui/ust, ISS'2.) 



Geneeal Eemaeks. — The very heavy rainfall in the extreme 

 south-west of the Madras Presidency and in Ooorg has 

 somewhat diminished, although still heavy. In other p»rts 

 of the Madras Presidency it has continued to be light, 

 except in Ganjam. In Mysoi'e rain fell in varying quantities 

 in all districts. In the Nizam's Territories only light 

 showers occurred. In Berar the rainfall was good. In 

 the Bombay Presidency it was good in some districts and 

 deficient in a few. In the Central Provinces it was generally 

 fair, though heavy in some districts. 



In Central India and Eajputana the rainfall was good 

 in some States, light in others, and a break occurred in 

 a few States. In the Punjab there was rain in all but 

 four districts, light, except in Amritsar. In the North- 

 western Provinces and Oudh good rain fell everywhere, 

 excepting one or two districts. From Bengal rain in varying 

 quantities is reported from all districts. In Assam and 

 British Burma good rain fell in all districts, except Prome. 



Agricultur»l prospects are favourable in both these Pro- 

 vinces ; ploughing, sowing, and transplanting are progressing. 

 In Bengal more rain would be beneficial in many parts 

 for autumn crops and the winter rice. In the North- 

 western Provinces and Oudh the prospects of the kharif 

 crops are generally favourable, but here also more rain 

 is needed in some districts. In the Punjab sowings have 

 been completed or nearly so, and prospects are good here 

 as well as in the Eajputana and Central India States. 

 In the Central Provinces a break in the wet weather is 

 still needed for weeding operatioui in some districts ; 

 prospects of the kharif crops are favourable. 



In the Bombay Presidency sowings have mostly been 

 completed and rice is being transplanted in some parts ; 

 more rain seems wanted in the Deccan. In Bernr the 

 cotton and kharif crops are in good condition. In the 

 Nizam's Territories also crops are in good condition, but 

 more rain is needed. In Mysore wet cultivation in some 

 parts requires more water, while in others excessive rain 

 has done some damage ; but on the whole prospects are 

 ftt\ourable here and also in Coorg. In the Madi-as Presidency 

 standing crops are, with a few exceptions, in fair condition. 



The barometer had risen in all parts of Northern India 

 and in the central and western parts of the Peninsula 

 up to the 9th instant, but a slight fall set in on the 10th. 



