636 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[February i, 1883. 



Bone Ashes, and Hokse Manure.—" J. C. P.," Colorado, 

 writes us : " Will you tell in your next number, the 

 relative value of bone ash and horse manure? I have 

 oijportunity of obtaining either in almost unlimited 

 quantity." — By all means use some of both. It is not 

 likely that the application of over 1,000 lbs, of boue ashes 

 to the acre would have a better effect than 500 pounds. 

 You may, however, use 100 loads of horse manure to 

 the acre, v.itli good results, and for most vegetables, 

 twice as much. The bone and manure may be composted 

 with excellent effects. — American Ai/rim/turist. 



The Wax Plant. — The wax plant, indigenous in Caroline 

 and Pennsylvania, is now being cultivated on a large scala 

 in Algeria, while its acclimatisation in Tunis has been 

 attempted with favourable results. The fruit, enclosed in 

 a bag of coarse cloth, is plunged into boiling water, and 

 in a few seconds the liquid wax floats on the surface. 

 This is skimmed off and dried, and forms a good sub- 

 stitute for beeswax, as it has the same chemical composition. 

 Its odour is agreeable, the root possesses medicinal \-irtues, 

 and the leaves are useful for protecting textile fabrics 

 from the ravages of insects. — Journal of the Societi/ oj Arts. 



OcTE Pine Apple Fibre. — The pine apple is justly esteem- 

 ed iu Europe for its delicious aromatic flavor, and when 

 grown in this part of the world requires to be kept in 

 hot-houses. In the more sunny regions of the East and 

 West Indies, South America, Mexico, and the Phillippine 

 Islands, the pine apple grows in wild luxuriance. Yet, 

 however widespread its fame as a table fruit, it is doubtful 

 whether many people know of the plant in connection 

 with the texible fibre it produces. According to one practical 

 authority, the leaves of both the wild and the cultivated 

 kinds yield fibres which, when spim surpass in strength, 

 fineness, and lusture those obtained from flax. It is further 

 added that, in its manufactured state, this product has 

 been long known as an article of commerce in the countries 

 referred to. One of the leading trade papers of the German 

 Textile industry has given attention to the investigation 

 of the properties of this fibre. From India and from Central 

 America two specimens of tissues woven from it had been 

 received. The former was a piece of stripped muslin, and 

 the latter a sample of dress material in which the yarn 

 had been bleached, thus showing that the fibre is capable 

 of undergoing that process successfully. As to the uses 

 to which the fibre can be put, it is asserted that it can 

 be employed as a substitute for silk, and as a material 

 for mLxing with wool and cotton. It is likewise stated 

 that for sewing-thread, twist, trimmings, laces, curtains, 

 and the like, its particular qualities render it specially 

 applicable. — Chamhers' Journal. 



Papee raoM Bark. — The strongest and commonest of 

 the several Japanese papers is made from the b.ark of the 

 Mitsuma^ a shrub which attains about a yard aud a-half 

 in height, and blossoms in winter, thriving in a poor, 

 soil. When the stem has reached its full growth, itis cut- 

 off close to the ground, when offshoots spring up, which 

 are again cut as soon as they are large enough. A paper 

 of superior quality is made from the h'ocu, a shrub of 

 the mulberry family, which grows to the height of two 

 yards and a"-balf. It is a native of China, and has not 

 long been imported into Japan, where it is now much culti- 

 vate d. The stocks are planted two feet apart, often serving 

 as hedges for separating the fields. The shoots which, 

 under good conditions, attain their full size, are cut down 

 in October, on the fourth or fifth year after planting. 

 Paper is made with these two descriptions of bark in the 

 following manner: — The twigs are steeped in water for a 

 fortnight, when the outer portion becomes detached, and 

 is carried away, if in running water. The inner bark is 

 removed, washed and dried, and then subjected, for three 

 or four hours, to the action of steam and boiling water, 

 which softens it. It is then struck with staves, until a 

 fine paste is formed, which, mixed with water,^ serves to 

 make paper by a process similar to that employed in Europe, 

 A'ozii paper is very strong in the direction of the fibres, 

 and to obtain paper of equal resistance in every direction, 

 two, three, or four thicknesses are superposed, with the 

 fibres running in different directions. It is thus that the 

 strong papers are obtained, that serve for covering^ um- 

 brellas aud other similar purposes, as well as artificial 

 leather. The Japanese also make from the Garnpi a trans- 

 parent paper as strong as that from Kozu, but much finer 

 and more supple. — Journal of the Society of Arts. 



Evolution of Gas prom Coefee. — If finely ground 

 roasted coffee be steeped in cold water, gas will be 

 evolved to an extent about equal in volume to the 

 quantity of c'll'fee used, and this action will take I'lace 

 very rapidly, insomuch that, if a boitie be half tillpcl 

 with coffee duly ground, and the remaining space then 

 filled with water until the cork is reached, an explo- 

 sion will ensue, sufficient in force to expel the cork, or 

 even break the bottle. — Madras Mail. 



The Cocoa-nut Teees on the Endeavour are doing well. 

 The Cooktown Herald states that those of Mr. Asmus, 

 though only two years old, are already 8 feet high. The 

 same gentlemen, and some of his neighbours is said to 

 have reaped 40 bushels of mountain rice per acre, which 

 sold at 5s. per bushel. The straw yields about one ton 

 per acre, which sells readily at £10 per ton. This ought 

 to pay handsomely, especially as it is found that by 

 irrijjating with the water of the river two crops can be 

 obtained per annum. Thirty-five bushels of maize per acre 

 have also been harvested in the same place, which sold 

 for 8s. per bushel Queensland. — Planter and Farmer. 



Failure of Coffee Crofs in Coorg.— The corre- 

 spondent of the Madras Standard sends the follMwing 

 graphic picture of a state of things with which un- 

 fortunately we are mly too familiar in Ceylon : — 

 " Meecaka, Jany. 7th.— There is little to he said with 

 any satisfac'ion upon this subject. The prospect at no 

 time since hist Marcb was very hopeful ; now matters have 

 reached the climax, and could not well be worse. Pick- 

 ing is a mere f tree, it is more, 'tis a delusion. In the 

 early moininp, say at 7r'he women with their baskets will 

 be marched off to the coffee trees, and take their lines 

 and instead of the berries engrossing all their attention to 

 pick and transfer to their baskets, bringing in at the close 

 of the day three or four baskets, the coolies seem to start 

 off' on a walking tour, three or four single berries upon a 

 tree, and after diligent starch for twelve hours, ^nt ex- 

 amining five to seven hundred trees each not a quarter of 

 a bushel -nill be brought to the pulpliouse in tbeevenmg. 

 A friend of mine. Captain Button, owning a handsome es- 

 tate of one hundred acres, had a superb blossom in April, 

 confidently expected (and his friends agreed with him), 

 there would he over 25 tons of coffee— he lias only got 3. 

 Another large estate of 200 acres that has be n tended and 

 manured with skill and care will not exceed five tons, which 

 means a lo'S to the proprittor of more than one ihousand 

 pounds. With one or two exceptions, the whole country is 

 afflicted with failure. Laborers must be at once discharged, 

 orders for inauure countermanded and expenses reduced, 

 for th' country is ml burthened with too much monpy.or 

 capitalists to venture a risk on the coming year's crop. There 

 is little doubt that the tremendous rainfall in the monsoon 

 when for days and nights and weeks it poured without inter- 

 mission, no outdoor work was then done, bali of the livestock 

 iu the country perished, and destruction to property euurmous 

 liave brought al:) ut this bad season and undoubtedly affected 

 the crop. Added to this, I notice with pa'n a persistent 

 increase of leaf-di.sease over the country; the trees are iu 

 the height of the sickness now; bare, leafless branches on 

 withered steins and high easterly winds gripping and wiiirl- 

 ino- away a few green leaves that were makin;.' an at- 

 tempt Iu stem the shocks of the disease. In February 1882, 

 about 700 coffee tiees, or halt an acre, were experimented 

 upon ; these were badly stricken with leaf-disease. In tlie 

 first place, the ground had a moderate slope, and facing 

 N. N. E. Each individual tree was terraced, by levelling 

 off the hiilf of the upper part of the soil and building 

 up the lower part ol' the tree, so that the surface 

 root.•^ above were cut and tlie lower ones covered and un- 

 touched, forming a level of 6 feet quadrangle round the tree. 

 In April, 350 trees had each 30 lb. of compost manure (jungle 

 soil, live ashes, and cowdung) applied, the remaining 350 

 wrre treatel with 12 oz. of crushed bones and poonac — 

 (supplied by Messis. Binny & Co., Bangalore) tcattered 

 round by hand on the level' terrace, aud forked on the san.e 

 day. The result is so satisfactory, the trees are so healthy, 

 and the shew of goo' wood is so promising, that many estates 

 have followed the example. Imay add th.it I have terrsiced 

 8 I acres of leaf-diseased cofl'ee this year. The manure wil 

 be applied iu February, and with a favor,»ble season we have 

 hopts of checking the ravages of the Ceylon leaf (disease.) 



