6o8 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[January i, 1883. 



which flowered this year in liis garden at Sydenham, and 

 a specimen of the plant was exhibited for the first time, 

 I believe, in this country, at the meeting of the Pharma- 

 ceutical Conference, at Southampton. On careful ex- 

 amination, both the Cliinese and Japanese plants thus ob- 

 tiiued were fonml to possess the botanical characters of 

 Mentha ari'tnsis, as defined in De Oandolle's 'Prodromus.' 



The weight of opinion is on the side of considering the 

 Japanese plant as a form of Mentha arveiisis, D 0. If 

 M. sativa, Lin., and M. arvensif, as defined by Babington, 

 as well as M. Javanica. D. C, are to be considered as 

 forms of one species, then the Japanese plant might, I 

 think, also rank as a form under the name of M. ai-iiensis 

 f. pipei-ascens, differing from M. arvensis as described by 

 Babington in having the calyx teeth longer than broad, and 

 in the upper leaves bi'ing gradually smaller; from M. sativa, 

 iu the leaves having longer stalks and tapering below ; from 

 M. Jaiiaiiica, in the uppermost leaves being more than 

 twice (usually six or eight times) as long as the verticil- 

 lasters, and in the veins being hairy on the under surface 

 of the leiif, whilst tho.se on the calyx are erecto-pateut; 

 and from -'/. lan iilensis, in the reflexed pubescence of the 

 stems. 



With respect to the Chinese peppermint plant, it so 

 exactly agrees with the specimen of Mentha canailetixis, var. 

 r/lahrala, furnished to me by Dr. A. Gray, that if the latter 

 be a typical specimen,* I can only consider that it should 

 be referred to M. arvensis, under the name of M. anensis, 

 var. ylahraia. 



Pr. Gra.v's specimen has the calyx teeth much shorter 

 than those of the typical M. canadensis sent at the same 

 time, and the hairs on the stem and pedicels are reflexed, 

 while those of the calyx tube are erecto-patent. 



There are some other poiuts in connection with pepper- 

 mint which are extremely suggestive, and to which I desire 

 to call the attention of those who have greater ability and 

 more time for investigation than myself. 



A number of varieties and forms of so-called species 

 possess the same odour and flavour, as shown in the 

 following list : — 



Mentha piperita, Mentha arvensis, var. jiiperascens, M. cana- 

 densis, var. glahrata (!), and J/, incaaa (I), cultivated near 

 Bombay for producing peppermint oil (Dymock). 



Spearmint, Mentha viridis, L., Mentha si/ivestris (!), 

 rotimdi/olia {'.), sylvestris {;), canadensis (l),t M. arvensis, 

 var. 



The questions then arise: — 



1st. Do the oils of these species differ among them- 

 selves, as has been shown to be the case with those of 

 M. piperita and M. arvensis, var. piperascens?X 



2nd. If so, is this difference dependent on degree of 

 development, on climate, soil§ or sex? 



3rd. Is the oil in each case a mixture, in which one 

 iiifredient is present in variable quantity in the different 

 plants? 



4th. Do the oils of spearmint and peppermint bear 

 any chemical relation to each other? 



5th. AVhich species, coutaiuiug an oil of peppermint, 

 yields the largest quantity, and which the most valuable 

 one for medicinal purposes? 



To recapitulate : The writer would recommend that for 

 convenience the name of Mentlia arvensis f. piperasceni 

 should be retained for the Japanese peppermint plant, and 

 that of Jlentha arvensis f. ylahrata for the Chinese one.— 

 rhunnaceutical Journal- 



COFFEE. 



Considerable discussion has taken place on the point of 

 whether the use of the so-called "finings," by which the 

 French Coffee is supposed to be improved, will be legal 

 under the new Act deali ng with mixtures of Coffee and 



* Dr. Franchet notes, in his 'Flore du Japan,' the re- 

 iloxed leaves in some specimens of J/, canadensis. 



t Those marked{!) have been tasted by myself. — E. M. 

 Holmes. 



t Pliann Jom-a (3), ii., p. 321. 



5 Mr. J. Lloyd found a variety of M uquatica possnsf- 

 ing a lemon odour on calcareous soil near the sea, and JI. 

 -Blahnvaud a specimen of M. arrensis with a lemon odour 

 ill a ditch near I\Ty, were other plants of the same species 

 possessed only the usual odour of the plant. — Bull. Soc, 

 Uut., 1S81, p. 370. 



other materials, without the affixing of a declaratory label 

 and the Government stamp. It appears, however, perfectly 

 c'ear from the Customs and Inland Kevenue Act, 1SS2, 

 that all additions to Coffee and Chicory will require a stamp 

 and proper declaratory label, although it is understood that 

 the Excise vnW still allow vhe use of a small quantity 

 of Sugar in roasting. A good m.any of those who use 

 finings have already adopted the stamps and labels, while 

 others have given up the use of finings. Those who sell 

 " French Coffee " would do well at once to comply with 

 the new law, in one way or the other. Tlie stamps are 

 supplied at Somerset House and by the Collectors of In- 

 land Kevenuo iu the country, and application should be 

 made direct to the authorities for the rules to be observed. 

 The new law is an improvement on the old one, in so far 

 as the names of any substances mixed with Coffee or 

 Chicory have to be declared. The additiou of foreign 

 substance ■( to either Coffee or Chicory, will, however, it 

 will be seen below, necessitate the payment of duty twice 

 over on any Coft'ee or Chicory which is used in the mixture. 

 Ooft'ee " mi.xtures " are therefore likely to contain less 

 and less of the commodities whose namt s they bear, which 

 is an odd way of encouraging the Coffee tra le. The Chicory- 

 makers also remain subject to minute Excise supervision, 

 while the makers of other '* Coffee substitutes " go scot- 

 free. It appears hardly likely that the law has yet assumed 

 its permanent shape, and the Coffee trade will not be 

 satisfied till at least the proportion of actual Cort'ee in 

 any mixture has to be stated on the packets, and until 

 it is rendered illegal to call by the name of Coffee any 

 substance or mixture which does not contain .say quite 70 

 or 80 per cent of that commodity. Mixtures contaiuing 

 only one-fifth part of Coffee are now safely sold under 

 its name. The following are extracts from the new law: — 



CUSTOMS AND INLAND EEVENUE ACT, 1882, 45 AND 4(3, VICT., 

 CHAP. 41, CLAUSES 3 TO 7. 



3. The duties of Customs under the Customs Tariff A^t, 

 1876, on vegetable matter (other than Chicory) applicable 

 to the uses of Chicory or Coffee, shall cease and determine. 



4. (1.) Section 5 of the Customs and Inland Kevenue 

 Act, 1^72, so far as it imposes a duty of Excise on any 

 vegetable matter (other than Chicory) applicable to the 

 uses of Chicory or Coffee grown in the United Kingdom, 

 is hereby repealed. 



(2.) The several sections of the Act of the twenty-third 

 and twenty-fom'th years of Her Blajesty's reign, chapter 

 one hundred and thirteen, relating to the duty on Chicory 

 or any such vegetable matter as aforesaid, shall be read 

 as if the same were confined to Cliicory, and the ex- 

 pressions " or such other vegetable matter as aforesaid," 

 and ** or other vegetable matter," wherever the same re- 

 spectively therein occur, were omitted therefrom. 



5. (1.) There shall be granted and {.aid tj Her Majesty, 

 her heirs, and successors, upon every quarter of a pound 

 weight of any article or substance prepared or mauuf actiired 

 for the purpose of being in imitatiou of, or in any respect 

 to resemble, or to serve as a substitute for, Coffee or 

 Chicory, which is sold, or kept for .sale, in the United 

 Kingdom, and al.^o upon every quarter of a pound weight 

 of any mixture of such article or substance, as aforesaid, 

 with Coffee or Chicory, which is sold or kept for sale 

 in the United Kingdom, the duty of Excise of one halfpenny 



(2.) The said duty shall be under the care and mnugement 

 of the Commissioners of Inland Eevenue, and shall be 

 denoted by, and collected by means of. an adhesive label 

 or labels, to be provided by the said Commissioners. 



C3.) Any label so provided shall be deemed to be included 

 within the term " stamp," in sections eighteen, nineteen, 

 twenty, and twenty-one of the Stamj) Duties Management 

 Act, 1870. 



(4.) All the powers, clauses, regulations, and directions 

 contained iu any Acts relating to duties of Excise, or to 

 penalties under Excise Acts, and now or hereafter in force, 

 shall be of full force and effect with respect to the said 

 duty, and the penalties by this xVct imposed, so far as 

 the same are applicable, as fully and effectually as if the 

 same h.ad been herein specially enacted, with reference 

 to such duty and penalties. 



6. (1.) No article, or suhstance, or mixture upon which 

 a duty of Excise is imposed by this Act .shall be sold or 

 exposed to sale, or be offered or kept ready for sale, or 

 be delivered out of the custody or possession of any preparer, 



