September i, 1884.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



*73 



nonsense, for if it can bo shewn, by the means I have 

 just stated, that Ceylon is quite capable of raising as 

 much rice as would supply its urbao and immigrant 

 population independent of India I consider it is just 

 what the Government of Ceylon ought to aim at, and 

 not only that, but to use every possible means in 

 its power to obtain such an important and desirable 

 object. 



To make Ceylon independent of rice from India we 

 should have to raise yearly about 14 million bushels of 

 paddy more than we do at present in order to obtain 

 7 million bushels of clean rice, two bushels of paddy 

 giving one bushel of rice. Let us say that the 000,000 

 acres at present under paddy culture, without any 

 artificial appliances whatever— not eveu so much as 

 is to bo found in India — without any scientific cultiv- 

 ation of the soil, no lime, no manure — except what is 

 derived from the mineral ingredients conveyed by tho 

 water in a »tate of solution, or found in the sediment 

 deposited by the water on the soil, and probably a 

 little ammonia from the rainfall — affords sufficient food 

 for the three million souls which comprize the popul- 

 ation of the island, minus seven million bushels of rice 

 which we yearly import from India ; and, supposing 

 that these 000,000 acres are already so much exhausted 

 that, even with all the above-mentioned appl'cations, 

 the soil could not be made to yield from one-half to as 

 much again of the present yearly produce, which I am 

 confideut it could ; without, therefore taking this 

 increased yield into consideration at all, I do not 

 hesitate to affirm that 100,000 acres of additional land, 

 under suitable circumstances of soil, climate, and a 

 regular but moderate supply of water, with a modern 

 system of cultivation, would make Ceylon totally 

 independent of India, and save us two millions sterling 

 yearly ; perhaps more when, by-and-bye, more immi- 

 grant labour will bo required in the island. 



A CUP OP TEA. 



" What should we do without tea ?" is a question 

 often asked by the fair sex, and I think in many 

 cases it is echoed by members of the sterner sex, though 

 they do not care to own it. Much has been said for 

 and against " the cup that cheers, but not inebriates," 

 and I suppose such will bo the case while it exists 

 as a beverage. Of course an excessive use of tea is 

 ruinous in its effects on the nerves, but then these 

 bad effects are generally preventible. Very few 

 people know how to make tea wholesomely. Not- 

 withstanding its almost universal use, the greatest 

 ignorance prevails with regard to infusing tea so as 

 to render it a wholesome beverage. The use of tea 

 medicinally has been known for generations, and any- 

 one studying the subject will find that while we may 

 miko it one of our best friends, nc may also turn 

 it into one of our bitterest enemies. In favor of tea 

 it may be said tint it is a restorative and sedative, 

 while it allays vascular excitement and at times even 

 eases pain. It is good iu cases of fever, with rest- 

 lessness and debility, in nervous headache, in neuralgia, 

 in tout or rheumatism, and in colds or coughs. But 

 to do good tea must be scientifically infused, aud not 

 used too ofteu. Pr iperly once a day is enough, but 

 at in >at it should only be taken twice. Nothing is 

 more deleterious than the practice indulged in by go 

 many women of sedentary habits of drinking tea on 

 all possible occasions. Indeed, instances have been 

 given of dressmakers who made it a custom to take 

 seven or eight cups of tea a day, aud the consequences 

 may be easily imagined of such a pernicious custom. 

 The digest] m is destroyed, the nerves are unstrung, 

 and other ills follow in due course. In making tea 

 the following rules should be observed, when no bad 

 effects will arise from the use of it :— 1, Never make 



tea with water that has been boiling for a long time, 

 as it is decidedly flat. 2. Never make it unless the 

 water is quite at boiling point ; the lid of the kettle 

 should be rattling. 'A. Be sure and heat the teapot 

 thoroughly, and it is a good plan to hold tho teapot 

 over the fire for a moment after putting iu the tea, 

 and before putting in the water. 4, Never infuse 

 tea longer than eight or ten minutes ; if it has to 

 wait, pour it off the leaves into another toapot. 5. 

 Never stew tea by the side of the fire. By attending 

 carefully to th^se rules all the pernicious effects of 

 tea arc avoided ; and in conclusion I would give a 

 word of advice to mothers, and warn them not to 

 give tea to youug children, as nothing can be worse 

 for them. — Leader. 



COCA IN PERU. 



The following is part of a pamphlet published by 

 Mariani, Chemist, 41 Boulevard flausmann, Paris: — 

 (Translated for the "Ceylon Observer.") 

 Its Botany. 



The ErythroxyUm coca (Lamarck) of the family of 

 Linacere inhabits the same equatorial regions as the 

 fin :hona. It is a shrub from six to nine feet high and 

 is cultivated in South America, principally in Peru 

 and Bolivia, Equador, New Granada and Brazil. 

 The trunk is covered with a rough bark, nearly always 

 glossy. The branches often drawn together towards 

 the summit bear alternate leaves, somewhat variable 

 as to size, elliptic, of a darker green on the upper 

 than on the lower surface. The distinctive char- 

 acteristic of the leaf is the arrangement of its veins : 

 parallel to the middle vein are two longitudinal pro- 

 jections, which starting from the base of the leaves 

 extend to the point, describing a slight curve. Its 

 ramous root with oblique divisions ends in fine branches. 

 The small white or greenish yellow flowers are either 

 solitary or grouped in small clusters at the hollows 

 by the scaly bracts. The fruit is a pod enclosing 

 seeds which are usually surrounded by abundant 

 albumen. 



Cultivation. 



A light, siliceous soil, a mean temperature of 15 

 to 18" centigrade, a certain amount of moisture— these 

 are the essentials for the perfect development of the 

 coca. According to Papig, in the valley of Chincao 

 and of Casapit, the land in which the coca flourishes 

 offers rather a rapid slope, but the soil is very 

 fertile, it being a red brick-clay, containing probably 

 iron. The seeds of the coca are sown in layers known 

 as " Almarigos." The young plants are protected from 

 D by plaited branches or mats and then transported 

 into furrows 18 ceutimetres wide aud 7 centimetres deep 

 and one foot apart. The space between is planted 

 with maize, the shade of which protects the young plants. 

 Under the kindly influence of sun and rain, the growth 

 of the shrub is rapid; it flowers in from four to six 

 months, and soon gives the fruit. It attains its full 

 size (average '2j yards) only iu about five years. 

 Efforts have been made to acclimatize the coca plant 

 in Europe, but hitherto without success. Frail speci- 

 mens are found iu the Botanic Gardens in hot- houses 

 in Paris and iu London, and with some of the great 

 i horticulturists. Corsica and Algeria would 

 seem to offer the climatic conditions necessary to its 

 successful growih, and we are about to endeavour 

 to grow the plant in these two countries. 



Harvestinc. 



The coca begin3 to yield its first harvest in about 

 a yea: The gathering performed 



in dry weather. It is generally entrusted to women 

 consists simply iu separating each leaf with the fingers. 



