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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



Indian and Ceylon Tka.— The Mommy Post thus 

 concludes an article quoted by a contemporary : — 

 Those, however, who have once acquired the taste 

 for drinking pure Indian tea never willingly drink 

 any other. At the Health Exhibition it is possible 

 for any one to taste the pure Ceylou tea under the 

 most favorable conditions, and for patriotic consider- 

 ations, if for no more sellish motive, it is at least worth 

 the while to make the trial. 



Onions are grown to a large extent in many parts 

 of India, and a most useful and wholesome vegetable 

 they are. It may be as well perhaps if we refer to 

 an experimental cultivation of two plots of land with 

 this product in the United States, feeling no doubt 

 that similar comparative results will be found in this 

 country. On one plot of ground, the soil was well- 

 broken up and pulverized and another plot of similar 

 size was pounded hard with a tolerably heavy rammer. 

 The surface of both plots was covered by finely pul- 

 verized soil to the depth of half-an-inch, and three 

 rows on each plot were planted with onion seed. Late 

 planting was disadvantageous to the yield, but the 

 three rows on the compacted soil yielded 9 lb. 7 oz. of 

 merchantable bulbs, while the three rows on the pul- 

 verized soil yielded but 3 1b. 3 oz. The percentage of 

 vegetation in the two plots was not noticeably different, 

 although the vegetation wa3 prompter on the com- 

 pact soil. — Indian Agriculturist. 



There was a grand exhibit at the Calcutta Exhib- 

 ition of the fibre known as Sanseviera Zeglanica, taking 

 as it deserved a first clas3 medal. In the opinion of 

 the jury who reported upon it, there is a great future 

 for this fibre if if can be placed on the market at the 

 figure named, and if it will thrive at the low altitude 

 reported, as in that case it comes within the category 

 of products open to general native cultivation. What 

 is wanted in Bengal is some supplement to jute cul- 

 tivation, so that in times of depression in this trade, 

 other fibres or products may be reared. The Sanse- 

 viera. is precisely the sort of thing required, for it is 

 cultivable in almost any soil and at a low altitude. 

 Once let the home manufacturer feel that the supply 

 will be ample and continuous, and he will not hesi- 

 tate to adapt his machinery to the working-up of the 

 fibre just as was the ca«e with jute ; but until they 

 are assured of this, we cannot expect Bpiuners at borne 

 to take generally to the new fibre. — Indian Agricullui ist. 

 [The fibre is beautifully fine, but the leaves are short, 

 and the cost of preparation has been hitherto too heavy 

 to allow of profit.— Ed.] 



The insects found preying on toe leaves op 

 CACAO in Haputale are pronounced to bo "cater- 

 pillars in portable eases of their own construction. 

 They belong to family of moths called Arctiidai or 

 pel-hops to "the allied genus Oiketicus." Our corre- 

 spondent cannot say which with certainly. They 

 are curious creatures, resembling the snails in car- 

 rying their houses on their back, only those of the 

 caterpillars are frail and temporary. We do not 

 think cultivators need dread these " poochies " much, 

 if the Ildopeltis keeps away.— Today we have received 

 from the office of the Ceylon Company Limited, a 

 box of the same insects, with the following letter : 

 — "I take the liberty of sending you a small box 

 containing a number of worms or kadis which has 

 been forwarded to me by a gentleman from a low- 

 country estate. He tells me that the worms devour 

 all the succulent leaves of the tea bushes, and, though 

 confined at first to a few small patches, have now 

 spread rapidly over the tea field leaving the trees in 

 some portions perfectly bare of leaf. Information 

 about it will be of much interest." In this case the 

 visitation is serious, and ought to be met by vigorous 

 measures to collect and destroy the worms before 

 they can do mischief and pasi into the moth stage. 



The "Tropical Agriculturist." — A correspondent' 

 writing from Madras, says :— " I am much pleased 

 with the T. A. There is some most useful information in 

 it. I have recommended the Madras Railway to 

 take it in for their Libraries." 



Ceylon Tea. — Tea seems to be the coming good thing, 

 and wherever coffee, has died off, planters are putting 

 down tea ; you certainly get delicious tea everywhere in 

 Ceylon, even at the hotels, and I wonder it does not 

 find its way up to Madras ; it licks any Indian tea 

 I' ve ever tasted, even Assam or Kangra, and if you 

 ever tasted it, you'd never drink another drop of the 

 Nilgiri nastiness. — Cor. of Madras Times. 



Coloring op Coffee. — We cannot understand why 

 the State Board of Health does not stop the use of any 

 sort of coloring matter for the coating of coffee. The 

 law defiues that an article of food shall be designated 

 adulterated "if it be colored, or coated, or polished, 

 or powdered, whereby damage is concealed, or it is 

 made to appear better than it really is, or of greater 

 va'me." A strict interpretation of the law would close 

 every mill in the State where coffee is manipulated. 

 As some of the processes for improving the condition 

 are harmless, although illegal, would it not be well to 

 amend the law ? Or is it best to stop every avenue 

 to fraud aud enforce the law with rigor? — American 

 Grocer. 



The square bamboo of China would be an acquisition iu 

 Oeylon. It is thus noticed in the proceedings of (he 

 Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India: — Dr. 

 MacG-ovvau, corresponding member, sends as a specimen 

 of the ornamental articles manufactured with the square 

 bamboo in China, a plate or tray made of split bamboo 

 neatly fitted together, with an ornamental design pasted 

 or glued on it iu relief, the design is in one piece and 

 the full size of the tray, (about 18 inch by 12 inch), and 

 Dr. MacGowan thus describes the process by whieh the 

 bamboo is made into a sheet of the size required. It is 

 split at one side, soaked in water, spread flat, and heavy 

 weights placed on the top till it is perfectly flat aud 

 smooth like a small board. The design is then cut out 

 with a knife and glued to the object to be ornamented. 

 A piece of the flattened bamboo is sent with the tray. 



That tobacco, as ordinarily prepared by some of the 

 manufacturers, is frequently sweetened with molasses, 

 honey, licorice, &c, is not doubted, we think it will 

 be a surprize to most people to learn that a considerable 

 percentage of sugar is a natural constituent of tobacco. 

 Vet. such has been demonstrated to be the fact, by 

 Professor Attfitld, F. rs. Eight samples were ob- 

 tained from planters in different parts of Virginia, 

 Kentucky and North Carolina, which gave, to 100 parts 

 of leaf, from 5 '57 to 9 60 parts of tobacco sugar, and 

 from S'23 to 12-80 parts of total saceharoid matter. 

 In tobacco grown in unfavorable conditions, or without 

 sufficient heat, the amount of sugar is often but a mere 

 trace, while for light-colored or bright Virginia leaf it 

 will average about 10 per cent. 



Even in horticulture it seems our American cousins 

 are considerably ahead of the old country ; at least 

 the following paragraph in one of our exchanges would 

 lead us to believe so : — "There was recently on ex- 

 hibition in a store iu Dupon-street, San Francisco, a 

 mammoth bunch of grapes from the great grape vine 

 at Santa Barbara. This cluster weighed one hundred 

 and twenty five pounds and was six feet in circum- 

 ference and three feet long ; the vine from which it 

 was cut is sixteen years old, and produces annually 

 from ten thousand to twelve thousand pounds of 

 grapes. This is probably the largest hunch of grapes 

 over grown." Undoubtedly it is, as the best on re- 

 cord in England weighed we believe thirty-three 

 pounds, and was exhibited by Mr. T. Roberts be- 

 fore the Royal Botanical Society in 1S80. —Indian 

 Agriculturist. 



