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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[January i, 1885. 



Slow-Grown vs. Fast Grown Timber. — A general im- 

 pression exists, that slow-grown timber is the strongest; 

 but the ODinion does not, it is said, stand the test of ex- 

 periment. " There is in London a government establishment 

 for testing the quality and strength of all woods and metals 

 used for government purposes, the chronicles of which are 

 said to be very interesting. Among other things which have 

 been proved there is the fact that fast-grown timber, oak 

 at least, is the strongest, and bears the greatest degree of 

 tension. — Popular Science A'eivs. 



Reafforestation. — In Fiji the necessity of reafforestation 

 has become so evident that the Government has recently 

 issued a regulation that every native above sixteen is to 

 plant trees— two fruit trees and two of useful timber. 

 Defaulters are to be fined 4s., or fourteeu days' imprison- 

 ment Very much the same sort of system prevailed in 

 Japan until recently, each family being compelled to plant 

 so many trees, according to its position. For instance, 

 the families of the upper class had to rear 100 trees, while 

 the lower class were let off with forty.— British Trade Journal. 



Protecting Steel and Iron from Rust. — Professor Oal- 

 vert has recently made the interesting discovery by pract- 

 ical tests, that the carbonates of potash and soda possess 

 the same property of protecting iron and steel from rust 

 as do those alkalies in a caustic state. Thus it is fouud 

 that if an iron blade be immersed in a solution of either 

 of' the above carbonates, it exercises so protective an action 

 that that portion of the iron whicli is exposed to the in- 

 fluence of the damp atmospheric air does not oxidise, even 

 after so extended a period as two years. Similar results, 

 it appears, have also been obtained with sea water, on 

 adding to the same the carbonates of potash and soda m 

 suitable proportion— Public Opinion. _ 



How to make Oo-WS GIVE Milk.— If you desire to get 

 a large yield of rich milk, give your cows every day water 

 slightly warmed and slightly salted, in which bran has 

 been stirred at the rate of one quart to two gallons of 

 water You will And, if you have not tried this daily practice, 

 that your cow will give tweuty-flve per cent more milk 

 immediately under the effects of it, and she will become 

 attached to the diet as to refu?i> to drink clear water 

 unless very thirsty. But this mess she will drink almost 

 any time and ask for more. The amount of this drink 

 necessary is an ordiuary water pail at a tune, morning, 

 noon and night. Try it farmers, and you will be glad.— 

 European Mail. 



Coral Fishi nil— Coral fishing is largely followed in 

 Algeria 40,000 to 45,000 pounds of coral, valued at about 

 £38 00o' being the yearly production. La Oalle is the 

 centre of this industry, and there are employeil annually 

 160 boats and 1,300 men. The coral is obtained by means 

 of a wooden apparatus in the shape of a cross, having in 

 its centre a leaden slug or stone for ballast. Nets, the 

 meshes of which are loose, are hung on the bars of the 

 cross and dragged at the bottom of the sea, and among 

 the nooks and crevices of the rocks. These nets, winding 

 about the coraline plant, break up or tear off its branches, 

 which adhere to the meshes. The apparatus is drawn r-p 

 by the fisherman whenever he thinks it sufficiently laden. 

 There is also a net which is provided with large iron nails, 

 havin" thus great force to break the coral, but this ap- 

 paratus is forbidden to be used— Public Opinion. 



The culture of the tea trade in Transcaucasia, winch has 

 been recently advocated by Dr. Woeikoff, has already been 

 successfully carried out on a small scale for several years 

 —as we learn from a recent communication of M. Zeidhtz 

 to 'a Russian newspaper. It was an Englishman, Mr. Marr, 

 who has inhabited Transc mcasia since 1822, who brought 

 to a flourishing state the Crown garden at Ozurghety, and 

 embellished it with a number of lemon, orange, and tea 

 trees these last numbering more than two hundred. After 

 the Crimean war only twenty-five tea trees were growing 

 in this garden, and, according to Mr. Marr's advice, they 

 were transplanted to a private estate at Gora, close to 

 Tchakhataour. Since the estate has changed its proprietor 

 only two tea trees have remained ; but still they continue 

 every year to flower and give fruit, and M. Zeidhtz is sure 

 thit'if'the culture be seriously tried it might be successful in 

 the valleys of the Koura and Riou.— Southern Farmer. 



No Phylloxera in Sandy Soil.— M. Lalande, the Deputy 

 and Mayor of Bordeaux, France, recently paid a visit to 

 the principal vineyards in the south for the purpose of 



ascertaining the efficiency of the different modes of coping 

 with the terrible phylloxera. He tested the effects of in- 

 secticides. He found the vineyard of Baboidet near Beziers, 

 belonging to M. Jaussan, president of a syndicate for 

 operating with sulphide of carbon, in a very satisfactory 

 condition. He then visited six other vineyards, and every- 

 where found luxurious vegetation and abundant fruit. At 

 Valantres the Comte de Turenne's property, where Ameri- 

 can shoots have been employed with great success, all the 

 vines are heavily laden with magnificent grapes. At Aigues- 

 Mortes M. Lalande found all the sandy soils planted with 

 French vines in a flourishing condition, demonstrating the 

 revolution which has resulted from the discovery of the 

 impotence of phylloxera against a sandy soil. Lands which 

 afew years ago would not have fetched lOOf. (£4) a hectare, 

 ae now worth 10,000f. (£400).— Exchange. 



Flax Culture. — Some interesting facts have been gather- 

 ed relating to this branch of agriculture in the United 

 States. The culture has hitherto been much neglected, 

 although it appears that flax and the various products of 

 that plant can be cultivated in America quite as cheaply 

 as in the various seed-producing countries of Europe. The 

 imports of flax seed into the United States have reached 

 as much as three million bushels in one year, the imports 

 from India alone reaching 1,253,517 bushels in 1S83-4, as 

 compared with 558,249 bushels in 1882-3. The imports of 

 raw flax into the United States during the nine years from 

 1S71 to 1880 amounted to 510,987,549. The imports of 

 flax manufactories during the ten years from 1S71 to 1881 

 amounted to $177,747,371, or nearly $18,000,000 per annum. 

 The average yield and prices of flax seed and wheat into 

 the United States for the past ten years were as follows — 

 wheat 12| bushels per acre, cost 93§ cents ; flax 9J bushels 

 per acre, cost $1 44c. It has been ascertained that with 

 careful cultivation an acre of flax can be produced for 

 S-4 98c, this sum covering use of land, seed, and all 

 necessary expenses. The receipts from an acre of flax are 

 estimated to be as follows — 9J bushels of seed, at $1 44c. 

 p<>r bushel, $13 52c; 3501b. long fibre, at 10 cents, per lb., 

 $35 ; 3501b. flax tow, at 3 cents per lb., $10 50c. — total 

 $5S S2c. This shows a net profit per acre of $33 84c. — 

 London "Times." 



Peanuts. — One of the most important industries of the 

 New Virginia is the cultivation and preparation of peanuts. 

 In the popular mind this uupatrician fruit is the product 

 of North Carolina, whose citizens possess not only the 

 descriptive name " Tar- heel," but answer to the euphonious 

 title "Goober-grubber." Even in North Carolina, however, 

 before the late war, peanuts were growu only in small 

 gardeu-patches, and it was only because the Yankee soldiers 

 learned to like them, and created a demand when they 

 returned to the North, that the garden-patches have 

 broadened into farm-fields. North 'Carolina never " caught 

 on," however, and contributes almost nothing to the 

 trade yet. The counties that lie in the Southeastern tide- 

 water " corner of Virginia, however, adopted the culture 

 of peanuts vigorously, and the product has multiplied five 

 times during the last ten years. Virginia now sends to 

 market over two millions of bushels annually, for which 

 the farmers receive as high as a dollar and eighty cents 

 a bushel in some cases. The crop is easy of cultivation 

 on suitable soil, the yield very certain, and there is no 

 waste. It is to be expected, therefore, that it will be 

 tried outside of the limited region now occupied, in Vir- 

 ginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The preparation of 

 the peanut for market is carried on in factories, the most 

 important of which are at Norfolk, where the fruit is 

 graded, cleaned of dust and polished by steam machinery. 

 Norfolk is the largest peanut market in the world except Mar- 

 seilles. In Marseilles great quantities of African peanuts 

 (whence ours are derived) are consumed by the makers 

 of "olive" oil. The foreign nut has no market in this 

 country, however, nor is any oil manufactured in the 

 United States. It is said, however, that it would be a 

 boon to cooks, if introduced, as a substitute for animal 

 fats, especially in pastry. — Hour. 



' BUCHU-PAIBA. " 

 Quick, complete cure, all annoying Kidney, Bladder and 

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