April i, 1885.] 



THB TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



773 



buying herbarium paper and alcohol at Bnitenzorg, 

 but visitors from Europe must bring bottles and 

 btubes with them. Mr. Treub estimates that the 

 whole voyage, along with the residence in the 

 Gardens, need not cost more than 5,000 francs, 

 and expresses the hope that learned socioiifs in 

 Europe may make it easy for suoli of their members 

 as may feel inclined to do so, to carry out the idea. 



Tobacco cultivation in Java.— We have received by the 

 mail the yearly market report on the tobacco trade drawn 

 up by Mr. Lieftinck, a broker at Amsterdam. It 

 appears therefrom that in 1884 2SJ, millions of pounds 

 of tobacco were sold by Amsterdam and Rotterdam im- 

 port houses, that is half a million more than in the 

 previous year. Of this quantity, 19 millions were from 

 Sumatra, 6.J millions from Java, and 3 millions from 

 other countries. While the total yield of Sumatra 

 tobacco had always been on the increase there be- 

 came manifest in 1884 the UBual phenomnon 

 of a falling off in quantity as regard Deli and Langkat. 

 The Java tobacco brought a considerably higher prices, 

 the difference between it and that realized the previous 

 year being 72%. The compiler of the report hence 

 asserts, which may be reaffirmed on better grounds 

 than before, that should Java be favoured with abund- 

 ant crops there is every reason for expecting that 

 those who continue to run the risk of carrying on 

 tobacco cultivation will not be disappointed in their 

 hopes of satisfactory results. Among the residencies 

 in Java which have been given up by tobacco planters 

 is Rembang, where there is now no longer any per- 

 manently worked estates. 



We learn that in North Borneo on the Island of 

 Bangie, a new tobacco estate has been started under 

 the management of a co-partnership styled the German 

 North Borneo Company. The director of this under- 

 taking is Mr. A. Becker, head partner of the Hotel 

 de l'Europe at Singapore. The analysis of soil shows 

 it to be a promising one, there being every chance of 

 the tobacco yield proving heavier than in Deli. The 

 Company is domiciled at Hamburg and has command 

 over a very large capital. 



Samarang, 9th February.-— The coffee leaf disease, so 

 we are informed from several estates, begins to show 

 itself more and more. It is not improvable that the 

 wet weather has had some iutluence in bringing this 

 disagreeable phenomenon about. Leaf disease seems 

 unable to stand drought. 



Gas-lime von Gardens. — Gas-lime, if applied to that 

 extent, will prove a remedy far worse than the disease. 

 I quite agree that it would banish the slugs, &c. ; they 

 would not appear again for some time either, where there 

 was nothing for them to eat.— "W. H. Diveks, Ketton Hall. 

 — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



Indian Teas in Melbourne. — The following are 

 a few of the best sales of Syndicate Teas on 26th 

 February last : — 



54 chests Darjeeling Pekoe : Very well made even 

 wiry brownish leaf. Rich delicate fruity Darjeeling 

 flavor Is 3JU 



30 half-chests Kangra Val. Orange Tekoe: Reddish 

 wiry evenly made leaf few tips. Malty rich delicate 

 fruity Pekoe flavor Is 2£d 



30 chests Oachar Pekoe : Handsome well made 

 evenly twisted leaf. Pungent delicate flavor Is 3jd 



32 chests Darjeeling Pekoe : Well made blackish 

 evenly twisted leaf . Fine fruity Darjeeling flavor ... Is 5jd 



8 chests Darjeeling Pekoe : Well made even 

 brownish leaf. Very flavory fine full Darjeeling 

 liquor Is 3jd 



19 half-chests CacharPokoe: Very handsome wiry 

 even brownish leaf. Very rich full malty delicate 

 infusion Is ojd 



25 half-chests Oachar Pekoe : Fairly well made 

 even black leaf. Very superior full malty ripe liquor Is 3|d 



GAS-LIME FOB WEEDS. 



That the earth is mother of the weeds, but only step 

 mother to many of the plants cultivated on it, is a not 

 inapt way of accounting for the healthy and abundant 

 crops of weeds. The weeds are always with us, and only 

 by watchfulness and much labour can they be kept under. 

 It may be safely said that there is no work in which 

 there is worse economy than in letting weeding run un- 

 attended to, want of the proverbial stitch in time causing 

 need for nine is much more than realized in .the matter 

 of weeds if unchecked. Of the many plants that come 

 under the category of weeds, w,hen growing where they 

 are not wanted, grass on walks, pebble pavement, and 

 little used roads, such as many carriage drives through 

 parks or other grounds, when the traffic, as it often 

 happens, is not sufficient to keep the surface clean, be- 

 comes the most troublesome of weeds, for on roads of 

 this kind, even where diligently weeded before the seeds 

 have time to fall, there is an inexhaustible supply always 

 coming from the land adjoining that makes it an endless 

 task, only varied by the different means in different cases 

 resorted to to destroy them. Those who have had any- 

 thing to do with such work need not be told that hand- 

 weedhig of this kind is slow work ; the use of hoe and 

 rake is objectionable ; salting, either with the dry article, 

 or in the shape of scalding brine, is costly in labour and 

 material ; whilst the use of diluted arsenic or vitriol, in 

 addition to the expense in material and labour, is ob- 

 jectionable in different ways. Where gas-lime can be had 

 there is nothiug that will be found more effectual, and, 

 in most cases, economical, scattered on the surface in the 

 way that salt is applied, and allowed to remain for about 

 three weeks. It will not only destroy all the grass and 

 weeds, but will also kill any seeds that may be present 

 but not yet vegetated, in addition to which it will pre- 

 vent any growing for a couple of years. After being al- 

 lowed to remain long enough to kill the weeds the material 

 may be swept up and used in the way of manure. It is 

 scarcely necessary to say that the lime is more powerful 

 in its effect for the purpose under notice when fresh than 

 if it has lain for some time after it comes from the gas- 

 maker. There may be some objection to the use of gas- 

 lime in the manner described on account of its powerful 

 smell, but even in the vicinity of a dwelling there are 

 often times when it can be applied without giving annoy- 

 ance through this cause. — T. B. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



VEGETABLE CULTURE IN BERMUDA. 



Consul Allen says that onions, potatoes, and tomatoes 

 comprise almost the entire production of Bermuda, and 

 give employment to the greater portion of the inhabitants, 

 and the prosperity of the colony depends largely upon 

 the success of the crop and the demands of the markets. 

 In onion growing the seed used is grown in the Canary 

 Islands, and is imported in the months of August and 

 September; it is sown in the months of September, Oct- 

 ober, and November, thickly in beds, the ground having 

 been heavily manured with stable manure two or three 

 months before sowing. The white seed is sown first and 

 produces the earliest crop, the shipment of which com- 

 mences in March. AVhen the plants are sufficiently large 

 — about 6 to 8 inches high — they are transplanted into 

 beds about 4 feet wide, the plants being set about 7 inches 

 apart each way. The plants from the white seed are 

 transplanted as soon as they are large enough, but those 

 from the red seed are not usually transplanted until the 

 beginning of January, and the ground requires to be only 

 moderately manured. If transplanted too early, and the 

 soil is too rich, the bulp is likely to split into several 

 pieces and is worthless. After transplanting, the soil 

 requires to be lightened once or twice, and the weeds 

 removed before they mature. As soon as the top begins 

 to fall, the onions are pulled and allowed to lie on the 

 ground two or three days, when they are cut and packed 

 in boxes of fifty pounds each and sent to market. All 

 the onions are delivered at the port of shipment in boxes, 

 ready for the market, and for the past two years the 

 producer has been compelled by law to place his name 

 or iuitials conspicuously on each package. It is estimated 

 that a large profit on the outlay is realized, when the 



