824 



THE TROPICAL ACmietJLYTJKIST. 



[May i, 1885. 



the Preaiiger Regencies, but only during certain 

 months of the year, the remainder, being a close 

 season. The farmer is bound to fence in the abiding 

 places of the turtles, to counteract their destruction 

 by beasts of prey. 



Samarang, 28th February.— Now aud then slight 

 shocks of earthquake are felt here. There is no longer 

 any doubt of it that increased volcanic activity is dis- 

 turbing the ground in Java. 



Shortly after the Krakatau outburst in 1883, Messrs. 

 Ransomes, Head, and Jeffries of Ipswich, sent out 

 four ploughs to the stricken districts in Java for 

 the benefit of the suffering people. Three of them 

 were sent to the Resident of Bantam, who reported 

 unfavourably ou them after trial, on the ground 

 mainly that theso appliances were too high priced for 

 the natives, besides being much too heavy, so that 

 a helper is always required to work them and two 

 draught buffaloes are indispensable to draw each 

 plough. When it is borne in mind that the Javanese 

 plough is so light as to be directed by a child it is 

 no wonder that the natives are by no means takenwith 

 the English article. 



♦ 



NEW PRODUCTS, 

 (From onr London Correspondent.) 



As I mentioned in a recent letter, a more favorable 

 report has been received on the prospects in Mauritius, 

 but, so far as I can gather from outsiders, sugar planters 

 generally take a most gloomy view of the situation, and 

 Mr. E. H. Edwards, formally of Kangala and Madulsima, 

 but now of the Seychelles, has been endeavouring to revive 

 their drooping courage and energy by pointing to the 

 example of Oeylon aud recommending them to go in for 

 all kinds of new products. There, however, as elsewhere the 

 practical question at once arises where is the necessary 

 capital to come from for substituting these untried indus- 

 tries for the old one which now proves unremunerative 

 except on unencumbered estates possessing the most 

 efficient crushing machinery and appliances. 



I have had a talk this week with an enthusiast in the 

 matter of OOCA cultivation, who contends that it would 

 well repay Ceylon planters to put down a few acres in 

 suitable localities since the European demand for the 

 leaves is now considerable and rapidly increasing whilst 

 the supply from South America is wholly inadequate. 

 At the moment there are none obtainable here, and fancy 

 prices from (is to l'2s per lb. would readily be paid by 

 manufacturers of cocaine who are unable to complete 

 orders for the anaesthetic except for the most delicate 

 operations on the eye or throat. The price of the drug is 

 practically prohibitory, whereas if it were cheaper, there 

 would probably be a large consumption for the use of neu- 

 ralgia where it is said to he very effective. Moreover a 

 tonic said to possess wonderful restorativo properties is 

 prepared from the leaves, aud Adeliua Putti has declared 

 that she attributes the retention of her marvellous local 

 powers to the fact that she has for a long time past taken 

 a dose of this coca tonic every morning. It is true that 

 there are not many who would hope to rival the prima 

 donua even with the help of coca, but such a, testimonial 

 is sure to create extensive enquiry amongst the very 

 numerous class of persons of both sexes who do ' or 

 imagine that they suffer from nervous affections. II}' 

 informant was of opinion that "s 6d per lb. might 

 be regarded as the normal price of good leaves m this 

 market for a considerable time to come, and, as the cultiv- 

 ation is easy and the plant bears a crop in eighteen 

 mouths, it might really be worth while for some Ceylon 

 proprietors to add this to the several products now re- 

 ceiving attention. I learn that a planter in the Madura 

 district of South India is buying up all the plants anil 

 seed ho cau lay hands upon with a view of establishing a 

 coca garden there. By the way, either a copious natural 

 rainfall or artiflcal irrigation appears essential to the 

 plant. Great care must be taken in the selection of locality. 



Comparatively little attention seems to be paid in Ceylon 

 to RHEA culture, but elsewhere in the East this is not the 

 case, aud amongst Manchester spinners there is now a 

 firm conviction of the value of the fibre and feasibility 

 of growing it to advantage. Sir Joseph Lee and other 



practical men engaged in the textile industries have re- 

 cently visited the establishment at Soubiers near Rouen 

 owned by the Lini-soir Syndicate, and they report most 

 favorably upon the results achieved by the Faviers-Fremy 

 processes in operation there. Certain changes have been 

 made in these which obviate the difficulty previously found, 

 and they are now declared to have solved the problem of 

 utilizing Rhea fibre. As a consequence the Jobore Rhea 

 Company will shortly be brought out under influential 

 auspices and a large tract of the land sold to it by Mr. 

 Edwin Watson will be planted up, the experimental trials 

 under his superintendence having proved a signal success . 

 A license to use the Faviers patent has also been taken 

 for China by a gentleman formerly connected with Oeylon, 

 and his agent starts by the next French mail to complete 

 arrangements for encouraging the cultivation of China 

 grass in the neighbourhood of Hankow to be treated by this 

 process. 



+ 



A New Food. — There can be no discovery of 

 greater importance than that of a new article of human 

 food. Such a discovery is announced from Cochabamba, 

 in South America, by M. Sace, who is exploring there. 

 There are, it seems, some of the varieties of the cotton 

 tree peculiar to Bolivia, the seeds of which are the 

 richest of all known grains in nitrogenous substances. 

 The Hour, it is said, is likely to take an important 

 place in human alimentation, as it is suitable for the 

 preparation of all kinds of pastes, and may even be 

 available as a substitute for milk. Nothing is said of 

 its smell, savor, or general palatableness, but a good 

 cook should be able to make it presentable whatever 

 these may be. The presence of the nutriment is the 

 main question, and it should, to render it of economical 

 value, give a good yield per acre. — Melbourne Leader. 



The Indian Tea Tr-vde.— The Calcutta Eng- 

 lishman has the following on the China tea trade: — 

 " The results of last year's tea operations tend rather to 

 confirm the gloomy prophecies of the merchants. AH 

 have lost on the whole. Not only have tbey earned 

 no commission or profits, but there has been a decided 

 shriukage in the capital emb'irked. One verypromin- 

 eut merchant here, who handled nearly £240,000 

 worth of tea during the past season, only made two 

 paying shipments. The remainder lost very heavily, 

 and the whole season shows a loss of fifteen per cent 

 on the money engaged. The Australian inaiket is no 

 better, but several Foochow tea men have gone there 

 to try and beat up a market by " drumming " for 

 small orders at a low commistion. The tea merchants 

 have come to the conclusion that the firm in whoso 

 bauds the cargo boats chiefly are, make too much, 

 considering their own inability to make both ends 

 meet, and proposals are in circulation for the form, 

 ation of a co-operative cargo boat association, but the 

 want of cohesion and spirit will probably secure the 

 continuance of the present monopoly." 



The Sardine:— The fish referred to by the Calcutta 

 Englishman in the following paragraph abound round our 

 " own shores. Is there not the possibility of a similar in- 

 dustry being established in Ceylon? — "The sardine, like 

 champagne and port wine, constitutes one oil that large class 

 of articles as to the authenticity of which it becomes tie 

 prudent man, in these progressive times, not to inquire 

 too closely. This caution may be the mere confidently 

 recommended for acceptance owing to an announcement 

 which comes from Madras that a Frenchman has dis- 

 covered a method of preserving a fish found in great 

 abundance on the Malabar! 'oast, which is described as 

 being "either the real sardine, or very much like it.'' 

 This fish frequents tho coast in question in such large 

 numbers that it is said an entire boat load may sometimes 

 be purchased for four annas. In such circumstances it 

 is not surprizing to further learn that it is used as manure. 

 It is now, it seems, destined for a higher end. Preser- 

 ved in neat tins it will appear in a more becoming guise, 

 and innocently figure on our breakfast table as the genuiuo 

 product of the waters of the Mediterranean. It is some 

 consolation that with the opening out of so rich a source 

 of supply the price of sardines should go down." 



