June i, i88g,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



fyi 



These samples I brought home wrapped in paper in 

 my portmanteau, ami I submitted them to a tea taster 

 to value, with the following results. (Copy herewith, 

 which please publish at foot of this.) I trust the fore- 

 going may be of interest to your readers, and may 

 open the eyes of certain gentlemen who profess to see 

 no value of England in the possession of her colonies. 



I ain, &c, 



Morton ©been. 

 [Copy.1 



London, Sept. 1, 1884. 



My Dear Sir,— I have put the samples of South African 

 teas into liquor, and make them very decent value, as 

 follows :— No. 1 sample, Is. bd. ; No. 3 sample, Is. 6d. 

 to Is. Id.; No. 4 sample, 2s. 2J. to %>. Sd.; and the 

 very rough sample, Sd. to !W. ; these prices are without 

 the duty. If the samples were not so small or broken 

 in the leaf they would be of more value. I have also 

 had the opinion of one of the oldest and most respect- 

 able brokers upon the samples, and he thinks with me. 

 Tea from South Africa is a novelty, and if it can be 

 produced without being so broken in the leaf, it would 

 be worth more in the London market. I am, &c, 



To Morton Green, Esq. 0. Wight. 



[I may mention, with respect to the broken leaf 

 complained of above, that Mr. Hulett informed me that 

 he was much wanting in information in the rolling and 

 drying of the leaf, which practice alone will perfect, 

 and I think that Natal has reason to be proud of the 

 perseverance and energy displayed by Mr. Hulett through- 

 out, in working under the difficulties he has. I may add 

 that tea is also under cultivation by several others in 

 Natal, and that at the recent Industrial Exhibition 

 (January, 1884) a gold medal was awarded for the best 

 10 lb. Further, I may state that I have placed a sample 

 on view at the Royal Colonial Institute, Strand — M. 0.] 



"We cannot help thinking that in a colony which inportil 

 labour from India, the cost of production is under estim- 

 ated. — Ed.] 



PLOUGHING MATCHES AT KAITY, S. INDIA. 



Messrs. Massey & Company's "Indian Ryot Plough" 

 was awarded the first place at the ploughing exhibition 

 held at Kaity on Tuesday last. This plough has only 

 just been brought out by them, in view to supply the 

 wants of small landholders, and the poorest description 

 of cattle. Its price is only RS. This is the first 

 time that it has been exhibited to the public, and in 

 every way it appeared to be well adapted to the 

 requirements of the ryot. Messrs. Massey & Co. have 

 made ploughs a specialite, and the Judges were of 

 opinion that if a competent person had worked the 

 Indian Ryot plough, nothing in the Exhibition could 

 have equalled it. That it did the best work could be 

 seen at a glance — turning over much more earth than 

 any of the others. The Burghers at first thought that 

 English pattern ploughs worked well enough on a flat, 

 and that they were not so well adapted for hill-side 

 work ; but the results on a steep slope iu which three 

 English pattern and one native plough competed, proved 

 to them again the superiority of the Ryot plough. Messrs. 

 Massey & Co.'s C. P. Patent Pipe plough for dry cult- 

 ivation, a very light all-iron plough, which has taken 

 all the prizes up to date, obtained, at this Exhibition, 

 only third honors. This plough is adapted both for 

 small and large cattle. The land selected for the 

 matches had lain fallow for two or more years, was 

 covered with grass, and was of ordinary qualify. The 

 first match was held on jl partly flat or gently undul- 

 ating ground, and the second a steep slope. The object 

 the Collector had iu view in bringing about these 

 matches was to ascertain the sort of plough best suited 

 to the land, and the cattle used for ploughing in this 

 district, as well as to induce the ryots to improve their 

 agricultural system, and thus introduce a better style of 

 farming than what now prevails. The area of each plot 

 ploughed, on the flat was a quarter of an area or 1,210 

 square yards. Time lh hour. When time was called the 

 results of ploughing were as under : — 

 No. 1 plot Burgher plough ... ... Sq. yards 9K9 



„ 2 do Massey & Co.'s C. P. 644 



5 do 



6 do 



7 do 



8 do 



1,131 



4S1 

 649 



814 



No. 3 plot Swedish plough shown by Mr. Creed Sq. Yds. 990 

 4 do Small Swedish plough, by Oakes k Co. 499 

 Avery's " American" plough 

 Avery's Hir.dostan 

 Messrs, Ransomes &: Co. 

 Massey & Co.'s " Indian Ryot plough 



The Judges then proceeded to inspect the several 

 plots, awarding marks for "depth ploughed," "turn over" 

 and general appearance." The depth of ploughing varied 

 from 2?, to 3J inches, the Burgher and Avery's American 

 plough doing the former, and the "Swedish" shown by 

 Mr. Creed ; Massey and Co.'s "Indian Ryot" and Ran- 

 somes & Co.'s sent up by the Saidapett farm, and worked 

 by an experienced ploughman of the farm, doing the 

 latter. For "turn over" Massey's "Indian Ryot" and 

 Ransome's obtained an equal number of marks, as also 

 for "general appearance." The Burghers secured for 

 themselves the best pair of bullocks on the ground, 

 while Avery's " Hindostau " had the worst pair. In fact 

 the ploughmen entrusted with the working of "Avery's" 

 two ploughs could not do justice to them. Messrs. Oakes 

 & Co. brought out three ploughs, hut two could not 

 take part in the competition, being too heavy, as there 

 was not a sufficiently strong pair of bullocks to drag 

 them. The Swedish plough shown by Mr. J. L. Creed of 

 Deva Sholah, was drawn by a large pair of Mysore 

 bullocks, and did very fair work. The final order of 

 merit was as follows: — 



Massey & Co.'s Indian Ryot plough 



Ransomes & Co.'s from Saidapett farm ... 



Massey & Co.'s 0. P. plough 



Avery's Hindustan 



Swedish plough shown by Mr. J. L. Creed 



Oakes & Co.'s small Swedish plough 



Badaga plough... ... ... 



Avery's American 



— Madrid Mail. 



THE GROWTH OF CHICORY. 



In these days, when we are bound to look carefully 

 into our practice and see whether any and what alter- 

 ations of cropping are likely to be profitable, any reliable 

 information and advice as to the cultivation of special 

 crops should be gratefully welcomed, and received with 

 careful consideration. It is for these reasons that we 

 desire to call attention to a lecture by Mr Foster, of 

 York, " On the Growth of Chicory," read before the 

 Derwent District Agricultural Club at Stamford Bridge on 

 Feb. 25. It opened with the statement that in the very 

 district of the club hundreds of acres were formerly 

 occupied with this crop, which not only benefited the 

 growers, but furnished a large amount of employment 

 for the labourers. The subject was treated under three 

 heads — (1) Cultivation and Growth. (2) Duties and their 

 Injurious Effect. (3) Remedies Suggested. Mr Foster 

 controverted tne opinion too generally held by owners 

 and agents, that chicory is exhausting — declaring emphatic- 

 ally that the growth of chicory, instead of deteriorating 

 the laud, greatly stimulates and improves it. Clean cultiv- 

 ation and the application of suitable manures are 

 essential elements of success. Iu illustration of this, the 

 evidence of one of the, largest growers in England was 

 cited to the effect that he had grown fourteen consecutive 

 crops, and after that a good crop of corn. The crop 

 is sown about the middle of May, 2^ lb. of seed being 

 drilled to the acre. The crop, which resembles white 

 carrots in the growth of root, is taken up from Oct. 10 

 to end of November. Cost of this business and washing 

 is about £4 an acre. The next process is slicing by a 

 special machine, afterwards drying on a kiln. During* 

 this process the exciseman appears, and gives no end of 

 trouble. After being dried it is weighed into the store, 

 locked and sealed, and cannot be inspected or --old 

 without due notice to the officer. Green chicory is 

 reduced by drying to one-fourth of its original weight. 

 About two tons per acre of the dried crop is a fair 

 yield, worth £8 to £10 a ton. The chicory merchant 

 roasts it in revolving cylinders and converts it into nibs, 

 in which state it is sold to the grocer. 



