Nov. 2, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



3% 



The Darjeelixg Tea and CHnccnoyA Assor-- 

 ATiox, Limited, soon after they had efifeci:>i 

 the purchase of General Angus's property, ma-ic- 

 urontlrous pi'ofit?- by cinchona bark. But such 

 times for India and Ceylon both have departed, 

 and in the latest report of the Company they say : — 

 The einchoua plfLutatiou has been kept in good 

 order and tlie trees are making good progress. It 

 is, however, now proposed not to cut any I.ark 

 this seaion as besides the increase another year 

 will make in the thickness and consequent \-aXue of 

 the bark, the market at present is so dull that it would 

 not be advisable to make any shipment. — rioiwer. 



The Ri-ssiax Tea Tkade. — A new dangei- to 

 British commercial interests is indicated by our 

 Consul at Hankow. Mr. C. Alal)aster. Hithei-to a 

 large proportion of the tea supplied to the Russian 

 markets has reached its destination in English 

 ships I'ia London, but the direct trade via Odessa 

 has enormously increased during the past tour years. 

 In 1880 only 4,84.i),4531b. went direct to Odessa, 

 but last year no less than 11, (581, 1401b. were shipped 

 to that port in Eussian and Cienman vessels. The 

 export to Russia lia Tientsin and the Annu showed 

 a slight falling off, though still largely in advance 

 of past years. Altogether 24,000.0001b. went direct 

 to Russia against 37,000,0001b. to London, show- 

 ing a steady progi-essive increase in the former. As 

 everything points to Russia being eventually'the 

 chief market for China teas, it means, says Mr. 

 Alabaster, our being ousted in great measure, if 

 not entirely, from the trade. 



Agbiccltdiul Educ.ytiok Policy in Madkas. 

 — The saparation of the School of Agriculture from 

 the Agricultural Department, and the bringing of tlie 

 bitter into more practical and intimate relations with 

 the agriculture of the country, precisely as contemp- 

 lated by the Government of India. Under his scheme 

 the School of Agriculture would be purely scientific, 

 and the Agricultural Department nothing if not pract- 

 ical. After a while, it would be made a condition 

 precedent of admission to the school that the candidate 

 should have studied practical farming for two years. 

 For the purpose of atfording this practical training, 

 Mr. 'Wilson at that time contemplated the establish- 

 ment of Goverimient example farms. With regard to 

 the future agricultural policy of the Government, His 

 Excellency the Governor in Council proposes in the 

 first place to abandon the Saidapet Farm on its present 

 scale as a practical failure. The work there has ex- 

 cited some general interest among the agricultural 

 population in improved agricultural machinery, but 

 little more than this has been accomplished. The farm 

 is too small for stock breeding, its soil is unsuitable 

 and our knowledge of Indian crops too limited as yet 

 for useful experiments. No mew farms will be instit- 

 uted, but experiments will, where necessary, be carried 

 out, with the assistance of private agency under the 

 general supervision of the Agricultural Department. 

 Meanwhile, native agriculture and the analysis of dis- 

 tricts will be carefully studied by the Agricultural 

 Reporter with a view to introduce better methods where 

 they are wanted, but there only. Further than this the 

 Government are not at present disposed tn go. To 

 assist the Agricultural Reporter in investigation, the 

 Government propose eventually to entertain a small 

 body of District Agricultural Inspectors whose salaries 

 will be met from the savings which will accrue from 

 the abolition of the farm. These men will, previous to 

 their entertainment, have undergone a course of train- 

 ing at the Government Agricultural School. The 

 further proposal of the Director of Public Instruction 

 to attach some M or 40 acres of land to the college as 

 a farm ajmeirr. as a field for practical demonslration 

 and traim'ng for the .students of the college is approved; 

 the management of this land will be under the conti-ol 

 of the Educational Department. The necessary details 

 of administration of the agricultural school, and the 

 cousreofiiistroctionto be followed therein, will receive 

 consideration in the Educational.Department, tolwhich 

 department these papers will be now commumcated. 



42 



TiTF, BiiAcKEN Fekn, Ptfris esciilenta, seems to 

 be as great a nuisance to the agriculturalist of 

 these parts as the rabbits are to the squatter. 

 The rich volcanic soils feed it well, and it spreads 

 and developcs accordingly. It costs a good deal, 

 both in trouble and money, to keep it down. 

 Burning the fern only seems to make it grow 

 all tlie more luxuriantly next year ; chopping the 

 ;• roots" apparently tends to spread it. Would 

 It be deemed impertinent if I were to offer a hin, 

 for coping with the bracken fern difficulty? Per- 

 haps it would be as well for me to give the 

 reasons why my hint would prove useful. The 

 so-called "root" of tlie bracken is in reality an 

 undergi-ound stem, or rhizome, the same part which 

 111 the tree fern we regard as the trunk. Within 

 this stem, underground or aboveground, there is 

 stored each year a supply of starch and other 

 plant food. Every year's fronds contribute to the 

 supply. The young opening fronds draw upon the 

 vegetable banking account until they are fully de- 

 veloped, and tlien they repay the parent by con- 

 tributing towards the stored up supply in the 

 stem. It is evident, therefore, that if we cut or 

 mow down the young, half-coiled fronds of the 

 bracken, just at the time when they are developing, 

 and when they have been abstracting the nourish- 

 nient from the stem, the latter will be impover- 

 ished. If we mow them down year by vear the 

 stems must wither and die. They will be quite 

 bankrupt, in short, for the mown ferns will have 

 consumed all iiie available capital. This may seem 

 a rather tedious process, but in a few years it 

 would prove an effective one.— Dit. Tavlob in 

 Australasian. 



Agriciltukal Education at Ho.me and Abboad.— 

 Although the French Government voted 3,512,000f. 

 for agricultural education this year, the Edio Auri- 

 colc says it is not enough, aud that the several 

 departments need to complete the organisation. In 

 England we are accustomed to think that agricult- 

 ural instruction is very liberally provided lor iu 

 France; but our French contemporary complains 

 that they have in France only one institute of 

 agriculture, one national school of agriculture, and 

 one of horticulture, 14 schools of pracHcal agricult- 

 ure, two shepherds' schools, one school of pract- 

 ical horticulture, two foraging schools, 2:; farm schools, 

 one cowhouse for breeding, two silkworm rearing 

 schools, two primary agricultural schools, one agri- 

 cultural and two horticultural courses of lectures in 

 primary schools, 42 orphanages and agricultuial 

 colonies, 85 departmental professors of agriculture, 

 tiiree chairs of agriculture iu Algeria, four chairs 

 of agricultural chemistry, and 31 agricultural ita- 

 tions ; while Germany has 14 agricultural institutes, 

 4.51 primary agricultural schools, 71 school of agi-i- 

 culture, seven veterinary schools, nine superior 

 institutes of pomology and arboriculture, 04 

 agricultural schools of various kinds, 15 schools 

 of practical horticulture, 11 dairy schools, fiv 

 schools of agriculture for girls, one school of 

 sugar refining, one school of distilling, 30 special 

 courses of agricultural lectures, 65 agricultural sta- 

 tions, and 37 professors of agriculture. Italy, 

 most persons will be surprised to learn, has 

 tlirce superior and 22 practical schools of agricult- 

 ure, all created since 18S0, six special schools, 

 four of which are for viticulture and wine making, 

 and 1!) agricultural orphanages and colonies depend- 

 ent entirely upon the municipalities. Even little 

 Denmaik has an agiicultural institute with 223 

 pupils and 22 professors, 10 practical schools of 

 agriculture, and 40 superior primary schools which 

 give agricultural instruction.— i'tiro^jjenH Mail. 



