Dec. t, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



399 



Mk. E. J. C. Brace, formerly of the Nilgiris, 

 a well-known tea-planter, who wrote an essay on 

 tea for us some time ago, writes as follows : — " I 

 hope to be able to send you ere long a paper on 

 the laying-clown and management of eucalyptus 

 plantations as a source of fuel in connection with 

 the tea industry, a matter of no small import 

 wlien your plantations begin to yield heavily. Just 

 at present I am fuUy occupied with a translation 

 of M. Arthur Noel's valuable ' Essai sur les 

 Kepeuplements Artilieiels.' " 



Cacao in Kvmd.apola, H,u>dt,ale. — We learn that 

 a field of about two acres of the so-called 

 " Caracas or pale yellow variety of cacao," (but 

 " Caracas " is usually spoken of as red) planted 

 with seed at stake during November 1882, is now 

 loaded with fruit and blossom. The fruit, when 

 about halt-grown, has a beautiful pale-green tint, 

 which gradually changes into yellow. The ordinary 

 cacao planted during the same monsoon has also 

 grown well and is in fruit and flower but not to the 

 same extent as the yellow variety. Our informant 

 is one of the pioneers of new products in Haputale 

 and is in great spirits over the prospects from 

 cacao, having over 1.50 acres of line forest thoroughly 

 suited to the cultivation of this product. 



Peahi.s in the Pehsian Gulf. — Major-General Sir 

 Le»-is Pelly, writing m the British Trade Journal, 

 siiys : — " The pearl trade of the Gulf has been famous 

 from the earliest historic j^eriod ; and the pearl banks 

 of the island of Bahrein, aiid of the small maritime 

 chieftains known as Dobai, Shargeh, Ainulgawaine 

 and Rasulkhyma, on the Arab shore-line of the Gulf, 

 are stiU the richest pearl-fishing grounds in the world 

 and yet, perhaps, the finest pearls still swill about 

 on the sands at the bottom of the Gulf waters. 

 The law seems to be that the deeper the water the 

 finer tlie pearl or the oyster, and the deeper water 

 along the banks has never yet been fished. The 

 Arabs pursue their fishery by diving from small 

 craft, whicli during the pearl season may be seen 

 audiored by thousands along the banks. Seven 

 fathoms is the maximum depth of their diving, 

 while their ordinary fisheries are pursued in from 

 four to five fathoms of water. Now, as the water 

 deepens very slowly off the Arab coast, and as this 

 shoal water over tlie banks extends some hundreds 

 of miles— from the reefs of B.ahrein and El Khutiff 

 to (Jajie Mussendoom — it seems probable that, were 

 tlie deeper water along these banks to be exploited 

 by steamers fitted with regular diving apparatus, 

 miraculous draughts of pearls might still be obtained." 

 — Pifinerr. 



Cor.oNEii Hunt's Lecture on Stock-f.vrmieo in 

 India travelled outside the lines of the subjects 

 generally fhscussed at the Simla United Service 

 Institution, Ijut was none the less valua))le on that 

 account. Tlic lecturer entered at much detail 

 into i|UCStions regarding the improvement of 

 cattle and sheep by better grazing and the stor- 

 age of foddin- supplies. He warmly approved of 

 ensilage, the experiments in w-hicli he considered 

 were promising in India. He pointed out how 

 much tlie ryot would lienefit if better stock were 

 raised and means taken to secure an ample supply 

 of forage fodder. Mr. Buck expressed his 

 pleasure at finding tlie important question of the 

 impro\ ement of agricultural stock taken up outside 

 his own department, and endorsed the lecturer's 

 views on ensilage. He hoped that the experiments 

 would be continued. Sir Steuart Bayley, who pre- 

 sided, said that the subject was of extreme im- 

 portance not only to Government, but to the ryot. 

 The latter liad more cattle than he could feed in 

 bad seasons, and consequently many were allowed 

 to die. This would be prevented by the introduc- 

 tion of the silo system. The great object was to 

 secure publicity being given to the results of 

 exijeriments. — Pioneer. 



The I.VDIAN Tea Districts.— News from Assam and 

 Darjeehng districts still continues to be unfavor- 

 able, and from the Terai there are serious com- 

 plaints of blight, which will affect the outturn. In 

 Cachar, blight is on the decrease, and tlie weather 

 IS reported more favorable.— iri7/(rt,» jVonin d; C'o.'s 

 Market nej)ort, Calcutta, 6th October. 



Maeiawatte, which gave 1,1001b. per acre last year 

 will not repeat the performance this. I believe the 

 manager does not expect get to more than 800 lb I my- 

 self tliink this an excellent result after such a heavy 

 crop but I think the proprietors expected at least 

 1.0001b. an acre would be obtained whicli is most 

 unreasonable. The average price obtained for n// the 

 teas of this estate lam certain will be about Is. 3id. 

 and I know for a fact that the average cost/. 0. b. 

 in Colombo is not more than 34 cents. A simple 

 arithmetical calculation will show you the profit 

 made by this estate annually when you know that 

 were the rupee at par, .W cents is just a triflemore 

 than Sd.— but tlien the rupee is far from being at par 

 and this still further increases the profit.— r;Vi//ciM 

 f^'nr, '' Indian I^/anters' Oa::effe." 



Malta Lemon Plants for Ceylon. — Amongst com- 

 munications to the Horticultural Society of India we 

 find the following :— From Dr. H. Trimen, Director, 

 Royal Botanic Gardens :—" Dr. Bonavia, of Etawah, 

 has lately wi-itten to Ceylon strongly recommending 

 the introduction of a ' Malta Lemon ' and lias sug- 

 gested that we might obtain plants from your Society. 

 I should be glad to give the plant a trial liere .aiid 

 should feel obliged if you could afford me a few pbuits. 

 The easiest plan to send thenr to me would be to for- 

 ward them to Dr. King at the Botanic Garden, who 

 is in frequent communication with tliis cstaljlishment, 

 and could forward theni in the next Wardianeasehe 

 is sending us. If I can be of any service to your Society 

 in return, I should be glad." 



OoPFEE Planting Prospects.— Our Koppa (Mysore) 

 corre.spondent writes: — We are having very good 

 weather for the late plantings, wliicb a number of 

 planters have gone in for, in consequence of a former 

 .■icaroity of labour. The ryots now appear content 

 with the amount of rain we h.ave had, wliicli up to 

 the ;!nili ultimo was mare than the total gauged for 

 the wlinle of last year. The coffee crop in the Bam- 

 boo will turnout a fair average one, and if the prices 

 will only go up, there will be good times for the 

 lianilioo planters. Plantation prospects have changed 

 considerably for the better. OoftV-e looks charming ; 

 this season's plants e.'^pecially, have put on a spurt, a.s 

 if to brace themselves up ag.ainst coming hot weather. 

 This punshine and rain will go a long W!iy towards 

 brineiiig the crop to maturity, and picking may be 

 ex])ected to commence a month, or at least a fort- 

 niyht, parlier ihnn usual. Labour is scarce and it is 

 with difficulty that estates can keep their weeds 

 under. In a month or so tbe 'kandayam ' may compel 

 many, who are now having a happy idle time, to seek 

 estate work. — P> S. — Mndnis Mail. 



A LAiiOR QnANTiTT of land in North Eastern Ben- 

 gal has, says the Ten I'lanters: Gazette, been given 

 up by tea-planters as unsuitable for tea. This is 

 due a great deal more to the unprofitable nature of 

 transactions in tea for the last few years than to the 

 nature of the land. A few years ago it was quite 

 easy to start any number of tea gardens, in fact, the 

 name of a new garden had but to be mentioned and 

 the investment was jumped at. In consequence of 

 this many young planters took up large tracts of land, 

 and after paying rent for a few years found the 

 burden so heavy that they had to abandon the 

 idea of trying to open out an estate. People are 

 not so sanguine uow-a-days with regard to tea 

 as an investment. Although much laud has been 

 abandoned, there has also been a large area put 

 under tea in Sylhet and Cachar, in districts proved 

 to possess a more rapid tea-producing soil than 

 any yetdisooyered. — Madras Mail, 



