THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1885. 



duty to watch and take care that the recent in- 

 crease in our tariff has not acted prejudicially on 

 the internal trade of the colony, and that it has 

 not also diverted the course of trade into other 

 channels. If the extent of our trade with the Diamond 

 Fields has decreased, it is a question whether ad- 

 verse tariffs have not had more to do with the 

 diminution than the inactivity mentioned by Your 

 Excellency. The interest taken in all farming pur- 

 suits at the present time is in gratifying contrast 

 to the apathy which but too reecently prevailed. 

 If the country is to prosper, it can only do so 

 by the persistent and intelligent working of the 

 land, out of which all wealth must come. It is 

 to be hoped that the sugar industry has now seen 

 the end of the severe struggle it has had to 

 maintain in the markets of the world ; and the 

 fact that our planters have not been discouraged 

 by the adverse circumstances with which they had 

 to contend in recent years, must be a source of 

 congratulation to every true colonist. We trust the 

 day is not far distant when our supplies of coffee 

 and tea will be produced in the colony, and that 

 these products will soon take their place in our 

 list of exports." 



♦ 



Sea-Sickness. — An eminent American physician has 

 discovered a certain preventative for sea-sickness. The 

 remedy is bimplicity itself; and so, probably, is the 

 promoter of it. The patients are simply rtquirtd of 

 stand on their heads while afloat, and the miseries 

 of mal de mer are banished from ttie catalogue of ills 

 that flesh is heir to. I do not, however, think that 

 the ingenious doctor's treatment is lilcely to be uni- 

 versally adopted. It would be somewhat inconvenient; 

 though, on the other hand, the spectacle (if the 

 Channel boats arriving daily at the pier at Folkstooe 

 of Dover, with the whole of the passengers in an in- 

 verted position, would add considerable zest to the 

 pleasure of the usual crowd which delight to meet 

 them.— Jl'etkli/ Kchi, July 26tb. 



" Tekne " PLATK can easily be distinguished 

 from properly tiuned sheet iron by the sense of 

 touch when handled by experienced persons, unless 

 the terne coating contiins an unusually small 

 proportion of lead. Fordoz's test may, however, , be 

 depended upon as final. Clean the surface of the 

 suspected plate, using a little ammonia to remove 

 every trace of grease, and dry thoroughly in a 

 gentle heat, after applying a drop of nitric acid. 

 Let a drop of the otheiii.'il solution of iodide of 

 potassium fall on the plice where the nitri acid 

 was laid. A yellow spot will appear if the leas 

 lead is present. This t^st, as has been shown, 

 is a good one for » xamining the quality of tiiamels 

 of co'ikina ves'els. — vlmif/icaii Cultimtor.. 



The following, which we extract from the Farmer's 

 Rerieic, is not cheerful reading : — " Prof. Kiley, 

 Entomologist for the Department of Agriculture, 

 announces that this year we shall have two 

 distinct species of locusts, the seventeen and seven 

 year locusts. It has been two hundred years since 

 these two kinds have appeared in the same season. 

 Neither are destructive to crops; their chief injury 

 is to trees by depositing their eggs in the tender 

 twigs of the new growth, which cause the portion 

 beyond the egg deposit to die. The Hessian fly 

 and chinch bug is reported as at work this spring 

 in the wheat in those districts where it was 

 present last fall. These are the new croj) hatched 

 from the eggs deposited on tlie plant last fall. There 

 is no remedy for them now or notliing which can 

 be done to prevent their damage to the wheat. 

 Grasshoppers are already reported at work in 

 Texas, and the bark louse is present in unusual 

 .numbers upon fruit and shade trees in wide 

 districts of the country. Altogether we are likely 

 to have a Ittimiy season." — Imliuii Aijriculturisl. 



New Guinea.— The following from Colonies 

 and India is of more than ordinary interest :— There 

 13 a strong desire amongst Australasian Colonists 

 at home to know what the new Conservative 

 Government intend to do in regard to New Guinea, 

 and with a vie^T to eliciting some information 

 Viscount Lymiugton questioned Colonel Stanley 

 ou the subject in the House of Commons on August 

 5th. The hon. momber for Barus'aple wished to 

 know whether Her Majesty's Government had 

 decided upon the foriu of Government under which 

 the English portion of New Guinea was to be 

 administered, upon the proportion of the expenses 

 of government to be borne by the Imperial Ex- 

 chequer, and upon efficient means of peimanently 

 securing the yearly contributions of the Colonial 

 Pariiameuts. Colonel Stanley, in reply, said he 

 was not in a position to make any definite state- 

 ment. It was hardly necessary to be told that 

 the proceedings whicli had taken place in respect 

 of N w Guinea had been somewhat interrupted 

 by the change of Government, but it may be 

 hopfd that the various arrangements which Colonel 

 Stanley says "are not yet concluded" are progressing 

 satlsfactnrily, and that Her Majesty's Goveiument 

 will shortly be in a pontiou to make some definite 

 and satisfactory announceuKnt on the subject. We 

 seem to hear more ab.ut the German than the 

 Euglidi half of the island. From the last number 

 of the Nnrhrichlen fiir und fiber Kaisir Wil/icbn's 

 Land und den Bismarck- Archipe.l, published by the 

 New Guinea Company, we learn that Friedrich- 

 Wilhelm's-Haven " is the best ani safest haven 

 on the north coast of the island." The largest 

 armour-plated vessels, we are assured, could lie 

 there securely, as the harbour is land-locked. The 

 natives cultivate plantations on the c;)ast, and it ia 

 remarked that it would be a difficult, matter to 

 find out the real proprietors, since .''everal settle- 

 ments take part in one plantation. A high mountain 

 chain, far inland from Astrolabe Bai, aud rising 

 some 5,000 or 6,000 metres, but not given on 

 any map, baa been named the Bismarck range. 

 The land opposite Bill Bili, in which are large 

 plantations, is said to be extraordinaiily rich and 

 fertile. Behind Astrolaba Bay, liowcver, all is 

 difi'erent. From Cape Kiguy for sixty miles east are 

 creeks with low banks bordered with trees. There 

 are no coral reefs, but the sea attains a great 

 depth. Havens and anchor-grounds are also lacking. 

 The land is considered well suited for cattle and 

 sheep rearing, and also for ilix cultivation. It 

 i<i everywhere accessible for horses and beasts of 

 burden, so that travelling is eiisy. There must 

 be an abundance of water even in the dritst sea- 

 son, for Dr. Finsch, who sends the abave information 

 acounted 19 large river?. While the advices received 

 from Dr. Finsch concerniog the northern part of 

 the island and its c'imatio conditions are rf the 

 most favociable character, the New Cuinea Company 

 is desirous that all reports, whether favourable or the 

 reverse, should be receiveil with caution pending the 

 result of further iuvestigatiou. It may be remember- 

 ed th it a sliort time ago an expedition, under the 

 leadership of Herr Graliowsky, left Germany for 

 New Guinea. It is to call at Java for the purpo,sc cf 

 recruiting labour, so that it will not arrive at 

 Kaiser Wilhelm's Lm-l till October. But the real 

 scientific m ssiou which this explorer has to guiile 

 into the interior will not leave Gerniauy until 

 November or December next. Herr Grabowsky 

 ia a naturalist of repute ; he h.as had some ex- 

 perience in the mana^'emini. of plantations in Borneo, 

 and is, withal, an excellent linguist, so that he is 

 particularly suitable for the leadership of so difficult 

 au expedition. 



