Mav I, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



74 J 



dry state. The Favier-Fr6my process entirely s ui-- 

 mounts this difficulty at slight expense, ami the 

 uses to which the fibre produced thereby can be 

 put are so numerous that its consumption will 

 only be limited by its production. The natural 

 field for the growth of tins' plant is in India, 

 where large tracts of laud arc being specially planted 

 with it ; but it will probably grow in almost any 

 tropical country, and the West Indies, Northern 

 Australia, and South and West Africa will no 

 doubt bo found suitable for its production. Some 

 experimental areas have been planted with success 

 in Egpyt and on the shores of the Mediterranean, 

 and ?ts cultivation is being taken up in Burmah 

 and the Straits Settlements. In fact, its area of 

 cultivation is no less unlimited than the field for 

 its industrial use. 



At intrevals for years back we have seen state- 

 ments like this, but they have never been con- 

 firmed. Khea or ramie produces a strong and 

 beautiful fibre, but it is an exhaustive crop, 

 and it is most difficult and expensive to clear 

 away the wood and gummy portions of the 

 stalks. 



NORTH BOENEO: GOLD AND PRODUCTS. 



(/.'r((is/( Nui-tk Borneo Gazette, March 1st.) 

 Captain Beeston, whose services we informed our 

 readers in our last number had been secured by 

 this Government for the purpose of making a 

 Mineralogical and Geographical Survey of the 

 country, was to have left for Segama at midnight 

 on the Kith ultimo, but a few hours previously a 

 gale sprang up and has only has just moderated ; 

 as we write (February 28th), everything being in 

 readiness the expedition will probably start to- 

 morrow or next day. It will be accompanied by 

 Mr. Henry Walker and a Chinese merchant in- 

 terested in the gold'aiscovery. Mr. WaUier proceeds 

 to point out the localities where he had previously 

 discovered gold. 



Gutta Percha has been discovered in the Manka- 

 ladom district, one day's journey from Putatan 

 '■ tamu," on the route to Tambunan, and a party 

 are shortly going up to work it. The Mankaladom 

 people are. said, up to now, to be ignorant of its 

 value and gutta trees cut down by them in making 

 " padi " dealings, are left to rot where they 

 lie. Cinnamon is also reported in Ulu Putatan 

 and Ulu Tawaran considerable quantities of this 

 spice used formerly to be exported from Putatan, 

 and Kimanis. 



Liwan tobacco continues to come down to Putatan 

 "tamu." A Javanese planter who recently saw a 

 Bample of it, pronounced it to be superior to any 

 tobacco grown in Java. It seems a pity that 

 public attention is not drawn more to these tobacco 

 districts ; where a planter would only rc(iuire to 

 direct his attention to tlie ciuestion of transport, 

 the question of soil capability having been solved 

 for the last two hundred years probably. The 

 native " tamu " at Ulu I'apar and Ulu Tawaran, 

 as also that at Ulu Sungei Damit, Tawaran, are 

 all rapidly developing. 



Two experienced assistants, Messrs. Groenert and 

 Thihs. from Deli, Sumatra, have joined the estate at 

 Limbuak, Banguey, also a batchof .50 Chinese coolies. 

 The site of the late crop has been planted up 

 with native paddy, which is doing well, while all 

 round felhng and burning goes on merrily for this 

 year's crop. There is very little sickness among 

 the coolies. A cuhstautial cart-road in the direction 

 of Mitford ha& been commenced. 



THE BULKING OF INDIAN TEA. 



To the Editor of tlie Home Mm Coloni.\l Mail. 



S]R,_'\Ve have seen .some correspondence in your 

 Inst i.ssue on the subject of tea bulking; aud wbil.st 

 we should not go so far a.s to .say th.it h.ilf the luilian 

 tea now soUl ici the public sales is of uneven quality, 

 we ale quite of opiuiou that reasonable grounds of 

 complauit ilo exist in r<-g:ird to the system on which 

 the b\ilkingis done. Iriegularities in quality are too 

 frequent, even with some of ihe largest and oldest 

 gardens. Buyers naturally ask bow it is that the Uhiiio.so 

 can bulk 600 chests of one break so accurately that 

 rebulkiiig in Loudon has never to be resorted to whilst 

 Indian planters are so careless about it that frequently 

 in bleaks of tea said to be bulked at the factory, ami 

 even many of those which have been bulked in London 

 some chests will be more dusty than the rest, some more 

 stalky, and others almost out of condition. We have 

 no desire to make uniiecessay complaint hut we beg to 

 remind planters and importers that the ludian tra 

 business lias now reaclieil such magnitude that the time 

 of brokers aud hujeis is .so fully occupied with work 

 ni-ccs.sary t5 Uie carrying on of the regular business 

 that every hour takt-n up in making and settling claims 

 which, if the bulking were accurate, should never arise 

 is an utterly unprofitable and needless waste of energy. 

 It is but fair to say that some of the selling brokers 

 are always ready to adjust a reasonable claim ; whilst 

 others invariably profess themselves unable to dis- 

 cover irregularities which must be apparent to the 

 merest tyro. — We are, &c., 



Taylor, Coi.man and Sudlow, 



IxLu.iN Tka Assochtion. — Regarding the forth- 

 coming Colonial and Indian Exhibition, the Associa- 

 tion state they have failed to induce the Government 

 to give a grant-in-aid. This illiberality of the Indian 

 Government contrasts badly with the handsome 

 generosity shown by the Ceylon authorities, who 

 have awarded the Planters' Association there a 

 handsome sum for the purpose of aiding a com- 

 plete representation of Ceylon teas. The Syndicate 

 itself, however, intends to devote the balance of 

 its own funds, some B0,200, for the purposes of 

 the exhibition of Indian tea, and the money could 

 hardly be better s.^en\,.— Indian Tea Gazette. 



Vitality oi' Palm Trees In his German Garden 



.Journal (Dcnisehe Garten-Zcitnng) Dr. Wittmack, 

 Professor of Botany at Berlin, gives a most striking 

 instance of the longevity inherent in trunks of 

 palm 'trees of the genus " Cycas." He says :^" In 

 the large palmery of the renowned seed and nursery 

 establishment of Mr. J. C. Schmidt at Erfurt (Ger- 

 many), there have existed for the last eight years 

 two runks of Cycas media, having a height of 

 thirteen and sixteen feet respectively, and being, 

 consequently, specimens of such dimensions as were 

 never before brought to Europe. These two trunks, 

 forming a portion of a large cargo brought from 

 Queensland, were on their arrival in 187?, considered 

 to quite dead, but, for the sake of curiosity, they 

 were, nevertheless, planted in the ground. Imagine 

 the astonishment ot everybody concerned at find- 

 ing that these ' mummies ' had suddenly returned 

 to life, their crowns ornamented with wreaths of 

 thick foliage, which is now completety grown and 

 affords a most imposing sight 1 It is to be hoped 

 that these two scions ot the primevel vegetation 

 of an epoch far remote will continue to thrive, 

 with ' stature unbent by age," and not again re- 

 linquish the youthful activity so sudileiily dis- 

 played, and tliat a chance may be alTonled them 

 for making up for the loss they sustained during 

 the enjoyment of eight years of somnolent bcati- 

 utded." 



