June i, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



825 



other country mentioued in the list in that category 

 being Sweden, a country amalgamated with Norway, 

 which is separately scheduled. 



In compiling the foregoing particulars, all ships bear- 

 ing a tJovernnient couiinission of any sort, except trans- 

 ports, have been excluded ; nevertheless, mon-of-war of 

 various nationalities and departmental vessels are daily 

 calling in at Col >mbo, and not in frequently at the other 

 ports; 30 that, wtre their tonagc included in ihe list, 

 the total would be enhanced amazingly. 



TRADE WITH THE UXrTED STATE.S. 



As hereinbefore mentioned, the iuijKjrt from llie 

 I'nitcd States direct was S39,40S worth of k'-rosine oil ; 

 and the exports to our country were 11,0:19 tons, valued 

 at .S9-J'2,5?.7. The only marked feature in this return 

 is the increase in coconut oil, of $42,.543, ihe total 

 quantity being S150,t»lt0. and largely in excess of any 

 previous years' showing. There was also an increase 

 of nearly i?70,0llij with respect to plumbago, though Ihe 

 i|uantity shi)jped was below that of the previous year 

 by 3,0<^IO tons ; a circumstance probably iuilicative of a 

 renewed demand in America for a superior quality of 

 that article. 



PLANTING IN NETHEELANDS INDU. 



(Traiisliited for the fitrait.i Tinwu.) 

 A Mr. Booth at Pasaritan in Java has just made 

 a very important invention in the shape of a 

 centrifugal which can be filled with sugar and 

 emptied of it witliout its speed being in any wise 

 lessened. Mr. Sargent, an engineer in thii employ 

 of the well known firm of Manlove, Elliott, Fryer 

 & Co., found it so efUcient that after getting full 

 particulars about the invention, he left for Britain 

 direct to inform his employers of the discovery, in 

 order to make arrangements with them for the 

 manufacture of improved centrifugals. 



Throughout Java, good Manila cigars have proved 

 so hard to get except at high prices since the 

 abolition of the tobacco monopoly in the Philippines, 

 that tiutch cigars, never at any time an enjoyable 

 -article, are beginning to oust the Manila ones 

 e5i)ecially since they are now made in Holland 

 more carefully, so as to suit the climate of Java. 



THE 



THE 



INDIAN GOYEENMENT ANT) 

 CINCHONA BARK TRADE. 



Mr. L. M'lver asked .the Under-Secretary of State 

 lor India whether during the last two years the 

 (iovernment cinchona plantations on the Neilgherry 

 hills had been extended by nearly half a million 

 trees ; wliether it was true tliat a large amount of 

 private capital had been invested in cinchona cultiv- 

 ation on the Neilgherry hills ; whether, with regard 

 to the statement contained in the despatch, April 

 4th, 1871, of tlie Secretary of State for India, " It 

 should be clearly understood that the Government 

 have no intention of embarking permanently in the 

 bark trade. In sending their cincliona bark to the 

 Ijondon market, one object is certainly to repay the 

 cost of introduction and experimental cultivation of 

 the plants ; but the principal intention of the 

 I Iovernment in sanctioning this measure is to act as 

 a pioneer in establishing the reputation of the 

 Indian-grown barks, and not to injure the prospects 

 of private planters, whose sucoeas would give the 

 Government very great satisfaction;" whether it 

 was true that the Government of India since that 

 time had continued and extended their investments 

 in that branch of commerce ; and whether it was the 

 intention of the Indian Government to continue in 

 competition with ))nvate enterpirise. 



Sir U. KayShuttleworth : I can answer my hop. 

 friend's lirst three questions in the aflirmotive, only 

 reminding him that the Duke of Argyll, in a de- 

 spatch to the Government of Madras of the .sams 



clearly necessary that the Government should retain 

 the plantations in their own hands for the present. 

 The time has not, therefore, arrived for linally 

 deciding upon the question of their retention or 

 eventual sale. As at present Informed, however, I 

 incline to the opinion that a portion of the planta- 

 tions, with the manufactory, should remain perma- 

 nently under (iovernment superintendence." Though 

 it has never been the intention of the Indian 

 Governmeut to contiuua permanently in the bark 

 trade, the time for withdrawing from it has been 

 deferred during scientific investigations on the subject 

 of the production of a cheap febrifuge. — Home Neir.' 

 ♦ 



Cnvi'TOMERiA Japontca.— We are glad to learn that 

 tlie Local Board of Nuwara Eliya have purcliased 

 5 lb. of the seed introduced by Mr. Deane from 

 Japan, and Mr. Nock wants Government to buy 

 the balance, as the tree is one of the linest and 

 fastest growmg at Hakgala. We recently obtained 

 some seed from Darjiling, where the tree has long 

 been established, and is grow ing freely. We mean 

 to plant our lU-acielot near the Nuwara Eliya Bund 

 with this Japan pine, with Tooiia cfdivlit and Ore. 

 villea robiiitd. a,\\ >i>:(i to allow thinning out. Can 

 any reader offer objection or suggestion ? What 

 other tree is recommended, apart from eucalj-pts, 

 of which there is a superabundance on Abbotsford ? 

 A correspondent advises planting C. Japonka " in 

 belts as closely as cotton trees. The lower branches 

 die and you have a perfect wall of timber." 



Tuv. Blackstone TeaEolleu.— Mr. H.-irber writes as 

 follows : — ■' You will remember favoring us with 

 a call, a few months since, with the manage'r of 

 Carolina accompanying you. He is now .studying 

 the achievements of the " roller " at his own leisure, 

 in his own factory, as tlie enclosed will show 

 you. With the power he can bring to bear on the 

 "roller" at that model f.actory I learn he gets 

 in I'iO lb. at a fill, and works it off in '20 minutes. 

 This includes the filling and discharging The K.' 

 A. W. rolling may be a trifle longer and heavier 

 than mine, to suit the system and mode of manu- 

 facture adopted there, no doubt, but it is gratify- 

 ing to know that with sufficienl po\vtr the capa- 

 city of the "roller" is raised to \'i(\ lb. at a fill. 

 Mr. Armstrong thought I could drive it much 

 faster and finish much quicker. It may be of 

 interest to know that English-made machines will 

 be shipped from next month. Tea is down in the 

 higher grades quite 2d per lb. and I have been 

 no exception. If things don't mend I .shall run 

 the gauntlet for 10-penny teas against all comers 

 and play tennis in the afternoon." 



.,. x^ T, u ^■^'"- """• '^<»^F»cFwy, 28th April 1886. 

 T. H. Barber Esq. 



Dear Sir,— The Bkckstone " roller " in use here gives 

 great satisfaction, though leaf received at this factory 

 is coarser tbari what is usually plucked, a charge of 1 20 

 lb. withered leaf is well rolled and twisted in 20 minutes 

 Very little power is needed to drive the machine— I 

 am, dear sir, vours faithfully, W. Meooinson 



Strictly speaking, this " communiitation is an 

 advertisement and ought to be paid for as such. 

 The agents of Mr. Jackson's machinery include testi- 

 monials in their advertisements, and" we have been 

 asked why we make exi'ejitions in other cases. 

 Our reply is th.-it in tlic earlier stages of inven- 

 tions calculated to be of advantage to the groat 

 enterprizc of the country, we feel bound to allord 

 such encouragement as wo can to those who direct 

 labour and iiigeuuity to the benefit of the whole 

 body of pUmters as well as their own. When the 

 merits of an invention have been thoroughly tested 

 and ure well-known, however, tlip casf is difTerpnt 

 and future testimonials in favour cf the Black- 



