June i, iSS6.] 



THE TROPICAt. AGRlCULTVRiST 



iii3 



LONDON TEA LETTER: TEA DRYING. 



You will soon be hoariug of fresh ilovelopnunts nnd 

 improvements in tca-drycrs. These nro certninly not 

 the days for resting on one's oars in the race of life. 

 Our friends wlinso special vocation it is to supply the 

 enterprising tia plantation of to-day with the host means 

 of harvesting his crop, are evidently imbued with a 

 thorough faith in the '• survival of the fittest " (iootrino. 

 Mr. tireig is convinced that his X. L. ALI/. dryer, 

 is the machine of the future, and has anticipated the 

 general verdict somewhat by bestowing upon it his own, 

 by way of designation. This sieving machine for sort- 

 ing is nearer perfection in its line tliau anything I 

 have yet seen. I was vastly pleased with thi; one 

 on exhiliition at South Kensington. Tlanfirs wlio now 

 ruefully contemplate the loss of so many plurkers, in 

 the heiglit of a, vigorous ''tlush, " now re<iiiired in the 

 tea-house, wilt" do well to write for. particulars of these 

 sieving-mncliines. Their price is very moderate, and 

 they arc really most effective and they allow of the 

 tea being Uroken by hand on the upper sieve at will. 

 His tea-roller is a handy little bag machine for small 

 gjirdens, and cheap. It has several very great 

 improvements on I^yle's, and may even bo worked 

 by hand on garileiis not yet .able to afford steam 

 power. 3lr. D.avidson is bringing out a vastly improv- 

 ed dryer on the "Sirocco" principle, called the 

 '■ T, Sirocco ," from its shape, which is somewhat that 

 of the capital '1', with the corners between the arms 

 of the cross and perpendicular filled up with flues. 

 This is the evolution and perhaps the comiiletion of the 

 "No. 3 Sirocco," type now so well thought of by 

 those who have tried it. This new shape will probably 

 be found to givT a greatly iucreased yielil. I have 

 not yet sein more than the drawing, so cannot speak 

 from personal observation .as to the result of splitting 

 the draught. Mr. Davidson, in whom personally all 

 who know him must have great faith, hopes big 

 things of this type and speaks enthusiastically of it, 

 and it is not to be supposed that he would do so 

 without having assured him.self of his grounds before- 

 hand ; consequently we may take it for granted that 

 the merits of this new " Sirocco " are well worth invest- 

 igating by those about to puaehase dryers. Messrs. 

 Cibbs and IJany are also bringing out a gr(;at improve- 

 ment in their dryer, and one that has been tried with 

 marked success in ilr. Gibbs's grain dryers, and which 

 is therefore no longer a mere theory. The improve- 

 ment.') reliite principally to the methoil of applying the 

 draught. As the petitions for patent arc only just 

 being sent out to India by this mail, I am not at 

 liberty to enter into particulars. — Indian riaiitcrs' 

 O'acette. 



j.vPjvnese food plants. 



A list 1 18 been published by Iferr Mueller-Eecck, 

 Yokohama, where the compiler fills the post of Con- 

 sular- jVssis' int of the German Empire. The list goes 

 far to pr< ve the omnivorous character of the Japanese 

 in the matter of goods selected from the vegetable 

 kingdom. jVs with us the Brassicas come in for a 

 larje share of attention, and in all cases for the leaves 

 only. The following may be mentioned : — B. chiuensis, 

 B. orientalis, B, cimpestris, B. Ilapa: of the last 

 named both roots and leaves arc eaten. Of I'laphaiuis 

 sativus, the Radish, eleven sorts are given, of which 

 the roots are eaten fresh, salted, pickled in ilice 

 spirit, and also decayed. Oranges, Shaddocks, and 

 Lemons are found in six species. I'e.-is andlUansure 

 used both for the seeds and pods; but they differ 

 much from our new kinds. iSoja hispida (the Sr)y 

 Bean I is grown in twenty-four varieties, and are chiefly 

 used for so// aud wwf. The roots of Dolichos hirsutns 

 arc employed for the preparation of starch and moid. 

 la the ease of D. incurvos, D. uinbellatus, D. bicon- 

 tortus, and D. ensiforme, the seeds and pods are used 

 for the same purposes. The seeds of plants allied to 

 our Scarlet Ilunuer Bean, viz., Phaseolus radiatus, P. 

 r, pendulas, P. r. subtrilobatus, and P. vulgaris are 

 used . 



iOi 



The fruits of Prunus tomentosa are used in tlie 

 ripe state for eating raw and for jam, and in the uu- 

 ripe state in salt and vinegar as pickles. The petals 

 of the flowers of P. Pseudo-cerasus are salted, and 

 likewise used in water as a llivotir to drink. The fruits , 

 of P. jiiponica, which were figiin-d in the Ganliners' 

 CItvonicle, No. r>T6 p. 45, and those of P. incisa aro 

 eaten. The Pear, the (Juince, the Apple, aud several 

 other varieties of Pyrus occur in the list. 



I'nder I'mbellit'er:.- are Kciiuiculuni vulgare, Oorian- 

 drum sativum, and Daucus carota. I'ndir the name 

 of Shinu-giku the leaves and lIowiTS of Chrysanthe- 

 mum eoronarinm aro eaten, and tlu^ flowers of Pyre- 

 thrum Chinese are eaten stoepeil iu vinegar. The roots 

 of Tussil.ago Japoniea and the leaf-stalks of Potasites 

 japonica are used as spices. Dandelions, Lettuces, aud 

 Thistles are used as with us. The leaves of Phytolacca 

 Krempferi aud three other species are used, the first 

 as a vegetable, and the others for flavouring. Kuniex 

 pahnatum and fl. Acetosella are used iu medicine. 

 The fruits of Ficns Carica and F. pumila are iu use 

 as dessert, and those of Ca,staneavesca, Juglans regia' 

 J. .Sieholdiaua, and .1. mandshurica. 



Amongst Oonifer.-e the seeds of the Salisburia adi- 

 antifolia and Torreya nucitera are eaten. In Cycadacero 

 the leaves, pith, and seeds are eaten, sago being manu- 

 facturo<l from the pith. The roots of several species 

 of Arums and Alorasias are used as food. Tho 

 Liliacere furnish the Japan kitchen with many fine 

 bulbs that are. cooked for the table, and those chiefly 

 of sorts which find their greatest appreciation as de- 

 corative plants in llower-beds with us. Apparently .all 

 the roots o( .fapan Lilies are eaten as vegetables, as 

 well as many species of Allium, viz., A. Schosnopra- 

 sum, A. .ireu-arium, A. seneseens, A. odorum, A. cepa, 

 A. fistulosum, and A. ascalonicum. Even Ferns do 

 not escape being eaten, as we find the young fronds 

 of Pteris aquilina and Osmun'da regalis are made use 

 of for food ; aud among Lichens, Bacomyccs digitatus 

 and Usnea florida share the same fate. Of fungi, 

 Puffbiills, Agaricns campestris and one other species 

 of Agaricus, and Tremella auricula are consumed. 

 Two species of Alga; are in a manner cultivated in 

 Japan; small branches, on which Euteromorpba in- 

 testinalis aud E. complanata attach themselves, are 

 stuck into sca-w.ater in September, October, and De- 

 cember, and taken out in November and .January, 

 when tlie sea-weed has grown to a usable size. The 

 above is merely an extract from an interesting list 

 published by the German l.lovernment. which intends 

 further to sujiply agriculturist.s, gardeners, and otliers 

 connected with vegetable cultivation, with seeds o£ 

 the various plants named in Consul Jlueller-Eeeck's 

 report. Amongst the varied productions of Japan and 

 China there are doubtless many plants which can be 

 acclimatised in the milder parts of Europe, and turr.ed 

 to good .account. Our vegetarian enthusiasts should 

 also welcome any addition that would lend piquancy 

 to a fare which, to say the least against it, is unin- 

 viting by its sameness.— Gai'rfewei's' Chronicle. 



ADVANTAGES OF BEET SUGAK OVER CANE 

 SUGAR. 



The great advantages that the Continental agricul- 

 turist and manufacturer have over the Colonial arc— 



l^t.— A plentiful supply of willing hands to labour at 

 moderate wages. 



2nd.— Short time necessary for raw products to come 

 to matuiity. . , , . , 



Vfil — Favourite crops to rotate with licet and a 

 climate suitable for growth of cereals and pobitocs, 

 feeding of stock, Jtc, &c. 



4th.— The roots of such a texture that they can bo 

 easily manipulated, while the residue is of considtiahlo 

 importance as cattle food. . , i. j 



."ith.— (-'heap fuel, with proximity to the best and 

 largest market iu the world and low freiihts. 



Gth.— Climate of Europe mort; favourable f ir workuig 

 saccharine solutions owing to absence of fcrniiut germd; 

 rendering the inanafacture so much more simple. 



