375 



up of very fine sand and clay, the result of the washing down of 

 volcanic dust. The deposits are composed essentially of an 

 andesite, a rock which usually contains from 5 to 1.34% of 

 potash, so important an element in tobacco soils. An analysis 

 of the volcanic ash shows that it is rich in lime (7.6%) and 

 potash (2.1%) and moderately rich in phosphoric acid (.3). 



In Java each piece of land is only cultivated every other year 

 and is allowed to go under peasants' crops, usually rice, for the 

 intervening period. As rice only occupies the land for about a 

 hundred days, three crops are obtained between every two of 

 tobacco. The distribution of crops is somewhat as follows : 

 January to May, first rice crop ; June to October, second rice 

 crop; November to ]\Iarch, third rice crop; March to August, 

 preparation for tobacco ; August to December, tobacco crop. 



The estimated yield of rice is given as 100 piculs ( 1 picul= 

 136>^ lbs.) per bouw (1^ acres). This, taking 45 lbs. to the 

 bushel, is at the rate of about 170 bushels per acre. The to- 

 bacco crop is given as 20 piculs per bouw. equivalent to 1554 lbs. 

 or nearly 14 cwt. per acre. 



These excellent yields, remarks the Bulletin, are due in the 

 first place to the depth and richness of the soil, and also to the 

 careful and thorough methods adopted by the Javanese peasants 

 in preparing the soil. The rotation of the two crops may also 

 have a specific influence. 



The rice crop is not manured but the irrigation water is gener- 

 ally rich in organic matter of manurial value. Where the water 

 supply is deficient for wet paddy, maize, soy. bean, groundnut, or 

 dry rice is grown. 



Water being of such importance in tobacco culture, the avail- 

 able supply is carefully conserved and utilized by means of reser- 

 voirs and channels. 



VEXERABLE FOREST MOXARCHS. 



The oldest living things in the world are the sequoia trees in the 

 General Grant and Sequoia National Parks. The government has 

 just issued a bulletin telling all about them and how to get to 

 them. These trees are also the tallest trees known. Within the 

 two parks there are 13 groves containing over 12,000 trees larger 

 than 10 feet ni diameter. 



It is estimated that some of these trees were growing 4,000 

 years ago. In fact, annual wood rings have been counted on one 

 of the fallen giants in the Sequoia park showing that it had 

 reached that age. 



The great pines of the Pacific coast, 400 and 500 years old. 

 have reached old age, but the sequoia trees, several times as old 

 as the great pines, are still in the bloom of youth. 



They do not attain prize size or beautv before they are 1,500 

 years old, and are in their prime when 2,000 years old, not be- 



