898 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



and tho manner in which they should be con- 

 ducted. These stations, of which there are at 

 present five, have become very popular, and 

 next year a number of others will be started. 



The result of establishing them has been to 

 make the larger proprietors take a lively interest 

 in scientific experiments carried out on their 

 own estates — experiments designed to answer 

 questions and solve problems connected with 

 their own soils and conditions. 



it is as yet too early in the history of these 

 experiments to be able to give, with any confi- 

 dence,', numerical results, but two facts are 

 already apparent : firstly, that cocoa grown on 

 the heavy red clay soils of Grenada responds 

 quickly^and liberally to the applications of lime; 

 and secondly, that pen manure, when applied 

 in heavy dressings and thoroughly and deeply 

 forked in, is of considerable value, and gives 

 results that compare very favourably with 

 mineral and chemical fertilizers. — Agricultural 

 News, Feb. 22. 



MR. KELWAY BAMBER'S NEW 

 PROCESS OF PREPARING RUBBER. 



Of great interest to rubber planters in Ceylon 

 will bo that rubber biscuits prepared by Mr. 

 Ivelway Bamber"s new process sold for 4s. per 

 lb. on 3rd April. This beats the price (3s. 10s. 

 per lb.) given for some very pale even biscuits 

 from Warriapolla on March 6th, which was the 

 highest figure obtained for plantation rubber 

 since the early part of January this" year. The 

 event marks a new era in the preparation of 

 Ceylon rubber for the market. Mr. A. Bruce, 

 B. Sc., Mr. Kelway Bamber's assistant in Ceylon, 

 courteously informed us that the biscuits were 

 ordinary rubber biscuits prepared by a special 

 process of manufacture, which rendered them 

 perfectly pure and nearly as clear as glass in 

 appearance. * Already several estates in Ceylon 

 are manufacturing their biscuits by this process, 

 and such biscuits have been topping the market 

 in price all round. The process, which is a sim- 

 ple one, may possibly not be patented, but plant- 

 ers can of course learn all about it by consulting 

 the firm in the ordinary business way. _ Mean- 

 time we congratulate Mr. Bamber on being the 

 means of placing this advance in the method 

 of preparing rubber within reach of rubber 

 planters and giving the plantation rubber indus- 

 try yet another advantage over its competitors 

 in the West. 



CIGARS FROM LONDON GROWN 

 TOBACCO. 



We extract the following remarks from our 

 contemporary, Tobacco : " Cigars made from To- 

 bacco actually grown in London appear an im- 

 possibility and an absurdity; but in reality they 

 are neither. A portion of the 1906-7 London 

 Tobacco crop, grown experimentally at Regent's 

 Park for tho last International Tobacco Exhibi- 

 tion, has been manufactured. The pbmts were 

 shown at the last Tobacco Exhibition— at the 

 next, which takes place on the 21st inst. at the 

 Royal Horticultural Hall, the cigars themselves 

 will be shown. For the first time a representa- 



tive selection of commercial seed from Cuba, 

 America, Germany and other Tobacco growing 

 countries has been brought to maturity on Eng- 

 lish soil. Tobacco growing is looming large just 

 now as a first-class problem for Parliament. 

 Ireland has wrested her charter of liberty in 

 this respect from the Government; Scotland has 

 already put forward a Bill for similar emancipa- 

 tion. And now, after all this, we have at one 

 sweep the London grown and London-cured leaf 

 and the cigar manufactured therefrom. These 

 cigars, let us hasten to add, are smokable, 

 though a certain measure of patriotism and 

 London pride is required to rise to the level of 

 their aroma and taste. But one thing they are, 

 and that is honest. They maj be described 

 without offence under the Merchandise Marks 

 Act as the 1906-7 London crop, and as English all 

 through, wrapper, 'bunch,' and filler. In order 

 that the British public may see what London 

 can do in the way of Tobacco growing, it has 

 been arranged to make a special exhibit of these 

 cigars at the Tobacco Exhibition as part of a 

 display in which the pick of United States and 

 Colonial leaf will also be included. They will be 

 labelled Flor de London." — Gardeners' Chronicle, 

 March 14. 



MANURES FOR VINES: ANXIOUS. 



Nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia sup- 

 ply immediately available nitrogenous plant- 

 food, while sulphate of potash and superphos- 

 phate supply the mineral elements only. Bone 

 meal supplies both phosphates and a little 

 slowly-acting nitrogen. For vines mix together 

 one part sulphate ammonia, two parts sulphate 

 potash, and three parts superphosphate, and 

 apply at the rate of \ oz. per square yard once a 

 week from the time the laterals are 1 foot in 

 length until the borries begin to colour. The 

 mixture may be sown on the surface and watered 

 in with a weak dilution of drainings from the 

 cow-shed. Each watering after the Crapes are 

 set should be sufficient to pass through the soil 

 and drainage. When vines are in a strong, 

 healthy condition and heavily cropped, and it is 

 doubted whether the berries will finish perfectly, 

 a good external watering of cowshed drainings 

 through a liberal mulch of rotten manure very 

 often turns the scale in favour of the Grapes. 

 Immediately after the Grapes are cut, both the 

 external and internal borders should receive an 

 application of bone meal at the rate of \\ ozs. 

 per square yard, to be lightly forked in. The 

 vines will also derive great benefit from another 

 mulching of short manure or decaying leaves to 

 keep the surface moist during the autumn 

 months. For Peaches, lightly fork into the 

 border during winter or very early in spring a 

 mixture composed of two parts bon6 meal, one 

 part sulphate of potash, and three parts super- 

 phosphate, to be given at the rate of 4 ozs. per 

 square yard. When the Peaches are set, and 

 the treet are in free growth, a liberal application 

 of diluted cow-shed drainings should be given 

 every evening, as the roots then have the bene- 

 fit of a cool, refreshing bath, extending through- 

 out the night. At this stage of growth, and 

 more especially if the weather is warm, it is not 

 easy to water a properly-drained tree too libe- 

 rally, — Gardeners' Chronicle, March 4. 



