and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



613 



PINE-APPLE CANNING 



Is a great business at Singapore — and also in 

 the far West of Hawaii islands. We read that 

 there is a boom on in the latter just now: — 

 "The canning men pay one cent (of a dollar) a 

 lb. for pines, Plant 10,000 to the acre — too close, 

 I think — average pine 4 lb;, equals 400 dollars 

 (£80) per acre, loss cultivation and cartage. Not 

 so bad!" — But there is tho great American market 

 for fruit close by. Still, something should be 

 done in the lowcountry of (Jeylon in "canning " 

 for the European market, seeing what is done 

 in the Straits. 



COFFEE-GROWING BONUS FOR THE 

 NEW HEBRIDES. 



The Collector of Customs (Mr. Clayton T 

 Mason) has received the following notification 

 from the Comptroller-General, Melbourne : — 

 " A Government bonus is paid on coffee grown 

 by British labour in tho New Hebrides and 

 imported into the Commonwealth. Ihe pay- 

 ment of this bonus is in the hands of the 

 Department of External Affairs. In connection 

 with this bonus importers of the coffee are 

 required to produce a certificate, from this 

 department at the port of entry, to tho effect 

 that a given quantity of coffee was lauded 

 from a certain vessel which arrived from 

 the New Hebrides." — Westralian paper, May 19. 



SINGAPORE ECONOMIC GARDENS. 



Mr Ridley's Report under this head for last 

 year, includes the following: — 



The garden was kept up in a very good con- 

 dition as well as could bo expected, considering 

 for the greater part of the year, the European 

 staff was reduced to the Assistant only. The 

 export of plants and seeds of economic interest 

 wasgreater than usual, not only in Para Rubber, 

 but in other products, a matter of satisfaction 

 as it shows that the agriculture of tho tropical 

 English colonies is not being confined to Rubber 

 only. There was a demand for seeds of the Oil 

 1'alm (Elaeisquineensis) due to an article in the 

 " Agricultural Bulletin " of this year pointing 

 out the value of this plant in cultivation. Eibro 

 plants were also in great request and though 

 the cultivation of these has been slowly making 

 ita way in the Peninsula, still there are signs of 

 its really playing an important part in the local 

 cultivation in the near future. 



CATCH CEOPS FOR RUBBER 



as represented by Groundnut, Citronell a 

 and Lemon-grass, were in demand. Campho 1 * 

 seedlings were taken for trial in several of the 

 estates in the Federated Malay States. Fruit 

 trees were required also largely for the Feder- 

 ated Malay States, where the supply of fruit its 

 by no means what could be desired. The 1'aia 

 Rubber seed crop was the biggest on record, viz., 

 410,600 of which 405,600 seeds and 13,100 seed- 

 lings were disposed of. TheGutta Percha fruited 

 wed and 1,380 seeds wore sunt to Mauritius, but 



travelled vory badly. Of WiUoughbeia firma, 18 

 seedlings were sold. Besides these 100,000 

 Rubber seeds were purchased, packed and sent 

 to British New Guinea. Fibre plants were sold 

 as follows :— Ramie 3,170, Sanseviera 10,000, 

 Manila Hemp 130, Mauritius Hemp 150 and of 

 fruittreos various kinds 1,700 plants and 12,000 

 seeds. A big sending of Coconuts to Lagos was 

 3,000 nuts in crates, and requiring 30 carts to 

 convey them to the docks. Of Tapioca 300 plants, 

 Coffee 125, Citronella 160, Lomon-grass 250, 

 Camphor 750, Cocoa 160, Nutmeg 172, Oil Palm 

 3,030 seeds, Ground-nuts 50 lb. seeds. 

 Tho greater part of these seeds and plants 

 were supplied to the Federated Malay States 

 and Johore, chiefly to Selangor and Perak. Of 

 other Colonies, Lagos, British New Guinea, 

 Southern Nigeria, and the Caroline Islands wore 

 the chief recipients. Tho total export of plants 

 and seeds this yoar was: — 



Economic Plants ... 18,085 



Ornamental Plants ... 6,744=24,829 



Economic Plant Seeds ... 525,310 

 Ornamental Plant Seeds (sold and exchanged) 

 8 packets. When the Gutta Percha trees were 

 fruiting, the fruit bats attacked the fruit in 

 such numbers that it was with difficulty that any 

 of the crop was saved at all. The lower part of 

 the best tree was covered with cloth and nets, 

 lights were put in the tree and a Tamil Bat- 

 catcher employed. 



rubber-planting in s. mmm* 



South Coorg, May 2S. — With regard to rubber, 

 holing for planting out Para has been com- 

 menced, and Ceara seedlings are being raised 

 to supply vacancies in existing Ceara clearings, 

 and for planting extensions. Both the above 

 will be planted out as soon after the setting 

 in of the S.-W. monsoon as circumstances will 

 permit. Unfortunately, at present labour is 

 not at all equal to requirements. One reason 

 for this is that coolies were paid off late in 

 tho season, and many who went back to their 

 villages have not returned. Coast contractors 

 have to be largely employed to make up for the 

 deficiency in estate hands, but even they are 

 slow in coming in. The Ceara clearings have 

 come on most encouragingly. Wild pigs have 

 proved destructive in uprooting plants, but tho 

 proportion so destroyed is not large, and 

 beyond this there are not many vacancies to sup- 

 ply. The Para plants from seed put down last 

 September and October have grown very well 

 in the nurseries, having attained a height of 2 

 feet in many cases. If this growth is maintained 

 in the held, it will be most satisfactory.—* 

 Madras Times, June 1. 



YOUNG BEES AND THEIR LARVAE 



(Of a certain wild species) are regarded as a de« 

 lioacy in food in some parts of Japan. The boea 

 live in earth holes and are caught by being 

 smoked into stupefaction by burning gun- 

 powder at the entrance, Tho dish is prepared 

 with sugar and " Shozu "sauce, and is sold in tin, 

 cans. One kilo (2 1-5 lb.) costs !ij yen or 10s, 



