jyLY, 1910.] 



21 



Fibres. 



from being satisfactory, but two of the 

 largest cop buyers being now out of the 

 market, and the production in excess of 

 the trade's requirements, notwithstand- 

 ing the large amount of spinning machin- 

 ery still standing idle, the spinner 

 struggles against heavy odds and has 

 had a hard time during the greater 

 portion, if not the whole, of the year. 

 The losses on the year's working have 

 been severe, and it does not require two 

 eyes to see this, 



«:• * * < * * 



The American tariff was a mighty in- 

 strument in establishing business on a 

 sound and profitable footing, and the 

 fact that no change of any sweeping kind 

 was made on the linen division imparted 

 confidence, and all that that implies, to 

 every section. The impost on ordinary 



fabrics was kept exactly as before. Im- 

 mense orders for crash, paddings, and 

 household ranges were executed in the 

 coarse or heavy department, and 

 superior domestic and dress linens in the 

 finer centres. Home trade, the colonies* 

 aud the Coutinent have showered orders 

 upon us. The new United States tariff 

 raised the duty on embroidered varieties 

 by 25 per cent., but this has not choked 

 the industry. It is most significant that 

 Dunfermline is busier than ever with 

 this class of work, and the trade is liter- 

 ally booming. Strangely enough, there 

 is no difficulty in getting this class of 

 worker, and yet weavers are as scarce 

 as can be, and no end of looms idle tor 

 want of them. Temporarily the padding 

 trade is quiet. 



* 



DRUGS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



PERUVIAN COCA. 



(From the Chemist and Druggist, Vol. 

 LXXVL, May 21, 1910.) 



Peruvian coca is mainly produced in 

 the valleys of the department of Cuzco, 

 from which city it is distributed to the 

 different parts of the southern depart- 

 ments, where it is largely consumed 

 among the Indian population, the 

 balance being available for export. The 

 quantity received in Cuzco has gradually 

 diminished during the last four years, 



as the following figures show : 1905, 21 

 tons ; 1906, 23 tons ; 1907, 21 tons ; and 

 1908, 20 tons. The exports show a 

 remarkable falling-off, those for 1908 

 being only 1*19 tons, against 5"34 tons in 

 1907 aud 7-98 in 1906. The decrease may 

 be attributed to the development in 

 Ceylon and Java co;;a, and it is probable 

 that ere many years have passed Peru 

 will have lost a valuable asset. Owners 

 of the coca-estates in Peru appear to go 

 on in the old-fashioned humdrum style, 

 without the slightest idea of trying to 

 better or cheapen production. 



EDIBLE PRODUCTS. 



VANILLA CULTURE FOR 

 TROPICAL QUEENSLAND. 



By Howard Newport. 



(From the Queensland Agricultxiral 

 Journal, Vol. XXIV., Pt. 5, May, 1910.) 



Returns- 

 The amount of crop obtained depends, 

 of course, on the size— in this case the 

 length of the vine. One cluster to a 

 yard of vine is a good crop, and a five or 

 six year old vine may produce as many as 

 twenty to thirty clusters. It is not al- 

 ways advisable to let the vine produce a 

 pod for every blossom worked even if it 

 should set. Overbearing must be 

 guarded against, as it stops the growth 

 of the vine, as well as weakens it ; and 



small-sized, thin pods are obtained, 

 followed by a materially lessened crop 

 the next year on account of the paucity 

 of new growth, from which the best 

 flowering is obtained. 



When vines are bearing as much as 

 stated above, therefore, only five or six 

 pods are allowed to form ; but with a 

 lesser flowering up to ten or even twelve 

 pods may safely be allowed in each 

 cluster. 



The first flowers on the cluster are 

 said to produce the finest looking pods, 

 but the last flowers the best in point of 

 quality and aroma. If, however, a 

 number of the first flowers have been 

 set, the pollination of the later ones is 

 uncertain. Also the flowers hanging 

 directly downwards on the cluster give 

 straighter pods, which are easier to cure, 



