562 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



LIME AND PHOSPHATES IN SOILS. 



Experiments that have been conducted for 

 several years in Russia appear to demonstrate 

 that, in soils containing a small amount of lime, 

 the absorbtion of phosphoric acid by the plant 

 takes place to such an extent as to interfere 

 with its growth, because of the presence of an 

 excessive amount of the acid. As the amount of 

 calcium carbonate is increased in the soil by 

 applications of lime, the absorbtion of phos- 

 phoric acid decreases, and eventually the stage 

 is reached at which this takes place to so small 

 an extent as to cause the plants growing in such 

 a soil to exhibit all the symptoms of a lack 

 of phosphorous, even in the presence of a good 

 supply of that element. — West Indian Agricul- 

 tural News, October 2. 



KOLA. 



The quantity and value of kola, which grows 

 most plentifully in the forests of Ashanti and 

 Akim, have steadily increased in the last six 

 years, and the output in 1908 surpassed all pre- 

 vious records. It is exported chiefly by 

 Mohammedans to Southern Nigeria for con- 

 veyance to the upper reaches of the Niger. 

 European planters have now commenced to 

 cultivate it, and the Agricultural Department 

 has established plantations at Aburi and Tarkwa. 

 — British and Colonial Druggist, Oct. 29. 



TEA CULTURE IN RUSSIA. 



[Many of the so-called Russian teas with which the 

 trade is familiar are grades of China tea which may or 

 may not hare been blended or packed in Russia. The 

 only tea that grows in Russia is that grown on the tea 

 garden of the Imperial Domain estate at Tchakra, near 

 Batoum, and other smaller gardens around it. The tea 

 on this estate is of the Kangra Valley variety, and the seed 

 was brought to Russia from India.] 



There are any number of .Russian teas on the 

 American market, but perhaps it is not gene- 

 rally known that Russia grows little or no tea, 

 and that most of these so-called Russian teas 

 are really teas grown in China, India and Ceylon, 

 and shipped to Russia for blending and packing. 



There is one tea estate in Russia, however, 

 and ,l The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal ,; has 

 been fortunate in having taken especially for it 

 some good photographs of this garden. This is 

 theonly tea estate of any consequence in Russia, 

 and is known as the tea garden of the Imperial 

 Domain Estate. 



A FOCE-HUNDKED-AOKE ESTATE. 



The garden is located at Tchakra, 13 versts 

 (two-thirds of a mile) from Batoum. The ac- 

 companying illustrations show views on this tea 

 estate during the plucking season. There is 

 also a picture showing a view of the tea factory. 

 The tea on the Imperial Domain estate is 

 gathered yearly, and the average annual pro- 

 duction is a trifle over 100,000 pounds. The 

 permanent workmen employed on the estate 

 number about 100 but when the plucking season 

 comes on there are some 300 labourers hired 

 for extra work. 



The area of the tea gardens is about 400 acres. 

 The manager of the plantation is a Chinaman, 

 who is thoroughly versed in tea culture. 



About five years ago Mr Popoff, the well- 

 known tea merchant, started in to cultivate tea 



around the Imperial Domain at Tchakra, and 



also in other places nearer to Batoum. A con- 

 servative estimate credits Mr Popoff with having 

 spent over 1,000,000 roubles on the enterprise, but 

 owing to the social and economic conditions at 

 present obtaining in Russia, he was forced to 

 suspend. It is thought likely that something 

 further may be done in regard to extending tea 

 culture in this section at a later date. 



Tea Cultukk and Peepaeation. 



The quality of the tea grown on the estates of 

 the Imperial Domains is principally Kangra 

 "Valley. The crop is gathered on the Ceylon 

 system, an interval being allowed between each 

 plucking. The bushes are gone over twice at 

 each plucking. The machinery employed in the 

 factory of the Imperial Domains was erected by 

 the Sirocco Works of Belfast. 



The Messrs Popoff's estates are situated at 

 three different points near Batoum. The area 

 under cultivation on the three estates is 312 

 acres, of which about 100 acres have been under 

 tea for about ten years. The crops on these 

 estates are gathered on the Chinese system. 

 The tea produced is stronger than the Chinese 

 tea, none of it being wasted. There are four 

 qualities , the first is sold at 90 cents, the second 

 at 70 cents per pound, the third at 58 cents per 

 pound, and the fourth 'dust) is made into tab- 

 loids and sold for the use of soldiers at 12 cents 

 per pound (about 6d per English pound). 



Both firms engaged in the cultivation of tea 

 have spared neither money nor pains in their 

 endeavours to render their respective enter- 

 prises a success. Tea planting in the Caucasus 

 may at some remote period become sufficiently 

 advantageous to warrant its being generally 

 adopted, but for tho present the industry has 

 not assumed any commercial significance. — Tea 

 and Coffee Trade Journal., October. 



"PASPALUM DILATATUM" GRASS. 



The Peradeniya Curator's letter below is of 

 considerable interest. Certainly Trimeu does 

 not make mention of the Australian grass in 

 question ; while the " Treasury of Botany" only 

 states that it belongs to tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions. Is anyone growing it on a 

 large scale in Ceylon ? 



Peradeniya, Nov. 16th. 



Deak Sir, — With reference to the paragraph 

 in your issue of 12th iusfc. on the above subject, 

 it would be interesting to know how this grass 

 first became known as a native of Ceylon. It 

 was first introduced here (from Australia) a few 

 years ago as a valuable fodder grass, being at 

 the time boomed in Australia as "a wonderful 

 grass of Ceylon " ! The reason for this may 

 have originated with the intention of gaining 

 an advantage from Ceylon's reputation for valu- 

 able products. The grass is really a native of 

 Brazil, so that its introduction into Georgia is 

 not quite such a far cry as Mr. Dal lis apparently 

 thought. It thrives to perfection at the higher 

 elevations in Ceylon, and is a valuable acqui- 

 sition as fodder and for binding railway banks, 

 &c. I 896 that the name 11 Dallis grass " has 

 been given it in America, while in Australia it 

 has been christened " The Golden Crown." — 

 Yours faithfully, H. F. MACMILLAN. 



£v 



