The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



COCONUT DESICCATING IN 

 AUSTRALIA. 



[Communicated.] 



As a result of a successful experiment made 

 with a small trial parcel of Ceylon coconuts 

 at the Parramatta Desiccating Mills in Aus- 

 tralia a shipment of 10,000 nuts went for- 

 ward early this week consigned to that factory. 

 This is probably the first shipment of the kind 

 that has been made to Australia ; certainly 

 nothing for actual commercial purposes has 

 been shipped thither up to the present date 

 [Chamber of Commerce Price Current gives 

 5,000 nuts shipped to 3rd May.— Ed. 

 C. 0.] This opening up of a new market 

 for the Ceylon nuts will undoubtedly prove of 

 considerable interest to all local cultivators of 

 this product, and while the exports continue 

 to increase and fresh centres are established 

 for the consumption of this particular article, 

 prices must naturally be expected to advance 

 in proportion. Statistics indicate that the total 

 exports of desiccated coconuts are steadily on 

 the increase, and any newer lields in the 

 world's markets, where a demand is once cre- 

 ated and consequently led to expand, will tend 

 to stimulate the local industry to an appre- 

 ciable extent. With regard to the latest 

 enterprise in Australia, it is expected that 

 the Ceylon nut, once its better quality is 

 recognised, will gradually oust the article now 

 imported therefrom the closer Dutch territories 

 and such of the South Pacific Islands as now 

 cultivate coconuts. There is at the present 

 moment only one desiccating factory in 

 Australia, but its establishment can only be 

 regarded as the most practical indication that 

 the demand is growing and that there is a 

 sufficient justification for the outlay of a 

 large initial capital in the requisite machi- 

 nery. If this can be said of the Australian 

 Colonies, it is only to be expected that the 

 United Kingdom in addition to Germany, 

 France, Belgium and Holland as well as Ame- 

 rica will in time realise the economy of impor- 

 ting the raw nut and carrying out the desic- 

 cating process by themselves instead of, as at 

 present, importing the manufactured article and 

 leaving rather a large margin of profit, con- 

 sumed in percentages according to value, to 

 middlemen. While on this subject it is interest- 

 ing to note that the fine, medium and coarse 

 grades are by far the most in demand and the 

 fancy grades known as flake and strip (or thread) 

 are seldom stocked in quantities by local millers. 

 This is doubtless due to the fact that the former 

 grades are better adapted to the manufacture 

 of the various and unique forms of confec- 

 tionery now produced. There should be no 

 fear that the demand would in time exceed 

 the supply if the industry is carefully watched 

 locally and the cultivation extended in propor- 

 tion to the increasing demand. It must be 

 remembered that the local consumption alone 

 is very considerable, and when the aggregate 

 exports are reckoned there is every reason to 

 hope that local cultivators will encourage the 

 industry to the fullest possible extent. 



RUBBER ROLLERS. 



We invite attention to Mr. G. H. Golledge's 

 advertisement which appears in this issue. Mr. 

 Golledge's name is already well known in the 

 Rubber Estate Factory through the Michie-Gol- 

 ledge Coagulator, etc. He is now prepared to 

 recommend a set of rollers for dealing quickly 

 and efficiently with the freshly-coagulated latex. 



MADRAS CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL 

 COMMITTEE'S PROGRESS REPORT. 



The following are extracts from the report of 

 the work done by the Committee for the half- 

 year ending the 31st March, 1909: — 



Seeds and Plants. 

 Cassava.— At the request of the Committee the Secretary 

 of the Ceylon Agricultural Society lias supplied 300 Cassava 

 cuttings for experiment by (lie Pudukotta District Associ- 

 ation. It is reported that 50 per cent of the cuttings failed 

 to germinate. 



Guinea Grass.— Arrangements were made for the supply 

 of guinea grass to the Pattukottai Branch Agrieultm.il 

 Association in Tanjoro and to Messrs R Mahadeo & Co., 

 Koyapetta, Madras, from the Palur Agricultural Station, 



Groundnut.— Mr D Markandeya Sastriar of Ongole ap- 

 plied for Japanese groundnut seeds (small and large) for 

 experiment, and the Director of Agriculture has been re- 

 quested to supply him with six Madras measures of the 

 seed. The Committee has also arranged for the supply of 

 Mauritius groundnut seed for five acres to Mr Suryaprakasa 

 Modelliar, Shrotriemdar of Chenneeikuppam, near Poona- 

 mallee. 



Cardamoms. -A gentleman from Madura applied for in- 

 lormation regarding t ho conditions under which cultivation 

 of cardamoms could ho successfully carried on. In reply to 

 a reference made to the Superintendent of the Agri-Horti- 

 cultural Society, Madras, lie was good enough to state that 

 cardamoms are successfully cultivated at an elevation of 

 1,600 to 4,000 feet and with a rainfall of 80 to 120 iuches, 

 and that the cost of reclamation, yield, etc., could not be 

 estimated as so much depended on different conditions 

 of soil, climate, etc. This was communicated to the appli- 

 cant and his attention was drawn to the books on the 

 subject published by Messrs A M and J Ferguson, Colombo. 



American Cottons. -A large landholder of Kevali in 

 Nellore applied for seeds of the best varieties of American 

 cottons and the Director of Agriculture, Bombay, has been 

 requested to supply the gentleman with small quantities 

 of the seven varieties reported to have given satisfactory 

 results, viz., Texas Long staple. King's Improved, New 

 Orleans, Truith, Allen's Hybrid, Tata's Allen's Hybrid and 

 Dharwar American. 



ASSAFCETIDA Plant. — Sometime in 1906, an enterprising 

 member of the Kurnool District Association obtained from 

 a florist in Calcutta t wo plants alleged to have been t he 

 assafo tida plant. Great care was taken in cultivating 

 it, and the plant grew luxuriantly and attracted consider- 

 able attention during the past two years. With a view to 

 extend the cultivation of the plant in the adjoining Guntur 

 District, further enquiry was made and specimens of the 

 leaf were obtained from Kurnool and subjected to expert 

 opinion. The result was the plants have been found to 

 belong to another species altogether, viz.. Gardenia Gum- 

 mifii-a from which a resin called Dikkamalli is obtained, 

 This was communicated to the Associations concerned and 

 a circular letter was also issued to all Associations re- 

 questing them to forward to the Committee specimens of 

 any new seeds or plants for correct identification before 

 undertaking any further experiments. 



Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria.- The attention of the 

 District Association at Salem having been drawn to this 

 subject by articles appearing in the '-Review of Reviews" 

 the Committee asked for further particulars. The Com- 

 mittee found thatexperiments conducted at the Govern- 

 ment jardens at Ootacamund have proved a failure and the 

 consensus of opinion pointed to their unsuitability to the 

 climatic conditions of this Presidency. The Salem Associa- 

 tion has been informed to this effect,— M. Mail, April 19. 



