Auqust i, 1889.] THE TROFIOJtt. AffttKHSLTU Rl ST. 
107 
down with a prolific crop that would astoniah those 
who raise it in thiB country under glass or in the 
open air. Figs are never so enjoyable as when 
partaken of fresh plucked from the parent tree, al- 
though, of course, from necessity, those from the 
East only reach us in their preserved or dried con- 
dition. Green figs — by which I mean fresh gathered 
figs — are only to be had for a few weeks each sea- 
Bon, and are mostly grown in the Channel Islands, 
Guernsey also paying special attention to their culture, 
whilst around Worthing, on the South Coast, they 
are also raised in quantity. A few from the South 
of France and Spain reach the English markets in 
small flat wooden boxes, holding as a rule from nine 
to fifteen fruits each, and are, when sound, very sweet 
and enjoyable. 
To the food reformer figs are invaluable, inasmuch 
as they are full of medicinal virtues, and so nutritious 
as to enable people to live well upon them for 
months when eaten with dry bread. I have made 
many a delioious meal off them, with nothing else 
than a piece of bread and a raw apple or two, 
and always found myself in the best health, strength, 
aud spirits in consequence. An old physician, writ- 
ing a hundred and fifty years ago, says, " Not 
only are figs nourishing, but they quench thrist, 
are good against the stone, resist poison, and agree 
with any age or constitution, and are prizeless hs a 
medicine and food." 
Smyrna sends us a tremendous quantity of this 
popular fruit. The cultivators simply gather the figs 
when ripe, soatter them round the trees, and allow 
them to dry in the sun, when they ere ready for ex- 
portation ; and when we remember that in one year, 
lately, Smyrna exported 21,600,000 pounds weight of 
this fruit alone, it will be seen that this crop is an im- 
portant one with the natives. 
The culture of the fig is simple, and may easily be 
made to become a profitable induBtry. The productions 
of the forcing house and those raised under the shelter 
of wall, aud otherwise in the open air, always — wht n 
well grown — meet a ready demand at profitable rates. 
Two kinds are grown — the white aud the black — and 
although the former are certainly far sweeter than 
the latter, yet they are not so popular with the public, 
presumably on account of their size— the black being 
twice as large, at least, and of better appearance. 
Both kinds are very prolific even in this country, and 
in the channel Islands I know of one tree from which 
ii produced, season after season, extraordinary crops. 
In Florida and California especially, they are laying 
down thousands of trees in consequence of the success 
which has already attended their culture there. 
The cultivators plant them at the rate of one hu idred 
trees to the acre, from which, when full grown, they 
obtain over two bushels of fruit from e.chtree. The 
supply is not equal to the demand, and, in conse- 
quence, they realise at the rate of £40 nett per acre 
from same, and at this price it pays the growers 
exceedingly well, aud more so when we remember 
that one man can manage ten acres of such fruit 
easily, except during the picking season, when extra 
help is necessary. Very few fruit trees require so 
lutlo care or attention, and v, ry few can be said to 
pay better. It should be well known, especially after 
the good w ork that has been done through the powerful 
influence or The Weekly Times and Echo, that bene- 
ficial result, must, and always do, follow in a remarkable 
manner the fr.e use— especially in the spring— of fruit 
as food. 
Fruit is in itself a perfect food when fully ripe, 
and, used in conjunction with other things, it will be 
found that we shall be less liable to suffer from gout, 
gallstones, aud kindred affections. 
Next to the destructive use— or, rather, abuse— of 
drugs, more sickness and disease is caused by the use 
of improper food thau from auv other cause Man 
violates tue laws of life aud suffers in consequence ; 
but if we regulate our habits, our diet, and our life' 
aud take into the system, with other thinc^, ft plenteous 
supply of citric, acetio, and malic acids, through the 
medium of fresh, ripe fruit, we shall hud that we 
ar» not only enabled to seoure good health, but pro- 
loa K llfe - Sampson Mougan. 
TEA IN AMERICA. 
New York, May 25th. — An investigation in this oity 
has shown that the warning to American tea drinkers, 
sounded by United States Consul Orowell, stationed 
at Amoy, as to the shipment from China to this 
country of much worthless trash, has an excellent 
basis. Notwithstanding salaried Federal tea inspectors 
a vast quantity of such stuff has been admitted here, 
and is selling at 15 cents per pound. 
The New York Commercial Advertise!' comes out 
today with an interesting article on the New York 
Tea Trade. It observes: — " Whilst all kinds of tea are 
drunk in the United States the consumption of par- 
ticular descriptions would seem to follow certain 
parallels of latitude. Thus a line drawn from Albany, 
New York, westward, would indicate in the regions 
north of it the area in which Japans are chiefly 
consumed, this area inoluding Ohio and Michigan. 
In Chinese teas the chief domestic trade is in Oolongs, 
but, judged by a series of years, Japans appear to be 
steadily gaining ground. The higher olasses of Con- 
gou are favoured by the aristocracy of this oity, many 
of whose members, it may be assumed, acquired a taste 
for it, and appreciation of its sedative properties 
during summerings in England ; but the large mass 
of tea drinkers throughout the country prefer teas 
such as Oolongs, Greens, Japans, and mixed with 
their more stringent and excitable qualities. A mo- 
derate export business is carried on from New York 
to Mexico and elsewhere, these teas being consumed 
mainly by foreign residents. The consumption of tea 
in the United States is extremely moderate, the yearly 
consumption being at the average rate of one and »- 
half pound per head. — Cor., L. and O. Express. 
♦ 
HILL-COUNTRY PLANTING REPORT : 
GOOD PLANTING SEA-.ON — PRICE OF TEA SEED — DE- 
MAND FOB PEPPER CUTTINGS AND CULTIVATION ON 
AN EXTENSIVE SCALE — PUSHING OF TEA AMONG 
NATIVES. 
24th June 1889. 
So far this season has been a good planting one, and 
the results are likely to be favourable. Those who are 
putting out tea say very little regarding it, and 
they go about their work with a lack of enthusiasm. 
There is more energy displayed by the men who 
have seed to sell, and it is interesting to notice how 
well the advertised price keeps up. If there is one 
thing a planter hates more than another, it is a fal- 
ling market, and he never agrees to lower his price 
with a good grace. Still even the advertised prices 
for seed are creeping down, while the quality of the 
seed, if anything, is improving. 
Pepper cuttings are being put out here and there, 
and in some cases on rather a large scale. Those 
who have pepper in bearing tell me that they are 
quite satisfied with the price which the local de- 
mand alone allows them. By-and-bye this local 
demand will be overtaken, and in time, we will 
overtake the world's consumption, with — shall I say 
the usual results ? 
There seems a demand for dust, congou and red 
leaf among the natives here and elsewhere, judging 
from the applicants who are prepared to buy. One 
man told me tfo sent it to Southern India for sale 
in the bazaar. Then, another had Jt.ffna as a field 
to work in. The Jaffna man retails his chest by the 
brew : a oent or two are oharged for enough to make 
a strong cup of tea in the morning, and it will pay 
handsomely at thaj, 
It is pleasing to, hear of ; new markets being 
opened any where I Certainly if the millions in the 
plains of the Carnatic woulu take to tea-drinking — 
and get their produce from Ceylon, we are in a 
position to supply it. Would it not be a good 
thing for the Tea Fund to engage the services of 
Mr. Borron for a orusade there in favour of the 
atives drinking tea ? 
