November i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AtOTCULtURIST. 
It is very evident from the tenor of our American 
exchanges that the coffee trade there has not jet be- 
come persuaded that a coffee famine is imminent. The 
New York Commercial Bulletin and the Shipping and 
Commercial List are decidedly " bearish " and their 
influence on the real traders in the bean is sure to be 
a serious feature in the market. 
We are informed by various parties who have travelled 
through the interior that the appearance of the coffee 
plantations is very irregular. In Minas and Rio there 
are districts where the trees appear to be hopelessly 
dried up by the drouth, while others still show life 
enough to yield a moderate crop if the rain should 
soon put in an appearance. In Silo Paulo the Plan- 
tations are in better condition and the new orchards 
may be expected to make up a good part of the defi- 
ciency. 
The statement made by us, six months ago, has 
been confirmed as regards the coffee beans of the present 
crop (1882-90) being to a large extent quakers due to 
the exceptional drought at the end of last and com- 
mencement of the present year. The actual hulling 
is showing that instead of five quartos (of an alqueire) 
producing, as in preceding years, an arroba of clean 
coffee, for this crop to produce the same weight from 
seven to eight quartas are required. — Jornal do Com- 
mercio, Aug. 10th. 
SPORT IN TRAVANCORE. 
Mr. Harry M. Knight writes to us as fol- 
" In your issue of 21st August you recommended 
these parts to Ceylon sportsmen for elephant and 
cheetah huntinn. Let me warn them that shooting 
here is much harder work than in the lowcountry of 
Ceylon and game generally speaking not so varied. 
Elephants are conserved by the Sircar and " per- 
mits to shoot " only granted when damage to 
property is proved, and then only on condition 
that the ivory and teeth are handed over to the 
Sircar if the grantee be in luck. Bison, however, 
is the game " par excellence," and the following 
account of two successful days after them may 
interest your readers. The fir3t day I intended to 
prospect more than shoot, because I had only a 
•450 Winchester repeater available, but after 7 hours 
hard climbing over very rough ground, could not 
resist the temptation to stalk a herd of 7 bison 
and a calf lying down on the opposite face of hill 
(yclept Neddampara). Getting to within 80 yards I 
fired at a young bull standing nearest me, but 
doing no damage repeated dose with same result, 
when to my amazement a splendid bull arose 
apparently from the ground to protect and cover 
the retreat of his beauties. He staggered to my 
first shot and the second brought him on to his 
hind quarters at 150 yards and then the fun began, 
eventually bagging him after 16 shots. 
" The bull killed last week was a most venerable 
and ancient beast. The first shot fell to my lot, but 
I was unable to accept the office on account of 
the nimbleness of my gun-bearer who sought his 
safety and my jeopardy in flight, so that C. W. B 
managed to get in two well-placed shots, the 
latter of whioh grassed him just as he turned to 
charge, when we finished him off , the trophy falling 
therefore to our latest arrival from your island 
to swell his already numerous collection: — 
MEASUREMENTS. 
1st Day's Bull. 2nd Day's Bull 
ft. in. ft. in. 
1 10 ... Length of head 1 10 
3 0 ... Breadth of horns 2 10 
0 0 ... Widest part forehead ... 1 0 
1 5$ ... Round base of horns ... 1 8 
6 8 ... Height 5 3 
Sumatra Tobacco on Flobida. — The Quincy 
Herald gives a very glowing account of the 
tobaoco crop of Gadsden county. The yield 
is large. On all the plantations new barns have 
to be errcted to hold the crop. The area planted 
is 2,000 acres. The imported Sumatra seed has 
done well, and large fortunes are in sight for the 
planter. Why should our rich tobacco lands go to 
waste ? — Ocala Banner in Florida Despatch. 
Cotton Cultivation. — A missionary who tra- 
vels about a good deal writes : — " We are try- 
ing to induce the villagers to plant cotton, 
but they are exceedingly conservative, and 
stick to their paddy cultivation, although the 
returns are bo poor. As I walk through the 
fields and see the thin crops on which they depend, 
I often feel much pity for them, and never lose a 
chanoe of saying a word for cotton. The fact is, 
that these people made something by their coffee- 
gardens in former years, and it may be that the 
failure of that, which really brought in a fair return 
in many cases, discouraged them from attempting 
any other 'new product, ' so that they hang on with 
their rice between fever and starvation. I think the 
Government have done wisely in appointing Mr. H. 
Lewis, late of the Agricultural School, to be Sub- 
Inspector of Schools for the central districts, and I 
hope he may be useful in giving an impetus to 
cotton-cultivation, &c." 
Pottery. — Government has approved the pro- 
porposal of the Director of Public Instruction to 
add pottery to the list of trades specified in the 
Grant-in-Aid Code. Mr. Grigg in submitting his 
proposal remarked. — " Pottery and porcelain ma- 
nufacture are included in the subjects of the higher 
technical examination, but pottery is not at present 
open as a subject to industrial schools. This seems 
to me a serious defect, and I think there is reason 
to expect that if it is included in the subject open 
to such schools it will be taken advantage of. I 
am making a beginning in the School of Arts 
and for that institution the proposed tests are 
needed. The principle which I should think guide 
managers in introducing industrial teaching i 
that the industries in which instruction is given 
ooncern produots which are in general if not uni- 
versal demand. In this respect, pottery has few 
rivals." — Indian Agriculturist. [This example ought 
to be followed in Ceylon. — Ed.j 
Tea Tasting.— On the subject of tea tasting a 
correspondent of the Grocer writes: — " Many of your 
readers must be unaware of the perfection of palate 
which habit, orderly living, a sound stomach, and 
good teeth enable some experts to attain. A 
marvellous instance came under my notioe the 
other day. In one of the leading firms in the 
trade a discussion had arisen as to the relative 
merits of five parcels of fine Monmg, all about 
the same price and flavour, whereupon one of the 
' palaticians' connected with the firm offered to 
take two to one he would pair the five, i. e., ten 
cups. In this he just failed, three only being 
right, whereupon another ' palatician' engaged in 
the firm pluokily laid two to one on himself, 
and did it in a canter. This so nettled number 
one that he insisted on a second try, backing 
himself at even money, and winning in a walk. A 
peculiar feature in the matter is that both gentle- 
men have very fair complexions, and it is oertainly 
the writer's experience that fair men (not red) 
make the best tea-tasters. Anyhow, trade experts 
will recognise the brilliancy of this performance, 
and though the identity of the plucky little 
champion number one may not be revealed, as 
like a modest moss-rose, he prefers to blush un- 
known, plenty of his admirers will be prepared to 
back him,— H, <& O. Mail, Sept. 6th. 
