550 
THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 189O; 
which the plaintiffs had promised to give ; 
to the errors and defects in construction of 
works and fitting and adjustment of the parts 
of the motor; and to the want of clue care 
and skill and the disregard of the plans and instruc- 
tions given by the makers of the motor 6hown by the 
plaintiffs in the attempted erection and working of the 
maohine. In reconvention defendant claims K4,211, 
damages, as well for their breach of agreement as for 
the loss suffered by the defendant by malerection, in- 
jury to and consequent inefficency of the machine, 
co9t of labour, works constructed, materials utilized 
for its attempted erection and of surveys held thereon 
and expenses by defendant, loss of profits, and greater 
cost of carrying on tea-making in his factory. There is 
also a claim in reconvention of K50 in respect of the 
ereotion of a sifter said to have been " Bailey and 
Thomson's sifter," but afterwards found to be one of 
the plaintiffs' own manufacture. 
Plaintiffs in their replication speoially deny that 
their acoount is incorrect and persist in their 
charges ; as to the claim in reconvention they say 
that the statement as contained on the answer, of 
the circumstances under which the water motor was 
ordered, is contrary to fact ; and as regards the 
erection of the motor that the work which they 
contracted to perform was only to fit up the motor 
which was sent from England in pieces, and to 
erect the gearing necessary to connect the motor 
with the maohinery in defendant's factory. Plain- 
tiffs deny that they agreed to supply any material 
for the work or to bring the machine into what 
dp endant might consider " proper working order," 
oe that they undertook the supervision of any 
mra3onry work or any responsibility whatever as 
regards such work ; or that such work was done to 
their satisfaction. They deny further that they 
failed properly to erect the motor or that they 
malerected or injured it, or that there was any 
want of proper and due supervision of qualified 
European engineers or any want of due care and 
skill or disregard of plans and instructions given by 
the makers. 
The witness on the paintiffs' list are Mr. G. 
F. Deane of Dmbetenne, Mr. George Greig of 
Laxapana, Mr. Arthur Anson of Osborne, Mr. David 
Michie of St. Sebastian Mills, Colombo, Mr. C. D. 
Pattulo of the Colombo Commercial Company, Mr. 
D. J. Sarasiuhe of Walker & Co .,Kandy, Mr. R. J. 
Farquharson of Lower Haloya, Mr. Harcourt Skrine of 
Osborne estate, and Mr. John Brown of Slave Island. 
Those on defendants' list are Mr. James Brown 
of Hatton, Mr. A. J. Pearson, Mr. W. D. Smith, 
Mr. C. A. Hutsen and Mr. A. Garreyan. 
There was a proposl to refer the questions arising 
in the case to arbitrators, but this was objected to by 
one of the parties. 
THE FIBRE INDUSTRY. 
A process has been invented at Peabody, Mass, for 
bleaching the ramie fibre so that it can be worked in 
the present cotton machinery, and at the Toppan 
Manufacturing works in that town may be seen the 
first importation of ramie grass for manufacturing pur- 
poses. The works have orders ahead for a large amount 
of the new mateial, one mill alone calling for the equal 
of 10,000 pieces of dress goods. The discovery bids fair 
to open a new industry in the South in the cultivation 
of this heretofore neglected grass. The works are being 
enlarged by a 40 x 20 addition, two stories in height. 
A decorticator has been tested at Bristol, Pa., within 
a few days that will interest the people of the South. 
Tin: machine was intended principally to separate the 
fibres of the ramie plant from the wood. The first 
test was made by running a batch of dry stalks of the 
ramie plant, which had been brought from North 
Carolina, through the machine. A quantity of jute 
stalks were then put through, and finally the green 
stalka grown on a neighbouring farm. The machine did 
its work in a most satisfactory manner, leaving the 
fibres clean and free from wood. The fibre was placed 
in a chemical preparation, after being taken from the 
maohine, for the purpose of dissolving the gum. It 
was steamed two hours, after which it was placed in 
the bleaching vat. After bleaching for about thirty 
minutes it was taken out and dried, the entire process 
of transforming the green stalks into delicate fibre 
ready for the spinner having occupied less than three 
hours. — American Exporter. 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
The delay in the delivery of tea is causing some 
members of the tea trade to express themselves vigo- 
rously upon the subjeot. One correspondent in a ioug 
letter, asks: How long is ev< ry tea dealer in the 
United Kingdom to be inconveni- need by ouch conduct? 
Epitomised, this correspondent 's suggestions are : — 
1. All weights to Le ready for delivery at the time 
of making the sale. The undelivered whole or part 
to be subject to a reduction of Id per lb., but if over- 
due 6even working days 2d per lb. — buyer always 
having the option of refusing absolutely any undeli- 
vered weights. 
2. All catalogues of teas for auction to be issued 
as follows : — For Monday's sale, previous Thursday at 
latest ; for Tuesday, previous Friday ; Wednesday, 
previous Saturday ; Thursday, previous Monday ; Fri- 
day, previous Tuesday; and Saturday, previous Wed- 
nesday. 
3. No catalogue to be issued until ihe samples are 
actually laid down ready in the warehouse showioou. 
—H. & C. Mail, Jan. 3rd. 
COCONUTS : 
Report by the Select Committee of the 
Legislative Council Stkaits on the 
Coconut Trses Reservation Bill. 
(From the Straits Times.) 
Penang, Dec. 23rd, 1889- 
Sir, — We have the honour to report upon the Coco- 
nut Trees Preservation Bill as follows : — 
From the information we have receive ), and the opi- 
nion expressed by many experienced planters, we find 
that section 2, while too drastic in one respect is not 
sufficiently comprehensive. There seems to be no 
reason why trees attacked by beetles should be de- 
stroyed. All the evidence we have gathered goes to 
shew that such trees, even when severely attacked, 
recover if the beetles are removed, and the trees pro- 
perly manured. On the other hand, a tree that dies 
no matter from what cause, is certain to become, if 
allowed to stand, a breeding place for beetles. A large 
number of coconut trees are annually killed by light- 
ning, and these trees appear to be favourite places for 
beetles to breed in. Instead, therefore, of the present 
section, which necessitates the destruction of all trees 
attacked by beetleB, and says nothing about those that 
have died from other causes — though we are aware 
that section 4 includes the latter — we would suggest a 
section to this effect. 
" It shall be the duty of the owner or person in 
charge of every coconut tree which is dead to cut 
it down forthwith, and destroy all the beetles, and 
all eggs and larvae therein, and to consume . t tree 
with fire, or bury it in the ground at a pthed of no 
less then two feet." 
Our reason for suggesting the burial of dead trees 
as an alternative to fire is the enormous difficulty — 
almost impossibility — of burning coconut treas to ashes. 
If only charred they would still be liable, after decay 
had set in, so become breeding places for bottles, 
whereas, if cnt down at once and buried, there would 
be no chauce of beetles breeding in th m. Indeed it 
is only niter a tree has been dead for a considerable 
timely that it becomes a breading place. Trees newly 
dead are seldom found to have eggs in them. We 
of course, refer here to the black bottle. The habits 
