8 3 o 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 2, 1890, 
Thia is a contract made by Mr. Boultby, and although 
they did not like cutting other people's timber, still, 
they had to carry out the contract, which had seriously 
blocked that part of the busioess. The reports from 
the manager stated that the loci sales, which were 
chiefly for soft woods, more than covered the curreut 
expenses of the mill. The last letter stated that, 
besides a very large stock of sawn timber seasoning in 
the yards and 6heds, there were upwards of 13,000 
sound logs also seasoning at the mill, so that no doubt 
the accounts would show a large stock of timber i^. 
hand. The work of extending the mill was going 
on rapidly. They were putting in a large frame saw 
bench, and they were also erecting an engineer^ re- 
pairing shop and foundry, as any part of the machinery 
which now went wrong had to be sent to Singapore or 
Hong Kong, which meant serious delay. There had 
also been some difficulty with the belting, on account 
of the dampness of the climate ; but they were now 
getting new belting made of camels' hair, which, he 
believed, would obviate the difficulty. During the year 
the board had appointed Mr. Hughes as general 
manager, and from all sides they heard of his working 
in the most energetic and earnest manner on behalf of 
the company. During the months of April and May 
Mr. Hughes went to China to interview the merchants 
there, and see what market there was for the timber. 
The result of his visit was to stop shipping timber there 
at present ; but the board had received a telegram 
the other day that he was loading a sailing vessel of 
1,600 tons with Billian for China.- The board had found 
it advisable to dispense with the services of Mr. Boultby, 
and in his place they were endeavouring to get a very 
able man, whose name he was not permitted yet to 
mention. This gentleman was now at the head of a 
large concern in the East, and should the company 
obtain his services, there was not the least doubt 
that the mill would soon be in a most flourishing 
state. The difficulties with regard to freight still 
continued. At the last meeting he stated that they 
proposed to take shares in a shipping company in 
Singapore, and they bad offered to do so if the contracts 
were exhibited for the purchase of the vessels. That, 
however, was declined, and the arrangement fell 
through. He was strongly of opinion that in future it 
would be absolutely necessary for the company to 
possess a small steamer, say of 50 tons, for the purpose 
of taking timber round to Singapore, Hong Koa«0„ »r 
even to Australia. This matter would certainly engage 
the attention of the board, and as he (the chairman) 
was leaving for Borneo next week, he would be in a 
better position to discuss such matters, not only with 
the general manager, but also with the merchants, as 
he would prefer to own any vessels on joint account 
with the local merchants in Singapore or Hong Kong. 
This would give them a far better chance of success 
than they would have if they tried to work them by 
themselves. The Chairman concluded by proposing tbe 
adoption of the report and accounts. 
A dividend of 4 per cent, was then agreed to making 
a total distribution of 10 per cent, for the year, payable 
on and after Oct. 1. — L. Sr C.j Express. 
Dried Flowers and the Influenza. — From our 
contemporary, the Chemist and Druggist, we gather the 
following items: — First, that one of the effects of the 
recent epidemic has been a considerable consumption 
of dried flowers popularly used for infusions, such as 
Borage, Corn Poppy, Marsh Mallow, Coltsfoot, and 
Linden tree flowers. The Bupply in stock, it is said, 
has run very low, and none can be expected before the 
coming season. Second, that with reference to the 
supply of camphor, the demand for which has much 
increased of late, that the mail reports from Hongkong: 
state, that 250 piculs of Formosa camphor had arrived 
there, and had been shipped to Europe. It is further 
asserted that the quantity of champhor used in the 
manufacture of smokeless powder is exceedingly large, 
and that it enters into the composition of that article 
to the extent of 10 per cent, of the weight. In con- 
sequence of this there are now no old stocks, the manu- 
I crturerj being compelled to rofine the fresh arrivals, 
thereby losing about !> per cent, on the weight.— 
Gardeners? Chronicle. 
Bees in Germany. — We read in the Alsace and 
Lorraine Bee Journal that, according to an estimate 
presented to the German Reichstag, the culture of 
bees brings in yearly a total net profit of 17,000,000 
marks to those engaged in the occupation. This is a 
much larger sum than anyone had imagined, and which 
may be still further augmented;— -Gardemrs' Chronicle. 
De. Gilbeet, who, in connection with Sir John 
Lawes. has devoted a life-time to the elucidation of 
the principles on whi"h agriculture is based, ia to 
be honoured, or rather the University of Edinburgh 
is going to confer honour on itself, by the conference 
of the degree of Doctor of Laws on the celebrated 
agricultural chemist of Rothamsted. The right Hon. 
H. Chaplin, who has only just put the harness on 
as Minister of Agriculture, is to receive the same 
degree — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
"Kew Bulletin."— The March number contain 
articles on "Indian Yellow," a dyeing material pre- 
pared from the urine of cows fed upon Mango leaves j 
also on Bombay Aloe fibre prooured from Agave 
vivipara, the cultivation of which in waste land near 
Bombav, for the sake of its fibre, is strongly recom- 
mended. Barilla manufacture in Egypt is the sub- 
ject of another article, the barilla being carbonate of 
soda, contained in the ashes of certain seaside and salt 
lake p'ants like our Salicornia.— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Resources of India— Mr. Bryce, M. P. in 
giving an address before the Aberdeen Clumber of 
Commerce spoke as follows :— 
Cotton, of course, had been also very largely produced 
and had received a great stimulus from the American 
Civil "War. Coffee was grown in the south, particularly 
on the Neilgherry Hills. Quinine was cultivated very 
largely in Ceylon and on the Neilghery Hills, with the 
best possible "results ; and in this regard he referred 
to the value of quinine as tbe very best specific against 
malaria, one of the greatest plagues and curses of India. 
It was probably on the whole diminished, and it might 
be that' we should discover some better means, of deal- 
ing with it than medical science had yet discovered, 
but he had been often told by Europeans in India that 
one of the greatest tribulations which they had ia their 
lives was the constant guard that they were obliged to 
keep aeainst the assaults of this disease, producing 
apnea and intermittent fevers, not so dangerous in 
itself as dangerous, because it weakened the consti- 
tution and laid persons open to attacks of other more 
dangerous acnte diseases. Jnte and indigo were also 
very largely produced, tobacco was cultivated to some 
extent but the largest development in recent years had 
been in connection with tea. Nothing was more re- 
markable than the extent to which during the last 40 
years in the planting of tea had advanced everywhere 
in India. It was now one of the largest trades in the 
country, and he believed he was not wrong in saying 
that the quantity of tea consumed in Europe now 
coming from India was very nearly iqual, and probably 
fully equal, to what was coming from China. The tea- 
planting,it might interest them to know, was very largely 
carried on by Scotchman. He was greatly struck in 
the upper plantations of the Himalaya, at Darjeeling 
and the North-West Provinces, and particularly round 
Darjeeling and Assam, to find how very large a number 
of tea planters came from Scotland. It was quite 
curious to notice how constantly one heard the Scotch 
accent, and discovered the per- on from whom it came 
was a tea planter driviug a thriving trade on the slopes 
of these hills— (applause). He might say in passing, 
that he was greatly struck by the number of Aberdo- 
nians he mf t in different parts of India— (applause) — 
many of them merchants, many of tbem n. the army, 
and a very large number occupy ing important posts 
in the Civil service. He supposed it was partly owing 
to the excellence of the education given in the Univer- 
sity of Aberdeen— (applause)— that so many Aberdo- 
nians had entered the Indian Civil Service by compe- 
tition and that once being in, they had shown the 
characteristic aptitude of their country and their 
county by rising with very rapid strides — (applause). — It 
waa quite interesting to him to find how many men had 
attained eminence in India who hailed not only from 
Scotland, but from the North-East of Scotland,— 
Applause). 
