jtiM t, TOfi TJROJ^iCJAL AGRICULTURIST. 
_ -..^|- — nilM -,— ■ ->*tsa*maaamBBtmMm*&mi^sta**mca^im*i*Mi 1 1 in 
7 
Now, one short sentence as to the effect of all 
this on the national prosperity, which can easily 
be tested. In 1853, an Income-tax of 7d. produced 
a total of £5,845,000, a penny in the pound pro- 
ducing less than a million. The Income-tax last 
year of 8d. produced a total or just £16,000,000 
or £2,000,000 for every penny. 
We are now celebrating the Jubilee year of her 
Majesty's prosperous reign ; and as there can be 
no doubt that the legislation during that period 
has been beneficial, so there certainly can be no 
manner of doubt that there is one man above all 
others who, with clear vision and unerring instinct, 
has left his mark most deeply on that legislation, 
It is as well to recall this fact in these days, when 
we are constantly told by croakers that he has 
ruined the country. — I am, Sir, &c, 
Henri Barter. 
16 Airlie Gardens, Campden Hill, W., April, 26th. 
[We never heard any sensible man express any- 
thing but profound gratitude for Mr. Gladstone's 
economical and financial reforms. It is not in 
that direction that Mr. Gladstone has been un- 
derrated. As regards the Sugar-duty, however, 
the last great reduction of it should be ascribed to 
Sir Stafford Northcote.— Ed. Spectator. ,] 
NETHERLANDS AND INDIA HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
Amsterdam, May 4tb. — A circular has been issued 
in which the establishment is announced of aNether- 
lands and Indian Horticultural Society at Zeist (Hol- 
land), with a capital of 150,000 guilders, of which 
45,000 guilders have been taken up. The purpose of 
this society is to promote agricultural interests in 
Hollaud aud Java by a mutual iuterchange of plants, 
&c, and this plan has met with much support. The 
Minister of Finance has published the terms of the 
new charter of the Netherlands Bank, and accom- 
panies it with a statement of the probable profits to 
bo expected. Under the existing charter the profit 
of the bank was about three million guilders per annum, 
or about 19 per cent, on the capital of sixteen 
million guilders." But iu consequence of the depres- 
sion generally prevailing in commerce, and the low 
rate of interest ruling of late, the profit was in 1S84-85 
500,000 guilders less, and in 1885-86 one million guilders 
less than the average of former years. Therefore, 
the total profit under the new charier cannot be es- 
timated at more than about 4,400,000 guilders, the 
distribution of which will take place as follows : 5 per 
cent, to be paid to the bank as a dividend on the 
capital, which will be increased to twenty million 
guilders, Of the remaining profit 10 per cent, will 
be placed to the reserve fund. The balance of 2,160,000 
guilders will be divided between the State and the 
bank, each receiving 2 per cent, of the capital, or 
400,000 guilders, and of the roimaiuing 1,360,000 guilders 
the State will receive two-thirds and the bank one- 
third. The total amount of profit to be earned by 
the State will be 1,306,667 guilders, whereas the bank 
receives 1,853,333 guilders and 240,000 guilders for 
ita reserve fund. In the event of the reserve fund 
reaching the amount of 5,000,000 guilders the State 
w to receive 160,000 guilders and the bank 80,000 
guilders more. There are some other stipulations in 
the new charter regarding the reserve fund and the 
increase of the capital. It is expected that the dividends 
will amount to about 7 per cent. It is also agreed 
between the State aud the bank that the annual 
payment to the State of 100,000 guilders wil' be 
abolished, and that the bank will bo authorised to 
invent half of the capital iu public funds and to ne- 
gotiate foreign bills of exchange. After the announce- 
ment of tun terms of the new charter some transactions 
have taken place at the Stock Exchaugo iu shares 
of the bank at a reduction of 12 per cent., aud the 
PtoiSf quotation j 9 214 per cunt— I, $ Q. Espmi. 
Coffee, Cocoa and Tea. — In our mail in- 
telligence it will be seen that the Brazil coffee 
crop was estimated as low as '6\ million bags — 
no wonder, though speculation then set in, and 
with an anticipated deficiency of this kind, there 
is some good basis for speculation to work on. 
At the same time, the cocoa market notwithstand- 
ing full stocks, is reported very strong : cocoa is, 
in fact, bound to profit by the scarcity of coffee, 
and to some extent this must also tend to the 
benefit of tea, for coffee-drinkers on the Continent 
of Europe as well as of America are already be- 
ginning to take to tea and will increasingly do so, 
when they find their old drink become so scarce 
and dear. In France, as in England, " five o'clock 
afternoon teas " have become all the fashion, and 
as one Ceylon authority remarks, when the French 
learn to drink tea of an evening, they will soon 
find it desirable to try it of a morning too, 
Water Pipes. — The reason for the opposition to the 
use of galvanized iron pipes for water conductors arises 
from the fact, "J" will find, that zinc dissolves iu water, 
and that soft water, such as rain water, dissolves it 
more easily than hard, while that containing carbonic 
acid is specially able to dissolve it. This being the 
case, and the, use of galvanized iron for pipes and 
tanks being so much on the increase, medical writers 
have recently called special attention to the import- 
ance of the subject, it being desirable to ascertain, 
as far as possible, to what extent solution of zinc 
coating takes place, and how far water contaminated 
by zinc is injurious to health. Investigations as to 
this point present eviderice which is to some ex- 
tc lit conflicting, but give a very decided balance on the 
side of the view that such water is considerably in- 
jurious, so much so. Indeed, that the French Govern- 
ment, some time ago, prohibited the use of galvanised 
iron tanks on board its men-of-war. Some analyses 
in this direction show, for example, that spring water, 
after it had travelled through half-a-mile of galvanized 
iron pipe, took up 6 - 41 grains of zinc carbonate per 
gallon. In another instance, spring water that passed 
through 200 yards of galvanized iron pipes to a house, 
took up 4'29 grains cf zinc carbonate per gallon. — 
American Cultivator. [Boiling the water and afterwards 
filtering and cooling would, however, remove any risks. 
— ED.l 
Economic Botany: the need op a Training 
for intending Planters. — The following note ap- 
pears in the Gardeners' Chronicle : — " In connection 
with economic botany from a visit I paid to Ceylon, 
and from a long residence in India, I have found 
that intending planters go to India and the colonies 
without any training whatever regarding the nature 
of the business they go out to manage and direct. 
They have no knowledge of the nature of the plants 
they will have to deal with ; they know nothing about 
their physiology or mode of traiuing them with a 
particular object, or of tho probable result of denud- 
ing miles of country of their indigenous forest, the 
action of manures, the value of wind and storm 
screens, and a dozen other topics which would bo of 
everyday advantage to the planter. If a trainiug 
college for planters is not already a national institu- 
tion, it is nigh time that one were set up in con- 
nection with agricultural colleges or schools of forostry. 
The planter's learning should be a combination of 
science and art, with the object of gotting the be3t 
value out of his plants, with tho least disadvantage 
to them, and of utilising all his surroundings to the 
best advantage for the same purpose. It is not im- 
possible that the ruin of the Ceylon Coffee industry 
may have been hastened, not only by the planter's 
hurry to make a fortune, but also by ignorant rflia- 
takes, which by a sufficient training mlgnt have been 
avoided. In India it is thought a sufficient equip- 
ment for a planter's career for him to take out a 
battery of guns for sport. The result is disappoint- 
ment, ennui) loss of money, debt, Ac., and finally 
loafing about in search of some small Government 
appointment for ouo'u bread and butter,— E, b., u, s, 
