November r, 1887] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
307 
of wet shows itself it must be obviated by a 
pinch of the finely grated cheese. It is a plat 
calling forth every quality of a first-rate cook; but 
when it suceeds it amply justifies the high reputa- 
tion of the Provencal chefs. 
It has been said, Spain knows of the tomato 
when cold. Yes, and lor a model gaspaclto you 
had better go to Malaga or Seville, for the sun 
is the prime ingredient. Take several fine tom- 
atoes, and as many fine ripe red pimientos dulces, 
and, when your tomatoes are well drained, cut 
them all into large (not too thin) slices, add a 
oucmber in transparently shaved pieces, some of 
the creamy sweet-onion (uncooked), and as much 
garlic as you can bear. To this add salt, pepper 
(real pepper from the Isles), and oil, with a fair 
squeeze of lemon (gathered fresh) ; and you shall 
then taste of a dish such as the Spanish saying 
assures you will make you " indifferent as to 
whether you live or die." It is pretty certain that 
this is the inspiriting food of which those trucu- 
lent smugglers are partaking in that famous third 
act of poor Bizet's "Carmen." 
Though the Iberian is not born of his mother 
with a sauce-ladle in his hand, there are culinary 
feats he can perform: one is an omelette, in which 
Spain equals Austria (the Austrian in that part- 
icular thoroughly outshining the Gaul). There was 
onco a woman in Pampeluna, in a dingy smoky 
fonda — it was years ago. She was muy gruesa — a 
mountain of a woman — and ferocious in her ways 
and sharp-spoken ; but she did know so thoroughly 
the secrets of a Kuevos revucltox am tomates, that 
it was worth basely cringing to her to obtain as 
many of them as might be digested. 
Well, let it be repeated : the tomato is a grand 
creation if you know what to do with it. And 
as an ornament? Go south, and you will soon 
learn what that means. See it in summer and 
autumn in the straggling pueblos of the Basque 
frontiers, filling the untrimmed wild cottage gardens 
with light, as though the sun himself had been 
playing football therein with red balls of fire ; 
see it olimbing about the rough porches of the 
peasants' huts of stone ; and ask yourself whether 
even the grape-vine of Italy could replace it. 
However, it is altogether a fierce plant, and should be 
spared the sufferings of a " moderate temperature." 
Now that wo are cobwebbed over with rails why 
not use somo of thorn to bring this apple of Paradise 
to Covont-garden Market? — St. James's Hudget. 
PLANTING IN NETHERLANDS INDIA. 
{Translated /or the "Straits Timet,") 
The coffee crop in Java this year bears overy 
appearnnco of being a very short one. In some 
parts of the island, the planters have to keep a 
sharp look out not only after leaf disease but also 
tigers as well. For instance the province of Malang 
so swarms with beasts of prey that people go 
armed into the coffee estates. Once an employee, 
whon inspecting an estate along with the manager, 
was suddenly sprung upon by a royal tiger. The 
monster had miscalculated the distanoe. Its in- 
tended prey, stooping in time, came off wholly 
unhurt. Tim manager who happened to have a 
gun with him forthwith brought the tiger down 
with a couple of shots. 
Tho LocomotUf is assured by a correspondent 
that tho first 15 bales of tobacco from Brtish North 
Borneo consigned by Mr. Persyn fetched a fair price 
at Amsterdam. Experts formed a favourable opinion 
of its quality, flavour, oolour, and strength. These 
satisfactory results have resulted in a groat de- 
mand for land in Borneo. Sovural Companies havo 
boon formed in Holland and Germany (or the 
purpose 
The Government Java coffee crop has fallen 
greatly below expectations. The estimate for this 
year has come down to 227,000 piculs. The native 
cultivators who grow the berry from compulsion 
will suffer heavily from this amazingly short 
crop, unless the Government makes it somewhat 
good by giving a heavier price for the article. 
The persons despatched by Fraser Eaton & Co. 
to West Borneo, have returned to Surabaya with 
heavy consignments of the new famous variety 
of cane known by the name of tebu keomj. Their 
return voyage by steamer was rather dangerous 
owing to the Master becoming mad. Should the 
Borneo cane stand the test of cultivation, that 
island will come into greater prominence than 
ever for plantation enterprise. 
. » 
OUIl FEU IT PRODUCTION. 
Jaffna has a reputation if not for the wealth, at 
least for the superior quality of her fruit production. 
The Jaffna niaugo is acknowledged to be the best 
of all mangoes produced in Oeylou. Pridhum ac- 
knowledges it and attributes it to the hot climate 
and calcareous soil of Jatfna. There may be— there are 
larger quantities produced ill Colombo, but even the 
fruiterers there have to cry out " Yapum aiube ! 
yapaua am be!" if they are to find a ready sale for 
their stock. All Europeans acknowledge this, and it is 
fact which has come within our own knowledge that 
Europeans who have been long residents of Colombo 
or Galle develop the most keen appetite for the Jaffna 
mango, whenever they happen to be visiting Jaffna 
during the maugo season. 
The most exhaustive and voluminous writer on Oeylou 
— the late Sir James Eniorsou Teunent — was of the 
same opinion, and alluding generally to the soil of 
the Peninsula observed: — 
" Thr aiablo soil of Jatfna is generally of a deep 
red colour, from admixture of iron, and being largely 
composed of lime from the comniinutateJ coral, it in 
susceptible of the highest cultivation and produces 
crops of great luxuriance." 
The late Mr. Dyke, who was second ouly to the 
late Mr. William Ferguson in his knowledge of 
the trees and fruits of the Northern Province, had 
the highest possible opiniouof the Jaffna mango. He 
knew the villages and the particular gardens in which 
grew trees producing the best variety of fruits, and 
by means of grafts obtained froui them and care- 
fully nurtured in the " Old Park " (late Kaclichori 
Garden) he distributed plants throughout other village! 
—a system which it is deeply to be regretted, has 
not been kept up since that gentleman's death. Not 
couteut with the Jaffna varieties of the mango, he 
did the same in regard to varieties procured from 
Colombo. Many enterprising Natives availed them- 
solves of this chance to stock their orchards with 
difiereut varieties of the mango tree. The Jatfua var- 
ieties numbered from 1 to lb' aud the Colombo varie- 
ties from 16 to 34, if our information is correct; so 
that in Mr. Dyke's garden alone, there were no less 
thau 34 varieties, of the mango; and all the Euro- 
pean Residents of Jaffna were welcome to the enjoy- 
ment of this luscious fruit during the season. 
We would uext refer to Jaffna grape* as of a 
variety not procurable in any other p»rt of Oeylou 
for its deliciousness. This may be an exotic introduced 
by the Dutch, if not by their predecessors— the Por- 
tuguese. But by whomsoever introduced, there was 
a time when mast houses in tho IVttah bad their 
grape-vine bowcis. The grapV sca.son anxiuii«l> 
looked for by speculator* aud, long before they were 
ripe, there they were, with money in their pursci to 
pay for the whole crop in advance according to an 
approximate estimate; the difference befog paid when 
tho crop was gathered and weighed out The price 
varied from «ix pence to a •biulng per lb. according 
to the competition existing. The IpecaUtort bad 
alrea.lv. before the grapes were ripe, engaged rrU>« 
of oooiies and p.«-ted them at the several »t»ge '1 
