November t, 1887] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
349 
agreod as to the meaning of stimulant. What I 
understand by the term, is anything that produces 
a temporary and artificial vitality. That bones 
produce this undesirable result is abundantly proved 
by " W. B. L." who says that when it is used " the 
trees needs to be kept in \jgorous growth by other 
manures." Therefore the position I bold is fortified 
rather than weakened by the experience of even 
your correspondent " W. B. L." that bones by itself 
must be used with caution and that it is iu its 
action akin to alcohol in the animal economy. For 
to counteract its ill effects on man it is necessary 
to fortify his constitution with solid, strengthening 
food. The sneer at " the peculiar Oeyloueso argu- 
ment against tho use of manure" is quite uncalled 
for, for the argument is not found in my letter, even in 
the form of an " old acquaiutauco," as your correspond- 
ent himself notices tho use by me of manure. That i have 
much to learn and unlearn I freoly admit. I am a con- 
staut and persistent student of my noble profession ; 
but I must say that tho proportion of chall' to grains 
in tho attempts to teach by "W. B. L." is overwhelm- 
ing. After an interminable search you alight on a 
few grains of knowledge which hardly repay the 
search. If one follows the teaching of your corre- 
spondent it is easy enough to " gather :>(JO,000 nuts 
per annum or -00 acres," but not to leave a profitable 
inheritance to his heirs. 
_ 
Betel Oil. — Messrs. Gohe & Co.'s semi-annual 
circular says : — An important consignment of this 
oil, mention of which was made in the April circular, 
has now been reoeived. The article excites a good 
deal of interest and may possibly become a recognised 
remedy in disorders of the throat. Mr. Schmitz, a 
pharmacist in Samarang (Java), is the maker of 
this valuable oil, and pronounce ) its active principle 
to be an aldehyde, while Eykman states it to be 
a phenol, probably carvacrol. — Chemist and Druggist. 
Wynaad Notes, Oct. 10th- — Orop preparations are 
well on, and crop prospects pretty generally good. 
The promise of the early showers was not entirely 
fulfilled, and I fear somo will be disappointed in 
their estimates. Taken as a whole, however, the 
outlook is very cheerful and there is . a most un- 
inistakublo revival in planting iuterests, — a stir amongst 
the dead bones, a generally pleasant bustle, and 
energy which, in itself, is very encouraging. The 
planter intends ere long, to be regarded no more as 
"iv worm *; indeed, to hear some of us talk, you 
would suppose we were well on to tho butterfly 
si. ure already, The greatest difficulty with which wo 
have to contend at present is the labour question. 
I do not remember any year iu which cni.lies have 
In en so scarce ; and it is almost impossible to know 
bow our crops aro to be harvested unless our de- 
limiting coolies repent at tho last moment, and con- 
deseenq to fulfil their contracts. Most of us are in 
a state of irritability over the fearful mess of weeds 
wbion wo have no hands to extirpate; aud local 
labour, a very broken reed to depend on, is being 
pressed into our service. Even the Ohiirmas, for 
some unknown reason, ore remaining much longer 
th in usual on the Coast. The Cannrese, iinlnr Innately 
for lis, have very fine grain crops this year, anil, con- 
sequently, will not stir to fulfil the contracts for 
which they havo received heavy advances. Our mon- 
soon has I u an exceedingly light one ; and wo really 
■Cflded the showers which have just fallen, and which 
doubtless betoken the breaking of the N. K iMouHOQB. 
The coffee, as a rule, looks splendid, though, in 
> t . s where it is bearing very heavily, it is already 
suit -ring considei ul ly from leaf disease. Tho cinchona, 
as if aware ol its own low value, flourishes like the 
proverbial green bay tree ; we regard it, however, 
with patient satisfaction, und an inward conviction 
that, like the nin e despised enll'ee, its time will come ' 
— .V</</ni> TimtS. 
kvmiCUL Quinink Forma or Amain.— We earn- 
j tly entreat holders of quinine not to be led 
into a puuie by the following announcement : 
" W* MS pleaded lobe uhle to inform our readers 
that the lawsuit respecting Dr. Cresswell-Hcwetl's 
discovery of artificial quinine is at an end. The 
invontor is now ready to commence the work of 
manufacturing the artificial quinine in Belgium, a 
country to which he is attached by bonds of affec- 
tion and sentiment. By this now process of manu- 
facture tho price of quinine will be reduced to one- 
tenth of its actual value. The English journals 
have long ago recognised tho extreme importance 
of Dr. Cresswell-Hewett's discovery." We 
translate this paragraph from the editorial 
columns of L' II6tel-de-Ville of September 11th, 
and beg to add, for the benefit of all concerned, 
that the journal in question is a weekly print, 
published at Brussels, and boasting of the subsidiary 
title, Organc ties Honnites Gen*. It is of course 
quite proper that The Town Hall Organ ;oj 'the ll<>n<-<t 
People should have been selected as the vehicle for 
the publication of the projects of so prominent a 
member of tho honest community as Dr. Cresswell- 
Hcwett. Persons interested in that gentleman's 
movements will feelingly note that the " bonds " 
which attach the Doctor to his new home are 
merely those of affection and sentiment, and there 
is a widespread opinion that so clever an inventor 
ought not to have been suffered to withdraw the 
benefits of his genius from his native land without 
at least an effort to bind him to it by bonds stronger 
than those now allying him to the Belgian capital. 
Spurned by London, Dr. Cresswell-Hewett seem 
determined to stick to the honest men of Brussels.— 
Chemist and Druggist. 
Botanic Gardens in The West Indies.— 
Referring to a paragraph that appeared in your 
issue of August 6 (p. 170), by (i. Layard, I can- 
not refrain from suspecting that your corres- 
pondent is one of those who take for granted 
what is told them. Had he ascertained by personal 
observation, he would have found his assertion 
" that the Demerara gardeu was the best in the 
West Indies " scarcely tenable. That it is a fine 
garden and well conducted goes without saying, 
buf a garden which was only started some eight 
years ago can hardly lay claim to be the most 
useful of the West Indian gardens. The Trinidad 
garden has long since passed its " jubilee, " while 
Oastleton (Jamaica; has yet some time to exist 
before it complates its tweuty-nfth year. It is evident 
also that your correspondent is unaware of the 
change of management in the Trinidad garden, for 
I cannot believe him to be so uncharitable as to 
attack a management which has existed barely six 
months. As regards the Oastleton garden also, it 
is a great pity that Mr. Layard should have beeu 
so led into error ns to describe it as a bill garden, 
for nothing is further from the fact. Oastleton is 
barely 580 feet above the sea level, and has a purely 
tropical climate; in fact, it was -elected on (bat 
account, and though by recent decisions of the 
authorities it is probable that its days are numbered, 
it is quite possible that some difficulty may be 
found in finding as suitable a locality for nil pur- 
poses in any other part of the islnnd of Jamaica. 
It may also surprise Mr. I/iyard to hear that there 
is a nurseryman in the West Indies ; nye, and 
more — there is a nursery company in the West Indies 
Such ft company now exist* in Trinidad, and has 
been established for the purpose of growing dSOOT- 
ntivo plants for tho New York market. So fur — 
and the company hns been engaged in operations 
for three years— tho results have been s.ilisfuctoy 
indeed, and mob as to warrant a further outlay 
recently for the extension of operations. Mr. Layard 
should certainly make suro of his facts before at- 
tempting to write upon a question which is itself 
a commendable one, for he thereby throws an obs- 
tacle iu its path instead of forwarding— as I pre- 
sume wns bis object - the formation of stations for 
the development and spread of horticultural ant 
agricultural know led;;.-. .1. II. U.—(i.irJtHtt f i Okm 
icle. 
