484 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jabvary 2, 1888. 
might be expected analysis has shown there is no loss 
of nitrogen. 
In Spain it is related that when cherries are 
served on the tables of the rich, if the fruit be 
small, magnifying spectacles are also supplied ; 
the illusion secures pleasure just as a wig 
deceives none but the wearer. It is something of 
the same principle which actuates some farmers, 
who to impart volume to the udder of a cow 
when going to be sold, allow the milk to accu- 
mulate for twelve or more hours : occasinally 
the teats are scourged with nettles or rubbed 
with red pepper, to produce an inflated appearance. 
In French Switzerland these trioks of trade will soon 
cease, as ab the entrance to every market and fair, 
a eattle inspector examines the milch-cows: if doc- 
tored, they will be excluded from the sale ground. 
A curious experiment in connection with the 
rearing of calves has just taken place at Botha, in 
Saxony, with two lots of calves of the Dutch and 
Friesland breeds, and that were immediately separated 
from their mothers after birth. The calves were un- 
able to support at this stage of tbeir existence, sour 
or acid milk, so they were kept on swe6t milk for 
a fortnight, then given only creamed milk, but not 
sour. Ten other calves after the fortnight received 
the creamed milk, but soured and thrive much 
better, in the sense of putting up more uniformly 
their to 2 lb. of flesh daily on 12 quarts of 6uch 
milk, whereas the unaoid milk fed calves, required 15 
quarts. It would be desirable to test the matter 
more fully; a difference of six : sous per day, when 
the milk sells at two sous the quart, is an economy 
not to be despised. 
In Germany, farmers are coming round to the 
cheaper practice of supplying their land with nitrogen 
by means of rationing their stock on concentrated 
aliments, and thus having a richer farm-yard manure 
rather than purchase direct fertilizers. M. Stutzer 
asserts it is not possible to obtain nitrogen cheaper 
than by employing ground nut, lin, and cotton seed 
cake, &c, whieh contain seven percent of nitrogen, and 
that will be found in the solid and liquid excrements 
of fat stock to 65, and for milch-cows eighty per cen M 
If the manure be well cured and dosed with the 
fashionable scoriae, a substantial economy will be felt. 
The farmers' Syndicate of Hesse follow no other 
plan now. 
Some experiments undertaken in Germany are not 
at all favourable in any marked manner to the pre- 
servation of green-soiling-vetches, &c. in stacks, and 
tightly roping or chaining down, as the agent of 
pressure. The stacked forage was found on analysis 
not to be so rich in all round nutritive matters. Per- 
haps were the experiments conducted in autumn 
instead of summer, the loss in richness would be 
comparatively less. One important fact is that freshly 
cut forage can be preserved in th? stack form if 
well weighted down as well as in the silo — the end 
in both cases is the same — exclude the air. Also 
the stuff can be heaped in wet weather with per- 
fect safety. 
Stick-fast for Flies. — We find the following para- 
graph credited to the fruit Growers' Journal: — "Mix 
together equal parts by measure of melted rosin and 
castor oil. Stir until thoroughly mixed — which will take 
only a minute, while yet a little warm spread thin 
and evenly on any strong paper that is not porous. 
We use foolscap, writing papers, catalogue covers, 
showbills. Spread with a case-knife or any straight- 
edged instrument slightly warmed. Leave a narrow 
border to handle with. Lay the papers on tables, 
shelves, or any spare places where flies are numerous. 
They will soon cover the papers. As soon as they 
alight they will stick fast and soon pull themselves down. 
When the papers are covered two or three flies deep, 
put in the stove and replace with another one. Be 
i>ure to use no water. The oil prevents the rosin from 
hardeuing, and has the peculiarity of not evaporating. 
The oil leaves no odour when cool. Ten cents will I 
buy enough material for all the flies io the house." j 
A New Branch of the Drug Trade.— The cele- 
brated firm of Dr. Theudor Schuohardt in Gorlitz is 
about to extend the sphere of its activity by under- 
taking the delivery of all the most modern medicinal 
plants. For this purpose a connection has been es- 
tablished with all the most famous foreign firms, and in 
Dr. Schuchardt's next Mst a variety of new drugs 
from Ceylon, Queensland, Guiana, West Africa, etc., 
will appear. The aim of the firm is threefold : the 
obtaining of materials for the discovery of new alka- 
loids, glycosides, etc., th^ subsequent introduction of 
the same into the -materia raedica, and the perfecting 
of our national botanical and pharmacologial museums 
and collections. There is no doubt that Dr. Schuchardt's 
new enterprise will receive energetic support from all 
who are interested in the drug trade. — Kuhlow's German 
Trade Review. 
Ceylon Teas in London and the Prospect 
of American Consumption. —We have been per- 
mitted to make the following extracts from the 
letter of a London correspondent well up in " tea" 
to a Ceylon planter : the date however of the 
letter was in the first half of November, but the 
interest is not lost we think : — 
It will not pay to ship to Australia so long as 
London rates are so high for low grades as they are 
now. The movement of prices must be puzzling to 
you, as it is to us ; quite common tea which in the 
summer was selling between 5d aud 9J. is now worth 
from 9d to Is. Tbis is due to the small import, and 
the demand " for price," the bulk of the tea now 
sold retail in England being between Is 9d and 2s 3d. 
duty paid. On this the grocer requires to make 4d or 
5d., sometimes more ; the " blender " or wholesale 
dealer also wants ljd, 2d. The consequence is a range 
of price quite inconsistent with intrinsic value : tor 
while common tea has gone up, fine has come down. 
This only holds good when supplies are short. Indian 
tea, for example, which is very abundant and good all 
round this year, shows a very low price for low and 
medium qualities, while finest still fetch a good price. 
The average of the Indian sales in Calcutta for two 
or three months past has been little over the equi- 
valent of lOd or 10|d. in London, and you would open 
your eyes to see the good Pekoe Souchong selling at 
74d. and Pekoes at lOd and then look at Ceylon tea 
at Is. and Is Id. The moral of course is— that produ- 
cers must not be carried away by present prices, but 
must prepare for a mucb lower scale in a year or two, 
unless China is shut up. Do impress upon everyone 
that fine quality, not large crops, is what is required 
to keep the prestige of Ceylon tea. Of course those 
who make the heaviest yield regardless of quality have 
the laugh on their side new, but it is only once in a 
decade that common tea runs up to the price it is 
now. — Latterly we have been getting some remarkably 
good teas from various gardens, especially small ones ; 
a feature is their excellent firing and condition, turn- 
ing out here with an aroma on the leaf which can 
be smelt a yard off — among them, Poengalla, Sogama, 
Tuoisgalla, Kelliewatte, Elkadua, Carolina Factory, 
Oonoonagalla and Gallaheria, Elbedde (this must be a 
good garden), Bookwood (making choice tea again), 
and each one maintaining month after month its dis- 
tinctive peculiarity, or individuality, so that the habi- 
tual taster can spot almost at a glance where the tea 
comes from. This is one of the curious and interesting 
features about Ceylon and Indian teas, their wonder- 
ful variety, and power of reproducing same charac- 
teristics, and we attribute to this more than anything 
else the rapid displacement of Ohina tea by Ceylon 
and Indian. You produce teas to suit all tastes, a'l 
waters and all marktts. Oh, if we could only tickle 
the palates of the Yankees and Canadians — then, tea 
planters would have a hicrh time, but despite continu- 
ous efforts from this 6ide, (numbers of the large deal- 
ers have travellers and agents pushing tbe tea iu the 
States) we cannot overcome the prejudice of the 
American storekeeper, though they own to netting 
a large profit on the Indian teas they buy 
hero. 
