696 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888. 
not succeeded ? But all his care, toil, and courage has 
been expended hitherto mostly for the benefit of un- 
scrupulous British adulterators and vendors, surely, 
then, any scheme for the wide diffusion of Indian 
teas and coffee in their pure state benefiting alike the 
English public and the Indian producer, might obtain 
the combined support of the Planters' Associations 
of India and capitalists and other influential gentle- 
men in England interested in India and Indian pro- 
ducts. 
Companies exist in England having agencies all over 
the country, with the declared object of supplying tea, 
coffee and other beverages, as well as eatables in a 
pure state, and at a very cheap rate to the working 
population. Of the prices no one will be found to 
complain, but the quality of the drinks is by no 
means satisfactory, coffee and tea so-called are only 
produced from inferior or adulterated samples and 
prepared in the usual objectionable way. As to the 
appearance and cleanliness of the Companies taverns 
no objection may be taken, but as regards the tea and 
coffee— and I am judging from repeated trials— the 
public is paying for an article which they receive only 
in name. There surely must be spirit enough, capital 
enough, and energy amongst Planters and their associ- 
ations in India on the one hand, and gentlemen in Eng- 
land interested in such matters to attempt the experi- 
ment of forming a wealthy Company in London for 
the opening on a large scale of places for the supply 
of pure Indian tea and coffee as beverages to the 
public where the produce would never leave the hands 
of its agents from time of gathering in India till hand- 
ing it across the counter in London ; and thus avoid- 
ing the remotest chance of adulteration, That such 
an experiment would pay and pay well there could be, 
I think, little doubt, altogether independently of benefit 
likely to be derived by the planter by increased con- 
sumption, which of course would be the main object 
to be obtained from a planting point of view. To 
those interested in such a question, and what planter 
is not? I would recommend if they entertain any 
doubts of the exact correctness of the above state- 
ments with regard to the abominable mixtures palmed 
off on the London working man under the name of 
tea and coffee, to test the matter for themselves 
should they happen to visit England or make en- 
quiries through friends and then say whether the 
time has not arrived for some kind of combined action 
for the better protection of the planting interest of 
Southern India. The Kensington Exhibition of Indian 
teas and coffees was most assuredly a step in the right 
direction, but to do any real permanent good the 
matter ought not to he allowed to rest there. 
The Nilgiri tea planters would do well to look to their 
laurels, or they will be outdone by those of other dis-' 
tricts. Ceylon tea is now largely sold in London and 
is much liked. It can be had at nearly every grocer's 
shop now and is widely advertised. Not so the pro- 
duce of the Blue mountains, this is comparatively 
little known, is little heard of in London, and is not to 
be had in a pure state in many London shops. This 
is not as it should be surely. Has the quality of the 
product degenerated, or can the planters find remun- 
erative prices in India without sending it home. — 
Nilgiri Express. 
Seeds Required for Garden Plots (£.). — The 
following seeds and space the quantities named may 
occupy, has been determined by experiments, the seeds 
being good and uniformly covered at a proper depth in 
suitable soil : — Asparagus, bed of 15 square yards, § pt.; 
Beani, Broad, per row of 80 feet, 1 qt.; Beet, row of 50 
feet, 1 oz.; Broccoli, per 4 square yards, £ oz.; Brussels 
Sprout", per 4 square yards, £ oz.; Cabbage, bed of 8 
square yardH, £ oz.;Oarrots, drill of 120 feet, 1 oz.; ditto, 
bed 12 square yards, 1 oz,; Cauliflower, 4 square yards, 
oz.; Celery 4 square yards, £ oz,; Cress, 3 square yards, 
oz.;Endive, 4 square yards, £ oz.; Kale, 4 square yards, 
£ oz., Kidney Beans, row 80 feet, £ pint; Leek, 2 square 
y;trds, J oz.; Lettuce, 4 square yards, \ oz.; Mushroom, 7 
square yards, 1 bus,; Onions, 9 square yards, 1 oz.; I 
Piri'ey, row 80 feet, 1 oz.; Parsnip, drill of 200 feet, 1 I 
<w.; Peas, early, row of COf eet, 1 pint; Peas, large, late | 
row of 80 feet, one pint; Potatoes, row of 30 feet, \ pkt.; 
Radishes, 4 squarelyards, 1 oz.; Savoy, 4 square yards, £ 
oz.; Spinach, 10 square yards, 1 oz.; Spinach, drill of 120 
feet, 1 oz.; Turnip, 4 yards square, \ oz, — Journal of 
Hortiaulure. 
Fibre-cleaning.— Our readers will remember that in 
1883-84 the reward of R2.000 offered by the 
Government of India for the best fibre-cleaning machine, 
was awa rded to Messrs. Death & Ellwood, but subse- 
quent experience has proved that this machine is not 
all that was claimed for it. We now learn from the 
Glasgow correspondent of an exchange, that demonstra- 
tion of the working of the new fibre-extracting machine 
invented by Mr . Death of the above-named firm was 
recently given in the premises of Grant & Sons, Broad- 
street, Mile End, Glasgow, in presence of a large number 
of local manufacturers. It is stated that rhea stems 
"plantain and hemp leaves were used, and the demon, 
stration generally was regarded as highly satisfactory- 
By this iuventionthe patentees state that the long-, 
standing difficulty of effectually separating the fibre of 
rhea or China grass from the stem,and at the same time 
discharging the prejudicial gum present in the plant 
without injury to the fibre, has been successfully and 
economically treated, and that other vegetable products 
which hitherto have had no commercial value can be 
utilised for manufacturing purposes. Our readers are 
aware, however, that the Calcutta trials of Smiths' 
machiue, which was admittedly inferior to the one 
above referred to, were considered satisfactory by the 
judges, but these demonstrations with comparatively 
small quantities of the raw material really proved little 
more than that the machine will extract the fibre. The 
practical question is : will it pay the planter to employ 
these machines on a large scale ? still remains, so far as 
we are aware, unanswered." We entirely endorse the 
truth of the concluding sentence. — Indian Agriculturist. 
A "Red Banana," very commonly cultivated as a shade 
and fruit plant, and the supply of which is said to be 
almost inexhaustible, has been brought forward as a 
possible source of commercial fibre. A sample of fibre 
prepared from this red banana was recently sent to Kew, 
and the opinion of Messrs. Ide and Christie obtained 
upon it. Their report, dated October 29, 1886, is as 
follows:—" We think highly of this fibre, for which we 
consider there might be a considerable demand, provided 
it could be produced of a better colour. We are inclined 
to tbiuk its dull hue is probably the result of inexperi- 
ence in its treatment, either by allowing it to steep 
too long in rather foul water or from the leaves being 
too old and discoloured before treatment. The attention 
of preparers should be directed to the production of a 
fibre of the bright natural colour of the enclosed speci- 
men of Manila hemp, and were quantities of the new 
fibre produced of this appearance, we think they would 
command 247. or 257. per ton today in the London 
market. Colour is of great consequence when fibres are 
used for the production of ' white hemp ' ropes. Of 
course, in the manufacture of tarred rope, colour is of no 
moment, but the white ' hemp,' Manila, Sisal, and New 
Zealand are seldom tarred." It is quite possible, 
Mr. Morris says, that, in spite of many years of experi- 
mental trial, the fibres of the bauana and plantain may 
not assume great commercial importance. In that case 
attention might be turned in another direction, and they 
might be partly prepared on the spot and utilised for 
paper-making. But to compete successfully with esparto 
and wood-pulp, the fibre or " half-stuff" of banana and 
plantain, he says, should be delivered in Europe at a cost 
not exceeding 41. to 61. per ton, depending on condition. 
For paper-making it might be sufficient to cut the stems 
into short pieces, and then divide them longitudinally 
into numerous narrow strips. These, after being passed 
between rollers to get rid of the water and mucilage, 
might be dried in the sun, and afterwards put up in 
compressed bales for shipment. The whole subject, how- 
ever, as Mr. Morris rightly observes, resolves itself into 
a question of cost, and it can only be practically solved 
in countries like Demerara, Trinidad, and Jamaica, 
where several thousand acres are occupied by banana 
plantations, and where sufficient material lies close at 
lhand to maintaiu a modrately large industry.— Colonies 
and India. 
