AMil 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
70 $ 
mind tho formation of the common corn on the human 
toe. 
To tbe fanciful minds of Oriental nations no such 
crude explanation lias occurred, and tbey still attribute 
to pearls a much more poetic origin. The oysters, they 
say, rise by night to thesurfaeo of the water, and, 
opening their shells, receive therein a single drop of 
dew. This in time becomes a pearl, and, if the dew 
lias been pure and clear, tbe pearl will be a beautiful 
one, but, if the drop of dew has been soiled with im- 
purities, then the pearl will be opaque, and of no value. 
Before leaving tbe subject of pearls, it may interest 
some to hear that, there are fresh water pearls as well as 
sea pearls. These are found in a species of mussel 
which grows j„ most temperate latitudes. Pearls havo 
thus been found in several rivers in America, as 
well as in the British Isles, Germany, where there 
is a considerable trade in them, China and 
other countries. These pear's are more lead- 
coloured, and have not the beauty of sea water pearls. 
Linnreus, " the father of naturalists," received the 
honour of ki igbthcod for demonstrating 'he possibility 
of artificially producing 'he formation of pearls in the 
pearl-bearing mnssc I. But, as has been the case with 
other European inventions of which we have thought 
a great deal, it has since turned out that John 
China man has been doing this thing for a couple of 
thousand years or so. The Chinese method is to take 
the mussel from the river, carefully force the shells 
a little way apart, and insert between tbe mantle 
of the oyster and one of the shells a fow-pollets of 
olay, tiny pearls, or foreign bodies of some kind. 
When this has been cIodo the oyster is turned over, 
and the poor fellow is obliged to submit to a simi- 
lar uncomfortable process on his other side. He is 
then put back into a pond, where he is kept well nnd 
fat by a diet more nourishing than nice. After a 
few months, or sometimes a year or two, he is again 
taken from his bed, his pearls are taken out, and he is 
eaten. — San FrancitCO Chronicle. 
TEA AM) ITS PREPARATION. 
Mr. R. C Amines/,, well-known for his statuary 
sculpture, modelling and other artwork, has been 
employed by Mr. Rutherford to make models (in 
composition) coloured to life, of cooly men and 
women in the different operations connected with 
tea from the carrying in of the leaf in baskets 
to the hammering of the tea-chests. The result is 
18 well-executed and very interesting miniature 
models showing everything very clearly. Two 
models oro of the Superintendent and his Assistant. 
The Bet is, we believe, intended for the Glasgow 
Exhibition, and we may mention, to encourage a 
deserving local artist, that Mr. Andriesz is pre- 
pared to make duplicates at R8 each model. 
CHINA TEA. 
The following letter has been received by the 
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce on the subject of 
the export duty on China tea: — Foreign Office, Eeh. 
1 5th, lssN.— Sir,— I am directed by the Marquis of 
Salisbury to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 
of the 7th instant relative to tho amount of the 
export duty on tea from China and the advisability of 
nn application being mado to the Chinese Govern- 
ment for a revision of the tarilf established under the 
treaties with China of 1n(-_> n nd Is.'.s. I U m to 
n quest that you will inform tho council of the 
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce that the subject 
to which they have drawn Lord Salisbury's alien- 
tion shnll he taken into consideration, but that in- 
asmuch as the treaty of June Ut'ith, Is.'.s, was not 
rat died until the signature of the convention of 
Oct. 'J Ith 1800, Ihu tarilf under the former instrument 
must ho considered as having been established at 
last-named date only, and it will therefore not 
be open to Her Majesty'* Government to da- 
mand a revision of the tariff until (he year 1800. 
— I am, A'c, P. W. Cuiihik. — /,. c0 V. Expr$esi 
Feb. 24th; 
♦ 
OYSTER AND SPONGE CULTURE FOR 
JAEENA ? 
The lack of fuel, or other motive power must bo 
always a bar to any extensive manufactures. With no 
rivers or coal beds, large factories cannot be looked 
lor here. A tide mill might be erected at Tondi- 
manaar, but compared with the great factories of 
other places, that would not be worth mention. What 
then has Jaffna that other places have not? Some 
say it has exceptional facilities for tobacco, both in soil 
and climate, and that, if only scientific methods of 
curing the b af be adopted, it can furnish a superior 
quality. It is true that tobacco has brought a con- 
siderable amount of money into the province, and will 
probably cont'nue to do this for some time to come. 
But in the end it will not pay. To say nothing of 
the deterioration of the lands, which is sure to follow, 
the deterioration of the health and the morals, which 
always accompanies the increased cultivation of tobacco, 
is a very seiious consideration. AVhat then can Jaffua 
produce better than her neighbours? Let us look at the 
place geographically. A low coral peninsula, near the 
iquator, near a continent teeming with human beings, 
a stroag sea current on one side, on three sides a 
shallow sea of comparatively quiet waters, with no large 
rivers pouring Iresh water into them. Such rivers seem 
to be necessary for pearl oysters to thrive, albeit they 
sometimes destroy tbero. These circumstances seem to 
be especially favourable for two industries, sponge grow- 
ing and fish breeding. It has been den onstrated that 
an acre of water "ill give a better harvest than an 
acre of laud, if properly cultivated. Jaffna may reap a 
harvest over ten times its own area. Sponges already 
grow in these waters, but not the good qualities. The 
best sponges must have a temperature never below 60. 
They must be free frcm river water, and comparatively 
quiet. Some person familiar with the sponge industry, 
might give an opinion, and if favourable, a few live 
sponges might be brought from the Bed Sea, and pro- 
tected foratimeand theu the industry is started, bring- 
ing in ultiinati ly thousands of pounds income. Hindus 
do not use many sponges now, but 100 years from now 
there will probably bo a greater demand in India tin n 
in Europe. The advantages of Jaffna waters over tbe 
Red sea are that tbey are more equably warm and ad- 
join a deep sea current. The circumstances are strik- 
ingly like Key West, whero spouges are gathered. We 
nm.-t have fish culture-, ami another point until tbfi 
next time. — " Morning Star," Jlarch 1st. 
INTRODUCTION OE TROUT OVA TO THE 
NILG1R1S. 
[It will be seen from tho following extract from 
the Madras Mail that success has not yet crowned 
the efforts made, but that it is certain to be 
attained. — Ep. T. A.] 
Mr. H. Percival Hodgson writes to us from 
Ootacamund : — 
'• I arranged while at home last year for tho pur- 
chase of 150,000 ova from Mr. W. J. Silk, of Burgbley 
Park, .Stamford. I» was thought best to divide the ova 
into two lots of 75,000 each, so that if tbe one failed, 
the second batch might succeed. The first lo' left Eng- 
land by the P. & O. steamer ! Uohilla,' and arrived in 
Madras in January. Tiny were cleared and sent forward 
at once — but on arrival ibey all proved to be dead, hav- 
ing hutched ou the journey. The second lot came 
out by B. L Steamer ' Iudin.' and arrived in Madras 
011 the lib of this month- <>n this occasion Mr. March 
went down to meet tin 111, in crib r to st e that 11 pro- 
per Mipply < f ice waakepl round the ova box during 
1 hi- hot rai wny journey frcm Madras. When opened 
here, some of tho cgg> in the upper diawir of the DO! 
appeared to be nlivc but all the rest htd either 
hutebed out on tho journey, or appeared to have died 
troui the tlfccts of a sort of tungus that bad ft VQ 
