May i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
763 
mentioned that the Saharunpore Garden distributed 
1 liymo plants in 1882-83, against 42,000 in 1883-84; 
the difference being almost made up by 100,000 plants 
of agave. Similarly in L884 the Horticultural Gardens 
in Madras sold 100,000 plauts of Ike ".Mauritius 
hemp," FowrcroyOi giyantttt. 
As already unserved, tbo nature of the work of the 
different gardens varies according to the requirements 
of each district. In many parts, especially in Ceylon, 
the Nilgherries, British Sikkim, the interest of 
European planters have t" be considered first; in the 
rice-growing d strict of the Ganges, Malabar, and 
Ceylon, the things cultivated in the gar. lens and plant- 
ations engage spicial attention. In Bengal, jute, in- 
digo, ana to some extent opium, and in Central and 
Nothern India improvements in the cultivation of 
cereals, are of primary consideration ; while in the 
Bombay Presidency and some p ins of Ceylon, cotton 
is added thereto ; often associated with the latter the 
sugar-yielding palm, /Vo/V.w.v jlibrlltjoriiii*. For the 
dry regions ot the Puuj ib, it is a question of fin ling 
suitable woody plants fur afforestation, as well as for 
the saline soil of the North- Wesi Provinces, in order 
to pruvide fuel for the agricultural districts, and 
tin ruby gain the dun^r of cattle for p u poses of 
manuring. And among other things of vast ltnpor.aace 
is the conservation and renewal of the rapidly dis- 
appearing caoutchouc forests of Malaca. 
Tho Singapore Garden has only been a scientific 
establishment since 1882, when it was placed under 
the direction of Mr. Cintley; but much has been 
done in these few yoars without destroying the natural 
beauties of the old garden. A snail herbarium has 
been formed, and the most necessary buildings erected. 
The new plantations are, as far as possible, system- 
atically grouped. A special charm of this Garden is 
a remnaut of the original forest, traversed only by a 
few paths, whore one cau enjoy, in a small way, the 
deligh'S of tropical vegeiatiou without the fatigue 
attending excu m his in pithless forests: The fern 
garden and the palmetum promise to be very rich 
and attractive ; hut a larger income is necessary to 
carry out the functions of a botanic garden fully and 
expeditiously. It is p-.rb.aps supeifluous to add that 
the Director has to superintend the gardens and 
promenades of the town; but in ord;r to understand 
the whole of the circumstance, it is important to bear 
in mind that he has also been placed at the heal of 
tin) newly created Forest Department for the whole 
of tho Strait Settlements — an arrangement which of 
course causes him no inconsiderable amount of addi- 
tional hibonr. 
Seeds and plants are continuously being distribute 1 
from Kow, whore all new things are reported and 
presented, and where competent authorities are con- 
sulted on the merits of the samples s-jut in. At this 
centre advice is sought, and there is a constant inter- 
change of ideas ami experience between it and the Indian 
establishments, the advantages of which are so evident 
that it is Unnecessary to enumerate them. 
With the exception of rice, tropical cultivation gen- 
erally is so uncertain and subject to fluctuation, owing 
to the conditions of labour, communication, and credit, 
that improvements are very slow ; and the experimental 
work is DOt so systematically conducted as with us. 
Thereon too fey officers, and everybody has too much 
to do; nevertheless, many of the reports exhibit an 
amount of zeal and industry, deserving of all the more 
recognition on account of the difficulties uu ler which 
m ich of thu werk is dou». 
From this point, Mr. Warburg explains and describes 
in some doUll, what has been effected by the combine I 
tot Ion of Kew and the Indian botanic gardens iii the 
Introduction, resulting in the extensive cultivation of 
economic p 1 wits of the first importance, such ns tho 
cinchona, lea, and ooffee, the cultivation and manu- 
facture oi which have developed inti industries ot fa' 
calculable value. He further alludes t > tho cultivation 
of rubber-tr< n, ip. o.icu in li >, Ir.re-j nhling pi mt.., \c., 
which is, in many instances, still in a more nr less 
tixpui linen tal stage, lie als « enters m o particulars 
ami comparisons ,,f the clnnito of dilferent districts 
iu its relations to cultivation, and altogether his ilupjn 
is an interesting and instructive one, containing much 
information new to tho English public. II 3 specially 
mentions tho great interest taken in th< Madras gardens 
by Sir Mouutstuart Grant-Duff, ami the material 
assistance ho extended to Prof. Lawsou. And he con- 
cludes with a brief review of the literature directly 
or indiroctly connected with the botinic gardens of 
Indiu, culminating in Sir Joseph Hooker's gigantic 
undertaking, "Tho Flora of British India." With 
regard to tho intimate connection between Kew and 
the Colonial and India gardens, Mr. Warburg thinks 
it is at present most beneficial, though he looks for- 
ward to the time when they shall have developed so 
far as to be less dependent on a central institution. — 
Nature. 
4 
REVIEW OF SUMATRA TOBACCO. 
Regarding the U. S. Tariff question, already so 
often treated, we have very little to say this time, 
as the past year offered no new points of view 
worthy of any discussion. The uniform duty, so 
long desired by every one iu the Sumatra leaf trade, 
is still wanted, and the only change which has 
taken place, was in in the mode of application. 
At present the Appraiser opens one bale out of ten 
aud " ten hands " are taken out of this, by which 
the percentage is determined for the duty of 25 
and 75 cts., which is in so far an improvement, 
that the Tobacco in the bales is not so much des- 
troyed as formerly, when the appraising was not 
confined to so small a number of " hands ". Ac- 
cording to our opiuiou, a uniform Tariff is not likely 
t) be introduced, unless the euormous surplus accum- 
ulated at the Treisury, according to the speech of 
the President at the opening of Congress, should also 
bring profit to our Sumatra Tobaccos, either by the 
reduction or abolition of the duty, which in all cases 
is an unjust tax towards our Sumatra Produue. 
But, as stated above, we have no doubt, that the 
1'iotectiouists will take care by their manoeuvres to 
reta il the majority. How badly the present rules 
work, aud in how different a manner they are ap- 
plied by the appraisers, is sufficiently illustrated by 
the cindid words of a> American Manufacturer, 
published in the *• U. S. Tobacco Joarnal," of Nov, 12th. 
He said, a. o- 
"Tho present arbitrary scale wis the cause of 
eudless confusion aud auuoyancc. It tended to un- 
settle the market price of imported tobacco, and 
left a wide range for fraud, such fraud as was al- 
ways observable, sometimes directly and sometimes 
only circumstantially, whenever the rate of duties 
was optional. With all those with whom he has 
conversed in any way connected with the trade, he 
had heard the same complaints. It Was not for 
him to say, whether there was bribery or collusio 1. 
Ho did not kuow whether there was, or not, and 
therefore, would not attempt to pass a judgmeut. 
Bat it was, however, a fact that two aud sometimes 
three diflercnt prices were being asked for the same 
quality of tobacco in the market to-day. " 
This season agaiu was a very favorable oue for 
Sumatra Tobacco. With an iucreaacd Import, prices 
not only led : their grouud, but thauks to the want 
of competitive tobaccos suitable for wrappers, they 
advanced considerably above those of last year. 
Whereas, formerly, the export to the U. fl. com- 
menced with tho shipment of small parcels, to judge 
the quality of thu crop, aud he able to act accord- 
ingly in the subsequent subscriptions, this year the 
first sale was alruady a foreboding of tho larue 
demand to bo expected from the U. S. At the first 
s ile a "running-lot" was brought for American ac- 
count, ami the marks thereof uot suitable for the 
U. S., resold to the l.iirope&n trade. This wai suffi- 
cient proof, that thu new crop would bo well reo iv. I. 
whiuh was promptly continued by the fact that all 
'• Firsts" out ot superior parents, whether of tho 
required weight or not, were taken at high priooe. 
lie stook of good parcels being soon exhaust, d, 
whilst there remained also very little on hand of 
lufctior outfi, souk leafy " Socoudi " were also tai n 
