104 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1888. 
Coconut Befuse is thus alluded to in an article 
in Forestry on the "Resuscitation of Choice Trees 
by Top-dressing": — "Failing loam, the next best 
top dresser is, on the whole, coco fibre refuse. It 
is less feeding, and perhaps almost more conserva- 
tive alike of heat and moisture, also free from 
offensive odor, decomposes very slowly, and finally 
forms a fine mould of which the roots of all trees 
seem specially fond." — Planters' Monthly. 
Potatoes. — It is somewhat disheartening to read in 
the report of the Calcutta Botanic Gardens that the 
ravages of potato disease in Sikkim and the Khasia 
hills have been very severe during the past year, aud 
have given a shock to the introduction of English seed. 
No one knows whence the disease derives its origin ; but 
there is no doubt of the fact that English seed is most 
liable to attack, and the Superintendent of the Gardens 
advises that in future imports of seed should be made 
from Malta, Australia, or elsewhere where the con- 
ditions of growth differ less widely from that of the 
Indian bills. Better a good plum than a bad apricot. 
— Pioneer, July 10th. 
Ivy on Trees. — As several ofyour correspondents are 
asking for information on this question I willingly give 
my experience and observation, and first I would say that 
Ivy does no harm to any building provided the walls 
are in good repair and the spouting round the caves 
perfect ; and here often lies the cause of all the mischief, 
the rain running down behind the Ivy and causing the 
wall to become damp, whereas Ivy itself has quite 
an opposite tendency and makes buildings much arier 
and positively thatches the wall against rait) and sucks 
up the moisture from the base of the buildings. The 
walls of the Castle here are covered with Ivy of eighty 
years' growth, so that I speak with considerable ex- 
perience. Ivy ought never to be allowed to grow on 
any tree unless it shows signs of decay, when, it will 
for years form a picturesque object, but on healthy 
trees it is injurious because it binds around the stem 
and branches — hinders the flow of sap aud the proper 
development of stem and branch. But then is it 
wise to cut it on trees now ? Yes, at once, at the base, 
and leave it on the stem to die ; and before long it, 
will wither aud decay, and the tree will get used to 
the loss of the greatcoat before winter arrives. — 
J. Rust, Eridge Castle. — Gardeners' Chronile. 
Eucalyptus at Whittingham. — For the information 
of Dr. Landsborough, aud others who may feel in 
terested in the matter, I have pleasure in forward- 
ing you notes of measurements of the above tree, taken 
this morning. The height is 63 feet, girth of trunk, 
10 feet ; and of the four main stems, 5 feet 6 inches, 
4 feet 5 inches, 4 feet 2 inches, and 3 feet respectively. 
I may mention that Dr. Landsborough is not quite 
correct in stating that it was cut down to the grouud 
in I860 ; as a matter of fact it was sown over at a 
height of 9 feet, and so remained to all appearance 
dead for more than a year. In the belief tbat it was 
quite dead ; they had begun to root it out, and in 
doing so fortunately observed a young shoot making 
its appearance, was followed by others, one of them 
from just below where it had been cut over. What- 
ever may be the true name of the tree, I think Dr. 
Landsborough right in saying that it is not uruigera — 
at least, a young plant of that variety which we have 
here bears no resemblance to a plant of the same age, 
raised from our own tree, the leaves of the former 
being qnite green, and of the latter glaucous, as well 
us being both shorter and rounder. John Garrett, May 
14 [We have no doubt from the fruit figured on 
p. 360 that our determination is correct.] — Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
Ceyi.on Tea In Ameiuca. — From the Grocery 
World we take the following paragraph : — 
"Finley Acikeb. — This indefatigable grocer aud 
business man takes unto himself a help meet — Ceylou 
Tea. As we go to press word comes that Mr. Finley 
Acker, of Fiuley Ackor & Co., retail grocers and 
dealers in food products, 123 North 8th street, 
this city, has embarked in still another business en- 
terprise. He has become associated with the famous 
Ceylon Tea Co., and has accepted a sub-agency for 
this city and State. This was learned by a World 
reporter from the agent of the company. The com- 
pany have removed their offices for this State from 
13th and Market street, to handsome quarters under 
St. George's Hall, 13th aud Arch street. Mr. Acker 
is a very live business man, being the head and front 
of the Table Talk Publishing Co., the Keystone Manu- 
facturing Co., Pratt's Poultry Food Co., the big 
grocery house bearing his name, besides being treasurer 
of the National Pure Food Association, a leading 
member and committeeman of the local Retail Gro- 
cers' Association and interested in real estate, banking 
and other enterprises. He successfully does his share 
of all, and we congratulate him on his acoession." 
Tea in Japan. — Says the Japan Weekly Mail 
of June 16th : -" The tea inspection regulations 
appear to be pretty well understood now, and seizures 
are not nearly so common as they used to be. 
People are occasionally reminded, however, that 
they cannot easily dispose of leaf that has not passed 
examination." " The principal portion of first crop 
Tea has been fired and shipped, and purchases of 
leaf during the week have fallen below 10,000 piculs. 
The second picking has not come in yet in quantity. 
Prices have been steady, present quotations being a 
dollar a picul less than at the same time last season 
for good common to medium, and two or three 
dollars less for the higher grades. Stocks are ample. 
Shipments during the week have been heavy. The 
'Gaelic' took 741,228 lb., the ship ' W. F. Rotch ' 
2,466,145 lb., the ' GlenshieP (via Canal) 1,630,079 
lb., and the 'Port Adelaide' 1,033,317 lb." The 
same paper, in its issue of June 23rd, says : — " The 
Tea trade is on about the same scale as last re- 
ported, and prices remain firm. Small quantities 
of second pickings have come to hand, the quality 
of which is about on a par with last year's pro- 
ductions." 
Mb. Deummond Deane on Japan Tea Boxes. 
— We find the following letter in the Indian Tea 
Gazette :— Ilth June, 1888, Kintyre, Maskeliya. Sir, 
— In answer to "Inquirer," I believe that "Japan tea 
packages," machine made, can be obtained from 
Messrs. Williamson, Magor & Co., Calcutta — anyhow 
I know those gentlemen have recently imported a 
good many. The price and quality of these packages 
leave little to be desired, and I believe I should not 
be far wrong in saying that at least half the Ceylon 
tea crop was packed in them last year. Like all new 
things, the introducer is generally a loser, and in 
my case this proved the rule. A set was made on 
the boxes by merchants and others, who made, of 
course, a far bigger profit out of local made pack- 
ages. Slowly, but surely, however, the planters found 
out the saving in trouble, expense and time in using 
these packages, and with improved times were enabled 
to steer clear of agents. The result being that the 
boxes are so much approved of both at home and 
here that other kinds of wooden packages are quite 
at a discount. My agents here are Messrs. Mack- 
wood & Co., Colombo, and should " Inquirer " have 
any difficulty in getting the packages in Calcutta, he 
should write to these gentlemen for price lists and 
state sizes required. The stock sizes in Colombo are 
24 x 19 x 19 23 x 18 x 18 
17 x 17 x 17 16 x 16 x 16 
in half inch cedar wood, but any size can be made 
to order. The weight of full chests, 24 x 19 x 19 in- 
cluding nails, lead, and hoop iron, is 26 lb. and the 
price of the chest in Colombo 92 cents. It would 
probably be the same price in Calcutta inclusively 
of importer's profit, say 5 per cent. I myself have 
shipped 300,000 lb. tea in these packages in the last 
three years, and have never had a complaint from 
my London friends Messrs. Rathbone Brothers & Co., 
to whom all my teas are consigned. I believe, as be> 
fore said, that Messrs. Williamson, Magor & Co., are 
getting consignments through my Japan friends who 
gave them the agency at my request, or at any 
rate offered it them. — Yours faithfully, dear Sir, 
H, Dbummond Deane. 
