September i, 1888.] TH£ TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
21S 
Trinidad Botanic Gardens. — Mr. Hurl's repo t 
for 1887 gives a summary of the history and present 
condition of the garden, its library, and officos. 
Such a report is specially valuable at home, while 
the practical details ns to the cultivation and pre- 
paration of various fibres, f 10 1 plants, drugs, &c. 
must be of groat importance in the colony itself. 
The meteorological dita also will be of use to home 
cultivators- Tile report is in every way creditable 
to the Sup irintendent, and affords promise of great 
future b ■m-fit to the colony, as well as to botany 
and horticulture. In connection with Trinidad we 
may also mention the publication of a Bulletin, of 
which No. 5 is devoted to Coffee, the report being 
based upon a trea'ise of Mr. W. Sabonadiere, of 
Ceylon. Trinidad has the means of producing Coffee 
equal to that grown in any other part of tho world. 
— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Aloe Fibre has become an important article 
of export from Mauritius, as the following table will 
show : — 
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF SHIPMENTS 
From 1st August 1885, 183(5 and 1887 to 26th June 
1886, 188/ and 1883 respectively. 
1835-86 1880-87 1887-8S 
kilos kilos kilos 
United Kingdom 721,540 1,359,610 1,407,472 
France 41,500 190,824 610,218 
Australasia 12,000 4,500 38,000 
United States — 60,000 — 
Krunion — 50 — 
Continental India — — 43,000 
Total 775,040 1,614,981 2,093,690 
Surely something might be done with the product 
in Ceylon ? 
Notes from Pekrmaad. — In spite of the vile weather, 
our Ootfco is nourishing and fair average crops will bo 
obtaiued. Thore is a slight sensation of '■Leaf here and 
there, but not enough to cause anxiety. I have just 
returned from a round of visits, aud have seen most 
of the Tea aud Coffee in the District. A small clearing 
un der partial shade, (too much partial and not enough 
shade to please me) was looking lovely, but then you 
know, Mr. Editor, that shade colfee is a hobby of mine; 
and I rido him and love to ride him persistently and 
it won't bo my fault if a good mauy more acres 
are not under perfectly partial shade before very long. 
iVatl now verroiis as my esteemed friend Mans. Jean 
Orapaud would 'remark. Tea is flourishing and flush- 
ing, flowery Pekoe fluctuating, but factories are full 
— fortunato foreigners, as our ostoemed laborers con- 
sider their benevolent mastora. But they neither 
understand financing nor — well my K's are nigh ex- 
hausted. Alliteration ! ! — Cor., Madras Times, Aug. 28th. 
Botany of Socotka. — Professor Balfour's detailed 
account of the botany of Socotra has been published 
by the Koyal Socioty of K liuburgh, and forms a 
bulky quarto of 416 pages and 100 lithographed 
plates. Tho preface contains a brief history and pro- 
ceedings of the expedition, which lasted for forty- 
eight days only, but which was soon followed up 
by a second exploration by Dr. Beobeck and Dr 
Schweinf urtb and others. The plants collected by 
Dr. Sehwinfurth on this occasion were generously 
made over to Professor Balfour for uso in tho 
present work. The introductory chapter contains an 
account of the geographical and geological features of 
the island. The low ground has approximately tho 
same Mora as that of the Sahara and Punjab. In th" 
valleys in the higher ground tropical vegetation oc- 
curs. The higher altitudes have a strange aud peculiar 
vogotatiou of arborescent Composites, aromatic Heli- 
ohrysums, and other quaiut types. Tho total number 
of plants is given at SJs, ,,l which . r >7.'i arc flowering 
plants, no fewer than 206 being eudemic. The most 
showy plants aro Adenium multiflorum, Begonia soco- 
tnma, now well known in gardens, and madu already the 
stinting point of various hybirds; Criuuni Balfnurii, 
liiacutn riiTuloum, ko. A. Oucurbitaccous tree, Den- 
drosicyos socotrann is one of tho wouders of the 
island; Cocoulus Itilfourii is also an erect shrub 
instoad of a loose climber, like most of its congeners. 
Punica protopuuica is remarkable for having only ono 
row of carpels, and as being tho wild representative 
of the common Pomegranato. The dragon's blood 
used in varnish making is the produce of Dracama 
cinnabari, noarly allied to I), draco. Frankincense and 
mjrrh are also found, while socotrine aloes is yielded 
by Aloe Perryi, a species of Buxus. I!. Hildebrandi 
may prove important as a Bource of Boxwood. The 
whole work is a striking proof of what may be 
accomplished by well-directed energy snd instructed 
zeal in the course of a few weeks' exploration. Tho 
exploration and its record, as here given, are alike 
creditable to British science and to its representative, 
Professor Balfour. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
The Planters' Ceylon Tea Stores, Glasgow. — 
Judging from the numbers who flock to the Tea 
House of the Ceylon Planters' Association in the 
International Exhibition o£ Glasgow, pure Ceylon 
tea seems to be generally appreciated, aud, in order 
that tho public may be supplied with teas similar 
to those now being dispensed in the Tea House, 
members of the Planters' Association have opened 
the Planters' Ceylon Tea Stores at 43 Union Street, 
where teas are sold in the packet and can be 
tasted in the cup. The front shop is neatly ap- 
pointed for the packing and distribution of the 
tea, which is carefully weighed by Cinghalese and 
Tamils, specially engaged. The saloon in the 
rear is decorated in an Oriental fashion, the walls 
being lined with the orthodox yellow Buddhist 
cloth and dado of Oriental matting, with most 
interesting photographs which show the processes 
of the growth and manufacture of tea from the 
seed to despatching the chest from Colombo, the 
principal port of Ceylon. The objects of the 
Ceylon Planters' Tea Stores Company are purely 
Ceylon, and they do not mix their tea with Indian, 
China, or othor cheap and inferior tea ; but, in 
order to procure a strong tea having a fine flavour, 
they blend teii grown at various altitudes, as tea 
grown in the low country gives strength of infusion, 
and that of higher altitudes flavour and aroma. A 
great advantage of purchasing tea in these Stores, 
is, that it can be sampled and tasted in the cup, 
and anyone wishing to purchase tea direct from 
the chest can have a cup of that tea infused in 
a few minutes. All information regarding the 
colony of Ceylon, and, in particular, tea cultiva- 
tion and manufacture, is given gratis by Mr. 
Roger or Mr. Bett, who represent the Company in 
Scotland. — Dunoon Observer, Aug. 8th. 
DISTRIBUTION OF CEYLON EXPORTS. 
(From 1st Oct. 1887 to 30th Aug. 1888.) 
Countries. 
To United Kingdom 
„ Marseilles 
„ Genoa 
,1 Venice 
„ Trieste 
„ Odossa 
„ Hamburg 
,, Autwerp 
,, llremou 
„ Havre 
Rotterdam 
,, Africa 
,, Mauritius 
,, In li i .V: K i.iln vi i 
„ Australia 
„ America 
ToUit Kxports from Oat»li 
1887 to Ann. 30, 1888 
Do ISS8 do 1887 
Do 1886 do 18*) 
Do mi do lStto 
C'chona 
Branch 
Carda- 
Coffee 
&Truuk 
Tea. C'coa 
moms. 
cwt. 
lb. 
lb. 
cwt. 
lb. 
'j;,s.v; 
103i9(357 
18591350 
9307 
loi'oia 
7757, 
91 
1187 
33 
2J'.'s 
5C8190 
... 1 
... 
8121 
983 
31 
200 
148 
•IS 1 1 1 
100 
'•iooo 
19 
51521 
am 
loo 
8 
10i'53j 
10*0 
"8174 
'"iifl 
m 
"435 
61 
9191 
8 
"MS 
13GU1 
...1 07J0I ... 
880881 
6 
3<17 
... &m 
N.T.VJ 
Mill 
U'rttWT lloln H i kU I v'O- 
178361 13408880 1000031!) 
Jl a I 1 U77SOI tkWso* 
aalOOl lOoiiSWJ JoWl*' 
1J«>5 
10187 
130 HI 
6488 
."l.i-s 
:ui lis 
■ i >7 
