2g2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1886. 
Electeic Lighting on Sugae Estates. — We 
{Mauritius Gazette) understand that several estates 
have adopted electric lighting for their mills. 
"Alma" and "Midlands" have just commenced 
crushing and have been lighted with about fifty in- 
candescent lamps of thirty-five candle power each 
and one arc light of about 1,000 candle power for 
the yard. These installations are worked by a 
Gramme dynamo of the latest improvements. 
Me. Thomas Chbisty, who was chiefly instrumental 
in obtaining from the Board of Customs permission 
to use refuse tea for the manufacture of caffeine 
in this country, sends us a sample of the chemical 
manufactured, we understand, by Messrs. Howards 
& Sons. We also notice from an advertisement 
published by Mr. Whifl'en, of Battersea, who has 
likewise commenced the manufacture under similar 
conditions, that he is now prepared to supply the 
alkaloid. — Chemist and Druggist, Aug. 25th. 
Califobnia. — Kev. Dr. John Hannon in a 
letter to the Biohmond "Christian Advocate " speaks 
of California, to which land he was exiled : — In 
the Superlative Degree :—The biggest 'milk dairy' 
in the world, the largest butter dairy in the world, 
the largest almond orchard in the world, the largest 
orange orchard in the world, the largest vineyard 
in the world, the most productive gold quartz mine 
in the world, the largest hotel in the world, the 
largest grape vine in the world, the corporation 
which has built the most miles of railroad in the 
world, the largest telescope in the world (I think 
perhaps), the biggest vessels in the world: these are 
some of the things that California glories in. — Sou- 
thern Planter. 
Cotton Geo wing in Ceylon: New Ginning 
Machines in China. — Mr. Consul Scott, of Ningpo, 
describes a new cotton ginning machine now used 
in China, which is imported from Japan, and which 
is said to have two great advantages over American 
methods : (1) the staple is less cut and injured ; 
(2) the seeds are apparently better cleaned." It 
seems probable that in a few years the smaller 
machines must come into general use throughout the 
cotton-growing districts of China, and a very large 
demand for them must arise — a demand that, if the 
principle is really of the excellence suggested, will 
not be confined to China, but will extend in America, 
India, Egypt, and , all cotton-growing countries. 
It would seem that the invention is one worthy the 
immediate attention of British machinery manu- 
facturers. — Chamber of Commerce Journal, Aug. 6th. 
The Peael Fishery op Mozambique. — The 
Belgian Consul- General at Zanzibar, in a recent 
report, makes the following reference to the pearl 
fishery of Mozambique : — " There exist on the coast 
reefs of pearl oysters, of which the most important 
is situated to the south of Chiloane, in the Bazaruto 
archipelago. The greater portion of this reef is 
within enclosed waters, and as it has never been 
regularly worked, the pearls which would be found 
there ought certainly to be of very considerable 
dimensions. At Mozambique and Ibo, similar but 
less important reefs are met with. In the latter 
locality the negroes, who devote themselves to the 
oyster fishery, often find black pearls of great beauty, 
but their value is absolutely destroyed in con- 
sequence of the method employed in extracting them 
from the shells. This method consists in placing 
the oyster in the fire. The working of the pearl 
oysters has hitherto been unfettered by legislation." 
— Morning Post. L '.Vhat a chance for some enter- 
prising Ceylonese capitalists — Messrs. Do Soysa, 
Mnttiah, Jeronis Pieris <&c. — to charter a steamer 
and despatch trustworthy agents with a select num- 
ber of our Pearl Fishery divers ? !— Ed.] 
Loss to Productive Industries in United States. 
— The annual loss to productive industries in the 
United States caused by insects is estimated at 
150,000,000 dols. The loss to the cotton crop is 
eatimated at 15,000,000 dols. a year, while that to 
the apple crop is not much less, and that to the 
potato crop at least one-half as much.— Indian 
Agriculturist, Aug. 25th. 
Tea in Fiji. — The Fiji Tmies thus notices a 
sample of tea grown on the estate with which Mr. 
Arthur Stephens is connected :— " We have received 
from Alpha estate a sample of Pekoe of excellent 
quality. This description of tea always fetches a 
high price when it attains anything like its proper 
sapidity, and the small lot inspected, should certainly 
be spoken well of in the market. There can be no 
doubt as to its suitableness for the purpose to which 
it is chiefly applied— that of giving an extra flavour 
to ordinary teas. It is remarkably well cured and 
merits all the commendation which can be bestowed 
upon it." 
High-priced Tea in Ireland. — In the latest 
book on Ireland by Mr. llurlbert, there is a curious 
reference to tea. The Spectator review says :— " Mr. 
Hurlbert was told repeatedly in the Gweedore dis- 
trict that the people there constantly bought tea at 
4s or 4s 6d per pound, which they stewed and 
drank continually,— the teas offered at any cheaper 
rate being despised, though the flavour of the tea 
cannot possibly be discerned by people who use tea 
after this cruel fashion. They buy these extravagant 
priced teas on credit, always being more or less in 
debt to the dealers." 
The Season seems to have been extra- 
ordinary all over India: drought in some places 
and drowning in others. A Chittagong planter 
sends to the Indian Planters' 1 Gazette a record 
showing incessant rain from 15th July to 24th 
August, rising on one particular day, August 15th, 
to 10 54 inches, followed by 4 next day; In the 
40 days 54'47 inches fell. To quote :— 
"Swamped Out" writes us from Ohittagong :— We 
have had the most extraordinary weather here since 
the 15th ultimo. I append below an extract from 
my rainfall register. The fall in 41 days raised my 
rainfall from 37 23 to 92 65 and, as during all this time 
we have had no sunshine, you can imagine the planter 
community have had anything but a cheerful time of it. 
The rice crops, I am given to understand, have suffered 
very severely, no less than three separate consecutive 
sowings having been destroyed. While I write the 
heavens continue 'overcast and we seem in for some 
more of it. 
Ceylon Tea in Australia.— There is a very com- 
mon opinion amongst planters here that people in 
Australia do not care for really good first-class 
teas, for which they have to pay a decent price. 
We have just received an elaborately got up circular 
from Messrs. James Inglis & Co., of Sydney, evidently 
a big firm, and in speaking of their imports they 
Sa With regard to our own imports, in addition to 
the finest Panyong, Souchong, Saryune, and Yung 
How procurable, we are this year bringing down from 
Hankow a chop of the very finest Ning Chow Con- 
gou such as now invariably goes to Russia, and 
though this is, of course, an experiment, we believe 
that consumers in New South Wales are quite will- 
ing to pay value for really fine Tea, if it be offered 
to them. . , . 
Having this object in view, we recently imported by 
far the finest Ceylon Pekoe that has ever come to 
Svdney, and we have so perfected our arrangements 
that we shall, in future, be in regular receipt of 
varied and well-selected shipments from both the 
Northern and Southern ports of China, and from 
India, Ceylon, Japan, Java and Fiji. 
It is to be hoped that if the taste for good tea is 
thus cultivated Ceylon will be able to hold her own. 
