THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October t, 1888. 
He was given a perfectly free hand to act as he 
might deem best. He has only been away some 
three months, aid he has already established agents 
in all the important towns over a large tract, and is 
beginning to receive "repeated-orders," which is, of 
course, eminently encouraging. He is evidently, from a 
letter of his which I have been permitted to see, creat- 
ing a broadly extended trade on thoroughly sound busi- 
ness lines, and considering the short time he has been at 
work, his success has been beyond the expectation of 
those who sent him. Whilst his success points to the 
correctness of the course of first of all selecting a good 
man, and then giving him carte blanche, which is equally 
applicable to the proposed scheme for exploiting Amerca, 
it, nevertheless, cannot be held up as an example of 
the rapid success to be counted upon in the very differ- 
ent United States' field. Mr. Hayter's friends in 
Sylhet will be interested to learn that he is quite set- 
tling down to win Canada for Indian teas, and that Mrs. 
Hayter will soon join him in his new home. — Indian 
Planters' Gazette. 
OUE TEA PEOSPECTS. 
The special telegram we published from Calcutta 
yesterday has no ordinary significance to all in- 
terested in Ceylon tea, because it seems to indicate 
that the anticipated increase of ten million pounds 
in the Indian Tea Exports for season 1888-89 is not 
likely to be realized. Tbis is at least the inference 
of an observer who has been closely watching the 
Indian and China exports, and partial confirmation 
is found in the report of a Cachar planter who 
speaks of short crops from red-spider and hailstorms. 
Should the deficiency on estimate be realized we 
need scarcely say that there will be all the more 
room for increased exports from Ceylon, even if the 
China exports do not go on to show any decrease on 
last year's return. Another satisfactory feature in 
both the Calcutta and Ceylon returns is the large 
increase of shipments to the Australian Colonies, 
a process of increment which, we trust, will go on 
steadily until our Southern cousins take the greater 
part of their 28 million lb. of tea in reliable 
Indian and Ceylon produce. There was an absurd 
report the other day in some English papers that 
tea consumption in Eussia was falling off. A great 
mistake : Eussia is bound to go on as one of the best 
customers for tea, and its people as a rule like a 
good article. The Daily News (August 30th) has a 
paragraph as follows : — 
Russian Tea Imports. — Our Odessa Correspondent 
writes : — The fifth and last of the season's tea ships, 
consisting of four of the volunteer fleet vessels, and 
one specially chartered British vessel, the "Pathan," 
arrived here a few days ago. The total tea freight 
brought by these steamers direct from China to this 
port amounts to 16,740,000 lb., which shows an increase 
on last year's import of three and a half million pounds. 
The transit by the overland route via Kiachta has 
now practically ceased. 
But altogether, we estimate in our Handbook, that 
Eussia (in Europe and Asia) consumes 72 million 
pounds of tea : half being conveyed overland from 
China and the other half reaching Eussia in Europe 
via the Black Sea, the Baltic and overland through 
Germany. 

THE CULTIVATION OF NUTMEGS. 
Paddling into a little cove on the south side of the bay, 
we landed beside a clear rippling stream, and, having 
ordered the whole of the men to march in Indian file in 
front, we started by a little rugged path into the 
mountains, with my interpreter immediately behind 
me and the Rajah just in front- Every foot of the 
journey, which v, n- laborious in the extreme, disclosed 
fresh scenes of verdure and tropical splendour. Wind- 
ing along the sides of deep ravines, sometimes 
dragging ourselves up by the creepers and undergrowth, 
we ultimately attained an altitude of about 1,000 ft. 
above the sea, and then eDtered the nutmeg country. 
Here we halted and rested. The Rajah pulled some 
of the nutmegs, and explained how far they were 
from being ripe. Having rested sufficiently, we again 
started forward, and after scrambling along for 
about an hour we gained a fine piece of table-land, 
over which we travelled for about another half-an- 
hour, when we reached three houses erected in the 
very heat of the forest. These were used by the 
natives for drying the nutmegs. The country was 
everywhere magnificent, and the aroma of the spice- 
laden air delicious. Nutmeg and other equally valu- 
able trees were everywhere growing in great profusion. 
The fruit of the nutmeg in appearance resembles a 
pear, and when ripe opens and displays the nut 
covered with a beautiful red coating of mace. The 
nuts are then picked from the tree, put into baskets 
and taken to the houses, were they are husked and 
placed on shelves. They are then partially roasted 
over a slow fire until all the moisture is extracted. 
After this they are cooled and carried down to the 
village in nets ready to be bartered to the Bugie, 
Arabs, and other traders who frequent the Gulf in 
their small prows or junkos at the proper season. — 
Explorations and Adventures in New Guinea, by Cap- 
tain John Strachan. F. R. G. S., F. R. C. I., of 
Sydney. — Madras Mail. 
+ 
Peize Paddy Cultivation. — The Assistant 
Agent of Matara has taken a commendable step 
in circulating a notice in Sinhalese in his district 
to the following effect :— 
With a view to encourage improved systems of 
paddy cultivation, sums of R100 and R50 are offered 
as first and second prizes respectively, for the largest 
yield in bushels per acre from any extent of paddy 
land in the Matara district, cultivated for the forth- 
coming Maha harvept. Any system of cultivation may 
be adopted and any description of paddy be sown. 
Among the conditions, is 
The extent cull ivii ted shall be not less than 3 acres. 
Suggestions made include : — 
Experience has shown that the yield is always increas- 
ed by the use of the Howard's Sinhalese plough (which 
will be lent on application to the Assistant Govern- 
ment Agent) in the preparation of the soil when dry 
and if the field be afterwards cross-ploughed when 
wet with the native plough. An interval of not less 
than six weeks would be allowed to elapse between 
the completion of ploughing with the improved plough 
and the commencement of cross ploughing with the 
native plough. If in addition to the above process in 
the preparation of the soil, the paddy is planted 
out, instead of sown broad cast, the yield will be 
still further increased. 
Bronze Turkeys. — M J. B. Turner of Nai Vali 
Vali, Eewa, imported from California some short 
time back three Bronze turkeys. The Californian 
Caclder says that of all the varieties of turkeys, 
the Bronze is the largest and hardiest. In colour 
they are " dark bronze, with a lustre assimilating 
to that of burnished gold, when seen in the sun- 
light." They make an excellent cross for common 
stock, increasing in size, weight, and hardiness. 
They do not attain their full size and weight until 
about three years of age, when the hens often weigh 
from twenty to thirty pounds and the gobblers 
nearly twice as much. Those imported by Mr. 
Turner are doing first rate. The voyage from San 
Francisco to Auckland and thence to this colony 
extended over eight weeks, during the whole of which 
time the birds were in a coop ; notwithstanding 
this they arrived in good health, The gobbler 
weighed 17 lb. on arrival ; he now turns the scale 
at 26 lb. and Mr. Turner confidently expects that 
from the rate at which he is increasing, he will 
reach 35 lb. in two months, " unless some coloured 
friend confiscates him." Mr. Turner will have none 
but pure eggs, so there is a good chance for poultry 
breeders. — Fiji Times. [If the Bronze turkey of Cali- 
fornia does well in Fiji, the fowl ought to answer in 
Ceylon. — Ed.] 
