THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1888. 
A TtiNNEL near Samos, which dates from about 
530 b. c, has recently been explored by a German 
expedition. It was constructed as a water conduit, 
and has been driven through limestone rock to a 
length of 1,235 feet without a central shaft. 
Near the upper end of the conduit a large covered 
reservoir has been discovered. — Indian Engineer. 
Improved Tbade.— As indicative of improved trade 
at Liverpool, Black Sea freights have risen 25 
per cent., and grain rates from San Francisco have 
doubled since the opening of the year. Cotton 
freights have also materially advanced, and the 
shipping trade is remarkably healthy at present. — 
European Mail, Aug. 31st. 
China Tea. — In a notice of the foreign trade 
of China, which we have marked for extract, it 
is noticed that the figures for tea are serious. 
The export of 1886 was unprecedented for its 
smallness, but 1887 showed not only a decline on 
1886 of 5 per cent in quantity but of 12 per cent 
in value. The figures for value were 7J millions 
sterling in 1887 against 8£ millions in 1886. 
The Use op the Black Diamond or Carbonado has 
increased since 1862, when they were first used for 
rook drilling machines, to such an extent that 
the price per carat rose from 4 to 5 francs in that 
year, to 35 francs for the larger stones at present* 
The price is not likely to be lowered, for various 
other stones, rubies, sapphire, agate and quartz 
have been tried a substitutes, but without success. 
— Indian Engineer. 
British North Borneo does not only seem to 
attract Tobacco planters, but also Coffee planters 
are enquiring and looking out for lands. We have 
just heard that a well-known and experienced 
West Java planter has leased 4,000 acres in the 
vicinity of the Benkoka river ; another gentleman 
who is bringing the land under cultivation, is 
also in search of suitable land of the same size. 
Also the Notary Bloch a well-known capitalist in 
Java has the same object in view. -Straits Times. 
Economy of Human Life. — Professor Huxley 
has been reviving the alarm which Malthus initiated 
as to population outreaching the means of sub- 
sistence. Huxley points to land which is limited 
and an increase of population to which no limit 
can be seen. But Edwin Chadwick, the great poli- 
tical economist, insists, that, although the extent 
of land in Britain is limited, there is scarcely 
any limit to its possible productiveness beyond the 
normal rate. Taking the case of Lancashire, he 
shows that with a great increase of population 
wages have largely increased, while the price of 
food has gone down within the half-century, from. 
Is 4d to 4d the quartern loaf. He quotes a French 
writer to the effect that one-sixth of the cultivated 
land of the globe is not yet occupied. This pro- 
portion is probably above the truth, while the 
"harvests of the sea" must not be forgotten. 
Those who, like ourselves, have read the extra- 
ordinary descriptions of Siberia in The Centura 
Magazine, know that the territory is larger than ail 
Europe, has scarcely begun to be occupied, and is 
capable of producing indefinite quantities of grain, 
fruits, vegetables, and meat-yielding animals. De 
Candolle is . quoted by Chadwick to show that by 
means of liquid manure the produce of land can 
everywhere be increased five fold over the common 
production. — The article, which we find in the 
Sanitarian, is commonsense and encouraging. There 
is plenty of room on the earth yet, for man to go up 
and possess, but room also for providence and pru- 
dence in regard to marriage. Mr. Chadwick, who 
writes so clearly, sensibly and forcibly, is, we find, 
in his 89th year. He is, therefore, well entitled 
to speak with authority on measures for promoting 
health and longevity. 
Dairy Farm at Singapore. — Singapore, in its 
Dairy Farm enterprize, has set an example worthy 
of being followed. It is named the " Clearwater 
Dairy Farm," and, although only just getting into 
working order, the Farm is already able to supply 
milk in pretty fair quantity. The buildings are 
lofty, cool, and well-ventilated, with flooring of 
Portland cement, each constructed to accommodate 
sixteen head of cattle. At present there are two 
larger sheds with storehouses, calf-sheds, men's 
quarters and paddocks, a very complete looking 
establishment. The milk is first class, being very 
rich in cream, and the price is cheaper than the 
natives' charge, as the farm delivers an imperial 
quart of 40 oz. against, as a rule, the natives' 
quart bottle, which has a capacity of 24 oz. only. — 
Indian Agriculturist, Aug. 25th. [We suppose Singa- 
pore in the Straits is meant ? In any case we 
trust the example will be followed in Colombo. — 
Ed.1 
The " Indian Forester " for August has the 
following table of contents : — 
I. — Articles, Correspondence, &c. The Forests of 
Manipur ( continued), — Annual Meeting of tbe American 
Forestry Congress. — Pensions and Furlough Allow- 
ances for the Uncovenanted Service. — Recording re- 
sults of protection of Forests from fire. — Com- 
pounding Forest Off ences. — The Nala Paui Springs, 
Dehra Dun. — Lower California. II. — Reviews — The 
Botany of the Afghan Delimitation Commission, Fores- 
try in the AudamaDS. — TheForests ofTasmania.— Report 
on Calcutta Botanic Guarden, 1887-88. III. — Notes, 
Queries and Extracts— Forests of Tunis, — The Trout's 
Precept — and Practice.— Sal Trees in the Garo Hills. 
From the article on the Forests of Manipur, we 
quote a curious paragraph : — 
A few trees of nagesar continue, but soon become 
intermixed, in dank shady glades, with the graceful 
rounded clumps of the fig {Ficus triloba), the large 
leaves of which, with their ferruginous velvety surfaces, 
are truly lovely. On dry grassy slopes and on the more 
open forest tracts, another fig is met with (Ficus con- 
globata). This tree, throwing towards the ground its 
iruitiug boughs succeeds, through the aid apparently 
of ants, in having its fruits complotely covered with the 
loose rich soil in which they are ripened. On the 
boughs of this tree a curious bee was found which, ant- 
like, had constructed its hive by sewing two or three 
leaves together. The insect was very small, and had a 
curious greenish metallic lustre. Thinking this to be 
an ant that perhaps preyed upon tke smaller species, 
supplied with food by the fig in return for services ren- 
dered, I was about to catch hold of it, when one of my 
coolies told me not to do so, as tbe bee stung very badly 
at first, but lost this power after a time. This local 
wisdom dictated a course of procedure that greatly as- 
tonished me. The hive was struck gently with a stick 
once or twice, the adventurer rushing off as hard as 
he could between each attack. By-and-bye, deeming 
that the bees had got over their fit of ill nature, he 
coolly went up and cut the hive off the tree — the bees 
crawling over his hands all the time without stinging 
Mm. 
We add what follows : — 
In the forest above, the Mukru (Schima Wallichii) 
makes its appearance — a tree 30 to 60 feet in height, 
which when in full flower, looks remarkably like a tea 
tree. It is indeed a closely allied plant to the Camellia ; 
and along with Saurauja Uoxburyldi, observed lower 
down, may be viewed as establishing the Ternstrce- 
miaceous character of the Manipur forest, which be- 
comes more and more pronounced, until in the eastern 
ranges, forests of the true tea plant are met with. 
From a parapraph on white pines in Lower Cali- 
fornia, we quote as follows : — 
Two trees that had recently fallen were measured by 
the explorer, and gave the following results: — No. 1. 180 
feot long. 8 feet in diameter at the butt, 50 feet to the 
first limb, where it was 5J feet in diameter. No. 2. 201 
feet in length, 8 feet 2 inches in diameter at the butt. 
65 feet to the first limb, where it was 5 feet in diameter, 
