THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1888. 
Vanilla. — The vanilla bean grows wild in the cantons 
of Misantla and Papantla, and it is also cultivated 
there in a primitive manner by the Indians. It is pre- 
pared for market by the cultivators and collectors, and 
often before it is quite ripe. This is especially the case 
with the wild Vanilla, one family taking it early lest 
another family should get it when quite ripe for harvest. 
The systematic and rational cultivators of Vanilla in 
the cantons just mentioned would certainly be a re- 
munerative business. At present the quantity produced 
is about 8,000 mils (;'. e., 1,000 pods), worth about £3 
to £3 10s. per mil. 
Fruits. — The fruits of the State of Vera Cruz are of 
great variety, and grow in such abundance as to be 
exceedingly cheap. The production of Pine-apples is 
about 500,000 per annum ; they are grown in fields, 
and their local value is about Id. to ljd. a piece. 
Plantains are a fruit universally consumed, and over 
10,000 per annum are actually harvested ; their local 
value is less than Id. per 10 lb. 
Pita Fibke. — This fibrous plant grows wild in Vera 
Cruz, and can be cultivated with very little care. Its 
fibre sometimes measures 3 yards long, and is very 
silky in appearance ; but unfortunately its prepartion 
for market is at present difficult and expensive. The 
State Government is, however, about to offer a large 
reward for a machiue to reduce Pita to a marketable 
state without injuring its beautiful fibre, and without 
making its cost of production too high, having regard 
to its market value. It is most probable that such a 
machine will be produced, and if so, Pita will become, 
undoubtedly, the first article of produce and export of 
of this State. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
«. 
THE PONDICHERRY GROUND-NUT TRADE. 
(From a Correspondent. 
The Ground-Nut season for Pondicherry and South 
Arcot has practically closed for the year 1888, and, 
arrivals both by rail and road have stopped ; two, or 
possibly three, steamers have yet to load, either wholly 
or in part, from Pondicherry, and with these the stocks 
will be cleared out. The crop has bi en a fairly good 
one, especially when the damage occasioned to the sow- 
ings by the prolonged and heavy North-Bast monsoon 
of 1887 is considered- But for this misfortune the 
harvest would have been an unusually heavy one and 
cultivators and the host of "middle-men" would have 
had to accept lower prices and diminished profits. 
Curiously enough, the exceptionally high prices at 
■which the local markets opened at the beginning of the 
year have been fully maintained throughout the season, 
notwithstanding the unfavourable rates prevailing in 
Europe. It is a notable fact that while the average 
local prices for the three years preceeding 1888 varied 
but slightly, those for the current season advanced 
nearly 20 per cent, on former figuivs. The following 
is an approximate statement of the Pondicherry ex- 
port market rates per French candy of 240 kilos or 
529 lb. English, for the seasons of 1885, '86, '87 and 
88:— 
1885 1886 1887 1888 
Opening Prices R. 14 0 15 0 15 8 18 8 
Closing Prices „ 19 4 19 0 20 8 25 8 
Highest Price touched 21 8 20 0 21 0 26 0 
No reliable statistics have, I believe, been obtained, 
by which even a fair approximate of the cost of 
prolucing the nut can be arrived at; different cul- 
tivators differ in their figures even as much as 50 
per cent, the minimum being fixed as low as R8 per 
candy and the maximum as high as R12. Probably 
an average of R10 per candy would not be very far 
wrong. Allowing for the losses sustained on low lands 
in consequence of the heavy floods of last year's 
monsoon, there must have been a very large average 
profit on the ac' -A cost of production througont thK 
district, and it is not to bo wonderod at that this 
year's Rowings are said to be largely in excess of any 
|,i-evioun year, bo that if nothing unforeseen happens 
the total outturn of Coromandel kernels will not. fall 
rrm<:h short, of 1,500,000 bags, giving about one-and-a 
quarter million of foreign export. V is scarcely, how- 
ever, to be expected that with a largely increased crop 
the current season's high rates will be maintained, and 
unless the foreign Bombay and Senegal supplies 
fall short, or the manufacturers requirements are un. 
usually heavy, Indian cultivators may have to accept 
greatly reduced prices in order to effect sales. Growers 
may be expected to stand out for a time against lessen- 
ing rates below last year's values, but ground-nuts 
deteriorate rapidly and, in rainy weather, unless care- 
fully stored in dry godowns, begin to germinate and 
soon become worthless as au article of export. Under 
such circumstances, therefore, holders of large stocks 
of such risky goods will do wisely to accept moderate 
profits and quick returns. 
The following statement shows the total number of 
bags exported from ports on the Coromandel Coast to 
foreign countries, from the year 1885 to 1888 both 
inclusive ■:■ — 
From 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 
Pondicherry, 1 
Cuddalore ... \ 614,229 851,132 870,498 950,000* 
Madras ... j 
* estimate in part. 
The bulk of the trade is transported in English steam- 
ers. Of the total exp rts uring the three years end- 
ing December 1887, Bfiti u vessels tarried about 80 
per cent, and French about 26 per cent. Nearly the 
whole of the earth-nut exports from Madias ports g > 
to Marseilles. For the period above referred to Franc; 
took 90 per cent of the total. — Madras Mail. 
COCONUT AS A VERMIFUGE. 
To the Editor of the Times of India. 
S; r) — I was not a little surprised to find that sj 
well posted a journal as the Lancet should be found 
informing its readers that the coconut may ultimately 
prove as ■ fficacious as a vermifuge as Professor Parisi, 
of Athens, found it to be during a recent visit to 
Abyssinia. Coconut has been used as a vermifuge in 
India for probibly forty generations by the beef-eatei s 
in this count y, and is so well known as a vermi- 
fuge for t-xpelling the flat worm that I cannot con- 
ceive that the news of this use of the coconut should 
have reached England only a month ago. Much has 
recently been written about the advancement of 
therapeutics and pharmacology in this country, and 
a great desire has been expressed to briug to light 
the properties of the indigenous drugs of this country, 
which are knowu only to the hakeems and the baids 
of India. What we chiefly want appears to be au 
Indian Pharmacopcea to be published by Government 
on the lines of the British or, better still, the American 
Pharmacopcea. Such a work was begun in Calcutta 
by Dr. O'Shaugnessy about thirty years ago. The 
work has probably become extinct, but I remember 
how useful it was to medical men in this ooiintry. 
It could be easily revived if Government would only 
direct that this should be done, and would pay a 
compiler for preparing it. The number of known 
Indian drugs, whose properties have been well proved, 
are sufficiently numerous to make up a good sized 
and very valuable pharmacopoeia. The discovery by 
an Athenian professor of the vermifuge properties 
of the coconut, and the commendation given to the 
professor's discovery by the Lancet, go far to prove 
that India should posses its own pharmacopoeia, not 
only for its own benefit, but also for the benefit of 
European nations. The flat worm prevails in Europe 
from the extensive use of beef and swine flesh in 
these countries. The most abominable vermifuges are 
employed for their expulsion, of which male fern 
oil koussoo, the root of the pomegranate, and tur- 
pentine are the chief. Compared with any of these 
vermifuges, the cocouut vermifuge is as pleasant to 
the palate as the others are offensive, and, when 
properly prepared and intelligently administered, is 
equally efficacious. Now why should thousands of 
persons in Europe suffer themselves to be barbarously 
physicked by the abominable vermifuges I have named, 
when the coconut vermifuge is within easy reach ? 
The answer appear to be, because there is no Indian 
pharmacopoeia. There are numerous other very effica- 
