December t, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3C3 
victim to the crocodiles of this region. So it is 
with the crocodiles of tho ponds and marine 
streams of the .Jaffna Peninsula : they always 
scuttled away from us to take refuge in the 
water. And from Hornaday's account of the 
leprous and famished and cannibal crocodiles 
of Mullaitlivu, they are equally innocuous as re- 
gards man, although they fought for the carcases 
of their fellows. I have just heard from my friend 
hero, Mr. Win. Jardine, that on the occasion of 
a year of great drought in the Jaffna Peninsula, 
during which pond after pond dried up, the cro- 
codile concentrated in one larger lakelet where 
the waW held on. Here 500 of them were captured, 
slaughtered, and their carcases applied to the 
manuring of the coconut palms That was man's 
levenge on the species for the sins of individuals 
in other parts of the island, such as the crocodilo 
at Bntticaloa which made a vacancy in the Dutch 
Civil Service, by swallowing and digesting a 
Collector, the buttons ol whose uniform subsequently 
revealed the mystery of his fate. Not at Batlicaloa 
alone has the fierce voracity of crocodiles been 
proved, a different variety burely to the slug- 
giali creatures I have been speaking of. But 
sluggish as they may be I should not care to 
repeat the experiment of that bath of long 
ago. — Cinnamon is more prevalent than ever in 
this its favourite region, though not now culti- 
vated and prepared, except on this and a few 
other ostates with the care and attention which 
high prioes formerly justified. Of this plant as of 
others there are distinct and greatly differing 
varieties. The natives appreciate four well-ruailud 
kinds of cinnamon, of which one is of a far 
higher jat, giving a much liner bark than the 
others. On this estate all supplies are confined 
to this high-class variety. So in regard to coco- 
nuts, the cultivation of which has made such 
enormous progress in the half century, only the 
boat, perfectly mature, round-shaped nuts are 
elm, on to propagate from, while the culture of 
the palm is reduced to a science. But here I must 
top, although, when I sat down to write, I in- 
tended to give an account of my trip hither via 
Nugonibo. but the rest must await a more con- 
venient season. 
♦ 
THE 0ORAL INDUSTRY AT LEGHORN. 
Tin coral industry has long nourished in Italy — 
its principal markets being Naples, Genoa, and 
Leghorn. Its importance has, however, greatly 
dimmiahod. The price of worked coral, which was 
£14 7s per lb in 1883, fell to £10 153 in 1884, 
to 17 5b in 1885, and to £3 12s 6d in 1886, 
and 1887. Owing to this great decline, the value 
1 1 1 the export Irom Leghorn fell, during the period 
between 188:s and 188C, from £451,936 to £124,184, 
a diminution of about 72 per cent., though the 
quantity increased 10 per cent. A slight ride in 
prices took place during 1887, but there is no 
reason to suppose it will bo maintained. This 
grent fall in prices, which has been so disastrous 
to tho Leghorn coral industry, is due in largo 
measure to the enormous quantities obtained at 
Huiucca in Sicily. Oeologists suppose that some 
submarine eruption has occurred there and raised 
largo quantities of coral within reach. Thus raw 
coral of medium quality has fallen from 3s 7d per lb. 
to 13d and ovon lower. 1 have seen cases of Sciaoca 
BOml, mall and broken it is truo, and of tho worst 
quality bought at 2Jd por lb. Ten years ago tho same 
thing would have fotched about (Is (id. Tho most 
prosperous period of this industry was before 1880, 
when the new Sciacca reef was discovered. I 
Tho groator part of the corals workod at Leghorn 
is exported to Pol» nd. Finland, Ku win, the llalknn. 
PlOiosula, and A^ia and Africa. Stub country has 
required from time immemorial a special kind of 
make, necklaces of round pearls, or of oval, heavy, 
medium, small, cubical or irregular kinds. In spite of 
the general depreciation in price, the best kinds are 
still very dear ; an uncut piece of the size of a 
pigeon's egg of deep shade and perfeot, is still 
worth £32 to £10 Ten years ago it would have 
been worth £04 to £72. These choice pieces are 
chiefly sold for ornamenting the head-gear of 
mandarins, or the turbans of rich mussulinans. 
Rose and milky, as also clear colours, are less 
valuable than deep shades. The best shades come 
from Cape Vert. The export to certain countries 
is diminishing, because coral is ceasing to be used 
as money, but there are still large quantities sent to 
Abyssinia, the Congo, the Cape, India and 
Ci ylon, Siberia, Japan, and China. The uses 
to which coral ornaments are put in 
many countries are often unknown even 
to the merchants who trade in them. It is 
supposed that among barbarous or half-civilized 
peoples, they are used to ornament arrows, lances, 
and pikes, and that corpses are decorated with them 
before interment. Formerly, the Italian peasants, 
especially in Central Italy, bought coral largely for 
ornament, feeling sure of being able to sell it again 
without difficulty in case of need, as it was easily 
realizable, but in consequence of the recent fall in 
prices, they have lately largely abstained from such 
purchases. 
Many houses in the coral trade at Leghorn are 
now closed, chiefly those with small capital. The 
industry formerly employed about 10,000 women 
here, nearly all of whom worked at home, but now 
only 6,000 are thus engaged. In spite of this, the 
quantity of coral exported from Leghorn has nearly 
doubled since 1S82, owing to the fact that now-a-days 
there is a much larger proportion of inferior quality, 
requiring less workmanship. No machinery or 
mechanical process is used, the workman takes the 
pieces into her hands one after the other, and accord- 
ing to their thickness, quality, and defects, works it 
into a certain form. The women earn from 7Jd to 
Is 3d per day. Sciacca coral is chiefly employed on 
account of its low prices, and has considerably 
lowered the value of the old fisheries of Sardinia, 
Algeria, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. There is very 
little demand in Europe for coral, and it seems an 
article most suitable for barbarian and semi-civilized 
nations. — The French Consul at Leghorn. — British 
Trade Journal. 
TEA AND POWDERED MILK. 
The latest novelty in connection with tea is that just 
introduced into this country by the London representa- 
tive of the Swiss Milk i.'ompauy of Gossan — St. Gall, 
Switzerland, Mr. Curl Lawiuski, of 50, Mark Lane, 
E.G. This preparation consists of a mixture of tea- 
purchased originally in Loudon — aud tho desiccated 
milk powder of this well kuown firm. I have had 
several of their productions to teat, and it mny in- 
terest your readers, to whom tinned milks are often 
a uecessury makeshift, to learu something authi ntio 
about this latest innovation in their preparation. 
By this strange uew combination of tea and powdered 
milk, I was tempted to investigate some of the other 
preparation.-, and as these will he better appreciated 
by your readers than the tea aud milk, the results 
may as well be included iii this uucouut. First of all 
astoiho milk itself . This is prepared by a special pro- 
cess by which the aqueous constituents of tho splendid 
and rich Swiss milk are all evaporated, ami tho result 
is a tine powder containing all the nutritive consti- 
tuents and llavonr, and only requiring tho re-addition 
ol water to reproduce tho full characteristics of the 
original milk. I may as well endorse this by stating 
thai Mo: / • ' has bad the various milk-powders of 
tl i-. linn tfstod by careful analysis, ami was thoroughly 
satisfied as to their purity, which is guaranteed 
an i b|>. ;U i .1 •lo in a t ■• hitfhlv nutrition* food." 
