414 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1888. 
and it would seem to be this very yellow moth in 
question. 
There is another remarkable worm of which I was 
only able to secure two specimens in a patch where 
fifteen thousand worms of the green variety are pas- 
tured. It is in all respects like the green variety save 
iu the head, which is coal black. One keeper made 
light of it. He sees them occasionally, he says, but 
they don't come to much — they are unprofitable spin- 
ners, and, as if in proof of his words, the very pair 
he gave me had no intention of spinning. But another 
keeper at once recognised them as the worms of the 
so-called black moth (the one now known as Anthcraa 
Hartii) which he assured me was one of the best sorts 
in the province. The grower above quoted denies the 
connection between this black-headed worm and the 
black moth. But as to the black moth itself, it came 
also with new seed from the east of the province. At 
one time as many as four thousand were kept apart at 
one farm, and it was found to yield superior silk. But 
the lot was owned by a co-partnery, and was 
broken up and dispersed in consequence of a split in 
partnership, I conclude with a variety I have not seen 
— an odd-looking blackish hairy worm with a very red 
head. There is clearly a wide field for investigation. 
It would well repay a five months' visit on the part of 
a specialist, nay, an annual visit for some years to 
come. We can promise him interesting results, and a 
rare zest even to a devotee from our Manchurian 
climate and our charming scenery. — John Macintybb. 
— Chinese Times. 
* 
REPORT ON COMMERCE AND SHIPPING OF 
THE NETHERLANDS COLONY OF 
GUIANA FOR THE YEAR 1887. " 
Pabamabibo. — Expobts. — The production of cocoa, 
which had fallen off 70,000 kilos, in 1886, increased 
in 1S87 by 100,000 kilos, over 1885, when the amount 
produced was 1,344,413 kilos. 
In this year the duty was taken off the export of 
sugar and molasses, and the duties on the exportation 
of cocoa is yearly to be reduced J c. per kilo, until 
the year 1892, when it is to be free of export duty. 
Agriculture. — Agriculture, as is understood by the 
term in England, does not exist in this colony, where 
no grain crops are grown, beyond a small quantity of rice, 
&c. : even dairy and cattle farming are unknown, and 
market gardening is not practised. (Jocoa and sugar 
are the staple products of the estates in this country, 
and the latter is gradually dying out. Cotton was at 
one time procured in large quantities, but since the 
abolition of slavery it has altogether disappeared. 
Coffee, also, has ceased to be reckoned as an article 
of export, and all the old coffee estates have either 
been abandoned or turned into cocoa plantations. 
Land has fallen in value iu the last few years to 
such an extent that any investment in landed 
proptrty here can only be said to be very precarious, 
and I would not advise any British capital being 
engaged iu either sugar or cocoa planting. For the 
most part, those who have tried their fortunes here 
have been heavy losers. The accompanying return of 
land and estates sold during the past ye^r will show 
how low the value of land is now in this colony, 
even where there are buildings on the estate sold. 
+ 
KKl'ORT ON THE CAWNPORE EXPERI- 
MENTAL STATION FOR THE 
RABI SEASON, 1888. 
From the introduction to this report we quote a 
aentenco : — 
The good elfects of deep ploughing, green soiling, 
of gypsum whon applied to leguminous crops and of 
tlic good value to be obtained in the shape of manure 
for many materials now neglected of the people, have 
all been demonstrated belore, but constant repeti- 
tion is needed to keep the memory of these tacts 
?rcen. There are Home experiments, however, of 
orrner years that have been discontinued which may, 
I think, be revived with advantage, such as growing 
for statistics of produce sample fields of all the 
main rabi crops, the cultivation of wheat on strips, 
with alternate strips of fallow, the pedigreeing of 
wheat, experiments with fodder grasses, &c. 
The following extracts from the Report are in- 
teresting : — 
Ploughing in a green crop of hemp is a most 
economical way of enriching the land, and is moat to 
be recommended for fields were farmyard manure 
cannot be applied with profit either owing to lout; 
distance or scarcity of manure. 
Catch crop. — In a field of oats, when the plants 
were some four inches high, lucerne seed was drilled 
in which germinated well, but its plants were, of 
course, kept down by oats. Its addition did not affect 
the yield of oats, which was rather more than the 
produce obtained from a neighbouring field to which 
lucerne was not added. The crop of lucerne was 
kept for seed and added R12 to the profit. Where 
water is available this system of catch-cropping can 
be safely recommended in fields of barley. 
Effect of gypsum, on leguminous crops. — Gypsum was 
applied to a field of peas and gram ; its effect on 
the former was not much, but it increased the pro- 
duce of the latter by 113 lb per acre. 
Effect of certain manure on potatoes. — The following 
statement snows the result of this experiment: it 
will be seen that 10 maunds of castor cake with 3 cwts. 
of gypsum gave nearly as good result as 500 maunds 
of farmyard manure or 200 maunds of poudrette, 
with 54 lb. of iron sulphate. This is, however, the 
first year in which the experiment has been tried, 
and the results require to be confirmed for future 
trials. 
Ensilage. — A large pit was filled with chari and 
the common grasses of the rainy season. It was 
opened in May and proved sound ; the ensilage was 
freely eaten by cattle. 
British Guiana — Mr. Jenman's annual report of the 
Botanic Garden is an elaborate document, giving in 
detail accounts of the weather and the effect on the 
plants of a prolonged drought, albeit the anual rain- 
fall amounted to 84-2 inches, the greater part of which 
fell in the early months of the year, leaving the 
subsequent months parched. Among the experiments 
recorded is that of a successful cross between Peristeria 
alata and P. pendula. A large portion of the re- 
port is occupied with the description of various sorts of 
Sugar-cane, aud an analysis of their chemical com- 
position. — Gardeners' 1 Chronicle. 
Cotton and Tobacco in Cestlon. — Anuradhapura, 
28th October, 1888.— Some Egyptian cotton 
seed has been distributed among the land- 
owners to be sown as an experiment. I am sure 
that it is generally known that almost every village 
in this Province cultivates cotton and some villagers 
spin coarse cloth out of it ' they sow cotton in tbeir 
chenas togther with Kurakkau or hill paddy or other 
fine grain. Both grow together. But not the least 
care is taken as to watering or pruning or manur- 
ing. The fine grain is reaped, and the cotton allowed 
to ripen. When ripe it is plucked aud sent to the 
market for sale. They get only one crop and with 
it the tree dies. If well taken care of, I think the 
cotton plant will live three years on an average, and 
the result will be three crops at least. As it is at 
present, the growth of cotton cannot pay aud the 
people do not care to grow it. But if proper instruc- 
tions be given, even to the townsfolk, I mean the 
land owners, how to sow and keep the plant, we might 
expect better results. The Government must teach 
them to grow it systematically, and then it will pay. 
Tobacco is tried only here and there. I know of 
two or three men whose attempts at tobacco cultivation 
were a failure, becau-e it was not done in a systematic 
way. Only one man, who cultivated about half an 
acre of land, has succeeded in turning out a splendid 
yield. His crop is now offered R300. This is good 
tobacco and realh worth the money. — Local " Indepen- 
dent." ' 
