7 66 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Mat i, 1889. 
Among the numerous new appliances of French 
origin, we have seen employed with advantage the 
spray producers Vermorel Japy, Albraud and Gastine. 
Certain constructors of Gemaanyand Switzerland also 
deliver very practical instruments : we cite in parti- 
cular the spray producers Sequin, Borman and _,E"holiu. 
Associations.— The more general the struggle 
against mildew is, the more assured will be the results. 
Some communes have taken the happy initiative in 
making the treatment authoritative, dividing after- 
wards the expense among the proprietors, at the rate of 
the surfaces sprinkled. Elsewhere propriet rs unite to 
purchase the spray producers in common, or the 
substances required for the preparation of I he remedies. 
They thus succeed iu sensibly diminishing the ex- 
pense of operations. 
Effects of Treatment, — In the vineyards sulphur- 
ized with care, the leaves remaiu green and fresh, even 
where the mildew causes the adjacent vineyards not 
treated to become yellow. The wood is riper, the 
grapes richer in sugar. As has been demonstrated 
in a preceding work the treatment exercises a 
positive influence on the quality of the crop. The 
must (crude juice of the grape) coming from vines 
treated are sweeter, the vines more alcoholic, and 
therefore better preserved. 
Copper in Wine. — This question appears definitely 
settled. We only mention it as a reminder. It has 
been proved by numerous analyses that the wines of 
sulphurized vineyards contain no copper, or only exces- 
sively weak traces of this metal — (Signed) J, Dufoue. 
THE ADULTERATION OF CITRONELLA 
OIL IN CEYLON. 
A correspondent (evidently a native) reported as 
follows to a contemporary some little time ago : — 
" A few weeks ago about 650 cases of kerosine oil 
were taken to the Weligama Custom-house by boat, 
either from Galle or Colombo. Of thtse about 500 
cases were taken to Matara, Akurassa, Weligama and 
Kumburupitiya. It is highly improbable that such a 
large quantity of kerosine oil would be used for 
lighting purposes by the people of those districts. 
Tie reason for such a large consignment of kerosine 
oil is easily explained. Kerosine oil is now being 
largely used for adulterating citronella oil, and so 
there is now a large demand for it. Villagers in the 
places mentioned may be seen conveying kerosine 
oil to places where citronella oil is stored, the two 
oils are then mixed in certain proportions and sold 
to several European firms in Galle and Colombo as 
good citronella oil. If European merchants think that 
the citronella oil as supplied them by their contractors, 
and that supplied direct by the proprietors of citronella 
estates, are tbe same, they make a great mistake; 
for the oil supplied by proprietors and manufacturers 
is pure and free from any adulteration. It will now 
strike European merchants as strange that, in the 
contract which they entered into between themselves 
and the contractors, there is generally a conditional 
clause to the effect that the oil supplied by contrac'ors 
will be market oil. If any dissatisfaction is ever ex- 
pressed by a merohantas regards the oil thus supplied, 
the contractor's plea is that it is market oil and they 
are not responsible for its quality ; but such an excuse 
could not be made by a proprietor." 
We asked the opinion, on this subject, of perhaps 
one of the best authorities in the island, at least 
of those resident in citronella planting districts, 
and he reports as follows, adding an important 
remark about Ceylon tea : — 
" Some five y^ars ago I took a trip to the principal 
citroiiella pmd icing district to investigate this very 
matter, and was much su' prised on being told by one 
of the large-t buyers of Uiis oil that the great bulk 
of citronella was largely adulterated with kerosene. 
Iudeed he said that up to 25 per cent, detection so 
ar aB he knew was impossible. The increase pf 
culti>>a'ion since then lias been out of all proportion 
to he increase of citrom lla exportations, while a 
large acreage of the old grass must by this time be 
decreasing in yield ; therefore, I do not doubt that the 
ri'' ulceration is increasing in proportion. 
" Lately at Nuwara Eliya I met a gentleman 
from England, who is a large buyer of Ceylon ci'ro- 
nella oil, who inf rmed me that h- coald not get it 
pure in the market. He alfo asked me if I could 
tell him where ho could get some good tea. He said 
he and bis friend wanted to take home 100 lb. each, 
and I was surprised to hear him say that they had 
not tasted a good cup of tea in Ceylon. I think 
the hotels should keep the very best tea. I recom- 
mended him to a Colombo firm." 
COFFEE CONSUMPTION. 
Messrs. S. Rucker & Co. of London have been 
putting forward some very interesting figures by way 
of estimates for the coffee production and consump- 
tion of the world in 1888-89 and in 1889-90. The 
total production for the current season — 1888-89 — 
of coffee is made out to be 691,000 tons (against our 
maximum estimate of 719,000 tons) ; while the 
world's consumption is given at 071,500 tons, 
leaving a surplus of 47,500 tons; but next season, 
the total production is estimated not to exceed 
495,600 tons in consequence of the great falling- 
off in Brazil 1 On August 1st, 1889, Messrs. 
Rucker & Co. estimate that the total stock of 
coffee in America and Europe will be 124,000 tons ; 
add next crop 495,600 tons and we get 619,600 
tons against which they put consumption (less by 
100,000 tons than in 1888-89) at 570,800 tons, 
leaving for stock on August 1st, 1890, only 48,800 
tons. — But the great fact brought out is that the 
world is to have 100,700 tons less of the fragrant 
berry to consume next season than in the current 
twelvemonth. Say that this makes room— 3 lb. 
o* coffee equalling 1 lb. of tea as a beverage — for 
even 30,000 additional tons of tea to go into 
consumption and the gain — 67,200,000 lb. — would 
be enormous ! 
The following particulars, collected by Messrs. S. 
Rucker & Co., show the total production and con- 
sumption of the world for 1888, and the estimated 
amount for this year. If correct, it would appear 
that stocks, which are already exceptionally low, 
will be still further reduced: — 
PRODUCTION' OF THE 
WORLD. 
1888-89 1889-90. 
Brazils — Tons. Tous. 
Rio ... 270,000 150,000* 
Sautos ... 150,000 90,000* 
Bahia, &c. 30,000 22 000* 
Java, Govern- 
ment 33,800 
Java, Private 18,000 
Sumatra ... 7,000 
Macassar ... 7,200 
Manila ... 5,700 
Ceylon ... 6,000 
East Indies 13,200 
Mocba and 
African ... 6,000 
British West 
Indies ... 5,100 
Cuba and Porto 
Rico ... 21,000 
St. Domingo 27,000 
Costa Rica... 9,000 
New Granada, 
Venezuela, La 
Guayara, Mara- 
caibo, tec. 40,000 
Guatemala, Hon- 
duras, Nicar- 
agua, &c... 36.000 
Mexico ... 6,000 
31,000 
16,000 
6,500 
7,000 
6,000 
6,000 
11,600 
6,000 
6,000 
19,000 
24,000 
9,000 
42,000 
38,000 
5,500 
CONSUMPTION OF 
THE WORLD. 
1888-89. 
Tons. 
232,000 
18,000 
123,000 
United States 
Canada, &c. 
Germany 
Austria and 
Hungary 
France 
Belgium 
Holland 
England 
Denmark 
Norway and 
Sweden 
Russia 
Italy 
Switzerland ... 
Portugal and 
Spain 
Turkey and 
Levant 
Balkan States 
North Africa 
Cape, Austa- 
lia, &c. 
691,000 495,600 
36,000 
66,000 
27,000 
27,000 
15,000 
5,700 
21,000 
16,500 
16,500 
7,800 
6,600 
14,400 
9,000 
10,500 
19,500 
871,500 
* Most other estimates give the total production from 
the Brazils as only 200,000 tons. 
