86o 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1889. 
recognized, but, in these latter days, ceases to be of 
such absorbing interest as formerly. It is sufficient 
for the Nilgiri planters to know that they have on 
their properties a large number of healthy trees, 
representing so many thousands of pounds of bark 
sufficiently rich in alkaloids to be of great value 
when shipments from Oeylon shall have ceased to 
flood the world's markets. 
Upon my suggesting further extensions, I was met 
with the remark that they had enough to satisfy 
them for many years to come. There is an immense 
acreage of paiana and forest land around Naduvatam 
eminently suitable for the cultivation of cinchona, 
but it is improbable that much of it will be brought 
under cultivation, at any rate within the next ten 
years. 
In dealing with the subject of tea on the Nilgiris, 
I am necessarily bound to confine myself to what I 
saw, which was little enough, and must, therefore, 
abstain from conjecture as much as possible. Taking 
Ooonoor as the first locality in which I saw a tea 
bush in South India, I am inclined to think well of 
the prospects of that district in this product. The 
soil is doubtless well adapted for its vigorous growth, 
and the climate appeared in most respects favorable. 
I do not anticipate anything extraordinary in the 
way of yield, for lengthened periods of drought, and, 
at high elevations, cold nights, will prevent this. 
But I feel confident that the Ooonoor planters have 
a safe resource to fall back upon should coffee fail 
them in the future. There is a considerable local 
demand for the Nijgiri teas, and this materially 
assists in making its cultivation a very profitable one. 
Upon two estates I visited the system of "panning," 
by which process green teas are made, yielded a 
very valuable article of commerce in " Oolongs," but 
1 am not in a position to say whether it would be 
found to pay on a large scale. The teas I saw and 
tasted made by this process sold uncommonly well in 
London, and anyone having a Greig's Witherer in 
his Factory would, I think, do well to give it a 
trial. 
Upon the higher slopes of the Nilgiris, around 
Naduvatam and Ootacamund for instance, I should 
not be inclined to put much faith in tea as a paying 
product. Forests are severe, and only a moderate 
yield can be looked for, but the flavour of the teas 
from Khotrgiri and the Ouchterlory Valley is very 
marked and of a superior order.— Oeylon " Times." 
4 
Moee about Japan Tea Boxes. — We call 
attention to the letter of Mr. E. B. Creasy on the 
Bubject of Momi wood boxes. The original orders 
from leading local tea planting Agency and pro- 
prietary firms ordering supplies of these boxes have 
been placed in our hands, and it is quite evident 
that Momi wood must be all right in the estima- 
tion of some of the shrewdest men in tea in the 
place. 
Coffea Bengalensis. — An interesting free-flowering 
stove shrub, for many years cultivated at Kew, where 
it now flowers in one of the stoves. It is a yard high, 
copiously branched, deciduous, the new leaves develop^ 
ing with the flowers. These are in clusters at the 
ends of all the branchlets, and are formed like the 
flowers of a Jasminum, but much larger, being nearly 
2 inches across the obovate lobes ; they are pure white 
and sweet scented. This species, although of no value 
economically, is entitled to a place iu all collections 
of stove plants. It was, aecording to Roxburgh, culti- 
vated for some time in India under the idea of its being 
the real Coffee plants of Arabia. C. travancorensis 
and C. mjrtifolia are also pretty flowered, fragrant 
stove plants, which are cultivated at Kew, where they 
flower annually. The last named is almost unknown 
in English gardens, but is not uncommon in Belgium. 
It is dwarf and compact in habit, the leaves are 
email, as in Gardenia radicans, and the flowers are 
clustered and pure white. It is catalogued by Makoy 
& Co., from whom the Kew plant was obtained 
several years ago. — Gardeners' Chronitle* 
Cotton -Gkowing. — Mr. Blackett, it seems, 
has not rooted out his cotton shrubs on Jack- 
tree-hill, as he at one time spoke of doing, and we 
learn they show signs of supplying another crop 
before long — in fact of becoming a perennial in 
place of a bi-ennial plant in Ceylon ! 
Economy in Tea. — A proprietor writes : — 
" Every planter who is worth his salt must now 
economize in bis work so as to cut the cost of 
tea down to the lowest possible amount compatible 
with good work." Another adds :—" Every |d per 
lb. must now be saved ; Street's tables on ' freight 
and Dock Charges ' alone as regards sizes of pack- 
ages in order to save charges is worth a lot ; and 
Ceylon men must see and attend to these matters 
now 1" 
Japan Bamboo. — The following further particulars 
have been received from Mr. Sandford regarding the 
Japan bamboo alluded to by him < January Proceed- 
ings') : — " You asked me some time ago to get you 
further particulars about the bamboo I had referred 
to, as growing vigorously at Somastipore in Tirhoot. 
Their name is Kotong Bamboo of Japan, I believe, 
and the seed was received from Gazipore from Mr. 
Schlich of the Forest Department. The Kotong is 
said to like a rather sanny alluvial soil, but it will 
also grow in ordinary black soil, and at Jubbulpore it 
has been planted with remarkable success. This 
variety is believed to have a life period of 55 years, 
and it grows to the height of 60 feet under favor- 
able circumstances. It is probable, the name I have 
given will identify it as a comparatively well-known 
speoies, and I trust what I have said will at least 
put you in the way of getting fuller information." 
Copy of Mr. Sandford's letter has been sent on to 
Mr. Gamble, to whom the specimens obtained from 
Somastipore through the kindness of Mr. Gleadowe- 
Newcomen, had been forwarded. It seems probable 
that the bamboo is the Iudian Kattang, (B. arundiuacea) 
and that the Japanese origin of the seed is a mistake. 
— A .-H. Society of India. 
Cinnamon. — The trade in Ceylon Cinnamon, once a 
prosperous business, seems doomed to perpetual para- 
lysis. The miserable prices obtained for the article 
in this market must be grievously felt in your island 
by growers and shippers. Looking at the figures of 
trade, from the Ceylon side, tbe cause is not far to 
seek. Enormous production fully accounts for current 
values, a very large proportion of your shipments be- 
ing represented by chips. To this fact the present 
range of prices is largely due, more than which it is 
to be feared that the produce bought by merchants 
from dealers is not always genuine. Notwithstanding 
the large quantity which Ceylon sends to Continental 
ports direct, the still larger shipments to the United 
Kingdom are nearly all re-exported, the home com- 
sumption of the spice being infinitesimal. The figures 
for the past two years are as follows: — 
1887. 1888. 
Imports ... 1,109,973 lb. ... 1,351,990 lb. 
Exports ... 1,222,500 lb. ... 1,121,324 lb. 
Whatever difference of price exists between chips 
and baled Cinnamon, no doubt arises from the 
superiority of quality of the one over tbe other, yet 
in actual use a portion of a stick from a bale, and 
a chip of genuine spice of equal quality, do not differ 
as regards value for use. Looking at the course of 
the trade for years past, it would appear that the 
great decline in price has taken place since the ship- 
ments of ships from your island. Over and over again it 
has been pointed out to growers and shippers that, 
if they would see better prices, there must be a re- 
solve amongst them to refrain from the export of 
chips in any quantity; but, so far, this advice has been 
disregarded, and instead of utiliziug chips for the 
purpose of oil-making, they continue to be sent over 
here to weigh down prices by flooding our market 
beyond any hope of recovery. — London Times. 
