T40 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1881. 
TASAJEt SILK IN INDIA. 
We have received from the Madras Government 
a paper containing Major Coussmaker's account of his 
experiments in Tasar Sericulture during the past year. 
He writes from Camp Eajur, Taluka Akola, and re- 
ports that though he has not succeeded in gathering a 
crop of cocoons of his own rearing, he has yet gained 
so much more experience of the knowledge of the 
difficulties in the way that he believes that he will 
eventually be able to overcome them without increas- 
ing the expense of the cultivation. His failures last 
monsoon were owing to the imperfect construction 
of the cages in which he tried to rear the worms. 
These were at first entirely made of tarred screens 
of split bamboo, and served the purpose of keeping 
ont rats, mice, birds, squirrels and lizards, but being 
dark the plants did not thrive well, and the worms 
were always striving to escape. He then altered the 
construction, made them longer, and put netting 
at the top instead of pieces of screen, and here every- 
thing throve well for a time, until some wasps and 
other insects managed to get in and puncture the 
silkworms, from the effects of which the majority 
died and very few lived to spin their cocoons. He 
is to try to counteract this next monsoon with 
coarse open cotton cloth which will, probably, turn 
out to be cheaper then netting. He also states that the 
small plantation which he laid out is thriving and 
will eventually be able to support a considerable number 
of worms. His collection of cleaned perforated cocoons 
ready for the manufacture now amounts to about 
30,000, weighing about 60 lb. and sown up in hags, 
in which state they will remain without deterioration 
for an indefinite period. Eggs were distributed in 
Ceylon amongst other places, but the names of the 
persons are not mentioned. We hope the experiment 
will be a success. 
AUSTRALIAN FRUIT FOR CEYLON AND 
INDIA. 
The Melbourne Leader of 7th May says : — 
' ' We have frequently suggested to fruit growers the 
advisability of seeking a market for their produce in 
in Ceylon, India, and other neighbouring countries, 
in preference to England, and among the benefits which 
the Great Exhibition is likely to confer on the com- 
munity we may now look forward with hope to the 
accomplishment of the means of a profitable disposal 
of surplus fruit. The Commissioners for India having 
interested themselves in the matter, and communicated 
with the committee of the Horticultural Society on 
the subject, that body at once instructed Mr. Neilson, 
curator of the gardens, to prepare cases of apples of 
different varieties, by way of experiment, and these 
were despatched to Calcutta a few days ago by the 
steamer ' Hydaspes,' consigned to the hon. Mr. Inglis, 
brother to the Executive Commissioner for India. ' 
Nine cases in all were sent : — one for the Governor- 
General, one for the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, 
a third for other officials, and the remainder to be 
sold by auction ; so that a fair estimate of their value 
is likely to be obtained." 
The cases contained upward of 400 varieties, 
English and American, besides eight seedlings and 
some pears. The fruit was packed in ordinary bushel 
cases, each sender packing as he thought best, those 
from the Horticultural Society further being wrapped 
separately in different kinds of paper, the sides of 
the ca=e being also lined with double sheets of paper. 
The Leader regrets that the experiment was not on a 
larger scale, a case of each variety being sent ; and 
also that the ordinary fruit cases were used, these' 
beinu r not strong enough for a long sea voyage. Deal 
cases would not do, on account of their imparting a 
flavor of turpentine to the fruit, Kauri pine being 
however an exception. The Leader suggests eucalyptus 
or other woods, and points out that the Americans 
have shown that close barrels cannot be excelled for 
the conveyance of fruit, but it is added : — 
"These are in some respects more convenient than 
any other form, yet rectangular cases could be better 
stowed on boardship, and would probably be equally 
good for the purpose." 
As to the profits to be made, it is said :— 
" Little can be surmised as to the profits likely to 
be obtained, though Mr. Inglis has made a calcula- 
tion, in which he states that apples sell in India foi- 
ls 6d to Is 8d per score, which would amount to 10s 
to 12s the bushel ; and he estimates the expenses of 
transit, &c, at 2s 6d, which would leave 7s 6d to 
9s 6d for fruit and case." 
On this, another Melbourne paper says : — 
"Fruit in bad condition invariably lands exporters in 
loss, as those know »ho have been unlucky enough 
to have fruit spoilt en route. At last week's market 
apples ranged from 2s io 8s a case, and as the season 
advances the value of best apples will be higher, the 
glut of non keepers having gone by. It would" appear, 
then, that the 5s or (5s per case, the estimate of Mr. 
Inglis, will be likely to prove too low to attract the 
right sort of fruit. The few cases just sent experi- 
mentally to India and England will hardly afford 
reliable grounds for estimating the probable results. of 
shipments made on an ordinary commercial scale. 
Growers will have to wait results of larger consign- 
ments, and it will not be until after several trials 
that the best methods of packing, the best varieties, 
and the best seasons of year for the business, will 
be ascertained." 
A GOOD TIME COMING FOR TEA. 
(Friend of India.) 
A good time seems to be dawning for the Indian 
tea industry. The cause of the painfully low prices, 
which for two years have weighted down the hopes 
of all engaged therein, has been simply that supply 
has outrun demand. But the low prices that have 
ruled stimulated consumption, and at last a change 
seems to ha"ve set in. The London deliveries for April 
were 4,300,000 pounds. If such last (and there is 
every reason to think they will, for Indian tea grows 
in favor at home daily), it equals a yearly delivery 
of nearly 52 million pounds, and we can at the out- 
side, this year, only give them 50 millions ! This 
must send up prices, in fact the prospect of it has 
done so already. Fine teas have quite lately been 
quoted 2 or 3 per pounds higher. 
Good news also comes to us from Australia. Thanks 
to the efforts of the Calcutta tea Syndicate, our teas 
are now appreciated and enquired for there. One year 
more (and we believe the Syndicate has no idea of 
abandoning that field for at least so long) and the 
trade with Australia may safely be left to private 
enterprise. America also looms in the distance for 
the Syndicate intend exploring that field too. Luck 
attend them, for with a considerable portion of our 
teas diverted from the London market, we might 
almost see again the prices that ruled three and four 
years ago. 
We look for help also in another way. A new 
method has lately been introduced for packing Indian 
teas in slightly decorated tin-boxes holding 20 pounds. 
These are manufactured by Messrs. Harvey Brothers 
and Tyler, of Mincing-lane, and are used already on 
many gardens, They have several advantages, which I 
have no space to set out now, but in my opinion 
their greatest claim to favor is the good they will work 
for the tea industry generally, by introducing Indian 
teas into places where they are unknown, and by 
fostering the habit of drinking our teas pure. For 
sold in this shape they will go much into consumption, 
