232 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, i88r. 
crops, and in many places where the exposure is 
too much for these. 
Ordinary farm-yard manure may seldom be available 
for tree mallow culture, but a convenient substitute 
will often be found in those immense quantities of 
sea-weed or wrack that are often thrown ashore near 
places that are highly suitable for its growth. The 
droppings of sea birds on its native cliffs suggests 
the application of guauo ; and in inland localities 
common salt could not fail in being highly efficacious. 
The period at which plants naturally sow or disperse 
their seeds is generally deemed the best, or at least 
a good time for sowing them in their native count- 
ries. To this rule, however, the tree mallow may 
be deemed an exception ; as a good many of its 
earliest fallen seeds vegetate in mild periods of the 
succeeding autumn and winter months ; and although 
in very sheltered places these may escape, yet in many 
cases most of them will succumb to the succeding winter 
and spring frosts. Hence it will generally be found pre- 
ferable to sow the seeds between t'ae middle of March 
and the end of April, as if much longer delayed many 
of the plants will not flower the next year, but assume 
a triennial in place of a biennial duration. The 
seeds being sown either in drills or broad-cast, the 
young plants, when about 6 to 10 inches high, should 
he transplanted to where they are to remain, or in 
case of the ground being then filled with an early 
crop, such as early potatoes or pease, they may be 
temporarily transplanted at 4 to 6 inches apart till 
such crop is removed and the ground prepared for 
them ; when they should be planted out either by 
the dibber or plough at from 18 inches to 4 feet 
apart; till more experience shows the distances that 
are most suitable for them in different soils and 
situations. When to be grown on the most exposed 
sea-coasts, either as an exclusive crop or for sheltering 
young plantations, they should be plantedout when about 
4 inches high, or the seeds sown in the places where obey 
are to grow. "No plants — those of kale and cabbage 
not even excepted — si and transplanting better than 
those of the tree mallow ; but when its seeds become 
Bufficieutly abundant, it may in seme cases be found 
bet to sr/w them by machines, and afterwards thin 
ou the young plants as is dona with turnips. In- 
tending cultivators should guard against getting their 
seeds off inferior varieties, such as that of the Bass 
Rock, which is dwarfer, as well as more horizontally 
spreading and more branching than the one here 
recommended. They should also avoid getting seeds 
from Southern Europe or other warmer climates than 
those of its British habitats. This last precaution may be 
deemed as of only temporary application, seeing that 
from the number of experimental growers, and the 
quantity of plants they have already planted out, or 
that will be so sufficient early next summer ; and abun- 
dance of home seed for sowing as well as for practically' 
testing its calle-feeding qualities, will be produced in 
the autumn of 187S. And as with other cultivated 
plants the tree mallow can doubtlessly be improved 
by selection, • careful cultivators will do well to 
select their "stock seeds' always from the best 
plants. 
The thrashing or separating of the seeds from the 
stalks or haum, may either be done by rippling combs, 
as with the flax ; by flails, or by machinery. It is 
probable that it may be found advisable to cut off 
or separate the seed-bearing twigs from the thicker 
branches and stems, as doing so would likely facili- 
tate the after operations of stacking or storing, thrash- 
ing, and peeling. 
Peeling or stripping off the bark is easily done at all 
times during the growth of the plants, and only a 
little less so when the seeds arc sufficiently matured 
for pulling or cutting the crop ; while even after the 
stalk- arc dried by stacking, or standing them out 
on end through the winter, the bark comes off quite 
freely if they are saturated for a short time in water 
or even thoroughly wetted by rain. 
The principal advantages to be derived from the 
cultivation of the tree mallow are its production o£ 
two crops or returns— seeds and fibre -either of which 
would alone remunerate its growers ; its euitability 
for extensive districts which are now nlmost worthless 
or only capable of bringing low pasture rents ; the 
the prevention or abatement of river pollutions, as 
little if any caustic soda or other deleterious chemicals 
will be required in the preparation of its fibre; ier 
resistance of injury froui wet weather at, andaft st 
harvesting. 
We think we have quoted enough to enable our 
agricultural and planting readers to feel that the 
" tree-mallow " is a plant deserving of attention even 
in Ceylon, and we shall follow with great interest 
Mr. Hay's Dolosbage experiment. The sample of fibre 
sent to us is most promising, but it will be impossible 
to say what its value may be without reference to 
home commercial and manufacturing authorities. 
Agricultural asd Horticultural Society ot- 
India. — Manure experiments. — The following have been 
sown. — Maize, bujra, sun, dharus, in the economic por- 
tion of garden, under the same conditions, as at the 
experimental farm at Bangalore ; the seed has germ- 
inated well, and in due course will be reported on. 
Over half an acre of ground is. now planted out 
with American maize seed, acclimatized at Nepal, and 
presented by Mr. G-irdlestone lastly as to the Society. 
This seed germinated well, and the plants are look- 
ing vigorous and healthy, and will be fully reported on 
hereafter. Panicum ■spectabile.—B.nlseA from seed, occupy 
a small plot in our economic garden, and are making 
vigorous growth. 
The Packing of Indian Tea for the Australian 
Market. — The following extract, from a private letter 
received from a gentleman in Victoria, has been kindly 
placed at our disposal : — If tea planters want to foster 
the Australian trade, let them send down quantities 
in half and quarter chests to some agent who will 
sell for cash only, and at as cheap a rate as will pay 
the exporters. The Australians are the greatest tea 
drinkers under the sun, but what we want is a medium 
tea at a fair price, and the tea put in good boxes 
that will not require to be tied up. I often wonder 
why your tea planters cannot get a machine like the 
one which makes the kerosine tins, and have them 
after the same size and shape : they would be air- 
tight, and the tin would save the lead lining, and as 
they would be made all the same weight, this would 
save finding out the tare, &c. The subject is a most 
important one, and deserves the best attention of 
those who are shipping t?as to Australia. The P. and 
0. Co. will not receive larger packages of tea than 
half chests of 40 lb. for shipment to Australia, but 
quarter chests containing 20 lb. might, we think, be 
shipped to advantage. We have several times of late 
heard it stated that the best method of packing teas 
for Australia is in the patent lacquered tin tea boxes 
manufactured by Messrs. Harvey Bros., and Tyler. 
The above extract and the London Letter from li One 
concerned" — published in our last issue — certainly bear 
the statement out. The only question that arises is, 
will tea keep in tin packages without deteriorating? 
Some there are who assert that it will not, and that 
tea must be packed in lead if it is to retain and keep 
uninjured its properties ; from others we have heard 
that the tin imparts an unpleasant flavour to the tea. 
We shall be glad to receive the opinions of any of our 
friends on this subject who may be able to speak 
from experience. — Indian Tea Ga:ette. 
