4So 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November r, 1881 
tivated. On 3 of them nutmegs as well; coffee on 1; 
and coffee and cocoa on another, 3 of the iif>w 
estates had produced nothing in 1879 and the 
crops of two others had not been ascertained. The 
tobacco yield for 1879 amounted to : — 
for 32 estates in Deli 5,483, LSI Amst. lb. 
19 do Langkat 1,401,516 do 
9 do Serdang 1;321.925 do 
8,211,572 do 
Certainly a remarkable result in a country where, 
fifteen years ago, there was hardly any trade and 
industry owing to mis^overument, exactions, civil war, 
and abs mce of European entiTprise. 
The revenue in these distridsin 1879 amounted to 
1195, 19G guilders, and the expenditure to 693,870. 
This large revenue is partially derived from excessive 
taxation, the incidence of which is now becoming 
more severely felt from a recent fall in the price of 
tobacco, resulting in several estites proving uuremuner- 
ative, and in other being even abandoned. The 
above journal urges a reduction of taxation on qhe 
grounrl that the Opium and Gambling farms revenues 
there fully meets local expenditure. 
Messrs. F. E. and L. C. J. Simonnar have been 
granted a concession for 75 years by the Netherlands 
Indian Government to work diamond, gold, platina, 
and coal mines in the Chumpaka district in the pro- 
vince of the S. and E. Division of Borneo. 
A petition signed by 44 mercantile firms in Batavia 
has been presented to the Governor General of Nether- 
lands India, praying that book-keeping in the Dutch 
language, or in the Malay language written with Bo- 
man characters, be made compulsory on Chinese and 
Foieigo Oriental traders there as a check on fraud- 
ulent bankruptcy among them. 
Several British and Dutch capitalists have also form- 
ed a Steam Navigation Company at Amsterdam 
with a capital of 8250,000 to run a line of six steam- 
ers from there to Java, for carrying cargo only at a 
minimum rate of freight. The first steamer of this line 
was to leave Amsterdam in the middle of last month. — 
Ibid. 
Specimens of a new leech previously unknown in 
France, the Hatmopnia sanguisuga, have recently been 
exhibited at the Societe de Biologie, by Dr. Megnin 
(Med. Times and Gaz., July 30). They were found 
adhering to the mucous membrane of the mouths of 
some artillery horses that had just returned from Tunis. 
The brooks of North Africa are said to be full of this 
kind of leech. — Pharmaceutical Journal. 
Grafting. — Professor Budd says that in the Iowa 
College graft-room they graft not only Apple and. Pear, 
but Plum,' Cherry, Apricot,, and Peach, successfully on 
seedling roots — preferring seedlings of the Miner Plum 
for the stone fruits — using it even for Cherries. They- 
graft quite early in the winter, on roots stored in 
November, and then immediately plant or store them 
closely together in a bed of sand in a cellar with 
humid ah - , but with floor and sand never more than 
damp. Only the roots and the lower end of the scions 
are covered by the sand. For the stone fruits care is 
taken not to let the wax wraping of the union of 
graft and stock be in actual contact with the bark. 
A light coat of moist clay is first applied over the cuts, 
and over that is closely wrapped a strip of muslin from 
a roll which has been soaked in a melted mixture of 
. i ..in, linseed-oil, and a small quantity of wheat 
floor. This is a rather novel recipe, dispensing ■with 
the generally-used beeswax. The flour is stirred into 
the hot mixture to prevent the hardening and drying 
of the cloth which should hermetically seal the wounds. 
The planting should be done very early, on the first 
practicable day, and the grafted roots must be kept 
entirely dormant, but entirely fresh, until planted.— 
Garden ■rs' 1 Chronicle. 
Music Rat. — The tail of the musk rat has already 
made its appearance in this country. The odour seems 
to be intermediate between sumbul and musk Bead. — 
Pharmaceutical Journal. 
Over-growth. — " Since the subject of vegetable patho- 
logy," writes Mr. Berkeley, " has been taken up so 
successfully by Sir James Paget, attention has lately 
been very much turned to anomalies as well as to 
ordinary forms of disease. A very curious one, if not 
entirely new, has lately occurred, winch I lose no time 
in communicating to the Gardetveri Chronicle. I have 
observed for some time that a plant of Thuya gigantea 
has appeared in a very unsatisfactory condition, though 
one close to it is a fine sample of growth. On ex- 
amination I found a large excrescence like a com at 
the base of the tree, which had a diameter of more 
than 13 inches, while the trunk of the tree had a dia- 
meter of 3 inches only. I had a section made with a 
circular saw, which was impeded when half-way through. 
At the point where the impediment took place was a 
little lump of hard iron-stone, which had the curious 
effect of causing a strange diversion of growth, which 
was more rapid than it had previously been, but the 
principal energies of the plant were diverted ; a few 
roots were thrown out on one side, while there was 
not a trace of roots on the other. The strangest part 
was that the growth of the stein was more rapid, but 
the health of the plant completely deranged. It was 
clearly not a case of exostosis, depending on an im- 
perfect developed bud, but very analogous to a wen in 
the human frame. The case is so curious that I have 
sent a drawing which may, I hope, be acceptable. Since 
the above was written, Dr. Masters has pointed out 
that a similar production is noticed and figured in 1879, 
vol. ix., pp. 372, 377, and I have observed somewhat 
of the same kind at the point where plants have been 
grafted. I do not think it is analogous to what are 
called gnaurs, but that it is a kind of hypertrophy." — 
M. F. B. 
Coffee and other Products in Ceylon. — I have within 
the last few days received through the Director of the 
Royal Botanical Gardens a further report upon the coffee 
leaf disease by Mr. Ward. This most able and deeply 
interesting paper will forthwith be laid on the table. In 
the opinion of Dr. Ti-imen it exhausts the subject, and 
completes the work which Mr. Ward undertook, so far 
as it can be carried out in Ceylon. Although Mr. Ward 
has not been able to suggest any mode of treating the 
disease which shall absolutely eradicate it, he has at 
least given to the world in the life history of the Herni- 
leia the true data upon which a mode of dealing with 
the disease may hereafter be founded, and in the mean- 
while such remedial measures may be adopted as may 
euable the coffee to withstand the strain of the disease. 
Although vast injury has doubtless been done by the disease, 
the export of coffee from Ceylon will long continue to 
exceed in value by far all other exports put together. 
It is, however, very satisfactory to note that other pro- 
ducts, both old and new, are fast increasing in quantity 
and value. The export in 1380 of the produce of the 
coconut in its various forms was valued at six millions 
of rupees. The quantity of cinchona bark exported has 
risen from under 15,000 pounds weight in 1876 to 1,001,989 
pounds weight in 1880. The export of tea also has doubled. 
Tobacco is another staple which experience has shown 
can be profitably grown in Ceylon. The value of the 
exports of tobacco last year exceeded a million rupees, 
and, considering the unceasing demand for this article, 
the cultivation of it on a large scale on suitable soil 
could hardly fail to be successful. Other products such as 
India rubber and cocoa are being grown in increasing 
quantities, and I feel confident that the exports of future 
years will exhibit a variety of products which may in time 
equal the value of our coffee crops. — Speech of Sir Jax. 
Lonqden in opening the Legislative Council of Cenlon, 
Sept. 28th, 1881. 
