560 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, x88i. 
Barbados. — The shipment of crop was nearly closed, 
the total beiDg 50,574 hogsheads sugar and 31,937 
puncheons molasses — about an average crop. A fail- 
proportion of this had gone to the United States aud 
Canada. Growing crops promised well under the in- 
fluence of refreshing rains. Cargoes of American produce 
still continued to arrive. A good trade exists with 
Demerara in the export of coral lime. The House of 
Assembly was still in recess, and would continue so till 
October 10th. Mr. C. Masservy had been gazetted 
Superintendent of Public Works for the Colony. Mr. C. 
Masservy would not arrive till towards the close of 
September. — Colonies and India. 
The Sale of Java Calisaya Ledger Seed at Mr. 
Symons' coffice resulted 
as follows : — 
1 box 
@ R 33 
E, 33 
2 „ 
„ 31 
„ 62 
1 „ 
», „ 30 
„ 30 
8 „ 
„ ., 29 
,,232 
4 „ 
„ 28 
,,112 
1 ,, 
„ „ 27 
27 
3 „ 
„ „ 26 
„ 78 
6 „ 
„ „ 25 
,,150 
6 „ 
„ 24 
,,144 
1 ,, 
>, „ 23 
,, 23 
33 „ 
E891 
Average 27 rupees per box of 2 grammes or 31 grains : 
about half the price obtained at the former sale, 
no doubt, owing to the full analysis being giver.. 
Cinchona on the Shevaroys: — Dr. Shortt writes 
to the Madras Horticultural Society from Yercaud: — 
"Cinchona hitherto on these hills has been simply as 
an experiment: one or more trees only were to be 
seen on a few estates. Of the different varieties, the 
cinchona succirubra thrive well here, and this variety 
is best suited to these hills. Efforts are now being 
made by a few planters to extend cinchona cultiva- 
tion, and on my estate self-sown seeds of this variety 
were found growing in the vicinity of the parent 
plants, and the trees are so extremely prolific in their 
seed productions that I have been able to collect and 
distribute the seeds freely. The difficulty of getting 
the seeds to germinate is rather trying, as the process 
requires much care and attention, more especially 
without the aid of a propagating house. Of the cinchona 
trees on my estate one seems a hybrid, and on send- 
ing specimens of the flowers and leaves to Mr. Jamie- 
son, the Superintendent of the Government Gardeus, 
Ootacamund, that gentleman recognized itas one which, 
lie says, has been named Cinchona Lanosa. This plant 
also seeds very freely and largely." — Madras Standard. 
Liberian Coffee Pulper.— Supply is generally 
soon ready for demand, and Messrs. J. Walker & Co. 
are generally well to the fore in supplying the planter 
with any appliance necessary for the cultivation of 
new products, whether it be transplanters, bark 
shavers, or a Liberian coffee pulper. For some time 
past the latter has been exercising the inventive 
faculties of Messrs. Walker's staff, the result being 
a machine which Messrs. Walker guarantee will do 
its work to the satisfaction of the Liberian coffee 
planter. Yesterday we had the privilege of watching 
atrial of it in pulping some 'Liberian' from Kalutara. The 
coffee was put into a machine with a grooved cylinder 
and circular sieve working underneath. Here it was 
crushed between the cylinder and breast and the 
skins separated from the beans in the sieve. The 
skins were then put into another machine, which 
threw them out at the back, and any beans which 
had not been separated in the first machine were 
thrown out in front. There was no damage done to 
the coffee. It is intended to have the two machines 
combined as one. We congratulate the makers on 
their success. 
Jamaica. — The local papers advertize large importa- 
tions of Canadian-built carriages. They also publish 
statements which seem to imply that each West Indian 
colony is practising quarantine against its fellow-island* 
under a wholly wrong impression that yellow fever 
exists there. Thus, at Fortune Island, the Atlas steamer 
"Alveus" was not allowed to call on arrival from 
Jamaica, because yellow fever aud smallpox were 
believed to be raging there. The Bahamas have also 
quarantined against Jamaica, under the same dread ; 
whereas the Gleaner asserts that, in spite of the in- 
tense heat, the public health of the Colony is " very 
good."— Colonies and India. 
"The Hygienic and Agricultural Value of 
Phosphorus."— This is the title of a lecture de- 
livered before the Bethune Society in Calcutta by Mr. 
J. L. Macmillan, F. C. S., on 30th December 18S0, 
and the first part of which, published in pamphlet 
form, has been sent us by the author. This part 
treats of phosphorus from a hygienic point of view 
only, the agricultural question being left for the second 
part. Mr. Macmillan shows how important an element 
phosphates are in the human system, and the necessity 
for supplying the daily loss, an entirely vegetable 
diet being a mistake, even in hot climates. J he dis- 
covery of phosphorus is related, and the relative 
values of different articles of diet are set forth. 
table is given showing the amount of phosphates in 
100 graing of the brain of the calf, and the brain and 
spinal marrow of the ox, respectively. Mr. ilai-millan 
then says : — " Sideby side with these facts the much 
lauded oyster, as a phosphorus-yielding food, fades into 
comparative insignificance. The oyster yields under 
one per cent of phosphates : whereas from tne figures 
above given, tbe braiu of the calf furnishes over five per 
cent, and that of the ox, nearly throe. With the 
exception of salmon-roe, which contains 50 per 
cent of a highly phophorized albuminoid body called 
nuclein, there is no food stuff of modem times that 
approaches the brain of the calf and the ox, as a source 
of available organised phosphates. Trout yields over two 
per cent of phosphates and therefore ranks higher than 
the oyster. The flesh of oxen, swine, aud that of the 
roe, pigeon, and chicken, contain fractional percentages 
as compared with the results from brain just mentionad." 
The value of phosphorus as a brain-food and an en- 
richer of the blood is then shown, and Mr. Macmillan 
then gives the following formula of a preparation de- 
vised by him at the request of the Drug Committee 
of the Victoria hospital for children," London, to 
take the place of the well-known " chemical food " in 
which sugar forms an ingredient which is sometimes 
objectionable : — 
Grains in 
100 minims. 
Ferrous Hypopbosphite ..FeoPHa O3 + 6H2O 2'77 
Calcium do ...Ca2PH 2 02 3 '5 
Sodium do ...Na H2 P02 + H2O 3 5 
Magnesium do ...Mg PH 2 O2 + 6 H2O L99 
Hypophosphorus Acid ...H3 P02 1'66 
Water ... ... ... S658 
100 -uo 
One fluid drachm being equal to : — 
Ferrous Hypophosphite...L6 \ 
Calciun do ...2 1 f 6*7 grains of the 
Sodium do ...2' I mixed salts. 
Magnesium do ...LI ) 
This preparation is now largely used by London 
physicians, the vehicle for its administration being 
Hungarian Carlowitz or British raisin wine, the 
former of which contains 2 per mille of iron phos- 
phate aud both having very little alcohol. 
