l-KinuMRv i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
729 
Tea.— Although our labour is (1 
aud large crops will enable planl 
cessfully with India and China. Tl 
ever, is so great that largo returns c 
Cocoa.— S>me difficulty has been 
iug tliis plant past its infantile 
attacks of its inveterate enemy, 
this will soon be overcome, and v 
danger success is assured. This 
in which the services of al 
will be invaluable, and the 
such persons will be of great 
but 1 
my that 
ilti 
ations li 
On the contrary, many have proved very successful, 
aud I could enumerate many more which show pro- 
spects of great success. Certain soils and certain dis- 
tricts arc suitable to the growth of certain plants, 
and until experience and science teach us how to 
avoid plaining new products in unsuitable places an 
bcCasional failure must be anticipated ; but I trust that 
all who have formed an opinion that our new products 
have met with little success will be soon disabused 
of such an error, and will believe that we have met 
with a fjmxl deal of success. Should any doubts still 
exist in their minds, I shall be very glad to give them 
any further information they may require. 
At an early date 1 shall send you some further 
particulars regarding our new products, showing in 
detail what results have been obtained.— I am, &c., 
A Shareholder in the Ceylon Low Country 
Products Company (Limited). 
Halle, Nov. 25th. 
THE SEASON IN INDIA. 
(For the weekending the 10th January.) 
Scarcely any rain fell during the week under report 
in any part of Bengal, the North-Western Provinces 
and Oudh, and the Punjab. In the two latter Pro- 
vinces rain is much wanted, as the cold-weather crops 
on the unirrigated lauds are suffering from want of 
moisture. In the Central India States there has been 
110 rain, but the crops arc reported good. Iu the 
States of Rajputana and in the Central Provinces 
showers fell 111 a few places and prospects are favour- 
able. In the Bombay ['residency the outturn of the 
ndii cious is expee'ed to be poor in two districts aud 
in others gene. ally good. Iu the Niztm's Territories 
tin- rabi has much benefited by slight showers. In 
the Madras Presidency the rainfall has been more 
general dining the week under report, and prospects 
are on the whole (jood. In other parts of the country, 
i.e., in Burar, Coorg, Assam, and British Burmah, 
Boapecte continue favourable. 
Mttdrn*. —No rain in Kistoa ; general prospects good. 
Tin Supbrintkndbnt of the Government Gardens 
at Sahiirunpore has, during the past year, been en- 
gaged in the production "i vegetable drugs, for the 
Medici Department; Besides henbane, he has been 
abb- to prepare taraxacum at a considerably lower 
ooit than its purchase in England entails.— Madras Mail. 
Jaffna and Colonization, [11 our opinion the only 
feasible method of ameliorating the condition of the 
mople of Jaffna consists in emigration towards the 
Kmim »nd Central portions of the island, and in 
[colnni/.ing the fertile districts watered l>y the Mahavilo 
iGanga or situated in proximity the largo tanks liko 
Kanth.dai unl Giant's Tank. A colonization conducted 
011 a large scale would nut only releivo Jaffna of iis 
surplus inhabitant", but convert, in a short time, fever- 
■irioken jungles into moiling villages ami liolda teeming 
stand 1 hat the nex 
suprerititendent of 
will be of special 
Iu 
transport I CHEMICAL Society 01 London.- At the meeting on 
npeto sue- Dec. 15th, a paper was read " On a new Alkaloid from 
tion, how- Cinchona Bark," by Messrs. D. Howard and J. Hodgkin. 
joked for. The authors have extracted from the bark of the 
id in get- China Cuprasa an alkaloid closely resembling quinine in 
ig to the its general properties. It differs in the solubility 
"ant, but of its salts and the readiness with which the 
past this alkaloid crystallizes from ether. They have named 
is\ Cultivation. — We under- 
nual report of Dr. George King, 
Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, 
stance for its bearing on the 
e growth of grasses for paper 
,lso of cinchona cultivation for quinine, 
just received fiom Dr. King, in which he 
gives a special account of his examination of cinchona 
cultivation in Java, he suggests Burmah, the Andaman 
Islands, and the Khasia Hills as new sites for the 
cultivation. A cinchona plantation, we may remark, 
has already been tried at Nongklao, in the Khasia 
Hills, and abandoned. — Academy. 
Coffee Blossom Prospects. — -The weather has so 
iu fau- all over the country according to today's [10th 
January] telegraphic report, and so far as the coffee dis- 
tricts are concerned the change could not come more 
opportunely. The rain of the past three months has 
been most beneficial; but high, as well as low 
districts now require dry weather to "harden" the 
wood preparatory to blossom. Indeed, in the lower 
districts there was risk if wet weather continued 
longer of blossom being lost: some in spike going 
ubt now, early and 
e low as well as 
continues. So far 
really good season 
;s. So mote it be! 
mbara Valley, was 
tion we referred to a few weeks back 
reference to Mr. Schrottky's system. In the middle 
December there was some room to apprehend a 
into ' brush ' ; but 
good blossoms will he seen 
high districts if the dry 1 
everytliing is most favourable 
throughout the Ceylon coffee 
Gangapitiya Estate, in t 
the test plantation we refen 
shew that the apprehension was groundless, no attack 
having developed. On the 2nd instant, the report 
was to the effect that:— the coffee looks remarkably 
well, and, as yet, has resisted the disease, so that 
there is good reason for anticipating that the estate 
will pass through the blossoming season with the 
minimum of evU effect from the fungus. Isolated 
trees are still found with the disease ; but, although 
the weather was more or less showery all through 
December, it has not spread. Tins is certainly a 
striking fact and worthy of careful attention. 
The Ceylon Investment Association Limited. — We 
have received this afternoon a copy of the report of 
the above Company for the year ended 30th Sept. 
1881, which will appear in full tomorrow; hut mean- 
time we may mention that the result of the Company's 
operations is a dividend of li per cent to the share- 
holders with £800 carried to a reserve fund. Considering 
the hard times, this must he regarded as satisfactory. 
The Company's investments in Ceylon now amount 
to C87.111, of which Cl(i,3;(:{ have been made during 
1880-81, while tU.'Jlli hud been repaid in the same 
time. One paragraph from the Directors' report we give at 
once to shew their opinion of our planting Industrie :- 
The Board obtained much benefit from the information 
received from their .Secretary. Mr. Kirwnn, us tbo result 
of his visit to Ceylon. While iu the island, this gentle- 
man made a careful inspection of all the estates in which 
the Association is interested, and bis rr|x>rt maybe held 
us extremely satisfactory, l'rospects in Ceylon are reported 
to Ih- slowly, though steadily improving. The rultitutiou 
of new |>rodiiets is Im ing rapidly extended, mid the suc- 
cess winch bus 11lrea.lv attended tin' growth of tins.. 
promises well for the eventual rise in the price of laud 
111 Mm colony. 
