tm TROPICAL 
AGRictTLTtmr^r. 
[June r, t$8s. 
stroy those that are three feet high and in strong 
growth. The older trees continue to produce masses 
of flowers, but still no signs of fruit. 
I paid a visit to the Heuaratgoda garden the other 
day. The plants there have all the advantages of 
good soil and perfect shelter, and the cocoa planted 
there at 10x10 feet is evidently far too close, and 
instead of 100 feet per tree evidently needs from 
200 to 250. On less favoured spots it may be planted 
closer, but 10x10 is too close anywhere. T had re- 
served a low-sheltered portion of my new clearing for 
cocoa alone, which I lined 10 x 10 ; now 1 must take 
up the pegs and put them 13 feet apart on the 
quincunx. The Liberian coffee trees on the adjoin- 
ing ground 10 x 10 do not now appear a bit too 
wide, even where they have been allowed to run 
up, and those that have been topped are evidently 
crowded. 
The most advanced of the rubber plants are ten 
feet in height. I suppose that is the. usual growth in 
six months. All the first group are in flower, and I 
now think I have pods that will ripen within the 
year. I feel anxious to ascertain the return this 
plant is likely to give. After the first two years, its 
cultivation will cost only a trifle, but I fear the cost 
of collecting and preparing the produce for the market 
may swallow up the profit. Has the tree not been 
long enough under cultivation in the island, for the 
earliest adventurers to offer some definite information 
to xheir less advanced brethren? I have a faint im- 
pression on my mind that Dr. Trimen experimented 
on one or. more of the oldest trees at Peradeniya, 
and that the report was favourable; but, if there were 
any details, I either never came across them, or they 
have escaped my memory, as many other imjjortant 
facts do, if they come not home to my im mediate 
occupations. I wish you would record all known facts 
in the next number of the Tropical Agriculturist* 
I have not been fortunate with cardamoms ; they 
germinate freely enough, but the roots take such 
slight hold that the gentlest watering washes them 
out. I lost one-half in the shed, and nearly the half 
of what remained after transplanting, and have only 
made two points. They must be very sparingly watered 
and shaded whenever the sun shines. I am thankful 
for the wrinkle that came from the south, as I had 
designed to plant out as soon as there was suitable 
weather. Now I will defer it till they form bulbs. 
1 have put down a few vanilla cuttings experiment- 
ally. If the annual produce of an acre is worth so 
many hundreds or even thousands of rupees, I wish 
to give myself a chance of success in such a delight- 
fully profitable cultivation. 
With such masses of rock on the place, I have long 
been much exercised in mind how to turn them to 
account, and have finally decided to try whether the 
pepper-vine cannot be trained on them. The evil days 
on which coffee has fallen, teaches us to direct atten- 
tion to every cultivation from which a possible pro- 
fit may be derived. 
[? Orange, maDgo and other fruit trees with their 
branches fixed to the surface of the rocks and earth 
for pineapples put on the tops and in crevices. Fruit 
will be wanted for the steamers. — Ed.] 
THE PROGRESS OF INDIAN TEA IN 
AUSTRALIA, 
Mr. J. O. Moody, of the well-known firm of Messrs. 
James Henty and Co., Melbourne, in a letter to us 
dated the 10th October last, writes as follows :— 
You will see by the two papers I send you, Argun 
5th October and Age 6th October, that a strong agit- 
ation is going on, in favor of au Adulteration Act 
* Our correspondent had not, apparently, read Dr. 
Trirneu's latest report, — Ed, 
for the colony, and which I hope, when passed, will 
shut out a great deal of China rubbish that at presmt 
floods this market. 
Messrs. Cosmo Newbery and Frederic Dunn, whose 
names are so freely used, are analytical chemists con- 
nected with the Laboratory of our Industrial and 
Technological Museum, the former as Superintendent, 
and the latter as his assistant. These gentlemen have 
for some years past devoted considerable attention 
to the analysis of tea, and are well up in the subject. 
The large exhibit (some 500 different samples) shown 
at our Melbourne International Exhibition, and of 
which Mr. Newbery was Superintendent of Juries, 
placed at their disposal for analysis and probably 
gave them opportunities unequalled by any previous 
investigators into the chemical analysis of teas. 
You could aid their investigations by procuring for 
them samples of your different growths of tea from 
three or four districts, say a few leaves in air-dried 
condition only, that is to say, having passed through 
no manufacturing process, and a few samples of the 
same kinds manufactured. Have these samples care- 
fully marked with all particulars and the time of 
picking, &c. 
Some of your planters would probably be glad to 
furnish samples for the sake of the investigations it 
opens up, and the practical information it may give. 
Ceylon has already furnished some samples which 
are being analysed. I may mention that there is 
difficulty in getting the air-dried leaves over in a 
sound condition, but. with a little care this can be 
managed. Perhaps packing loosely between Swedish 
filtering paper (procurable at any chemist's) would 
prove a good plan. 
With regard to the request made by Mr. Moody 
for samples of the different growths of tea from our 
various tea districts, we trust our readers will heartily 
respond to the call. We will he happy to forward 
free of cost all samples intended for Mr. Moody sent 
to this office. The teas should be carefully packed 
in tea lead and soldered down securely. As they are 
intended for the purpose of analysis, from 5 to 6 ounces 
should be sent of each kind. — Indian Tea Gazette. 
COCOA (OR CACAO) CULTIVATION IN 
TRINIDAD. 
At page 5 of Dr. Trimen's Report he referred 
to Mr. Prestoe's remarks on the above cultivation, 
and, as we have been since favoured with a copy 
of the elaborate report published by the Director 
of the Trinidad Gardens, we gladly publish the 
portion referred to. A portion of Mr. Prestoe's useful 
observations on Liberian coffee have already appeared 
in the Observer. 
323. Cacao, — Theobroma cacao. — Considerable time and 
attention, although greatly interrupted, and in consequence 
attended with much waste of material, have been given to 
this subject during the year. 
324. A larger stock than usual of good varieties has been 
got together for planting and for distribution in course of 
acquiring seeds to meet current demands and for examination 
and experiment. 
325. The subject I need hardly remark is of vast import- 
ance to Trinidad which — with a leading position as a cacao 
growing country — possessing very fine varieties of cacao and 
enjoying highly favourable conditions for their culture — 
continues to export the bulk of her cacao in an extremely 
inferior form both as to the natural intrinsic character of the 
beans and the manner in which they are prepared. 
326. It is net desirable, even if it were practicable, to make 
any lengthy observations on this aspect of the subject, but 
I might properly mention that the most important points to 
which I have devoted my attention are : the relative value 
of the different varieties, and the manner in which they 
are affected in course of preparation for the market and 
other circumstances on which good or bad cacao depends ; 
and in doing so I find a very wide field for investigation open 
