March i, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
593 
We also quoto another extraot as follows : — 
•' Mr. [love hag gone to coudiJorable trouble 
to asoertaiu thi freight charged by the differ- 
ent steiuiship ooinpaniei trading wi li the 
various ports in the tour, so tliat wjen he ia 
on the spot h3 will be able to formulate a ooin- 
parabiffo statement from wliich fan miy ascertain 
accurately tbe poaitioo of Australia wi h regard to 
other coiftitries likely to ba compesitor^^ There is, of 
course the possibility that the prospect of developing 
trade may eooour.ige shipping (Jompaniea to mi»he 
rates which would be greitly to the advancsfre of 
the Oolony." 
The first thing claiming the attentioa of the 
Coramissionera was the olearing of their samples 
anJ they ware gatuog out at onoe for the purpose 
of seeing Oapt. Bayley o( the P. & 0. Com- 
pany and the Prinoipal Golleotor of Oa^toms 
with regard to this, next endeavouring to secure 
some oool plioe in whioh to store them. The 
satiplea have all been specially selected for the 
Eastern trade. 
The appointing of the Commission, Mr. Bowa 
explained, might be regarded a) a following up 
of the policy of the Governmsnt in promoiing 
the development of the natural resouroes of tbe 
country by m ans {of village settlements under 
which scheme grants are made of about 20 aor is 
of land repaym nt being made ia easy instal 
menta. In pursuance of this policy promises were 
also given for the manufacture of but'er and oheesj. 
The bonuses for the former has now caased, but 
notwithstandiog that fact tha export in eleven 
months of last ye:ir exoaedid that of ths previous 
twelvemonths by 2^ million lb. Daring the last 
tew years there has been a considerable falling off 
both of the imports and exports of the colony, but 
particularly of the former, owing to the de- 
pression, but it was hoped that the eflorta now 
being made would result in trade being greitly 
stimulated. Asked if efforis were being made in 
other directious than the East Mr. Rowe said 
that the Hon. Mr. R^id who had reeent'y pas-ed 
through Colombo, had takiu samples of produce 
with him to exhibit in Canada which he would 
visit after he had transicted hij business io 
Loadoa whioh was oonnaoted w.fch the condition 
of affiiiM in the Agent-General's Office. 
After completing their invostigatious in Oeyloa 
the Commissioaers will visit Ma iras, Bombay, 
Calcutta, Rang )on, Sing ipore and go on to Japan 
from wlionoe iliey will return, their tour ex 
tending probably over six months. 
PICKINGS WITH A LOCAL APPLICATION. 
Cassia aicriculata (Sin. Rauawari'i) is oomiiij,' 
to be reoojjnizod as a moat iniportaut tan-produciug 
tree. The Indian Aijricultiliist quotiiS af foll;w3 
fr >m a i^ladias couLomporary which recomraeuda its 
cultivatiou as a remuuuiali/a iuvodlment : — " Uuder 
favourable oircuinBtances it attains a fair growth 
io five years, when it ia tit to be out for its bark. 
It thrives very well on poor soil lying on high 
ground. It Leeds uo irrigation and no oire. It fears 
neither borer nor leaf disease," Even cattle and 
goita are eaid not to touch it. 
Again wo are told that " Caisia auricidata of five 
years' growth will yield fairly stout bark of the best 
quality. The plauts that are out sprout agaiu aud 
ugain iudclinitily. From five to ten pouods of batk 
may be taken from one shrub ; and at least tivo 
Luodred shrubs can be grown on an acre. The yiel 1 
per iicrc muy in consegneuce be estimated at five t . 
leu cnudieh u 01 th, in Madras from KlOU to 200. Th>' 
cosi of g thei iiik! the b'vk is about K5 po.- Ciiudy ; ana 
the cost of cultivation beiog all but nil, the reader 
may oalnula'o . h it a large maigiu there i-i lor « 
voutaro iu pUutiut( Vuum uariciUata. U the Ca.ii 
vation of tbe shrub is t»ken up by eoterprising plan, 
tors, who wo ild provide suitHble dryicg sheds with 
hot air ventilators, in oaee of rain, and a press to 
pack the batk tight when it ia thorouKhly dry, they 
could turn out bark of far better quality than any 
now available, Tae bark ao compresstd would keep 
much longer without losina its colour, and it would 
(jhenbe fit for shipment to Europe where the d'mand 
for it would be practically unlimited. Those who pos- 
sess land may thus not unprofitably plant theRauawara 
as shade or shelter trees and in boundary fences, and 
allow it to occupy the "bad-pieces" on estates. 
Tanning is said to be better done: in Midras than 
anywhere in India. Now the materiah, &c., available 
in Ceylon are the same ae iu Madrai, and it ia aUo 
well known that th t few tanners in Colombo are 
making a very good thing out of their buaiuesa. Their 
only complaint U that there are not «utliuient hides 
available and it ia with muoh difficulty that even 
these are obtained. I should imagine there would 
be a good open'n;; for, say, for a teohnicjl student 
who knows how to prepare tinning materials for 
export, anl the extraction of animal glue from skins. 
I do not know whether yon noticed a quotation in 
the Reciew of Reviews from a paper on the suet 
minopoly in India, in whioh the writer says tba* the 
question is a more sarious one than either ganja 
and opium, inasmuch as a great deal of the moit*- 
lity Bm->njj human beings from cholera and of cattle 
from rinderpest and other diseai: s are du^ to the 
fact that su. t is not within easy roach of the pjoret 
popubition. There are no two opiuiom as regards 
tbo effiosoy of such in keeping both man and beast 
in a healthy o ndition, and one would almost wish 
that, another commission might be appointed to en- 
quire into the BU!t monoply question. 
TEA AND SCANDAL. 
I be^in my communioation to you with an 
extract (which you may have already seen) from 
Hebe 's Indian Journal vol. II. p. 237. 1828 . " The 
Tka Plant grows wild all through Kemaon, bat can- 
not be made use of from an emetic quality which it 
pojsessen. This might, perhaps, be removed by cul- 
tivition, but the eiperiment has never been tried. 
For the cultivation of tea I should apprehend both 
the soil, hills, surface, and climate of Kemaoo, in all 
which it resembles the Provinces of China, extremely 
fivourable." 
At p. 23 of The Moral Reformer published at Boston, 
Mass. in 1835, 1 find a paragraph on " Libeett 
Tea" :— " During the revolutionary war the inhabi- 
tanta of New England sometimes substituted what 
they denominated Liberty Tea for that of Ohma. It 
was made, according to Felt in his History of Ips- 
wich, of the leaves of the plant called foar-leaved 
loose-strife, and prepared in the following manner. 
The plant waa first pulled up, like flax : the stalks 
were then stripped of their leaves and boiled, and the 
leaves put into an iron kettle and basted with the 
liquor of the atalks. After this process tbe leaves 
were removed into platters and placed in an oven to 
dry. A pound of this te» would go as far, ao it is 
said, as a pound of Siucliong. II sold quickly in 
barter at 6 1 st( rliujj a pou id, whioh in those early 
days was a considerable sum. Perhaps our ancestors 
ware aoqaainted with the fact that the leaves of the 
whortle-berry when about half-grown, if dried slowly 
in the shade, make a biverage almost as pleasant, 
and quite aa wholesome, as the best tea from China, ' 
The Moral Reformer waa not an advooate for tea aj 
will be shown in further extracts to be sent you here- 
after.] 
From substitutes for tea we pass easily to a dulter- 
ATiONs, and while hunting up bookn on tbe latt. r I 
camfl aoioss the aune.Ked amusing doioription iu J ) c.jIi 
T. Popu'a Lecture on " Health: its friends and i .os. 
I. Uomeslio Dangera." p. 21: — " Some of tlio eoeeu- 
irioitiea of modern trade are delicately disclosed by 
a German scientist iu the following litilf finle. 
I'horo wore oi\co four llier< and tli»y wero buuf-ry. 
Tho drtit aettluj upou a nwsMjt, ol aiugulurly ap- 
