THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
fJUNE r, i894. 
book " Darkest Africft" msy be useful a8 dttmag 
at'.puli'iD to an importaut and valatible source of 
ford supply hitherto neglected in tbis part of 
Africa Tbe Banana lliat Mr. Stanley tern refera 
t ), if* whtt wo call the pUiulain, the long nud laritc 
variety of the cijItivAted Mu^a, not Ihe wbort anJ 
very sweet kind ordinarily known as the banana: — 
"For tbe first time wo discovered that the Awambu, 
\'h Bd territory we were now in, unlerstool t' p art 
<>' drying bananas over wooden graUugs, (or the 
piirpo.-e of making fiour. We had oftt n won 'end, 
during our life in the forest region, tbat ratives 
di I not appear to have discovere 1 wliat invaluable, 
nou'ishing, an 1 ensily digestible food they pofsessed 
i'l the plantain ant barani. All b»n~.Qa land? — 
Cu'ba, Brazil, West Ind e ; — seem to me to have bi'eu 
fipeoiillj reinisa on thia point. If only the vlrtnen of 
tho flour wore publicly linonn, it is not !o be doubteil 
but it would be largely cmsunied in Kurope. For 
inf.ints, iversous of dtl cato diije tion, dyppcptics, and 
those enlferiaj from temp r>ry derangements of 
the stomach, the flour, propcr'y prepared, would bo 
of uoiversAl demand. Durins: my two attacks of 
gastrilin, a light gruel of this mi:ied with milk, was 
the only matter that could he digested."— Ce«<ra; 
Africa Gazette. 
■ — 
SOME INDIAN TEA OOMPANIES' 
ESTIMATES FOR 1894. 
Kettela Tea Company. — Outturn was 1.650 maand-i 
and the average ob'ained was close tn 9 ansas net. A 
net gain of K10,044 was made. After adjnstmeat a 
balance of £8,624 remains at credit of profit snJ loss. 
A divideni of 6 per cent is recommended which will 
le.ivjK1,124 to cirry forward. Eatimata for the cur- 
rent year is 1,700 mnnnds of fine tea for a total outlay 
of R59,500. 
HoPETowN Tea Company. — Onttorn was 657 manndi 
and average realised 9 annas a lb. Revenue account 
18 R4.782 to the good and after adjustment in profit 
and loss account R3,559 is available. A dividend of 3 
per cent is proposed which will leave R559 to carry 
toiwtrd. The estimata for the curr<nt seafon is 650 
mi\on'^8 for a total outlay of R24,500. 
KoHNAFOLi Tea Association. — Outluru was 4,407 
r> aunds. Alt runto invoices were sold in Calcutta 
aud Lon-lon fatohing about fame averages iu both 
markets — 6-4 net p r lb. Result of working is a ga'n 
of R3,610. Profit an l loss account is R5,833 at credit 
Hhich will be canied forward. B timate for tbis year 
is 4,475 maunds fa- a total outlay of Rl, 48, 000 which 
includes cost of putting cut 30 acres of new tea. 
Ieingmaka Tea Company.— Outturn was 1,820 
mannds and average rialiatd 5-8 per lb. Revei)ne 
account is Rl,446 to the good. By issue cf 6 pet 
cent preference shares for R40,000, funds are provided 
for extensions cow going or'. Profit and loss account 
is R2,8G2 at crtdt. Estimate for current year is 
2,100 maunds at a garden cost of R47,634 exc'usive of 
Calcutta chirges, which a-e not expected to exoeed I4 
annap(?r lb. 
KuMLAi TeaAss ciATioN.— Outturn was 2,154 maucds 
and average rialised5-5 per lb. Revenue accouut is 
K3,721 to the good. In aiijuotment profit and loss 
accounts is R4,517 at credit. A dividend of 21 per 
cent is proposed. The estimate for current year is 
2,500 maunds for a total outlay of R54,682. 
SiKGOLo Tea Company had a record year for ou'.- 
turn, having obtained 9,176 maucds for which 9-6 per 
lb. was realised. There was also an income of R19,216 
from tea teed. Revenue accounts is Rl,27,369 tathe 
good and profit aid loss is Rl, 31,282 at credit. The 
proposed dividend of 10 per cent will absorb Rl, 20,000. 
Estimate for current season is 10,300 mannda for a 
total outlay of R3,60,000. It is also expected to 
obtain 400 maun Js of tea seed and re ilise B50 per 
maund. 
CuTLACHEREA Tba COMPANY.— Outturn was 2,117 
mauads and realise in London the equivalent of 5 
annas a lb. Tbe seasou's working shows a profit of 
Rl,384 which is carried to profit and loss account. 
Esiimate for the current year is 2,200 msuuds for a 
total outlay of R52,368. 
I Manabarrie Tea C.mpany.— Ootturn was 3,901 
Imaands and average realised was 6-6 per lb. Th« 
years' working resulted in a profit ot Ull,869. Tbe 
balance from last acc:unt and U3,380 re.'ili<>ed more 
than fcstimrted on the 1892 crop, bring up the enuo 
atcreiit of profit aud lo-s to R21,279. A proposed 
dividend of 7 per cent will Absorb BU.OOO. In current 
jeir it is estimated to spend R88.4d7 and obtain 3.900 
uiaun Is of finer plucke > tea than Lerelofure. 
Ellemdabbie Tea Company.— Outturn w*e S,4d9 
mounds anl averago re*liged 5-11 per lb. Net incom- 
was K18,666. An interim dividend of 5 per reft wa» 
I a d and a final of 7 i« proposed, k bich will leave R6 78U 
j to carry forward. Estimate for this year is 3,250 
maui.dj for a to?al expenditure of R8 1, 930. — Fio)«?«r. 
C03A-GK0WING IN NEW YOBK. 
A fine epecimen of the true Truxilh coca is tp 
ported to be in full bloom in tbe gret^n houses of 
Pitcher « Manda, at Short Hills, N. J., near new 
York City. The flower ia attraoting the att rition 
of the medioal botanists, and Dr. H. H. Kusby, of 
the New York College of Pharmacy, ia quoted as 
Baying that though not yet ready to concede it to be 
a distinct species, he is rather more indioc I to that 
theory after obeerving (hie plant in blaom litmist 
and Druggist. 
A USEFUL PLANT. 
Do any of onr readers know a plant called 
[' Adhatoda I'd-tica? " A decoction niaKes a good 
insecticide and fungicide— and is well known in Ben- 
gal as a medicine for coughs. Writing to a contem- 
porary a correspondent says, that the crushed leaves 
rubbed over the hands and face, entirely drives off 
mosqnitoes — which ia a tip worth knowing. Mr. 
Bamoer says the plant is largely used on the Bombay 
side by natives for killing insects in the soil by. 
merely throwing the leaves about before irrigation 
It is described by Major Drury in his " Useful Plants 
of India," as known in English, aa the " Malabar 
Nut " and in Tamil as " Adatoday " and is common 
in the Peninsula. It is a shrub 8 to 10 feet high, and 
leaves opposite, lanceolate, flowirs on short spikes 
termin-f— A^j^^iVi Jfeica, 
INDIAN PATENTS. 
Calcutt , April 19. 
Applications in respect of tbe undermentione I ii - 
ventiona have bien filed during the week ending 14!h 
April 1894. 
Mosquito Blight.— No. 125 of 1894.— Charles Gra- 
ham Hannay, of R- mai Tea tstite in the district of 
Likhimpur Assam, Tta Planter, for the prevent on 
aud cure of •• Mosquito Blight." — Indian Engineer. 
A GOOD ADVERTISEMENT I 
A planter sends lis the following catting from a 
home paper : — 
"I think invalids prohibited from tea-drinking ge- 
nerally might venture without risk upon a cup of Te^n 
Wo Chang's Oejlon Pekoa Fannings, a tea which 
differs from the ordinary simples, in»smuch ai it ia 
compos ;d of the eif tings— which blend, devoid of any 
roughness in taste, is mild yet full cf flavour. 
Although so fine, the tea will not come through into 
the cup if a stniner— such as is provided by the im- 
porter, Teen Wo Cbang, of 36 aud 37, Minciag-ian°, 
E. C, ill each eample tin — be used, Fcr e giteen- 
peoce a tin of 1 lb. of tea will be sent free, incladiug 
strainer." 
