June i, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
839 
JUTE CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 
We have just seen a very excellent sample of 
jute fibre in the hands o£ the Director of Publio 
Instruction, whioh has been prepared from plants 
grown at the AgriouUural Sohool raised from seeds 
got from Calcutta. At the Peradeniya Gardens, a 
similar experiment was a failure; but here in 
Colombo the plants grow and mature from seeds 
in six weeks, against three months, the time 
usually required in Bengal. The fibre sample, so 
far as we can judge, is very strong and in every 
way superior ; but we fear the state of the Fibre 
market in Europs does not offer much encourage- 
ment to an extension of the cultivation of jute. 
When in Dundee in 1884, we did all we oould 
to stir up the Jute Mill " Princes " there, to form a 
Limited Company for the cultivation of Fibre- 
yielding plants in Ceylon. It was then a very 
small day with our " tea," nud new products and 
new enterprises were required to revive the Colony. 
Here is one paragraph from a long letter of ours 
whioh appeared in the Dundee Advertiser in July 
1884 :— 
Turning to Fibres, I can only report an experimen- 
tal st»ge with CeyloD, although the resources of the 
island in indiijenous or imroduced fibrons plants — 
palms, bamboos, nettles, a'oes, plantain?, &o., suitable 
for cordage spinning, papers, &o. — is very great. Of 
course I except the tra-le in coconut and other well- 
kaown palsi fibres which has been growing for a good 
many yearB. But latterly experimental ehipments 
have been made uf aloe, Manila, plantain and pine- 
apple libres. Jute, rhea, or China grass, New Zea'and 
flax, and other grow freely in the Botanic Gardens 
and indeed jute an J rhea an found in many parts 
of the island. In the low country of Cejlon there 
are hundreds of thoufands of acres of fine land 
available for fibre cultivation, and a vast population 
of Sinhalese villagers, who as soon as they found a 
demand set in from Kiiropeau traders or planters, 
Vfonld speedily cultivate fibroiis-planta, for whioh they 
could get a return, as they now do for their coir or 
coconut fibre. 
We failed, however, to move the Dundee 
merchants ; or the reason that even ten years 
ago, there was no doubt of the supply of jute 
being ample and cheap enough. What the manu- 
faotures there and in Bradford specially desired 
at our hands, was a new fire — something between 
jute and siik — aod they assured ua thao if ihia 
were forthcoming from Ceylon, a great industry 
would speedily arise. •' There were fortunes in it !" 
The diifioulty was to find the desired fibre of a 
Bilky character that could be continously supplied 
in large quantities at a price not much in exoeas 
of that paid for jute. Failing to get what they 
wanted, the Bradford and Dundee makers of cloth 
began selecting the very finest of the jute to mix 
with silk and vre know how far that trade has 
been carried. 
Meantime, if as we fear, it should be found 
that there ia no special encouragement in the 
European demand for jute, for us to start in 
Oeylon an industry supplementing or rivalling that 
of Bengal, thcro is nevertheless one direction in 
which there is ample room for a local industry. 
We refer to the very considerable import, year by 
year, from Calcutta for local use of "Gunnies, 
Twine nets, brashes, jute." Wo have repeatedly in 
reviewing our Customs accouuts, pointed out that 
some R250,000 to KIOO.OOO a year might bo saved 
to Ceylon if steps were taken to meet this local 
demand on the spot. It is, of course, also a 
question whether with the very cheap labour in 
Bome parts of the Southern Province, a juto- 
growing industry might not profitably compete in 
a emalf way with that of Bengal. At any rate 
there can be no question of (he interest attaching 
106 
to Mr. Drieberg'B experiment and to the resulting 
sample of juce which we have seen in Mr, Cull's 
hands. 
THE REASON WHY CINCHONA BARK 
IS NOT MORE LIVELY. 
We have had specially supplied to us the fol- 
lowing information from the very latest Keport 
of the well-known firm, Messrs. Gehe and Co., 
Dresden : — 
Quantity of Quinine in Bark sold in 
1893. 1892, 
Kilograms, Kilograms. 
London.. .. 100,001 128,702 
Amsterdam .. 138,763 120,509 
Total: kilos .. 238,704 249,211 
Ofl'ered in Amsterdam : 
1893. 1892, 
Eilos. Kilo3. 
Quinine in bark . . 217,992 168 918 
79,229 kilos of quinine were not therefore sold* 
or in other words the offerings surpassed the de" 
mand by 78,229 kilos quinine or by 28 per cent. 
The Stock in Amsterdam on let January last, 
is given as follows : — 
1894. 1893, 1892, 
(Packages of 100 kilos or 225 lb. each.) 
14,184 11,268 5,279 
All this explains why bark is not more lively ; 
but a change is expected before the end of the 
year, through a more active demand ler quinine 
setting in. 
ELECTRICAL MOTORS. 
The question of electrical machines as "motors" 
has scarcely yet become one of much interest 
in Coylou, and probably — unless it be for a 
tramway in Colombo— or here and there a 
" dynamo " worked from some convenient water- 
fall, no great interest will be evinced until some 
discovery is made in the direction so many are 
now looking. We are all fond of imagining 
what wonderful things will be accomplished 
some day, when, instead of having to generate the 
electriaity before we can use it, as at present, 
we shall be able to tap it from its natural soiitcea 
and stores, and apply it directly to the work we 
desire it to perform 1 That will be the first step 
towards a transformation scene such as the world 
has never yet known, and compared to whioh the 
wonders and psogress made by steam were a 
mere step in the dark. Many novelists, and no- 
tably those of America, have tried to forecast 
such a time, but the reality will be very different 
and far transcend their imaginings. All these 
wonders will become familiar facts when once we 
succeed in turning electricity " from a mere 
transformer of energy into a source of energy." 
In these few words are wrapped up the whole 
problem. To a good many slow-mmded people 
"working anything by electricity" already means 
the accomplishment of this as yet undiscovered 
problem. So it is as well to be reminded, from 
time to time, that the energy, or power, derived 
as yet, from any electric motor whatever, is only 
a "go-between" the original source of the power 
and the work done by it; and that this is 
accomplished only at the expense of much leakage, 
through friction, on the way. The Nia- 
gara Turbines will transmit only a little mora 
than one-third the Falls' energy into tho workshops 
connected with them ; and yet a turbine driven 
by a natural tali ol water ia at present tho most 
