Aug, i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
101 
about six years ago by a number of people here 
interested in tea, for the purpose of fostering a taste 
for tea among the masses. The intention was not for 
direct profit as can be understood. There can be 
little doubt that much good has been done in retailing 
the article in fractional packeti amocg the very 
poorest classes, and although the shareholders have 
lost over half their capital they can have nothing 
to regret in the knowledge that the taste ha3 so 
Bpread as to make tea an article of occasional or 
daily diet anions castes that were previously ig- 
norant of it. The Managing Agents entertain hope} 
that the current 3 ear's working will show that 
operations can be continued and a profit nevertheless 
made. On 31st. March there was with a paid up 
capital of R100,960, a balauot of UC0.572 at debit of 
profit and loss account. — Pioneer. 
« 
COORG PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
Proceedings of the Annual General Meeting held 
t\ the North Ooorg Club House, Mccara, on Monday 
Mt>y, 31st 1891, at 2 p.m. Preeent :— Messrs. C. 
Appiah, W. M. Ball, H. F. JD.vy, B. A. Feni ell, 
H. Mann, J. T. Mor 0 a >, J. E. Pearse W, H. Spro t, 
G. K. Martin, Presideut, and A. La'nbert, Honorary 
Secretary. The Annual Report was read and approved 
of. We make a few extracts : — 
The great event of last year was the Planters' Con- 
ference assembled in Bangalore dur'ng Augus', but, 
as the doing 1 ? of this assembly and the be- 
nefits derive', or likely to be derived there- 
from have been so well ventilated, I do not 
feel colled upon to dihte upon this subject, but will 
merely add that the C-nfeience, as far as it went, 
was a complete sicces?, aod has, in my opinion, had 
the effect of plaeiug the Planting Industry mere 
thoroughly in touch with Government than it had 
hitherto been. The 'borer ' question, which owing to 
the very heavy losses caused by its ravages lastyear, 
attracted a good deil of attention, haa b'en fa'is- 
I'actnrily disposed of, and 1 trust that tho information 
oonteined in the printed notices, pointing out the 
iiuportanoe of removing and destroying all affected 
trees, which were widly circulated by Government 
tbr iughout the Provit ce, more especially amongst 
tho Native Pai'ers, have had the effect of cai;si< g 
the 'borer fly' t) be more carefully looked after a d 
destroyed. With regard ',0 the live specimens of the 
beetle in a 1 itsvaiious stages of existence required 
by Government fur the purpose of making illustra- 
tions thereof for use ■ in the vernacular sohools in 
Ooorg, the Rev. G. Richter has kindly undertaken 
to supply the same to the It diau Museum at Calcutta 
and 1 have lo doubt but that this work will le 
thoroughly well cat red out under his able and 
fcieutific supervision. Ooifie stealing bos I hope re- 
ceived a somewhat revere blow by the formation of 
a Coffee Stealing Prevention Fund, the object of 
which is to offer suitable rewards for the detection 
of ooffee thieves, and to provide funds lor prosecut- 
ing reoeivers of stolen coffee. The scheme was hardly 
in lull wtrking order during lust cofile season, but 
c'oubtlef-s by nt xt crop time thy Committee of the 
Fund will have everything tboougnly well org a ized 
aud will be prepared to meet all bona fide oases with 
aiitab'o rewards, aed to provide funds fer prosecuting 
"receivers" should the uooessity for doing so arise. 
TRINIDAD BOTANICAL GARDENS. 
From Mr. Hart's Report for 1893 wa quote the 
Economio Section a-j follows : — 
Calathea Allouya has yielded undor good culti- 
vation a fine crop of tubers much larger in size than 
any hitherto seen, and nearly twice the size of the 
tuber as ordinarily seen in the markets. Supplies 
of this were successfully sent to numerous Botanic 
Gardens, and information has been received in 
Boveral instances that the plants are thriving well. 
Mahanta A 11 un oinacea. — From tubers obtained direct 
fioin Bermuda, wo have manufactured a small quantity 
of starch or arrowroot. This is certainly a finer 
samplo than any previously grown and fully proves 
the constant need there is for change of plants and 
seeds from one district to another, as the quality 
of the product and the yield is much better from 
the imported plants. 
Lemons. — Our plants of these raised from seed of 
imported Sicily Lemons grow fruit of large size, and 
of excellent quality, but they are not much sought 
after, as the "Lime" is in most cases preferred. 
Citrons- — We have proved that Citrons can be 
grown of a fair size and of a good quality; but there 
appears to be no demand. 
Pipek NioitUM. — One of our plants this year pro- 
duced good fruit. At the Convict Depot a nice 
crop was harvested which has been reported as of 
excellent quality by the Loudon brokers, a report 
being obtained through the favor of the Director 
Royal Gardens, Kew (see Kew Bulletin for March 
1894;. This culture is reported on fully in our 
Garden Bulletin, No. 21, and Kew Bulletin for 
February 1894. 
TJncaria Gambik. — Plants which we reported last 
year as doing very poorly have taken a turn for 
the better, and one plant especially i3 growing 
freely and hopes are entertained that it may now 
be acclimatized. 
Vanilla. — Our cultivation of the species mentioned 
last year has been continued with a view to testing 
which is most suitable for extended cultivation in 
Trinidad. 
Elsewhere we give the part referring to cacao. 
We notice that the average rainfall fir 32 years 
is 67 5 inches; but 1892 end 1893 had given over 
92 inahes, The temperature in 1893 ranged from 
65° to about 90°. 
♦ 
CACAO IN TRINIDAD. 
The system of drying Cacao artificially by hot 
water, which was introduced at the local Exhibition 
of 1890 by a model made at our Gardens, has gained 
m ich approval during tho threi years whioh have 
since elapsed, and two or three large *ets of appa- 
ra'us are at work and othtrs are now being put up 
on several of our largest estates. 
We have made attempts during the year to find 
out whether any of the trees of the original type of. 
Cacao, which is recorded as being formally cultivated 
were still in existence in Triuidad (i.e.) that type 
grown before the introduction of the Fora^tero varie- 
ties. The evidence from Nicaragua and Ceylon tended 
to shew that this type of Cacao possessed a eced 
with uncoloured embryo and cotyJedcDs. Nearly all 
the Cac.o on the estates of to-day, proves to be 
of that kind which produces a bean coloured in the 
interior ; which appears to be a characteristic of the 
Forast-ro type. Towards the end of the year a pod 
was kindly sent to the gardens, gathered from tho 
high woods in the interior, which produc°d the un- 
colour. d bean, and was of the form which common 
consent accords to " Crio'lo " Cacao, and thtre ap- 
pears thus to be little doubt that we have still the 
original variety with us. Whether it would piy to give 
more attention to its cultivation on account of its 
qualitv, is a matter to be proved by the planter, but 
it i< fairly evident that if grown there would be no 
trouble in producing a fac simile of Ceylon Cacao in 
Trinidad, as it appears to be clear that the colour is 
not due to the influence of climate or cultivation, 
but to a difference in the variety of plant cultivated. — 
Trinidad Botanic Gardens Report. 
Tea Planting in Assail— In spite of low prices 
End keen competition in other parts of Asia, tea 
cultivation in Assam continues to expand at the rate 
of from six to ten thousand acruo per annum. About 
a year ago, the total acreage approacbod a quarter of 
a millicD, and if the average rate of inoiease has 
since been maintained the tea area probably exoeeds 
that amount at the present time, In Bengal, official 
figures show considerable Utioluations in tho aoreago 
uakr tea. In 1890-91 tho total was about 81,000, 
a year later 115,000, and in 1892-93 about 69,000.— 
Indian Engineer. 
