Aug. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 121 
Lighting by meanB of arc lamps is much more 
eoonomioal, as will bo readily seen by the fol- 
lowing data although, of oourse, it in not always 
practicable. 
An aro lamp of 1,000 CP, absorbs about 500 
watts, or about § H.P. Therefore in practioe we 
may reckon that one B.H.P. will give 160 CP. 
in incandescent lamp, or 1,000 C.P. in aa arc 
lamp. The initial oost of an installation varies 
as to its loa.Uion and requirements, but an in- 
stallation of say 50 incandesoent lamps, or 5 aro 
lnui^-j cjuld be erected at a cost varying from 
£150 to £200, this amount not providing for 
motive powers. 
VVnh regard to the saving in incandescent lamp3 
as they cau now be supplied of guaranteed effi- 
oienoy at R150, and it is soaroely worth while 
to run them at a lower potential than their nominal 
E.M F, a3 1,000 hours may be taken as an average 
life. A 1,000 C.P. Aro Lamp oonsumes about 2 
inohes of carbon per hour, this size of oarbon 
costing about £5 per 1,000 feet. The depreciation 
on plant may be reckoned at 5 per oent on the 
initial oost of the installation as being ample. 
With regard to the comparative oost of produoing 
Electric light and Gas, as far aa Gas is oonoerned, 
I think I must refer your correspondent to the Gaa 
Company in Colombo, if they care to supply the 
information as to the aotual oost of manufacturing 
gas wbioh is sold at so much per 1,000 cubio feet. 
For the purposes of comparison an ordinary gas 
burner, whioh is supposed to give 10 CP., burns 
6 oubio feet of gas per hour. An equivalent 
aleotria light nominally is a 60 watt lamp, but 
virtually a 35 watt lamp would illuminate the 
same area more efficiently. 
One thing whioh is very important your corre- 
spondent must remember is, the perfect immunity 
from fire in usirig eleotrio light (especially valuable 
in withering lofts) as against kerosine lamps. 
I think I have given all the information neoessary 
for your correspondent's calculations; but if he or 
any of your readers interested in the subjeot 
desire farther particulars if they will communi- 
oate with me, I shall be pleased to give any 
information in my power. 
There is one other matter, however, I must refer 
to, that is the transmission of water-power 
eleotrioally, and this is a matter whioh every one 
who has available water-power should oarefully 
oonsider. Apologising for taking up bo much of your 
spaoe. — I am yours faithfully, 
J. TORR TODMAN, 
TROPICAL QUEENSLAND : WHO CAN TELL 
ABOUT IT ? 
Dear Sir, — I would feel greatly obliged if any 
of your travelled correspondents would furnish me 
through your columns with information in regard to 
Tropioal Queensland, in the nature of that sought 
in the following questions : — 
An intending settler accustomed to coffee and 
occonut cultivation, and who has lived many 
years in Ceylon, desires to move to Tropical 
Queensland. He has about £000 stg. as capital 
and an income of £200 per annum from home. 
He has a wife and family of boys and desires to 
get general information before moving, ospeoially 
as to the Landlaws, &o. Are lands allotted on 
timo payments as in other part of Australia ? 
Is any additional allowanaa in aoreage made for 
wife, sons and daughters ? Is there malarial fever 
on the lands between tho Burdekin and Fitzroy 
rivers ? Aro the blacks still troublosomo ? What 
b the range of the thermometer during the year ? 
How many inohes of rainfall ? Is there 
any pastorol land, i. e., suitable for horsea 
and oattle. Presumably the olimate would be too 
hot for sheep. Any general information would be 
gratefully reosived, alto names of any books (and 
their publishers) bearing on this subject. 
Bagging the favor of an early insertion.— I remain, 
yours truly, ALIQUIS. 
[We could tell about some parts oi Queensland 
as we saw them in 1869 ; but cui bono ? Ten 
years in an Australian Colony make3 as great a 
ohange as 50 or 100 in Europe. For much the 
same reason, books get very quickly out of date. 
Our advice to " Atiquis " is to write by first mail 
to "The Secretary to Government, Brisbane"; 
also to the same officer in Sydney ; for some parts 
of New South Wales are among the most attrac- 
tive in Australasia — vide " Old Colonisf's letterB 
to us last year about the country beyond Bathurst. 
In any case a would-ba oolonist with a family> 
£600 cash and £200 a year, will be most readily 
furnished with offioial Handbooks and all necessary 
information by the officials mentioned above,— 
Ed. T.A.] 
NATAL TEA REPORT. 
Season's Yield : 690,000 lb. 
Mr. G. W. Drumruond of Kearsney, sends us the 
following report: — Herewith my list tea report for 
the current season. Pruning has already commenced 
in this distriot, and I have do doubt it will beoome 
general before the oloso of this month. Since the 4th 
of January, we have had good weathc r on the whole 
for tea manufacture. Previous to that date it was 
altogether too wet, and cold, and sunless. Wo cor aider 
that this season has been a great improvement on last 
season. An advance bas been made in the right 
direction. The total outturn from this distriot will be 
5SO,000 lb. The outturn from the Koarsney Factory 
only being, in round figures, 450,000 lb. We think, 
therefore, that we shall be well within the mark when 
we pnt the entire outturn of the Colony at 690,000 lb 
Our original estimate was 650,000 lb. (or 700,000 lb. if 
weather favourable.) 
In my February report I stated that probably two 
new faotories would start work on their own account 
next September, That statement I nw corroborate. 
Mr. Adrien Oolenbrander of Hummelo, will make 
his own tea, and also Mr. T. B. Peachey of 
SprowstOD, our near neighbour. The latier estate 
has made great progress during the three years, 
the total outturn of Sprowston having gone up 
from 900 lb. in 1891-1892 to 40,000 lb. this 
season. It has an estimate of 70.000 lb. for next 
seaeon, and therefore Sprowston now ranks third 
in its out turn among all the tea estates of Natal. 
The improved quality of tea made, h«s been a 
partionlar feature of the past feason, We ourselves, 
have picked for quality throughout the whole nine 
months, thereby relinquishing an extra out-turn of 
fully 30,0001b. of dry tea. 
We sincerely hope, that in view of the yearly in- 
creasing competition with teas from India and Cey- 
lon ; in view of the faot that the merchautg of 
London, Calcutta, and Colombo, in their eager search 
for " pastures new," are ready to sell at a large 
sacrifice to obtain a footing ; and, in view of the 
over-production of India an 1 Ceylon enahling them 
to do this, that all Natal tea plantim will be most 
careful not to commit the ehort-aighted and almo<t 
irretrievable blunder of saoriticiug quality for 
quantity. — Xatal Mercury. 
O 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
Coffee Blossom.— We learn that a nioo 
sossom is out on the ooffee near the Haputalo 
station and along the road to Randarawela, the 
Roohampton fields espooially making a good show. 
