Oct. i, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
269 
there wbb a question coming forward on whioh 
they wished to expresB a 1 opinion they oould 
ea=ily set things right by coming forward as 
members. 
He then aske I Mr. Gepp for how long be wished 
the consideration of tbe business postponed to ? 
Mr. Gepp: — This day fortnight. 
The Chairman announoe'i his invention of putting 
Mr. Gepp's amendment first if some one would 
second it. 
On a vote being tvken tbe Chairman announced 
that Mr. Gepp's auiendment had been lost by five 
votes to four. 
Mr. F. E. Street claimed as one who voted 
with tbe mino ity, that he had t<vo votes — one 
for his own fi'm and one for the firm of Bathgate 
Pim & Co., which he r presented. 
The Chaieman sail that in that oase he would 
give a ousting vote against the amendment, which 
would therefore hi lost by six votes to rive, 
Mr. Campbill said that before they put his motion 
to tbe o.eeting he shouli like to say that by the 
rules upcountry men were not prevented from j oining 
the Association, but the Association electe 1 mem- 
bers by ballot and at any time they could ex- 
clude any number of members who were brought 
forward. This was all he had to say; but he 
would ask the gentlemen present, if they were 
strong to be merciful. 
The Chairman then put Mr. Campbell's amend- 
ment and it was lost by five votes to two— o 1 y the 
mover and seconder (Mr. Has'aro) voting for it. 
Tae Chairman was unJerstood to say that he 
was sorry to see this, beoause he moved the motion 
himself, and ha thought it would have be:n better 
if ihe amendment were adopted. He then put the 
original resolution 
Ten voted for the resolution and throe against it, 
and the Chairman declared it carried. 
The Chairman : — The affairs of the Trade will now 
be conduoted by the Colombo Tea Traders' Assic a- 
tion, and, rs I have said, they have adoptei all the 
other rules of the Trade entirely. 
The meeting c included with a vote of thanks to 
the Chahman, proposed by Mr. Leechman. 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE RUBBER 
VINE. 
It seems to me desitable tj ask you whethn - 
it be not possible to again stimulate the culti- 
vation of tae lubber \ine in Ceylon. Tne de- 
man i for Indian rubber iB befooling almost ex- 
cessive, and there appears to be no limit to be 
assigned to it. The causes that have reoently leaded 
towards thia are mainly two. The chief of tbese 
is undeubtediy the large and increasing use of pneu- 
matic tyres for bicycles. If it were noi for the 
almcst prohibitory price of these they would be 
universally used, lor they renove the chief sanitary 
otjec'.ion to cycling, it has be n told me that 
thtse pneumatic tyres, composed entirely of india- 
rubber, cost about £2 each, and then they require 
very frtqumt renewal. I suppose, however, that 
thoir mat. rial can be again and again worked up, 
but not of course without very serious wastage. 
Tuen in the second place, a vt ry larga propor i n 
of our Hansom cibs uosv are fitted with india- 
rubber t^res. The comfort of these is so appre- 
ciated in London that no one will select a Hansom 
oil the oab-stands without carefully looking for 
one so fitted. Buth these causes must largely 
increase the demand for the raw material. This 
is alreidy at a high price, but even the present 
figure must shortly largely increase. If, therefore, 
it may be post-iblo to overcome the difficulties in 
the cultivation of the vine that app^r to be 
hampering its extension in Ceylon, it is certain 
that all you could produoe is not likely to fail 
of an appreciative market here as well as on the 
Continent, whore the ubo of bicycles and trioycles 
is largely extending. 
A great stimulus would further be given to 
the use of steam vehic'.es on common roads if 
indiarubber coull be more freely adap'ed for ohe 
tyres. This is not lik°ly while tbe supply of it is 
relatively so short. Id France this qu stion of 
steam road vebxles is ieieivirg a large amount of 
attention, and soms fifty such vehicles were 
roceniy ant red for long-distance competition, 
several of them achieving a remarkable success. 
It may be conjeoturel that shau'd their US9 
beoome popularized they might prove a great 
boon to travellers in Ceylon. t-ir Fredoriok 
Bramwell, the distinguished engineer, lately read 
a pap r showing the large amount of success obtained 
between the twenties and forties of the present 
oentu'y with these steam oarriages, and, singularly 
enough, the boilers of all of these were of the 
water tubs type that now appears likely to supersede 
the old arrangements ot such steam generators. 
And muah clependp, as I have said, as to whether 
this past success can be revived anl surpassed 
upon the plentiful supply of india-rubber. Cannot 
your planters make up their minds to once more 
attempt the large cultivation of tbe vine? Reasons 
sufficient have been given ab)ve to stimulate them 
to do tbis, and they ha^e rarely failed when sufficient 
inducement has been off-red to them to peisevere. 
— London Cor. 
DR. WATT ON TEA BLIGHTS. 
Calcutta, Sept. 10. — On the recommendation of 
Dr. George Watt, Messrs. Barry & Co., tea garden 
agents, have made a very large number of experi- 
ments with an extract of adhatoda vasica lot ex- 
terminating mosquito and red spider fiom tea 
bushes. ihese have been so completely successful 
that Dr. Watt has been invited by the Tea 
Association to make a tour through the tea districts. 
He leaves Simla on the loth instant to prosecute 
further enquiries into tea blights.— Madras Mail. 
INDIAN TEA DISTRICTS. 
The Gazette of India no'.es that for the we3k 
ending 2lst August the weather has been season- 
able in Assam, and that harvesting of summer anl 
transplanting of winter paddy continue. From 
(Jaohar tea blight is reported. The condition tf 
oattle is fair and fodder sufficient, except in parts of 
Sylhet Water abundant. — Indian Planters' 1 Gazette. 
PLANTING IN WEST AFRICA. 
(From Reports by Mr. W. Crowther.) 
The Gold Coast Colony is siluited on the Coast of 
th* Gulf of Guiuoa. It ex euds fiorn 2° 40' W. to 1° 
10' E. a distauca of about 390 mile-i, aud runs inland 
about £0 miles. T.e tot.il area i» about 29,40) sq ia.-e 
miles. The couutry consists of ex .insive op^n phiua 
aud high lauds, covari d wi h larg-; timber. B;hiud 
Accra, the ctpitil of tba (Jolany, are the Aquauim 
Hills, whioh a'e coverod with thick f rest anJ rise to 
a height of from 1,600 to 2.UU0 feet. In ihe Eastern 
part of the Co'.ooy is thu Kiver Volta, its largest river, 
which is na\ igaole for a cons derab'e dtatauce, aud is 
the oul'et for much of theprouoce of thia part ot the 
Colony. I he Sweet river, m ar Cape Coast, *nd the 
Aucobra, iu the mining and tuut er-produoing distriot 
of Amu, are tae only othar large rivers of iiupo.tauie 
though there are numerous smaller oues in different 
part* of the Colon) . 
