Dec. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
399 
ARIDUS PLANTING NOTES. 
The Madras Paddy Crop. — According to the 
reports received from the Government villages, the 
area of paddy sown up to the end of September last 
amounts to acres 3,524,000, which is nearly 5 per 
cent more than the normal area but 3 - 3 per cent less 
than the area sown in the corresponding voeriod of 
the previous year. The decrease as compared with 
last year occurred in 13 out of the 21 districts of 
the Presidency, omitting Madras. This was due to 
the south-west monsoon having been generally 
late this year. In many districts the rains were 
partial, and insufficient to replenish the tanks. The 
condition of the crop in the delta tracts and under 
river-fed tanks and channels is reported to be gene- , 
rally good. More rain is required for the crop in 
other tracts. — M. Mail. 
The Big Wheels ot the World. — In Cassell's 
Magazine Mr. T. H, Co^gin has a paper on the 
Ferris and other bij wheele, in wbioh he points out 
that th« grea eat attraction in the Midway Plaisance 
a f , the World's Fair, nlthough an engineering feat of 
great ingenu.ty aad interest, was not alter all euoh 
a very new idea. For examplp, the tension prin- 
ciple introduced by Mr. Ft-rria, ani regarded by 
bim as one of the ohief points in the wheel, wub 
well-known bnd practically hpplied forty years 
before the designer of the Ferris wheel was born, 
and for the last forty years it has been promi- 
nently in praotical use in America. Finally, Mr. 
Cogs;in mentions the great overshot water-mill at 
L&xey, in the Isle of Man which is the largest 
and most expensive water-wh.el over built: — It is 
72 feet 6 inches in diameter, and is suppofd to 
develop about 150 horse-power, which is tran?miited 
several bun Ired feet by means of wood trust rods 
having supports. The power thus transmitted 
operates a system of pumps in a lea4 nvne, the 
duty of whioh is raising 250 gallons of water per 
minute to an elevation of 1,200 feet. The water 
is brougit Eome distance to the wheel in an under- 
ground conduit, and is carried up by th-> masonry 
tower by pressure, fLwing over the top into the 
buokets. This great wheel was constructed some 
forty years ago, and is eaid to have been running 
continuously during all this time. But the b'g ten- 
sion wheel now being erected in London will throw 
the Ferris wheel into the shade, for this one will rise 
to a height over 300 feet, and will accommodate 1,600 
people in its forty cars. 
Coffee in Hapotale (Ceylon.) — It is quite 
cheering to hear details of the liberal c See crops, 
blossoms and prospects in the "premier coffee district" 
thij year. Luoky Mr. Lipton on his fine group has 
already scored to a very handsome amount and 
there is a good deal more in prospect from the 
fine autumn blossom. We have several times 
referred to the show on Roehampton, Kabagalla, 
Nayabodde, and Gonomatava (whose first coffee we 
saw planted in 1865) ; and now we learn of the 
other end and of the wonderful fight Sir George Pil- 
kiogton'a Luoagalle has presented, the orop and 
blossom this year being enough to remind 
the veteran Manager (Mr. Bisset) of the good 
old days. The same may ba said of that 
fine old properiy, Macaldenia, whoBe 33 year old 
ocff:e (over 300 acreB) planted by Mr. W. H. 
Wright, baq been doing wonders ; while Mr. 
Maartensz baa been leading the way with good 
prices for his tea, gathered from 250 aores. Nor 
ha\e rains been uuknown on that Bide of the 
diatriot: but the showers though sometimes giving 
an inoh of rainfall, have done no harm to the 
coffee proapeots. With both ceffee and tea oroDS 
in view, the sooner Eisturn Haputale gets ita 
direct road to the Baodarawsla station, oertainly 
the leVer it will bo for Mr. Pearce'd traffic 1 etui na 
ai d therefore for the Government. A more tbort- 
s ghied policy cannot be ircagimd lhan to d-lay 
providing the means by which aL the Uva traffic 
u»n be breught, on the Kailway. To drlay .is 
truly t) iiidangtr our financial ship for the 
sake o' a ba'porih of tax, as Sir Wm. Gregory 
used to put it. 
Customs Duty on Mother-of-Peakl Shells in 
Russia.— According to the Indiarubber and Gutta- 
fferdka and Electrical Trade Journal, of Oct. 8th, the 
following change has been effected lately in the duty 
on mother-of-pearl shells, by the Russian Customs 
authorities " Mother-of.Pearl Shells, new, shaped 
into circular and oblong pieces, or generally, strips 
of other form ; but unworked, to be cleared under 
sections 68; duty, 3 roubles, per gold, poud." A gold 
I'ouble is equal to 3s 2d, while a poud is 36 lbs. 
avoirdupois. 
The Rainfall in Madras.— Yesterday the Board of 
Revenue telegraphed to the Government of India fo- 
the week ending the 3rd instant as follows ;— " Rain 
fall is good generally, but light for the season in the 
Carnatic. Agricultural operations are progressing 
fairly, but more rain is wanted for wet cultivation in 
parts. Standing crops are generally good. Harvests 
continue with moderate outturn. Pasture and fodder 
are available. Condition of cattle is good. Prices 
ace practically stationary though slightly easier in the 
Deccan districts." — M. Mail. 
" The Cocoa Producing Belt (says the 
American Qroccr) lies within the tropica, almost wholly 
in 'he Western Hemisphere. The crops of produoing 
countries are eB'imat d at 877,000 bunuredweight 
and the consumption of countries importing the 
faraoos bean at 875,000 hundredweight. At present 
it is extensively cultivated in Peru, Ecuador, Ve ie- 
zuels, Trinidad, Central Americ*, the Wen. Indies, 
Mexico, Brazil, and in a sm-dl way in Oeylon. Its 
u*e is con-tantly increasing, particularly in Med terra- 
nean countries and the United states. Ai d this on the 
intnnsic'merits of tbe be n," — The above figures are 
taken from the estimates in our " Handbook aud 
Directory." 
The Prospects of Tea Cultivation in Chota 
Nagpore appear to become more discouraging year 
by year. The outturn in 1893-1895 was considerably 
above the average, but the prices realised were so 
small as to threaten the industy with extinction in 
the near future. In Lohardugga, for instance, the 
average yield per acre was 1561b, as against 112ft, the 
total outuru about 350,000fb as against 270,000tt>, but 
the produce scarcely realized t'our-and-half annas 
per pound. Both soil and climate are against the tea 
planter in Chota Nagpore and he can never hope to com- 
pete with his rivals in the more favoured districts of 
India and Ceylon. The propects of indigo cultivation 
in this division are scarcely more satisfactory. One 
of the four indigo factories at Patkurn ceased work 
last year, aud owing to the heavy rainfall the out- 
turn both at Patkurn and Barrabhum was very small 
— Indian Ar/riculturist. 
The "Indian Forester » No 10, for October has 
the following contents :— Original Articles and Trans- 
lations—Note ou the use of Simul Mood for Tea 
Boxes in Assam, by A. Smithies, with Note' by Hon 
Editor, and Extract from a letter from Mr'Fordvce' 
Andamans Forest Department; The Influence" of 
Places on the Spirits, by Rahdari ; Forestry and Svlvi 
culture, a lecture by D. E. Hutchins delivered in 
Capetown. Correspondence— Water Areas in Reserved 
Forests, letter from ' B.H.B.P' ; A Cure for SnTkv 
bite, letter from ' O.C ; White-ants and Mr QmZ> 
Manual, letter from, ' R.C.W,' j The Strongest Tim 
1» r l.-ttt-r irom S. II. Koordrr*. Official lWr< and 
and Intelhgenge. Extracts, Notes and (Jneries— 
lhe New System of Coupes in the CP • Seeding 
of Forest Trees ; Bamboo Seeding in Bengal • For- 
esters as Cvchsts in France; The Restoration of 
