Jan. i, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
499 
tsh- white substance of .somewhat mealy appearance, thickly 
studded through with small dark spots, which are vessels 
containing resin. These seeds have a strong bitter, as- 
tringent, but rather aromatic taste, quite different from 
that of true kola, and somewhat reminding of the flavour 
of green coffee. Although the use of these seeds does not 
produce any notable stimulant effects or ward off fatigue, 
they are as much sought after, and fetch nearly as high 
a price on the eastern coast of Africa as the true kola. 
MM. Heckel and Schlagdenhauffen, who have paid con- 
siderable attention to the kolas, give it as their opinion 
that the seeds of the bitter kola owe their properties to 
the resin they contain, which is slightly stimulant. The 
negroes consider them to possess as aphrodisiac action, 
hut the authors to whom we have referred think this 
doubtful. As a masticatory they are said to be a very 
useful remedy for colds. 
The history of the bitter kola is somewhat remarkable, 
for, notwithstanding that the seeds themselves have been 
known to botanists for nearly forty years, having been 
sent home by Baxter and other African collectors, it is 
only within the last ten years or so that full botanical 
specimens have been received sufficient to determine its 
scientific name. For about a quarter of a century it has 
been well known that the bitter kola of the West Coast 
belonged to the order Guttiferce, and not the Sterculiacece, 
of which the true kola is a member. From time to time 
specimens of the plant have been received, either fruits, 
seeds, or branches with leaves but without flowers, so that 
its generic identification could not be determined. Dr. Mas- 
ters, in an article in the Journal of Botany for March, 1875, 
figured the fruit, leaf, and seeds, and described it, in 
the absence of flowers only, as a plant belonging to the 
Garcinioe. Some few years later MM. Heckel Schlagden- 
hauffen went further, and named the plant Gardnia Kola, 
under which name it is now generally known. It is described 
as a tree of variable habit, from 10 to 20 feet high, with 
large oval leaves sometimes 12 inches long and 7 inches 
broad, green on the upper side and greyish beneath. It 
bears a fleshy fruit about the size of an apple. The seeds 
occasionally find their way to the English market, and it 
remains to be seen whether, those recently arrived will 
establish for themselves a reputation sufficient to make them 
a regular article of trade. — Chemist and Drue/gist. 
TEA PACKER. 
It seems certain that the new Davidson MaGuire 
Tea Packer, some interesting particulars of which 
were given in a recent issue, will effect a complete 
revolution in the method of preparing teas for ship- 
ment. Costliness in time and money, and damage 
entailed upon delicate tea leaf, should now be obviated : 
the rough-and-ready method of packing hitherto in 
vogue has long needed some such reform as is now 
offered to planters by the inventors of this machine. 
Mr. MaGuire, one of its patentees, has telegraphic 
information that on the result of the first practical 
demonstration of this packer last week at St. Olave's 
Warehouse, London, upwards of thirty machines have 
been sold. — The Planter. 
Ckylon Tea and Attractive Packages. — 
We direct attention to the lelter of Mr. Thos. 
Dickson, snr. on a subject started in our columns 
by Mr. K. V. Webster (who, by the way, returned 
recently by the Orient steamer). The work of 
packing tea in rcn> ornamental or attractive form for 
the American market— 'that is, for all tea sent 
direct from Ceylon — must be done in Colombo ; 
for as Mr. Dickson says estate superintendents 
have quite enough of duties to attend to. Of 
course, home exporters dealing with America 
will take care to meet the wishes of their 
customers and .Mr. Webster's own Company in 
Ceylop will not be behind',; but we should think 
American wholesale houses will care very little 
for the outside appearance of the packages so 
long as the tea i s safe and sound. 
/1HAFKD SKIN, PILES, SCALDS, BRUISES, 
KJ CITS, STINGS, NE.UUA.LGIC and RHEU- 
MATIC PAINS. SOKE EYES, EAR-ACHE, 
THROAT-COLDS, and SKIN AILMENTS quickly 
ie use e of by CALVERT'S CARBOLIC OINTMENT. 
Large Tots i:i;,d. each (English Crate.) Sold at 
Chemists, stoics, &o. 
F- C- CALVERT & CO-, Manchester, 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
The Acme Tea Company-wc hear from 
home-are very busy, Indian planters having taken 
up the " Acme" boxes in good earnest. 
OUR Tea Exports for 1894— as finally made 
Sil™ Chamber of Commerce-aggregate 
84,591 714 1b. of which 75,348,644 lb. went to the 
SiW 01 !' 7,446,7871b. to Australasia; 
'* ' *° t>« Continent of Europe- 
216,422 1b. direct to America and 1,281,771 lb to 
all other countries. 
Ceylon Tea Chests in the Colombo 
Wharves and Harbour. — We suspect Ceylon 
planters and home buyers will read our report 
of a case just tried by the Master Attendant 
as Port Magistrate, with interested but painful 
feelings. It shows very clearly how tea becomes 
short in certain Ceylon tea chests when de- 
ivered at home. Now that the discovery has 
been so clearly made, we trust the strictest 
watch will be exercised to check any further 
depredations, and that if any are discovered, 
condign punishment may be meted out to the 
offenders. A.t the same time care must be taken 
over the paciung, nailing and handling of boxes 
CEYLON EXPORTS AND DISTRIBUTION 1894. 
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