6 5 8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1895. 
vantage of the rather large arrivals and of the 
timidity of some holders, wiio are apprehensive of 
a break as a result of the failure above alluded to. 
The bear movement has influenced sales at a frac- 
tion below five and a quarter cents from dock, but 
up to the present time it has gone no further than 
that, as the assurances given that the oil of the 
failed firm will not be thrown on the market seems 
to have restored the confidence of holders. The 
recent arrivals have been without influence upon the 
market for Ceylon oil, for the reason that the bulk 
of them was of the Cochin grade. Another featuu- 
that the bears have sought to avail themselves of, 
is the reported decline in prices at the pri- 
mary points of shipments, but as these re- 
duced quotations do not apply to shipments 
earlier than June, their probable effect on this 
market is at the most remote. As showing more 
clearly than anything else the position of 
the oil today, the statistics of the probable supply 
for the next two months may well be cited. There 
are at present but three vessels on the way, and 
their combined cargoes contain no more than will 
be required for a three months' supply, if as much. 
'The '• Angeli," which is due on the 15th prox., but 
which, judging by the experience of the "Decima," may 
be detained for several weeks, is expected to bring 
52) tons of Ceylon oil. She is followed by the " Eiiry- 
dice," with not more, and probly less, than . r >(X) tons, 
due the latter half of March, and then comes the 
"Overdale," which is expected at the end of March, 
and will bring '2.">0 tons. The next vessel to arrive 
is the "St. Catherine," which has just sailed. W 1 1 L 
•she will bring does not appear to be known here yet, 
but it is not expected tuat she carries more than 
^an average quantity. — New York Drug Reporter. 
EXPORTS OF INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA. 
We direct special attention to the table given 
b/ Messrs. Gow, "Wilson & Stanton in their 
circular, shewing the " Exports of Indian 
ami Ceylon tea from the United Kingdom" 
during the past five years — 1890 to 1894 inclu- 
sive. It will be observed, that in the ease of 
'Ceylon teas, the total re-exports have been 
steadily progressive from 1,431,531 lb. in 1890 
up to 5,1(56,033 lb. last year. This is not quite 
the case with Indian tea which reached its 
maximum with 3,701,151 lb. in 1892, and since then 
has gone slightly back. This is owing to the 
United States, Canada, Turkey, Holland and 
South America taking less of Indian tea in 
1894, than in 1893 or 1892. On the other hand, 
Germany, South Africa and Russia increased their 
demand for Indian tea from London in 1894. As 
regards Ceylon tea from London, every country 
mentioned, increased its demand last year save 
South America ; while the most notable increase 
of all was for "Germany" and Russia (and 
"probably the bulk of the tea for Germany was 
for Russia"). In the case of North America 
too, the increase was satisfactory. 
Let us put the comparison as follows : — 
Indian Tea Ceylon Tea 
1893 1894 1893 1894 
U.S.A. 848,302 708,921 .. 711,079 811,368 
Canada 684,271 711,284 .. 738,041 957,836 
1,532,573 1,420,205 
Decrease 112,368 lb. 
As regards "Germany" 
comparison : — 
Indian Tea 
1893 1894 
"Germany" 320,083 353,995 
Kussia 28,755 53,669 
1,449,720 1,769,204 
Increase 319,484 lb. 
and Russia, here is the 
Ceylon Tea 
1893 1894 
1,253,238 1,544,763 
176,092 323,044 
348,838 407,664 1,429,330 1,867,807 
Increase 58,826 lb. Increase 438,477 lb, 
Tbese increases are specially satisfactory. 
PICKINGS W I TH A LOCAL APPLICATION. 
The evidence of many notabh singers of both 
sexes has tended to prove that flowers and especially 
those which emit a strong perfume has a detri- 
mental effect upon the voice. Tlie theory of one 
well-known French physician is that there must be 
a vibratory struggle between the vibratory waves and 
odour waves. Another Continental physician who is 
also a musician while admitting the tact that scented 
flowers have a deleterious effect on the voic=. asserts 
that no scientific explanation can be given. Another 
idea is that tins phenomenon is a nervous one, with 
a reflex action on the larynx. A pertinent question 
put by an American contemporary is "Can the real- 
ity of such a reflex influence of a nasal impression 
be maintained*" 
It is not generally known that 
iHotOI.ATE 
was first imported into Europe from Mexico by the 
Spanish. It was long considered a medicine, and it 
was as such that it first made its way into France. 
It was at once accepted by the faculty of medicine, 
with whom it has ever been a favourite. 
A writer (A.M. Sawyer) to the Indian Agriculturist 
writes as follows regarding a 
DISEASE AMONG COCONUT TREES IN TBAVANCOHE : — 
Quite recently, in the central and northern districts 
of Travancore. we have lost several beautiful coconut 
trees from decay of the tendei, uuexpanded leaf shoot. 
At first, the lower end of the shoot grows discoloured, 
and, in a few days, general perfection of this and 
more or less of the cabbage ensues ; the shoot droops 
and, in some cases, falls to the ground ; the tree decays 
soon after, and we are left lookers-on and losers. 
In trying to account for this remarkable disease, we 
are convinced that it cannot be the work of the rhino- 
cerous or Longicoru beetle ; for both tbese depreda- 
tors bore into the shoot, cabbage or stem of the palm 
and, by early detection and careful tending, in the 
majority of cases, death can be stayed, hut in the 
case in hand, the only sign to us of the presence of 
the disease is the drooping on the tree ot the leaf- 
shoot when, obviously, all our efforts to remedy 
the evil are ineffectual because too late. The ex- 
planation most generally accepted by the natives is 
that "falling stars" (meteorites they say) have been 
at work. Another reason advanced has it that 
decay is brought about by an exuberance of sap, and 
that it can be remedied by bleeding the tree. This 
would at least appear to be plausible, from the fact 
that in our very moist climate evaporation is too 
slow to keep pace with the incessant ascent of water 
in the stem, and that it is only the most vigorous 
trees that are, as a rule, affected ; but the remedy 
is desperate. By a third cause give , the malady is 
attributed to the attacks of fungi. 
With all tbese explanations, however, the fact 
remains that we are losing many of our valuable trees 
without making any attempt, so far as I know, to, 
if possible, prevent it. The hot weather has been 
unusually severe with us this year, and the monsoon 
rains unprecedently scanty ; but I am not at all 
certain whether these facts are of themselves suffi- 
cient to explain away the very unsatisfactory state 
of affairs now obtaining in our coconut gardens. 
Another writer (E. Stebbing) attempts to explain 
the cause of the alleged desease, thus : 
Your correspondent states that they are convinced 
it is not the work of Oryctes Iiliinocerus, or of Bato- 
cera ralus (a Longicoru). I think, however, that 
these are probably not the only insects to be taken 
into account. There are some seven insects known 
to prey on the Coconut, the particular insects present 
depending on the geographical position of the tree ; 
of these, two, Rhynchox>hurus ferruciineus and B. liabus 
are known for their tunnelling propensities. They 
are both Coleoptera. Oryctes Iiliinocerus and Gan- 
gara thyrsis (a lepidoptera) are injurious to the leaves. 
I conclude the damage was not due to the extra 
abundance of the larvas of the latter, as its presence 
would have been noticed. From what your corres- 
pondent states, the above insects, therefore, may be 
