April i, 1895.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
663 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
THE Orange Crop of Florida — says the 
American Grocer— -wi\l not be over 2,500,000 
boxes, even with favourable weather. It is said 
that 75 per cent of the lemon trees in that 
State were killed by the late freeze. It is as- 
serted that lemon trees are much easier killed 
than are those of the orange. 
London Stocks of Tea — are thus referred to 
by Messrs. I. A. Kucker & Bencraft on Feb. 
•21st :— 
Noteworthy as showing the inherent strength of 
the Indian Tea market, are the figures spread over 
twelve months. We imported 115 millions, and sold 
117 millions. At China Congou stocks are three 
millions in excess. 22 millions of Congou, represents 
about nine months requirements. We hold ■!§ months 
stock of Indian, and only about 2£ months stock 
of Ceylon. 
Mr. A. Sinclair's New Book. — We have 
received a first copy of this volume and it is in 
every way, a very attractive as well as most in- 
teresting one, reading so far as we have gone more 
like a romance. We reserve our notice ; but we are 
glad to hear of favourable reviews in the home 
press. We have already quoted a long notice from 
the Free Press. The Horticultural Times quotes 
largely from this book, and says, — " Cannot fail to 
interest the Horticultural World." — Edward Gar- 
rett writes: — " I have greatly enjoyed your book. 
Your sentiments are in accord with my own 
(which few travellers' are!) and I trust your work 
will have due weight on many forms of public 
sentiment." 
Green Manure for Tea. — We direct attention 
to an important letter from an ex-Ceylon plan- 
ter in Southern India on this subject. We be- 
lieve that one or two planters in Ceylon have 
been experimenting in the same direction, but 
with what result we cannot say. Meantime we 
await further communications from "ex-( Ceylon 
Planter." We may be fold that the Manuring of 
Tea tending to " overproduction" is not to be en- 
couraged ; 1 nit. <*o our mind, the sooner Ceylon 
shows what it can really do in increasing its ex- 
port of tea, the sooner will a check be put on 
planting extensions in Northern' and Southern 
India and in such other places as Mauritius, &c 
Tea in India and Ceylon.— Mr. P. R. 
Buchanan reports very great extensions in tea 
planting in Sylhet ami the Dooars — some thousands 
of acres by different firms. Nothing can be 
said yet as to an estimate of the coming crop ; 
but the tea in all the districts he visited was 
looking exceedingly well. Sir John Muir had 
interviews with Mr. Johnston, C.BV, the Central 
African Commissioner, and it is possible, some- 
thing may come of it in planting investments. 
Meantime, the Company is having its hands 
pretty full in North Travancore — where coffee 
docs well — as well as in Ceylon. 
COFFKE and Cacao as well as Tea in the 
Dqoars, Northern India.— We are pleadingly 
surprised to learn from Mr. A. W. Guise of 
Sam Sing Tea estate, of the success of a field 
of two acres of Liberian Coffee which he is 
trying in the Dooars, and also that the Cacao 
seeds sent to the same district by Mr. P. R. 
Buchanan are so far prospering in flourishing young 
plants. The coffee has borne a good crop and is 
not troubled with disease — so that there is an 
intention to extend the cultivation. Mr. Guise 
is much pleased w ith what he has seen of the tea 
districts of Ceylon and recognises our advantages 
in cheap cultivation though our labour is quite as 
dear as in the Dooars. lie corroborates the news 
ni great tea extensions recently in the Dooars. 
Grkvillea (Silky Oak) Timber is highly spoken 
of in New South Wales for ball-room flooring : — 
The timbers of New South Wales are more valuable 
than is generally supposed, and it has been ascer- 
tained that the ornamental and soft woods compare 
favourably with those of any other part of the world, 
not alone in durability, but also in adaptability to 
all uses to which these timbers can be put, parti- 
cularly the finer branches of carpentry and cabinet- 
making. It would be difficult to imagine a more per- 
fect ballroom floor than could be constructed of silky 
oak, with a border of black bean, beefwood, and canary- 
wood ; and for a hall or dining-room, the Blackwood, 
mountain ash, red and black bean, and forest oak 
form a combination that cannot easily be surpassed. 
Some parquetry made from colonial woods were lately 
shown in Sydney and pronounced to be equal to the 
finest in Europe. 
Tea Making and Tea Selling in Ceylon.— 
Just after writing about the good, visitors coming 
here would do to our tea enterprise among other 
things, it is rather hard to have a lady criticising 
after the following fashion the infusion of tea 
offered at hotels, &c. , in Colombo and also the 
quality of the tea sold : — 
" What a pity the tea is not better in a place like 
this. I am sorry to hear from two Australian ladies 
that they had not tasted a good cup of tea since 
they left Australia ! Another lady from India, told 
me she thought the tea almost undrinkable here 
and yet another local lady said she finds it difficult 
to get good tea in Ceylon, — did not know where to 
get it, so sent to England for her tea." 
j The producers will have to employ an Instructor- 
Inspector to visit all the public places of resort 
in the island and also to test the quality of the 
tea sold. 
A Land Tax for Mauritius— has, it seems, 
been decided on by the Colonial Office. The 
j Chamber of Agriculture have been informed by 
H. E. the Governor that a Land tax has been de- 
cided upon in principle, and sooner or later, it must 
be imposed. A prominent member of the Char. Jjer, 
Mr. F. Nash, spoke as follow son the matter : — 
I may state generally, and speaking for myself 
only, that there appears to be no fundamental ob- 
jection to a land tax, that is, a tax on revenue 
derived from land. Such a tax must be adjusted most 
carefully — -it should vary with the production and 
value of the crop, it should be absolutely equitable 
in its incidence, and above all, it should not exceed 
in amount a figure which can be paid by the land 
without impairing the probability of its being culti- 
vated to a profit. In other words, the burthen thrown 
upon land must not be so heavy as to discourage the 
employment of capital in the production of our princi- 
pal means of subsistence. 
Planters' and Coolies.— Like cur con- 
temporary we have had a request preferred 
to us to find a text in the Report of 
the Badulla Planters' Association and to 
preach a sermon therefrom, on the iniquity of one 
planter taking on the coolies of another employer 
— coolies who have left through a legal technicality, 
while their kangany owes heavy advances on 
their account. The case is a very hard one, 
because, we are told, the legal technicality has 
i arisen though the fault of the kangany. The 
law would seem to require amendment in so far 
as to enable advances to be divided, distributed 
and debited to the individual coolies and not 
simply to the kangany of the gang. In this 
case, we trust the coolies will be induced by 
their kangany to return to work, oi if not, find 
it very difficult to get independent employment. 
But at a time when labour is scarce, there is 
i certain to be difficulties with coolies, until at 
; last we get to the pitch of advertisements for 
! Superintendents (as in the " sixtie*") who enii 
I bring .">0 or 100 coolies ! 
