THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  i,  1892. 
250 
together  to  fit  the  tea  ohest  ; the  tea  is  packed 
in,  and  the  top  sheet  is  fashioned  in  place.  The 
workmen  are  said  to  be  very  expert  and  to  turn 
out  an  immense  r umber  of  eheets  in  a day. 
Have  your  planters  attempted  to  manufacture 
this  tea  lead  for  themselves,  or  do  they  import 
it  from  China  ? It  seems  to  me  that  if  they 
obtained  the  pig  metal  direct,  end  made  the 
sheets  in  the  simple  way  above  described  on 
the  estates,  the  cost  of  this  very  superior  artiole 
would  be  so  reduced  that  it  m:ght  well  be 
worth  their  while  to  use  it  icstead  of  the 
various  forms  of  packing  paper  now  in  com- 
paratively large  use. 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
A New  Tea. — The  Kew  Bulletin  makes  reference  to 
“ Faham  Tea,”  a product  obtained  from  the  flat  dried 
leaves  of  a small  species  of  orchid  [Angrcecum  fragrans) 
with  white  flowers,  which  grows  as  a parasite  hang- 
ing from  trees  in  the  forests  of  Mauritius  and  Reunion. 
Although  the  plant  in  question  has  been  long  known  to 
botanists,  and  the  beverage  used  locally,  its  introduc- 
tion to  Paris  as  an  article  of  commerce  is  quite 
recent.  Samples  of  this  “ orchid  tea,”  and  of  cigars 
made  of  the  leaves,  which  emit  a vanilla-like  aroma, 
according  to  the  Bulletin,  are  now  deposited  in  the 
Kew  Museum,  and  the  plant  can  be  seen  growing  in 
the  Kew  orchid  house.  This  perfumed  tea  leaves  a 
fragrance  in  the  mouth,  and  is  as  good  cold  as  hot. 
It  can  be  used  to  flavour  custards  and  ices. 
Tea  Analysis. — In  Paris  chemistry  plays  a more 
important  p irt  in  its  connection  with  commeroe  than 
on  this  s'de.  For  instance.  Mous.  Biirker.  the  vice- 
president  of  the  Pa-is  Society  of  Pharmacy,  has  given 
the  members  if  that  b dy  a digest  of  some  recent 
observations  on  the  analysis  anil  o> araoter  of  tea. 
He  thought  it  pretty  well  establbhi d that  the  com- 
mercial value  of  blick  tea  is  in  direct  proportion  to 
the  amount  of  theme  it  conta:ns.  In  the  ease  of 
green  tea  this  is  not  so,  and  it  is  a mistake  to  estimate 
the  value  of  a sample  upon  the  results  cf  a theine 
analysis.  Here  the  question  to  be  studied  is  rather 
the  amount  of  tannin  contained  in  the  sample. — II, 
# C.  Mail,  Aug.  12th. 
- — 
AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENTS  IN  BOMBAY. 
The  annual  report  of  the  Director,  Land  Records 
and  Agriculture  in  the  Bombay  Presidency,  for  the 
year  1890-91,  contains  some  interesting  rather  than 
valuable,  information  regarding  experimental  farms 
and  other  “freaks  of  the  Executive.”  There  are  at 
present  four  Government  farms  in  the  Presidency  ; 
financially,  they  cannot  be  called  model  farms,  seeing 
that  they  wire  all  worked  at  a loss  during  the  year 
In  the  Bhadsaon  farm  an  epidemic  of  rinderpest  de  - 
troyed  R1,000  worth  of  cattle,  and  the  total  loss  on 
live  stock  was  more  than  three  times  this  amount.  A 
herd  of  Mysore  cattle  was  maintained  at  this  farm 
“ at  a cost  disproportionate  to  its  value”;  and  this 
too,  notwithstanding  that  27  bull-oalvis  were  sold  for 
an  average  of  R40  a piece.  A herd  of  goats  was 
largely  iucreaeed  by  additions  from  the  host,  native 
and  Arabian  breads,  and  besides  being  a source  of 
profit  it  is  hoped  to  efftot  a good  deal  in  the  way  of 
“ improving  the  local  strain.”  In  the  PooDa  farm  there 
is  a herd  of  55  head  of  cittle,  and  the  dairy  is  worked 
at  a profit.  It  meets  the  whole  of  the  Commissariat  d.  - 
mands  for  milk  products,  and  has  given  a decided  im- 
petus to  the  adoption  of  scientific  dairy  methods. 
Dairy  farming  is  a pursuit  which  is  daily  acquiring 
increased  importance  with  reference  to  Ooinmissarist 
requirements,  and  we  therefore  make  10  apology 
for  inserting  a few  details  on  the  subject. 
The  experiments  conducted  at  Poona  had  two 
objects,  (1)  to  introduce  improved  European  dairy 
machinery  and  processes,  and  (2)  to  stndy  systema- 
ticaly  the  feeding  and  managment  of  milch  cattle,  and 
the  value  of  various  breeds  for  dairy  purposes.  Tho  use 
of  separators  was  introduced,  a d has  been  considera- 
bly extended,  twelve  having  been  sold  in  Bombay  its*  If, 
and  another  dozen  to  mofnssil  pui  chasers.  O re  of 
these,  we  read,  has  established  a eep  rotor  at  Nadiad 
in  Gujarat,  and  separates  about  700  lb.  of  milk  daily, 
buying  the  milk  st  R2  8 per  hundred  pounds : be 
sends  the  cream  in  locked  cases  to  Bombay,  wl  ere  it 
is  made  into  butter  next  merning.  ardsold  av  twelve 
annas  per  lb.  The  profit  comes  to  R15  a day.  Separa- 
ted milk  finds  a ready  sale  among  the  poorer  classes  of 
Poona  and  Bombay  ; it  can  also  be  ma^einto  curd; 
or  again,  it  is  sufficiently  nutritious  fur  ordinary 
purposes,  and  is  useful  for  fever  patients.  Butter  and 
milk  was  at  Poonasupplied  by  tbe  department  to  the 
military  hospitals  ; and  the  medical  and  Commis- 
sariat officers  recorded  a very  favourable  opinion  as 
to  its  quality.  The  contract  a'eo  prove  1 a financial 
success,  for  the  Commissariat  Departmint  saved  R250  a 
month,  besides  securing  a pure  supply  for  the  soldiers. 
Various  experiments  testing  the  percentige  of  butter 
fat  in  mils  were  worked  out : it  was,  for  instance, 
ascertained  that  the  first  seer  of  milk  dr-iwn  fr  m a 
buffalo  contains  only  four  per  cent  of  butter  fat,  while 
tho  last  seer  drawn  contains  ten  per  cent.  Olieese- 
mabing  was  also  tried,  partly  with  buffalo  milk,  and 
partly  with  half  boffa'o  amt  half  separated  milk. 
The  chief  difficulty  was  experienced  in  ripen’rig  daring 
which  process  an  even  temperature  of  05°  1o  75° 
Fahr.,  with  moist  air,  is  requin  d.  The  best  cheeses 
were  those  made  with  whole  buffalo  milk.  They  were 
of  good  flavour,  good  texture,  and  had  good  keeping 
qualities.  It  is  sa  i-factory  for  us,  in  these 
provinces  to  know  that  Mr.  lveventer,  tho 
Swedish  expert,  who  superintended  the  ixperi- 
ments,  is  now  carrying  them  011  under  more  favourable 
cTcumstances  at  Aligarh,  ani  that  the  apparatus 
used  has  been  taken  over  by  the  1 cal  Govtrcment. 
The  experiments  with  crops  offer  Jess  general  in- 
terest. A giant  variety  of  bsjra  from  Nadiad  was 
grown  at  the  Bhadgaon  farm,  and  attracted  much  at- 
tention owing  to  the  lsrge  size  of  the  eirs  and  t lie 
sweetness  of  the  grain.  Jowari  and  lucerne  were 
grown  as  fodder  crops;  and  lucerne,  weight  for 
weight,  showed  a great  superiority  to  jowari. 
Staok  ensilage  was  tried ; but  i'.s  advantages  in 
facility  of  construction  and  sweetness  of  fodder  were 
more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  heavy  wastage.  A 
large  number  of  manures  were  tried;  but  it  was 
found  that  farm-yard  manure  and  o l-cake,  as  com- 
monly  applied  by  the  Kuubi,  were  more  profitable 
than  chemical  and  other  expensive  fertilisers.  Green 
manuring  was  tried  with  success : but  the  “ patent 
silicate  manure,”  tried  at  the  request  of  the  Bombay 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  applied  to  irrigated  wheat 
at  the  rate  of  5 owt.  an  acre,  and  did  not  appear  to 
benefit  the  crop  either  in  appearance  or  in  yield  — 
Pioneer. 
<3* 
A CORNER  IN  PINES. 
Tha  planting  of  a bit  of  woodland  teaches  a great 
many  virtues,  but  perhaps  its  most  obvious  lesson  is 
that  of  patience,  which  it  sometimes  unexpectedly 
rewards  just  when  one’s  expectations  have  been  finally 
resigned  as  vain  delusions.  Such  a reward  and  delight 
w as  ours  in  the  result  of  a broadcast  sowing  of  Pine- 
seeds  in  the  autumn  of  1SSS,  so,  for  the  comfort  and 
cheer  of  those  who  may  be  downhearted  about  their 
own  apparent  failures,  I wish  to  record  the  story  of 
a final  success. 
When  we  started  ont  to  reclaim  the  worn-out  old 
pasture  on  the  hill  at  Overlea  we  set  out  a great 
many  little  evergreen  trees  of  different  sizes,  a fair 
proportion  of  which  survive  in  a vigorous  condition, 
the  smaller  ones,  planted  when  a foot  high,  being 
altogeth  r the  most  satisfactory  in  percentage  of 
survival  But  Pines  are  queer;  there  is  no  denying 
that".  Sometimes,  when  a tall  weedy  one  was  brought 
home,  there  were  many  jibes  from  the  head  of  the 
family  upon  the  folly  of  expecting  such  a specimen 
to  stand  the  weather  even  for  one  season,  while  the 
merits  of  a stout,  stocky,  burly  bush  were  highly 
extolled  as  a promising  contrast.  But  now  and  then 
