436 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  x,  189?. 
«, 
To  the  Editor. 
ADULTERATION  OF  INDIAN  BONE  MEAL. 
Analytical  Laboratory,  79,  Mark  LaDe, 
London,  E.C.,  Nov.  4. 
Fie, — I enclose  you  a newspaper  cutting  con- 
taining an  account  (only  an  abstract)  of  a trial 
in  which  I was  called  to  give  evidence  aa  the 
analyst  who  had  detected  the  adulteration  of  Indian 
bone  meal  with  calc-spar  or  crushed  coral. 
You  will  remember  that  on  the  21st  of  February 
1891  I addressed  a communication  to  the  Planters’ 
Association  directing  tho  attention  of  planters  to 
this  new  and  clever  form  of  adulteration,  with  a 
view  of  cautioning  all  purchasers  of  Madras  meal. 
This  letter  was  afterwards  published  in  the  Ceylon 
papers  and  copied  into  some  of  the  Indian  papers, 
so  that  I hope  an  effectual  obeck  has  been  put 
upon  the  fraud.  The  particular  cargo  referred  to 
in  this  trial  aimed  as  long  since  as  the  spring  of 
1891  and  had  therefore  been  waiting  purchase  a 
considerable  time. 
You  will  notice  that  by  tbe  verdict  the  sellers 
have  to  refund  the  money  paid  and  will  have  the 
adulterated  bone  dust  thrown  again  on  their  hands. 
-Yours  faithfully,  JOHN  HUGHES. 
[The  case  is  a very  important  one  and  the  verdict 
of  the  jury  is  satisfactory;  but  what  is  the  meaning 
of  Madras  bone  meal  going  to  Britain  generally 
from  Ceylon  ?— Ed.  T.A.] 
(Before  Mr.  Justioe  Wright  and  a Special  Jury, 
Sitting  at  Guildhall.) 
M’OaUNIE  V.  CULVERWELL  AND  Co.  • 
This  was  an  action  brought  by  Mr.  Thomas  M’Carnie, 
a broker,  carrying  on  business  at  Billiter  Street,  to 
recover  the  sum  of  £148  odd  paid  for  383  bags  of 
Madras  bone  meal  under  a contract  of  April  8 last, 
and  which  turned  out  to  be  adulterated  with  fifteen 
per  cent,  ef  crushed  ccral,  Mr.  Leese,  q.c  , and  Mr. 
Lyon  appeared  for  the  plaintiff,  and  Mr.  Green,  q c , 
for  the  defendants. 
Mr.  Leeeo,  in  opening  the  case,  stated  that  Madras 
bone  meal  was  ground  bones,  which  came  mainly 
from  Ceylon,  and  was  used  for  purposes  of  manure. 
On  April  8 the  plaintiff,  having  a buyer  for  this  kind 
of  manure,  entered  in  to  a contract  with  the  defend  nts 
for  the  purchase  of  383  bags  of  bona  meal,  cx  the 
“ Clan  Cameron  ” vessel.  Between  tbe  date  of  the  con- 
tract and  tha  delivery  Mr.  Montgomery,  the  plaintiff’s 
buyer,  ascertained  that  cert  in  shipments  brought  by 
the  Olau  line  of  ships  were  not  pure  bmo  meal, 
and  ho  applied  for  samples.  These  were  fur- 
nished, and  when  analysed  they  were  found  to 
contain  fifteen  per  cent,  of  crushed  coral.  Plaiu- 
tiff  paid  for  the  purchase  on  April  23,  prior  lo 
receiving  tho  report  of  the  aualys*-,  and  when  he 
received  that  report  he  communicated  with  the  de- 
fendants, who  replied,  “ We  have  nothing  to  do  with 
your  buyer’s  complaints  ; tho  meal  was  sold  on  its 
merits,  and  a sample  handed  to  yon.”  Under  these 
ciroumstances  proceedings  were  taken. 
Evidence  was  then  given  on  behalf  of  the  plaintiff, 
the  effect  of  which  was  that  the  bone  meal  in  ques- 
tion was  not  a good  merchantable  article,  owing  to 
tbe  adulteration,  and  that  no  sample  was  given  with 
the  contract,  though  a sample  ol  the  same  shipment 
was  furnished  to  the  plaintiff  for  another  buyer  about 
a fortnight  previously.  It  was  further  stated  that 
it  was  not  usual  for  brokers  to  have  the  bone  meal 
analysed. 
Mr.  Grjere,  for  the  defence,  said  that  some 
time  in  March  last  the  defendants  had  a cargo 
of  stuff  by  the  “Clan  Oamerou  ” from  India, 
known  as  Madras  bone  meal.  Of  that  cargo  plain- 
tiff purchased  half  at  £4  per  ton,  having  had  a 
Fample  cf  i*,  tho  defendants  refusing  to  guarantee 
it  to  be  anything  m re  than  according  to  sample, 
The  delivery  was  made  on  March  23rd,  and  on  April 
8th  plaintiff  purchased  the  r<  maieder  of  the  cargo 
at  £3  17s  6d.,  and  therefore  the  plaintiff  was  bouitd 
by  hts  contract. 
Evidence  was  tben  given  which  showed  that  Madras 
bone  meal  wrs  well  known  in  tbe  market  to  be  im- 
pure, and  the  price  was  considerably  less  than  of  any 
other  bone  meal.  Madras  bone  meal  was  tbe  onlv 
toQO  meal  coming  from  India  that  was  adulterated. 
Counsel  having  summed  up  on  both  side*. 
Mr.  Justice  Wright  remarked  that  the  case  was  one 
of  considerable  importance  to  commercial  men.  When 
persons  reduced  tbeir  bargains  to  writing,  as  all 
business  men  should  do,  that  writing  a’one  was  to 
be  looked  at  to  see  what  the  contract  was.  The 
contract  was  to  supply  383  bags  of  “ bone  meal  ” 
and  the  sole  question  for  tbe  jury  was  whether  what 
was  sold  was  in  an  ordinary  mercantile  sense  com- 
mercially bone  meal.  lu  coming  to  their  conclusion 
they  must  look  only  at  tbe  c<  ntract,  and  take  no 
notice  of  the  prior  contract  which  was  sold  by  Bample. 
Tbe  jury,  w.thout  retiring,  returned  a verdict  tor 
the  plaintiff. 
INSECT  ENEMIES  OF  ROSES. 
Colombo,  Nov.  8!b. 
Sir,— I am  nearly  driven  to  despair  in  my  at- 
tempt to  grow  fine  roses  by  some  msect  which 
eats  the  tender  shoots  as  they  appear.  I have 
applied  flour  of  sulphur  constantly  but  every 
shower  of  mn  washes  it  eff  and  the  destruction 
at  once  goes  on.  Can  you  or  any  practioal  horti- 
culturist help  me  ?— Yours  faithfully,  ROSE. 
[Picking  tbe  insects  off  at  night  is  the  best 
remedy.  Oarbolio  soap  spray  is  also  good. — 
Ed.  T.A.] 
LOW  GROWN  TEA. 
Sin,  The  latest  tea  “ crank  ” ( Anglice  expert) 
who  has  been  victimizing  your  good-natured  London 
correspondent  attributes  tbe  now  notorious  fa'lirg- 
off  in  the  quality  of  Ceylon  tea  to  the  greater 
proportion  of  low-grown  than  formerly  when  tbe 
public  taste  was  being  educated.  Is  that  borne 
out  by  faots  or  figures  ? You  will  be  able  to  tell 
us  if  it  is  so.  My  own  impression  is  that  when 
the  average  of  Ceylon  tea  was  about  1/6  there  was 
a larger  proportion  of  low-grown  tea  than  at  any 
time  during  tho  present  year.  X. 
EXCEPTIONAL  AND  AVERAGE  YIELD  OF 
LIBERIAN  COFFEE. 
Kalutara,  Nov.  15th 
Dear  Sir,— With  reference  to  the  estimate  of 
crop  on  an  individual  specimen  of  Liberian  coffee 
in  Madagascar  I can  quite  believe  the  quantity 
picked  would  turn  out  < qual  to  the  estimate,  as 
71  measures  clean  ooffee  was  picked  from  one 
tree  on  this  estate  in  a year,  or  considerably  over 
2 bushels,  and  I pioked  \ bushel  from  a four-year 
old  tree  at  a single  picking  1 These  exceptions 
prove  nothing  however  as  the  adjoining  area  of 
Liberian  coffee  never  gave  10  cwt.  an  aero.  I should 
think  that  6 was  about  the  average  crop  it  gave 
till  removed  in  favour  of  tea.—  Yours  faithfully, 
L.  D. 
LARGE  EX-PORT  OF  CARDAMOMS  1 
Angroowelle,  Teldeniya,  Nov.  19. 
Dear  “ Observer,”— Was  not  that  a mistake  in 
your  export  table  of  65,000  odd  of  cardamoms 
shipped  between  mails?  Tbe  s.s.  ” Assaye”  was 
put  down  as  taking  away  over  59,0001b,  1 This 
