S44 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  i,  1893. 
Pressed  Tea. — The  Mokhumpore  tea  estate 
management,  at  Dehra  Dun,  have  introduced  a 
decided  novelty  in  their  pressed  tea.  It  is  simply 
tea,  unmixed  and  unadulterated,  compressed  into  a 
third  of  the  space  it  usually  occupies.  Pressure 
makes  a pound  of  tea  take  the  size  and  shape  of  one 
of  those  peat  blocks  still  to  be  found  in  the  more 
remote  West  county  villages.  The  aroma  of  the 
tea  is  preserved,  and  thus  a cheering  cup  becomes 
muoh  more  easily  obtainable  on  occasions  when  the 
bulk  of  the  leaf  would  ordinarily  make  it  impos- 
sible.— Pioneer. 
Utility  of  Country  Coke.— A correspondent 
writes  to  the  Editor  of  the  Englishman  : — “ With 
reference  to  your  interesting  account  of  the  large 
casting  that  was  recently  made  at  Jamalpur,  I would 
point  out  that  this  shows  what  can  be  done  with 
materials  of  Indian  production,  and  in  these  times 
of  low  exchange  the  Government  of  India  might 
save  no  inconsiderable  sum  if  oountry  coke  were 
more  generally  used  in  its  manufacturing  depart- 
ments. Large  quantities  of  imported  coke  ar6  at 
present  used  in  the  Ordnance,  Marine  and  Public 
Works  Department,  the  cost  of  which  is  three  to 
four  times  greater  than  that  of  Indian  coke.  Al- 
lowing for  the  admitted  superiority  of  English  coke, 
there  would  still  be  a saving  of  at  least  one-half 
of  the  amount  paid  if  Indian  ooke  were  used  instead. 
As  Government  is  anxious  to  foster  local  industries, 
it  need  only  be  pointed  out  to  them  where  an 
opening  exists  for  the  exeroise  ot  their  praiseworthy 
efforts.” — Indian  Engineer,  Jan.  7. 
Eucalyptus  Oil. — One  of  the  most  remarkable 
instances  of  sudden  inflation  of  value  in  the  price 
of  a drug  oocurred  early  in  the  year,  when  eucalyp- 
tuB  oil  was  seized  upon  by  a panic-stricken  public 
as  a prophylactic  for  cholera  and  influenza.  The 
rush  upon  the  artiole  took  the  importers  unawares. 
The  oil  had  been  greatly  neglected  for  a long 
period,  and,  as  shipments  had  ceased  to  be  pro- 
fitable) the  imports  had  fallen  off  considerably 
without  anyone  heeding  the  fact.  So,  when  eu- 
calyptus became  the  remedy  of  the  day,  there  was 
very  little  available  supply,  and,  though  con- 
signments were  hurried  forward,  a hiatus  supervened 
sufficient  to  enable  holders  to  advanoe  their  prices 
to  a point  many  times  in  excess  of  the  ante- 
speoific  days.  Unlike  other  cleverly-boomed  articles 
eucalyptus  has  stood  the  test  of  usefulness  as  aD 
influenza  prophylactio  and  disinfectant  fairly  well, 
and  its  employment  has  been  materially  extended 
as  a result  of  the  run  upon  it . — Chemist  and  Drug- 
gist, Dec  31,  1892. 
The  Fijians  A3  Traders— The  Consul  at  Suva, 
Fiji,  reports  to  the  Foreign  Office  that  during  the 
year  1891  Tonga  was  happily  free  from  any  political 
or  religious  disturbances.  In  February  the  Govern- 
ment ceased  accepting  copra  by  way  of  taxes,  up 
to  which  date  it  had  been  received  at  the  rate  of 
141b.  for  Is  (or  8 1 per  ton),  while  the  large  mercantile 
houses  were  giving  101  per  ton  to  white  collectors, 
and  time  bargains  made  then  are  still  in  force  for 
101  10s  per  ton.  As  the  year  advanced  the  price  of 
this  export  (practically  Tonga’s  one)  fell  considerably, 
and  at  its  dose  the  natives  were  only  receiving  Is 
for  20lb.  or  at  the  rate  of  51  12s  per  ton ; and  small 
traders,  upon  whom  devolves  the  trouble  of  pur- 
chasing and  collecting  in  small  quantities  were  only 
able  to  obtain  from  6 1 to  6 1 10s  from  the  exporting 
houses.  Some  few  contracts  were  made  for  copra 
at  81  per  ton  to  be  delivered,  free  on  board,  at  Yavau. 
At  such  low  prices  the  natives  have  not  cared  to 
sell  copra  but  preferred  to  wait  for  a rise  in  the 
market.  Trade  has  in  consequence  been  dull,  and 
taxes  have  not  been  properly  paid.  The  natives  are 
unfortunately  falling  into  arrears  with  their  taxes. 
It  wae  notioed  during  the  year  that  owing  to  the 
Samoan  Government  deciding  not  to  aooept  German 
silver  marks  as  legal  tender,  this  coin  in  large 
quantities  was  again  being  introduced.  Tonga  is 
now  the  only  place  in  the  South  Pacifio  where  this 
inconvertible  coin  is  accepted  as  currency,  even  at 
a discount.  Although,  for  internal  purposes  the 
mark  may  be  as  useful  as  a shilling,  still  when 
it  is  considered  that  Tongan  direot  trade  is  exclu- 
sively with  countries  in  which  the  German  mark 
is  Dot  a legal  tender,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 
Tongan  Government  does  not  wholly  exolude  it 
from  circulation,  as  has  been  done  with  great 
commercial  advantage  in  Samoa.  During  the 
months  of  November  and  December  the  ielands 
suffered  from  a severe  epidemic  of  influenza,  causing 
the  death  of  a great  many  of  the  natives.  The 
epidemio  was  so  severe  as  to  greatly  affect  trade, 
little  business  having  been  done  duriDg  the  months 
specified. — 0.  Mail. 
Coffee  Cultivation  at  Nellakotta  is  said  to  be 
progressing  by  leaps  and  bounde.  The  Nil giri  Hews 
states  that  in  the  last  three  years  the  area  UDder 
coffee  has  been  trebled,  and  that  an  addition  has 
just  been  made  to  the  planting  community  in  the 
shape  of  a new  superintendent ; Mr.  Walker,  of 
Vayitri,  having  found  it  necessary  to  increase  the 
Dumber  of  those  entrusted  with  his  growing  in- 
terests. By  the  way,  that  expression  “ growing 
interests”  is  aptly  chosen. — M.  Times. 
Tea  and  Liberian  Coffee  in  South  Wynaad.— The 
Crop  dribbles  od,  it  will  Dot  ripen  properly,  and  strip- 
ping  has  already  commenced  on  several  estates.  I 
heard  a grewsome  tale  the  other  day  of  canker  having 
broken  out  in  arabica,  but  I think  this  must  be  a mis- 
take. And  I hope  so,  its  quite  bad  enough  to  have  it 
in  our  cinchona.  1 am  acoused  of  “ wailing,”  but 
why  11  Fac’e  is  stubborn  things,”  but  I am  always 
only  too  ready  to  admit  a bright  side  to  our  prospects, 
I am  not,  as  your  veracious  correspondent,  going  to 
tell  you  that  we  are  rapidly  making  our  fortunes  with 
arabica,  because  it  would  just  be  anything  but  the, 
*•  true  word,”  but  I am  quite  prepared  to  nail  my 
colors  to  the  mast,  in  defence  of  Liberian,  atid  tea, 
and  tbe  future  possibilities  of  Wynaad,  if  anybody  will 
ODly  come  and  realize  bow  good  a land  it  is,  and  how 
splendid  a field  of  enterprise  lies  therein  for  those  who 
have  more  money  than  they  know  what  to  do  with  ! 
Unfortunately  most  of  us  are  not  in  that  position, 
but  the  few  who  have  already  been  able  to  open  for 
the  new  products  are  rightly  full  of  pleasant  expec- 
tations, which  I firmly  believe  will  id  a few  years  time 
be  realized. — S.  of  I.  Observer,  Jan.  11. 
Grand  Scenery  in  North  Queensland. — 
The  London  Times  has  a special  commissioner 
at  present  writing  from  Queensland.  From  his 
latest  letter  we  quote  the  following  passage 
The  falls  of  the  Barron  River,  which  flows  out  to 
the  sea  at  Cairns,  are  connted  as  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  pieces  of  North  Australian  scenery.  The 
falls  themselves  are  about  600ft.  high,  and  they  occur 
in  a narrow  pass  in  the  range  of  coast  mountains 
1,300ft.  above  the  sea.  With  them  the  river  drops 
into  an  irregular  y-shaped  gorge,  of  which  the  sides 
are  densely  covered  with  jungle  and  lined  with  bold 
spurs  of  red  rotten  slate.  The  railway  line  to  the 
interior,  of  which  only  30  miles  or  so  have  been 
completed,  traverses  this  gorge,  aDd  is  thrown  on 
piles  from  spur  to  spur  at  a height  of  500ft.  or  600ftr 
above  the  bed  of  the  river,  There  is  scarcely  a spot 
at  which  a handkerchief  might  not  be  dropped  from 
tho  train  into  the  water  beneath,  and  as  the  line 
descends  through  the  windirgs  of  the  gorge  the 
mountains  on  either  side  frame  pictures  of  a lands- 
cape widening  ever  Chinamen’s  gardens  and  acres  of 
bananas  and  pineapples  to  the  coast.  Here  the  cane 
fields  of  Hambledon  Plantation  stretch  in  a sea  of 
green  across  the  feet  of  jungle  covered  hills.  A 
little  further  down  upin  the  Johnstone  River  the 
plantation  of  Goondi  and  Mourilyan  spread  palm, 
rimmed  from  the  banks  of  the  river  to  tbe  edges  of 
thq  still  uncleared  scrub, 
