May  i,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
669 
Partial  analysis  of  Coconut  Waste. 
Natural  Dry 
condition,  substance. 
Cellulose  or  indigestible  fibre 
577 
31-71 
Carbo-hydrates  and  other  con- 
stituents 
11-41 
62-69 
Ash 
1-02 
5-60 
Water 
81-80 
— 
100-00 
100-00 
Oil  in  Coconut 
Shells. 
Freshly-powdered  coconut  shell  yielded  only 
■43  per  cent  of  a greenish  fatty  solid,  when 
extracted  with  ether ; but  powdered  shells  which 
had  been  allowed  to  ferment  yielded  8 ’7  per  cent 
of  a brown  oil  of  specific  gravity  '912. 
Arrack. 
From  the  fermented  juice  of  the  coconut  palm 
a vei-y  pure  spirit  may  be  and  is  distilled  called 
arrack.  In  various  parts  of  the  East  Indies  a 
less  pure  spirit,  also  known  as  arrack,  is  distilled 
from  rice  or  sugar  fermented  with  the  juice  of 
the  coconut.  Some  of  the  liquors  are  said  to  be 
rendered  more  intoxicating  by  the  addition  of 
poppy  heads,  hemp  leaves,  juice  of  stramonium 
&c.  (“Dictionary  of  Applied  Chemistry.”) 
Four  samples  of  commercial  arrack  submitted  to 
the  author  shewed  a strength  of  22’5,  23'75,  23 '75 
and  25  per  cent  under  proof  respectively.  In  one 
the  amount  of  extractive  matter  was  determined 
and  found  to  be  only  -022  per  cent. 
Desiccated  and  prepared  Coconut. 
A proportion  of  the  coconuts  exported  from  Cey- 
lon to  Europe  is  for  the  use  of  biscuit  manufacturers 
and  confectioners.  This  export,  however,  is  rapid- 
ly being  superseded  by  that  of  the  dried  and 
prepared  kernel  of  the  coconut.  The  chemical 
composition  of  desiccated  coconut  does  not  appre- 
ciably differ  from  that  of  highly-desiccated  copra, 
of  which  analyses  have  already  been  given,  but 
the  drying  being  conducted  rapidly  the  flavour 
of  the  fresh  nut  is  preserved.  Other  forms  of 
desiccated  and  prepared  coconut  are  also  exported, 
differing  in  composition  from  that  of  dry  copra. 
« — 
NEWS  FROM  THE  CENTRAL  PROVINCE  : 
PLANTING  AND  OTHERWISE. 
Notes  by  “ Wanderer.’’ 
March  24th,  1893, 
Tea  Prices  are  really  too  worrying.  Everyone 
thought  that  we  were  bound  to  have  good  prices 
till  May  ; and  the  average  has  now  tumbled 
down  to  9d,  very  nearly  the  same  figure  as  last 
year  at  same  date.  However  as  ljd  is  the  outside 
figure  for  London  charges,  and  the  ld=7  cents,  7fd 
net  means  54  oents,  and  that  is  better  than  the 
Colombo  selling  average  from  which  you  have  to 
take  off  merchants’  or  brokers’  commission. 
Exchange  begins  now  to  frighten  the  greatest 
gainer  at  present,  viz.  the  producer.  He  begins 
to  think  the  high  prioe  he  is  giving  for  rioe, 
bazaar  stuffs,  oatt'e  feeding  stuffs  has  to  be  set 
off  against  what  he  gets  for  his  produce.  £1  equal 
to  R16-80  is  rather  a jar  aleo  to  the  “Home  for  he 
Holiday  ” man. 
Exports  of  Tea. — Chamber  of  Commerce  returns 
show  an  export  to  date  of  15,631,666  against 
13,513,619  at  same  date  last  year.  At  this  rate 
W«  Will  export  8,000,000  lb,  more  id  1893  than 
1892.  There  is  however  comfort  in  tho  fact  that 
tea  to  Australia  has  already  doubled  its  export  by 
600.000  1b.,  China  18  0001b.  I presume  ibis  latter 
means  tea  Eent  to  Hongkong  for  transhipment  to 
Vancouver  ; and  Spain  is  ccmiDg  to  the  front  with 
j an  extra  export  of  10,000  lb. , Germany  has  taken 
20.000  lb.  more.  Is  this  through  the  action  of  the 
Ceylon  Planters’  Tea  Company,  in  establishing 
a large  agency  there  ? Italy  and  Holland  have 
commenced  the  current  year  well  by  taking  3,400 
and  3,1001b.  respectively  to  20th  March. 
Sugar  and  Milk  Tea  Plants. — The  ac- 
companying extraot  from  the  Indian  Agricul- 
turist may  induce  some  of  our  enterprising 
planters  to  go  in  for  the  sugar  and  tea,  or  the 
milk  and  tea  plant.  What  will  the  English  Grocer 
say  to  Ceylon  Planters  sending  him  home  a tea 
that  will  do  him  out  of  his  profit  on  sugar— or, 
vice  versa.  The  milk  and  tea  plant  will  reduce 
the  risk  of  typhoid  fever  germs  finding  their  way 
through  the  favourite  channel  of  doctored  milk  : — 
In  the  mountainous  region  of  Kiating,  Mr.  Barber 
discovered  two  remarkable  varieties  of  natural  sugared 
and  buttered  teas.  The  monks  of  Mount  O-mi,  or 
Mount  O,  use  a plant  which  produces  an  infusion 
naturally  sweet,  and  tasting,  as  brewed,  just  like 
coarse  Congou  with  a large  addition  of  brown  sugar. 
This  is  natural  tea-and-sugar.  The  plant  is  grown  on 
the  mountain  slopes  near  the  monastery,  and  dees 
seem  to  be  known  elsewhere.  The  leaf  is  to  all 
appearance  just  like  that  of  an  ordinary  tea  leaf, 
ana  probably  the  saccharine  essence  may  be  due  to 
the  soil.  The  other  curiosity  is  a natural  tea-and- 
milk.  This  is  a wild  plant,  growing  in  an  elevated 
region  without  cultivation,  and  yielding  an  infusion 
which  tastes  just  like  tea  and  milk,  without  sugar,  or 
perhaps  more  like  tea  and  butter.  This  plant  is  found 
in  an;  uninhabited  region  west  of  Kiating  at  an 
elevation  of  6,000  feet  and  upward,  and  in  leafy  shrubs 
about  15  feet  high.  Not  merely  the  leaf,  but  the 
whole  plant  is  used  to  make  the  infusion.  Even  the 
wood  when  chopped  up  and  boiled  along  with  a few 
dry  leaves  yields  a stroDgly-coloured  tea,  with  much 
the  same  flavour  as  the  Thibetans  produce  from  their 
bricks  and  butter.  Botanists  may  be  able  to  explain 
these  phenomenon,  and  perhaps  to  classify  the  plants 
in  some  other  family  than  the  tea  plant. 
Patent  Tea  Rollers. — The  shareholders  of  the 
Colombo  Commercial  Co.  will  not  bless  the  com- 
batants in  the  famous  Tea  Roller  oase  ; for  it 
took  up  a large  sum  that  would  have  givett 
them  a nice  dividend. 
Weather  all  that  is  desirable  for  tea  flushing— 
but  it  is  not  favourable  for  those  who  have  anything 
to  do  with  coffee. 
Road  between  Dimbula  Gap  and  Craigie  Lea  is  in 
very  bad  condition. 
<>. 
CEYLON  AND  TRAVANCORE  TEA. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  Madras  Mail. 
Sir,— In  your  issue  of  the  11th  instant  you  fully 
support  the  demands  of  the  Planters  in  Southern  India 
for  a perfectly  free  and  unfettered  market  in  CeyloD. 
Our  demands  are  now  before  the  Government  of  Cey- 
lon, and  will,  I feel  sure,  meet  with  the  lairest  con- 
sideration. Briefly  stated  our  case  is  as  follows 
Ceylon  has  a free  end  unfettered  market  (whioh  I am 
glad  to  know  is  a growing  one)  in  India.  Indian  teas 
in  Ceylon  are  subject  to  a duty  of  4 annas  per  pound, 
a charge  to  which  we  naturally  object.  Southern  India 
produces,  I think  some  3 million  pounds  of  tea,  the 
greater  portion,  of  which  nted  to  find  a good  sale  in 
Madras  and  Bombay  for  local  consumption,  but  laBt 
year  Ceylon  plumped  down  in  those  markets  abcut 
700.000  lb.  of  her  teas  to  compete  with  oars.  We 
don’t  object  to  fair  competition,  but  we  say  to  Cey. 
loo: — “You  must  not  sweat  us  by  your  competition 
in  India  where  we  admit  your  teas  free  of  duty,  and 
sweat  us  also  in  Ceylon  by  taxing  our  teas  4 annas  per 
pound.’'  Trayancobe  ProfbietoBj 
