704 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[May  r,  1893. 
the  deficiency  is  supplied  by  the  surplus  stocks  of 
former  years. 
Annatto.— Quite  neglected.  Good  to  fine  bright  Ceylon  j 
seed  was  bought  in  today  at  2Jd  to  3^d  per  lb. 
Aheca-nuts. — For  20  bags  of  fair  quality  from  Ceylon  1 
25s  was  refused,  and  the  parcel  bought  in  at  30s  per  cwt. 
A u other  lot  was  bought  in  at  the  same  figure. 
Calumba.— Very  little  offering;  only  3 bags  brown 
and  dark  mixed  sorts  sold  today  at  the  full  price  of 
20s  per  cwt. 
Ckoton-sked  advanced  in  price  at  today’s  auctions  by 
nearly  100  per  cent,  36s  being  paid  for  a parcel  of  52 
bags  fair  quality  Ceylon  ; similar  seed  was  previously 
worth  20s  per  cwt. 
Nux  Vomica  —A  parcel  of  76  bags  bold  grey  and  pale 
mixed  silky  seed,  from  Colombo,  was  bought  in  at  lus 
to  10s  6d  per  cwt. 

VARIOUS  AGRICULTURAL  NOTES. 
The  Indian  “ Tea  Exhibit”  for  Chicago  com- 
prises tea  and  photographs  relating  to  th9  tea 
industry,  besides  the  ten  khitmutgars  previously 
mentioned. — M.  Times. 
A Dodo’s  Bones. — Rear  Admiral  W.  R.  Kennedy 
(sayB  the  Madras  Mail)  has  presented  the  Bombay 
Natural  History  Sooiety  with  the  lones  of  a dodo 
which  he  obtained  last  year  when  his  fligship  visited 
the  Island  of  Rodriguez.  The  dodo  was  a huge 
ungainly  bird  belonging  to  tbe  order  of  Columba  in- 
capable of  flight  and  weighing  b 'tween  forty  and  fifty' 
pounds.  It  was  quite  abundant  in  tbe  Islands  of 
Rodriguez,  Bourbon  and  Mauritius  in  the  commence- 
ment of  the  17th  century,  and  a live  speoimen  was 
taken  to  London  in  1638.  Tbe  Dutch  introduced  dogs 
and  hogs  into  the  islands  in  1614  and  these  by  destroy- 
ing the  young  of  the  dodo  probably  contributed 
greatly  towards  its  extermination.  In  1693  i r there- 
abouts these  curious  birds  became  extinot,  but  their 
bones  are  occasionally  found  inciverns  and  sw.imps. 
The  Acme  Tea  Chest— we  learn  is  ooming 
rapidly  into  favour  in  India,  especially  for  the 
fine  Darjeeling  teas— a proof  that  there  is  no  loss 
of  flavour  or  depreciation  in  qualify  through  their 
uso.  Nothing  can  be  neater  or  more  convenient  in 
appearance  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  grocers  are 
so  fond  of  these  boxes  at  home.  Tho  Acme  is 
bound  to  be  the  tea  box  of  the  future,  though  for  a 
time  many  of  the  Ceylon  planters  may  go  on 
with  wooden  boxes  on  aooount  of  cheapness  of 
first  cost.  It  is  a question  however,  whether  taking 
ocean  freight,  safety  of  tbe  tea,  regularity  of  tare 
and  popularity  with  the  retailers  if  not  the  dealers, 
into  account,  the  “ Aomd  ” is  not  even  now  as 
economical  as  the  cheapest  wooden  box  ? The 
fact  that  the  Managing  Director,  Ceylon  Tea 
Plantations  Company,  thinks  well  of  the  Acmd 
boxes  and  ute3  them  freely  is  a strong  recom- 
mendation. 
Gambling  in  Tea  Shares. — We  are  very 
pleased  to  see  our  contemporary  of  the  Ceylon 
“Times”  raise  a note  of  warning  on  asubjeotto 
which  we  specially  referred  on  our  return  to  the 
island  as  well  as  once  or  twice  Bince.  His 
note  is  as  follows:— 
Too  Many  Companies  : A Warning. — A business 
man  writes  to  us  in  the  following  terms: — I hear 
that  no  less  than  four  new  tea  estate  companies  are 
shortly  to  be  launched,  and,  I think,  it  is  a great 
pity  if  true.  Too  much  gamblirg  is  going  on  in 
shares,  and  many  apply  for  shares  in  a company 
simply  in  order  to  sell  out  at  a premium  to  those 
who  were  not  allwed  any.  AgaiD,  many  on  hearing 
of  a new  company  sell  out  tbe  shares  they  already 
possess  below  last  quotations  simply  to  get  into  one 
of  the  new  concerns  going.  Altogether  this  state  of 
affairs  is  not  very  healthy,  and  I hope  tbe  story  about 
the  new  companies  is  not  true.  Mark  my  words,  tbe 
present  condition  of  things,  if  continued,  will  lead  to 
a number  of  “wild  cat”  schemes  being  floated  to 
Ibe  loss  of  many  innocent  investors,  and  the  detre- 
pueut  of  good  concerns. 
Farming  in  Madras. — A writer  in  the  Madras  Mail 
describes  the  successful  farming  of  a colony  of 
Roman  Catholio  Christians  at  Kelacheri  in  Cbingle- 
put  ihrougli  deep  ploughing,  better  manuring  and 
better  catt  e,  and  he  adds:— It  is  confilcnlly  as- 
serted by  many  that  our  ryots  are  thoroughly 
alive  to  their  own  interests  ; that  all  that  is  needed 
for  their  improvement  is  to  show  them  practically 
that  the  adoption  of  a certain  system  will  pay  them 
and  they  will  readily  take  to  if.  What  answer  will 
these  apologists  give  me  when  I show  them 
that  tbe  ryots  of  Perambakam,  a village  within 
two  miles  of  Kelacheri,  have  not  to  the  slightest 
extent  been  influenced  by  the  everyday  practioe 
in  Kelacheri  carried  on  for  the  last  one  hundred 
years  ? Really  there  is  something  rotten  in  the 
Hate  of  Denmark. — Pioneer,  Maroh  16. 
The  Flowering  Stale  of  “Fodrcroya  Selloa." — 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Sooiety  on 
Saturday,  cne  of  the  branches  of  the  flowering  stalk 
of  Fuurcroya  selloa  was  shown  from  the  Society’s 
conservatory.  This  is  a Mexican  plant  allied  to  the 
aloes,  and  like  them  it  flowers  only  once  during  its 
life.  The  plant,  whioh  has  been  in  the  conservatory 
for  upwards  of  twenty  years,  late  last  autumn  threw 
up  a flower  spike,  which  in  a very  short  time  grew 
to  a height  of  30  feet,  and,  passing  through  the  glass 
roof,  rose  for  some  feet  into  the  open  air.  It  oould 
not,  of  course,  resist,  the  frosts  and  fogs  of  winter. 
The  flower-buds  dropped  unopened,  when  immedi- 
ately from  each  node  a number  of  young  plants 
appeared.  This  mode  of  reproducer  n is  found  in 
ODly  a few  varieties  of  plants,  and  is  especially 
valuable  in  relation  to  the  cultivation  of  Fourcroyas 
as  a source  of  commercial  vegetable  fibre — Nature. 
A Eucalyptus  *•  Tbophy”  for  Chioaoo. — Mr.  T. 
Ingham,  of  Rockhampton,  Queensland,  has  prepared 
for  exhibition  at  tbe  World’s  Fair  a trophy  illus- 
trative of  his  eucalyptus-oil  manufacture.  The 
central  piece  is  a huge  wart  or  exoresoenee,  20  feet 
in  circumference,  which  was  found  growing  on  a 
citron-scented  eucalyptus  in  the  neighbourhood.  It 
has  been  highly  polished  and  embellished  with  the 
national  arms.  Round  the  wart  are  arranged  with 
good  effeot  native  quadrupeds  and  birds,  and  in 
front  of  the  trophy  is  a railing  made  of  citron- 
scented  wood,  the  panels  of  which  are  relieved 
with  photographs  of  the  works.  When  eteeiei  at 
the  Chicago  Exhibition  the  trophy  will  be  fitted 
with  a fountain  from  which  the  citron-seentecl  oil 
wi  1 be  sprayed.  Mr.  Ingham  has  secured  100 
feet  in  tbe  very  centre  of  the  British  section.  His 
exhibit  is  the  only  one  going  to  Chioago  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  the  Queensland  Government. 
— Chemist  and  Druggist,  March  18. 
The  Oedinary  Life  of  unprotected  timber  struc- 
tures is  not  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  years, 
timber  exposed  to  moisture  in  the  presenoe  of 
air,  especially  if  in  a warm  place,  or  to  alternate 
wettiDg  and  drying,  will  deoay  rapidly.  Sap  and 
moisture  retained  in  timber,  by  painting  or  closing 
in  the  sticks  before  they  are  eeaeoned  through, 
will  cause  decay  of  a very  insidious  kind,  as  it 
works  in  the  interior,  leaving  an  apparently  sound 
exterior  or  skin,  which  is  the  layer  that  had  an 
opportunity  to  season.  Paint  on  unseasoned  timber 
is,  therefore,  more  hurtful  than  serviceable.  Large 
sticks  of  timber  dry  so  slowly  that,  before  they 
are  seasoned  tbrougbout,  decay  may  begin  ; and 
henoe  pieces  of  small  Ecantling  nre  preferable  to 
large  ones.  Dampness  and  a lack  of  ventilation 
1 combined  will  hasten  deoay.  The  best  seasoned 
timber  will  not  withstand  the  effects  of  exposure 
to  the  weather  for  muoh  over  twenty-five  years. 
— Nilgiri  News, 
