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THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1893. 
Coconuts  in  Worth  Borneo,  we  are  told,  can 
ody  be  had  at  twenty  cents  each  for  household 
purposes  1 In  Colombo  the  people  are  grumbling 
because  they  cost  five  and  six  cents. 
North  Borneo,  so  far  from  being  deserted, 
seems  to  have  a long  roll  of  officers  still  on  its 
active  list.  There  are  31,  we  are  told,  eaoh  drawing 
over  ICO  dollars  a month  salary:  while  the  num- 
ber of  subordinate  officers  drawing  less  than  this 
standard  is  very  large.  It  would  almost  seem  as 
if  the  Settlement  known  to  some  as  “ New  Ceylon,” 
had  copied  some  of  the  faults  of  old  Ceylon  in  getting 
over-officered  in  proportion  to  the  work  to  be  done. 
The  “Burning  Tree"  of  India.— At  a late  meet- 
ing of  the  Royal  Bo’anic  Society  of  London,  among 
the  orohids  and  other  plants  in  flower  shown  was 
a specimen  of  Laportea — the  “burning  tree”  of 
India  : both  leaves  and  stems  of  this  plaDt  are 
covered  with  stinging  hairs  after  the  manner  of  our 
own  nettle,  but  of  a far  more  virulent  nature.  It 
is  stated  that  when  touched  the  sensation  felt  is  as 
of  being  burnt  with  red  hot  iron,  the  pain  extending 
over  other  parts  of  the  body,  and  lasting  for  a 
fortnight.  Little  or  no  mark  is  to  be  seen  on  the 
skin,  but,  for  some  time  after,  should  cold  water 
touch  the  part,  the  pain  returns  with  all  its  original 
intensity.  - Pioneer . 
Staple  Exports  from  Java — Are  recorded  in 
the  following  figures.  It  will  be  found  that  of  coooa 
the  export  last  year  was  about  6,500  cwt. ; of  coffee 
a total  of  about  875,000  cwt.  We  quote  : — 
Cocoa 
exported  in  1892 
..  330,000  kilos. 
Indigo 
„ 1891 
..  720,000  „ 
, , 
„ 1892 
691,000  „ 
Pepper 
„ 1891. 
..  3,000,000  „ 
„ 1892. 
..  6,000,000  „ 
Sugar 
„ 1891. 
463,500,000  „ 
II 
„ 1892. 
..  425,000,000  „ 
The  sugar 
is  exported  as 
follows : — One-third 
England,  one-fourth  to  America,  one-eighth  to  Aus- 
tralia, and  one-sixth  to  China.  Coffee  shows  an  export 
of  28,500,000  kilos,  in  1891  against  23,000,900  kilos, 
in  1892  from  private  undertakings.  The  Government 
crop  amounted  to  350,000  piculs  in  1892  against 
325.000  piculs  in  1891.  The  total  production  of  Java 
cinchona  bark  in  1892  was  3,232,922  kilos,  bark  of 
4 27/100  per  cent  qninine,  and  1,383,148  kilos,  cin- 
chona. The  crop  of  1893  will  be  3,783,839  kilos,  bark 
of  4 48/100  per  cent  quinine  and  1,697,605  kilos  cin- 
chona. Tbe  estimate  of  the  private  coffee  crop  in 
Java  for  1893  is  about  169,408  piculs  against  402,495 
piculs  in  1892. 
Cutch  is  an  important  article  in  tbe  trade  of 
Burmah,  the  exports  averaging  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  lakhs  annually  in  value : but  of  late 
John  Chinaman  has  been  doing  his  best  to  dis- 
credit the  trade  in  the  markets  of  Europe  by 
wholesale  adulteration.  Cutoh  is  mainly  used 
(outside  Burmab,  where  the  native  takes  it  medi- 
cinally or  eats  it  in  pan)  for  tanning  purposes, 
and  the  Chinaman  found  that  it  oould  be  adulte- 
rated, greatly  to  the  profit  of  his  pocket,  by  ex- 
tracts from  the  barks  of  lein  tonkayan  and  panya, 
which  contain  a considerable  amount  of  tannin, 
but  nevertheless  render  the  cutch  exported  spurious 
and  utterly  worthless.  Tbe  adulteration  iB  easily 
reoognised  by  looal  merchants  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed to  the  article,  but  it  has  been  success- 
fully pasBfd  on  to  consumers  in  ether  countries 
by  unscrupulous  vendors.  The  Forest  Department 
and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  Rangoon  are 
both  highly  interested  that  the  purity  and  good 
fame  of  Burmah  cutch  shall  be  beyond  question, 
and  the  Chief  Commissioner  has  now,  on  their 
earnest  recommendation,  proposed  to  levy  a heavy 
tax  on  the  manufacture  of  extraots  used  for  adul- 
teration.— Indian  Agriculturist,  April  22. 
The  Fibre  Trade  in  Jaffna,  we  understand  is 
on  the  decline.  T1  e cause  is  attributed  to  tbe  difficu’ty 
of  procuring  palmyrah  stalks  in  large  quantities. — 
Hindu  Opjan. 
The  Curing  of  Tobacco  is  goiDg  on  in  all  paris  of 
the  oountry.  Tbe  crop  is  believed  to  be  below  the 
average.  On  account  of  the  high  price  demanded  by 
the  cultivators,  an  atttempt  is  being  made  by  the 
traders  to  combine  together  and  to  purchase  tbe  article 
at  fixed  rate.  It  is  very  much  doubted  that  tbe 
traders  would  succeed  in  their  attempt. — Ibid. 
Indian  Cattle — Notwithstanding  that  there  are 
complaints  regarding  the  difficulty  of  maintaining 
cattle  in  many  places  in  tbe  Presidency  owing  to 
scarcity  of  fodder,  neither  milch  cc-ws  nor  draught 
cattle  appear  to  find  their  way  to  Ceylon  in  any 
numbers,  though  there  should  be  a ready  market 
for  them  in  Colombo,  where  there  is  demand  and 
inquiry  for  them  on  every  side. — Madras  Times,  May  8. 
CuRtNG  OE  Fi-h — In  Jaffna  fi-.h  curing  is  carried 
on  extensive'y.  It  is  a pity  that  there  is  no  separate 
locality  ore  closure  for  drying  salted  fish.  The  people 
of  Karayoor  utilize  tbe  space  between  the  sea  and 
the  bearh  ro“d  for  this  purpose.  A very  bad  smell 
emant' s from  the  fish  clu  ing  the  process  of  dr;  ing 
up  And  as  this  is  injurious  to  public  health  the 
authorities  should  take  notice  of  the  matter  aed  set 
apart  a proper  locality  for  the  curing  of  fish. — Cor., 
Jaffna  “Catholic  Guardian.” 
Native  Tea  Companies  are  paying  well  in  Cachar. 
What  a commentary  upon  the  old  fashioned  belief 
that  everything  must  be  personally  overlooked  by  a 
European,  aud  the  large  staffs  of  European  assis- 
tants, who  were  often  supposed  to  have  “ no  time  ’’ 
for  anything  but  toil,  sometimes  even  on  Sunday, 
and  who  are  now  largely  done  away  with  altogether, 
Not  that  tbe  native  Companies  would  not  pay  even 
better  under  the  advice  of  skilled  European  gentle- 
man, who  understood  that  to  labour  like  tramway 
horse  does  rot  bring  about  pro  rata  profit.  In 
Assam,  certainly  in  the  late  seventies,  native  tea 
gardens  or  companies  did  not  pay  at  all,  and  many 
Englishmen  made  handsome  profits  by  buying  up 
and  amalgamating  blocks  put  out  by  natives  (usu- 
ally with  sto'en  seed).— Indian  Planters'  Gazette, 
April  29. 
Jaffna  Tobacco. — The  local  traders  have  a’ready 
begun  to  make  purchases.  Tbe  demand  seems  to  be 
greater  than  the  supply  ; sud  this  is  owing  to  the 
very  large  number  rf  cigar  traders  that  have  sprung 
up  of  late  years.  There  are  two  varieties  of  tobacco 
grown  in  the  peninsula,  one  i9  used  for  chewing  and 
the  other  for  smoking.  The  chewirg  variety  is  grown 
in  the  Waligamo  district  and  finds  a market  in  Galle 
and  South  India.  There  are  also  certain  inferior 
kinds  of  smoking  tobacco  grown  in  Waligamo.  A 
large  quantity  of  these  inferior  kinds  is  now  bought 
and  removed  to  Paehchillapalli  to  be  cured  with  the 
better  varieties  grown  there  and  the  whole  is  passed 
off  on  the  unwary  trader  as  genuine  stuff.  It  is  only 
when  the  tobacco  is  manufactured  iato  cigars  for  the 
Colombo  market  that  the  inexperience!  and  unsuspect- 
ing trader  detects  the  fraud  of  which  he  has  been 
made  tbe  victim.  — Cor.,  Jaffna  “ Catholic  Goardiank. 
Tea  Pluckers  : Are  They  to  Work  a 
Revolution. — This  is  the  question  we  ventured  to 
put  to  the  experienced  planter  who  recently  ad- 
dressed us  on  the  subject,  and  here  is  his  reply  whioh 
will  be  read  with  interest  by  all  concerned  with 
our  tea  planting  industry: — 
“ With  regard  to  your  questions  about  tea  pluckers, 
I do  not  pretend  fo  say  they  have  yet  been  proved 
a success.  The  machine,  I am  glad  to  know,  is  b*  ing 
strengthened  and  improved.  But  that  is  a secondary 
considera'ion,  as  if  tire  principle  of  machine  plucking 
is  once  established,  the  tools  will  come, — perhaps  many 
of  them.  Some  of  the  men  who  first  tried  them  are 
still  much  in  favor  of  the  principle  ; — while  again 
I know  two  instances,  where  it  was  condemned  after 
a abort  (rial.  By  the  end  of  this  year,  $ we  shall 
know  more  of  the  result  upon  the  trees  ’* 
