THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. * [July 1, 1900. 
A son of the late Mr. H M Fernando, of 
Ferryside Alansion, Mattakuliya, lost his life by 
droppino; from a cadju apple tree at "Crow 
Island " and aligiitinR on a tic polonjia or cobra — 
I am not sure which— when he was stung by 
the reptile — was brought across the rivei- in a 
faint and dieil within two hours of his arrival 
at home. You will Slid this reported in the 
Observer of that period. — Yours faithfully, 
RESIDENT. 
10,000,000). The amount of Ceylon teas consumed 
in Russia of late years is 6,000,0001b in 1897, 
11,000,0001b in 1898, 17,000,0001b estimate for 
1899, there need be no fear of Caucasian tea 
ousting it from the market.—" Commercial and 
Industrial Gazette of 8c. Petersburg." 
(Signed) Henky CoOKE. 
* 1 dessiatine equal 2.7 acres. 
TEA PLANTING IN THE CAUCASUS. 
planters' ASSOtlATION OF CEYLON. 
Kandy, 2nd June, 1900. 
Sir,—! herein enclose copy of an interesting 
communication in reference to tea planting in 
tlie Caucasus.— I am, sir, yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP, 
Secretary to the Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
Colonial Secretary's Office, 
Colombo, 31st May, 1900 
Si,-^_I am directed to transmit for your in 
formation a copy of a report by Sir Henry Cooke 
on the subject of tea planting in the Caucasus, 
for.varded to this office by the Rigiit Hod. the 
Secretary of State for the Colonies.— I am, sir, 
your obedient servant, 
(Signed) A. E. Clayton, 
for Colonial Secretary. 
The Secretary, Planters' Association, Kandy. 
(Copy referred to.) 
A report was lately read at St. Petersburg by 
Mr. I. Klingell, giving the first results of the 
experiments made by the Imperial appanage in 
tea-planting in the valley of the Chakva, on the 
South-eastern coast of the Black Sea. The fac- 
tory on the estate was built in 1899 with exclu- 
sively English machinery. In July 1899 there were 
55 dessiatines* under tea culture, mostly Chinese 
plants, specially imported from China, Three 
crops were taken during the year, yielding 
27i poods (1 pood -^36 lb.) The best in quality 
A'as the second. Four funts of green tea-leaves 
were needed for one funt of prepared tea (1 funt 
14| oz.) In type, Caucasian tea resembles Ceylon 
of very good quality. According to experts it will 
find a good sale. The prices obtained are 1st brand 
KP90 cents and 2nd RI GO cents the funt. By 
the Spring of 1900 there will be 102 dessiatines 
under pla'ntation and in the near future 126, 
and if the results continue favourable they will 
be extended to 500. The further development 
should 20 hand in hand with colonization. With 
rational culture and proper protection from cold 
■winds the crops should yield 600 funts per des- 
siatine, and not 400 as at present calculated. 
The plantations are expected to reach economic 
maturity by 1905, yielding by then a clear profit 
on outlay. But to effect the results desired 
there should be introduced a persistent and rational 
system of colonization, and technical improve- 
inents all round. . t , • i 
Samples of Chakva tea in London received a 
very favourable report, experts even doubting 
whether they came from the Caucasus at all, as 
it «as supposed only brick tea could be produced 
there. The majority of those who ta.-^ted it found 
it satisfactory, and only with fixed tastes pre- 
ferring Ceylon tea. But as the latter is develop- 
ing by great strides in Russia (in 1895 the coc- 
buinption was 2,000,0001b, and ia ISpp over 
PLANIING NOTES. 
M. GUYON— Adininistrateur dcs Colonies, 
Tannanarivo, Madagascar, who has been learning 
all he can about British and Dutch Colonial 
Administration in the Eastern tropics, went 
home by the P'rench mail steamer oi ihe 15th 
June. 
A Compliment,— A Publishing and Book- 
selling Firm iiL Paris, in ordering our 
Tropical Agriculturist for Brazil, adds :— 
We have seen with pleasure your Books sit the 
Exhibition. The Ceylon Exhibition is one of the 
most interesting ot all. 
Sinhalese Cattle in Trinidad — We re- 
gret to learn from Mr, Meaden of the Gov- 
ernment Farm, Trinidad— see his letter 
on page 42— that tlie importation of small 
cattle from Ceylon has not been a success. 
They were very carefully selected and looked 
a choice lot as we saw them at the Agri- 
cultural tSchool grounds before their ship- 
ment. 
Java Cinchona,— From the extract on 
page 32, dealing with the latest official 
report on Java cinchona, it will be seen that 
the product is prospering, though not so 
much from artificial as natural manures. 
A substance, " Ricinus spectabilis," obtained 
from castor-oil presses, is said to be 
very beneficial for the growth of the tree. 
Proprietors of castor-oil trees, who are un- 
aware of this, will do well to note the fact. 
Planting in Nyassaland,— An interest- 
ing letter from our correspondent, Mr, Henry 
Brown, formerly of Dimbula and Matale, 
will be found on page 41, He gives us 
a good deal of information and speaks well 
of the prospects of coffee and of the Nyassa- 
land Company's estate. Mr. Brown's Ceylon 
reminiscences carry him back to early days 
under the late Messrs. Ryan and Wm. 
Smith in Dimbula, As regards the spotted 
bug referred to by Mr. Brown, we learn from 
Mr. E E Green that it proves to be Anteatia 
variegata var. lineaticollis, said to be a well- 
known coffee pest in Africa. The coffee 
leaves sent by Mr, Brown are certainly very 
fine. 
India-rubber in Beira,- According to a 
British consular report, the planting of India- 
rubber and coconut trees has been seriously taken 
up in the Beira district, and should in course ot 
time become a thriving and profitable industry 
the soil and climate being, in the opinion of ex- 
perts, all that can be desired. The cultivation of 
economic plants and trees in the valleys of the 
Zambesi, IJozi, and Sabi Rivers has been an in- 
dustry too long neglected. The fertility of the 
soil and its capacity to give good returns for 
capital expended has been long recognised, bufc 
until quite recently entirely neglected on a large 
sca,\Q,— Planting Opinion^ June 16, 
