i6 
THE TROPIGAL AGRICULTUKIST. 
[July 1, lOOO, 
PRODUCE AND PL\N TING. 
Indian Tea Caops.— "In commenfciiig on the prcpects 
foi- IiidiaQ tOii a, twelvemonth ago, we siid that ' the 
more remuiiei ative piioes now current cannot fail to 
8'iniiil*te the In lian planters to still greater exertio'is ' 
than in previous veai-.<, nnd tlie truth of this predict! )u 
is seen," says The Grocer, "in a materially 1 irgrir 
production during ■t8i)i)-l'Jii() th dn the in jst sianguiuu o£ 
importers and dealers had ar.ticipated. The particu- 
lars i\s ju:it given by the iadian Toi Asso^iition 
(Galcutfci and London) show that the aetaai yield of 
the crop for the season now drawing to a oloie reachea 
the unprecedented total of 17J,H5G, 400 lb. (details of 
which are inserted in our usual market report), which 
was '21,956,200 lb. in excess of that in 1^98 99, when a 
crop of 152,900,2001b. was raised. For years ptat there 
has been an almostcontiuuous expansion in tliB culti- 
vation and importatio'i of Indi lu te i. True, the 
crops in 189t)-97 and 1897-9S were of similar extent, say 
a little over 148,000,000 lb., but that in the following 
season (1898 99) was increased to 152,9 )0,000 lb. ; and 
when we call to mind the fact that the entire crop in 
1895 90 yielded not more than 135,479,000 lb., and also 
that m 1894-95 it was only about 127,100,000 lb., it is 
quite evident that remarkable progress has b sen made 
in the British tea industry of o!ir Indian Empire 
within a comparatively short period." 
Details.—" Out of the above total of 174,856,400 lb., 
as representing what may now be considered as last 
season's crop, it is interesting to note that the amount 
reserved exclusively for shipm-nt from Calcutta to 
Great Britain was scarcely, if atall.less than 149,0u(),000 
lb., against 135,509,000 lb. 18;)8 99, and here alone 
appears an increase of 13,500.030 lb ; all of which state- 
ments conclusively prove, if furilier proof wer^ neces- 
sary the full magnitude of the scale on which th« 
general operations in In3ian-grown tea are conducted. 
In touching specially upon the character and outturn 
of the late season's crop, it may be remarked," .says the 
journal we quote. '' that its rapid augmentation was 
mainly due to the much more f ovourable weather ex- 
perienced in the Sylhet and Cachar districts —the very 
districts where the drought was most severely felt in 
1898— and likewise to the new system of coarser pluck- 
ing, so that these two causes have combined to produce 
a larger make of common and inferior teas than has 
been known in any former seasons. Although the pro- 
portion of really fine and choice qualities has been less 
than usual, the 1899-1900 crop has undoubtedly been a 
very useful one in many respects to blenders and con- 
Bamers, consisting of a desirable kind of leaf, of strength 
and colour in cup, with richness and flivour amongst 
the more delicate kinds sent from the Southern parts of 
India ; and prices on the whole have been at a 
reasonable level for all parties. Alluding to the recent 
advance of 2d in the tea duty to 6d per lb , Messrs. 
George White and Co., brokers, observe that ' its 
effect is difiicult to foresee ; but should it lead to the 
extended use of medium and fine sorts, the former 
of which have been unduly depressed for months past, 
it will be a boon to many tea planters, both in India 
and Ceylon,' adding that ' the prospects, therefore, 
seem favourable to expansion in the sale of good 
liquoring descriptions, while that for very common 
may be partially abandoned, and the prevailing lowest 
retail price be Is 4d per lb. If the purveyors to the 
public can induce their customers to purchase a 
slightly better blend than they have lately perhaps 
been accustomed to they would not only benefit them- 
selves, but also the trade generally.' " — Heme and Colo- 
nial Mail, April 13. 
The exnibits have been applied for by the authorities 
in the cities named, and ihe samples comprising' them 
are made up in small botlies. There are included 
specimens or wool, sugar, wheat of various varieties 
c .rnflour, arrowroot, sorghums, and millets, earth 
mr.s, b-ans of dili-rent kinds, maize, aud othur graiur-- 
laey have all be.^n grown in yueeu3land, principally 
on the experimental farms. The department has also 
nearly completed the preparation of an exhibit for me 
in iiiigiand by Mr. Bandall, the Immigr.,nt ly^u^-ai 
The; hay is now awaite.l, and wLlii tiiac is secured" the 
butter and ch^-ese to be seat from the Galtou Ati- 
cu tural (Jolk-ge will be at once sent in and the exhrbit 
will be complete. It is fully expected th;it it will be 
one well wor.hy of the colony. Some splendid samples 
of wheat and barley have been procured, and among 
the , many articles included there will be preserved 
fruits, jams, jellies, candied fruits aud others The 
hay Will be made into small bales, aud will include 
oaten, wheaten, rye, lucerne and pauicnm. It may be 
mentioned that Q jeensland is the only colonv appar- 
ently Which IS taking this means of placing the 
colony before people ia Great Britain.--Vyrf».y jya(7 
MANUFACTURE OF CRUDE QUININE. 
The Bataoia Ml. learns from a well-informed quar- 
ter that two of the principal Java cinchona pianieis 
propose to set up on their grounds factories for 
the production of crude sulphate of quinine, which 
will subsequently be refined at the Bandong works, 
it IS expected that this will re,5ult in an increased 
proht— quite twenty-five per cent— over that obtained 
irom tne sale of the bark in Amsterdam. The most 
important point, however, appears to he that it would 
have the effect of withdrawing something like ten 
or twelve tons of quinine from the European market, 
and that other planters will probabiy, in their own 
interest, follow the example, and in course of time 
erect similar works. Another advantage in connec- 
tion with the proposed works ii that inferior bark 
with one and half or two per cent of qainine coutenl, 
which is now either sold at a loss or simply thrown 
away, can then also be worked at a prolir. It ia 
stated that such an installation is not only inex- 
pensive (costing not more than about f 500 to £8(X» 
for a plant capable of dealing with five to ten cwt 
ot bark per day), but moreover, the work ia very 
simple and requires no great skill or experience. 
Ihese details are based upon data obtained from 
similar works which have already been in operation 
tor three years, and in which bark is used of such 
low quality that it would not pay the expense of 
shipment to Europe. 
QUEENSLAND PRODUCTION FOR EX- 
HIBITION. 
The Queensland Department of Agriculture has 
prepared and shipped to the oare of the Agent-General 
in liondon six boxes of speoimens of the produce 
of the colony for exhibition in the museums at 
meckholoi and Chiriijtiftniu— three boxes to each place. 
CURING OF LlBERI.kN COFFEE. 
One of the drawbacks to the use of Liberian Coffee 
has been a strong unpleasant taste, and various reme- 
dies have been suggested. 
It has now been successfully overcome on the 
Borneo (coffee Co.'s estate in Marudu Bay by wash- 
ing the coffee after pulping and before fermenting. 
Ihe washed coffee is in this way cleaned from all the 
minute bits of pulp which doubtless imparted an nn- 
pleasa,nt taste aud before being placed in the ferment- 
ing cistern it is thrown into large baskets-" coal 
baskets —for a few minutes to allow the surplus 
water to dram off and is then fermented in a com- 
paratively dry state, lo increase the heat, sacks 
are placed on the top of the coffee and after some 
hours the top layer is turned in below so as to ferment 
the parcel equally. Liberian Coffee, properly cured 
has a splendid flavour which is well known by the 
trade, who value it highly owing to the amount of 
chicory it can assimilate. As an after dinner coffee 
nothing comes up to pure Liberian Coffee if properly 
mm,^Bnhsl\ North Bovmq Herald, " 
