278 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1900. 
rupees, or about £1,850,U00, were shipped from India 
mostly from the Malabar Coast — in the ten years 
ending 1897-98, the greater portion of which was 
"handled " in London. 
The Beport omits to state what was the outcome 
OP ALL. THE CORRESPONDENCE 
that was caused by the Director's enquiry. Perhaps 
the subject is still under the consideration of the 
Indian Section, which is so badly off for something 
of a really useful nature to do. But the episode 
serves to show once again, that the " economic 
products " of India can be studied far better in the 
business haunts, of those who trade largely in th«m 
than at the Institute, whose motto might well be 
" Great cry but little wool." The suggestion would 
not perhaps commend itself to Mr. J K Royle, c.i.e.. 
the Secretary and Curator of the Indian Section, who 
draws a salary of £500 a year. For, on the 24th 
October last, at a meeting of the Sub-Committee, a 
letter was read from him, in which he drew " atten- 
tion to the fact that the present term of his appoint- 
ment would expire on the 31st March, 1900, and 
asking whether it would be renewed, and if some 
addition to his salary could not be recommended." 
The Sub-Committee thereupon drafted a letter to the 
Secretary of State for India, in which it may, or 
may not Have asked for enhancement of the salary. 
But as no more than £500 is budgeted for in the 
estimate of expenditure for 1900-1901 it may be 
concluded that Lord George Hamilton, while ap- 
proving of the rentention of the services of Mr. Royle, 
regretted his inability to sanction an increase in 
conformity with the wishes of the present incumbent 
of the Curator's office. To most people who study 
the Report of the Sub-Committee it will probably 
appear that a salary of £500 does not err on the 
side of illiberality,for it'means an expenditure by India 
of R625 per mensem, for which there is very little in 
ihe way of benefit to India to show. — Madras Mail. 
RICE. 
CHANGES IN THE VABIETY HANDLED ON THE 
PACIFIC COAST. 
Within the last year or two, says the Smi 
Francisco Grocer and Cotintry Merchant, 
areat change has come over the position of rice 
in this market. Up till that time the cliief de- 
scription sold here to white people was the Ha- 
waiian product, whicii, under the reciprocity treaty 
came in free of duty ; but since then the imports of 
this variety fell off, until it has almost completely 
disappeared, and is no longer a factor in the trade. 
The cultivation of rice in the islands appear to 
have largely give way to that of sugar cane and the 
more profitable articles; and the increase iof the 
local population has not only consumed all that was 
raised there, but has called for extensive shipments 
of Louisiana rice from this market as well as of 
other descriptions from China and Japan. Their 
normal parity, in fact, has been and is above 
ours • under which circumstances evidently they 
can send us little or no rice. 
As the Island supply became exhausted, do- 
mpstic consumption turned to the Japanese arti- 
pIp or to that from Louisiana, according to which 
was the cheaper. Of late this has been the Loui- 
' a a-tiele as crops have been abnndant there 
fl'nd prices low, wliile on the other hand values in the 
O ipnt owing to the Indian famine, have been 
phnortnallv hi^h. Jobbers have naturally siven 
all ossib'le encouragement to the Louisiana arti- 
1 w owing to the great varieties of It that are 
a IwaVH o" ""'e^' ''"'"1''' "^^^l^^ 
o a profit than the foreign descriptions that 
come only in standard grades, and are conse- 
quently sold for the slimmest sort of a margin. 
The off grads of foreign would not he worth 
the freight here and the import duty ; and con- 
sequently they are consumed at home, where, in 
fact, they constitute the staple diet of the people. 
The wonder is that jobbers do not follow the same 
policy with regard to sugar, instead of co-oper- 
ating with the Trust to restrict the sale to limited 
varieties at fixed prices. 
The changes that have taken place in the cha- 
racter of the staple con-unied on the Pacific Coast 
have naturally g-iven rise to a good tleal of sub- 
stitution and misrepresentation, which, when 
once stated, is apt to become by force of competi- 
tion, more or less general. Louisiana was first 
substituted for Island, and now Louisiana, Japan, 
or rice grown in Louisiana from Jnpan seed, is 
being substituted for the genuine imported arti- 
cle. In many cases it is dilticult, except for an 
expert to distinguish on sight, tlie one from the 
other, but on cooking the rlifferenee is quite 
manifest since the S' ed article <ioes not cook dry 
and free like the imported, but comes out more 
or less gluey or mushy, so that the Japanese at 
least cannot be deceived by it ; and it would be 
well for our readers to take note of this fact. 
Another substitution that is now being tried is 
a mixture of a large proportion of low-grade 
Louisiana with China mixed for the genuine 
China mixed, the market value of which is always 
known to a nicety, and which consequently gene- 
rally sells very close to cost. A practised eye 
will, by comparison, at least, readily detect the 
dilference in this case by the size and appearance 
of the grain. The name "China mixed" unfor- 
tunately ends itself too easily to this sort of sub- 
stitution, and should never liave been adopted. 
It is in reality not China rice at all, but rice grown 
by Chinamen in Siam and shipped here via Hong 
Kong, thus covering up its origin. 
While on the subject of rice it may be opportune 
to caution our less experienced readers against 
receiving any old and weevily stock in their ware- 
houses and thereby infecting their goods, which 
very readily occurs. This, of course, is not likely 
to be sent them from any responsible source, as itis, 
in fact, tantamount to a crime. Fortunately, how- 
ever, it is easy of detection, for if sacks contain- 
ing weevily rice are left for half an hour in the 
sun the weevils will appear on the outside, 
and this is the test that consignments are sub- 
jected to by jobbers before receiving them into 
their warehouses. Even the exposure during the 
trip from the wharf, depot or warehouse is fre- 
quently sufficient to bring these animals to the 
surface ; and goods infected in this way should 
never, on any account, be taken to accouut. The 
same applies to beans. 
Pea Nuts or Earth Nuts for Poultry.— 
In most of the coastal districts it is compara- 
tively ea.sy to obtain good crops of these " nuts." 
For poultry, according to an American authority, 
pea nuts are a food that can scarcely be excelled. 
In the experience of the authority quoted, they 
are far more satisfactory than maize, wheat, or 
oats for laying hens, as well as for j.' rowing chicks. 
Hens and chicks do not get .so fat on them as 
upon grain. \s a dainty to throw into the feed- 
ing yards, a few plants, nuts and all, come in 
very handy. — Agricultural Gazette of New South 
Wales. 
