Jan. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
467 
Buoh parts of Ceylon, but he considers it mucli better 
distributed all through the year. There ia very great 
demand for tea amungst the more civilised natives 
in Uganda and Toru. Mr. Whyt.= thioks that the 
local demand for tea {as, indeed, for sugar, colfees, 
cacao, and other products) is worthy of consicleralion. 
No doubt, also, when communication by means of the 
river Nile is better organised and the sudd cleared 
away, large quantities of Uganda products could be 
sent down the Nile to feed the Soudan. 
The sugar-cane thrives wonderfully in the better 
parts of tlie Uganda Protectorate. It is cultivated in 
nearly all the native gardens. Individual canes are 
often met with 15 feet long, robust, and long-jointed, 
and as well developed as the average cane in the 
West Indies. The Uganda sugar-cane goes on ratoon- 
ing for years, and forms a considerable item in the 
native dietary. We have now got up machinery for 
crushing cane, and are already turning out coarse 
sugar, which forms part of the rations of the Indian 
troops, and enable us to save considerable expendi- 
ture, as formerly this coarse sugar (gur) had to be 
imported all the way from India. 
Almost all English vegetables grow and are grown 
in the Uganda Protectorate with encouraging success. 
Orange, lemon and mango trees, which were planted 
a few years ago, have done exceedingly well ; but, 
except on Mau Planteau, it would be impossible to 
grow stone fruit, apples, pear, or any of those trees 
which require areal winter. — Za.nz\ha.YGazette, Oct. 31. 
TEA CULTIVATION IN RUSSIA. 
Indhan and Ceylon tea growers have not much to 
fear from competition with Southern Paissia. The 
progre.ssso far made with thecultivation of teaalong 
the south-ea.st coast of tlie Black Sea is but slow, 
and it is the opinion of many authorities that the 
industry cannot possibly assume any very great 
pi'oportions for a considerable number of years. 
This information is afforded by the British Consul 
for the district, who adds that with the exception 
of the Imperial Domains and the firm of Popoffs 
of Moscow, no other tea planters of any im- 
portance have shown any inclination to purchase 
lands for tea culture, and that in reality the re- 
sults obtained up to date are not of such a 
nature as to inspire would-be tea growers with 
the necessary confidence to place capital in such 
enterprises. Messrs. Popoffs, who own three ex- 
tensive plantations in the neighbourhood of 
Bacoum, are apparently wearied of the results of 
their eight years' experience in the business, and 
are, it is reported, negotiating the sale of their 
property to the Imperial Domain Lands.— Ifone 
and Colonial Mail, 
The GotiRAMi Fish in Ceylon.— AVe are 
reminded that at a meeting of the Pishing 
Club about a year ago, Mr. W. E. Davidson 
reported : — 
Mr. Davidson said that last week a tub arrived 
at Colombo with five young Gourami fish from 
Messrs. Scott & Co-, of Mauritius. This was a 
fresh attempt which Mr. Burrows had made to 
ntroduce this fish into Ceylon waters by way of 
an experiment. The fish were now with Mr. 
Fowler, who proposed rearing it in Colombo, as 
they only thrived at sea-level. He (speaker) had 
had a deal of correspondence on the subject with 
people, who were experienced in the rearing of 
this fish and had found out that they do not 
thrive above sea-level. 
We have some idea that Mr. Fowler after- 
wards reported a failure of the Gourami ? 
But one or two trials should not suffice. 
There is room for another. 
PETROLEUM AND KEROSINE OIL IN ' 
CEYLON. 
Verv few, we suppose, have a proper idea 
ot the nnportance of the Bu'k Petroleum Ins- 
tallations in this island, which have been 
established in connection with the reoul-ir 
visits of the Shell Transport and Trading Co 
Ld., s tank steamers. This Company is iii itself 
one of the largest in the world, with a capital 
of two millions sterling, and a fleet of 
twenty-three steamers, besides numerous 
small craft. As local agents, Messrs. 
Delmege, Forsyth & Co., apart from the 
headquarters installation at Kochohikade 
where 4.50,000 gallons of petroleum can be 
stored, have now in full working order 
tank depots at Galle, Kalutara, Kurunegala 
Nawalapitiy.i, Hatton, Naiuioya 
.and Bandarawela. We had the impres- 
sion that the importation of kerosiue uil in 
cases (oil-tins and cases coming from Russia 
principaliy, but a certain quantity from 
America) was due to the greater conve- 
nience of carriage of the case oil to certain 
disti'icts not at present served by raihvav • 
but we learn that the Tin-making Factory 
1,000 tins a day. to meet the demand we 
speak of. This industry, together with the 
other work done at the Installations, altogether 
requn^es a staff of 115 men-so thSt we 
have, in this entirely new industry a are-it 
addition to the means of livelihood in the 
Isorthern division of Colombo where at one 
tune some of our largest and busiest coffee 
stores were situated. 
_ As regards Liquid Fuel, for which there 
LS .also a large Storage Tank Installation 
at Kochchik-ade, adjoming but quite separate 
from the Bulk Petroleum one. althouSi 
there are now some ten regular local con- 
sumers, the demand has not yet developed 
to the point It may be expected to 
reach, after proper trials have been 
made by the railway, and other lara-e 
fuel consumers, and several of '-he^e trials 
are to be begun very shortly. We learn 
that the Comjiany's steam-hopper "Attak-r" 
recently made a trip to Jaffna, and on tbp 
way up burnt 14 tons of Cardiff coal, and 
6i tons of liquid fuel returning-which -it 
the relative costs of the coal and fuel 
t?^"" ^n^"" "'"'''"S- by use of the 
latter. Up to the present, the Company's 
own steamers have been the chief sea con- 
sumers, but certain other large lines nre 
getting some of their steamers adapted' to 
use It, and the German war ship " Fixrst 
Bisnaarck took a supply here on her way 
to China. 
_ So far all tlie Bulk Petroleum imported 
into Ceylon, has come from Russia but 
the liquid fuel IS from the ^om 
panys lands in South Borneo, wheT 
a very large amount of capital is being 
spent in developing tlie concession which 
is held from the Dutch Government. As 
the large rehneries erected there get into 
full work It is expected that the greater 
part of the Company's Eastern trade will 
be supplied with refined Bulk Petroleum 
from there ery large shipments of liquid 
tuel have already been made, from the Coin« 
