Ma^ch 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST- 
COS 
a good stand, it is easier to jmll some of the 
planes out if too many escape liarm and coine up 
than to go and plant more seed, for nothing is 
more annoying than to have to do this; you have 
to make holes again, even though the ground have 
been ploughed, drop seed, cover iip and after all, 
these later plants never do well, for they are 
shaded by the older plants and dwarfed from 
the start. Therefore in planting six or eight 
seeds to the hole you would allow eight quarts 
to the acve. With piimjikins which can be planted 
through theorn after it has half grown, two to 
three pounds per acre is the rate for seed setting. 
As a general rule the follov^'^ng will be found 
fairly correct :— Beans in drills 1| to 2 bushels; 
Peas in drills 2 bushels, broad cast .3) busheU; 
Corn in drills J bushel ; broadcast 3 bushels ; 
in hills S quarts ; Guinea Corn, broadcast or hilled 
1 bushel ; Cow peas to 8 quarts ; Rice 30 to 
401b: Cabbage (in seed bed to plant an acre) 
2 lb ; Guinea Crass 1 to 2 bushels ; Turnips in 
drills 21b; Jerusalem Artichokes 3 to 4 ewt. 
" Ked Peas" allow a busiiel per acre in holes, 
tomatoes 1 ounce to 1,500 plants, egg plants 1 
ounce to 1,000 plants, onions 5 to 6 lb, potatoes 
cut in two sets 12 to 1-t bushels of whole potatoes 
or allow 4 to 8 barrels to plant whole or in sets. 
The weights in lb per bushel of different seeds 
are : — Beans and Peas 601b. Beggar Weed 60 lb. 
Guinea Gi ass 20 lb. Guinea Corn 40 1b. Country 
Corn (Maize) 56 lb. Oats 40 lb. VVheac 60 lb.— 
Jozirnal of the Jamaiea Agrictdtiiral Society. 
^ 
KUBBER FIND. 
A great discevery of indi<i-rubber forests of vast 
extent haa been made in tho Department of Santa 
Cruz de la Sierra, and on the Magdalena in Bolivin. 
In the province of Canpolican, Department; of Ls, 
Paz, there have also been discovered some sp'eiidid 
forests, in which there liave been found some rubber 
trees of a species not before known. 
In Bolivia the only species of rubber trees hitherto 
worked are those known as " Hevea,'' or " Sipholiia 
Brasiliensis," but lately the species known as " Cas- 
tilloa, which exists in Mexico, Colombia, Bquador, 
Central America, etc., has been dicovered. 
In the Province of Oaupolioan gutta-percha has 
been discovered, which is very important. In order 
to facilitate sliipments for the products of Santa Crnz 
and Beoi, the Government has decided to open a 
port with a national custom-house, on Laguna Gaiba, 
a beautiful creek of the River Paraguay, on its 
right bank, at 17 deg. 48 S. latitude, — India-rubher 
Trades Journal, Dee. 24. 
THE SUMATRA FIBRE PLANTER. 
Tobacco Abandoned for Ramie. 
Mr. Blunt.schli, with a friend, visited the 
Peradeniya Gardens on the 18th and enjoyed 
a round of the Gardens— being of course 
chiefly interested in fibre-plants, more es- 
pecially Ramie, which he grows on a large 
scale in Sumatra. He has had nearly 
eight years' experience of Ramie cultivation 
now, so that he can speak with au- 
thority on the subject. It is not however 
every planter who can afford the patience 
or means to persist for seven years (!) 
at a cultivation like Ramie, as Mr. Bluntschli 
has done, befoi'e any profits are reaped. 
Previous to this he grew tobacco extensifely, 
but becoming dissatisfied with the returns 
from this he ventured to try Ramie on a large 
scale, which is the only condition under which 
it can he made profitable. But it was a case 
of " out of the frying-pan into the fire." Still, 
patience has its own reward, and Mr. 
Bluntschli is now sanguine of respectable 
and steady returns, for he now employs 24 
decorticating machines at his different 
factories, which are all lighted with the 
electric light. Mr. Bluntschli grows six 
distinct varieties of Ran)ie. though he con- 
siders there are no less than thirty more 
varieties in existence. Yet he was shown a 
species at Peradeniya which was quite new 
to him, YiT. : Bmhnieria pulchva, which as the 
name signifies, has beautiful velvety dark- 
green le;ives. This seems to contain as good 
a fibre as any of the family, and is easily 
grown. B. nivea Mr. Bluntschli considers the 
best, and he confirms local experience (in 
the Gardens) by condemning the variety 
teiutcissinia, which is often said to be the best 
variety for high elevations. Mr. Bluntschli 
purposes a visit to Mr. Power's ramie clearing 
before leaving the Island. Then he goes on 
a tour to China and Japan for the purpose 
of acquainting himself with the methods of 
R.imie cultivation in those countries and with 
the different varieties grown. 
THE NILGIKI GAME A'^SOCIATION. 
This Association held its annual meeting on 
Friday last at the Collector's office. There were 
present Sir Frederick Price, Messrs. C Al and W 
MuUaly, Colin Mackenzie. H P Hodgson, Her- 
bert Browne, Van Ingen, Wilbraham, Church 
and Captains Bagnalls, Van Agnew and 8wan. 
The Honorary Secretary, Mr G Hadhelil, pre- 
sented a Report of the year's operations of the 
Association, which was recorded satisfactory. 
Of the prosecution under the Game and Forest; 
Lawff tletection had considerably improved owing 
chiefly to the appointment of two competent 
watchers, at MettapoUium and Satymnngaluni 
ranges. 
The other measures of game preservation referred 
to was the destruction of^vermin. A schedule of 
what had been done during the year is appended to 
the Report and testifies to rewar(ls having been paid 
for 141 eagles, 279 wild cats, 65 mongooses, 24 cow 
pheasants, 13 wild-dog.s and an otter. These lignres 
were in excess of those of the previous year. 
The question whether there had been an in- 
crease of game as the result of measures of pro- 
tection was answered in the affirmative and the 
amount of success achieved, the Secretary con- 
tended, justified perseverance in the course adopted. 
Among measures inaugurated during the year 
was the Game Bag and Shikari Register. Mr. 
Vanlngen was the only contributor to the former 
and from lists of game shot in the district tur- 
nished by him, it appealed that 11 sambur, 1 
spotted deer, 3 tigers, 4 panthers, 5 bears, 4 niunt- 
jack, 2 black bucks and 1 hyfena, were des- 
troyed. 
From the details supplied in Mr. Vanlngen's 
list, we learn that tlie largest stag, with 34 inches 
of antler, was met with on the slopes of the 
Nil^iris, while the Kuudahs and the Drug fur- 
nished two others of S3 and 32^ inches, restiectively. 
The spotted deer was shoe on. the West bury 
estate and the length of its right horn was 32 
inches and of its left 31. The biggest tigers killed 
