680 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 1, 1901. 
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, 
FEE ADEN lY A. 
The Director and his Stalf, aided by the 
Government Printer, deserve great credit 
for the promptitude with which their 
interesting and valuable Reports for 1900 
have seen the light. We hope through the 
courteous aid of the same indispensable 
Printer, to give our readers the advantage 
of reading the bulk of the Reports in the 
very convenient and reliable form in which 
they are officially issued. And meantime 
we can only say that it is evident the Stalf 
—Director and Botanist, Mycologist, Ento- 
mologist, Consulting Chemist and temporary 
Assistant, besides the Curator at Pera- 
deniya and the Superintendent at Hak- 
&alla are now in full working order, and 
that much good should result. "The losses 
by disease are enormous and to save even 
5 per cent of them," it is rightly said, 
would be "a great gain." Camphor, citronella, 
tobacco and sericulture are new or mmor 
industries to be investigated. The total 
cost of the Department for 1900 was 
R71,740 against R58,822 in 1899 ; the receipts 
from sales fell ofE owing to lower price 
of rubber seed and aggregated last year 
R4,659. The paragraph of most general 
intWest and importance at this time is that 
on our staple from Mr. Willis :— 
^s the extension of cultivation, though practically 
over in Ceylon, is still going on in South India, .Java, 
and elsewhere, itisprobable that the full effect of over- 
production has yet to be felt, and that the tea industry 
has now to pass through a trying period, which may 
lead to considerable alterations and reorganisations in 
methods of working, &c. Greater specialisation, larger 
factories under specially-trained macagers, manuring 
and plucking for quality rather than for quantity, se- 
lection of the best and most suitable jats as regards 
quality of tea and power of resisting disease, replace- 
ment of inferior bushes and fields by better and by 
otherprodacts, careful precautions against disease, and 
improvements in methods of cultivation and manufac- 
ture, are some of the directions in which relief may 
be looked for. Tea has been comparatively free from 
serious outbreaks of blights during the year (see sup- 
plements). A commencement, which may lead to 
important developments, has been made in the manu- 
facture of green teas suited to the American markets. 
If this extend, it will temporarily relieve the overpro- 
duction difficulty. 
Mr. Carruthers deals with Cacao and also 
with Tea Blights ; while the list of " ene- 
mies" dealt with or described by Mr. Green 
is very formidable ; but it shews bow keenly 
he is on the alert. Mr. Macmillan and 
Mr. Nock also supply interesting reports ; 
but we must close for the present with 
the Director's notable reference to Trimen's 
" Flora of Ceylon " :-- 
The fifth and last volume of the Flora of Ceylon 
appeared early in the year, written by the veteran 
botanist, Sir J D Hooker, The Colony now poss- 
esses perhaps the best existing Coloi:3ial Flora. 
At the Slime time, this iSora is anything but com- 
plete ; there are yet many new species to be dis- 
covered, and mimy occur in other localities than 
thoKC mentioned. For the filling up of the gap 
we must rely largely on the help of local botanists 
and au attempt will shortly be made to interest 
more of the public than have hitherto cared for 
Buoh things in the study of this most fascinating 
of the sciences. Suggestions to this end will be 
cordially welcomed. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
London, Feb. 14. 
Coca Leaves. — Offered, 32 packages. Sold 0. Ceylon 
leaves of the Huanoco character were bought in at 
Is 6d, and broken Truxillo leaves at Is 2d. 
Cinchona Bakk. — The London bark auctions for 
February were held this week. The offerings and 
sales were rather lower than at the last auction. 
Out of 1,343 packages offered, 1,132 were sold. 
The weight offered was 285,394 lb, of which 230,549 
lb were sold. The unit was IJd. The following 
prices were paid: — Calisaya, cultivated Bolivia quills 
were sold at 7Jd to Sjd. Ledger, Java chips were 
sold at 3d to 4id ; branch, at fd. East India chips 
were sold at 4|d to 45d. OflS.cinalis, East Indian 
chips were sold at 2Jd to 8d. Ceylon, branch, 2^d ; 
hybrid stems chips, 3|d. Succirubra : Ceylon chips 
sold at 2|d to 4d ; and roots 4d to 4§d ; Hybrid 
chips at 3|d. — British and Colonial Druggist, 
RUBBER IN MEXICO. 
The British Commercial Agent in the United 
States has sent the following report upon the develop- 
ment of the rubber industry in Mexico by American 
capital : — 
The report states that out of the interest in the sub- 
ject of planting rubber in Mexico has grown a series 
of companies operating in the Ubero district on the 
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, whose prospects seem en- 
couraging. Two companies have existed for some time 
past having their headquarters atlndianopolis. These 
are the Mexican Coffee & Rubber Company, and the 
Ubero Plantation Company, of Indianopolis. 
The Ubero Plantation Company was incorporated 
under the laws of Maine, August 10th, 1900, with 
1,000,000 dollars capital. The company owns 3,000 
acres, adjoining the original Ubero tract, on which it 
proposes planting 1,000,000 coffee trees, 400,000 rubber 
trees, and 1,000.000 pineapple plants. 
The Isthmus Rubber Company of Ubero, now being 
organised, will have a New Jersey charter and its 
principal offices in New York. 
Tehuantepec Rubber Culture Company, Canton Min- 
titlan, "State of Vera Cruz, Mexico. — The personnel of 
this company were all in the organisation of the Wool- 
son Spice Company. The original stock of the Woolson 
Company was 37,500 dollars ; it paid in dividends in six 
years over 1,000'000 dollars, and the company was 
then sold for 2,200,000 dollars. The Dos Rios planta- 
tion has also been a marked success. 
Mexican Plantation Company, State of Vera Cruz, 
Mexico. — This comnpany was incorporated under the 
laws of Indiana on November 20th, 1900, with 10,000 
dollars capital, fully paid. It has acquired 600 acres 
on the Tesechoacon River, 90 miles from the gulf port 
of Alvarado, and purpose planting 125,000 rubber trees 
in the spring. 
La Zaoualpa Rubber Plantation Company, State of 
Chiapa, Mexico. — A report recently issued by this com- 
pany states that during the last year 600,000 rubber 
trees were»- transplanted, 1,000,000 rubber plants were 
placed in nurseries for transplanting in 1901, 1,000,000 
plants were started in seed-beds for transplanting to 
the nursery. 
The Leavenworth Coffee & Rubber Company, Leaven 
worth, Kansas, is mentioned as having a tract of 2,000 
acres just above the Dos Rios plantation, on the Isthmus 
of Hehuantepec. Some coffee, rubber, and vanilla 
have been planted. — Jndia-Mubber Trades' Journal, 
Feb. 4. 
