May 1, 1901.] 
THE TliOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
747 
Atherton M 
Beauvais H 
Bargany H 
Bunyaii H 
Blairgowne H 
Callander H 
Chetnole L 
Coodagalla M 
Craigie Lea H 
Eadella 
Eastlands H 
Gantaniie M 
Geddes H 
Gingran Oya HM 
Glentilt H 
Hiralouvah H 
Hornsey Est. Co H 
Hapugastenne H 
Inicavvatte M 
Indian Walk L 
JMK HM 
Kahigalla HM 
7,00lX0()0 lbs. averac 
1900 Av. 1899 Av. 1900 Av. 1899 Ar. 
About price About price About price About price 
lbs, per lb. lbs. per lb lbs. per lb, lbs. per lb 
20,.500 fifd 33,.500 7d Kahawatte HH 83,000 7^d 17."),500 7|d 
27,000 7|d 20,500 S^d Kalugama H . 44.000 8^d .=i7,000 8*-d 
21,r500 6fd — — Lynsted H 48.000 8d 8.1.OOO 8gd 
45,000 7id 84,000 8d Lonach HM 32,000 Gd 140^000 7|d 
49,500 5|d — — Ladbroke HM 32,500 6;|d — — 
23,000 7id 30,500 7^d Manickwatie H 24,500 6|d 20,500 7§d 
37,000 6|d 40,000 7d Nella Oola M 35.000 .5|d 47,000 6M 
36,500 .5|d 27,000 G^d Obiya H 45,000 7jd 25.500 8|d 
25,000 7|d 272,500 8|d Old Haloya M 40,500 5|d 2i);500 7d 
22,500 .5fd 28,500 6fd Ovoca H 42..500 7gd !)1.500 S^d 
40.500 7id 36,500 7^d Puspone 32.500 5Ad 26,000 7Jd 
24.000 6d 21,000 7d Panmure H 46,500 7fd 71,500 8d 
23,500 6Jd 23.000 8Jd Polgahakanda L 39,500 6J-d 108,000 6|d 
43,500 6jd 38,500 HJd Pondappa HM 39,500 6d 33,000 . 6fd 
39,000 8d — — Rajawella L 29.000 6d 28,500 Bjd 
25,500 e^d — — Eahatungoda H 20,500 7|d 96,.500 7^d 
27.500 lOd — — Kichlands HM 2.3,500 6^d 30,.500 8M 
47,000 6d — — Stisted L 45,500 fi^d — — 
25.500 4|d 27,000 tiid Taprobana H 77,500 6|d 89,000' 7^d 
46,000 Sid 57,500 7d V.O.A H 39,500 5^x1 51..500 7fd 
26,500 4|d 31,000 6|d Warwick H 40..500 56,000 SM 
44,000 Sfd 51,000 e^d Westward Ho HH 48,000 7^d 46,500 8d 
ing 5.80d per lb. sold on purchase account are not included in the above returns. 
Estimated relative Yield and Average Price realised for the different Ceylon Tea Districts, compiled 
from the Public Auctions held in London between January 1st and December 31st, 1900 : — ■ 
Nuwira Eliya, Maturata & Uda Pussellawa 
Dimbula 
Dikoya 
Bogawantalawa ., . . . . 
Haputale 
Maskeliya 
Pussellawa, Kotmale, Pundalova and Ramboda 
Uva ■ 
Hewaheta 
Kelani Valle}' and Kegalle 
Ambegamuwa and Lower Dikoya 
Sabaragamuwa 
Nilambe and Hantane 
Kadugannawa and Alagala 
Matale and Hunasgeriya 
Knuckles, Kellebokka, Kangala 
Kalutara 
Dolosbage and Yakdessa 
Av. Price 
Av. Price 
1900. 
per lb. about 
1899. 
per lb. about 
lbs. about 
] 900. 
lbs. about 
1899. 
4,500,000 
9.10 
4.000,000 
9.25 
8.75 
17.000,000 
9 
6.000.000 
8 
6,000,000 
8.50 
4,5O(J.00O 
7.90 
3,000,000 
8.60 
3,250,000 
7.90 
2,500,000 
8.50 
4.000,000 
7.45 
3.500,000 
8.40 
8,500.000 
7 
8,000,000 
7.60 
6,750,000 
6.90 
5,000,000 
7.10 
2,500.000 
6.90 
2.000,000 
7.60 
10,000.000 
6.10 
8,000,000 
7 
3,500^000 
6.60 
3,000,000 
7.50 
1.750,000 
6.55 
2,000,000 
7.50 
4.000.(lO<» 
6.50 
3.500,000 
7.50 
2,500,000 
6.40 
2,000,000 
7.40 
5,750,000 
6.35 
5,000,000 
7.40 
4,750,000 
6.35 
4,000,000 
7.25 
3,000.000 
6.25 
3,000000 
7.40 
6,000,000 
().20 
5,500',000 
• 7.25 
Prussia Acid in Sweet Cassava. 
P)Y Professor Carmody, f.i.c, f.c.s. 
(Revised Reprint from The Lancet of Sept. 190O.) 
Francis, one of my predecessors in the Trinidad 
Government Laboratory, was the first* to point out 
that prussic acid was present in sweet cassava to a 
considerable extent. E'rancis's results have not re- 
ceived the attention vi^hich they deserved, probably 
because they were a direct but unconfirmed denial 
of statements repeatedly made by recognised author- 
ities. There are very few recent editions of toxi- 
eologieal handbooks that make any reference to the 
results published by Francis. Even in standard 
reference works like tliat of Dr. Thorpe's "Dictionary 
of Applied Chemistry" it is stated that ''the milky 
* Analyst, April 1877. 
juice in the sweet variety is innocuous, whilst th»t in 
tiie bitter is highly poisonous." 
The question is of importance from a toxico- 
logical point of view in those places in the tropica 
where cassava is used extensively as a food. For 
poisonous symptoms are not infrequently reported 
after a meal of sweet cassava; and as the two kinds 
of cassava — the sweet and the bitter- — are so much 
alike as to be almost indistinguishable, the con- 
clusion usuallj' arrived at is that the bitter variety 
has been cooked in error. 
My results fully confirm those of Francis as to tlj« 
presence of hydrocyanic acid, although his a\i!;:e 
figures are somewhat higher than mine. This nuc 
has been an unusually dry one for Trinidad and a 
diminished supply of rain does aft'ecl the character 
of plant juices. 
The method of analj'sis adopted by me differg 
somewhat from that of Francis. He grateU 500 
