800 Sttp2jlement to the " Tropical Agriculturist.'^ [May 1, 1901. 
OCCASIONAL JS^OTES. 
Au eutei'pri.siug Sinhalese gentleiDan has made 
a triiil shipment of Ceylon fruit (oranges, jjine- 
apple?, plantains, cijuuuts, Sec.) to Perth, 
Western Australia, with a view to ascertaining the 
possibilities of carrying on a regular fruit trad* 
between the two countries. With many details 
to be mastered tlie first trial naturally resulted 
in a deficit, but not to such an extent as to damp 
the euterprisng young man's ardour. With ex- 
perience gained he means to make a second 
shipment before long, and hopes that in the absence 
of unavoidable errors and difficulties associated 
with^the first trial, the second will give more pro- 
mising results. We want tnore such enterprising 
men who, with some capital in hand, are anxious to 
turn it to good account by means of honest 
trade for the good of their countrymen as well as 
their own advantage, instead of frittering it away 
indangerous and reprehensible speculation. 
A direct trade in pineapples has now been 
established between Jamaica and London. We 
read of a consignmisnt of 500 packages having been 
received in fine condition and fetching from Is. 6ii. 
to 2s. 6d. per piue. The favourite pine in the 
London market is the smooth Cayenne, and it is 
said that the chief reason for this fact is not so 
much its superior quality but its good looks, 
size, fine colour -and handsome top, the weight 
ranging from -3 to 8 lbs., the average 4 to 6 lbs. 
Larger fruit, it is said, are not requirea in England. 
Another important fact about this particular 
variety is that it reaches the market in better 
condition than any other. Of course a sweet pine 
is essential for a good market. 
The Royal Botanic Gardens Circular, No,, 15 
has the folli_'wing note regarding the pine 
referred to: — ''Kewpine" (smooth Cayenne). 
The best variety for generel cultivation, being a 
robust grower, usuallj' bearing in the low-country 
iu 6 months from time of planting suckers. Fruit 
grow to a large size, sometimes weighing over 
yO lbs. (exceeding the record for other countries) ; 
is very juicy and of a delicious flavour. Leaves not 
spiny. Suckers of this pine are obtainable from 
the Peradeuiya Gardens at El'50 per doz. 
The proposed Indian Dairy and Agricultiu'al Sup- 
ply Co. of India is what the Americans would call 
"a big thing." Among the numerous objects — 
for the enumeration of which our space is far too 
limited — are the establishment of dairy farms 
throughout India and Burma, both for the mili- 
tary and the public, and of breeding depots, 
the supplying of milch and ploughing cattle, to 
teach Dairy Farming and Agriculture, the carrying 
on of experiments in feeding, &c., cultivation of 
fodder, the introduction of sterilizing and pas- 
tuerizing, the supplying of fodder to Government 
and the jniblic, the introduction of the co-operative 
hysleni in dairying, the organising of annual 
Agricultural and Cattle Shows, the supplying of 
gtud )juUg, &c., &c, The Company's operations 
will be managed by a Board of seven Directors, and 
the working staH will consist of a Managing 
Director, two Assistant Directors, one Agricultural 
and Daily expert, one Vet, one Medical Officer, one 
Engineer, one Treasurer and Agent, one Secretary, 
and such clerical and otlier staff as may be 
necessary. Among other details is the arranging 
with th« railway c ompanies for suitable refrigerat- 
ing vans for conveying milk. The Capital required 
is' estimated at R3b0,000. 
We hear that a local Dairy Company is about to 
include the manufacture of ice and ferated waters 
among its operations, which would seem to in- 
dicate that their constituents are as solicitous iu 
the matter of " pure milk " as of " iced sodas." 
The E.vchange has the following interesting 
figures referring to sugar : The English are the 
large t consumers of sugar in the world. They 
impori 1,500.000 tons every year, equal to 30 % 
of the world's output cf beet sugar. Their con- 
sumption of sugar is equal to 86"151 lbs. per head 
of the population per annum. The next largest con- 
sumers are the United States. On the consumption 
there is only 65 49 lbs. per head. In Denmark the 
demand falls to 43'65 ; Switzerland was 42-95 lbs. ; 
France 28"24 lbs. ; and Germany only 27*141 lbs., . 
although she is the chief producer of beet sugar. 
Sugar is thus used more freely in England than 
elsewhere. The English are the J.im-makers of 
the tvorld, but the mauufacturei's import all 
their sugar and also some of their fruit ; and 
are simply mixers a!id boilers of the commodity 
they export to all corners of the earth. 
The acme of perfection in the orange world, 
is as the Planters' Monthly of Hawaii remarks, 
the "Navel." Its superiority over any other 
variety is admitted all the world over We have 
in a previous issue related to the story of the origin 
of this wonderful fruit. 
Dr. Woodbridge, a well-known Agricultudst 
in California, has succeeded in producing a 
" Navel " lemon absolutely seedless, and possessing 
the characteristics and advantages of the orange 
after which it is named, for he has named th« 
new lemon the California Naval lemon. Be.sides 
the entire absence of seed, the texture and thin- 
ness of the rind strongly remind one of the model ' 
orange which it resembles even to the navel-mark. 
Here, however, the resemblance stops, for thB 
acidity runs very high. 
A king-coconut seedling planted in the grounds 
of the School of Agriculture on " Diamond 
Jubilee Day " has already produced its first 
flower. Taking the age of the seeding whea 
planted at 6 months, it has taken a little under 
4j years to flower. 
Mr, p. O'Connor, writing on mangoes in the 
Queensland Agricultural Journal, says: — " If man- 
goes are not the most extensively grown and abun- 
dant fruit in Queensland, they soon will be . . , 
Almost every one having a garden goes in for 
mangoes .... As an evidence of the in* 
