June l, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
: 833 
80 far North as the mammoth, and is found on 
both sides of the Mediterranean- Indeed, the 
present African species once existed in Spain. 
In each case tlie older forms are regarded as 
specially distinct from those now living, but yet 
as their undoubted orogenitors. The African ele- 
phant may be readily distinguished from the 
Indian. Its ears are larger and of a different 
shape ; so also is the forehead ; the folds of 
enamel on its molar teeth make another pattern ; 
its tusks often are sMghtly larger, and the animal 
is, on the whole, a little bigger. All that the 
Indian elephant can do the African should be 
capable of doing. It is said to be more powerful 
and active, more rapid in its movements, especially 
on broken ground. According to Sir Samuel 
Baker, it could beat an Indian elephant in a race, 
and keep up the pace for a longer time. It is 
aL«o said to endure the sun better. Tliis species 
was often brought to Kome in the days of the 
Empire, and the animals were tame enough to be 
led in proce.^sions and exliibited in the arena. 
Pliny has plenty to say about both kinds in his 
Natural History, inchnling some stories which we 
fear would not uou' command respect. Elephants 
figured, as everyone knows, in the Punic Wars ; 
indeed, Hanibal managed to bring nearly forty of 
them across the Alps^ though it was hard work to 
get them down the slippery slope on the Italian 
side of the Pass. The late Mr. Oswell suggested 
that these were not native animab, but imported 
from India. This, however, is not very likely. 
Though the species is said to be rather less docile 
than the Indian, it could probably be made useful, 
if enough trouble were taken. — Standard, April 5. 
COFFEE IN NORTHERN INDIA. 
COFFEE IN SYLHET AND ASSAM. 
I note, in your 4fch of April issue, that your South 
Sylhet Correspondent attributes the want of a suffi- 
cient supply of moisture as the principal cause of his 
coffee biislies having been a mouth later than usual in 
coming into flower. No doubt the abnormal drought, 
which they have had to contend against down south, 
would have more than an ordinary tendency to delay 
the flowering period, but how would South Sylhet ac- 
count for the ljushes up here being a month later in 
coming into blossom than they wei'e last season, or, as 
a matter of fact, any season since tbey have heen 
planted? We had a copious and evenly distributed 
rainfall during .January, February, and half through 
March. The latter month, too, was extraordisiarily 
hot for March and brought on all other vegetation 
with a rush. It did not appear, however, to have the 
same effect on the coffee bush. About the beginning 
of March there were certainly a few flowers here and 
there stimulated to activity, but the principal show — 
and it certainly is a good one — is still in the unopened 
bud. 
Perhaps the age of the bush has got something to do 
with determining the flowering period. I remember 
when my bushes came into flower for he first time 
that the display occurred about the 18th February, 
INDIGENOUS COFFEE. 
It is more than a month now since the indigenous 
variety (Coffea Bengal enais) was in full flower. By 
the bye, why '• Bengalensis ?" Would it not have 
been more appropriate to have named it Coffea 
Assamensis ? I spent a good number of years in 
Bengal before coming to Assam, but I cannot remem- 
ber having ever seen a single plant of it there ; 
while here yotr cannot go any distance anywhere, 
where there is the slightest patch of jangle, until the 
large, pure, white, circular flower of Coffee Bengalen- 
sis catches your eye. It is one of the most plentiful 
and attractive shrubs which is to be found in the jungle 
up here. I even found one growi-ug side by side with 
a tea bush the other day. I nsed to have a number 
of them roitnd my compoui:d, ;uid dm-ing the flower- 
ing season they were the first to attract the eye, 
but my gardener cut them out last vear when I was 
at home. There will, however, be 'little difficulty 
in replacing them._ 
It is not so very long ago since I met a planter, 
who had been " lookmg for land " on the north side 
of the Brahmaputra, who told me that he came across 
a piece of land amounting to some hundreds of acres 
simply clothed with the native variety of coffee If 
such is the case-and jadgmg from the number of 
bushes wihich are to be found almost evervwhere 
I see no reason whatever to misdoubt the stiitement 
—I should thmk that Upper Assam would be a much 
more suUable place for the other varieties than further 
South. It stands to reason that, if the native variety 
can propagate itself to such an extent and grow luxuri- 
antly without any cultivation or attention whatever 
that the other varieties of the species would do equally 
well with the ordinary treatment which they are sup- 
posed to require in all coffee-nroducing " districts 
Judging from my own robust and vigorous bushes" 
I should say that the Assam soil is capable of pro- 
duoiug the very best of food for the coffee bash. 
My bu-hes are luxuriating on a piece of ground 
which was formerly occupied by tea and has reared 
pineapples and trmt trees for years. 
As a matter of fact their shed, if such it may be 
called, consists of a number of peach, banana and 
plum trees, and what little space remains unoccupied 
between them is filled up with pineapples. So much 
for soil. The Assam climate, 1 should say, is a lon^ 
way ahead of South Sylhet for the production of 
coffee, as we are never troubled with ihe prolono-ed 
droughts which they are undoubtedly subject to The 
elevation is something over 400 feet above sea-level 
and my bushes are growing rank and luxuriantly two 
feet above flooding level.— Dibrdgaeh Correspondent 
in Indian Gardening and Planting, April 25. 
" Bone Meal as a Manure " is the title 
of an interesting and useful lecture delivered 
on the 23rd March in the hall of the Tripli- 
cane Literary Society by John Kenny of the 
Madras Bone Mills— a copy of which is before 
us. Mr. Kenny brings together a great deal 
of valuable information ; but his pamphlet 
is chiefly noteworthy as a protest against 
the export of bones, and he winds up as fol- 
lows : — 
" That India has not hitherto used bone meal as a 
manure is not surprising. In Germany, the land of 
agricultural studies, its use was scarcely known, 
certainly not appreciated, even in the forties. Till 
then bones had been regularly shipped to England. 
Hunter had recommended the u.se of bone in agri- 
culture in England in the year 1774. With the rise 
o the beet sugar industry in Germany exportation 
of bones soon came to an end. At present there is 
absolutely no export of bones fioui Germany but an 
immense import from all parts of the vvorld, India 
will soon, like Germany, learn the worth of so 
valuable a manure and stop the dreadful drain from 
the lanJ of one of its best fertilisers. Last year's 
exports must have reached somewhere near a lakh 
of tons, yet every bone that left these shores was 
sadly needed by the soil." 
We shall quote several parts of the lectiu'e 
in our Tropical Agriculturist. 
