Aug. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
113 
NEW TEA PATENTS, 
ONE FKOM MR. JAS. WIIYTE, COLOMBO. 
"Necessity is the mother of iiiveation." The 
necessities of the tea growiti« business seein Lo be 
bearing the usual t)uit. We have already noticed 
one or two developments which bid fair to become 
important, Mr C Li Newton's euzymes and the 
soluble tea devised in Ceylon. The weel<ly 
roporcs of the Patent OfHee contain sevexal others. 
Last week's list of patents applied for include a 
tea-dryinfi and glazing machine, for which Messrs 
David Keid and John Dale of Baraoora, Sylhet, 
apply for protection. An improved method and 
apparatus for nianufncturing green tea, patent 
applied for by Messi s Horace DrummondDeane and 
CharlessGeoige Landseer Judge. Improvements in 
apparatus for cutting teas sought to be patented 
by Mr James Whyte of San Sebastian, Colombo, 
Ceylon. — Indian Gardening and Planting, 
July 3. 
INDIAN REDUCTION OP TEA CROP. 
The local Committee of the Indian Tea Asso- 
ciation have issued the following Circular to all 
producers of Indian tea :— 
" We enclose copy of resolutions wliich were 
come to at an influential Meeting of Produocis 
representing over 100 million lb. of Indian Tea, 
and shall be glad to know if yon. will j'<ui in the 
movement, and it so, please signify your approval 
on the annexed sheet, and return to the Secretary 
of the Indian Tea Association, You vvill .doubtless 
recognise the importance of an early reply. 
Although it may be necessary to take the leaf olT 
the bushes during the specilied period, the under- 
taking provides that such leaf shall :iot be made 
into Tea from the 1st to 21st August inclusive." 
Later advices from London state that the London 
Committee have agreed to allow reduction of 
black lea crop by the manufacture of Green Tea, 
thus saving the leaf, if desired by growers. Pro- 
ducers who approve of the resolution for Restriction 
of Output, and agree to join in the movement 
on the terms named are asked to declare the 
amounts of their total estimates of crop for the 
cuirent season and their outturn from the 1st to 
21st August of last year. — Indian Gardening and 
Plantiny, July 3. 
RAISING TOBACCO IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
The Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture has decided 
to experiment in Pennsylvania with the raising; of 
Sumatra and Cuban Havana tobacco under cover, and 
the eyes of tobacco raisers generally may be said to 
be turned toward Lancaster county, the scene of the 
experiment. While the growing of Sumatra tobacco 
in this country ia beyond the experimental stage, as 
yet the centre of this new enterprise, strictly speaking, 
ia Connecticut, and tlie recent report to Secretary 
y/ilsoa of last year's crop in that state has awakened 
interest. The tobacco raised under the supervision of 
experts from the Department of Agriculture has been 
sold at an averege price of $1*25 a pound, and, as the 
cost was about 25 cents a pound, the protit was |1 a 
pound. As the average farmer can raise 1,000 pounds 
of selected leaf to the acre, the growers all over the 
state are watching the local experiment. Connecticut 
will produce this year about $1,500,000 worth of Su- 
matra leaf, which is about one-fifth of the annual 
importation of this particular tobacco, Uuder cover, 
tbe leaf haa been kaowp. to grow to the height of eight 
feet. It is believed that the soil on the Pennsylvania 
tract is as good as, it not better suited, for Sumatra 
growing' than, the Connecticut soil. — Bradstreet's, 
May 31. 
^ 
CACAO AND RUBBER PLANTING. 
Samoa.— Tlie Samoa Estates, Ltd., has just 
commenced operations in cacao planting, and 
ereac things are e.^pected from it, which bid fair 
to be realised. Mr Hart, F L.S., of Trinidad, 
recommends in his work on cacao the planting of 
hevea rubber trees between the rows as sliade 
plants. Some of the experienced planters here 
do not favour this, on the ground that tl.e hcvea 
rubber tree is not proficable to cultivate, and say 
that the castilloa elastica is better; they also think 
that the rubber tree siioukl riot be planted 
amongst the cacao. However this may be, it 
may be regarded as certain that large planting 
companies shoulil cultivate the castilloa elastica 
rubber tree which, I am informed, thrives here 
equally as well as cacao, and yields a return in 
from six to eight years, some say. It is not as 
.subject to disease as the cacao, and could be 
planted, as experts may recotnend, either berween 
the cafao rows or in aiioihci pj.it of the planta- 
tion. Whethi^r it withstands hurricanes better 
than csi.cao, which is a very fragile tree, I cannot 
say. I strongly advise the companies who intend 
to carry on planting operations here not to depend 
solely on cacao, but to plant as well indiarubber 
trees, with other tropicul products suited to the 
soil. Kola, too, bearing in ten years, should be 
cultivated by small planters. — British Acting- 
Consul in Samoa. — British Tirade Journal, 
June 1. 
<!► 
TOBACCO-GROWING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 
The mode; r oker has such a wide range of to- 
bacco from V 1 h lo choose that the final selection 
of the brand which shaH satisfy all his requirements 
is a maiter of no little difficulty. Acting on the advice 
of various friends, he flits from one species to another, 
and tiuds, that so far as tobacco is concerned, there 
is no wisdom in the multitude of counsellors. Yet, 
even with the keen competition from oversea, South 
African — and especially Transvaal — tobaccos have 
hitherto held their own in public favour. And, now 
(si>.ys the " Cape Times") a new Cape rival has entered 
the field, and Transvaal growers will have to look to 
their laurels. It is about three years since Mr C W 
Leach, v/ho had had wide experience as a tobacco- 
grower in the Rustenburg district of the Ti-ansvaal, 
first turned his ai-tenlion to the Qneenstown district as 
a favourable country for tobacco cultivation. He 
purchased the fine old farm in that; district known as 
Poplar Grove, and there devoted himself to the culti- 
vation of the " weed " on the most modern and 
scientific principles. The success of his operations has 
already been proved by the popularity of his tobaccos 
in the Eastern Province, but hitherto they have not 
been introduced to any extent in the Western districts, 
being only known to a fortunate few. Mr A Dowling, 
who represents Mr Leach, is now in Capetown with 
a view to introducing the Poplar Qrove tobaccos in 
this city. The farm is now iruder cultivation to the 
extent of about 401) acres, on which at present about 
a million plants are grown. Estimating that each plant 
produces 3 lb. of tobacco yearly, the output works oat 
at something over 3,000,000 lb. per annum. The con- 
sumption of IMr Leach's tobaccos already equals the 
supply, while the demand is far in excess, and conse- 
qaently a large extension of the cultivated area is in 
progress, it being intended to cultivate no less than 
3,000,000 plants duriug the present season, — Xatal 
Jlcrcn)-!/, May 27, 
