188 
THE TEOPIOAL AGRICULTUEIST. [Sept. 1, 1902. 
anything and everything at any time in a new 
place, lie must necessarily get ill. There is 
»othing new in the case of the Tamil cooly catching 
diarrhoea or dysentery when he changes his diet. 
Without going far afield I may instance the 
case of tlie Tamil oooly in the Wynaad District 
when he is supplied with "raw rice." The Oanarese 
cooly thrives on "raw rice" because that forms his 
ordinary food. But the Tamil cooly who is not 
accustomed to it gets diarrhoea \v hen he lives on 
raw rice. The ordinary diet of the Tamil cooly in 
the high lands of Ceylon consists of rice, dhall 
and small dry fish called nettali. It has been 
found by experience that nettali soup nourishes 
the cooly patient, whereas mutton or chicken 
broth does not, because he has not been used to 
it. This does not apply to all coolies. Tliere are 
soire who are robust and well-fed like the 
Kanganies and the cooly employed in the plan- 
ter's bungalow. The causes that lead to ill- 
health of the Indian cooly on landing at Ferak 
are the following :— (I) tlie fatigue and star- 
vation he has undergone on the sea voyage ; 
(2) the change of climate v.'hich includes the 
" bad water of Perak "; (3) unwholesome food, 
such as eating plenty of plantains and other fruits 
and meat at irregalar hours. 
M. TiSAINAYAGAM. 
Kayts, Ceylon, 24tIvJuly. 

PANTING NOTES. 
Tea Boxes for the Canadian Market. 
— We attract attention to " Merchant " 's 
letter on this subject, on page 2C0 
as giving practical information of interest 
to shippers of Ceylon tea for Canada. 
Planting in Sumatra.— Our planting read- 
ers will enjoy the racy letter we print on 
another page above the well-known signa- 
ture of " W. T. McK.'' " Well-known " in 
Ceylon twelve or twenty years ago — buc, alas, 
how many have come and gone since tiien ! — 
and we fear if Mr. Taring Mackenzie re- 
visited his old diggings in the Central Pro- 
vince, he would feel like a stranger among 
strangers, so far as his personal surroundmgs 
were concerned, a.lthough he would have a 
hearty welcome both from old and new. 
But the country is much the same, and his 
German or Dutch friend does not overrate 
the beauties of our Central Capital, uniquely 
situated in its cuplike valley guarded by the 
hills and the river, and with the grand 
Peradeniya Gardens close by. Someone the 
other day asked us "what about the future 
of Coffee?" The question made us feel a 
little guilty ; for, in 1896, we ventured in a 
letter to the London Times, which appeared 
above our own name, to correct some re- 
marjks of Sir R W Herbert and to say that 
" coffee" (with the failures in Ceylon, Java and 
India) should be the product to go in for, where 
it would grow in the tropics, Alas I we had 
then no conception of what Brazil could do in 
almost doubling its exports. For the outlook 
at present, we cannot do better than refer 
to what " W T McK" says on another page. 
— As to the "King" coconuts wanted, we 
have no doubt some one with a good garden 
^ud wishful for new plants, will respond. 
North Borneo. — We have had enquiries 
lately as to progress in British North Borneo. 
Such figures as the B.N.B, Company's Agent 
sends us (see page six), are the briefest answer 
and index to the growth of the country. 
"Hill" Flavour in Tea.— The depressed 
spirits of planters are beginning to revive 
(says the Indian Planters' Gazette, August 
2Hd) especially those in Darjeeling, who almost 
began to think that the manufaccure of 
teas of true ' hill" flavour was a "lost art." 
Some of the gardens in the Darjeeling 
district have realised very satisfactory average 
prices for late invoices. Really good hill tea 
will always command full value, the same as 
any other " stand out " tea. 
A New Curk for Dysentery.— We aie always 
glad to hear of new and authentic cures. Have any 
of our readers information on the drug referred 
to in the following Indian cutting?: — "The 
ravages which dysentery caused among Europeans 
in the tropics before the disease was as well un- 
derstood as at present were terrible, and now, 
although it is afiirmed by many medical men that 
dysentery if taken in hand in time is practically 
always amenable to treatment, and butseldom fatal 
even when for a short time neglected, yet the num- 
ber of deaths caused by it, especially among children, 
is still very great ; and it is most certainly good 
news to hear that a new cure for it iias been dis- 
covered in the seeds of the " Brucca Sumatrance," 
which are said to be as much a specific for it as 
quinine is for malaria. Now that is news to the 
greater part of the world although probably 
known for long by the natives of the regions in 
which it grow.^. It is even found in Borneo, Java, 
Sumatra, the Philippines, South China and Austra- 
lia. The plant is being raised from seed and in a 
short time the seedling will be ready for distribu- 
tion, and already theie have been very many 
applications received by Mr H M Ridley, the 
Director of- the Botanical Gardens of the Straits 
Settlements." 
Banana Rubber.— Subatitatea for india-rubber ap- 
pear to be getting more and more numerous. The 
latest idea is certainly the beat ! As recorded in the 
pages of " The Fruit Grower," the information must 
be of great value to its readers as well as to the 
manufacturing trade! The writer introduces his sub- 
ject as follows : — There have been for many yoara 
past attempts to provide a substitute for rubber, the 
market price of which has ia the past decade, gone 
up by leaps and bounds. There is even talk at times 
of tho supplies giving out. According co a report re- 
cently received in this country, a method has been 
patented for perfecting the manufacture of an artificial 
india-rubber from banana fruit skins, and a company 
is to be formed to work the process. Small cuttingg 
of sheet rubber made a percentage of " banana rub- 
ber " and Para rubber have been exhibited in 
this country, and it is said to be diffif.ult to tell 
the difference bstween this combination and pure 
rubber. It is claimed that banana rubber can be 
made at about halt the price of pure Para rubber. 
When the skins of the banana (used aceord- 
ing to this process) are proved to be worth more than 
the fruib itself, an enormous impetus will, of coarse, 
be given to the transport of bananas from West Africa 
and other parts of the world, where this fruit is so pro- 
lifio. It is said that Messrs. Rowntree & Company, 
of York, who own large estates in the West Indies, 
are making exhaustive experiments in the manufacture 
of banana rubber,— /(irfict-^SM^Jer ^ Triides Journal^ 
