Dec. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
409 
ordinary lipjhtning rod wliich is considered so 
essential to all our cliininey stalks and cliurch 
steeples, and which appears to he so l)ij;lily re- 
sented hy the cock on tlie top of the Scotch Kirk 
in Calcutta as interfering with the dignity of UU 
environment, was really of any use as a protec- 
tion against destruction by lightning. At the end 
of that discussion, in which many experts took 
part, the balance of evidence inclined towards 
the opinion that the ordinary lightning con- 
ductor was really of very little use for the pur- 
pose for which it was erected, and that very 
often it was a positive danger to the building. 
Since then the " lightning rod " question has often 
cropped up for discussion, and always some little 
contribution to our knowledge on the subject, 
mainly gained by observation and experience, has 
been added. Again, I see theie is a discussion 
going on, and a new generation is anxiously ask- 
ing what engineers have to say on the best me- 
thods of protecting buildings from destruction 
by v\hatv/e call lightning. J he Scientific American 
says : " The rod should traverse the edges and 
peaks of the roof and the lower parts should 
go to the ground at all the corners of the 
building for best protection." The terminal 
points must go to wet earth, or into a well 
if one is handy. This looks like, not one rod, but 
a complete network or cage of rods. Tlie journal 
above quoted also states that no insulators sh -uld 
be used on the rod. So far, The Scientific Ameri- 
can, And now come the conclusions of a nuhiber 
of scientific men who formed themselves into a 
Lightning Research Committee, and which seem 
to bear out the American opinion. After nearly 
a year's investigation, these sr-cientists found the 
old theory of the protective value of a single 
road on a church stneple or tall chimney com- 
pletely exploded. They found that lightning 
often struck a building and committed damage 
within a few feet of the conductor. The conclu- 
sion arrived at was that if a thorough protection 
of a building is possible, it can only be effected by 
a network of protectors spread over or around 
the building, and with many earth connections. It 
would be interesting to have the views of thecliiefs 
of the Ir)dian P W D on this subject, and it may 
be as well for all those who are living at ease 
under their old fashioned lightning rods to bestir 
themselves, and get into copper cages at once. 
All the unsightly single lightning rods chat 
disfigure our public buildings may as well come 
down, in view of the proved fact that they are not 
only absolutely useless but may turn out to be 
sources of positive danger. 
THE CAMPHOR INDUSTRY OF FORMOSA; 
The camphor factory at Taikwakan, one of the 
two most promising camphor districts near Taipeh, 
had to be closed tlie year before last (says the 
(Kobe Chronicle) on account of the havoc wrought 
among the trees by the aborigines. The same 
course had to be taken at Nansho a few months 
ago, and this factory has also discontinued busi- 
nesis. We now learn from the vernacular paper 
that it has been arranged to start the manufacture 
of camphor at Taikoyo, near Gilan, and that 
charters have been granted to the Komotsu- 
gnnii and other firms. The yield of camphor 
during the present fiscal year at Taikoyo will, 
it is estimated amount to about 360,000 catties. 
Preparations for the new station are now being 
pushed forward. — Overland China Mail, Oct. 25. 
JAVA CINCHONA AND QUININE. 
Notwithstanding the increased monthly shipment 
of cinchona bark from Java to Holland during 
1901, prices realised were satisfactory. At the 
auctions in Holland the unit price rose from 7-25c 
in January to 10'45c in June, only, however, to 
recede to 7-G5c in December. The average unit 
price was 8 30n for the ten auctions held, and the 
average percentage of quinine in the bark was 
5-45 per cent. The equivalents of above quota- 
tions in sterling are : — 
Currency. Sterling. 
Cents. d. 
7-2.5 1-45 
10-45 2-09 
7- 65 1-53 
8- 30 1-66 
The exports of bark from Java during last year 
compared with those of the four previous years 
are as follows : — 
Quantity. 
Year. lb. 
ItOl ... ... ... 13,901,588 
1900 ... ... ... 12,068,718 
1899 ... ... ... 12,414,402 
1898 ... ... ... 12,123.310 
1897 ... ... ... 8,498,726 
The quantity of sulphate of quinine produced 
by the Uandong factory and sold at auction in 
Batavia during 1901 was 1,014,000 oz. (English). 
The average price paid was 1 1-lOd per oz., the 
equivalent of 1 7-lOd per unit. The '.m\k of the 
quinine was shipped to the United States and 
London. Some parcels were also forwarded to 
Australia, British India, China, Japan, and the 
Straits Settlements, 
The following are particulars of quantities sold 
and average prices realised at Batavia auctions 
last year : — 
Quantity Average price 
Date of Sale. in oz. per oz 
February 27 ... ... 120,000 H-67 pence 
Aoril 3 ... ... 108,000 12-88 
May 15 ... ... 104,100 13-52 " 
June 19 ... ... 96,100 13-32 ' 
July 24 ... ... 84,400 12-21 
September 5 ... ... 62,000 11-34 " 
October 9 ... ... 111,300 11-66 " 
November 13 ... ... 183,400 11-34 " 
December 18 ... ... 144,000 11-44 
— Tea, ' 
A NEW SYNTHETICAL GUTTA-PERCHA. 
I thought we should not have to wait long. There 
has been such a lot of artificial, synthetical, and 
other wondrous kinds of rubber announced to the 
world that it is only fair that gutta-percha should 
at last have a look in. And it has got it. The 
" Electrical Review" tells us that " synthetical" 
gutta is an accomplished fact. But if anyone 
standing outside the rubber industry wishes to see 
what a farrago of nonsense and ignorance is looked 
upon as information to the rubber trade, and, alas, 
others besides he should peruse that article— and 
ponder. 
That this artificial preparation is capable of 
replacing gutta percha for insulating purposes, 
even for submarine lines, is by no means im- 
possible, but it will take several years' practical 
test to establish beyond doubt the stability of this 
new prepaiation. On this point it is ditiicnit to 
]irophecy without even knowing the constituents 
of the new Gutta. All that can be said is that 
this stability will be determined by that of its moat 
