Jan. 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
477 
Where the saiuplo is proved to be flagrantly 
bad, let the Board issue a certificate to the 
Government for its condemnation, and let 
the latter on the same principle that it has 
ont the Cess Tax into effect at the instance 
of the planter, enforce this. It must be 
remembered that such " spoilt " tea has still 
a market for its full value through Messrs. 
JBohringer. I am of opinion that this scheme 
will be found perfectly practicable in prin- 
ciple, and would do more to give stability 
to the Industry and Share Market than any 
form ofCombine that can possibly be invented. 
Its success in Ceylon would also, doubtless, 
lead to the adoption of a similar scheme in 
London in course of a little time.— Yours 
faitlifully, PROPRIETOR. 
DR, SHERIDAN LEA ON "WITHANIA 
COAGULANS." 
Galagedara, Nov. 27. 
Sir, — Many of the natives of India refuse to 
have anything to do with cheese pieparad by 
means of animal rennet, and there is consequently 
there a large field for the employmenb of this 
plant. Some years ago Surgeon-Major Aitchison 
sent home an account of the peculiar property of 
the "Withania." The shrub grows freely in 
Afghanistan and Northern India av.d the natives 
there have for a long time employed an aqueous 
extract of the capsules to curdle their milk. Some 
dried material sent from thence to Kew was used 
by Dr. Lea in his investigations. Withania is a 
genus of the order SobanaeeiE and has a capsula 
fruit containing a large number of small seeds 
In the dried material these seeds were enveloped 
in a coating of a peculiar resinous matter, which 
was probably the dried juice of the capsules in 
which they had ripened. The ferment was found 
to exist to a very slight amount in the stalks of 
the fruits, and to be extremely abundant in the 
seeds. From the ground seeds it could be ex- 
tracted easily by maceration with solution of 
common salt, and by treatment with glycerine, 
so extracted, it was found to be destroyed on 
boiling, but to be able to withstand moderately 
prolonged exposure to alcohol. Its activity in 
a fairly strong extract was quite equal to that 
of most commercial samples of rennet prepared 
from the stomach. It could, moreover, be kept 
with as great security as the latter, by the aid 
of common salt and a little alcohol. Its com- 
mercial value is somewhat interfered with by the 
presence in the seeds, and in their extracts, of a 
peculiar yellowish-brown colouring matter which 
cannot be separated without destroying the rennet 
These seeds were obtained from Mr. E Spearman 
Hughes, Florist, Kandy, some months ago and 
sent to the United States, and I am glad to slate 
the recent glowing accounts of its great success 
will open a large field in our Colony for its cultiva- 
t on. — Yours truly, 
J. J; McK. 
MATALE PARA RUBBER SELLING 
HIGH, 
Kepitigalla, Matale, Dec. 5. 
Dear Sir, — As promised in my letter of 
October 1st last, which appeared in your 
daily issue, to let you know the results of the 
sale of the 1.3 cases Para Rubber dispatched, 
I now h-ave the pleasure in stating that 
the l:i cases sold fur the handsome average 
price of 3s lid per lb, — an average price 
second to none in the wiuKl, as very best 
Paras were selling at same sale at 3s .^.^d. 
Valuation and sales of VS cases, Kepitigalla, 
Matale, Ceylon, Para Rubber :— 
London, Nov, li. 
To 4 cases 200 B. AI. valued at 3s lid 
sold .at 4s. 
To 8 cases -100 B. A. valued at 3s lid sold 
at 4s. 
To 1 case 42 B. rough scrap valued at 23 
8d sold at 2s lOd. 
I enclose London Agent's sales memo to 
verify above figures.— I am, 8ir, yours faith- 
fully, FRANCIS J. HOLLOWAY. 
THB CARDAMOMS' POSITION AND 
PROSPECTS. 
Gammaduwa, Dec. 7. 
Dear Sir,— Mr. Hunter's letter of the 1st 
inst. .appears most opportunely. It was only 
the other week your readers were informed 
of an application to Government for 40 acres 
of land on 12 years' lease for the purpose 
of experimental cardamom cultivation, and 
about a ye.ir ago of a grant of 200 acre 
for a similar purpose. Old cardamom grow- 
ers have reason to feel alarmed. With 8,000 
odd acres of this product and an export, 
for eleven months, of 551,659 lb, with a 
probable 7.50,000 lb, next year, they think 
their cultivation is beyond the experimental 
stage. They are now warned they will have 
a big struggle for existence with their for- 
midable rival India, and our Governor should 
note this while considering applications for 
grants and leases for cardamom cultivation. 
Perhaps, the experience of the older grow- 
ers may help them in the fight.— Yours 
faithfully, 
JAMES WBSILAND. 
COCONUT CULTIVATION : SALT.— No. 2, 
THE CASE FOR FKEE SALT FOR AGRICUL- 
TURAL PURPOSES. 
Dear Snt, — la my last communication (in which by the 
way "husks ' was made to read "bushes"), I pointed out 
how one of the natural conditions under which the coco- 
palm grew — a free soil — could be imitated by 
draining and tilling. In this commnnioatioD I intend 
to dwell on the necessity of salt for coconut culti- 
vation. 
The history of the agitation to induce Government 
to issue salt for agricultural purposes at reduced 
rates goes back into the past. The agitation was 
started by the Coliee Planters headed by Mr R B 
Tytler, i£ I mistake not. Governmeut met the 
agitation with the reply that salt could not be so 
de-naturalised as not to make it possible for it to 
be pnrided and made fit for calinavy purposes. A 
practical Governmeut would have dealt with probabi- 
lities rather than with possibilities. Was it probable 
that the ordinary cooly had a sufficient knowledge 
sf practical chemistry to purify the salt that had 
been denaturalised, aud was it by any means prob- 
able, that if he had that knowledge, he would nCiliae 
it and espend much valuable time to Bave ft cent 
