^36 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [MARCk 2, 1903. 
Managing Proprietor, or a Shareholder in one or more 
concerns : he may be a Manager or an Assistant. It 
matters not what his exact position is so long as he is 
actively employed in growing and producing tea. 
Because a planter draws a salary is no reason why his 
kith and kin at Home should not be fall of sympathy 
for him. His bi.ead and butter depends on the wel- 
fare of tea. If tea goes to the wall so will he. The 
tvord, however, is often used in much too wide a 
sense, leading to the ambiguity complained of. A 
planter is a producer, but a producer may not be a 
planter, but only an absent proprietor or shareholder. 
The terms are frequently used very indiscriminately, 
and planters are often wrongly blamed,— En., 7.P.<?.] 
—Indian Planters' Gazette, Feb. 21. 
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MANURING FKUIT TREES. 
IThe season of the year is drawing on when the 
man with an orchard transfers the manure from his 
stables to the roots of his trees, or rather the ground 
above them. His motive is good, but his method 
often defeats the end he has in view. Who has not, 
in rambling through country districts in winter and 
spring seen a pile of manure heaped at the foot of 
the trees in the orchards ? Tes, heaped as though for 
all the world the trunk was being protected against 
frost. The veriest tyro should know, and frequently 
does know, but is too thoughtless to act upon the 
knowledge that the feeding roots of the tree are far 
from the trunk. Why. then, manure near the stem ? 
Spread the dung out as far as, or even a trifle farther 
than, the extent of the branches, and do not put any 
within 1 yard of the tree trunk. — From CasseU's 
"Gardener" forFebrvary. 
CULTIVATION OF YAMS AND JERUSA- 
LEM ARTICHOKES. 
In a recent issue ot your Journal, a writer urges 
the introduction of yams in order to make up for the 
partial failure of the potato crop in 1902. I feel that 
it would be folly to attempt such action. In the 
first place the yam is a tropical species, and would 
probably only succeed in exceptionally warm 
seasons, and be then only a fancy dish for the 
wealthy. It is true there is a hardy variety, which 
was introduced from China or Japan about fifty 
years back, Dioscorea batatas, and I well re- 
member planting the same. It was shaped like 
a club, about twenty inches long, and four to 
five inches in circumference at the thickest part 
tapering at the top to finger size. This was cut 
into eight pieces, and planted in April ; soon 
after, a shoot appeared above the ground, like 
the iSritish Bryony, and developed every beauti- 
ful marbled heart shaped foliage, like the Sar- 
saparilla (six feet to seven feet long), \yhen this 
foliage was killed by frost, I proceeded to sample 
the crop, very carefully working around the 
bottle-like neck, and a heavy job it proved, 
for the tubers ran down about three feet into 
the rock, and were so brittle that several snapped 
like a carrot and some yards of soil had to be 
moved to get out about eight sets. When 
cooked they proved to be less tasty than a bad 
waxy potato. It is evident from these facts that 
Dioscorea was useless as a commercial crop, and 
of doubtful use even after the cook had expended 
her butter and condiments upon it ; either boiled 
or fried in slices and browned, it was nauseous. 
I have not tasted other yams than in the tropics, 
or come across South American sorts cooked in 
England, but if Asparagus is cynically called an 
excuse for wasting good butter, the Dioscorea 
deserves greater condemnation. No doubt my 
Indian cook could make any root palatable, but an 
reason in writing, is it to say that a"? we already 
have a sub^ticute for potatoes available for the 
poorest, and not by any means despised by the 
richest, why waste time, labour, land and cook- 
ing, on a useless tubsr. I refer to the Jerusalem 
&xtAc\\o\'ie[EeUanthustiiherosus). In this neglected 
vegetable we have a tuber tiiat will grow in any 
soil, requires no attention when once planted ; any 
odd corner is good enough for it, no frost in- 
jures it in the soil, and it is most prolific. The 
small tubers being set in rows, two feet apart, 
will give good results ; and naturally where well- 
manured light soil is given (as for eaily potatoes), 
the tubers are larger and less rugged in outline. In 
cooking it, the outer skin should be taken off — if 
with a silver knife, the tubers do not turn black— 
and they are cooked till soft ; served with white 
sauce, they possess a nutty sweet flavour, and 
go well with any roast meat, or preferably, they 
are worth a course to themselves, while in a 
white soup they are delicious and very diges- 
tible. I find them always appreciated. 
George Bunyard, 
Chairman of the Friut and Vegetable Committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
— Journal of the Society of Arts Jan. 23, 
PEARL-FISHERY IN THE RED SEA. 
In the latest report issued by the Foreign Office 
on the trade of Jeddah and Hodeida for the years 
1899-1901, Mr. Consul Devey states that there are 
about 240 sailing vessels registered by the Jeddah 
harbour department, and only one or two new 
vessels are built every yeart As to those engaged 
regularly in pearl fishing, there are now only six 
at Jeddah, 12 at Leeth, nine at Towel, and about 
50 of the Jeheinah tribe near Yambo. The pearl- 
shell fishery has ever been one of the chief industries 
in these waters, and it must be understood that 
on this coast the most abundant grounds atFording 
the better qualities are to be found from Bab el> 
Mandeb to a point north of — the Farsan Islands, 
and going north the shell occurs less frequently, 
till some way above Yambo it ceases entirely. 
Nothing has ever been done to foster, develop, or 
to replenish this fishery as it becomes exhausted by 
the total depletion of the shallower or more easily 
reached beds ; fishers must go farther and divers 
dive deeper. More valuable shells are found at a 
depth of from 16 to 25 feet than at from 12 to 20 
feet. Divers rarely venture in the Red Sea to a 
greater depth than 30 feet unless for some very 
special purpose and reward, or it may be for what 
is known as black coral. Unquestionably the west 
side of the Red Sea is richer and more productive 
than the east in shelh.— Egyptian Gazette, Feb 10. 
CEYLON CROWS : TOWN BIRDS I 
Some time ago we mentioned the plan in- 
augurated in Selangoi", and commanded by 
the President of the United Planters' Asso- 
ciation, for importing crows from Ceylon and 
letting them loose among the plantations to 
there destroy the coffee bugs. Mr. J C 
Pasqual now writes to the Malay Mail pro- 
testing against the importation of such crows. 
He declares that the Ceylon birds, being the 
inhabitants of towns, are unsuitable for 
plantation life, and will congregate around 
the abodes of men until they become a crying 
nma&nGe.— Straits Times, F^b. 18f , 
