THE TROPICAL , AGRICULTURIST. [May 1 1903. 
This year's crop is about 2,200 cwt. Average Crop 
about 1,500 cwt. Ezpenditure about R35,000. Crop 
stolen about IC per ceDfc. If I can give any fui-tber 
help, I will willingly do so and am grateful to the 
Commissioners. — Yours sincerely, 
C. H. T. Wilkinson. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
AoRicuLTuaAL Pbogbi-Css in Formosa.— 
The Japanese are going ahead In this fine 
island. An Agricultural Experiment Station 
has just been established at Taipoli and Mr. 
Y. Fujini, the Director sends an order for 
the "Tropical Agriculturist " to be forwarded. 
Oranges,— The Pioi ida orange crop for the past 
season has totalled 800,00 J boxes, being 300,000 
less than last season, bat growers have not suffered 
through the shortage, owing to better prices ob- 
tained. The cause for the small crop was the 
drouglit which occurred in the spring just at the 
bloom of the oranges; and the red spider partially 
destroyed the crops in some groves ; while the very 
heavy rains that came later did not better matters. 
This is something like the experience here this 
season; dry weather in June decreased the 
quantity and size of the fruits in !St Ann and 
Manchester. Yet market results have been good. 
The grade of fruit all over has been improvement, 
better packing, grading and handling generally, 
with great room for greater care still. — Journal of 
the Jamaica Agricultural Society of February. 
The Ceylon Tea and Coconut Estates 
Company— whicli has, since its inauguration 
In 1896 been worked at a loss has, we are glad 
to see, completed this year's working with a 
profit of R4,377'22. No dividend was declared 
at the last annual meeting, but the report 
when compared with last year's statement is 
decidedly encouraging. This year the tea crop 
was slightly over that of last year, while the 
prices obtained were "60 cent better. The 
coconut trees gave 707,034 nuts as against 
516,008 in the previous year. Rubber too 
has now begun to yield a return and 55 lb. 
have been sold at an average price of 
R2-50 The (company have 50 acres under 
rubber, so that considerable revenue will 
soon be obtained from this source. 
Company Reports — The annual reports 
of a number of Ceylon Tea Companies 
registered in London appear elsewhere. 
Mount Vernon, as reported by wire, 
has paid a dividend of 8 per cent for 
the year and in addition has placed to 
reserve £200 and carried forward a similar 
amount— on the whole, considering the 
unsatisfeftory season, a very good first result. 
Yatiyantota Company pays 5 per cent for 
the year and writes off £1,000 for cost of 
properties &c. and carries forward £2,029. 
The Pimduloya Tea Company has had one of 
the be^ years it has yet experienced in its 
six years of existence. It pays 5 per cent 
as against 4 last year, places to reserve for 
depreciation &c. £2,250 and carries forward 
a balance of £225 I5s. The Augusta Tea 
Company closed their year with a credit 
balance of £652 12s. Beside paying Deben- 
ture interest and other fixed charges £100 
Is written off machinery account, and £41 
OS Sd is carried forward. Balmoral Company 
has had a very successful year and pays 
10 puer cent. A balance of £768 7s 3d is 
carried forward. 
Old Tree Stumps.— To remove old stamps, a 
correspondent to the Courdi'y Gentleman gives 
the follwing :— ' Get a 2-iiioh iron pipe, 8 feet long ; 
have a steel point welded into one end of it. Witli 
a sledge hammer drive this under the stump as 
far as may be necessary. Drop half a stick of 
dynamite into the hole thus made, and tramp 
earth upot; it until the. hole is filled, then light the 
fuse. The stuni[) will be lifted entirely out of the 
ground with no earth adhering to it, so that it 
may be burned the next day-.' — Hawaiian Plan- 
ters' Monthly, February 15, 
The Eucalypts.— Mr. J. H. Maiden, Gov- 
ernment Botanist of New South Wales and 
Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney 
has begun a very valuable work in a 
critical revision of the Genus Eucalyptus, 
part I, (with four plates), has just reached 
us. It is a quarto in large type clearly 
printed and covers some 50 pages, the 
description and four plates being devoted 
to " Eucalyptus Pilularis." The Contents 
are :— 
Synopsis : — Preface — Variation in the Genua ; 
Doubtful Species ; Noa-Eucalypts described as 
Eucalypts ; and Works Consulted. 
1. EucaU ptns Pilularis, Smith : — Description, 
Notes Supplementary to the Description ; Syno- 
nyms (with descriptions"), Notes on the Synonyms ; 
Range, Typical Form and Varieties ; Affinities ; 
and Explanation of Plates. 
From the preface wfe quote : — 
During the 20 years that have elapsed since the 
publication of Mueller's ' Eucalyptographia,' which 
added valuable information to Bentham's masterly 
account of the genus Eucalyptus ia the Flora 
Australiensis, we have obtained a large accession 
of facts. It seems to me that the time has arrived 
when these additional facts should be incorporated 
with the labours of tlie old workers. I have spared 
neither time nor expense to obtain access to the 
types. I have spent many years in field observa- 
tions on the genus in every State of the Common- 
Ai'ealth (though, of course, particularly in my own 
State of New South Wales), and thus have 
endeavoured to secure what is ao essential qualifi- 
cation for the study of this protean genus. 
A very important departure in a work of this 
kind is the following : — While expressing niy. opi- 
nions as to affinities, synonyms, etc., I shall in all 
cases give the original descriptions of the species 
whether considered to be synonyms or not. In 
this way my readers will be able to weigh the 
evidence for themselves, and, if they do not concur 
in my conclusions, they will at least be placed in 
possession of the data on which they are based. 
The genus Eucalyptus is the most important ia 
Australia. The individuals which comprise it are 
all pervading, while the number of species and 
varieties is very large. As the work proceeds I 
will give my views as to the grouping of the 
species. The present part contains much prefa- 
tory matter referring to the genus. Then one spe- 
cies is taken in detail, and the other species will 
be treated i.) a like manner, the facts being grouped 
in the same way. The rapi iity with which this 
work can be issued depends mainly on the plates ; 
I have only the partial services of one artist. 
The future number of this valuable work 
will be eagerly looked for. 
