T^E ; r fEEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June 1, 1903. 
trapical position, Grand Canary is not unpleasantly, 
hot. The climate is dry, bracing and warm. There 
iSi no cold in winter, and no extreme heat in 
Summer. Tlie average winter teniperatrire is 63deg. 
or lOdeg. higher than at Meiitone, Just now it 
ite 65 in the daytime and 55 at night. Eain falls 
mostly during the night — the best time for all 
concerned. There are no surset chills, no heavy 
dews in the evening, no frosts and no hot winds 
Efuch as those which sweep r cross Morocco and 
Algeria. I do not think it is possible to convey 
A better impression of the e!iniate than to say 
that people are bathing ever lay from the hotel, 
and that they do this all the jar round. This is 
al\*ays done in the clear sunshiiie and under cloud- 
less skies. The palm from which the town takes 
its name are scattered everywhere within the zone 
of the sea level. Date palms grov/ and produce 
their fruit amid the white houses that climb the 
slowly-rising hill on the sides of which Las Palmas 
is built. ■ 
AVENUES OF EUCAT.YPTUS,- 
Avenues of eucalyptus trees line the dusty roads 
that wind in and out in endi ess circles from the 
town to the highlands of the interior. The pepper 
tree mixes with them in a catholic spirit. Sharp, 
fierce aloes lurks everywhere, keen reminders that 
we are On the threshold of the tropics. Tropical 
viagetation is strangely cruel and ferocious. Orange 
groves nestles in protected valleys, sugar canes 
grow on sunny uplands, vineyards cover the long 
slopes of the hills. Maize fields are cultivatei by 
the peasants, the corn being threshed in the open 
on earthen threshing floors by patient oxen. The 
banana, however, is the plant most in evidence. 
The whole island moves on a banana pivot.' The 
iBoment we land, from the liner out ih the road- 
stead the banana confronts us. Long, raking 
carts, loaded to a perilous height with cases of the 
fiiUit, are grouped on the quays. The mules 
which draw them are feeding as they stand. Some, 
loose, are waiting, for the least justification to kick 
at something, All along the road these mules and 
these carts, moving in slow, tranquil procession, 
ai'e met. They descend laden in the morning from 
the interior. They unload on the quay during the 
day. At evening tliey climb the hills, slowly 
sauntering homewards in the same impervious way. 
Life is very quiet in the Isle of Palms. For exer- 
cise there are golf, lawn tennis, and cricket. For 
diversion there are fishing and excursions innumer- 
able. Mountain climbing on muleback is followed 
by the adventurous. The lovely wild scenery and 
the vagaries of the mule afifor i all that a reason- 
able biped can conscientiously demand. Mules 
are hired for half a crown a dpy. Donkeys which 
will carry any weight up to 16 atone cost the same, 
CARRIAGE EXCUR.SION. 
*,"^he nsiiai manner of making an excursion is by 
Carriage. We feel two genially happy to walk 
ranch. The cabby always asks three times what 
he wants in the expectation of being bid down one- 
third, and so getting twice his legal fare. Three 
horses running abreast make the usual team. They 
will cover thirty or forty miles a day without dis- 
comfort, and then cheerfully take their stand on 
tlie ranks outside the hotels to wait for chance 
customers. The cabman is very iijdependent, and 
phlls up regularly at hou.ses of call to quench his 
thirst. We wait his convenience, and then resume 
our journey.^ On. Sundays the correct evening 
occupation w to joiuj ^^Ue c^hm^plji .i)^>:a4p, ift ,it()e, 
Alameda de Coton, the fashionable squar* 
or plaza. Here all the beauty and the chivalry of 
Las Pahnas congregate after vespers. Tliis church 
parade under the stars is a typical Spanish custom 
and remains whatever Spaniards have mingled 
their blood and their traditions as a result of conqest 
or colonisation. The native (not the aboriginal) 
element is seen to advantage at such a time. Half 
a score of cafes do a flourishing trade. Tartanas 
a sort of inverted Irish car, are hired by the 
hundred. Cavaliers ride in on horses or muleji. 
Visitors from alien climes throng to the Alameda 
in light evening dress. The girls of Las Palmas 
come in manlillaa which become them wondrously 
well, and which, unhappily they are disposed to 
abandon for European headgear. * Above all there 
is the band. It is a typical scene in a land of 
pleasure. On otlier evenings we sit out on the 
verandah as in England we nii^ht on a warm July 
evening. Twinkling lights in the bay show where 
the great liners have anchored for a brief pause <)ti 
their way home from the African (ioa^st, th6'Cji|)'^ 
or still niore distant siiores.~B'o?n^ pCCjieK^ ' "I'J^ 
NEW ZEALAND APPOINTMENT 'iFdB"'&« 
MORRIS'S ASSISTANT AT DOMIJ?^£?Xsj 
The appoiatment of Snperintendent , ov^oe 
Botanic GJardens and City Reserves at Dunedin, 
New Zealand, has been accepted by Mr, David 
Tannock, Officer in Charge of the gricultU|ral 
School in Dominica, West Indies, which is niider 
the Imperial Department of Ajgriculturfe adminis'- 
tered by Dr. Morris, C M G. Mr, Tannock wi'H 
leave the West Indies' for England next raodth, 
prior to taking up his new appointment.— Morning 
Pos?, March 20. ' ' • ; . 
■ ,li^,'.S-J HI r, i-.r.y-.:-vK| i . U09U. Jia "^WllJl' ' 
• j« 'i.' 9^ ■«! '>!\i n rii » '^( ft*-'^-h■J^^lil^'^^l(\ igifn'n . 
liuNAN 'AND THE CAiy^t>HOR TK^DE,' 
Since the hiss of Formosa, thecamphor trade, has 
been lost to China. The Chinese endeavoured to 
make good this loss by trying to grow the tree 
in China itself. News has now come that the trial 
has proved to be successful in the province of 
Hunan. There are now countless caruphor trees 
several feet in diameter in the province, and it je 
expected that with care it wjU be possible for 
Hijnan soon to be able to export annually sevei-aJ 
thousand piculs of the drug. The market is at 
present dependent chiefly upon the supply from 
Formosa and Sumatra, and in consequence the 
price keeps high, — Bangkok Timea, Ai)itil 8., ■,. . 
MOM i iAlBOUf: THE rEUOALrPTUSv 
Mr. Ben jamin Jiidkinsbf San Diego, in speaking 
of the descriptive 'write up' of the eucalyptus tree; 
which appeared in the February issue of Tufe 
Rural Californian, among other things, sajk ; 
"Few people in Californii know the real value of 
the three species of that tree, viz : The blue gum, 
red gum and white. There are over one hundred 
and thirty-four varieties, The sugar gum is the 
favorite which the Australian governments plant 
along their highways and round some of their 
bhilding,?. It grows a straight grain st^era if well 
cared for, £ind will stand most dry weatlier. 
These three varieties are said to contain the best 
medicinal pippertie^ for health of all the others. 
I^ there 1^ oijS th\)f,^ rabre^valdable tliati another in 
