Aug. 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
123 
AN ENTERPliLSING PLANTING COMPANY. 
Southern India, having shown the way in the infcro- 
duotiou of electric tramways, is now showing the way 
in the introduction of electric ropeways for ghaut 
work. One of the links in the communications be- 
tween the sea-board and the Kfinaa Devan Hills in 
North Travancore, where the big planting coocern 
started by Sir John Muir is now spending huge sums in 
developing tea and other cultivation, will be a ropeway 
for the ghaut section between the hills and the Madura 
plains which will be quite unique in several respects : 
(1) it is being built locally in the Planting Company's 
own workshops ; (2) it is t > be driven by electricity ; 
(3) it is one of the biggest undertakings of the kind in 
existence; (4) it rises over 4,000 feet in 2J miles. The 
light railway from Amraayanayakanur, on the South 
Indian Railway, for which a concession has lately been 
granted to Messrs. Wilson & Co., and which is about 
to be put on the market in London, will run right to 
the foot of the ropeway. Then, on the top of the 
ghaut, from the upper end of the ropeway, a light 
single-rail tramway, on Swing's system and worked 
probably by electric motor cars, will rnn for 22 
miles through the tract of connrry that is now being 
opened up for cultivation. Some idea of the amount 
of work that is being done on these Hills and the 
amount of capital that is being spent, may be gathered 
from the fact that there are some 75 Europeans em- 
ployed there at present. A correspondent now up there 
writes to us : — " I' is a beautiful country, but inacces- 
sible at present. However, when the ropeway is com- 
pleted (a few months hence, it is hoped) one will be 
able to go up the ghaut in half an hour and pass from 
the red-hot climate of Kotagoodee at 2,800 ft. to 
the beautiful climate of Kundale at 6.000 ft. It is 
opposed to start a hill-station here before long. It 
will be laid out in such a way that the drainage will 
be perfect and typhoid fever unknown. Arrangements 
will be made for constructing one or two lakes of very 
considerable size, into which tvout and other fish 
will be introduced. The whole of this new planting 
district is now connected up with telephones, so that 
every one is practically in communication with the 
whole world from his " bungalow. And last, but not 
least, the climate is very fine." The moving spirit 
in the enterprise is Mr. Davidson, formerly of Ceylon, 
who has been working from dawn to dark every day 
for the last 18 months initiating, guiding and con- 
trolling the numerous important works that are con- 
nected with the Company's big programme of opera- 
tions. Seldom, if ever, we should say, has a tract of hill 
country been opened up so quickly and, comparatively 
speaking, so thoroughly. It is a wonderful example of 
what energy and enterprise can do when backed by 
sufficient capital.— /tfaciras Mail, 
TO SUPPLANT TEA. 
SOUTH AMERICAN HOLLY, MAKING THE 
ATTEMPT. 
Our cup of tea is threatened with a rival incur 
attections, and one no less formidable than -'mate," 
the tea substitute of Buenos Ayres, Paraguay, 
and other South American territories. The shriib 
from which it is made is the ilex paraguayensis, 
and looks like an Ens;libh holly tree, which, in 
fact, is one of its cousins. Not only the leaves are 
used, but the whole plant — stalks, bark, and all 
after beino- dried, is chopped up rather finel5f, 
and is ready for use. The njate cups are made of 
[gourds, the stalk part forming a short of handle 
at the side, and a little opening i.s cut in the top. 
The tea, stalks, dust, &c., are putinto the cup, 
and boiling water is poured over it. "iou take 
your mate through a tube — instead of a straw — 
with a strainer at the end. Milk and sugar can 
be added, and the mate poured into everyday 
cups, but that is not the really professional way 
of taking it. The beverage is paler and more 
16 
bitter than our own tea, but those who have learnfc 
to like it drink it far more lavishly than we drink 
tea. In fact, English residents in South America 
say that mate is the one thing continually in 
evidence there. Entering a bank to do business 
the usual thing is to have a smoke and a cup of 
mate before mentioning the object of the visit, and 
at every house the visitor learns that it is a breach 
of etiquette not to accept a cup. At a party or 
circle of friends a larger mate cup is passed round, 
and everyone ta!;es a suck at the same tube. 
Old stagers who have lived out in South Ame- 
rica for a score or so of years cannot do without 
their mate, and have it sent over here to them ; 
but you may break yourself oS' the habit if it is 
not too inveterate. The British Acting-Consul in 
Paraguay is bringing the mate under notice ; 
but it is doubtful whether it will ever seriously 
challenge our own tea. — Morning Leader. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Cocoa Buttee. — In auction at Amsterdam, on June 
6tb, 70 tons Yan Houten sold at 73Jc to 77c, 3i tons 
Helm at 74jc to 75jc, 3 tons Hamer at 7.5^c, and 
10 tons Suchard at 75c per half kilo. In London, 
on the same day, 65 tons Cadbury's brand sold at 
Is 2id to Is 2|d (average Is 2id, against Is 2Jd in 
March). 
QuiNisE is quiet, and in consequence, easier. Spot 
transaction inolude B. & S. or Brunswick at Is 
4fd to Is 5d. August delivery Is 4gd to Is 5d ; 
June delivery at Is 4Jd per ounce; and spot Is 4|d. 
with buyers at Is 4d. French can be had at Is 4d. 
In auction two cases .Zimmer, containing ten tins 
each of 100 oz, were bought in at Is 4t\& per oz. 
Areca Nuts. — Fine Ceylon partly sold 25s per cwt. 
Cardamoms sold with fair competition at slightly 
dearer rates. The following was the range of prices : — 
Ceylon-Mysore, fine medium to bold pale podf, 3s 
lid to 4s ; good bold steady Ss lOd ; medium to 
bold pale 3s 5d to 33 6d ; dull small to medium 
ditto 3s to 3s 3d ; bold dull long pale 3s 2d ; 
medium lean pale 2s 6d ; pale medium long 2s lOd to 
2s lid; small pale long 2s to 2= 4d ; long dull bleached 
2s 9d ; very small lean Is 9d ; medium dull long 
2s 23; good splits 2s 3d; long, lean and split Is 6d 
to Is 9ci; brov/n splits and pickings Is 8d. Ceylon- 
Malabar fair to medium lean palish Is lid, and 
small brown lean Is fid ; fair wild Ceylon 2s 6d 
per lb. Seeds, good brown 2s 4d ; mixed seeds 2s 2d. 
Shipments from Ceylon from January 1st to May 
16th were 216,0871b. 
Cinchona. — In auction the demand was for crown and 
grey bark ouly, which sold as follows : — Good bold pale 
Crown Loxa 75d per lb ; 1 c.c. damages Sjd to 6Jd ; 
second class 33d to 43d; and fourth class 2d. l3nsty grey 
Huanoco, broken was bought in at 5d, and Bolivian 
cultivated calisaya, thin was limited at lOd per lb, and 
Cartagina, flat at 4|d per lb. Four bales of flat 
calisaya brought 4d per lb, subject to approval. 
The shipments from Cevlou from January 1st to May 
16th were 28-4,371 lb." The stocks in first hands at 
Amsterdam on May 31st consisted of 2,403 packages 
Government and 9,896 packages private bark. The 
arrivals last week in Amsterdam were 2,553 packages 
The " Netherlandsche-Veem " reports the cinchona 
bark shipments from Java during May at 
1899 1898 1897 1896 1895 
Amst.lb 943,000 672,000 600,000 768,000 402,700 
Jan.-May 3,964,800 3,884,000 2,510,000 3,260,000 2,879,700 
while the "Vriesseveem" received a telegram from Java 
announcing the shipments from May 2nd to June 5th 
at 1,156,000 Amstlb, and from January 1st to June 5th 
at 3,848,403 Amstlb. 
CiTEoNELLA OiL. — Dull of Sale, at Is to Is id per lb 
in drums on the spot, and for August shipment there 
are sellers at lOgd per lb c.i.f . in drums. A parcel of 5 
packages catalogued^as guaranteed to pass "Schimmel'a 
test," sold without reserve at lid per lb ; other parcels 
of good odour were limited at la Id per lb, The Ceylon 
