130 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTCJRIST. 
[Aug. 1, 1899. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Pineapples — writes Datu Meldi-uin from 
Joliore- are a drugSO (dollar) cents per 100, some 
have been sold as low as 60 cents per 100. 
Is nothing ever to be done with the fibre, 
or a temperance drink be made out of the 
pine, a fortmie may be in it; but "brains" 
ax'e wanted. 
The Empire of India and Ceylon Tea's 
Company. — The dividend on the ordinary share 
of the Empire of India and Ceylon Tea Company 
for 1898 is only 4} per cent., compared with 9 per 
cent, in 1897. Other canses than the rise in ex- 
change contrihuted (says the J/ome and Colonial 
Mail] to this disappointino- result. Bad weather 
reduced the outturn on the Assam and Ceylon 
properties, and although there was a lar;;e increase 
in the crops of the Dooars gardens, the price of 
Dooar.s tea was lower. In addition, the directors 
state that there was nii.-smanagement on some ot 
the company's gardens, wliich undouhtedly assi.sted 
in causini; the poor results. An investigation has 
since talven place ; the management has been re- 
formed, anil with the firm appearance of the tea 
market better things are liop?d for in the cur- 
rent year. 
liuBBER Planting results in Mex'co.— 
Writing in Modern Mexico from .San duan Bautista, 
the capital ot the Mexican state of Tabasco, under 
recent date Clarence W Gano says :— " During the 
past few years many planters have turned their 
attention to tiie cultivation of rubber, and they are 
generally of the opinion that it is the most profit- 
able crop that can be grown. One planter, Don 
Federico Calcanio, a few weeks ago sold the rubber 
from 2000 seven-year-old trees in San Juan for a 
net profit of .fSOOU — an excellent return from ten 
acres of ground. Tlie rubber tree increases its yield 
from the seventh to the fifteenth year, after which, 
if it receives proper attention, it will bring a steady 
income for two score years or longer. The method 
of planting is simple and inexpensive, and after 
the third year there is practically no care bestowed 
on the plantation beyond seeing that the trees are 
properly tapped."— The India Biihbcr World, 
June 1st. 
SocoTRA's People and Plants.— A prelimi- 
nary report upon ilie results of the scientific 
expedition to the island of Socotra has been issueil 
by Mr. Henry O Forbes, Director of Museums to 
the Liverpool Corporation, who, under the aus- 
pices of the lioyal and Ko^&X Geographical Socie- 
ties of London and of the British Association, 
and in conjunction with Mr. W R Ogilvie-Grant, 
representing the British Museum, undertook the 
investigation of the natural history o^ the island. 
Ttie expedition occupied about six months, and 
ttie party di.scovered many species of animals, 
birds, insects and plants new to science. Accord- 
ing to the report the Socotrians are only poorly 
civilised Mohammedans, living in caves or rude 
huts, and possessing few utensils implements, 
or ornaments, and no weapons. Still the explo- 
rers took back speciu)ens of pottery of primitive 
quern-like mills of basket work, and of weaving 
apparatus. The plants, of which living specimens 
or ripe seeds, over 200 in number, have been taken 
to En^lixnd, Mr. Bay ley Balfour, Professor of 
Botany in Edinl nrgh University, describes as of 
highest scientiHc interest and of great commercial 
value being, unique out of Socotra.— Ptonef?', 
June 30. 
Coffee in Brazil.— A coffee plantation near 
Campinas, Sao Paulo, said to have been valued 
at 130,0iJ0S, was sold at auction the other day 
for 13,000$ ! That is a better illustration of the 
situation -says the Bio News, May 30,— than any 
we can find in the official reports. 
The Iiis3 OF the Portuguese in Inijia.— 
Upon the recent review of this work which 
appeared in our columns the author writes us an 
appreciative letter saying that the review was the 
first he had seen written by a,ny one with a 
competent knowledge of the subject. He admits 
some errors and a share in their responsibility 
but on some points he would join issue with our 
reviewer. He writes: — 
It is Barros who says (I allow the others differ) 
that D. Ijourenso was orilered to search for Ceylon 
as well as the MaHive'^. It is Castauheda (ii. c. 2:-i) 
who says that the pillar (which he describes) was 
erected at (iabaliquama ■' now called porto de (iale," 
the date ISOd is from Correa. I admit there are diffi- 
culties in the chronology. As to t'le loss of ships 
from the attacks of the English and Dutch there 
was more talk than damage. Palcao in Lis (p. 195) 
abstriicts the loss as four vessels taken and ihree 
burned, total seven. From his detailed li.st of ships, 
however, I should say the totals should be five 
vessels captnret', thric b:i ned and one run on hhore, 
total nine— a uuinber which did not seem to mo 
to appreciably affect the percentage. At the same 
time 1 might liave noted this cause. 
Ceylon in thk " London Times."— In T/ze 
Times of .lune 12th, received by the German 
mail, the following appears: — 
Ceylon. — Our Colombo Correspondent writes on 
May 17: — The check which the interference of the 
Indian Government with the currency gave to produc- 
tive enterprise is proviug a blessing in diygiii^e to tea 
planters at least, for there can be no doubt that, if a 
rupeee of Is 2,1 or less value had contirnieri, the plant- 
ing and production of tea would have far outstripped 
the demand, to the injury of the general body ot plant- 
ers. The sixteenpenuy rupee stopped extensions and 
not only so, but has led to a contraction of cultiv.ttion 
by the abandonment of poor fields in some instances, 
so tha% both from L'eylon and India, there is no 
immediate prospect of an increase of crops — v.hile 
the United Kingdom is getting an almost less supply 
of our staple. The direct trade in tea with the Conti- 
nent of Europe — notably Russia and Germany — with 
America and Australasia — is being carefu'ly fostered, 
and must steadily increase. Meantime an imnrove- 
ment of prices in London has cheered our tea' plan- 
ters. Their restricted enterprise, however, has begun 
to tell on the general revenue, the quarterly return 
ending March 31 showing a comparative decrease — a 
warning to ourauthorities and the Coionial Office not to 
press unremunerative publi3 works too much. "What 
single product can be (profitably) grown over 80 miles 
of cur North Central territory?" was a question 
seriously propounded in an official quarter lately, 
and no answer could be given. An agricultural com- 
mission is now sitting to try and devise means to 
improve local agriculture, if not to establish an 
agricultural departments A commission to inquire 
into the incidence of taxation, aa prom ised by 
Governor Ridgeway, is now eagerly looked for by the 
public. The defenceless state of Trincomaiee and 
the need of railway communication with Colombo 
has recently attracted attention. The Colombo har- 
bour works and graving dock have made good progress 
of late; the working season afloat for the former 
will now close with the advent of the south-west 
monsoon. Ceylon is to be well represented at the 
Paris iSxhibifcion, especially in respect of our tea and 
general planting industries and in gems. The total 
export of tea up to May 16, 1899, to the United 
Kingdom is 33,457,229 lb., against same period, 1898, 
34,288,943 lb., and to all other countries in 1899, 
8,078,783 lb. against 7,723,624 Ib.Jn 1898, 
