98 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1899. 
Aqrigultural Chemist.— The out come of the 
various lUscussions that have taken place, as far 
as Mysore is concernneil, is the appointment of Dr. 
Lehniann, the Dewan exhibiting in the matter his 
accustomed liberal-mindedness. All those who 
are interested in agriculture cannot fail to be 
gratified at the appointment of so highly qualified 
a Chemist, and I hoiie shortly we may learn what 
course the Durbar intend pursuing as regards his 
work. Meanwhile he has lost no time in showing 
a desire to become acquainted with the local cir- 
cumstances, as is seen by his present visit to this 
district. 
FORKSTS.— I have written to the Chief Conservator 
of Forests to enquire if grants ot land tor carda- 
mom cultivation have been made in the forests of 
Kubbenhully, Bisleh and Kemphully, and await 
his reply. . 
Mr. Park was elected, President.and Mr. Playfair, 
Honorary Secretary. 
. MINOR PRODUCTS, 
From Messrs. Schimmel & Co.'s " Ssmi-Annual 
Report," (April 1899) we take the following:— 
Cinnamon Oil, Ceylon— The Uianamon market has 
settled down eomewhat during recentmonths, but the 
prices still remain high. The transaetoins in cinna- 
mon chips, tlie material used for the distillation of the 
oil, have surpassed any former ones. la 1898 : 
1 414,165 lb have been shipped, against 1,067,051 
in 1897. The chips reached the highest price at 
4d per lb, and since several months have brought 
3id to 3id per lb at Hamburg. The above figures 
show that Germany is now ranging at the head in 
the consumption of ihis commodity. Ceylon cinnamon 
oil is a speciality of our firm. 
CiTRONELLA OiL.— The transactious in this article 
have again considerably increased in 1898. The ex- 
port from Colombo and Galle (Ceylon) reached the 
as yet greatest maximum figure, namely 1,365,917 lb. 
The distribution figures, however, do not exactly 
indicate the real consuming counti'ies, for a consi- 
derable part of the oil destined for Germany and 
France only passes through England in transit. In 
our estimate Germany consumes at least 220,000 lb, 
or about one sixth of the entire production. 
A recent paper on the production of citronella oil, 
published in the October number (1898) of the 
Tropical Agriculturist, agrees in the principle points 
with the information given in our Reports of Octo- 
ber 1898. Two kinds of citronella grass, Malia 
pangiri and Lenabatu pangiri are said to serve for 
distillation. The former is hardly cultivated any 
longer, while the latter was little known twenty-five 
years ago. llaha pangiri is said to be richer in oil 
but to perish after a cultivation for ten to fifteen years. 
The cultivation of citronella grass and the distillation 
of the oil are now sufSciently well known so that 
every one interested in them can readily obtain 
all desired information. The well known simple and 
reliable method testing the oil, elaborated by us 
and called "Schimmel's test," meets with approval 
and success. The proper rejoinder to some objections 
raised against it may be found on pages 16 and 17 
of our October Report of 1898. Oar test is in every 
respect as reliable as it is practical and deserving of 
full confidence and general application. A first ship- 
ment of citronella oil from a new plantation and 
distillery from Java, amounting to about 300 kilos, 
is on its way to us. Preliminary specimens which 
have reached us indicate an oil of superior quality 
of a very light colour and high percentage of geraniol. 
We must, however, defer our final estimate until 
the arrival of the gross lot. According to a recent 
statement in No. 986 of the Chemist and Druggist 
(London) a syndicate of Arabs has purchased a con- 
siderable area in Queenland for the purpose of raising 
citronella grass for distillation. 
Gkranium Oil. — The cultivation of geramum has 
been considerably extended in Algiers and as an addi- 
Jigual e»plaBalii9a 9f the steady Recline vf values 
it is claimed that a greater yield of oil is obtained 
in consequence ot better methods of raising the 
plants and distilling the material. As far as we 
have been informed abont the geranium production 
a.nd the appointments for distillation, they by no 
means excell by perfection. The price of the oil 
is a low oue in consequsnce of overproduction. 
Reunion oil, formerly much in favour; has become 
less in demand because it renders unsatisfactory re- 
sults with transparaot soaps. In view of the slight 
difference in price, African oil is preferred. The 
geranium cultivation on Reunion, moreover has ex- 
perienced a considerable reduction, since the plan- 
tation of vanila has proved more remunerative and 
surer of profitable disposal. Our supplies of East 
Indian oil of geranium (Palmarosa oil) have arrived 
and are of excellent quality. Upon several estimates 
they contain 92 per cent of geraniol. The price of 
the oil is normal and no reduction is to be expected. 
We also have a fresh supply of the exceedingly fine 
Spanish oil. — [Could not Geraniums on estates up- 
country be utilised for oil?. — Ed. C.O ] 
Lemongrass Oil. — In this article normal values 
have finally returned. Quotations in China vary 
between 2^d to 2Jd per ounce, and transactions 
are said to be very dull, because large stocks are still 
laid up in Loudon, checking any speculative tendency. 
BUDDING MANGOES, 
Mr. R. Bunnage, of Gracemere, Queensland, has 
successfully budded two mango-trees, and one of these 
has borne fruit for the past two seasons. The other, 
although the buds have united properly, has not yet 
begun to bear. The tree to be budded should be in 
full growth, and all the young wood should be taken 
off, but sufficient must be left to afford shade for the 
buds. The operation is best carried out in doll 
weather, and the buds should not be too far advanced. 
As soon as the tree is budded, all other growth must 
be taken off as it occurs, or the buds will not take. 
On this subject T^lr. A. H.Benson says; — "I note 
with interest that Mr. Bunnage has been successful 
in budding the mango, and agree with him that for 
the operation to be successful the tree to be budded 
must be in full growth. I should not, however, 
consider it advisable to cut back the tree that is to 
be budded before the union of the bud and stock has 
taken place, as there would be a danger of flooding 
the bud with too much sap, and consequently pre- 
venting a union. I have seen a mango-tree success- 
fully budded in Mackay, and have succeeded in 
budding young seedling mango-trees myself. Unlike 
Mr. Bunnage, I would prefer the buds to be plump 
and fully developed ; in fact, just ready to start into 
growth." — Queensland Agricultural Journal. 
International Scientific Bureau — Corre- 
spondence that has taken place between the Honi 
Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and 
the Ceylon Government has been published re- 
garding the subject of an international catalogue 
of scientihc literature proposed by the Koyal 
Society of London and the share Ceylon -will take 
in the matter. Steps are being taken by the Ceylon 
Government to carry out the scheme and copies 
of the correspondence have been forwarded to the 
Secretary of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asia- 
tic Society and the President of the Medical As- 
sociation Ceylon. What Ceylon as well as India 
is requested to do is (o) to direct the heads of all 
Departments issuing publications, of which any 
of the contents come within the scope of the Royal 
Society's Catalogue, to supply to the Asiatic 
Society " index slips " prepared in accordance 
with the scheme finally adopted by the Royal 
Society ; (h) to instruct all local Governments and 
Administrations — to supply to the Asiatic So- 
ciety periodical lists of all Scientific and 
Literary Societies established within their juris- 
diction, and periodical lists of all books putdishQ^ 
within theu' jurisdictioa 
