Sept. 1, 1899. J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 201 
monsoon wovk, when the canker fungi flourish 
most, and we want him in the island early 
in October. 
The Chairman, N.D.P.A., should call a 
general meeting at once as there are other im- 
portant matters for discussion: Rinderpest, 
Murrain ; Cruelty to animals ; Cacao traders 
licensing ; Supply of medicines to dis- 
pensaries ; Road-metalling and Labor Federa- 
tion district rules. 
I hope the Kelebokka, Madulkele, and Knuc- 
kles men will rally to onr aid now, if they do 
not wish to follow the example of Rangala, and 
join and strengthen the Northern districts. 
Unity among ourselves and the Spirit of Fe- 
deration is all that is wanted to reduce labor 
troubles to a minimum.— Yours truly, 
CHAS. GIBBON. 
a "ring," of plantains without many of them beinj; 
more or less diseased, the disease showing itself 
as adark brown spot, penetrating from the skin into 
the fruit. Is our tea pest to be supplemented by 
a Plantain Pest ? Will any of ^ouriscientists look 
into this matter, and advise as to what should 
be done ? Pity it is that our Botanical officers 
do not bestow a little attention to onr native 
friends or rather island fruit, and vegetables 
and endeavour to improve them. Then our Agri- 
Horticultural Shows would be •.vorch, — so far as 
these products are concerned, gomg to see. — T. 
THE TEA DUTY AND DIRECT 
SUPPLY. 
London, July 21. 
Dear Sib,— In regard to the question of 
the sale of tea in this country, the demand 
of the one pound on each package is a rem- 
nant of an old regulation which ought to be 
done away with. It is what is called 
in China a "squeeze." I have no doubt 
you will have one of Messrs. . J. and H. 
Thompson's circulars, and under the head of 
"Ceylon" you will see that, although there 
was not much sold in the room, still the 
sales went on,, and I am convinced that if 
independent sales were made of tea at 14 
days, the same as other produce, the plant- 
ers would find it greatly to their advantage. 
The old regulations of giving long credit, 
added to the loss in the docks, and the sweep- 
ings, all go to reduce the return to the 
planters. It is well-known that it answers 
remarkably well the p\xrpose of houses here 
who nurse their tea along, to effect private 
sales. The Customs arrangements favour the 
liberal free trade in tea, and anyone who 
purchases tea in Ceylon or in India can have 
it through the Customs, and as soon as the 
weights are known and agreed, there is no 
necessity for re-packing or bulking, and you 
take delivery without any loss whatever. 
There is a very strong feeling in England 
at present that the Government will have to 
yield on the question of duties, and if they 
do not take off the 4d at any rate that 2d 
will be knocked out in the next budget, to 
be followed in a later budget by another 2d. 
The public are getting enlightened on the 
subject of tea, and they see in the Press 
that such a large proportion of tea is sold 
at 6d to 8d per lb. in bond and they are well 
able to calculate that 4d duty means .50 per 
cent., which is considered not only a fright- 
ful tax iipon the consumer but that it mili- 
tates very much against the producer in 
India and Ceylon. There is no doubt but 
that the large firms here who are getting 
their own warehouses will reap enormous 
profits when tea is free,— Your truly, 
THO. CHRISTY. 
A PLANTAIN PEST. 
Dear Sir, — I am somewhat surprised that noiiC 
of the public have called attention for the fact 
that you can seldom now get a bunch, or even 
The Gold Prospecting Syndicate.— The 
representative of the Syndicate in Ceylon, Mr. 
Goldie, has we learn, ceased operations for the 
present in the Kakwana district, where he has 
been working for the last year and more with 
" Lockhart's Patent Separator,'' but he hopes 
to recommence work again shortly. In many res- 
pects, we learn, the Separator has exceeded the 
expectations formed of it, and it is capable ->f 
dealing with 40 to 50 tons of gravel a day. The 
trouble has been in finding sufficient ilium to feed 
it, for it has not been possible to work more than 
one pit at once, as the mines requires European 
supervision to prevent theft, and Mr. Goldie has 
only one European assistant. The sifting of the 
residum supplied by the eight separators keeps Mr, 
Goldie pretty busy while the machine is at work ; 
while it is also necessary to see that the separa- 
tors are not fed too fast, or with unsuitable 
gravel, for in such case they stop working auto- 
matically. Mr. Goldie has sunk his pit as deep 
as 120 feet, and says he could go to 200 feet with 
his present appliances, but after that ventilation 
would be necessary. Great credit is due to those 
who, like Mr. Goldie, have sunk money and given 
their time and abilities to put our mining indus- 
tries on a better footing, and we trust they will 
receive valuable assistance from the geological 
survey of the island which Mr. Oldham has come 
down from India to see about. — Local ''Times." 
Strange Recovery from Snake-bite.— A 
remarkable case of recovery under the "Calmette" 
method of dealing with snake-bite, we hear, has 
recently occurred at Meerut under the care of 
Major Rennie, R.A.M.C. Since the introduction 
of this remedy, some three years ago (the first case 
treated in this country was, if we remember aright, 
also at Meerut), its efficacy has been abundantly 
proved by experiment in the laboratory and also 
in actual practice ; but the present instance is 
specially noteworthy in that it would seem to de- 
monstrate that the serum may be used with suc- 
cess in an apparently hopeless case, the patient, 
we are informed, being practically in the last 
stage of all when he came under treatment. It 
should be noted that the evidence of the poison- 
ons nature of the snake is absolutely unquestion- 
able, though the reptile was not actually caught. 
The well-known symptoms of the poi.son had fully 
developed themselves : in fact to siich an extent 
that the patient was to all a])pearance dead, and 
was kept alive only by artificial respiration until 
jhe serum remedy had had sufficient time to per- 
meate the whole system, and counteract the colu- 
brine virus. This fact is vouched for by six medi- 
cal officers, amongst whom was the Civil SurEreon, 
and the case was also seen by the Commissioner 
ani by the Cantonment Magistrate, who, although 
not professional men, are men of long experience 
in India, — Pioneer, July 21. 
