Oct, 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST,. 
347 
"ALL ABOUT EUBBER."* 
A planter writes: — "I have been utilising 
all my spare time lately in studying the 
book you have just brought out vincler this 
title. The wealth of information you have 
gathered together on the subject is amazing. 
I had no idea there was so much literature 
and knowledge of the product, its cultivation, 
&c., &c., extanti As a present day ex- 
perienced Ceylon planter, I have been through 
the usual mill, beginning in coffee while it 
was still our staple, then doing a full time 
at cinchona with half-holidays at cacao and 
cardamoms, and the last few years at tea ; 
so it is quite on the cards that I rush into 
rubber yet. Should the fates ordain it thus, 
I shall enter on the job with a light heart, 
as with youi' book as a guide one should 
be able to steer clear of the putJiuarle mis- 
takes that were made when most of the 
other products were first undertaken on a 
large scale in Ceylon. The book fully merits 
its title and the re-printing in full of the 
recent circulars from Peradeniya, brings it 
quite up-to-date. The only thing I 
note with regret is that you have not been 
able to include the figures promised by 
B. S. G. (on page 18), presumably because 
the tappings for rubber, he mentions, are 
still in progress? As those figures will be 
most interesting and useful might I suggest, 
that when they are available you have them 
printed on slips and post one to each local 
purchaser of the book, so that it can be 
pasted inrenderingthe volume more complete." 
Other planting friends have wi'itten as fol- 
lows : — -"The latest edition of this valuable com- 
pilation comes at a most opportune time, when 
the attention of enterprising planters is 
directed to new fields, a.nd when it is so im- 
portant that their efforts should be well and 
Eroperly directed, and that they should not 
e misled into ventui-es of doubtful issue by 
reason of scanty acquaintance with the re- 
quirements of the cultivation, the markets, 
and the various methods of meeting the 
new wants of modern trade ; the book is 
full of information and right up to date ; 
with all the recent experiments made in 
preparation, &c. in Ceylon, and statistics and 
news relating to the industry, from all parts 
of the world. The scientific side is not lost 
sight of either, and the Botanical list of 
rubber-yielding plants is included. Mr. John 
Ferguson seems to have a special gift of 
compiling these works of reference, but this 
volume on rubber is not only about the 
best manual he has given us, but it is 
issued exactly at the right time and with 
the latest and best information available, 
and should be read by all proprietors and 
planters interested in the lowcountry and 
by men who look for additional sources of 
income and investment. 
"The latest report and tests from the Pera- 
deniya Gardens are fully given and there 
is not an item of intelligence up to the pre- 
sent time that is omitted in this most use- 
ful volume." 
* All about India Rubber and Gutta Percha — 
Third Edition R5, cash R4, postage 20 cents. — 
Observer Office, Colombo, 
32 
" I think the book will be most valuable in 
the hands of all growers of rubber, not in 
Ceylon only, but wherever rubber is culti- 
vated bv English readers. Hoping you will 
have a large and ready sale for the book 
as some recompense for the trouble and 
expense you have been to in bringing all 
up-to-date information together in so handy 
a volume." 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION (LONDON.) 
The following is from the annual report to be 
presented at the meeting on Tuesday, Jaly25th; 
The General Committee have the pleas'ure to 
submit to members the following statement on 
the conclusion of the 19th year of its operations. 
On the resignation of office by General Henry 
Hopkiiison, c.s.i., at the last annual meeting — 
on account ot advancing years and ill-health — 
Sir Henry Seymour King, K.C.I.E., MI',, was 
unanimously elected Chairman of the Association 
for the year under review. 
FORWARD ESTIMATES OF THE INDIAN TEA CROP. 
With a view to ensure greater accuracy in 
estimating the volume of the coming crop, it 
has been arranged that the Indian Tea Associa- 
tion, Calcutta, should procure special estimates 
from managers to be submitted by the end of 
June, and published immediately afterwards, and 
t!iat no estimate be published before that time. 
CROP OF 1898. 
The original estimate and actual outturn 
of tea from the several districts in round 
figures (millions of lb.) were as follows : — 
Assam, estimated 64, actual crop 6'2 ; Cachar and 
Sylhet, estimated 49, actual crop 45 ; Darjeeling 
and Terai, estimated Jl, actual crop 11 ; Dooars, 
estimated 26, actual crop 26 ; Chittagong and 
Chota Nagpore, Kangra, Kuniaon and Dehra Dun, 
estimated 4, actual crop 5 ; Private aud Native 
Gardens, estimated 4, actual crop 4 ; estimated 
total, 158 ; actual crop total, 153. Of this crop 
there were shipped direct from Calcutta to places 
outside the United Kingdom over 18 million pounds, 
leaving 1,35 for shipment to this country. 
The chief places to which the direct exports from 
Calcutta went were as follows :— Australasia 
1898: 6i million lb.; 1897: 7 million lb.; 1896 ; 
5| million lb.; Indian Ports— 1898 : 4 million lb.; 
North America— 1898 : 3 million lb.; 1897: 
million lb.; 1896: 2i million lb.; Turkey— 18981 
21 million lb., China— 1898 : 1 .million lb.; 
Germany— 1898 : J million lb., elsewhere— 
1898: i million lb.; 1897: 6i million lb.- 
1896 : of million lb. Total— 1898 : 18 mil- 
lion lb.; 1897: 15-2 million lb.; 1896: 14 mil- 
lion Ih.H. and C. Mail, July 21. 
NATAL TEA. 
At the Durban Agricultural Show on July 
12th, prizes were offered for tea and with 
regard to the single exhibit the " Natal Mer- 
cury " says :— " The tea is disappointing, because 
only one exhibitor has come forward— Mr. J. A. 
McMillan, of Barnsdale, whose teas, however, 
are pronounced to be of first-class quality. Mr.' 
McMillan secures two first prizes. It is said that 
the conditions are in some respects rather strin- 
gent, and that this accounts for the absence of 
competition. This rather enhances the value of 
the prizes won by Mr. McMillan, as he complied 
with the conditions, and has the satisfaction 
of knowing that his tea has been very favour- 
ably commented upon by those competent to 
judge." 
