310 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTUEIST. 
[Nov. 1, 1899. 
Nile, in the Bonfjo and Rohl districts, the india- 
rubber creeper (Landolphia fiorida) is found in 
great profusion, which, as is pointed out, should 
be an important asset in the future trade of the 
Soudan, although, of course, the rubber produced 
from tliis plant is not of such good quality as 
that from Para or Assam. We are accustomed 
to look upon the Soudan as anything bub a source 
of wealth to its holders, but from this report of 
Sir William Garstin's to the Foreign Office it 
would appear i.hat there are great potentialities 
of wealth in the district, and tliere is urgent need 
of a scientific examination of the country with a 
view to the development of its natural resources. 
The vast forests which line the banks of the 
Upper Blue Nile, and extend as far as the Abys- 
sinian frontier, and those of the province of Bahr- 
el-Ghazal, should prove sources ot future wealth. 
In regard to the mineral wealth of the district, 
very little appears to be known Iron ore is found 
in the Bahr el Ghazel province and also at Darfui, 
and gold mines were at one time worked in the 
mountains south of Fazogl. At present coal 
does not seem to have been discovered. — Daily 
Chronicle, Sept. 8th. 
NEW COMPANIES, 
NoKHROT (Assam) Tea Co., Ltd., (G.3479).— Re- 
gistered Aug. 31st, with capital £10,000, in £1 
shares, to acquire any tea estates, lands, ware- 
houses, factories and machinery, to extend, im- 
prove, or add to such estates and generally to 
do all things appertaining to the business of tea 
planters and merchants. The number of directors 
is not to be more than 5 ; the subscribers are 
to appoint the fii'st ; qualification 150 shares. 
Registered by E. A. Jay 50 Bental Road, Stoke 
Newington, N. 
Straits Tin, Ltd., (63,455).— Registered Aug. 
30th, with capital £10,000 in £1 shares, to acquire 
and turn to account any property in the Straits 
Settlements or elsewhere, and to carry on the busi- 
ness of miners, prospectors, farmers, merchants, 
financiers, etc, — Investors' Guardian, Sept, 9, 
PALLEGAMA GRANT ASSOCIATION. 
REPORT. 
The Directors regret that it has been found neces- 
sary to stop further expenditure. This has been done 
with the exception of advances to the timber con- 
tractor to enable him to convey to the Matale Timber 
Depot the Ebony lying felled on the Estate, 
Under the circumstances the Directors recommend 
that no further expenditure be incurred at present, 
and that the Agents and Secretaries be requested to 
settle so far as possible outstanding liabilities from 
proceeds of produce beating in mind the loan specially 
contracted against the timber. 
In the terms of the articles of Association Mr. E. 
Rosling retires, but is eligible for re-election. 
The Balance Sheet made up to the 3 1st August 
shows on the one side : — Capital — 2,000 shares fully 
paid up, R200,000; Debts due by the Company — 
To Timber Contractor, R.500 ; to Auditor, RlOO ; to 
Agents and Secretaries, R249'59 ; to Estate Account 
Balance Sheet, R68G-05 ; to Loan Account, Rl,107-26; 
— R2,642'90; total, R202,642-90. On the other side 
we have : — Property (Immovable) — Balance from last 
account, E201,89.S'59 ; Nett expenditure fjom date of 
last report to Slst Angiist, 1899. E983',S7 ; Less 
amount at credit of Profit and Loss, R307'07 =: 
R67G-30;— R202,.'')C9-89 ; Cash in Bank— R73 01 ; total 
R202,642'90. The Profit and Loss statement shows 
a balance carried to Landed Property aocouut of 
E30707. 
AN AMERICAN SCIENTIST ON TOUR, 
The latest scientific visitor we have to 
welcome to our shores, is Dr. Edwin Mead 
Wilcox, Travelling Fellow in Economic 
Botany, of Harvard University, Cambridge, 
Mass, U.S.A., whose arrival and departure 
for the hills we chronicled a few days ago. 
Dr. Wilcox has since his arrival been staying 
at Kandy and studying the island's products 
at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, 
with the ever ready assistance of Mr, W. 
Nock, the Superintendent in charge. We 
had at first understood that Dr. Wilcox's 
visit was partly in connection with tlie ex- 
periments — or continued efforts rather — in 
tea-growing in the Southern States of Am- 
erica. But this, we learn, is not the case. 
Dr. Wilcox is making a tour, which is 
mainly confined to Ceylon, the Straits 
Settlement and Java, in connection with the 
project of starting a Sub-Tropical Department 
in Cuba in connection with Harvard University. 
The site of the proposed Department, cor- 
responding in a sense— since it will be insti- 
tuted with Government assistance— with 
Peradeniya here, will be in the mountains 
about seven miles from Cienfuegos, one of 
the two Southern termini of the railway 
that passes through Havana on the North. 
The interest of Dr. Wilcox lies chiefij% 
therefore, in sugar : and he i)roceeds by the 
"Bengal" (in about a fortnight's time) to 
Java, where Dutch methods of cultivation 
both in this product and in cinchona and 
tea will receive further study. Meanwhile 
Dr, Wilcox returns to the hills tomoiT'Ow, 
being specially desirous of visiting one or 
two cacao estates in full working, as well as 
of obtaining first-hand information upon 
tea. He will also, if time permits, make a 
visit to a citronella plantation in the 
Southern Province with a view to getting 
as complete a knowledge (as an eye-witness) 
of tropical products in full gi'owth, that are 
I'kely to be of service in Cuba, Coconuts, 
we are told, are not expected to be taken 
up in this latest acquisition of the American 
nation. En j^assant we learn that the form 
of Government to be imposed upon Cuba is 
by no means decided yet ; that a certain 
amount of lawlessness still iirevails, remind- 
ing those in charge of American interests 
there of the former regime when Spaniards 
and Cubans by turn would come in bodies 
and fire a, few shots upon the plantation 
dwellings, only ceasing when money had been 
given them to go away —then only to return 
at a convenient season, as did the Danes 
in Northumbria ere the power of a 
Saxon king* was triumphant on English 
soil. Even now Cubans interfere much 
with the working of sugar properties, 
and the same one-sided guerilla warfare, 
periodically bought off, is often carried on. Not 
until more American soldiers can be spared 
for garrisoning Cuba — and the long drawn- 
out fighting in the Philijjpines now repels this 
prospect into the dim distance— can the ex- 
ploiting of the fertile soil of Cuba be taken 
in hand with safety and success. We are 
gratified to learn that the Observer publica- 
tions are recognised in the American Univer- 
sities as giving the best book-knowledge to 
be had of Ceylon, and to hear that the 
Tropical Agricuiturist is regularly consulted by 
