« 
526 THE TROPICAL 
direct that the coffee trees oa lands taken up for 
the Nilgiri Itailway may be leased [to the adjoin- 
iiig lai)(i holders, subject to tlie following condi- 
tions :— (1) That the lease shall be for the season 
only ; (2) that Government reserves the right of 
entering on sucli land at any time and without 
notice; (3) that if the Railway authorities have 
occasion to cut the trees during the period of such 
lease a proportionate amount of the rent shall be 
refunded." j1f«(7rffl.s Mail. 
THE HATFIELD CURE FOR RED SPIDER. 
Rslative to the note on the above subject, which 
was published on the 16th instant, and the footnote 
appended, on the utility of sulphur as an effective 
antidote for this insidious pest, the following 
quotation f rom E G Ijo,leraau'a (instructor on Horti- 
culture in the Cornell University) book on The Spray 
o/ P?ci)J^s may have a fitness, along with the prac- 
tical experience of Wr. Norman. " Sulphur is valuable 
both as an insecticide and as a fungicide. Its use for 
the first purpos6 is practically confined to gi-een- 
houses and conservatories, and even there only few in- 
sects are affected by it It is most rapidly applied by 
evaporating" in a sand bath over an oil stove, but 
extreme care must be given that it does not take 
fire, as then it will instantly destroy all the plants. 
Ked spider and related insects are said to be destroyed 
by the fumes, and treatment should be made as soon 
as they are discovered, or even before. Sulphur may 
also be evaporated successfully by placing it upon 
the heating pipes ; it is well to mix it willi an equal 
amount of lime, and then add water to form a 
thick paint, with which the pipes may be covered. 
When applied in a dry form directly to the plants, 
it possesses little value as an insecticide. A moist 
atmosphere in the house probably renders the 
fumes more effeotivs (this latter suggestion should 
form a valuable adjunct to the sulphur treatment, 
aa observation tends to show that a dry atmos- 
phere is favourable to its development ; whilst the 
converse, namely, moisture is a deterrent, and spray- 
ing with water has always been advocated as 
a specific)." Sulphur is one of the most valuable 
fungicides for the treatment of surface mildews, 
and it has long been used for this purpose. Pre- 
vious to 1880, it was almost the only fungicide 
used in Europe, and it did excellent service in 
controlling the European mildews which attacked 
the Vine and many other plants whether grown 
under glass or in the open. Out of doors it was 
commonly applied in a dry condition being blown 
upon the plants by means of hand bellows. Under 
glass it was used in three ways ; in the form of 
powder, when mixed wi'h water, and when evapor- 
ated from the heating surfaces. The first method 
was executed in the same manner as out doors, 
when mixed with water both the sulphur and the 
water assist iu destroying many pests, and it is a 
common practice to make such applications. The 
proportion of the two varies greatly. It has been 
recommended to use 1 ounce of sulphur to 5 gallons of 
water, and also as much as 1 pound to 1 gallon. 
The more dilute mixtures are more easily applied and 
if the work is thoroughly done, are on the whole, equally 
valuable. The fumes of sulphur for treating mildews are 
obtained as described above. When the powder is 
used oufc-ot-doorn, the value of the remedy un- 
doubtedly rests in the fact that the sulphur grad- 
ually gives off fames on account of the heat of the 
Bun, and the mildews yield for the same reason that 
they do when the powder is evaporated unaer glass. 
One of the most valuable preparations of sulphur 
is known as " Orison's Liquid." Although this latter 
insecticide is fairly old, to give the formula may be 
of service to some growers. Take the following: 
Flowers-of-sulphur .500 grams or 17 oz (avoird.) 
Freshly-slacked lime OOO^granis orl7oz do 
\Vater 3 litres or 5^ pints, 
AGRICULTUEIST. [Feb. 1, 1900. 
Boil the above ingredients for ten minutes, let the 
mixture then settle, and draw off the clear liquid 
after which the liquid must be bottled to use, 100 parte 
of water to I part of liquid, and apply with a 
syringe (still lately the quantities of sulphur and 
lime have been reduced respectively to one-half). 
This prescription was always ixdvocated as an excel- 
lent cure for surface mildews, and about three appli- 
cations were sufficient to preserve the foliage. It 
seems feasible to snggest that instead of syringing, 
heating the intending wach might prove more effectual 
in the houses. A. O'Hcill. — Gardener's Chronicle. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
China Tea in 1899. — In its review of the past 
year's tea trade, the Qroccr says of China tea, 
" This branch of the trade has now become almost 
a negligeable quantity. Of late years it has only been 
used by tiie trade to reduce the cost of the low-priced 
blends when Indian and Ceylon leaf was high, while a 
certain amount of good and fine Moning will always 
be used by people of weak digestion or connoisseurs 
who drink tea as they would a glass of line wine. 
Of late years the bulk of the better teas have been 
re-exported to Russia and the Continent when their 
stocks have run short, but unluckily exporters have 
not come to our aid the whole of this year, partly 
because they have imported more direct, and also 
on account of their using more Ceylon tea, hence the 
disastrous losses made between January and June on 
the remainder of last season's fine teas that were left. 
Ceylon Tea. — Ceylon tea has been rather disap- 
pointing, more especially for the first half of the year, 
when Indian tea was carrying everything before it, 
and supplies from Ceylon were falling off in compari- 
son with the previous year. However, it is a note- 
worthy fact that deliveries always improveandkeeppace 
with each monthly increase. For the first six months 
of the year supplies and deliveries both showed a de- 
crease of three million lb. Since then imports have 
been heavy, or, say, an increase of four million lb. for 
the last half of the year, thus making the total imports 
for the yea*- 97 million lb., against 91^ million lb. in 
1898. Deliveries have increased at the same rate for 
the last half of this year, the decrease for the first half 
being not only wiped out, but leaving a small balance 
in favour for 1899, or nearlv 91 million lb., against 
93J million lb. in 1898. Stock, however, has increased, 
and we shall commence the new year with 20 million 
lb. against 17 million lb. "We notice by the Board of 
Trade returns that the re-exports of Indian and Ceylon 
teas show only a very small increase for the year, 
whereas last year they added largely to our 
increased total deliveries. The reason, how- 
ever, is not far to seek, as the Continent and 
Russia are taking so much more direct, and we are 
fast losing these valuable outlets for our increasing 
supplies. The year opened with low prices, viz., 5Jd 
to 5Jd for leaf, but as Indian tea improved, Ceylon 
leaf was carried with it, and prices rose rapidly until 
Easter, when good leaf teas were bringing 8d per lb, 
and rough, ugly, red leaf kinds about 7§d per lb, 
with dusts in proportion. Better teas, however, showed 
only small improvements, and ordinary Broken Pekoes 
have offered capital value all through the year. Finest 
liquoring and tippy Brokens and Pekoes suitable for 
exports have been scarce, and have always commanded 
long prices, especially in the spring and autumn, 
when quality is at its best. For instance, there is 
often a difference of 6d per lb in the same well- 
known garden Broken Orange Pekoes, according to 
the time of year, when quality is good or poor. Fair 
ordinary to good Broken Pekoes, however, do not 
vary much iu price all through the year, and are 
relatively cheaper than any other class, owing to their 
oversupply and limited demand, as export only takes 
leaf teas. After Easter leaf teas took a downward 
turn, and followed the trend of the Indian market, 
while the quality offering in medium grades in 
May was particularly good, with capital value 
