532 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb. 1, 1900. 
ported, or about eight times as much as either 
Germany or America who were our two best 
customers with figures over a million. Austra- 
lia comes dutifully next with 814,206 lb., the 
other customers being Austria, Belgium, 
France, Holland, Spain, Turkey, India, Africa 
and China. If all these countries take kindly 
to the new product, the demand may yet 
surprise and please the producer; meanwhile, 
we may be sure the United Kingdom does 
not consume all she imports, and that the 
secret of the profitable uses she puts the stutE 
to, will leak out, leading to direct brisk busi- 
ness with us. In Coconuts, too, the Mother 
Country heads the list, having imported 
more than 10 millioii nuts of the llf we sent 
away, Africa and Germany among next with 
693,385 and 652,480 respectively. Belgium and 
Germany continue to be the two lai'gest of 
our few customers for Poonac— the former 
having taken nearly half our exports, and 
the latter 14,000 — cwt. less. Coir, in the 
forms of rope, yarn and fibre, found their 
way to the old markets, the United Kingdom 
taking none of the first-mentioned 6-7ths of 
the second and over one-half of the last. 
Singapore absorb almosts all our rope — China, 
Africa, India and Australia taking small sup- 
plies. It is too early to venture on a fore- 
cast of the current year, but we fear the 
two droughts of last year will tell on the 
outturn of the current year as ■well ; so that, 
if the demand for Oil and Copra from all the 
countries which we now supply continues, 
prices are likely to rule high. 
«• ■ 
BLEEDING OF WOODY PLANTS. 
Professor H. Moliscli has made a vaiiety of 
observations on the flow cf sap from Avoody 
plants when wounded. In the case of palms, 
cocos and arenga, the bleeding, when the in- 
florescence is amputated, is not due to root- 
pressure. No sap escapes from borings at the base 
of the stem, though it ponrs out abundantly at 
higher parts, even at a height of 19'28 metres,- 
when the tree is in full leaf. Tlie spadix con- 
tinues to bleed for one or two days after being 
amputated. The origin of the osmotic pressure 
appears, therefore, to be not in the root, but 
in the axis of the inflorescence iri eocos, and in 
the upper part of the stem in arenga. In three 
woody plants, natives of Java, Conoccphalus 
azweus (Moraeeae), Laportea crenulata (Urticacese 
and Bamhusa sp. there is an abundant bleed- 
ing from the stem, with very considerable pres- 
sure, up to two atmospheres, even at the time 
when the plant is in full leaf. The temperature 
during four) winter months is very high day 
and night, with a constantly cloudy sky and 
daily rains. From incisions in the stem of climb- 
ing plants there is a copious flow of sap, both 
in the tiopics and in ISuropean species. The 
sap flows from the vessels, thus explaining their 
unusual size in climbing plants. The flow is 
a purely physical result of the exposure of the 
vessels on both sides, and shows that capillarity 
cannot play the part either of a water-retaining 
or of a water-raising force to any considerable 
extent. Tlie phenomenon takes place in Vitis and 
CHmntis, in liie height of summer even in dry 
weather and intense lieat. — Journl. Boy ul Micro. 
Society. 
COCHIN MARKET REPORT. 
Cochin, 20th Jan. 
C. N. Oil. —With a large supply of copra as 
usual in this jjarc (/f the fcasou coupled with 
the steady rise in exchange price.* do not shew 
any improvement. Business done this week in 
the bazaar for ordinary white oil both for prompt 
and forward deliveries is at H86/4 to K86/8 per 
candy. Good white oil is quoted at RSo/S nett. 
Tlie " Ubra" whicii has been substitu'ed tor 
the "Goalpara" calls here tor Rangoon pro- 
bably tomorrow and removes a few hundred casks. 
The " Inclimona" for New York due early next 
month has also booked a large quantity ol oil 
in that direction. 
Coir Yakn.— Supplies have fallen off consider- 
ably and the quality of yarn now arriving as 
usual at this season is also very poor. Prices 
however keep steady. 
Rick.— Cbittagong boiled R6/7 to R7 per bag. 
Rangoon white R6/12 toV.Qj\i.— Cochin Argus, 
January 20th. 
Indian Azaleas.^Ih some of the Ghent estab- 
Jisbnients as many as 100,000 plants are grafted 
each year. As soon as union is effected the plants 
are placed in frames in the open air. In the 
middle of May they are lifted from the frame 
and planted in dried leav es. Leaf-mould is not so 
advantageous. Weak liquid-manure judieiou.'-ly 
used is beneficial. An illustrrition in the January 
number of the Revue de V Hoticulturc Beige 
shows a plantation of Indian Azaleas in the open 
air in the nurseries of M. Ed. Pynaert. — Gar- 
dencrs' Chronicle. 
Tea-growing in the Caucasus.— Though 
the day is very far distant when Russian 
experiments in te.a-growing near home can 
injuriously affect the demand for Ceylon tea 
in the Russian market, it is of interest to 
note what a St. Petersburg correspondent 
writes in the Grocers' Journal of Dec. 23rd 
He says : — 
" The tea plantations in the Caucasus are be- 
coming of greater significance every day, and 
the time may not be far distant when the 
Caucasian tea will play an important part upon 
the Russian market. The Government is paying 
special attention to, and energetically assists, 
the experiment. For the first time this year 
Caucasian tea has been placed upon the market, 
and tAvo important Moscow tea mefchants have 
offered to buy the whole produce for some years 
to come, but up to the present no agreement has 
been come to, owing to the difference in the price. 
It is hoped that one pound of Caucasian tea will 
be sold at 1,40 rouble similar to the quality of 
Chinese tea usually sold at 2 roubles. A special 
commission sent to Tschakwa has reported 
favourably irpon the results already achieved, and 
it has been decided to pay still greater attention 
to the plantations. The Minister of Agriculture, 
how^ever, instructed a high official to proceed to 
the Caucasus with the view of institut-ng a 
thorough inquiry, and to make suggestions accord- 
ingly. In his report he proposes the extension 
of the plantations beyond Batoum, and in order 
to induce small landed proprietors and peasants 
to take up this industry Crown lauds are to be 
let in allotments. Further pamphlets dealing 
with the question are to be sent broadcast 
amongst the country people. All machines and 
tools required are to be admitted fi-ee of duty, 
and special credit advantages are also to be ex- 
tended to those willing to engage in tea planting.'^ 
