Feb. 1, 1900.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
537 
TROUT OVA FOR NUWARA ELIYA. 
The N.D.L. ss. '•Bayern," which arrived 
from Europe on January 26ib, brought 
oub a consignment of 10,000 trout ova for 
the Ceylon Fisbinf; Club. Like the )>revious 
consigninent, the present one is from the 
well-known ti-ont farm of Messrs. Andrews and 
Andrews, Guilford, and is to be put into the 
hatchery at Nuwara Eiiya. Another co'-signment 
of, 10,000 brown trout ova, is e.xpeeted by the 
middle of this month ; ^vhi!e the third and last 
batch, of 10,000 rainbow trout ova, is expected in 
March. 
The above reminds us that Mr. Fraser, of 
Abbotstord.. attempted on liis present voyage to 
convey a consigninent of perch. They were duly 
shipped on the P. & O. ss. "Oceana" in the 
Thames with full instructions, as Mr. Fraser 
was to join at Marseilles. When he did do so, 
he found the perch dead, owing, it is supposed, 
to the eflPeet of rough weather in the Channel 
and Bay of Biscay. The Commander (Capr. 
Crawford — one of the most obliging of P. & O. 
Captains) when he lieard of the experience, how- 
ever, and the purpose for which the perch 
were being taken out, offered to arrange for 
another consignment and to give the same 
the greatest possible attention so as to secure 
delivery in good condition. This will be on the 
next outward voyage ot the " Oceana," and we 
trust the experiment will be crowned witli 
success. 
♦ 
TOMATO DISEASE IN N.S.VV. 
Several tomato growers about Sydney have been 
puzzled to notice fine healthy plants suddenly 
collapsing and dying as if struck all of a heap 
by the bubonic. This week, reports the Sydney 
Telegrajyh by last mail, the peculiar disease has 
appeared on a large scale in the Gosford district. 
Specimens .sent to the Agricultural department 
have been examined, and found to be infested 
with the " sleeping disease of tomato, a fungoid 
known as "Fusarium lycopersici." The entomo- 
logist states that this is a very common disease 
in England, where it causes great losses to mai'ket 
gardeners growing tomatoes. It is likely to 
spread, as if the plants are attacked when in 
full fruit, as is often the case, the fruit may 
ripen, and appear, even under the miscroscope, 
to be perfectly sound, yet the seeds from such 
tomatos, if planted, will produce diseased plants. 
As the fungus first attacks the roots, and then 
comes up the stem, where it discolors the tissue 
and causes the sudden death of the plant, there is 
no remedy. Plants should be destroyed, and the 
soil treated with quicklime to exterminate the 
spores and keep the disease from spreading. The 
disease has probably been introduced through seed. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Rubber Substitutes. — Dealing with the three 
elastic gums which have been suggested as sub- 
stitutes for rubi er. Hooper does* not consider 
that either of them are suitable for the pur- 
pose. He gives their characteristics. Tlie first, 
obtained from the stem of licus ben§alensis, 
dissolves, without previously swelling, in ether, 
chloroform and carbon bisulphide ; the second, 
from Calotropis gigantea and C. procei a, eon- 
tains but little caoutchouc ; and the thiid, which 
is tiip coagulum of the milky juice of Exccecaria 
azallocha, jjosses^ics irritating pi-opeiti'^s, and 
contains alcohol soluble resins — British and Colo- 
nial Druggist, 
Rubber-trees.— The U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture has recently issued some valuable intorma- 
tion on the subject of rubber-trees. Experiments 
in InJia with certain species were not succe:3sful, 
owing to the fact that the trees did not develop 
the charaeteiistic Jacieal ducts. In the light of the 
Work of the department's experts this was due to 
error in selecting the variety. Unless care be 
taken in this direction, failure will result in secu- 
ring rubber, even thougl) the trees may apparently 
grow well. There are four varietit-s of rubber- 
trees, which must be utilised according to the soil 
and climate of the place of cultivation : — 
(1) Castilloa elastica grows well and produces 
rubber in places where the climate is hot, humid, 
and the soil drainecl. 
(2) Hcvea brasiliensis, is the climate be hot, 
humid, and the soU swampy or coveted with water. 
(o) Manihot Glaziovii, the Ceara plant, if the 
climate is hot and the soil dry, sandy, or stony. 
(4) SajnU'in. biglandulosum, in temperate or cold 
climates such as Florida,, Louisiana, &Q.. 
The last variety is especially suitable for growing 
on coffee plantations. 
Coffee in New South Wales —A farmer on 
the Lower Clarence, New South Wales, who is 
trying coffee growing, has just harvested 5,000 
lb. of beans, which will produce about 900 lb. of 
gi'sund colfee. The sample is admitted by experts 
to be equal to the best Ceylon in strength and 
flavor. — Melboxirne Leader, Jan. 6, 
SfATisncs OF Cinchona Cultivation in 
India are published by Mr. J E" O'Conor, under 
date Calcutta, Jan. 15. We quote: — 
At the end of the offioia,! year 1898-99 there were 
7,591 aeres of land under chinchona cultivation, of 
which nearly 82 per cent was situated in Southern 
India, the remainder (18 per cent) being in Bengal. 
The area in Bengal, comprising 1,373 acres, lies in 
and near Darjeeling. Tsloai of ihe area in Southern 
India is in the Nilgiris (4,531 acies). There are also 
1,173 acres in Travaueore, and smaller p,reas in My- 
sore, IVIalabar, and Coorg. In liengal the chinchona 
plantations, which are the property of the'State, cover 
1,303 acres. In the iMadras Presidency, on the other 
hand, the industry is mainly in private hands, the 
State Plantations covering only 874 acres. During 
the thirteen years ending with 1898-99 the area 
under cinchona has fallen from 14,491 acres to 
7, .591 acres. There has been a substantial decline 
in Bengal as well as in Madras, and in Coorg the 
cultivation has been almost entirely abandoned. 
The number of plants in permanent plantations hag 
fallen iir the same peri'id from 28J mdlions to about 
six millions. In 1898-99, a little over four millions 
were classed as mature and nearly two millions 
as immature plants. The general reason for the 
decline is the fall in the price of quinine. The 
price fluctuates, and when a temporary rise occurs 
it is followed by the exportation of_ all the bark 
that can be collected from plantations owned other- 
wise than by the State. But the manifest general 
tendency of the price-level for many years has been 
downwards. 
The quantity of bark collected fluctuates with 
prices. Bark collected (lb. Madras 1898-99 745 472 
Bengal 251,529. Total 997,001. E.^ports (lb.) Madras 
1,361,589. Total 1,361,539. 
In Bengal most of the bark collected is manufac- 
tured by Government for issue to the State medical 
stores and to hospitals. In 1898-99 the Go-.Tninent 
chinchona factory produced 10,335 lb. (,f qiiininj 
sulphate and 3,921 lb. of cinchona febrifuge. Tue 
industry generally, apart from the Government 
operations in the Darjeeling district, has dwindled 
to unimportant proportions, 
