Sept, 1, 1898.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
215 
Ceylon Tea in America and in Mincing 
Laniv. — The P. A. con'espondence pablislied 
on another page is chiefly leiiiavkable for the 
buoyant spirit displayed by Mr. Larkin as to the 
future ot our teas in North America. He feel 
certain that tlie day is not far distant when the 
people of the iStates will drink more tea than the 
population o{ Enf,'land ! In othe^r words, 
500,000,0 jO lb of tea will be required for North 
American alone when Mr. Lavkin's prophecy conies 
true ! Mr. Mackenzie informs us that the Indian 
Tea Conunitlee in London favour British prepared 
" green" tea being tried in America. He also 
gives us very clear evidence of the syste:n adopted 
by big buying houses in the Lane in order to 
keep down prices of tea. What can be done to check 
such powerful combinations ? 
The llaBBEii Industy of Para. — In his report on the 
trade of the Consular district of Para for ihe year 
1897, Mr. Consul Cliurchill gives some pirtioulars of 
the rubber industry, which is the 'principal one of the 
pr.ivince of Grao-Para. Tliere are numerous varieties 
of elastic gum produced in all troDical countiias ot the 
world which are chemically allied, but which are ob- 
tained from many varieties of several orders of plants, 
aodare usedfor different purposes in commerce. These 
gums are commonly divided into two classes— india- 
rabberand guttapercha, the chief commercial difference 
being that indiarnbber is elastic whereas giUta 
percha becomes hard and inelastic when kept in a cool 
temperature. For this reason guttapercha is used for 
the insulation of submirine cables. The world's pro- 
duction of rubber in 1896 reached 3l,r>il tons, towards 
which South America (mainly the Para district) con- 
tributed 19,231 tons. Last year the exports from this 
particular part amounted to 22,216 tons. Rubber, it 
appears w.is first introduced into Europe from South 
America in 1736, but its virtues were not generally 
appreciated until the close of the eighteenth century, 
when it was first employed in the manufacture of 
waterproofs. The localities where rubber trees thrive 
the be^t are on islands and low ground near rivers 
where the banks are periodically inundated. Ground- 
that is above water at all times or that has no drainage 
is not suitable to the tree. " 
U.SEFUL OraciNAL Work is being done since 
July 1896, at the Technological Museum, 
New South Wales, by II. T. B.aker, f.ls., 
who besides a great deal of original botanical 
■Work has discussed the presence of a . true^ 
manna on an Australian grass (jointly with 
Mr. H. 3. Smith, F.CS.) (As Mannite is worth' 
5s per lb. we have here a pharinaeeutical proiluct 
new for the Aiistrlian Continent, and obtained 
from what was previously supposed to be an objec-' 
tionable fungus). He has had a note on a new 
variety of Acacia decuriens, Willd. (On two 
new species of Acacia from N. S. W.) (One 
species was found to yield in quantity a good 
gum arabic worth 16s to 20s per cwt ) On 
the Cinnanioniums of N. S. W., witlia chemical 
research on oliverian oil. (.\part froui the bota- 
nical discovery, it is shown that in the bark 
alone there is a valuable oil to be obtaineil and 
in gooil r^uantity). On tlie essential oil of Euca- 
lyptus' piperita, Sni, and the occurrence therein 
of a solid camphor or stearoptene. (In the 
finding of this new camphor they add another 
product for the consideration of the commercial 
world.) On Eucalyptus punctata, DC. esi)eoially' 
in reganl toils essentile oil (.Jointly with Mr. H. G. 
Smith, F.c.s.) ( I he economic side ot tliis species is 
very fully treated and its oil is shown to be suprrior 
inquality and e([ual in nuantily to that of Eucalyp- 
tus ff/obulm). Organic chemistry — By H. (A. 
Smith, F.C S. On the constituents of the sap of the 
Silky oak, (gravillea robusta), ii. Br; and the 
jjresence of butyric acid therein. 
Coffee Planting in the Malay Penin.sula is 
just now on the verge of a grave crisis. Latest ac- 
counts from the Straits through the Singapore Free 
Pre.ssteliof tlieannualreportof the Malay Peninsula 
Coffee Company showing a deHcit of £1,975 on last 
year's working, due to bad weather and the fall in 
prices. — Friend of India, July 28. 
Kew Bulletin." — The June number contains 
articles on Tea Blights, and an account of various 
fungi injurious to Tea in India, drawn up by Mr. 
Mas.:,ee ; who also contributes descriptions ot 
various exotic fungi. "Miscellaneous notes" 
justify their title. The acquisition of a Totem 
Pole made from the wood Thuya plicata—gigantea, 
is evry interesting. — ff«)-dcHC/-s-' Vhoniclc, Sn\y 23! 
Improved Pruning of Tea and Heavv 
Crops. — Our correspondent " 1874" complains 
that we interpreted his previous letter wrongly.; 
and that he meant a ma.\inmm, not an avei-aae' 
crop of 1,600 lb of made tea per a('re as the 
result of improved pruning. There is certainly 
reason for criticising the practice of " cuttin-r- 
down" and a Dimhula planter the other day 
c«:idemned it unsparingly. 
The Agri- Horticultural Society of India. 
—The report of this Society for the past year shows 
th it the oiganizatiou is now in a rnucii healthier 
and more active state than it has been for many 
years. The finances of the Society are however 
we regret to note, not in a .satisfactory state, the 
year closini.'- with a deficit of over Ii2/i00. 
The work of the past year was interesting' and 
varied. Large additions of [ilants, rare, beautiful 
and of economic value were made durin"- the 
year, while anew glass house— believed to he the 
finest structure of the kind in India— and a very 
fine specimen house, were among the new addi- 
tions. Another important addition is the aernio- 
tor, presenteil by the Maharaja of Hutwa, which 
is now in full working order. It is acknowledo-eJ 
to be a most valuable aid for irrigation purposes. 
RINDERPE.ST exists in Colombo and (iovern- 
ment Veterinary Surgeon Sturgess recommends the 
following measures for suppression and the treat- 
ment of affected animals : — 
I. 'On the earliest indication of illne.ss an animal 
should at once be isolated. ' 
II. Tacks soaked iu CaL-bolic acid and water (J- - 
tea cupful of acid to a bucketful of water) should b| 
hung up ill the sheds and .about the yard, for r,nv. 
poses of disinfection. 
III. Waste foo.), letter and dung from the sick 
animals should be bnrncd. 
IV. Treatment : I have found the following pre- 
scription answer well and I strongly recommend it — 
in the present outbreak most of the cases treated'in- 
this way from the earliest indication of illuess are 
recovering : -Quinine 1 to 2 drams, according to size 
of animal; arrack \ bottle, rice cougee 4 bot'I..s 
mixed together and given every morning or moruinp 
and evening in bad cases. ° 
The eyes and nostrils when gumme ] up with the 
discharged should be cleaned with a weak solution 
of permangands of potash in water, (or Jeves fluid 
and water). •' " 
Good nutritious food in the way of cougee, and 
solt grass should be given until the animal re-raing 
lis appetite. n"'"" 
For the last day and a half I have heard of no fresh 
case-i. 
Cattle owners will greatly assist in suppression bv 
at once reponiiig cases 1 may add for their euid- 
ance that one of the earliest symptoms I have ob- 
served during the present ■ outbreak is that the bellv 
becomes puffed up accompanied by a little pain- fol- 
lowed m about 12 hours by diarrhcea' ' • 
