Oct. I, 1898. J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTUEIST. 
241 
FIBRE SPECIMENS. 
The Principal of the Sciiool of Agriculture 
wrifes : — "I am sendini^ some fibre specimens ror 
you to see 
1. Ramie ribbons extracted by Mr, Warr from 
sticks supplied by me and ^'rown on tiie pre- 
mises. Tlie gi'owtli I did not consider by any 
means good, and that is to be expected consider- 
ing the nature of our soil. The following figures 
will be useful : — 
100 fresii stalks with leaves were taken and 
found to weigh 40 lb. 
The same without leaves weighed 27 lb. 
Average height of stalks, o ft, 
Weight of stalks without fibre, 20 lb. 
Weight of c(rij ribiions — 2 lb., i.e , 5 per cent 
of the sticks with leaves. 
Mr. Warr reports ' quality of libre fair, growth 
medium.' 
2. Fibre extracted at the School from leaves 
of Sisal hemp, a few plants of which, supplied by 
Dr. Trimen, are growing here. 
.3. Fibre of Niyanda (SansevieraZeylanica) ex- 
tracted by Mr. Warr, 
4. Fibre of Sanseviera Cjlindrica, extracted at 
the School, Tiie plants were supplied by Dr, 
Trimen as one of the be?t of the .Sansevieras for 
fibre. I send specimens of leaves also." 
The collection is a very interesting one and may 
be seen at our office by anyone who wishes, 
iind we must send it round the Fort after the mail 
leaves, 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Iced Tea. — There is no more refreshing sum- 
mer beverage than iced-cold tea served with 
lemon. One pound of tea will make from five to 
fifteen gallons of beverage, as to the sort used. 
What better advertisement for a store than to 
serve on a hot day iced-cold tea It would 
tend to increase the popularity of the s.ore and 
the sales of the tea, cracker, and fruit sections. 
Make the experiment. — American Grocer, July 6. 
China Tea in Amoy.— According to some par- 
ticulars given by our Consul at Amoy, once an im- 
portant tea growingand exporting district in China, 
the competition of Indian and Ceylon teas 
is very far from being, as is sometinies sup- 
posed, the chief cau.se of the decline and ruin of 
the tea-growing industry says the Financial Neivs 
of July 12tli. Its extinction is due to the ruinous 
system of taxation. Mr. Gardner tells ot the 
sad sight to be seen in the district, of tea-gardens 
run to waste and of once comfortable homesteads 
of prosperous teagrowers fallen into ruins — a sight 
which rouses, in addition to sympathy for the 
sufferings of the natives, a not illegitimate feel- 
ing of annoyance, for our own sakes, that our 
hoped-for customers should be thus prevented from 
purchasing our wares. Of reform in taxation — 
the only thing which could have saved the in- 
dustry—there is no indication, the only idea the 
authorities seem to have been to increase the strin- 
gency with which the likiu is collectCi^. Mr. 
Gardner appends a report by Mr. Frank Cass on 
the Amoy tea season of 1897-98, in which it is 
chown that the crop for the season was only 
7,000 half-chests, comi)ared with 26,000 Ii:ilf-chests, 
in the previous season and with 178,000 half-chests 
twenty year* ago. Mr. Cass caustically adds 
that natives and foreigners alike, whose trade likin 
and duty have ruiucd, havr the consolation of 
knowing thai for tlio^e to whose ignorance and 
rapacity the present state of affairs is due there 
ft) now no trade left for them to blackniaii, 
Botanic Gakdex.s and Domains, N.S Wales 
-Mr. J. H. Maiden's Report for 1897 is an 
elaborate document, fo- he has a very varied 
.111.1 extensive charge in all its departments. 
Our old friend Mr. Chailes Moore after 
forty-eight years' service retired from the Sydney 
Directorship m 1895 and we are glad to "ather 
that he is .still in good health, his succe^S'>r e.v- 
piessing the hope chat there remains to Mr 
Moore •' a lo'g period ot leisure aftor his "xcep- 
tional services to ihe Colony.'' Mr. Maid-u is 
evidently a weii-qualitied successor and we con- 
gratulate him on the exhaustive Rppor^ iust 
published ^ 
The Hawaii Islands being annexed, there is 
sure to be a rapid development of coffee culture 
thu-e, through the iidlueiice of American capi 
taasts. The American Consul-General at Honoiuin 
has issued a very full Report on the subiecV 
an early copy of which has been sent to us an,l 
from this we gather that out of 76,000 acre.; of 
land well fitted tor coffee, not more than 10 ooo 
have been taken up, or 4,000 acres planted tho 
highest elevation being 2,.300 feet. Tiie laio-e i^ 
plantation so far opened is one of 200 acre 1ip 
longinrr to a Company, with the bushes planted 8 
by 8 feet. The labourers (Japanese) are paid i ^ 
dollars a month. Some Japanese f-et 16 a 
Chinese labourers get 18 to 17 doIlars°a niouth?"'^ 
Essential Oils. -The adulteration of essen 
tial oils has been for a long time one of "tl 
most lamentable practices in commercial cirr-I 
extending as it does from the time that themi 
leaves the natural source to the point at wi,- i 
it reaches the wholesale draj. trade 1 after ^X f^ 
we think we may safely say there is little t„ 
tear of such oractice being followed. TIip ,n. ? 
trustworthy British firms in the dru ' f f 
have set their face strongly against this evil 
and we are glad to see that the Essential Oil T 
porters and Exporters, Limited, of 6-5 i 
66, Basinghall Street, London, E.C "'ar^ ' i '^"'^ 
all they can to assist dealers in e^entL) -i^ 
by laying it do.vn as a first princiide to ? n 
best articles only, and undcrtakinu- to i.o J 
customers a warranty that all essential 
delivered by them are pure.— i-^iY^/; r ? • , 
Bnigcjist, July 22. ^"''^'^^al 
Consumption' of Coffee.— Theiollou-n, . i, 
taken from the Econoni.t, and qX;,"^ ^ « 
Board of Iradc Journal, shows tht anrn/i 
sumption of coffee for th- last five veir' ; 
United Jtates and the principal .il^lltr!^^^^ 
Europe 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
Tons. 
. . 271,498 
. . 272,191 
. . 277,400 
.. 291,1,50 
305,150 
U.S.A. 
Tons. 
248,1! 7 
236,822 
260,6 SO 
267,330 
318,170 
As will be seen from the above, thepo; <n. -. .• 
of coffee in the United States i, %q7 " ''"'V'" 
that of the whole of Europe. T, e' r'.^'f^^''^'^ 
countries which consun.H.l ,he nio^^ no r 
Germany {136,390 tons) and Frnn-Ie ?77T. .''f """^ 
The United Kingdom consnruPd only I ' i^n r"'' 
and Italy 12,.500 tons.- 
Arl,. July .s. [Other authorities show the ; , ,T ^ 
sumption for Europe to be over 40o 0 T"''"' 
North America 340,000 tons -£d Ta\ 
