Nov ], 1898.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
The best Iiybrids so far obtained seem to be 
between Maiagogipe coffee and Arabica. — Later 
on, Mr. Cameron said : — 
In addition fcothswork of hybridisation you could 
do a good deal by selectiog the seed. That is a time- 
honoured practice at home, not only by seedsmen 
and nurserymen, but aho by fanners and agricultur- 
ists of all sorts. In selecting seed you will find the 
farmer is very particular only to have the heaviest, 
finest and best. "And it should be the same with the 
planter in this country. He should not be satisfied 
with mixed seed ; but should make sure that he has 
the heaviest, largest and finest in every respect. He 
should exchange his seed by sending it to other parts 
of the country to friends and asking them to send 
him back their specimens of seed equally carefully 
selected. He should also try and introduce seed 
from other countries, such as West Africa, Brazil, 
Jamaica and all places where coffee is largely groirn. 
1 don't know tbat I can add anything to these re- 
marks ; but as you seem very keen on fertilisation 
and seed selection, I think it right to tell you that 
by means of these two methods a man can do a greai 
deal. Of course, high cultivation you thoroughly 
understand, and it is needless for me to say miicli 
about it. 1 believe, however, that you are going to 
bring up a proposal ooncernmg the appointment of an 
Agricultural Chemist. In this connection will you 
allow me to say that there are chemists and chemists. 
(Hear, hear). If you are going in for the services of a 
chemist, I strongly advise you to get the very best 
man available. You will have to pay a heavy salary 
for such a man, but do . that ungrudgingly, and your 
money will be returned to you twenty-fold. It is no 
use going to a cheap man, who will make you believe 
this, that, and the other thing till eventually you find 
nothing good. I strongly advise you to get the best 
man possible, and if the Mysore (Government or any 
Other Government can help you in the matter, take 
their help and be thankful. 
There can, of course, be no doubt about the 
importance of tiie principles laid down. Ceylon 
planters were very careful about their conee see 1 
and planting between 18.3o and 1S6.5 ; but many 
of thein got recklessly careless in reference to 
nurseries^ and planting when tiie districts between 
Great Western and Adam's Peak were rushed 
into collee. In our Leaf Disease era, fresh seed 
from Mocha, East and West Africa, Jamaica, 
&c., were tried again and again without 
idvantage ; but no e.xpeiiuieut in hybridisation 
K&i made or at any rate persevered in, It will 
be interesting to watch coffee developments in 
My.sore, Uoorg and Wynaad. 
iVIANUAL OF NEW SOUTH WALES 
GRASSES. 
We have received from the author a copy of 
tliis useful work" which must be invaluable to 
the agriculturist and stock-own r in great pas- 
toral Colonies such as are most, if not all, the 
divisions of Australia, and which contains infor- 
mation of value to botanists and cultivators 
all the world over. The illustrations which aie 
niiniProus and well-executed, enable the dillereiit 
glasses to be readily identified and the informa- 
is both scientiiicaliy and popularly full and 
in.stiuctive, the order usually being to give the 
botanical name and explanation ; botanical des- 
• A "Manual of the Grasses " of New South Wale?, 
By J. 11. Maiden, Government Botanist and Director 
of the Botanic Oardeus, Sydney. (With Illustrations.) 
By Authority of the .Minister for Mines and .\gii- 
cuUure. Sydney : William Applegnte GuUick, Govern- 
ment Printer, isas.— [Is Od.J 
cnption ; and notes, .synonym and vernacular 
name where po.ssible ; where «gured ; value a, a 
0, der; other uses ; (sometimes -fun^Mis found on 
tins grass"); habitat and range-of^each nn-?," 
fote-- '^'--"^--^^ of t!ie Manual" ai;"L^; 
Kffivi'p P^8^ ; Cultivation of 
^atne Grasses 1 ; Conservation of Native Grasses 2 • 
Analyses of Grasses 3 ; Plan of the Work 4 ; List of 
\V orKs consulted o; Gras.ses for Special Purposes and 
Situations ?; Key to the Genera 8 ; List of Gi™ 
m °-'°^'P"''« Account of each Grass 18; Index 
Besides a brief introductory chapter, we have 
concise deliverance, on the Cultivation and -on 
servation o .Native Gras.,es, al.so on Analyse; of 
Gra.s.ses ; Plan of the Work ; List of Works con 
sulced ; a list of Grasses for special purposes or 
situations ; Key to the Genera and then the main 
work, with a full index at the end. One na" 
^'-""^'^^ "Conservatioif'of 
Mr. Thomas A. Williams gives the following sommarv 
of his recommendations for the renewing of S 
out pastures of native grasses ■— " d i A vni^ 
stocking ; (n.) When the^oil begin. " o g°ef bailed 
and packed stir it up with a harrow; (iin Give an 
occasional light top-dresping of well-rofVpri i i 
manure; (rv.) Fill i^ thin wVharfy amf or S 
grasses betore the weeds get a start ; (v.) Keep the 
weeds mowed off so that the grasses mav^pf Ihl 
benefit of all the plant-food there 7s Hhf soil '' 
Andm conclusion wo quote a specimen of Mr 
Maiden s method ot imparting useful informati^on 
taking the perennial " Enoch loa puncta a 
:' Early Spring grass " of Australia, ''EvedSt 
ing grass of some parts of America:- 
Value as a fodder.— One of the best n3^^n,.p 
grasses of the Colony, particularly of the coast Z 
tricts, though it will endure con^siderabL drought" 
It grows freely, is succulent, and much e^tJf.r^Zi) 
stock. A good account of New South wries expej 
ence with this grass is by Mr. Seccombe, who exper " 
mected with it^ on the Richmond River. He reported • 
ihis perennial grass is fairly plentiful and in 
sheltered situations in this district it mainUin"som^ 
growth all the winter. It grows rapidly fro^i ve^v 
early spring to late summer, and. if tindistnrbed 
reaches a length of 2 or 3 feet Tt cn-n,^- ■ ' 
kinds of soil. "Under cultivatfon it Irowth Ts^anT' 
ful, as well as its power of seed-proZci^g Tt'ok 
as much as six cuttings for seed my plot durint 
the season 1891 to 1895, This grass ha^s been intro 
duced to our district, no doubt'' through the agency 
of travel ing stock, for it can be found more o°r les^ 
on the old, much.used highways. It is Sm seen 
to any satisfaction in open situations, as stod^ and 
padamelous keep it cropped very close. TWs close 
clipping has given rise to frequently-expressed ideas 
th^t Lnochloa punctata banishes Muilumbimby Couch 
\_kulhu;na luoaoccphahx, a great pest.— J H M \ Tf 
a grass, I feel confident, our dairy-farmers shonM 
introduce to their holdings ; it has erea vi^^r^ 
miquestionable milk and b'utter quafiti^s, as S 
the invaluable property of rapid reproduction/' 
Mr. Maiden's ambition has been to .sun„]v a 
that ot the farmer and nastoralist, and that of 
the botanist ; and we think he has fully succeeded 
and deserves the thanks of both classes ^^^ecieci 
TEA Shipments. --Through the courtesy „f 
the Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, 
we me enabled to state tiiat the shipment.s „f 
tea lu London during September were Ti mil. 
lions, the estimate for October " beirV' 
ualhous. 
to 7i 
