392 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec. 1, 1898. 
"The AcMcuLTURAL Ledger."— 1898— >No. 0. Goasy- 
pium Sp. (Egyptian Cotton,) Dictionaiy of Econo- 
mic Products, Vol. IV., G. 581 ; Experimental Cal- 
tivatiou of Egyptian Cottoa ia Radhanpur ; A 
Memorandnm by &1 X Lyile, i.s c, Adiiiii.istrator, 
Radhanpiir State. No. 10, Silk (iiliilberry), Dictioo- 
ary of Economic Products, Vol, VI., Piirt III. S. 
1822 ; Sale of Raw Silic for the Ka ihmir Dari ar ; 
Official Papers including Memoranda on the sale by 
Sir George Birdwood, K.C.I E., opinions of Sir Thomas 
Ward e,Kt., and other exports consulted, etc. — No. 11. 
Ananas Saliva (Piue Apple). Dictionarv of Economic 
Prodncts, Vol. I., A. 1045-.)7 ; Pine Apjjle Fibre ; Re- 
view of Correhpondence showing results of a che- 
mical examination in the Scieutilic Department of 
the Imperial institate of a sample of the fibre pre- 
pared in Assam. 
The Gkey Blight on Tr,.v.— We omitted in 
our reterence on page 386 to say that the simple 
directions in the "Kew JiiiUetiii" (reproduced in 
the Tropical Arjricidtnrist for SSeptcnihei) if at- 
tended to, will, in Mr. Willi.s's oi^iniun, easily 
keep the trouble in check. Tlii.s giey hli^^ht ha.s 
been in the island for years, but latterly has 
ap])eared in several new jdaces; and, for that niason 
alone, sliould be watclicil and at tended to by 
planters. We may add on Mr. Willis'.s authority 
that it is not likely to be more than a teiii- 
pora'y trouble in a few localilie.s, unless people 
{^et it spread far before noticing it. The descrip- 
tion in the T.A. should be carefully read. Mr. 
SVillis will probably have a Circular on the sub- 
ject ere long and doubtless Mr. Carrutiier.s will 
have his say. 
Tka Shares. — Our evening couteniporary com- 
piles the Rupee Companies' Share Lists for the 
past q^uarter with the following total result : — 
Ordinary capital, RlCjSIJl),.^^ ; Quotation on SOth 
June 1898, 1U£, 692,490 ; Quotation on Both Septemlier 
1898, Rl<t,799,8t;o. Net drop during quarter R901,55(>. 
From the remarks given we quote:— 
At the end of .June term no Company in the list 
showed a rise ; but on the present occasion three have 
gained this distinction : — A<?raOiivah to the extent of 
±i38,500 ; Knavesmire R51,125 ; and Rnanwella Rl9,87.5; 
making a total appreciation of R89,500. The total 
depreciation on the other Companies is R99 1,050 ; and 
thus we arrive at the net reduction of 11901,550. The 
slum in the preceding quarter was R,%7,820. Then 
there were still sixteen concerns above par ; four at 
par ; and twenty nine below. Now thirteen only are 
at a premium: the same number at par; and thirty-two 
at a liiscount. Those which have contributed most to 
the fall are INIochas, which fell R275 per share of R500, 
bat continue above par; St. Heliers which have fallen 
from R800 to par (R500); Wanarajahs, whose R500 
shares are Rl,200 instead of Rl,300 ; High Forests on 
both fully paid and part paid shares ; Nahavillas which 
are at par, against Ro50 ; Palmerston which have 
f?llen R25 to R-i50 ; Pine Hills, whose shares of R60 
have dropped from R50 to R30 ; Roeberys, which are 
now R40 in place of R60 ; Clydes, which have dropped 
50 per cent to R49 ; Kalutaras, which are R250 aeainst 
R325 ; Raigams, from RGO to R50 ; Ciuncs RlOO to 
R90 ; and Eilas R50 to R-10. The others have fallen 
less than R28,000. The " stand-out " Companies 
^Thich continue above par make the following notable 
list:— Agra Guvah, Drayton, Glasgow, Great Western, 
Hapugahalande, Kirklees, Maha XJva, Mocha, Ottery, 
Tonacombe, Upper Maskeliya, Wanarajah, and Yata- 
deriya. We regret to say, however, that whereas the 
total of the ordinary paid-up capital of our Rupee 
Produce Companies is R46, 230,540, present quotations 
represent only ooe-third of this, the loss thus being 
R30,000,000 from par — not from the position of two 
years ago, which represents a much greater fall. 
Clearly, the industry as represented by our Rupee 
Companies is one that would be much the better 
of the relief that rice freed from the import duty 
IVOuld give to it, ' 
Porto Rico and its rich planting dihtricts are 
thus referred to a Special Ci»rre.«poudeut of the 
Lonilon Ti/iiM in a recent ihsue : — 
From Aibouito, which h the highest point oa tba 
road between Ponce and the capital, we descended 
rapidly to the village of Ciyey, a distance of 14 
miles. The greater p.' rt of the way lay through the 
valley of the Rio de la Plata, one of the most fertile 
epots it has ever bceu my fortune to tee. Coffee 
plaiit.ninDs cover the nioautaiii slopes, sugxr cane 
estates and farms of sll kiud.i till the bottom lau'ls of 
the valley. Everywhere the couutry ia thickly 
populated, homestead.'j peeping out iu all direction* m 
far as the eye can rt ach. 
SamI'1.K.s of Uukiiku sent by Mr. Cardew, and 
forwarded to Jyoudoii by .Mr. .Malion, liave been 
submitted to an expert, and the following rejwrt 
received :—" Rubber from ' Landoljiliia lloiitia,' 
leceived. Messr.3. Hecht, I^evis & Kalui re|>ort 
that this rubber is of very good quality and has 
been properly prepared. Its value to lay in 3s to 
3s Id per pound. Any (luantiiy of tliiH rubber, 
provided it is as clean as the sam|)le in quchlion, 
would lind a ready market here for some years 
to come at a minimum luice of 2* 6d to 2s 9.1 
per iioiind- Messrs. Heclit, Levis «i Kalia voulU 
be glad to put a consigniMcnt of this cla«« of 
rubljer on the market at any time." — Ji.C. Afrim. 
Lord Rothschilu anu Lvdiav Exports — 
Without profes.sing to have any personal acjuaint- 
.ance with the circumstances of India, no otic 
spoke more emphitically than Lord Koth.-child 
about the importance of increasing its Expurt 
trade. Here are a few passages from liia evi- 
dence of general interest : — 
On the advisability of a gold standard oudagold 
currency for India — and I cauaot separate tiiom, 
though for a time the gold may not be put inlo 
circulvtion — I must emphatically remark here that 
a change of th it kind, d'jsirable as it may be in the 
interests of India, will be of no avail and will effect 
no psrmanent good unless steps are taken to inci ease 
the exports of India, because it is on the magnitude 
of the expoct trade that the future of a gold standard 
and gold currency depends. 
The prevalent idea seems to be that if you could 
ensure a certain fixity of exchange money would 
flow to India; my belief is that the Indian Govera- 
ment will attract money to India for public work 
and for the great undertakings if they set to works 
in the right way. I al.^o believe, although I may be 
quite wrong on the subject, that quite apart from 
the fluctuations in exchange, the great banks 
which now at carry on the Eastern trade have dis- 
covered this the right and only policy for them 
to pursue to keep their capital intact in London 
and to be continually sending it backwards 
and forwards. The policy of borfowing money in 
Loudon and allowing one's agents in distant branches, 
::ot o-:!y in Ii.'dii, but elsewhere, to lend it out on 
seL-uiity, the value of wlii:-h is Ui k ior-'n at the head 
office, has been curtailed for a great number of years. 
Tlitn you di-,".nprove of the policy of Sir James 
Vi"estl.vnd and the Governmeut of Iijd".* iu trying to 
fjrce upthe ra'e of exchange, and in so doing to force 
iip^the rri^te of interest upon all ths maiohants of 
India ?— You ask me vvhethsr I disapprove of forcing 
np the rate of exchange by increasing the stringency 
of ths money market. I certainly do disapprove of it. 
I may state that merchants all over India, both 
exporters and importers, are looking for even a 
v.-Oi-se state of matters in the coming busy export 
season. That being so you would more emphatically 
disapprove of any policy which would leid to such a 
result ? — Certainly. 
I was very pleased indeed to hare your emphatic 
opinion (because we have had different views stated 
by two or three witnesses) that you approve of the 
magnitude of exports from India being largely 
increased so as to make as big a balance aa possibli 
ia fayQur 9f la^ia ?— Yes, 
