402 
THK TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. l, 1898. 
To (Tie FAilof, 
THE GOUKAMI FISH. 
DkarSir, — It is said that the Gourami may be 
inferior from a sportsman's point of view, but 
otherwise is by far the more important fish, and 
could in a few weeks be established by traiis|iort- 
ing a couple hundred live fisli, which should prove 
neither very difficult nor costly. 
The Gourami is supposed to have spread from 
Cochin China, whicli is given as its native iiabitat, 
and where, existing in a wild state, it is found up 
to 100 lb. in weight. Jn other countries the fi.sli 
domesticated and being kept in captivity, and is 
usually marketed before it is 12 lb. in weight — 
when, no doubt, it proves better eating and is more 
profitable than when larger. Many consider the 
Gourami the finest of all fhh. The flesh is of a 
pale straw coloui-, iirm, llaky and very delicious. 
The fish is said to be very tenacious of life, beinL' 
generally taken to market alive, and if not sold 
returned to the water. It is described as being 
very hardy and growing fast — mainly a vegetable 
feeder, but eating any form of -waste food. Any 
one with a pond in his garden can keep the fish 
and a scroop net is only necessary when one is 
wanted for dinner. A writer says tiiat it would be 
difficult to find a new industry which would yield 
sueii satisfactory results to any one who owns 
water, sucii as a pond or lagoon, as the culti- 
vation of Gourami. For the above facts I am 
mainly indebted to Mr. D. O Connor, a Queens- 
land autliority on Pisciculture. 
The scientific name of the Gourami is Osph.ro- 
menus oljax nohiUs- Besides beinj^ so commonly 
found in Mauritius as well as Java it has been 
established in many other parts, and is found in 
the tanks of Calcutta, Madras and the Jsilgiris 
where it attains 20 lb or more in weight and is con- 
sidered excellent eating when kept in clean water. 
Dr. Watt, writing a few years ago, says that 
there the Government of India were considering 
the inl^roduction of a Fisheries Bill, to remedy 
tlie wholesale destruction of fish, by preventing 
fish poisoning, regulating the size of net fish, 
guarding the mouths of irrigation canals against 
the entrance of fisii, levying a tax on the use of 
fishing implements, &c. 
It is said that the Seind fresh-water fisheries in 
1882-3 yielded a revenue of K92,541, and in Burma 
in 1883, 12 to 13 lacs of rupees were netted, — and 
these instances are given as arguments in favour of 
the introduction of a Fisheries Act into otiier pro- 
vinces of India, and why not also into Ceylon. 
We read that Mr. D. O'Connor lately arrived 
in Loudon with four specimens of the Ceratodus 
peculiar to Queensland wiiicli he succeeded in 
keeping alive. Two were purchased by the 
'London Zoological Society for £90, and he was 
offered £100 if he delivered the other two alive 
at the Jardin des Plantes, fans. 
Mr. O'Connor has determined that on his way 
back to Queensland he will bring living Gourami 
from Java or Mauritius, as he considers that 
Queensland waters are eminently suited to be 
habits of the fish which he expects to very easily 
acclimatise. The Mauritius Government was 
enquiring after Sinhalese cattle a little time ago, 
why should not the Ceylon Government see about 
getting over some of the Mauritius fish ?— Yours 
truly, C. D. 
COCONUT GROWIN(;. 
Deae Rin T?^^'*"' Veyangoda, Oct. 25. 
JJtAE hiE,— I send you per pissenger train this 
morning to Fort Station on. self'^grown coconi" dUd 
eyes downwards in a bush under a cooouu 
i tUmk that thu mode of growth will turn out better 
hanpU.ts grown eyes upwHrds or dantmV On the 
15th July la.lI Lave placed in open nareeriea 4 000 
coconuts ejes downwar.is at thiB"^ estate aud it KoU 
J iuuary next ; so far none of the uuts were attacked 
byjvlute ants ; I shall let you know the resuU fa due 
I hope coconut plants grown eyes downwards will be 
your Talthndl;" "^^"'?'^ cultivation.- 
yourb faithfully, j p willuM. 
[The plant sent us is a healthy one. But let Mr 
tTe thl"/""^ T^' equal circumst;n<^8. In 
tlie three ways, and report results.— Ed. T.A.] 
ALL ABOUT TEA. 
in^^hJ' JlrTT'"" ("."^'^^'i"? of the lessons 
in ijhe I'lrst Graphic reader series (Collius'l so 
much u.sed in schools now a days :-- ^ ' ^ ^ 
, MAKING TEA. 
Mother, let me make the lea this time" 
Have yon ever made it, Milly'''' 
i.'w 'm™°.'^,'"'' ^ to try" now," 
into'IheSea potT" 
'I How much shall I take?" 
'' Fill the spoon once for each one of ns " 
One, two, three, four, five, and a big one for 
J^rauk, makes six.' ° 
'' That will do, now pour in some hot water aud 
eet^th^^ teapot under the cosy, so that the tea c« 
''^0'^ long vjiist the tea infuse?" 
Only a little while. The hot water will boon make 
nice tea for us. Cau you tell me what tea iHlilTy 
les, mother, I thmk I can. Tr.a madV ot the 
haves or a p ant that ,j.oro, near ,ke ».a. Men pick 
dr,, them. )i hen the haves are qmte dr.i ( 1. 
put rnto boxes and sent to „, in large "hips Thl 
tea plant gr,ws iu lauds that are vJy Ur oO and 
fel t'r^s.'*'^ ''''' ' 1°"«' tim^ebeVr^'th^y 
lin^Sr is^^SS ^:Ss '''' »-«f-t-3 (under. 
The Illustration attached to this brilliant deacrin- 
tion shows a garden laid out in small beds lika 
mfkini^ or' in ^ P°P"'^^ on tea- 
^•awn^UD bv th. Tl -'f "P''^'^* general should be 
Messrs Collinl J, 'n ^^'"■^"'ee and sent off to 
^essrs. .Macmillan and other nublishers tn 
ba embodied m their reading books.-Yours truly 
b. 
l^'^'^ECT Ti^^n^n?I^II (AND 
ELSEWHERE) AND MR. KCEBELE- 
T^r-.^ o T . ^ton, Pundaluoya. Oct "4 
of the V;^^'-'-^ have to thank yoii for he copy 
?ato'' of .'^'^^^ "Tropical Culti- 
\at()i ot September foth. v^uin 
The interesting article on " In.seet Pests in 
Hawaii" must be by our friend Mr. Aifert K«be le 
who since las vi.sit lo Ceylon, has been Inwlv 
StslftuT *'"Pr,'''' g/-fefic/al insects fro 
nlanLr t^'^ world lor the benefit of the Hawaian 
planters. He has even gone further and nrP«pH 
into his service bats and toads, which we"^^^ ore 
viously unknown in the islands." The latter se'em 
