i)EC. 1, 1898.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
423 
PLANTING NOTJiS. 
Plants Kequike a Chang k. — Professor P>eal 
wlio liiisj had the iiiau!i!:;emeat ')t llie Botanic Gar- 
den, Michi;j;an, for many years, tells us that he finds 
lliat tliere is no siieli thinir as plautiag once foralL 
time. There is no such tbinj^ as stability, for 
phxntsneed a change sooner or later and will have 
it or perish. Tiie longer a plant remains in one 
])laoc in quantity, the more likely is it to he distur- 
bed by enemies— animal or vegetables, big or 
little. — Gardeners' Chronicle, Oct. 21. 
Aloes and \vhere they are to be Found. 
— A Veyangoda proprietor writes with refer- 
ence to a merchant's enquiry, that: — "he has aloes 
over a considerable e.xtent of his bouniaries ; 
and, thougii he has not enough for a regular 
supply, a few thousand -large leaves could easily be 
r<indei ed available. As the estate is withiu25 miles 
ofColomb), the situation may be consideretl desir- 
able for exoerimental |>urposes ; and inquiries might 
disclose more plants within a reasonable radius." 
Sixi^KNNY Tea and Inoian Districts.— A 
planter correspondent writes: — "What is to be 
the outcome of sixpenny tea ; for this is what 
Sylhet and Cachar are at this season? Does 
any one know ? IIxs anyone considereil ! Has 
anyone ever thought that this may last for a 
year (»r tsvo? lb is all verj well saying, 'Oh, 
yes ; this year I am bound to make a loss ;' but 
what if this goes on for three or four years ? 
How many proprietors will fork out (asks 
the Planter October 22nd) ? Another thing 
is, even if European proprietors won't go on, 
the garen will be put up tor sale and lionghc 
for an old song by native-, and the places will go 
on yielding, and making bad tea — 'muck,' one migiit 
sxy, — do harm to the district, andprices will remain 
at the same level. We heard rather a novel idea 
suggested that — to remedy this, the amount sub- 
.scribed to the American Fund sliouhl be diverted 
buying up t'.irdens such as we have rcd'erred to 
above and allowing tlism to revert into jungle, 
and thus reduce the outturn for a year or two ; 
and there is sense in it, we think. But we will 
no doubt hear in our columns from our numerous 
correspondents what their views are. In a mul- 
tit\ide of councils there is wisdom." 
Charges on Tea.— The (ieneral Committee, 
(Indian Tea Association), in the course of dis- 
cussion, thought it would be well to point out 
tliat the Agents' and Brokers' commissions were 
much reduced by the fall in prices, and further 
that most Agents and Brokers were large sliare- 
liohlers in tea concerns, and consequently suffered 
equally with other shareliolders. The question 
of wharfage cliarges had been already referred 
lionie to the London Association and was occupy- 
ing the attention of their Committee. One thing 
seems abundantly evident from the report, says 
the Planter, and that is that Agents and Brokers 
do nob see their way to any further reductions 
of their commissions. There are always two ends 
to a stick; and, as is noted. Agents and Brokers 
being generally large shareholders, and also very 
often directors of tea concerns, it apjiears that 
in this matter planters have the wrong end of 
the stick. No douljt, as sliareholders, Agents and 
Brokers suli':!r from the present depression in the 
industry ; but where economy is so rigidly en- 
forced, somc imes to the detriment of ellicient 
working, on the gardens, it is stirely possible that 
some economies might be found feasible and 
practicable in Calcutta. It io hardly a (luestion 
to be disniisiod iu a few words, as it seems lo 
have been, and surely deserved fuller consLderatiou. 
The Tea Pest.— We are glad to learn once 
again from Mr. Willis that he does not tiiink the 
disease will be serious if planters only take mea- 
sures against -it as soon as they notice an out- 
breaiv of it on their esti,tes. If they neglect to ilo 
so no one can answer for the conse(|uence. Mr. 
Wiilii is intending to make a tour through some of 
bheplanting districts shortly, to notice the extent of 
tlie disea-eon the tea. It is of course, far more a 
visitant of tea in Assam than in Ceylon where it 
has only been seen occasionally in certain localities. 
How TO MAKE Uhvbcdai,. — To make chj,rooal readily 
on a small scale, place small pieces of wood in a clay 
crucible, cover it with wet clay, and heat in an ordinary 
fire about an honr ; thus all the volatile matter is 
driven off, and on cooling the charcoal will be found in 
the crucible. On the lirge scale charcoal is made by 
burning wood in large heaps or piles, covered with earth 
or clay, or in ovens or kilns to which only a limited 
suDply of air is aUowed access. Any kind of wood may 
be used, but the hard woods, such as oak, btiech, and 
fir, produce the best and densest charcoal. Charcoal 
is also produced by heating wood in iron retorts, the 
volatile products, such as wood, tar, creosote, and acetic 
or pyroligneous acid, being condensed in receivers and 
utilised. — From " Work " for October 
1'J.,ANT-GEMS. -Among rhe minor results of the 
American occupation of the Philippines has been 
the attention called to a very curious natural pro- 
duct of those islands. Several vegetaide gi'owtlis 
appear to possess the faculty of secreting mineral 
concretions, resembling iu all respects certain fami- 
liar precious stones. These plant-gems were first 
investigated by the well-known American natur- 
alist, James Smithson, and there can be no doubt 
as to theirantlienticity. One of them is the bam- 
boo-opai, wliicli in its delicate green and red tints 
rivals the best stones. It is, however, small and 
very rare, for a thousand stems may be cut up be- 
fore a single specimen is found. The cocoa-nut 
pearl is rather more common, and not so astonish- 
ing, inasmuch as all pearls are organic products- 
Those found iu the Philippine cocoa-nut vary in 
size from a pin's I-;ead to a pea, and very closely le- 
semble the pearls deiived from oysters. — Daili/ 
Chronicle, September 2G. 
The PopUL.iP.isiNG of Cocoa. -Under this 
heading the Grocers' Journal, of the 1.3th Oct., lias 
an article referring to the gigantic eti'orts made 
by those interested to increase the consumption 
of cocoa and chocolate and the recent Grocers' 
Exhibition, the opinion being expressed that the 
result of the extraordinary enterprise there shown 
in the matter of cocoa will be an adtlitional 
fillip to this growing industry. The remarkable 
thing about this awakening is, it is said, "that 
new firms are everywhere springing up for the 
manufacture and sale of cocoa, while firms we 
have long known in other departments are liasteii- 
ing to make hay wdiile the sun of jn'osperity 
shines in this quarter. The most agreeable feature 
about this progress of cocoa is that it appears 
to be increasingly ' made in England ' ; for though 
our imports have largely increase!, the manu- 
factured siile is less re]iresented than before, the 
raw article coming along largely ahead of the 
quantity received last yeir. This is pleasant 
rea luig to those having the care of British in- 
dustry at heart ; yet it must not be forgotten 
that all the best things are not made at home. 
There is little the foreigner can teach us in 
regard to the preparation of commodities in w hose 
matiufac'lure we have been engagetl for ages, but 
w> cannot disguise from ourselves — nor should 
\\ ■ lb) so — that continental nations are capable of 
i ii. aing out good cocoas which it would not be fail 
lo i)reveat a sale of here." 
