Feb. 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGEICULTURIST. 
573 
become insignificant, and the cession of Zanzibar to 
Germany might be contemphited if an adequate 
exchange of advantage can be negotiated. M. 
Decle's account of some of the expected produca 
of the new territory is as follows : '• The Zambezi 
Valley possesses a climate and soil suitable 
to sugar plantations ; indiarubber is already 
found in the Ro-Angwa Valley — I have had 
samples of it sold to me by the natives. Then we 
must forget that tobacco is cultivated by the natives 
in every one of the districts which will be crossed by 
the railway, and the experiments carried out by 
Messrs. Buchanan Brothers in Nyassaland proTe that 
tobacco of the best quality can be obtained from 
imported plants. Already, in 1893, I bought from 
these planters light-coloured tobacco almost as good 
as the Turkish tobacco sold in Europe, and they 
were beginning to make cigars equal to mauy of the 
Indian brands; this was only two years after they 
had made their first experiments from imported 
plants. I have, therefore, no doubt, and I must in- 
sist on the point, that Northern Rhodesia and British 
Central Africa will, with cheap transport, soon be 
able to compete with Sumatra, IMaaila, and India as 
tobacco-producing centres. Neither must we forget 
to mention cofiee ; it has, as is well known, already 
given unhoped-for results in the Shire Highlands, 
and the coffee which has been grown there for the 
last eight or ten years — not as an experiment, bat on 
a largj scale — has fetched the highest price in the 
London market. The climate, altitude, and soil of 
the plateau extending from Lake Nyassa to Lake 
Tanganika oSer conditions similar to those found in 
the Shire Highlands, and with the advent of the 
railway those now unutilised lands will soon be covered 
with coffee plantations." — H ^fi C Bfail, Jan. 6. 
TEA IN AMERICA. 
New York, Dec. 21, 
At the auction Dec. 1.5, 7,359 packages of tea were 
sold. The Greens sold at firm prices. No Pingsneys 
offered, nor were any .Japans sold. Good common to 
fair Old Crop Amoy brought 19c., and common to 
good common, l8jc. 
The Formosas, 5,274 packages, were briskly bid 
for. The low grades were very strong. Choice, 
33 to 34c ; finest, 28 to 29o.; fine, 25 to2t;.; superior, 
24 to 24ic.; good, 23ic.; fair, 23 to 23Jc., good com- 
mon. 22ic. 
James & John A- Montgomery report the statistical 
position of China and Japan tea for United States and 
Canada as follows : 
Total afloat to Dec. 15, 1898 2,4in,637 
Receipts to Dec. 15, 1898 53,934,612 
Total shipment advised by mail 56,345,279 
Leaving to oe shipped 26, 154, 721 
Estimated supply, seasons 1898 and! 1890 82,500,000 
Supply, seasons 1S97 and 1898 87,711,780 
Afloat, Dec. 15, 1897 3.476,336 
Receipts to Dec. 15, 1897 67,562,828 
Total shipments advised by mail to 
December 15, 1897 71,039,116 
Wed. J. Van Der Chijs & Zoon's (Delft, Holland, 
Dec, 7.) Report: — Todays Amsterdam Java tea sale 
— the eighth or last auction of the year— comprised 
but some 7,000 packages in all. Quality has kept up 
quite to its former excellent standard, if same has 
not been improved upon again. The old-fashioned 
"Earthy" Javas that we used to see on our market 
in quantities but few years back have entirely dis- 
appeared. Being now a thing of the p.ist, we hope 
their memory will soon be forgotten. The good bid- 
ding and firm prices are no doubt to some extent 
attributable to the above-named improvement in the 
quality. The few really common teas, such as Bolangs, 
commanded, however, quite as stiff rates, being only 
fractionally cheaper than good, sound tea, on account 
9$ {be great acnrceaesa vf the former, Such atnif 
commanded 5d. per lb., English parity, whereas at a 
farthing or a half penny more money good, sound 
tea, was obtainable. Broken lenf about the same 
figure. Several parcels of fins li'lowery Peccos and 
stylish Orange Peccos extreme rates. — Amencan Gro- 
cer. 
We have received a lengthy commnuication from 
Mr. Elwood ilay, of the Ceylon Planters Tea Com- 
pany, New York, in which he deprecates the efforts 
that have been made to push Indian and Ceylon teas 
in America " on English lines by Engli'^hmen." 
After recounting the numerous attempts that have 
been made, Mr. May points out ihat mucli of the 
advertising that has been done " has been in bad 
taste, and has offended what may be termed the 
tea traditions of householders, merchants, and im- 
porters." 
Mr. May maintains that the only chance of success 
is to have a superior article and to attack the con- 
sumers from every quarter on well known lines. This 
he avers has not been done. 
Mr. May touches upon controversial matter, but we 
do not think any useful pui'pose can be served by tho 
publication of this. — //. and C. Mail, Jan. 6. 
GRAPHITE IN BOHEMIA. 
Since the Cumberland and also the Siberian deposit- 
of grapliite, or plumbago, have been practically exs 
haueted, the chief supply of this mineral has been 
derived from Bohemia, in the south of which country, 
near Schwartzbach and Murgan, deposits of pure 
graphite are found in the gneiss, accompanied by 
crystalline limestone, The mines and works at the 
former place are owned by Count Schwartzenburg, 
p.ud these at the latter by the peasants; and these 
two centres yield the purest graphite now available, 
that of Krummau being far inferior. When the 
mineral is not sufficiently pure to be sent away as 
natural graphite, it is ground in mills constantly 
traversed by a stream of water that takes up the 
powdered graphite, which is afterwards thrown down 
iu the form of mud ; and v/ hen the mud layer has 
ained a sufficient thickness, it is subjected to a 
pressure of six atmospheres (88 lb per square inch) 
in a filter-press The resulting cake, containingsmore 
than 20 per cent of water, being then dried in a 
stove heated to 90 or 100 degrees (mean 203 Fahr.) 
for 24 hours. Out of the 9,000 quintals (885 tons) of 
graphite which are turned out yearly on an 
average in Bohemia, two-thirds are exported ; but it 
is only during the last few years that the production 
has been considerable. Out of the twelve graphite 
mines in Bohemia caly the three named above are 
actively worked, occupying 728 hands. Although 
the prices of graphite, and especially natural graphite, 
have slightly fallen since, the best quality , now 
obtains only 15'2 florins (28s 7d) instead of 20 florins 
(383 4d) per metric quintal (2 cwt.) as formerly the 
mean annual cost of production has increased from 
3-22 florins (63 Oid) to 5-12 florins (Os 7^J), owing 
to the better qualities being more iu demand than 
the inferior. — Journal of tlie Society of Arts, Dec. 80. 
Sir T. Lipton and Sogau. — The Glasgow correspond- 
ent of a contemporary recently had an interview 
with Sir T. Lipton. Sir Thomas stated that tho flota- 
tion of his American business may take place in 
i\Iarch next, but that if certain circumstances arise 
it may be delayed for a year. As to his West Indies 
sugar scheme, his experts are, he said, out there ati 
present, and if their reports are satisfactory he will 
erect central sugar factories. Sir Thomas further said 
that he meant to run tho whole island of Barbados, 
and that with the most modern machinery ho hopo 
to get a larger percentage of sugar out of the canes 
than by the present windmill propulsion. If sugar 
bounties are not increased he calculates to sell oana 
sugar iu Britaiu as cheaply as beet sugar. — U. ^ O, 
Mail. 
