634 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [March 1, 1899. 
A MOTH-DESTIIUYING PLANT. 
A plant is cullivaled in I^ew Z<;a!at)il with great 
care and on a j;reaD scale, wlncli lias the singular 
jiroperty of destioyinj; tlie niotlis tliat infest vcfje- 
talion. This valuable rilanlis the Anraf/ia alb ns. 
It is a native of Soulli Alrica, but is easily ac- 
climated \vliere\er tlieie is no frost. It jiroiliK-es 
a large number of wliiiis^li flov.'crs of an aj^reeable 
odour, which attracts insects. On a sauinier even- 
ing may be seen bushes of Auragia covered with 
moths, which by the following morning have quite 
disappeared. The action of the flower is entirely 
mechanic ,!. The calyx is deep and the nectar is 
placed at its base. Attracted by the sight and 
powerful perfume of this nectar, the moth jjene- 
tratesinto the calyx and publics forward its pro- 
boscis to get tne precious food, but Ijefore it is 
able to do this, it is seized between two solid 
jaws that guard the passage, and that keeps the 
insect a prisoner unt il it dies.— N. Z. Exchange. — 
Sydney Mail,ia.i\. 21. 
TEA PROSPECTS. 
To the. Kditor, "II ^ C Mail" 
Bin, — In the " Hcolsnian" article the profits of 
twenty-five representative companies from lij'J7 are 
contrasted unfavourably with those of IbOd, and I 
fear those frojn 18',)S must ngain to some extent 
contrast unfavourably with 1807; and to enable 8ati.s- 
factory dividends to be paid for 1898, the withdrawals 
from "Reserves" wiil nave to be on a still more 
liberal scale than those referred to. The concerns that 
will co ne out as well for last season as tliey did for 
1897 will be very few indeed, and confined chiefly to 
the favoured districts of Assam. 
I am entirely in accord as to the advantages for 
the future. (I) Extensions have had a check, (2) 
markets are expanding, and (3) it is to b3 hiped 
that in all directions unnecessary "expenses are to 
be strenuously kept down." 
The evil of over-pioduction m y not prove so serious 
BiS is Reuerally dieadoJ from the area statistics 
(prol)abiy overdrawn i^encrally), because (1) the oldest 
lea will not yield so well a,^ it should have done 
under different treatment, and more of it and other 
poor tea will be forced out of cultivation, and (2) 
though the yield from recent vast extensions must 
increase rapidly annually, the increase of crop will 
not be quite what is no doubt expected, owing to the 
soil and preparation of it not iiaving been all that 
coald be desired in all instances, and as is natural 
under all the circumstances, the areas are likely to 
have been over than under-estimated. 
The poa'.tioii of China as at least affecting foreign 
markets is problematical, but must not be left out 
of account by any means in regard to the future. 
Tea proprietors have always had, and must be 
p epared for, nps ard dowm. The great danger is 
feat they be too much depressed by the latter. Still 
it can serre no good purpose to ignore the facts. 
No concern in a strong, sound position financially 
(that is, in available cash), with good, well-managed 
gardens has anyth'ug to fear, taking an average cf 
Tears. — I am, sir, years, Shareholder. 
jff # C MaiL Feb. 3 
PLANTIMG NOTES. 
Good News for Consumers of Kerosine 
Oil. — Many good things in the way of inventions 
come from America. We had a call today from 
the Agent of a New York Oil Purifying Com- 
pany who is taking a i)atent out in Ceylon for 
a preparation that, mixed witli kerosine oil, will 
save 40 per cent in the consumption of the latter. 
This should be good news for sliareholders and 
Btill more for planters with oil engines, EuU 
particulars shortly iu advertisements. 
Thk Acme Tea Chest Co. is at piesent re- 
presented in Ceylon by Mr. II. J. Siuart lirown 
who, however, slates that his Conip.ttiy while 
turning out 10,000 Acme boxes a month, are 
also g'.ing in for a light veneer l*ox. no a.« to com- 
pete with the ligliiest and cheapest in the market- 
Specimens are now in Colombo and are to Ije 
sent ro some of the estates of Messrs. Li|)ton & 
Co., Einlay, Muir & Co. and CoIoiuIk) Counuer- 
cial Co , to be filled with tea, shipped t<» Eng- 
laiir. and te-ted. Mr. iirown is sanguine this will 
prove the most economical chext yet supidied to 
jdanters. Mr. Brown has just come from Travan- 
core, lie was previously through Sylhct, Cacliar, 
and the Dooaars. 
Thk Tka Crop Estimatk for 1899 — i« 
now put by the HIanterV Association at 126i 
million lb.; but of this, liisput down for local 
coii.siiniption, and only 9:J million lb. are 
counted for the United Kingdom or 3 niillionn 
less than was s!iip|.ed ihcuce in 1898. leaving 32 
millions for rest of Europe. North Airetica and 
(Colonies ; and if Kussia takes 10 million 
Australasia 16 millions and Norlli America 4 
millions, there will only be half-a uiillioii lb. 
left for all other countries, agiinst about 2i 
million lb. taken la»t year ! This, of course, will 
not do ; but it remains to be seen if Kussia in- 
creases its orders for Ceylon by some fourfold tho*e 
given in 1S98. — We count the tea en'/C.ed last 
year for " China " as really intende^( for the 
Pacific coast of America. 
Tea Comtaxiks — The annual meetings of the 
Clarem<)nt, Kirkleesand Maha U va Conijianies are 
reported elsew here, and the Chairman at the latter 
(.\lr. G. il. Alston) ma<Ie some interesting re- 
iinrks in j>roposing the adoption of Ueport and 
uccounls. The Maha Uva sliareholders get the 
satisfactory dividend of 6 per cent for the year ; 
while those of Kirklees got 4 )ter cent. 
For other two Companies (Castlereagli and 
Yatadcria) the reports of proceedings are to 
come to us on Monday ; but we give iho 
Directors' Ke)iorts to<lay ami they show ample 
dividends. Casilereagli gives 4 in a/idition to 
.3 interim, making 7 jier cjnt in all ; while 
Yataileria makes the splendid return of 25 per 
cent dividend in all for the past year. 
CtNCHONA Hark and Quimn-r in India.— 
Ceylon is favoured just now with the present on a 
very brief visit of Major D. Prain, Indian Medical 
Service, successor to Sir George King, M.U., as 
Superintendent of the Calcutta IJotanic Gardens 
and Supervisor of the Goverument Cinchona G,ar- 
dens. The policy of the Indian Government in 
disn sing of " pice packets " of its locally manu- 
factured cinchona alkaloids through the post- 
offices and kachcheris of Bengal and other 
Provinces has suc-eeded so well of late years 
that there is some risk of the demand overtaking 
the productiiju of bark ! Mwjor Prain in the course 
of an official visit to Madras— to the Nilgiris and 
Travancore— has been enquiring if bark could be 
purchased from the planters and, crossing orerfrom 
Tuticorin for two or three days in Ceylon, he has 
been propounding the same question to us here. 
He strongly advises Ceylon planters to use not 
Hybrid but pure Officinalis seed for any nurseries 
they may form at this time. Major Prain hopes to 
run up to Peradeniya and we have pressed on him 
to take a run to Hakgala, as the trip would shew 
him so much of our finest planting districts. We 
bespeak all due attenliou to this Anglo-Indian 
offi'ial, accomplished Scieatist and worthy Scot, 
while in Ceylon, 
