M4BCH 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
649 
every day for six months. The tliennonieter is 
very low some mornings aii<l a white frost to be 
seen lying in the low hollows, more esjjeciiilly 
along streanisides, although cold in tlu' early 
mornings now (about .")0 ° ). Tt is very hot during 
the n)iil(lle of the day, the thermometer lising 
to quite 100^ in the sun, and some 70° or 7"2o 
in the verandah shade. KLONDYKE. 
ANOTHER CAMBRIIMJE SCIENTIFIC 
EXPEDITION TO THE FAR EAST. 
Expedition to the Siamese Malay States 
{i.e., Patani, Kelantan, Txinggame, and 
Kedah) for scientific purposes. Members of 
the expedition arrived yesterday per M.M. 
83. "Yarra":— 
Mr. R. Evans (Jesus, Oxford), 
,, N. Aimandale (Balliol. Oxford), 
,, D. T. Gwynne-Vaughan (Christ's, 
Cambridge), and 
„ W. W. Skeat (Christ's, Canrbridge) 
Mr. F. P. Bedford of King's, Cambridge, 
is expected to join at Singapore. 
The expedition has been organized in the 
University of Cambridge, and forms the 
second important exploring expedition that 
Cambridge has sent out in the course of the 
last two years. 
In .July Messrs. F. F. Laidlaw (of Trinity 
College, Cambridge) and R. Yapp (St. John's, 
Cambridge) are also expected to join the 
Expedition. 
4 
TEA GRO'WINd IN THE CAUCASUS. 
The tea plantations in the neighbourhood of Batonm 
continue to occupy the serious attention of a few 
Russian tea planters, who appear to be moir or leas 
sanguine as to the ultimate results that are likely to 
be attained. Messrs. PopotT have erected a factory 
for manipulating tea on one of their estates near 
Batonm, and have gathered their first crop this year, 
but I I'egret to say that owing to the mystery with 
which they attempt to surrouud their industry, and 
the secrecy which they maintain in respect to all 
matters concerning their plantations and the culti- 
vation of tea on them, it is quite impossible to pro- 
oare iLformation of a reliable nature in regard to 
them. Alth'^ugh the te% crop from these gardens was 
11 forwarded to Moscow and St. Petersburg, it does 
not, according to the St. Petersburg papers, appear 
to bear comparison with the imported article in 
general use in the Russian Empire. 
The Imperial Domain authorities expect to obtain 
a crop next season, and are making preparations 
for the erection of a factory on their estates, and 
I am given to understand that the order for the 
buildings and plant has been placed in the United 
Kingdom. It seems probable that the results of tea- 
growing on the last mentioned estates stand a 
better chance of success than those obtained on 
the other esta'es, thanks to the fact that they have 
not confined their sowings to one quality only, but 
hive laid out plantations of several kinds of Indian 
teas as well as Chinese and Ceylon hybrids. By 
adopting this rational course they will be able to 
judge which quality is more especially adapted to the 
prevailing climate and other local conditions. Tlieir 
acreage under tea has been largely increased during 
he present year. 
I may hi-iv mention that, according to the opinion 
of persons who have hai' a wide experien<-e in tea- 
planiiug in other parts of the world, the only favour- 
fthlo portion of the Caucasus for tea-plautimr is the 
coast land situated between Soukhoum and the Tur- 
k sh frontier, the gcn; ';il aspect of the land being 
soutliRily, and, therefore, sheltered by the hill.s from 
the very cold winds that strikes their northern 
slopes. The rainfall is fairly evenly distributed 
throughout the year, the driest months of tho ear 
being, I should think, as a rule, May and .T-ine. 
The heat is never too excessive for tea-growing! 
Labour, I behave, is expensive as compared with 
the prices paid in India and Ceylon, and the hands 
available are, of course, entirely ignorant of th« 
principles of gardening; but I am of opinion that 
this difficulty could easily be overcome if tea-planting 
in this di.strict became general, as labourers, bfing 
sure of obtaining permanent work on tht plantatiout, 
would be su'e to flock to this district from the sur- 
rounding country, which only grows a poor quality 
of maize, and is not verv remunerative. Up to the 
present diseases in the tea plants have been nil ~ 
British CoiiauJa,- Report, 1898. 
SOLITARY SNIPE, 
Snt,— H. Inglis, in your paper of the 2-lth instant 
IS wrong m his identification of the bird he calls 
the Solitary Snipe f OalUnaqo solitaria). This bird is 
only found in the Himalayas and does not occur in 
the pl&im of India (a straggler was once oLtiinedaa 
far down as Benares). Mr Inglis's bird is the Wood 
Snipe f GalUnaqo nemorieolaj to be found ia winter 
only, in the hills of Southern India, etc. The Wood 
Snipe is like a Woodcock, both in flight and appear- 
ance, though considerably smaller, while the Solitary 
species is hke the Common Snipe in these respects 
but larger. The Indian Woodcock is smaller than 
the bird of Western Europe. (Blanford Binh of 
India Vol. ly. page 284). Mr Inglis says "the 
Solitary Snipe is occasionally met with in the 
Highlands of Scotland." He e he is wrong again • this 
13 another species— Garj«a^o major. It Las a wi.ier 
distribution in the Biitish Islands than your correspnnd- 
ent imagines His statement is " another injustice 
to old Ireland as the bird frequently visits that 
island. I would refer Mr. Inglis to any of tha 
many books on British Birds— Yariell for choice 
The so-called Painted Snipe— more of a Water Kiii 
than a snipe -is, of course, never found in Great 
Britain. As I have never shot down Travancore 
way, i am not in a position to state whether the 
Jack Snipe occurs there, but as Legge in his hird» 
of Cei/hn page 828, says this species is met with 
in that island, I see no reason for its non-existence 
in Travancore. 
Madras 25th Feb. Didunculus. 
—M. Mail. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Oil CiTitoNELLA.— Very quiet at the easier tendency 
noted last week. 
Camphor.— In view of the continued string mcy ot 
the crude mark(-t, EngH,h refiners on Monday ad- 
vanced their prices for refined bv Id per lb. making 
bells and flowers Is 7 per lb. in ton lo s and Is 
7i in i ton lots. On the following day German re- 
finers advanced their price for bells to is OJd oer lb 
in ton lots. According to our advices from Germany 
tkis week, the upwarJ movement has mt yet spent 
Itself, for although largo quantities have "changed 
hands in Hamburg at the higher rates, it is asserted 
that the second-hand holders have not ubt lined 
suflicient to cover the usual spiiug demand, and as 
soon as this influence is felt prices will aijain ad- 
vance. Bleanwhile the crude market is also aHvancing 
rapidly, and on Friday of last week some 8(10 picula 
of Chinese changed hanris at 118^ to 120s per cwt 
c. i. f. (an advance of 2s nn Thuvsdav's iin.-es) ' 
and a small business was ulso done in J pa n se at 
127s (11, c i. f. On Mo iday the market pened 
with importers quoting Chinese a-, 125^, cnl .fuina- 
nese l.S,5s ; nu' in second-hands there wer^ oif rs of 
122s Od and 127s Cd, c. i. f. respectively. 1 here 
were, however, buyers of Chi>u-so at 120s; and on 
Tuesday about 100 piculs oil for Febrm rv .April 
delivei v at this fi.;ure, and ;iOO oiciils Japai.e^o at 
127s per cwt., c. i. f. On \Vpdi:esdav a sale of 
r)00 pi<;uls .Tapanose transpired at 12Gs "Od to I'JTs for 
April delivery, andCliinose at 121s :{d, c. i. f. Loodoq. 
Today 200 picnli Japan sold at 107s Gd c. i. f. 
