G84 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIf^T. 
f April 1, 1H99. 
couclusioi) of the Floi a, m k<-y to l-h<i Naural 
Orders of (Jeylou Flo\\ering, Plants, brief 
bioffT-aphical notices of Ceylon botanists and 
two plans of Rainfall and Forests. Tlie 
(Joloiiv -as well as tbe botanical world- 
will then owe a debt of ^'"ititiide to the 
ine)no!y of the lamented Dr. Trinien and 
to 8ir .Joseph H(joker for so kindly continuing 
and (ronipleti)ig the Flora of C?ylon. 
COFFEE I'OSSIillLlTIKS Ol- I'OUTO lilCO. 
Assistant Seoretaiy of War Mciklcjolin has made 
public analistract r f a report made a Bliort time Ago 
by \V Kortia to Geiieriil :Bi fioke. The report refers to 
a recent visit made by Mr. Korda tlnouKh some of the 
cano and coffes districts of P irto Rico, and contains 
much of comnii^ici il intorfist. Mr. Korda w»«com- 
V. issioned to make the trip by the Associution ef Agn- 
cnltnristj and Manufaoturers of Porto Rico, for the 
purpose of ascertaining the state of affairs in the coffee 
regions, and, in lioh ;lf of the Association, to inform 
th5 ' United States Govirunir-n!,.' in case it wer« 
deemed advisable or nece.-sary, of the general condi- 
tion of the country. The itinerary made by Mr. 
Korda \va? thvongh the] vast and rich ci ffee districta 
of '^iiles.jH.ynya. 
He says that every foot of tliis ground gives forth 
soniG fi nit or profi*. The ground which is not covered 
by coffee'or cocoa trees produces plantains, bananas 
tobacco, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, cti-. Pnre run- 
ning water is rnet with everywhere. The coffee crop 
being then gathered was abiindanl , and promised to 
reach 15,000,000 pounds.— /l/»eriVa)[ Grocer, Feb. 1. 
TEA IN AUSTRALIA. 
Mellionrne, Feb. 18. 
Xefts.— Some heavy Imsiness has been done 
in Ciiiuii (iesciiptioiis, one or two importers! 
clearing jiViiiialiU' stocks. Sales of 2,7U0 hall- 
cliests from S^d to tid for heavy, and from .^fd 
to 7:l:i! for liglit weights. Ceylon and Iiuhan lu 
{;no(i demand, and prices are iirni.— Xf«(/ /". 
From Melbourne Age we quote: — 
Teas.— The -uncertainty referred to in our Satnr 
day's issue still exists in this market, no notification 
having as yet been received from the Customs 
authorities as to wliat course thoy intend to follow 
with the tea salvaged from the la,te fire, which 
must have been contaminated by smoke as wtll as 
damaged by water. Until this has been settled the 
trade are cot likely to come into the niark. t for any 
giett quantity. Holders, however, are firm, and 
business today has been done at advances. Sales 
include 3r/> half-chests of both heavy and light weight 
Panyoug at 0*d per lb above last week's opening 
rates ; 250 quarters of Panyong buds also sold at a 
higher price, and 130 chests of Ceylon up to lljd 
Plants of Commkrck Classified. —It is an in- 
teresting thing to know, says Science News, that 
4,200 spjcies of plants are jValhered and used for 
commercial pin po.se.s in Europe. Of these 420 have 
a perfume that is pleasinir, and enter lar<,'ely into 
Iii8 in-inuiacture of scents, soaps and s^ichets. 
There are more species of white fl )wers gathered 
than of any other colour -1 ,124. Of these 187 
have an agreealiie scent, an e.vtraoidinarily large 
]irnporlio;i'/ Next in order come yellow lilossoms, 
with 9."), 171 of them heinir pertumed. lied tl -wers 
number 823, of which 84 are scented. The \i\\vi 
flowers are of 594 varieiies, Ht of whicii are pei- 
famed, and the violet blossoms number 3u8, 13 of 
which are jjleasautly odoriferous.-- IFe.s(era 
Druggist. 
IHE CHIEF FOODS OF TllK NATIONS, 
Mr. G, R. W aldron, in ifcC'lu it'g for Nov- 
ember, gives an illustrated and ooniparativtf 
statement of the foods used l>y tin- pi-incipal 
pe(jples. .S<»me <*f bis statistics may l>i >uin- 
mai'ised thu8 : — 
MAIN CROPS : BrSHELS PEK ANNI M. 
POTATO : 4,0(J() niilions. 
INHIA.V CORN : ^-CX) nullions. 
WHKAT : 2,.VJ(l millions. 
HYK : 1,300 Hjillions. 
n.\Ki,KV : 7.jO niiliionM. 
MXIS FOOUS : yUANTITlJ* I'lCH llEAO I'KK ANNUM 
Potato (iwiinds) : Ireland, 1.4457 : Germany, 1,300 
Netherlaniis, KK); Norway and Sweden, 74<J; France, 
700 ; Austria-Hun^cary, GCii ; and Caniida. (KJd. 
Wheat (pounds) : Fi-ance, 467 : Canada, '.HjO : Itulv, 
■Ml ; Gnat Britain, 2.VJ : United SUtes, 24tl : Ne- 
therlands, 240: Austria-Hungary, Gcruiiinv, 
180 : Ru.ssia, !« ; Japan, 22. 
Flesh Meat (pounds) : United 6tate«. U7 ; United 
Kingdom, ItX) ; Norway, K) ; France. 77 ; S|iain, 7U; 
Germany, (14; Sweden and Switzerland, Cii : Bfl- 
({ium, 01 ; Austria-Hungary, 00 : Hushia, Port ugftl, 
Xetheri.-inds. .->0 ; Italy, 21.' 
Sugar (i>or.nf|s> :(iroat Hritain, 80; United Staten, 
73; Fi-aiice. 2."> : (iei iuaiiy, 18; Sweden, 20; Aus- 
tria-Hungary, ].">; Spain, 7. 
Tobacco (ounces) : Belgiuni, 110 : Switzerland, 80; 
Netherlands 51 ; Germany. 4H ; United States, 
Tea (ounces): Uinted Kingdom. MS: Australia, 
88 : Canada, 70 ; United States, 24 : Russia, 9. 
Coffee (ounces) : Netherlands, 370 : Denmarlc, 
247; Belgium, 170, United States, l.Vi : Switzer- 
land, 112: Germany, 78 ; France, .53 ; Austria-Hun- 
gary. 32 : Italy, 17 ; Great Britain, 11 ; Spain, 9 ; 
Russia, 3. 
Beer (gallons): I'nited Kingdom 30; Germany, 
27 ; Denmark, 24 ; United States, l.j ; Switzerland, 
14 Netherlands, 8 ; Sweden and Norway, 7 : France, 
0 ; Can.uia. 4. 
Wine (gallonsl : Spain, : Fi-ance, 20 : Italy, 
24 : Austria-Hungary. 3 ; Germany and Russia 
about 1 gal.: United Kingdom and United Stat«s, 
2 quarts ; Canada, less than 1 pint. 
COCONUT PLANTING, &c., IN SAMOA. 
Mr. Burckhardt.— You made reference to 
this gentleman a short while ago. He is the 
Managing Director of a ver>- large Banking. 
Mercantile and Agricultural concern in Samoa and 
Tonga Islands. The Company owns 80,000 acres 
of land and has placed about 10,000 acres chiefly 
under coconuts. They had a fe\\- hundred acres 
under coffee, which being afiected with Hem He ia 
was promptly cut down and l)urnt. The soil is 
said to be very rich and volcanic and the climate 
moist and hot. Nuts are not picked off the trees 
as here, but are allowed to fall and are then 
gathered. The plantations are divided rect- 
angularly by roads. Donkeys, bred on the planta- 
tions, remove the nuts in crates fixed to their 
sides to the roads, whence they are removed by 
bullock carts to the stores. The extension of 
cultivation is limited by want of labor. The 
labor is "Ijlack boys" imported from the Solomon 
Islands. They are under agreement for three 
years and are paid the equivalent of Rl a day 
and grub. At the end of their term of service 
they return to their homes and are more often 
thaii not eaten up by their fellows as a com- 
pliment to their sleek condition ! Copra is manu- 
factured by means of hot air. In tliis they are 
ahead of us. As the climate in Samoa is w-et, 
iv was found impossible to make good copra in 
the open. With praiseworthy enterprise, ex- 
periment after experiment iwas' made to dry'Jby 
means of hot air at an expenditure of thousands 
of pounds sterling. The present system is con 
