850 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June l, 1899. 
It may surprise some people unacquainted 
with this sfjlendid coconut district to be told 
that the average price of an acre of bearing 
coconuts is lil,(M), and that an acre of 
good coconuts with a favorable situation and 
in heavy bearing fetches Rl,250 and even 
more. After this to be told that want is a 
stranger here will not be surprising. One 
sees signs of comfort and even affluence 
along the whole route. Large, substanti;il 
houses that would do credit to a township are 
met with, u))stair houses ai-e not unconunon, 
and the houses that are l)eing now built are 
being I'oofed with Mangalore tiles. In what 
other district in the island can this be ex- 
ceeded or even equalled. Add to this that 
the land-holders move about in gaily j)ainted 
travelling carts of a kind jjccnliar to this 
part of the district and with splendid trot- 
ting bulls and the picture of affluence is 
complete. A word of descrijjtion of the carts. 
They have very light franu^s for the bodies 
and are covered over with cadjans. 'I'he 
standards of the sides are painted with blue 
and red alternately. The wheels and the 
pole are of bright red, and tlie inside is 
lined two or three feet high with oil-cloth 
cushions. 
KUBBEK FROM YEAR-OLD TIIEES. 
The most interestiuR point under discussion ia 
relation to rubber plantinf^ in the British West Indies 
is a series of experiments now btiiif; carried on in 
London and Trinidad, by which it is proposed to 
secure rubber from year-old trees of the Ctislillna 
elaslicd. It has been found that seed sown broatl- 
cast over a prepared field will yield an abuiid'int 
crop of young trees, which at about a year old can 
be cut and sent to a factory where, with ordinary 
machinery operating a simple process, eight per 
cent of iino rubber can be extracted from the 
young shoots. This can be done in the labora- 
tory. It is claimed that the process is a simple 
one, that but little machinery is necessary, and that 
in future the world's rubber supply will be secured 
from an annual crop of young trees sown on culti- 
vated estates, and not from remote forests as at 
present. A series of experiments has shown that the 
young tree contains about eight per cent oC rubbei, 
which would at present prices return an estimated 
profit of 203 dollars to 400 dollars per acre. The 
extraction of rubber from young shoots has been 
accomplised chemically in the laboratory, but whether 
it can be applied to the economic production of rubber 
on a large scale remains to be seen, — From Q. A. 
Jotirnal for April. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Liquid Air as an Explosive.— The Techni- 
cal Conimittoe of the Austrian War Office have 
made experiments in a quari y with liquid air as 
an explosive. The results are stated to be extra- 
ordinary.— 5)'t<js/i. and Colonial Druggist, April 21. 
Stock-breeding at Delft.— The interview 
reported elsewhere shows how jrreatly indebted 
the Colony is to tiie Government Agent of the 
Northern Province for the special interest taken 
in what Dr. Sturgess now ref^arJs as a successful 
enterprise. Tlieie is no doubt great room for 
the improvement of "stock" — cattle especially — 
in every province of the island, and we trn.st 
the day is not far distant when systematic 
attention will be generally given to the matter. 
Vexk.sta Tka CHKST.S.— Mr. Penny, of VeneeU 
fame, Uw returned from a Irip to A>-i>aiii and 
after a visit to the Keiaui Valley, he |iur|»OFe(l 
leaving for Europe about the J7lli uitiiiio. Ue 
lias bliown U8 an inipffveJ " Veue*ta," the 
oliQoxious clamps being 8U|ier«e'led iu a way 
that enables liie chest to be easily opened and 
closed a-rain. There are aUo ini|iro\'«ineulk in 
respsct of thi* rivettiiig along tiie eijfu. Cer- 
tainly the " Venesta" we inspected looked 
a very neat, desirable tea chest. 
''The AoHicri.Tuu.iL Gazette" of New Sonib Walei. 
Volume X. Part 4. Contents for April lUi'J :— An 
Ostrich Farm in Embryo : Beea and llow to Manage 
Them ; Cultivation of Unions and Rape iu tb« 
United States ; The Grain Drill and Horse Uoe ; 
Some Edible Trees and Shrnba of the West Bogan ; 
Insect Pests; The Mutton E.xport Trade; Th« 
Effects of Surghum ; Native Food Plants, Part II ; 
I.)airy Bacteriology; Pigs at the Ilawkei>t>ury Agri- 
cultural College ; Jlce Calendar : Farm Notes ; Orcbard 
Notes ; I'ractical Vegetable and Flower Growing; ; 
General Notes ; Replies to CorrespondentB ; Lisla of 
tibows ; Label for Specimens. 
The FuTUitK Planter.— Should the European 
tropical agriculturist receive any preliuiiuary 
groiuiilin<; in the first principles of agricultine pre- 
vious to lii.s .setting sail for the scene of his future 
operations? Thi.s is a question which, by keeping; 
continually cropping up, points to its significance. 
The question: what class of men produce the best 
planter? may be entirely set aside. Given a good 
constitution and a fair education, and sulHciently 
civilized to posse-ss an average conscience, with 
will power strong enough in the majority of 
eniergencie.i to pay due heed to its pioniptings, ia 
the sort of average man most like!y to make a 
succes.sful planter.---/;!(/ia« Planters' Qazette, 
April 2'2. 
Flumrago Mining and the Vogav Tea Co. 
— In connection with the letter on this subject 
a|)i)earing on page 797 we may further add 
that we learn the Morgan Crucible Co. have 
absolutely and unconditionally withdrawn the 
offer they made for the mining rights of the 
Vogan Tea 'Jo. The latter might indeed consider 
themselves fortunate if such an oiler were re- 
newed. It was apparently made to them to kelp 
the Directors out of a hole, the object of the 
Morgan Crucible Co. being to encourage plumbago 
mining in every way possible. As they are the 
largest consumers of plumbago in the world, it 
is but natural they should wish to go in ior bona 
fide nuning themselves, not " Company- nionger- 
ing" as we understand a Vogan shareholder 
politely suggested. 
Fruit from the Cape.— The officials of the 
Union Steamship Company inform us of the ar- 
lival of the shi|ts " Hawarden Castle " and " Ger- 
man." The former brought 72.5 boxes of Grapes, 7 
of Plums, and .36 of Quinces ; total, 768 boxes. The 
Grapes were all rather wer, and realized low prices; 
some were altogether poor and bad, and sold for a 
nominal fig-ue. The Quinces arrived in good con- 
dition, but no market could be found for them, so 
they were sold to private individuals. The Plums 
were small, and in good condition, realising fair 
prices. The "German" brought 4'20 boxes of Grapes 
and 107 of these were placed on the market, 40 
boxes realising fair prices, being in good condition; 
67 boxes were very bad, and sold for a mere 
liothing ; .30.3 boxes were consigned to private indi- 
viduals. — Ibjd. 
