Aug. 1, 1903.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTCJRIST. 
lii 
PLANTING NOTES, 
Quinine. — With the object of extemlingr the use 
of quinine among the poorer classe.'s of the Bomhay 
Pre:^idency, who suffer much from malarial fever, 
Government have arranoecl for the sale of quinine 
at two pies per packet of five grains insteaJ of 
three pies, as at present. — Madras Mail, June 20. 
KuBBER Heels. — lam simply astoni'ihed at the 
enormous demand there is for Kubber heels tor 
boots aud shoes. Everywhere I go I see manu- 
factures turning out large quantities of these 
goods of the different patterns and am told that 
they cannot supply the demand fast enough. — 
India- Rubber Journal, May 25. 
Another Gutta percha Substitute.— I saw 
the other day a sample of a new gutta-percha 
substitute, which the inventor is working upon, 
and which he has got to a fair state of perfection, 
but he means to do better still, and, until that 
desired end is attained, I am precluded from giving 
any further details. — Ibid. 
The Afkican " Landolphia " Rubber 
Plant— the discovery of which was recently 
reported and considered as likely to revolu- 
tionise the rubber trade, appears to be no 
stranger in Java. A Hollander, who is re- 
ported to be well posted in the matter on 
reading of the " new" discovery writes to the 
Straits Times (2oth June) as follows:— "It 
will probably be of interest to know that 
already in 1885 some plants of the genus 
Landolphia (Landolphia Watsoniana) were 
planted in the Botanic Gardens at Buiten- 
zorg, Java. These plants grew very well; but 
the stems were too thin to be tapped, all 
attempts to get African Landolphia plants, 
giving a better result, failed." 
Sugar and Cotton Cultivation in British 
Guiana. — Dr. Morris, the Commissioner of the 
Imperial Department of Agriculture for tiie VVe.st 
Indies, wh'j has been visiting British Guiana at 
Mr. Chamberlain's request, addressed a meeting 
of iho Members of the Koyal Agricultural and 
Jonin)e:cial 8ociely of Georgetown on cotcon 
cultivation and other minor industries. With re- 
gard to cotton, according to a report from Renter's 
agents, he expressed the opinion that at first only 
light machineiy should be introduced lor its treat- 
ment. Addressing the Board of Agriculture, Dr. 
Morris expressed his admiration at the great 
amount of progress which had been made in ihe 
Colony since he had visited it six years ago. 
There was evidence of quite a new feeling. Qui'.e 
a new energy seemed to have taken hold of the 
leading planters and also the leading officials. 
He had not the slightest hesitation in saying that 
the Board of Agriculture was doing most excellent 
work. It was keeping in contact with all classes 
of the community ; it was, fortunately, in sym- 
pathy with small cultivators as well as large 
cultivators. If the people interested themselves 
in the work of the Board and benefited by its 
advice, he had no doubt that the Colony would in 
a few years be in a very much better position than 
it was at present. With reference to the sugar- 
cane experiments, under the direction of Profes.=or 
Harrison, the Commissioner stated that the work 
carried on was not surpassed in any part of the 
world where the sugar cane was cultivated. — 
Lpudou Times, June 2Ui 
The Export of Ceylon RuBnER--is 
going ahead slowly but surely. From 1899 
to T.)01, the progress was only frf)m 7,900 to 
9,072 U). ; but in 1902, the txport rose to 
J5,6l)21b. while for this year up to date it 
is over 20,000 lb. 
Pigskins FOR Rubber.— I read in a halfpenny 
daily that a Scotsman has invented a p'ocess 
whereby tanned pigskins are u=ed in place of 
india rubber for tyres and that he has sold the 
American rights of his invention for £1,000,030. 
If f mistake not, this is by no means a new idea 
of the gentleman, as I remember seeing his tyre 
at one of the cycle shows some years ago But 
still, one cannot believe all one reads in the 
halfpenny dailies, — India Rubber Journal, May 25. 
Pearl Fishery in the Persian Gulf — 
Here is the latest authentic report, through 
this year's " Statesman's Year-book " : — 
The pearl-fishing industry in the Persian Gulf has 
its headquarters at Bahrein and Lingah, work 
being carried on also at Debay, Shargeh, Abu 
Thabi, and some other small places. There are no 
statistics of the fisheiy, but estimate^, based on 
reports of native dealers, put the local value taken 
in 1899 at about ,3,000,000 rupees. In 1900, owing 
to disease in one of the pearl banks, the output 
of pearls was smaller than usual. 
Increased Use op Java Tea — A feature- 
of the Java tea enterprise is said to be the 
very considerable and steadily increasing 
proportion of the produce which is shipped 
direct to Holland. This means the gradual 
conversion of a good many of the Dutch 
people to afternoon, and, perhaps morning, 
tea. If this process continues, says Planting 
Opinion, and Belgium, as well as the adja- 
cent portion of Germa.ny- the people of the 
Groningen and Fast Friesland Provinces 
have always been great tea-drinkers — were 
induced to consume increasing quantities of 
Java tea, no one would regret some ex- 
pansion in the Dutch planting enterprise. 
Indian Tea in Russia.— Mr. Walter 
Carter— in the important interview quoted 
elsewhere— speaks very highly of the energy 
and resource of the Russians in the tea 
trade and dispels any ideaof prejudice on their 
part against Indian teas, says Indian Planting 
and Gardening, (June 20.) The consumer in 
Russia does not appreciate Indian tea pure 
at present. But the ch.mge will come 
if the Russian dealers are encouraged by a 
free supply, of qualities suitable to their 
requirements, from the Calcutta market. 
That the ability to buy these teas in Calcutta 
is an important factor in fostering the new 
trade is clear from the fact stated by Mr. 
Carter that the Russians by saving in freight, 
etc., find the Calcutta bought teas come con- 
siderably cheaper. Mr. Carter has attracted 
general attention to the new route ria Dalny 
and Siberia and has personally exerted him- 
self CO interest the Russian steamship lines 
to form a connection with Calcutta. An 
agent at Dalny would prove helpful to busi- 
ness aud is worth consideration. The agent 
might well be a Russian, for it is clear from 
the reports of Russia, now published, that the 
more one works in unison with their mer- 
chants the bettev the chance of success, 
