Oct. 1, 1903.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
253 
of re-vulcanisation is due to the circum=itance that 
soft vulcani?fid rubber is still a largely unsaturated 
prndu 't, and ns wifcli increasinz saturation of the 
rubber with sulphur its chemical indifference also 
increases, recovered and re-vulcani*ed rubber 
naturally po>isesses a luLjher c^egree of saturation 
than vulcanised native rubber, Hence follows 
the interesting fact that soundly manufacturerl 
rubber goods containing recovered rubber are 
invariably more stable products than goods 
manutaciured trora native rubber only. For this 
reason the u«e of recovered rubber for the chap- 
ening of rubber mixings must be pronounced a 
most satisfactory expedient." 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Viper's Venom,— M. Phisalix told the Academy 
of Sciences at a recent meeting, " is not a poi- 
son for its own species in the natural condi- 
tions of inoculation." Lord and Lady Kelvin, 
by the way, were present at this sitting, and 
were warmly welcomed. — Chemist and D'^uggist. 
Steawbf.rpifs and Potash Salts.— In the, June 
number of the Agricultural Gazette for 1902, in an 
article on " Fruits iu pots," 1 mentioned that I 
experimented with muriate of potash on straw- 
berries, which died, as I was pretty certain, from 
applications of this substance. It is interesring to 
see in aieport on experiments with "fertilisers 
for market garden crops " in England by Bernard 
Dyer, that he found that " Potash salts, as far as 
our experience goe=, appear to have been deleteri- 
ous ratlic r.han benefi(!ial to strawberries." — Jour- 
nal of the Board or Agricultural.— W S 
Campbell. 
The Governmemt Horticiiltural Gar- 
dens, LUCKNOW. -The annual report of Mr. 
Ridley, the tiuperiatendenb of these gardens, 
shows that considerable improvement has 
been effected in the condition of the gardens 
during the past year. It is satisfactory to 
note that Government have made an extra 
grant of KIO,00() towards the upkeep of 
the gardens, and this will provide several 
long-felt wants. An important matter is 
the enclosing of the garden and its very 
valuable collection of trees, plants, etc.. with 
an efficient fence, and this yet remains to 
be considered. It seems that fruit growing 
for profit has become almost an impos- 
sibility at Lucknow, owing co a combina- 
tion of the khatiks who buy such crops, 
and agree among themselves as to the limit 
price to be bid at the sales. Of economic 
plants only one small order was received 
for planes of Agava Sisalana, As regards 
aloes for fibre culture it is stated 
that a plantation recently formed 
in the Jhansi district of Agava Vivipara 
suffered severely from frost in December 
and January last. There was a good demand 
on the gardens for trees, shrubs and 
ornamental plants, and 3,000 palms in pots 
were supplied free to the officer in charge 
of the recent Delhi Durbar. The gardens 
suffer from a difficulty in getting suitable 
boy apprentices, men who would get better 
paid employment as gardeners or artisans 
prefer to get a little cheap education 
and become clerks. As regards finances, 
the expenditure of the year amounted to 
K27,925, against a total income of K26,925, 
leaving a deficit of R600. 
Tea in the German Cameroons.— The autho- 
rities jf the German Camero jo tei ricory are 
laying out extensive tea plantations, and have 
sent a G;rinaa Professor, Dr. Preuss, to collect 
the best varieties of seed and shrub from Ceylon 
and Daijeeling. — St James's Gazette. 
The Indian Fibre Trade. — Major Pran, 
Director of the Botanical Survey of India, 
we learn, is making a careful investigation of 
the sources of the fibres now vaguely classed as 
Indian hemp. To secure tins end the systematic 
cultivation and identification of the plants 
yielding the various fibres known Co dealers are 
absolutely necessary and are being carried out. 
Castilloa Ruuber.— An artice in the 
Journal cV Agriculture Tropicale (July) treats on 
castilloas in Costa Rica and Java, being partly 
a letter on the subject by M Koschny. We 
translate the last paragraph of the article as it 
bears on our own publication : — " Mr Koschny 
protests against the translation of a certain 
phrase of his given by the Tropical Agriculturist. 
This excellent contemporary, citing M Koschny 
on the subject oi Castill'ta elastica, (white variety) 
says ' Id is not shade lovi ig' ; whereas the exact 
rendering should be, it shuns elevated forests an i 
is not met wich in mixed forest. However, one 
never finds it iu quite open situations, it is always 
found partially shaded." 
Rhe.\ Fibre in Indi.v and Ceylon. — We 
draw attention to the article elsewhere, on 
this important subject. Rhea planting has 
already taken hold in India and the Bengal 
Rhea Syndicate have now mills working at 
Romford, Essex, and manufactured rhea goods 
are being turned out by the Bunbeg Mill 
Company. Tlie Secretary of the concern, 
Mr. Frank Birdwood, states that planters 
need not be apprehensive of flooding the 
market with ^aw fibre, thus showing that 
there is abundant room for extension of 
rhea planting. Ceylon is well suited for the 
cultivation of this fibre plant and trial plots 
in the island have proved how well it can 
be grown here. Ceylon should be to the fore 
in sharing in this new industry as well as 
in that of cotton growing. 
Tea versus Rubber or Coconuts. — 
Discussing the future of the Ceylon Plant- 
ing Industry, Mr. Donald Mackay makes 
the following remarks : — 
" Tea has more than taken up the position that 
coffee did, although it is not so many years ago 
.since maiiy said it would never arrive at that posi- 
tion. Bat if tea were to go back, because unprofic- 
able to produce, would coconuts in Ceylon come in 
as tea did to save the country and its progress? 
With all my faith in coconuts, I don't think they 
would fill up any great gap. The land suitable for 
the grovvth of the coconut tree is limited and 
a great part of it is taken up already. It may 
be a question in the future though not at pre- 
sent, whether coconuts at fair prices, such as now 
obtains, o ■ rubber at low prices, will pay the best." 
The above was written before Mr. Mackay 
saw our evidence of some of the oldest 
and heaviest-bearing tea in the country — on 
Loolcondura 38 years, Abbotsford 30 years, 
and M iriawatte, 25 years— biing as vigorous 
now as 20 years ago. There is no siguof 
failure we are glad to say in the Tea Plant- 
ing Industry, though it is always desirable 
for the planter to have other strings to his 
bow where possible. 
