Nov. 2, 1S03.] THE TKOPIOAL AGRICULTURiST. 
351 
the dates at which their shatea in the property caa be 
transferred to the Company, bat steps are beiag taken 
for obtaining probate of the Wills and the Executors 
have agreed that tlieir shares in the property shall 
be transferred as from 1st January 19U4, 
Colombo, lOch October, 1903. 
AN AMERICAN AGRICULTUKIST FOR 
INJDIA. 
Among the passengers arriving in the ss 
" Orontes" (Oct. 19th,) was Mr. E. Norton, who 
after some years in the United States is 
proceeding lo India to start as an agricul- 
turist. Mr. Norton has had considerable 
experience in America, and also spent i'our 
years at Cornell University studying agricul- 
tural science. He will start at Dhond, Poona, 
in connection with the American Oi-phanage 
there, and try what can be done with poultry- 
farmmg, horticulture, fruit and vegetable 
growing etc. If Dhond is not a promising 
centre Mr. Norton will try elsewnere, and 
hopes to go in for dairy-farming and cattle 
breeding, provided he can get a sufficient and 
permanent supply of fodder. He has devices 
for a number of economical implements and 
cultivators, which lie hopes to induce the 
natives to use, these being economical and 
more effective than their own primitive im- 
plements. Simple windmills lor irrigation 
purposes are also in Mr. Norton's programme, 
and we wish him success in his enterprise. 
PKODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Tne Russian Uoasul-Cjreneral in Loadon, Baroa 
Ungern Sternberg, denies that 
THE INCREASED RUSSIAN TEA DUTY 
is retaliatory in intention, or h\s any relation to the 
Ksagar Convention. His explanations are that Indian 
ana Ceylon teas are imported into Russia only in very 
snail quantities. Russia is very anxious to encourage 
the Traus-Siberian Railway, and at Che same time 
foster the town of Dalny, wliich at present, it may be 
explained, exists only in ihe shape of stone and lime, 
and, so far from wishing to retaliate against Greac 
Britain, she only desires lo admit by a quicker route 
an article whicli has recently grown greatly in favour 
in Che country. " Russia," saia the Baron, "only uses 
Indian and Ceylon teaa tor blending with Chinese teas 
Decease a better fiavouc is produoed. Beside," he 
aaded " Russia wanes a little money. That is all that 
it amounts to." This is the ofUcial explanation of 
Rusaia's action, but tne conclusion is inevitable that 
the increased amy is retaliatory in inceution and will 
be retaliatory in effect. Only leas re-exported from 
(jreat Britain or sent into Russia via Che European 
frontier and the Black Sea will be subject to the 
increased duty. Teas going over the Trans- 
ttiberian Railway are auhject to increase, and 
Che import duty on China teas is not changed. 
China tea, in fact, obtains a preference over 
British-grown teas, and the latter are subjected 
to an impost amounting, roughly, to £10D,000 a year, 
unless Bntisn exporters conseul to use the Trans- 
Siberian Itaiiway. It is impossible to say as yet what 
the effect of iho new duty will be, but it is a significant 
fact chat since 19U1 the exports of Indian and Ceylon 
tetk to Russia have grown cousiderauly. In 1901 the 
quantity of Indian ; tea exported direct from Ualcut 
and ^re-exported from the United jKingdom was 
6,540,356 lb ; in 1902 it had risen to 8.188,528 lb. From 
Ceylon the quantity exported to Russia was, in 1901, 
• 17,7iJo,824 lb in 1902, ic was 18,270,467 lb. The City 
is optimistic, but it is scarcely to be expected thai 
the tijures for 1903 will show the same proportionate 
ianrease. Exporters point cheerfully Co the fact that 
iu the ordiuancu imposing the new duty nothiu g ia 
said about tea sent via the Baltic, and in that 
direction they think they may be able to checkmate 
the Government of the Czar. Upon the question 
whether this new duty is a violation of the Anglo- 
Russian Treaty of (Jommerce of 1859 the Consnl- 
General is emphatic in declaring that it, is not. " The 
treaty," he said, " speoihes that British goods are 
not to pay a higher duty than the goods of any other 
country, but Britain is the only European country, 
practically, that sends tea into Russia, and the 
treaty, therefore, does not apply in this inatanoe." 
" —H. # C. Mail. 
INDIAN MANGOES FOR LONDON. 
London, Sept. 20. — About a month ago, I bought, at 
one of the large Loudon Stores, some mangoes said to 
have come from Madeira. 
They were hard and rather fibrous. In India they 
would hardly be considered third-rate, yet I waa 
charged one shilling and thTeepence each I It is quite 
astonishing to me that uo serious attempt has been 
yet made to send some of the delicious Indian i^an- 
goes to this country. If those I bought could sell for 
Is 3d each, the best Indian Mangoes would be worth 
2s 6d each I There ia surely some way of ensuring 
their safe arrival in London in good condition. Why 
cannot some experiments be made by packing the 
more likely varieties iu a box or two, and leaving them 
unopened for the length of time ihey would take to 
travel from Bombay to London '/ How long do natives 
keep them in straw to ripen them ? A few experiments 
at a trifling cost would show whether their transport ia 
feasible. E. Bonavia, M.D. 
— /. F. and Ga'^clening , Oct. 17. 
THE LEMONGKASS OIL INDUSTKY. 
With reference to my recent article on the above 
subject in your columns, I have gathered a few details 
regarding ihe state of the iudustry in the Waluvanad 
laluq of Malabar. This taluq is a portion of the 
outbreak zone, and the growth of the industry there 
is a matter for gratification as it provides one more 
outlet for the energy of the jungle Moplah, much of 
whose fanaticism and *anti-social proclivities may be 
traced to the hard conditions of his existence. There 
are at present no fewer than II stills at work in 
Waluvanad, one belonging to Mr Barton Wright, of 
the Nilgiris, who has leased certain lemon grass hills 
both in Ernad and Waluvanad. The other stills are 
worked by enterprising Moplahs. By the way, 
Mr Wright is now criminally prosecuting two 
Moplahs for removing grass from his holdings. 
The stills in use are locally made, c£ copper the 
boiler being 6 feet high and 12 feet in circum- 
ference and fitted at the top with a cover which ia 
attached to a cask by means of a pipe. The steam 
passing through the pipe is condensed in a vessel 
attached to the end of the pipe. In the condensed 
water the oil is held and it is removed thence and 
bottled. The stills cost from R200 to R25i> each. I 
gather that a grass-cutter ia paid 2 as. for cutting 
down and bringing in a bundle of grass sufficient to 
make a decent headload. About 16 such bundles are 
put into the still and they yield about a bottle of the 
distilled oil. The Moplan distillers send down their 
oil chiefly to Cochin, where the native merchants, I 
am told, pay very well for it. Mr Barton Wright, I 
believe, sends his stuff down to ferokh, where it ia 
once again filtered prior to exportation to Europe, 
The natives of Ernad and Waluvanad empirically 
distinguish no fewer than 27 species of lemon grass, 
but say that only five of these varieties possess a 
commercial value. They also state that the most 
valuable of these varieties does not blossom. Ernad 
and Waluvanad. I am reliably informed, are full of 
bills on which lemon grass grows wild and could bs 
had virtaaily for the collecting.— iiZ. MaiL Oct. 19. 
