894 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1903. 
from importations, while Euglish horses, cattle, 
and sheep have founded illustrious families in all 
the leading culonips possesiing ongenial climates. 
On the other han ■', the gracious bird which figures 
so largely in the Britibh menu at Christmas came 
originally, like the proud peacock, from the East. 
It seemf, moreover, that English hothouse pines 
and grapes beat their foreign ajcestors hollow for 
quality; and in the Soilly Isles, some of the 
narci^i-us growers are said to be h pfful of accli- 
matising the banana at Ti esc". - Ghbe, 
THE PRIOlfi OF KUBBISR. 
4s 4D IN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER. 
During thelasteightmoiiths the price of Para 
rubber has advanced Isper lb,andto all accounts 
in an active market. Starting in the beginning 
of the year at 3s 8J, a quick rise to 3s lid took 
place, and followed by a rapid fall to 3s 4d ; 
since then, with the exception of a period of 
stagnation in April, May, and June, the rise 
has been continuous. At the present time 
of writing the manufacturers and merchants 
are asking if we are going to have a recur- 
rence of the high price of January in 1900, 
when Para sold at 4s 9|d. We would that it 
were possible the India Rubber Journal, 
remarks— to give any indication of how 
the price will go in the present state of 
affairs. With the market in the present con- 
dition, it is impossible to say. Last year we 
ventured to make a prediction which, as it 
turned out, was fulfilled. Personally, at the 
time we believed that our informant had 
studied the subject so closely as to be able, 
at least so far as anyone is able, to say what 
course matters would take. We have been 
favoured with another of his opinions on 
the subject, and, with all due reserve, and 
without asking any reader to take it for more 
than it is worth, we give it here. It is his 
opinion that Para will rise in the course of 
the next few weeks to 4s 8d, but that it will 
not touch higher figures this year. The prob 
ability is that during November and De- 
cember ib will drop to the neighbourhood 
of 4s 4d. 
CASSAVA CULTIVATION. 
CTo the Editor of the London " Times.") 
35, London-road, Forest-hill. 
Sir, — I am glad to be in a position to afford another 
illustration of the remarkable activity and resourceful- 
ness manifested by the United States Department of 
Agriculture other than the instances adduced by your 
" Oocasional Correspoodent " in your issue of today, 
under tha heading *' New Products for American Irri- 
gated Lands." Two years ago I introduced to the 
island of Jamaica from the Republic of Colombia a 
few cuttings each of some 30 varieties of cassava 
(Mawhot utilissima), all of which are new to the West 
Indies. I propagated these until I had a stock of 
many thousands ot stems, which yield numerous cutt- 
ings for planting purposes. The tubers of 17 of the?e 
varieties were analysed by the Jamaican Government 
Chemist with remarkable results. Thus, eight of the 
varieties contain from 33'30 to 36•.^0 per cent, of 
starch ; and all the varieties (the tubeis constitute an 
important article of food lor man and aTiimals) con- 
tain an average of only one-sixth of the poisonous 
property — hydrocyanic acid— which characterises the 
kinds grown in the West Indies. These precious non- 
poisonona vaiietiea were offered for sale to the public 
of Jamaica. Only the Government Botanic Garden 
purchased one or two cuttings of each variety 1 there- 
upon communicated with the Agricultural Department 
at Washington, That department immediately dee- 
p<)tched the professor in charge of the sub-tropical 
experimental grounds in the south of Fl )rida to report 
on my collection ; thus the entire oolleotion of stems 
were disposed of and transferred to Florida. In 
recent years strenuous efforts have been m'<de to 
establish cassava cultivation, one or two of the West 
India varieties, on a great commercial scale, and more 
than one factory for the production of starch, glucose, 
&a., have successfully embarked on this project. More- 
over, the farmers of Florida have discovered that the 
tubers are of the greatest value for feeding stock. It 
is interesting to note that prior to the shipment of 
the stems to Florida I despatched to the Governments 
of Bombay and Punjab, In accordance with instruc- 
tions, sets of cuttings of these valuable varieties, also 
a set to the Imperiil Department of Agriculture for 
the West Indies, 1 have the honour to be, Sir, your 
obedient servant, Robert Thomson. 
RAINBOW TROUT OVA FOR CEYLON. 
LARGE IMPORT ATIOK FOR 1904. 
Nuwara Eliya, Oct. 27th. 
Authoritative information regarding the impor- 
tation of consignments of sixty-thou-and 
rainbow trout ova durit.g 19 '4 for tlie Ceylon 
Fishing Club is to the effect that the order will 
he divided between the Earl of Denbigh's and the 
Wyresdale hatcheries. Three consignments of 
twenty-thousand each will be imported, the first 
consignm nt of which is expected to arrive in 
February ; the two others will follow within a 
tortnighfc or so of each other. — By telegraph. 
SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
In the Rivista d' Italia, Mr Italo Giglioli, 
Director of the Agricultural Station at Ro'ne, 
deals •■>'i;h certain agricultural questions affecting 
the South of Italy. After reviewing the principal 
vesfttable products now produced by Italy the 
author suggests, as possible outlets for fresh 
enterprise, the cultivation of (1) the camphor 
plant {Lauru^ camphora) ; (2) the insecticide 
PyretJirum cinernrinefolium ; and (3) the india- 
rubber plant ( Ficus elastica J. The author sees 
no reason why the production of india-rubber in 
Italy should not be a success. — Nature. 
PLANTING NOTES, 
Elephant-Catching operations in Madras 
— during the forest; year ending the 30th June, 
19f^3, were confined to North and South Malabar, 
Fifteen elephants were captured, of which two 
died and one was shot. One of the deaths oc- 
curred in the pit itself, the animal having broken 
its neck by its fall : the other el<»phant is reported 
to have died of strangulation during the night 
after its capture. The elephant that was shod 
(a tusker) was too old to be trained and it is said 
that it was fotrnd quite impossible to release 
liim from the pit. Beside the elephants captured 
in the pits, a young female calf was caught in 
the fore.st when found wandering aboun alone. 
This animal is said to be weak as the result of 
starvation. Of the remaining eight elephants, 
two, captured in South Malabar, were sold by 
auction and the others are reported to be in good 
hetdth,— Madras Mail. 
