546 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Fee. 1, 1964. 
PLANTING AND OTHER NOTES. 
Experiments with Orances.— Two hundred 
and fifty cases of small orange trees of a special 
kind have arrived at Naples from ' California, for 
the purpose of experimental culture. — R and G 
Mail, Jan. 8. 
Rubber Manufacturers and Produ- 
cers.— We understand that it is felt 
locally that there would be a decided 
advantage in getting rubber sent to the 
manufacturer direct. This is the inten- 
tion in one case, when the estate in question 
oomes into bearing. The manufacturer is 
equally anxious on his side to go direct to the 
producer, as is to be learnt in England today. 
On these lines the rubber trade ot the 
Island will be run in the best interests of 
both parties. 
Java Tea at St. Louis.— Java tea is to 
be exhibited at St. Louis, we learn from New 
York, December 15th, and this makes another 
to be added to the list— Ceylon, India and 
Japan. It is to be hoped that the Java dis- 
play will be thoroughly representative of that 
tea. The event has its significance too, a 
trade paper says. Presumably the tea pur- 
poses a foray, and establishing of itself in the 
American market, where it is now known only 
by reputation. Once upon a time there was a 
little market for the tea in America, but it was 
regarded as sour, and interest in it vanished, 
so that we douljt if it could be recognised 
in look or taste. It may have improved much 
since. 
Cocoa Drinking in Boston.— In Boston, Mass., 
they seem particularly fond of cocoa. An Ameri- 
cau contemporary points out thrt one person in 
every five of Boston is a cocoa dr'nker, cocoa dealers 
there say, that the Boston cocoa drinkers 
number 100,000. Nowhere else in America has the 
fad heen carried to such an extreme as in Boston. 
The use of the cocoa product is not confined alone 
to drinkers, but is equally marked in the manu- 
facture of confectionery. The consumption of 
chocolate confections has advanced enormously in 
the last decade. The poprL.rity of chocolate 
candies is due to the sp.rae caries which have made 
cocoa-drinking conspicuous. Physicians advise the 
eating of chocolate confections in preference to all 
others on account of the easy digestibility of the 
chocolate and to the soothing effect it gives the 
etomach.— and C Mail. 
Important to Rubber Plakters.— We 
direct spec'al attention to the extract 
made elsewhere from the India Rubber 
Journal. The same paper, as a result of ques- 
tions asked, will doubtless contain expressions 
of opinion which we shall duly quote : but 
meanwhile we shall be glad to hear the 
experiences of Ceylon (and Straits) Rubber 
planters as to the use of acetic acid in 
coagulation ; and what they think of the 
proposed direct tr. ding with manufacturers. 
With the small supply at present available 
i3_ seems to us that sever'al estates in the same 
district should combine if they are ever to 
offer a big enough contract. But the rubber 
market is so expansive and promising, that 
it seems unlikely big forward contracts with 
manufacturers would be made, when there 
is a chance of market prices proving cou- 
Btantly higher than the contract figure. 
" Crotolaria*" — A former correspondent 
favours us with further particulars elsewhei-e, 
which M'iil be useful to planters who ar<e 
heeding Mr Baniber's advice. 
Rubber Planting and Manufacture.— 
Another rubber-planter, who has had top 
prices (4s S^d), writes on this topic else- 
where. Have any rubber-planters experi- 
mented in shipping smoked and unsmoked 
rubber in order to compare prices ? So with 
"acid" and naturally coagulated biscuits ? 
If so, their results would be of interest. 
What to do with Tea Prunings.— .4pro 
poR Mr Hughes' letter published last week) and 
the burial of prunings a proprietary planter 
in Dirabula (who by the way tried burying 
prunings on three separate estates without 
satisfactory results) points out, regarding our 
editorial suggestions, that the carrying otf 
and stacking of prunings would be prohi- 
bitive on account of the cost. A suggestion 
he makes is that, before pruning, holes 
should be dug, just as for manuring. After 
the field is pruned for a few days, it will 
be found invariably that most of the leaves 
have become detached from the branches. 
His proposal is that the prunings be 
gathered to one side and the dead leaves 
swept into the prepared holes and covered 
U1D. The prunings could be left in the fields 
to rot if not gathered by the coolies for 
firewood, but the latter alternative is 
usually their fate. This is a method which 
could be employed cheaply and efficaciously, 
we believe, and we should li'ce to have the 
opinion of other practical planters. 
The Ceylon Fishing Club — The prolonged 
annual meeting put through some impor- 
tant business, in the election of Committees, 
&c., and the very proper resolution to ask 
H.E. the Governor to become President of 
the Club ; but most of all in its realisation, 
led by Mr. Fraser, of the necessity for an 
enlarged field of operations. Trout-breeding 
has passed the stage of experiment in Ceylon 
and scientific aid is required to take ad- 
vantage of and turn to account the excellent 
results already observed— in the streams that 
have been stocked with trout fry from many 
a batch of imported ova — by leading angler's 
in our midst. This the society can scarcely 
do, without a temporary addition to its funds. 
Hatcheries in various parts of the island are 
required, with local scientific experts in charge 
and the advice of an expert from home — later, 
if not at first. In view of the quantity of 
Government assistance afforded in other 
British colonies, as well as the prospective 
return that Government will have, we do 
not see that the President-elect of the Ceylon 
Fishing Club will have any sound ground 
for an unqualified refusal of the application 
to be made to him, for a slight assistance 
from the Treasury coffers. We wish the 
Fishing Club every success in this move. 
Mr. Sparling made a vigorous speech in sup- 
port of it. The meeting was a prolonged one, 
owing to discussion of the new rules— which 
we hold over. Mr. Fraser's motion for altera- 
tion of the close season did not meet with 
success as in the case of his more important 
motion which, with the speech in support, 
formed the feature and novelty of the 
meeting. 
