Oct. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 257 
men with limited capital to a new country, 
we have said that there should be room 
erelong in Ceylon for new ventures in culti- 
vation, in connection with tha public works 
now under construction. — Ed. 2 A..] 
PLANTING NOTES. 
The Consumption op Quinine— in the 
United States, is rapidly increasing. For the 
year ended 30th June last, there was an 
increase of one million ounces in the con- 
sumption as compared with the previous 
year, and nearly three-fourths of the world's 
supply are now required for America. 
There is every prospect of a keen demand 
and good prices for bark and the febrifuge. 
Mb. Cooke's Tea Scheme.— Mr. Cooke 
deserves a better reward than we fear he is 
likely to obtain. His latest reply( see page 255) 
to an objector who has not grasped his full pro- 
posals is lucid and satisfactory, except that 
we are now told the reserved tea will be 
kept by the producers until wired for. 
Hitherto we understood the tea was to be 
ready on the spot to meet the demand, 
whenever created. 
The Teapot in India.— Fanciful in nmch 
of his imagination, perhaps, but practical in 
at least two or three suggestions he makes, 
is Sir Edwin Arnold in his useful contribu- 
tion to the literature of tea expansion, which 
we quote on page 248 from the Daily 
Telegraph ot Aug. 3. He points out carefully 
what an improving effect tea is likely to have 
on the native health, habit and character. It 
will obviate the dire drinking of unboiled 
water ; it will be nourishing, and (but we 
query this) act as a digestive, and it will pro- 
mote peace, socitilly ! There are minor slips, 
e.g., in speaking of the agency hous es of 
Messrs. Finlay and Messrs. Muir; but the 
article is well worth reading. 
Cofpee-Tea. — A correspondent writes to th^ 
editor of tlie Queensland Agricultural Journal 
As you invited e.xperieTices re coifee-tea in the 
Queensland Agricultural Journal of March 
last, I ain very pleased to send you mine. I 
acquired it when on a selection, on the road to 
Emu Park from Kockhanipton. Having then an 
experimental plot of about twenty cofiee trees 
growing, and reading that tea made from coffee 
leaves dried was very highly esteemed in some 
coffee countries, I determined trying it for myself. 
First I dried leaves in the sun, but the product was 
disagreeably tasted when tried. Finally, I dried 
some leaves in a camp-oven, slung so as to swing 
over a lire, keeping them constantly stirred until 
they were dry and fairly crisp. Tea nv-j.ue from 
them was much enjoyed by all who tasted it ; 
and one who did was the edicor of the Rock- 
hampton Bulletin at that time, but dead now 
for years past. He greatly enjoyed it, and my 
wife and I liUed it better than any tea we could 
purchase. I intend growuig a few coflee-trees 
for the leaves only, where I am now, as I am 
sure, if it be only dried properly, we could dis- 
spense with tea, povided we had sufficient coffee 
leaves to make our own tea from. To dry it 
properly is everything. It must be done quickly, 
and done to a turn ; it has an aroma and 
flavour that any lovsr of tea would enjoy.— 
Planting Opinion, Aug. 23. 
The West Indian Bulletin— No. 11, 
Vol. II, last received, is an unusually inter- 
esting number, and includes a variety of 
useful papers, such as " The treatment of 
soils in Orchard cultivation in the tropics " 
by the Hon. ¥. Watts, p i.e., F.c.s., Gov- 
ernment Analytical and Agricultural Chemist 
to the Leeward Islands ; the M irine Resources 
of the B. W. Indies, by Dr. Duerden, A.R.c s. ; 
the cultivation of Onions at Antigua by 
W. N. Sands, Curator of Botanic Station ; 
Artificial Drying of Cacao by G W Smith ; 
Zebu Cattle and Breeding for Beef in 
Trinidad by C. W. Meaden of the Govern- 
ment Ifarni ; but, above all, an illustrated 
paper on "Rubber Planting in the West 
Indies" by J H Hart, f.l s-, Superintenden, 
R. B. Gardens, Trinidad, with the result 
ing discussion. Mr. Hart quotes from our 
T.A. — Dr. Morris mentioned that the Mexican 
rubber, Castilloa, had answered admirably in 
Honduras as a shade for cacao. The largest 
tree in Trinidad is over 75 feet high with a 
girth of 6 feet at 3 feet from the ground ; others 
planted in 1886 are 58 feet high and 60 inches 
in girth. One of these on being tapped 
gave 2 14 lb. of rubber fluids and -QQ, or 32 
per cent of clean rubber. We must quote 
at length in our monthly periodical. 
The Fkospeots of Coffee in Brazil.— The 
accounts of the Dumont Company for the past 
year, says the Brazilian Review, conclusively prove 
two points — that, when properly managed, coffee 
estates can yet be made lo yield handsome profits, 
and the advajtage ol elfjcient over the careless and 
unscientific methods that have generally prevailed. 
By strict attention to economy and the introduc- 
tion of the most modern maciiinery the quality of 
the output of the Dumont has been so improved as 
to command an average price of 40s 2d per cwt, 
more than 12^ per cent, better than the average 
quotation for •' Santos, good average" for the saiue 
period. However planters may grumble, the future 
of coffee is all right. If the present owners cannot 
work at a profit there will not be wanting others 
with more energy and more capital to put the in- 
dustry into shape and make it pay once more. The 
future of coffee lies in co-operation and the introduc- 
tion of more economical methoils, the improvement 
of quality and more attention to grading. By the 
concentration of a dozen or so small plantations into 
one property, the present wasteful and inefficient 
administration must be economised and replaced 
by scientific treatment and every advantage taken 
of the hydraulic power so abundantly provided in 
many districts by Nature, by which the cost of 
handling and transport on the estate might he 
reduced at least to half. The slow and costly 
" terreiro " process will have to be given up and 
the coffee be dried mechanically, probably also by 
electricity. In fact coffee planting is yet 
in an almost primitive state. The creaking 
wooden-axled bullock cart is still the common 
means of conveyance, and drying as primitive 
as in the year 1. Something has been done 
in the way ot pulping and hulling machi- 
nery, but as far as cultivation itself if con- 
cerned everything is primitive. At present plHnta- 
tions aie going almost for tlie asking in some dis- 
tricts and offer a splendid opportunity to men of 
energy, imbued with modern notions of the 
superiority of machinery and science to brute 
force and rule of thumb, for lucrative investment 
of capital. 
