Dec. 2, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AaRICUfiTURlST. 
417 
PLANTING NOTES. 
FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE DISCOVERY.— 
A Reuters wire dated Pisa, October 27, 
scales iSij^nor Baccelli, Minister ot Agrieul- 
tare, presidini? at the opening sitting of 
the National 'Consress of Medicine, yesterday, 
delivered a speech in which he explained 
more fully than in his speech at Novara che 
method discovered by him for the cure of foot-and 
month disease. The speaker said that some time 
after having been appointed Minister of Agricul- 
ture he happened to be at Civitavecchia, and, 
hearing that there were cases of foot-and-mouth 
disease in the neighbourhood, he instructed the 
veterinary surgeon of the town to employ in the 
treatment of the diseased cattle the Baccelli 
therapeutic method, which consisted in injecting 
sublimate of mercury into the veins. He pre- 
scribed che following doses ;— For calves, two to 
four centigrammes for each injection, according 
10 the seriousness of the case ; for adult animals, 
four to six centigrammes ; and for bulls, six to 
ei^ht centigrammes. The solution was to contain 
Ts'millesrammes of sodium chloride (common salt) 
for every four centigrammes of sablimate of mer- 
cury. Out of 52 cases of the disease 52 were 
cured. In Sardinia, where the Baccelli method 
was also employed, there were 26 rapid and com- 
plete cures out of 26 cases. In short, all the 
cattle which underwent treatment at Civitavecchia, 
in Sardinia, and elsewhere were promptly and 
completely cured by the treatment. Signor 
Baccelli was warmly applauded and received many 
eongratuiations on his success, — London Times, 
Oct! 28. 
British Guiana— is by far the largest of 
the West Indian Colonies— says the liondon 
Times, October 28th, indeed, it is nearly 
fifteen times as large as all the British 
Antilles put together. The Hinterland is 
almost totally neglected. It contains at least 
20.000,000 acres of land not beneficially 
occupied, " an area of country," says Dr. 
Morris, an uniinpeac'aable authority, "equal 
to two Ceylons quite untouched." ' These 
undeveloped Guiana lands," says the same 
authority in his report to the Royal Com- 
mission of 1897, "are amongst the richest 
existing in any part of the tropics " Mr. 
Chamberlain, at the instance of the late 
Governor and late Colonial Secretary of the 
colony, recommended the appointment of 
Mr. W D Barnes as Commissioner of Lands, 
Forests, and Mines in British Guinea. Mr, 
Barnes, who has had much experience of 
the climatic and mineral conditions of the 
Malay Peninsula, which are more or less 
similar to those of British Guiana, was 
recommended to the Secretary of State by 
Sir Prank Swettenham, the Resident-General 
in the Malay States, and his brother, Sir 
Alexander Swettenham, the Colonial Secre- 
tary of Singapore, as a person highly 
qualified for "the proposed appointment. It 
was necessary, however, for the salary of 
the Trew Commissioner— which Avas fixed at 
£1,000 a year— to be voted by the Combined 
Court ; this by a narrow majority of nine 
votes to eight has lately rejected the vote. 
We cannot but think that the action of 
the Combined Court was deplorably short- 
sighted and impolitic. The colony is mani- 
festly unable, even if it were \vnUng, 
to develope the Hinterland itself. The in- 
fluence of the sugar industry appears to have 
been allowed, directly, or indirectly to frust- 
rate Mr. Chamberlain's well-conceived measure 
for setting the development of the Hinter- 
land on foot, or at least for giving it a fair 
and promising , start. 
The Indian Tea Crop for 1901-2. -The 
Indian Planters' Gazette, in its issue of Sept, 
23th, enters into calculations based on the 
best available information which show a 
probable falling oif in production of 12 mil- 
lion lb. We extract as follows :— 
In our calculations we have taken into account 
the reduction in outturn already caused by, and 
likely yet to ensue from, more careful plucking 
and abnormal and unfavourable weather. Taking 
<als> into consideration our preseet position, re- 
lative to the different markets in which ourtoasare 
sold, we think the following appro.ximate forecast 
will prove about correct : — 
ESTIMATE FOR ALL INDIAN TEA, SEASON 
1901-1902. 
Australia and New Zealand. 
America 
All other places 
United Kingdom 
Left in India .„ 
Total 
lb. 
10,500,000 
3,500,000 
5,500,000 
19,500,000 
157,000,000 
176,500.000 
9,000,000 
185,500,000 
The total production for all India last season was 
197,460,664 lb, deJuctuig the above 185,500,000 lb, 
the probable shortage iu output Ihi.s season will 
amount to 11,960,664 lb, or in round numbers, 
(say) some 12 millions lb. The outlook is by no 
means so gloomy as was anticswated. * * Apart, 
however, from the above estimate, viewing the 
subjecb from the stand-point of the reports 
received from Home, we hnd that the average 
price for this season's new teas sold on garden 
account, is O'Sld better than last year's average. 
■" * Calcutta averages, moreover, cannot well be 
compared with London averages, for the simple 
reason that the bulk of the fine and good teas pro- 
duced is shipped Home direct, to be sold on garden 
account. London averages are therefore naturally 
higlier than those realised out here, ft will be seen 
from the statistics which we have furnished that 
the present position of Indian tea is strong, and 
the outlook a iiopeful one. Our readers must not 
be misled into thinking that all gardens are realis- 
ing an average of 8-42d per lb for their teas in 
London, or that all estates are only getting As. 5-6 
per lb for their teas in Calcutta. The figures re- 
present the average price for the sales during the 
periods named There are gardens and gardens. 
Some will pull through the present depression arjd 
move strong in the future; others will gradually 
fall away and eventually become extinct. ' The law 
of the survival of the fittest must and will work so 
far as individual gardens are concerned, but the 
Indian Tea laduitry will goon and gacher strength 
ia its course, and will come out all the better for 
having been tried by the fire. 
