530 
THS TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Feb. 1, 1902. 
cially that which is called Kolonial-Wii t-chaf t- 
liches Komitee-tliat i*-, I lie commeraal una 
scienlific bureau which was founded m 1896. noin 
the last report of this bureau for 1900 1901, we 
gather the following scientific particulars to show 
wiiat the colonies are : — . , . -i 4 
German East Africa, with 6.000 000 . inhabitants 
exDorted 3,900,00l)m. worth of goods in 1899, ana 
imnorted to the value of 10,800,000.n, being a de- 
creaee in exports of 400.000m, and in importt ot 
1 OOO.OOOra. „• . J ;„ 
: The Camaroons, population 3,500,000, exported in 
1898 4 600 OOflm. worth of commoditiea. and importea 
9,30d,o6om worth. The figures for 1899 are not y.t 
"'togoI' population 2,500,000, in 1899 had imports 
valued at 2,600,0t)0m, and the exports were 3,300,OOU. 
In this, as in the case of the Camaroons, th«rt 
was an increase over the pieceding year. 
German South- West Africa, 250,000 inhabitants, 
imported in 1899 to the value of 9,000,000m. an in- 
creaae of thirty per cent over the preceding year 
and the exports were valued at i,250,000m. 
The South Sea Colonies, (Samoa, &c.) 500,000 in- 
habitants, and the exports and imports ^ere abou^ 
equal— namely, 2,700,000m of exports, and 2,800,000m 
"^Kiaw'chou (China) has a population of 48,000, and 
for its size is the best possession, as the exporti 
were valued at 4,000,000m, and the imports at 
6,500,000m. , , , , . 
Thus the total population of the colonies 
12 000 000 and the entire trade for the last year 
amounted to 60,()00,000ni. {£^fiO,m.).-Chem%st 
arid Druggist, Dec. 27- 
in .advance- We understand that Prof. 
Herdman has arranged to take samples of 
the plankton throughout the voyage to 
Ceylon, and to launch current-floats at 
particular parts of the course. 
DRUG TRADE RPPORT. 
LoMDOR, Jan. 2. 
Cinchona.— The shipments from Java duriug De- 
cember amounted to 1,278,000 Amst. lb. against 
1 091,000 Amst. lb. last year, 626,000 Amst. lb. in 1899. 
The total for the twelve months is 12,606,000 Amsti 
lb, aRaiust 10,741,000 in 1900, and 11,399,000 
in 1899. The exports from Antofagaita (Chili) 
during 1900, araounted to 1,240 cwt. 
Koi-A — The following figures relate to the ship- 
ments from the Gold Coast : — 
1900. 1899. 1898. 1897. 1896. 
Packages.. 1,907 2.671 .^,092 4,278 4,156 
Value f .. 43,132 57 020 35,789 37,869 33,278 
LiiMoNGRAss On. —The lowest spot pric« is 7|d 
for ordinary Cochin, and 6d to 6Jd, c. i. f. nominally, 
For Java oil 8.^d is »sked on the spot. 
Quinine.— There has been no business of import- 
ance th^^ week, but the market has remained firm 
with small sales on the spot at Is l|d per oa. 
March delivery is quoted Is l|d,— Cliemut and Drug- 
gist, Jan. 4. 

PKOF. VV. A. HERDMAN. F. R. S. 
Says Nature :— Sailed for Ceylon on Dec. 
2<jbh, 1901, to undertake for the Govern- 
ment an investigation of the pearl oyster 
fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar. lie is 
accompanied by a first rate assistant, and 
in Ceylon the Inspector of the fisheries and 
his staff will co-operate and provide boats 
.ind divers. A suitable steamer for dredging 
and trawling will be placed at Prof. Herd- 
man's disposal by the Govertuiient of Ceylon 
ami the necessary gear and apparatus for 
(collecting and observational work, and for 
biological experiments have been sent out 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Rici Culture — is regarded as no longer an 
experiment in iSouthwest Louisiana and South-east 
Texas. Although all^record* for drought and lieat 
in those sections have been brolien this season, 
more than an average crop of rice fias been saved 
bj the irripjation systems. The average yield an 
j^cre has been increased, the average quality has 
>,een preatly improved, and new varieties have 
been developed.— At/iericart Ghvctr. 
Rice in Burma. — Though we do not obtain 
our rice mainly, or even regularly, from 
Burma, occasional attempts, more or less 
successful, have been made to lessen our 
dependence on India, and on the Chettiea 
who practically monopolise the trade there. 
It is of interest, therefore, to see what an 
immense, and yet increasing, area is under 
rice cultivation in Burma. An Indian con- 
temporary writes : — 
The area reported to be un.ier rice cultivation 
in the fourteen principal rice-growing districts of 
Burma is C,461,649 acres, an increase of 152,616 
acres, or 2*42 per cent over the area actually 
cultivated la.st year. The crop is reported to be 
in good condition in all districts. Heavy rain 
in the Arakon division caused only slight damage. 
The outturn is expected to be slightly above 
normal, and the snrplu.s available for export is 
estimated to be 2,200,000 tons of cargo rice equi- 
valent to 37,288,135 cwt. of cleaned rice. A small 
part of this nurplus will probably be used in 
Upper Burma. 
Cattle Disease in India — We cannot be 
too strict in our precautions against the 
introduction of disease from India. When 
Tigilance ha» been relaxed, we have had out- 
breaks of small-pox and cholera in our 
midst — as ie the case now in Jaffna ; to which 
Dr. Rockwood has wisely drawn attention ; 
but it is only very recently that steps have 
been taken locally to guard against the intro- 
duction of cattle disease from India. The 
following shows considerable divergence of 
opinion between authorities across the water, 
but it is well to on the side of caution ia 
such matters : — 
From Veterinary Lieut. -Holmes's Report will 
be noticed that cattle disease prevrils in nearly 
every district of the Madras Presidency in a 
virui'^nt form. Rinderpest in Ganjan and anthrax 
in Godaveri are perennial, and carry off thou- 
sands of beasts every year. The Madras Board 
of Revenue, in a resolution upon Mr. Holmes'e 
figures, says : " Whilst admitting that the cattle 
mortality statistics show thai most lamented 
losses occur from disease in this Presidency, the 
Board does not consider that it has been demon- 
strated that these losses are preventible by any 
method at present practicable, nor do the figures 
lend any countenance to the view that cattle 
disease was virulent during the period under 
notice," 
