k&Y 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
twice a year, as found advisable. It would be 
necessary to Iteep the land \vell-[)loughed and 
scarilied between tiie lows, for all would <Iepen 1 
on the cultivation received. Tlie lows, if in liilly 
land, would require to be run oa the level, so ii-> 
to cultivate cheaply with horses or nuile.'^. Th .ne are 
several other plants which would j^ive gootl rubber, 
if treated in this manner and well cultivated. The 
Biauniantia, a vvhite-rtowetinjj creeper of the 
order " Apoeynacete. " the JLJ:)rneo rubber creeper, 
grows well here in Natal, and I have no doubt 
many native plants would be found to produce 
aood rubber. If this plan of extractinr; rubber 
from the plants weie found to answer, it would 
revolutionise the rubber trade in a few years, an.d 
rubber could be grown to any extent, like sugar. 
Moreover, the supply of ruliber, owing to the de 
struction of the trees, is decreasing, whilst the de 
niand for the article, which is now being ajjpiieJ 
to so many different purposes, is steadily increas- 
ing, and therefore tlieie is no fear of the nrirket 
being over-stocked. India-rubber being so valua- 
ble an article, worth £200 to £300 a ton, there is 
a lage margin tor profit. For an energetic young 
man wanting something to do and to try a new 
industry, I would recommend it, but remember 
the old American sage's saying: "Be sure you 
are right, then go ahead." I feel pretty sure there 
is money in it. 
Mr. James Gregson, writing in tiie same journal 
with reference to a former and more euthusiastic 
article, says :— " In 1895 and 1896 I had Natal 
rubber offered me repeatedly at Is 8 1 per lb., but 
I always thought it too dear at the price. 1 re- 
member Paia rubber going up to 4i 9 1 per lb. 
just before the Baring Bank failure ; and at that 
time there was some splemlid Madagascar rubber 
on the market, for which they ware asking Ss. 
per lb., but it would not sell at the iigure, although 
it is the cleanest and strongest rubber next .to 
Para I have bought llake rubber as low as 6d. 
per lb. I do not know any African rubber which 
does not lose from 25 to .30 per cent, in washing 
and masticating. 1 have known Mozambique rub- 
ber to lose 60 per cert, in washing and masticat- 
ing, and all African rubbers lose from 25 to 60 per 
cent. I was never asked above 2s per lb. either in 
London or Livei pool for Congo Ball, and it is one 
of the cleanest and strongest African rubbers 
known. Let him (the Professor) send a sample to 
Moseley's of Manchester, or MacLellan's of Glas- 
gow, or W Wari;er of Tottenham, and they will 
give Its proper mark-et value. Rubber-growing 
ought to pay in Natal, if kept clean, and not 
too much sand is put in." — The India Ruhber 
Trades Journal, March 31. 
THE MYCOLOGIST'S REPORT FOR 1901 . 
DEVELOPING NEW ORANGES. 
AMERICAN EXPhKIMUNTS. 
A large crop ot paper bags seems to be the yield of 
a litlle tree which stands n tlia grouuds of the 
Department of Agriculture at Washiugtou. There are 
about 50 of these bags, each with the neck tied ficmly, 
as close inspection discloses about one o£ the terminal 
twigs- The effect, writes a contributor to the "New 
York Sun," is rather grotesque. The tree is the parti- 
cular charge of Professor Herbert J Webber, who 
with his assistant is responsible for its bagf^ing. It is 
a species of orange tree, tlie variety having been 
brought to the United States from China about ten 
years ago with the idea of using it for hedges. It ia 
evergreen, growa about 30 feet high »uci has sharp 
thorns. The fruit is small and runty, and quite unfit 
for food. Bat the fact that it fl jurishos as far north ad 
Maryland, Keutticky, Indiana aud Missouri, gives it a, 
great value to scientists, who are experimenting with 
a view to securing a more hardy breed of orange. 
Aud this is the explanation of the crop of paper 
bags. Tlie blossoms • f the tree have just 'beeu 
crjbsed with the Si Michael and Sig uina oranges, 
which ai-e the standard vaiieties of sweet Florida 
fruit. Professor Webber is trying to secure a hybrid 
which will retain the edible qualities of the sweet 
Florida orange and at the same time preserve tlie 
hardi-uess of the Chiuese mother tree. The paper bags 
are used to protect the flower which has beeu 
fertilised with the pollen of the sweet orange. The lifsfc 
step in the operation of cross-fertilisatiou is the re- 
moval of the pollsn-bearing stamen from the blossom. 
This is done with small scissors and pincers. The 
petals are also removed, leaving the stigmx exposed. 
This is all done before the blossoms are fully opened, 
for by that time there is danger thit bees or other 
insects might have carried the pollen from some open 
blossoms and deposited it ou the stigma. When the 
stamen has been completely removed pollen gathered 
from the blossoms of the trees in the Government 
green house are shaken lightly upou the prepared 
flower. Then the bag is tied^tightly in place to maks 
sure that no pollen from the same tree becomes 
mingled with that alrsady used. After the fruit has 
had time to begin forming the bags are removed and 
the twig marked with a tag, giving the name of the 
other pireut. —MdbourM Leulev, April 5. 
ELECTRIC-MOTOR TEA WEIGHING 
MACHINE. 
16 POUiSnS A MINUi''E. 
A novel and intricate apparatus has beeti in 
.stalled ill the tea warehouse of T H Estabrooks, 
St. John, N. B. Tlii.s is nothing less than an 
automatic weighing machine capable of weighing 
oat 16 separate pounds of tea per minute. It is 
an ingenious contrivance. Eronx a hopper in the 
floor above, the tea is conveyed to the machine, 
by a funnel fitted with automatic jaws, which 
close the moment lib, of tea i.s deposited on the 
pair of scales. In the meantime a bag is being 
pressed up beneath the pan, which revolves, and 
into lliis package the tea is dumped, while an- 
other pan takes the place of the first (there are two 
pans). The whole contrivance is run by a small 
electric motor, and it can be adjusted to any weight 
and regulated. It is said to be the first machine of 
itskind in Canada, and was madeby Driver, Lonilon, 
England.— IrtdtaM Planters' Gazette, March 29. 
MR. CARRUTHEKS ON FUNGAL 
DISEASES. 
It is an evidence of how the work of the 
Scientific St.ifi at Peradeniya is growing 
that the report of the Assistant Director 
this tini°, in place of following that of Mr. 
Willis in a sessional paper, is given publi- 
city separately in one of the circulars 
issued by the Botanic Gardens. This circular 
we will, as usual, reproduce in full in our 
T. A. and need therefore only mention here 
that Mr. Carruthers supplies a very interest- 
ing, as well as adequate, report dealing with 
Environmental as well as Fungal Diseases, 
with "Leaf Diseases of Tea," with "Spore 
Distribution Experiments," gives hints a.s 
to Teo- Blight Investigation," " Gray 
