m 
THE TROPICAL 
AGHICULTURIST. [June 2, 1902. 
Three crops are taken in the year, the time for 
growth and maturity being about the same as in 
India, viz., about six to seven weeks. 
The writer does not go into the question of yield, 
which appears satisfactory because the matter seems 
more to turn upon the other points mentioned. 
The native yarn is spun without any twiet, which 
gives it great covering power in the cloth, that is the 
cloth will be 30 40 closer, or less threadbare, than if 
made from machine-spun yarn of the same weight, 
a^id boiof; spun in the gum, it is perfectly smooth 
and hairless, without any expense in fiuishing machi- 
nery as is required in muchine-made yarn and cloth 
The h ird grass is wetted, and then shreded into 
the requisite size, the lengths being joined by a 
dexterous twist of the fingers, as the thread ia wound 
on a reel continuously. Yarns of astonishing regu- 
liirity and fineness, are thus produced, and the 
operation is surprising in its dexterity and result. 
It may be interesting also to mention that the 
Chinese are extending the cultivation of jute, and 
with the immense area of ri^h alluvial soil they 
possess in the great river basins, and tlieir powers 
of cheap production, India may shortly be seriously 
threatened in this industry — South of India Ohsercer. 
— 
THE ORANGE. 
At a recent meeting of the Renmark Agricultuial 
Bureau Mr. C. R. Rose read a paper on " The Orange " 
to the following effect;— 
The orange is of comparatively modern introduction 
in horticulture. It is not mentioned in the Scriptures, 
nor by Herodotus, who lived five centuries before 
Christ, and who wrote a list of fruits then known, nor 
by Virgil, who wrote much about such matters 100 
years before the Christian era. The orange came 
originally from the south of China, Burmah, and 
India. It ia found growing wild in the jungles in 
various parts of india. The Arabs introduced the 
orange to their country, and thence it got to Syria and 
Southern Europe. This was probably the bitter 
orange. The sweet variety was brought to Europe 
about the forteenth century by merchants of Genoa or 
Portugal. Thence the tree was passed by the Spani- 
ards and Portuguese to the Azores and other parts of 
the " New World, " and found congenial conditions. 
.Mexico. Florida, California, proved to be highly suit- 
able. The St. Michael orange originated in the 
Azores • the Pernambuco and Bahia, (or Navel) were 
both named after provinces in Brazil. The orange 
is now found growing in -nearly every country where 
there is enough sunlight and absence of severe frosts. 
The orange tree seems to thrive in many different 
kinds of soil. In the Azores the soil is intensely 
volcanic, which is highly suitable, but in Renmark the 
tree grows on sand and on stiff clay with equally good 
lesults but the growth is more rampant on the sand, 
BO that it may be fairly concluded that as long as there 
is sufficient nourishment and moisture in the soil, com- 
bined with proper drainage, the orange will do well. 
The essential in nourishment are chiefly potash, ni- 
trogen, lime, and phosphoric acid, together with 
several other substances in small quantities, which 
are almost universally distributed in all soils. Even 
whm all the necessary constituents of plant food are 
originally present in the soil some or all of them will 
in l/me become more or less deficient when crops of 
any kind are gi'own without restoration by moans of 
fertilzeta. The farmer's laud is not racked by crops 
all the year tlirough, but the orangery is making calls 
on ti/e soil durii g the whole time. It is a mistake to 
fltsrve fiuit trees, but the application of manures on 
too literal a scale will produce a rank growth of wood 
witli little or no fruit, or there may be an excessive 
crop of undersized oianges. The first defect is due to 
too much nitrogen, the other to an excess of phosphoric 
Boid and lime. A moderate dressing with fertilizers 
each year is better than one heavy application every 
three years. If a tree has sparse and few leaves, and 
there is no lack of moisture, we may reasonably con- 
clude that nitrogen is lacking in the soil, bat if Ithere 
18 vigorous growth and little fruit it is probable' that 
hme and phosphoric acid are needed. Drainage is 
necessary where there is an excess of water, but Jwith 
the scanty rainfall and regular irrigation at Renmark 
the danger is reduced to a minimum, the ground should 
be kept damp, but never swampv. In winter the soil 
must be kept moist, as at that time the trees are 
maturing a crop and forming buds which are to supply 
the crop of the succeeding year. Moisture in winter 
prevents the tree suffering from the effects of frost, 
lienmark settlers cannot wait long enough to pro- 
pagate trees, so they must procure them ready for 
planting out from the nurseries, and they must care- 
fully guard against the introduction of Icerj a purchasii 
and other insect pests as well as fungus diseases. There 
should be a law agdnst the introduction of diseased 
trees as well as against diseased fruit. There are 
about twenty-five species of fungus diseases, and very 
many kinds of borers, scales, beetles, caterpillars, and 
other insect pests affecting fruit trees and vines in 
Australasia, but very few or noue of them at present 
are found at Renmark. We owe it as a duty to onrseheB 
and our neighbours to maintain a vigilant lookout for 
the first appearance of any pest or disease, and should 
such appear to use the most vigorous and effective 
means to at once suppress it. LThe essayist here 
drew attention to a pamphlet issued by the Agricul- 
tural Department of New South Wales dealing with 
such peats and diseases and the remedies to be adopted. 
He might also have quoted a similar pamphlet issued 
by the Central Agriculture Bureau of South Australia 
sometime ago. He objected to the cyanide of po- 
tassium treatment for insect pests, because the cyanide 
gas ie very poisonous to human beings, and because 
the applicaiim must be made when the sunlight ia 
strong, but both objections are untenable in the face 
of the great efficacy of the treatment, and the fact 
that arsenates are constantly used with safety although 
very poisonous.— Gen. Secretary.] Newly-planted 
orange trees must be sheltered, the soil must be .con- 
stantly maintained in a free and open condition by 
the use of the hoe, especially beneath / the branches 
of the trees, where there is a favourite breeding har- 
bour for grubs and all sorts of insect pests In regard 
to pruning the orange tree should be in a solid com- 
pact mass, like a well-built haystack. To attain this 
allow the tree to grow in the centre, and at the same 
time shorten (he lateral branches. Th e fruit should 
be gathered with great care to avoid bruising. In 
August, 1895, the writer planted 600 orange trees, and 
new the average heiiiht is 10 feet., girth round the 
branches 30 feet., the butts at 1 feet, from the ground 
average 15 ft. These are Washington naveels, Seletta 
tree, six years old, which produced 500 oranges. The 
fruit from this orangery has taken eight first prizes at 
shows in Adelaide, Mildura, and Renmark. Much 
damage is done to Renmark fruit by exposing the cases 
on open trucks, coverd with a tarpaulin, between 
Morgan and Adelaide, when the shade temperature 
reaches 100 deg, or more. Some effort should be mada 
to securo an alteration in this respect. 
Discussion took place upon the best kind of stock to 
bud or graft the orange upon, but no conclusion 
arrived at. Re-fumigation Mr. Rose said the cost of 
fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas is very small 
after the first cost of tents, and that fumigation kills 
every insect on the tree, whilst spraying alwp.ya misses 
a number of them. — Adelaide Ohseroer. 
4 
RUBBBE, CULTIVATION IN VERA 
CRUZ, 
TO THE EDITOB OP THE ' ' IKDIA-EUBBEH AND 
GUTTA-PEBCHA JOUBNAL." 
Deab Sib, — I will in this letter confine myself to 
the work in I he nursery. After the woods are burnt 
off, the best location for a nursery should be selected, 
