S6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
QULV I, 1891. 
taken as the eeconfi great epic poem of the Hindus. 
Here again the paintings of Akbar's time will be copied. 
The other shield will be known as the Ashwame ia, 
auJ will couta'n seven plaques. In olden days, says 
Dr. Hendley, a curious custom obtained of the expia- 
tory sanrifice of a horse. The animal, selected by a 
ruling Chief, was allowed to wander at large for a 
year. Those who disputed the supremacy of ils owner, 
took possession of it and fought tn retain it against 
a'l comers. " If the horse came safely through his 
trials he was sacrificed with elaborate ceremonies, and 
the victorious monarch was then acknowledged as 
paramount sovereign." The sacrifice which Yu ashthira 
performed, has Leen chosen as a fitting subjt-ct for 
idustration oa the shield. The drawings have been 
taken from Akbar's own copy of the R .zmnamah or 
Persian version Qf the Mababarata. The adventures 
depicted are extremely curious. The hofse goes through 
several transform«tii ns, and visits very strange countries. 
In one of thesd the trees produced as fruit men, vvomeu 
and atiimals, who l-ved but a day. The inhabitants 
were monsters with blaiiket ta s, in wh ch they wrap- 
ped themselves at night. In Manipura the |ieo|ile were 
bU virtuous; there were no dars, the men were all brave 
and the women rfubmissivo to thfir husbitnds. The 
exact position of this wonderful land is unfortunately 
not made known. The wonderful horse worked ndracles 
when he appeared, and tvt n ually he was sscrificed with 
due pomp, asseuding to the heaven of Brahma and be- 
coming a constt-llation. Ths subject should test to the 
full the skill of Ganga B^ks-h Khati, t 1 whose hands 
the shield will be entrusted. Many months of patient 
labour will be required before the Mababarata and 
Ashwameda shields can be placed alongside the Ram.i- 
yana ; but Jeypore will in the end possess three speci- 
mens ot metal work in relief unrivalled throughout 
India. Dr. Hendley may well be cougfatulated on his 
successful efforts to foster indigenous talent, which iu 
these days, if left to itself, would probably never have 
risen to any very high level. — I'toneer. 
Maskbli-za (Theberton) 28th May.— Fearful rain- 
fall so far since burst of monsoon which was on 
the night of 20lh, as no wind on the 19th till 
a. m. 20th. 
Eainfall. 
19th ... 
20th ... 
2l8t ... 
2an(i... 
23rd.. 
24th ... 
25th... 
3- 19 in. 
5-00 „ 
5-42 „ 
511 „ 
4- 84 „ 
4- 77 „ 
5- 5i 
26th... 
271h... 
Eainfall 
2'58 in. 
2-74 „ 
40 19 
9 days 
Average for 9 days 4' 465,, 
Still raining heavily, not quite so bad as be- 
fore. We have had violeoi, squalls of wind with 
this rain eincs 1 a.m. of 20th. Total so far for 
May, VIZ., to 27Dh 67-t,2 in.— Not bad ! 
The Repout of the Dieectobs of the Darjeeling 
Company madeuptoDpo. 31st, 1890, shows that 
quantity of tea manufactured in the season of 
amounted to 606,950 lb., being a considerable -^crease 
of 57,172 lb. over the crop of 1889, but the *f: brokers 
have informed the directors that the us'^' 
dard of quality was not maintained, or^i 
the average price reiilised for the cr'P is only la 0 bbci 
per lb., against 1« 2-lOd per lb. fo'-- the crop of 1!5B9, 
showing a decrease of 144d per lb., which, on the 
whole quantity di-po.std of, rppreseuts a deflcieucy ot 
3,573^. The proportion ot teas of fine quHlity was un- 
Uf.ually email daring the past season, and high prices 
were realised for them. Out of tbe profit on the sea- 
Hon'« operations the following claims b*'" to be pro- 
vided for :— To commissions to ""-ir, 8432 ; to inoorae- 
tax, 2222; leaving a not profit of 6,266i, which is equiva- 
lent to -il 128 fiJ percent, on tho paid-up oapitial of 
the company; and it is therefore propoBe^i to transfer 
from the undivided profits tho sum of 1,8,592 in order 
te provide a HufQ(;i<-nt amount to enable the mombRrs 
to declsro a dividend al the rate ot 6 percent, for the 
pant year. Ho tar the profpects for tho soasou 1891 
show an improvement over lant up to the middle of 
April l)ut tbo quantity of tea manufactured np to that \ 
darly period of tho season hai always fluctuated COn- ( 
(IliBccTMy.— O.Mml, 
Reserve Forests. — The grand reserves of 
forest still held by the Government between the 
upper reaches of the Bentota nvsr and Sabara- 
gamuwa or extending into that province, are not 
generally realised. In one block, about 8 to 10 
miles from the river, there are 8,0U0 acres very 
fine reserve forest, with big timber irees. A great 
part of the Sinha Eaja forest has sufiered from 
chenaing in the days o£ old ; but there are still 
10,000 acres perhaps of fine heavy jungle, while 
the ohenaed portions are many of thtm of a oon- 
siderabie age no*. 
Bamboo Charcoal. — It is generally thought that 
bamboo being so light and small makes a bad 
fuel wood, and no one would think it of any value 
as fuel for forges ; yec it is considered the best 
material for making charcoal for blacksmith work, 
and is in large demand all over Mysore. It is 
said to give olf more heat than the best coke and 
to require less blast. A maund of bamboo charcoal 
fetches twice as much in the village-markets as the 
best charcoal. Tne method of charring bamboo 
is difierent to that used for harder woods — the 
stacks or kiina being carefully covered with green 
leaves and then plastered with wet clay. While 
the burning is going on care is taken 10 exclude 
air as much as possible without extinguishing the 
fire — Bangalore Spectator. 
West Indian (Juncenteated Lime-jdice. — Among 
the industries which m ght probabiy be tetablished, 
or, rather, developed, willhiu the limits ot the empire, 
with a prospect of jicldiug a profitable return, the 
preparation of concentrated lime juice for tbe manu- 
facture of citric acid deserves to be mentioned, 
England is sti.d the country where citric-acid making 
is carried on most largely, and at present almost tha 
whole of our supply ot tho raw material for its 
manufacture is obtained from Sicily. The concen- 
trated-juice market in Messina is usually dominated 
by a gang of speculators, and it is to be ftared 
that tbe actual producers of the article receive but 
scanty return for their labour. Indeed, it is asserted 
that when tha price of juice falls below ft figure not 
much lower than that at which it stands at presen' 
tbe juice-makers cannot get a living at their oc'"*'^' 
tion. But these conditions, even if correct|,^ ateU, 
by no means preclude the possibilitY,„„,;f,,, 
cultivation elsewhere. The lime J" 
West India island as the lem-;^;' f.' f"'* 
, . t 1 J » -> ■a^'ition, and labour, 
the conditions of land-ty-go^j favourably with 
our colonies may po.- j^^tter of fact, concentrated 
tne Italian i«land,^,gj j^^.^n limes-the produce of 
juice trom t^-f^j a good many years been placed 
■^°™"^"ili'arkets in small lots and at irregular periods, 
?^ ?t' is questiouable whether che pjsaiDility pro- 
viding a regular hupply at a remuiierativpnce has 
evor been figuied out with any approach '° precision, 
though it might very possibly be qu-" deserving 
of consideration as many other bu =sst'=a means of 
industrial advancement iu the J "Z*'^ Indies. It is 
doubtful whether the total gj T^""^ concentrated 
West ludi.m lime-juice reo^ amounts to aa 
much as 100 pipes a y>^^on^ wfl 
average Italian -PPlyon]; con^aL abo^t%'n 
West Indian puncheoAjoes arn nf ino 50 gallons 
whereas the M«s=y,au ^juioe is v^rl ^^^t°'"' ^"P*" 
city. The West ^ lact \ta hL^ l °^ stronger 
th4 the Italiatage as the evfn T 
gether an ae juioe'not unlreou^fH " ''^"i'^d 
s.;far tbatenglh ol"T.:^::\^Tef, eTlT^^^^^^ 
The usuailion, and the con. Lets under wh^f.h°>"° 
acid pede tor an allowar,ce if the streLth f 
soid o or exceeds 66 oz. The West T h,^ •^"'^^ 
be.o; contains 90 and occasional" - - ^""^ 
unipV galion. Hith6no7h;"wes^,?H, °^u"* 
a^- sQd at a relative price eeneralL ^"'"^ 
b^er^ont below that^pa?dT;ft;:i"'^'°e about 
,,pUla«thod of mancfiirtiiro ;t « ■ 
a« or more tbaa thTlaWe^'^ r/°' 
