93 
This system of cultivation is specially suited to poor 
EOilasuch as shown in analysis C. 
It will also improve the condition of heavy and reten- 
tive lauds. If put in force the land should be limed 
once in three years or so, and the plants should be 
grown in rotation. In this way it will be possible to 
clean the land and free it from an excess of in- 
jurious salts. The coffee tree is wanted aa a 
permanency, and the best way of keeping the land 
healthy is to grow a rotation of annuals under 
the coffee, and as far as possible a rotation or diver- 
ity of shade over it. Whenever a shade tree shows 
iigns of becoming a surface feeder it should be rooted 
out; slow-growing shade should be put in to take the 
place of the quick-grown shade as it dies off. 
By these measures it will bs possible to prevent the 
land in a great measure from becoming coffee sick, 
which it does by becoming infested with microscopic 
fungi and bacteria when kept under one crop too long. 
The investigations into potato and vine dijeases, and 
clover sickness show this to be the main cause of laud 
refuting to bear one crop in continued succession. 
It is from this cause that the greater nnmher of 
cofifeo supply plants fail, white mealy bug aseisting 
in the devastation. All these pests can be er»dioatod 
by proper treatment at the right season. W. P. 
« 
PLUMBAGO AND MICA. 
For some time Messrs. Parry & Co.- have been 
Degoliating with the Travanoore GoverDment for 
the grant to them of a monopoly for mining for 
plumbago and mioa in certain selected taluks in 
Travanoore ten-itory, which were reputed to be rich 
in these minerals. These negotiations have so far 
progressed that a draft agreement has been drawn 
up, which, together with the criticiams passed upon 
it by the Advocate-General, and the remariis of the 
Madras Government thereon, has been forwarded 
to the Government of India for final otievs,— Indian 
Agrimlturiit. 
, 
JAVA CINCHONA, CACAO AND TEA EXPORTS. 
Prom the Batavia Exchange Report we see that 
Java continues to more than make up for the fnlling- 
off in Ceylon exports of bark. Prom let July 1890 to 
30th April last, ton months of the year, Java has sent 
away — almost entirely to Holland— no less than 
5,718,677 lb. of "Private" estates bark and 
484,087 lb. of Government gardens bark against 
3,709,648 and 445,940 respectively during the same 
period of 1890. This shows s very big advance 
considering that 2 million lb. of Java bark is 
equal in the average to i million lb. of Oeylon 
bark. The Java exports are in Amsterdam lb. 
each of which is equal to 1'09 lb. avoirdupois. 
The comparison for several seasons for the ten 
months' period is as follows : — 
Total Oinchoua Bark, 
Private 
Govt. 
Amsterdam lb. 
lb. 
1st July to 30th Apn 
1..,1890-91...5,718,577 . 
. 484,087 
Do. 
...1889-9(),..3,709,G48 . 
. 445,940 
Do. 
...1888-89.. .2,989,780 . 
. 723,491 
Do. 
...18S7-88...2,353,426 .. 
. 532,687 
Do. 
...1833-87. ..1.357,576 .. 
. 571,320 
Java Exports —apart from Oinohona — do not 
oompare nearly so well. Of Coffee only 224,121 picula 
private and 81,599 Goven.nient have been exported 
in the ten months against 477,849 and 394,272 
piouls respeotively in 1889-90, showing an enormous 
falling-ofl this season, in the case of private crops 
by over 50 per cent, while of Government coffee 
Boaroely one-fourth the previous ae«son's export goes 
in 1890-91. So far from coffee reviving in Java, 
it is therefore evidently going back very grievously, 
the total export in 1890 91 probably not exceeding, 
400,000 owt. against 1,200.000 cwt. in 1889-90 
and 1,100,000 owt. in 1888-89.— Pepper also 
shows a falling-off of about 30 per cent this 
season so far, in quantity exported,— Goooa or cacao 
shows a sudden and very large increase to 10,600 owt. 
in the ten months, against only 1,360 owt. in tha 
same period of 1889-90, and 1,100 cwt. the season 
before. Caoxo cultivation is new in Java ; but it is 
evidently going to euooeed and Oeylon planters may 
look out for a eerious rival in this prodnot.— In Tea 
not much progress seems to be made. Here are 
the exports for ten months of the several seasons •.— 
Kilogrammes. 
1890-91 2,883,277 
1889-90 2,548,669 
1888-89 2,770,900 
1887-88 2,562,072 
1886-87 ... ... 2,722,736 
These returns are in kilogrammes, so that one-tenth 
should be added for English lb. making 3,171,6041b. 
export for ten months of the present season. 
NOTES ON POPULAR SOIENCB. 
By Da. J. E. Taylor, f. l. s., &c., Editob of 
"SciBNCB Gossip." 
A German ohemiit and physician has recently 
demonstrated that there is an morease of nitrogen in 
the perspitation during excessive muscular work over 
and above that normally excreted. Another experi- 
menter has shown that the output of nitrogen and 
urea are closely parallel. The increase of both is 
most marked during working hours, and it takes some 
time to subside afterwards. 
It is now generally concluded that the little nodule* 
found on the roots of leguminose plants contain baa- 
teiial organisms which have the power of »B»imilating 
free nitrogen, and that this is the true reason why 
tbis order of plants obtain part of that valuable gag 
direc ly. Professor Prank thinks there is only one 
kind of nodule organism common to all legomiuous 
plads, and that it is present in all natural soils. The 
relationship is one of pymbiosis. 
Proteasor de Oandolle,' the distinguished French 
bota •tut, has given a new and original explanaion of 
ciTiaiu monstrosities in flowering plants. Some speoi- 
meuf were sent him in which the flowers were borne 
on tJie upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. Tha 
exph.uation hitherto given of this phenomenon is 
that tiiere has been ah adhesion (or want of tepara- 
tiou) between the fiower-stnlks and the adjacent 
leave i, 80 that they have grown together. Professor 
de C iudolle, however, is of opinion that such inflor- 
escences are real outgrowths from the leaves, and not 
axill.ry shoots growing and fasing with them. Ha 
regards such examples as proofs that botanical dis- 
tinct ons between stem and leaf are purely arbitrary. 
— At itralasian. 
HBMILEIA VAST&TRIX. 
(2'o the Editor "Madras Mail.") 
Sir,—" Nilgiri," in your issue of the 2nd instant, 
writ' s about " two different gentlemen" having found 
the cure for leaf disease. If " Nilgiri " includes me 
in il at number loan answer his questions latisfac- 
toril . The remedy I use will cure leaf disease. In- 
variably one application will be sufficient; but at 
timo> a second application may he found to be nece«- 
sary after a couple of years. The cost per acre, in« 
cludiag labor, will not exceed R20. It ia impossible 
to e.adicke leaf disease from any particular estate 
when thousaods of acres round it may be affected with 
the pest ; but the remedy I have, has in every instance 
ciired tht) diseese from the parts applied to, sufSoiently 
to enable the trees to yield fair crops for years. 
Ooonoor, 4th June. C- K. P. Vhbnhdb. 
[As we have so often remarked, Mr. D. Morriis'a 
