August I, 1^9 1.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
South Austraiin ia that it is far softer than' the 
Indian or American mica. Messrs. Peabody state that 
several of their triendsare quite ready to purchase Aus- 
tralian mica if it can be laid down at the right price and 
good quality, and their order is for au experimental 
sh pment ; Ihey also send samples of mica aocordinK to 
which the order must be filled. li the shipment is 
satisfactory it will no doubt lead to larger orders. They 
thought that the 35 per cent, duty and the high cost 
of labour in Australia, as compared with Indiftj would 
bo two obstacles that would be difficult to surmount 
in the development of this industry. On the whole 
the oommunioation from New York is considered , to 
bevery favourable, and the prices at which the order 
is to be filled are very satisfactory. The sample of 
American mica forwarded does not from appearance 
seem to be equal to the usual samples of South 
Anatralian mioA,-— Adelaide Observer. 
^ 
EAINFALL: EXPERIMENTS BXTRAORDI- 
NAflY. 
The Agricultural Department at Washington have 
made an experiment, as our readers are aware, 
in the prodiiotion of rainfall. A balloon was sent 
up into the olouds, where it exploded with great 
violence. Later in the evening a downpour of 
rain ooourred ; but (we thank Reuter's oorrespon- 
dent forlthe postscript) " whether this was due to 
the explosion has yet to be determined," 
It is not likely that our 'cute Yankee friends 
are wrong ; and as the experiment " is to be 
repeated on a large scale," we had better look 
out. For if a downpour of rain can be produced, 
why not a blizzard or an October gale ? Mean- 
While have every season to believe in the jijei^u™^- 
ness of the following annoianoements. 
New YoEK.—Tuesday last being a foggy day 
experiments of a novel kind were attempted in 
order to clear the surface of the sun. For this 
purpose the new electro telesoopio Hotohkiss gun 
which has been stationed upon the summit of the 
statue of Liberty was heavily charged with nitro- 
'glyoerine and a hundred packets of Messrs. [Kotioe 
to Advertisers. — This space £5 6s.] world-purifying 
soap, and repeatedly discharged at the Iviminary 
in question. 
The following Thursday, June 25th, was a fine 
day. It is understood, however, that this may not 
prove the success of the experiment ; that Messrs. 
[see notice above] do not guarantee their soap to 
clean objects outside the terrestrial atmosphere, 
Chicago, Aug, 1. — The muoioipal authorities 
having determined, at any expense, to secure fine 
weather during the World's Fair, a perfect army 
of stationary and moveable balloons are to be 
continuously employed in the removal of any clouds 
found upon or above the premises of the exhibition. 
Bain-clouds declining to " move on " are punctured 
and exhausted by a novel and interesting electro- 
hydraulic pump. The atmosphere is strictly watched 
at night by means of the electric search light. 
The adjoining states have already complained of 
an excessive and disproportionate amount of rainfall 
and are petitioning Oongress on the matter. 
Very Latest News.— The Protectionist party in 
Washington have organized a committee of scientists 
to consider the proposal mooted by a wellknown 
financier for the manufacture of a European 
blizzard. It is believed that the experiments have 
80 far been of an encouraging nature, the oxdj 
drawback arising frqm the difficulty of direction ; 
the idea being that the atmospheric disturbance 
should only operate on Ires tradiog ooualries, — 
St, Janm'i Btidgit, 
THE CHINA TEA TRADE. 
In dohsideHng the China tea trade it is not often 
that a ray of light is foiind to relieve the general 
sombrenesa of the picture. In hia report on the 
trade of Fooohow for 1890 Coijsnl Phillips tells us 
that " taking all things into cuij^ideration the year 
u der review has been more prosperous than the 
preceding one for the foreign merohsnt," He has 
to add, however, that it has gone badly With the 
hativ^ tea brokers, the lossas sustained by many of 
them having been very grept. The total quantity of 
tea shipped from Foochow last season was 452,000 
chestS; as against 576,000 chests in 1889-90 and 
596,000 in 1888-89. The quantity taken for the 
Australian market as well as that for Loudon ehows 
a large decirease, and the present season will no 
doubt see a farther fafllng off. The reason that the 
last season proved comparatively profitable for the 
foreign merohaut was that there was a short eapply 
from India as well as from Hankow, a condition of 
things which is not likely to he repeated very often. 
The demand for teas of a common kind led to the 
"shipment of a large quantity of te» inany seasons old, 
and on the . arrival of this tea in Melbourne a great 
'Quantity of it v^as at once condemned by the QuBtomii 
Authorities as unfit for human food. As the Oonsal 
remarks, this must prove a hea»y blow to the Foochow 
trade, which oaunot at the pireseut moment 
afford to have the quality of its tea oaUed in 
question. The incident will doubtless give a further 
impetus to the growing demand for Indian and 
Ceylon teas in the Colonies. 
It is satisiactory to find tb At in the Fahkien %efi diitriete 
some attention tkus at last been paid to the plant, 
the shrubs being properly trimmed and well ftttended 
to, with favourable results. The authorities ar@ 
awakening to the fact that if the Fooohow teas ue 
to hold their o wn agaiust %h6e<i of India »ui Oeyio'n 
more care miist be paid to thetr caltiveiioffi and 
preparation, and they appear, Mr. FhilUps eaye, to 
be ready to listen to any suggestion tUac promisea to 
bring about an improvement lu the trada. The must 
valuable suggestion that could be gweu them, bat 
one which we are atiaid they will not be wiliujig to 
listen to, is that the export duty and iekiu should be 
swept away in toto. Tnis the only couise that can 
save what remains of the trade, tor it is absolutely 
impossible for China to hold hoc own agjiihat not 
equally or mora tavoarably oirtiumbtanoad coiupentora 
white iihe continues to haudicap hersoit wiiu la&aiiioo 
to the extent of 25 or 'M per oout. I'u laKe 
measures for the improvemuut of the arttuia 
ts liu excellent 'hiog iu it^^tiir, but vvii.«t iiaa 
been the cause ut the deberioraiion in (Ue 
quality ? Mr. Phillips tells us there was a uiue Miien 
me Foochow teas »ere so well prepared lU^t tuey 
retained all their good qaaliiies fur a season wiiuuae 
considerable deterioration. Under ihe piesburtj oi tno 
competition tiora India and Ceylou me pruiiuoere buve 
adopted the no doubt shoctsigfited poaoy ut surimp- 
iug the quality iu order to uiaise up for the laiiuiioii 
from which their rivals were tree. Kemovu ibts orustf 
ing load of taxation and the farmers and others oou- 
oecned in the ludasiiry would have mure ireeuom 10 
improve the quality of their tea. 
Consul Guruuer, m his report on the trade of Hau- 
kow for last year, enumeruies the advantages iuutau 
and Ceylon tea giowers have over those in Uhiua as 
follows: — Isc, greater oommaud ot capual; 2nd, laoiliiy 
of.obtitiuing loans at a lower rale ot luierusi, ; dca, titxi- 
dom from lekin, octroi, and export duty ; ii/O, oommuud 
ot a better and cheaper labour uiariiei ; oth uomiuaud 
of ohemioui uud at^nuuUural kuowieugo; t>i.n, neuer 
acquaiulancti with tastes auu reqiiiremuui.d ot pucvhasi.rs; 
7th, easier modes ot trauspori ; Oih, gruaior nearness lo 
countries that purchase ; 9ih, enuimuua puouc works 
facilitating irrigation m dry seasons auu prevenimg fiooun 
in wet seasons ; lObh, large size of tec> esoaies; iivU, 
better machinery. Against all these advauiages ot tue 
Indian and Ceylon grower, (Juiua, Mr. U^nUuer 
says, possesses one advantage, auu tuat is, tliRt the 
Ohiuese tea-grower^ working lor his own bond instead 
of tor wages, brings often ^leiter oaro and o^oi^ 
