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1 HF TftOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1891. 
ever generally taken as an accepted rule that in 
established cacao, pruning or " trimming "* as it is 
called in Trinidad, is best carried on at the close 
of crop time." The practice is certainly reasonable 
a9 the trees are devoid of both fruit and flowers 
and suffer no possibility of injury. 
On first class estates where cultivation is carried 
out in a scientific manner, the tree should annually 
receive attention in the matter of pruning &c. Every 
tree should be visited and carefully examined. 
On many estates in Trinidad it is the practice to 
prune only at intervals of once in three or four 
years. Buch cannot be considered good practice as 
the less pruning that is done to a tree at one oper- 
ation the better. 
It should be remembered that a cut made in prun- 
ing a tree, is just as much a wound, as cutting of 
a finger from the human body, and that although 
the plant may repair the injury to a certain extent 
still the wound remains, and produces a certain 
disorganization of tissue, not seldom resulting in 
decay and death, 
Tne cultivator should be careful in removing and 
burning as far as possible prunings from the ground. 
If left to rot upon the plantation these prunings 
become the home of innumerable wood destroying 
insects, and beetles which are iuimicable to the wel- 
fare cf the cacao plant. There is nothing liketid;- 
ness and cleanliness in any cultivation, and departure 
therefrom is sure to produce sooner or later its 
concomitant evils. 
The practice of pruning, the way to hold knife 
or saw, cutlass or cacao hook, cannot be taught by 
any writer. The inexperienced should seek practical 
instruction, and even then it requires a considerable 
amount of time and experience ere he will be able 
to handle his tools, with dexterity and precision. 
The difference between a slovenly out and a clean 
cut are at once apparent when the work is compared, 
and no workman should be permitted to practice 
pruning upon valuable trres until he is well accom- 
plished in the practical use of the tools employed. 
The skilful pruner can, by a proper h iLdling of bis 
tools, and cutiaig back to buds situated in the 
positions from which he desires a branch to come, 
from the tree at will into the shape he requires, 
and the plantations in which his skill is exhibited 
will always present a tidy and cultivated appear- 
ance, while those of the negligent and unskilful 
pruner will always look untidy and irregular. 
Good maxims for the cultivator are, "prune little, 
but prune often; prune carefully, but ]prune with 
decision. Prune for leaves and a crop must come." 
Ti inidad AyTicvitural Recoi d. 
Eecovehy of Vines from Phylloxeha.— By the 
latest inspection of the Phylloxera-infested districts 
of Portugal by the ofacials of the Portuguese 
Agricultural Institute, some interesting observations 
were made, says Dr. Klein in the Oardenjiora for 
May. Vines which had been infested for a number 
of years, and dressed latterly with sulphate of copper, 
had completely rscovered from the attack, and given 
extraordinary crops, a fact which is not without 
analogy in the history of the malady. It is the 
question now, if the proprietors can bear the cost 
entailed by a continuance of the expensive remedy. 
In other cases it would appear, that where rows of 
trees intersected the vineyards, the trees were at- 
tacked by tLe Phylloxera— which the Editor questions. 
These trees acted as traps or conductors for the 
lice ; and so far no evil consequences to the trees 
have appeared. — Gardeners' Chi-oniclu. 
The iJiiEAD FUUiTTHEE is a native of theiblands of the 
Pacific Uccan Kud the ludian Archipelago, and grows 
to a height of from forty to fifty feet, it bus largo, 
pinnatifid leaves, frequently twelve to eighteen inches 
long, dark green and glossy. The fruit ot the bread- 
trae, which iu bhape and size resembles a muskinclon, 
Buppliea the principal part of the food of the inha- 
bitauta of these islauds. it is attached to the suiull 
braDChsB of the tree by a small, thick stalk, and 
hauKS either singly or in oluaters of two or three 
toKetber. It coutaius a Homewhat fibro us palp, which, 
■■'« ".Oacao," by Mr. MortiS) p. 38. 
when ripo, becomes juicy and yellow, but has then a 
ret' en taste. At an earher stage, when it is gathered 
for use, the pulp is white and mealy aud of a consis- 
tence resemblinfr new bread. The common method ot 
preparing this trait for eating is to cut it iuto three or 
four pieces, aud ttif-n take out the core, then to place 
h ated etoues in the bottom of a hole dug in the 
ground, to cover tbtm with green leaves, aud upon 
these to plnce a layer of the fruit, then stones 
leaves and fruit alternately, till the hole is nearly 
fi led, wheu loaves aud earth to the depth of severul 
inches are spread over all. In rather more tbanhalf- 
an-hour the bread-fruit is ready for eating. It has 
little laste, and more reaomblts the plantain than 
bread made ot wheat flour. Tbe inner bark of tlie 
bread-fruit trees supplies a considerable part of (he 
clothing of the islanders, and its timber and its milky 
jaice are employed for economical purposes. — 
American Grocer. [Iu Uejlon t'ie fruit is cocke.l as 
a vegetable, aud it i« very good iu currie?. — En T. ,{.] 
Tea in India. — A rather pessimist " Britisher" 
writes to the Indian Flanters' Gaielte. — 
The pres nt a'aie of the Tea Industry for India is 
doomed except for very lortile lands, with euoimi us 
yields as iu the Dooars ; tbe cotnpetitiou wilh Ut^jlou 
has bro\ight this ubouf, owing to the latter island's 
superior natural advantages, a forciug olima e mid soil 
which gives an euorroous y if 1 1. Planters wish that Gov* 
ernmeut therefore wouM remove the hainperiug restric- 
tions on the Industry, an i grant them laws l)y which they 
might be able to light this great battle of competition. 
Not one ol ihe Daijeeling gardens last year earned 
a koiorie of r^ni ; nccording to the law of rent as laid 
down, as ono of the first doctrines of political economy 
by Kicardo aud Malthus, DarjeeJiug lauds are held 
either freehold or e'se lease-hold at the rate of 6 (six) 
annas per acre, and it is chiefiy due to this fact that 
the gardens are striving on, so as not to lose the whole 
capital sank in tea. 
Not a banker in India will advance money to open 
up tea estates on the secarity of Tea alone, showiug 
that they consider ih - industry doomed and will never pay 
the interest, whereas in Ceylon money is easily found. 
Last year, 1890, only two gardens earned a banker's 
interest, that is 9 to 10 per cent.; two gardens earned 
a dividend larger than Goverument Paper ioterest, viz, 
between 4 and 8 per cent, interest ; four gardens earaed 
a dividend of 2 per ceat. ; and fully 60 per cent, of the 
land under Tfs, in the remaining gardens, made no 
dividend but a loss, not one earned any rent. 
EoG Plants. — A recent Bulletin of the Agricultural 
Experiment Station of Cornell University, deals with 
the varieties, cultivation, and mode of cooking of 
the fruits of Egg plants, including the Aubergines. 
Professor Bailey says the requisites for success are 
"early starting, warm quarters, vigorous plants, 
rather late transplanting, warm, rich, moist soil, 
and constant attention against insect pests.'' The 
best varieties are Early Dwarf Purple, Early Long 
Purple, White Chinese, and black Pekin as a late 
variety. The best market, v<>rieties are New York 
Improved and black Pekin, with Early long Purple 
for the first demands. The methods of cooking are 
as follow: — 
"1. Pried. — Cut in slices crosswise not over a half- 
inch thick, and parboil in salt water about fifteen 
minutes; then remove, and fry in a hwt "spider" 
in butter and lard. 
"2. Fried. — Cut into slices j or § inch thick, and 
lay in strong brine for two hours; then wash very 
thoroughly; sprinkle with brown sugar, pepper and 
salt, and fry slowly to a dark brown 
•' 3. Baked. — 'Jut in two lengthwise, remove the 
seeds and pulp, and fill with dressing made of half 
a ttacupful breadcrumbs, one teaspoonful butter, and 
salt and pepper to taste ; lay the halves side to side 
m dripping pan, add a little water, and bake nearly 
an hour. 
" 4. Fritters. — Pare, cut in thin slices crosswise, 
and soak in salt water for eight or ten hours ; dry 
on a towel, dip in beatin egg and roll in bread 
crumbs, then fry slowly iu hot butter until the pieces 
become a rich brgwu; serve hoW—G-ariieners' 
Ohronioh. 
