October i, tSgt.l THE TROPICAL AtaRIOULTURIST 
are for diffusion. In this method the oane is cut into 
very thin diagonal slices, dumped into iron cells and 
water and Bteam tamed on. The sugar and nothing 
elee is extracted and the juice is almost absolutely 
pure. It is claimed that they get 98 per cent of 
the sugar from the oane. In the old prooets they 
do not get over 80 per cent < the diffusioniets claiming 
a saving of from 12 to 18 per cent. There «re now 
three new diffusion plants going up. The Ewas )8 
miles from this city and Kahuka 30 miles away— 
both 50 ton mills, that is, with a capacity of fifty 
tons of sugar a day. The other, Mnkkiwilli ia on 
Kauni and is a 100 ton mill. The machinery of the 
two former are being built here while the larger one 
is coming from Scotland, a considerable portion of the 
stock being held there. 
There is considerable rice grown on these islands. 
There are two crops a year, The winter crop matures 
in about 140 days and the summer crop in about 20 
da ya less. It is grown almost entirely by the Chinese. 
No other race of people would take the trouble they 
do. The rice is first sown thickly broadcast and the 
water turned on to it. When it gets the proper size 
it is transplanted in small bunches of eight or tensta'ka 
about a foot apart— the men wading about in the 
water planting it in the mud. The water is probably six 
to eight inches deep. The water is kept on it almost 
the entire time. The first crop is now being harvested. 
The yield from the Islamls is about 15,000 tens of 
which 5,000 is exported, the balancused here. 
Beaidei sugar and rice about the only other article 
of escort is bananas. Every steamer takes a large 
number of bunchep^trom 3,500 to 7,000 and even 
more. There is but oue variety shipped, the Chinese 
dwarf. Good ten hand bunches are worth $1 here. 
The freight to San Francisco is 75 cents and some- 
times when the market gets overstocked there is 
heavy loss. One party told me some time ago that 
they had over 3,500 bunches in store in San Francisco 
and expected to lose a great part of them. We can 
buy ordinary sized bunches at from 15 to 25 cents. 
There are quite a number of hides shipped from 
there, here being no tanneries. 
Ooffee culture is coming to the front and several 
companies havo been formed for its cultivation. It 
grows wild in many places and yields very abundantly 
and is of very superior flavor. The best I ever draak 
1 have gotheie. It wants to be three or four years 
old to be good. If used younger it has a green, oily 
taste, and the older the better. It sells here at 45 
cents per pound at retail. 
Pineapples are plentiful and ch"ap, retailing at 
from 5 to 25 cents each for the native varieties, and 
50 cents to !8>l for imported varieties. I saw eome 
sugar loaf pines that weighed nearly 10 pounds which 
sold at $1 each. 
There is a strong feeling here favorable toan- 
rexation to the United States. Some think that it 
is the only remedy for the stagnation in business 
caused by the decline in the price of sugar. It is 
hard to tell or forsee what th-? result will be and 
many are very anxious about it. It is said that there 
are several hundred white men organised and fully 
armed for any emergency. H, J. Bhodes. 
— Rural Californian. 
covered. But it appears that rose-wooc? SPedlioM havo 
been found m a forest, in which mature roae-wood 
trees did not occur. In regard to youn? teak and Sanh 
wxckia sepdhngs supposed to be withering from drought 
it is found that while so appeering.they .are oft^ actually 
makmg underground growth, which in a year or two en 
ablea them through the depth of their roots, to resist thfl 
effects of dry weather. Although coppicing is nn- 
suitable for Oasuarma, it has b»en successfullv tried 
With satm-wood and Tennhialia tomentoia in tho 
Bellary diatriek. and with the 
FORESTRY IN MADRAS. 
The liki s and dis'ikes of particular trees, in respect 
of s lade, uui'erurowth, moistureaud other crn litious, 
hnve evi'e'tly s'ill to be studied, as also the effpcts 
of such iuiiivi 'uiil ))ocuiian>ies as time of seedlinfc', 
that is, whoth«r Ve oro cr a'ter the firing Bfasou, and 
as to which species reproduce bi'sr, t>y .siediings and 
which by coppice. As to the complnint that rank 
undergrowth and Ion;; grass, iho first elfecta of pro- 
tection, choke i>eedlin«B, it has deen rugijon ed that 
if more time wtv<j allo»el llunu ti be, Ouie mjre 
sirougly rooted, vhey would bo able to pu'h through 
or outgrow, this slight cbs'r.ictioii. Tbe failure iu 
the natural reproduction of ttak in the leak fo csti 
has b4i n ascribed to the inability cf the sead to reach 
^ho gc, uiid throng!) tho tallou loavts wiili which it is 
in 
eucalypti on 
the 
the 
Nilgiri hills. The forests of tho Madras Presideuov 
have generally shown good growth, where protection 
has been effloieut, even on the most unpromisiiiir 
areas, and a copious reproduction of the more 
valuable trees, such as teak, rose-wood, Hardwiclcia 
sandal, satinwood and rterocarjnis marsupium has 
been attained. The only district in which protection 
and reproduction have been bad is South Arcot 
Nor was artificial production legg attended to or 
less successful eoraparatfvely. The amount spent on 
plantations topes and cultural oprrationa was 
K51,701, against R50.748, asd the area operated unon 
was 50,681, against 49,319 acres in the previous year 
Tbe incre-ise was chiefly under plantations; while no 
addition was n ade to the topea. Teak at Nilambpr 
blue gum on the Nilgiris, and casnarina. were the 
more valuable trees included among the new plant - 
tions In the Southern C'rcJe, beside casuarina 
which wiis put down on a most extensive =04le 
cashewQut, mango, jak divi-divi, arnotto, teak' 
pilmvra nut, Acana planifrons, miihogii.ny (S macro- 
phylla) were own or p:anted ; while, in the Northern 
Circle, Casurf-ina. wm, tamarind , fasiia «o/-a, Arabian 
dates, were aid down in the plains, and mahogany — 
teak, 2<'Temla aaA Pimis longifolia wtre planted 
out oa the hills. The clearing of creepers and under- 
growth was continue I in both oirclea, it is believed with 
good effi els in retpect of reproiluclion. Some diflBcultv 
and expense are anticipated in eradicating the prickly 
pear, which haa taken a firm hold in the fuel and 
fodder reservea of the Coimbatore district. As regards 
the cultivation of exotics, the results of experiments 
vary. Dates are said to germinate freely, but the after 
casualties are numerous in the more wet districts on 
the coast. Offsets appear to be of stronger constitution 
than seedlings, but they are more diflaoult to obtain 
Caroh 18 reported to have grown well and borne fruit '• 
it is a useful tree and its seed ehould be diatributdd to 
be sown in suitable localities. Of the various species 
of Eucah,ptus which w< re tried on the plains, all with 
the exception of E. ro/nista, failed, germinat'iui'' well 
but dying soon after. E. rohusta, seems likely to thrive in 
the plains. At slight elevations, however, such as the 
Palmana, Wynaad, North Coimbatore and the Papana- 
sam hills, the Buca,lypti, citrwdora. redaifera,paniculata 
and rostrata do fairly well. Giant bamboos grow well 
in the Wynaad, in Nilamber and Siatn Canara Ipeca. 
cuanham Nilamber is full of promise. Mahogany shows 
healthy and vigorous growth iu the moiater climate of 
the Presidency. Although the various rubber trees are 
said to be thriving, no information as to their yield has 
been furnished. A special experiment with 
silk is also in progress under the supervision of 
tbe Honorable Mr. Garstin. In addition to the 
revenue derived from the tale of timber and fuel 
bamboos, and minor produce, the department has hf-en 
realising a handa..rne income from grazing fee- whicti 
have riser) from R40,138 in 1883 84 to Kl 43'845 iu 
1888-89, with the pr-fpec(| of a stdl'furthur ii«e' under 
a gradual and c.iutiuus enhancement of the fees to 
(he maximum of he sanctioned scale. But any sudden 
increase in the bnr:h ns impo-. d npon cattle-owners 
IS to be avoided. The main object oi imposing a charce 
upon graz'ug is not, we are told, lo increase the 
revenue, bui. to rpatnct the uumb.ir of cattle feediuK 
in tho ro^L-rves and so to improve the sources frorn 
which futine demands for fodder can la met The 
plan upon which tho Msdras Forest depart ment has 
been working seems to ns lo be w. 11 calculated to 
niake the local forests a progressively increasing source 
of revenue; and (he results Of its opcrstious during 
1888-89 onnnot but bo regarded as full of encourage- 
ment. — Iniian Aaricidturist. 
