December i, 1891,1 THE TROPICAL AQTHtStH-TUmst, 
38 i 
ensilage. We do lut kuow vhat ha.y or crass she was 
fed, but presume slie would liave what fehe would eat 
of these food?. Sue came throuKh the test ia good 
condition, and was never a day "off her feed." She 
gave during the time 18,669 pounds, 9 ounces of iBilk, 
or au average of 16.17 pounds of milk ior a pound of 
butter. The cow weighs 1,450 pouads, and she there- 
fore produced in the year, nearly four-ji I ths of Iter own 
loeif/U in butter. Her butter, at twenly-liva cents pec 
pound, was worth $288.75. Taking the cost o£ her 
grain ration, at an average of $1.00 per hnndred 
pounds, the total would be $109.50. To this must be 
added the hay or other forage which would not, we 
assume, be more than the weight wliich would have 
Buffici d to feed any other cow of a similar size, and 
could not therefore well have cost more than §30. To- 
n-ether, tbei efore, the whole cost of the keep would 
Sot be more tban Iff 139.50, as against a butter pro !uc- 
tion aloue worth S^88.75, and to which should be added 
the value of the skim milk, her calf, and the manure. 
The milk and manure alone would pay for the forage 
and her care, whilst the calf from such a cow would 
be worth a small fortune. Without taking these items 
at all into the account, there is shown a. net profit of 
^179.25; and yet iu the face of such a record as this, 
there are to be found men who say " keep scrubs ! ■' 
What astonishes us most in tlie matter, is that a Hol- 
steiu cow has been found to make such a record, as 
hitherto their strong point has been milk, not butter. 
It only, however, goes to sbow what can be done by 
eelection and breeding for a purpose. In the future, 
the Holsteins must take rank as butter cows along 
with the Jersey, ar.d the battle will now be between 
the two breeds, and not as between Jersey and .Jersey. 
With the continuance of such a rivalry, who shall cay 
that the days of the '-scrub" are not numbered. No 
farmer with a knowledge of what is possible from tho- 
roughbred or graded stocky will, for a m. ment, hesitate 
to clear out the "fcrubs,'" and replace them with a 
reduced number of better stock; iu fact, to apply the 
intensive system to his stock as we'l as to his farm. 
We say "Godspeed" to fuch a course. It can only 
result in advantage to the man who pursues it. 
MINOR INDUSTRIES IN THE EAST 
BAMBOOS AND THEIR USES, 
*re thus treated by the editor of the Trinidad 
Ayricultural Record : — 
Oue staple advocates in Trinidad have always a 
covert eneer for " Minor Industries," and by that token 
they understand any cultivation new to the Colony, no 
matter what may be its prospect of future development. 
The poor down-trodden planter 1 as the West Indian in 
London terms hiin (who can he mean must not be 
disturbed, and labo'.irers must not leave the station to 
which God has been pleased to oall tbem. 
The "poor dowu-trddden," may help him— even 8g%in8t 
his will II Pens and sugar estates which were unsaleable 
a few years ago have iu that rising Colony increased in 
value five and six-fold owing to a " minor industry "— 
baiiauae. The purchase-money of a mortgaged sugar 
estate the other day was subscribed in Kingston in five 
hours, for the purpose of planting bananas. The amount 
subaoribed was S150 000. 
In contrast to the incredulity and cynioism of some of 
our people sen how the minor (minimum if you like) in- 
dustries are pushed in the East. We have heard of 
bamboos as a paper material : it was to have been tried 
the other day inDemerara, and Sir John Gorrie at the 
late Exhibition showed bow they could be utilised, with 
a coating of Trinidad pitch, as subs(iil drains or for 
verandah posts, etc. Ttie following price list of bam- 
boos imported from Singapore and other eastern ports 
will give some idea as to the variety of economic uses, 
what we regard as trifling objects, can be applied in a 
Great Coiuitri/ like England : — 
Inohes Inches 
long. Aliont. tlnok. Doz. Gross. 
18 i and ^ for pots, etc. ... 3d 2/6 
24 1 Bud g for Caniations, *;c. .,.34d 3/ 
27 
8" 
and 
i for Fuchsias, &c. 
.. 4d 
3/6 
45 
i 
i 
and 
g useful Garden Size 
.. 6d 
5/ 
45 
„ ,, ,-] 
and 
i for Chryaaothbmuaas.. 8d 
7/ 
45 
and 
5 for Dahlias, Rose 
Feet 
Trees, &o. 
...lOd 
9/ 
long. 
Doz. 
5 
1 
and 
g slightly tapering 
2/6 
6 
J. 
and 
g do. 
3/ 
7 
and 
3 do. 
3/6 
9 
and 
5 taperin;; to point 
4/ 
10 
l" 
and 
li at thickest end 
12/ 
In 
thick. 
15 
U 
slightly taperincf 
3/ each, 30/ 
Each. 
22 
for Pant Poles, Spars. &o. 
5/6 
22 
2 
do. do. 
10/6 
23 
2i 
do. do. 
12/6 
30 
2?,- 
for Flag Staffs and Masta 
15/ 
30 
H 
do. Marquee Poles 
&o. 
21/ 
30 
do. 
31/6 
35 
5i 
do. 
42/ 
About 
Feet. Inches, in. thick. 
6 6 2 dark, for Furniture Mak- Doz. 
ing2/eaoh, 20/ 
6 6 U do. do. 1/ „ 10/ 
Each. 
18 ft. long, tapering to twig top, for Fishing Rods 2/3 
Gross. 
Bamboo twig tops, for Pot-plant Training... 4/ 
N.B.— The giant bamboos of Trinidad would be de- 
cided novelty in Europe, and it was suggested to ns that 
they might como into considerable demand. 
The giant bamboo, which flourishes in Ceylon 
from sea level to over 5,000 feet altitude, has 
been used in sections coated with tar as roofing 
tiles, for such they are rather than shingles. Well 
preserved too, by asphalte or petroleum, there is no 
reason why they should not be used for many other 
purposes, above and underground. 
THE FOOOHOW TEA TKADE, 
The annual Consular report for 1890^3ay8 :— 
The great falling olF in the export of tea again 
constitutes, as it has done for soma years now, tha one 
all-absorbing feature of the trade during 1890. In 
round numbers this decline amounts to 67,000 piculs, 
and is made up of decreases of 31,000 piculs to Ejgland 
and 36,000 piculs to the Australian colonies. In 1890, 
th3 year when it reached its highest figure, the report 
fion Foochow was 737,000 piculs, in 1886 it was 665,000 
piculs, and since then it has steadily and rapidly 
declined to 016,000 piculs in 1887, 553,000 piculs in 
1888, 457,000 piculs in 1889, and 390,000 piculs in 1890. 
The difference between 1886, which maybe called an 
average year, and 1890 (275,000 piculs), represcats a 
decrease in the yeai's earnings to the people of this 
neighbonrhool of some four million taels, and to this 
Government a diminution in the export duty and Icki/i 
revenues of over one million taels. The present position 
is this: India and Ceylon have certainly succeeded in 
bo-iting not only the lower but also some of the better 
grades of Foochow teas iu both price and (London 
rated) quality, and are fast alienating from us our best 
markets — Englond and its colonies. Although really 
good tea etiU finds a buyer, yet the majority of Foochow 
teas no longer come up to the London standard, and 
arc bought "for price " only, that is at a price some 
25 per cent, cheaper than the equivalent quality of 
Indian tea. The poorer and cheaper grades are re- 
quired ia London exclusively for mixing with Indian 
teas. Their cheapness seems to reduce the higher price, 
and their 6mo)1h tone helps to leasen the strong 
flavour of their Indian rivals. This mixture is the 
beverage of the day, and is sold throughout Eng- 
land under the name of Indian tea. These 
fiicts show conclusively that the outcry of the 
Foochow merchants lor better and stronger tea 
is justified, for such a tea would not only hold 
