8oi 
tHE TROPICAL AQFJIdULtURIST. [May 2, 1892. 
to prove in excess of requirements. It is, therefore 
probable that there will be a strong market for these 
descriptions for Bome time to come and the only 
check to an upward movement will be the large sup- 
plies of Oeylon tea, which Will have a steadying effec 
should they prove to be of good qu lity. AlthouRh 
the Bales of Ceylon teas, conformably vfith advices 
from the island, have been considerably smaller than 
last year np to the samo date, the demand still 
continues inactive, and the slight recovery notice- 
able about the end of January in common teas has 
been lost. Finer teas, however, maintain their posi- 
tion well, olthongh the demand is not very active 
even for those deecriptions ; but, as the quantity 
advertised for next week is email, present rates bid 
fair to be maintained. The quality has been fairly 
good, showing some improvement. Java teas have 
been much ceglecied. 
WOBTH Noting. — Discussing last week's tea mar- 
ket, the Grocer's Chronicle says : — The course of the 
market this week has been listless and lending down- 
wards for all but good liquoring teas. Fiue and finest 
from either India or Ceylon command fullest attention 
and show no change in value ; but common teas seem 
out of favour nt the moment, and, probably owing to 
the slackness ofthe country demand, the dealers Kre 
unwilling to increase stocks. There is no doubt that 
the policy of tea planters this season has been 
mistaken, although, after the phenomenal rise 
witnessed last spring, when common leaf tea 
tjuched lOd., it is not surprising that producers 
should " go for" quantity in the following sea- 
son. The wonder is that they did not allow 
their inclinations to lead them still further on 
the down grade. There is always a large proportion 
of low class tea at the end of every season, and this 
year, owing to the reasons just gi^en, tbe propor- 
tion of common stuff is extraordinary Low quality 
Ceylon is selling down to 4d and even 3|d. It would 
appear now that there are limits to the standard of 
quality, and no matter how temptingly low the price 
may be, the retailer must use the less of it when 
the quality goes too low rather than more ; thus 
planters, by their desire to produce a very large quan- 
tity, are defeating their own object and damaging tbe 
prospects of the tea trade far more than they are aware 
of. Another feature this season has been tbe over- 
whelming quantity of inferior and low grade broken 
pekoe. Ireland has always been the largest consumer 
of broken teas, and the native appreciation of good 
tea there is keener than anywhere else in the duited 
Kingdom. But an over proportion of low gra e tea, 
whilst fine and finest continue to fetch full prices 
and are scarce as well, disorganises the Iri3h trade 
in tea ; and the curious fact is now seen that Broken 
Pekoes can be bought at VJd with equal quality to 
whole leaf Pekoe at 9d. 
Banana Flour and Banana Gkowing.— Mr. H. M. 
Stanley, the explorer, said several good words for 
banana flour in his ration books, but no steps have 
been taken to introdnce.it in to the produce market. It 
is credited with being nutritious, palatable, and, above 
all, much more easy of digestion than wheaten flour, 
Mr. Stanley claims thr.t banana bread would be a good 
substitute for wheaten bread as a standing article of 
human dietary. There seems no reason why it should 
not be so ; that the flour will make bread, when pro- 
perly dealt with, has been proved, we believe, by many 
practical experiments. The current issue of the Kew 
Bv.Uetin states that the banana plantations of Fiji 
are threatened with ruin by a curious disease, or, 
rather, series of diseases. These consist of aphides, or 
plant-lioe, a fungus causing rot in tlie root-stock, and 
various species of thread-worms. It is worth noting 
that in the soil about the roots of these plants nearly 
thirty different species of worms have been found, 
and of these about twenty-five are new to science, 
though as yet only two have been detected actually 
attacking the roots, living in certain brown, rotten 
cavities or between the sheaths of the leaves, and 
in some cases even at the very core where tho 
tissues appear to be quite sound and white. Ihe 
only suggestion for saving bananas as yet made 
\t to plough up tbe loud leaving il lallow, aiid 
alternating Eome other crop. The ground could then 
he replanted with banana " stools" from an unaffected 
locality. 
The SilvEb Qdestion. — According to the New York 
Tribune, although Mr. Foster, Secretary of the Trea- 
sury, is coming to England solely for personal reasons, 
he will center with Mr. Goschcn with a view to 
arranging an international conference to consider 
wh» taction should be taken in regard to the silver 
qus^tion. So much the better. There cannot be a 
doubt that all parties in the United States are at 
pretent more anxious than ever to get tbe questioa 
settled. The BepuBlicau Party is committed to the 
Silver Act of last year ; the Democratic Party is 
afraid that tbe free coinage movement may cause 
a split in its ranks on the eve of tbe elections. The 
Britifh and the Indian Government mast have viewed 
the recent decline in the Eastern exchanges and its 
possible consequences with concern. For nearly twenty 
years the question has been debated, and despite all 
the hopes of ihe optimists, it has not " settled itself," 
but has assumed a more acute form. It is believed that 
the Indiau Government dare not borrow gold for 
railway extension, and a silver loan at the present 
time is out cf tbe question. Something will have to 
be done.-fi". # C. Mail, Feb. 26th. 
"SmOCCO" ENGINEERi:S"a WORKS. 
The extensive works belonging to Mr. S. 0. David- 
son, at Bridge End, Belfast, were recently the scene 
of an event of on extremely interesting character 
il'ustratii g, as it did, the harmonioas relations exist- 
ing between Mr. Davidson and his employes. The 
occasion was the opening of the new dining and 
reading rooms which have been recently added to the 
works, and Mr. S. C. Davidson and Mrs. Davidson 
hospitably entertained tbe employes and their friends 
(numbering over 300) in conueotion with the cere- 
mony. The new building, which is intended for 
the purposes mentioned, has been fitted up e with- 
out regard to expense or trouble, the sole object 
of Mr. Davidson being the comfort and convenience 
of the people employed in the works. The principal 
portion of the proceedings took p'ace in the lecture- 
hall, which occupies the third storey of the building. 
After tea, Mr. Davidson took the thair amidst ap- 
plause, and briefly explained the object of the meeting. 
He faid the special feature of their entertainment was 
to inaugurate tbe opening of these dicing and reading 
rcoms, which, in the first place, as they all knew, he 
intended for the daily convenience and accommodation 
of those employed in Ihe works, and further to enable 
them occasionally to hold social gatherings, or for the 
purposes of educational lectuies, without having to go to 
any place outside the Sirocco works. He considered 
that he could not have a more suitable test of the capa- 
city and accommodation of tbe rooms thsn to employ 
them on the first occasion of their being used to 
meet there, as his guests and friends that evennig, 
everyone who was in his employment along with a 
few of their own and his own personal friends. He 
sincerely hoped that this test would not discover many 
defects in the arrangements of the place, either as 
regarded the accommodation of the tea-rooms or that 
ball, as concert-room or ballroom. He offered them 
his hearty welcome that evening, and trusted that they 
would all enjoy themselves as thoroughly as he wiehed. 
On the motion of Mr. Hugh M'Bratney, seconded by 
Mr, William Fiew, a vote of thanks was passed to 
Mr. Davidson for proTiding the dining and reading 
rooms. Mr. Davidson having replied, music, in which 
the Misses M. and K. Davidson took part, followed, 
and dancing went on until an early hour in the morn- 
ing.— ^f. anO, C. 3Iail, Feb. 26th. 
Wattle Culture in Natal. — Before the 
Immigration CommissioD, a farmer related : — " He 
did not think the wattle industry would be overdone. 
He had started growing wattles fifteen years ago, and 
bad found it answer. It was posBible to olear £14 
10s per &oio,~Naial Mercury. 
