lo the tropical agriculturist. [July i, 1890 
THE CULTIVATION OF ALOE FIBEE 
IN MEXICO. 
At the end of an article on Aloe Fibre cultiva- 
tion in the Bulletin Du Musee Commercial which 
gives very much the information embodied in our 
pamphlet, we find an estimate appended of which 
we furnish a translation. We have adapted the 
figures as nearly as possible to local conditions so 
as to inform and encourage any Ceylon cultivators 
who are interested in the subject : — 
Cost fob a Plantation of Aloes of 10,000 Mecates 
EQUAL to about 120 ACUES. 
equal to 
Piastres.* R 
Value of 10,000 suckers 
2,000 
4,400 
Enclosures with dry stones (fencing) 420 
924 
Clearing 
375 
825 
Planting 
250 
550 
During the 4 years of upkeep 
1,250 
2,750 
Interest on the money engaged during 
4 years 
1,461 
3,214 
Total 
5,756 
12,663 
Cost of working during 6 years. 
Steam engine, 3 horse-power 
1,090 
2,398 
Machines for scraping 
450 
990 
Shed for tlie machine 
500 
1,100 
Cutting and transport of 24 million 
leaves 
12,000 
26,400 
Salaries: (1 machinist at 1 piastre per 
diem, 8 labourers at 0'60 piastres) 
per diem 
9,000 
19,800 
AVood, oil, repairs of machinery 
for 
o 
CO 
6 years 
2,400 
Diminished value of machines after 
6 years’ wear 
924 
2,033 
Interest on the capital engaged 
in 
manufacture 
1,468 
3,230 
Total 
27,832 
61,231 
Cost of planting 
5,756 
12,663 
Total 
33,588 
73,894 
Produce : 
1,200,000 lb, of fibre at 15 centavos — 
per lb. (price in January 1889) 
180,000 
396,000 
Net product 
146,412 
322,106 
* 1 piastre equal to R2'20 
There is surely enough encouragement here for 
either planters or merchants to make an attempt at 
busiue.ss with Ceylon Aloes. 
.»■ - 
TO KILL CROWS. 
TO THE EDITOK OF THE “AUSTRALA.SIAN.” 
Sir, — I have noticed several inquiries for methods 
for killing crows, and I find the following very effective. 
After skinning a carcass, thoroughly score all the 
fleshly parts (so that they will come away freely in 
small pieces), and well rub in fine strychnine ; also 
poison all blood that is lying about, or if there is no 
blood, cut up the liver into small cubes (small enough 
for a crow to swallow), and place a little poison into 
the centre of each cube. Where there are no carcasses 
to be poisoned the following would be a good way ; 
collect all blood when killing a sheep or bullock, and 
mix it with dissolved strychnine and then lay it down 
in favourable places ; crows generally fly to trees 
when they feel the effects of the poison. — Yours, &c. 
WILLIAM J. AUSTIN. 
Mount Mercer, April 17. 
— A v.Hlralasian. 
ITlicre is just the danger that domestic animals 
or children might be poisoned.— Ed. 2'. A.] 
PADDY CULTIVATION. 
A Galle oorrespondent writes : — “ We are glad to 
find that Mr. William Jansz’s frequent agitation in 
the matter of improved paddy cultivation has now 
been without its beneficial results, if the recommend- 
ation of the Select Committee are to be carried 
out. Mr. Jansz’s scheme to afiord relief to the 
native agriculturist was submitted to the Govern- 
ment Agent, Mr, P. A. Templer in the first instance 
who brought the matter to the notice of Govern- 
ment, The Committee in recommending that seed 
paddy be advanced more systematically and on a 
larger scale than heretofore to cultivators in poor 
oireumstanoes has adopted Mr. Jansz’s suggestion. 
The importation of good kinds of seed is another 
recommendation which was practically carried out 
by Mr. Jansz who obtained seed paddy from 
Batticaloa for cultivation in Galle.” 
«. 
REPORTS OF TEA COMPANIES. 
By last mail you will have received from me 
the report of the Eastern Produce and Estates 
Company which was presented to the shareholders 
at the General Meeting held on Thursday. With 
this is forwarded to you the report of what passed 
at that meeting appearing in the Money Market 
Review. There is not much in this report to 
which your attention may specially be called, 
nor need anything be added as to progress made 
by the Company to the remarks with reference to 
it given in my letter of last week. The Chairman’s 
reference to a possibly bright future for the coSee 
remaining in Ceylon had unfortunately to be quali- 
fied with a very important and significant “if.” 
“If” he said, “they could find out how to get 
rid of the green bug, he thought they would all 
oonsider that there was a new future for the re- 
maining coffee in Ceylon.” 
A further document connected with Ceylon Com- 
panies forwarded to you with this is the Report 
of the Ceylon Tea Plantations Company. It had 
been hoped by me that it would have been possi- 
ble for me to have sent you this by the last mail, 
but it did not reach my hands till after that had 
left. It was presented to the shareholders at the 
third Annual General Meeting last Tuesday. The 
Report does not contain much in addition to the 
items of it commented on by me when writing by 
the last mail. It may be noticed, however, that 
the average price realised for the Company’s tea 
had been lid per lb. during 1889 as compared with 
lOJd during 1888. Evidently the Company does a 
large business beyond dealing with the produce of 
its own estates. These yielded only 937,407 lb., 
while the amount cured by the Company, including 
its own produce, purchased tea, and for other pro- 
prietors, totalled 2,014,335 lb. The acreage of the 
properties is 5,446 acres, of which 2,673 are of 
tea in bearing and 993 of tea not yet yielding 
leaf. Very recently you were told by me of 
the intention of this Company to purchase 
more estates, and of the contemplated increase 
of the capital to £300,000 to effect this. From 
the report it appears that, on the 25th of March 
of this year, there were added to the properties 
owned by the Association the following estates : 
viz., East Holyrood, Waverley, Tangakelly, Cymru, 
Cameron’s Land, Loohiel and Rosita; the acreage 
of these amounting to 2,314 acres. It is stated 
that Mr. H. K. Rutherford, the late manager in 
Ceylon, has been appointed Managing Director in 
London, and that Mr. G. A. Talbot has been 
appointed to succeed him in Ceylon. We have only 
seen a brief report of last Tuesday’s meeting, but 
from it we gather that the proposals of the 
directors received unanimous adoption , — London Cor, 
