94 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August i, 1 ^ 90 . 
the price being E154. Of ochres, there were 
1,026 cwt. valued at E336; six cwt of plumbago 
in Vizagapatam, valued at E15; and 1,954 cwta. 
of soapstone at E8,840. The largest amounts are con- 
tributed by the districts of Nilgiris (El, 51, 870), Salem 
(El, 44, 198) and Kistna (El, 09, 482). In Kistna and 
Salem large quantities of granite and limestone are 
quarried, while gold is the chief item in the Nilgiris. 
Trap also forms an inconsiderable item of revenue 
in Salem and the Nilgiris . — Madras Times. 
DURABILITY OF FENCE-POSTS. 
To the Editor of "Garden and Forest." 
Sir, — I am told, though not authoritively, that a 
fence-post will last much longer if put in the grouod 
upside down. Oan you let me have either a confirma- 
tion or refutation of this ? B. 
Mount Airy, Philadelphia, 
[Some years ago Dr. W. J. Beal, of the Michigan 
Agricultural College, selected sticks of thirteen dif- 
ferent kinds of timber. Each stick was cut in two 
in the middle, and each of these was split, making 
four sticks from each one. One set was placed in 
sandy land, and the other in clay land ; in each 
place putting near each other a stick “ top end np,” 
and its mate “ bottom end up.” In some cases those 
with top down lasted best ; in some the reverse was 
true, while in others there was no perceptible difference. 
The conclusion reached was that, so far as durability 
goes, it made no difference which end of the post 
was set in the ground,— Ed.] 
THE WONDERFUL SLAG WOOL. 
Slag wool is formed by causing a jet of steam 
to impinge upon the stream of molten slag as it issues 
from the furnace. This has the efiect ot dispersing 
or breaking up the slag into countless small bead-like 
particles, each ot which, as it flies away, carries behind 
it a delicate thread of finely-drawn or “ spun ” slag. 
In order to collect the slag filaments thus created, and 
to separate the fibers from the bead or heavier por- 
tion of slag, the steam jet is arranged at the mouth 
of an open cylinder of sheet-iron, in which a strong 
air current is induced by means of additional jets of 
steam. The tube or shaft is furnished with a shield 
or striking plate which detains the heavier particles, 
the lighter slag-wool being carried by the draught 
upward and onward into a large chamber like a gigantic 
meat safe, having its walls formed of wire netting 
with about sixteen meshes to the square inch. Here 
the steam condenses and escapes, and the slag wool, 
which has the appearance of flakes of snow, is de- 
posited on the floor and round the sides ; the lightest 
portions being carried to the greater distances. 
The filaments of slag formed this way, though of 
considerable length, are of such delicacy and fineness 
that they are broken up into numerous fragments 
and felted together into a substance much resembling 
cotton wool. This mineral wool is extremely light, 
and absolutely fireproof ; it is a marvellous non-con- 
ductor of heat and of sound, and it is so porous that 
it will absorb large quantities of water and retain the 
same for a considerable time. 
It has been found extremely valuable as a covering 
for boilers, water pipes, and such like — owing to its 
relatively low conducting powers — and for fire curtains 
for theaters, its lightness and resistance of fire and 
sound rendering it an excellent substance for such 
a purpose. It is, moreover, an antiseptic, and this 
property, along with its extreme porosity, renders it 
applicable for medical purposes . — Newcastle (Eny.) 
Chronicle. 

Mit. Thomas Cjiuisty has again come back into 
our midst from his Eastern travels. He has col- 
lected a wonderful variety of new and interesting 
drugs during his visits of exploration to the Con- 
stantinople bazaars, and may by-and-byo favour the 
drug trade with some notes concerning theso, — 
Ghemut and Druggiet, June 19th, 
COFFEE PLANTING IN TAVOY, BURMA : 
PROSPECTING IN THE HOLIDAYS: 
By A Searcher FOE New Pastures. 
On arrival at Tavoy my first step was to possess 
myself of suoh information as papers in the Deputy 
Commissioner’s office afforded, both with repect to 
lands where planting enterprise had already been at. 
tempted and available lands in the district in general. 
The situation of the former I found to be at the 
extreme Kouthern end of the district, and the history 
of their election, demarcation, attempted cultivation, 
and abandonment is instructive. It would appear, 
then, that about the year 1882 Mr. Smeaton, Director 
of Agriculture of British Burma, happened to visit 
Johore, and there made the acquaintance of a gentle- 
man from Ceylon who had been instrumental in 
opening out various coffee estates on lands leased 
from the Raja ot Johore. Mr. Watson was invited 
to look at the lands in Tavoy, and proceeded thither. 
He was taken to a locality known as the Natyay- 
doung Range, which hej pronounced as suitable for 
coffee ; and, with the promise that he would come 
again, left after a brief stay of only a few days. 
Upon this encouragement a notification was issued 
by the Gevernment inviting settlers, and orders were 
issued for the demarcation of a number of uniformly 
sized allotments, the provision of a couple of rest- 
houses, and the construction of a roadway leading 
from the town of Tavoy. There is evidence that 
the authorities were zealous in the matter. A base 
line five miles in length nearly north and south was 
cut, and a rectangular area marked off for plantations. 
The total area of this rectangular tract was thus 12 
square miles, comprising twelve concession blocks of 
one square mile each, and in due course a topo- 
graphical survey was furnished. At this time the ruin 
of coffee had driven many promising young men 
out of Ceylon, and two of these, Messrs. Dixon and 
Theobald, were endeavouring to obtain contracts for 
earthwork on the railway to Tongoo which was then 
being made. They came under the attention of the 
Chief Commissioner, and at his instance were in- 
duced to embark for Tavoy. They had little or no 
means, but they brought the promise with them of 
being assisted in all that it was possible for the 
Government to do. 
On their way down they seemingly fell in with a 
Polish skipper, a Mr. Schwalky, possessed of some 
money, and who had had experience of tobacco grow- 
ing in Sumatra. Ttie two established themselves in 
adjoining blocks for a brief while only, and no 
vestige now remains of their work except a clump of 
caoutchouc trees planted by Schwalky, which have 
attained a good height and look remarkably fine. 
Incidentally it may be mentioned that the Pole came 
by his death in Sumatra shortly after leaving Tavoy. 
One of the visitors who came, and has stayed ever 
since, a Mr. James Watson from Ceylon, refused to 
take up any of the demarcated blocks, and was allowed 
to select a plot close to the town of Tavoy. 
Mr. Watson has been 17 years in coffee in Ceylon, 
and has been endeavouring for now five years in 
Tavoy to turn bis experience to profit. His difficul- 
ties have been many, arising from an absolute want 
of means to extend his cultivation. In his home plan- 
tation he has successfully reared many species of 
products, which evidence what can be grown in the 
district at a profit if undertaken on a large scale j 
and it is to Mr. Watson’s credit that he always 
manages to keep on good terms with the natives, and 
is able to command ample labour, had he the means 
to employ it. Government have encouraged Mr. Watson 
by the payment of a handsome bonus tor coffee grown 
by him, and have otherwise recognized his claims to 
consideration by the grant of a tract of 400 acres 
rent free for a period of twenty years. Mr. Watson 
has all this land upon his hands just at present, not 
having the means lo work it, and Government bave 
declined to help him with any money advance. This 
omplotes tho history of planting enterprise in Tavoy 
up to date, 
