II 4 
THE TROPIC^^L A-OWTSULTURIST. 
[August r, 1890. 
principal doctors and analysts for report, and expect 
their full support, I am assured that “aerated 
tea ” is made out of pure tea, no chemical essences 
or flavouring being used m its manufacture. By 
a novel process, an extract (which is also paten- 
ted) is obtained, and from this — which will 
keep bright indefinitely by a preservative which 
is also a sweetener — the aerated liquor is finally 
prepared. It is entirely non-alcoholic. Mr. 
Wrightson further informed me that it is in con- 
templation to at once start a syndicate with a 
capital sufficient to thoroughly advertise the drink 
all over the country and then to sell to a larger 
company the patents obtained whenever it is 
thought desirable to acquire them. The patentees 
are now in treaty with certain moneyed parties, and 
have reserved the right to offer £1,000 of the 
capital to members of the Stanley. Wrightson 
Synticate which manufactures the new tea chests, 
I think most certainly that the drink may become 
very popular, and that it is therefore likely to aid 
materially in the sale of tea both in this country and 
in those wherein cooling drinks are even more in de- 
mand than they are among ourselves.— iotidoa Cor. 
JAVA COFFEE. 
In view of the unfavourable accounts received re" 
cently concerning coffee production in Java a report on 
the subject to the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs 
at Constantinople by M. Werdmiiller d’EIgg, a Dutch 
resident at Passeroean (Java), is of special interest. 
He deals with the production of coffee in Java daring 
the last 30 years, and transmits with his report a note 
on the Hemileia ■mstatrix, the phylloxera of the coffee 
shrub, which has caused and is causing such great 
damage in the Indies. The Board of Trade Journal 
says that, according to the documents furnished by M. 
d’EIgg, the average production, in piculs, of coffee in 
the 19 residencies of Java lias been, for periods of five 
years, as follows: — 893,400 piculs in 1859 G3; 797,000 
piculs iu 1804-68; 831000 piculs in 1869-73 ; 899,000 
piculs in 1874-78; 988,000 piculs in 1879-83; 635,000 
piculs in 1884-88. 
It will best-en that production has been very irregular 
during this period of 30 years ; but until the 1884-88 
p-riod it was to be attributed to theravagesof the Henii- 
fei'ce the presence of which has been officially 
noted in Ceylou since the year 1869, but which has only 
penetrated to the heart of the plantations of Java to- 
wards the year 1884. In fact the three residencies 
which have most suffered from the insect are those of 
Semarang, Oheribon and Maiiioen, which, having pro- 
duced on an average during the 1864 68 period : the 
first .52,703 piculs: the second, 24,900 picnls ; the third, 
69,300 piculs ; have produced during the 1884-88 period, 
no m re than 27 300 piculs, 11,761) piculs, and 33,275 
piculs, so I hat the average production of these three 
residencies has diminished by 50 per cent, for that of 
Cberibon, 53 percent, for that of Madioen and 54 per 
cent forthat of Semarang. 
M. d’EIgg adds thatit has been found from researches 
and experiments that in Java, where coffee has been 
cultivated for 200 years, there is littled ground for sup- 
posing that the cause of the decadence of this culture 
and the spread of the coffee disease lies in the soil or 
in the variations of teinperattire, but that it is simply 
due to the presenco of the Ilcmileia vastatrix, a small 
insect borne by the wind, and which spreads quickly 
in every direction. A prevcutitive methi d for com- 
bating this enemy of the coffee shrub need not be des- 
paired of, as people h've tested the experiments of 
Doo'or Biirck, direct, r of the Bniionz irg Bot niical 
(1-irrlfeM, who lias used with bucm'-ss diff 'rent solutions, 
eucli as borax, eblorirle of iron, tii 'iieco j nice, &o. mem " 
while the Btruggl 19 going on, but the use of the dif" 
foieut method- has incre ified tho general oxi enses of 
the otiliiiro and maiulouanco of the coffee plant . — L 
and C. J'.'xprcsn. 
GEMS AND PEECTOUS STONES OF AMEEICA. 
We have received from the Scientific Publishing 
Company of New York, a copy of a truly magnificent 
work, the scopejand value of which are truly described 
in the accompanying letter, thus : — 
“ We take especial pleasure in announcing the pub- 
lication of ‘ Gems and Precious Stones of North 
America,’ by George F. Kunz. This book is pre- 
eminently the standard work of its kind and is indeed 
the only one which treats of the subject in a detailed 
and thorough manner. It is a systematic and at the 
same time a poplnar description of the several species 
and varieties of precious stones and pearls ; their 
occurrence, value history and archjeology. For the 
collector of precious stones and minerals it is especially 
valuable, the illustrations being all drawn from the 
finest known examples, and reference being made to 
the collections in which they may be seen. No work 
has ever appeared which furuishes to the archaeologist 
and antiquarian so many references to the precious 
stones and pearls which have played an important part 
in early history. 
“ This magnificent work is profusely illustrated 
with the finest colored plates ever prepared for a 
book of this kind. The publishers have spared no 
expense to make this in every respect the finest ex- 
ample of American art.” 
Neither the value of the letterpress nor the exquisite 
beauty of the coloured illustrations is in the 
slightest degree exaggerated by the publishers, who 
have, with the author, reason to be proud of the 
addition they have made to the literature of 
America in general and of the science of mineralogy 
in particular. We hope, ere long, to have the 
pleasure of giving a more extended notice of this 
unique work. 
ESTATE AND PLANTING NEWS. 
The new Adjutant-General, Sir Redvers Buller, 
has severed his connection with Ceylon, having 
sold the estate Agrakande, so long managed by 
his late brother, to Lord Chelmsford, who, we 
are glad to see, is steadily extending his plantation 
interests in this Colony. Agrakande is a very 
desirable compact Dimbula property of 300 acres 
of which 257 are cultivated ; — 122 in tea, llo in 
tea and coffee, 25 acres in coffee alone and with 
cinchona scattered over the place. The price paid 
has not transpired. 
The experimental cotton plantation in the Matale 
district is named Florida and has 123 acres culti- 
vated with cotton, out of a total of 152. The 
result of this experiment will be looked forward 
to with much interest as guiding future investments in 
plantations of cotton. If only the rich tank-irrigated 
lands farther North were made more accessible — by 
a railway — there can be no doubt that a large area 
would be put under this product. 
THE CEYLON TEA PLANTATIONS COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
The following extract from the Prospectus pub- 
lished in connection with the call for preference 
shares is of general interest : — 
The Ceylon Tea Plantations Company, Limited, was 
incorporated in December, 1886, and, for each of the 
three years since its formation, has declared dividends 
amounting to fifteen per cent per annum. The Com- 
pany, the Ordinary Shares in which are held by com- 
paratively tew sbareholders, las decided to increase its 
Capital by offering Preference Shares to the Public, and 
.so provide funds for ths cost and development of 
Estates recently acquired, and also to place it in a 
po.sition to take advantage of favourable offers which 
from time to time may present themselves for pur- 
