120 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[August r, 1890. 
The Eisb in Ceyt,on Tea Exports. — Very 
strikling is it to see in printing off a table of 
Staple Exports of Ceylon for 53 years from 1837 
to 1889 inclusive* for our Hanbdook, that Tea— 
now the greatest of all— is first entered in 1873 
for 23 lb. exported, and this has developed in 17 
years into 34,346,432 lb. valued by the Customs 
at £1,786,014 in 1889 ! 
Cinchona Bark from Fiji and the West 
Coast of Africa was offered at a recent London sale ; 
and Messrs. Brooks & Green report on the same 
113 packages from West Africa, weighing about 6 
tons, were included in the auctions 22nd April: 
the quantity was rather above the recent parcels 
and sold from 4p to 6d a lb. 6 bales Fiji bark, 
quality poor, 4 bales sold at 2d a lb. ; 2 bales at 
3d a lb. 
Grass Crops as Affected by Manure.— Good 
feeding grass and shelter are the main desiderata 
in stock rearing in Ceylon, and it is interesting 
to find Sir James Caird in a review of British 
agriculture stating that the experiments of Sir 
John Bennet Lawes had shown that the natural 
produce of grass may be doubled and even trebled 
by the continuous use of special manures. Trials 
in this direction and in that of growing superior 
pasturage by irrigation are needed in Ceylon. 
Ceeoboted Timber.— We occasionally receive com- 
plaints from gardeners and their employers con- 
cerning the injury done to plants when creosoted 
timber is employed in the construction of plant- 
houses, and the impossibility of minimising the 
injury by any known means. Mr. Archibald Mackie, 
gardner, Rosehaugh, Avoch, Ross-ehire, writes, that 
his structures, consisting of Orchid and Melon- 
houses, vineries, ferneries, are constructed with 
creosoted timber, which causes no injury to the 
plants contained in them, aUhough the creosote 
oozes through the paint, and is very perceptible to 
the sense of smell. We should be glad to have the 
experience of gardeners and others who have had 
charge of plants in houses built of timber similarly 
treated. — Gardeners’ Chroiiicle. rr o n 
Quinine. — It is a curious fact-says the Ji. 9" C. 
Jfai7— that while the annual supply of quinine for 
the whole world is estimated at about 6,000,000* oz., 
more than 3,000,000 oz.--one-half of the entire 
quantity — are consumed in the United States. 
Owing partly to over-production, partly to the sub- 
stitution of other drugs for quinine, the price of 
the article has fallen so much of late years that 
large plantations of the cinchona tree have been 
uprooted in Ceylon, and the tea plant cultivated 
in its place. The exports of the bark from Ceylon, 
in which island the cinchona is extensively grown, 
declined more than one third between 188.5 and 1887. 
T hbGrievances of Mysore Coffee Planter, s. 
—Ever since the renUiiion, the European coffee plan- 
ters of Mysore have been complaining of the remiss 
manner in which the Breach of Contract Act is being 
worked in the Mysore Province. Those who know 
how mut'h capital has been sunk by them in opening 
coffee plantations wish that every help should be 
given to them, so that the resources ot the country 
may be developed as much as possible. The My- 
sore Government has not however, till now, paid 
any heed to their grievances. The fact that mai-tries 
take large advances from the p'anters undertaking 
to supply them with coidies and then deceive them, 
is web known, and the sooner then fore some more 
efficacious and speedy r^ im dy is found the better. 
The Breach of Cor.traet Act is 'oo antiquated and it 
ri quirns revision so that it may bn adapted to the 
present changed ciicurn'tanccs.— Cor., A/adras Times. 
r Onr 1 stiiiiatc el I, lie world’H coui-niiipl ion is nearer 
g million ounces— J'ln. 'I'. A. 
Two LARGE CONSIGNMENTS of Canadian seed grains 
— wheat, barley, oats etc. — have just arrived in 
India for experimental cultivation, and the experi- 
ments will be made in the North-West and the 
Punjab . — Indian Agriculturhti 
Mysore, July 3rd. — Crops will be short this 
coming season in Mysore, and the same is 
reported from Coorg. We had a heavy downpour 
latter end of December which kept the trees green 
all through the hot weather, and the blossom 
showers were unusually early this March, which 
prevented the bud-bearing wood to winter, and 
April turning out a heavy rainfall, the blossom 
that came out did not set as satisfactorily as was 
looked for. 
Planting in North Borneo. — The report of the 
Directors of the North Borneo Co. just out when 
the mail left, has the following paragraph : — 
The Directors are glad to report that the progress 
which set in last year in consequence of the attention 
given to tobacco planting shows every prospect of con- 
tinuance, as evidenced by the large sales of land and the 
marked improvement that has taken place in almost 
every item of revenue. Attention is also being given 
to the cultivation of other products : the suitability of 
the company’s territory to the growth of Liberian coffee 
has been successfully demonstrated in Marudu Bay. 
Altogether the prospects of the country are en- 
couraging. 
California Correspondents, says Gardens and 
Forest, speak of the great success which has at- 
tended the “ colony system” recently introduced in 
the southern part of the State. Tracts of land 
are laid out in small holdings and apportioned 
among a body of immigrants, who, upon their arrival, 
find everything ready for work. A body of colonists 
from Holland who arrived not long ago at Merced, 
found houses build and gardens and orchards 
arranged, more than two thousand acres having 
been planted with fruit-trees and vines ; and fifteen 
English families were established a few weeks ago 
at Bakersfield, in Kern County, each receiving a 
forty-acre holding similarly prepared. 
Arrival of Pepper from Edie. — The steamer 
“Hok Canton,” which arrived from Edie on Satur- 
day, and the steamer “Washi,” which came in the 
following day, both brought shipments of pepper 
from that port. We understand that these con- 
signments having been contracted for last year, were 
allowed to be exported without extra duty being 
charged, and that there are still some 13,000 bags of 
such pepper to come here. Pepper contraoted for 
this year will not be allowed to be shipped until the 
hostilities against the Achinese in Edie are brought 
to a close, when an extra duty will be levied on it to 
recover expenses incurred by the Dutch in conse- 
quence of the recent fighting . — Pinang Gazette, June 
24th. 
An Important Mexican Scheme.— We (London Times) 
undersiarid that a new undertaking on a large scale 
has been formed on the principle of a trust com- 
pany, whose sphere of operations will be in South 
America and Mexico, the present time being con- 
sidered favourable for occupying the ground in 
that quarter. The capital will be £3,000,000 in £10 
shares, of which 200 are founders’ shares. Apart 
from the investment of its funds, the Company will 
undertake the acquisition of concessions and other 
business connected with the above mentioned coun- 
tries. The ilireetors, wo are informed, believe that 
a satisfactory profit will also be made by co-operating 
in public issues, and for that purpose the Company 
will work in close alliance with the Trustees, 
Executors, and Insurance Corporation, Limited, 
and with Messrs. C. de Murrieta & Co. Two of 
the members of Messrs. Murrieta’s firm will 
it is slated, bo on the board . — Public Opinion, 
June 13th. 
