2»0 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1890. 
Wbat one might be inclined to sacrifice another 
would refuse to : so that on the whole this added 
weight is all pure gain to the public. Speaking 
of so many ounces of new letterpress does not 
perhaps convey to the general reader a very clear idea 
of the extent of this added matter ; but when I say 
that the ordinary Observer weighs somewhat less 
than two ounces, and that the increased size of 
the Handbook is equal to about five Observers or 
say about a week’s newspaper reading, the advan- 
tage to the public should be pretty manifest. 
For all this, there does not seem to be an increase 
in price. How is it done ? 
The get-up of the Directory is highly creditable 
to all concerned. When one remembers the style 
of binding of some of the earlier issues, looking 
for ell the world like a fat boy in a jacket too 
small for him — and contrasts it with the finish of 
the 1890-91 edition, the advance is very marked. 
It adds very much to the pleasure of using a book 
to have it well bound. 
In the “ Planting and .Agricultural Peview,” 
which forms the first portiou of the Handbook. 
every product of Ceylon has its share of attention, 
and the information is broughtwell up to date. Under 
the beading “Sugar Cultivation in Ceylon,” when, one 
would hardly have looked for late information, 
or indeed felt the need of it, there occurs the 
following passage : — “ We had about two years ago 
(July 1888) an enquiry from a European at Nagpore 
who wished to try new machinery in manufactur- 
ing sugar in Ceylon ; while one of the first 
questions asked by H. E. Sir A. E. Havelock after 
assuming the Government (May 1890) was, why 
sugar was not grown in Ceylon with its cheap 
labour supply.” A big book like this, which is issued 
to the public in August, to bring its information 
on such a minor matter as sugar up to May of 
the eamd year, shows considerable enterprise. 
Since the last Handbook was published, cotton and 
tobacco have been very much in evidence in 
Cevlon agriculture, and the articles on these two 
products are well up to date, and very full in the 
information given. This is especially so in the 
article on cotton. 
It is not a little interesting — and I would commend 
it to my brotherplantera when the rain prevents work 
and they don’t know what to do with themselves, 
— to go over the Planting Review of the last 
“ Directory ” and compare it with the new edition. 
Although there is not much in the different articles 
that we don’t know, still it is easy in comparing 
the different summaries to trace where there has 
been progress or retrogressive ; and the marshal- 
ling of the many facts and figures, which indivi- 
dually don’t seem to count for much, has a 
pleasing and enlightening effect. It is like a big 
field-day, with its march-past. 
In a book of this size brought out in a busy 
newspaper office there needs must be errors. 
Several have been pointed out in the Observer 
columns, and more will be I doubt not. At page 
654*, some six surveyors are down as licensed 
auctioneers — but perhaps they are that besides 
being the other. 
Even with all the mistakes— and their number 
twice doubled— “ Ferguson’s Ceylon Handbook and 
Directory 1890 91” is a credit to the oniony, and 
especiallv to the hard-working editors who have 
compiled it. Pbppekcorn. 
A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR. 
With reference to the paragraph under the above 
beading which appeared in our issue of yesterday 
we give below all that we can find on the subject 
•This is ouireotod in the Errata. — E d. 2'. yl. 
in our files of 1876. The fol'owing appeared in 
our issue of February 24th, 1875:—*^ 
We are sorry to learn, from the lastrlotacanmnd 
paper, that nothing has yet been discovered^f Mr. 
Broughton’s, the Quinologist’s, whereabouts. He reached 
Madras safely after leaving Ootacamund on the 7th 
December, for on the 11th of that month he wrote 
from here to the Manager of the Neilgherry Courier. It 
appears that Mr. Broughton sent in the resignation of 
his appointment in December, giving six months’ notice, 
but that Government, in reply, offered him the option 
of retiring before the expiration of that period. It 
is conjectured, therefore, that he may have taken 
advantage of this offer, and proceeded to England. 
The Police authorities at Ootacamund telegraphed to 
Bombay at the end of last week for information re- 
garding a Mr. Broughton who had taken his passage 
for England at that Presidency : but the result of the 
inquiry is not known. In connec’ion with Mr. Brrugh- 
ton’s name, it may be mentioned that a sample 
of amorphous quinine, manufactured by the Quino- 
legist’s Department, has been condemned, am; ihet 
Government have directed the discontinuance of th<- 
manufacture ; but our Neilgherry contemporary is 
informed that the condemned sample was prepared 
during Mr. Broughton’s absence, and should not be 
taken as a specimen that Mr. Broughton’s superin- 
tendence and skill might have produced. 
In the issue of March 2nd, 1875, we find the 
following : — 
We have received the following letter from Mr. O. 
B. Irvine, the District and Sessions Judge of South 
Arcot. ‘As from a paragraph which appeared in your 
issue of the 26th instant it would appear that the 
friends of Mr. Broughton, the Government Quinologist, 
have cause for anxiety on bis account, and that the 
latest tidings received of him were contained in a 
letter to the Manager of the Neilgherry Couier, dated 
from Madras, 11th Deaember, I wish to inform you 
that Mr. Broughton was a passenger with me on board 
the B. I. S. N. Steamer “Ava,” from Madras to Pondi- 
cherry on the 14th December, and that he then in- 
formed me his intention was to make a tour in Oeylon. 
This accounts for Mr. Broughton’s movements up to a 
date nine weeks ago, and seems to prove that he did 
not meet with any misadventure in India. The opinion 
prevails in Madras that he has returned home in a 
rather informal manner, and has no idea of returning 
to the lucrative appointment that he held for some 
eight years as Government Quinologist at Ootacamund 
in connection with the Neilgherry Cinchona Plantation.’ 
— Madras Mail. 
MANA-GRASS FROM CEYLON FOR MANU- 
FACTURING BOARD— STANLEY-WRIGHTSON 
TEA CHESTS— MR. HUGHES ON MR. HOOPER’S 
ANALYSES OF TEA— TEA TASTING AND WATER 
—CLOVE CULTURE IN ZANZIBAR 
AND PEMBA. 
Fourteen hundredweights of mana grass having 
arrived in England from Ceylon, the Stanley- 
Wrightson Syndicate met on Tuesday last to discuss 
its future arrangements. It was determined that this 
shipment of grass should be handed over to Messrs. 
Ibbotson, who have large mills at West Drayton, 
to be made by them into quarter-inch boards. 
The method of preparation consists in boiling 
the grass under great pressure, and then passing 
the pulp resulting from that operation through 
powerful rolling machAes, Dr. Evans— who, as 
you have before been told by me, is the Consulting 
Chemist to the Paper Makers’ Corporation of Great 
Britain and Ireland, and who carried out the first 
experiments with mana grass as you have been 
informed,— is to supervise closely the progress of 
these operations. Dr. Evans was present at the 
nuoting of the Syndicate referred to ahuve, and 
