314 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November i, 1890. 
WATlili IN LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
From an article so headed in the American peri- 
odical Garden and Forest we quote a passage, which 
we commend to the notice of those responsible for the 
upkeep of the pretty grove and sward in “ Victoria 
Park” in which the Band of the Volunteers plays 
once a week. The fountains in the “ Gordon 
Gardens ” prove how greatly water in motion adds to 
the attraction of a pleasure ground. A nice fountain 
and fernery with a Victoria regia tank would give 
fresh beauty to a spot already beautiful in “ Victoria 
Park.” The amount of water required would not be 
large ; and much of it, by proper arrangement, could 
be used over and over again. Daniel D. Slade 
writes : — 
“ Where the supply is limited, a weeping fountain’ 
which consists of an upper basin into which the 
water is brought with just sufficient volume to over- 
flow on every side into a large basin below, is 
perhaps to be preferred. By carrying the pipe 
to a level with the outer edge of the upper basin 
the water may be thrown a little above the sur- 
face in a jet, or it may be allowed to boil up in 
the basin. In material and design such a fountain 
may be infinitely varied. An inexpensive arrangement 
was carried out in this way. The vase, or upper 
basin, was formed of an irregular shaped block 
of freestone, nearly circular an! some three feet in 
diameter. This was supported upon three blocks of 
the same kinds of stone placed with apparent 
carelessness one upon the other, the lowest resting 
in the centre of a lower basin, which was circular 
and some five feet in diameter. The blocks were 
drilled for the passage of the conduit pipe and 
the whole was rough-hammered. The spray of the 
water which dripped from the upper basin quite 
sufficed to moisten the ferns and aquatic plants 
set about its base and the colour of the freestone 
was quite in harmony with its surroundings.” 
CEYLON UPCOUNTRY PLANTING REPORT. 
THE WEATHER AND PLANTERS’ WARDROBES — THE ‘ TROPI- 
CAL agriculturist”— a new departure — PRICES FOR 
CACAO AND CACAO CROPS — COFFEE — TEA — LABOUR. 
September 15th. 
The continuous rain we are having is rather 
monstrous, and is trying the capabilities of the 
planter’s wardrobe. The wet clothes accumulate ; 
for the green firewood in the kitchen — and who- 
ever saw any other kind than green firewood in 
wet weather— can’t keep up with the armfuls of 
splashing “duds” that require to be dried and 
which are handed back in the morning, warm 
but moist, and decidedly redolent of wood smoke. 
With rain night and day, even a good stock of 
clothes soon gets all wet, and it was not a matter 
of any surprise to me when I heard that in one 
district the indoor rig of the planter is at present 
the dress suit 1 To the stranger visiting, this style 
of things would give an idea of there being a high 
standard of civilization abroad, and doubtless there 
is ; but that it should blossom at this time, and so 
generally, would be puzzling to account for, but for 
the weather. All the same : a planter with a healthy 
appetite does not mind much even if he has a swal- 
low-tailed coat on at breakfast, and sits down to 
his solitary dinner in full evening dress. 
The Tropical Agriculturist, which keeps up its 
character as a practical and thoroughly useful plan- 
ter’s magazine, is certainly improved by having had of 
late its edges out at the publishing office, instead 
of leaving that to the reader. It is a small matter 
of course, but it is a comfort all tho same. It 
stumps the critic who only cuts a page or two, 
smells bis paper-knife, and then proceeds to review I 
Besides this it is evident that the publishers 
keep abreast of the times, and in small matters 
as in great are bent in doing all they can for 
their readers. 
The September number, which is before me, is 
as full of information as any of its predecessors, 
and the sweep of the editorial net is about as 
extensive as it possibly can be. Except that it 
would take up too much space, I would like to 
jot down all the sources from which the informa- 
tion in its pages have been drawn. To do this 
one would have to begin with Punch and the 
London Times, and end up with the Japan Weekly 
Mail. 
Cacao planters, who have of late been realizing 
the handsome figures of 110s to 115s for their 
produce, do not quite appreciate the decline in rates, 
albeit 100s per cwt. for “bright bold” is still a 
very good price. I am told from home that the 
absence of American buyers from the market is one 
of the reasons for the fall, and the big gap be- 
tween the West Indiana and our own is perhaps 
another. Cacao, too has better prit es in the winter 
months, somehow, than obtains at other parts of 
the year ; so it is to be hoped that ere the bulk of 
the crop goes home prices may strengthen. I do not 
know of any produce in the island which has its 
gingerbread so thickly gilt as a good cacao garden ; 
but that makes it all the harder to bear when 
some of it comes to be rubbed oS. It is like the 
widow and her mite ; where one is so “ down on 
his luck ” as that, to part with the coin is easy ; 
the difficulties and trials come in when you have 
more. 
Cacao is looking wonderfully well, and all that 
I have seen promises a decent crop. Already fair 
gatherings of pods are to be had, but better tasks 
will be selected later on. The Moormen who 
were so anxious a few months ago, to buy up 
any black rubbish in the shape of cacao 
that could be got are “ easing off ” and want now 
to be tempted. Perhaps their little game of im- 
proving the colour by means of the annatto dye 
may be played out, and they may be considering 
what next honest employment to turn to. 
There is a sprinkling of ripe coffee about, which 
will need a good price for its parchment to pay 
for the gathering. “Still, there is more to follow 
and the trees seem as if they would run through 
the season, and not be very much the worse of it i 
at the end. A nursery of Coorg coffee which I saw 
the other day, had come up very well, but there was 
leaf-disease on it pretty bad, although it might 
have been worse. 
A good deal of tea is cut down just now, and the 
flushing is nothing to boast of. Some of the districts # 
which are cold and wet are anxiously waiting for 
the genial sunshine, which has not been seen 
since June or July, so as to encourage the flush and 
put life into the coolies. The tea-house working at 1 
half time is never a very paying concern, and a ■ 
good many have of late had to be content with that. 
Coolies are sufficient, and more, for the planter’s 
wants, and seem rather to enjoy a short time of 
enforced idleness. If Ramaswamy has been working 
steadily before, he is like a man who has lost his 
sleep, and has a good deal of resting to make up. i 
That he does with pleasure, and both the planter I 
and oooly are content. Peppercorn. i 

NO'rES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. 
By Dr. J. B. Taylor, F. L. S., F- G. S., &c., ' 
Editor of “ Science Gossip.” 
A French chemist, M. Aime Girard, has drawn 
special attention to the employment of copper salts 
as a remedy for the potato disease. The notion is 
not new, for Dr, Griffitha published his own experi* ! 
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