November i, 1890.] 
THF. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
333 
[Our correspondent has overlooked certain factors 
in the value of the rupee. The silver in the coin was 
never worth two Bhiilinj!9 sterling; tor its value is 
enhanced over that of bullion by the seignorage of 2 25 
per cent which is charged by the Government ot India 
for coinage. One has to add also the cost of transport 
to India, freightage and insurance, and Iho lo?s of 
interest on the money while it is passing through the 
mint, a process which generally occupies about 14 days. 
These expenses are generally taken to add about 05 
per cent to the intrinsic value of the Indian standard 
coinage. At this rate we get the following table of 
equivalents, which may be useful to ourreaders:— 
I'rice of diver Value of the Price of silver Value of 
per ounce. 
d. 
45 
454 
46 
46i 
47 
47i 
48 
48i 
49 
49t 
50 
Pioneer, Sept. 10th. 
rupee. 
per ounce 
the rupee. 
s. d. 
d. 
s. d. 
1 6-27 
50i 
\ 7-40 
1 5-47 
51 
1 7-59 
1 5-66 
614 
1 7-79 
1 5-84 
52 
1 7-98 
1 6-04 
52i 
1 8T8 
1 6 24 
53 
1 8-37 
1 6-43 
53i 
1 8 56 
1 6-62 
54 
1 8-75 
1 681 
1 8 95 
1 7' 01 
50 
1 9-14 
1 7-20 
63 
1 11-7] 
NUTMEGS AND WEATPIER. 
■ilorth of Kandy, Sept. 26th. 
Some of the nutmegs we have pnit out show 
already a growth which has surprised me, knowing 
as I do the deliberate nature of the nutmegs’ 
advance. On the whole I was more than satisfied 
with the clearing. 
The weather for tea has of late been of a very 
rough nature. Cold winds taking the tea bush by 
the throat and demanding that it should deliver. 
No good got that way. It has been an abominable 
bad quarter this, but the weather is now turned genial; 
BO we trust to make up later for the backwardness 
of the past. 
^ 
THE MADRAS REPORT OxN CINCHONAS. 
A copy of Mr. Lawson’s report has now reached 
us from the Madras Government. We have already 
quoted the report from the Madras Times, but we 
now give Mr. Hooper’s analyses of the soils: — ■ 
From the Government Quinologist, to the Government 
Bolaui.st and Director of Government Cinchona Planta- 
tions, Nilgiris, dated Ootacamund, 8th April 1890. 
I have made an analysis of fonr samples of sub-soil 
takeu from different parts of the Wynaad and represen- 
tative of that in which the cinchona plants are grown. 
The four samples were labelled, respectively — 
1 Pallacoou. | 3 Carpeucnlli. 
2 Glenmary. j 4 Alexandra. 
Separated from tbe few stones present, powdered and 
sifted, the samples had the following appearance: — 
1 Bright reddish brown. I 3 Reddish brown. 
2 Dull reddish brown. | 4 Brown. 
The soils were very similar in mechanical composition. 
They were ferruginous earths with variable amounts of 
quartz sand. No.s. 2 and 4 contained micaceous schist. 
They might be cataloirued as light sandy soils, except 
No. 3, which contained an appreciable quantity of clay, 
and was, theieforo, a sandy loam. 
A chemical analysis revealed the presence and amount 
of the following constituents: — 
1 
2 
3 
4 
Molntmc 
3C4 
2 92 
2-o8 
3^24 
OrKanio matter and com'ilneil water 
11*01 
9-2-I 
4-G!) 
6-85 
Soluble salts ... 
•11 
•13 
•lO 
•02 
Alkaline chlorides 
•2G 
•Pi 
•11 
•27 
Iron oxides and alumina 
15*77 
IPod 
7 iU) 
14-11 
Lime 
•20 
•21 
•u 
•17 
Phosphoric, acid 
Silicates and ipiartz sand 
•23 
•11! 
•11 
•21 
71-5S 
72-87 
In comparing these figures with those obtained by 
the analysis of Nilgiri sails, it is observed that, with 
regard to the mineral matter, there is a full propor- 
tion and there is a fair amount of lime, phosphoric acid 
and alkalies (potash and soda). The soluble salts are 
small and they consisted of chlorides and sulphates 
of the alkalies and altaline earths. The chief feature 
in tbe chemical composition of the soils is the small 
amount of organic material and tbe consequently small 
quantity of nitrogen present. In soils, which I have 
analysed from the Nilgiris, Gudalur and other places 
acknowledged to be good for the cultivation of cin- 
chonas, more than double the amount of organic matter 
and combined water is usually met with. As the 
greater part of the samples was made up of rocks in a 
state of incipient decomposition, this will account for 
the absence of much nitrogenous and carbonaceous 
substances and the high proportion of silicates and 
sandy muttir. 
The results obtained by Mr. Hooper clearly in- 
dioate the application of stable manure, or of 
rotted straw, grass or weeds with some form of 
ammonia. But at present we fear manuring cin- 
chonas will not pay. 
— » - 
CHIEF INDUSTRIES OF THE MADRAS 
PRESIDENCY DURING THE YEAR 1889, 
[The following summary aSords hints of impor- 
tance as to industries that might be established 
in Ceylon. — E d. T. A.] 
Of tlie important industries carried on in the Madras 
Presiciency during the year 1889, there were six hone- 
crushing factories, two in the Coimbatore district, one 
in South Oauarn, and three in Malabar. Of these four 
were not worked, viz, Messrs, Pierce, Leslie & Co’s in 
Coimbatore, Messrs Volkart Brothers’ and Ouchterlony 
& Go's at Calicut, and Alston, Low & Go’s at Kottayam. 
Messrs. Stanes & Go’s faoiory in Coimbatore crushed 
63 tons of bones va'ued at K3,162 and the Boloor \Yorks 
in South Cauara, 97 tons valued at R4,075. The Cement 
Manufactory of Messrs Arbuthuot & Co. at Madras 
turned out 60,000 cwt of cement, valued at Rl, 20,000. 
This factory also makes tiles and carries on tbe in- 
dustry of lime-burning. 60,000 tiles, valued at R3,600, 
were made during the year, and 1000,000 measures 
of lime, valued at 1111,040. Of Coffee curing works 
tweuty-ttiree are returned viz., two in Coimbatore, 
five in South Canara, ten in Malabar and six in 
Madura. The most important is Messrs. Volkart 
Brothers’ Works at Kottayam which turned out 
4,724,720 lb. valued at R20.82,294, followed by Messrs. 
Pierce Lsslin & Oo.’s works at Calicut, which produced 
about R12,97,949 and Messrs. Arbuthuot & Co.’s Plan- 
tation House Works showing an out-turn of R9, 60,000 
for Coffee and R1, 07,711 for Cinchona. The three works 
in Coimbatore — Messrs. Stanes & Go’s, Messrs. Pierce, 
Leslie & Co.’s and the Jeppu Coffee Works — are worked 
by steam power. Tbe works of Plinde & Co. and Pierce, 
Leslie & Co. at Kottayam show a falling off in the 
oul-tnrn as compared with last year owing to the fact 
that coffee. producing districts (Coorg) on which 'IMli- 
cberry mainly depends for its supply of coffee Buffered 
much from the leaf-disease, which seriously affected 
the produce. Of cotton presses and cotton weaving 
establishments other than mills there were forty-three 
viz. three in the Kistua District, two in Cuddapah, 
three in Anautapnr, seven in Bellary, one in Trichi- 
opoly, ten in Tiunevelly, eight in Coimbatore, f' nr 
in Malabar, and five in Soutli Cauars. The most im- 
portant works were those of Milligan & Co. in Tinue- 
velly, with an outturn of 1029,7,000 lb. of Cotton, 
valued at R27,60,190, besides 329,7001b. of cinchona, 
va'ued at R61.819. snd 151,400 lb. of senna, valued at 
K7,6.')0; the Fort Press, Tuticoriu, with an out-turn 
of 7,871,000 lb. of cotton valued at 1121,57,476, besides 
516,800 10. of senna valued atR43,7il; the Tuticuin 
Cotton Press Company, Limited, ont-iurn 5,929,500 lb. 
valued at R15 17,952 ; Dynies & Co.’s. Press at Adoni, 
out-turn 6,008,606 lb. valued at R13,96,532 ; and the 
Now Borar Company (Limited) in Tinuevolly, out-turn 
