THE TR.OP1CAL AQRIOULTURIST. 
[December i, i8go. 
400 
THE AMSTERDAM OINOHONA AUCTIONS. 
Amsterdam, Oct. 2.— At today’s crachona auctions 
2,301 packages Java bark sold, with a rather weak tone, 
at an average unit of 0 cents (about l§d per lb), prices 
on the whole being scarcely maintained as compared 
with the pivce.-’ing sales. Manufacturing barks in quill, 
broken quills, and chips realised from 0 to 78 cents 
(IJd to Is 2d per lb.); and root from 28 to 69 cents 
(5d to Is op per lb.) For druggists' barks in quills 
and chips, from 6 to 103 cents (Id to Is 6id per Ib.h 
aud ditto root, 9 to 24 cents (l|d to per Ib^ 
was paid. The principal buyers, in order, were Messrs. C 
L. Schepp & Zonen, Rotterdam ; Mattbes & Bormeester. 
Amsterdam ; the Auerbach factory, and the Amsterdam 
Quinine Works .— and Druggut, Oct. 4th. 
PAPER PACKING FOR TEA. 
We are interested in learning that so satisfied 
are the proprietors of the Elkaduwa group of tea 
plantations with the prepared paper introduced as 
packing, instead of tea lead, by Mr. Maitland- 
Kirwan, that they are continuing to use it. Some 
time ago we announced the despatch of a break 
of tea so packed, but made up in 20 lb. boxes. 
This was pronounced quite a success in Mincing 
Lane. The Manager of Elkaduwa is now despatch- 
ing another break, but in full chests of 95 lb. 
packed with the paper in place of lead. If this 
also meets the approbation of the buyers at home, 
the saving will be considerable, and Mr. Maitland- 
Kirwan will then no doubt take steps to advertise 
and sell the new packing, giving prices and his 
own experience of the economy effected. 
' ■ * — ’ 
Bamboo Charcoal.— It is generally thought that 
bamboo being so light and small make a bad fuel 
wood, and no one would think it of any value as 
fuel for forges ; yet it is considered the best 
material for making charcoal for blacksmith work, 
and is in large demand all over Mysore. It is 
said to give off more heat than the best coke 
and to require less blast. A maund of bamboo 
ohareoal fetches twice as much in the village- 
markets as the best charcoal than any other full. 
The method of charring bamboo is different to 
that used for harder woods — the stacks or kilns 
being carefully covered with green leaves and then 
plastered with wet clay. While the burning is 
going on, care is taken to exclude air as much as 
possible, without extinguishing the fire.— Banrjalore 
^Mr. Kellow’s Wattles: “Acacia Decur- 
jjENS.”— When adding a note to the letter “ From 
the Hills” the other day on this subject, we could 
not lay our hands on the dimensions of some of 
his fine wattles (that do not send up suckers) 
furnished to us by Mr. Kellow. Here is the memo- 
randum one which ought still further to encourage 
planters to go in for “ acacia deeurrens ’’ especially 
the XJva men with patana reserves. Mr. Kellow 
wrote : — 
^‘Dimensions of some of my Acacia deeurrens 
Circum. 
Height, 
ft. in. 
at base. 
42 3 high 33 
36 0 
, 33 6 
27 6 
24 7 
24 
24 
20 
No. 1— Acacia deeurrens planted 
out iu Nov. '87 
No. 2— Do do do . 
No. 3— Do do do . 
4— Acacia germinated seed put 
into supply baskets June ’89 
No. ..—Acacia germinated seed 
planted ill Nursery June ’89 
Number five is one of a batch of plants sold to the 
Forest Depart ment 12 mouths ago but not >'e™°ved so 
that it has not bad fair play (all patana land). If 
lou want a successful belt I should strongly advise 
supply baskets as then the plants receive no check. 
The Magazine of the School of Ageicul- 
TDRB for November opens with an article oa 
Vegetable Manures and Cheap Ferli izers, dealing 
with green manures, peat, coir-dust, saw-dust, 
leaves, sea weed and straw. Mr. W. A. de Silva 
continues bis paper on indigenous food products 
and also writes on the cultivation of the Tomnto. 
“Aba” supplies another instalment of “ Ce^on 
bee culture,” and takes up the subject of poultry 
in a separate contribution. The rest of the contents 
consist of a note on heredity ^and sexuality, 
general items, occasional notes, and school news. 
Tea Companies’ Shares continue in the same dull 
and neglected position, and the latest accounts from 
many gardens do not lead one to expect that they can 
do otherwise than badly this season. The crop coninues 
to be an unusually poor one as regards quality, for 
extremely little really fine tea is offered at our weekly 
sales. Prices here continue on an unsatisfactory level 
and will not be compensated for by an increased outturn 
as many gardens are already behind in this respect. 
All round the prospect before tea companies looks very 
gloomy, and at a time like the jiresent it is very neces- 
sary for managiug agents and secretaries to exercise 
the greatest economy and to cut down expenses to the 
very lowest possible limit. A determined attempt 
ought to be made to reduce the brokers, charges here, 
which have always seemed to me enormous and utterly 
unjustifiable. Brokers charge gardens at present 1 
per cent for selling their tea, and buyers have to pay 
them 1 per cent for buying the same tea, so that every 
chest of tea sold at public auction goes home burdened 
with a broker’s charge amounting to 2 per cent. Is it 
to be wondered at therefore that much tea is now 
diverted from the Calcutta market and shipped direct 
home by the grower or on the garden’s account ? In 
these days of competition and reduced profits merchants 
are willing to move goods or money from one side of 
the world to the other for a certain profit of 1 per cent, 
and I cannot see that any justification can be offered 
for the enormous brokerages paid here ou tea and indigo 
which are certainly doing much to cripple the trade in 
both these articles . — Pioneer Cor., Calcutta, Oct. 4th. 
Potato Disease. — It is <a recognised fact, that 
high moulding will save a large percentage of Potatos 
even when the conditions seem very unpropitious. 
Sulphate of copper also has great power in checking 
the disease. Peilliedx, in his experiments, obtained 
Il5 sound Patotos by the use of a six-per-cent, solution 
of sulphate of copper, while from an equal area side 
by side, but where the copper solution was not used, 
only fifty-three tubers were produced, 32 per cent, of 
which were diseased. In 1888, M. A. Gieaed conducted 
two sets of experiments on different farms, using a 
mixture in water of 2 kilogrammes of sulphate of copper 
and one of quick-lime per hectolitre. A single ap- 
plication, as a curative treatment, largely reduced the 
disease, while as a preventive treatment it was a com- 
plete success. The solution was applied through an 
ordinary sprinkler. The increase in healthy tubers on 
each farm, by the use of the copper sulphate, was : — 
A. B. 
14-3 
22-9 
13-5 
17-2 
per cent. 
»> 
JJ 
2-7 
20-2 
4.4 
per cent. 
» 
» 
91 
From all the figures presented it is concluded — 1st. 
That the application as a curative treatment does not 
ensure absolute immunity. 2nd- However, in these 
cases, treatment diminished in a notable degree the 
number of diseased tubers, and at the same time in- 
creased the weights of the healthy tubers in a very 
different proportion according to the variety used. 3rd. 
That the varieties treated, in respect to their receptivity 
of the disease, differ widely. A 2 to 3 per cent, copper 
sulphate solution is recommended. It is mortifying 
to see no steps taken to combat the disease, w.hile 
no means is neglected to ensure the propagation of 
the disease. The apathy is from no lack iu the 
supply of informatlOQ,— QhronicU, 
