THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March 2, 1891. 
650 
^ 
T 0 the Editor, 
INDIAN TEA EXPOBTS. 
Indian Tea Association, Calcutta, Jan. 12th. 
Dear Sir — The General Committee have the 
pleasure to hand you their usual Monthly Eeturn of 
shipments of tea from Calcutta, and also a Beturn 
of Exports of Ceylon Tea for four years up to the 
22nd December 189t). 
Exports of Indian Tea From Calcutta. 
1890 
1889 
1888 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
Exports to Great Britain in 
Deo. 
M, 156, 971 
11,811,301 
11,801,612 
Exports to Great Britain 
from 1st May to 33 st 
Dec. 
81,428,563 
79,933,589 
79,340,409 
Exports to Australia and 
New Zealand in Beo, ... 
765,1,66 
459,226 
369,355 
Exports to Australia and 
New Zealand from 1st 
May to 31st Dec. 
4,233,168 
2,837.075 
2,397,100 
Exports to America in 
Dec. 
34,158 
16,640 
23,619 
Exports to America from 
1st May to 31st Dec. ... 
116,010 
142,190 
92,644 
Exports to other places in 
Deo. 
61.250 
74,022 
31,244 
Exports to other places 
from 1st May to 31st 
Dec. 
815,158 
1.270,773 
635,003 
Total Exports from 1st 
May to 31st Dec. ... 
89,592,929 
84,185,627 
82,465,156 
— Yours faithfully, S. 
E. J. CLARKE, Secretary. 
ARTIFICIAL COMBS 
FOR 
CEYLON 
BEES. 
Glasgow, January 14th. 
Dear Sib,— I have read with interest in the 
Overland Observer of the 13th Nov. last an article 
on “Artificial Combs for Ceylon Bees.”* _ 
The artificial comb (or comb foundation as it 
is called) is made of a thin sheet of wax upon 
which the forms of the cells are impressed, and 
when first given to the bees it is not ready for 
the storage of honey. The bees have first to 
draw out the sides of the cells until they (the 
cells) are of the usual depth. This, of course, is 
a great saving of labour to the bees, as the 
manufacture of wax consumes much of their 
time and strength. 
I do not know anything of the species or 
habits of Ceylon bees, but unless they differ 
considerably from those of the bees commonly used 
in England, (the common black, Ligurian, Cyprian 
Carniolan, &o.) I fear that, as a method of 
attracting bees, the hanging of combs in (he 
vicinity of bungalows would not be attended with 
■ucoesB. 
Supposing that the habits of the Ceylon bees 
are similar to those of the English they will 
swarm at a certain time of the year. (In England 
it is generally in May or June.) The swarm should 
then be taken and placed in a hive previously 
fitted up with comb foundation, which the bees 
would speedily draw out and then commence 
work in the usual manner. 
From your Directory I see that Ceylon “ has 
several useful indigenous bees,” and I should be 
interested by any information regarding the habits 
and species of these bees and if any have been 
* See page 053, — Ed, T, A, 
domesticated or kept in hives. — Yours, &c., 
APIS. 
^We shall send our correspondent some of the 
back numbers of our Tropical Agriculturist with 
information about bees.— Ed. T. A.] 
CACAO CULTIVATION AND OBITICS. 
Galagedara, January 21st. 
Sir, — My attention has been drawn to a letter 
signed “ 1873” headed “ Planting Notes for 1891” 
appearing in your paper of 10th inst.*^ 
Under the heading “ Cacao” your correspondent, 
who evidently has got to the bottom of most 
things, teaches the Galagedara planters Imv to 
do it. 
There is an old and somewhat musty saying — 
“ First catch your hare, then cook him.” 
Your correspondent tells us, first, how to grow 
cacao, and malce it crop (a secret your t’otherest 
correspondent “Eldorado” appears not to have 
found out), and then proceeds to tell us how 
to catch, and afterwards cock, the wretches who 
steal cur crops. Now, sir, it is all very well for 
“ 1873” to write to your paper, but I have one 
or two questions I should like to put to him 
through you : — 
1st. Is it not a fact that he was the manager of the 
estate quoted by him as losing 60 per cent of its crops, 
owing to the depredations of thieves, for some time 
before the “ easy-going oflBce man ” came out from 
England to take charge ? 
2nd. Did not the aforesaid “easy-going cfSce 
man ” oust “ 1873 ” for reasons best known to 
“ 1873 ” end the “ e.-g. 0. m.” ? 
3rd. Will “ 1873 ” slate precisely what his 
experience has been in this country, with regard 
to planting cacao and shade : i.e. how many acres 
of cacao has he planted, and what return did he 
get, when his cacao came into bearing ? 
4th. Did he ever hear a thief on the Galagedara 
side, say of “ such a one ” (the English is “ 1873” ’s 
not mine) “ Don’t rob that master, he is kind, is 
friendly with the headman, unmerciful when he 
catches us, and relentless in hunting us down. 
Let us go over to — and so on ? 
6lh. And, if he never heard a thief say this, 
(as of course he never did) why does he write such 
stuff ? 
I leave abler pens than mine to deal with 
“1873” 's strictures on coffee and tea growing ; 
and enclosing my card, am, sir, your obedient 
servant, GALAGEDAEA CACAO. 
DANDELION. 
Pussellawa, Jan. 26th. 
Dear Sir, — Can you or any of your many readers in- 
form me, if the dandelion plant can be got, and grown in 
Ceyloi ? I am anxious to try it, as it makes a very 
good salad. — Yours faithfully, UPPER NILAMBB. 
[The plant is allied to cbicory. We have not beard of 
its being grown in Ceylon, but we do not see why it 
should not be successfully cultivated in our hill 
regions. — E d. T. A.) 
COCONUTS :-A FREAK OFNATUBE. 
Dear Sir, — Herewith a bunch of coconuts witn tliree 
fruits, two of which you will find are like the king- 
coconuts, while the other is quite green, all in the same 
cluster and from a tree about 40 years old which 
hitherto never bad anything but green-colored nuts, 
and have about four clusters at present all green-ccloted. 
One nut you will note is small ; this I believe is attribu- 
table to rats making an attempt when the fruit 
was tender to eat it. There were two other green- 
* See pages 669 and 593 , — Ed, T, 4, 
I 
