March 2 , 1891 .] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
673 
burn with a steadier heat and give less trouble to 
the stoker than common firewood. 
Apropos of the burning question, weeds and all 
other vegetable rubbish, if presssed into a tolerably 
firm brick while green and then dried, make a 
fairly good fuel, being similar to the cakes of cow- 
dung, the only fuel used by the natives over a large 
part of India, without the objeotionable smell. 
Mana grass, if cut green and treated m the same 
way, would, I believe, be equal to the best firewood, 
A common wooden press, all of which could be 
made up on the estate (except the screw and worm), 
would answer this purpose. 
Of course, all the above suggestions are more or 
less problematical, but I give them in the hope 
they may lead to some practical results by provoking 
a discussion and perhaps causing experiments to be 
made. — Yours truly, WASTE NOT, WANT NOT, 
Cinchona Bark Crop in Java. — We have 
received from the Soekaboemi Agricultural Society 
their table of statistics of the cinchona bark crop 
in Java for 1890 and 1891. Of 114 private estates 
enumerated, the greater number furnished statistics 
of area, outturn, amount of quinine sulphate in 
bark, &a. The result of these statistics is to show 
that in 1890 the actual outturn of bark from private 
and Government gardens together was about 3,000,000 
kilograms containing an average of 4 per cent of 
quinine sulphate, equal to 120 OOO kilograms of 
quinine sulphate, or about half of the world’s annual 
consumption ; while the estimate for 1891 is 3J 
million kilos of bark containing an average of 4 
per cent of quinine sulphate, equal to 140,000 kilos 
of quinine sulphate, or nearly 4-7ths of the world’s 
annual consumption. 
Tomatoes.— As a result of experiments and observa- 
tions carried on at the Agricultural Experiment Station, 
at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Messrs. 
Bailey and Munson conclude that: 
1. The Tomato plant is quickly susceptible to c ire- 
ful selection. 
2. As elsewhere iu the vegetable kingdom, the 
character of the plant as a whole appears to have 
more hertditary influence than the character of the 
individual fruit. 
3. Very heavy manuring does not le.'sen produc- 
tiveness. 
4. Neither nitrate tf soda nor muriate of potash 
alone are profitable Tomato manures upon thin soil. 
5. Very early setting of stocky plants in the field, 
even in dark and raw weather, augmented earliness 
and productiveness. 
6. Seedlings gave far better results than cuttings. 
7. Trimming the plants lightly late in summer 
gave a greatly increased yield. 
8. A double or nioustrous flower upon a young plant 
is no indication that succeeding flowers upon the same 
plant will be double, and produce irreiu'ar fruits. But 
varieties which habitually beir double flowers are also 
the ones which habilunlly bear irregular fruits. 
9. Cool aud dark weather in early fab, and early 
fall frosts, are the leading drawbacks to profitable 
Tomato culture in the Nor. h. To avoid these dangers 
as much as possible, plants must be started early and 
forced rapid y. 
10. The essential general ))oints iu profitable Tomato 
culture are the-e : — Careful selection and breeding; 
early sowing; fi-Kiueut, or at least, occasional traus- 
plauting to obtain stocky plants; rich soil, well pre- 
pared and well tilled. 
11. There is evidence that varieties of Toraatos run 
out, even under good cii'turo. 
12. The best market Tomatoa appear from our tests 
to be Igiiotuni, Favourite, Bay St.ite, Atlantic, and 
perhaps Ruby among the red varieties; Beauty, Mikado, 
and po.sslblv Potato Leaf, among the p'nk cr purple 
varieties; Golden (Jueen among the yellow sorts. 
13 Among tho novelties, Ruby aud Cliemiu Market 
are most promising. — QarJeners’ Chronicle. 
The TBAvKLLiNa Amepmcan’s fashion of making 
TEA is as follows : — Little perforated silver balls 
are filled with the dry tea and, being suspended 
by a chain, are allowed to remain in the cups of 
boiling water as long as may be required. This 
mode of preparing tea obviates the risk that callers 
often run of drinking overdrawn tea. — Madras Mail, 
Feb. 19th. [The silver egg for making tea is a 
very old invention.— Ed. C. O.] 
The Java Coffee Chop. — According to a telegram 
from the Governor-General of Netherlands India, 
dated Jan. 31st last, the next Government coffee 
crop in Java is estimated at 359,648 piculs which 
is considerably more than in the preceding year ; 
but further informatiou must be waited for, as 
the first estimate in 1890 was also much higher, 
and afterwards great disappointment was occasioned. 
— L. and C. Express, Feb. 6 th. 
To Prevent Slipping op Belts. — Edwin A. 
Kimball, instructor in the shops at the University 
of Illinois, says on this subject : — “ I do not know 
that washing soda may not be as good as castor 
oil, for I never used the former; but I do know 
that castor oil is effective and safe in the hands 
of a competent person. There is no occasion to 
soak a belt in any sort of oil. A little applied 
to the surface is sufficient. There is nothing that 
I have over tried that is so effective as castor oil, 
especially for wood-working machinery belts. The 
way to apply it is to let it run from a bottle in 
a small stream on the belt while this is in motion, 
commencing at one edge of the belt, moving the 
stream over a little at every full travel of the 
belt, until the width of the belt has received its 
portion. I know of belts that have been treated in 
this way for years, and they are whole yet, and doing 
their work without a murmur. — Engineering and 
Iron Trades Review. 
The American Farmers’ Alliance. — Mr. 
Polk, the President of this body, formulates its 
demands as follows: — 
A system of finance which recognizes and securai 
to every citizen of this country an equitable, fair and 
just right to share its benefits, and which will furnish 
a volume of circulating medium, adequate to the 
legitimate demands of the country, at a low rate of 
intere.'t, is the greatest aud most urgent need of the 
limes. Let the people here represented continue to 
reiterate and with increased emphasis demand ; 
First, That silver shall be restored to its dignity and 
place as a money metal, with all the rights of coinage 
and all the qualities of legal tender which gold possesses. 
Seae nd, That the currency of the country shall be 
issued direct to the people at a low rate of interest and 
wi'h' ut. discrimination, and shall be a legal tenderfor 
all debts, public and private. 
Third. That taxation shall be more nearly equalized 
by requiring that all property shall bear a just propor- 
tion of its burthens. 
Fourth, That alien ownership of land should be re- 
sisted aud prohibited. 
F.fith, That public transportation should be owned 
and controlled by the government. 
Sixth, That no class nor interest should be taxed to 
build up auy other class or interest. 
Seventh, That public revenues should be limited to 
an honestly aud economically administered government. 
And tor the further security of the public welfare let 
tliem demand: 
Eighth, A just and equitable system of graduated tax- 
ation on incomes. 
Ninth, The election of United States Senators by* 
direct vote of the people. 
These demands are the necessary and legitimate out- 
growth of our rapidly advancing civilization, and the 
liighest considerations for the public weal aud safety 
should impel us to earnest and persistent endeavour 
to engraft tluMu upon our governmental policy.— 
Florida Despatch. 
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