703 
April i, 1891. J THF I ROPIOAL AGRlOULTURIST. 
Quinine has attracted a considerablo amount of atteu- 
tiou this week, and the total transactions reported 
since last Friday amount to about 320,000 o/-., of which 
180,000 oz. changed hands today. On Monday the drop 
in price reached its lowest depth, in a small sale oi 
German Inilli quinine on the sp '9 at lOd per oz., 'e 
price which beats the record. It is true that^ the authen- 
ticity of this sale is doubted in many quarters, but 
there is no question that at one inoraent (he drug 
was freely offering at lOJl per oz. Several buyers then 
entered the market, which thereupon took a turn for 
the better, and kept on improving until today, when lOijd 
per oz was freely piidfor delivery up to May. The price 
of lid per oz is now again generally asked. Howard’s 
brand has been reduced to Is 3^d per oz for bulk, and 
Is 5Jd for vials. 
' Cinnamon. — A sale of lOO bales is reported to have 
been made recently at e-J-d per lb., c.i.f. London terms, for 
February-April shipment, usual assortment. 
♦ 
NOTES ON POPULAR SCIENCE. 
By Dr, J. E. Taylor, F. L. S., P. G. S. &c., 
Editor of “Science Gossip.” 
I notice in the last number of The Auslralasinn to 
hand that Mr. John M’Lellan, of Dimboola, has in- 
geniously turned the tables on the Locusts by p’au- 
ting patches of larkspur among his crops. These 
voracious insects devour “ every green thing,” but 
they could not digest lark.spur leaves, so they died. 
The larkspur is a member of the most poisonous 
and otherwise objectionable order of plants in the 
world, the ranuDculaceie or buttercup family. The 
seeds of the larkspur were fonnetly ground to 
powder and used as a vermin killer. So intense is 
the poison thot it is and must be used homceopathi- 
cally. I mention this because the planting of 
larkspur iudiscriminataly may do more harm than 
the locusts. There is one plant among the vast 
number composing the natural order leguminosie, 
which con lay claim to being a fodder plant and a 
poisonous plant at the same tinie. Let some young 
farmer plant patches of lupins instead of larkspurs. 
I venture to pay they will bo equally fatal to locusts, 
and they have (he advantage of being a good sheep 
fo Ider, capali'e of growii^g on the lightest and hun- 
griest of soils, where few or no other plants could 
grow. 
It is ns well to no‘e a fact recently discovered, 
that artificial stone cements abounding in magnesia 
hive a tendency to expand slowly after the concrete 
has set in which they have been used. This is a 
matter that builders and architects should see to, 
otheriwse their completed work will do them any- 
thing but credit. — Aust>’alasi<^7ii 
“An Indian Cinchona Plantation ” forms the 
subject of four sketches (taken from photographs) 
in the Chemist and Druggist of 31st Jan,, with 
descriptive letterpress. The plantation is one on 
the Kannan Dovan hills in Travanoore, the first 
sketch giving a general view of the country ; while 
the second shows a clearing in the forest, with 
buildings ; the third women picking tea growing 
among the cinchona ; and the fourth the drying- 
house and tea factory. 
Action of Alum on Microbes in Portable 
IVaTER. — I n ihe Cdiemicai t' eu-s for October, page 177, 
thero is an iutercsiing reference to (be use of alum 
for the removal of organic matter in suspension and 
in solution in drinking wat"r. It is well known tha 
wheu alum is added to ordinary water it is decom- 
posed, its sulphuric acid combining with the limej 
nnd its alumina being thrown down in oomLination 
with the organic substances which are present. Along 
with this qaercipitato and entangled with it the mic- 
robes are also mostly precipitated. 
The Chetnicfd News states th.at since tliis method has 
been adopted by the French troops in Tonqnin they 
have enjoyed a nearly complete c.'ceinption from dysen- 
tery. This method was omploycil in preference to 
boiling the suspected water, tlie facilities for doing 
which were not always at hand , — Engineering mid 
Jim'diu-g liecord, 
MAURITI US, 
(From the Mereliants and Planters Qazelle.) 
Poet Louis, Feb. ICth. 
The Weather and the Chop.s.— Wo have been 
threatened by two cycloiies within the space of twelve 
days. They have however fortunately both passed at a 
sufficiently long distance from the is'and, end have 
resulted cnly in refreshing rain of which the coming 
crops were in much need after iho long drought. The 
fall in tho tarometer was considerable during the 
nights of the 5th and Gth instant, but wa eso.aped, 
notwithstanding some bou! s of anxiety. We have un- 
fortunately lo expect these terrible visitors until the 
end of next mouth. 
Vanilla. — Transactions have been very limited 
since the la't four weeks. A few small lots of good 
quality were sold at KL5 per kilo. Vanillons at R8 to 
R9, according to length and quality , We entirely con- 
firm our last valual ions as regards the outturn of the 
crop which will cot exceed 14,000 kilos. 
Aloe Fibre. — The market is dull. We have to 
record ihe sale of a few small lots fine quality at R225 
to E240 per ton. Holders prefer to ship for their 
account rather than to .sell off at the above prices. 
Tlie following quotations are nominal: — 
1st quality R‘250 per ton 
2nd „ 1U75 „ 
^ 
Mining and Gemming in Ceylon. — We learn 
that the Syndicate which employed Mr. Barrington 
Brown and whose local agent is Mr. E. G. Harding, 
has sent out a mining superintendent in Mr. 
Bettisen who has had large and varied experience, 
but was never in Oeylon before. Unfortunately, the 
machinery which was to accompany him intheS. S. 
“Revva” was shut out at the last moment owingto dock 
difficulties, but this will follow in due course. Mr. 
Bettison starts off tomorrow in company with Mr. 
Chas. Byrde and perhaps Mr. Harding, to inspect 
plumbago mines, inland from Bentota in the 
Pasdun Korale. Of course, his operations will be 
merely preliminnry to see how and where improved 
pumping and other machinery can be applied to 
plumbago mines. 
Royal Botanic Gardens. — We hare to ac- 
knowledge the receipt from Government of the 
Report for 1890 of Dr. H. Trimen, f.r.s.. Director. 
Dr. Trimen is usually first in the field and as his 
Report is one of tho most interesting and useful, 
it is well to have it early. Pending adequate 
notice and very copious extracts respecting the five 
Gardens as well as Economic Products, we content 
ourselves today with three small quotations. First 
as to the drought inthe Anuradhapura Garden : — 
It is indeed remarkable bow comparatively well some 
trees stand the drought which would have been expeo. 
ted to fail to d i so. Thus the breadfruit ripened last 
year, and a good plantains of the Icolikuttu variety were 
abundant. 
Next, as regards growth at the Badulla Garden - 
Some of the young trees of Ocdrela odorata are already 
2 feet in girth at the base and ItiJ in. at a yard from 
the ground. Our chief trouble now is the v.ast abun- 
diance of white ants, and these are specially destructive 
in tho nurseries. 
And finally a paragraph bearing on the discussion 
referred t > by Mr. Barber in bi.s letter today : -■ 
No doubt crossing goes on freely in cacao plantations 
even between tlie two main races, and it i.s well-known 
here that seed from a single tree gives a very varied 
progeny; but a very curious remark has been recently 
made to mo by a large grower, w ho has great oppor- 
tnuilies for observation, that the “ Forastero” varieties, 
which he chiefly cuilivates, appear to be gradually 
changing their oliaracters and becoinirg more like the 
“OldOeqlon Red,” the seeds losing their dark colour 
on section and becoming pale ernrar’y white. It will 
bo very iutercsting to observe whrther these observa^ 
tigmsare confirmed by longer exp’rienco, 
