86o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[June i, 189!. 
to fresh water. Perhaps some of our readers 
may be able to enlighten us more fully upon 
any peculiarities which may attend the collection at 
the pearl fisheries of the Australian continent anl 
of its outlying fishing grounds. There are pearl 
“ oysters ” like our own off the coasts of Western 
Australia, quite distinct from the large mother-o’- 
pearl shells which are the chief objects of search on 
the Australian coast generally, and regarding the 
treatment of banka of such “oysters” Sir W. Eobinson 
consulted us and obtained information in 1880. 
There must be some cogent reasons why no 
attempt has hitherto been made — so far as 
we are aware — to reduce the cost of collection 
by the employment of mechanical means 
such as are used for the gathering of the 
edible oyster. It is certain that the plan of as- 
sembling native divers is possessed of the elements 
of uncertainty and trouble which would render the 
employment of some unobjectionable alternative 
method very welcome. At the first sight there 
would seem to be little difSculty in conjecturing 
what such an alternative might be ; but a more 
careful review of all possible ones inclines us 
to the belief that none of those which seem to le 
so simple and ready of adoption are free from 
possible objections to be taken to them. Wider 
discussion than has heretofore been given to the 
subject might help us to a fuller conclusion than 
has yet been possible. 
We cannot help feeling, notwithstanding the 
failure of all the attempts hitherto made, that 
success will ultimately crown attempts to breed the 
pearl “ oysters ” artificially. Fascines or well an- 
chored and fioating lengths of coir rope or matting it 
water not shallower than five f-athoms, might 
gecure the end in viev/. 

Jungle-Hens.— Mr. Simpson of the Tele- 
graph Department differs from Mr. Parker, his 
overseer and Mr. Clark of the Forest Department, 
in their opinion, or inclination to believe that the 
jungle, like the domestic, hen cackles after laying 
its egg. Mr, Simpson holds — and he is supported 
in his view by Mr. Broun, Acting Conservator of 
Forests— that the jungle-hen, in view of its many 
enemies, is most unlikely to make any noise and 
attract atten ion at such a time. Ha also points 
out that an overseer out watching for pig (at night 
surely ?) could not well be a good authority on the 
point at issue. Mr. Simpson adds:— “The jungle 
hen cackles, but only to call its scattered young 
together to attract the attention of its mate or 
after b' ing startled or alarmed by an enemy.” 
The Record Beaten ; Ceylon Tea Selling 
UP TO £17 A LB Well Dome Havilund Esta-ie, M i. 
W. A. M. Denison AND the 0. B. Estates C mpany. 
We thought it would come and that Gartmore 
and its golden tips at £10 12s would be 
as badly beaten as some of its predecessors 
in the making and soiling of “ golden tips.” 
Eeuter today reports that a parcel from Havilland 
estate, Dolosbage, — the prop' rc> of the O. B. Esiates 
Company and managed by Mr. W. A. Mooyart 
D.misun — has been sold in Mincing Lano for the 
extraordinary fancy figure of £17 per lb 1 Wo shall 
now have another round of paragraphs, exhibitions, 
tastings and other forma of advertisement for the bene- 
fli of Havilland and of Ceylon tea generally. Well, 
tlie more the better. The day surely fast approacb- 
inv when even the mo:-t benighted will think of 
drinking nothing else tliari Ceylon tea— in which 
eaiio wo can defy China, India and even Brugil I 
Coolies foe North Borneo. — We hear from the best 
possible source that the S. S. “Memnon” is about to 
proceed to bring Hoihow to coolies thence direct to 
Biilieh North Borneo. In this venture we wish 
the blue funnel line and Messrs. Alfred Holt and 
Mr. Turner, and all connected with them every 
success. Planters one and all will hail the new 
departure we suppose, as it must certainly reduce 
the cost of labour. The plundering of the coolies 
in the houses of the Hongkong brokers and on board 
ship in Hongkong harbour, if it ever was a reality, 
will cease, and this alone should reduce the first 
cost of coolie 1 abour. It should also be a ready 
means in getting a belter class, assisting free or 
ULindentured labour, preventing the change alleged 
to be BO frequent of unhealthy for healthy men, and 
will remove the premium of free passages at present 
given to Hongkong ex gaol birds. — B. N. Herald. 
Planting Note? from Oooeg, March 31st. — An inch 
of rain ioliowed by a fortnight of bright clear weatlier 
is all that conkl be desired to insure a good “ set, ” 
so that a fortunate few jilaces that got that quantity 
could not possibly have fared better. The blossom on 
the-e places opened on Wednesday last, the 25th inst., 
and made a maguificent show. Places with an open, 
friable soil and steep places, which drain readily, have 
been comparatively free irom leaf disease this season ; 
but where the laud is comparatively level with a reten- 
tive soil, thus rendering’ it liable to become water- 
logged, the trees suffered to some extent. They, how- 
ever, recovered amazingly after the cessation of the 
wet weather, and, on the whole, the promise on the 
North Ooorg estates was very good for next season’s crop 
but as pointed out above, some of them have failed to 
get tlie rain aud others have had too liitle. In respect 
of rainfall, the Bamboo, or South Ooorg, District, 
which is tbs most extensive plaating district in Oi org, 
has fared exactly similar to North Ooorg. The ravages 
of the borer insect are thus early manifesting them- 
selves. One indication of the destructive work of the 
borer is a grand show of b'ossom on a tree with poor 
wood. They invariably bear very heavily ; and it is 
amusing to listen to natives attributing so much dis- 
criminating power to borers as to say that they seek 
out the trees with the best croponthem, as they find 
them very dainty morsels to reed upon ! Tboui-ands of 
coffee trees are lost year after year throngh tills des- 
tructive agency, but this makes small headway in deci- 
mating an estate, it kept well under from the beginning, 
aud vacancies supplied as they occur. It is impossible 
to get rid of the borer entirely. It is only possible to 
reduce the evil to a minimum. For this purpose con- 
tinual war is waged against it, all the trees attacked 
being rem.oved and burnt before the insects have 
taken to themselves wings and left them — a form of 
sail introduce.! by Europeans and not interfered with 
by '.lie law. It will no% it is to be hoped, be out of 
place iu these notes to notice some of the questions 
raised by Blr. R. H. Elliot in bis letter dated 10th 
March on “ The effect of soil on coffee seeds.” In a 
funner letter he said that he believed au eminent Eng- 
lish authority was correct in recommending him ;o 
select seed from trees in the poorest and most exposed 
situations SiiiA to grow them iu a nursery of yioo?’ soi7 
(Aihe italics are not Mr. Elliot’s). He has somewhat 
modified his views now, as he says the trees need not 
necessarily be so poor as not to produce healthy plants ; 
but of this no inkling was imparted in what he said 
before. If by healthy plants, plants entirely free from 
leaf disease is meant, it will not improbably be found 
that the nurseries required to grow them will have to 
bi! very rich indeed ; and even then the chances are, if 
they are not transplanted early iu the season into the 
field, they tnkn the att’ection. To strengthen bis posi- 
tion Mr. Elliot cal s attention to the fact that the 
English farmer is careful not to remove stock on to 
po rer pastuiage than they have been nccustomea to, 
although he is by no moms averse to removing them 
on lo richer. True, but the farmer is likewise roost 
particular to raise his stock from the most exceptional 
parent animals,. — M. Mail, April 4th. 
