June i, 1891. | 
THE TROPICAL AOTHCOLTUmST, 
865 
Wh it potentialies might not the sea be sbowQ 
to hol'i out to agrioultuists, i£ that apathetic oJass 
of iudiviuals wouhl but adopt such a course as the 
‘‘ Times ” suggests ! The suggestion, which is put 
forward “ as a matter of scientific interest,” is 
truly worthy of Prince Krapotkin himself ! — Yours, 
&o., ■ OLD SALT. 
[About a couple of yenrs ago we quoted largely 
from Madras Government papers, reports of the 
manufacture of salt and the manorial value of the 
residuum. The conclusions arrived at were not 
encouraging, as regards the carriage of the sub- 
stance to any distance, although it might be useful 
for coconuts or oihereultur* rear at hand — Ed. T.A.I 
The Tea Fund and Tea Iviosk Again. —We 
didMr. Mackenzie injustice in supposing thathecon- 
sidered enough had been done to make our teas 
known in America. He would willingly transfer the 
" Kiosk” vote to the credit of further advertising 
in the Far West— or to the Ceylon Tea Court in 
the Chicago Exhibition. But on the other hand, 
while Mr. Mackenzie declares he is supported by 
every planter and broker whom he meets in con- 
demning the Kiosk, we have the authority of large 
Australian tea-dealers for saying that e\en as 
regards the Southern Colonies, the Kiosk should be 
a most important means of increasing the demand 
lor •pure Ceylon tea. Nearly all our teas sent to 
the South at present are blended. To give passengers 
a good cup of tea and then a 2 lb. package or 
71b. or 20 lb. box of the same, is just the very 
best means in the world of making our visitors 
whether from Australia, America or any- 
where else, drinktrs of pure Ceylon Tea only. 
But how to secure the good cup of tea ? Well 
with servants doing nothing else and under the 
check of the utmost publicity — placards on the Kiosk 
asking passengers to report to the press if the tea 
is not good — and with a Committee of Vigilance, 
say of every member of the Tea Fund who visits 
Colombo, even Sinhalese Appus (having nothing 
else to do,) might be induced to serve a really 
good infusion each time. Let us have a trial of 
the Kiosk and see. 
The “ Kew Bulletin." — The March number con- 
tains an article on Dammer gum-resin from New 
Caledonia, and one on the improvement of the Cotton 
Cotton Orchid growers will be more interested in 
crop in West Africa by the introduction of Egyptian 
the full list of the Orchids which flowered at Kew 
during the season of 1890. No fewer than 766 species 
and varieties are enumerated — a number which will 
createsorae astonishmeuf. The largenumber isaccount- 
ed for by the circumstance, that not only showy Orchids 
are grown, but also representatives of as many genera 
and species, showy or not, as can be conveniently got 
together. In view of the groat interest felt in 
Orchids, it is highly desirable tl'.at the family be well 
represented at Kew, and that fall advantage be tain n 
of the present fashion to increase and consolidate our 
knowledge of the order and to preserve specimens, 
descriptions, and drawings for furturo reference.. The 
largest number of species floweiiug in any month 
was 125 in May, the smallest number eighty-five In 
January, the average for each month b; ing about 
100. Among the more noticeable genora represnt- 
ofives of which llov;ered last year, there were sixty- 
nine species of Deudrobinm, fifty-throe of Masdevallia 
thirty-oue of Ccelogyne, forty of Oncidiuin, twenty-eight 
of Odontoglossiim, twenty-four of Catileya, and thirty- 
eight species (e.xeluding hybrids), of Oypiipeoium. 
Cypripedium longrflt^rum, Masdevallia pnlviuaris, and 
OdontoglosHim ciispum might have been seen in flower 
throug’h tho entire year. The total number of species 
of Orchid now cultivated at Kow is 1342 groujicd in 
158 gouer i. We note tliat in some instances a capital 
letter is used for personal nam. s, in other.s not=a 
variation which is a little puzzling to gardeners. — 
(./ardeuers’ (JhronkU. 
‘‘(JocoA Butter” — we fsee has been selling 
at auction in London at from Is to Is OJd per lb. ; 
but is this the product of the “ Coconut ” or of 
“Cacao”? ‘ Cadbury’s brand” of butter must 
refer to the latter. 
The “ Taring ” of Ceylon Teas in London. — 
We call attention to the letter of “'Proprietor” in our 
correspondence column, and would like to know if 
his experience has been a common one upcountry 
among shippers of tea to the home market ? As 
the figures stand the percentage of deductions, 
in certain instances, seems so outrageous, that we 
think our correspoDdent would be justified in 
changing his broker. 
“ PRosPHOREacBNCB." — With reference to an 
article in a home magazine headed ‘TbJ Oheapts 
Form of Light,” wo may mintio-. thatawriiorin 
that wonderful repertory of ki.owto ge, “ tue UiTout 
Guide,” disputes the coritotne. 8 of Uio teim 
“ pi oiphcreecence” as appiieu to .he lummosuy of 
the organisms (medusa, &> .,) which ligtu tUu uouau tO 
brill. a itly. He writes ‘ Tue actual nature oi ihe 
light tias hitherto bi.ffled iiivtstigation, lu. wiiatever 
it may be, the term ‘ phufaphoresceuoe ' is a mie- 
noraer. Whedi r it is iiio result ot an urgauio 
nervous force, which iu other olassea and oiuers 
of_ living beings is exhibited in the form of elec- 
tricity, cannot be detiuUely atsetted; out we are 
convinced that it is m this dueciiou that the 
investigation should be pursued, singular indeed 
u ^^Ppy inspiration of a poet 
clothed m fitting language nearly one hundred years 
ago, should point to a solution wiiich sail evaues 
the keenest research ; — 
u f7 7 ,, ‘ with phosphoric fire, 
^ there had spent their shafts 
H/id lejt thejrayments ylittenny in the field: " 
are hn / P‘^'J®PiiOfS‘=conce” auU “electricity” 
are but terms by which we designate phenomena. 
i. .1.5 
THE Leeward Island, s 
among vou l resident 
treatment n/ e and 
eatment of ooifee leaf-disease, Mr. D. Morris of 
WeTt India ^turned from a trip to the 
West Indies, and he has this week given the 
M Colonial Institute au account 
iinds til f F ^ position of the 
richness of tin scenery and in 
most beautiful portions of the British Empire 
island’ was I prosperous past of the 
islands was closely connected with a system of 
When'^ 1 ^"*^ exclusive production ^of sunar. 
iTorZ' ‘^®i fabric of the 
proapeiity of tne island immediately collapsed It 
had taken more than half-a-contury "to atte^ to 
build up another, and we only now began to see 
If sugar was^ever sum 
planted by beet in tho markets of Europe it wou?d 
not bo the fault of the West Indies. The ^6? 
fr°om want ^of I’**"! sullered 
rom want of capital, from want of good internal 
wa“ro‘ra“‘r-i^ railways, and from 
want ot a rapid and suitable steam oommunica- 
lon with the markets of the outer wor“d 111 
was °^i supplied, and there 
Ziit ani good hotels would be 
homes !n encouraged to make their winter 
homes in these beautiful islands, where they would 
become acquainted with the scenery of the tropms 
and find health and enjoyment in a world as new 
as It was interesting and instructive. Mr, Morris 
was oordmlly thanked for bis paper,— London C'or| 
