June i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
871 
ani sow seed 'j^gi-y year iu April or May for thenext 
year s flow ^ring. 
Violet though not so showy, are even more sweetly 
pertiur^g^^ if possible. To keep the pUuts in good 
‘^°‘’'^jition the host of the rooted runners should be 
^'elected and pltiiited in deep and rich ground annually 
The Lily of the Valley gives verv little trouble; 
if once established in a bod of rich loamy soil, nnda 
rather shady situation, they wdl remain in condition 
for several years, and pr. duce an abundan e of 
fragrant blossoms annually. Among the so-called 
Bedding out Plants there are comparatively few 
fragrant subjects, though the heliotrope, or cherry pie 
is unsurpassed for distinct aud delightful perfume. 
Most verbenas are more or less fragrant, also double 
petunias and some of the single ones, the whiteflowered 
kinds in particular, but those are about all. 
Annuals are rich in sweetly-scented subjects. 
Stocks are iudispensable where fragrant flowers are 
valued and migiionettp, sweet pea?, and the night- 
scented stock (Matthiola bicornis) should be found 
in every garden. 
Nicotiana AiTiNia. — The sweet white-flowerel to- 
bacco plaut forms a valuable addition to our list of fra- 
grant plants. It is really a perennial and very n arly 
hard}', but is, best treated as a half-hardy annual, 
seed being sown in heat early in the spiiog, and the 
plants set out in May or June. Then the charming 
old whi'e or 
BIadonna Lily (L, Camlidum) and many others are 
exquisitely perfumed, aud caudj tufts, soabions, aud a 
score of ctbers are all worthy of place. — &'■ I. Observer. 
[Meant for Britain, but applicable largely to our 
Oeylon mountain region. — Ed T. A.] 
^ — 
CEYLON TEA IN AUSTRALIA. 
We are very pleased lo receive a letter from 
“ the gentleman in Colombo ” to whom Mr. Foulkes 
referred (page 858) as so long generously supporting 
him, in which he informs us that he is prepared 
to continue to send consignments of tea. 
This continuance of business tvill be on certain 
terms which will no doubt be readily accepted. 
Under these circumstances, Mr. Foulkea’ Colombo 
supporter does not think it necessary to trouble 
Mr. Mackenzie and any other planters for a 
guarantee, nor the Tea Fund for tea. We 
are very satisfied indeed to have such good news 
of Mr, Foulkes being able to continue his tea 
business without intermission. We were jnst about 
to look up a letter of a year ago in which the 
‘ senior editor ’ on his way back from Melbourne 
gave testimony to the good work done by Mr. 
Foulkes ; but now neither this nor the appeal to 
the Tea Fund Committee will be necessary. Al- 
hough not at liberty to publish the name of 
tliQ writer nor his letter in full, we think we may 
quote one passage to show how Mr. Foulkes is 
trusted : — 
“ With reference to your article in last evening’s 
paper headed “ Oeylon Tea in Australia,” I can cou- 
lirmi all that Mr. Foulkes says in bis letter as I am 
the gentleman to whom be refers as being indebted 
to in the sum of £200. For some years past I have 
been sending BIr. Fou ke? consignments of tea, 
with the result that tte good qualities of pure 
Ceylon tea bavo been prominently brought to the 
notice of miiiy, who but for his intervention 
would probably never have tasted the pure article, 
but I regret to say the pecuniary returns both to 
himsolf and mo bavo been anything but encouraging. 
I have been most anxious to do all in my power to 
assist Mr. Foulkes in bis arduous campaign, and am 
still willing to do so ; in fact I wrote to BIr. Foulkes 
a short time ago to the etieefc that I would continue 
to send him cmisiguments on certain terms which bo 
himself proposed to me; this being the case, I do 
not think tlioro is any necessity for the matter being 
taken up by the Tea Fund Committee, nor is there 
any necessity for tho further advances being made by 
mo, to bo guaranteed cither by that body or imlivi- 
dual gentleman, as I am quite satisfied that BIr. 
Foulkes will do bis very utmost not only to push the 
sale of pure Ceylon Tea but ta repay me the sums 
I have already advauoed him for this purpose. 
♦ 
AN INSECT COLONY. 
Probably Southern California counties contain at 
present no happier man than A. Scott Obapman— that 
is, judging happiness from a horticultural standpoint. 
Mr. Chapman has many friends in this end of the 
State who will be pleased to know that no longer are 
his feelings as blue as are the famed skies about his 
sunny San (rabriel homo. A few years ago Mr. Chap- 
man, who is an alumnus of Berkeley and for a time 
was a member of the State Board of Horticulture, was 
widely known as a very successful orange-grower. Ho 
went into tho business energetically aud systematically 
and the San Gabriel Valley contained no prettier 
groves than be could show on his thirty acres. Then 
along came tho Icerija Purchasi, which being interpre- 
ted means that tho cottony cushion-scale entered the 
pretty groves and ravaged those thirty acres like tho 
tree Dooters the best has always been. Mr. Chapman 
worked his grove, but the scale worked harder, as it 
had done in many other of the choice sections of the 
orange-producing rfgion, aud the result was the scale 
triumphed. No wond'.r the owner became blue and 
despondent. Down dropped the product of the grove 
to (500 boxes, instead of Uvics 6,000 which it had been 
producing. But this season, in February and March 
next, Mr. Chapman figures, in a letter just received 
by a friend hero, those same trees will yield fully 
10,000 boxis. That is why he is now feeling bright 
aud happy. The Vedulia CarJiiicdis, the Australian 
parasite that feeds on the scale, his worked this bene- 
licence. Tho rnvagiug scale has practically disap- 
peared fiom tho entire grove. The example is oniy 
one of many similar cases among tlie Southern Cali- 
fornia groves. — S. F. Bidletin. 
^ - — 
RICE— EICE MEAL. 
Rice. — The British working man fancies that rice 
is a dear article. He does not reflect that when he 
buys 4 lb. of potatoes he gets 3 lb. of water and 
only 1 lb. of food, and that 1 lb. of rice contains 
times as much food as 1 lb. of ijotatoes, as may 
be seen from their analyses : — 
Water. Flesh Formers. Slarch. Total Food 
Rice 13 . . G.5 . , 80.0 . . 86.5 
Potatoes 75 . . 1.4 , . 22.6 , . 24.0 
Taking into account tho lo.ss in peeling the potatoes, 
1 lb. of rice la clearly worth 4J lb. of the latter article, 
besides which, rice in boiling absorbs three times its 
weight of water, hence 1 lb, of rice, costing Ijd, when 
boiled exceeds in weight, bulk, and food value, 4 lb. 
of boiled potatoes, costing 3d. 
Rice BIeal. — Now wo come to rice meal, which is 
composed of the outer skin of the rce grain, together 
with tho “ heavy effal ” that is ground flue and mixed 
into it. The small proportion of husk that the heavy 
offul contains would not pay to separate; it does not 
materially lower the quality of the meal, and permits 
it to be sold somowhut cheaper. “ Superfine meal,” 
quite free from husk, can be obtained by those who want 
it at a higher price, but tho bulk of the trade is in the 
medium quality, which is the best for general use, 
price and all things considered. In appearance it is 
exactly like oatmeal, but i'.s somewhat bitter taste 
soon informs tho human palate of its real nature. 
It is a decided tonic, aud like cottonseed cake, it 
has a slightly binding clfect on cattle that makes it 
tho more valuable a food for them when out at grass 
in u wet season. Although rico meal is so well spoken 
of by those who use it, the consumption is extremely 
Icc.d, and is confined to but a few of those couutios 
that aio in easy communication with Loudon aud 
Liverpool. — 'I'hc JlUler. 
