34 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [July  i,  1895. 
rmy  'Special  manuring,  lieyoml  ilie  oareful  return 
to  U\e  soil  of  all  vogolaitle  residue  derived  from 
an  occasional  \)runing. 
On  the  great  majority  of  estates,  however,  a 
judicious  and  moderate  application  of  marmre, 
varied  according  to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  tlie 
altitude  and  the  rainfall,  seems  to  be  the  rational 
future  treatment  best  adajjted  to  the  production 
of  leaf  of  good  (juality. 
That  the  altitude  and  rainfall  should  ha\e  an 
im])ortant  influence  upon  the  kind  of  manure  to 
be  selected  bas  no  doubt  been  already  fully  re- 
cognised by  planters  who  have  had  any  expe- 
rience in  manuring  on  estates  having  a consider- 
able difference  in  elevation. 
Thus  for  lowcountry  estates  a more  mineral 
and  less  stimulating  fertilizer  will  j)robably  be 
•lesirable,  while  at  an  elevation  of  from  2,()U()  to 
4.OOU  feet,  a more  nitrogenous  manure  will  bo 
found  suitable. 
These  are  points  which,  together  with  the 
analysis  of  the  soil  as  to  its  richness  in  Potash 
(the  dominant  constituent  of  the  .soluble  ash  of 
tea)  ami  in  Nitrogen,  which  forms  so  important 
an  element  in  the  comi)osition  of  the  organic 
portion  of  the  leaf,  should  engage  the  attention 
of  the  Analyst  when  recommending  the  most 
economical  as  well  as  the  most  suitable  niannre. 
According  to  tbe  experience  of  the  writer,  this 
jiractice  of  enquiring  into  the  composition  of 
the  .soil  and  the  requirements  of  the  crop  is 
now  resorted  to  much  more  fretpiently.  During 
the  last  year  more  tea  soils  have  been  submitted 
for  analysis  tban  during  any  ]>revious  year  since 
the  writer’s  first  official  visit  to  Ceylon  in  1877. 
As  recently  as  Febrnarj'  last,  ten  tf>ns  of  a 
speci.al  manure  was  prepared  by  a l.ondon  linn 
according  to  the  writer's  suggestion,  and  after 
careful  analy.sis  shipped  for  a jdanter  in  Dikoya. 
The  loc.al  Kailway  returns  should  indicate 
whether  manuring  is  being  given  up  or  not. 
Wliile  recommemling  the  judicious  ajiidication 
of  fertilizers  according  to  the  reiiuirements  of 
the  soil  and  situation,  it  should  l>c  alwavs  re- 
membered that  manuring  (from  maims  = a iiand) 
originally  meant  the  handling  or  moving  of  the 
soiF;  hence  the  origin  of  the  bare  fallow  during 
the  summer  montiis  which  enabhsl  the  farmer 
to  thoroughly  turn  and  cle.an  his  land  in  iirepa- 
ration  for  wheat. 
This  turning  of  the  soil  and  exjtosing  it  to  the 
action  of  tbe  air  is  of  the  greatest  inqiortance  as 
an  agricultural  operation.  During  a professional 
visit  to  the  Vane  districts  of  Spain  in  1879  the  writer 
was  much  interested  iu  ob.serving  the  local  cus- 
tom of  treating  an  <dd  or  partially  exhausted 
Vineyard,  namely  by  digging  it  over  to  thedepth 
of  three  feet  and  so  loosening  the  soil  and  ex- 
])osing  it  to  the  atmosjihere  as  to  improve  the  me- 
chanical condition,  while  also  rendering  tlie  min- 
eral constituents  a\  ailable  as  ])lant  food. 
These  remarks  may  be  concluded  by  suggesting 
that  it  would  be  a useful  thing  to  ascertain  how 
far  the  regular  prunings  of  the  tea  jdant  consti- 
tute an  exhaustion. 
Let  the  ])runim.''s  from  ton  trees  lie  c.arefully 
collected  and  the  leaves  and  twigs  separated  and 
weighed  in  their  fresh  green  state. 
Let  these  be  cand'iilly  sun  driisl,  .again  weiglu'd, 
.anil  about  1 lb.  of  i,he  diied  leavers,  .and  in  111.  ot 
the  dried  twigs  sliould  be  packc'd  in  sealed  bottles 
and  forwarded  for  analysis  with  the  necessary  ]).ar- 
ticulars  of  the  number  of  tri'esper  acre,  and  tlie 
respective  weights  of  the  fresli  and  dried  leavi's 
ami  twigs. 
The  information  so  obt.ained  would  bn  of  prac- 
tical use  .and  if  the  .several  District  Associalioin 
w'oukl  each  take  the  matter  in  hand  ami  agree  to 
tlie  future  publication  of  the  results  in  a t.abnlated 
form,  thedet.ails  would  be  of  general  interest  to  the 
planting  community  of  the  Island. 
•lon.N  lluiniKs,  F.I.e. 
Agricultural  Analytical  Ciiemist, 
79,  Mark  Lane,  London,  E.C. 
May  3rd,  189.5. 
-V  
INDIAN  PATENTS. 
Calcutta,  May  2nd. 
Applications  in  respect  of  the  undermentioned  in- 
ventions have  been  hied,  during  the  week  ending 
the  27th  April  1895,  under  the  provisions  of  Act 
V of  1888  : — 
For  Improvements  iu  Apparatus  for  withering  Tea 
Leaf. — 115  of  ’95.— Robert  Thomson,  of  Kinuing  Parle 
FjUgine  Works,  Kinuing  Park,  in  the  Country  of 
Renfrew,  Scotland,  Engineer  and  Tea  Planter,  for 
improvements  in  app.aratus  for  withering  tea  leaf. 
Speciheatious  of  the  undermentioned  inventions  have 
been  hied,  under  the  provisions  of  Act  V'  of  1888 : — 
For  Improvements  in  or  connected  with  Stoves 
or  Apparatus  for  Drying  Tea  Leaf  or  other  produce. 
— 25  '95. — William  Jacksons  of  Thorngrove,  Manno- 
held,  Aberdeen,  North  Rritain,  Engineer,  for  im- 
provements in  or  connected  with  stoves  or  apjiaratus 
for  drying  tea  leaf,  coffee,  grain  or  other  produce. 
(Filed,  29th  January  1895.) 
The  fees  prescribed  have  beeir  paid  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  exclusive  privilege  in  respect  of  the 
undermentioned  inventions  for  the  periods  shown 
against  each  : — 
P’or  Improvements  relating  to  Electric  Traction. — 
56  of  ’91. — Alexander  Login  Linetf,  Electrical  En- 
gineer, of  88,  High  Road,  Chiswick,  in  the  County 
of  Middlesex  (England),  for  improvements  relating  to 
electric  traction.  (PTom  lUth  March  1895  to  9th 
March  1896.) 
Whereas  tlie  inventors  of  the  undermentioned  in- 
ventions have  respectively  failed  to  pay  the  fee  within 
the  time  limited  in  that  behalf  it  is  hereby  notified 
that  the  exclusive  privilege  of  making  selling,  and 
using  the  said  inventions  bas  ceased: — 
For  a “ ColTee-Poelcr ’’  to  be  c riled  “ The  Hussani 
Colfee-Peeler.’’ — 6ii  of  ’9i). — Mr.  8yod  Ameer  Alec’s 
invention  for  a “Coffee-Peeler’’  to  be  called  “The 
Hussani  Coffee-Peeler.’’  (Specification  filled  27th 
January  1891.) — Indian  and  Eaatcrn  Enjineer. 
THE  LOKANTHUS  OF  CEYLON. 
A paper  w.as  re.ad  by  Mr.  P'.  5Y.  Keeble  enti- 
tled ‘ Ohserv.rtiuns  on  tlie  Lorcantliaceie  of  Ceylon,’ 
in  which  country  tbe  autliof  had  made  a short 
sojourn  iu  1894.  After  remarking  that  in  (’('ylon 
many  sjiecie.s  of  J.orantliu.s  lia\c  large  .and  con- 
spicuous Mowers,  witli  the  corolla-tube  brightly 
coloured,  more  or  lo.ss  tubular  and  lobed,  he 
pointed  out  that  certain  deviations  from  the  ty- 
pical regularity  of  the  corolla-tube  were  corre- 
lated w ith  the  mode  of  fertilization  of  the  Mower 
by  sun-birds  (Nectarinea'),  and  this  w.as  made 
cie.ar  iiy  diagrams  and  some  excellent  coloured 
drawings.  Discussing  the  mode  of  distribution  of 
the  seed.s,  .Mr.  Keeble  lirst  quoted  the  views  of 
Kugler  and  I’i.antl,  and  the  remarks  iu  Ki'rner's 
‘ I’llanzenleben'  (English  (‘dition)  on  the  di.ssemi- 
iiation  of  the  Europi'au  misih-loe,  and  then  de- 
tailed his  own  obser\ atioiis  in  the  ca.se  of  tropical 
Lol  a, III haci'.'c.  'I'he  modi';;  of  germination  of  various 
specie;  of  Lorauthus  and  5’iscum  w.'ie  then  des- 
cribed, JUS  well  a;  the  cmwjiiiire  and  growth  of 
t!ie  hyiio'sityl,  .ami  the  ell’ecl  of  contact  on  the 
latter  and  on  its  suctoi-ial  disc  ; the  piipei'  coii- 
cbidiiig  with  some  remarks  on  the  forms  of  fruit 
and  seed  of  ( 'I'vlonese  species  of  Lora  nl  InU'eic. 
A(hni<niiii,  M;iy  1. 
