62 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[July  j,  t8g5. 
witli  great  ‘cantion.  He  instanceil  to 
me  a ci»ltee  estate  of  liis  own  on  some  ot>  acres 
of  wfiicli  lie.  had  lavishly  applieil  manure.  The 
herries  upon  the  trees  were  simply  wonderful 
to  see,  but  not  one  came  to  maturity,  and  the 
trees  were  completely  killed  ! It  seems  to  me 
that  with  regard  to  tea  manuring  you  rc(|uire 
a resident  e.xpert.  I believe  that  such  a man, 
althougli  perhaps  it  would  be  wise  to  have  him 
olHcially  selected,  need  not  be  a salaried  otticial. 
The  private  practice  he  would  be  sure  to  ob- 
tain would  probably  make  his  employment  in 
the  island  exceedingly  lucrative.  Of  course  in 
Mr.  John  Hughes  j'onr  jdanters  have  a mo.st 
competent  adviser,  but  I hardly  think  he  can 
do  all  that  could  be  done  by  a man  on  the  spot. 
many  urgent  eni{uiiics  for  plants  were  received  at 
this  office,  the  greater  proportion  of  which  vve  were 
able  to  supply,  and  wc  arc  now  making  provision  for 
a large  increase.  Eighty  of  our  nuts  make  a pound 
when  dry,  and  one  of  our  trees  produced  last  year 
nuts  to  the  number  of  1)90  or  over  12  lbs.  of  dry  pro- 
duce, this  at  1 :■)  per  lb.  gives  l.'>/  per  tree.  The  tree 
bearing  this  quantity  of  nuts  is  not  larger  than  the 
average  size  Cacao  tree  of  Trinidad,  but  is  somewhat 
taller,  and  has  received  no  special  culture  whatever. 
The  nuts  fall  when  ripe,  when  they  should  be  at 
once  collected,  peeled  and  placed  in  the  sun  to  dry, 
no  fermentation  being  necessary.  When  they  have 
become  partially  dry  the  outer  skin  of  the  •*  nut  ” 
or  seed  should  be  removed,  and  the  cotyledons  divided. 
When  this  stage  is  reached  the  drying  process  should 
proceed  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  when  the  nuts 
nave  become  hard  and  brittle,  they  are  fit  for  market. 
KOYAL  BOTANIC  GARDENS,  TRINIDAD. 
M'e  have  received  a copy  of  Annual  Report  for 
the  year  1894,  by  J.  H.  Hart,  F.L.-S.,,  C.M.I’.S., 
r M.s.  1,. , Superintendent,  and  ([uote  three  pata- 
<u-ai»hs  of  special  local  interest 
'' — The  varieties  of  Cacao  obtained  from 
Nicaragua  in  are  doing  fairly  well  with  the  ex- 
cention  of  Thoobroma  bicolor  which  appeal's  to  be 
particularly  tender  in  the  Gardens.  Plants  of  the 
old  Ceylon  lied  obtained  for  comparison  with  our 
varieties,  are  growing  vigorously.  In  December  Baron 
Efft^ers,  a Danish  Botanist,  who  has  interested  him- 
lai'Kely  in  economic  Botany,  visited  the  Gardens. 
He  was  accompanied  by  Senor  Seminariq  from 
Ecuador  who  is  largely  interested  in  Cacao  in  that 
country  I learnt,  from  him  that  they  have  several 
varieti'L  under  cultivation  which  are  not  present  m 
Trinidad,  and  I have  made  arrangements  to  obtain 
these  with  a view  to  comparing  their  qnahty  with  our 
own  produce.  It  should  be  remembered  that  Trini- 
dad depends  for  the  major  portion  of  her  crop  upon 
the  intioduced  variety  known  as  Forastero  or  loicign 
Cacao,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  other  iiitroduced 
varieties  will  thrive  as  well  as  the  Forasteio,  and,  it 
may  be  better,  and  that  “new  blood  will  be  of 
the*  greatest  service.  It  is  stated  that  m Ecuador 
the  Cacao  tree  grows  naturally,  attains  a large  size 
Ini  cultivation  is  of  the  most  primitive  character, 
the  crop  being  taken  practically  from  real  Cacao 
Forests  If  such  is  the  case  there  must  be  an  amount 
nf  vitnl’  energy  in  the  trees  which  our  varieties  do 
^ot  possess,  ami  it  becomes  desirable  in  the  interests 
of  our  planters  to  test  the  value  of  the  varieties 
cultivated.  A special  variety  mentioned  is  known  as 
“ Esmeralda  ’’  which  I am  informed  is  thin-skinned, 
lor  Coffoo  oUnls  not 
Uen  lo.  go  tl.U  j e»r,  ...icl  so  tor  ..  I om  »,v»re.  no 
systematic  planting  has  been  started. 
^Our  seedling.s  in  the  Nurseries  have  suffered  fiom 
the  disease  known  as  Ccno.spora  cqfienccla,  a leaf 
frmgus.  This  is  not  the  leaf  fungus  of  Ceylon  and 
is  probably  not  to  be  regarded  m a very  serious  light, 
for  althoimli  it  does  considerable  daina,ge  to  yoiiUn 
scedbngs,  Tt  1^^^^  not  been  found  to  injure  fruiting 
trees  to  any  appreciable  extent.  We  have  riii  tingtrees 
he  picture  of  health  with  scarcely  a leaf  injured 
while  close  beside  these,  are  nursery  beds  where  the 
f ungL  has  done  considerable  damage.  It  thus  appears 
tharonce  the  plant  gets  beyond  the  seedling  stage 
it  is  practically  safe  from  attack.  i 4. 
Coi  r Sterenlia  m H»uH«?«.-Among  the  plants  to 
to  which  especial  attention  basbbeen  directed  during 
the  past  year  has  been  Stf.rca/Ki.  acuiiniuifa,  01  the 
“ Cola  Nut,'’  and  a “ Circular  Note  ’ was  issued  cal - 
ing  atte.ition  to  the  advancing  price  of  Uic  maiket- 
nbffi  article.  The  Cola  tree  thrives  well  m Trinidad, 
as  it  simply  requires  the  same  conditions  and  soil  as 
Mit  its  “ cousin  ’ the  Cacao  tree.  There  cannot 
a doubt  that  'I’rinidad  can  in  a ew  very  tyears 
nt  a large  <|uantity  of  this  article  upon  the  market, 
f „rices  ^continue  to  rule  high  enough  to  make  it  ic- 
^ ifivo  to  tliG  irrowcr.  sent  houic  cliir- 
munciati  ijotanical  Department 
was  vaUiej  at  l/J  per  lb.,  and  011  this  becoming  known, 
PLANTATION  TOOL  PROSPECTS  IN 
CEYLON. 
The  makers  of  cultivating  tools  and  plantation 
implements  for  Indian  use  should  he  advantaged 
by  tlie  largo  develojmient  wliicli  has  of  late  at- 
tended the  raising  of  the  coconut  in  Ceylon. 
I’lantatioii  devoted  to  its  growtii  ap[iear  to  he 
in  a thriving  and  jirosjierons  condition.  The  jirices 
(in  silver)  of  tliis  fruit  lias  gone  up,  it  is  said, 
heyoiid  tlie  most  sanguine  expectations  of  tliose 
interested,  and  as  a result  tlie  cultivation  of  the 
nut  is  extending  rapidly.  Capitalists  are  inve.st- 
ing  their  money  in  cocoiint  plantations  with  the 
greatest  confidence,  and  the  acreage  of  the  new 
lands  that  Mill  he  ojiened  during  the  ensuing 
planting  sc.ason  will  he  much  over  what  it  has 
been  in  jirevions  years.  The  question  that  sng- 
gest.s  itself  is  whether  the  present  prices  will 
keep  lip,  or,  if  they  should  come  down,  how  far 
it  may  apjireciahly  affect  the  industry.  No  other 
plantation  proiliict,  whether  native  or  English, 
rice  or  tea,  could  stand  just  at  jiresent  a fifty 
))er  cent  reduction,  hut  “it  can  he  safely  said 
that  coconuts  could  survive  even  a much  greater 
reduction.  The  price  may  drop  through  over- 
production. But  such  an  eventuality  as  this  is 
not  likely  to  occur  for,  perhaiis,  ten  years,  or  till 
all  the  young  ))lantations  in  existence  come  into 
hearing.  Yaliies  may  fall  through  a waning  of 
the  demand,  hut  it  is  stated  that  there  is  no  imme- 
diate likelihood  of  any  other  growth  rejilacing 
coconut,  even  partially.  In  fact,  the  fiehl  for 
coconut  products  is  daily  extending.  It  is  ad- 
mitted that  the  fall  of  exchange  has  not  been 
without  influence  in  iiromoting  this  industry. 
Yet  none  the  less  is  the  intelligence  we  are  able 
to  communicate  matter  for  much  satisfaction  to 
the  cultivating  and  plantation  tool-making  in- 
dustry.— 1 inplcmcnt  and  Machhunj  licrkir. 
In  SKL.VNtK)!!,  1,02(1  acres  of  customary  land 
have  been  taken  u}i  for  the  avowed  jmrpose  of 
planting  Liberian  coffee.  Of  these  500  acres  have 
been  given  out  during  the  ]iast  year.  All  coffee 
estates  with  tw'o  exceptions  ha\  c begun  to  shew 
crops,  the  older  trees  on  Weld's  Hill  yielding  as 
much  as  10  pikuls  to  the  acre. — Pinani]  Gazette. 
SMOKERS  SHOFLI)  USE 
CALVERT’S  DENTO-PHENOLENE, 
K I!. von  A NT  UOIMI)  nKNTfITMCK  AND 
Moiri'ii-WAsib 
Editor  of  Jhrdth  -ay.--; — “The  most  effec'tivi- 
jireparat  ion  for  ridding  I he  mouf  li  of  the  aroma 
of  tobacco,  and  lea\ing  a,  pleasant  taste." 
Sold  in  l.s-  (kf.,  -•■<.  (in'.,  and  1 lb.  7<-  0'/.  bottles, 
by  (‘bemisfs,  Nc. 
F.  C>  CALVERT  & CO.,  MANaiBsiuK. 
