Aua.  I,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
CEYLON  MANUAL  OE  ClfEMfCAL 
ANAIA'SE.S. 
A reeeiit  number  of  The  Chemical  Xews  has  the 
following  review  of  Mr.  M.  Cochran’s  useful  volume 
printed  and  published  at  this  office:  — 
A Handbook  of  Analysks  connected  with  tlie  in- 
dustries 8,11-1  Public  Health  of  Ceylou.  For  Planters, 
Commercial  Men,  Agricultural  Students,  and  Mem- 
bers of  Local  Boards.  By  M.  Cochran,  -m.a..  f.c.s.. 
Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the  Ceylon  Medical  College, 
City  Analyist  to  the  Municipality  of  Colombo,  Mem- 
ber of  the  Ceylon  Branch  of  the  Boyal  .\siatic  Society. 
Colombo:  A.  M.  A and  J.  Ferguson.  Jjondon : Kegan 
Paual,  Triibner,  A Co. ; Geo.  Street  A Co. ; J.  Haddon 
& Co.  189.5. 
This  work  ought  to  be  highly  prized  not  merely 
by  the  classes  to  whom  it  more  directly  apjieals,  but 
by  every  true  Briton.  Tropical  and  Subtropical  agri- 
culture is  a pursuit  in  which  a large  portion  of  our 
national  capital  is  invested,  and  engaging  directly 
or  indirectly  a still  larger  proportion  of  our  industin-. 
It  may  claim  our  attention  tlie  more  urgently 
as  it  is  now  attacked  on  various  sides.  The  para- 
sitic fungi  and  animalcules  of  tropical  regions,  the 
synthetic  chemistry  of  Germany,  the  development  of 
rival  product.s,  and  the  frauds  of  our  own  merchants, 
are  all  tending  to  reduce  the  most  valuable  lands  of 
India,  the  West  Indies,  etc.,  to  useless  deserts.  Hence 
the  instinct  of  self-preservation  should  urge  us  to 
bring  all  the  resources  of  ch  mical  and  biological 
science  to  bear  on  the  questions  involved. 
To  this  good  task  Mr.  Cochran  here  supplies  a 
valuable  contribution.  He  does  not  attempt  to  lay 
down  new  or  special  methods  of  chemicii  analysi  s 
but  gives  us  results.  He  gives  us,  firstly  a view  of 
the.  00  nposition  of  the  soils  and  rocks,  showing  us 
the  conditions  under  which  such  determinations 
are  to  bo  trusted  here  supplied  it  would  seem 
that  the  soils  of  Ceylon  are  very  rich  in  quartz 
and  insoluble  silicates.  He  explains  the  demands 
made  upon  the  soil  respectively  by  cofl'ee,  tea  cin- 
chona. and  cacao,  and  what  manures  are  needed  to 
keep  up  a supply  of  suitable  plant-food.  Unfor- 
tunately. as  far  at  least  as  coft'eo  is  concerned,  its 
failure  in  Ceylon  cannot  he  remedied  by  any  fer- 
tilisers, since  it  is  due  to  a parasitic  fungus.  Tliis 
pest  is  spreading  to  Fiji,  and  we  fear  to  .lava. 
Whether  a richer  manure  tvould  enable  the  coffee 
trees  to  resist  the  enemy  remains  to  bo  i)roved, 
and  perhaps  chemical  research  may  lead  us  to  some 
fungoids  a!ble  to  destroy  the  scourge. 
We  next  pass  to  cereals,  especially  rice.  The 
proportion  of  phosphoric  acid  in  the  mineral  matter 
of  rice  is  relatively  high.  According  to  the  analysis 
of  Kellner,  Japanese  rice  is  richer  in  fatty  matter 
than  that  of  America  or  of  India. 
A table  is  here  given  showing  the  average  com- 
position of  cereal  grains  as  produced  in  different 
countries,  no  Ceylon  samples  having  been  apparently 
analysed.  Nor  do  we  find  any  analyses  of  Australian 
or  African  grains. 
As  regards  the  cultivation  of  rice,  the  author  re- 
commends that  it  should  receive  nitrogen  both  in 
the  form  of  nitrates  and  of  ammonical  salts.  We 
regret  to  find  that  there  is  no  analysis  given  of  the 
drainage-waters  from  rice-fields.  This  water  is  said 
to  be  especially  dangerous,  and  it  would  be  impor- 
tant to  know  if  this  opinion  is  well-founded,  and  if 
so,  whether  the  mischief  is  due  to  chemical  ingre- 
dients or  to  the  presence  of  morbific  organisms. 
The  products  of  the  coconut  palm  are  considered  at 
some  length.  The  yearly  value  of  a coconut  planta- 
tion on  good  soil  is  said  to  be  .£8  15s  per  acre.  Atten- 
tion is  called  to  coconut  butter,  an  article  recently 
placed  upon  the  market,  and  in  many  respects  supe- 
rior to  the  margarines. 
The  tea-crop  makes  a heavy  demand  upon  the 
potash,  and  the  phosphoric  acid  in  the  soil.  There 
18  no  special  mention  of  the  composition  of  the  soil 
of  the  “ Mazawattee  ” estate,  which  is  now,  according 
to  advertisers,  producing  such  a large  proportion  of 
of  the  tea  consumed  in  Britain. 
The  tannin  question  is  not  overlooked.  The  author 
quotes  Mr.  Hooper  for  the  statement  that  the  finest 
teas  are  those  which  contain  most  tannin.  A short 
12 
time  ago  an  attempt  was  made  to  depreciate  Indian 
and  Ceylonese  teas  in  comparison  with  those  of 
China,  on  account  of  the  greater  proportion  of 
tannin  which  the  former  were  asserted  to  contain. 
The  differences  which  the  p.itriotic  (?)  authors  so 
eagerly  pointed  out  seemed  duo  not  to  any  inherent 
difference  in  the  (piality  of  the  tea,  but  to  a different 
manner  of  preparation. 
Cinchona  barks  are  cultivated  in  Ceylon  on  a com- 
mercial scale,  the  principal  sjiecies  being  C .iiicciruln-a. 
C.  ofhciiiaU.-i,  and  (.'.  caJi.'«n/a.  The  proportion  of 
quinine  in  the  xucri rabra  natural  bark  is  1'20  per  cent, 
and  the  renewed  bark  in  addition  to  cinchoni- 
dine,  quinidine,  and  cinchonine. 
The  cacao  grown  in  Ceylon  is  chiefly  the  C.araccas 
variety,  and  it  is  much  esteemed  for  the  manufacture 
of  chocolate.  Much  of  it  is  exported  first  to  America, 
and  thence  to  iMexico.  According  to  the  analysis  of  Dr. 
Tatlock,  F.it.s.K.,  it  is  exceptionally  rich  in  albuine- 
noids  and  in  the  characteristic  alkaloid  theobro- 
mine. It  is  an  exhausting  crop  as  regards  pho.sphorio 
acid. 
Into  the  useful  information  on  tobacco,  areca-nuts, 
arnatto,  coca  (erythroxylon),  cotton,  and  datura,  space 
does  not  allow  us  to  entei. 
Pepper,  opium,  indigo,  and  ipecacuanha  do  not 
seem  to  I’ank  among  the  agricultural  productions  of 
Ceylon. 
The  latter  part  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  sanitary 
analysis.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  only  sample 
of  lemonade  which  came  under  the  author’s  hands 
contained  a considerable  quantity  of  arsenic  ! It  is 
noticed  that  the  sender  had  ‘‘  merely  tasted  it’’ — a fact 
which  raises  some  difficult  questions. 
In  fine,  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  this  hook  de- 
serves to  be  warmly  recommended. 
TEA  ON  THE  NILGIIIS. 
Tltr.  CKVr.ON  IMI’OUT  TK.V  Diri'V. 
THK  AMK1!K:.Y\  I'K.V  CA>tPAI(iN. 
Till-;  XKW  llO.MliAV  ti-:a  MAKK'KT. 
Last  month  the  Nilgiri  Planters’  Association  ap- 
pointed a small  Sub-Committee  of  five  of  its  members 
to  enquire  into  one  or  two  points  connected  with  the 
tea  industry.  The  question  of  chief  interest  had  re- 
ference to  import  duty  on  tea  in  Ceylon,  and  after 
due  consideration  the  Sub-Committee  fi'amed  this 
Besolution  on  behalf  of  the  Association  : — “That  this 
Association,  deeming  it  improbable  that  Government 
would  consider  any  proposal  to  impose  a protective 
import  duty  on  ‘foreign’  tea  coming  into  India — and 
so  follow  the  precedent  afforded  by  Ceylon  for  many 
years — informs  the  United  Planters’  Association  of 
Southern  India  that,  in  its  opinion,  it  is  useless  to 
agitate  in  that  direction,  but  that  it  is  in  favour  of 
the  Government  of  Ceylon  being  approached  with  a 
request  to  remove  the  present  prohibitory  import  duty 
on  ‘foreign’  teas  introduced  into  that  Island  and  so 
to  enable  Indian  tea  planters  to  enjoy  in  Ceylon 
privileges  which  India  extends  to  Ceylon  tea-pro- 
ducers.’’ This  is  a very  sensible  resolution,  in  that 
there  is  every  chance  of  its  producing  some  x’osult. 
The  matter  now  rests  with  the  IT.  P.  A.  S.  I.,  which 
must  represent  the  matter  in  its  proper  light  to  the 
Governor  of  Ceylon,  and  at  the  same  same  time  ask 
the  Ceylon  Planters’  Association  and  the  Colombo 
Chamber  of  Commerce  for  their  support.  The  Sub- 
committee, already  referred  to,  at  the  same  meeting 
as  the  foregoing  Resolution  was  passed  at,  placed 
on  record  that  it  was  unanimously  in  favour  of  sup- 
porting the  Indian  Tea  Association.  With  that 
view  the  Honorary  Secretaiy  was  asked  to  find  out 
in  what  manner  (whether  by  acreage  or  per  pound 
of  tea  turned  out)  subscriptions  were  levied  from 
other  bodies  joining  that  Association.  It  was  fur- 
ther agreed  that  wdien  this  information  had  been 
received,  an  enhanced  subscription  should  be  levied 
(per  pound  of  the  produced  or  otherwise)  with  which 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  directly  pushing  Nilgiri 
teas  in  other  markets.  We  are  glad  to  find  that  the 
Nilgiri  planters  are  not  going  to  stand  aloof  from  the 
American  campaign.  Money  is  needed,  and  as  what- 
ever good  is  acnieved  must  affect  the  whole  industry 
