Aug.  j,  I.S95.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
99 
euonyinuf!,  dogwood,  and  maple,  and  .a  most 
Injautiful  Idood-red  slirulj  that  well  deserves  its 
name  of  Acer  m)igidncnm.  Everywliore  tliere  is 
an  extraordinary  i>rofnsion  and  variety  of  eolonr 
to  delij^lit  tlie  eye.  And  siglit  is  not  tlie  only 
sen.se  to  he  deliglited  in  this  seduetive  paradise. 
The  air  is  sweet  witli  most  delicious  setents, 
and  the  groves  aie  musical  with  th«  songs  of 
hi  i ds.  — Spectator. 
\TSIT  OE  A BOTANIST. 
Dr.  I’hil  Carl  Holtermann  of  Munster,  M'est- 
phalia.  is  on  his  way  out  to  J.ava  w here  he  will 
stay  a year  or  so  at  Buitenzorg,  siiecially  study- 
ing the  “fungi,”  and  .afterwards  visiting  New' 
tJuine.a,  Borneo,  and  Sumatr.a.  Dr.  Holterm.ann 
has  been  a few  weeks  in  Ceylon,  ehietly  with 
Mr.  Nock  at  Penuleniya  and  Hakgalla.  He  is 
anxious  to  see  our  pitcher  plant  (Xepnitfie.'i 
distWatorki)  which  used  to  he  \ery  common  in 
the  damp  hollows  between  the  Museum  and 
Victoria  Park,  and  sjiecimens  of  which,  we 
trust,  are  still  to  be  found  in  that  neighbour- 
hood to  interest  such  visitors  as  Dr.  Holter- 
rnaim.  If  not,  they  can  be  freely  seen  oil'  the 
Calle  road  near  Mount  Lavinia  and  Piatimilane. 
We  shall  take  care  Dr.  Holtermann  sees  at 
least  one  plant  before  he  leaves  by  the  ss. 
“ Bayern”  on  the  21st.  He  hopes  to  si>end  a 
month  in  Ceylon  on  his  return  .and  to  meet  Dr. 
Triinen. 
THE  EAST  CINNAMON  SALES. 
M^e  were  able,  in  hast  AVednesday's  issue,  only 
tt)  call  attention  to  the  Report  of  a lemling 
Firm  of  London  Agents,  on  the  (^i.arterly  Sale 
of  Cinnamon  held  in  .Mincing  Lane  on  the  27th 
.May  last.  The  prices  realized  were  in  every 
way  satisfactory — we  mean,  having  regard  to 
those  which  ha<l  ruled  for  months  .and  ye.ars 
past,  tlmugh  values  have  not  by  any  means 
approximated  to  those  which  the  s]>ice  h.ad 
fetched,  say  in  the  sixties  and  .sexenties.  At 
the  Febru.ary  Sale.«,  there  w'as  a slight  .advance, 
which  was  .s.aid  to  be  ehietly  due  to  the  limite<l 
(juantity  ottered — only  766  bales — and  to  the 
scarcity  of  line  ipnalities.  As  wo  noted  .at  the 
time,  only  two  of  the  well-known  marks  aggre- 
.gating  le.ss  than  100  bales,  were  then  represented, 
A.S.G.P.  (<lolua  Pokuna).aml  P.  B.,  Er.anklands 
— the  hatter  only  a small  parcel  of  9 bales  which 
showed  an  advance  of  fully  1 id  a lb.  It  was  feared 
that  fuller  su[M)lies  might  attect  prices  prejudi- 
cially at  the  May  sale  ; but  so  f.ar  from  tins  being 
the  case,  the  whole  of  the  1,068  bales  ottered 
found  buyers  and  there  was  an  ath  ance  in  price 
in  all  grades,  from  id  to  as  Touch  as  Lid.  The 
cheering  features  are,  that  none  of  the  Cinnamon 
nail  to  be  bought  in,  and  that  the  common  and 
medium  barks  shared  in  the  advance.  At  the 
Eel>ruiiry  sale,  it  w,as  only  line  that  showed  any 
appreci.able  lise  in  price.  Nor  can  the  general 
rise  be  referi'ed  to  a limited  supply,  as  in  M.ay 
last  year,  the  quantity  which  ottered  was  mucli 
the  same — 1,078  bales  ; so  that  we  are  entitled 
to  assume  that  there  is  an  improving  demand  for 
our  spice.  It  c.annot  be  s<aiil  th.at  there  has  been 
d-iiy  .serious  falling-ott'  in  our  Exports,  though 
from  the  better  known  estates  there  have  been 
oom[Tlaints  of  the  ettect  of  recent  droughts  and 
of  tlie  scarcity  of  peelers.  Somehow,  the  Cus- 
toms tigures  .are  m.aintained,  chiefly,  we  sus- 
pect, from  the  produce  of  Native  Cardens, 
from  which  in  emergencies  bark  is  obtained 
13 
all  the  yoai’  I'omid.  Anyw-ay.  ISOf  wiih  an  ex- 
poi't  of  (dose  on  two  million  lb.  of  (piilk-d  bark, 
was  .a  good  axerage  yeai',  the  ipiantity  shipped 
h.aving  been  exceedeil  only  thrice  before  at  in- 
terxals.  This  year,  too,  the  e.xpmts  hax'e  been 
f.air — the  ipnintity  of  ipiilled  bark  being  in  excess 
of  th.at  exporteil  duiing  the  con’csponding  [leriods 
of  the  txvo  last  years,  ;uid  having  been  exceeded 
in  1S!)2  liy  onl}'  ."itkOOO  lb. ; x\  hil(>  in  chiiis  tlie 
current  year  is  xvell  ahead  <p1'  the  jpast  thi'ce 
ye.ars  with  more  than  10U,OUOlb.  in  exce.s.s.  The 
exidanation  of  the  statistical  position  of  the 
article  being  good  is,  xve  suppose,  that  there  have 
been  hirger  delixeries.  Can  any  expert  tell  us 
what  is  the  expl.anation  of  tliis'r  \\'e  haxe  i(‘- 
cenlly  reail  of  the  value  of  cinnamou  as  au  .anti- 
septic being  recognized  in  W'esteni  iMedicine — 
the  nativess  h.ave  .always  bcliexi'd  in  its  etiiciicy  as 
such —.and  in  a sick  room,  especi.ally  in  typhoiil,  xve, 
h.ave  he.ard  that  a small  tju.antity  burnt  at  intervals 
in  .a  brazier  has  a very  xvlmlesome  ell'ect.  Then, 
there  xvas  much  t.alk  a short  time  ago  of  its  elliciicy 
— has  the  statement-been  con lirmed  by  loc;il  medical 
experienced — in  cases  of  cancer;  but  it  is  hardly 
likely  these  have  told  appreciably  ou  the  de- 
mand. Its  chief  use  is  for  Hiix-ouring  pur[)oses — 
the  groxving  consumption  of  chocohitc  and  cocoa 
preiiarations  should  le;id  to  an  .active  <lem,and  — 
and  in  the  iireiTaration  of  incense  in  Rom.an 
Catholic  countries.  M'hatexer  the  explanation, 
the  imjTroveil  demand  iunl  the  cmiseiiuent  better 
}irices  must  be  good  nexvs  to  long-sullciing  I’ro- 
prietors,  and  will  xxe  trust  continue  and  oxen 
gi'oxv  ; for  even  on  the  best  estates  the  lu’otits 
from  cinnamon  are  but  small,  as  compareil  xvith 
te.a  ami  coconuts.  Let  us  hope  ,a  good  time  is 
coming  for  our  historical  spice. 
Turning  to  the  c.atalogue  xx  e lind  Colua  l‘okun:i, 
the  xvell-knoxvn  Kadii'iin.a  piopeily  oxvned  by  tin* 
family — the  propriettir,  xve  beliexe  died  .as  j\l.aym' 
of  Bristol — heading  the  list  xvith  its  spice  selling 
u|)  to  Is  -hi  jier  lb.  l'\  S.  W.  S. — Wi'stei- 
Seaton  the  propeity  of  the  xelei-.an  l''l•t‘d(M■ick 
Schr.ader — runs  in  its  neighbmiThood  xvith  mices 
ranging  only  bl  less  ; and  is  closely  folloxveil  by 
Kimbulpitiy.a  (.also  Mr.  Schradei’s  propeidy)  ami 
the  marks  of  Raj.aji.akse  iMml.aliyai',  xvhich 
fetched  ]>rices  up  to  Is  Id.  The  meiliuiii  marks 
r.an  up  to  9d  ; <iml  even  “uuxvorked  ” cinn.amon 
— th.at  protest  against  neeille.ss  ami  expensixe 
handling  of  the  spice  in  London  Docks  and 
"Warehouses — was  not  neglecteil,  as  it  usually  is 
at  the  auctions,  but  xv.as  all  tiikmi  otV  at  pi  ices 
ranging  from  6id  to  .S.fd  per  lb.  (Jood  so  far  ; 
and  we  .are  not  surjuised  to  find  (diinamou  re- 
ported loc.ally  .as  “ tirm.”  May  it  be  alxx  ays  so  I 
NOTE  ON  E.VriLAri’ION  OE  AO  .WE 
AMERICANA  KIBKE  AT  COEMB.Vl'Oi:  E. 
When  on  tour  in  the  Madras  Presideuoy  in  ls'g-2 
I was  much  struck  witli  the  excellent  quality  of  the 
fibre  of  A/fare  americana,  which  xvt.s  cxpo.sed  for 
sale  in  many  shops  in  the  Coimbatore  b.iz  ir.  small 
q antitj’  of  the  fibre  was  sent  for  report  to  t!ie  Impe 
rial  Institute,  in  connection  with  whicji  I xvas  at  that 
time  engaged  in  the  investigation  of  fibres  of  Indian 
production  which  are,  or  might  be,  utilized  for  brusii 
manufacture.* 
Quite  recently  the  Madras  Agri-Horticultural  Society 
received  a communication  from  Dr.  T.  Cooke,  Tech- 
nical Sub-Director  of  the  Imperial  Institute,  South 
Kensington,  stating  that  fibre  of  A'lare  amen'- 
* See  Imperial  Institute,  Hand-book  of  Commercial 
Products,  No.  12,  Fibres  used  for  Brush-making. 
