Aug.  I,  1895.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURTS  P.  13T 
COFFEE  PLANTING  IN  MEXICO. 
City  of  Me.kico,  ]May2U. — Thedeniaiul  I'ur  good 
coftee  lands  ia  Mexico  continues,  altliongli  few 
sales  of  iniportaiice  liave  been  rciiorted  recently, 
and  the  work  of  planting  young  collee  trees  g(jcs 
on  without  abating.  It  may  be  said  tliat  with- 
in tlie  last  three  years  the  collee  industry  of 
Mexico  has  receiveil  more  attention  than  all 
others  combined  ; it  now,  according  to  the  Tioo 
Republics,  “ ranks  second  or  third  in  impor- 
tance,” and  it  is  believed  that  within  a few 
years  it  will  take  first  place,  leaving  silver 
mining  the  second  place.  There  is  every  I'eason 
why  coffee  culture  should  assume  a very 
important  place  among  Mexican  industries  ; 
the  wonder  is,  in  fact,  that  it  should  not  have 
taken  that  place  long  ago.  But  there  is  no  reason 
why  other  industries  quite  as  reliable  and  remu- 
nerative should  be  abandoned  for  coffee.  Yet  at 
])resent  there  is  danger  of  too  much  attention 
being  given  to  coffee.  It  is  a convenient  fact  that 
the  soil  that  will  produce  coffee  will  also  protluce 
many  other  valuable  articles  of  commerce ; so 
that  on  the  same  i)lantation  may  be  grown 
coffee,  sugar,  tobacco,  and  cotton,  besides  cereals 
and  vegetables.  Of  course,  all  these  crops  cannot 
be  grown  everywhere  ; but  there  are  many  .sections 
where  they  can  be,  and  everywhere  in  the  semi- 
tropical  regions  the  majority  of  them  can  be  grown. 
This  being  the  case,  it  would  seem  to  be  rash  to  jjlace 
all  one’s  reliance  on  a single  crop,  no  matter  what 
that  one  may  be.  In  fact,  the  future  of  the 
tobacco  and  sugar  industries  of  Mexico  is  pro- 
bably as  bright  as  that  of  coffee.  The  quality 
of  Mexico’s  tobacco  is  being  constantly  imp>'oved 
as  tlie  planters  gain  experience,  and  the  foreign 
demand  for  it  is  constantly  increasing  ; ,so  that 
it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  the  time  is 
not  very  far  distant  vdien  tobacco  growing  will 
be  one  of  the  country’s  greatest  industries.  ^Yhen 
it  is  stated  that,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
Mexico  probably  possesses  more  first-class  sugar 
lands  than  .any  other  country,  she  does  not 
manufacture  enough  sugar  to  supply  the  home 
market,  it-  will  be  understood  that  there  is  a 
future  for  the  sugar  business  in  Mexico.  In 
some  sections  cotton  must  assert  its  impor- 
tance, and  should  not  be  neglected  in  those  sec- 
tions, .since  Mexico,  instead  of  exporting  that 
fibre,  is  actually  importing  it.  Then  there  are 
the  cereals  which  grow  practically  everywhere 
coffee  does,  and  many  valuable  vegetables  that 
the  coffee  planter  should  not  neglect.  Experience 
has  everywhere  proved  that  it  is  not  wise  to 
centre  all  hopes  in  a single  crop.  The  Southern 
plautei's  of  the  LTnited  States  have  learned  by 
bitter  ex])erience  that  it  will  not  do  to  place 
their  entire  trust  in  sugar  or  cotton  ; but  iu  both 
combined  they  may  rely,  or  in  either  combined 
with  cereals  or  vegetables.  The  coffee  growers 
of  Mexi(s>  should  likewise  be  fruit  growers,  sugar 
growers,  and  tobacco  growers,  as  well.  One  crop 
may  fail,  and  possibly  two,  but  it  is  very  seldom 
that  all  crops  bail  ; there  may  be  over|jroduction 
of  one  crop,  but  hardly  more  than  one  the 
same  year.’’ 
^ 
WALNUT-SHELLS  IN  GROUND  CINNAMON. 
It  appears  that  there  is  a big  demand  in  certain 
quarters  of  commercial  London  for  walnut-shells, 
which  are  used  for  adulterating  ground  cinnamon. 
Dr.  Bernard  Dyer  and  F.  H.  Gilbard  have  been 
looking  into  the  matter,  and  they  say  in  the  Anahjst 
that  tne  microscopic  detection  of  powdered  walnut- 
shells  in  the  cinnamon  is  not  difficult,  the  scle- 
17 
renchyma  of  each  being  so  different.  The  following 
figures  of  the  chemical  examination  seem,  however, 
to  be  more  generally  useful : — 
0 " 1 ^ * • 
Average  of 
Ground 
five  t 
iamples  of 
walnut- 
chip-s  and  iiuill 
shells 
Moisture  (lo.ss  at  lOUdeu;  C) 
12-11 
9-97 
Approximate  volatile  e.s.seu- 
tial  oil 
1’57 
0-27 
Fixed  ether  extract 
2 14 
l-(iO 
Alcoholic  extract  after  ether 
12-.57 
3-()7 
Total  asli  le.ss  sand 
4-22 
0-S7 
Asli  soluble  ill  water 
0-40 
0-37 
Ash  insoluble  in  water  - 
2-70 
0-30 
Fibre 
34-25 
47'(i7 
Nitrogen 
0-.51 
0-20 
The  items  ‘volatile  oil,’ 
‘ acoholic 
extract,’ 
soluble  ash,’  and  ‘ nitrogen  ’ would  all  be  of  assistance 
in  calculating  the  pei'centages  in  mixture  of  ground 
cinnamon  and  walnut  shells.— CAewwf  and  Dnuj<jint. 
CULTIVATION  OF  THE  ROSE. 
(IJY  A HOO.STER,  FLORI.ST,  INDIANA. ) 
Situation  and  Soil. — The  rose  does  not  require  as 
sunny  a situation  as  is  often  given  it,  but  can  be 
grown  far  more  satisfactorily  if  planted  where  it 
will  get  all  the  morning  sun,  but  be  shaded  through 
the  afternoon  ; and  they  should  not  be  planted  so 
near  to  trees  as  to  be  overhung  by  them. 
The  best  soil  for  rose  gardens  is  a compost  of  two 
parts  rotted  sods  and  one  part  well  decayed  manure. 
The  manure  should  not  be  on  the  surface,  but 
buried  down  into  the  earth,  for  the  roots  of  roses 
penetrate  a considerable  distance.  A quantity  of 
fine  gravel  and  sand  mixed  through  the  soil  will 
be  highly  beneficial,  as  this  will  give  a drainage. 
SuMMEK  Treatment. — If  the  season  is  hot  and 
dry,  the  first  part  of  July  spread  the  clippings  of 
the  lawn  around  the  rose  bushes,  to  the  depth  of 
six  inches  ; the  growth  will  then  not  be  retarded 
by  the  drought,  and  the  latter  part  of  August  will 
give  again  a shower  of  fine  bloom.  Shallow  hoeing 
can  be  practiced  weekly  with  good  results.  A liberal 
supply  of  water  twice  a week  will  be  sufficient,  un- 
less the  season  is  very  dry. 
Stimui.ants. — The  best  stimulant  is  liquid  manure 
made  from  old  rotted  cow  manure.  To  prepare  it 
take  two  gallons  of  manure,  pour  over  it  boiling 
water  to  extract  the  strength  and  destroy  insect 
life.  The  liquid  drained  from  this  quantity  of  manure 
and  mixed  with  clear  water,  until  it  is  the  color 
of  tea  will  be  sufficient  to  water  three  dozen  rose 
bushes. 
Soot  tea  can  also  be  used  occasionally  w'ith  happy 
results.  A quart  of  boiling  w'ater  poured  over  a 
table-spoonful  of  soot  will  make  a fine  fertilizer. 
One  half-pint  of  this  liquid  can  be  used  to  each 
plant  once  every  month.  The  two  stimulants  must 
not  be  used  together. 
Ants  a Pest  in  the  Garden. — It  ia  very 
often  the  case  when  rose  bushes  do  not  thrive  as 
they  should,  that  the  trouble  is  caused  by  ants 
burrowing  around  them.  A good  remedy  for  this 
is  to  dig  a good  coating  of  ashes  into  the  soil 
around  them.  This  never  fails  to  drive  all  insects 
from  the  soil,  and  soon  the  bushes  will  resume  a 
healthy  look,  and  grow  all  the  better  from  the  appli- 
cation of  this  fertilizer. 
Grubs. — The  grey  grub  is  very  destructive  to 
young  rose  bushes.  The  surest  and  best  way  to 
get  rid  of  the  grubs  is  to  lift  the  bush  and  search 
the  soil  carefully.  They  are  often  found  one  foot 
away.  Before  planting  again  scatter  a little  wood 
ashes  through  the  soil.  Grubs  are  not  found  of  soil 
which  contains  wood  ashes. 
Insecticides. — There  is  nothing  better  to  keep  rose 
bushes  free  from  all  kinds  of  insects  than  tobacco 
insecticide  soap.  If  this  is  used  on  the  foliage  there 
will  be  no  trouble  with  lice,  worms  or  any  of  the  many 
pests  which  soon  destroy  the  foliage  and  flowers. — 
The  MaxiHowor. 
