Aug.  I,  1895. 1 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUL'PURIST. 
135 
All  raw  material  has  to  bear  duty.  For  Pianos, 
organs  and  harmoniums: — Wires,  reeds,  felts,  leathers, 
celluloid,  &c. ; Framing  : — Moulding,  glass  and  boards 
for  backs  as  well  as  cardboards  for  mounts.  Golf 
Clubs,  d'c.,  all  raw  materials  pay  duty.  We  are 
making  the  last  by  the  gross  at  a time.  Our  new 
Oil  Engine  is  likely  to  be  ready  for  work  early  next 
week ; but  how  wrong  that  we  have  to  pay  25  cents 
duty  on  every  gallon  of  oil  used  for  it. 
We  trust  tlie  time  i.s  fast  approaching  when 
Ceylon  may  have  a far  more  enlightened  Customs 
Taritf  than  the  i)resent  one. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Centbai.  Tea  Company  of  Ceylon,  Ltd. — Under 
this  title  a new  company  has  just  been  registered, 
with  a capital  of  £45,000  in  10  shares.  Object,  to 
carry  into  effect  a certain  agreement,  and  to  acquire 
certain  tea  estates  in  the  island  of  Ceylon.  The 
directors  are  J.  S.  Holmes,  H.  K.  PiUtherford,  and 
W.  H.  Anderson,  tjualification,  £250.  Remuneration 
to  be  fixed  by  the  company.  Registered  office,  21, 
Mincing  Lane,  E.C. — II.  and  C.  Mail. 
Value  of  Plantation  Propekty  in  Coorg. 
— From  the  Travancore  Star  do  we  get  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  paragraph.  Sue!)  estimates 
have  seldom  been  made  outside  of  Ceylon  : — 
The  planters  of  Coorg  have  done  a wise  thing  in 
trying  to  estimate  the  value  of  their  industry.  Be- 
ing a first  attempt,  it  cannot  be  viewed  as  more  than 
an  approximation  to  accuracy,  but  it  goes  far  to  show 
the  magnitude  of  the  interests  involved,  and  for  the 
reason  will  be  found  useful.  According  to  this  estimate 
European  and  Native  Coffee  Estates  in  Coorg  repre- 
sent a capital  value  of  from  ,£1,700,000  to  £2,000,000, 
they  circulate  annually  about  £300,000  in  upkeep  and 
employ  .50,000  labourers.  Coorg  is  a small  province 
p.na  if  it  can  show  so  large  a stake,  how  much  larger 
must  that  be  of  the  Nilgiris  and  Malabar,  the  She- 
varoys,  the  Pulnis  and  Travancore  combined. 
A Camhpor  INDU.STRY. — We  have  seen  nothing 
to  discourage  planters  of  camphor  tree.s  from 
anticipating  a time  wlien  such  tree.s  sliould  prove 
jirofitable  yielder.s  of  the  valuable  ]iroduct,  or  add 
considerably  to  the  wealth  of  their  projierties.  Cin- 
chona trees  in  South  America  forests  were  very 
old  in  many  cases  ; hut  marketable  bark  was 
also  got' freely  from  trees  of  live  years  and  up- 
wards.— Here  is  .an  account  of  the  ])iocess  of  cam- 
phor e.xtraction ; — 
After  a tree  is  felled,  the  wood  is  cut  into  chips, 
which  are  placed  in  the  rude  boiler  or  still.  This  is 
provided  with  a false  bottom,  through  which  the 
steam  rises,  and  as  it  passes  through  the  wood  it 
carries  with  it  the  camphor.  The  vapor  is  then 
conducted  by  the  pipe  to  a condenser  containing 
several  partitions  filled  with  cold  water ; in  the  sides 
of  these  partitions  are  aiiertures  opening  alternately, 
so  that  the  vapor  takes  a circuitous  route,  and  in 
the  passage  the  camphor  is  deposited  in  crystals 
upon  the  bamboo  screens.  From  these  screens  the 
crystals  can  be  readily  removed,  and  they  provide  an 
efficient  means  for  draining  off  the  oil.  The  process  is 
an  ancient  one,  but  it  is  so  firmly  adhered  to  by  the 
natives,  and  it  suits  the  purpose  so  well  that  there  ap- 
pears to  be  a long  future  for  it. 
Experimenls  are  likely  to  be  m.ade  locally  liefote 
long,  and  we  shall  ]mbli.sh  the  result,  mean- 
time collecting  .all  useful  inform.ation  on  tln^  sub- 
ject. 
n n A CM  P Q Q ess.ay  describing  a really 
ULnllNLuOi  genuine  Cure  for  Ucafne.ss, 
Kinging  in  Kars,  Ac.,  no  matter  how  severe  or  long- 
standing, will  be  sent  i*)st  free. — Artificial  Har- 
drums  and  similar  appliances  entirely  superseded. 
Address  THOMAS  KEMl’F,  ^'lGTORtA  CHAM- 
BERS, 19,  SyuTUAMPTuiN’  Buildings,  Holborn, 
Agave  Rigida  Vak.  Sisalana. — We  have  at  pre- 
sent planted  out  14  large  plants  each  ‘'about  5 to 
5J  feet  high,  the  largest  leaf  measuring  54  inches 
long  by  4 inches  broad ; 36  smaller  sized  plants, 
3 feet  or  under:  90  plants,  2 feet  or  less;  42  plants 
about  1 foot  high  and  95  plants  about  6 inches 
high.  These  two  last  are  waiting  favourable  op- 
portunity to  plant  out.  Altogether  we  have  277 
plants  and  .about  30  more  suckers  just  beginning  to 
show  from  the  base  of  the  old  plants.— Aeri-Z/orifc?// 
tuval  Sodetn  of  Madras.  ^ ^Jontcul 
Ceylon  St.vple  Exports. — The  comparison  for 
two  half-years  a.s  showm  in  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce return,  bst  Jan.  to  1st  July,  is  as  follows  : 
1891. 
189.5. 
Increase. 
Tea,  lb. 
. .45,225, .500 
51,667,796 
6,442,296 
Coffee,  cwfc. 
12,981 
38,303 
25,322 
Cocoa,  ,, 
11,178 
18,962 
7,784 
Cardamoms,  lb.  163,761 
213,742 
49,981 
Cinchona, 
„ 1,029,998 
498,973 
531,025' 
Cinnamon 
„ 892,513 
1,107,183 
214,670 
Coconut  Oil,  cwt.  189,243 
143,629 
45,614' 
Plumbago, 
Dessicated 
„ 122,.582 
130,539 
7,957 
Coconut, 
lb.  1,648,487 
3, .588,915 
1,940,428 
According  to  the  Cu.stoms  Department,  the  com- 
parison for  the  same  jieriods,  is  as  follows  : — 
Tea,  lb. 
1894. 
1995. 
Increase. 
.48,320.114 
53,962,285 
5,642,171 
Coffee,  cwt.  . 
13,129 
41,104 
27,975 
Cocoa,  ,,  . 
12,372 
20,298 
7,926 
Cinchona,  lb. 
. 803,143 
528,777 
274,366* 
Rice,  (imported) 
bushels 
. 3,184,117 
3,572,992 
388,875 
* Decrease. 
Trout  in  the  Horton  Plains.— Mr.  Thomas 
Farr  of  Bogawantalawa  has  a letter  in  the 
local  “Times”  on  this  subject  which  is  a little 
puzzling-.  He  says  no  one  has  hitherto  poached  ; 
but  wnat  is  “fishing  without  a license”  but 
poaching  in  a special  degree?  Ho^vever,  we  are  glad 
to  learn  that  it  is  unlikely  coolies  or  other 
natives  interfeie  with  the  fish  and  the  following-- 
information  is  interesting  : — ° 
“It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  there  are 
.about  ten  miles  of  the  Belihuloya  on  the  Horton 
Plains,  running  at  an  elevation  of  from  6,600  feet 
to  over  7,000  feet,  of  sufficient  depth  and  volume  to 
be  eminently  suitable  for  the  well-being  of  trout,  and 
every  effort  should  be  made  to  thoroughly  stock  the 
whole  river.  Funds  will,  I feel  convinced,  be  readily 
available  as  soon  as  it  becomes  known  that  this 
splendid  stream  is  to  receive  the  attention  it  merits 
from  the  Trout  Fund  Committee.  That  the  fish  will 
breed  it  is,  I should  say,  very  probable,  and  the 
larger  the  number  of  fry  introduced  the  greater  will 
that  probability  become.  Between  fifty  and  sixty 
good  fish  have  been  taken  out  of  the  stream  during 
the  past  six  months,  and  very  nearly  all  of  these  are 
from  the  250  fry  turned  down  by  Mr.  Fowler  last 
year.  Judging  by  the  condition  and  growth  of  the 
fish,  thers  seems  to  be  abundance  of  food,  in  spite 
of  the  entire  absence  of  any  indigenous  fish  upon 
which  they  could  prey.  These  fish,  the  so-called 
stone  loach,  so  common  in  all  other  up-country 
streams,  could  easily  be  introduced,  should  the  stock 
of  trout  become  so  large  as  to  make  this  desirable.” 
it  is  not  \cry  jikely,  however,  we  repeat,  that  the 
piesenl  Trout  kuml  Committee  will  go  on  .stockin'^ 
Horton  Plains  .sti’oam  if  the  subscribers  are  to  be 
chargeil  K.5  per  day  for  fishing,  apart  from  tlieii 
present  or  prospective  contribiiHon.s  to  the  Fund, 
seeing  it  would  be  open  to  any  outsider  who  '--ives 
notliing  to  .said  fund,  to  get  on  ecj[ual  ternm  by 
a li\e-iupee  license,  b learly  the  Committee  must 
get  full  control  from  Government  of  all  the 
streams  it  undertakes  to  stock  and  look  after, 
and  (hen  one  subscription-license-fee  will  be 
enough  for  fishing  in  any  or  all.  A.s  .soon  as 
this  IS  arranged,  we  feel  sure  fund.s  will  How  in 
most  libet'RUy— ljut  HQt  before,  - 
