Skpt.  2,  1895.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
155 
said  to  ca;ry  a load  of  one  basket  and  a quarter, 
the  average  weight  of  one  basket  being  14  visa,  and 
get  Ks.  5 to  Ks.  0 for  the  journey. 
It  will  be  seen  that  as  in  most  trades  the  middle- 
men are  the  best  off  and  absorb  most  of  the  profit. 
The  Barman  trader  makes,  even  if  ho  does  not  go 
in  for  the  advance  system,  over  cent,  per  cent,  and 
of  course  his  profits  are  doubled  if  he  docs.  No 
Thaungdut  coolies  or  men  in  any  way  are  interested 
in  the  trade,  the  development  of  which  is  solely 
due  to  the  Bengalis  and  Barmans.  I believe  Messrs. 
The  Bombay  Burma  Trading  Co.  are  experimenting 
as  to  the  feasibility  of  sending  seed  to  Assam  rfa 
Calcutta  ; of  course  if  they  succeed  that  will  settle  all 
matters  of  tra  isit  dues  both  for  Thaungdut  and 
Manipur.  I see  no  reasm  why  the  Bombay  Bur  na 
Trading  Co.  should  not  succfel  as  no  care  to 
prevent  shaking  the  effects  of  damp  or  of  heat,  is 
taken,  any  way  prior  to  the  seed  reaching  Manipur, 
by  the  present  method  which  seems  to  be  as  u - 
scientific  as  possible,  and  yet  the  tea-seed  has,  as 
is  well-known,  a first  class  reputation  in  A^sam  for 
germinating  properties.  The  t.  a-seed  experimented 
with,  however,  1 would  recommend  being  bought  at 
any  cost  in  November;  the  best  way,  of  course, 
would  be  to  advance  money  on  the  followii  g season  3 
crop,  this  system  being  the  custom;  or  else  only 
the  leavings  and  old  seeds  which  have  been  lying 
about  can  be  got,  which  naturally  would  not  have 
the  same  germinating  power  as  fresh  ripe  seed. 
From  what  I s.iw  of  ihe  girdens  they  were  wonder- 
fully healthy  considering  the  little  cire  taken  with 
them,  as,  with  the  exc  ption  of  the  pvrasite  referred 
to.  the  trees  all  seemed  clean,  vigorous,  and  full  of 
leaf  I should  s.iy  tea-p'anting  with  European  mediods 
wou'd  bo  a great  success  if  only  Cm  labour  question 
could  be  succe  sfully  dealt  with.  That  once  settled, 
all  a planter  who  proposed  p'anting  in  the  Chindwin 
would  have  to  do  would  be  lo  pr  i.spect  for  red  earth, 
and  from  my  own  experience  of  the  forests  I am 
sure  I have  come  across  several  tracts  of  similar  earth 
to  that  on  which  the  tea  is  grown. 
There  are  two  other  points  to  be  touched  on,  viz  , 
a “maung”  weight  is  spoken  of  above;  this  I am 
pretty  sure  is  only  a corruption,  or  rather  the 
Burmese  pronunciation  of  the  word  inaund.  I was 
informed  that  a “Maung”  weighed  about  22J  visa 
( viss=3'68  lb. ) and  that  would  bring  the  “ Maung  ” 
to  about  80  lb,  t.e.,  the  Bazaar  maund  of  India. 
2ndli/,  I believe  some  people  still  doirbt  that  “ Lstpet  ” 
the  pickled  tea  of  Burma  is  made  from  C.  Theifem', 
the  plant  in  the  Chindwin  and  Katha  is  undoubtedly 
C.  I’keifera,  and  is  not  Eloedendron;  and  it  seems 
absurd  that  such  a point  should  need  proof,  consider- 
ing most  of  the  gardens  in  Assam  have  had  all 
their  extensions  for  some  years  planted  with  plants 
grown  from  Chindwin  seed.  Besides  this  Mr.  Oliver 
sent  specimens  in  1892  to  Calcutta  which  were  identi- 
fied as  C.  Tliei/era. — Imlian  Forester. 
C.  W.  A.  BRUCE, 
Div.  Forest  Officer,  Upper  Chindwin. 
THE  CULTIVATION  OF  CHICORY  IN 
BELGIUM. 
The  Belgium  Government  considers  chicory  a per- 
fectly legitimate  drink,  on  an  equal  with  coffee 
and  chocolate,  for  the  adulteration  of  coffee,  chicor.- , 
and  chocola'e,  and  the  sale  of  such  adulterated 
articles,  aim  prohibited  by  law.  All  v.irioties  of 
chicory,  according  to  Jussieu,  are  indigenous  to  the 
European  continent.  The  United  States  Consul  at 
Ghent  says  tiuit  a 1 these  varieties  may  be  traced 
back  to  the  Chieoree  sauvaye  ( Vichoj-ium  intijbus ) 
and  the  Chieoree  endive  (Cichoriuia  endioiaj.  The 
f.irrner,  commonly  called  small  chicory,  is  especially 
cuUivated  for  its  leav  s,  which  make  an  excellent 
ailad.  This  wild  chicory,  so-called,  is  a very  common 
perennial  plant  in  Belgium,  and  is  frequently  culti- 
vated in  gardens.  It  has  a fusiform  and  taproot ; its 
stalk  grows  three  (eet  or  more  in  height.  It  is 
abundant  along  the  roads  and  in  tlio  pasture  ha. ids  of 
Belgium ; in  the  gardens  it  develops  much  more, 
the  height  of  the  stalk  often  exceeding  six  feet,  an. I 
its  leaves  are  larger.  The  plant  is  sown  in  the  spring 
sometime.?  in  beds,  but  more  0 Ten  along  the  borders 
I.  only  requires  watering,  and  ordinaiy  tilling  and 
weeding.  The  green  leaves  only  are  ordimuily  em- 
ployed in  medicine  and  domestic  economy.  For 
this  purpose  it  is  necessary  to  cut  them  from  time  to 
time,  thus  inducing  new  and  more  tender  leaves  to 
shoot  forth  ; the  stalk,  too,  must  be  frequently 
cut  in  order  to  delay  as  much  as  possible  the 
florescence.  Wild  chicory  is  a'so  an  excellent  fodder 
plant.  Its  most  valuable  properly  is  its  ability  to 
grow  in  the  werst  soils,  even  such  as  are  barren, 
chalky,  or  clayey.  Almost  all  cattle  eagerly  hunt 
for  the  plant,  and  cows,  which  at  first  dislike  it, 
rapidly  become  acciist  med  to  its  taste.  By  reason 
of  its  bitterne  s,  in  acts  as  a tonic,  and  animals 
who  feed  upon  it  are  much  le-s  exposed  to  cutaneous 
diseases.  Swine  are  especially  loud  of  the  roots. 
Amo  ig  the  varieties  of  wild  chicory  just  d scribed' 
the  most  important  is. chicory  with  large  roots,  known 
as  “ coffee  chicory.  ’ It  is  a perennial  plant,  whose 
root,  by  toriefaction,  acquires  a bitter  flavour,  and 
an  aroma,  which  is  not  unlike  that  of  sugar  converted 
into  caramels.  This  is  the  variety  which  is  daily 
increasing  in  commercial  and  iudus  rial  importance. 
In  Belgium  it  largely  re,  laces  coffee  in  the* 
lower  ranks  of  society.  West  Flanders,  in  the 
district  roun  1 Gourirai  and  Rou'ers,  is  its  principal 
home.  The  niithod  of  its  cultivation  greatly  resembles 
t lat  of  the  beet.  The  seeds,  which  are  very  small, 
are  sown  by  a hand  drill,  three  rows  at  a time,  during 
the  mouths  of  April  and  May,  and  they  are  sown  at 
a distance  of  about  15  inches  apart.  There  are 
seve  al  varieties,  or,  rather  subdivisions,  of  this 
variety.  The  two  chief  ones  are  known  as  the 
“wide-leaved  chichory  ” fd  larges  feitillesj,  and  the 
“ eel-headed  chicory  ” fns&es  a fetes  d’anguilles ),  of 
which  the  latter  is  considered  the  best.  The  seed 
is  obtained  by  replanting  in  the  month  of  March,  the 
old  stalks  being  dug  out  daring  the  preceding  autumn. 
In  the  course  of  a few  weeks  these  go  to  seed. 
Each  plant  gives  about  3 0 grains  of  seed.  Another 
estimate  gives  530  lb.  of  seed  per  acre.  A temperate 
climate  is  required,  and  a vigorous  soil,  even  slightly 
clayey,  produces  the  best  chicory  with  the  heaviest 
roots.  Bandy  soils  also  are  good,  but  the  roots  are 
generally  lighter.  The  soil  must  be  ploughed  several 
weeks  in  advance.  About  160,000  plants  are  raised 
per  acre.  A crop  of  from  11  to  14  tons  of  green 
roots  ij  produced  per  acre.  The  harvest  takes  place 
in  Oc  o'  er  and  November.  The  roots  must  be  im- 
mediately washed  and  t ried,  and  then  may  be 
preserved  for  fifteen  to  eighteen  mouths.  The  seeds 
if  put  in  a dry  place,  may  be  kept  for  seven  years! 
The  plant  has  no  known  disease,  but  is  subject  to 
the  attacks  of  a worm  which  eats  the  roots.  The 
leaves  of  the  plant  generally  grow  in  a small  tuft, 
are  narrow,  and  do  not  exceed  ten  or  twelve  inches 
in  height.  The  roots  are  carrotshaped  (slightly 
larger),  dark  grey  in  colour  on  the  exterior,  and 
nearly  dead  white  in  the  interior.  The  roots  are 
dried  on  perforated  racks  in  kilns  by  means  of  coke 
fires,  and  are  then  cut  by  machines  into  small 
pieces.  These  are  known  as  cossettes,  and  chicory 
is  generally  exported  to  America  in  this  form. 
Afterwards  it  is  ground  and  sold  in  xiowder  under 
the  name  of  granulated  chicory.  Only  very  recently 
a Royal  decree  has  been  promulgated  in  Belgium 
declaring  the  essential  quaiiiios  of  pure  chicory, 
requiring  all  packages  to  be  legibly  marked  witli 
tho  name,  and  forbidding,  under  heavy  penalties,  the 
sale  of  any  adulteration  as  the  genuine  article.  A 
similar  law  exists  respecting  coffee. — Journal  of  the 
Society  of  Arts. 
4^.  
CAMPHOR  AND  CHINESE  YEGETABLE 
PRODUCTS. 
The  reports  of  the  British  Consuls  at  the  various 
ports  of  China  and  Formosa,  that  are  now  being 
issued  from  the  Foreign- office,  contain  much  that  is 
interesting  on  the  natural  products  of  the  countries 
in  relation  to  the  late  war.  Thus,  for  instance,  with 
ivg.ud  Lo  the  camplmr  supply,  the  trade  in  which,  it 
was  feared,  would  be  seriously  injured,  even  if  the 
supply  were  not  actually  stopped.  Consul  Hurst, 
