Sept.  2,  1895.] 
rHE  TROPICAL  AGRlCULTURis  t. 
6i 
“DEATH  IN  THE  TEAPOT.” 
We  believe  tlie  above  saying  to  be  “as  old 
as  tlie  bills.”  Presiiiuably,  tliere  must  have  been 
some  reason  why  it  found  cuiTency.  Probably 
it  had  its  origin  in  the  ignorant  use  of  the 
loaf  during  the  early  days  of  its  introduction 
into  Enro^)e.  Hut  there  certainly  exists  a further 
cause  for  it  which  does  not  seem  to  have  become 
extinct  even  after  a prolonged  perioil  in  the  ex- 
tended use  of  tea.  It  is  astonishing  how  little 
attention  is  paid  by  some  housekeepers  to 
the  condition  of  the  teapot.  We  have  heard 
recently  of  a case  of  illness  occurring  in  England 
due  to  this  neglect.  For  some  time  all  the 
members  of  a family  seemed  to  sicken,  and  for 
no  cause  that  could  be  assigned.  At  length  it 
became  noticeable  that  the  nausea  experienced 
was  more  frequent  after  the  breakfast  tea  had  been 
drunk.  This  led  at  first  to  a confirmation  of 
the  belief  that  had  arisen  that  the  tea  obtained 
was  not  of  the  same  quality  or  description  that 
had  been  in  customary  use.  Reference,  however, 
proved  that  this  belief  was  incori'ect.  It  was 
then  noticed  that  the  disagreeable  flavour  and 
subsequent  nausea  was  not  experienced  with  and 
after  the  morning  tea  partaken  of  before  the 
family  got  up.  The  fact  that  this  was  made  in  a 
different  teapot  to  that  in  u.seatthe  table,  led  to  ex- 
amination of  both.  The  result  of  this  was  to  find  the 
strainer  of  the  latter,  almost  choked  l)y  a foul  black 
dei)osit  the  issue  to  months  of  careless  cleansing. 
The  strainer  was  then  wholly  removed  and  the 
tea  poured  through  one  of  the  little  wire 
strainers  fixed  to  the  s]Knit  now  in  such  general 
and  preferred  use.  After  doing  this  the  dis- 
agreeable flavour  and  uni)leasant  after-result  to 
the  tea  drinking  ceased.  In  many  families  too 
little  attention  is  given  to  this  matter  of  clear- 
ing the  strainers  of  all  deposit  after  use.  The 
fixed  strainer  that  was  the  cause  of  the  ill- 
effects  mentioned  h.ad  far  better  go  entirely  out 
of  use.  Even  with  ordinary  care  this  is  always 
liable  to  retain  some  stale  leaf,  and  it  is  the 
case  that  their  use  is  being  gradually  aban- 
doned for  the  suspendeil  outside  strainer. 
When  this  has  not  been  .adonted,  much 
complaint-  may  have  arisen  from  the  cause  in- 
dicated. It  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed 
upon  housekeepers  that  an  absolutely  clean  tea- 
pot is  essential  to  the  good  making  of  tea. 
Directly  this  precaution  is  neglected,  tlie  infu- 
•sion  of  the  best  tea  l)ec.omes  more  or  less  spoilt 
■as  to  flavour,  and,  as  iu  tlie  jiarticular  c.ase  re- 
ferred to,  tliis  neglect,  if  long  continued,  may 
become  tlie  .source  of  illne.ss.  It  has  often  been 
remarked  that  the  common  earthenware  teapots 
make  sweeter  tea  than  those  of  metal,  and  it 
is  jirobable  that  this  advantage  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  former  are  rarely  provided  with  in- 
side strainers. 
KOVAL  HOl'AMC  OAKDENS, 
PERADENIVA. 
.Mr.  Hugli  F.  MacMillan  has  been  appointed 
in  Mr.  Clark’s  jdace  as  head-gardener  of  Pera- 
deniya,  and  i>  expected  out  on  the  tf^nd  in  the 
H.  1.  “ Rewa.”  He  has  been  at  Kew  Oardons  for 
the  last  two  years  and  is  highly  spoken  of. 
A NEW  Tapioca  Factoiiy  was  recently  opened  at 
Sungei  Ujong.  The  factory  is  believed  to  be  the 
largest  iu  the  Straits.  The  boiler  is  of  ‘20  H.P.  and 
the  engine  l(i  H.  P.,  the  plant  being  capable  of  put- 
ting through  aOO  pikuls  of  tapioca  root  daily  with 
0 ase. — I'inaiiij  Uanettc. 
COCONUT  PL.ANTING  NORTH  OF  THE 
MAHAOYA. 
•Inly  1(). 
Of  course  the  absorbing  topic  of  interest  to  all 
agriculturists  is  the  weather  ; and  to  those  in  the 
lovveountry  the  interest  is  intensified  by  its  utter 
uncertainty  of  recent  years. 
THE  SOUTH-WEST  MONSOON 
this  year  is,  if  ever  it  could  be  so  characterized, 
A MISERABLE  FAILURE. 
The  little  monsoon  opened  with  over  5 inches  in  24 
hours,  and  shut  up  five  days  after  with  a total  of 
6’81.  The  big  monsoon  opened  on  the  11th  June 
with  over  5 inches  and  there  was  another  heavy 
plump  on  the  18th  of  4'50  and  the  monsoon  closed 
with  1P77  inches.  If  quantity  only  is  looked  to, 
there  was  ample  rain  for  the  two  mouths,  but  when 
it  comes  in  deluges,  in  two  or  three  days,  when  more 
than  half  runs  off  the  soil,  it  is  simply  a snai-e; 
for  it  induces  cultivator.?  to  sow,  and,  as  rain  does 
not  follow  at  reasonable  intervals  the  grain  only 
sprouts  to  be  burnt  off.  T.ds  has  been  the  fate  of 
numerous  cheenas  this  year,  and  only  those  who 
happened  to  sow  with  the  April  rains  have  anything 
to  harvest.  This  is  hard  lines  for  the  poor  goiyas. 
Those  who  have  had 
UOCONUr  CLEARINUiS 
to  plant  have  also  suffered,  and  I know  of  one  superin- 
tendent who  is  having  the  plants  ovei'a  large  acreage 
watered.  From  the  20th  June  to  date,  with  the  except- 
ion of  two  light  showers,  there  has  been  no  rain. 
Throughout  all  this  time  the  weather  has  been  verv 
cloudy,  the  sun  rarely  shining  for  half  an  hour  at  a 
time.  The  clouds  are  all  carried  by  a stiff  breeze  to 
the  hills  and  I see  that  Maskeliya  is  already  complain- 
ing of  too  much  rain. 
This  has  also  been  a very 
SICKLY  SEASON, 
not  only  iu  the  N.-W.  Province  but,  as  far  as  my  in- 
formation goes,  all  over  the  low  country.  This  has 
greatly  interfered  with  all  works.  Not  much  paddy 
was  sown  for  the  Yala  crop,  but  there  is  much  ac- 
tivity in  preparing  for  the  Maha  sowing. 
I see  that  all  ordinary  filters  are  condemned  as  tend- 
ing rather  to  contaminate  than  purify  the  water.  Can 
you  or  any  of  your  learned  readers  tell  me  if  the 
ordinary  three  chatty  filter  can  be  included  in  this 
category,  supposing  that  the  charcoal  sand  and  peb- 
bles are  changed  once  a month  ? 
♦- 
THE  CAMPHOR  INDUSTRY  IN  CEYLON. 
A gentleman  who  i.s  experimenting,  writes  ; — 
“ You  will  find  in  the  Tropical  Agriculturist  of 
November  1st  189.H,  p.  826  an  account  of  Formosa 
Camphor  Industry,  but  I cannot  make  out  yet  ex- 
actly how  the  camphor  is  caught.  I have  had 
some  leaves  and  twigs  boiling  for  48  hours  and 
the  steam  smelt  very  strongly  of  camphor  ; but  it 
appears  to  have  all  boiled  away,  as  I cannot  find 
any  camphor.  I wish  I had  a proper  still  as  I 
have  some  damaged  branches  that  might  be  ex- 
perimented on.  It  is  a plant  that  coppices  first 
rate,  sending  up  strong  shoots  from  the  old  stump 
in  abundiince.  Old  books  I have,  state  that  the 
camphor  is  ‘ extracted  from  the  roots,  leaves  and 
young  twigs’  and  if  so  why  could  not  the  trees  be 
coppiced  every  4 or  5 years  ?” 
Anotlier  coire-spondent  writes  : — 
“ What  is  the  nature  of  the  camphor  from  the 
chips.  I should  not  think  it  volatilizes  and  I 
should  think  that  after  boiling,  it  would  float  on  the 
surface.  A simple  worm  could  be  made  for  a few 
rupees;  I'll  be  glad  to  show  any  one  how.  ' 
Clearly  the  eainplior  tree  industry  has  come  to 
stay  w'itli  us,  wdiether  on  a little  or  big  scale, 
time  will  sliow.  We  are  on  the  lookout  for  more 
exact  information  as  to  preiiaration.  Has  any 
one  in  (leylon  got  Spoil's  “ Encyclopicdia”  (we 
miss  the  volume  for  “ c")  ? Meantime  wc  quote 
froni  the  “ Encyclopo>,dia  Hritannica”  in  reference 
to  Formosan  canqilior  as  follows  : — 
