Sept,  a,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
^97 
VARYING  CLIMATES  AND  EXPERIENCES. 
Life  in  the  Tropica — as  we  are  daily  reminded — is 
not  without  ita  drawbacks.  Some  are  even  disposed 
to  think  that  our  own  favoured  isle  of  Ceylon  has 
more  than  her  fair  share  of  discomforts.  Yet  those 
who  take  the  trouble  to  compare  the  conditions  of 
other  climes,  find  that  the  worries  and  sufferings — 
like  the  blessings— are  upon  the  whole  pretty  equally 
divided : — 
“ As  different  good  by  Art  or  Nature  given 
To  different  nations  makes  their  blessings  even.” 
Few  who  experienced  and  survived  the  last  winter 
in  Britain  will  live  long  enough  to  forget  the  seve- 
rity of  the  frost  diming  January  and  February  of 
this  year,  and  now  from  the  Antipodes  we  have  ac- 
counts of  a similarly  abnormal  wave  of  icy  cold  in 
July,  the  height  of  winter  of  course  there.  Private 
letters  speak  of  the  thermometer  approaching  Zero, 
with  burst  water-pipes  in  the  inland  towns  of  New 
South  Wales;  while  daily  skating  on  the  upper  reaches 
of  the  Lachlan  adds  a new  experience  doubtless 
much  enjoyed  by  the  young  “ Cornstalks.”  But  what 
about  the  orchards?  There’s  poor  Towser  who  left 
his  native  Devon  30  years  ago  to  devote  his  life  almost 
single-handed  to  the  formation  of  an  Orangery.  What 
a sad  disaster  this  bitter  frost  must  be  to  him  1— apples, 
pears  and  grapes  ai’e  of  course  safe;  hut  alas  for  those 
delicious  oranges  which  promised  such  a rich  reward  1 
I might  have  imagined  the  thermometer  of  my  friend 
being  a little  out — like  the  Irishman’s  which  “ did 
not  affect  the  temperature”;  hut  here  comes  a cut- 
ting from  the  Sydney  Morning  Jlerahl  of  the 
lltn  July: — 
The  Cold  Weather.— At  6 o’clock  yesterday  morning  the 
lowest  reading  at  the  Observatory  within  the  24  hours 
was  reached,  namely,  29'2  on  the  grass,  or  over  4j  degrees 
higher  than  on  Tuesday  morning.  Some  of  the  imand 
temperatures  were,  liowever,  startling  in  their  frigidity. 
At  Kiandra  the  mercury  fell  to  10  deg.  below  zero,  42  degrees 
of  frost.  Kiandra,  holding  the  most  elevated  position  in 
the  colony,  is  always  sure  to  be  returned  at  the  head  of 
the  poll,  under  the  circumstances.  Yesterday  afternoon  a 
block  of  ice  2^in.  thick  was  brought  into  Parramatta  from 
Castle  Hill.  It  was  taken  out  of  a pond  in  one  of  the 
orchards.  In  the  morning  the  ice  in  this  pond  was  over 
3iu.  thick. 
Imagine  the  effect  of  2§  inches  ice  at  Parramatta. 
The  great  drawback  to  the  Australian  climate  is  not 
however  the  danger  from  extreme  cold,  but  the  extreme 
variableness  of  the  temperature.  It  is  this  that  kills 
off  the  poor  Anglo-Indian  who  goes  in  search  of  a 
perfect  climate,  tortures  the  squatter’s  wife  with  neu- 
ralgia and  himself  with  rheumatism.  A daily  variation 
of  40°  to  50°  Fahrenheit  is  quite  common.  More 
safe  is  the  old  country  with  all  its  severity. 
Here  in  Ceylon  we  do  not  boast  of  a perfect  cli- 
mate, but  we  at  least  run  no  risks  from  frost,  while 
the  range  of  temperature  at  medium  altitudes  is  mar- 
vellously little.  In  the  bungalow  in  which  I reside, 
situated  at  2,000  feet  above  sea  level,  the  thermo- 
meter has  just  varied  3°  viz.,  from  74°  to  77°  within 
the  past  month.  Warmer  than  necessary  certainly, 
but  quite  compatible  with  perfect  health.  As  a proof 
of  this  I lately  came  across  two  Eiu’opean  ladies 
who  for  30  years  have  not  been  off  the  estate  for  a 
single  night  and  never  a day  ill  1 After  this,  who 
will  dare  to  disparage  the  climate  of  Hantane, 
But  apart  from  the  climate,  Australia  has  many  disad- 
vantages from  which  we  are  spared  in  this  compara- 
tively free  country.  The  iniquitous  system  of  Pro- 
tection still  prevailing  there,  the  hateful  jealousy  of 
neighbours,  the  unutterable  selfishness  of  the  “ squa- 
tocrat  ” are  fast  completing  the  ruin  of  those  dis- 
jointed colonies ; and  it  is  much  to  be  feared  that, 
until  the  Japs  or  Chinese  seriously  threaten  an  in- 
vasion, no  united  action  for  any  good  or  useful 
purpose  is  possible  there.  I take  the  following  cut- 
ting from  the  Sydney  Mail  of  13th  ult.  to  show  the 
absurd  length  to  which  protection  can  be  carried 
even  in  the  most  enlightened  and  liberally  disposed 
of  those  ridiculously  over-governed  colonies  : — 
Under  date  3rd  June,  1895,  Mr.  William  Hicks  writes 
from  South  Apsley,  Cow  Flat  P.O.,  N.  M,  W.,— “ Having 
ni-'t  with  a severe  accident  at  Ueorge’s  Plains  in  Mareli 
1894,  by  which  I lost  a leg,  I am  importing  an  artificial 
leg  from  America.  On  arrival  of  the  limb  in  Sjalney 
I am  infox'raed  that  I must  pay  a duty  of  V.'l  os  lud  on 
the  same.  Now  I think  that  Is  very  unjust.  Before  ordering 
25 
the  leg  I did  not  take  the  trouble  to  find  out  if  a duty 
was  to  be  pahl,  never  dreaming  for  a moment  that  a 
cripple  would  have  to  pay  duty  on  an  artificial  limb  in 
any  part  of  the  British  Empire,  and  I wa.s  very  much 
surprised  to  find  that  such  is  the  case.  The  fTovernment 
might  as  well  charge  a passenger  with  an  artificial  leg,  or 
crutches,  a duty  before  allowing  him  to  walk  ashore,  even 
If  the  .same  was  attached  to  liLs  body.  Will  von  please 
bring  the  case  before  the  proper  authorit}-,  ' with  the 
object  of  obtaining  a refund  of  the  dutv,  and  notify  me 
If  such  can  be  obtained  ? I would  mit  ask  you  to  do 
this  for  me  only  I think  that  the  omission  of  artificial 
limbs  from  the  free  list  is  an  error,  owing,  no  doubt  to 
the  rarity  of  such  imports,  and  that  the  duty  is  v<  rv 
severe  on  a man  in  my  position.”  As  previously  stated  no 
redress  could  be  given.  ’ 
Now  our  Government  may  be  urgently  in  need  of 
much  improvement.  We  have  the  indefensible  one- 
sided tax  on  rice,  and  the  contemptible  tax  on  light 
still  staring  ua  in  the  face  ; but  we  have  not  come 
to  anything  so  asinine  as  a tax  on  wooden  legs 
which  a whole  Legislative  Council  could  not  repeal ! 
One  would  imagine  that  there  the  all-powerful  work- 
ing man  had  these  matters  very  muoli  in  his  own 
hand,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  Australian 
labourist  is  politically  the  very  prince  of  idiots.— Oftf 
Colonist. 
The  present  mail  brings  us  worse  news  still  from 
New  Zealand  in  regard  to  weather.  Fancy  200,000 
sheep  perishing  in  one  county  ! The  following  extract, 
is  sent  us  from  Dunedin  by  an  old  Ceylon  resident : — 
CHRbSTCHURCH,  July  10. 
Snow  commenced  to  foil  in  the  city  about  8 o’clock  this 
morning,  and  a couple  of  hours  later  was  lying  on  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  three  inches.  In  the  northern  districts  the 
fall  is  heavier.  'I'he  farmers  are  having  an  anxious  time 
in  removing  stock  to  sheltered  spots,  'rlie  snowstorm  tills 
moniing  was  tlie  he.aviest  in  the  district  for  years.  It 
thawed  very  little  during  the  day,  and  tliere  is  a very 
sharp  frost  toniglit.  It  is  feared  tliere  will  be  a great 
loss  of  sheep  in  the  back  country. 
News  from  country  districts  states  that  the  fall  of  snow 
this  morpiiij^  lias  been  very  heavy.  The  mortality  among 
sheep  within  the  district  will,  be  very  heavy,  and  it  is 
stated  that  80  per  cent  of  those  got  are  very  weak,  and 
have  been  subsisting  by  eating  tlie  wool  off  the  dead  ones. 
The  loss  of  stock  in  the  Mackenzie  country  is  expected 
to  prove  serious.  'Tlie  rabbits  are  said  to  be  dying  in 
numbers,  and  are  so  tame  that  they  will  allow  themselves 
to  be  handled.  Tliey  can  be  seen  in  scores  in  tfie  sheep 
camps,  disputing  the  sheep’s  right  to  a solitary  tussock 
brouglit  to  view  by  the  continual  movement  of  the  sfieep. 
Tlie  latter  are  so  weak  that  they  can  liardly  walk  out 
of  the  camp  when  tracks  are  made  for  them.  'The  winter 
has  been  worse  than  any  previous  one  because  the  snow- 
storms liave  been  so  continuous,  witliout  a tliaw  to  forni 
a crust  on  whicli  tlie  sheep  can  walk.  It  is  estimated  on 
good  autliority  (.says  the  Oainani  Mail)  tfiat  200,000  sheen 
have  perished  in  tlie  Waitaki  County  during  the  late  severe 
weather. 

THE  HYDROSCOPIC  PROPERTIES  OF  TEA- 
A gentleman  with  a scientific  training  writes  us: — 
I have  received  by  this  mail  a brief  note  regarding 
tea  from  a friend  who  is  working  in  conjunction  with 
me  in  my  researches.  I mentioned  some  time  ago, 
what,  my  customers  said  regarding  tea  sent  home 
in  bulk  and  packet.  That  the  bulk  tea  was  as  different 
from  the  packet  tea.  “as  night  [from  day.”  The 
flavour  being  quite  different.  I instructed  my  friend 
to  try  and  find,  what  the  loss  of  flavour  was  due  to 
in  the  bulk  tea  which  was  retailed  out,  in  paper 
packets.  In  his  letter’  he  says  that  he  opened  a 
lead  packet  and  exposed  it  to  the  action  of  the  air, 
the  tea  was  carefully  weighed  exactly  452  grammes. 
It  was  laid  aside  for  56  hours  and  then  weighed  was 
found  to  weigh  4.55’792  grammes,  and  at  the  end  of 
three  days,  that  is  72  hours,  it  was’  again  weighed 
and  the  increase  was  found  to  be  5’42  grammes,  that 
is  the  tea  weighed  457'42  after  exposing  it  for  72 
hours  to  the  action  of  the  atmosphere  ; or  to  be  better 
understood  by  those  who  are  not  used  as  yet  to  the 
metric  system,  the  weight  increased  by  nearly  IJ 
drams,  452  grammes  being  equal  to  one  lb.  almost. 
This  increased  weight  was  soon  lost  by  placing  the 
tea  in  a mattress  containing  Calcium  Chloride,  and 
heating  it  to  100°  F.  This  proves  that  the  increase 
was  due  to  the  absorption  of  moisture  from  the 
atmosphere.  I hope  to  hear  more  from  him  regard- 
ing his  further  experiments.  I think  the  above  ought 
