210 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept.  2,  1895 
the  season  of  ISO.'S  there  will  be  five  at  work  pre- 
paring green  teas  for  exportation.  This  green  tea, 
•which  is  prepared  at  Wenchow,  requires  elaborate 
manipulation,  cov»  ring  a period  of  two  months, 
which  accounts  for  its  greater  cost.  The  prepara- 
tion of  black  teas  is  not  so  elaborate.  It  seems 
almost  a pity  that  one  or  two  of  our  merchants 
do  not  settle  here  and  buy  locally.  I am  assured 
that  as  compared  with  Shanghai  expenses  they  would 
save  about  $3  per  picul  (133J  lb.,  the  Chinese  hundred 
weight)  on  commissions,  coolie  hire  (porterage),  cargo- 
boat  hire,  godow'n  hire,  and  packing  expenses. 
However,  %yhen  the  long-talked-of  telegraph 
is  built,  the  risk  of  losses  in  making  such  an  experi- 
ment will  be  of  course  diminished. 
The  Wenchow  Oiamje  has  an  enormously  thick 
skin,  easily  detachable.  It  is  si  o igly  scented  and 
bitter,  and  is  supposed  to  have  medicinal  virtues. 
It  is  exported  chiefiy  to  Tientsin  and  farther  north, 
packed  in  tubs. 
Whole  streets  in  the  city  are  occupied  l)v  the  makers 
of  the  various  parts  of  the  paper  umbreJla,  known  to 
commerce  as  the  l-itti/sol,  an  ingenious  perverson  of 
a Spanish  name  for  a parasol,  “ quitasol.  " Its  simple 
components  are  bamboo  and  oiled  paper,  with  tlie 
addition  of  a little  decorative  colour.  The  same 
thing  is  made  in  Japan,  and  called  the  “ kasa,”  and 
depicted  {ad  nauseam)  on  Christin  a s cards,  etc.  Its 
domain  is  being  invaded  by  what  the  Japanese  gra- 
phically call  “ the  bat’s  wing,”  the  umbrella  of 
European  build;  but  while  the  large  non-mandarin  class 
of  Chinamen  are  kept  so  poor,  the  difference  between  the 
shilling  or  tw'O  paid  for  the  latter  article  and  the  four- 
penny  ‘‘  kittysol  ” will  be  a financial  consideration 
to  be  taken  into  account. 
Fisli-rnaws  are  boiled  into  a nourishing  glutinous 
soup. — L.  fO  C.  Express. 
« 
EXTRACT  OF  PALMETTO;  A NEW  TAN- 
NING MATEHIAL. 
The  palmetto  palm  8erenoa  serrulafti,  grows  in 
North  America,  and  is  an  evergreen  tree  having  rib- 
bed fan-like  leaves  of  three  to  tour  feet  in  diameter. 
Round  each  bud  four  to  six  leaves  grow  every  year, 
and  these  keep  green  for  two  years,  when  they  be- 
come yellowish  bro'wn  and  die  off.  The  stalks  of 
these  leaves  grow  to  1 J to  3 feet  in  length,  the  leaves 
are  collected  and  cut  up  finely,  the  stalks  being  re- 
moved. The  w'hole  is  then  put  into  large  tubs  and 
lixiviated  with  hot  or  boiling  water.  The  liquor  is 
then  concentrated  to  an  extract  when  intended  for 
shipment.  To  obtain  the  fibres,  which  are  useful  for 
rope-making,  etc.,  the  parts  remaining  in  the  tubs 
are  treated  after  the  liquor  has  been  drained  off  with 
chemical  agents.  These  have  the  effect  of  separating 
the  silicic  acid  and  decomposing  the  ether  portions, 
which  become  converted  into  a gummy  mass  that 
can  easily  be  removed,  leaving  the  |uire  fibres.  The 
tanning  process  with  palmetto  extract  is  the  same 
as  with  quebracho  {A2Wth  Zeit.,  No.  30,  ISy.'i,  p.  309J 
— Pharmaceutical  Journal. 
Teas  from  the  Far  East.— Our  Special  Tele- 
gram elsewhere  shows  that  the  London  demand  for 
China  teas — poor  as  it  has  been  for  tliese  two 
seasons — is  slackening  even  on  the  figures  for  last 
year.  At  the  same  time,  as  we  learn  from  o\ir 
files,  the  China  exports  to  Odessa  for  Rus.sia 
have  increa.sed  considerably. 
C1LOSET8,  L’rinals,  Night  Commodes,  Stables, 
J Kennels,  Ac-  should  be  llglitly  dredged 
(after  cleansing)  with  Calvicrts  1.')  ner  cent- 
Carboitc  Powder,  to  destroy  bad  taoiirs  and 
to  kill  or  keep  away  insects. — '1  he  most  ellovdive 
))rei)aration.— In  i lb.,  1 lb.  an<l  21b;  dredgers,  at 
bd;,  Isf,  & Is.  6d-  each,  from  Chemists  ami  Htore.s. 
F.  C,  CALVERT  A Co.,  Manchester. 
DRUG  REPORT. 
(Fi’om  Chemist  ruad  hrajejlst.) 
Loiiiloii,  .\ugust  Sth. 
AxNvrro  Seed.— tloud  bright  offering  at  3.Vd  per  lb. 
QI'IM.ve.— Ten  thou.sand  ox  Auerbach  sold'  in  auction  at 
l.s  0',d  ; Is  U.Sd  is  the  outside  price. 
Cottv  l.E.WES. — A lot  of  diirk-brown  Ceylon  .should 
ha\e  been  cold  without  reserve,  but  no  offer  could  be 
elicited. 
Ct'HEs.— Only  17  bags  were  (tffered.  The  fruit  was 
slightly  inouldy  fair  brownish  to  grey,  but  there  was 
practically  no  demand,  j3s  being  liid  and  refused. 
KoE.v-M'i's.—l’riviitely  several  tons  have  been  moved  off 
at  lOd  to  lopi  per  llj.  A few  bag.s  good  West  Indian 
realised  lOpi  to  ltd  ])er  lb  at  auction. 
VA.M1.I..V.— -tltliougli  the  quantity  brought  forward  was 
small  it  represented  different  varieties.  Mexican  beans 
are  quite  a.  novelty  on  tlis  market,  as  there  have  not 
been  any  here  for  a long  period.  The  lot  was,  however, 
withdr.iwn  without  (|Uotation.  Tahati  4d  to  7d  ; low  fo.xy 
sold  at  .‘is  9d  per  lb.  Seychelles  and  Bourbon  withdrawn. 
I'.vl-TEl.NE.  — The  deartli  of  suitable  niw  material  is  still 
in  evidence.  This  scarcity  is  likely  to  continue,  as  the 
svipply  of  such  material  is,  and  will  lie,  restricted.  Makers, 
altinuigh  not  (pioting  riglit  ami  left,  are  supplying  con- 
sumers accoi'ding  to  circumstances,  at  from  ‘AKs  to  ‘2'is 
per  lb.  A few  second-hand  lots  may  be  picked  up  here 
■Jiid  there  at  ■2;)S  to  27s  Gd  per  lb 
INDIAN  TEA  SALES. 
(From  Wntson,  Sihthorp  d'  Co.'s  Beport.) 
C.ALCtJTT.A,  August  27th,  1895. 
Notwithstanding  the  unsatisfactory  news  from  the 
Loudon  market  the  sales  held  here  on  the  22ad 
instant  passed  off  with  spirit  and  prices  for  teas 
showing  any  improvement  in  quality  were  generally 
higher,  ail  grades,  under  eight  annas  may  be  quoted 
from  2 to  4 pie  dearer,  while  the  better  sorts  sold 
irregularly  but  mostly  in  favor  of  sellers.  Buyers 
for  the  Colonies,  Bombay  and  various  other  markets 
were  very  keen  and  secured  a large  proportion  of 
the  tea  sold.  15,513  packages  changed  hands,  of  which 
nearly  5, UOO  packages  go  to  markets  outside  the  United 
Kingdom. 
The  average  price  of  the  15,513,  packages  sold  is 
As.  7-11  or  about  Sjd  per  lb.  as  compared  with  18,994 
packtrges  sold  ou  the  23rd  August  1894  at  As.  9-0  or 
about  9^d  per  lb.  and  13,995  packages  sold  on  the 
24th  August  1893  at  As.  '7-9  or  about  Gjd  per  lb. 
The  Exports  from  1st  May  to  24th  August  from 
here  to  Great  Britain  are  41,786,089  lb.  as  compared 
with  39,784,288  lb.  at  the  corresponding  period  last 
sea.son  and  39,295,591  lb.  in  1893. 
Note. — Lrvst  srile’s  rvverage  was  As.  7'8  or  about 
8d  per  lb. 
Exch.vnge. — Document  Bills,  6 months’  sight, 
Is  17-16d. 
Freight. — Steamer  .61-15-0  per  ton  of  50  c.  ft. 
^ 
EXPORT  OF  TEA  FROM  CHINA  AND 
JAPAN  TO  THE  UNITED  KINGDOM. 
Export  2 Miu.ion  lb.  le.s.s  than  Last  Year’s. 
China  Coa.st,  Aug.  20. 
The  Exports  of  Tea  up  to  date  from  Cliina 
and  Japan  to  tlie  Uniteil  Kingdom  amount  to 
24  million  lb.,  as  compared  with  about  26  million 
lb.  u[)  to  same  date  last  year,  .38  million  lb. 
in  1803,  and  24  million  lli.  in  1892. 
— — ♦ 
Confidence  in  Ceylon  Plantation  Pro- 
perty.— We  learn  that  an  absent  proprietor  of 
long  Imsiness  connection  with  the  East  and  ac- 
([uaintance  witli  tlie  ii|is  and  downs  of  plantation 
property,  so  values  Ids  Ceylon  plantation  tliat, 
on  being  lately  approaclied  with  reference  to  a 
sale,  lie  iiitimateii  that  notliing  less  than  si.rtecn 
years’  imrclirise  on  his  present  annual  profits 
wiiiilil  tempt  liim.  'I’liis is  cei tainly  an  indication 
of  conlideiu'o  on  tlrCiirait  ol  a l.ondon  man  of 
biLsiness  in  the  future  of  tea.  Seven  to  ten 
years’  purchase  is  usually  considered  enough  for 
the  tropics. 
