Oct,  I,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUf/rURIST. 
CACAO  IX  ITS  NATIVE  CM  ME. 
We  are  inucli  iucere.^^teil  in  receiving  a letter 
from  Mr.  liobt.  Cross  wliose  name  was  so  closely 
associated  witli  the  early  transfer  of  cinchona 
seed  and  plants  from  Soutii  America  to  Southern 
Asia.  We  had  lost  .sight  of  Mr.  Cross  for  some 
years  and  feared  he  had  ))assed  away  like  some 
others  of  the  pioneers  whose  names  are  em- 
balmed in  the  early  volumes  of  this  Journal, 
and  which  were  “familiar  as  household 
words”  among  our  i)lanters  twenty  years 
ago.*  Mr.  Cross  now  comes  forward  to  give 
us  some  of  his  South  American  experience  of 
cacao,  and  we  direct  the  careful  attention  of 
our  planters  to  what  he  says  on  the  subject. 
He  makes  a mistake  in  supposing  there  is 
much  coast  land  in  Ceylon  or  indeed  in  India 
suitable  for  jdanting  cacao.  Our  coast  lands 
are  as  a rule  jjoor  in  .soil,  and  nothing  is  so 
suitable  or  prolitable  to  grow  in  them  as  coco- 
nuts, while  cinnamon  and  paddy  (rice)  claim 
their  own  peculiar  divisions.  In  other  parts  in 
the  face  of  the  South-west  monsoon,  tea  flou- 
rishes, the  cro))  being  one  of  leafage ; but  to 
produce  good  crops  of  the  rich  cacao  pods  re- 
(juires  a soil  that,  unfortunately,  is  not  readily 
found  in  Ceylon.  Certain  of  our  valleys  in  our 
hill  districts  have  proved  best  for  plantations, 
while  there  are  also  some  good  estate.s  40  miles 
inlanil  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  So  much  we 
may  mention  for  Mr.  Cross’s  information.  What  he 
says  about  the  value  of  cacao  beans  or  chocolate 
to  travellers,  or  to  an  army  in  the  Held,  in  South 
America  we  have  heard  also  relatoil  of  both 
cjca  leaves  (Erythroxylon  coca),  and  kola  nuts, 
as  also  to  some  extent  of  mate  or  Paraguayan 
tea.  In  certain  respects,  Mr.  Cross’s  information 
comes  to  stipplement  that  afforded  by  Mr.  Sinclair 
in  his  book  on  “ 'I'ropical  bands”  descriptive  of 
what  he  saw  in  I’eru,  Trinidad,  See. 
We  would  ask  Mr.  Cross  to  siiggest  how 
seeds  or  ])lants  of  the  “ large,  robust  and 
lu'olitic  sort”  of  cacao  he  describes,  can  be  got 
for  Ceylon  planters.  The  kinds  planted  in  Ceylon 
have  been  generally  classed  by  Hr.  Trimen  as 
Forastero  (the  pale-fruited  cacao)  and  the  tine  P,ed 
Caraciis  which  was  the  first  variety  tliat  came  to 
the  island  and  fortunately  proved  oneof  the  best  that 
could  have  been  introduced.  Later  on  Dr.  Trimen 
mentioned  that  the  Forastero  trees  were  proving, 
in  the  experience  of  our  planters,  to  be  the  hardier 
of  the  two  and  were  gi\  ing  better  crops,  than  the 
finer  and  more  delicate  variety.  ^Ve  ((uestion  if  we 
have  soil  rich  enough  in  Ceylon  to  carry  the 
large  and  more  prolific  sort  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Cross,  .although  an  experiment  with  it  would  be 
e X t re  m el  y i n teres ti  n g. 
BRU'ISH  CENl’KAL  AKllIC.V. 
(From  1 he  Ftiitlsli  IJcnlcal  Africi  Gazette, 
Zomba,  .lune  lo,  bS9.").) 
Mr.  Grieve  Macronc,  Civil  Engineer,  arrived  at 
Zomba  on  the  ,’5rd  of  .June  to  obtain  permission  from 
H.  M.  Commissioner  to  commence  surveys  for  various 
lines  of  railway  in  the  Shire  P.ovmce.  Ferinissiou 
w'as  granted  and  Mr.  Macrona  left  Zomb.i  on  Ibo 
.oth  of  June  to  c-inunerico  his  surveys,  whicli  Im  iion.-s 
to  complete  before  the  coninien_,.--emcnl  of  the  w.  t 
season. 
* I considered  it  necessary  that  a practical  gar- 
dener should  assist  Dr.  Spruce  in  the  forests,  and 
establish  the  plants  in  the  Wardian  cases  at  Guaya- 
quil, as  w'ell  as  accompany  them  on  the  voyage  to 
India.  For  this  work  I selected  a very  able  and 
painstaking  Scotch  gardener  named  Eobert  Cross, 
who  was  recommended  to  me  by  Sir  William  Hooker. 
He  went  out  from  England,  and  joined  Dr.  Spruce 
in  Ecuador.— CicHietga  Markham  in  1869. 
XOTK.S  Og  MLAXJK  DISTRICT. 
(From  Mr.  flilhe.rt  Slevemnn'A  Yearhj  Rc/jort) 
PltOGUKSS  MADE  IN  DISTIUCl'  IN  1891. 
Coffee. — Coffee  continues  to  dc  fairly  well,  though 
its  success  up  to  date  has  not  quite  rea'ized  the 
expectations  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  district. 
This  is  perhaps  but  natural.  The  enthusiasm  that 
was  first  awakened  on  viewing  the  lich  and  fertile 
lands,  which  lie  round  the  great  Mlanje  range  ot 
hills,  has  had  time  to  cool;  obstacles,  w’hich  of 
course  exist  in  every  business  venture,  have  had  time 
and  opportunity  to  make  themselves  apparent  ; but 
though  experience  has  shown  us  that  coffee  planting 
is  not  altogether  plain-sailing,  yet  it  can  truly  be 
said  that  the  coffee  industry  in  the  Mlanje  district 
is  a very  promising  one.  Five  plantations  in  all 
have  been  started  : the  oldest  is  4 years  old.  An 
enthusiastic  early  settler  in  this  district  has  termed 
Mlanje,  “ The  home  of  coffee.”  A misapprehension 
has  consequently  grown  up  on  this  point.  Wild 
coffee  does  not  grow,  as  far  as  I am  aware,  any- 
where in  British  Central  Africa ; nor  prior  to  the 
advent  of  Europeans  had  natives  cultivated  coffee. 
. 
A TRIP  TO  MEXICO. 
(FROM  A CORRESPONDENT.) 
After  le.Tving  Texas  and  entering  Mexico  from 
the  north  one  is  struck  by  the  cliange  in  the 
conformation  of  the  laml.  Te.x.as  is  a low-lying 
Hat  country  in  the  south,  whilst  Mexico  is  a 
succession  of  lofty  rugged  mount.ainous  heights 
and  fertile  plains  and  valleys  of  a jiicturesque 
and  interesting  character.  The  boast  of  the 
Mexican  is  the  climate,  and  well  may  he  boast. 
It  is  as  near  perfection  as  ])ossible.  As  1 write 
tliis  the  thermometer  stands  at  72deg.  in  the 
shade  at  midday.  In  the  sun  it  is  always  hot 
<at  midday,  but  wdierever  there  is  shadow  there 
a c()(d  refresliing  .air  may  also  be  found.  There 
are  no  lire-plaoes  in  .any  iii’ing  rooms  in  .Mexico, 
the  temperature  being  .almost  e(iual  winter  and 
summer.  Snow  is  unknown  except  on  tl.e 
highest  mountains  in  winter  time.  The  Ameri- 
cans are  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  this 
salubrious  climate,  and  a continual  stream  is 
constantly  coming  in  from  tlie  St.ates  all  the 
year  round,  in  the  summer  to  avoid  the  oppres- 
sive heat,  and  in  the  winter  to  e.scape  the 
intense  cold.  Mexico  City,  wdiich  has  a popula- 
tion of  a00,00U,  is  built  on  a pl.ain  which  i.s 
some  7,000ft.  .above  sea  level,  surrounded  by 
mountains,  tw'o  volcanic,  rising  some  hundreds 
of  feet  ; whiidiever  w'ay  you  may  look  out  of 
the  city  mountains  are  seen  forming  a very 
picturesq  ue  background. 
The  tram  service  ot  the  city  is  suHicient  and 
m.aintained.  The  streets  .are  ‘well  lighted  with 
electric  light.  'I’lic  railway  senice  in  the  Re- 
|iublic  is  almost  entirely  under  the  direction  of 
.Vmericans,  and  as  a rule  comfoit.able  traielling 
is  to  be  obtained.  I’liliman  cars  are  .attrclied 
to  all  long  jouriu'y  trains.  The  liaos  in  opera- 
tion in  the  ihqmblic  np  to  Septembei'  Hi,  ISl).”, 
reached  .an  agereg,at(“  of  11.  lot)  kilometies,  earn- 
ing about  .d8o,0()ii,i)i)0  ,anni  ally.  The  mile.age  .and 
earnings  aie  still  on  the  increase.  'I’l-opical  fruits 
are  aim m hint  and  in  gre.at  v.ariety.  .Sngai',  eoHee, 
cocoa,  and  indi.arubber  grow  luxuri.anl ly.  The 
country  i-<  \ery  I'irdi  in  mineral  wealth,  the 
)irincipal  inetais  being  iron,  eoppei',  gold 
and  sih’er,  most  of  the  mines  working  paying 
good  dividends.  Ojrals  are  found  in  ijman- 
tities  not  far  from  Mexiiai  City.  Negotiations 
are  irending  with  the  Govornimuit  for  the  con- 
struction of  harbour  .and  other  woi'ks  at  the  two 
termini  of  the  Tehuantenec  Railway,  .and  when 
these  w'orks  are  completed  there  will  be  a regu- 
lar service  ol  mail  boats  from  England,  having 
