380 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  2,  1895. 
and  the  fact  that  during  the  past  year  the  cash 
sales  were  reduced  by  only  37  pounds,  Dr.  King 
regards  as  a most  satislaclory  evidence  of  liie 
public  belief  in  the  ellicacy  of  this  drug  as  acurt  £ >r 
tever.  He  notes  that  both  cinchonuiine  and  cui- 
chonine  have  during  the  past  year  been  pressed 
on  Indian  buyers  a^,  very  low  rates  by  European 
quinine  makers  who,  obliged  by  the  tests  oi  the 
phannacoporia,  to  rcinove  these  aikaloiils  from  their 
quinine,  can  tind  no  market  for  them  in  Europe, 
'the  e.xpeiiditure  on  the  plantalioms  and  factory 
during  tlie  year  amounted  to  U1,23,S05,  including 
tlie  instalment  of  K5U,UU0  paid  towards  the  pur- 
chase of  the  l.ebong  pdintaiion.  The  net  result 
of  the  year's  working  was  a surplus  of  U7,7U5, 
which,  however,  can  hardly  be  regarded  in  the 
light  of  a protit,  as  the  plantation  from  which 
a certain  number  of  trees  has  been  taken  has 
not  been  increased  by  a corresponding  number. 
Dr.  King  pays  a high  tribute  of  praise  to  the 
work  done  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Gammie  who  was  in 
e.xecuiive  chaige  of  both  the  plantation  and  the 
factory.  Messrs.  Pantling,  Parkes  and  Hartless, 
the  three  assistants,  are  also  favourably  mentioned 
— Indian  Daily  Hews. 
TEA  REPORT  FROM  NATAL. 
Mr.  G.  W.  Drummond,  Kearsney  Estates,  wTites 
us : —It  scorns  likely  that  the  new  tea  season  will 
commence  about  the  23rd  inst.  The  tremendously 
long  drought  we  have  had  has,  of  course,  had  its 
effect  on  the  backwardness  of  the  young  shoots.  Our 
estimate  for  the  Stranger  district  is  830,000  lb.,  out 
of  which  we  hope  to  make  at  this  factory  540,000  lb. 
and  the  total  crop  of  the  colony  should  be  about  950,000 
lb.  If  we  get  the  favourable  weather  we  got  last  year 
the  estimate  will  be  reached  without  a doubt,  and 
probably  exceeded.  I have  found  that  many  people, 
most  people  in  fact,  who  make  Natal  tea,  give  i’  ex- 
actly the  same  time  to  infuse  as  Indian  or  Ceylon 
tea.  This  is  a mistake.  Many  a cup  of  Natal  tea 
is  spoilt  by  this  mistake.  Natal  tea  should  be  allowed 
to  stand  in  fresh  water,  first  boil,  for  fully  three 
minutes  longer  than  Indian  tea,  and  two  minutes 
longer  than  Ceylon  tea.  It  is  a tea  that  can  be  drunk 
by  Itself  (pure) — no  mixing — and  has  not  the  astiin- 
gency  of  Indian  tea,  nor  does  it  contain  the  same 
amount  of  tannic  acid,  which  last  is  not  wanted,  and 
should  not  be  allowed  to  find  its  way  into  the  cup. 
Indian  tea,  5 minutes;  Ceylon,  6 minutes;  Natal, 
8 minutes. — Natal  Mercury,  Sept.  27. 
TALIPOT  PALM. 
Tliero  is  a fine  talipot  palm  in  ilower  above 
Mirigania  on  the  right  side  of  lino  from  Colombo 
coming  up.— C'or. 
THE  RU  AN  WELLE  TEA  CO.,  LTD. 
Application  has  been  made  by  Messrs.  F.  J. 
and  R.  F.  de  Saram,  Proctors,  for  the  incor- 
poration of  the  above  Company  with  a nominal 
capital  of  R750,000  divided  into  7,500  shares  of 
RlOO  each.  The  subscribers  to  the  Memoran- 
dum and  Articles  of  Association  arc  Messrs.  A. 
Melville  White,  T.  J.  Anderson,  G.  W.  Carlyon, 
C,  E.  H.  Symons,  G.  H.  Alston,  C.  J.  Donald, 
and  C.  A.  Leechman ; the  first  Directors  being 
Messrs.  A.  Melville  Waite,  Eric  S.  Anderson 
and  G.  W.  Carlyon,  and  the  Agents  and  Secre- 
taries, Messrs.  AvTiittall  & Co. 
PiETUUN  FROM  Tea.— With  reference  to  an 
advertisement  of  Kituliraha  estate  in  Maskeliya, 
it  is  remarked  to  us  that  “a  return  of  U3,00tt 
a year  oil'  40  acres  tea  is  not  bad,  seeing  the  leaf 
is  sold.”  Very  good  we  should  say. 
ELECTRlCxVL  DEVELOPMENTS. 
The  new  “Non-polarising  Electric  Battery"  : — 
otlierwise,  “the  new  Voltaic  Battery"  are  names 
which  do  not  convey  much  to  the  minds  of  the 
ordinary  reader  not  familiar  with  the  details  of 
up-to-date  electrical  science,  with  its  hariiarous 
nomenclature  of  “ Volts,  W ebers,  Ohms,  Ampireo,” 
Ovc.  But  when  told  what  wonc  the  new  battery  will 
do,  at  wliat  cost,  and  in  liuw  convenient  a manner, 
— provided  tliese  shew  a great  advance — all 
can  understand  tliat  aiiotlier  great  discovery  has 
been  made,  all'ording  “ Liglit”  anti  even  “ Power” 
from  a cheap  and  simple  source.  In  writing  on 
the  possible  achievements  of  science,  a short  while 
ago,  we  ventured  to  say  that  a time  would  come 
when  all  the  potentialities  contained  in  a small 
lump  ol  coal  wouhl  bo  made  available  in 
some  new  form  of  battery.  W'ell,  recent  dis- 
coveries, apparently,  go  verj  near  to  the  realiza- 
ation  of  our  pruguosticat  oiis.  If  we  could  accept 
all  that  is  men  cloned  in  the  paper  before  us, 
the  new  battery  for  ligimug  purposes,  seems  to 
afford  facilities  unobtainable  hitherto.  For  a sum 
of  about  £5(J — we  are  informed— an  installation 
can  be  bad  for  any  factory  or  residence, 
wliiiih  will  run  for  200  consecutive  hours, 
against  a hitherto  po.ssihlc  ma.\iimim  of  10 
hours  by  any  other  battery  doing  the  same 
work,  at  the  same  cost.  No  engines,  dy- 
namos, or  accumulators  are  required— only  a 
lloor  .space  of  4 ft.  by  21  inches  and  3 ft.  in 
height.  As  a motor,  it  is  stated  tliat  it  will 
not  be  found  to  be  pf  much  use  until  it  can 
be  made  to  develope  more  poAver. 
Unfortunately,  at  the  same  time,  Ave  are 
told  independently  by  a Colombo  householder, 
for  Avliom  a friend  at  home  has  been  in- 
teresting himself  in  this  “ Non-Polarising  Battery  ” 
that  it  lias  by  no  means  been  fully  and  practi- 
Ctilly  developed  yet.  He  has  been  Avatching 
it  since  February  last,  but  so  far  Avithout  being 
able  to  recommend  it. — .Still  another  circular  placed 
before  us  has  reference  to  the  “ Boron  Carbon 
Battery”  mentioned  in  the  Chemical  ATiw  Avliich 
says 
“ The  conclusion  of  the  all-too-brief  description 
states  that  the  new  cells  are  unrivalled  as  a lighting 
agent  Itr  lamps  and  give  off  no  fumes,  whilst  oue 
usually  suluces  to  drive  a motor,  and  throe  for  the 
entire  electro-chemical  work  of  a large  laboratory.’’ 
Verily,  in  the  variety  of  candidates  for  further 
favour,  there  is  a difiiculty  of  choice.  Wc  must 
just  alloAv  the  rivals  to  eheiv  Avliat  they  can  do 
in  the  old  country  before  trying  them  out  here. 
But  AA'C  arc  doubtless  on  the  threshold  of  further 
discoA'crics  Avhicn  Avill  afford  us  cheaper  and 
greater  “poAver”  as  A\  ell  as  more  brilliant  “light,” 
and  by  the  same  safe,  easy  and  inexpensive 
means. 
Since  Avritiug  the  above,  there  come.s  from 
a correspondent,  the  latest  story  in  lighting  ; — 
“ The  Municipal  Council  of  Paris  has  lately  invited 
the  Administration  to  study  the  practical  means  of 
ligating  with  -Acetylene.’  A mixture  of  4 oz.  of 
marble  lime  and  2J  oz.  of  coal  of  sugar  submitted 
during  20  minutes  to  a heat  of  3, .500  to  4,000®  celtius, 
gives  4 oz,  of  black  .crystals  of  ‘ carbm-e  of  Calcium.' 
Put  in  contact  with  Avater  this  decomposes  immedi- 
ately in  giving  gas  bubbles,  tue  ‘acetylene,’  winch 
has  a lighting  power  twch-e  times  greater  than  gas. 
2 kilos.  85  of  carbure  of  calcium  in  40  kilos,  of  Avater 
produce  one  cubic  metro  of  ajctylene.  A miinufac- 
tiuer  of  aluminium  of  spray  (North  Carolina  IJ.S.A.) 
is  said  to  produce  the  carbure  of  calcium  at  £3  per 
tou  of  908  kilos.  At  that  i-irice,  taking  into  account  its 
greater  lighting  pOAver,  acetylene  will  bo  ten  1*3 
twelA’o  times  cheaper  tjjai}  ordinary  gas,  One  may 
