Dec.  2,  1895.]  THE  TROPICAL 
“ would  do  well  to  yo  in  for  some  advortisiug,  if 
they  want  to  boom  their  district.  The  figuresgiveu 
by  ‘Wynaad’  are  until  now  unheard  of  in  the  histor}! 
of  tea.”  Our  contemporary  also  observes  that  the 
figures  are  astounding.  i3e  this  as  it  may,  we 
know  on  reliable  authority  that  ” Wynaad  s 
figures  are  well  within  the  truth.  Uy  the 
way,  Planfiii;/  U/nnioii  evidently  does  not  pos- 
sess a copy  of  Mr.  ytanden’s  excellent  essay  on 
“ Tea  Cultivation  in  the  Wynaad,”  otherwise  it  would 
never  have  appended  the  foot-note  it  did.  Our 
Coonoor  fortnightly  contemporary  is  doing  excellent 
work  for  the  planting  industry  of  Southern  India 
in  collating  planters’  views  on  different  subjects, 
but  before  it  expresses  opinions  ou  the  capabilities 
of  any  district  it  should  make  itself  uit  con  rant  with 
the  latest  information  on  tho  subject.  In  South 
Wynaad  there  are  fields  of  tea  which  have  given 
1,’iOO  lb.  to  Iji'iUO  lb.  per  acre,  a fact  which  has  been 
stated  in  these  columns  more  than  once.  The  only 
reason  why  the  Wynaad  is  not  for  its  acreage  one 
of  the  biggest  tea-pi'oducing  districts  of  the  day  is 
that  it  is  unknown.  Let  it  be  boomed  and  a change 
will  come  o’er  the  spirit  of  the  dream. — JI.  Mail. 
DRUG  llEPUKT. 
(From  Chemist  and  JJrug<jist.J 
London,  October  24th, 
Cafi'EINF,— The  market  remains  firm.  Sales  were  made 
by  second-hand  holders  at  20s  per  11),  spot  terms,  in 
the  course  of  this  week.  The  mmiufacturers  have  booked 
orders  for  the  total  of  their  capacity  up  to  Oeceinber. 
Some  short  time  ago  they  were  still  selling  at  ISs  per 
lb  for  November  delivery,  but  at  that  (piotation  no 
orders  could  probably  be  executed  at  present.  For  De- 
cember delivery  also  the  makers  will  only  sell  small 
([uantities. 
KoL\-NliTS  - Fair  AVest  Indian  nuts  sold  this  week  liy 
auction  at  lOd  per  lb.  Privately  about  Id  advance  is 
asked  on  the  recent  rates. 
QiriX'iM-;  tending  .somewhat  easier.  .Several  small  sales 
of  German  bulk,  B and  S or  Brunswick  brands,  jare  re- 
ported from  .second  hands  at  Is  l.jd  per  oz.  A pai'celof 
5,000  oz  Fabbtica  Lombarda  in  bulk  has  been  sold  at 
Is  Id  per  oz.  The  market  clo.ses  rather  dull,  with  sellers 
of  the  usual  brands  at  Is  IJd,  but  no  buyers. 
VA.MLL.t  Mail  reports  from  Port  Louis,  Alauritius, 
dated  end.  of  September,  state  that  the  market  is  bare 
of  cui'ed  vanilla.  No  business  has  been  transacted  during 
the  month.  It  is  stated  that  the  coming  crop  of 
Mauritius  vanilla  will  be  no  less  than  (iO  tons  smaller 
than  the  last.  A considerable  business  has  been  done 
privately  in  the  last  few  days.  Fine  beans  are  very 
scarce,  and  high  pric'es  are  asked,  (food  Mauritius,  0 
to  7 inches,  li.ave  been  sold  at  2Ss  per  lb.  A parcel  of 
Australian  vanilla,  showing  long  but  rather  foxy  shri- 
velled beans,  which  was  bought  in  at  the  last  auctions, 
has  since  been  di.sposed  of  at  21s  6d  per  P).  Me.xican 
vanilla,  a variety  not  very  often  seen  on  our  market,  was 
bought  in  at  the  last  sale  at  10s  per  lb,  which,  however, 
must  be  regarded  as  a nominal  price. 
♦- 
TEA  BLIGHT,  AND  LEGITMINOUS 
PLANTS. 
Dr.  Watt  auuounces  a discovery  which  may  pos- 
sibly prove  of  importance  to  1 he  tea  industry.  He 
found  that  tea  gardens  over  w'hich  Na  (Alhi-::ia  sli- 
nulata)  trees  had  been  planted  suffered  far  less  from 
insects  and  mites  than  gardens  where  this  was  not 
the  case.  He  writes  : — “ It  soon  had  demonstrated 
to  me  that,  far  from  this  comparative'iminunity  from 
blights  being  due  to  the  shade  afforded  by  these 
trees,  the  quality  of  the  tea  w'as  distinctly  lowered, 
though  the  volume  afforded  was  increa.sed.  The  Sa 
tree  belongs  to  the  group  of  Jjeguminosir  that  ac- 
cording to  the  researches  of  investigators  in  Europe, 
should  not  produce  the  beneficial  rout  tiiberdes 
discussed  in  the  appended  pamphet.  1 was  for  a 
time  puzzled  to  account  for  the  facts  narrated 
until  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Buckingham, 
I was  pennittsd  to  have  a young  tree  dug  up  so 
that  I might  examine  its  roots.  To  my  no  small 
delight  I found  that  these  were  covered  with  mul- 
titudes of  the  tubercles,  and  further  that  under  the 
microscope  these  were  actually  found  to  contain  the 
AGRICULTURIST.  413 
nitrogeu-feediug  bacilli.  I extended  my  researches  in 
this  direction,  and  found  that  in  Assam  very  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  members  of  the  Mimosas  (the  sub- 
order to  which  the  Pa  belongs)  also  produce  root 
tubercles.  I shall  thus  have  to  amend  the  review 
of  the  literature  of  that  subject  (as  given  in  the 
pamphet),  and  the  Mimosae  to  the  Papilio- 
naceae  as  forming  beneficial  tubercles  on  their  roots- 
But  I was  led  to  the  practical  consideration,  and 
one  that  I now  regard  as  almost  of  supreme  mo- 
ment to  the  tea  industry  that  the  cultivation  of  a 
herbaceous-leguminous  plant  to  be  hoed  in  as  green 
manure  would  secure  the  strength  to  resist  many 
blights  without  entailing  the  disadvantage  of  the 
Shade  given  by  the  Pa.  I accordingly  recommended 
the  Assam  planters  to  sow  in  October  and  hoe 
in  about  February  a crop  of  Matti  Kalai  or  some 
other  of  the  numerous  pulse  crops  common  to  the 
neighbourhood.  Mauj'  of  my  Assam  friends  have 
given  practical  effect  to  this  suggestion  (Mr.  J.  A. 
'Thompson  of  Ligri  Tukri  more  particularly)  by  exami- 
ning all  the  w'ild  or  cultivated  plants  of  the  kind  indi- 
cated in  order  to  discover  a quick-growing  species 
with  a'  copious  production  of  root  tubercles.  I need 
only  add  in  conclusion  that  the  principle  involved 
in  this  recommendation  is  identical  with  the  time 
immemorial  experience  in  the  value  of  Clover  in  the 
agricultural  rotation  of  crops  pursued  in  Europe.  By 
growing  a herbacceus  logminous  crops  for  a few 
months  on  the  soil,  some  attempt  is  made  to  com- 
bat the  evil  effects  of  a perennial  cultivation  of  the 
same  plant  on  the  same  soil.” — Pioneer. 
^ 
ITIOSPECTTNG  IN  THE  “FIFTIES.” 
XOUTII  OP  KANDY-:  PART  II. 
{Bj/  cm  Old  Planter. ) 
The 
SHADES  OF  EA’ENINO 
w-eve  fast  closing  around  us  and  steady  rain  began 
to  fall  as  we  hurried  along  the  jungle  bridle-path, 
which  led  up  to  the  new  clearing,  and  soon  a disc 
of  light  was  visible  in  the  distance,  and  then  we 
alighted  at  the  middle  of  a little  coffee  plantation ; 
but  it  was  not  roaded,  and  we  did  not  know  which 
way  to  go.  Peering  into  the  distance  before  us  we 
espied  something  big  and  high  and  white,  and  climb- 
ing over  the  trunks  of  forest  giants  prostrate  on  the 
ground  discovered  to  our  dismay  that  it  was  only 
A GEEY-CO.VTED  AND  PRODIGIOUS  ROULDEK 
and  which  we  had  fondly  hoped  was  a cottage  with 
white-washed  sides.  What  was  to  be  done ’2  Here 
wo  were  in  a sad  iix, — not  a human  voice  to  be  heard, 
nor  a building  of  any  kind  to  bo  discovered,  and 
wo  knew  not  which  way  to  proceed,  so  we  wandered 
on  and  on  over  planted  clearings,  till  at  last  I fancied 
1 hoard  the  sound  of  a Tamil  chant  and  then  the 
thud  of  the  rice-pounder,  and  it  was  so,  and  soon  we 
reached  a long  set  of 
TH.VrCHED  LINES 
and  found  Minatchy  and  Ramaswamy  happy  and 
lively  and  contented  even  in  this  lone  and  unroaded 
region,  and  guided  by  one  of  our  dusky  Tamil 
friends,  we  reached  the  gable  end  of  another  set  of 
lines  where  resided  our  nautical  host.  “ Who 
visits  my  cabin  at  this  time  of  night,  I won- 
der-— friend  or  I'oo  in  ' a cheery  tone  he  en- 
quired. “Come  in  and  get  shelter  from  the  rain.’’ 
Bight  glad  were  wo  for  his 
HOSPITAHl.E  INVITATION  ; 
and  tlien  he  gave  us  a brew  of  genuine  Congou — all 
he  had  to  give — we  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  and 
listened  to  sailuis’  yarns,  redolent  of  sea  waves  and 
white  squ-alls  and  typhoons.  Early  next  morning  wo 
started  for 
OIL  .ILNULL  LOTS 
some  -2  or  .'j  miles  away,  and  as  we  travelled  over 
the  new  clearings  I was  delighted  to  sec  how  sturdy 
and  Jiealthy  the  young  coffee  trees  looked,  springing 
up  from  a rich  fertile  loam,  soft  and  springy  be- 
neath our  tramp.  As  we  proceeded,  I noticed  the 
Lagalla  district — most  of  it,  at  any  rate,  had  an  un- 
broken and  ominous  descent,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
