July  ij  1896.J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
49 
^otircspcndenoo. 
To  the  Editor. 
ADVERTIZING  CEYLON  TEA  IN 
AMERICA. 
Kfindy,  16th  May  1896. 
SiK, — From  a large  quantity  of  American 
advertisements  of  Ceylon  tea  which  liave  arrived 
this  week  I forward  one  or  two.  You  ■will  notice 
that  trade  customs  as  well  as  orthography  in 
Buft'alo,  N.  Y.  vary  from  those  of  Colombo!! 
The  advertisements  of  ‘ Salada  ’ tea  appear  in 
every  paper  in  North  America  in  \arious  forms, 
and  the  three  large  firms  originally  enlisted  by 
Mr.  Mackenzie  continue  their  efforts.  As  he  says, 
“ their  work  has  been  the  lever  which  enabled 
us  to  bring  the  American  houses  in.” 
Mr.  Lipton  is  also  bringing  his  energy  and 
ca])ital  to  bear  in  the  U.  S.  A.  Meanwhile,  other 
countries  are  not  being  neglected  ; Mr.  Rogivue 
has  been  placed  in  funds,  in  reply  to  his  appli- 
cation for  a special  purpose ; and  a beginning 
has  been  made  in  Norway. — I am,  &c., 
A.  W.  S.  ttACKVILLE. 
( Exact  Copy. ) 
John  Ledger,  Buffalo  N.Y.,  April  2d,  189G. 
B.  Fischer  & Co. 
Dear  Sirs, — I have  paid  C.  D.  Petrie  in  full  for  last 
shipment.  Now  on  this  other  4 cheats  I have  ordered 
— try  and  do  as  well  as  you  can  on  all  of  them — of 
cora  the  2 chests  of  gren  tea — I have  conciilrebel 
find  of  the  Kola  not  yielding  the  true  variety.  The 
Ivola  that  breaks  up  when  dried  into  several  sec- 
tions  has  been  sent  to  the  London  market,  and 
after  being  held  in  stock  as  dried  Kola  Nut  for  some 
length  of  time,  has  been  sold  at  ruinous  prices.  This 
very  much  militates  against  the  market  price  of 
people  are  careless  in  stating  the 
different  sorts  of  varieties. 
By  this  explanation  I want  to  make  it  quite  clear, 
that  there  are  also  other  varieties  of  Kola  which 
are  much  worse  even  than  these  sweet  Kolas,  which 
are  known  under  the  name  of  the  “bitter  kola”  and 
have  been  fully  described  in  my  No.  8 “ New  Com- 
mercial Plants  & Drugs.” — Yours  truly, 
TPIO.  CHRISTY. 
SILK  IN  CEYLON. 
_ De.'VR  Sir,— With  reference  to  my  letter  of  1.3th 
inst.,  perhap.s  the  following  note.s,  pending  pub- 
lication of  a .small  pamphlet  which  I hope  to 
complete  sliortly,  will  be  of  intere.st  to  intendim*' 
cultivatois. 
The  castor-oil  silkworm  is  easily  reared,  as  the 
worms  are  of  a hardy  nature  and  spin  their 
cocoons  within  a month.  The  eggs  laid  by  the 
moths  hatch  out  in  a w'eek  or  twelve  days  : the 
period  depends  on  the  temperature  in  which  tliey  are 
kept.  The  young  worms  should  be  fed  at  first 
on  the  smallest  and  most  succulent  leaves  of  the 
ca.stor-oil  plant,  freshly  gathered,  and  on  larger 
and  more  mature  leaves  as  they  grow  older.  In  3 
or  4 day.s  they  stop  feeding  and  change  their  skins 
for  the  first  time  (this  is  called  ‘moulting’),  and 
during  these  periods  they  should  never  be  disturbed. 
I he  worms  as  they  continne  to  irrow  ‘mmilf,  ’ 
they  continne  to  grow  ‘moult 
4 times,  and  after  the  4th  moult  their  appetite 
increases  at  an  astonishing  rate,  so  that  the 
gren  tea- 
trubbl  v;ith  it  on  account  of  xor  much  fine  dust  in  it. 
My  customers  don’t  detect  it  when  I mix  with  black 
but  when  they  get  it  clear-that  is  the  time  they  leaves  must  be"  grv7n''to*‘?hem  “verf'frecmentl^^ 
com  for  me— I am  a cash  man  and  aught  to  have  durino-  thp  Jq,.  i_A 
preferance  over  long  time  men — Now  some  of  your 
New  York  houses  has  sent  me  some  verey  fine  samples 
of  tea — withch  proves  out  better  than  any  I have  got 
from  you — and  they  yarentee  to  duplicate  there  samples 
by  the  chest — but  1 do  not  want  to  change  with  you, 
it  you  will  do  as  well — my  partner  has  draweu  out 
from  me  and  I will  have  to  run  it  on  my  own  ac- 
count. I am  giving  a pound  of  tea  with  everey  Ion 
of  coal  I sell,  2 pounds  on  every  livery  that  gos 
out,  if  they  use  the  horse  well  and  not  brak  the 
buggy  they  get  the  tea  and  if  used  hard  get  out  be 
put  if  the  Police  Station  and  fined  this  is  my  sceam 
and  I think  it  will  work  well  when  I get  thrugh  with 
the  stock  I have  on  hand — I think  it  will  want  con- 
si  derabel  tea— my  tea  is  all  high  price  and  1 am 
mixer  with  yours.  Send  me  good  samples  this  time. 
Of  coars  I know  nothing  about  tea  but  I may  know 
or  my  pocket  may  know  before  I get  through — but 
that  will  not  be  you  funiral — that  will  be  my  look 
out,  do  what  is  right  with  me — and  no  more  of  my 
partner — tea  I will  have  or  he  was  my  partner  but 
is  not  now. — Yours  respectfully, 
Capx.  John  LEDOim. 
THE  KOLA  IN  AFRICA. 
London,  April  28. 
Sir, — 1 think  it  will  interest  some  of  your  readers 
to  know  that  in  certain  parts  of  Africa  the  Kola 
grows  with  considerable  luxuriance,  but  in  place  of 
the  variety  (which  yields  the  bean)  which  divides 
into  two  equal  parts,  or,  in  other  words,  has  only 
one  division  across  the  fruit,  the  variety  found 
growing  in  this  district  and  especially  the  Portu- 
guese possessions,  divides  up  into  5 or  6 divisions 
when  the  bean  is  bruised  or  when  it  is  dried.  This 
variety  of  Kola  yields  a sweet  powder,  and  it  is  not 
appreciated  by  the  natives  in  anything  like  the 
proportion  of  the  Kola  with  the  “equal  divisions.” 
So  much  is  this  the  case,  that  the  Europeans  now 
settling  in  Portuguese  Africa  find  that  they  are 
obliged  to  get  seed  of  the  true  Kola  (Sterculia  Acu- 
minata) and  take  it  down  to  their  estates.  It  is 
their  intention  to  destroy  all  trees  that  they  can 
1 
during  the  day,  and  enough  given  them  late 
in  the  evening  for  food  during  the  night. 
At  the  end  of  18  days,  or  less,  they  will 
be  rea<ly  to  spin  their  cocoons,  and  should 
be  put  into  inverted  baskets.  The  cocoons  are 
linnshed  in  3 or  4 days,  and  the  moths  emerge 
within  a week  and,  after  pairing,  lay  their 
eggs,  each  female  laying  from  100  to  200. 
Tlie  temperature  in  which  my  worms  are  bei no- 
reared  range.s  between  80  and  90  degrees  : the 
hotter  the  climate  tlie  more  rajiidly  will  the 
brood  be  completed. 
Lizards,  bats,  birds,  rats  and  spiders  have 
to  be  guarded  against,  and  for  this  reasoin 
the  worms  must  be  kept  indoors,  but  they  shou  d 
have  as  mucli  fresh  air  as  possible  and  be  kept 
clean,  the  withered  leaves  and  stalks  and  excreta, 
being  removed  from  the  tats  daily. 
riiis  silkworm  should  be  a decided  success 
at  any  elevation  lielow  Naw'alapitiya : in  tact 
whererver  the  castor  oil  plant  grows  rapidly  : it 
comes  up  as  a weed  in  most  kurakk.an  cli'euas. 
I shall  be  glad  to  send  you  fuller  details 
later  on  : in  the  meantime  any  iniormation  will 
be  gladly  given  to  intending  sericulturists. — 
I ours  faithfully,  j>, 
PS.  Early  application  for  cocoons  or  eggs  is  ne- 
cessary, as  the  moths  emerge  and  eggs  hatch  so 
quickly,  and  the  worms  cannot  easily  be  sent  by  post. 
PLANTING  IN  -SUMATltA  : LIBERIAN 
COFFEE;  RUBBER  AS  SHAD  10  ; CUSCUS. 
Soengei  Karei  Estate,  Lobo  I'ekam,  Sumatra, 
^ May  7,  1896- 
JJear  Sir, — .Some  few  mouths  ago,  a correspon- 
dent in  your  columns  recommended  a certain  rub- 
ber tree  as  shade  for  Liberian  coffee.  I have  mis- 
laid the  paper,  and  should  be  obliged  if  you  would 
tell  me  the  species  of  rubber,  and  where  I could 
get  the  seed. 
