THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Aug.  f,  i8g5. 
U4 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Orchids  and  Ant.s.— It  has  been  observed, 
says  Public  Opinion,  that  orchids  derive  some 
benetit  from  the  numerous  ants  which  overrun 
them  in  tlie  tropics,  but  the  precise  nature  of 
the  service  has  remained  a mystery.  Accordinjf 
to  a naturalist  of  the  Botanic  Gardens  in  Trinidad, 
the  ants  appear  to  foster  the  growth  of  a fungus 
on  the  roots  of  the  orchid,  and  ibis  fungus 
acts  as  an  additional  source  of  nourishment  to 
the  plant.  Certain  South  American  ants  are 
known  to  cultivate  fungi  for  their  own  use,  and 
these  may  unconsciously  sow  the  seed  of  the  fungi 
in  crawling  over  the  roots  of  the  orchid.  Quite 
recently,  we  may  aild,  a variety  of  these  fungus 
farming  ants  was  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Washington,  United  States. 
Thk  Planting  Indu.stry  in  Coorg.— In  the 
course  of  an  editorial  on  this  subject  the  Madras 
Mad,  says  The  little  Province  of  Coorg  may 
l>e  likened  in  many  ways  to  the  Colony  of  Ceylon. 
Not  only  are  its  interests  identilied  with  the 
planting  industry,  but  the  planters  arc  themselves 
most  enterprising  ; and  nowhere  else  in  Southern 
India  is  there  such  a large  continuous  area  of 
European  cultivation  as  in  South  Coorg,  where 
it  is  possible  for  a man  to  ride  for  more  than 
twenty  miles  with  coHee  on  either  hand.  In 
Ceylon  of  course  nowadays  the  cultivation  is 
almost  all  tea.  It  is  no  wonder  tliat  Mr.  Lee 
Warner  wrote  strongly  in  favoui  of  Local  Self- 
Government  in  Coorg.  There  is  so  much  wis<lom 
in  this  recommendation  that  we  trust  it  will  not 
be  lost  sight  of.  Coflee  has  l)een  doing  remark- 
ably well  in  Coorg  during  the  past  few  >ears, 
and  it  is  largely  to  this  fact  that  there  has  been 
such  a great  e.xpansion  in  revenue.  This  sur- 
plus revenue  at  the  end  of  1894-95  was  the  largest 
ever  collected  in  the  Province  viz.,  113,53,496-9  5, 
and  the  total  revenue  the  highest,  viz., 
119  62,935-9-7.  The  increase  in  revenue  from  collee 
is  21 ‘21  per  cent.,  partly  due  to  the  vigilance  of 
the" Land  Record  Department.  These  figures  are 
in  themselves  an  elo(iuent  appeal  for  a more 
mode  of  atlministration.  What  aie 
chiefly  needed  are  new  roads,  inereased  allotments 
to  the  P.W.D.,  an  Assistant  Superintendent  of 
Police,  and  railway  extension,  or,  omitting  the 
policeman,  the  urgent  wants  of  the  Province  are 
confined  to  one  tiling-  improved  communications. 
It  has  been  remarked  that  it  seems  “as  if  the 
interests  of  the  Indian  Government  are  so  vast 
and  varied  that  it  is  unable  to  give  the  same 
attention  to  European  interests  that  is  given  by 
smaller  and  more  self-centred  Governments,  such 
as  that  of  Ceylon.”  In  the  little  Province  of 
Coorg,  at  any  rate,  it  might  reasonably  be  ex- 
pected to  be  otherwise,  for  there  is  no  mistaking 
the  <'reat  benefits  which  European  enterprise  has 
conferred,  or  which  it  might  still  further  confer, 
if  only  it  were  given  a rea.sonable  chance  of  deve- 
lopment. It  must,  however,  be  okserved  that 
though  the  coffee  industry  in  Coorg  has  been 
built  up  by  European  enterprise,  at  this  time 
there  are  not  a few  Coorg  gentlemen  engaged  in 
it  and  it  is  a source  of  wealth  to  the  whole 
population. 
('il.OSETS,  Urinals,  Night  Commodes,  Stables, 
; Kennels,  &c.  should  be  Ugfitly  dredged 
(after  clean.sing)  with  CALVKUr.s  15  per  cent 
('\KI10LIC  Powder,  to  destroy  bad  odoms  ami 
to  kill  or  keep  away  insects—lhe  most  cflective 
and  21b.-  dredgers,  at 
and  Stores. 
Manchester. 
to  kill  or  keep  away  nise^«— 
preparation.— In  2 lb..  1.1'»- 
® ’ E.  C.  CALVERT  & Co.,  Mane 
INDIAN  TEA  SALES. 
(From  Williani  Moran  Co.’s  Marhtt  Report,) 
Calcutta,  July  12st,  1896. 
TEA. — Since  our  last,  auctions  011  the  Ot’n  and 
Itith  instants,  have  comprised  3-2,395  packages,  of 
whicn  31 901  were  sold.  The  quality  offered  has 
shown  sorn-3  iinprovcinent,  especially  on  Assam 
growths  : Darjeelings,  however,  are  still  wanting 
ill  flavour.  Prices  for  the  common  grades  have  been 
a shade  easier,  but  for  other  descriptions  the  market 
has  been  fairly  steady. 
Total  quantity  of  Tea  passed  through  Calcutta 
from 
Great  Britain 
Foreign  Europe  . . 
America 
Asia 
Australia  and  New 
Zealand 
April  to 
18th  July. 
1896. 
1895. 
1891. 
19,951,958 
21,7-14,-182 
18,142,367 
87,7-19 
71,033 
38,720 
53,045 
55,910 
43,170 
488,136 
581,412 
348,271 
905,291 
988,846 
815,124 
21,186,179 
23,-141,713 
19,418,102 
DRUG  REPORT. 
(From  the  Chemist  and  Drugrjist. ) 
liOiulon,  .July  9th. 
Ci-|Jinis. — Quite  neglected  and  easier.  A parcel  of  fair 
quality  was  cleared  .soma  time  ago  at  3-2s  (id  per  cwt., 
and  since  then  importers  have  been  asking  from  37s  Od 
to  40s  for  tine  shifted  Si  gipore.  At  that  price,  how- 
ever, they  have  found  it  impos-iii.le  to  ntike  progress. 
At  today's  auctions  31  packages  fair  brown  berries,  not 
stalky,  from  Bombay  were  bought  in  at  35s,  a bid  of 
32s  being  refused.  Another  lot  of  C5  bags  very  small 
.and  du.s'ty  ordinary  harries  from  Singapore  sold  without 
reserve,  at  from  19s  6d,  rising  to  22nd  for  sound,  and  20s 
6il  for  damaged  quality. 
CrrrLi;-i-i.sn.  - A parcel  of  fair  pale,  sliglitly  discoloured, 
mixcil  medium  to  bold  (piality  sold  cheaply  at  from  2:jd 
to  3pl  i)er  lb.  Another  lot  of  50  bags  broken  cuttle-fish 
bone  from  I’enang  was  bought  in. 
OILS  (Essential).— Lemongrass  oil  quiet,  at  2^d  per  oz. 
on  the  spot,  and  1 15-lOd.  per  oz.  c.  i.  f.  At  auction 
27  cases  Coch  n oil  were  bought  in  at  2gd  per  oz.  Citro- 
nella  oil  is  tending  easier  still : on  the  spot  the  quo- 
tation is  Is  (id  per  lb.  in  drums,  and  Is  4d  per  lb.  in  tins  ; 
for  arrival  it  is  Is  2d  per  lb.  c.  i.  f.  in  drums. 
V.otious  Drugs. —A  parcel  was  bought  in  at  Is  Id 
per  Ib.  todiy.  100  bags  Cocculus  iiniicus  were  bought 
in  at  8s  Oil  per  cwt.  Of  Coca-leaves,  a large  supply  of 
159  bales  recently  arrived  was  shown.  Good  Uuaiioco  were 
bought  in  at  Is  Id  per  lb.  ; for  good  Truxillo  character 
at  from  7d  to  Is  per  lb 
Tea  Seed  Carrying  Coefee  Leaf  Di.sea.se!  — 
The  Central  African  Planter  for  May  has  the  fol- 
lowing alarmist  note : — 
We  are  informed  by  a Mlanje  correspondent  that 
the  Nyasalaud  Coffee  Company,  Ld.,  is  importing 
tea-seed  from  Ceylon  and  it  is  stated  that  a permit 
has  been  obtained  allowing  the  seed  to  enter  B.C.A. 
at  Chiromo.  From  what  our  correspondent  says  it 
is  propable  that,  by  this  time,  the  consignment  has 
already  passed  Chiromo.  The  Mlanje  planters— 
Messrs.  Moir,  Bradshaw,  Brown,  Simpson,  C x and 
Austen  have,  with  commendable  promptitude,  already 
protested  to  H.  M.  Commissioner  against  the  impor- 
tation and  we  sincerely  hope  that  C.  M.  Cammissio- 
ner  will  rigidly  enforce  the  present  Regulations  for 
preventing  the  introduction  of  Coffee-leaf  disease  into 
B.  A.  C.  Cejlon  already  has  the  notoriety  of  introduc- 
ing leaf-disease  into  Fiji  and  German  East  Africa  but 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  connection  with  the  spicy  Isle 
-will  not  result  in  settling  the  dreaded  fungus  amongst 
us.  If  such  a catastrophe  is  to  be  averted  we  will  have 
to  be  doubly  cautious  in  all  importations  from  Ceylon 
the  more  so  in  the  case  of  tea-seed  as  Coffee  and  tea 
are  grown  in  the  closest  proximity  there.  We  should 
think  this  is  a question  for  the  Chamber  of  Agriculture 
and  Commerce  to  notice  and  it  would  be  gratifying  to 
hear  that  the  standing  Coiiiiiiittce  are  moving  in  the 
matter.  We  are  fain  to  hope  that  the  importation 
has  not  reached  the  stage  our  correspondent  suggests 
because  were  it  so  it  would  bo  a grave  broach  ol  faith 
on  the  part  of  the  Administration  towards  the  planting 
Community. 
