206 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  i,  1896. 
the  weather  was  rather  too  dry  for  tea,  and  red 
spider  was  prevalent.  In  July  and  August  the 
weather  was  variable  and  at  times  too  cool,  and 
mosquito  blight  was  prevalent. 
Sylhet. — The  weather  was  on  the  whole  not  favour- 
able. It  was  too  dry  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  the 
season,  and  too  wet  in  the  middle — from  June  to 
September.  There  were  also  in  places  disastrous  hail- 
storms, and  the  cyclone  of  October  did  some  damage. 
Kamrup. — The  year  was  noticeable  for  the  early 
close  of  the  rains,  and  the  consequent  early  stopxjage 
of  tea  manufacture. 
Darrang. — The  year  was  remarkable  for  its  very 
short  rainfall,  and  this  seriously  affected  the  outturn 
of  tea.  This  was  notably  the  case,  on  some  of  the 
finest  estates  in  the  district. 
Sibsagar. — The  weather  was  on  the  whole  unfav- 
ourable to  the  crop,  the  rainfall  beiug  generally 
short  and  badly  distributed.  The  early  part  of  the 
season  was  unusually  dry,  while  cold  dull  weather 
in  July  injuriously  affected  the  flushing  of  leaf  and 
manufacture,  and  the  season  closed  earlier  than 
usual  in  November. 
Lakhimpur.  —The  season  opened  favourably.  There 
were  heavy  floods  in  the  beginning  of  July.  Tem- 
perature was  low  in  August  and  caused  a check 
throughout  the  district,  fl  ue  rains  ceased  in  October, 
and  this  brought  the  He.i,sou  abruptly  to  a close. 
Prices  were  much  low  r than  in  1894,  and  the  year 
was  an  unhealthy  one.  A leading  planter  in  this 
district  reports  that  blister  blight,  followed  by  cater- 
pillar and  mosquito  blight  appeared  early  in  the  sea- 
son ; mosquito  blight  attacked  the  gardens  much 
earlier  than  usual,  and  lasted  in  some  cases  until 
the  close  of  the  season.  A new  blight  was  discovered 
by  Dr.  Watt.  This  blight  attacks  the  indigenous 
plant  only,  the  mites  attacking  the  edges  of  the  leaves 
and  working  their  way  gradually  through  the  veins 
to  the  centre,  the  colour  of  the  leaves  so  attacked, 
being  of  a pale  yellow  ; if  not  checked,  it  would  spread 
over  the  whole  bush,  prevent  its  giving  any  leaf,  and 
possibly  kill  the  plant.  Dr.  Watt  suggested  a remedy 
in  the  infusion  of  Adhatoda  vasica,  which  he  found 
most  useful  in  preventing  and  exterminating  the 
blight — Englishman,  July  28. 
INDIAN  PATENTS. 
No.  2136  P. — Applications  in  respect  of  the  under- 
mentioned inventions  have  been  filed,  during  the 
week  ending  1st  August  1896,  under  the  provisions 
of  Act  V,  of  1888. 
Improvements  in  or  connected  with  machinery  for 
rolling  tea  leaf. — No.  261  of  1896. — Nathan  William 
Horatio  Sharpe,  engineer,  of  26,  Perth  road,  Stroud- 
green,  London,  for  improvements  in  or  connected 
with  and  for  chlorine  machinery  for  rolling  tea  leaf. 
Improvements  in  apparatus  for  packing  tea  or  such 
like  substances. — No.  262  of  2896.— Nathan  William 
Horatio  Sharpe,  engineer,  of  26,  Perth  road.  Stroud- 
green,  London'  for  improvements  in  apparatus  for 
packing  tea  or  such  like  substances. 
Improvements  to  tea  equalising  or  cutting  mills. — 
No.  266  of  1896.— Samuel  Cleland  Davidson,  merchant, 
of  Sirocco  engineering  works,  Belfast,  Ireland,  for 
improvements  in  tea  equalising  or  cutting  mills. 
Improvements  in  the  process  of,  and  machinery 
or  apparatus  for,  decorticating,  preparing,  twisting, 
and  winding,  peat  fibre  or  other  fibrous  n;aterial. — 
No.  76  of  1896 — Gustave  Adolphe  Cannot,  merchant, 
of  No.  20,  Bucklersbury,  in  the  city  of  London,  for 
improvements  in  the  process  of,  and  machinery  or 
apparatus  for  decorticating,  preparing,  twisting,  and 
winding,  peat  fibre  or  other  fibrous  material.  (Speci- 
fication filed  14th  July  1896.) 
The  fees  prescribed  in  Schedule  4 of  Act  V of 
1888  have  been  paid  for  tl'.e  continuance  of  exclusive 
privilege  in  resj)ect  of  the  undermentioned  inven- 
tions For  the  periods  shown  against  each 
For  a machine  for  decorticating  or  extracting  the 
fibre  from  the  leaves  of  the  aloe  plant  and  other 
fibre  bearing  plants. — No,  220  of  1891. — llaribai 
Khanduji,  contractor,  residing  at  No.  13,  Bhandup 
street,  Mandvi  Bunder,  Bombay,  for  a machine  for 
decorticating  or  extracting  the  fibre  from  the  leaves 
of  the  aloe  plant  and  other  fibre  bearing  plants, 
(Prom  21st  April  1896  to  20th  (Ypril  1897.) 
Whereas  the  inventor's  of  the  undermentioned  in- 
ventions have  respectively  failed  to  j>ay  the  fees 
prescribed  it  is  notified  that  the  exclusive  privilege 
of  making,  selling,  and  using  the  said  inventions  in 
British  India  and  of  authorising  others  so  to  do  has 
ceased : — 
An  improved  punkah-pulling  machine. — No.  129  of 
1891. — Neil  Douglas’  invention  for  an  improved 
punkah-pulling  machine.  (Specification  filed  28th 
April  1892.) 
Improved  method  for  preserving  India  Rubber, 
gutta-percha  and  goods  made  therefrom. — No.  266  of 
1891.— Herbert  Samuel  Elworthy’s  invention  lor  a 
novel  or  improved  method  for  preserving  India  rubber, 
vulcanized  india  rubber,  gutta-percha  and  goods  made 
therefrom.  (Specification  filed  30th  April  1992.) — 
hulian  and  Eastern  Engineer,  Aug.  15. 
— ^ 
INDIAN  TEA  SALES. 
(From  William  Moran  tfc  Co.'s  Market  Re2)ort,) 
C.MCUTTA,  August  18th,  1896. 
TEA. — During  the  fortnight  40,750  packages  have 
been  offered  and  sold.  For  some  of  the  better  grades 
prices  have  been  a little  irregular  but  not  quotably 
lower.  Medium  sorts  have  been  steady  at  previous 
rates,  while  all  common  tea  has  been  well  com- 
peted for  and  shows  some  slight  rise  in  value. 
This  week  the  sales  will  be  large,  aggregatin'^  nro- 
bably  30,000  chests.  & > e n f 
Total  quantity  of  Tea  passed  through  Calcutta 
from  1st  April  to  15th  August. 
Great  Britain 
Foreign  Europe 
America 
Asia 
Australia 
1896. 
1895. 
1894. 
37,407,642 
34,365,964 
.34,321,216 
101,813 
118,846 
72,820 
189,947 
204,927 
107,237 
1,200,593 
1,298,221 
914,736 
1,723,659 
1,913,217 
1,402,120 
40,623,654 
37,901,175 
36,818,129 
(From  Watson,  Mibthorp  di  Co.'s  Tea  Report) 
Calcutta,  Aug.  25. 
27,739  packages  of  tea  changed  hands  in  the  sales 
held  on  the  20th  inst.  In  sympathy  with  London 
the  market  was  not  so  active  as  it  has  been  lately 
and  prices,  although  very  irregular,  generally  dis- 
played a downward  tendency.  The  demand  for  the 
Colonies,  Bombay  and  other  places  was  strong  and 
kept  the  range  of  rates  for  suitable  grades  very 
steady. 
'The  average  price  of  the  27,739  packages  sold  is 
As.  8.0  about  8Jd.  per  lb.  as  compared  with  15  513 
packages  sold  on  the  22nd  August  1895  atAs.7.11  or 
about  8^d  per  lb.  and  18.994  packages  sold  on  the 
23rd  August  1894  at  As.  9.0  or  about  9Jd  per  lb. 
The  exports  from  1st  April  to  22ud  August  from 
here  to  Great  Britain  are  41,143,.365  lb.  as  com- 
pared with  40,073,207  lb.  at  the  correspondent  period 
last  season  and  38  473,925  ib.  in  1894. 
Notk. — Last  sale’s  average  was  As.  8'5  or  nearly 
9Jd.  ^ 
Teleou.^ms.— Reuter  telegraphed  from  London  on 
the  17th  inst.— “ Type  ” 7 lo  lOd.on  the  18th— ‘'Tyne” 
7 13-16d  on  the  20th,— Offered  35,000,  sold  3'2(^ 
packages.  Rather  less  request  and  prices  irregular 
Average  10.1.  ” Ty pe  ” 8d,  and  on  the  21st— “'i\  ne” 
E.’cciianoe.— Document  bills,  6 months’  sight,  Is  ff^d 
Fkeioht. — Steamer — A‘1-3-9  per  con  of  50c.  ft. 
