Oct.  I,  1896.] 
THE  TROPICA  I 
AGRICULTURIST. 
243 
'Die  (ioiuoss  ]ii'ocess  iidopts  zi)u-atc  of  soda  for 
tile  elimiiiatioH  of  tlie  resins,  and  ellects  it  witii- 
out  the  s!i;j,litest  injury  to  tiie  lihre.  After  the 
“ rihlions"  or  strips  of  iiark  lia,\e  heen  freed  from 
dirt  tliey  are  idaeeii  in  Moak  acid  liatiis  for  a niyht. 
Next  niornin”'  they  are  passeil  tlirou^^li  a mild 
alkaline  hath,  and  then  lioiled  in  weak  solutions 
of  caustic  soda  to  whicli  zinc  has  heen  added. 
AVlien  M aslied  ami  dried  liy  the  usual  mechanical 
means  the  lihres  emerge  as  a long,  silky  filasse, 
entirely  free  from  tlie  cuticle  and  resinous  gums 
in  wliich  they  were  eniliedded  ; clean,  wliite 
and  ready  for  tlie  comh  of  the  si»inner.  They 
take  the  most  hcautiful  dyes  and  can  he  worked 
into  every  variety  of  fahric  from  gorgeous 
vehets  to  cheap  drills  and  delicate  laces. 
The  combined  lightnes.s  and  toughness  of  the 
libre  render  it  jieculiarly  suit.ahle  for  tents  and 
ship  canvas.  Three-fifths  mors  cloth  of  equal 
•strength  can  ho  made  from  Hhea  than  from  the 
same  weight  of  linen.  That  is  to  say,  1,000  yards 
of  the  Khea  canvas  weigh  only  as  much  as  600 
yards  of  linen.  Its  durability  and  resisting 
power  to  strain  arc  also  much  greater.  The 
Government  of  India  is  taking  eflectual  stejis  for 
the  rapid  extension  of  the  cultivation.  If  its 
forecast  bo,  correct,  we  may  congratulate  ourselves 
that  what  promises  to  become  a great  new  in- 
dustry has  been  rendered  possible  by  the  science 
of  an  English  chemist  and  has  bi'cn  practically 
inaugurated  by  an  English  company. 
Of  scarcely  less  importance  to  India  is  the 
development  of  its  indigenous  drugs.  If  the 
Gomess  process  is  the  imention  of  a chemist 
honourably  connected  by  family  ties  with  India, 
the  exploitation  of  the  indigenous  drugs  has 
Iioen  chielly  the  work  of  an  Indian  native  cliemist. 
Professor  Kauai  Lai  Dey,  of  the  Calcutta  Uni- 
versity, and  formerly  chemical  examiner  to  the 
Government,  has  just  issued  an  enlarged  edition 
of  his  treati.-^e  on  the  medicinal  products  ol 
British  India.  It  brings  to  completion  the  re- 
.searches  of  Ain.slie  in  1826,  of  O'Shaugnessy 
in  1S44,  and  of  Waidng  in  1868.  It  supplements 
them  with  a wealth  of  luactieal  knowledge  which 
could  only  iiave  been  accumulated  by  <i  chemist 
who  has  [lassed  his  life  in  the  country,  and  who 
is  intimately  conversant  with  the  languages,  the 
customs,  and  the  requirements  of  the  peojde. 
British  physiciams  in  India  are  aware  of  the  vast 
uos.sibilities  lying  aiouiul  them  in  the  shape  of 
nau^®  drugs.  The  Governor-General  in  Council 
lately  /‘^sued  a resolution  with  a view  to  more 
fulh'  utiliz'''^fl  indigenous  medicines,  and 
pointing  out  :.'>e.dilliculties  in  the  way.  3Vhat 
It  demands  are  di-’igs  stable  character,  free 
from  adultcratien,  aik'!  <at  a price  not  exccc.ling 
that  at  which  they  can  be  imi.ortod.  I role.ssor 
Dey’s  work  will  form  a laf.'dmark  m the  accom- 
idishmcnt  of  this  object.  Not  should  the  labours 
of  Mr.  T.  N.  Mukharji,  K.L.S.,  lately  of  the 
Inuierial  Museum,  Calcutta,  be  forgotten.  His 
accurate  woik,  painstaking  attention  to  details, 
and  ailmirablc  e([uipment  of  the  international 
c.xhibitions  in  Great  Britain  and  Euiopc  have 
slowly  but  surely  com]ielled  recognition  of  the 
medicinal  remedies  msed  forages  l»y  the  East. 
At  one  time  it  seemed  cas  if  our  Ipdian  Universi- 
ties vv'cre  only  to  juoducc  lawyers  and  litciaiy 
men.  Tlicy  are  now  producing  men  of  resoarch, 
whose  work  takes  a distinguished  position  in  tiie 
scientilic  journals  and  libraries  of  Europe.  They 
are  also  disclosing,  in  no  small  measure,  that 
rarer  iiuaiily  by  wliich  men  of  science  bring  tlieir 
labours  to  hear  on  the  wants  and  the  welfare  of 
their  own  coumry.  Kapid  .ns  has  been  the 
growth  of  Indian  vernacular  literature  under 
British  rule,  the  progre,ss  of  India  science  and 
technical  knowledge,  repremsented  by  investigators 
like  Professor  K.  1..  I)ey  and  Mr.  T.  N.  Mukharji, 
is  pel  haps  even  more  striking. — London  Timen, 
Aug.  10. 
PLANTING  AND  PRODUCE. 
Li  Hung  Chang  and  the  China  Tea  Ttude, — In 
the  list  of  presents  which  Li  Hung  Chang  distributes 
during  his  Western  pilgrimage  chests  of  choice 
China  tea  are  conspicuous.  The  Chinese  Chancellor 
would  like  to  see  life  restored  to  the  China  tea  trade, 
and  it  would  be  very  agreeable  to  him  if  he  could 
help  to  give  it  a fillip. 
China  Tea  and  the  Likin  Duties. — Indian  and 
Ceylon  tea  planters  are  not  particularly  anxious  that 
the  restrictions  which  handicap  the  tea  trade  of 
China  should  be  removed,  but  it  is  interesting  to 
know  how  these  restrictions  affect  the  tea  trade 
of  China.  Mr.  Allen,  the  British  Consul  at  Fuchau, 
in  his  last  report  on  the  trade  of  that  port,  says 
that  “ an  obstacle  to  the  development  of  commerce 
in  China,  less  easily  remedied  than  bad  roads,  is  a 
faulty,  not  to  say  an  utterly  rotten  and  corrupt 
system  of  collecting  revenue,  wherein  the  vested 
interests  involved  are  so  enormous  that 
nothing  short  of  the  reform  of  the  whole 
fiscal  arrangements  of  China  can  set  it  right.  Ai* 
though  the  evils  of  this  system  are  patent  everywhere 
in  the  empire,  there  are  two  places  where  they  are 
seen  in  their  most  aggravated  form.  One  is  Canton, 
the  other  Fuchau.  The  system  of  fanning  the  taxes, 
or  at  least  making  the  official  in  charge  of  them  re- 
mit a certain  sum  every  year,  while  he  puts  the 
balance  into  his  own  pocket,  insures  the  largest 
possible  collection  at  the  greatest  possible  cost  and 
the  least  possible  benefit  to  the  Government.  It  is 
said  that  the  cost  of  collecting  likin  is  70  per  cent 
of  the  total  sum  realised.  The  tax  farmers  are  not 
low  class  pariahs  like  the  publicans  of  Judea.  On 
the  contrary,  a tax  farmer  may  be,  and  often  is, 
a mandarin  of  the  highest  rank.  In  Fuchau  there 
are  four  separate  establishments  levying  taxes 
on  merchandise,  eacli  one  competing  with  the 
others,  and  looking  on  the  revenue  collected 
by  them  as  a loss  to  itself.  The  Maritime 
Custom  House  levies  duties  on  all  goods  im- 
ported or  exported  in  foreign  bottoms  or  in  Chinese 
steameis.  Tnese  press  lightly  on  trade,  except  in 
the  cai-e  of  tea,  which  pays  2-50  taels  a picul,  which 
in  1858  was  supposed  to  represent  an  ad  valorem  duty 
of  5 per  cent.  This,  then,  makes  the  average  value 
of  tea  .50  taels  per  picul.  It  is  novv  only  15  taels, 
so  that  the  proportion  of  duty  has  risen  from  5 per 
cent,  to  IG.t  per  cent.  Indian  and  Ceylon  teas  pay 
no  export  duties,  so  that  this  impost  alone  is  enough 
to  handicap  the  China  trade.  ’ 
A Suggestion. — We  publish  a letter  from  a cor- 
respondent, who  writer,  apropos  the  Assam  and  the 
Siuma  Vhtlley  dinners,  suggesting  I hat  an  annual 
gatheiing  of  Indian  tea  planters,  comprising  all  dis- 
tricts, be  held  in  London.  The  Assam  dinner  was 
instituted  as  a gathering  of  planters  and  their  friends 
from  Assam,  including  Cachar  and  Sylhet.  Whether 
its  scope  could  be  widened  so  as  to  take  in  In- 
dian tea  planters  generally  is  a iioint  for  the 
committee  to  decide.  We  agree  with  our  cor- 
respondent that  a thoroughly  representative  Indian 
tea  planters'  annual  dinner  is  very  desirable  if  it  can 
be  managed.  Each  district  could,  if  it  wished,  have  a 
dinner  on  its  own  account,  but  an  annual  meeting  of 
planters  representing  all  the  tea  districts  in  India 
would  prove  impressive,  lend  additional  importance  to 
the  tea  industry  generally,  and  also  promote  a feeling 
of  good-fellowship  between  all  districts.  There  may  be 
ser  ous  difficulties  in  the  way  of  carrying  it  out,  but  the 
suggestion  is  worth  the  consideration  of  those  immedi- 
ately concerned. 
The  Standakd  of  Quahity  in  Coffee. — Someone 
has  suggested  that  “ holders  of  coffee  in  bond  may 
manipulate  as  they  like  to  suit  tiie  market  under 
Government  protection. ''  This  has  brought  the 
(Iroeer  on  the  track  of  the  author  of  the  state- 
ment, and  leads  our  contemporary  to  say  that  state- 
