Oct.  I,  1896.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
259 
lated  before  it  is  sown.  This  is  effected  by  mak- 
ing a watery  solution  of  the  pure  cultivation,  im- 
mersing the  seed  in  it,  and  subsequently  drying 
it;  or  Secondly,  it  may  bo  effected  by  inoculating  a 
quantity  of  fine  sand,  or  earth,  in  the  same  way, 
and  then  spreading  it  over  the  field  and  subsequently 
working  it  into  the  soil  to  a depth  of  about  three 
inches. 
Naturally,  a point  of  considerable  interest  is  the  eco- 
nomic question  of  the  cost  of  such  treatment.  is  in- 
teresting to  learn  that  this  is  extremely  moderate,  as 
the  expense  of  inoculating  a field  in  this  way  amounts 
to  the  very  modest  sum  of  five  shilling  per  acre. 
This  cannot  be  regarded  as  expensive,  and  contrasts 
favourably  with  the  expense  of  nitrogenous  fertilisers. 
No  doubt  there  are  many  points  in  connection  with 
this  interesting  discovery  which  can  alone  be  answered 
by  the  test  of  experience.  All  that  we  can  at  present 
say  is  that  it  seems  to  promise  great  things  for 
agriculture.  It  furnishes  another  example  of  the 
beneficent  functions  discharged  by  micro-organic  life, 
which  is  in  pleasing  contrast  to  those  performed  by 
the  disease-producing  germs.  Not  more  than  a year 
ago  the  general  application  of  the  principle  of  soil 
inoculation  was  talked  about  as  likely  to  be  made  in 
the  future ; now  it  is  within  measurable  distance. 
C.  M Aikmax. 
On  reading  the  above  we  referred  it  to  Mr. 
John  Hughes  (Consulting  Analytical  Chemist  to 
the  Planters’  Association)  for  his  opinion  and 
Mr.  Hughes — now  as  at  all  times  ready  to  help 
Ceylon  industries — has  been  gootl  enough  to  reply 
as  follows  : — 
“ As  regards  Nitragin  or  the  use  of  bacteria  for 
leguminous  crops  I fear  it  will  not  apply  to  tea  or 
coffee. 
“You  will  understand  that  leguminous  crops  have 
been  known  for  many  years  to  have  the  property  of 
assimilating  free  nitrogen  from  the  atmosphere. 
“ In  188t)  Helhiegel  discovered  that  this  was  brought 
about  by  means  of  nodules  which  form  on  the 
roots  of  such  crops.  These  nodules  contained  bac- 
teria which  could  be  specially  cultivated  and  when 
associated  with  the  seed  or  soil  of  a field  tends  to 
increase  the  growth  of  leguminous  crops  in  soils 
which  would  otherwise  not  produce  these  crops  in 
economic  quantities. 
“ Of  course  as  thi.s  peculiar  development  of  bac- 
teria would  only  produce  an  increase  in  leguminous 
crops,  it  cannot  apply  to  other  kinds  of  crops.  Thus 
it  would  bo  no  use  applying  the  bacteria  generated  from 
nodules  on  the  roots  of  leguminous  crops  for  the 
purpo.se  of  increasing  the  growth  of  other  crops. 
Hence  I don't  think  planters  can  expect  any  benefit 
from  the  discovery.” 
It  seems  elear,  unfortunately,  therefore,  that 
Ceylon  planters  cannot  prolit  by  “Nitragin”  as 
at  present  described  ; but  are  there  not  legumi- 
nous crops  of  importance  to  the  natives  in  the 
low'country,  which  may  well  be  brought  within 
the  scope  of  the  discovery?  This  will  be  a matter 
for  the  intelligent  head  of  the  (School  of  Agri- 
culture in  Colombo  to  take  into  comsideration, 
and  we  feel  sure  that  Mr.  Hrieberg  will  not  be 
behind  in  making  experiments,  nor  in  making 
the  result  known  for  the  benefit  of  the  commu- 
nity. J-F. 
PLANTING  IN  TRAVANCORE. 
In  the  extensive  area  of  land  owned  in  the 
Kanan  Devan  district  by  Messrs. , Finlay,  Muir 
& Co.  nearly  1,500  acres  have  been  or  will  be 
planted  in  tea  during  the  present  (the  ISouth- 
VVe.st)  monsoon.  This  looks  as  if  labour  was 
fairly  plentiful.  A small  area  has  also  been 
planted  in  Arabian  collee.  The  work  is  under 
the  supervision  ol  xMr.  Milne,  late  of  Warwick 
estate,  whose  headquarters  at  present  are  in  the 
Munaar  Valley. 
TEA  IN  MELBOURNE. 
Sales  include  300  chests  of  Ceylon  at  9d,  200  half- 
chests  of  Panyongs  at  G1  to  7pl,  and  70  quater- 
chests  of  S.  O.  P.  at  S.yd;  .500  quarter-chests  Kaisow 
buds.  At  the  auction  on  the  l.'ith  August  3,153  pack- 
ages of  Indian  were  offered,  of  which  (532  packages 
were  sold  up  to  the  following  prices  : — For  Darjeel- 
ing Pekoe  7d  ; Darjeeling  souchong  6d  ; Darjeeling 
pekoe  f.  5|d  ; Darjeeling  orange  pekoe  8d  ; Darjeel- 
ing pekoe  souchong  6jd  ; Assam  pekoe  9^d  ; Assam 
orange  pekoe  lOid ; Assam  pekoe  souchong  7Jd ; 
Cachar  pekoe  souchong  6j-d  ; Gachar  souchong  Gd  ; 
Terai  orange  pekoe  lid  ; Terai  pekoe  souchong  7jd; 
Dooars  pekoe  10}d  ; Dooars  pekoe  souchong  7d;  Ku- 
maou  orange  pekoe  7jd.  Biddings  were  not  brisk, 
and  the  bulk  of  the  lots  submitted  were  withdrawn- 
At  the  auction  sales  of  Indian  held  on  the  18th  Aug- 
buyers’  ideas  of  value  were  not  as  a rule  in  harmony 
with  those  of  importers;  hence  a large  proportion  of 
offerings  were  withdrawn.  In  all  1,172  packages  were 
submitted,  and  592  packages  sold,  Terai  pekoe  up 
to  GJd ; Dooars  pekoe  G^d ; Dooars  orange  pekoe  at 
8Id  ; Assam  pekoe  souchong  8d  ; Assam  orange  pe- 
koe lid  ; Assam  pekoe  Hid  ; Cachar  orange  pekoe 
9|d  souchong  6|d  ; pekoe  8d  ; and  fanning  at  G^d. — 
Leader,  Aug.  27. 
TEA. 
Glasgow,  15th  Aug.  189G. 
Siu,— Your  correspondent,  Mr.  Jas.  Barlow,  seems 
to  know  very  little  about  the  tea  trade,  and  is 
evidently  under  the  impression  that  the  grocers  are 
making  large  fortunes.  I will  enlighten  him  a little  on 
the  subject.  Take  his  last  quotation  for  an  illustra- 
tion, namely,  Ceylon,  6 to  G 13-lGths  ; that  is  what  is 
c.alled  in  the  trade  short  price.  Add  your  4d  per  lb.  of 
duty  and  i per  cent,  then  the  carriage  from  London, 
which  amounts  to  a.jd  per  lb.,  a total  of  10|dto  Hgd. 
Now,  he  will  buy  that  class  of  tea  in  any  first-class 
grocers  at  Is  per  lb.  I have  an  old  official  London  list 
before  me  dated  9th  May  1896.  The  prices  range  from 
3i-d  to  Is  lOd  per  lb.,  duty,  and  ^ per  cent  over  and 
above.  If  your  correspondent  watches  the  London 
markets,  he  will  find  quotations  as  high  as  3s  to  4s 
per  lb.,  short  price.  I think  the  above  is  quite 
sufficient  to  set  your  correspondent’s  mind  at  rest. 
If  ho  still  thinks  that  there  are  such  large  profits  I 
would  advise  him  to  start  a shop,  and  he  will  find 
if  any  trade  is  cut  keen,  it  is  the  grocery  trade.  To 
say  thathe  can  only  get  fair  tea  at  2s  per  lb.  is  absurd, 
as  ho  will  get  a fair  tea  at  Is  4d  per  lb.  from  any 
first-class  grocer.— I am,  Ac.,  Tea  Merchant. 
Glasgow,  August  15,  189G. 
Sir, — Mr.  James  Barlow  and  the  public  in  general 
seem  to  look  on  the  tea  world  as  a world  of  mys- 
tery. As  one  who  lives  by  it,  and  unfortunately  has 
a great  deal  of  tasting  to  do,  I would  like,  had  I 
the  ability  to  write  down  my  thoughts,  to  bring  the 
question  down  to  the  level  of  the  ordinary  untrained 
mind.  Common  Congue  tea  is  the  cheapest  put  on 
the  market,  and  can  be  had  wholesale  in  Glasgow  at 
about  4)S,  on  which  you  have  to  pay  4d  per  lb.  of  duty, 
and  carriage  from  London.  This  tea  is  not  sold  retail 
in  Gla.sgow.  Indian  is  7^d  to  8d  short  price  (that  is 
without  duty  and  carriage);  Ceylon  Gd  to  GUd  s p, 
From  many  grocers  you  can  buy  Indian,  Gey 
Ion,  or  Indian  and  Ceylon  blended  at  Is,  duty 
paid,  retail.  This  tea  is  fairly  strong,  sweet 
and  quite  palatable.  At  1s  2d  and  Is  4d 
D.P.  you  can  get  a finer  grade  of  the  same  class 
of  teas.  These  teas  are  good  enough  for  anybody 
who  wants  strong  tea  with  a fair  flavour  In  fact 
it  would  please  anyone  who  has  a plain,  ordinary 
palate.  Teas  that  are  sold  retail  from  Is  61  to  2s 
are  on  the  same  lines  as  the  Is  4d,  but  are  finer  in 
quality,  thicker,  and  have  more  flavour.  I might  say 
in  passing  that  teas  from  Is  4d  to  Is  Gd  are  the 
best  value  in  the  market.  The  reason  is  that  the 
great  tea  estates  in  India  and  Ceylon  produce  gr<  ater 
quantities  at  this  than  any  other  price,  hence  tlie 
wholesale  buj  er  has  a large  selection  to  choose  rom. 
But  I would  like  you  to  understand  that  there 
