532 
THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  I,  1897. 
moreover  the  mass  of  the  South-West  Coast  natives  are 
not  so  much  depemtent  ou  plantations  as  those  of  the 
W'est  Coast,  for  they  are  nomadic  hunters.  I see  you 
notice  the  German  efforts  to  improve  the  producing 
power  of  Cameroons,  and  I should  like  to  add  that  the 
French  Government  in  Congo  Frainjaise  are  etjually 
active,  and  among  other  things  have  encouraged  the 
planting  of  the  para-rubber  tree,  which  flourishes  ex- 
ceedingly.— I am.  Sir,  etc.,  M.  H.  Kinusley. 
100  Addison  Road,  Kensington,  W. 
— Spectator,  Dec.  12. 
THE  WEST  INDIA  SUGAR  INDUSTRY. 
We  are  officially  informed  that  General  Sir 
Henry  Wylie  Norman,  Sir  Edward  Grey,  and 
Sir  David  ’ Barbour  have  been  a))pointed  to  be 
Commissioners  “to  inquire  into  the  conditions 
and  prospects  of  the  West  India  sugar-growing 
Islands”— not,  be  it  observed,  .solely  into  the 
conditions  and  prosi)Ccts  of  the  cane  s>igar  in- 
dustry. The  wording  ot  this  communication  is 
not  (^uite  clear.  British  Guiana,  which  is  the  seat 
ot  a larger  sugar  industry  than  any  of  our  jios- 
sessions  in  the  Western  Tropics,  is  not  one  of 
the  West  India  Islands,  though  a Secretary  of 
State  at  one  time  thought  that  it  was,  and  thus 
described  it  in  a Desi)atch.  It  is  contrary  to 
common  sense  to  supi>ose  that  this  Colony  is  to 
be  excluded  from  the  scope  of  the  investigations  of 
the  Commission,  for  it  is  the  best,  if  not  the  last, 
stronghold  of  the  West  Indian  planter'.  Nor  is  it 
inquiry,  we  appi'ehend,  to  be  limited  to  the  “ Y est 
India  sugar-growing  Islands,”  for,  with  the  conspi- 
cuous exceptions  of  drinidail,  Barbados,  .Jamaica, 
and  one  or  two  others  there  are  several  i.- lands 
where  the  cultivation  of  sugar  for  export  has 
practically  ceased.  What  we  umlerstand  the 
Colonial  Office  to  mean  is  that  the  Commis.sion 
is  to  inquire  into  the  economic  conditions  and 
prospects  of  all  the  West  India  Colonies,  whetlier 
island  or  mainland,  and  whether  sugar  culti- 
vators still  light  for  life  or  have  given  up  the 
struggle.  It  is  admirably  constituted  for  its  task. 
If  we  were  asked  to  describe  it  negatively,  we 
should  say  that  it  is  decidedly  not  a planter’s 
Commission.  If  its  composition  is  analysed,  it 
will  be  seen  that  there  is  little  hope  for  the  belief 
that  was  entertained  in  some  quarters  th.at  the 
Commission  would  be  more  favourably  disjiosed 
towards  the  planters  than  to  any  other  class  of 
We.st  Indian  pioducer.  It  is  a thoroughly  im- 
partial body.  General  Sir  Henry  Norman  was 
Governor  of  Jamaica  from  1888  until  he  was  sent 
to  Queensland  in  1889.  In  other  words,  he  was 
at  the  head  of  an  important  West  Indian  Colony 
diirin"  years  of  crisis  in  the  sugar  industry,  when 
Jamaica  w'as  compelled  to  seek  other  outlets  for 
productive  energy  than  in  the  cane  lields.  I hanks 
in  some  measure  to  him,  though  more  to  neces- 
sitY— the  fruitful  mother  of  new  enterprises. 
Jamaica  has  succeeded  fairly  well  in  keeping'  out 
of  bankruptcy.  Sir  Edward  Grey  I'/is  »»  '^est 
Indian  experience  that  we  can  recall,  but  he  is 
an  able  man,  with  much  business  faculty,  and 
will  doubtless  lind  the  I.slands  a pleasant  place 
for  a Winter  holiday.  Sir  Edward  Barbour  is  a 
distimniished  Imliail  'Preasury  official,  who  lately 
served  on  the  Commission  on  the  Eii.ai.cial  Rela- 
tions between  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  We  shall 
be  surprised  if  he  does  not  iliscovcr  that  the  West 
India  Colonies  are  wastefully  governed  and  that 
drastic  economies  can  be  effected  and  inequalities  of 
taxation  redressed.  With  the  coolie  question  Sir 
David  Barbour,  of  course,  will  be  jiarticularly 
Pitted  to  deal.  We  note  that  the  Commission 
is  to  have  the  exiiert  help  of  Mr.  Daniel  Morris, 
the  Assistant  Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens  at 
Kcw.  Mr.  Morris  graduated  as  a botani.st  in  tlie 
West  Indies,  and  there  is  not,  perhaps,  another 
man  available  who  jiossesses  his  wide  knowledge 
of  the  commercial  uses  to  which  the  vegetable 
wealth  of  these  Colonies  might  be  put,  weie 
capital  and  energy  forthcoming.  it  is  evident 
from  the  constitution  of  the  Commis.sion  that 
what  the  Colonial  Office  has  in  mind  is  a general 
and  all  round  development  of  the.se  neglected 
Colonies,  many  of  which  are,  for  the  most  part, 
beautiful  primeval  wilds.  If  it  can  also  inci- 
dentally assist  the  sugar  planters  to  continue  to 
hold  their  own,  it  will  be  a useful  service. 
— Standard,  Dec.  19. 
<,  
RUBBER  PLANTS  AND  THE  CYCLE 
TRADE. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society 
at  Regent’s  Park  on  Saturday  three  new  Fellows 
were  elected — Mr.  H.  S.  Clutton,  Mrs.  W. 
Hern,  and  Mrs.  Twdney.  An  interesting  collec- 
tion of  indiarubber-producing  plants  grown  in. 
the  gardens  was  shown  by  the  secretary,  Mr. 
Sow'orby.  There  are  about  a dozen  varieties  of 
the  plant  from  which  rubber  is  produced  for 
commercial  purposes,  and  sjiecial  importance  is 
given  to  the  subject  by  the  large  consumption 
of  rubber  for  cycle  tyres,  whicli  has  caused  the 
price  to  increase  sometliing  like  *2s.  a pound 
within  the  last  few  years.  The  jirice  would 
have  gone  still  higher  but  for  the  discovery  in 
Central  Africa  of  several  species  of  Itnulolphia 
a climbing  rubber  plant  which  is  likely  to  pro- 
vide the  great  reserve  su])])ly  for  future  use. 
Several  specimens  of  landolphia  were  shown. 
Other  kinds  exhibited  w'ere  the  castiUoa  dastica 
(Central  America),  and  the  manihot  (/laziovi 
(IJrazil).  A large  proi>ortion  of  tlie  supply  of 
rubber  at  ])reseni  comes  from  America,  but 
American  cultivators  are  said  to  be  very  reck- 
less in  their  methods,  destroying  large  numbers 
of  plants  for  a greater  immediate  return. 
Although  rubber  was  used  by  the  natives  ot 
San  Domingo  for  making  balls  and  for  waatcr- 
])roof  shoes  even  in  the  time  of  Columbus,  it 
was  looked  upon  merely  as  a curiosity,  and  hail 
no  commercial  use  until  1792,  when  Dr.  I’riest- 
ley  noticed  its  value  in  rubbing  out  pencil 
marks.  It  was  brought  at  the  time  from  the 
East  and  West  Indies,  and  from  the  purpose 
to  which  it  was  ajiplied  became  known  as 
“ indiarubber.”  In  18LS  its  usefulness  was 
greatly  increased  by  the  discovery  that  it  would 
absorb  sulphur,  and  by  this  proce.ss,  described 
as  “ vulcanising,”  became  capable  of  withstand- 
ing high  temperature.s. — Daily  Chronicle,  Dec.  14. 
TEA  IN  AMERICA. 
New  York,  Nov.  2o. 
Demand  is  not  as  quick  as  in  October,  but  prices 
are  well  sustained  for  all  descriptions.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  the  lower  grades  are  not  holding  their 
advance.  Greens  are  firmly  held.  Japan  steady. 
Fine  Formosa  strong. 
Today  at  noon  the  Montgomery  Auction  and  Com- 
niipsion  Company  will  sell  4,010  packages,  viz;  1,1. '>9 
packages  Moyune,  including  chops  new  season's;  1,079 
boxes  Piugsuey,  new  season’s;  98  half. diesis  Japan 
Nibs ; 9 half-chests  Dust ; .'>51  half-chests  and  boxes 
Congou,  including  fancy  new  season's;  1 59  packages 
India,  Java  and  Ceylon,  an  attractive  assortment; 
278  Foochow,  the  celebrated  '•  Tong  Shing”  'Third  ; 
79  half-chests  and  boxes  Formosa. — Anicri,cm  O'roccr, 
