210 
THE I'ROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
TEA MACHINERY FOR JAVA. 
We understand that Mr. J. H. S. Davidson, nephew 
of Mr S C. Davidson, the inventor of the well-known 
“ Sirocco’’ Machinery leaves, by the P. & G. steamer 
“ Rosetta” on Saturday next, Aug. 3 for Java m order 
to superintend the erection of extensive ordms tor Si- 
rocco Tea Machinery inclnduig a number of the 
newly patented automatic dryers, which machines 
have proved themselves unequalled in India during 
the past season. One factory alone about to be 
fitted will require machinery for 2,000,000 1b. per 
annum On one Indian estate alone this new 
machine dried over 700,000 lb. tea last year, which 
on the London market averaged ^d more than teas 
dried bv other large tea dryers. Mr. Davidson 
will also take charge of the erection of a number of 
Davidson’s Patent Rollers, Oxidizers, Do vvndraft and 
Updraft Siroccos, Sorters, Packers, etc., numerous 
orders for all of which machines have been booked 
for that Island. Mr. J. H. S. Davidson has been a 
practical planter and engineer for over « years, ana 
he will no doubt be able to give a lot of assistance 
to Java planters,— Local “ Times. ’ 
ORANGE CULTURE IN CEYLON. 
An upconntry planter semis us a copy of the 
local “ Times,” markeil at an editorial paragraph 
on ** Orange Culture” with notes as appended 
As a result of ihe attention drawn to the matter, 
some planters from upconntry ordered a number 
of orange plants througli a Colombo .^lore-keeper 
from Melbourne.* The parcel ot plants duly ar- 
rivevl here by the last P. & O. stcamei in a veiy 
healchv condition, and they were despatclied in 
lots on Thuisday night by the rail to Veyangoda, 
Nawalapitiya, Talawakelle, and to a lew ot.ier 
places upconntry. We understand that the plants 
are verv choice ones and were selected from a 
special nursery, and that they cost very near y 
K500 laid down at Colombo. They were securely 
packed in small bags, with the iiurseiy soil, and 
looked quite fresh and green, but without a 
single leaf. They promise to do \ery well, and 
we'^shall be glad to know results of their suc- 
cessful cultivation npeountry. '1 he native orange 
(bv the wav, is it indigenous?) like other native 
?rodncds, is^not systematically cultivated by the 
Sinhalese. It is generally believed that oranges 
trrown on the hills are not so palatal, e as those 
arown in the lowconntry, and that the fealpiti 
Korale, Kotte, and the neighbounng villages, 
prodnee the best oiaiige-s as the soil there is 
best suited for their culture. Upcountiy, we are 
told the plants thrive well, but the oranges do 
not 'taste so well as those grown in the low- 
country, though Nuwara Eliya and the Uia Pio- 
viuce produce fairly good specimens. t Of course, 
flip o.-ane'es grown in Ceylon and India are quite 
unUe those from Australia and the West our 
oranges, however ripe they may be, as a rule 
nresm-ve their verdant hue and do not take on 
L vellow one, while the taste is a sharper and 
more refreshing one than the sweet liavour of the 
oranges met with in Europe. We understand 
that a large quantity ot oranges are imported 
into Australia during the summer from Italy and 
Spain, and there is a growing demand for them 
ill the Colonies. Should theretore the exi.eriments 
iH.iv liemg made iipcomiLiy prove a success there 
should be no reason wliy Ceylon should not com- 
pete in the Colonies with Si.aiu and Italy.! It 
N^upplied to U. T. P. Co.’s su^ierinteiidents for 
Eliys’ and Uva oranges are the worst 
MeinwfdR’the Colonies are supplying us not 
only^witb oranges but with plants l-Cor, 
[Sept, t, 1897 . 
is a pity that a few lemon j.lants were not ini* 
ported as well. Tiie .Australian lemons are simply 
exquisite, and thej.’ have a much finer flavour than 
onr Ceylon limes. There U every reason to believe 
that lemons could be cultivated in our Island as 
well as oranges. 
[ I’lie original habitat of the Oiange is Northern 
India whence it .spread West, East and South. 
Some s|iecies of lime and orange were introduced 
here from the Alalay Archipelago. — E d. T.A.] 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From the ChemiM and Drugoist.) 
London, Aug. l'2th. 
C-VUD.iiiOMS. — An Indian corre-spondent writes : “ X 
very pood business was tormerly done between Ceylon 
with ISomb.ay in cardamoms, but tlie Plague put an 
end to it, and transferred the trade from Boml.ay to 
Calcutta, The principal buyers at tbit place are the 
chetties, nd a smart business has been done between 
tliom inil the native merdiant.s during the last two months, 
in botli Ualaliar and .Mysore card,a'moms. Aliout 3 rs. 
per lb. was paid in .lune for Mysore, and native mer- 
chant.s were very eager to make adva, nces on crops on 
estates. But since then there h.as been a sudden fall 
in price, and the chetties will not touch the produce 
now. Very few of their shipments realised any profit 
at al , an I they are now repenting of the high prices 
they pai.l for the drug. Large stocks of Mysore lar- 
damoms are held by the na ive merchants, and, with 
ttie i flux of the season's new crops, it is believed 
there will be a further drop in prices.” In London 
the market is ti m, but there is a disinclination to 
pay the advance asked by owners who have bouglit at 
auction. 
Cl.vCHOXA.— A parcel of fifty-five b.ales Maracaibo bark 
has arrived and will be offered at next Thursday’s luctions 
when a lot of 2c> pacKages newly arrived Guayaquil Crown 
bark will also be offered for sale. 
Coco.v-BL'TTER. — At auction on Tuesday 300 2-cwt. cases 
of Cadbury’s best cocoa butter sold with little competition 
at a decline of Jd to ^d per lb.— viz. UJd to I0]d per 
lb. ; 205 cases Dutch cucoa-butter were bought in at lOfd 
to lO'jd per lb. 
Oils (Essential).— The quotations from the East are 
higher. Oil of Citroiiella u altered Lemongrass held 
for 2|(i per oz. on the spot. To arrive no business is 
reported. 
Qui.ni.N'E.— Several small sales, aggregating about 5,000 
oz. were nude early in the week at Ojd per oz., for 
fair second-hand German bulk, showing a firm market. 
The price of tlie Auerbach brand has been raised to 
lOd per oz. ; otlier foreign agents have no r'efiuite prices, 
although Brunswick quinine was erroneiusly reported in 
one quarter to liave been raised to lOd per oz. Early in 
the week tlie B. & S. agents sold t'O 1,000-oz. lots to 
druggists at 9d per oz., but since then they have stopped 
ottering. They refused to deal witli any but druggists, 
or to sell ill >re than 1,000 oz. to any one firm. On 
Saturday a Mincing Lane broker went around trying to 
buy 5,000 oz. at ufd, but he appears to have been 
unsuccessful. Howard’s price is unaltered, but VVhiffen’s 
is reported to Imve been raised. Sulphate of ciuclio- 
niiline has lately been in strong demand for India, a .d 
is quoted higlier. 
To.N'CA Bea.xs remafii e.xtremely quiet, and no business 
has been reported lately. Good bright Angostura are 
quoted at 7s to 8s per lb. ; good frosted Para at from Is 
7d to is lOd ; fair black, partly foxy mixed at from Is 
down to 5d per lb. 
The Duty on Cocoa-butter. —In reply to 
Sir Howard Vincent, the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer has given some information a.s to 
operation of the duty on cocoa-butter. The 
leveflue obtained by the duty has amounted to 
3,00U. from .Vugu.st 7th, 1896, the date on 
which the duty took effect, to June 30th, 1897. 
Tliere are no statistics of the importation of 
c icoa-biitter prior to the impo.sition of the duty, 
but, so far as can be ascertained by inquiry 
of the trade, the quantity of foreign cocoa-butter 
has increased rather than diminished. This is 
probably due to the fact that the husiiie. s in 
cocoa and chocolate has been very active during 
the past eight months.— C7(C/ni.s< and Druggist, 
July 17- 
