CCT. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
i6i 
Forests himself. The tour occupied about six weeks, 
duriug wh ch period many of the forests of the North- 
Western and Central Provinces that lie on the route 
between Kurunegala, Dambulla, and Matale were 
traversed, while visits were also paid to the Galboda, 
Nanu-oya, and Nuwaia Eliya plantations. The six 
students who will be the first trained in the Forestry 
School are Messrs. Jansz, Jayinrn, and Galagoda 
( f Liid Forest Department, and Messrs. Ferna' do, 
Meudis, and Eatnayak from the School of Agriculture.^ 
— Bepoi-C of J/r. C. Drieherg, Superintendent of School of 
Agriculture. 
HOW TO DEAL WITH LOCUSTS. 
A LOCUST-DESTROYING FUNGUS. 
In connection with the question of remedies and 
devices for the destruction of locusts. Dr. Edington of 
the Bacteriological Institute, Graham’s Town, has 
prepared a fungus, experiments with which have been 
made by Messrs. Acutt and Crew, fanners in the 
Buluwayo district, which have proved highly satis- 
factory. Samples of the toxic prej aration may be 
obtained gratis through the various Civil Commis- 
sioners in Cape Colony, with instructions as to its use. 
Of its efficacy. Mr. E. Roos-Townsend, Civil Com- 
missioner at Buluwayo, in asking fora fresh supply, 
says ; — 
“ I have distributed the tubes as widely ■ s possible, 
and the universal opinion is that the results are most 
satisfactory, and there is a large demand for a further 
supply. The protracted drought has somewhat handi- 
capped the experiment ; nevertheless, it has been so 
successful that one can fairly assume that, given 
favourable conditions, i.e., damp weather, the results 
would be most satisfactory. Hitherto experiments 
have been confined to the ‘ voet-ganger ' stage of the 
pest. These are more easily dealt with, and the 
results can be more closely watched. Unfortunately 
we have not had sufficient of the fungus to make any 
perceptible impression on the myriads of the insects 
which have been hatching throughout the country. 
Had we sufficient toxin, I think we should be able to 
make use of it to a large extent in selling many of the 
native troubles, for those who have seen its satisfactory 
results regard the power of the white man with 
superstitious awe, and look to us to root out this pest 
which has so persistently taken their crops ever since 
the white man came into their country in 1890. — 
Home paper. 
THE AMSTERDAM CINCHONA MARKET. 
Our Amsterdam correspondent writes, under date 
of August 4, that the auctions to be held on August 
26th will consist of 5,448 bags, and 654 cases Java 
bark. The stock in first hands, including the above 
quantity, consists of 2,163 cases Government, and 
6,739 cases private, bark. The shipments from Java 
during June have been declared as follows ^n Ams- 
terdam lbs.) : — 
1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 
July 900,000 l,f 74,000 548,000 958,000 680,000 
•Tan. -July 4,308,000 5,050,000 4,316,000 4,701,000 4,740,000 
It will be seen that the shipments are smaller than 
at the corresponding period of last year, whilst it 
must not be overlooked that in the meantime the 
stocks in Amsterdam have greatly diminished. The 
feel ng is firm, and a good demand is looked for at 
the coming sales . — Chemist and Druggist. 
INDIAN PATENTS. 
Applications in respect of the undermentioned 
inventions have been filed, under the provision.s of 
the Inventions and Designs Act of 1888, in the 
office of the Secretary appointed under that Act, 
during the week ending 14tli August 1897 : — 
Rotary sifter for tea or other material. — No. 
317 of 1897. — E. Pauling, engineer, of Khobong 
tea estate, Jalup P, O., Dibrugarh, A.ssam for a 
rotary sifter for tea or other material. 
The fees prescribed in Schedule 4 of Act V of 
1888 have been jiaid for the continuance of ex- 
clusive privilege in respect of the undermentioned 
inventions for the periods shown against each 
Cleaning and polishing rice — No. 17 of 1892. 
Christian Ludwig Melosch, niillow'ner and dealer 
in rice, of Chetla hat, Alipore, Twenty-four 
Pergunnahs, Bengal, for cleaning and polishing 
rice. (From 16th August 1897 to I6th August 1898.) 
— Indian and Eastern Engineer, Aug. 28. 
♦ 
PERAK. 
EXPORT PRICES OF COFFEE AND GUTTA 
FOR JULY. 
Liberian Coffee. i}i22 to $23 per pikul. 
India Rubber, First quality, $115 to $155 per pikul, 
Second quality, $105 to $115 per pikul 
Guita Percha, First quality, $3fiJ to $325 per pikul. 
,, Second quality, $280 to $290 per pikul. 
Pen h Government Gazette. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Rubber from the Austrauan Troitos.— 
The enormous increase in the price of rubber 
within the last ten years has led to the cultivation 
of the plant in many new countries. Certain 
British chemists are now visiting the rubber- 
producing countries in South America with a view 
to improve the quality of the product, and in 
Queensland, New South Wales, and South 
Australia inquiiies are being made as to the 
possibilitie.s of the industry. Mr. Maurice Holtze, 
then director of the Poi t Darwin Botanic Garden, 
in 1888 advocated the planting out of Ceara 
rubber and Para rubber trees in the Government 
forests. At present it is said that a wealthy 
London firm are about to start rubber-planting on 
a very large scale in Bathurst Island, to the 
north of Port Darwin .— and Druagist 
Aug, 14. 
Kola Nut Cultivation.— A planter asks for 
information in respect of this new product, and 
we have referred him to the T.A. volumes and 
our “planting review” for the best summary 
of what has been done locally. We believe 
there is a good demand : the latest quotation is 
about 3d a lb. Here is a further reference to Kola 
or Cola nuts : — 
C. acuminata grows about forty feet high, and 
bears pale yellow flowers spotted with purple ; its 
leaves are about six or eight inches long, and 
pointed at both ends. Under the name of Cola, 
or Kolia, or Goora nuts, the seeds of this tree are 
extensively used as a sort of condiment by the 
natives of western and central tropieal Africa ; and 
likewise by the negroes in the West Indies and 
Brazil, by whom the tree has been introduced into 
those countries. In Western Africa the trees grow 
mostly in the vicinity of the coast, and an extensive 
trade is carried on in Cola nuts with the natives 
of the interior ; the practice of eating Cola extending 
as far as Fezzan and Tripoli. A small piece of 
one of these seeds is chewed befor each meal as 
a promoter of digestion ; it is also supposed to 
prove the flavour of anything eaten after it, and 
even to render half putrid water drinkable. There 
are several varieties of Cola nuts ; the common 
kind has an astringent taste. [Tlie Bitter Cola of 
Fernando Po is the produce of some guttiferous 
tree, as yet not identified.] Powdered Cola is applied 
to cuts. 
