328 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov. 1, 1897. 
CoppEBAH Goes bp in Price. — The market in 
this article has suddenly risen and there is a 'Stiff 
competition between millers and shippers. The sud- 
den rise is due to the presence of a new buyer in 
the person of a Nattukotta Chetty, who is purchas- 
ing largely for the Calcutta iniirket; which last 
week remained steady at R39'7.5 per candy. The 
Chetty in question suddenly ran the price to E40 75 
and the wily boatmen are keen cn holding to the 
the new price, demanding the same from their old 
customers.— Local ‘‘ Independent,” 
The Countky Nokth of Kuruxegala.— A 
gentleman interested in the Northern Coinmis- 
.sion’s line ot railway, but ho lias we believe, 
not been over tlie ground, writes : — 
“ People who see no value in the land norih of 
Kuriinegala forget that there is there soil, climate, 
and rainfall, such as would be admirably adapted to 
the growth of such an article as cotton.” 
But far better .soil and the very climate for cot- 
ton is that found between Anniadha]iura and 
Manaar — the “ black cotton soil” of Tinnevelly 
being repeated in part of the Manaar district. 
“Toon” Trees. — We are otten asked about 
these and their success in Ceylon. Here is n- 
forination from a practical planter who has hati as 
much to do with them as any man in the island : — 
“ There are two varieties of Toon pretty common 
in Ceylon. One is Oedrela Toona which is generally 
supposed to be the red, toon but I understand that is 
the name of the white variety which has been a failure 
all over the country except at Peradenia, where 
the late Dr. Trimen said it was a far liner tree 
than the other. The name of the red variety is 
Toona Serrata and I think it a very nice tree for 
wind belts especially if intermixed with gre- 
villeas and the timber is said to be very useful indeed, 
but I doubt if much or any has so far come into use 
here.” 
Manubes and Manuring (Indian Manures).— The 
“ Agricultural Ledger ” 1897 — No 8 deals with Indian 
Manures, their composition, conservation, and applica- 
tion. Anote by Dr.'J W. Leather, agricultural chemist 
to the Government of India. The materials dealt 
with are the materials which are more or less avail- 
able to the Indian cultivator may be included in 
the following list : — 
1. Cattle Dung and Urine 
2. Cattle Bedding materials 
3. Night-soil and other city refuse 
4. Oilseed refuse 
5. Bones 
6. Saltpetre 
7. Biver, Canal and Tank silt 
8. Green manures 
9. Influence of Leguminous crops 
10. Sheep folding. 
A New South Wales Forester on Tree 
Growing in Ceylon. — We direct the attention 
of planters and others to a letter from Mr. 
Rudder of New South Wales in another column. 
His inpressions ofonr liill-couiitry and timber-grow- 
ing are worth having. An upcountry coriespond- 
ent writes ; — 
“ A gentleman who has been paying' us several visits 
in the past two weeks is a Mr. Augustus Rudder of 
Sydney, U. S. W., who on his way back from the Ju- 
bilee celebrations in London broke his jouiney at 
Colombo so as to have a fortnight in Ceylon. Mr. 
Rudder having served the Government of N. S. 
Wales for many jears in the Porest Department, 
naturally saw a good deal to interest him irr Oeyicn. 
He is to leave Colombo this week by tlie ‘ Orriba’ 
for vdiat he now cc nsiders bis home in N. S Waies, 
where, though net born there, he has spent 64 years 
of his life.’’ 
Mr. Rudder, it will be observed, recommends two 
trees that are comparatively new to us— one a 
Eucalyptand one a Cedar— AT pilvlaris^.wi\ Cedrda 
Australis. HasMr. Nock of Hakgalaor Mr. Fraser 
on Abbotsford got either of these growing? 
BxTKACTrON OF GUTXA PeBCHA from LEA^•ES. — 
The following communication supplements the in- 
formation already given in the Kcn' Bulletin (1891) 
pages, 2:jl-2.99. Extract from letter from Direc- 
tor of Gardens and Forest Dep;o tnii n', Straits Settle- 
ment?, to Royal Gardens, Kevv, dated Botanic 
Gardens, Singapore, September Isth, 1806 : — “ I have 
been down to inspect the little factory where Mr. 
Arnaud m:.kes his gutta-percha. Serullas has gone 
hack to Paris with endle.=s patents of different 
kinds, and Mr. Arnaud alone keeps up the business. 
The leaves are imported in sacks dry from Borneo 
and Johore. Meet of tlie trees are over-cut in 
Sing-rpore, and there are no more leaves left, I 
hear. The leaves and twigs cost four dollars and a 
half a picul (133 lb.). They are then put, damped 
wiih hot water, into a rolHng machine, two rollers 
working agaiir,?t each other, which giind ihem to 
powder. The powder is thrown into tanks of water 
and shaken about. The gutta doals in the form of a 
mealy-loobing stuff, is lifted out by tine copper- 
gauze nets, put in warnr water and pressed into moulds. 
I have samples of the gutta as it comes from the 
eaves, and the pressed out iiuislied article. It is 
really a. very errrious little manufactnry. I do not 
know how long it will last, on account of the diffi- 
culty of proem iijg leaves, w liich must, I think, sooner 
or later stop the trade .” — Kew Bulletin. 
'I HE Indian Tea Crop, 1S97-8.— We published 
the other daj' a special telegram from Calcutta 
announcing that the e.stimate for the current 
year’.s crop was reduced io 148 nullion lb., of 
which 130 million were expected to go to the 
United Kingdom. Rut nowhere has the original 
estimate been quoted to show the actual reduc- 
tion now aiiticiiiated. This is 110 less than 8,669,112 
lb., for the estimate framed in June la.st gave 
a total of 156,669,112 lb. — Our evening contein- 
)iorary wa.s between 7 and 8 million lb. w'rong 
in the ligtires he gave the other day for tlie 
“total output” of tlie 1896 crop. According to 
Mes.srs. NbTn. Moran dt Co.’s return of 1st June 
last, the actual crop of 1896 was 148,217,416 lb. 
of whicli 16 million lb. went to the Colonie.s 
and America. It will be seen, therefore, that the 
Indian crop for the current year is not expected to 
exceed tliat of 1896; while the shipments to the 
United Kingdom may be 2 million lb. less ! 
Here are the details published on 1st June last ; — 
We are favoured with the following figures by 
the Indian Tea Association : — The General Com- 
mittee have now the pleasure to hand you the 
following figures showing an estimate of the Indian 
tea crop 1897. 
Original Estimate of Crop 
OF 1897. 
Actual Crop, 
1896. 
lb. 
lb. 
Assam 
63,359.989 
59,655,793 
Caehar 
21 540,153 
20,401,487 
Sylbet 
26,762,000 
25,099,486 
Draieeling 
7,644,250 
7,817,495 
Terai 
3,734,000 
3,738,927 
Dooais 
24,209,720 
22,073,781 
Chittagong 
919,000 
1,030,125 
220,322 
Chota-Nogpore 
320.000 
Karigra 
Debra Dun and Kumaon 
2,180,000 
2,180,000 
(Estimate) 
Private and Native 
2,000,000 
2,000,000 
Gardens (Estimate).. 
4,000,000 
4,000,000 
156,669,112 
148,217,416 
being 8,451,696 lb. over the actual outturn of the 
crop cf 1896. Estimating shipments to America, 
the Colonics and other poris with local consump- 
tion at IS millions (or say 2 millions more than last 
year) there will remain about 138J million lb. for 
export to Great .Britain. 
Revised Estimate : — lb. 
Total Output 1897 = 148,000,(X)0 
,, to United Kingdom = 130,000,000 
