Dec. r, 1897.] THE TROPICAL 
COFFEE-GROWING IN NEW SOUTH 
WALES. 
The following rote has been submitted by Mr. C. 
Skelton, who recently visited the northern districts 
to report on the prospects of coffee-growing - 
Since my article on cofiee-growing appeared in the 
Agricultural Gazette for January last, I have, at the 
instance of the Minister for Mines and Agriculture, 
inspected the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed Rivers 
districts, with a view to ascertaining their capabili- 
ties for the production of coffee. In all three dis- 
tricts I saw large tracts of laud, cleared and uncleared, 
well suited for the purpose ; soil and climate are all 
that could be wished for, as also are the specimens 
of coffee trees I saw growing in the different dis- 
tricts, strong healthy, well-grown trees ; in many 
instances, at the time of my visit, laden with crops. 
With the wonderful fertility of the sail and the 
general suitability of those parts of the Colony for 
the purpose, it is surprising that the industry has 
not progressed beyond the experimental stage ; for, 
with the exception of a small plantation of 800 or 
900 trees made by Mr. Bale, at Chatsworth Island 
on the Clarence River, and groups of two or three 
trees in gardens in the different districts, coffee, 
to any appreciable extent, has not been tried.*** 
In the northern rivers districts, I learned the 
usual rates for felling are from £1 to £1 2s 6d per 
acre; lopping will probably cost 10s an acre more, 
but it will be found after the fire to be lOs well 
expended, as it will, to a very great extent, do away 
with the usual piling and clearing up after the fire. 
To attain the same end, always set fire to the lee 
side of the clearing, and let it burn up against the 
wind ;itwillburn more slowly, but more effectively.** 
The conditions for planting here being somewhat 
different from India and Ceylon, where cheap coolie 
labour is obtainable, I believe it would be an ad- 
vantage to set out the coffee trees wilder apart than 
6 feet, as formerly stated ; say, 7 feet by 7 feet, or 
even a foot more ; this would admit of the use of 
a one-horse light scarifier between them to keep the 
ground clear of weeds ; it must be a very light 
scarifier, as the roots of the coffee are very near 
the surface. This space would also allow of the 
passage of some sort of vehicle to pick up the bags 
of cherry coffee in crop-picking time foe transport 
to the curing works. *** 
Where the plantation is a considerable one, and 
pulping machinei-y, fermenting and washing cisterns, 
<&c., have to be employed in the curing of the crop, 
it is scarcely possible to give directions that could 
be successfully carried out by a novice. When it is 
taken into consideration that in Ceylon, no man 
was deemed fit to take charge of a plantation until 
he had served lor at least three years under an ex- 
perienced planter, it will be understood there is a 
good deal to learn, and the proper conduct of curing 
operations is by no means the least part of it. The 
variations in the prices of coffee in the European 
markets— as much as 30 per cent and even more — 
are almost whojly due to the manner in which the 
curing of the different parcels has been carried out. 
It was principally for this reason, that in my report 
to the Minister, I suggested the opening of two 
demonstrative plantations by the Department of 
Agrictlture, as object lessons to intending planters 
in the districts referred to. I can see no other way, 
with any hope of success, of imparting the requisite 
information . — Agricultural Gazette, for Oct. 
Coca. Cultivation in British India.— After 
consideration, the Government of Madras has 
decided not to engage actively in the manufacture 
of cocaine, but to do all in its power to foster 
the cultivation of coca in British India. The 
Curator ol the Government Gardens, Nilgiris, 
has therefore been requested to obtain a small 
supply of seeds every year and to offer for sale 
the plants reared therefrom . — Chemist and Drug- 
gist, Nov. 6. 
AGRICULTURIST. 429 
DRYING PEACHES FOR HOME USE. 
Mr William Anderson, of East Kempaey, sends 
the following note on drying peaches for home uset 
— “ Peel the peach, Cut it into about five pieces, 
cutting from the outside into the stone. Take a 
strong needle and a piece of cotton a yard and a 
half long (No. 16 sewing cotton will do), make a 
small slip-knot at the end of the cotton and thread 
the peaches on, putting the needle from the outside 
of the peach to the inside. Hang up the strings of 
fruit in a verandah, or where the wind and sun 
will get at them (I do not take mine in at night 
unless the weather is wet). Two or three days will 
dry the fruit, when it should be removed from the 
cotton, and placed, a few at a time, in the oven, 
be’Dg allowed to remain there till very hot, but 1 ot 
scorched or burned. Pack away in tins or some air- 
tight vessel till required for ubo,”— A gricultural 
Gazette, for Oct. 
NATAL TEA INDUSTRY. 
It is satisfactory to learn that, notwithstanding 
the much-talked-of trade depression, the Natal tea 
industry appears to be making steady progress. The 
fact that Messrs. J. L. Hulett & Sons, Limited, 
have found it necessary to erect new premises, ware- 
houses, offices, &c., in Durban, is an indication of 
the gradual advance of this industry. The total out- 
put of the season just commenced is expected to 
amount to 1,000,000 lb., of which the firm under 
notice will probably produce about two-thirds, The 
trade secured with the Cape Colony and the Trans- 
vaal is gradually increasing, and when the free 
interchange of Colonial products is agreed to between 
the States and Colonies of South Africa, Natal 
tea growers and manufacturers hope to find a much 
larger and more appreciative market. It is noteworthy 
that Messrs. Hulett & Sons have recently established 
offices in London, and are doing their utmost to 
push Natal teas in the Old Country. The opinion 
recently pronounced by a tea expert at Johannesburg 
that Natal teas are now so well manufactured 
that they are equal in aupearance to those of Ceylon 
and India, augurs well for the success of the efforts 
being made to obtain a footing in the Home market, 
and it will be interesting to watch the result of 
the experiment . — Natal Mercury, Oct. 29. 
COMMERCIAL OIL OF CITRONELLA. 
Citronella oil, which is now extensively used in 
perfumery and for other purposes, is chiefly obtained 
from Ceylon and Singapore. It Las been noticed for 
some time that the native-distilled oils have an aroma 
much inferior to those distilled by two English firms, 
viz.: Messrs. Fisher, of Singapore, and Messrs Winter 
and Son, of Galle (Ceylon), and that these two class- e 
of oils also show very marked differences in physic.'.l 
characters, as the following average figures indicate : — 
The oils of the first class, i.e , native-distilled, 
have a high specific gravity, •910 at 15° C. an optical 
rotation of - 14° in a tube of 100 m.m., and yield a 
slight deposit upon treatment with five volumes of 
80 per cent, alcohol. 
The oils of the second class have a specific gravity 
of '886 to '889 at 15° C., a rotation of from - 4° to 
-6° in a tube 100 m.m., and are readily soluble in 
80 par cent, alcohol. 
No details are known of the method of distillation 
adopted in the two cases, but it is stated that there 
is no difference in the variety of grass from which 
the oil is obtained. It has been suggested that the 
observed differences are due to the sophistication of 
the oils of the first class, but the nature of the 
adulterant, if any, has never been determined, and 
this view of the matter has been questioned. 
To clear up the existing uncertainty, Messrs. J. 
C. Umney and Swinton have examined a number of 
commercial samples of both classes ol oil, and their 
results were communicated to the recent Britsh Phar- 
maceutical Conference. The following are the most 
