Mav 2, 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTaRIST, 
753 
brought in by the people, has risen within the last 
decade from two to six annas per seer, and, allowing 
25 per cent, for honey and impurities, tliere results 
a difference between the R‘20 for the 70 seers that 
will make up the cwt. and £7 to £8, the latest 
quotation in London for Zanzibar wax which the 
Assam article resembles. Unfortunately, the country 
is so sparsely inhabited that even were a monopoly 
secured, the quantity brought in would hardly justify 
the establishment of a go-down ; so if wax is to be 
produced ona large scale, systematic apiculture must 
be resorted to, "and the above figures sufficiently 
indicate the profits of such an undertaking. The 
only expense would be the cost of hives, dwelling- 
house, and fencing-iu; the place would need snading 
and have to be in the neiglibouihcod of clean water, 
for the bee is a thirsty insect and affects seclusion. 
The writer might suggest also that European culti- 
Vitors could do a great deal iu ensuring our getting 
a purer wax from India than we obtain at present, 
Referring to castor oil he suggests that the other 
oil plants might be cultivated for the sake of the 
manure afforded by the oilcake. He also alludes to 
the possibilities in growing ginger, turmeric and anise, 
which could be raised in any quantity, — British and 
Colonial Druggist, March 18. 
NYASSA PvUBBER-A NEW AFKIUAN 
SORT. 
Among the lots of rubber offered at the Antwerp 
inscription sales in E'ebrnary was one of 3,360 pounds 
described thus ; “ Nyassa — generally small and 
medium-size ball, hard good quality , Upper Congo 
red ball quality.” The brokers’ estimation was 7-35 
francs per kilogram, while prime Lagos sdk strips 
were put down at 7 francs, Nyassa rubber comes 
from the new protectorate of Biitish Central Africa, 
and in regard to it we quote from the British Central 
Africa Gazette, published at Zomba, in the issue for 
November 8th, 1897 : 
“ Considerable quantities of rubber are now being 
collected on Lake Nyassa, and it appears not im- 
probable that this may become an article of extensive 
export from the protectorate. Rubber is being sent 
down from Bandawe at the rate of about two tons 
per month at present. It is collected from the 
Landolohia vine. This creeper does not grow all 
over the country, but it is found solely along the 
banks of streams. In the country west of Nkata and 
Bandawe all the numerous stream valleys contain 
Landolphia.” , , , » 
This rubber is shipped by the steamers of the 
African Lakes Corporation, Irimited, across Lake 
Nyassa, down the river Shire tr the Zambesi, and 
thence to the mouth oi the latter, on the East African 
coast. The amount of such shipments, daring the 
year ended March 31st, 1897, was 5,667 pounds, valued 
at the point of export at £277. The value of the 
rubber shipped during the preceding year was £28. 
— India Rubber World, March 10. 

BRAZIL AND ITS RESOURCES. 
“ It is remarkable how little the average 
American businessman kiiow.s, not of Brazil only, 
hut of the entire continent to tliesouth of him,” 
says Hon. Thomas L. Thompson in tiie Alaich 
Fovutyi. ** He does nob realize that the link is 
nearly formed by which he may ride acros.s the 
continent, from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres, in a 
railway coach with accommodations equal to those 
of the best Pullman car. * * * While seeking 
in the Ear East for consumers ol lii-s sui'idus pro- 
ducts of farm and factory, the average American 
overlooks the opportunities open to his enterprise 
and sagacity ‘in a continent which lies, compara- 
tively speaking, at the tlireshokl of his factory and 
the gateway of Ids farm. At the same time, he 
fails utterly to realize that the United States — 
i,he chief consumer of South American pro- 
ducts— is paying, by way of e.xchange, a vast tri- 
bute to Europe, not merely on what is taken from 
her nearest and most natuial market for her own 
products, but on all she sells there. If intelligently 
utilized, not only would the .seinihoine mark- 
ets of South America save to the American 
consumer what he now pays in exchange to his 
more enterprising Europe, in competitor, wdio has 
forestalled him iu the exploration and develop- 
ment of the vast resources of the southern re- 
p\ihlic.s, hut they would in lime turn the over- 
whelmingly adverse balance of trade to the 
credit of tlie United States. * * Today 
the leading commercial city of Braz'd, Rio de 
Janeiro, with a population of nearly 750,000 
souls, contains hut one strictly American mer- 
cantile house suppoi’teil by any considerable 
amount of capital. In the entire republic, with 
a population of 16,000,000, only two such houses 
exist. The American colony, registered, num- 
bers probably 1,500, embracing a few coffee 
buyers (agents only), farmers, clerks, mechanics, 
dentists and other professional men scattered 
over the country, while the British, French, 
German, Poi'tngiie.«e and Spanish colonies mim- 
ber respectively, in tlie order named, many 
thousand inljahitants, reineseuting hundreds of 
millions of dollars placed in mercantile, bank- 
ing, mining, transportation and other pursuits 
which yield lemunerative dividends. ■«• » * j 
believe that Brazil oilers many good openings to 
energy and enterprise if properly griled by ad- 
ministrative capacity and duly supported by capital. 
It is obvious, in particular, that a large number 
of energetic and intelligent Americans engaged 
in industrial pursuits in Brazil would have "an 
enormous influence in developing the natural re- 
sources, and, consequently, in increasing the 
purchasing power, of the country, as. well as 
in drecting trade toward the United States.” — 
Bradsti\ eta. 
TO COMPUTE THE WEIGHT OF 
LIVE STOCK. 
Ascertain the girth, iu inches, back of the shoulders 
square and the length, iu inches, from the buttock 
to a point eveu with the point of the shoulder blade. 
2. — Multiply the girth by the length and divide 
the product by 14-1 to arrive at the superficial feet ; 
then multiply the superficial feet by the number 
of lbs. per foot for cattle of different girths, the 
product of which will be the number of lb. of beef, 
yoal or pork in the four quarters of tiie animal. 
3 — For cattle of a girth of from five to seven 
feet take 23 lb. to each superficial foot and for a 
girth of from seven to ni .e feet 31 lb. co the su- 
perficial foot. 
4. — For small cattle and calves of a girth of from 
three to five feet, 16 lb. to the foot, and for sheep, 
pigs and all cattle measuring less than three feet, 
11 lb. to the superficial foot. 
5. — When the animal is but half fattened a deduc- 
tion of fourteen in every 280 ib. or one stone in 
every twenty shoull be made, but if very fat, 
one stoue f jr every twenty should be added. 
C. — Suppose it is desired to ascertain the weight 
of an anim rl, who.se girth is six feet four inches and 
length five feet three inches. 
7. - 70 inches girth by 63 inches length equal 
47S3-;-lli =33'25 superficial feet. Multiply this result 
by 23 lb. aud you will have 70i'75 lb. 51.1-7 or stoue. 
8. — Tiie deduction or additions meii'ioued in para- 
gr.ipb live should then be made, according as to 
whether Ilia animal may bo in ordinary or in e^ery 
fat condition. — B. 0. Oiigili., iu the Journal of the 
Jamaica Agricnltiiral Society for Fob. 
