THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1891, 
S6 
taken as the bcooikI great epic poem of the Hindus. 
Here again the paintings of Akhar’s time will be copied. 
The other shield will be known as the Ashwamedii, 
and will conta n seven plaques. In olden days, says 
I)r. Heudley, a onrions ous'om obtained of tho eipin- 
tory sanrifico of a horso. Tho animal, selected by a 
ruling Chief, was allowed to wander at large for a 
year. Those who disputed tho suproniacy of iis owner, 
took poBBOjf.il n of it and funchc to retain it against 
ad comerB. “If the horse came safely through his 
trials ho was saorifleod with tdaborate ceremoniOB, and 
the victorious monarch was then aoknowledned as 
paramount sovoridgii.” Tho sncriDce which Vn ishihira 
performed, has been ohnstn as a fitting aubp ct f< r 
idustrstinn on tho shield. The drawings have been 
taken from Akbar’s own copy of the R zmnamah or 
Persian vorsion of th«3 Mahabarata. The adventures 
Qopicted are extremely curious. The horso goes tlirongh 
BCveral Iraiifitoriuati ns, and visits very strange countries. 
In one of these the trees jiriiduco i as fruit men, women 
and animsls, who 1 vod hut a day. The inhahitants 
were monsters witli blanket ta s, in wh ch they wrap, 
ped themselves at night. In Miiui; ura tho people were 
all virtuous: there wore no uiirs, Ihe men were nil bravo 
and the women submissive to tln ir hushsn ls. Tint 
exact po.'itioii of this wondotfnl land is miforlunately 
not made known. The wonderful horso workoil iniraoles 
when he appeared, and ev. n unlly he was Sioriliced with 
duo pomp, assending to the lio.ven of Jlrahrna and be- 
coming a coustnllalion. The suhjec’ should teat 'o the 
full the skill of Osiiga lUkth Kliati, 1 1 whose hands 
the shield wi 1 be entrusted. Many mouths of patient 
labour will be leqnired before the Mahabarnta and 
Ashwameda shields can be pdacod alongside the Uiim.i- 
yaua ; but Jeyporewill in the end po-i.sess three speei- 
nieus of meial work in relief iinrivallod thioiighoiit 
India. Dr. IlendUy nmy well bo cougcatiilatod on bis 
fiuecessfal efforts to fostor indigenous talnut, which in 
these days, if left to itsod, would probably never have 
risen to any very high level. — I'ioneev, 
Maskewva (Theberton) 28th May.— Fearful rain- 
fall BO fur since buret of monsoon which was on 
the night of 20th, as no wind on tho 19th till 
a. m. 20th. 
Eaintall. „ Eaiiifall 
19th... ... 3- 1 9 in. 26th... ... 
20th... ... S-OU „ 27lh... ... 6 7* .. 
, ... 6*^^ »» 
2and... ... 6-11 „ 9 days ... 40 19 ,, 
2Uh!!. !!! 4-77 ” Average for 9 days 4-465 „ 
astli .!. ... .1 j 1, 
Btill raining heavily, not quite so bad as be- 
fore. Wo have had violent squalls of wind with 
this rain sinoe 1 a. m. of 20Dh. Total so fat for 
May, viz., to 27th 67-b2 in.— Not bad ! 
Tuk Rupott-r OS' tub DiRbctous 03- thk DAIUEEI. 1 N 0 
Company made up to D"o. Hist, IhtlO, shows that the 
qaaniity of tos manufactured in the season of 1890 
amounted to 606,950 Ih., being n consideraldo increase 
of 57 172 lb. over ibe crop of 1889, but th“ tea hr kera 
have informed tho directors that the usual high siaii- 
dard of quality w«s not maintained, and, “““"''‘It*''''*//, 
the average price roalised for tho crop is only Is 0 66d 
oer lb , against 1« 210d per lb. for the crop of 1889, 
flhowing a decrease of 1 -Idd per lb., which, on the 
„ 1 , ole quantity disposed of, r. presents a dofioieiioy of 
3 573f. The proportion of teas of fine qit dily was uu- 
usnally small during tho past season, and high prices 
were realised for them. Out of the proftt on the Bea- 
sen’s operations the following claims have to be pro- 
vided tor :— To coinm-SHions to Buff, 843f; to moi.mo- 
tax, 2227; leaving a not profit of 6,2664, which is equiva- 
lent to 44 12s 6d per cent, on tho paid-up oapitial of 
tho company; and it is Iheroforo prop.ised m transfer 
from the uudivided profitn tho sum ot ui order 
to provide a «u£&cif-ni ftinounc to en^^hlo tho muinb^a 
to deolare a dividend at the rate of 6 percent, lerthe 
past year. So tar tho prospects for tha seaiion 1891 
show an improvement over last tip to tho middle ot 
April, but the quantity of tea manufactured up to that 
darly period of the .season has always fluctuated con- 
dis oe r ably.— 0, Mail, 
jwa— wu r'fc 'i i IMWP 1^1— iwit—i ■Si |M iil»* 
Rehbbve Forests.— T ho grautl reserves of 
forest still held by the tiovorument between the 
upper reaches of tho Hentota rivsr and Sahara- 
gamuwa or extending into that provinoe, are not 
generally realised. In one block, about 8 to 10 
miles from the river, there are 8,000 acres very 
fine reserve forest, with big timber trees. A great 
part of the Sinba Kiija forest has suffered from 
ebeuning in the days of old; but thuie are still 
10,000 aoros perhaps of fine heavy jungle, while 
the ohenaed portions ate many ot them of a oon- 
sidcrablo age nov. 
Bamiioo CiiARooAi.. — It is generally thought that 
bamboo being so light and small makes a bad 
fuel wood, and no one would think it of any value 
as fuel for forges ; yet it is considered the best 
material for making oharcoal for blaoksiuiih work, 
and is in largo demand all over Mysore. It is 
said to give off more heat than the best coke and 
to require less blast. A maund of bamboo charcoal 
lotohi B twice as much in tha village-markets as the 
best oharcoal. TTie method of ohatriug bamboo 
IS dilloreut to that used for harder woods— tho 
stacks or kilns being carefully covered with green 
leaves and then plastered with wet clay. While 
tho burning is going on care is taken to exclude 
air as much as pusi-ibie without extinguishing the 
fire. — liaiiijalore Upeclalor. 
West Indian Uoncente,ited Ijime-juicb. — Among 
tiie industries which might prubabiy be established, 
er, lalUor, developed, wilbiu the limns ol the empiie, 
with a proapeot of yieUliug a prolitable return, the 
preparauuu of ouiiceutrated lime juice lor ibe mauu- 
t.icturo of citric acid eloservos to be meutioued. 
England is atid the eoiintry where citno-aoid making 
is carried on most largely, and at proseut almost the 
whole eif our Btipply el ihe raw material for its 
maidifacture is obtiiuied from Bioily. The oouoen- 
triiti-d juice market in Monaina is ueiially dominated 
by a gang of BpoonlaioiB, and it is tu be feared 
than the aotnal produoetn of the article rooeivo but 
scanty return for their labour. Indeed, it is assened 
that 'when tha price of juico falls Uolow a figure not 
much lower tlmn that ui which it stands at present, 
the juioe-mukers cannot get a living at ibeir oconpa- 
tion. But these oouditions, even it correctly ataieil, 
by no means preclude the puBsibility of Bucoesalul 
cultivation elsewhere. The lime is aB plentiful iu the 
West India island as the lemon is in Bioily, and in 
the conditioiiB of laiid-ieuure, luxation, and labour, 
onr oolouioB may poBsihly compare favourably With 
tho tiiiliau inland. As a matter ol fact, conceulrated 
jnico from tho West Indian htnes- tho produce of 
Dominica — has fur a goud many years been placed 
on our markets in email lots and at irrtgular periods, 
but it is questionable whether the possiuility ef pro- 
viding a regular supply at a reniuuerative price has 
ever been figm ed out with any appruaub to precision, 
though it might very possibly bo quite as dosorviiig 
of connidertuiou as many other suggested meaus of 
industrial udvaueonisut lu the West Indies. It is 
doubtful whether the total amount of concentrated 
West ludiin lime-juice received hero amoouts to as 
much as lOt) pipes a yosr — not much more than the 
nverago Italian supply of one Week. Moreover, the 
West Indian punotieous only contain about 50 gallous 
whereas the Rtessiua pipes are of 108 galluus capa- 
city. The West Indiau juii-e is very much stronger 
than tho Italian; iu tact, ita high test is nut alto- 
gether an auvantage, as the evaporation is carried 
so fur that the jmoe not uulreqnuutly becomes burnt. 
The usual strength of Italian juice is 64 oz. of citric 
acid per gal leu, and the cuntracts under which it is 
sold proiide lor an allowiinco if tho strength falls 
below 60 or exceeds 66 oz. The West ludiaii juice 
uimally contaiua 90 and occasionally oven 100 oz. ot 
acid per galion. Uitherto Ihe West Indian jmee has 
been sold at a relative price generally i nuning abont 
10 per cent below that paid tor tho italiau ar ioie; 
but it seems not at all improbable that with a mure 
careful method of niauutucture, it might not realise 
as mneh as or more ttmu the latter. — Qhemitt and 
Urugukt, May 18lh. 
