10 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULtURI87, 
[July 1,^891. 
SOILS ANO TIIEIB PROPERTIES. 
From a recent report of numerous inveBtigations 
Of soil from the Californian viueyarda and orchards 
by Professor B. W. Hilfjard, the following suiumary 
of the general conclusions should prove of value 
and practical use to all gardeners and horticulturists. 
First, in no case has any natural virgin soil showing 
high plant-food percentages been found otherwise 
than highly productive, under favourable phyaicol 
conditions. But, on the other hand, the reverse is 
not always true, for the simple fact that heavy clay 
soils, rich in plant-food may advantageously be dilut- 
ed with arid sand several tunes over, thereby increas- 
ing instead of diminishing their productivenoss, be- 
cause of improved physical conditions. This fact is 
abundantly excmplitied in the' daily experience aud« 
practice of gardeners. 
Of conrso there must bo a limit to the favourable 
effect of such dilution, even if effected by means of 
sand, which renders the soil more readily penetrable 
by roots. 
In the case of dilution of heavy clay soil by sand, 
not only is there a necessary limit beyond which 
plants cannot make up by greater spread of root for 
[ho diminished amount of available plant-food exist- 
ing witUin a given spaoo, but it is obvious and abundant- 
ly exemplified in Nature that this limit is materi- 
ally intluoucod by the habit of the plant root-system, 
and especially by its ability to develop abnodant root- 
hairs. Tlio bettor provided it lain this latter regard, 
the greater will be its ability to utilise plant-food 
spread through an extended space in a diluted form. 
The prosonoo of one substance in tlie soil often 
exerts a material effect upon one or several others. 
Among these, the presence of an abundant supply of 
lime seems to be tho most common and potent ; for 
the evidence that, in presence of mncli lime, smaller 
nronortions of potash and phosphoric acid are adequate 
for profitable culture, than when lime is scarce, is 
overwhelmlug. Most potent of all appears to be tho 
oo-existonoo of large supplies of lime and of humus. 
On the other hand, investigation distinctly shows that 
the nrosenco of much clay necessitates a large supply of 
the active plant-food ingredients than is necessary 
in light or sandy soils, simply, primps, for the reason 
that roots cannot pnetrate clay as minutely and 
abundantly as sandy ones. 
These <Mt8 load us to affirm that, m calcareous 
soils, mimmnm precentages of mineral plant-food 
will suffice for the purposes of maximum crop, oven 
under the most exhaustive culture.— J. J. Willis, 
Harpendeo.— Oordcwfrs’ Chronicle. 
Qcinine Obtaineb BsKinzTioALLV.— News come 
from Paris that quinine has been obtained synllie- 
tioally by M, M. Grimaux and Arnaud, the former 
professor at the Eoole Poljteohnique, and the lattp 
the Buooessot to Ohevreul. The base ouprein 
eontainad in the liemijia pedunculata is treated 
with sodium, and after further processes, quinine 
"absolutely idsntioal” with that obtained from 
Cinchona is prodnoed. As the Remijias are closely 
allied to Cinchona and the bark is used as a substi- 
tute for that of Cinchona in Brazil, there may not 
be any great value in the discovery, except that it 
may lead to the produotion of other bodies. — 
Englifh Mechanic. 
SorEBioBiii or Chilon Cabadamoms. — The Che- 
milt and Druggist of llflrd May oontains a report 
of a lecture delivered in Berlin by Mr. H. Helbing 
T.nndon on “ London Drugs : their Varieties and 
tLit Bubstitates.” We shall give this in full in 
the Tropical AgriciiUurut, but quote here what 
Mr. Helbing said about Ceylon oardamoms 
Mr. Holblug showed sevooleen different samples of 
cardamoms, aSd observed that thpe Irom Csylon, like 
oetrly all other dragi exported by tbot jeUnd, were 
earefully bleachei and packed. The fiuest of his 
sneoimens was grown from seed originally obtaipd 
from Mysore, in Indis, and represented about ten 
times the value of the most oomraou unbleached 
Tellioherry fruit. 
Timber Specimens for tub CincAao Exhi- 
bition : A Hint fob Obtlon ?— According to L’ Art 
dam lea Deux Mondea, " a splendid oollcolion of 
wood speoimens " will be sent to tho World's Fair 
at Chicago from Janiaiea and the other West Indian 
islands. " These speoimens . . . will have the 
appearance of bound books, one cover of whiob 
will be polished, while the other will show the 
natural aspect of the wood, and the back will retain 
the bark and will bear a tablet giving, in gold 
letters, the name of the speoies. This ‘ botaniesl 
library ’ will be accompanied by notices explaining 
the looalities where the tree is found, and the 
qualities and uses of its wood." 
i. Preserving Fiinir. — A Californian ptpor says 
‘The liquid in wbioh the Sta’c Beard of Trade has so 
suooesi fully preservsd fruit fur exhibition purposes is 
prep ired ss f ullows : — Thirty gallons of filtered wat''t are 
placed in a barrel, aud on the water is placed a tin pan 
eoutaiiiiiig 25 cents' worth of sulphur. Tho sulphur 
is si t oil fire and tho lop of ilie barrel is covered 
with a pii ca of oilskin, so as to retsiu the fumes. 
When tho sulphur ceases to bum the covering is rt- 
nioved, allowing the supply of oxygeu in tho barrel 
to be renewe d, and after stirring Ibe water the 
Bu phur is again set on fire and the top of the barnd 
is again covured. This operation is reueated until 
the sulphar will no longrr burn, when the water la 
ready tor use. Nut only are fresh firiiiCs preservetl in 
this water, but where decay has sat in it is oomplotely 
obecked, aud withered fruiis have their plampnesa 
and oolour restored. All of tho fruit in ‘ CBlifornia 
on wheels' has been treated 111 this manner, and fhere 
are jars of fruit in the rooms of the Bnard that were 
Iirepsrod over a year ago, ths fruit still appearing as 
if but plucked from tho trees." — Adelaida Obseiver. 
Mcsk Plant Fibre. — At the meeting of the 
Central Louiaiana Agricultural Association last 
Wednesday evening, Mr. J. L. Bernard exhibited 
a apeoiraen of fibre which was secured from the 
musk plant that ooniparea favourably with any we 
have seen for tho manufacture of bagging or rope. 
The seed of this plant was secured by Mr. Bernard 
from South Carolina. He says it resembles very 
much the okra and cotton, and is cultivated in 
the same manner. The seed sro for flavoring pur- 
poses and command a good price. The fibre product 
was disoovered by Mr. Bernard while having cotton 
stalks thrashed off his land. When the stalks of 
the mask plant were hit with the flying pole the 
bark peeled off, leaving the fibre clear. After 
remaining iu the field all winter, exposed to the 
bad weather, the fibre was found to be very strong. 
Mr. Bernard says it will grow from the ratoon, the 
same as sugar oane. — Indian A grienUuriat , May 30th. 
Coffee from Bbndekai {Hibiacui eaculentu »)\ — 
Captain Henry Willett, the pioneer ramie grower 
of Louisiana, who for many years has grown various 
fibrous plants at bis place just below Algiers, recently 
exhibited a very aromatic ground coffee, whioh he 
said "was obtained wholly from roasted okra seed." 
This substanoe bad, during the last Amerioan war, 
been frequently used as a substitute for coffee. 
It uot only has the same flavor to smell and taste 
as coffee, but it is thought the same tonic effect. 
Whether so or nor it makes a oheap and agree- 
able substitute for oeffae, and as such it should 
be utilized, it will pay to raise okra, beoanss 
every particle of the plant can be utilized — the 
young pods for food, making the most delioioua 
piokles ;* the ripe pods produoing a coffee bean ; 
the bark a valuable fibre, while the woody portion 
makes excellent paper stock. This oommon and 
little (hitherto) prized Southern plant may yet 
exceed cotton as a wealth producer, — Indian Agri~ 
cuUuriat, May 30th. 
* The bendekai is an excellent vegetable, but we 
have never soon it pickled in Ceylon ?— Ed. Z'l A. 
