240 
iHF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, 1891. 
ever generally taken as an accepted rule that in 
established cacao, pruning or “ trimming ”• as it is 
called ill Trinidad, m best carried on at the close 
of crop time." The practice is certahily reasonable 
as the trees are devoid of both fruit and flowers 
and suffer no possibility of injury. 
On first class estates where cultivation is earned 
out in a scientific manner, the tree should annual ly 
receive attention in the matter of pruning d’c. Every 
tree shonld bo visited and carefully examined. 
On many estates in Trinidad it is the practice to 
prune only at intervals of once in three or four 
years. Such cannot be considered good practice as 
the loss pruning that is done to a tree at one oper- 
ation the better. . 
It should be remembered that a cut made in priiu- 
ing a tree, is just as much ii wound, as cutting of 
a finger from the human body, and that although 
the Tilant may repair the injury to a certain extent 
still the wound remains, and produces a certain 
disorganization of tissue, not seldom resulting in 
decay and death. 
The cultivator should he careful m removing and 
barnlng as far as possible prunings from the ground. 
If left to rot upon the plantation these primings 
become the homo of innnnierablo wood destroying 
insects, and beetles which are iuimicablo to the wel- 
fare if the cacao plant. There is nothing liketid- 
ness and cleanliness in any cultivation, and departure 
thorefrom is sure to produce sooner or later its 
concomitant evils. 
The practice of prumng, the way to hold knife 
or saw, cutlass or cacao hook, cannot be taught hy 
any writer. The inexperienced should seek practical 
instruction, and even then it requires a oonsidorable 
amount of time and experience ere be will be able 
to handle his tools, with dex-terity and precision. 
The difference between a slovenly oot and a clean 
out are at once apparent when the work is compared, 
and no workman should bo permitted to practice 
pruning upon valuable trres outil he is well aooom- 
plished in the practical use of the tools employed. 
The skilful pruner can, hy a proiier h udling of bis 
tools and cuti ng hack to buds situated m the 
positions from which ho desires a branch to come, 
from the tree at will into the shape lie rcijuiros, 
and the plantations in which his skill is exhibited 
will always present a tidy and cultivated appear- 
ance, wliile tliose of the negligent and unskilful 
pruner will always look nutidy and irregular. 
Good maxims for the cultivator are, “ prune little, 
but prune often ; prune carefully, hut prune with 
decision. Prune for leaves and a crop must come.” 
— r, iiuJad jj/ricultmal Uecotd. 
Hkcovkky of Vines from Phvli.oxeh.v. By the 
latest inspection of the Phylloxera-infested districts 
of Portugal by the officials of the Portuguese 
Agricultural Institute, some interesting observations 
were made, says Ur. Klein in the Uardcujlorti for 
May. Vines winch liad been infested for a number 
of years, and dressed latterly with suliiliato of copper, 
had completely rscoverod from the attack, and giveu 
extraordlnaiy crops, a foot which is not without 
analogy in the hist .ry of the malady. It is the 
question now, if the proprietors can boar the cost 
entailed by a continuance of the expensive remedy. 
In other cases it would appear, that where rows of 
trees intersected the vineyards, the trees were at- 
tacked by tee Phylloxera— which the Editor questions. 
Those trees acted as traps or conductors for the 
lice- and so for no evil consequences to the trees 
have appeared.-t-'ar*«.ri’ VhrwacU 
The Buead fkuxtTbee isunsluo of the islands of the 
Pacific Ocean null the ImJUn ArohipelaKO, and grows 
to a height of from lorly to filly feet. It li is large, 
pinuatifid leaves, f.equeutly twelve to eighlein moUes 
long, dark green and glossy. dliB fruit of the broad 
tree, whiah iu shape and si*c ri sembles a miwkuiolou, 
supplies the principal part of the food of the inna- 
bttaute ol these islauds. It is attached to the stnsll 
brauohes of the tree by • enjall* thick stalk, aud 
hauKB either siugly or in oluetors of two or three 
together. It oootaiue % aomeffhat fibrous pglyiWhiohi 
* VOagfiCi" by Mx. Horrie, p* 29n 
when ripe, becomes juicy buJ jellow, but has then a 
rut’en taste. At an earlier stage, when it is gathered 
for nre, the pulp is white and mealy and of a cousU* 
lence rehonibiifijj nt-w bread. The corainon method of 
propsiring this Iruit for eating is to cot it into three or 
four pieces, and then take out the core, then to place 
h at'.‘d etuucs in the bottom uf a hole dug in the 
K»'utm(t, to rover thim with green leaves, and upon 
these to place a layer of the fruit, then stones 
leaves and fruit alternately, till the hole is nearly 
fi lot), when leaves and earth to the depth of several 
inches are spread over all. In rather mure tbauhaif' 
an hour the bread-fruit is ready for eatiog. It has 
little taste, and more resembles the plantain than 
bread made of wheat fiuur. The inner bark ot the 
bread-fruit trees supplies a cousidorable part of the 
clothing of the islanders, and its timber and its milky 
juice are employed tor coouofuical purpnses.— 
American Oiacer. [^lu Uejlon the fruit is cooked as 
a ve.:etabic, and it is very good iu currier. — £ 1 ) 7'. .■(•] 
Tea in India. — A rather pessimist “ Britisher” 
wriics to the Indian Flaiitert' Gaselte , — 
The presi nb s’aio of the Tea Industry for India is 
doomed except for very fertile lauds, with enoimoua 
yiehle as iuiheOooars; the ooiiipetitioii with Go)lou 
baa brought this ubouf, owing to the latter isisiid’s 
superior natural ndvantages, a forcing oltina 0 snd soil 
which gives an enormous yi< 1 h Planters wi’th that Gov- 
ernment therefore would remove the hampering restrict 
tiODB on the lodurtrjjnn I grant (hem laws hy which they 
might be able to tight ihis great battle of compctiticOa 
Nut one ol Die Daijeehog gardens Uat year earned 
a kotorie of rent; according to the laa* of rent as laid 
down, as ono of the first duotriues of political eoonoiny 
by Uicardo and Malthas, Darjeeling lauds are held 
either freehold or else lease-bold at the rate of <i (six) 
annas per acre, and it is obit-fly due to ibis fact that 
the gardens are skriying on, so as not to lose the whole 
oapital sank in tea. 
Not A banker ia India will advanoe money to open 
up toa eataten on the secanty of Tsa alone, showing 
that they consider th * industry doomed and will never pay 
the interest, whereas in Ceylon money is oivsily found. 
Last year, 181K), only two gardens earned a banker’s 
interest, that is 0 to 10 per cent.; two gardens earned 
a dividend larger than Government Paper interest, ru, 
between 4 and 8 per cent, interest ; four gardens earned 
a dividend of 2 per cent. ; and fully 60 per cent, of the 
land under in the remaining gardens, made no 
dividend but a loss, not one earned any rent. 
Eo« rLANTS.— A recent liulUtin of the Agricnltural 
Experiment hJtation of Cornell University, deals with 
the varieties, cultivation, and mode of cooking of 
the fruits of Egg plants, including the *\uborgine8. 
Professor Bailey says the requisites for success are 
“ early starting, wariu quarters, vigorous plants, 
rather late transplanting, warm, rich, moist soil, 
and constant attention against insect posts.” The^ 
beat varieties are Early Dwarf Purple, Early Long* 
Purple, White Chinoso, and black Pokiii as a Uto 
variety. The best market Vnriotios are New York 
Improved and black Pekin, with Early long Purple 
for the first demands. The methods of cooking are 
as follow: — 
*• 1. Fned, — Cut iu slices crosswise not over a half- 
inch thick, and parboil in salt water about fifteen 
luinutea; then remove, and fry iu a hvt “spider” 
in butter and lard. 
“2. /Vicd. — Cut into slices I or ^ inch thick, and 
lay in strong brine for two hours; then wash very 
thoroughly ; sprinkle with brown sugar, pepper and 
salt, and fry slowly to a dark brown 
•* 3. JSahed . — (Jut m tw'o lengthwise, remove the 
seeds and pulp, and fill with dressing made of half 
a t.acupful breadcrumbs, one teaspoomul butter, and 
salt and pepper to taste; lay the halves side to side 
in dripping pan, add a little water, uud bake nearly 
an hour. 
“1. Fritters, — Parc, cut in thin slices crosswise, 
and soak in salt water for eight or ten hours; dry 
on a towel, dip in beatin egg and roll in broad 
crumbs, then fry slowly iu hot butter untilthe pieces 
become a rich brown; servo hot,”— 
(JhronicU, 
