November 2, iSgi.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
317 
and ilie peculiar charnct r of its roots can bo well 
seen. The plnut grows in tho tutid on Ibo borders 
of tropical rivers, and it rochiiuisa good deal of dry 
laud by colloctirg tho mud about its stilted roots. 
To aid in this work the roots actinlly throw pro. 
ject’ous upward out- of the water, which look like 
the teeth ul rakes, and appear to serve the snne 
]>iirpose~lhat of pathetiug auil retaining the mud aud 
ilotaam of tho river. 
A curious example of tho natural ‘Mi arching’* of 
trees ia reported form Lawrence County, Illinois, 
where two t-lm tree.®, btaiuh'ng 20ft. apart, have henb 
Over and coalesced into one trtc at apoint some 2()ft. 
above the ground. The ludtf d tree fa very aymnietrical 
and nearly 100ft. in height. Wageons are driven easily 
through the triangular arch of its base. — Qlobe^ 
^ 
feed fok eggs. 
An egg ia largely idtrogcucu.i. The white ia albu- 
men, the yolk coutaius phosphoric aoid and mineral 
snbslance and the shell ia coQiposrd mostly of 
lime. The hen is a Bmall aniniiil. Eggs not a 
joiraculona dispousatlon, as they come from the 
food a huu gets aud ccuyerts into eggs, the same 
as any animal converts its food into products. Corn 
alone is not a suitable food for the production 
of ^ggs, as it does not possess enough of the 
constituents to make egga. Hens fed on such food 
will get fat. Hpna like every other animal muf«t 
nave coarse food to distend tho stomach and bowels 
and for thi.s purpose cut clover, Iiay and cabbage 
are largely fed by many. Thtse also contain 
material to made eggs. Skimmilk is also just the 
thing for an egg food. To got eggs feed hens 
to prodneo oggs. 
.r, , ^ CUfiTlES. 
•^hiirao Californian, 
[Bits of meat and minute fragments of bone are 
also good. — Bn. T. 
LEMONS AND EGGS. 
Simple tbiDgs are oftoii of much benefi*’, and lemons 
end common table »all have much tint ia useful about 
them. Lemon juioo and water, without sugar, will often- 
tinuis relieve, one of a sick head ioho in a short time, ntd 
a half gill of lemon juice three times a day in a little 
water is said to be good for vlu umatism. Nothing 
IH so aoocpiable to a feverish pirsoii as Ifiuonade, 
and for cough that refusestobe qui< ted, I have tried 
‘ 1 °. f^ljewing preparation witli .success : 'Lake the 
winto of an egg, beaten stiff; tlieu add the jnioe 
ot a lemon in which two or tluej lumps of sugar 
have been di.saolved, and keoping it near at hand, 
take a tab.espoonful of it at a time until relieved. 
A very good way of preparing lemons when they 
are plenty is to put them in cold water, letting 
them boil until they are soft, "then squeeze tho juice 
them, getting more than iu any other way, 
and adding the sugar to tho taste, or to every 
ha f pint of juice put one pound of loaf sugar, aud 
hot tie. Another comfortable use for lemon is to 
hind a thill slice upon a corn that ia troublesome 
at night, anti repent once or twice. It will grtatly 
relieve the soreness. Tlien if tho hands are stained 
Irom medicine, or any other cause, rnbbiug them with 
‘li® J'lino is e-vlraotod, will restore thtni. 
f able linen or any such artiolca that become stnineil 
can CO restored by the aiiplication of Icraon juice 
and table salt, then placed in tha snu, and stains 
removed by tubbing diy starch iu at once, and 
repoatiDg it.— C400d Ilonsekefj^inff, 
New Plantations.— Tea ia being pkntcil rather 
extensively in the vicinity of Labugams, a well known 
dubash of Oolomho having opened up a large extent 
ot land for the piirpuso. The cultivation of pepper 
ana arocauut is also decidedly ou the increase, these 
products having, evidently, found a genial home. On 
one place especially, at the 20th mile post, pepper 
18 looking grand ; the young vines are loaded with 
Bteeo pepper,— Local ‘‘ Independent," 
NOTES FROJI OUR LONDON LETTER. 
CEVJ.ON PI.ANTHR.S' ASSOCIATION AND WIOSKCD- 
TION OF OFFRNDF,n.S IN THE PACKET TEA 
TRADE — MIAUDUI.KNT TEA MARKS — LOW PRICES 
FOR, AND BAD (iCALITV OF CEYLON TEA — 
MR. RoaiVI’ti'.S MISSION — THE TF.A TRADE 
BETWEEN CHINA AND RlSSI.t — CEYLON PLAN- 
TERS’ ASSOCIATION AND MB. LOLGII. 
London, Sept. IS. 
Some disappointment is felt here at the deter- 
mination of your Planters’ Assooiation Tea Fund 
Committee, recently conveyed to the Ceylon Aaao- 
oiation in London, not to approve of tho proposal 
made by the latter body to prosecute a certain 
number of tho offenders in tho packet tea trade, 
who arc in tho habit of aillxiug misleading labels 
to their so-called packets of Ceylon Tea. We 
believe that no loss than filly such packets bearing 
different labels wore sent out from home to your 
Planters’ Association, and it was Mr. Gray’s opinion 
that it would be a wise course to select a certain 
number of these issued by different traders in a 
single metropolitan district, and try a proaeontion 
in a batch, so as to call prominent attention to 
the rogueries by the magistrate of the ilistriot. 
The letter now received from yonr Planters’ Asso- 
oiation states that it does not think it desirable 
to follow Mr. Gray’s advice, or, indeed, to lake any 
present steps whatever. Of course, we know that there 
ia an indisposition to *' worry” the trade ; bnt really 
ibe evil complained of has aesamed snob proportions 
of late that we here in London tbinu it would 
have had a very valuable eileot if soma dozen 
or BO of these offenders had simultaneously 
made their apptaranoe in tho Police Court to 
answer for their misdoings. We fear that if this 
growing evil is allowed to go on and assume larger 
proportions very serious injury may result to 
the reputation of your teas. 
And this would have tho more to be regretted 
because just now it is certain your teas are not 
advancing in popular favour, if wo may judge from 
the low prices which have for the last two months 
been obtained for them in Mincing Lane. Speaking 
on this enbjeot during the present week with a very 
old and influential member of tho trade, I asked 
him how it was that Ceylon tea fetched such low 
prices now; and his curt reply was: “Bcoause 
they 're ail bad.” Wo read in our Observer that your 
planters say that at certain seasons tho leaf they 
lluck is very interior ; but the oaso seems to ge 
worse every year, and tho season alone does no* 
account for this annually increasing deterioration 
Cannot some of you suggest some remedy ? fo; 
tho state ot things ia very bad indeed. Everyone 
in the trade ia calling out, and much Ceylon tea 
received is pronounoed to be " rubbish.” I heard of 
a ease only this week of a purchaser who 
had bought largely of your tea, and who 
returned half of it on tho brokers’ hands as not 
being up lo sample, and that sample itself was 
fur below the average quality. Surely some of 
your planters might And a remedy for this state 
of things; for wo on ou this side, although admitting 
a seasonal influenoo, do not think it can account 
altogether for the present state of things as regards 
Dur imports from Ceylon, some of tho stuff sent 
homo being really a disgrace to the island, and 
the greater part of it of a quality that the brokets 
will hardly look at. 
A further subject upon which your Planters’ 
Assooialion has written relates to a desire for 
intelligence as to the progress making by Mr 
Rogivue and for an account of his expenditure of 
tho funds with which he has been sunnlied Mw 
former letter told you all that could be learned 
by myself ot Mr. Bogtvue’s proceedings, and I 
