January i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
463 
the varifttioD in the weight of the wood and lead 
to be of an appreciable extent the whole of the 
chests are turned out ; so that we fail to see how 
the Qovernmont could possibly make auy gain on 
every package imported, and conai qaently the calcn- 
lation of .£25,000, which is bared upon ii percentage 
of the whole of the dnty now paid, is simply orro- 
neous aud misleadinf;. 
“ In taming out teas, grocers often find the tare 
actually more than the Customs have allowoil, and 
the weight of tea is less than they pay the duty upon, 
and this is compensated by the little over-, weight in 
others, so that by tskieg an average tbo oot-turu of 
the tea is a lair one as regards tho taie. It is rather 
curious that Indinnand Oeylon teas have been selected, 
for they are often bulked iu London after the tare 
has been ascertained ; and as it is almost impos- 
sible to put as much tea back into a chest when 
ti iiiedi out, aud as leas are sold on the landing 
weights, the grocer does nut get the full weight as 
imported, although he may get the net weiglit 
invoiced to him, Agaiu, Indian, and especially Ceylon, 
teas sre known to lose some of their tlavour by keep- 
ing, and particularly by (-.xposare to the air, and, if 
every chest were turned oat, the pressure of work at 
the bonded warehouses wonl i be so great that packages 
would be left open longer than necessary, and, af- 
Ihongli tho importers might not suffer, as it is the 
custom to put teas up to action as soon as possible 
after arrival, yet tho buyers would have to bear the 
loss of deterioration by exposure, which in most casns 
would bo not only aerious, but quite uncalled fur. If 
there is really any loss by the process of taring worth 
oousidoratioD, the remedy is in the grower’s hands, 
for he can, if ho likes, have the packages made of 
more even weight ; the Assam Company do, and have 
done so for fomo years, aud we have beard from 
several buyers that the weight of the wood and lead 
is in many cases so nicely arranged abroad, that the 
gain in weight upon the tare now is fractional, and 
In some cases does not cover the weight of the 
package.”— y/. unti (’. Mail, Nov. 13th. 
SOMK ACCOUNT OK TIIM XUTMHO A.N’I) ITS 
cui/riv-vnox. 
Bv Tiiojiis OXLBV, Esq., A. B., 
Seiiior Swgeon of the ^/etiltment of /’< iace of If ales' 
Jsland, Singapore and Malaiva. 
{I<:ivin the “ Journal of the Indian Archipelago and 
liasteru Asia."} 
{i'oiitiiined from page ■Uii.) 
Forest land, or jungle as we call it in these parts, 
can be cl aced for about from S.’i to 30 Dolinrs per 
ac e by contract, but Ibn plsnter bad btfer to 
careful to have every stump and roi t of treo 
removel, ere ho ventures to commonoe plaiting, or 
tho white autH, HrHiiictod hy the dfad wood, will 
crowd iuto the laud, and li.-iving cousiimed tho food 
thii.s prepared for them, wi'l not be alow io attack- 
ing the young tnie?. Whilst the PI inter is thus 
clearing Uie ground, ho may a ivaiitajeouslv a*, the 
same time be establishing iiurscries for these the 
ground ought to be well trenched aud mixed with a 
small quautity of thoroughly decomposed manure aud 
burned earth, making ,,,, afterwards iuto 
beds of about d feet wide with paths between them, 
for the ounyemence of werdiig and oleaniiig the young 
plants. Of course, if the planter can obtain roallv 
good plants the proluce ot well selootod seed, it will 
be a great “R 0‘ time and expense t i liiin, but 
unless the seed bo oarcfully ohoson, I wmld prefer 
beginning my own nnriorics, and in the lel-ctionof 
seeil would recommend the most perfeo ly ripe and 
aphurioal nuU Oval long miti are to be, rejected, 
particularly auy of a pale color at one end Few 
things tend more touliimato sucoeea than good seed 
therefora too mnch attention cannot be bestowed upon 
it. I am of opinion that I’laiiteis have b,,en hitherto 
very careless on this subject, hence wo see sueli varieties 
of the tree, whieli is becoming every day what tho 
gardeuers iu England call more Bportivu; this also 
partly ari'es from continuiog to roproduoa plants from 
those ot the place, whereas were the Planters ,ot Pe- 
nang and Singapore, to interchange th“ir seed, it 
would be mutually protitahlo. We know that the 
Agricultiirista of Europe find it to thoir advantage to 
obtain seed for their cereal crops from places 
remote, and even the iiihahitaiils of tho British Iso.os 
find it necessary to make such interchanges. It is 
not cosy to afford a reason for tliis, but the fact is 
Wfll established, and woul 1 appear to ba tho fiat 
of infinite wisilom for aomo great good, perhaps to 
induce indolent and selfish man by the strong sti- 
mulus ot self interest to a mutual rcoiproeity imJ 
kindness of feeling, by doraonitraling to him iu so 
practical a manner that his own good is linked ioso- 
parably with that of lii.s neighbour. 
The planter having selected his seed, wliich might 
to ba put in the ground wilhiu 24 hours of being 
gathered, setting it about 2 inches deep in the beds 
slroady prepared, and at the distance cf from 12 to 
18 inches apart, tho whole nnrsery ought to be well 
shaded boih ou top and side*, tho earth kept moist 
and dear of weeds, and well smoked by burning wet 
grass or weeds in it once a week, to drive away a 
very small moth-Iike ins°ct that is apt to infest young 
plants, laying its eggs on tho leaf when they become 
covered with yellow spots, and perish if not attended 
to speedily. Washing the leaves wiili a decoction ol 
tho Tuba root is tho host remedy I know of, but 
where only a few plants a-e afiectedi if the spots be 
numeron.s, I weuhl jirefer to pluck up tho plant 
allogotlier rather tbau run the risk of the insect 
becomiog more numerous, to the total destrootion of 
the nursery. Tho nuts germinate io from a month 
to six weeks and even later, and for many mouths 
afier germination the seed is attached to tho young 
plimt and may bo removed apparently as sound as 
when planted, to tho astonishment of the nnlcacued 
who are not aware of the great dispeoportion iiisise 
between tho ovule and nlbninen, the former of which 
is alone necessary to form the plant. The plants 
may be kept in nnrsery with advantage fur nearly two 
years. Should they grow rapidly and the interspaces 
become loo .small for them, every second p'aiit had better 
be roinovod to fresh nursery aud srt out a distance 
of a omple of feet from each other. When transplauted 
either iu this way, or for their uTimate position iu the 
plsntation, care should be taken Io remove them with 
a good ball ot earth semired by tho skio of the pUotain, 
wh'oh prevents the bill of earth falling lo pieoca. 
The mirreri s being established, tho ground cleareil 
nnl ready, tho next proceodin.g ia to lay out nod 
dig holes aliout 3C or 30 feet apart, and as the 
quincunx order has many advantag.is. it is the form 
I would recommend for adoption. The holes should 
be at le ist C feot in d amsler and about 4 feet deep 
and whoa refill' d the surface soil is to be used ami 
not that whidi is taken ont of the hole. Kooli bole 
Bhou'd bo filled up shout one foot higher tbau the 
surroii ding ground to allow for the eettling of tho 
S'll and Binkiug of the tree, which planted even at 
tins height will in a few years bo found below tlio 
level. Over each hole thus fll'ed up a ahed, closed 
on two sides east and west, and proportioned to the 
size of the plant, is to be erected. The best substance 
fuTthia purpt’se is I tliiok tlitt Attap anil 
btituboO) occasionally U'Okl^ liavo tbeir diHadvaotagc^i 
t!ie former nttracts wUito aiUs, tho 1 tier when 
commenciug to decoy, breeds a bla^k blu-ht that is 
soon trausferred to the pi .nt, injii'iug it mosj 
m terlally. Ifc ia not a bad plau to 1 avo ao upon 
^puce in tho centre of the (op of each shfd about 
12 incht'9 wide, by which the young plant oin obtesin 
tho benefit of tho dew and gontlo rains, wliich more 
than compensates for the few raya of hun that can 
Diily fall upon it whilst that body is varticul. After 
tlio sbods have been oomplCt'd, each hoU sliould have 
a Ideil tu it a couple of baskoM of well (locoin)>uaed 
manure, and au equal quintity of burued earth, wUeu 
all is ready for tho reception of the plant which 
liiiving boon fot out, if tho weatlmr be dry will 
require watering for 10 days or a fortnight after in 
fact until it takes the Soil. As I have, meatio;^ 
Imriiod tai-th both lor the use of tlie nargery as well 
