828 
THE TROPICAL AQRl6ULtURI8T. 
[May 2, 1892. 
thoroogbly explained to them by an inlluontial 
body? We should like to add to ‘Merchant’s' 
proposal, that bead rcprosentatire teamen from tbo 
country should be invited to attend the conference. 
It is to the interest of the Cantonese to keep us 
apart as long as possible from direct oommuoicatioii 
with the upojuntry men, and here is a chance nod, 
good reason, for our trying to break through a 
custom which suits our Southern friends so well. 
From an upconntry teaman with whom wo are well 
acquainted and who has come down to see after his 
unsold stock here, wo learn that several of the 
teameu are very much against the propossl to make 
small chops next season on the grounds that it 
would add so much to iho expense of preparation. 
We do not quite follow hia explanation as to how 
this comes about, but as be asserts that a large pile 
of tea can be bred at the same expense as a smaller 
one, both being contracted for as a day's work, we 
suppose we must accept the statement as correct. 
Wo wore glad to have our information on the subject 
of early firing, lately published, confirmed. Instead 
of allowing the tea to stand about for a long time as 
heretofore, it is to be fired as soon after picking as 
practicable. On the subject of supply, ho stated, in 
reply to our enquiries, that the quantity woul 
depend upon the extent of the advances made by 
the Hongs here, but he had reason to believe that 
it would fall considerably short of last year, as 
neighbours in the country had told him that they 
weit auable to got their customary advances made 
them. He near'* that loans, and credit generally 
will bo greatly restricted this year. — Jicho. 
Protection or Destkoction ok Birds in 
India. — Our correspondent Jss. H. B. will be ,in- 
tereated in what follows : — 
Mr. W. Ii. Bclater contributes to Indian Museum 
Notes an interosting little article on the economic 
importance of birds in India, with special reference 
to the question whether legislation is necessary to 
protect insect- pest dostroj'ers. Of the birds destroyed 
in this country for plumage or food, very few, if any, 
he states, are insectivorous ; while, with regard to 
to those of mixed diets, it would be unadvisahle to 
protect thorn, " since they may do much greater harm 
in devouring frnit and grain than they do good in 
doatroying insects," as is especially the case with 
crows and starlings. The principal birds killed for 
their skins and feathers, which are exported at high 
prices, aro egrelH, and the cattle eCTet, the i)ond lieroii 
and the blue heron, while the 8nake*bird lias leathers 
of a certain market value. The lengthened scapular 
feathers of this bird, which are the only ones sold 
for export, are looked on, we learn, as a badge of 
royalty by the Khasias, and were once the badge of 
one of the Bengal regiments of irregular cavalry.” 
Of pheasants, many are exported in largo quan- 
tities ; the bulk ot the specimens brought down 
to Calcutta being shot in Bhootan and Ne- 
pal. The Sikkim and Simla Argus pheasants 
are probably largely exported, but, as the 
writer says, neither is the true Argus, which is a 
bird found only in the Malay Peninsula. Indian 
parrots, the blue jay, the kingfisher, and jungle- 
fowl are the only other birds which are exported 
in large quantities. Mr. Sclater quotes from Mr. 
Hume’s ” Gleanings from the Calcutta Market, ' for 
the list of birds commonly eaten in India, and sold 
in the markets of Lower Bengal. They include 
the snipe, snippet, plover, teal, and the rod-crested 
pochard. Of the birds shot by Ruropoan sportsmen 
and eaten, but which are not common in the Cal- 
cutta bazaar, are the green and blue rock pigeons, 
the bustard, the tiorikiu, the Barua crane, tlie beef- 
steak bird, the ortolan, the sand-grouse, tbo peacock, 
jungle fowl, gray fowl, the red spur fowl, black part- 
ridge, painted partridge, tiie kvali partridge, and 
the gray quail. Mr. Sclater adds a Rat of purely 
insectivorous birds but none of those wo have men- 
fall witUiu tUis category.— 
The Fan Palm. — R ev. 0. B. Henry states that 
the fan palm of China grows only in the San Ui 
(listriot, twenty miles long by ten miles wide. The 
trees do not yield leaves suitable for fans until 
six years old. Some trees are said to be over 100 
years old, but the tallest measure only about 
twelve feet. From April to November the leaves 
are out moothly, one to three being taken from 
each f.Uot. From lU.OOO to 20,000 people are 
employed . — Florida Agriculturist, 
Coffee and Cocoa in Panama.— A ttention 
ie being paid (sayi the London L'rofirT) to the plant* 
ing of cocon and coffee, etc , in Panama, ooe com- 
any having a large number of tbo young plants of 
the various classes mentionod, and which are in a 
condition of vigoroun growth. Good tobacco has 
already been produced by thin company, and the crop 
well cured, was manufactured into cigam of 0 fair 
quality. There is Hoaroely any doubt a* to the sue- 
cesi of the experiments iu the oultivatiou of 0000 a, 
altbongb sevenil years must elapse before the reeulls 
can be properly estimated. With coffee, of which 
about 15,000 plants have been set out durlug tbo year 
and carefully attended to, the outcome is more doubt- 
ful, as the conditions of soil and climate are uot 
favorable. The ground on which this es^ay in coffee- 
growing is in progress is only about 260 feet above 
sea level (an elevation not sufficient in this latitude) 
while the soil has but slight depth of lo ise vegetable 
mould, resting upon a stratum of red friable clay, 
which has for it;4 base the talpctate of the country— 
a compact indurated clay or rook, impervious to water 
and iuto which the roots of the plants cannot pene- 
trate. A company has also been formed for the 
cultivation of sugar-cane and the manufacture of its 
prodaots, but it has not yet passed beyond the stage 
of mere organization. It is doubtful if there are good 
lands for tbe growth of sngar-cane in the immediate 
neighbourhood, although there are in the department ; 
but tobacco, rubber, cocoa, and textile and medicinal 
plants may be oultivatod to considerable extent at 
groat profit. 
Tea, Coffee and Cinchona in Java are 
thus referred to in the Straits Times of 20th March : — 
Last year bus been disastrou.s to tea planters in 
Java owing to a prolonged drought which resulted 
in the young plants, from one to throe years old, 
dying in hundreds of thousands- It will take years 
to repair the damage done. ^The crop fell in conse- 
quences far short of that of the previous year. The 
E lantors as a set-off against this stroke of ill luck, 
avo managed to persuade the Government to order 
the supplying of the army in Java with locally 
crown tea. This has aroused the attention of the 
Chinese to that branch of planting industry. They 
consequently have got hold of several estates by 
entering into contracts with the owners to enable 
these Chinese to prepare and bring to market 
Java tea. It seems that small estates have 
larger working expenses than liigger and more 
productive plantations, and, hence, have need to 
call in Chinese aid, as the Chinese can draw larger 
pjofits from estates under tbeir control by means 
which few Europeans will resort to. Anotlier result 
of this passing over of estates into Chinese hands 
is that the European capital and labour expended 
on them now benefit Chinese owners. In West Java, 
Liberian coffee is coming into greater favour for 
cultivation than the Java article owing to climatic 
conditions giving the African berry the advantage, 
provided tbe ground bo not too bigu lying. Liberian 
coffee now readiiy finds buyers at Ainsterdam, and 
also in America. Fair Java it is said brings at the 
utmost 54 to 64§ guilder cents per picul wliile Liberia 
fetches .'Sfi cents a picul. Cinchona growing in Java 
has proved higlJy unprofitable from the heavy fall 
in piicos. Experts differ whether the decline is due 
to overproduction or to speculation for a fall, but agree 
that its coniinuauce will prove calamitous to this kind 
of cultivation. 
