844 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May 2, 1892. 
there were other aod very valuable products of 
which the world's supply just now was really 
less than the demand, tor which Peru 
was evidently most admirably tittod, notably lor 
coffee and cacao ; and I was quite euro that when 
tne Oeylon and Indian planters read the Keport 
(shortly to appear, of my friends Messrs. Boss 
and Sinclair who had learned planting in Ceylon — 
the best school in the world for tropical agri* 
culturist — before 1 reached the island, that the 
interest of many of them would bo awakened, in 
respect of coffee especially. For coffee in Ceylon 
and India has failed and is failing, as also to a 
great extent in Java, and even in Brazil the top 
of the tide seems to have been reached, while 
there was evidently a great field for this product 
and others equally profitable in Peru. I could not 
but look forward, therefore, with great interest to 
the ffnancing and development of planting opera- 
tions in the wide, rich forestlands along the Peru 
vian tributaries of the Amazon. 
Both Mr. Boss and myself were well received. 
Mr. Watts, a practical Wiltshire farmer who 
had been in Peru, came next with most valuable 
testimony to the great value of live stock in that 
country. 
The meeting conuluded with an interesting ipeeoh 
from Mr. Mabkiiam proposing and conveying the 
thanks of the meeting to the lecturer. He men- 
tioned that Mr. Pezet’s grandfather was one of 
the foremost patriots of his day and indeed fell 
a martyr to the freedom of his country. 
I had the pleasure afterwards of being introduoed 
to Mr. Markham, with soma pleasant talk during 
which I ventured to urge that he should use bis 
official influenoe to make known the great value 
of cheap quinine for use among the millions of 
China, espeoially among those who were enslaved 
to, or using, or beginning to acquire the taste for, 
opium. He agreed that something had to be done 
in this direction, though gradually the use of 
quinine was being extended through the Treaty 
Ports in China. 
In this connection I have to mention that Mr. 
Boss has been elected an Honorary Member of 
the Boyal Qeographicali Society of Lima. 
CINCHONA OULTOEE IN ECUADOR. 
I had an enquiry from the Colonial Office the 
other day for information respecting “ Cinchona 
in Oeylon,” made on behalf of the President of 
Bet B dor, I referred the authorities to our pub- 
lications— the ‘‘Cinchona Planters’ Manual,” "Hand- 
book and Directory ” and Tropical Ayriculuirist ; 
but chancing to lay my bands on one of my ” Agri- 
cultural Beviews ” reprinted from the Handbook of 
1888, 1 added to it the latest statistical informa- 
tion and sent it on as the beet moans of at once 
showing the Ecuador President the foolishness of 
attempting the cultivation of cinchona at the 
present time. In acknowledgment of the little 
book, I have the following : — 
Downing Street, March 7th, 18i)2. 
Sir, — I am directed hy Lord Knutsford to thank yon 
for the copy of your “ Boviow of the Planting and 
Agricultural Industries of Coylon ” which you have 
been so good as to send to this office with the liguros 
relating to cinchona planting corrocted to date. 
The book has been sent to tho Foreign Office for 
transmission to the President of Ecuador, who has 
expressed a wish to reeeive any reports or statistics 
bearing on tho subject.— I am, sir, your obodieut ser- 
vant, Edward FAiRruiDii. 
John Furgusou, Esq. 
Qcinine-makino in Ecuador, — In South America, 
according to a French report, the first step has 
been taken towards the manufacture of quinine on 
the spot, M. Manuel Jijon has set up a factory 
at Quito, which supplies the whole of Ecuador, 
and baa begun to export a product which has a 
very good appearance. The sulphuric acid necessary 
is manufactured on the spot from native sulphur. — 
Chemist and Druggist. 
Agricultural Advancement in Lower Perak, — 
An Acbe of Junole W orib ^250 in Three Years. — 
Wo hear that sn acre of land in Teluk Anson 
was sold tho other day for 9250 bard cash. This 
land was allotted by the Perak Government to an 
Indian immigrant brought over at Government 
expense, and was all jungle three years ago. The 
man arrived in Perak penniless ; be is now worth 
$250, less tho amount he repaid to Government as 
advances. This is another instance of the result 
of tho care and energy displayed by tho Lower 
Perak aulborities in the matter of agrioultural ad- 
vancement, and is a proof that Indians as agricul- 
turists will do well if looked after. We also learn 
that about 1,300 acres of land, in the same district, 
have recently been taken up by Chinese and Malaya 
for padi planting, and that operations on them 
will shortly commence . — Pinang Gazette, March 25. 
Si'EAKiNo at an Agrioultural College in England 
the other day, the Bov. Canon Bagot made some 
interesting remarks upon the subject of milk. He 
said that he was a specimen of a man who had 
been brought up on skim milk. He never tasted 
a drop of pure milk from the time he was one 
year old until he was fifteen. It was skim milk 
for breakfast, for dinner, and for supper, along 
with oatmeal porridge, and potatoes, and, sometimoa 
a bit of meat. Skim milk was mote suitable lor 
infants than whole milk because it contained less 
fat. Yet in London hundreds of gallons of skim 
milk were daily poured into the sewers because 
people would not buy it. A factory had, however 
been started for making laotite, a substance resem- 
bling ivory, from skim milk. The water was 
expelled from the milk, and the solid matter was 
first oompreseod and then turned in a lathe into 
various shapes. The numerous dairies that are 
being started all over India, and notably in Bombay 
as the result of the travelling Dairy Exhibition that 
visited this country a year ago, might take tho 
hint if they have difficulty in disposing of their 
separated milk ,” — Dulian Agriculturist.,, 
The Tea Distbicts of Caohab and Assam 
are not favourable for railway construction. Sir 
Bradford Leslie, in bis paper on Indian Bridges, 
remarks : — 
Further to the eastward are the fertile diatriots of 
Assam and Gsebar, which for many years to come 
must be served from the railway system of the rust 
of India by the great Brahmapootra river. With the 
hills in close proximity on either side, and with a 
very heavy rainfall, the rivers of these districts nro 
numerons and formidable ; tho plains are covered with 
a uotwoik of creeks and water-coarsos, which make it 
a very amuhibions sort of country in the rainy acosoD. 
Should it beciime necessary in tho future to carry laud 
cummniiioations across the Ganges or Brahmapootra 
rivers in lAiwer Bengal, the question will arise 
whether tunnelling may not be cheaper than bridging- 
In the cose of a tunnel, a great portion, if not tlie 
whole length, would have to be made through perme- 
able strata. Any permanent etruoture for crossing 
these rivers involves the neoessity for fixing and 
controlling its course at the site of tho structure. 
Although not impossible, this might prove a cosily 
undertaking, and it therefore eeema probable that tho 
present system of working the railway traffic across 
tho lower roaches of tho Googes and tho Brahmapootra 
by ferries must continue.— /ndian iingtmicr. 
