58 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 22, 1908. 



SCIENCE NOTES. 



Vegetable Ivory. 



In the A(jrlculturii( ^'rws (Vol. Ill, p. 108), 

 reference was made to the manufacture of buttons, etc., 

 from vegetable ivory — the product of the 'Ivory nut 

 Palm ' (riij/ldeplias: inacrO(Xirpii.). 



Specimens of immature fruits have been forwarded 

 to this office from Dr. H. A. Alford Nicholls. C.M.G., 

 through the Curator of the Hotanic Station, Dominica, 

 and the following abstract has been made of a paper, 

 prepared for the West Indian Agricultural Conference 

 by Dr. Nicholls:— 



The tree that bears the seeds known as vegetable ivory 

 i.s indigenous to Panama, Colombia, and New (iranada. It 

 has a thick, rough, creejiing trunk, from the unik-r surface 

 of which roots are given off. The leaves, whir-h cruwn the 

 stem, resemble in their size, sliape, and disposition those of 

 tlie cocoa-nut palm. The male and female flowers are borne 

 on different trees, and the trunk of a male i>lant is always 

 taller and more erect than that nf ,i female. 



Each fruit contains from six to nine seed.*, or ivory nuts, as 

 they are connnonly called. 



The seeds when quite young contain a clear, watery 

 liquid used by travellers to quench thirst. Afterwards this 

 liquid becomes mil% and sweet, and finally becomes hard 

 and opalescent. t)n exposure to light and air, it becomes 

 white and opaque. It is softer and less brittle than ivory, 

 and is therefore nfuch used as a substitute for the more 

 costly geiuiine artiele. 



Large i|uantitie.s of vegetalile ivory are obtained from 

 the banks of the liiver Magdalena, and are exported from 

 Panama to the home markets. Most of the seeds are gathered 

 by the natives from plants in a wild state, but it is not 

 known whether the tree is cultivated to any extent. 



It is suggested, therefore, that tropical agriculturists 

 might profitably turn their attention to the eultivation of 

 the vegetable ivoiy plant, for the constant increase in 

 consumption of the article points to the success of such 

 a minor industry. 



Plants have grown well at the Botanic Stations of 

 .lamaica and Trinidad, as well as at St. Aroment, Dominica, 

 and it is thought that the plant .should thrive along thel>anks 

 of the rivers and streams of anv of these islands. 



Fio. 2. Ivonv Xir 1'ai.m. 



Tho inflorescence of the male plant is a simple, fleshy, 

 cylindrical .spadix, about 1 feet long, with four or five 

 spathe.s, and crowded with flower.s, while that of the female 

 plant, which also forms a sinqile but nnich shorter siiadix, 

 bears from six to .seven flowers, pure white in colour. 



The flowers exhale a pnwerful perfume, esjiccially the 

 larger white female ones. 



The ripe fruit consists of three portions : an external one 

 which is dark, rough, hard, and woody ; a middle one tlial 

 occurs as an oily pulp of a yellow colour, and sweet taste ; 

 and an inner })ortii>n -the seed— whieh is fiie vegetable ivory 

 of conuucrcc. 



The fruits grow fruni the stem. Just above tlie liases of 

 the leaves, and they oeinr in eoUections of six or seven. 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS IN 

 ANTIGUA: VISIT OF PLANTERS. 



A useful feature in connexion with agricultural 

 experiment work is the arrangement for periodical visits 

 by practical planters, as this gives opportunity for the 

 visitors to see for themselves the aim and progress 

 of the experiments, and also affords occasion to the 

 officer in charge for imparting some useful information. 



The Anlirjaa i^landard q{ ianwAYx W last has 

 the accompanying note on sueli a visit of planters to the 

 Skerretts E.xperiment Station i.-i Antigua: — • 



ilonday, .January 6, at three o'clock was the afternoon 

 fixed by the Hon. Dr. Watts. C.M.G., Superintendent of 

 Agrieulture for holding a meeting of planters at Skerretts 

 I'^xperiment Station, for the purjiose of inspecting the experi- 

 ments at present in progre.ss, and especially the recently intro- 

 duced varieties of seedling canes. 



At that hour a small gathering of jdanters assembled at 

 the station, and were met by Dr. Watts, acconqianied by 

 Mr. .lacl;son, ( 'niatni- of f he llotanic Station, and Mr. Abbott, 

 As>i-siant in eounexion with the Agricultural Experiments. 

 The gathering proeceded through the Experiment Station, 

 where Dr. Watts ]iointed out and explained the chief particu- 

 lars of interest, notably a large variety of experiments with 

 cotton, and sonic new varieties of Guinea corn recently intro- 

 duced from .\ortliern Nigeria. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 

 Mr. H..\. r.allou, M..Sc., Knti>mologist on the staff 

 of the Imperial Department of Agrictdture, left Barba- 

 dos on February 0, by the S.S ' Sobo,' on a visit to 

 Antigua, for the jiurpose of investigating the insect 

 pests of cotton in that island. Mr. Ballon is expected 

 to be aw'ay a fortnight. 



Mr. George 1<\ Branch, Agricultural Instructor at 

 Grenada, has been granted an extension of leave for 

 three months, from December 23 last, on half-salary. 



