THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[JttLY 2, 1883. 



Of the last-uamed tree, Casuariiia muricciia^ exteusive 

 plantations exist for many miles along the coast north and 

 south of Madras, and these liave greatly improved the ap- 

 pearance of what was before a sun-beaten sandy waste. 

 There can be no doubt also that the plantatious have ren- 

 dered the fields behind them more valuable by affording 

 shelter, and in some cases have permitted land to be brought 

 under cultivation, which would otherwise have remained in a 

 waste state. The Casuarina is a very hardy plant near the 

 sea, and will grow down to high water mark, even amongst 

 loose sand. The secret of its flourishing in such situations is 

 due to the fact that the sub-soil water is always near the 

 surface, and that the sand, although apparently barren, is 

 generally largely mixed with decay ed organic matter. 

 When the trees in a Casuarina plantation are left un- 

 pruned, they throw out decumbent horizontal branches 

 which develop roots and thus fix the .sand. If the trees 

 are cut, these rooting branches, when left iutact, throw 

 up shoots, and thus the forest is naturally renewed. In 

 the shade of an established Casuarina plantation the 

 ground is httered with the minute twigs shed by the 

 trees, and this top-dressing, if left uudisturbed, 

 shortly decays and fructifies the soil. The plants which 

 grow in the shade of Casuarinas, when not too dense, are 

 those which are marked with an asterisk in List B. 



The importance of the Casuarma in the reclamation of 

 wa.ste sandy tracts on the coast can hardly be over- 

 estimated. Perhaps the better way to put it as regards 

 this Presidency would be to say, that there should be no 

 such %vaste lands. Theh- reclamation belongs, properly 

 speaking, to the Forest Department, and to them the 

 task should be entrusted. 



ESCLOSCKE, No, 1. 

 Appendix A. 



Oanavalia obtusif olia 1 Sesamum prostratum 



Hydophilaxmaritima | Pupalia orbiculata 



Launiea pinnatifida 1 Crinum sp. 

 Tridax procumbens Cyjierus arenarius 



Impomasa pes-capras | Spinifex squarorosus. 



Polycarpa>a corymbosa 



* Alysicarpus vaginalis 

 Phaseolus trilobus 

 Desmodium gangeticum 



* Do. triflorum 



* 1 ndigofera enneaphylla 

 Mollugo stricta 



* Spermacocearticularis 

 » Hedyotis Heynei 



Impom;ea pes-tigrichs 

 Ipomrea tridentata 

 Lippia nodiiiora 

 Asystasia coromandeliana 

 I'cdalium murex 



* Leucas diffusa? 



* Chammissoaaspera 



* Jirua monsoni;u 

 Chenopodiua Indica 



Enclosuee, No. 2. 

 Appendix B. 



Salicornia Indica 



* Cyperus castaneus 



* Do. bulbosus 



* Do. distans 

 Cj-perus t-p. 



* Fimbristylis ferruginca 



* Do. 2 sps. 



* Kyllingia triceps 



* Isolepis gracihs 

 » Do. 2 .■ips. 



Trachyozus muricata 

 Aristida setacea 

 Elcusine ;e4,'yptiaca 

 *■ Chloris barbata 



* Perotis latifolia 

 Imperata arundinacea 



* Panicum 2, iijjs. 

 Eragrostis 2, sps. 



Salsola Indica 



(Signed) G. Bidie, m.b., Brigade-Surgeon, 

 Supt., Govt. Central Museum. 

 Madras, 27th March 1883. 



[M ost of the plants mentioned are the same as our 

 Ittoral sand-binding plants in Ceylon, the goats-foot 

 ipomtea, the Vamicalia ohtus'folia, and Spinifex squrir- 

 ro»ns, being the most abundant and best for binding 

 the sands on sea-shores. These are often torn up 

 by the waves, but take root at once and grow out 

 towards the sea as soon as the waves allow them. 

 I understand that several years ago attempts were 

 made to grow casuarinas on portions of our coast 

 near the pea'-l banks at Silavatturai and elsewhere, and 

 if those have succeeded they should be planted every- 

 whire in Ceylon where there is waste groimd which 

 is required to be reclaimed and on which nothing else 



of value will grow. That avenue of casuarinas on 

 Torriugton Place from the Edinburgh Crescent to 

 the new Lunatic Asylum was planted in 1880, so that 

 iu about 3^ years these trees have grown to a height 

 of 25 to 30 feet In sandy soil with some cabook on 

 the surface.— -W. F.] 



A Pine Teee cut in Amos Bailey's camp, Indian River, 

 Cheboygan county, Blich., measured 22 ft. in circumference, 

 and was sound from butt to top ; and a tree was recently 

 cut in Hemstead county, Ala., that measured 26 ft. in 

 circumference. It took six men, working con.stantly, Imlf- 

 a-day to fell it. — Forestnj. 



North Borneo. — Mr. L. B. von Donop, in a 

 letter of this mail, writes: — "I am just off up the 

 Segama river to search for gold and see the country. 

 Xhe propects of this country could not be brighter 

 everything is swinging along right merrily." 



Polished Satinwood. — The cases and ornaments of 

 the pianofortes are in many instances extremely 

 bpautiful, in others merely curious and extravagantly 

 expensive, in none so tasteful as the old-fashioned 

 spinnet and harpsichord cases of polished satinwood, 

 painted with wreaths of flowers and knots of ribbon. 

 — From an Exhibition Report. 



Grodnd Nut Tk.ide.— The gi-ound nut trade in Poudi- 

 cherry was recently a very large one, and thousands of bags 

 were shipped from that port to France. The demand for 

 storing space was so great, that every available dwelling 

 house was rented by the merchants. The trade in ground 

 nuts in Madras is pretty large. Last month the shipments 

 to Great Britain, France, Bombay and Calcutta aggregated 

 15,926 cwt. valued at 63,719 rupees.^J/«(/rets Times-. 



Cakd.\mom Dkyino. — An Indian planter writes : — 

 " Can you inform me whether Mr. Shand's patent 

 tea drier will do for drying cardamoms. By doing 

 so you will oblige me." We believe Shand's patent 

 drier is admirably adapted for drying cardamoms, 

 as well as cinchona bark, cocoa seeds and tea, and, 

 being so cheap comparatively, it sh ould be a very 

 useful article on estates. 



EuRTA Seerata.— This is a plant which is met with 

 in all tea districts of India. It has considerable resem- 

 blance to the tea leaf for which it is often mistaken, and 

 coolies have been known often to pluck it by mistake. 

 It is desirable, therefore, to direct attention to the 

 matter. — Indian Tea Gazette. [\Te suppose this ia the 

 plant called wild tea iu Ceylon. A few plants appear 

 occasionally iu nurseries, but unless they were planted 

 out .among.st the true tea bushes how could coolies 

 pluck the leaves ? — E0.] 



New Inventions.— No. 13o of 18S'2 Robbins Thomas 

 Cooli. , of Sylhet, Tta PJanLer, for an imjjroved method 

 of silting tea and other produce or mitenals. >."o. 1 of 

 1883. — Andrew Charles Guy Thompson (Engineer), of 

 Windsor Tta Eslate, Daijeeling, for tiring or drying tea 

 or other substances and, when required, reducing and 

 sorting the same into kinds or qualities while passing 

 through the machine, or the sever.al proce-sses may be 

 performed separately if desired, and is also applicable to 

 withering leaf prior to manipulation. — Indian Tea 

 Gazette. 



Cinchona. — The Earl of Rimberley, writing to the 

 Madras Government, on the 15th March says :— " I 

 have to inform you that cinchona seed was forwarded to 

 you by the mail of the 23rd ultimo by letter post. 

 The varieties and quantities of seed sent were as 

 follows : — 2 lbs. of t'alisaya Verde, and Calisaya 

 Morada seed in the husk, equal to 4 ounces of clean 

 seed ; 1 lb. of Calisaya Verde seed in the hHsk, 

 equal to 2 ounces of clean seed ; 1 lb. of Calisaya 

 Morada seed iu the husk, equal to 2 ounces of olean 

 seed ; and 2 ounces of Calisaya Zamba Morad.!, clean 

 seed. None of the biirk samples asked for by you 

 have been received." — Madras Mail, 



