July 2, 1883.] 



THE TBOPICAL AGEICULTUUIST. 



57 



Dr. Trimen appeared to think that cocoa would grow 

 well at the Andamaas, and strongly recommended us to 

 try it. 



In Ceylou it is being most successfully gi'owu at from 

 i,000 to 1,500 feet; in the low coimtry it has not done 

 so well. In Trinidad, which lies three degrees farther 

 north than Ceylou, it grows down to the sea level, the 

 temperature rarely exceeding 85 degrees and falling to 

 78 — conditions which appear very similar to those of 

 Port Elan-. 



' It requires a warm steamy climate, with a moderately 

 good soil; shade is essential, and either the jack or the 

 Ficus Indica is considered the best shade tree. 



The young plants are raised iu the usual way in nurse- 

 ries and planted out 10' x lU"; for some days after trans- 

 planting they require to be protected from the sun by 

 fern leaves of small leafy branches of trees. 



The shade trees are planted 60' x 60'. In some places 

 the plantain is used for shade, planted at 30' x 30'. Great 

 care must be taken in planting the yoimg tree, to place 

 the tap root quite straight, and it is essential in the 

 choice of the laud to provide against there being a sub- 

 stratum of cold clay, as the tap root upon reaching this 

 would be unable to penetrate, and woidd tmu up and die. 

 It commences to bear the third year, and should give a 

 good crop the fifth year. The crop is gathered as follows : — 

 Coolies are given long bamboo rods with a small sharp 

 curved knife attached ; they also caiTy a small cutlass. 

 The lower pods are removed by the cutlass, and the upper 

 once by the curved knife; great care is used in severing 

 the stem of the pod from the body of the tree, as the 

 future crop dcpLuls upon careful manipulation. A clean 

 cut is required, about half way behveen the stem of the 

 pod and the tree. The pods are gathered from the tr^es 

 and heaped at stated intervals. The pod is then opened 

 with a cutlass at the large end by a neat circular cut. 

 The beans he exposed at the top, but remain clinging 

 inside to the bottom by means of the fibrous stuff which 

 holds them together. The pods are then taken by women 

 who scoop out the beans with a flat wooden spoon on to 

 plantain leaves. The beau is then squeezed through the 

 hands to clear it of the fibrous substance; they are then 

 removed to the sweating house and placed in a large heap 

 on the flooring. Plantain leaves and bits of old sacking 

 are thrown on the top, the doors of the house are closed, 

 and they are left for four or five days. At the end of 

 that time the doors are opened, when the heap will be 

 J found quite hot and of a deep brown colour; they are then 

 spread iu the sun on a barbecue, and a very fine kind of 

 red clay is shaken over them. When quite th'y the cocoa 

 is carefully picked and cleaned of all dust ; the beans are 

 sorted into three sizes and packed foi- the home market. 

 It appears that the whole of the future excellency of 

 the bean depends upon the sweating process, and it is 

 most essential that the building in which the fermentation 

 proceeds should be au'-tight. Mr. Tytler, a gentleman 

 who was the pioneer of cocoa cultivation in Ceylon, and 

 who has about 1,000 acres under this crop, sweats his 

 beans iu large pits, the bottom and sides of which are 

 carefully plastered with clay, and apparently finds this 

 system efficacious, as his cocoa realized in London 100 

 shillmgs 6 pence per ewt., which was a higher price than 

 cocoa sent from Trinidjul. Mr. Tytler has himself been 

 to Trinidad to learn all about cocoa. This gentleman 

 ; kindly accompanied me all over his estate, and gave me 

 t every information iu his power. As I thought this would 

 '• be a crop well wprth trying, I obtiiincd from Dr. Trimen 

 • 1,000 cocoa seeds. On opening the case containing this 

 seed I found it had all germinated. I have had it plante<l 

 out, and I hope it will be a success. I also obtiunetl 

 from 15otaiii(5al Gardens, Calcutta, a case coutaining a 

 few young plants. 



INDI.UJUBBEK TREES. 



The cultivation of these trees is now attracting very 



Hii.it attention in Ceylon, and Dr. Ti'imen thinks that 



the ■ C'eara" and the '•Hcvia" would be lilcciy to succeed 



at Port Blaii', though he has some doubts whether the 



wet season would not be too much for the "C'eara," and 



L stated that I should be able to obtain a large quantity 



m of "Hevea" from Dr. King, of the Botanical Gardens, 



8 



Calcutta.- On applying to Dr. King he said that all his 

 Hevea plants had failed, and that masmuch as the Ind- 

 ian Government had paid the whole cost of the plants 

 which Ceylon now possess, he thought Dr. Trimen was 

 bound to furnish them. I subjoin the following extracts 

 from notes on these rubbers furnished me by Dr. Trnncn. 

 There can be no doubt of the hardiness of the "('eara," 

 its readiness of culture, and adaptabihty to chcumstances. 

 It grows equally' rea^.Uly from seed or from cuttmgs. 

 and, though a native of a tropical sea level, thrives well 

 m Ceylon up to at least 3,000 feet, and on most barren 

 soil. Genuimtion ofseed.—'ih.e seed-coat is of remarkable 

 thickness and in the natmal process of germmation oc- 

 cupies a long period— it is said more than ayear. All that 

 is necessary to hasten this is to assist the seed-coat ni 

 spUtting ; this is effected by holding the seed firmly and 

 raspmg off with a file both edges at the radicular end; 

 it is best not to file oft the actual end, as it may 

 thus easily happen that the radicle of the embryo may 

 be mjiu-ed. After this treatment the young plants shoul.l 

 appear above ground m two or three week. The seed- 

 Ungs reqiure no particular attention, they grow rapidly, 

 and may be planted out at 20' >i 20'. Cuttmgs will take 

 root as easily as a willow; they .should be taken from 

 the points of strong shoots, and may be foot in length. 

 In plantmg, each cutting may be put mto the soil to a 

 depth of six inches. If scarce the entwe shoot may be 

 cut into pieces, each possessing a bud, all of which wdl 

 grow if covered with half an inch or so of soil ; loose 

 sandy soils and hard dry graveUy wastes are also suitable 

 sites Holes might be made in strong land mth an iron 

 jumper, and a stout cuttmg put into each, and fiUed with 

 pebbles. On bare or thinly covered portions of rook the 

 cuttings might be laid down flat, and a httle heap ot 

 stones or any kind of ■'debris" about the size of a mole hill, 

 pUed over each, care bemg taken that the extreme point 

 of each cutting with a bud is left uncovered. 



Si/stem ofcoUectimj the j-i(6iicr.— On commencing to work 

 the' collector takes with him a stout kuife and a handful 

 of twigs to serve as a broom. Arriving at a tree, any 

 loose stones or dust are swept from the gi-ound around 

 the base, and some large leaves are laid do™ to receive 

 the th-oppings of milk which trickle down. Some do not 

 go to the trouble of sweepmg the ground, or laying down 

 leaves for which reason the milk adheres to sand, dust, 

 decayed leaves and other injpuriti.-s. The outer surface 

 of the bark of the tnmk is pared or shced off to a height 

 of foiu- or five feet. The milk then exudes and runs 

 down in many tortuous courses, some of it ultimately 

 fallmg on the ground. After several days the jmce be- 

 comes ch-y and solid, and is then pulled off in strings and 

 rolled up in balls. CoUecting is carried on during the 

 thy season only %vhen rain seldom falls. It appears that 

 "Ceara rubber" may be tapped on obtammg a diameter 

 of four to five inches or about two years' growth. I saw 

 a large luunber of these trees at the Henaratgoda Bot.inical 

 Gardens, where they appeared to be thriving remarkably 

 well- auil as the climate seems very sinn ar to the An- 

 damans, I think it probable that it would succeed with 

 us I shall. I hope, be able to make the experiment 

 with the 100 seeds obtained from Ceylon. 



The "Hevea," or "Para rubber," is found abundantly 

 in the enormous forests ot Central and Northern Brazil 

 The climate there is remai-kable for its umforimty ol 

 temperature, usually not exceeding 87 = F. at midday, or 

 below 74 ° at night. The rainfall occurs principally iron. 

 January to .Tune, the maximum being in April when it 

 reaches !.■-> inches; for the remaining six months of the 

 year very little falls. The whole country is covered with 

 deu'^e moist, forests, and the soil near the numerous rivers 

 is deep, heavy and very fertile. During the wet season 

 much of the low-lying country is flooded. In the ' Gopos, 

 near "Para," visited by Mr. Cross, he found a flat district 

 only three or four feet above the highest tides and com- 

 nletelv intersected with water-courses, at low tide, filled 

 With a soft rich mud. The forest here, m vvhich 

 caoutchouc-coUccting was vigorously carried on was 80 or 

 100 feet high, and very damp and unhealthy, the soil 

 full of moistm-e and very rich and fertile ; the young plants, 

 however were not often observed to gi-ow actually withm 

 the reach of the tides, but it is evident that they must 

 frequently be subject to be partially covered with water. 



