August i, 1883.J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



137 



while to try -whether, by any chemical ti'eatment its sponginess 

 can be prevented. Such treatment however, prevents its being 

 used extensively. 



"The [Ciimatraballi] india-rubber on waf^hing and drj'in^ 

 j-ields a loss of 1496 o o, and when mixed with the suitable 

 proportions of sulphur. ^Tileanizes perfectly. Its firmness and 

 freedom from stickuess are in favom- of its manipulation. 



Thepass;i^o in the report, — "it would be important to determine 

 whether in this case the deteriorating principles are/o/v/^/H to the 

 tree, or whether they arise from injiulicious incision " is not very 

 cleivr in its meaning-. Injuthcious incision, so far as it affected the 

 character of the milk, would be "foreign" to the tree; but I do 

 not see how any method of tapping could be injudicious in this 

 sense. In collecting this laibber, the incisions were made with a 

 cutlass ; and an axe or this iustnuneut mu-st necessai-ily be used 

 m the operation. It is true the juice was dried in the smoke of 

 burning palm nuts, l.mt tliis sj-stem is vei-y largely practised in 

 coagulating Para imlia-rubber. It hastens the process, but is not 

 essential, and need nut be pui-sucd if disadvanfaige pertains to it. 



It is disappointing, however, that as Hevea Spritceana, is so abund- 

 ant in the colony, and such a near ally botauically of the valuable 

 JTevea brasilnisis its rubber should be. appai-eiith', of .such inferior 

 quality. I say apparently advisedly, for I think this cannot be re- 

 garded as determined till the nature of the deleterious principle, 

 which prevents its perfect induration when \"ulcanizcd, is ascertained, 

 and whether it was accidental in this sample or is inherent in the 

 juice of this species of Iit:v>ti. It is possible, too, that if the spongi- 

 ness cannot be prevented in its manufacture, considering the multi- 

 plicity of the applications which are being foimd for india-rubber, 

 certiiiu uses may be discovered fur wliich this character will specially 

 recommend it ; which seems not improbable, for it is certainly a 

 verj- peculiar and characteristic substance. 



As I anticipated in my report of the discovery of the Cumatrii- 

 balli,' its rubber has proved to be an excellent material ; and con- 

 sidering the gi-i-at size of the tree, its thickness of bai-k and prolific- 

 ncss in milk, the price ^ii';j— 2, per Ibj it is estimated as worth in 

 the market is vei-j' satisfacton- and encouraging ; and I have no 

 doubt that in the future both the trees and the rubber wliich it 

 yields will be in considerable demand. I hope in the interval, steps 

 inay be taken to prevent collectors from felling and destroying a 

 tree so valuable, and of much interest for its grand propoi-tions as a 

 woodland feature, and thus ensure its abundant perpetuity in the 

 colony. — Verj- faitlifuUy yours, — Cr. S. JEN.MAN. 



W. H. Campbell E,s.i., 



Secretarj', Royal Agricultui-al and Commercial Society. 



SM.\r.r, INDUSTRIES. 



Mr. .Jones laid on the tabic a sample of coconut fibre he 

 had received from the works of Mr. Smith at Mahaicouy. 

 As he required the samples for this purpose he had endea- 

 voured to present a special sample being prepared, and that 

 laid ou the table was what was turned out, and he had no 

 doubt but that a better sample coidd be obtained if it was 

 requu'ed for au exhibition. The President was aware that 2\Ir. 

 Smith had imported a very fine set of machinery for making 

 oil and dressing the fibre of the coconut, and be deserved 

 very great credit iiuleed for an advance in what might be 

 called "one of the small industries." He had not the 

 smallest doubt that it would j>ay. Formerly, -when coconuts, 

 were sold at from §20 to $1*4 a thousand, it did not pay 

 to carry on this industry, but if it was sold at about S12 

 per thousand it would be a successful enterprise. JMr. Jones 

 also laid on the table a sample of the accovrie palm nut oil. 

 He obtained it from a black man in the Berbice River, who 

 prepared it for his own use, but as to its value as a commercial 

 oil he did not know. Mr. AViUiams asked that the sample 

 of oil be forwarded to Mr. Francis, and that gentleman be 

 asked to report upon it, This was agreed to. 



THE DIVI-DIVI TREE IN MASULIPATAM. MADRAS 



PRESIDENCY, 



is thus not iced by Mr. C. M. Smith, Public AVorks Depart- 

 ment: — 



1. — lender head Cirsaljnnifi,}). 356 of Roxburgh's "Flora 

 Indica " (kindly lent me by the Forest OScer, Mr. Boileau, 

 from whom I learn that the Divi-Divi belongs to this family), 

 I find a number of varieties described, none of which seems 

 to correspond with the variety gro-wing in this garden. 

 2. — I should describe the variety growing here as follows : — 

 Height of tree, 1-5 feet; homjhs commencing at about H feet 

 from the ground, straggling and widespreading, from 10 to 15 

 feet in length ; unarmed ; hark of a dark brown-grey color and 

 very nigged. Leaves — bipinnate, three or four on a twig, 6 

 inches in length, with from six to eight pairs oi pinna: — pinnffi 



* Report of the Government Botanist and Superintendent of the 

 Botanic Gardens on some of the Tui-iia-nibber and Guttapercha trees 

 of British Guiana,— Citiifd; Ollice, 1883. 

 18 



being 2 to 3 inches long ; leaflets paired and numerous — sa 

 many as twenty-eight pairs toa pinna, butvarying in number 

 in different leaves and on the several piume; length J inch, 

 breadth 1/16 inch. Floners — in clusters, of a pale green-yel- 

 low ; very strong, but agreeable scent. Blossom in the cold 

 weather; » .setrf ripens in March (second crop). J''-/''.--— curly, 

 of a dark red-brown colour and hard ; au average pod con- 

 tains five or six seed/, small, oblong, smooth and of a taivny 

 color. The length of such a pod is 2§ inches, and breadth 

 over J inch. I should have mentioned that the leaves com- 

 monly have one terminal piuna. but frequently terminate in 

 two, i.e., in a pair of pinnie. 'i. — There are ninety trees of 

 different sizes in this garden, most of which are producing 

 seed, besides two or three young self-sowii plants. There i.s 

 no difficulty in propagating the tree: it comes up readliy self- 

 sown. The trees in this garden are, I am informed, about 3.S 

 years of age, having been planted by a Mr. (?), Port Officer. 

 The soil is almost pure sand; the roots of the trees probably 

 reach good water, which is fouud not far from the surface. 

 The poor nature of the soil probably accounts for the sm;dl 

 size of the trees — I say "partly" because the small size is, I 

 think, mainly due to the trees being planted too close together 

 — in many instances there being little more than 6 feet space 

 between the trunks. The girth of the best-grown trees at 

 a height of one foot from the ground I find to be about 2 in t 

 6 inches. The trees, however, are mean in appearance, though 

 luxuriantly covered with foliage at the right season of the 

 year. They never entirely lose their foliage. 4. — '\^■ith regard 

 to the produce of the trees, I note as follows: — The total 

 quantity of seed in pod produced in the one crop which I havi- 

 lately had coUeeted amounts to43 sacks of 701b. each, or 3010 

 1-33 tons. I find that J oz. seed is obtained from 11!>. of full 

 average-sizedpods./.f., the seedbears a proportion in w eight to 

 the pod of 1: 18 nearly. In one average-sized well-devel< ] ed 

 pod I find seven seeds, in another six. Eight hundred seeds 

 nearly to go to the ounce, i.e., 12,800 to the lb. of IB oimces. 

 A 70-lb. .sack of pods occupies in bulk a space 28 y. 18 inches 

 diameter = nearly 4 cubic feet, '.and thirty-two sacks = 128 

 cubic feet = I ton. 5. — In rcgani to the v.alue, I have 

 never systematically endeavoured to sell the seeds and pods. 

 There is no great demand for them here I beUeve. I believe 

 they are not exported. They are, I know, used to a limited 

 extent by the local chucklers or leather-workers in tanning 

 and colouring leather. 



Emlorsement by .J. G. Hor.sfall, E.sq.. Collector of Kis'r.a 

 dated Ma«uUpatam, 10th April 188::, No. 1202. 



The above note, kindly furni.shed by Mr. C. M. Smith, is 

 submitted for the inform.ation of the Board of Revenue. 

 Mr. Boil(<au, my Forest Assistant, has been directed to 

 commence planting up one of the forest tops with the Diri- 

 Divi. The tree grows fairly well in this district, both clrse 

 to the sea on sandy soil and inland. Our avenue trees on 

 the liyderabad Road .seems to have flourished better than 

 those in Mr. Smith's compound in Ma.sulipatam. I exp-.-i t 

 that it will be largely grown as soon as its value beeom-. s 

 generally known, and I am informed that plantations of it 

 are being started by some enterpri.sing natives in the Bapatla 

 Taluk, who had taken up lands for casuariua plantations 

 after witnessing the result of the casuariua plantations 

 started under the Jungle Conservancy. I see no ree.son wliy 

 in a few years this district should not be .able to supply .any 

 quantity of the pods. The tree, however, is a slov,--gowing 

 one, and I regi'et I cannot state from personal observation 

 at what age it first begins to yield. 



THE CULTIVATION OF TEA IN NATAL. 



The supply of tea is likely to keep pace with the de- 

 mand. The cultivation of the plant in Ceylon is 1( ing fol- 

 lowed in other colonies, and it is necessary for India:', 

 planters, if they wish to hold their owni, to ilo all in their 

 power to maintain the excellence of Indian tea, and to do 

 this upon the most economic terms. , From the following 

 extract taken from a Natal pajier, it is evident that the 

 Natali.ans .-ire turning their attention to tea cultivation. Mr. 

 L. Leigh Hulgtt, J. P., gives the following account of his 

 experience. He says : — 



" Pernnt me to lay before the public the present con- 

 dition and prospects of the tea enterprize as far as I am con- 

 cerned. Considerable interest was taken last year in the 



* Twice, from November to February. 



