76(J 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[April i, 1684. 



«fMWJ,L., cultivated from parly antiquity for its fruit; uatural- 

 ised ill the Mediterrancau region, but a native of Western 

 Asia, south of the Caspian, and not of Carthage, as its name 

 would denote {Malum punicum) . It was known to the He- 

 brews under the name liimmon, and is mentioned in 

 Deuteronomy as a product of Palestine. The root is an 

 excellent vermifuge; the bark gives the colour to yellow 

 morocco leather, which is tanned with it. The tlried rind 

 of the fruit is valued as a remedy in India for diarrhtta and 

 dysentery. The flowers, under the name of Eaiaustine 

 flowers, are sometimes used for their astringent properties. 

 AValking sticks are made from the stems of young plants im- 

 ported from .iVlgeria. 



No. 256. Pai'AW, fruit of Carica Papaya^ L. {Papaya 

 vvlgaris, DC). Though now scattered widley through tropi- 

 cal countries in both hemispheres, it is believed to have 

 originated from the warm part of the American continent. 

 The fruit is edible. The Papaw possesses the remarkable 

 property of rendering meat wrapped in its leave.^ reduced to 

 a pulp tender in a few hours, causing a separation of the 

 muscular fibres. It has lately attracted a good deal of 

 attention in Europe for medicinal purposes, in dyspepsia, 

 diphtheria, &c. 



PERtniAN Bark Ordee (Euhiaceie). Avery large Order of 

 trees, shrubs, or herbs, numbering about 2,800 to 3,000 

 species; common in tropical countries. Characterised by 

 opposite undivided leaves, having scales (stipuhs) between 

 the bases of the stalks. A small section (SteUatie), differing 

 in having their leaves in whorls of from four to eight, repre- 

 sents the Order in cool couutries. Several species afford 

 most important economic prof-lucts. 



Various species and varieties of Cinchona and CascartUa 

 barks are exhibited in this Case. Cinchona bark comes into 

 commerce in several forms, the chief, however, are (filled 

 bai-k^ which consists of that from branches and small trunks, 

 which by drying roll ujj into joipes or quills, and Jlat bark. 

 which is mostly from larger trunks, and tlie bark is sub- 

 mitted to pressure. The barks of the several species or Cin- 

 chona contain in varied degrees alkaloids of a valuable 

 character, the most important of which is sulphate of 

 Quinine, a highly prized tonic and febrifuge. 



No. 281. Pale Oixchoxa, or Crown Bark (Cinchona 

 officinalis. L.)., a tree of 3-5 feet or more, but often found as 

 a shrub, uative of the moimtain slopes of the Andes, at an 

 altitude of 6-7,500 feet, in the district of Loxa, on the con- 

 fines of Peru and Ecuador. It is known under several 

 varieties, the most distinct are Ui-ititsin(ja, Cant/cniineri lion- 

 plandiana and Ciispa. Very little pale Cinchona bark is now 

 imported from Loxa, the plant being extensively cultivated 

 in India, Ceylon, Java, and other countries. Specimens of 

 Root-bark, stem-bark, and renewed bark are exhibited from 

 the Government Ciuchoua plantations, Darjeeling, from 

 Madras. Ceylon, and Jamaica. 



Note also specimens oi C. lancifolia, Mutis, C. Pahudiana, 

 Howard, fiom Darjeeling, C. nitida, K. and P., C. peiiniana, 

 Howard, C. Hiimbuldtiaita, Lamb., and C. lanceolata, R. 

 and P. 



On the upper shelves of the next compartment are barks 

 of C. pubescent, Vahl., C. micrantha, E. and P., from Darjeel- 

 ing and Jamaica, C. rosidenta, Howard, C. macrocalyx^ Pav., 

 C. ndira, Howard, C. ovuta, E. and P., C. scroiiculata, H. and 

 B., and C. puypuraactns^ Wedd. 



No. 282. Yellow Cinchona, or Calis.\ya Bark (Cin- 

 chona Calisuya, 'Wedil.). A large tree, native of the valley 

 forests on the borders of Bolivia and South Peru, at an elev- 

 ation of 4,500 to 5.-iOO feet. The plant is very variable in 

 form, and several varieties have been cultivated. The richest, 

 however, iu quinine, is that known as C. Ledyenana. Mocns, 

 which is grown both in the Dutch plantations in Java, and 

 in the Indian plantations at Ootacamund, and in Sikkim. 

 Fine specimens of the bark of this variety are shown from 

 Darjeeling and Ceylon, and of ordinary Calisaya from 

 Bolivia, Peru, Darjeeling. and Jamaica. 



No. 283. Red Cinchona Bark (Cinchona succirulira, 

 Pav.), a tree from 20 to 40 feet high, but sometimes 

 attaining 80 feet. It was formerly common in the province 

 of Huaranda, in Ecuador, but it has long been becoming 

 scarce, and at the present time is found only on the AVestern 

 slopes of Chimborazo, near Guayaquil, at an elevation of 

 from 2,500 to 5,000 feet. This species has been very ex- 

 tensively cultivated in India, and also in Ceylon, Java, 

 Jamaica, and tlsewhere, Barks, mossed, unmuseed, and 



renewed, are exhibited. Also various samples from Sikkim, 

 Madras, Jamaica, Java, Oeylon, St. Helena, and South 

 America. 



No. 284. A series of Alkaloids obtained from Oin- 

 chonae barks, consisting of Quinine, Oinchouine, Cinchon- 

 idine, Quinidine, &c. Also samples of Cinchona Febuifuoe, 

 obtained from bark of Cinchona succirabra, made aud sold 

 in India ; the Crystalline febrifuge, also prepared and sold 

 in India, aud the Sulphate of Quinine, manufactured at 

 Mungiioo, near Darjeeling. 



Observe on lower shelf of the last compartment of this 

 Case specimens of Cfpeea B.iRK, furnished by Jiemijiu, 

 Purdieana, "Willd., and li. peduncv.lata, Trian., from the 

 States of Colombia. 



On the upper shelf of the first compartment note wood 

 and bark of Hymcnodictyon exceisam, "Wall., from the East 

 Indies, where the wood is used for agricultural implements, 

 &c., and the bitter, astringent bark as a febrifuge, and 

 for tanning. Observe also specimens of West Lndiax or 

 Princewood Bark {Exostemma carihceum, E.S.), from the 

 Bahamas, used the "West Indies as a tonic. 



No. 285. Coffee, the seeds of Coffea arahica, L. A 

 tree, native of Abyssinia and tropical Africa, now widely 

 cultivated in hot couutries. Ceylon, Java, the West Indies, 

 Brazil, and Central America, afford the principal supply 

 of this important product. The fruit of the Coffee-tree, 

 which resembles a cherry in size and colour, contains two 

 seeds (beans), which are separated by mechanical means 

 from the pulp. After fermentation and washing, the seeds 

 pass thi-ough a rolling-mill, which removes the parchment- 

 Uke husk aud silver skin immediately enclosing the seeds. 

 The commercial value depends on the size, form, and colour 

 of the beans, aud their flavour. Specimens of Coffee in 

 the berry, and of the different Coffees of the London market 

 are here exhibited. A series of photographs illustrating 

 the cultivation of Coffee iu Ceitial America are exhibited 

 in the central compartment, and in the last compartment 

 are shown Coffee sticks fj-om Ceylon, sometimes used as 

 walking sticks, aud tea made from the leaves of the Coffee 

 tree, from .Jamaica and the East Indies. 



As an example of the fluctuation in the prices of Colonial 

 produce, it may be pointed out that in 1870 921.506 cwt. 

 of Plantation Coffee were exjiorted from Ceylon, of the 

 value of 2,488,082?., while in 1875 the quantity exported 

 decreased to 813,401 cwt.. and the value rose to 3,812.817?,, 

 and in 1881 only 407.222 cwt. were exported, valued at 

 1.908,854?. The total importation of Coffee from all coun- 

 tries in 1882 amounted to 1,358,066 cwt., upwards of 

 285,000 being entered for home consumption. 



On the bottom shelf of the first compartment is a model 

 of a coffee peeler or cleaner from ('eylon, and of a coffee 

 sizer, by the use of which berries of three sizes are sifted. 



No. 286. Liberlan Coffee (Coffea libei-ica. Bull and 

 Hiern), a glabrous shi'ub, native of Liberia. This plant has 

 been introduced into many Coffee growing countries in 

 consequence of its more robust habit than the Coffea arab- 

 ica. The beans are much larger, and it thrives at lower 

 elevations. 



The principal part of this Case is devoted to illustra- 

 tions/of the various diseases to which the Coffee jilaiit 

 is liable, especially Hemileia va:itatnx. Berk, and Br., a 

 parasitic fungus common in the Ceylon plantations, and 

 Cetniostoiini coffeellnm, Mann, a small moth which has caused 

 almost the entir« destruction of the Coffee plants in 

 Dominica. 



No. : 87. Ipecacti-\nha. The root of 'Cephailis Ipecwu- 

 anha, lich., a Brazilian plant, the cultivation of which 

 has been introduced into India. The roots afford the im- 

 portant emetic, and the only known specific for dysentery. 

 The annual imports of Ipecacuanha into this country amount 

 to about 65,000 lb., of the estim ated value of nearly 15,000/. 

 The bidk is imported from Brazil, but some conies from 

 Carthagena. Samples are exhibited from Brazil, and from 

 the plantations iu British Sikkim. 



No. 314. Gutta Peecha, from Dichopsis Gtitta, Beiith., 

 a tree of 40 feet high, native of Jlalacca, Singapore, Su- 

 matra, &c. Various samples of crude Gutta Percha of differ- 

 ent qualities arc shown from Perak, Borneo, Singapore, &c. 



The first division of this Case contains numerous articles 

 made from Gutta Percha; also a dried specimen of the 

 plant in a Gutta Percha fr.ime. To collect Gutta Percha 

 tUe trees are cut dowp and conscciuently destroyed in large 



