834 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1884. 



strength and durability in tlie material? of which they 

 are made. Tlie silky lining of the spathes of the 

 abovementioned palms may be made into paper of 

 very superior qu^ility : it may be worked by moderate 

 efforts and made into such articles as papyrus, or 

 the kind of olas or leaves which the Sinhalese make 

 for writing purposes from the leaves of the talipot 

 palms. Members of the tucum, or tucuma family are 

 very common : they grow in marshy and saline soil, 

 they grow in several parts of the Kandyan districts ; 

 the feathery foliage used fir decorations of pandals, at 

 churches and at feasts is obtained from one of iho 

 varieties of the Astrocarijum 'i'ucum. I am not sure 

 whether the natives know the useful qualities of the 

 epathes of those trees, but the fruit, which much 

 resembles an arecanut, contains starch, and is cooked 

 and eaten. In its raw state the starch or the kernel 

 of the fruit ia said to produce giddiness ; the same effect 

 occurs by eating tender arecannts, or the flower of it. 

 The tree is known as the bandu yaha by the Sinhalese, 

 and bandu by the Tamils. 



From the circumstance of the areca being an estab- 

 lished article of trade, and largely used by the betel- 

 chewers, it is not likely that the owners would allow 

 speculators to make an attempt to utilize its spathes, 

 for the early destruction of them may affect the vigour 

 of its leaf and stalk, but, as the epathes are very soon 

 cast off' as the leaves mature, the cast-off ones may be 

 experimented upon if picked up before they get 

 dry. SILKX. 



CEYLON NUTMECt SEEDS. 

 Dear Sir, — Referring to a letter in one of your issues 

 of your paper signed "Anti-Humbug," permit me to 

 say that I am afraid your correspondent is not correct 

 in the conclusions he has drawn. My experience is 

 quite otherwise, and for the benefit of your readers 

 allow me to give it to them. First of all, it is, I think, 

 impossible to get fresh nutmeg seeds in Colombo to 

 any considerable extent except from Elie House, which 

 is in the occupation of Capt. Baylcy. The s?ed must 

 be planted within a week from the date of plucking, 

 to ensure their growth, as otherwise it loses its 

 germinating power. A nutmeg, the kernel of which you 

 can hear rattling inside, is not tit for planting. This 

 ia the way I go', to work, and 1 can assure you I have 

 been very successful, nearly 9-lOths of what I put down 

 having germinated. No sooner do I pick a few from 

 my trees than I remove the mace, fill a{gigautic)bamboo 

 pot (which I have ready cut and prepared, with two 

 or three holes drilled below) with fine earth nearly 

 2-3rds full ; place the nutmeg perpendicularly right in 

 the centre, with the germinating side upwards, and 

 cover the same with about half-an-inch of earth ;pl.ace 

 it under shade, watering it twiceaday in dry weather. 

 Within six weeks the seed germinated and in two-and- 

 half months I had plants with four leaves. Mr. 

 Eobt. Lamont, of Theobroma estate, to whom I sup- 

 plied over 200 seeds, told me only last week that 

 nearly all I gave him have germinated. Latterly 

 I found that the seeds I thought fresh were not so, as, 

 owing to the great heat at present, the seeds rapidly 

 grew lighter, and I am afraid lost their germinating 

 power and wrre unfit for planting. I have therefore 

 tixed upon the idea of k'-epiiig thim in a finger-cup with 

 water ; this method, I think, will preserve them longer. 

 The great difficulty I find is to get "gigantic bamboo" 

 in Colombo : 1 tried the experiment of putting the 

 seeds in wickt-r-basketa, but white ants commenced 

 attacking the baskets, and besides they don't bear 

 removal so ca-ily as " bambuo jjots." Thirty seeds that 

 I first put down I cracked slightly with a light 

 himiiier : these germinated sooner, but, learning that 

 the plants so raised would be delicate, I stopped this 

 process. I have nearly 30O in bamboos in nursery, 



and in two or three months hope to have as uisny 

 thousands, with which I shall be glad to supply any of 

 your readers at a moderate price. The idea of the 

 seed being boiled you have properly characterized as 

 absurd, the fact being, that, thou;;h the seeds must 

 have been fresh when sent, by the time the same were 

 put down, they must have lost their germinating 

 power. Your own correspondent "W. B. L." is well 

 informed on this subjtct, and I am certain can give 

 you a more elaborate account than I can. As I men 

 tioned before, 1 do not believe anyone in C"Iombocaa 

 supply fresh nutmeg seeds, say within four days of the 

 plucking, to any considerable extent, Capt. Bayley 

 excepting, and probably the tenants of Hill House, 

 Mutwal. — Y"ours faithfully, D. 



INDIA :— CKOP AND "WEATHER BEPOKT. 



Foe the 'Week exbing the 16th Apbil 1884. 



Genbeal Resiaeks. — Heavy rain continues to fall in 

 Assam. Shght showers have also occurred in parts of 

 Bengal, Madras, Mysore, Upper Siud, Hyderabad, the Pun- 

 jab, the North-West Provinces, and the Central Pro- 

 vinces, 



The standing crops in the Madras Presidency and My- 

 sore are generally in fair condition, but the paddy crop 

 in Malabar is in need of rain. The rabi harvest has 

 been completed in several districts of the Bombay Presid- 

 ency, and is approaching completion in others. Locusts 

 are reported to be numerous in Kanara. "Water continues 

 scarce in parts of Dharwar. Some damage has been done 

 by hail to standing crops in Hyderabad. In Central India 

 and Eajputana harvesting and threshing are going on, and 

 prospects appear fair. In the Punjab prospects remain 

 unchanged ; in the south-eastern districts, where harvest- 

 ing has commenced, there will be a short yield ; elsewhere 

 the crops promise well. In the Ferozepore district the 

 crops have been partially injured by a liailstorm In the 

 North-"Western Provinces and Oudh the rabi harvest is 

 nearly over, and a fair out-turn has been obtained in 

 most districts. "Water and fodder for cattle are 

 scarce in some localities, and hot westerly winds con- 

 tinue to prevaiL In the Central Provinces the r.ibi 

 grains have come into market, but the exports of wheat 

 are small. 



In Bengal most crops have been cut, and rain is needed 

 evcryw'here for the cultivation of early paddy. In Assam 

 the prospects are good, and paddy sowings are in pro- 

 gress. Rain is, however, needed in Gauhati. In Burma 

 there are no crops on the ground. 



Smallpox, cholera, and fever are prevalent, especially in 

 the Southern Presidencies, Bengal, and Burma. Cholera 

 is severe in parts of the Moorshedabad and Pubna dis- 

 tricts. 



The price of paddy is rising in some districts of Burma 

 and in Durbhunga in Bengal ; elsewhere prices appear to 

 be generally stationary, with local fluctuations. 

 Madras. — General prospects good. 



British Bitrma. — Some cholera in Pegu, Arakan, and 

 Irrawady Divisions ; smallpox stil' prevalent, but severity 

 of epidemic greatly decreased. Cattle healthy except in 

 Hanthawaddy and Tharrawaddy. Price of paddy in parts 

 slightly rising. 



Assam (Gauhati, April IGth).— Weather dry and hot, 

 but mornings cool. Smallpox still reported from Shastra 

 Parbetta. Rain wanted. Sowing of the aus in progress. 

 Cholera on the decline. 



The Quimloi/ist, one of the numerous American technical 

 journals, has been discontinued, to allow the editor (Dr. 

 E. "V. JIattison) to engage more actively in a busmess career 

 which " the demands of an active constituency of customers 

 and the exigencies of the situation in regard to the manu- 

 facture and sale of the alkaloids of the cinchona bark have 

 rendered of the highest importiince."— i'/wn/iaceuticoi 

 Jounial. 



