June 2, 1BB4.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



86$ 



The i-efusal is due to the impression, right or wrong that 

 the products of combustion injm-c the boilers of the engines. 

 In the re-afforestation of barren lands in suitable soils 

 Babul is an extremely useful tree. It thrives well ou the 

 black cotton soil , which is more than can be said of most 

 other trees, its usual companions being Alhizzia Lchheli, 

 Balamties jSyyptiaca, Parkinsoiiia aadeata (an introduction), 

 the Tamarind, Margosa and AA'ood applo. Old tank li«ls in 

 most Madras Districts quickly cover themselves with it and 

 indeed wherever there is a patch of fallow alluvial land 

 along the districts of the eastern coast and a few trees to 

 give seed it springs up in abundance. Goats being largely 

 fed on the pods, they arc the principal agents in the dis- 

 tribution of the seed, and the value of the pods as an article 

 of food for stock must'not be forgotten in considering the 

 possible effect of a large demand for them for tanning pur- 

 poses. But the recent report on the value of both the pods 

 and the bark for launiiig are mcst valuable, and we shall 

 bear them in mind in making future cuttings of Babul trees 

 in the plantations and self sown Babul jungles of Bellary, 

 Anantapur, Cuddapah and Kistna Districts. It would be 

 useful if BIr. Liotard would inform us who are the pur- 

 chasers in London who are likely to give ,£40 per ton for 

 cleaned Babul poils and £12 to £14 per ton for bark (more 

 than 50 per cent increase on the ordinai'y price of oak bark) 

 and what is the usual method of sale. Arc the tans sold 

 like timber, tea, &c., at pubhc sales, or are they merely con- 

 signed direct to th(! tanning firms? It would also be useful 

 to know what prospect there is of firms in the presidency 

 towns buying such tans as may be collected by Forest own- 

 ers or managers. 



At such rates as the above it is surprising that the tans 

 have not long ago become regular articles of trade and that 

 Babid planting has not been carried on similarly to and 

 much more extensively than that of the Casuarina in such 

 localities as Madras, where cost of carriage to the seaport 

 is low. 



Grown for the pods only and their yearly crop I expect 

 the trees ought to be at least 30 feet apart, or 15 at first 

 to bo thinned out to thirty feet, to ensure a proper amount 

 of air and sunlight for the full development of the fruit. 

 This would give aliout 48 trees per acre, the yield of which 

 can be calculated if the average yield of a tree is Imown. 

 Grown for the bark it would probably he found most pro- 

 fitable to treat it in coppice and cut it over every 8 to 10 

 years. It would therefore require to be planted close say 

 10' >< 10' or still better propagated by broadcast sowing. The 

 yield would probably be much the same as that of Oak 

 bark, but actual experience only can tell what amount is 

 like'y to be realized per acre. The wood could at the time 

 of cutting be also easily sold at good rates in any locality. 

 away from the large forests, where Babul is grown. It 

 will therefore be seen that different methods of planting 

 must be adopted to secure the fruits and the bark, the 

 former being an annual, the latter a periodical crop. 



I should say that it only merchants can be found in our 

 seaport towns to buy the Babul bark and pods, not to 

 speak of other valuable tanning materials like the Tan- 

 gedu or Avaram bark {Casaia auricidata) the barks of 

 Cati^ia Fi:>tv!fi^ J cacia Leiccophlcea, Tcnninalia tomentosa, etc. 

 and the myrabolams, there is not likely to be much ques- 

 tions of difficulty of supply. Our forest plantations and 

 self sown scrub jungles alone could furnish a great deal 

 of bark while a very large supply of pods would be given 

 by the numerous village trees even if one-half of the 

 produce is conceded to the goats. 



INDIGENOUS SALT-PLAJJTS. 



The following is a letter from Mr. J. Steavenson, Honorary 

 Secretary, Agri-Horticultural Society, Madras, to tbe Director 

 of Revenue Settlement and Agriculture, Madras, dated 8th 

 Fijbruary 1884: — 



With reference to your memorandum, dated 22nd Novem- 

 ber 1883, No. 1622, communicating a letter from the 

 Agricultural Eeporter to Government, suggesting that it 

 may be possible to find indigenous salt-plants that may 

 be quite as effective as tbe foreign Atriplcx monmnlaria 

 in the reclamation of saline land and as useful for fodder, 

 and inviting the co-operation and aid of the Agri-Horti- 

 cultural Society, I have the honour to inform you that I 

 fully concur with the Agricultural Beporter. I have, for 



many years, taken a special interest in the reclamation 

 of waste laud, though it was not with that view that I 

 some years ago first wrote to Australia for seeds of " salt- 

 bush," but in hopes of succeeding in introducing a good 

 hotweather food for sheep. I have seen no saline land 

 in this part of the conutry which could not be reclaimed, 

 though whether its reclamation would always be ijrofitable 

 within a reasonable time is a more speculative question. 

 Probably the worst class of such land I have seen is 

 such as has been cultivated and has become barren from 

 .saline efflorescence. With such land I would deal by 

 frequent breaking up of the crust with the plough, or 

 better, the spade ; by encouraging in every possible way 

 the accumulation of vegetable deposits; by rigidly exclud- 

 ing all leaf consumers, such as fii-e, cattle and go^ts, and 

 more especially women, who gather up every dry leaf and 

 stalli for fuel ; by growing seeds of, and planting the 

 coarsest vegetation such as spear grass (Ai'istida setacca) 

 wild crotons (Jatropha cmxas ana J. Glandulitera) and 

 even prickly-pear; and, ultimately when coarse plants are 

 established, by planting in their shelter deep-rootiag trees 

 which shed abundant leaves, such as banyans (I'icus of 

 several species), portias (Thespetia populnea) Bassias. 

 Woodias (Ordius woodea), coorkapilly (Inga dulcis), and 

 many others. Doubtless these operations, before being 

 effective, would occupy many years, but it is wonderful 

 how soon a layer of vegetable mould accumulates when 

 every leaf that falls remains upon the ground. Salt 

 marshes, such as those near Euuore, I woidd treat differ- 

 ently. They usually overlie deposits of sand and sheUs 

 and are caused by the standing of brackish water a mixture 

 of the rain-water flowing from the higher land and the 

 sea-water coming up the creeks with every rising tide. 

 On the closmg of the bars at tbe mouths of the creeks 

 and the subsidence and evaporation of the standing water, 

 the salt-marshes become green with coarse grasses, Oyperuses 

 and rushes, one or two bulbous plants, and representatives 

 of the orders Chenapodiaceaj, Mesembryacte, and others. 

 These, in the early hot weather, the cattle greedily eat; 

 but, judging from their universally starved appearance 

 while on these plains, probably more for want of better 

 food than from preference. That these lands are easily 

 reclaimed is proved by the way in which the paddy fields 

 and coconut topes creep down into them, even mider 

 the poverty-stricken management of the villagers. I would 

 raise banks to exclude the flow from the " back-waters ;" 

 within the enclosure so formed throw the soil hito ridges 

 high enough to keep the crowns of the tree-roots above 

 the level of standing water, and on the ridges plant trees, 

 such as casu.arinas, banyans, mangoes, Cassia Uorida, coorka- 

 pilly, &c. There are many trees and shurbs to be seen 

 growing, for instance, on the banks of the t'ooum and 

 Adyar rivers, which have no objection to have their roots 

 below the level of, and probably in, brackish water. 

 Again, I would strictly preserve every leaf and self-.sown 

 weed, and few would believe, without actual observation, 

 how short a time it wtjuld take to form a mellow soil 

 above the level of salt water, which would naturally bear 

 abmulant cro])S of grasses and shrubs most useful as food 

 for cattle. In this connection I would call attention to 

 the wholesale destruction of indigenous shrubs which is 

 going on round JIadras. These shrubs are Nature's own 

 reclaimers of waste-lands, and would, if the salt marshes 

 above referred to were dried, and cattle excluded for a 

 time, spontaneously, or sown by the winds and birds, take 

 possession of them ; but they are disappearing with giant 

 strides. Within my recollection, acres, I may say .square 

 miles, of scrub-jungle, within a few miles of the town, 

 have been cleared away. They are ajiparently grubbed 

 up. In the hot weather when the cultivators are idle, for 

 the sake of their roots, which are brought into Madras 

 and largely used for fuel by the bakers and s\\eet:nieat- 

 makers. All such scrulj jungle should, in my opinion, be 

 strictly preserved on Government waste land .as a nucleus 

 for the formation of vegetable soil, a protection to seed- 

 hng trees, and a source of much valuable hot-weather 

 fodder. 



The following is the Endorsement of the Director of 

 Revenue Settlement on the above: — 



The foregoing letter, for the suggestions in which the 

 Director is very much obliged to the Honorary Secretary, 

 will be submitted, through the Board of Revenue, for the 



