914 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



fJUNE 2, 1884. 



shreds. Manufactured. — (1) Mats— 8 AVhite, common; 9 

 do. braided; lU do. small; 11 Coloured, braided; (2) Fans 

 — 12 Oonmiou ; 13 Ornamental ; 14 Ola book form ; 15 Poorer 

 kind; (3) Fisher's (Materials.) — 16 Net appendage; 17 Fish 

 basket; 18 Shrimp do. (4) Oases — li) For jaggery ; 20 do. 

 iluppa seed ; 21 do. sacred ash ; (6) Baskets for Domestic 

 use — 22 Taddy store; 23 Panattu store; 24 Basket of all 

 work ;« 25 do. commou ; 26 do. for ciurry stuff ; 27 >Sieve, com- 

 mon ; 28 do. >vith holder ; 29 Separator, large ; 30 do. 

 small; 31 do. round; 32 Oono-cake basket ; 33 Oil-press do; 

 34 Betel-nut satchel; 35 Clothes-basket; 36 Quart, (meas- 

 ure) ; 37 Fancy-work basket ; 38 do. comn. do.; 39 do. screen ; 

 (7) Baskets (Bazaar use)— 40 Sack, large; 41 do. small; 

 42 Purse-sack; (8) Baskets (Farm)— 43 Grass basket; 44 

 Oooly cap ; 41 Bain cap ; 46 "Water basket, garden ; 47 do. 

 kitchen well 48 do. field; 49 do common; 50 do. used as pail ; 51 

 For plucking mango. (9) Miscellaneous. — 52 Rice bowl ; .53, 

 Toddy bowl ; 54 Oonji bowl ; 55 Umbrella ; 56 Head screen, 

 rain ; 57 do. sun ; 58 Dyed ola ; 59 Fence ; 60 Pillow ; Gl 

 Ear lobe filler ; 62 Manure ; 63 Manger-cote. 



Group IV. Fibre, Kibs, &c. — Eaw : — 1 Justas peeled; 2 

 Prepared for rough work ; 3 do. for rope work; 4 Black fibre. 

 Manufactured. (1) Kopes. — 5 For pair of cattle ; 6 do. single, 

 neck ; 7 do single leg ; 8 do.'grazing cattle ; 9 do. milch 

 cow. (2) Ropes made of Ribs &c.: — 10 Rib rope ; 11 Po-^ 

 swing; 12 Pot-stand; 13 Whisk. 



Group V. School Things and Toys. (1) Books:— 1 

 Pnrana book ; 2 Alphabet book ; 3 Pocket book ; 4 Oopy 

 book. (2) Letters : — 5 Common ; 6 Under envelope ; 7 

 Ticket. (3) Book buttons :— 8 Ola button ; 9 Rib button- 

 (4) Miscellaneous; — 10 Boy's seat ; 11 Book satchel ; 12 Ola 

 knife; 13 Style ; 14 Style case; 15 Puncher. (5) Toys: — 

 16 Elephant ; 17 Jaggery elephant; 18 Rattle; 19 Parrot; 

 20 Wind-whirl ; 21 Cart-wheel ; 22 Spectacles ; 23 Kite ; 

 24 Rings ; 25 Bracelet ; 26 Necklace ; 27 Fire-work. 



Group VI. Toddy-drawer's Utensils : — 1 Toddy jar ; 2 

 Utensil case ; 3 Foot-brace ;'4 Spadix mallet ; 5 Hip-rope - 

 6 Lime-case ; 7 Spadix knife ; 8 Breast plate ; 9 Ankle: 

 plates ; 10 Drip-pot. 



Group "S'lII. Miscellaneous. — 1 Leaf-stem, bottom ; 2 

 do. sharp edge ; 3 Skimmer ; 4 Splint ; 5 Pith ; Spadix, 

 male tree ; 7 do. female tree ; 8 Stone ; 9 Stone-coal ; 10 

 Spathe-besom ; 11 Imperfect stone ; 12 Basket-knife ; 13 

 Torch; 14 Sandal; 15 Door (poorer kind). 



In the accompanying photograph over 120 of the 103 

 articles mentioned in this list are shown. Some writers 

 mention SOO uses of the palmyra. 



In a Guide to the Collections in the Colombo Museum 

 by Mr. A. Haly, the Director, published in 1S82 and 

 sold for 25 cents, the following information is given 

 on page 5 respecting the j-iaimj/ra palm -.— "The root 

 of the palmyra palm is eaten dried or boiled, and 

 the ripe fruit either raw or roasted ; the fruit bud 

 is given as food to cattle." Now, having a long ex- 

 perience, we do not believe that the root of this tree 

 is ever eaten at all, raw or boiled, by man or beast. 

 Who told Mr. Haly that the fruits are eaten raw or 

 roasted? We never heard that the fruit-bud is given 

 as food to cattle, and we do not believe in Mr. Haly's 

 statement. This information in the Guide to the 

 Colombo Museum reminds us of the story about the 

 learned authors of the French Dictionary who went 

 to Cuvier with their dclinition of a crab as "a small 

 red lisb which walks biickwards." The naturalist's 

 reply was: " Very good indeed, gentlemen, but allow 

 me to remark that a crab is not a fish, does not walk 1 

 backward", and is not red until it is boiled." j 



Mr. William Ferguson's account of the palmyra '. 

 palm has been so long out of print that we intend 

 publishing a new edition of it, and with this object 

 we shall feel grateful for any information not 

 included in the original monograph. We should in 

 this respect appeal in particular to our friends, the 

 American Missionaries at Jaffna, who so willingly 

 aided the author 34 years ago, and who are so 

 familiar with this palm and its various uses. We 

 rcgi-et that we are not in a position to spare a copy 

 for their annotation«. 



TIMBER FOR TEA BOXES IN CHINA. 



The Ceylon Government Gazette contains further 

 Consular Reports on the timber used in different districts 

 of China for tea boxes. Mr, J. P. Hughes, of Shanghai, 

 st.ited : — 



The tea chests made at Shanghai are comparatively very 

 few in number, the great bulk of the tea being packed 

 in chests made in the interior. The wood generally used 

 in Shanghai is a sort of pine known as " Shanmu," prob- 

 ably the Gunninghamia sinensis. It is chiefly imported from 

 the Province of Fokien,audis different from that used for 

 the tea chests at some other parts in China. The wood is cut 

 into suitable lengths and stored in a dry place for at least a 

 year, and sometimes two years, before use. Green wood is 

 rarely used, and when it is it invariably injures the tea, caus- 

 ing a distinct pine Havour known in the trade as "woodiness." 

 I am informed that this flavour has never been found in 

 Congou tea, but occasionally in the kind called Ping Suez. 

 Tea is packed up-country generally in chests made of the 

 wood of the " Fung " tree, by w Ijich name maple is gen- 

 erally understood, but it also applies to the Liquidambar. 

 More precise information on the subject of country-packed 

 tea will no doubt be supplied from Hankow and Kinkiang. 

 The storing of the wood in a dry jjlace for at least 

 a year, no doubt, deprives it of the objectionable 

 turpentine odour, which itself is far less pron-inent 

 in some pines than it is in others. But Consul Oxeu- 

 ham of Chinkiang reported : — 



The result of enquiries shows that the willow tree most 

 commonly furnishes the wood used in ('hina for making 

 tea chests. It is cheap and abundant, is easily sawn into 

 boards, holds nails well (not sphtting when they are driven 

 in), and does not exercise any corrosive action on the lead 

 lining of the chest. Pine wood, which is equally cheap, 

 has been also tried, but is found to be unsuitable for the 

 purpose : it does not hold the nails, splits easily, is hable 

 to exude turpentine and injure the lining, and when new 

 shrinks and cracks. 



Other woods, such as the chesnut and Huai or locust 

 tree (Styphonlobium), are also equally available for the 

 purpose, but are generally too scarce and dear to be much 

 used. In a tew places, however, where such trees are 

 abundant, they are occasionally used, but never for long, 

 as they are valuable both for ornamental and edible purposes. 

 Now if by "willow," the ordinary willow is meant, 

 we fear the iulorniatiou will be of little practical 

 use to us here. But the "willow" in question may 

 be a tree suitable for growth in Ceylon and we have 

 no doubt Dr. Trimen will address himself to this 

 subject. We cannot forget that Mr. D. Morris of 

 Jamaica wrote of Ficm Bcnjamina as " the Ceylon 

 willow." Consul Jamieson of Kinkiang reported : — 



I am informed that the wood universally used in this dis- 

 trict for the above purpose is that known by the natives 

 as the i^!'«^ tree. The Fung ajipears to correspond to the 

 genus " Liquidambar " of which there are several varieties. 

 I am unable to say which is the more common in this 

 neighbourhood, but all ai.pear to be available for tea pack- 

 ing, the recommending feature being that this wood im- 

 parts no flavour to the tea. A large proportion of the 

 best teas is exported from Kinkiang, the chests for which 

 have all been manufactured locally for many years, and I 

 have never heard complaints of any corrosive action on the 

 lead lining. 



Finally we have a report from OfHciating-ConBul 

 Foster of Tamsuy, in favour of pine, thus : — 



Seasoned common pine from the mainland portion of the 

 Fokien Province is the wood ino.st generally used witliin 

 this t'onsular District for making the chests in which tea is 

 exported to foreign countries. 

 Note that the pine is well-seasoned. 



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