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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[Aug- 2, i8S6r 



to dilFerent climates has been establisbed in this way, 

 their distribution amongst those who are engaged in 

 the practical business of agriculture and horticulture 

 i'ollowj--. In like manner the benefits of the inter- 

 change of plants and seeds with other countries 

 cannot tail to become of the highest value to the 

 culti\iitors of our own soil by extending their resources 

 in new dircctionSj and consequently increasing the value 

 of their possessions. To this end the distribution of 

 rare and useful plants amongst farmers and others 

 has been continuous — indeed almost contemporaneous 

 with the establishment of the garden. By the intro- 

 duction of ])lants, trees, &c , a wide field of experi- 

 mental as well as economical cultivation can be opened 

 out. Its tendency is to enable the agricultural industry 

 to broach out into new and useful euterpri.sos, and to 

 render it less dependent upon the cultivation of cereals 

 alone, which e.^perience, especially the last few years, 

 has shown to be most precarious. As yet no very 

 great rtmlts have sprung from this, but signs arc 

 not wautinjr that the use of new plants is i^aiuing 

 ground. A few years will, I trust, prove that the 

 time and trouble which have been expended in this 

 way, and the energy that has been applied to the 

 dissemination of the knowledge necessary to the 

 successful cultivation of foreign plants, grasses, seeds, 

 and roots have not been exerted in vain. [Then follow 

 details of improvements and additions made. — Eo.] 



THE COLONIAL EXHIBITION. 



Straits Settlements.— This collection is a very 

 large and varied one, and occupies a cosiderable 

 space in the east arcade, near the Hong Kong court. 

 The exhibits are largely drawn from the vegetable 

 kingdom, articles in native woods and bamboo 

 largely prevailing. The following are a few of the 

 most remarkable exhibits from the point of view in 

 which wo are specially interested. Several varieties 

 of Gum Damar are shown, which, though called 

 gums, are really resii»s exuded mostly by Dipterocar- 

 peous trees. These resins are sometimes used for varn- 

 ish making, but they appear to be used by the 

 niitives also for giving light, for here are exhibited 

 implements called Damar-holders, which are described 

 as being used as candlesticks, indicating that the 

 Damar is burnt as an illumiiiaut; the smoke given 

 ulf must, however, be abundant and stifling. 



The fibrous husk of the betel-nut (Areca catechu) 

 is shown as a paper material, and as a waste product 

 is said to be produced in almost unlimited quantities. 

 Considering the very general practice of betel chewing 

 by the natives of the East, and the abundance of 

 fruits produced, as well as the thickness of the 

 fibrous husk, the adaptation of this hitherto useless 

 material would seem to be a very probable benefit 

 for the countries where the betel-nut palm is common. 

 The fruits of Coix lachryma, better known, per- 

 haps, as .Tob's Tears, are, as is well known, frequently 

 used for necklaces, bracelets, and similar articles of 

 personal adornment, but specimens are shown here of a 

 »lark-co!oured elongated form, which are stated to 

 be grown in small quantities by the Malays, and 

 eaten in the same way as rice, or made into a 

 sort of bread. Another food-prod\ict of very much 

 more importance is sago, from the trunk of l\Iet- 

 roxylon sagu, which is cultivated extensively about 

 Singapore for commercial purposes. Tearl sago is 

 known in trade in ditferent sizes, classified as small, 

 medium and large, but samples are here shown the 

 "pearls" of which are as large as marbles. 



The young leaves of Nipa fruticans are, it seems, 

 used in the Straits for making cigarette papers, not 

 that paper is made from the leaves, but that strips, 

 of the loMVcs themselves are used for holding the 

 tobacco. Kegarding tobacco itself there are many 

 samples of very creditable appearance, and some 

 cigars of very curious shape, being short and pointed 

 »t the (^iids. and tliick and flattened in the middle. 

 They arc (■xliil)itod by the Deli Langkat Cigar and 

 Oigarettf; Oomp^ny. and are called by the eupho- 

 nious nanii; ol "Little Devils," the trade mark of 

 which is :i bl;tck devil rampant. 



BaiTiSH North Bohneo. — In this collection tobacco 

 al.so forms an important exhibit; there are some fine 

 brands, but the tobacco is mostly of a dark colo\ir ; the 

 cut tobaccos are in long thin threr.ds so common to 

 Siamese and other Eastern sorts. A report on this to- 

 bacco from experts in Amsterdam, dated so recently as 

 April last, says, " The quality is beautiful, soft, and 

 strong, and has that elasticity which is so liked for cigar 

 purposes. The burning is sufficient, although the 

 ash is not (juite white, but our brokers say that 

 this will improve by further fermentation. In general 

 the opinion is in every respect favourable, and valu- 

 ation above the average of Sumatra tobacco. . . . We 

 further have to observe that we did not mention to 

 our brokers where it came from, and they therefore 

 thought it was Sumatra tobacco." 



Special attention is also drawn in this Court to 

 the woods of the country, many of which are described 

 as being both useful and ornamental. Unfortunately, 

 however, the forest trees of Borneo are but little 

 known botanically, and two or three only have other 

 than native names. The whole of them, however, 

 are good specimens of large size, well seasoned, and 

 carefully smoothed or polished. In some notes on 

 these timbers and their uses it is stated that some 

 of them are valuabe for world-wide uses, and exist 

 in such quantities as render the use of them available 

 in those countries where wood is scarce. In conse- 

 quence of the figure and colour of some of these 

 woods resembling certain well-known commercial 

 kinds they have been named in trade Borneo Mahogany, 

 Walnut, Cedar, Ironwood, and so on. Under the 

 Malay name of Mirabou, the wood of Afzelia 

 palembanica is shown. It is described as being 

 plentiful in some parts of Borneo, and valuable for 

 furniture, as it does not warp; is very durable, has 

 a fine figure, and takes a good polish. It is proof 

 against the attacks of ants, and can be obtained in 

 logs 30 feet long and 2| feet in diameter. Three 

 different woods, known respectively as Rassak lianaar, 

 Bassak Diaim, and Kassak Buugah, and said to be the 

 species of Vatica, are highly valued for their hard- 

 ness and durability for house building, planks, piles, 

 kc, all of them being proof againt the attacks of insects. 

 A wood called in Malay Salangau,. Seriah, or Majon, 

 and in English Borneo Cedar, appears to be on(^. of 

 the very valuable woods of the country. It is des- 

 cribed as a tall handsome tree, probably belonging 

 to the order Diptorocarpe.T. and found formerly in 

 abundance in the .Malay Archipelago, and still obtain- 

 able in large quantities in British North Borneo. 

 Several varieties of this wood are known, all of a 

 more or less reddish colour, and all suitable for fur- 

 niture. Although easily worked it is strong and 

 tough, and takes a good polish. It can be supplied 

 in any quantity in logs -10 feet long by 5 feet diameter. 

 Perhaps one of the most striking woods shown in 

 the collection is that of the Kayn Kapor (Dryobalanops 

 aromatica) ; it i.i the source of the well-known 

 Sumatra camphor, which is foun<l cry.stallised in in- 

 terstices in the wood, sometimes in Large masses. 

 It is not so volatile as ordinary camphor, and is 

 harder and more brittle ; it is bought in quantities 

 by the Chinese, who value it for its many supposed 

 properties. The tree also yields by incision a fragrant 

 aromatic oil. The wood, it seems, is very durable, 

 easily worked, and is much used for house building, 

 planks, kc. A very fine plink of this wood is sbo\vn. 

 Some iuteresiing samples of " Tankawang " fat or 

 vegetable tallow are shown in this collection; the 

 fat is poured into the hollows of l>ig bamboo stems 

 some 2 feet or more long, and labelled as of two 

 (lualitios, one being made from large berries, and one 

 from small. The fat is used for frying fish, making 

 cakes, and lubricating machinery. The source of the 

 vegetable tallow is not accurately known, but it has 

 been attril)utcd on the one hand to a Dipterocarpeons 

 tree, and probably a species of Hopea, and on the 

 other to a Sapotaceous tree, and perhaps to a Bassia. 

 See Pharmaceutical Jom-nal, Nov. 24, 1888, p. '101 ; 

 December 1.5, 1883, p. 462; and December 22, 1833, 

 p. 481.— John R. ;.Taokson, Mwaenm, Kew.^Gardfners' 

 Chronicle. 



