Aug. 2, 1886.] 



t*HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



135 



It is a curious fact, however, that the true 

 nature of the indigenous tea of Assam, was 

 not for some years recognized, in conscciuence 

 of Dr. Wallich, an eminent botanist, an'd at one 

 time Secretary of the Society, insisting that it 

 was a camellia ! Tea is allied to the camellias, 

 but the difference in foliage and flower is great. 

 Our experience is that in reverse proportion as a 

 tea-plant simulates the foliage of camellias, is its 

 flush -yielding quality. 



As our readers are aware the production of tea 

 in India in 1886 is estimated at considerably 

 over seventy millions of pounds, the contingent 

 from Ceylon going far to round oft' the figure of 

 80,000,000 lb. 



Amongst the other important articles to 

 which attention was devoted were : sugar, 

 cotton, silk, tobacco, coft'ee, flbre-yielding plants, 

 maize, paddy and cereals. In 1843, attempts 

 were made to get Indian wheat admitted into 

 England at the same rate of duty as wheat 

 from Canada. It seems to us now monstrous that 

 grain should be the subject of discriminating or of 

 any duties in Britain. The influence on India of the 

 abolition of the corn laws has been great. Greater 

 still has been the eSect of the opening of the 

 Suez Canal and the construction in India of rail- 

 ways, so that Indian wheat has taken a foremost 

 place in the food markets of the world. Forage 

 plants and tanning and dyeing substances received 

 much attention, as also plants yielding oils, fats, 

 &c. The Society helped to bring Gutta-percha into 

 notice, and they did not lose sight of Vanilla or 

 the great and successful experiment of intro- 

 ducing the Cinchonas into India. Wool and cattle 

 received a good deal of attention. We quote an- 

 other paragraph : — 



f.ihraiii and Muscviii. — A portion of the abovemen- 

 tioued space is appropriated for the library, whicli 

 now comprises several thousand standard works and 

 Transactions and Journals of Societies, treating prin- 

 cipally on Agricultural, Horticultural and Botanical 

 subjects. It also contains a small museum and models 

 of implements. A room is set apart for the reception 

 of seeds which are annually imported from foreign 

 countries for distribution to members. 

 Again : — 



The publications of the Society have been steadily 

 continued. The "Transactions" (8 volumes) were 

 superseded by the " .Journal," of which 21 volumes 

 have been issued, uamely, 1-1 of the old and 7 of the 

 Hcif sericii. Some of the earlier volumes of the 

 Transactions have been translated into Bengali, and 

 a volume in the same language entitled Krislii I'allm 

 (Agricultural Gleanings) has been issued. A mass of 

 useful information connected with the introduction 

 into India of plants of commercial value has like- 

 wise been published in a separate form, irrespective 

 of the Journal. lu addition to these the " Proceed- 

 ings" of each monthly meeting have bceu regularly 

 printed for the last 50 years, as soon after the occur- 

 rence of each discussion as possible, for the purpose 

 of furnishing distant members with an account of 

 the doings of the Society, and also to put into the 

 hands of congenial institutions the nature of the in- 

 formation brought forward for discussion. To eiui- 

 nierate even a little of the mass of valuable practical 

 information and useful reading, embodied in the 

 abovementioned publications, would far exceed the 

 limits of the paper ; suffice it to say, that they refer, 

 amoug other subjects, to cotton, sugar, indigo, tea, 

 coffee, tobacco, rice, silk, wool, vegetable tibres, 

 cochineal, caoutchouc, lac-dve, Indian fruits, manures, 

 timber trees, topographical account of various dis- 

 tricts, many of which are treated very extensively 

 and satisfactorily. 



Much of the work of the Society has been accom- 

 plished or has been taken up by other agencies, 

 as Mr. Cogswell showed in his presidential address 

 JO 1882 :— 



"In former days the Society stood alone as the 

 depository for all matters connected with agri-horti- 

 culture, aud the Government of the day recognized 

 it as a very useful medium of communication with 

 the public. Now, however, tinips are greatly changed. 

 The Government of India have inaugurated a depart- 

 ment of their own, whilst the Government of Bengal 

 have established an Economic Museum, to which are 

 naturally referred specimens of produce which were 

 formerly submitted to tliis Society. Again, certain 

 industries have their own publications, such as the 

 [iidlan Tea (nr^cttc, the Indian Forester, and for general 

 subjects the Indian Aiiriculturist, consequently the 

 Society's Journal has become an annual instead of a 

 quarterly publication. If, however, we refer to the 

 monthly proceedings during the past few years, wo 

 shall tiiid that they contain many subjects of great 

 interest." 



Amongst the articles in this volume is an elaborate 

 imper on Ilhea, which we mean to transfer to the 

 Tropical /Uirivulturist. Amongst the selections is 

 a translation from the French of a detailed paper 

 on the Vegetable Products of Japan, containing 

 much interesting matter, as the following extract 

 will show : — 



It may be stated, briefly, that the uses of the bam- 

 boo in Japan, comprise nearly all the requirements 

 of the .Japanese. The large kinds, such as the Matahe. 

 and tlie Maso, are used for making tlie timber work 

 of houses, of coach-houses, clothes-horses, silk-tilatures, 

 rooting, spouts, toll-bars, bridges, foot bridges, palli- 

 sades, ladders and all purposes for which thick and 

 strong stems are required. When the Japanese wish 

 to utilize the bamboo, they commence by rendering 

 it more supple and less hard by soaking it 111 boil- 

 ing water, or by exposing it to the action of steam. 

 These same kinds are also used for water pipes. The 

 Japanese remove the divisions which are in the stems, 

 when these are opened, they rub them over with oil 

 both inside and outside, and then blacken them with 

 fire ; they thereby become more resistent, imperme- 

 able, unassailable throughout, and can remain a long 

 time underground without rotting. The same process, 

 is employed in Ohma. The Matal-e and the JioAo are also 

 utilized for kitchen utensils, such as buckets for draw- 

 ing water, and measures of capacity. They are also 

 employed for rafts, and for mats for boats. The reefs of 

 sails are made with the //<f^(/.■e bamboo and the sails 

 themselves are frequently made of mats twisted in plaits 

 of the same. Cordage, ropes, the straps which are 

 used to fasten bales of merchandize, are of bamboo, 

 nearly all kinds are utilized for this purpose. These 

 bands arc not perhaps so durable, as those made 

 of hemp ; but they are prepared at a much more 

 moderate price. Baskets for fruits and fish, for clean- 

 ing and holding rice, for silkworms eggs, and sieves, 

 are made of plaited bamboo. The bamboos Metalic 

 and Ciduo-lakr, the Bamhtisa anrea, Quiliol riohfscrnn 

 and niijra are employed for the handles of musical 

 instruments, also for lances aud arrows, canes and 

 rods for fishing, and for games. With the stems of 

 thinner bamboos: Metale, Ifatchilu, and C/nnu-fcdxe, 

 B. anrea, Quilioi nirjra, they make beds, chairs, foot- 

 stools, couches, furniture of all kinds, aud the stairs 

 which the Japanese often cover with the lacquer var- 

 nish. Musical instruments, especially most kinds of 

 flutes, are made with thinner kinds. The ./)'. j(/;//<i 

 and the >Snd:.ii-fa/,e are used for the outer-casing of 

 pipes. The trade of such in bamboo is considerable 

 aud necessitates the employment of a great number 

 of boats which are specially used for that purpose. 

 And so with opium pipes which are often made with 

 the Metale. They are the object of a special trade, 

 Among the most important of industries with the 

 bamboo, that of hats may be alluded to, which are 

 principally made in the department of Kauagawa 

 (province of Musai). Screens aud fans are also made 

 of bamboo, trimmed with paper with well executed 

 designs. According to Rlons. Verdier-Latour, the trade 

 with fans to Europe and America is very important. 

 The town of Osaka has furnished, by itself, anmially 

 four millions of fans of the value of 4^0,000 francs. 

 Their price varies from -1 francs 50 cents to 20 francs. 



