April i, 1887,] IHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



667 



Ities find their way to Brisbane, although bananas 

 grow there. I have counted as many as 370 of the 

 fruit on one bunch, quite a load for two men to carry 

 on a pole. A Suva paper of last year writing of a 

 Fiji plantation, of 80 acres, the property of ]\Iessrs. 

 Armstrong and Huon, part of the article, writing of 

 the culture of the banana, says: — '-The superiority 

 of the fruit is attributed to careful cultivation, deep 

 digging, constant weeding, and atteutioa to and careful 

 strippiug of each bunch wheu ready to burst from the 

 blob^om, as this exposes the young fruit to the sun, 

 and, besides assisting its development, deprives a grub 

 which iufests these plants, and is otherwise the cause 

 of the destruction of thousands of bunches, of a lurking 

 place." To keep these 80 acres in ord^r is the work 

 of 30 Polynesians and two Europeans. Hosv the banana 

 known as the sugar banana got to the South Seas is, 

 perhaps, not generally known, so that 1 have much 

 pleasure in giving the incident as it occurred. 



Many years ago (in 1838) theEev. Jno. Williamsjwho 

 was then a missionary in the South Seas, as an agent 

 to the London Missionary Society, left Raiatea, one 

 of the Society Group, for England for the purpose 

 of collecting mon*!y to purchase a vessel for missionary 

 purposes, instead of chartering small craft, hitherto done 

 by the Society, to visit the various stations in the South 

 Pacific. 



On Mr. Williams's arrival in England he was selected 

 by the Society to travel through England with another 

 Missionary as a deputation to address meetings and 

 collect funds on behalf of the London Missionary 

 Society. Of the great success attending their labours 

 history has already made public, in the :jliape of a very 

 readable book, entitled South Sea Missionan/ Enterprises. 

 The vessel was* purchased principally by the coutribu- 

 tions of Suuday-school children, who were limited to 

 penny subscriptions,and she was known as the "Camden" 

 brig, lying in the London Docks. A thorough overhaul 

 was made, and alterations to suit the extra number 

 she had to carry out, as a staff of young men had ex- 

 pressed their intention of accompanying Mr. Williams 

 as missionaries to the Pacific. 



The movements of Mr. Williams in England had been 

 watched with great interest by men generally outside 

 the influence of the London Missionary Society. At 

 an interview he had with the Corporation of the City 

 of Loudoa, he so convinced them that religion aud 

 commerce should go hand in hand *;hat they unaQimously 

 votsd him £500, on behalf of the Society he repre- 

 sented — a thmg unheard of previously. Others, too, 

 took a deep interest in what was being done, and 

 one, probably His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at 

 Chatsworth, more than the rest. 



When Mr. Wdliams went to England his son John, 

 then a youth of 14, accompanied him, whom the Duke 

 took charge of whUe Mr. Williams was making the 

 .tour of the British Isles. The youth was taken by 

 the Duke tj Chatsworth, and these were to be con- 

 sidered the youth's head-quarters. The change was 

 remarkable, from the modest dwelling of the South 

 Sea Islands to one of England's stately mansions. 

 Every comfort was provided for him, and youths about 

 his own age invited to meet him. After a pleasant 

 stay of some months the time came for young Wil- 

 liams to take his departure, and prepare for the voy- 

 age. In conversation with the Duke the y«uth had 

 thoroughly discussed South Pacific topics- the character 

 of the soil, climate, &c, and had given His Grace an 

 idea of what plants were likely to grow of those in 

 the conservato ries, the conversation leading to good 

 results. The day before young Williams left Chats- 

 worth the Duke called his manager, then Jjseph 

 Paxton (afterwards knighte 1), and asked him what he 

 thou ght he had in the conservatory that would bene- 

 fit 'he South Sea Islands. After a careful survey 

 Mr. Paxtoa said he thougat he had found a plant 

 that might be of use, and ho suggested two of the 

 Mu-a Oavendishii, or the sugar banana. 



The little plants were placed carefuly in a glass 

 case l)y the Duke assisted by young Williami, the 

 manager (JNI'-. .Joseph Pastou), and the head gardener, 

 IMr. Donald (now the ^Saperiuteudent of the gardens 



at Hampton Court). I particularly mention thistheo 

 small event, but now attended by large res alts. 



The case was shipped on board the " Camden," and, 

 after a long passage of eight months, arrived at Apia 

 XJpolu — the Navigator Islands t,or Samoa). Here the 

 plants fell into good hands, those of the Kev. Mr. 

 Mills, agent to the London Missionary Society at 

 Apia. On the case being opened, one of the little 

 plants was dead, and the otber in a weakly state; grave 

 doubts were manifested that it also might not survive. 

 However, by the care and attention bestowed upon it, 

 and the reviving effects of the Samoan soil, the watchers 

 were soon rewarded ; vigorous life set in, and from the 

 Chatsworth plant all the bananas of that description 

 came which now spread over the north and south 

 Pacific. 



J, h. E. 



THE ECONOMIC RESOUKCES OP INDIA, 



BY DK. GEORGE WATT, CLE, 



From lectures delivered before the Society of Arts 

 which we should gladly quote in full, did our space 

 permit, we take the following extracts: — 



The Imi'ekfectly Known, or Minor Products 

 OF India. 



There are food grains that loudly call for more 

 thorough investigation and more extended cultivation. 

 Dyes, tans, and fibres, which betoken fortunes to the 

 industrious persons who will carry to a practical 

 issue the initial experiments necessary to successful 

 introduction. There are minerals and ores in suffi- 

 cient abundance to admit of profitable competition 

 with the supplies poured in from foreign countries. 

 But above all, there are the thousand and one little 

 insignificant things lying at our feet which, in the 

 hands of the technical expert, will each come to 

 meet a distinct market. To Grovernment, these nn- 

 important industries offer naturally a great attrac- 

 tion, for, without capital and without expensive plant, 

 the poorer natives can participate in the trade done 

 in them. But it would be hopeless to attempt to 

 enumerate, even by name, the multitude of natural 

 or wild products in which trade might be done. 

 Seeds which will yet have a commercial value as 

 ornaments or buttons. Fibres which are likely to 

 be used as useful and cheap substitutes for whale- 

 bone and bristles. Palm spathes, which may come 

 into use as natural surgical splints, or be employed 

 as simple mechanical filters. The fibrovascular 

 frameworks of cucurbitaceous fruits, which constitute 

 admirable bath-room sponges. Scnall pieces of solah 

 pith to displace patent corn-plasters, or to be used 

 in place of wax in the preparation of microscopic 

 sections. The employment of pith instead of cork 

 for many purposes, such as for floats to fishing nets. 

 Fun^i and pith utilised as substitutes for felt in the 

 manufacture of at least certain parts of hats. The 

 indefinite series of uses to which the bamboo is put 

 in all Asiatic countries, but of which Europe is 

 ignorant. Indeed, the application of the bamboo to 

 European wants seems ao natural, that it is im- 

 possible to avoid the surprise that in an age of keen 

 competition for novelties, this has not been done 

 long ago. The bamboo is eminently suitable for 

 many details in household fittings. The thicker joints 

 make quaint umbrella stands; the better qua. ities 

 are so hard that they are used by the natives of 

 India as swords and knives, aud these would make 

 admirable and clean paper knives, cheese and butter 

 knives, and, cut up into smaller pieces, might, with 

 groat advantage, be employed as pegs by cabiuet- 

 makors and shoe-makers. The gums and resius which 

 have each their peculiar properties— properties far 

 better known to the simple and primitive aboriginal 

 inhabitants of the wild forest tracts than to the 

 profesbioual experts of Europe, who often value 

 saiaples according to a crude standpoint, via., the 

 colour, appearance, aud condition of package de- 

 manded by the trade. This standpoint is conserv- 

 ative to estaJDlished brands, but precludes the possi- 

 bility ol the propertiei ef uqw prociucta being m- 



