March i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



723 



Theee has lately been exhibited iu the Botanical 

 Garden of Berlin the largest flower in the world — the great 

 flower of Sumatra known in science as tlie Rafflesia Aritoldi, 

 and peculiar to Java and Sumatra. It measures nearly 10ft. 

 in circumference, and more than 3ft. in diameter. Sir 

 Stamford Kaffles and Dr. Joseph Arnold were exploring in 

 company when they discovered this champion plant. — Queens- 

 lander. 



Fossil Elephant.— Near Tabiana (Italy) the remnins 

 of a fossil elephant have been discovered. Two enorm- 

 ous tusks, two teeth, and several bones from the 

 skull were found. The objects found were submitted 

 to scientific investigation by Professor Strobel and Dr. 

 Mariotti of Parma. They declared them to belong to 

 Elep/ias [Loxodon) merkiionalis, Falconer. The tusks 

 measure 3 2 metres in length, and 28 metres in 

 diameter at the thickest part. The skull bones were 

 so much decayed that they could not be removed It 

 was resolved, therefore, to cover up the remains -with 

 earth until next summer, when it is hoped that warmer 

 weather will be more favourable to further excavations. 

 — Nature. 



The Practical Collapse op the Coffee Interest 

 in Ceylon makes people very cautious how they ad- 

 vance money for new ventures in that island. The 

 terms upon which loans have been obtained are stated 

 to have been surprisingly stiff of late, and a great 

 deal of distrust prevails. Notwithstanding this, how- 

 ever, the cultivation of cinchona, tea, fibres, and other 

 new products, has helped to pull many planters round, 

 and there are strong reasons for hoping that a new 

 period of prosperity will erelong dawn in Ceylon. 

 Things have been so bad of late that any sign of im- 

 provement is welcome. The shipments of cinchona 

 have already done something to pacify Loudon agents. 

 Eighteen months ago these gentlemen wrote atrogly 

 and disagreeably to their debtor-proprietors, but now 

 they are getting back to their old style of affability, 

 and have begun to ask after the health of their con- 

 stituents. This is a good sign.— BritUh Trade Journal, 

 •Tan. 1st. 



Mate. — /. Parayuayensis is character!.' ed as a species 

 by its perfectly smooth, ovate, lanceolate, unequally 

 serrated leaves, and by having tnuch-branched racemes 

 of dowers, the sub-divisions of which are somewhat 

 umbellate, and by its slightly hniry calyx. The leaves 

 of the Mate, the usime by which it is known in South 

 America, are from four to five inches long. The 

 Mati; occupies the same important position in the 

 domestic economy of South Anitrico, as the Chinese 

 tea does in this country, and it is calculated that 

 it is consumed in that country to the extent of about 

 8,000,000 lb. annually. It has been iu use for about 

 a century and a half, the practice having been adopted 

 from the aboriginal people. The leaves are orepared 

 by drying and toasting, not in the manner of'Chiuesc 

 teas, but large branches are cut off the plants and 

 placed on hurdles over a wood fire until eulficiently 

 roasted ; the branches are then placed on a hard 

 floor and beaten with sticks; the dried leaves are thus 

 knocked off and reduced to a powder, which is 

 collected, made into packnges, and is ready for use. 

 There are three sorts known in the South American 

 markets: the Caa Cuys, which is the half-expanded 

 leaf-buds; the Caa-Miri, the leaf torn from its midrib 

 and Vfius, without roasting; and the Caa-Guaza or 

 Yerva de Palos of the Spaniards, the wh.de leaf 

 with the peticdes and suiall branches roasted. It is 

 prepared for drinking by putting a small n:.autity, 

 about a teaspooniul, into a gourd or cup, with a 

 little sug.ir; the drinking tube is then iuser ed, and 

 boiling w.ater poured on the Mate; when sufliciur- } 

 ly cool the infusion is sucked up through the tube. 

 It iuis an agreeable, slightly aromatic ordour, is 

 rather bitter to the ta.ste, and very refreshing and 

 restorative to the human frame after euduriDg great 



fatigue. It is almost impossible for those accustom- 

 ed to It to l?ave it off. It acts in some degree as 

 an aperient and diuretic, and if taken in over-doses 

 it occasions diseases similar to those produced by 

 strong liquors. It contains the same active principle 

 as tea and coffee, called theiue, but not their vola- 

 tile and empyreumatio oils. — r/ic Planters' Oaze.tt\ 



How HoG.s Prevent the Renewal of Pine Forests 

 —A correspondent writing from Jolmsonville, S- C ' 

 incidentally mentions a curious instance of the influ- 

 ence of animals in controlling or preventing forest 

 growths. It appears that the fondness of hogs for the 

 juicy roots of young pines leads them to seek them as- 

 siduously, so that where hogs are allowed to roam in that 

 region one can hardly find a young long-leafed nine in a 

 thousand acres of pine forest. There being no vounu trees 

 to take the place of the old ones used up by the lum- 

 bermen and turpentine gatherers, that species of pine tim 

 ber IS rapidly being exterminated.— &i>H6>- American. 

 lNDir,;Exous Potatoes in Arizona.— At a meetiiu, of 

 the California Academy of Sciences, November 6th Mr 

 John G Lemmon reported the results of a summer's' tour 

 of botanical exploration among the mountain ranges 

 along the Mexican frontier of Arizona. Among hia 

 discoveries were two or three varieties of indigenous 

 potatoes, found growing abundantly in high mountain 

 meadows surrounded by peaks attaining a bei'/ht of 

 10,000 feet above sea level. The tubers were about the 

 size of walnuts. Mr. Lemmon brought home a supply 

 which will he carefully cultivated. This interesting 

 discovery goes far to settle the long vexed question of 

 the origin of the potato.— Scientific American. 



The Olive in California.— It appears that Mr 

 Cooper, of San Barbara, San Diego, and other places 

 has demonstrated by his cultivation of the olive that 

 the tree thrives well and bears well in California and 

 also that it is profitable to cultivate it. The 'trees 

 begin to pay at three years, and when five years old will 

 pay all expense- of tillage and harvesting with a sur- 

 plus, while the sixth year the crop will pay for the land 

 the trees, and the tillage for the five years previous' 

 and, with good care, the increase is larger from year to 

 year for a century longer. Imleed. there are now alive 

 in Asia Minor trees known to be upwards of 1 "00 years 

 old and they ,ire still in full bearing. In a pamphlet 

 published by Mr. Elwood Cooper, the statement is 

 made that some of his best trees, eight years old pro- 

 duced 2,000 gallons of berries to the acre, and the 

 European standard is eight gallons of berries for one 

 gallon of oil, so that this gives a product of 250 gallons 

 of oil per acre. The oil finds a ready marljet at 5 

 dols. a gallon, which gives an income of 1,250 dols or 

 £250 an acre for the best eight-years-old trees in an 

 exceptionally good year.— Public "pinion. 



Seeicultcbe in Madras.- In reply to a communication 

 from Government, Mr. ^\^ E. Bobertson, Superintendent 

 Government Farms, has intimated his willingness to in- 

 stitute a small experiment in Madras with silk 'worms 

 if he can be favoured with a small supply of eggs At 

 Sydapet there are a number of healthy .acchmatised'nud- 

 berry bu.shes, and Jlr. Robertson will be glad to supplv 

 any cuttings that may be required by persons desirous 

 of propagating the bush, Mr H. R. Grimes, Superintend- 

 ent of the Central Jail at Coimbatorc, has requested 

 that he may be supplied with a small supply of silk-worra's 

 eggs in December Major Pickane, Superintendent of 

 Jails at Kajahmun.lry, also requests he may be furnished 

 with a supply of eggs. Mulberry trees grow at Rainh- 

 muiidry m considerable profusion, an.l JIajor Pickanece is 

 anxious to attempt an experiment in sericidture at Rajah- 

 numriry. The local Government have requested the Go- 

 vernment ot India to forward the eggs required for 

 experiments to be made m the present cold season, and 

 and the cuttings of .Vonu midticaulis, applied for by Mr. 

 Grimes, will be forwarded at an early da-ie to (he ad- 

 dress of the Superintendent, (iovernment Farms Saida- 

 pet. — Madras Mail. 



