March i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



701 



Strettsll has pointed out that, by the employun nt of 

 machinery au absohitely dry fibre can be produced 

 within eight houra of treatment. He has further 

 pointed out tliat plantains in a wild state form a 

 very hirge percentage of the sub-arborescent vegetation 

 of tlic C'bittagoiig hill tracts, Burniah, and other 

 places. He suggests that a considerable revenue might 

 be derived from establishing machinery for cxtiactiug 

 the fibre in the neighbourhood of Government forests. 

 Dr. King reported : — "In my opinion this proposed 

 pliiutaiu iiuluslry has a good deal of promise about 

 it, and I think it might be well worth while for 

 Government to spend a little money in sending a 

 sufficiently large shipment to the London market, and 

 to allow it to be ."old lor what it will fetch in sniiill 

 lots, so that the new material nay become generally 

 known to the paper-making interest. If the fibre 

 answers for paper, Government need do no more ; the 

 matter will no doubt betaken up by private enterprise." 

 The Bengal Government " will be prepared to give 

 all reasonable assistance to any mercantile firm or 

 individual wishing to try experiments in the Chitta- 

 gong hill tracts or elsewhere in Bengal. It will sup- 

 ply plantain-stems free of cost on the spot for a 

 reasonable time at the outset of the experiment, and 

 will arrange f\>r future supplies at reasonable rates. 

 It will also give such other assistance as may be deemed 

 necessary and proper." 



Whatever the success of the enterprise in India, I 

 think the matter is well worth attention in the West 

 Indies. The cultivation of bananas for export is 

 assuming a constantly increasing magnitude. Each 

 banana stem is useless after it has borne fruit, as it 

 does not do this more than once. To work up the 

 decaying stems into paper-pulp, if it could be done 

 inexpeuisiveJy, would be a desirable addition to the 

 profit of banana-gi owing, and would get rid of the 

 evils incident to the decomposing of the uselese stems. 

 We suppose, however, that the decomposed stems sup- 

 ply manure to the young plants. There are consider- 

 able tracts of wild plantains and cardamom-plants in 

 Ceylon which might afford good paper stuff, if port 

 able machines could be carried to and worked where 

 they grow. There is an interesting account of the 

 Museums and of the contributions to them during the 

 year. Amongst these are eight specimens of rare teas (?) 

 from Messrs. Phillips & Co. 



Amongst the "list of Exotic Economic, and Medicin- 

 al plants cultivated under glass in the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew," we find : — 



Abrus precatorius, L., Crabs Eyes ; India. 

 .^gle Marinelos,. C'orr., Bael of India; E. Indies. 

 Agave anierioana. L., American Aloe; Trop. America. 

 Amomnm maslicatorum, Thia. ; Ceylon. 

 Anucardiuin occidentale, L., Cashew Nut ; India, 

 Andropogon eitratus, D.C., Indian Lemon Grass. 

 „ Nardus, L., Citronella ; India. 



„ muricatus, Rilz., Cuscus ; India. 



,, Schceiianthus, i.,Rusaoil; India. 



Anoua Cherimolia, Mill., Cherimoyer ; Bolivia, Peru. 

 ,. niuricata, L., Soursop ; Trop. America, 

 ,, palustiis, L., Alligator Apple ;Ti-op. America. 

 ,, reticulata, L., Custard Apple ; Tropics, cult. 

 Aieca Catechu., X., Betel Nut ; E. Indies. 

 Artocarpus incisa, L,, Bread Fruit ; Polynesia. 



,, integrifolia, L. Jack Fruit ; Trop. Asia. 



Berrya Aiumonilla, Eoxb. .Tiincomalee Wood; India. 

 Bixa Orellana, L., Arnatto ; Tropica, cult. 

 Bombax Ceiba, i., .Silk Cotton Tree ; Trop. America. 



,, malabancum, D C, Cotton Tree ; India, 

 Ceesalpinia Bonduo, L, ; Tropics. 



„ coriaria, Willd., Divi-Divi ; S. America, 

 ,, Sap|jan, L., Sappan Wood ; ludiii. 

 Capsictini annuum, L., Red Pepper ; Trop. America. 

 Caiica eandaniarci^n-is, //i. /. ; ('olumbia. 

 ,, Papaya, L., Pupaw ; Tropics, 

 89 



Catha edulis, For.sk., Arabian 'i'ea ; Arabia. 

 Chloroxylon Swietenia, L., Satiu wood ; Ci-ylon and 



India. 

 Cinchona Calisaya, Wedd., Yellow Birk ; Peru und 

 Bolivia. 

 ., ,, var. Verde. 



„ condaminea, H. and B. ; Peru. 

 ,, cordifolia, AJutis. ; Colombia. 

 ,, ,, var ? Colombian Bark ; Colombia. 



, , glandulifera, R. nud P. 

 ,, Ledgeriana, How. ; Bolivia. 

 „ micrantha, R. and P., Lima Bark ;Peru. 

 ,, ofticiualis, L., Crown Bark ; Peru. 

 „ ,, var. 



,, ,, ci-ispa, Quina fina de Loxa; Peru. 



„ Pahudiana, How. ; Trop. Ameiicn. 

 ,, Peruviana, How., Grey Bark ; Wiu. 

 ,, robusta, '/Vi'j/ien ; Ceylon H^brij, 

 ,, succirubra, Pao., Red Bark ; Ecuador. 

 Cinnamodendron corticosum, Stiers., Mountain Cinna- 

 mon ; W. Indies. 

 Cinnamomum Camphora, Nees., Camphor; Japan and 

 Formosa. 

 ,, Cassia, Bl. Cassia lignea ; Java, cult. 

 ,, zeylauicum. A'^ee^., Ceylon Cinnamon ; Ceylon. 

 Cocos nucifera, i. , Cocoanut ; Tropics. 

 Coffea arabica, L. , Coffee ; Tropics, cult. 

 ,, „ var. Mocba. 



,, liberiea, Hiern, Liberian Coffee ; Liberia. 

 Diospyros Embryopteris, Pers., Gaub ; E. lijidies. 



,, Eebenum, Eetz.. Ceylon Ebony j Ceylon. 

 ,, Kaki, L., Kaki ; Cliina and Japan. 

 Elettarla Cardamomnm, Mat., Cardamoms ; India. 

 Feronia Elephautum, Corr., Wood Apjjle ; India. 

 Gossypium arboreum, L., Tree Cotton ; cultivate d. 

 ,, hirsutum, L., Indian Cotton ; cult. 

 ,, herbaceuiu, L. ; cult, 

 ilevea brasilieusis. Mull, Para Rubber; Brazil, 



,, Spruceaua, Mull ; Brazil. 

 Hibiscus Abelmoschus, X., Okro ; Tropics. 



mntabilis, L. ; China. 

 Hydnocarpus venpnatus,G«ri'»i, , Fish Poison ; Ceylon. 

 Hex paraguayensis, St. i/i^., Paraguay Tea ; Pa'Mguay. 

 Manihot Aip'i, PoA/., Sweet Cassava ; Trop Ani'iic:i. 

 ,, Glaziovi, A?H?/., Ceara Rubber ; Biazil. 

 ,, utilissima, Pohl., Bitter Cassava ; Trop. 

 America. 

 Moringa concanensis, Nimm.; India. 



,, pterygosperma, Gartn., Horse-radish Tiee; 

 India. 

 Musa Cavendishii, Pctxt., Dwarf Banana ; Cultivated. 

 ,, poradisiaca, i.. Plantain ; Tropics. 

 ,, textilis, Nivs, Manilla Hemp ; Ind. Arch. 

 Pimenta acris, Wight, Wild Clove ; W. Indies. 



,, ofBcinalie, Ldl., Allspice ; W. Indies. 

 Piper Cubeba, L. /., Cubebs ; Ind. Arch. 

 ,, Betel, i/.. Betel Pepper Leaf. 

 ,, methysticum, Foist. ; Kava-kava ; Pacific Islands. 

 ,, nigrum, L. Black Pepper ; Trop. Asia. 

 Eicinus communis, L. Castor Oil ; India. 

 Rubia cordifolia L. Indian Madder ; India. 

 Saneeviera cylindrica, i?o;., Ife ; Trop. Africa. 



,, zeylanica, Willd., Bowstring Hemp ; India. 

 Termiualia Belleriea. Roxh., Myrabolans ; India. 

 ,, Catappa, L., Indian Almond ; Tropics. 

 Tbea chinenais, L., Tea ; China. 



,, var. assamica. Mast., Assam Tea. 



Theobroma Cacao, L., Cocoa ; Trop. America. 

 From the above quotations , it will be seen that xisitors 

 to the Royal Gardens at Kew have the opportunity 

 of seeing, in the latitude of England, specimens of the 

 most remarkable, beautiful and useful plants of the 

 far-o£F tropics, in addition to the productions of tem- 

 perate and frigid climates. The institution is oiu' of 



