May I, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



S83 



ence may decide in favour of trees which the writer 

 of the notes does not estimate highly. For instance, 

 the Bomhax malaharicum, or scarlet- flowered cotton 

 tree. We do not know about its rapidity of growth, 

 but such trees as this and Erylhrina indka, and 

 especially the common green cotton tree, could be 

 cranmied in peat numbers into a limited space of 

 ground. We do not want valuable timber for tea- 

 boxes. If it is light, so much the better, | rovided 

 it will season well and stand knocking about for a 

 few months. Objectionable aroma, juices and gum. 

 could probably be got rid of by judicious seasonings 

 Fire heat or steam, properly applied, can effect wonder- 

 ful changes in the nature of timbers. 



We add some general remarks with which Mr. W. 

 Ferguson accompanied his notes : — 



Surely by this time you and the other tea planters 

 of Oeylon, viz., Taylor, Eiphinstoue, Arm.strong, Jones, 

 Mackwood, Oeylon Company, Owen, and other.s, have 

 found out the cheapest and hest kind of boxes, native or 

 foreign, for paekiug tea in. and, if made of native wood.s, 

 there ought to be a list of native names — at least of 

 those tv>und best fitted for the work. [Details regarding 

 the timbers used on Abbotsford will be forthcoming im- 

 mediately. — Ed. C. O.] I do not think there is any use 

 in attempting to introduce and grow any foreign tree 

 for this purpose, as I believe we have abundance of trees 

 which will auswer equally well. 



Mr. Owen sent me a list of trees some time ago, and 

 asked me to say which of them were suitable for tea boxes. 

 I met him in the Oisirt'cr office, and said: " Trust a great 

 deal to your uative carpenters, who know tlie qualities of 

 the different uative woods. Don't use those that have 

 milk^ ffum, or acrid juice, resin, &c., iu the wood. Don't 

 use heavy wood, nor one that will perish very soon, and 

 don't let the wood have any smell of any kind, if possible." 



But I fear the great bugbear is the want of proper 

 seasoning iu the log and after it is sawn before it is 

 converted into tea boxes. 



There was a regular set of saw-mills at work in the 

 forests at Awisawella some time ago, sawing timber for 

 tea boxes and other purposes, and the gentleman in charge, 

 whom I met at Mr. 'Ward's house at Hanwella some time 

 ago, promised to send me a list of the good and bad trees. 

 I made a selection of 113 of the best timber trees of 

 Ceylon, when I made the notes to Mendis's list, but I 

 shall now include all the sra/ trees of Ceylon, and 

 finish their uses, or wipe them out as utterly useless. 

 How in the meantime can we get lists from the different 

 tea planters named, shewing the best tea woods they have 

 actually used ? 



We cannot doubt that the information desiderated 

 will be supplied, so that erelong we may have a 

 reliable list of the most suitable timbers for tea- 

 boxes and all the purposes connected with the tea 

 industry. 



Meantime we quote from Mr. Brace's list : — 

 AcnocARPUs ruAxiNiKOLirs : Red Cedak. — " The timber 

 is flesh-coloured and shrinks in seasoning ; it is light and 

 much resembles that of cedrela toona and has a cedrel- 

 aceous smell ; it is known to planters by the name of .Shingle 

 Tree, Pink Cedar, and Red Cedar, and is called mvlluii here 

 in Tinnivelly, ami kilinyi by the burghers on the Neil- 

 gherries; it is of rapid growth and well worthy of cult- 

 ivation by the Forest Department" (Bedd. Flor. Sylv.). I 

 have used this timber more perhaps than any other for 

 tea boxes and tea house furniture in general, and if it has 

 been well seasoned it is as good a wood as could be pro- 

 ciired for the purpose. I am not aware if this tree is 

 found in Ceylon, but as it is readily propagated from seed 

 I could suggest its being introduced. I cannot urge on 

 planters, too strongly, the advisability of planting up odd 

 corners of their grass-lauds, i^c. with useful timber trees. 

 the cost of so doing is a mere trifle, and the addition made 

 to the value of the property say in ten years' time is very 

 jreat. 



Alstonia SCHOLARIS. — " In Ceylon it is called rookaitana, 

 and the wood is therefore generally employed for making 

 coffins. » • • » » This wood, which is very bitter, is 



white and light, and is used for making packing-cases &c." 

 (Bedd. Flor. Sylv.). 



This would probably be found an excellent wood for 

 making boxes. 



AriTOCAEPt'S HiESUTUS. — "This tree yields the aujely 

 wood so well known on the "Western Coast for house build- 

 ing, ships, frame-works, &c. .The trte attains a large size 

 in the forests on the Western Coast, where it abounds. The 

 fruit is the size of a large orange, and abounds in a viscid 

 juice, w hich freely flows from the rind if touched ; this is 

 manufactured into birdlime " (Drury, id.). This too is as 

 excellent wood both for making boxes, buildings and estate 

 furniture generally, and like its congeners as ornamental as 

 it is useful. 



Aetocaepus Integeifolia. — This is perhaps the best wood 

 for box-making of any ; and is easily propagated and of 

 rapid growth. 



Eeddome remarks that this tree is only found in Ceylon. 

 Probably the timber is very similar to that of the other 

 varieties and might be used for the same purposes. 



Cedrkla Tooka : 'White Cedae — Called on the Neil- 

 gherries kal kilinyi. Drury remarks, " The wood is dense, 

 hard, red, close grained, capable of high polish, not sub- 

 jected to worms, nor liable to warp, and durable." Bed- 

 dome says that " it is curiously absent from Ceylon " (Flor. 

 Sylv.). This is a splendid wood, in my opinion, and as it is 

 readily raised from seed aud of rapid growth I would 

 strongly advise Ceylon planters to introduce it. I never 

 use any other wood when I can procure this at a moderate 

 rate. There is hardly a purpose to which it may not be 

 suppUed. I employ it for leaf racks, rolling tables, &c. 



LitsjEA Zeylanic'A. — "This tree is most abundant on 

 the Neilgherries at 6,000 to 7,000 feet elevation, and is 

 found throughout our 'Western Ghats at elevations about 

 2,000 feet, and it is equally common in Ceylon 

 where it is called daverl koorovndoo " (Bedd. Flor. Sylv.). 

 This is perhaps the best wood when well seasoned tor 

 boxes that one can meet with at the higher elevations ; 

 quite equal to the red aud white cedars. 



Machilus Maceantha.— " Culled in Ceylon uUalu ; the 

 timber is often used for building purposes ; it is light 

 and even grained and would answer as a substitute for 

 deal" Bedd. Flor. .Sylv.). This is probably a first-class 

 wood for box-making. 



Tectona Geandis: Te.ik.— Teak is an excellent wood 

 for boxes when it has been well reasoned, and can be 

 procured cheap. Though heavy it can safely be sawn 

 much thinner than other woods. I am not aware if the 

 tree is found in Ceylon. 



Teeminalia Belleeica. — " Found in Ceylon aud there 

 called hiijii. It answers well for packing-cases and coffee 

 boxes" (Bedd. Flor. Zeylan.). This would probably answer 

 well for tea boxes also. 



It would thus appear that there are trees indigenous 

 to .Southern India which would be valuable if they 

 could be naturalized in Ceylon. The jak tree and 

 the del (Artocarpus nobilis) are, of course, too valu- 

 able for te.i. chests. So we should say of teak, un- 

 less it could be obtained in abundance aud sawn into 

 very thin lamina. If Mr. Brace is correct, the dawul 

 kurumlu. ought to be found useful at high elevations. 

 But the railway is a great leveller, even of altitudes, 

 and the time is probably coming when nearly all tea 

 estates will be supplied with tea-boxes from the 

 " lowcountry." A correspondent of the local " Times" 

 writes as follows : — 



The owners of tea estates would do well to begin at ouve the 

 growing of suitable timber trees, os it will greatly enhance the 

 value of their properties. Even where there is a forest reserve, 

 it is chieily valuable for its fuel, as the suitable timber trees form 

 but a very .'-mall percentage of the forest. There are nuuierous 

 kinds of indigenous fast-growing timber trees that would thri\e 

 better than the Australian gtini.s on high estates. Jack is too hea\'j' 

 a wood and is not of very quick growth. Teak is as heavy, but is 

 a harder and better timber for chests, if sawn in tJiin pieces and 

 exposed for a few mouths iu a dry place or shed. It grows faster 

 than jack after the first year. Hallmilla, Boraniel, Suriyah (tulip 

 tree) Catta imbul, are very suitable, and are very fast growers. 

 The tulip tree wocd is little used, being scarce, as all is bought 

 up by carriage builders. It i.^ light, strong, pliant and suited for 

 tea chests, being free of resiu aud acids, &c, Ou some coffee 



