May I, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



S85 



To the Editor of the ''Ceylon Observer r 



ARROWROOT, CASSAVA, TAPIOCA, SAGO. 

 Colombo, •2h'Ch March 18S3. 



Dear Sir, — If your correspiudeut " Ca--Bava " (see 

 Observer, Feb. '24tli) attempts to sell aa arrowroot the 

 Hour of cassava yams, he will find it will be re- 

 ji'dcJ here, while in England he would be [iable to 

 a fine under the Adulteration Act. Arrowroot is the 

 produce of a tuberous plant (Maraida nrundinacea) 

 and not of the cassava or manioc, of which there 

 arc two varieties, the sweet and bitter (-3fam'Ao<«/a«('- 

 pha and A'tpi). 



Tbe Ceylon arrowroot is prepared by villagers in 

 the neighbourho.id of Colombo from the tiue plaut, 

 but they ofteu adulterate it with cassava Hour. This 

 latter is cheaper but lesa wliolesome and palatable. 

 In 1842 Ceylon exported 150 boxes of arrowroot, 

 and the export had increased up to GOO boxes in 

 1845. But for coffee being the chief attraction then, 

 it would have received European support and con- 

 tinued increasing. As to the price realized as quoted 

 by you, on a recent shipment, it is not unsatisfactory, 

 for if this produce is cultivated largely on suitable 

 land that could be ploughed, at 3d (English) per lb. 

 a very fair return could be got within 13 to 14 

 months. Tbe first few shipments of nearly all kinds 

 of produce from places where they are never known 

 before to come from fetch very low prices. So that 

 SJd to 4Jd per lb can ultimately be realized for 

 good genuine arrowroot shipped in large quantities. 

 Cas-sava flour is called " Moustache," and is when 

 prepared in the form of irregular masses known 

 as " tapioca" or "tapioca sago." It is exported 

 in the latter form and name largely from the Moluc- 

 cas and .'^traits Settlements. The preparation here 

 is certain to pay, as the cassava plant is of easy 

 growth, and the yield both in weight and quantity 

 of yams hus been found equal to the average in 

 Brazil, its natural home. Your correspondent should 

 procure "tapioca sago" in bottles from the shops and 

 endeavour to convert his crude cassava flour into 

 that article. — Yours very truly, , 



W. PEOWETl' FERDINANDS. 



[Whilst our correspondent has no doubt cleared 

 up some of the confusion which exists on the sub- 

 ject of these substances, and their true sources, we 

 think he has himself mixed up ' tapioca sago,' 

 which is a term new to us. We are quite 

 aware that tlie original and real arrowroot is the 

 produce of Maranta ariindhiocua Linn., and that 

 there are now other West and East Indian arrow- 

 roots which are the produce of other species of Maranta, 

 and members of the same family, viz. Cannacea: ; that 

 tapioca, granulated ma»ses of larger or smaller size, 

 is the produce of the manihot plant, and that, by the 

 same process as that pursued in making real arrow- 

 root, niauihot arrowroot Uas been made to a con- 

 siderable extent in former years at the Lunatic 

 Asylum at Borella, in Colombo, as well as tapioca 

 resembling that sold in the shops and sent here from 

 England ; that pearl and other kinds of sago are 

 made from the farina in the trunks of the sayo 

 palm, Mdroxylon Sagu, »hich is produced in such 

 abundance in the islands of the Eastern Archipelago ; 

 and we rather think that our correspondent has 

 mixed up some of the kinds of sago from this tree 

 with tapioca and has called it 'tipioca sago.' If the 

 re..I arrowroot could be grown in hirge quantities 

 wnere it would not be destroyed by rats, iia great 

 enemy here, and where it would not be stolen by 

 men, " it might pay to grow and manufacture it in 

 Ceylon.— Ed.] 

 112 



EFFECTS OF HEMILEIA VASTATRIX ON 

 COFFEE. 

 South Travaucore, 28th March, 1883. 



Dear Sir,— Referring to "J. R. C." '3 letter in the 

 March T. A. I may say that appearances here go to 

 shew that H. V. does affect the coffee beau, and 

 that very curiously. I, too, have observed results very 

 similar to those described by "J. R. C," although I 

 have never attributed them to the spores germin- 

 ating on the berry Itself ; but have been more in- 

 clined to ascribe the drying up of the young berries 

 as the result of loss of nourishment, and the pre- 

 sence of Jl. V. spores on the dried fruit to their 

 having been deposited there by the wind. 



In all cases 1 have seen the lea\-es on the tips of 

 the branches first wither and fall fi'om the effects 

 of H. F., after which the branch gradually dies back, 

 the berries nearest the tip being those to suffer first 

 wUhoiit exception. In a case of a heavy crop, how- 

 ever, the coffee sometimes loses the whole of its 

 leaves, and the apparent result is tlie yellowing, or 

 premature ripening, of the entire crop, whilst the 

 berries nearest the points of the branches wither and 

 dry up. 



I am also of opinion that //. I', exercises an influence 

 detrimental on apparently sound and well ripened 

 beans, or how otherwise do you account for 5-20 

 bushels parchment being required for clean coffee 

 where 4-90 busliels were before sufficient? Ancient 

 coffee and exhausted soil may account for it cert- 

 ainly ; but till it is jyroved that H. V. does vot 

 affect the beans beyond those directly influenced by 

 the leaves and branches dying, it would be well not 

 to advance any unsupported ai'guments. 



It would be interesting to know if the Maharajah 

 of his own accord noticed the scab on " D. O. N " 's coflee, 

 or if it was pointed out to him ; as if H H. noticed 

 the thing himself the disease njust have indeed been 

 serious. — Yours truly, D B. C. 



FIBRE FROM HIBISCUS. 



Wilson's Bungalow, 29th March 18S3. 



Dear Sir, — I have read Mr. W. Ferguson's very 

 interestini; account of the " Kajiukinisan" tiljre which 

 appeared in the Observer of the •-.'2nd ultimo. In com- 

 pliance with his request, I begi) send you by miscel- 

 laneous post twigs of the two varieties of this plant 

 having flowers, leaves and fruits on them. Kindly 

 hand them to him, and oblige, yuurs faithfully, 



HENRY K. DAMBAWINNE. 



P. S. — I also send a specimen of "Gallehe'' which is 

 used by the people of this district in the manufacture 

 of mats. —11. E. D. 



[Your correspondent Mr. H. E. Dambawinne from 

 Wilson's Bungalow saye that he fends twigs of the two 

 varieties of plants having flowers and fruits on 

 them, imd he adds that he sends also specimens 

 of galehe (gnl-iehai) which is used by the people 

 of this district in the manufacture of mats. 

 Both the specimens of hibiscus were so miserably 

 crushed anil so badly pnt up tliat they are all but 

 useless for identiticatiou. One of them is no doubt of 

 the Abelmoschus section of hibiscus, but the other ie of 

 another eeetion judging by th ■ mutilated specimen 

 sent. The gal ;ehse consists of the stems of a sedge 

 without roots or flowers, and but for tlie fact tbat I 

 know the mai plant of this name I could not otherwise 

 recognize it. It agrees lor tlie plant which Dr. 

 Thwaites has given as the Cyperiis roryml)oi-us, Rottbl.. 

 but is likely the Cyperus tegetum. of which large quant- 

 ities of mats are made and transported from China to 

 America. 'I he f:al :ch:c is cultivated by the mat makers 

 of the Kalutara district.— Here is a hint to all persouf 

 sending botanical Bpecimens by post in Ceylon. 



