902 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1883. 



revolt — t'led as j'ou may. On the face of the globe there 

 is not to be found a more temperate town than Patagoues. 

 But vegetables there are none, fish only once a week, 

 although the river under their very nose is teeming with 

 trout ; carne, carne, carne, no potatoes, and hence no go 

 in the people ; no peas or beans, no porridge, and hence 

 no grit in the character. The upland slopmg deck of the 

 hill "I which I'atagones is built is the same today as in 

 the last century. It seems that Nature's bounty satisfies 

 the bi casts of the sons of Patagones : their bliss is small 

 since it is only what sense alone liestows. It is essentially 

 sensual, and when we survey the fine tall poplars that 

 skirt the river, the rich vegetation of the river's valley, 

 the Horid beauty of the Islands above the town, the groves 

 and fields wHth which Nature has decked the south side 

 of the river, and think that in the whole town there is 

 not to lie found an onion or a potatoe, we fear we must 

 accept the I'oet that man's industry is the only growth 

 that is checked in this unsurpassed zone of mateism, yer- 

 basim, and temperance." 



We leave it to Sir 'Wilfrid Lawsou and other advocates 

 of teetotalism to account for this particular trait in human 

 nature, but that the use of mate is suitabla to the habits 

 of some classes of people cannot be denied. In ivritiug 

 of the Paraguayans, it is stated, they are " insensible to 

 stiuudants," and mate is their general beverage — to be 

 found ready in every domicile, and at all hours of the day, 

 as well as of the night when desired. It is prepared in 

 little round howls or cups, with silver tubes to sip it through, 

 those generally used being made from the shell of the 

 cocomit, and to refuse a bowl of mat^ is not considered 

 polite. There is a certain degree of astringent about it, 

 not always agreeable to strangers, but it is no doubt a 

 healthy decoction. iVIate was formerly the chief source of 

 Paraguayan revenue, but the long, destructive war, seriously 

 interfered with its growth, from the effects of which it is 

 now slowly recovering. In Mr. Hadfielil's notice of Para- 

 guay, 18.54 (page 350), occurs the following: — "There is also, 

 however, another and not in considerable branch of reve- 

 nue, viz., the monopoly enjoyed by government of the sale 

 of mate, or Paraguay tea. It purchases this herb as pre- 

 pared in the forests of the State, and when well packed 

 and in good condition, at a given price, and di.sposes of 

 it to the merchants for exportation, as well as to the con- 

 sumers, at the rate of seven rials per arrobe." "The use of 

 mate is further illustrated by Mr. Hadfield in the .same 

 volume, page 311: — "Mr. Hopkins also, I understand, con- 

 templates improvements in the preparation of the^ famous 

 Paraguay tea, matii, that will, it possible, enhance its popu- 

 larity throughout South America, where there is scarcely 

 a meal taken without it in a house with the least preten- 

 sions to respectability or refinement and elegance and 

 adroitness in sipping it, through a tube or reed, something 

 after the fashion adopted in the Yankee beverage, luiown 

 as a sherry-cobbler, affords scarcely less opportunity at a 

 tertvllia, or evening party, for the display of breeding, 

 than does the use of the fan in Spain. The taste of 

 mate is not at all dissunilar to that of green tea, but 

 without the acrid flavour of the Chinese infusion; audit 

 is not iinproliable that Mr. Hopkins may render it a very 

 acceptable addition to our drinks in this oountry ; for it 

 would, at least, from an agreeable variety to the some- 

 what limited round of eompouuds now in vogue amongst 

 our temperance preachers and practitioners." Brazil is now 

 a strong competitor with Paraguay in the porduction of 

 mate, large quantities being grown in Paraguay and other 

 parts of the interior, wheii' the beverage is as often 

 met with as coffee. — South American Journtil. 



OF 



Sf 'REW-PINE i OR THATCH-TREE 

 POLYNESIA. 



The appearance of this tree is very remarkable. The 

 spir.al arrangement of its long, sword-like leaves, suggests 

 the idea of an enormous screw It is known to botanists 

 as the I'andaints oJijratissiniii.<* : it is called by the natives 

 Am. It sometimes attains the height of forty-five feet. 

 The male and female flowers are on different trees. The 

 gieat bunches of the former— of a light-yellow colour- 

 finely contrast with the deep-ijreen foliage of the tree. 

 Numerous red and yellow fruits, nearly round, and weigh 



* Paiidanus UUlii. 



-Ed. 



ing from seven to ten poimds apiece, remind one 0/ 

 enormous pine-apples. Stout aerial roots, with cup-Uke 

 spongioles, shoot down from the highest branches of old 

 trees to the earth, thus supplying them with additional 

 support and nourishment. One is amazed at the immense 

 weight of trunk, branches, foliage, and fruit sustained by 

 a number of prop-hke roots, some five or six feet above 

 ground. This wonder is often increased by .seeing the 

 trunlt terminate above ground. The narrow leaves — some- 

 times .seven feet in length — are armed [along the edges 

 and midrib with sharp hooks. Native lads angle for shrimps 

 with these tiny hooks. The screw-pine grows everywhere 

 in the Pacific, less commonly on the shores of New Guinea 

 and the adjacent islands. Like the cocoa-nut palm, it 

 loves the neighbonrhooil of the sea, and grows luxm'iantly 

 on the poorest sod; but, mdike that palm, it also 

 thrives on the barren clay hUls of the interior of many 

 islands. It is the first fiiiit-bearing tree that gi-ows out 

 of the sand and .shingle of newly-formed atolls. In the Line 

 Islands, during frequent 6ea,sons of ch'ought,* when the 

 cocoanut palm ceases to bear fruit, the natives contrive 

 to exist upon fish and the drupes of the never-faiUng 

 screw-pine. The inner part of the drupe is fleshy and 

 pleasantly sweet. Several tiny kernels, in extremely hard 

 shells, fill up the outer part. On many of the Gilbert 

 Islanils prepai-ations of the pandanns were presented to 

 us, as the most valuable gifts they could bestow. First, 

 the ripe, fleshy parts of the drupe, pounded into a flat 

 cake, in appearance like a mass of pressed oakum ; this 

 we could not eat. Next came extremely thin paper-like 

 stuff, consisting of the sugary juice of the fruit dried in 

 the sun ; this was very palatable. Lastly came a sort of 

 sawdust, or fine nutritious particles out of the kernel 

 and drupe dried ; this too was very nice, but it would 

 take a great deal of such food to satisfy the ajjpetite. 

 AVe gave the whole to the teacher. The long, tough 

 leaves of the screw-pine furnish the best thatch in the 

 world. It is usual to pare away the prickly edges and 

 midrib with a knife. The leaves are " seven " on reeds, 

 or on the split adventitious roots of the parent tree. On 

 some islands, mitil very lately, human rib-bones were em- 

 ployed for this pm-pose. It is to the process of "thatch- 

 sewing " that the natives are indebted for the only word 

 in their language (tui) for sewing, as their ancient gar- 

 ments were jxtstml tof/ethei'^ not sewn. A house carefully 

 covered with paudanus thatch will not need re-covei-ing 

 for ten or twelve years. The terminal buds and flowers 

 of the pandanus are commonly eaten by the inhabitants 

 of the low coral islets. Cattle love to browse upon the 

 leaves. In the New Hebrides the petticoat worn by 

 women and girls is prepared from the expo.sed roots of 

 the pandanns by splitting and clitiviiui them. The timber 

 of the screw-pine, although poor, is used for house-building 

 in all the low islands; ami — on account of its being 

 hollow — for piping in the high islands. The natives value 

 the tree highly on account of the perfume yielded by the 

 male inflorescence, used to scent cocoanut oil. The perfume 

 is veiy powerful; to many Europeans it is very agreeable. 

 The inner part of the drujie is cut off and threaded as 

 necklaces, on account of the fragrance. AVhen fresh and 

 alternated with the deep-reil, liell-.shaped coverings of the 

 seed of the jiukv, the effect is very fantastic. Native songs 

 abound with references to this perfume (Aia inunn, fra- 

 gi-ant screw-pine). The octopus, doubtitess attracted by 

 the fragrance, climbs up the screw-pine to feast upon the 

 flowers. Bats_ are very partial to the fruit. The interior 

 of this tree is filled with loose fibres which soon decay. 

 When very old — and it is believed to attain to a great 

 age— beautiful walking-.stieks, etc., may be maile out of the 

 hard external part. — (Signed) W. Wyatt Gill, Raratonga. — 

 Lthure Hour. 



INSECTICIDES. 



Next to artificial manures, of which we have from time 

 to time pid)lished analyses, insecticides are probably offered 

 in greatest number for the approval of gardeners. It is 



* On one island rain has lately fallen, after a drought of 

 eii/Jit I/curs. It was painful to gaze upon those staiving, 

 heathen islanders, without the ability to relieve their wants. 

 To .s.we life ni.-iny enngr:ited to distant isl.ands. returning 

 home, however, as soon as they he.^rd that rain had fallen. 



