93° 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1883. 



well-marked variety, and can be recognized when a small seedling. The plant is larger and 

 more robust, and is said to thrive at a higher elevation than the ordinary kind. 



Pepper. — As the cultivation of this condiment is attracting some attention in the Southern 

 Province, I have been at the pains to obtain from Singapore some roots of the best sort there grown. 

 These only arrived towards the end of the year. They are growing vigorously, and will be cultivated 

 in the Singapore manner. Erythrina stumps have been planted for the support of the " vines." 

 The foliage of these plants appears at present to show considerable differences from any of the 

 peppers grown by the natives here. 



Co7V Tree. — The specimen of Galactodendron at Henaratgoda is 18 inches high, and flourish- 

 ing. Of the two at P^radeniya, always sickly, one succumbed to the prolonged wet weather and 

 the other was destroyed in a night by a hare, which nibbled it off down to the ground. 



Sago. — The young plants raised from the Sarawak seed all grew vigorously, but there has 

 been no demand for them. A small artificial marsh was made at P6rddeniya 'and 27 plants put 

 out in it at eight feet apart. These have made splendid growth and are perfectly healthy. 



Wax Palms. — The Brazilian Carnauba palm (Copernicia cerlfera. Mart.) has been intro- 

 duced to the Colony by private means. I am indebted to Mr. W. Ferguson, of Colombo, for seeds 

 which germinated fairly, and we have now numerous young plants. The wax in this species comes 

 from the young leaves in the form of a scaly powder. 



The was palm of the Andes, Ceroxylon andlcola, H. & B., is one of the few mountain palma 

 flourishing, with oaks and conifers, between 8,000 and 10,000 feefe in the Cordilleras. The wax 

 here is an excretion from the trunk between the leaf-scars. Seeds of this interesting plant were 

 received from Kew, and the young plants are doing well at Hakgala. 



Orchella Weed. — This figures as a rather large export from Ceylon, the amount in the year 

 ending September, 1882, being no less than 1,1.57 cwts. As I have had several inquiries about it, 

 the following information may be of use. The plant is a lichen, and grows in the hot dry districts 

 of Ceylon close to the coast, or at least not beyond maritime influence. Its favourite localities are 

 seashore rocks, where on the east coast it is frequent, but it is also commonly found on old tree- 

 trunks near the coast, as about Jaffna. The species appears to he Moccella Mo7itagnei only, no 

 other member of the genus, so far as I know, occurring in the Island. It is a pale greenish-grey 

 lichen with the fronds ribbon-like, flaccid, much and irregularly cut, torn and split-up. The 

 colouring matters Litmus (solid). Orchil (liquid), and Cudbear (a powder) are manufactured from 

 this and other species. 



Peruvian Cotton. — Mr. J. C. Roberts, of Udagama, has sent seed of this kind of cotton from 

 Peru. It is very favourably noticed by Mr. Markham (in his work "Peruvian Bark"), who intro- 

 duced it into India, where he says it has been " highly spoken of by the agriculturists of Madras." 

 It is said to be the only long-stapled sort that will endure prolonged dry weather, and should 

 therefore be very suitable for our northern districts. I have sent some to Anuradhapura, Vavi\- 

 niyan-Vilankulam, and Mannar for experiment. 



Fibres. — In view of the large amount of land formerly under coffee but now uncultivated, 

 it becomes a question whether some one or more of the numerous fibre-yielding plants might not 

 be grown with profit. Of these the large green aloe Fourcroi/a glgantea, formerly Agam fcetlda) 

 so commonly grown for hedges in the coffee districts, and the less frequent glaucous-leaved one 

 {^Agave americana) — both long ago introduced — as well as the pine-apple and the plantain, yield 

 excellent fibre and are abundant. Of others, such as Rheea, Ramee or China grass {Boehmerla 

 nivea and varieties), Manila hemp (Miisa textills) and New Zealand fiax {Phormium tenax) the 

 gardens always keep up a small supply which can be readily increased if needed. 



Many of the native fibres might be also worthy of trial on a large scale. The following are 

 the most promising: — BeWi {Ilibiscus tiHacens), Jute {Corchorus capsularis and others), Caleya 

 {Grewla species), Hanna, Sunn hemp (^Crotalaria jimcea), Wara {Calotropis glgantea), Dul {Boeh- 

 merla malabarlca), Allaadu {AllcBantkus zej/lanlcus), Neyauda {Sansevlera zeylanica) ; and a true 

 Aloe {Aloe indlca?) which grows on the sea coast in the dry districts. 



Forests. — It is a matter for satisfaction that the whole subject of the future management 

 of our remaining forests can scarcely fail to be raised on the Report of Mr. Vincent, who is now 

 concluding his labours in Ceylon. In the present condition of the revenue too much care can scarcely 

 be bestowed on this subject, and it may be lioped that the reform so urgently needed in the care- 

 less waste and want of management of the past will be a thorough one. It does not fall within 

 my province to enter on this important subject, which is beset with difiiculties, but there are some 

 cognate matters which I would wish to press upon the attention of Government. Apart from 



