April 2, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



827- 



ing the fibre, "adapted to the circumstances of the ryot," 

 obtained a vahiatiou of £28 per ton on a sample sent homo 

 by them; and their advice "also stated that the highest 

 prices that any aloe fibre has hitherto realized in the London 

 market, was £16 per ton." If this be so, the statement 

 coutaineil in the r/miters' Gazette of November 16th, 

 published in Lowlon, that the market, "after rising from 

 £30 and £32 to £38 and £40. has declined to about £33 

 to £35 Irer ton," is misleading; unless such has been the 

 cond ition of the market at a subsequent date, a jump in 

 prices hardly credible; and it is disappointing that the 

 /'lanttrs' Gazette quoting Messrs. Cantwell should have 

 overlooked the discrepancy in the figures noted by us. 

 But, whatever the coiumercial value in Lomlon of the fibre 

 of the aloe, whether of the American species or the " I'uccay" 

 there can be no doubt of the remuuerativeness of the 

 cultivation of either in this country, where the times give 

 promise of the estabhshment of a variety of mills for 

 working up-country produce. It is estimated, though this 

 is necessarily guess work, that a beegah yielding 50 mauuds 

 of clean fibre would at a market value in Calcutta of R8 

 per man ml, give a retm-n of R300 per annum, all costs 

 being calculated at R2 per maund. In places where there 

 are tracts of waste ground, the experiments may be tried 

 on a larger scale, and perhaps where reh has exterminated 

 every other vegetable product, a plant so hardy as the aloe 

 may find root and live. Wc do not know; but planted in 

 hedgerows, the aloe provides an impenetrable fencing for 

 cattle, and ui the day of priming will give a handsome 

 retm'u. It is interesting at this point to consider tho man- 

 ner in which the fibre is separated from the leaf in the 

 Mauritius. This is by a machine known as the "Gratteuse," 

 of which an idea may be conveyed by the possibility of 

 converting the old-fashioned coffee pulpers in Ceylon to the 

 same use. But, in detail, pieces of 2-inch angle ironscreweil 

 across a drum at regular distances from scrapers, which 

 in revolution comb the fibre off one side of the leaf. An 

 adjustable sloping breat or chock placed a little below the 

 periphery of the drum supports the aloe leaf, which is in- 

 troduced from between two rollers, against tho scrapers. 

 This breat is three-quarters of an inch thick, and is .sloped 

 off exactly like the innerside of a thumb. On this surface 

 the leaf is combed, the chock being adjusted as required. 

 There are 18 scrapers to each drum. When one side has 

 been done, the leaf has to be withdra\vn to present the 

 other si de. This is primitive enough, and with the steam 

 power generally posses.sed in indigoconeerns, any number of 

 these machines may be driven. But it is exactly in re- 

 spect of the manner in which the fibre is extracted, that 

 its value is affected, and given as we have said, the circum- 

 stance of a large demand for a fine quality, fibre fine 

 enough for spinning and superior paper, it can be con- 

 fidently looked to that the Mauritius method will be im- 

 proved out of recognition. — liidif/o Flanters^ Gazette. 



Thk Silkworm in Cetlox. — A tew years ago one of the 

 Society of Arts' lecturers stated that scruples of a super- 

 stitious nature among the Buddhists of Ceylon had in- 

 terferred to prevent silk culture becoming popidar there, 

 although the priests themselves did not hesitate to wear 

 robes of the beautiful material. Since then those scrup- 

 les have either disappeared or the sacerdotal teachings 

 have lost their efhcacy with the natives. Sericulture is 

 now being pursued with considerable success in some 

 districts of the great, yet unfortunate, coft'ee island. 

 Among other amateur silk-farmers Father Palla, at Galle, 

 has recently endeavom-ed, by the promotion of mulberry 

 and silk culture, to open up new fields to the industry 

 of the i)ec>ple. It appears that a demand for eggs pro- 

 duced in his magnanerie has ari.sen in Europe in con- 

 sequence of the favourable impression created by samples 

 of his cocoons lately sent over, which for size and beauty 

 were nuich eulogised. Unfortunately there are obstacles 

 to the prosection of the silk industry in Ceylon in the 

 shape of the too .-diundant insect, reptile, and rodent 

 life wdiieh keeps the island always lively ; so that the 

 worms apt to be victimised by scorpions, wasps, ants, 

 lizards, rats, and other obnoxious creatiu-es. But by the 

 lexercise of thi' precautions usual in every trojiic.-d climate 

 gainst the inroads of vermin, the attacks of those ene- 

 oias will doul)tles6 in time be frustrated. Farther from 



the equator the risks diminish. Indeed, it is one of the 

 merits of comparatively temperate countries, like the nor- 

 thern portion of New Zealand, that sericulture may be 

 followed free from exasperating agencies. The whole sur- 

 roundings are such as to render the light, agreeable, 

 and charming industry of silk-farming equally alluring to 

 old and young. — CoJonres and India, 



Kola. — At a meeting of the Linnean Society, Decem- 

 ber 21, Mr. T. Christy called attention to some experiments ■ 

 lately made, which show that the Kola nut possesses sin- 

 gular properties of clearing fermenteil liquors. Mr. W. B. 

 Espeut, of Jamaica, also assured the meeting that it was 

 a certain specific against ihamkenness, sobering the indi- 

 vidual very rapidly. Quite lately there has been advert- 

 ised Kolanut Beer, and the maker states it to be superior 

 to Bass's ami Allsopp's famous brands, with nonintoxic- 

 ating qualities and stimulant power of a high order. 

 We woidd recommend Kola to the notice of the Yellow 

 Riband Army. — Gardeners^ Chronicle. 



CiNNAMOMUBi TABLiLA. — lu the Palm house at Kew there 

 are two fine specimens of this interesting Indian tree 

 now in flower. The flowers, though produced in pro- 

 fusion, are, on account of theu- smaU size and lack of co- 

 lour — greenish-white — somewhat inconspicuous ; the foliage, 

 however, somewhat makes up for the lack of beauty in 

 these, particularly when the young growths are develop- 

 ing, the leaves then being a delicate pink. At present 

 they are bright glossy light gi-een in colour. This tree is 

 somewhat widely distributed on the Himalayas, where it 

 is found at elevations from 300(3 — 7800 feet feet above 

 sea level. It is not gregarious, but is scattered in the 

 mixed forests, and generally affects shady moist glens. 

 The bark, especially that of the root, is medicinal, and 

 is largely collected and sold under the name of Taj. 

 There is also a considerable trade done in the leaves, 

 which are sold under the name of Tezpat and Tajpat. 

 Accorihng to some authorities this .specie.? — but which 

 also occm*s in Queensland — is a som-ce of Cassia lignea of 

 commerce. — lbi(t. 



The Trees of Mad.igascae. — The .soil is most fertile, 

 producing rice, manioc, sugar cane, pepper, cotton, indigo, 

 tobacco, and a variety of medicinal jjlants. A range of 

 fine mountains divides the island into numerous well 

 watered valleys. But the great glory of Madagascar is 

 her magnificent forests, stretching over two thousand 

 miles, and containing the most beautiful anrl valuable 

 trees, on which grow creepers and orchids of the rarest 

 kinds. Among the trees are the pandanus, the acacia, 

 the sago and the cocoa plam ; but the most remarkable 

 one that has been discovered in Madagascar is the ravi- 

 iiala^ or traveller's tree(«)v/»i« specio.m), which covers 

 large tracts of the forest. The Rev. "W. Ellis, speaking 

 of this tree, says: — "It rises from the ground with a 

 thick succulent stem like that of the plantain, and it 

 sends out, from the centre of the stem, long broad leaves 

 hke those of the plantain only less fragUe ; and ri.sing 

 not round the stalk, but in two hnes on opijosite sides 

 so that as the leaves increase and the lower once extend 

 horizontally, the tree presents the appearance of a large 

 open fan. I frequently counted from twenty to twenty- 

 fovu- leaves on a single tree, the stalk of each leaf being 

 six or eight feet long and the broad leaf itself fom' or 

 six feet more. These bright green gigantic leaves spread 

 out like a fan at the top of a ti-unk thirty feet high, 

 and present the most magnificent specinu'u of vegetation 

 that can be conceived." But it is not only for beauty 

 that this tree is .so remarkable. It is used for almost 

 evcrjiihing (like the jialm to the Arabs in the desert), 

 but it is most valuable from its containing, even in the 

 driest .season, a large <|uantity of pure fresh water, sup- 

 plying any want of wells or springs to the traveller. 

 There is a kind of natural cavern or cistern at the base 

 of th(^ stalk of each of the leaves, above its union with 

 the stem, and on piercing this a stream of pure clear 

 water gushes out, which is cool and perfectly sweet. 

 The leaves of this tree from the thatch of tlu' native 

 houses, while the hard outside bark is used for flooring. 

 These leaves are sold in all the markets ami are used 

 as idates. dishes, table cloths, wrappers for packages, and 

 i'\-en when foldeil into certain shapes, as j^poons and 

 drinking tups. — Month. 



