9Si> 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[June i, 1883. 



the toon {Cedre/a ioona), as suitable for tea-boxes. 

 As we have already pointed out, this cedar is only 

 too good (tluit is, likely lo bo too exijeusive) for thf 

 purpose. Dr. Trimen, writing, we suppose, of plants 

 .grown at Peradeuiya, gives a most encouraging account 

 of rapid growth, but our readers may remember the 

 record of Mr. James Taylor's experience, whose toon 

 trees were destroyed by insects. Of course, locality 

 may have had something to do with this. The Forest 

 Department ought certainly lo give a full Irial to the 

 cultivation of this most valuable timber tree. When 

 in Java we found it the object of great attention on 

 the part of Government and planters. It was being 

 planted in immense numbers alongside the public roads, 

 and in this connection we mny menlion that succi- 

 rubra plants were so plentiful and so little valued 

 for bark purposes, that they woi-e being used as nurses 

 for this and other valuable forest trees : that is, the 

 succirabra plant with its broad luxuriant foliage was 

 used to shade the forest tree seedling until it was be- 

 yonil danger, when the nurse was removed. Wo do 

 not know if this idea is likely to be of value in 

 re-allorestation operations in Ceylon. 



The information regarding rubber-yielding plants 

 is interesting and useful, and we trust that ere long 

 every tree yielding " iudiarubber " or the gums 

 called " gutta percha" will be at home and flour- 

 ishing in Ceylon. It is interesting also to learn that 

 attention is given to jalap and other medicinal plants, 

 some of which it may pay planters to grow. In all 

 such cases a considerable and ex(.anbive demand is 

 a sine quel non. We had received the impression 

 that the lichen, " orchella weed," which yields a 

 fine dye, was especially plentiful on the stems of 

 coconut palms. It was on that account, we under- 

 stood, that the late Mr, H. Mead chose the neigh- 

 bourhood of Kalpitiya as the scene of his collecting- 

 operations ; but Ur. Trimen merely mentions the 

 trunks of trees generally. As regards fibre plants, 

 we think it is tune the common plantain, with only 

 about 2 per cent of tibre to nearly 98 of water, slioul'd 

 be left out of court, while the true aloe which grows on 

 the seashore in the dry districts, is surley too 

 soft and succulent to yield libie ? Dr. Trimen was 

 very successful in a collecting trip to the arid 

 region in the neighbourhood of Hambantota, and the 

 general herbarium is making good progress. The 

 museum of economical products is only in the early 

 stages. Ought not duplicate sets of the herbarium 

 and museum fpccimens to be placed in the central 

 Colombo Museum for the instruction of the thousands 

 who can never enjoy the jdeasure of a visit to Pera- 

 deuiya ? and ought we not soon to hear that a 

 popular Botany of Ceylon is well advanced ? We 

 have waited long for this Handbook, while neigh- 

 bouring colonies have long been supplied with de- 

 scriptions of their " Flora." Thwaites' Ennmcratio is 

 a learned book for learned men. A book is desider- 

 ated whicli can be " understanded of the common 

 prople": newspaper editors and the like. 



Believing as we do that Ceylon should largely imit- 

 ate the policy of Switzerland by making the country 

 as attractive ns possible to tourists, nature having 

 already done so much, we are glad to see that un- 

 der Dr. Trimen's regime the fame and attractive- 

 ness of our Public Gardens is not likely to suffer, 

 but rather to be enhanced, and we entirely approve 

 of liberal expenditure in directions calculated not 

 only to gratify professional botanists and meet the 

 demands of agricultural induslry, but to excite the 

 admiration of travellers and visitors who, though 

 neither botanists nor planters, have a keen sense of 

 what is grand and beautiful iu the ganncuts, composed 

 of trees and fruits and flowers, from the stately palm 

 to the brilliant balsams, with whicli it has pleased 

 the Creator to clothe our island. 



AND 



INDIAN TIMBERS FOR TEA BOXES 



OTHER PURPOSES. 

 Mr. 8. E. Peal, the wellknown Indian tea-planter, 

 has commenced a series of articles in the Indian 

 Tea Gazette, of which the following is the first. 

 Although Mr. Peal has not in this preliminary article 

 arrived at the class of woods suited for tea-boxes, 

 yet our readers will be interested in what he says 

 about the best timbers for general purposes, tlie list 

 being headed by the valuable sal, next to teak, we 

 suppose, the most valuable of Indian timbers. Jak 

 holds the second place in Mr. Peal's list, while iron- 

 wood comes third, as suitable for posts and outside 

 work generally. Lagerstronnia reyina becomes a large 

 and valuable timber tree in Northern India, while 

 in Ceylon it is rare as an ornamental tree. Have 

 our foresters devoted any attention to it ? Mr. Peal's 

 list, it will be observed, includes two varieties of 

 sapus, while the golden-flowered cassia Jis/ula, com- 

 mon in the Eastern Province jungles, takes rank 

 amongst the most useful timbers. A forest of Lai/rr- 

 strcemia and cassia Jlsttda would certainly be " a thing 

 of beauty." 



In classifying woods for practical pmiioses, we may 

 onut theu' botanical relationships, and look on them solely 

 in regard to their uses ; thus some woods may be sjiocially 

 suitable for special things, wliile others may be good for 

 several. 



Firstly, we may take those more suitable for outdoor 

 work, and in doing so divide them into two grouiJS, — 

 those that are in the ground or under water, as posts 

 of houses and bridges, and those for upper work. 

 For outdoor work, as posts, ^c. 

 The list of woods sidtable and reliable under this head- 

 ing are comparatively few ; extreme harchiess and weiglit 

 also are not, as some might suppose, essential. Tiie last- 

 mg quahties appear to be due more to chemical or 

 organic structm-e, than to density, thus Saw, heart wood 

 of old ti'ees at least {Accasia stipu/aris), is both extremely 

 lasting and extremely Ught, and like the Maiphak, (name 

 so far uidaiowii botanicully) appears due to a rewiu .'imrtng 

 the fibres of the wood, and wliich also seems to protect 

 them iu some measure from the ravages of insects. 

 The woods best suited for outdoor posts, &c., .are — 



S.al, Shorea robusta. 



Jack, Artocarpus iutegi'ifoUus. 



Nahor, Mesua ferra ? 



Ajar, Lagerstcomia regiua. 



Gondserai. 



Koroi, Accasia. 



Gomari. 



Tita Sopa, Michelia. 



Korika Sopa, ,, 



Uriam, Audi'aclme ti'ifolium. 



Gahora. 



Toi angoU jamok. 



Souaru, Cassia fistula. 



Amsia. 

 No doubt a secondary list might be made up of such woods, ■ 

 as Moj, Maipak, Paroli, &c., but the above are more reliable 

 as bridge posts, or house posts, most of which, wliilc they 

 ofteu last well above, yet go between wind and water, or 

 uear the surface of the gi-ound. It is seldom that a post 

 decays to the very foot, say at 5 feet, below the surface, 

 decay usually occui's withiu a foot of the surface eaph 

 way — aud may be due to the px'esence of air- and moistm'e, 

 both at the one spot, iuclutliug some form of oxidation. 

 Of the foregoing trees undoubtedly Sal stands the highest 

 (for we have no teak naturally), but it is not seen in Upper 

 Assam, except iu a few places, where it has been planted, 

 but grows well. Like most of the harder woods it sinks in 

 water ; at times tlie Sal grows to a large size, as 10 or 12 

 feet in girth, at 6 feet from the ground, where it is usual to 

 measure it, unless theie are large roots standing out like 

 buttresses. A clear shaft also of 50 feet to the tu-st branch 

 is uot uncommon, but timbers of such a size are selilom 

 needed, and very diliicult lo deal with. It may uot be out 



