654 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1883. 



in paragraph 4 apply also to the provision of R1,000 for 

 water-supply at INaduvatam and 111,000 lor huts at Doba- 

 betta, The former provision h:is bncn struck out, and an 

 estimate for the latter must be forwarded for si notion, 

 though to obviate delay expenditure may be incurred before 

 the estimate is sanctioned. 



The GovernmeLt are constrained to remark that the esti- 

 mates, as submibted, are unsjitisfactoiy and supply but little 

 data or information in tlieraselves for review. The amount 

 of iho estimaTe for 18S3-84 depends chiefly on the varieties 

 and the quality of the bark to be harvested, but nothing is 

 said on this subject. The remarks of the Deputy Conserv- 

 ator in par.igraphs 5,0 (b) and 7 [«) and of the Oonservator 

 in paragraph 8 of tlieir respective letters are not understood 

 and the figures given therein ai)parcntlv do not coi'reopond 

 with tliose lu tije statements. 



The cugageriiont of Prnfessor Lawsou having been finally 

 settled by G.O., dated 11th October 1882, No. 1116, the sum 

 of K8,0l10 will be added to the total estimate of charges. 

 Tlie charges will then amount to E".l3,5ii0 (less R1,000 dis- 

 alliwed) plus 8,000 or Rl,00,500, the estimated receiptc 

 being E4,10,000. 



It will thus be seen that the cinchona plintations 

 continue to be a source of considerable i^rofit to the 

 Madras Government. With Professor Lawsou's advent 

 we may expect to see recnrds of experiments such as 

 Mr. Broughton made and the results of which were so 

 valuable and instructive. 



The Ctjltivation of Suoakcane in PeraU is likely 

 to assume large proportions, especially as the soil of 

 some lands taken up by the Perak Sugar Cultivatior 

 company are said to be very rich and suited for 

 sugar. The Perak Mining Association has also been 

 started, its chief object being to work the tin mines 

 of the district, — Madras Standard. 



The Fir.st Central cuffee cleaning mill in the pro- 

 vince ot Espirito Sauto, that at Porto do Caohoeiro 

 <!e Siiuttt Leopoldina, was to be formally inaugurated on 

 the 6th or 7th December last.— Rio A^ews. 



Red Ants and Popatoes. — Do red ants exist at the 

 elevation (4,000 to 6,500 feet ?) at which potatoes 

 are cultivated in Ceylon ? We ask because in de- 

 tails of experiments with potatoes in the Darjeeliug 

 district, given in proceedings of Agricultural and 

 Horticultural Society of India, red ants are desnribed 

 as very destructive. One gentleman who planted at 

 3,500 and 4,000 feet, wrote :— " 1 find them (red ants) 

 very destructive up at this elevation, and do all I 

 can, I cannot rid the place ot them, for I hive burnt 

 the soil, used ashes and lime to a great extent and 

 still of no very great beneficial avail. Ai other gentle- 

 man wrote : — " JMost of them were destroyed by red 

 ants bef'ire they came to maturity." 



Introduction of certain Fruit trees into the 

 Fiji Islands. — The folhiwing interesting letter fiom 

 John B. Thurston, Esq., Colonial Secretary at Fiji, dated 

 10th October was read : — "I have to acknowledge with 

 many thanlis the receipt ot your note dated the 

 2Sth June, together with a case of Mangoes and 

 Lichees shijjped per ship " Poonah." Your commu- 

 nication would have received another reply, but for 

 the unusual pressure of my official business, conse- 

 quent upon the removal of the seat of Goverunieut 

 from the Island of Ovalau to that of Viti Levti. It 

 is with pleasure I am to inform yon as to the results 

 of your kind and very valuable donation. The Lichees 

 witli two exceptions, were all alive They have been 

 planted out in appropriate situations and are in a 

 fair way of establiphing themselves. A few Lichees 

 had been previously introduced by planters returning 

 to the Colony via Ceylon, but I am not aware tliat 

 they were established in any one case. The same 

 may be said of Hambutan, Longan, &c. You are 

 probably aware that a congener of the Lichee, viz., 

 Ne|ilieliuin pumatum is indigenous to Fiji. It is a 

 veiy tine tree and bears a Vtry agrecible fruit. But 

 you have it, I believe, ju luaiiy parU ol India. [Not 



in the Society's Garden.] Of the Mangoes, a fair pro- 

 portion were alive. Those dead were noied in the 

 margin. Tbe plants had experienced some very cold 

 weatlier, and had, I think, suffered a little from the 

 not unoommou mistake of being supplied with too 

 much water. Upon the whole, however, Mr. Cornelius 

 landed his charge in very fair condition and has well 

 earned my thanks. The names in the margin are most 

 likely improperly spelt. There being lunch difficulty 

 in reading some of the labels. But may serve to in- 

 dicate the varieties lost. In consequence of the early 

 departure of Cornelius to his post at a somewhat dis- 

 tant part of the colony, I was unable to consult him 

 as to what plants in this colouy would be acceptable 

 to your society. But until he has been here, some 

 little time, it is not likely that he would have on 

 such a po'int much advice to offer. I shall therefore 

 fill your case for return per 1st Jannmy and ship in 

 May next, exercising my own discretion as to its con- 

 tents, though in the meantime if you can give me 

 any .suggestions yourself, it will give pleasure to act 

 upon tbem. This colouy appears to present condi- 

 tions of soil and climate favourable to the growth 

 of a number of tropical productions, and with the 

 assistance of the older Colonies and Dependencies of 

 the Crown might soon possess them. Dr. King has 

 very kindly sent me from time to time a number 

 of trees and seeds of economic value and they are 

 doing very well. With the present rapidity of steam 

 oominuuication, I find, however, that the post is a 

 most useful agent, as by the transmission of fresh 

 seeds the probabilities of a useful introduction are 

 increased, and the risks to individual i^lants avoided. 

 If, therefore, it is within the power of your Society 

 to send me seeds of any useful fruit or timber trees, 

 or ot any ornninental plants, it will confer a benefit 

 on this young colony. I have succeeded in obtain- 

 ing a grant of laud, or rather a resermtion, for the 

 purpose ot forming uuseries and gardens for the pro- 

 pagation and culture uf useful and ornamental plants 

 and trees, the managenient and control ot which I 

 have undertaken myself until such time as the 

 finances of the colony will permit of a professional 

 ofEcer being appointed. Sir Joseph Hooker and Mr. 

 T. Dyer have both taken great interest in the task 

 I have set myself, and will learn with jileasuro ot 

 the valuable and quite unexpected assistance yoH have 

 beeu 80 good as to give mo. Resolved : — That the 

 acknowledgments of the Society be tendered to Mr. 

 Thurston for his interesting communication, —that a 

 supply of seeds be forwarded to him, and that his 

 offer of reciprocation Le thankfully accepted. — Pro- 

 ceedliKjn of the Agriculural and Horticultural Society of 

 Inditt. 



Protection FORM White Ant.s.— Mr. Marshall Wood- 

 row, Superintendent, Botanical Gardens, Ganesh Khiud, 

 Poona, gives the following as an antidote for white ants : 

 — I'ercloride of Mercury, as its names implies, is a com- 

 pound ot Cloriue aud Mercury. It is a heavy white 

 erystaline substance soluble iu water aud very poi.'^onous. 

 It IS procurable from any Chemist in a large way of busi- 

 ness. This subst&nce has beeu in use during many 

 years among Botanists and other Naturalists to pro- 

 tect their specimens from insects, iind recently has 

 beeu tried with success against white ants. To use 

 the Percloride of Mercury it shonid be dissolved iu 

 water and the papers to be preserved dipped in the 

 solution. Glass or glazedware vessels only should be 

 us-d to keep the solution. As some officers meet 

 with a difficulty in getting this substance, a small 

 quantity has been prepared at this office tor distri- 

 bution; it is packed in small packets, each sufficient 

 for one quart bittle of water, and these packets are 

 enclosed in a paper bearing directions for use aud 

 containing one dozen packets, — Ibid. 



