July i, 1884.] 



THE .TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



UNDERGROUND IRRIGATION 



is thus described by Col. Fisher, R.E., iu the proceedings 

 of Ihe Madras A^ri-Horticultural Society: — 



" I have lately been trying a system of underground irrig- 

 ation here which has given me the best results, and as it 

 may not be commonly known, I send you an account of it 

 as it may be of use to your Society, particularly for flower 

 cultivation iu India. 



"I take a common tile whole and fix it iu a bed of flowers 

 about 3 or 4 inches deep, by looser. ing the earth, not remov- 

 ing it, and pour the water in'o this, which runs underground 

 to the roots and does not rise on the surface of the ground 

 at all, if the tile has been properly fixed ; if the soil is very 

 loose or porous, a little clay puddling is required round the 

 tile, which is put into the ground by its smaller end. One or 

 more tiles are required according to the size of bed, but I 

 find one tile quite enough for an area of one yard diameter. 



" For flowers in pots or boxes I use a small tin tube or pipe 

 about G iuches long and i inch in diameter, which is inserted 

 in the pot and its top kept always on a level with the rim of 

 the pot. 



"By means of this system of irrigation it isquite practical 

 to destroy all insects, &c, which are so destructive to plants 

 in India. I find a solution of Phenyle, 1 in 50 parts of water, 

 poured into these tiles or pipes, frees the plants of all insects, 

 vermin, See., as they leave the ground which is saturated be- 

 low by it, and in the same manner it is quite possible to con- 

 vey manure dissolved in water direct to the roots of plants, 

 which I find nourishes them far more effectually than bythe 

 ordinary method of watering. The ground is also kept much 

 cleaner and free from all caking, &c. It is of course necess- 

 ary to water the plants occasionally in the ordinary way to 

 clean the leaves, but there is a great saving in using the water, 

 as I have detailed above both in Garden and flower cultivation. 



"lam no L . aware that this system has ever been tried be- 

 fore in India, but I have found it so remarkably successful 

 here, I have sent you the details in the hope it may be of some 

 service to your Society, in furthering its objects and interests. 

 I have at this time of the year many English flowers in full 

 bloom by means of this method of irrigating." 



Read the Honorary Secretary's letter, dated 4th March 

 1884, in reply. 



Read also the following extracts from a further letter, from 

 Colonel Fischer, R. E., dated 7th March, 1884,:— 



"So far as my experience goes with this system of under- 

 ground irrigation, nothing can be more satisfactory ; a bed of 

 Larkspur which had never flowered for 12 mouths is now iu 

 full bloom: the Uerman stock is also now in full flower, 

 Balsam and Zinnias are all coming on well, so are Candytuft, 

 Chrysanthemum, Amaranths, Poppies, Cornflowers, Larkspur, 

 Mignonette, Centaurea, Asters, &c. 



"I have Hollyhocks now nearly 8 feet high in full flower 

 with 15 to 2( I spikes per plant. I have 110 cauliflowers in 

 excellent condition, and no appearance of running to stalk or 

 leaf: each plant is in a single pot tile, sunk 3 inches into the 

 ground and the whole bed does not occupy ond-fif th the space 

 that 150 plants do planted out in the usual way. As regards 

 the cultivation by this system, I am of opinion the pipes 

 should go down at least 3 feet between two rows of trees, 

 otherwise the roots will come out at surface, but I have no 

 means of trying this system on any acale and only suggest it 

 for the consideration of your Committee. I beg to add 

 I made no claim as an inventor, but submitted such results 

 as I had obtained for use if approved of." 



Resolved, that Colonel Fischer, R.E., be thanked for his 

 interesting communication. 



[Of course when tiles are mentioned, draining tiles, or 

 rather earthenware pipes are meant. But for the expense, 

 coffee grubs could be effectually disposed by sending down 

 phenyle as described. — Ed.] 



NOTE ON KAMALA.* 



WIHIAJI K I R K B Y, PH.C. 



Kamala was not known in Europe as a drug until a very 

 recent period. Before the year 1852 the only account of it 

 is in the writings of Anslie, Roxburgh, Royle, and Buch- 

 anan. In that year, however, Port-Surgeon Vaughan met 

 with it in the bazaar of Aden under the Arabic name of 

 wars. Specimei - lined by him were forwarded to Mr. 



* Read before the Manchester I 'h;i i.iaceutical Association. 



Daniel Hanbury, together with information concerning 

 the same. The following information collected by him 

 is found in his 'Notes on Drugs observed at Aden, 

 Arabia' :f — " Wurrus or varus is a red powder used chiefly 

 as a dye. It is the produce of a plant resembliug sesame. 

 The plant rises to about 5 feet in height, bearing several 

 separate bunches or clusters of small round seeds, which 

 are covered with a description of Hour ; this, removed by 

 gentle rubbing, constitutes the dye. Two kinds come into 

 the market. ■ The best comes from the interior, principally 

 from the towns of O Badan and Gebla, and the districts of 

 Yaffaee and Sjibul Rudfan. The second kind, brought by 

 the Somalis of the opposite coast, comes from Hurrer. 

 The second quality is not so much valued, and does not 

 realize the price of the kind which comes from the interior. 

 A considerable quantity of the dye is exported to Bombay! 

 being used at Surat by ladies for dyeing silk a light brown- 

 yellow. The Arabs use it as a dye and as a medicine 

 internally, for leprosy, and externally, in solution, for freckles 

 and pustules. Much of it finds its way to the Persian 

 Gulf, being known as asberg." Dr. Vaughan goes on to 

 say that the best quality sells for 24 rupees the maund, 

 while the African variety sells for only 17 or 18 rupees 

 the n.aund. 



Mr. Hanbury} states that he showed the specimens he 

 had received to Mr. Alexander Gibson, of Bombay, who 

 was at that time in London. Mr. Gibson suggested to him 

 that it was obtained from Rottlera tinctoria. He then pro- 

 ceeded to compare the drug with specimens in the museum 

 of the Linnrean Society, and found that Mr. Gibson was 

 correct in his surmise. 



Kamala, as found in commerce, is a fine, mobile powder 

 of a dull red colour. Under the microscope it is seen to' 

 consist chiefly of translucent, bright red granules mixed with 

 colourless stellate hairs. These hairs give the drug its dull 

 appearance. The glands are spherical, rather irregularly 

 so. Their diameter is from 70 to 120 mkm. (micromilli- 

 metres). They are flattened on one side, and are composed 

 of a number of clavate cells enclosed in a pale yellow 

 membrane. The cells are arranged in a radiate manner 

 round a short stalk cell, which is not always vissible 

 occupying the basal side of the gland. From ten to thirty 

 of these cells may be seen on one side ; the whole cell 

 however, contains from twenty to sixty of them. The cells are' 

 filled with a red resin, which is soluble in solution of caustic 

 potash, alcohol, and ether. On treatment with solution of 

 caustic potash the structure of the gland becomes plainly 

 vissible. On appropriate treatment, first with alcohol and 

 afterwards with Schultz's solution or sulphuric acid and 

 iodine, the cells are seen to be composed of cellulose, while 

 the enclosing membrane is seen not to be cellulose.' 



Professor Fliickiger§ says that he examined authentic 

 specimens from the Calcutta Gardens. These were taken 

 from Mallotus Phillipinensis (Rottlera tinctoria), and he 

 found them to agree entirely with the kamala of commerce 



From this it is plainly evident that the source of com- 

 mercial kamala has been definitely settled. 



Some years ago Messrs. Allen & Hanbury imported a 

 remarkable kind of this drug from Aden. A full account 

 will Vie found in ' Pharmacographia.' Mr. Hanbury for- 

 warded a sample of this to Professor Fliickiger, who sub- 

 mitted it to an exhaustive examination. «[ It differs from 

 the ordinary variety in bulk, in having a dark red or violet 

 colour. Microscopically examined it is at once seen to have 

 quite a distinct structure. -Solution of caustic potash dis- 

 solves the resin contained by the glands, and the general 

 structure is easily seen. The glands are cylindrical, some- 

 what conical, and are composed, like the other, of resin 

 cells enclosed by a membrane. The glands are from 170 

 to 200 mkm. long and from 70 to 100 mkm. broad. The 

 hairs mixed with them are simple and long, when com- 

 pared with the short stellate hairs of the common kind 

 Professor Fliickiger is quite sure the two kinds are not 

 obtained from the same plant. 



Dr. Dymock, in his ' Vegetable Materia Medica of 'West- 

 ern India, says :— " ■ Wurs,' or ' wurrtis,' which differs from 

 genuine kamala iu being a dark purple colour, is the gland 

 of the leaf of a leguminous plant, Flemmgia congests ' 



t Pharm. Joum., [1], xii., 385. 



} Pharm. Joum., [1], xii., 589. 



si Pharm. Journ., [2], ix., 279. 



■ Pha; . .i , < . [2], vol. ix.,27S. 



