September i, 1884.! THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 1 ' 



241 



From a letter received from the Rev. E. Bassett Key, 

 I gather that the roots of this plant, which is very com- 

 mon iu Jamaica, is being exported from Montego Bay as 

 " dandelion." 



Cow yvre .-—111411117 has been made for this tree (Lrosi- 

 mum Galactrodeudron), which is a native of Venezuela. It 

 is closely allied to the Bread-nut tree of Jamaica (Brosi- 

 miiia alioastrum) which also possesses a milky innocuous 

 juice of an agreeable taste. The milk of the cow-tree, 

 which, according to the report of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 is obtained " by making incisions in the trunk, is said to 

 have an agreeable taste like that of sweet steam with a 

 slightly balsamic odour ; it is somewhat glutinous, but said 

 to be nourishing and perfectly wholesome. According to 

 Boussingault the constitution of the " milk " of the Oow- 

 tree approaches very closely that of the genuine milk of 

 the cow." 



A plant or two of this has been promised from Kew, 

 which will be tried at the Castleton Gardens. 



Australian Daisy .-—This small but interesting composite 

 of twiuing habit (Erigerou mucronatum) is really a native 

 of Mexico, but it is known iu hill gardens under the above 

 name. It is the nearest in size and colour of all our com- 

 posite plants to the European Daisy, which latter, how- 

 ever, is not naturalized in Jamaica. 



Native Bread .—Under this name a curious tuberous body- 

 has beer, found at Cinchona by Mr. Hart, mostly in clayey- 

 soils, which has been identified as Myiitta lapidesci ns. 

 Tins is a fuugoid growth nearly similar to the " native 

 bread " of Australia. Specimens of a similar body found 

 at Travancore are. used as medicine by the Cliinese, but, 

 like many other of their remedies, are of very doubtful 

 utility. The largest specimens as yet found in Jamaica 

 are about two inches in diameter. They are no doubt per- 

 fectly wholesome and when cut the fresh surfaces have 

 much the appearance of compact boiled sago. 



Baobab [Adansonia digitata) .-—A few specimens of th 1 * 

 tree (somewhat resembling the cotton tree) are found i n 

 the island; where, as near Constant Spring (St. Andrew), 

 they attain a large size and well drsorvo the name of 

 agouty stem " trees. The gourd-like fruit contains an cat- 

 ble acid pulp. The wood is light, soft and of little use. 

 John Crow Beans .-—This is the common Jamaica name 

 for Crab's eyes or seeds of Abrus precatorius. "Under 

 the name oT Jequerjty they have recently been used in 

 tho treatment of ophthalmia. They are very poisonous.' 

 Horse Cassia : — This fine tree (t'assia grandis) a native 

 of Brazil is rare in Jamaica. Specimens of fruit were 

 lately received from Mr. Deans, Priestman's River, Port- 

 land ; and seeds have besn distributed to home and foreign 

 correspondents. 



Liquid storax : — A few plants of Liquidambar styraciflua, 

 have been raised from seed received from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, "Washington, which are doing well 

 at the Cinchona Plantations. In the United Statts it is 

 called sweet gum and the resin exudes from natural fissures 

 or from incisions. 



Strainer Vine: — This is a very common Oucurbitaceous 

 plant in waste places iu Jamaica; the fruit of whieh, 

 under the name of Towel gourds has been exported of 

 late. The close vascular network of the inside of this 

 gourd (Luffa regyptiaca) serves as a scrubbing brush and 

 as an useful adjunct to the bath instead of a sponge. 

 It is also worked up into light ornamental articles, baskets, 

 &c, &c. 



iiimusops Elengi:—A plant of this bears fruit freely at 

 the Castleton Gardens. The fruit is said to be largely 

 eaten in Guiana and elsewhere. The fragrant flowers 

 are used for making garlands and the bark yields a tonic 

 and febrifuge. 



English Oak:— Iu the Blue Mountains the English oak 

 is growing well. At "Whitfield Hall two 'fiue oak trees 

 grow at the back of the house, one of which has a fine 

 umbrageous head about 30 feet high aud fully 40 feet in 

 diameter : it has a clean stem about C feet in cirenmfer- 

 at the base ; other, but smaller, trees are found at the 

 Cinchona Plantation and at Wallen's above Cold Spring 

 coffee estate. This latter place had about a hundred 

 years ago, a fine collection of temperate plants, whence, 

 no doubt, they were gradually distributed over the neigh- 

 bouring Blue Mountain districts. D. Moekis. 

 31 



OYSTER PRODUCTION AT ARCAOHON. 



[We have lately read so much of the non-success of 

 attempts to breed oysters artificially, that it is refreshing 

 to see what follows. "Why should not the box method 

 be adopted iu the case of our pearl-yielding shells?— 

 Ed.] 



The production of oysters in tho Bay of Arcaehon near 

 Bordeaux, has, according to Consul Ward, become <>f late- 

 years a very important and lucrative branch of industry 

 for the inhabitants, as well as the originators of tin 

 method of breeding, which latter has had the result that 

 the number of oysters now annually produced at Aracachoii 

 is greater than at any other place in Europe. During tin- 

 year 1883, the number of oysters measuring at least five 

 centimetres, or 11)5 inches in length and breadth, which 

 were exported, is estimated to have reached about 

 173,000,000. The greater proportion of these were two or 

 three years old, and were sold as "table" oysters, the 

 remainder, though not inferior in size, were only one 

 year and a-balf oil, aud were forced by a peculiar proci 

 This consists in placing the young oysters into so-called 

 ambulances, that is, boxes with wooden sides and tops 

 and bottoms, covered with galvanized wire, the boxes being 

 fixed about a quarter of a yard above the ground. The 

 oysters placed in these boxes grow about twice as rapidly 

 as others which are merely placed in the beds. The chief 

 aajsons of the success of the Arcaehon oyster beds are, 

 on the oue hand, the favourable condition of the water, 

 which does not leave the beds dry for more than three 

 hours at each tide, and thus causes the oysters to grow 

 rapidly ; and, on the other hand, the composition of the 

 soil, a sort of blue clay, which is sufficiently bard to 

 prevent the oysters from sinking down too deeply. The 

 prolific production is also considered to be owing to the ar- 

 rangement of tiles iu the water along the sides of the 

 oyster beds, the tiles having been previously dipped in a 

 solution of lime ; about 10,000 tiles are sufficient for a bed 

 three acres in size, aud after a short time from 50 to 

 1,200 oysters will collect upon each of the tiles. In con- 

 sequence of the great productiveness of the Arcaehon 

 oyster beds, the French Government has lately prohibited 

 oysters measuring less than five centimetres in length to 

 be taken out of the bay for sale. The present price of 

 oysters at Arcaehon is considerably lower than 15 years 

 ago, when only a few hundred thousand were exported 

 annually ; at the present date, oysters measuring over 

 seven centimetres fetch from 55 to 58 francs per 1,000, 

 compared with 120 francs in 1870.— Journal of the Society 

 of A rts. 



ANALYSIS OF RAIN WATER, 

 Analytical Laboratory, 79 Mark Lane, 



London, E.C., June I2th, 1884. 

 No. 1. — Rain water received iu a stone jar cased with 

 wicker collected on Meeriabedde, Koslanda, Ceylon, between 

 November 10th, 1883; and March 6th, 1884, and supposed to 

 represent the 20-81 inches of rain registered between the 

 above dates. 



An Imperial Gallon was found to yield on evapor- 

 ation, solid residue dried at 110° c = 5 74 grains, consist- 

 ing of : — 



Organic and Volatile Matters 1-12 



Mineral Matters 4-62 



Total 



574 



Also by direct determination — 



Per Per acre for 



gallon. every inch of rain. 



Free Ammonia ... -291 grains. 

 Albuminoid Ammouia '008 „ 



•299 



Nitric Acid ... -510 



Sulphuric Acid ... 2-307 



; Chlorine -397 



Equal to Chloride of 



( Sodium O'l 



Lime 1-882 



Magnesia '100 



equal to -966 lb. 



„ 1-648 ., 



„ 7 4,-,S „ 



„ 1-283 „ 



n 2114 „ 



„ 4306 „ 



„ -323 „ 



