September i, 1884.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



217 



HEALTH EXHIBITION. 

 Banana fruit in splendid bunches, and a meal made from 

 the fruit, was shown by Mr. W. H. Ussher, of Bath. A 

 pamphlet, stating how excellent the food was for a strong 

 min doing heavy work, sel us wondering whal a railway 

 navvy fed on this substance would do compared with 

 another consuming his beef , pork, bread and beer, and how 

 he would stand in his piece-work account on pay-day. 

 In several stands Paraguay Tea, Ilex paraguayensis, formed 

 one of the exhibits, the renowned restorative being seen in 

 the form of a brownish powder interspersed with coarsely 

 broken up leaf. The Chinese Soya Bean, employed by the 

 Celestials in sauce and oil manufacture, was observed in 

 Mr. Christy's stand, as were Australian Pepper, Piper 

 nov;e-hollaudi:e. Kokum hotter, a substance made from 

 the fruit of Garcinia indica, a tree growing on the hills 

 on the western coast of India. The not very appetising 

 looking halls are prepared by removing the seeds and dry- 

 ing the pulp in the sun. A fuller description of its pre- 

 paration and uses will be found on p. 320, in this year's 

 volume of the Gardeners' Chronicle. Here also were to 

 be seen specimens of Odika bread (Irvhigia Barterij from 

 the region of the Gaboon River, often used in the manu- 

 facture of confectionery with chocolate. It is likewise 

 used as a national food by the natives. A variety of 

 Coffee called Maragogipe, that is supplanting the other 

 varieties of Coffee throughout Brazil, and which is said 

 to be exceedingly productive, possessing berries with smooth, 

 satiny skins, and of the highest quality. Erythroxylon coca, 

 the leaves of which make a very delicious liqueur, and 

 contain a very nutritive principle. Several varieties of Cin- 

 chonas are to be observed in the form of seeds' and bark, 

 such as Calisaya Verde, a Bolivian variety ; 0. morada, 

 from the same country ; O. Ledgeriana, from Ceylon ; also 

 a substitute for Cinchona, from Queensland — Alstonia con- 

 stricta, a genus of the Apocynum family. The Hark is 

 intensely bitter, and is used as a tonic and in stomach 

 complaints. Hymenodictyon excelsum, related to the Cin- 

 chonas, with bark that is very astringent, as much as that 

 of Cinchona. This plant is a native of Ceylon, and the 

 bark finds employment in leather tanning. Here were 

 also found Henna, Breadfruit flour, Papaine, a vegetable 

 pepsine, the active principle of Oarica papaya-; Mandioe, 

 an excellent Sago, a food frequently mentioned by Living- 

 stone in his Travels on the West Const of Africa; Tonquin 

 Beans, the pleasantly perfumed seeds of Dipterix odorata, 

 a native of Cayenne; the seeds are not unlike an almond, 

 but longer, and covered with a shining black skin ; 

 Myroxylon Pereirce, the bark yielding the Balsam of Peru 

 of commerce. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



COLONIAL NOTES. 



The Ouchterlony Valley, Southern India. — Starting 

 from the Nediwuttum plantations by a bridle path across 

 the intervening grass hills, the top of the Ouchterlony 

 Valley is quickly reached, presenting to the observer a 

 series of views of mountain scenery not to be surpassed 

 anywhere in Southern India. Flanked on the left by the 

 rocky, precipitous heights of the upper Nilgiri plateau, 

 with forest-clad ravines, and gorges down which dash and 

 foam the numerous mountain streams and torrents sup- 

 plying the Pamli Biver, which after flowing through a 

 portion of south-east Wynaad, enters the Nellumboor 

 district, so famed for its Teak forests. 



To the right it is bounded by a long spur of low fertile 

 hills, the sides of which are covered with nourishing Coffee 

 and Cinchona estates, interspersed with belts of jungle and 

 primaeval forests. The bridle path, which runs through the 

 entire length of the valley, is a most interesting ride to 

 any one possessing a botanical turn of mind, a continu- 

 ous change occurring in the variety of vegetation met 

 with as we descend from an altitude of 5,500 feet above 

 sea level to the lowest (joint, which is a little over 3,000 feet. 



At the commencement the scarlet ! hododendrpns form. 

 with the yellow-flowered Hypericum Hookeriamim, the 

 pr icipal features of the landscape, the denser jungles 

 having an almost impenetrable undergrowth of a tall- 

 growing Strohilanthus, while most conspicuous amongst the 

 numerous species of Ferns is the magnificent Tree Fern, 



28 



Alsophila latebrosa. Palms are rare, but species of Dendro 

 calamus are plentiful in the jungles, the long canes of 

 which are greatly in use for basket-work and tying pur- 

 poses, and the dwarf Palm, Phoenix fariuifera, grows on 

 the open grass lands. Theprincipal grasses, utilised greatly 

 for thatching cattle-sheds and coolie lines, ami for pro- 

 tecting the stems of freshly decorticated cinchona trees, 

 are Andropogon schcenanthus and A. Martinii. 



About half a mile down we pass through the Balmadies 

 Coffee ami Cinchona Estate, where, although showing signs 

 of being nearly worn out, are some of the finest. Cinchona 

 succirubra and officinalis in the district, the Coffee calling 

 for no special remark beyond hearing crops above the 

 average usually attained at a high elevation. A few acres 

 of Tea are also cultivated. 



As we pass through the jungle belts we notice specimens 

 of the Nilgiri Nettle, Urtica heterophylla, which yields a 

 fibre of considerable value, a sample of it, forwarded by 

 me to a firm in London, being valued at £60 per ton. 

 Numerous epiphytal Orchids occur on the trees, the prin- 

 cipal jungle trees consisting of various species of Diospyros, 

 wild Cinnamon, Artocarpus, Ficus, &c., the most valuable 

 timber trees being Black-wood, White Cedar, Jack, Vengay 

 and Ben Teak. 



The Guynd estate, a magnificent property of 800 acres 

 of Coffee in a highly cultivated condition, is next reached. 

 Here large numbers of Cinchonas are planted out amongst 

 the Coffee bushes, great attention being paid to the valuable 

 C. Ledgeriana. The usual crop of coffee is between 200 

 and 300 tons annually. Three well-built bungalows are on 

 the property, and a fine two-storeyed Coffee 6tore, the 

 puiping-house containing the largest pulping machinery in 

 the district ; this is worked by a huge water-wheel, christened 

 " The Viceroy " by Lord Lytton when on a visit to the 

 Ouchterlony Valley during his sojourn in India. Looking 

 round on such flourishing properties one can hardly fancy 

 that not a generation ago nothing was to be seen but 

 dense, dark jungle, through which the wild elephants, 

 bison, and numerous herds of spotted deer and sambur 

 roamed unmolested. 



From the adjoining estate, called " Tulloes," there is a 

 fine panoramic view of south-east Wynaad, including the 

 Devallah gold-fields and the distant Vellera Mulla hills, 

 besides numerous outlying Coffee estates and extensive 

 ranges of grass hills. 



The jungles here contain fine specimens of Bambusa, 

 including a scandent variety, and an ornamental Asparagus 

 of the same nature, the Oak-leaved Platycerium being also 

 common on the older forest trees, amongst which are to 

 be seen numerous black monkeys, green pigeons, ami the 

 pretty Malabar squirrel. 



Ipomcea malabarica, the fine purple Cispara creeper, 

 and Grloriosa superha, are some amongst the many flower- 

 ing plants ; a bright scarlet-flowered Ipomcea growing over 

 a granite rock near the Hope Bridge proved also very 

 attractive. Small gardens cultivated by the estate coolies 

 are here and there observed, containing principally Yams, 

 Sweet Potatoes, Castor-oil, and vegetables used in com- 

 pounding curries, English vegetables being represented by 

 Potatoes, Cabbage, Carrots, Turnips, &c. Various kinds of 

 tropical fruits are more or less plentiful, such as Plantains, 

 Guavas, Limes, Citrons, Oranges, Shaddocks, Jack-fruit, 

 Loquats, Pomegranates and Papaws. The gardens around 

 the planters' bungalows are generally very interesting, 

 furnished with highly-coloured Iresines, Altemantheras, and 

 Ooleus, as well as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias. Gardenias, 

 Roses, Crotons, Hibiscus, add others too numerous to 

 mention. Fine hedges are formetl with Roses, Lantanas, 

 and Datura sanguinea, and the various species of Thuia 

 thrive remarkably well. All tho bungalows on the Ouchter- 

 lony property, which is upwards of 50,000 acres in extent, 

 are well built with burnt bricks and sawn timber, tie- total 

 number of coolies working on the various estates often 

 exceeding S.oOO in number, and altogether over l.oiin ;H -res 

 arc already under Coffee cultivation, extension being made 

 annually. Unfortunately this fertile region bas lately 

 been tie; source of much troublesome litigation, owing to 

 the disagreements of the various partners interested therein, 

 in consequence of which it is under the ruling of the 

 High Court of Madras, which conducts all its affairs fch ugh 

 the medium of a receiver and manager. — W. F. Remf 

 Garden ers' Oh rov irle. 



