226 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



of self-denial in favour of a valuable plant can be offered 

 than that which forms the subject of M. Mangin's very 

 interesting narrative. The Chevalier's devotion to the Coffee 

 plant entrusted to his care saved its life. He suffered 

 severely, but he still persisted in sharing the glass of water 

 with the plant, and he brought it to its destination in safety. 

 If Professor Asa Gray reads this story I hope he will 

 regard it as making amends for an error I committed a 

 year or two ago in half-killing the wrong plant in these 

 columns. This was done on pretty good authority, too. The 

 Professor discovered my mistake, and corrected it, but he 

 did not give the true version of the story, which I trust 

 has now been done, as it should have been done before 

 if I had met with it sooner. — H. E. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY EXHIBITION. 



British Guiana. — Opposite the Indian exhibits, on the 

 north side of the middle transept, will be found a repre- 

 sentative and most interesting collection of woods and 

 other forest produce from British Guiana. It would seem j 

 almost incredible were we to enumerate the many valuable 

 trees procurable from these primaeval forests. The rivers, 

 being tidal for a considerable distance inland, afford special 

 facilities for the rafting of timber from the inland stations 

 to Georgetown, and various other ports to which ships 

 resort. The principal tree of these forests is the Mora 

 gigantea— until lately well known to our ship-builders, 

 but since the extended use of iron now almost discarded — 

 the wood of which is not unlike Teak, hard and tough. 

 Another valuable timber is the Greenheart, which from its 

 great specific gravity and immunity from the attacks of 

 sea-worms is extensively used in the construction of docks, 

 and for marine purposes generally. Over 100 specimens of 

 trees abounding in the colony are shown, both in a rough 

 and fiuished state, all of which are well worth inspection 

 by those interested in such matters. Not less interesting 

 than the above is a collection of the parasites and fungi 

 which grow upon these trees. The bush-rope, an extra- 

 ordinary tree parasite, first makes its appearance at the 

 top of the tree, where the seed had been deposited by 

 birds, and growing downwards frequently strangles the tree 

 in its deadly embrace. The huge and extraordinary fungi 

 here submitted for view — some having the appearance of 

 metal, others of stone or leather— are simply astonishing, 

 and would, to those interested in this way, be a study 

 alone. Specimens of raw fibre and ropes manufactured 

 therefrom are shown as illustrative of fibre-bearing plants 

 in which the colony appears to be exceedingly rich. The 

 material is, to all appearance, of excellent quality, and the 

 threads of fibre of great length. Many notable examples 

 of Indian art industry are also to be seen, such as the 

 buck-pot formed out of a peculiar clay entirely by the 

 hand, in which all their food is cooked ; the "shake-shake," 

 or rattle, of the Pei-man, or village wizard, and children's 

 rattles made of Gourds. 



St. Vincent.— Occupying one of the side tables in the 

 central transept is a series of most interesting and curious 

 exhibits from the Island of St. Vincent. Particularly 

 noteworthy amongst these is a numerous collection of 

 fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, as well as a large representation 

 of their edible products. Of tree seeds there is also a 

 fair collection, and good examples of the various woods 

 used for dyeing purposes. The model of a woodman's hut 

 constructed of Bamboo, and thatched with coarse grass, 

 as used by the natives for temporary shelter, boats, hats, 

 and baskets, are also included in the collection. Chocolate, 

 or rather the fruit of the Cacao from which it is made, 

 and the roots of the plant from which arrowroot is obtained, 

 are well worthy of inspection, as are also the "Old Man's 

 Beard," a native seaweed, and the nest of one of the termite 

 family, popularly called, from its destructive influence on 

 wood, the " Carpenter's Friend," both of which may be 

 regarded more as curiosities than otherwise. 



Cape Colony. — This name is often applied to the English 

 colony now better known as the Cape of Good Hope. The 

 principal forest of this country is the Knysna which covers 

 an area of about 2,500 miles of the mountainous region 

 between Algoa and Table Bays. Great inducement is now 

 offered for extended planting at the Cape, which, with the 

 measures of conservation recently adopted by the Govern- 

 ment will ultimately be productive of beneficial results in 



not only checking the threatened deforesting of the country, 

 but m clothing the vast flats and waste lauds with flourish- 

 ing woods and plantations. The principal indigeuous tree 

 here is the Yellow Wood, which not only attains a large 

 size, but is particularly valuable for flooring purposes as 

 well as the construction of carts, waggons, &c. In the 

 manufacture of furniture the Stiukwood is largely employed, 

 being of an unusually rich appearance and susceptible of 

 a high polish. Black and white Irouwood, Sneeze-wood, 

 which is of great specific gravity; Camphor-wood, the 

 Stone Pine, and the Cape Box, are also exhibits as well 

 as a working model of a forest waggon bearing a variety 

 of the native woods. Of curiosities tastefully arranged on 

 the table, we particularly noted a number of native articles 

 of adornment, such as necklaces and bracelets of Melon 

 seeds, bead-work, hats ingeniously constructed of weeds, 

 and an interesting collection of the now famous Zulu assegais, 

 ostrich eggs, &c. 



Siehra Leone and Gambia are also well represented 

 by large and varied displays of forest produce. Thirty- 

 two specimens of native trees have been sent by the 

 Government, none, however, of any particular value, but 

 generally well adapted for ordinary purposes. The Rose- 

 wood and Mahogany from Gambia are very inferior, both 

 in graining and texture, to what is generally used in this 

 country, but they may no doubt be turned to good ac- 

 count by the cabinet-maker of ordinary pretensions. Per- 

 haps the most useful of the West African trees is the 

 Koorooloongo, which is not only plentiful but of very 

 superior quality, and used for similar purposes to what 

 the Oak is with us. The produce of the Rubber-Taul, one 

 of the best rubber-producing trees of the colony, is well 

 exemplified in various samples of this commodity shown both 

 iu pure and impure states. Other trees are "valuable for 

 their medicinal qualities, while for the production of fruits, 

 wine, gums, and various dyes, including indigo, various 

 others are much in request. Samples of the grasses and 

 cereals grown in this country are also shown, as well as 

 ropes and nets made from fibre. One of these fibres is 

 of very substantial quality, as is illustrated by a hammock 

 made from it and forwarded for exhibition. Other exhibits 

 on this stand are the Mandingo saddle, which is made of 

 wood, various cooking utensils, models of native huts, 

 canoes, drinking cups, and chairs ; all of which are taste- 

 fully designed, and at once convey the idea that the 

 natives are quite at home in these various classes of 

 workmanship. — Gardeners' Chrov icle. 



Pineapple Wine.— I have made wine from grapes 

 for some years, and about two years ago I made a 

 small quantity of wine from pineapples. I will detail 

 the process : The pineapples were peeled, cut into- 

 slices, placed in a tub and chopped, or cut with a 

 spade. The jnice and pulp wore put into a vessel, 

 two-thirds full, a bag placed over it, and left two 

 or three days. Then they were taken out and 

 pressed through a lever or screw press, and the liquid 

 afterward put into a flannel bag. To each gallon of 

 juice two pounds of sugar were added, and the wine 

 put into a vessel of the requisite size, taking care to 

 keep it full all the time, reserving a portion of the 

 wme for this purpose. A bag of sand should be placed 

 over the bung-hole to let the gas escape, and to 

 prevent the ingress of the air as long as the hissing 

 noise of fermentation continues. The barrel should be 

 filled up every third day. After two months paper ' 

 can be pasted over the bung, and after four months, 

 after clarifying with isinglass and the whites of eggs, 

 it can be bottled. The wine T made proved to be of 

 medium strength, between Burgundy and Port. It 

 retained at the end of eight months the bouquet and 

 taste of the pineapple, and was pronounced by several 

 who drank it the best wine they ever tasted. — Corre- 

 spondence Times- Union. 



DON'T DIE IN THE HOUSE. 

 "Rough on Rats" clears out rats, mice, beetles, roaches, 

 bed-bugs, flies, ants, insects, moles, chipmunks, gophers. 

 "NY. E. Smith & Co., Sole Agents. 



