93« 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[June i, 1885. 



all single stems cut down to about six to eight mil-Its 

 from the ground. Experience will prove this to be 

 advantageous and economical, If Mr. Wright would 

 wish to see the full force of the system advocated 

 above, let him select a plant with a number of side- 

 shoots, dig the ground round the plant, cut the 

 shoots half through at twelve or fifteen inches, plant 

 and fix them down with a hooked peg, with their 

 heads turned up of course ; these will quickly root 

 and form a cirole of plants round the parent one. 

 Mr. Wright could go on repeating till he made his 

 plants broader than the diameter of his water-wheel. 

 He must, however, if he has any awkward questions 

 to ask, such as how he should pluck the centre or 

 manure the plant, &c. .apply to "Ed. T. A." and not to, 

 youis, 



ARBORICULTURIST. 



Birds' Nests for the Chinese — During the 

 second half of last year several communications ap- 

 spearcd in Nature relaling to the nests from which 

 the Chinese birds'-nest soup is mado. Mr. I'ryer, 

 whose account of his vieits to the Gomantin Caves 

 in North Borneo, where the nests are chiefly found, 

 initiated the discussion, has now addressed a long 

 communication on the subject to an English journal 

 published in Japan, the main points of which appear 

 to be as follows: — (1) Owing to a misapprehension, 

 Mr. Pryer was represented as saying that the bats 

 which inhabit the caves constructed the nests as well 

 as the swifts. The bats have nothing to do with the 

 nests. (2) Mr. Layard, in his letter published in Nature 

 ■' -niber 27th, 1SS4), speaks of "traces of blood, 

 from the efforts of the birds to produce the saliva." 

 Mr. Pryer thinks that the patches of brown-red on 

 ists may be due to blood from the hands of the 

 gathcrers.or to the betel-juice which they constantly ex- 

 rate, but not to the bird's blood. (3) The birds do 

 not eat algse ; they are purely insectivorous. (4) Mr. 

 Green says (Nature, December 11th) that a chemical 

 and microscopical examination of the nests suggests 

 that they are made from the saliva of the bird. This 

 Mr. Pryer regards as a physical impossibility, for the 

 bird could not secrete in a few days a mass of saliva 

 more than equal, when dried, to the entire bulk of its 

 own body, and then do this nine consecutive times a 

 year. He thinks that, undoubtedly, some saliva is 

 used by the birds, the algse (which Mr. Pryer in 

 correctly called "fungoid growth" in his first account) 

 being used in the lame way as a Japanese swallow 

 {Oecropis japonica) uses mud. This bird gathers pellets 

 of mud and works them up in its mouth, forming a 

 strong cement, constructing a large bottle-shaped nest, 

 sometimes nearly two feet long ; and exactly as the 

 Cecropis japonica uses mud, so the Bornean Collocalia 

 fucipluiga uses algas, producing thereby the delicate 

 structure known as edible bird's nest. Besides, Mr. 

 Pryer states that the nest examined by Mr. Green 

 was probably not genuine, as the substauce is very 

 easily imitated, and the high price would stimulate 

 adulteration. (5) His previous theory that the dis- 

 tinction between white and black nests is due to 

 the brown outside of the algie being used for the 

 latter, he now renounces. The birds can only use 

 the inside, and black nests are simply white nests 

 grown old and repaired frequently. The difference 

 is not due to any difference in the site or in the 

 kind of bird. This is the writer's present theory. 

 Owing to some accident (a native printer's mishap 

 possibly), portions of Mr. Pryer's paper are not quite 

 coherent and connected, and some of the w T ords and 

 phrases are misplaced with that ingenious absurdity 

 so characteristic of printers' blunders; but we believe 

 we have given the substance of the communication 

 jaoro. — Nature, April 16th. 



Rain Wanted. — Rain, we hear, is much ueeded both 

 at Coonoor and Kotagiri. The coffee blossom which 

 shot out freely a short time ago, are all being scorched 

 for want of a few showers of timely rain. Tons and 

 tons of coffee are thereby being lost. A bad look 

 out for planting interests this season. — South of India 

 Observer. 



Communication between Calcutta and Assam anu 

 Cachae. — Gradually the disabilities under which the 

 great tea districts of India laboured in regard to 

 communications are being remedied. Darjiling has 

 now its railway, and • at the meeting of the 

 Indian Tea Association, the following remarks 



regarding Assam and Cachar were made : 



Mr. D. Cruickshauk said : — I have read with much 

 interest the address which the Chairman has sub- 

 mitted to the meeting, copieB of which were previously 

 circulated amongst members, and I am sure you will 

 all agree with me that we are greatly indebted to 

 Mr. Wilson for his full report regarding the variom 

 matters which have engaged the attention of the 

 Committee during the paist year. Our thanks are 

 also due to the Chairman and other members of the 

 Committee for the time and attention which they 

 have devoted to the work of the Association. Wo 

 know how fully occupied business men in Calcutta 

 are, aud the difficulty there is in finding time for 

 the duties required of those who act on the Committee, 

 and we must all feel grateful to those gentlemen who 

 have ungruilgingly given their services in connexion 

 wilh the work of the As^lciation. There aro several 

 matters referred to in the Chairman's address of 

 great interest to those connected with tea, and re- 

 garding one or two of these I wish to make a few 

 remarks. The fiist matter to which I shall rofer is 

 the state of our communications with the District of 

 Cachar. While in the case oi Assam the journey from 

 Calcutta to Dibrughar, which a few years ago occupied a 

 fortnight or longer, has now been reduced to five days, 

 Cachar remains, in regard to the length of time 

 which it takes to reach that district, ss dis- 

 tant from us as it was twenty years ago. The Chair- 

 man has alluded to the proposal for constructing a 

 railway from Chandpur on the river Megna to Di- 

 brughar, paseingthrough CommiUah, Sylhet.and Cachar, 

 and then across the North Cach a r Hills into the Assam 

 Valley, but I fear it may be a good many years be- 

 fore this work is undertaken, and meantime it is 

 very necessary that something should be done to im. 

 prove the existing means of communication. The 

 General Committee have addressed the Chief Com- 

 missioner of Assam regarding the state of the liver 

 beyond Fenchugunj, with tho view of steps being 

 taken to improve the navigation bo as to admit of 

 small steamers running up to Silchar during the cold 

 season. Failing this, and it is somewhat doubtful 

 whether the impediments which exist can be removed, 

 so as to allow steamers and laden boats to run freely on 

 the portion of the river in question. I think the 

 Committee might consider whether it would not be 

 advisable to try and induce Government to lay down 

 a light line of railway from Fenchugunj to Silchar. 

 The distance between the two places is, I believe, 

 only about 70 miles, and for a great portion of the 

 way a good road already exists, which could be utilized. 

 The cost of the line, therefore, ehould not be heavy, 

 and itwould hereafter form part of the larger scheme 

 for a railway from Chandpur to Dibrughar if the 

 latter should be carried out. Light railways have 

 already been introduced in Assam, and are found 

 most useful. By making a line from Fenchugunj to 

 Silchar and establishing a service of dispatch boats 

 from Goalundo to run in connexion therewith, Ca- 

 char may be brought within four days of Calcutta, in. 

 stead of the journey occupying a fortnight or longor 

 as at present. — Indian Tea Gazette. 



