July i, 1SS5.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



A CONSPICUOUS ORNAMENTAL JUNGLE 

 TKEE IN THE FORESTS ABOUT DIMBULA. 



*' The Governor was also struck with a tree iii our forests which 

 fOf some time back has shown masses of white (iowers over its 

 top."— Extract from letter "From the Hills" iu Observer of 13th 

 May 1685, p. 3, top of col. 2. 



15th May 1885. 



DE,iK Sir, — 1 feel almost certain that this refers to 

 .in aliuiidant and very conspicuous tree in the forests 

 in Dimbula and I notice in ray copy of the "Flora 

 of British India," (vol. 2 p. 6) that 1 procured and 

 identified specimens of it at Lower Abbotsford on 

 the 13th ot February ISSl, from trees 60 to 70 feet 

 hif?h and at an elevation of 5, SOD feet. The trees were 

 very conspicuous from the large panicles of white 

 fiowcrs on the tops of the branches then, and no 

 doubt at other times. It has no native name that 

 I am aware of in C'eylou. 



It is the jUeliosma arnotliana, Wight, and the 

 following remarks from Colonel B ddoma's " Flora 

 Sylvatica" (t. 160) are very applicable to our Ceylon 

 tree: — "A very common tree in Sou*heru India and 

 Ceylon at 4,0 feet and upwards ; ii is very abundant 

 at C»Jonoor on the Nilgiris, and is a most beautiful 

 sight in June when in full blossom, its whitish panicles 

 forming a perfect sheet of flowers over the top of the 

 tree ; it is also a very conspicuous tree when iu flower 

 in the mountain sholaa of the Annamalliys. It is 

 called l)y the Burghers on the Nilgiris ' Hull makay ' 

 (tiger-Iike), the heart-wood 'of very old trees being 

 striped reddish and white ; the timber is worthless, 

 being spongy and lighi, but is occasionally used for 

 rafters and as firewood." This cenus is the last one 

 in Stii-niidiicefe in Th. En. p. 59, but it is now 

 included in an order called Saimccc and is the 

 lirst one in the 2Dd volume of the " Flora of British 

 India." 



Wo have the follov/ing three species of Mcliosma 

 in Ceylon : — 



1. ilclmma Wighiii, PLA.Nrn. — A tree with 

 simple leaves found at the same elevation as 

 M. arnottmna, and Col. Beddome's remarks in the 

 Forester's Manual, p. 77, equally apply to this tree 

 also :— "Amost common tree ia the sliola forests about 

 Ootacamund and otter mounta n u.s tracts on the west 

 side of this pre-idency a' d in C. ylon, at and about 

 5,000 feet elevation. The tree is called ly Europeans 

 on the Nilgiris the hill m ngo and at th : distance it has 

 somewhat the api.earaLce (f a m^ngo tree when in 

 blossom; it is called Tode by the Burghers. The wood 

 is use e=3 and not even cut a? firewood, as it burns 

 very badly. The tree is said to be held sacrtd by 

 the Todas." — It is given as M. pumjens, Walp., in 

 Thw. 59. 



2. Metiosma siiiij/lici/olia, Rox — This also as its 

 specific name implies is a siuipleleavid plant. It is 

 very common about Kaudy especially, on the banks of 

 streams, and is every conspicuous frnm its Img panicles 

 of flowers and fruits about the sz-3 of red currants. 

 "A very common tree in the moist subalpine forests 

 on the western side of the Madras Presidency at 2,000 to 

 3,000 feet e^evat on, also iu Cejlon and Bengal. I have 

 not seen it above the latter elevation, its place being 

 then taken by 'Tungeiii] Wighti." — Bed. 1. o. The 

 Sinhalese name for this small tree is Elbedda, and I 

 wonder if the famou'i Flbedda plains derive their name 

 from this tree, but 1 fear not, as it is scarcely likely to 

 be found at that elevation. 



3. Jifeliofma arnottiana, Wight.- With lar«B pinna'ed 

 leaves, the very conspicuous tree already referred 

 to. 



I trust these notes will enable your readers to identify 

 this latter tree at least. — Yours, W. V. 



P.S.—Uoon, pt. 2, p, 27, givta " -El-Bedda " to mean 

 cold jungle or bush, 



THE SIHOUCO:-A CORRECTION. 



The Ceylon Purchase Hire Cunipauy, 

 Colombo, M;>y 20lh, ISSo. 



Dear Sik, — Will you kindly permit us to correct a 

 statement in your issue of the ISth iustaut re tea drjtrs. 

 You say that the No. 3 Sirocco on Abbotsford estate 

 only gave an outturn of G4 lb. per hour. 



As a matter of fact the Sirocco on Abbotsford is 7tol 

 a No. 3, but a converted No 1, in which form Messrs. 

 Davidson & Co. claim "it is capab'e of doing abimt 

 two-thirds more ^^ork per hour" than the urigiual 

 No. 1, If therefore it does turn out the quantitj' yi.u 

 mention (04 lb.) it fulfils the promise of the patentees, 

 as do the No. 3'a with an outturn of 80 lb. per hour 

 obtained by Mr. Jas. Wight of Kandahiya from 

 his two machines, of Mr. Blackett of Doteloya and 

 Pen-y-lan with his maohiuee, and Mr. J. M. Bouatead 

 with two of his machines. — Yours faithfully, 



W. H. DA VIES & Co. 



[We stand corrected in th s matter, and if we have 

 fallen into any other mistake we shall be glad to 

 know. Our sole object is to state the exact trutli 

 about the various machines competing fur public 

 favour. — Ed.] 



AN INSECT PEST. 

 The Wharf and Warehouse Company, Colombo, 

 20th May 1SS5. 

 Dear Sir, — I send you three.branci.es from a sunya 

 tree cut in these premises today. Vnu will pleas) observe 

 that they are infested with some poochies resunb in.; 

 very much those found on drift timlier in the sc.i? 

 The tree from which these branches were cut i^ nearly 

 dying. I would therefore feel obliged if you will be 

 good enough to forward these branches to your usual 

 botanical referee and find out the name and origin of 

 the pooohie. — Yours faithfully, 



DARLEY ALTENDOEFF. 

 [Our critomological referee reports as follows ; — 

 "The shell like tubes on the branches from the suriya 

 tree are the abodes of the lacvas of a small homoptrrous 

 insect belonging to the Ceruupii',-e fainilv, i.f which 

 AphropJiora snmnaria ia a member. The latter inaic'; 

 is commonly known in England as the cucl(oo-spit a^d 

 frog-hoppir. The tubes in quistion seem lo have 

 been constructed by the insects from matt, r sec'e Cil 

 ■within them. This must harden at nnce, and a full- 

 fized tube is probably the woik of nu.ny d.'ys, ris the 

 insect grows and feeds upon the sap ol the tree. Its 

 body is so soft, that, without some kind of protection 

 from the heat of the sun, it would be speedily dried 

 up and killed, but in its tube it can foul in safety, 

 and is also protected frnm the attacks of other insects. 

 It is the first lime that these tubes have been brought 

 to my notice, and I inter.d to send some if them to 

 Professor Westwood, as they may also prove new to 

 him."— Ed.] 



TEA BROKERS' ADVICE ON FERMENTATIUN 

 AND FIRING. 



l!:)rii May iss.S. 

 Dear Sm,— In reply to your query on the brokers' 

 advice as to " f. rmentatitU " nucl bilsk firing, I c.-n- 

 sider full fermentation as espUinod to mean a ftrmcut- 

 ation carried only to that point which while it secures a 

 deep color does not produce a Weak, iu.'ipid, pointless 

 liquor. In overfermented teas, though pungency is 

 losf, color of liquor may still runa n ; hut the chemical 

 changes (regarding w Irch sec Tea Cyclo| ,Tdi.a, dis- 

 cussion between (J, H. Lepper, CI s. Kussil, .m.k.a i,'., 

 And others) are indicated by otrtain uninistakablo test)! 



