35^ 



•THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURI^. 



[Nov. 2, 1885. 



GardKiis" but the plauts now being raised are from 

 sueds and cuttings of a yoimg plant received iu 

 November 1882, £"om Ootacamund, which lias grown 

 and seeded freely. A very powerful anesthetic agent 

 found in the leaves has lately brought the plant into 

 notice, and enquiries have been addressed to Europe 

 as to the method of preparation. The extract of the 

 leaves retferred to, is said to be likely to become of 

 very great importance to facilitate a certain class of 

 surgical operations. The dried leaves were not 

 obtainable in London when the last mail left at ten 

 shillings per pound; the extract from the green 

 leaves was selling at ten shillings an ounce, and 

 the alkaloid had been as high as twenty two shillings 

 and six pence per gramme. 



Ciotuii Oil. — A thousand eroton seeds were obtained 

 from Ceylon, but though many germinated and pro- 

 mised well all died during the rains. This valuable 

 medicinal plant ought to grow wed in the Gardens, 

 as many of its near relatives do, but so far all 

 attempts to ii\duce it to do so have failed. 



>l/(i/(oi/«;!.(/.— On a reference from Government, a 

 report was prepared and submitted recapitulating as 

 far as po.ssible the information possessed by the 

 Society regarding the introduction and growth of 

 JNIahogany in this Presidency. 



Little was unfortunately done during the past year 

 in distributing the tree. Though seed was asked 

 for from J;imaica direct* none was received. Two 

 parcels containing 3,11 KJ seeds were received from 

 Calcutta, but, as is usual when the voyage is in any 

 way prolonged, nearly all had lost their vitality, 

 and JO plants only were raised in spite of every 

 care. 



By actual experience it has been found that a 

 very much larger proporticm of Mahogany seeds reach 

 Madras wiihout losing their vitality when sent in bags 

 by post, direct from the West Indies, than when sent in 

 casks first to London and there transhipped. If for 

 some reason it be more convenient to send the seed 

 iu casks, it would probably travel with greater safety 

 if tightly packed iu soil to prevent shaking and 

 excessive dryage. 



Nothing has yet been decisively ascertained to 

 explain why the Society's old Mahogany trcea which 

 tlower so freely bear no fruit. 



A small parcel of seed of Sapindus sa'poiiai-iit, the 

 berry of which is used for soap, was received from 

 .Mr. Morris, .Jiimaica, but only one plant survives. 

 Nothing more has been beard of the success or 

 lailure of the Society's attempts to introduce the 

 hanilsome American Calalpas. 'i'be young plant raised 

 and presented to the gardc^n by T. (iovinda Kow, 

 lOsq., mentioned in last n'-porl, died. 



rUiuts of the Au,strali:iii Salt I'.ush, Jti-ipli.v iii'.m- 

 mi'hiviii are to be seen growing well in the gardens,- 

 but they have as yet shown no signs of sowing 

 their own seed or otherwise providing for taking 

 care of themselves, which is required before they 

 can be said to be successfully introduced. 



Seed of I'mt.via xii-i/ahi, Australian "Sheep-bush," 

 was again written for and received from Adelaide, 

 but did not succeed. 



Araauha wdiich has been long enqun-ed for was 

 again written for, but not received. 



A spleuded collection t of seeds was received from 

 Kew iu July, large numbers of which germmated, 

 hut were caught in the critical seedling slage by 

 the bad weather. Many, however, survive, and it is 

 still hoped that we may succeed in rearing numerous 

 valuable acquisitions from amongst them. 



Many hne hat;;hes of .seeds have been received 

 from the Neilgherry Hills, particularly from Charles 

 t4r-iv lisq Coonoor, which have been sent to corre- 

 spondents in other parts of ,the world, particularly 

 to Kew, Australia, and Natal, where it is believed 

 they are especially welcome. 



-Ir/eiici/. — Efforts were as usual made to comply 

 with all demands on the Society made by both 

 members and others in Sladras, and at a distance, 

 to act as agents to engage gardeners, and obtain garden- 

 ing and agricultural books aud implements. Many 

 tools were made for sale and to order in the Gardens. 



» Vide Vol, III, New Series, 405. 

 + Vide Vol III. New Series, page 414, 



CULTI'S^VTION OF THE GKAFE VINE IN' 

 NOKTH CEYLON. 



f'Co/nnumicaU'd.) 



A good number of your readers know that .lall'n.i 

 is famous for its grapes. The grapes are ripe in 

 May .and September. The cultivation of the grape- 

 vine requires as careful study and attention as any- 

 other delicate plant. A grape-vine, carefully attended 

 to, bears at the first year. To those who wish to 

 cultivate the grape-vine, the following may be useful : — 



1. You should be careful to select your plant out 

 of the sweet vine. There are two kinds of grapes 

 in Jatfua. One of a greenish colour and .sour, however 

 ripe the fruit may be. The fruit is also not so large 

 as that of the sweet vine. The fruit of the sweet 

 vine is of a light bluish colour. The seed could be 

 seen through the rind when the fruit is perfectly ripe. 

 It is as large as an ordinary marble. The plant is 

 obtained by burying one of the branches. 



2. The pit, before you plant your vine, should be 

 well manured, at least three or four months previously. 

 It should be about the depth of 10 or 12 feet and . 

 8 to 10 feet in breadth. The manure to be useil is 

 cowdung. The vine does not thrive when other 

 manure is used. After the vine is planted fi circle 

 about four feet in radius should be made round it, 

 so as to hold the water that is let in. It should then 

 be watered twice a day, till the pit becomes a muildy 

 pool. If it is not done so, the plant dies on account 

 of the heat arising from the manure. 



3. After the plant has sent out its branches, ami 

 these begin to creep, the next thing it requires is a 

 platform. This is ordinarily made out of Palniirah 

 timbers; aud several plants could be allowed to creep 

 on one. It should not be very high ; a man's height 

 would be quite sufficient ; so that a m'n could stand 

 uuderneath and pick out the bugs and caterpillers, 

 that may eat up the leaves. 



4. The months for pruning are January and July. 

 The pruning is generally done on a new moon. The. 

 pruning con?ists iu cutting off the scccmdarics or thin 

 hram-hes on which thi re are leav(^s. The primaries or 

 thick branches should not be cut. After the pruning 

 the grape vine appears quite bare, with only leafless 

 branches spread "out on the platform. What the vino 

 then wants is manuring. This is done by digging out 

 the soil, from thi- pit, and exposing the roots. You 

 should be careful that the roois, especially Ihe tap 

 or main root sho-ald not be cat, while digging; and 

 water should not be then let in at all. After allow- 

 ing the roots to be exposed and well dried, the pit 

 is then to be tilled with manure, and covered up with 

 soil. The manure as I have said before, should be 

 cow-dung, which ought to be dry and well-powdered 

 before it is used. Horse dung, ashes and other man- 

 ures are destructive to the vine. After the manurn 

 is put in, you should let in water twice a day. once 

 in the morning, at sunrise, and once in the evening; 

 at sunset, till the pit becomes a muddy pool. Manur- 

 ing once a year in July is quite sutiicient. 



5. The grape vine requires exposure to the sun, luul 

 should not be planted where other tree» cost their 

 shallow. Coconut and Talmirah trees arc destructive 

 to the grape vine as they send out their roots, and 

 hinder Ihe roots of the grape vine; from sjireading. 



Lastly care thonld be taken that no rubbish or 

 fishy substance be left to accumulate in the pit, where 

 the vine is planted. 



If careful attontion be paid to the planting, man- 

 uring aud pruning of the grape-vine, it is sure to 

 grow well, and be remunerative—" Ceylon Patriot," 



