436 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [Dec. i, 1885. 



wliioh arises in connection with plant-roots is the 

 power they have in the selection of their food. 

 That they have some is apparent from the fact that 

 (litfereiit species of plants in the s?.me soil will ap- 

 propriate different quantities of chemical ingredients, 

 und.that some exhaust the soil more rapidly than others. 



Fibrous roots have frequently enormous power of 

 penetratiou, which enables them to search for food at 

 groat dej>ths. This property sometimes becomes ?. 

 surious evil if the subsoil does not contain the parti- 

 cular ingredients required by the plant. In the orchard 

 many a fruit tree thrives so long as the roots are 

 superficial ; but when they penetrate deeper, nutriment, 

 either insufficient or of an improper character, is 

 absorbed, vitality is impaired, and various forms of 

 cankt;r and unproductiveness are the consequences. 



One great end attained by pressing the ground of 

 light soils before or immediately after setting out 

 plants, or sowing seeds, is to encourage lateral root- 

 lets as much as possible, that they may avail them- 

 selves of the more abundant and more suitable food 

 constituents accumulated in the surface soil. 



The third stage to be considered in the feeding of 

 plants and root development is, that many roots be- 

 come reservoirs of nutriment for future use. Roots 

 vary considerably in character : some penetrate deeply, 

 remaining fibrous and thread-like to the end ; some 

 throw out laterals, and luxuriate in the surface soil ; 

 some merely absorb the necessary dady food, while 

 others, as Asparagus, Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips, &c., 

 devote certain of their parts or ramifications to the 

 especial office of storing up nutritive matters, often 

 in enormous quantity, and in great rapidity. All 

 underground plant ramifications which serve as store- 

 houses are, however, not to be included in the same 

 category. The bulb of the Onion, the Leek, the Tulip, 

 the Hyacinth, or the tuber of the Potato, &c., though 

 answering to the same end, are either furnished by 

 the base of the leaves, or are underground stems. 

 In certain biennial plants there is a strong disposition 

 to deposit stores of nutriment for the perfection of 

 seed in the ensuing year, wliile in the case of [teren- 

 nials and in some Orchids a special part is devoted 

 to this purpose. In fruit trees the deposit often takes 

 place in the bark and branches, hence the necessity 

 of rest, and the notorious fact that many trees will 

 bear a crop only in alternate years. Doubtless this, 

 which is the result of exhaustion to a very great 

 extent, might be obviated if proper feeding with 

 nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid were adopted. — 

 V. T. W. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



ACACIAS AND GUMS ON THE NILGIPlS. 

 Mr. (iambic, the Oonservutor of I'orests, Northern 

 Circle, recommends that the Forest Department 

 should revert to the propagation, especially for 

 revenue purposes, of the Acacki, J/e/onoxi/lu7i, which 

 was the subject of its earliest planting operations 

 on the Nilgiris. The tree is of umbrageous habit, 

 the outlinu mostly pj'ramidal, and it affords a dense 

 shade throughout the year not being deciduous in 

 character, while it takas a firm hold of the soil by 

 its numerous and widespreading roots. It was first 

 systematically planted on the Nilgii-is in 1S5G, when 

 a C'aptain Campbell was entrusted with the experi- 

 raeut of forming a plantation, at Jjleakhouse, Coouoor, 

 mainly for the supply of firewood for the military 

 at Wellington. In Ootacamund the Acacia Mc/ono.vi/hn 

 has been largely utilised as an ornamental tree. 

 Existing specimeuft in the station are mostly of the 

 growth of twenty or twenty-five years ago, the 

 propagation since having been practically nil. AV'here 

 the elevation is suitable, that is above 6,UU0 feet, it 

 thrives, though its growth is slow. As but a limited 

 luimljer of trees have arrived at xnatiu-ity, the 

 timber has not been practically and commercially 

 tested. In Australia it is highly valued for carriage 

 buihling and agricultural implements, being exceed- 

 ingly tough, but on the Nilgiris it i.s found to 

 possess few quahties prized by the cabinet-maker 

 and builder. It warps even aftor many mouths of 



seasoning, is not easily worked, and is not as dinrable 

 as other timber accessible to the residents of the 

 hill stations. The slowness of growth is much against 

 the tree, and where it has been tried, in two 

 instances, as an avenue tree, it has proved a failure. 

 The worst featnre, however, is its liability to attacks 

 from a parasitical plant not unlike the mistletoe, 

 which spreads rapidly among the branches and cannot 

 be easily disengaged. ludeed the complete removal 

 of this parasite has had no beneficial effect in arresting 

 decay, as when it h^s once become established at 

 the crown the progress downwards and laterally is 

 merely a matter of time, the parasite appearing 

 over and over again ay often as removed. "Whether its 

 presence is due to unfavourable conditions of the 

 soil and situation is not yet determined, the tree 

 being equally affected in every site and soil in which 

 it has been planted. 



With past experience so decidedly against the 

 Acacia Melono.vifloa it does not seem desirable to 

 attempt experiments, the success of which is problem- 

 atic, and which if again unfavourable will be a 

 serious loss of time to the Department. As a fuel 

 tree it is not prized as highly as the Acacia Dcal- 

 bata also an importation from Australia, and known 

 as the yellow-blossomed wattle. Ootacamuud was, 

 till recently, completely over-run with this wattle, 

 but owing to the persistent crusade waged against 

 it both by the Municipality and the house-owners 

 its progress has been held in check only a few full- 

 grown trees being left, though much remains still 

 to be done to e.^terminate it. The myraids of suckers 

 which spring from the extensive and encroachrag 

 rootlets come up with renewed vigor and amazing 

 rapidity as fast as they are cut down, and afford an 

 inexhaustable fuel reserve. In alluding to this variety 

 of the acacia, a late Conservator of Forests observed 

 that if Ootacamund were abondaned the whole station 

 would in an iucretlibly short j space of time become 

 an impenetryblo forest of Acacia Dcalbata. A few 

 attempts have been made to open new plantations 

 of this tree and of the Melonoxylon — but these are 

 the exceptions, and results are not encouraging for 

 timber or fuel, the gums being superior and univers- 

 ally* preferred. These were introduced to the hill 

 ranges by Sir >Villiam Denison, and have taken so 

 kindly to the soil and climate as to be looked upon 

 as the future timber and fuel tree of the district. 



The Eucalj/ptus globuhtSj or blue gum is to be met 

 with everywhere. It thrives in the most exposed 

 situations, and the poorest soils. Under adverse 

 conditions, a growth per annum of from 3 to 4 feet 

 may bo ensured, but in forest soil, and a sheltered 

 situation, a growth of from 10 to 12 feet is not un- 

 common. At an elevation below 4,000 feet, the blue 

 tree has a struggling stunted growth, but above that 

 and up to 8,UU0 feet, no finer or more rapid growing 

 hard wood tree can be found. Private enterprise 

 has taken up the planting of blue gum for fuel with 

 an energy which in a few years wiU probably clothe 

 the hillsides with an endless succession of plantations 

 in every stage of growth. The ryot has also become 

 impressed with its value, and is growing it in every 

 available spot in and around his field. The CTOveru- 

 ment possesses 1,000 acres of plautatiou on the 

 Nilgiris, the greater part of which consists of gums, 

 namely, GUO acres in and arouud Ootacamund, and 

 400 acres in the neighbourhood of Coonoor and 

 Wellington. Considering how general the growth of 

 fuel has become, it would seem as if no further 

 attention need be devoted by the State to this subject. 

 At the present time private vendors are underselling 

 the Government. For instance at the Ootacamund 

 fuel depot 1,000 lb. of blue guin wood is charged 

 Rs. 3, and the purchaser has to provide his own 

 cart to remove it. Contractors are offering the same 

 quantity and quality at the same price, aud will 

 deHver it free within a reasonable distance of the 

 source of supply. No serious inconvenience will arise 

 therefore if Government should close its depot, and 

 leave the town entirely to private enterprise, in the 

 matter of fuel. 



