43S 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. i, 18S5. 



AquiUaria malacceiisis and A. Agallocha, and JIalacca 

 cane. 



In the appendices to the report will be found 

 nseful lists of indigenous trees, shrubs, creepers and 

 parasites, including a list of those growing spontaneously 

 on waste lands, also lists of exotic trees recommended 

 for introduction, and of trees reconiuiendetl for road- 

 side planting. Amongst the indigenous trees are 

 several Indian and Burmese species, such as Pterocarpti^ 

 indii'iis, Tfinniihdia Cittapptu Miinnsops indica, Ahtonla 

 sckolarh^ Uhizopkora muci'nnitd, and Heritiehi littorali^. 

 It is estimated that Singapore requires aunuilly 

 810, OOi) cubic feet of timber, of which nijre than 

 half is used by I'epper cultivators, and 101,000 tons 

 of firewood, of which half is consumed by Gambler 

 planters and coasting steamers. For the other 

 Settlements no estimate is given, but the consumption 

 is known to be considerable in Penang and \yellesley. 

 The measures recommended for the better manage- 

 ment of the forests are thus summarised — 



{«). Treveutiug the felling of forests and the 



clearing of forest lands. 

 (i). The redemption by exchange, or otherwise, of 

 such land as is selected for planting with 

 forest trees, 

 (c). The survey and demarcation of such Orovn 

 forest lands as are still undetermined, and 

 the preparation of good and reliable maps 

 showing the forests and the topographical 

 features of the various lands throughout 

 the Settlements. This is a desideratiou that 

 should be looked upon as a first duty of 

 the Survey Department. 

 ((}). The formation of local foi'est leserves for the 

 supply of wood for general purpo.ses ; and 

 mountain ami river reserves for protection 

 where necessary. 

 {('). The establishment of a Forest Department to 

 take charge of all Grown forests whether 

 proclaimed as reserves or otherwise. 

 (/). The marking of certain blocks of forest near 

 the chief towns of each SettlcMnent of a 

 sufficiiuit size to serve as reserves for the 

 supply of fuel and small building wood! 

 f('V The a])pointmeut of a boily of Forest I*olice 

 for protective purposes, to be quartered in 

 the country districts throughout the iSettle- 

 nients. 

 (A). The immediate collection of seeds of the best 

 indigemous timber trees, jind the formation 

 of nurseries for the prop.agation of such 

 seeds. 

 (/). The introduction of an ordinance for the 



better conservation of the Crown lands. 

 From the first Annual lleport of the new Forest 

 Department, we are glad to find that sti'ps have 

 already been taken to give practical effect to a large 

 number of the measures advocated, so that the 

 recommenilations (a), (!)), (ti), (e), (/) and {ij) have 

 already been either entirely or partially carried out, 

 as will be seen from the statement, made at the 

 beginning of this review concerning the organisation 

 of the Dop.artnient, and from the following brief 

 Rummary by Mr. Oantley of the work taken in hand 

 during the past yeiir: — 



"I would point out that the forest re.serves dealt 

 with to a more or less extent are 15 in number; 

 that do miles of boundary line have been opened, 

 at an average cost of <^% per mile, inchnling the 

 planting up of 1- miles with fast-growing trees; that 

 the area of land laid out in nurseries is over 20 

 acr(«; and that some H90,000 plants have been pro- 

 pagated in these nurseries, at an average cost of SI 

 pi.T 100. 



"Seventy acres of waste land were planted with 

 about 118,000 plaats. at an average cost of SI- per 

 acre, or per 2,000 plants. The stock in the nurseries 

 at the clos \ of the year ninnburcil about 200,000 

 l)lants. It will be noticed that the area of waste 

 land planted with trees is comparatively sm.xll, but 

 wliat was of most importance, viz., the demarcatiou 

 of reserves, to prevent further encroacUment, had to 



be first undertaken. Over 1,160 It), of seeds have 

 been got together from various quarters and utilized 

 for the benefit of the reserves. The buildings erected 

 niclude quarters for the overseers, .stations for the 

 forest watchmen, coolies' houses and plant sheds- 

 iu all 27 in number," 



To conclude, we wish every success in the future to 

 the Forest Department of the Straits Settlements.— 

 Indian Forester. 



Fruit Preservino in Frji.— In addition to their 

 extensive hanan a trade, Messrs. Armstrong and 

 Go. of Suva, have started a fruit preserving com- 

 pany. The last boat from Sydney brought a first- 

 class man for packing tlie preserves ready for ship- 

 ment, also a large quantity of preserving jars, tins, 

 etc., together with the most brilliant labels yet 

 seen in Suva. The preserving industry of Fiji will 

 yet assume very large proportions on the export 

 list.— i''yi Times. 



KosEs AND OuEMicAL M'OBKS.— A correspondent 

 writes:— "I send you a parcel of Rose ' foliage ' (what 

 a mockery !) which is a sample of what the chemical 

 works about a mile away has done for me. Of course 

 they are not all as bad as this, because some sorts 

 are able to resist it better than others, and while 

 such sorts as Marie Baumann, Alfred Colomb, and 

 Marie Rady are almost destroyed by it. Baroness 

 Kothsehild and M. de Oastellane are not a very great 

 deal the worse, although, of course, they all feel it 

 more or less. It begins by a sort of purple discolor- 

 ation on the young foliage, which afterwards turns 

 brown or black, and in some cases the leaves are 

 burnt through. Some of my neighbours won't admit 

 that it is due to chemicals, but I have no doubt on 

 the .subject. M'hat do you think 'f It is a great dis- 

 appointmcMit to nie, as I used to get such pleasure out 

 of them, and now out of 400 plants I have not got 

 one that I could call really healthy, as besides ruin- 

 ing the^ foliage it takes all the colour out of the 

 blooms." ^\■e share our correspondent's opinion, as the 

 appear.ances on the leaves are quite consistent with 

 his statements, and, so far as we know, there is no 



other cause that would produce such an effect. 



Gariieneri' Chronicle. 



AnrojrATic InaiOATiON. — In very dry seasons there 

 is a great demand for water in most gardens, and 

 any ai>paratus which eflfects tb saving of the gardener's 

 time must of necessity prove invaluable. Messrs. 

 Merryweather, of Long Acre, have devised various 

 systems for automatically distributing water. They de- 

 vised a system of non-corrosive metallic tubes in short 

 lengths mounted upon easy running carriages and con- 

 nected with flexible joints. The metal pipes being per- 

 forated throughout their entire length, the water will 

 run through a length of CO or 00 feet, dispersing it- 

 self on the land through the whole course of the 

 pipes by means of the perforations. It is very easy to 

 move the apparatus from place to place at intervals. 

 Another system consists in similar movable pipes with- 

 out the perforations, at the extreme end of which a 

 distributing nozzle is attached. This nozzle is capable 

 of throwing the stream ' iu either a jet or a spray 

 at the will of the operator, who can of course walk 

 about freely dragging the tubes after him. A third 

 apparatus is both ornamental and u.seful, as it consists 

 in a portable revolving fountain upon a itand to which 

 hose m.ay be connected. Garden hose or lead or iron 

 pipe so small as k mch diameter can be coimeeted 

 to the inlet-coupling, anil the water supply taken 

 from a source 8 feet or more above the fountain. 

 The sprinklers rapidly rotate by the action of the 

 issuing water, scattering a fine shower over a wide 

 area. The. adaptation of this latter appears to be a hajjpy 

 idea, as it is arranged inverted to screw U|> to the 

 ceiling of fernery or conservatory, and thus scatter 

 the water downwards and sideways. — Gtintcners' Chron- 

 ic U. 



