m 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. jA^VAsri,tt 



TOKENIAS. 



The rest plants to which I wish to draw attention 

 are thp Torenias, and all those who admire the- 

 perennial Torenia Asintica T.'ill also appreciate tlic 

 e(iually beantiful annual species T. Bailloni and T. 

 Fonrn'ieri. The flowers of the former are yellow with 

 a pnrplc centre, and those of the latter species are 

 a blue, somewhat resembling T. Asiaticn. The genus 

 belongs to the natnral order Scrophnlariacere, and 

 consequently is allied to many of popular garden 

 flowers, such as the Foxgiove, Snapdragon, Toadflax, 

 Mimu!us, and Calceolaria. Like T. asiatica the 

 species under notice are as well adapted for culture 

 in baskets as for pots, l)e;ug of a pendant habit. 

 The leaves are small, and produced in pairs, the 

 flowers springing from the axils of the leaves. All 

 the species in cultivation are imp.atient of stagnant 

 moisture at the roots, but at the same time they all 

 require abundant supplies of water, consequently it 

 is necessary, in order to achieve even a moderate 

 share of success, to secure perfect drainage and use 

 an open soil. The seed, which is very small, should 

 be sown early in spring in pots or pans that are 

 well drained, and containing 2 or ?> inches depth of 

 fine soil made level, and watered tljrough a fine 

 rose previous to sowing the seed. If it is decided 

 to cover the seed with soil great care must be exercij5ed 

 in doing so, but anyone who is acnistoroed to raising 

 Lobelias. Celery, and herbaceous Clalceolarias from 

 seed v.ill not be likely to err on that .score. In my 

 own practice I find it the best to never cover very 

 em.all seeds with soil, but after sowing I cut a piece 

 of newspaper to fit the out>ide diameter of the .seed 

 pan, and then prtss it gently down on to the surface 

 of the soil, and thus leave a margin standing up all 

 round and close to the sides of the pan. and if the 

 pan is stood level, as it ought to be in any case, the 

 water which is p,.ured o^. t'-e paper remains tliereon 

 and keeps the soil niulerncath constantlv moist, and 

 not a .seed is disturbed. As the .seedlings appear the 

 paper can be removed at will, and replaced to shade 

 from the sun or too strong a diffused light. Water 

 the young Torenias previous to transplanting them, 

 and." as with Tbuulergias during growth, freqi-ent 

 syringings will 1 e benofirial, and will keep red spider 

 in check. Should black thrips appear, light and 

 frequent fumigations will destroy tbem, but an extra 

 strong dose of tobacco smoke would, in all prob- 

 ability, be as fatal to the Torenias as the thrips. The 

 annual Torenias are the most diflicult plants to rear 

 and cultivate of all that I shallmention in this paper; 

 and if amongst my readers there are any amateurs 

 who can boast of " never having failed with any 

 plant they have yet taken in hnnd— and I know 

 one or two who can truthfully say as much so far— 

 to them I heartily commend for their cidture. and if 

 thev only succeed in raising and tlcwering 10 per 

 cent of the seeds sown, they will be amply repaid 

 for their trouble. -J. W. H.—Joiirnal of Hmiicultin-c. 



[The.s» are ^■cry beautifid plants and suitable for 

 verandahs, but like uiaiiy otlier thin5;s here, the 

 Kcde are generally covered deep, ami they never 

 uao ttp.— En.] 



— — — — ^ 



CiUTTAtERCHA. 



IJiOW and Eooiongftti, Sasaynp snd Sainbakong' 

 ulni the interniedi.'ite rivers, produce all sorts of 

 guttapercha, that of the Inttrr port being chietU- 

 '■iiiixed quali'ies," I.e.. the diffeirnt varieties mixed, 

 1 fliij.'rrtnflf.siiig produces gu'taperchn as well a« other 

 [ortseji thesoutli and wist of PoMiro, but the rivers 

 (X'ending Uorlii into the interior nccoinits for flic 

 evjiorts lit tlie.se southern ports. There is also a 

 I'l'ce i|Uoutitv of romn.on .sorts of guttapercha 

 oi tained on the north-east coast of Borneo, viz., at 

 Pnrnwak and Brnni, and is imported from I.abuali. 

 \Vithin a recent perioil guttapcriha trees have been 

 diseovrio.l towards the east end of the Celebos (still 

 hitliin (lie limits). Outtnpercha has been exporteil 

 f'Oni Ihii region, but it is not quite apparent as to 

 hhnt qnalty, it i» fin-p'y drscribed as " fair quality." 



The second and third sorts or classes of guttapercha, 



' viz., Gutta Jlookas and Gutta Kapur gi-fw within 



ten miles of the sea coast, and on low. but not 



I swampy land. They grow, too, on some of the islands 



* such as Trakkan and Boenyoet, but the best kind, 



viz., Getah J^anyiit, is .seldom obtained at le.-.s than 



thirty miles from the sea coast, and at an elevation 



, of 10(1 feet from the sea level ; and it is worthy of 



remark, that the inferior kinds all disappear 100 



miles from the coast, and the best Icind only is 



found at that di.-^tance. These trees are found growing 



in groves, each variety being in separate groves. 



These groves number from '-00 to 500 trees ni each. 



antl grow on the hill slopes, with higher forest trees 



suri'ounding them. The natives affirm that at times 



guttapercha trees are fouiul at an elevation of COO 



feet above the sea level, aihl where so found yield 



a better and more abundant supply of gutta. The 



soil in which they grow is rich, and witli a rocky 



subsoil. The rainfall is greater than in .Singapore, 



and the dryest months of the year are November 



and December; the rest of the year is always moist. 



The average temperature (in the shade) for the 



year may be stated thus: — 



May to October 

 Nov. to April 



( Highest range 



{ Average 



( Highest range 



(Average 



Day Night .S. a.m. 

 00° Fahr. — 

 T-S*^ „ ... ee^Fahr. 

 95" „ ... - 

 84-^ „ ... 70" „ 



All accounts .seem to agree that guttapercha trees 

 flourish best in a moist temperature, in light loamy 

 soil at the foot or slopes of hills, thus having plenty 

 of drainage and also surrounded by primitive {not 

 aecondart/) jungle. 



As guttapercha trees are indigenous to Singapore, 

 although only now seen as curiosities, its climate, 

 although somewhat modifieil l>y the denudation of 

 its own forest trees and from the adjacent peninsula, 

 will give the best index to the requirements of these 

 trees. The Singapore year may be divided into three 

 periods of four months each; 1st, from .Tanuary to 

 April, during which the rainfall is very variable aud 

 uncertain; 2nd, from May to August, which may be 

 called the dry season, in which period as a rule the 

 rainfall is least: and 3rd, from Stnitember to December, 

 which may be called the wet sea-son, during which 

 the rainfall is greatest. The yearlv rainfall in incheu 

 in 18G9 was 00 03, in INTO 12.3-24," in l.sil lO'J 45, is 

 1872 75-30, and in 187:-! tSu'tiO. The following was 

 the temperature for the same period ; — 

 1869 1870 1871 

 Highest temperature 1)2" m" Ol'^S' 



Lowest O'!)"-' 69° UO'' 



— Indiaruhbcr and Gnttapcirlia Joiirtftl. 



1872 

 92» 

 67' 



1873 

 92'^5' 



F: 



MANGABEIEA KUBBEE. 



This rubber is likely to attract considerable notice 

 in cousequenc*^ or a recent favourable development 

 in the manipulation of the raw material. When 

 first imported, owing to the careless way in which 

 it was collected .and prepared, it only fetched about 

 Bix()encc a pound. But it has recently been import- 

 ed by a Brazilian merchant in very fine condition, 

 and tho article when submitted to some of the best 

 London firms, has been declared to be worth thtee 

 and four-pence a pound. The rubber is o.-pecially 

 suited for springs of railway and tram cars, and 

 for similar purposes. 



Through the kindness of Messrs, Christy, we are 

 enabled to piesent our readers with some inform- 

 ation concerning this rubber, us well as with « picture 

 of the plant from which it is produced. T!i:' .^[:ln- 

 gabiba. Mangaha. or i\Iang;djeira Tree, as it is willed 

 in Brozil, is a -small tree belonging to the Jjiori/iM ('—' 

 with an eleg^int mode of growth, like a weeping 

 birch, })aving drooping bra-iches and small oblong 

 leaves, slnu-p at the base, but with a short rounded 

 point at tlie apex. The tree yields an excellent 

 rubber, but is tuore fre(|ucntly grown for its fruit, 

 which has a most delicion-. taste, and is a great 

 favourite with the Brazilians. It is about the size 



