Januakv I, 1886.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



S'^S 



of a i>Iam, of a yellow colour, and lunrked with 

 reU spots or streaks. It is ouly lit to eat when 



pitrfectly ripe, or after being kept for a sli jrt time. 



Heuoe the tree has the double advantage of boaiiiig 

 fruit which will bear exportation, and of j-ieKling a 

 valuable rubber. The tree is now attractiug atten- 

 tion in its native country, haring been undeservedly 

 neglected, as may be seen from the following note, 

 taken Ironi the Journal of the ii'ocUti/ of Arts, June 

 4th, UvMi, p. tiU:— 



■'The inhabitants of Pernambuco are beginning to 

 realize the vast stores of undeveloped weaitn existing 

 in their virgin forests, and rubber is being exported 

 from that province, whicli may soon rival I'ara in 

 the extent of its .xports of the article. Ueceiitly 

 Senhor Jose l""ernaulez Lopes issued a circular. April 

 20th, 1880, calling attention to this important source of 

 wealth, and giving practical instructions for the 

 collection and preparation of the rubber, from which 

 the following is extracted : — ' The process of extract- 

 ing the milk from the Mangabeira is very simple and 

 easy. Kach per.^on must be supplied with fifty or 

 more small tin basins and a small axe. He should 

 make oblique cuts sloping downwards at a little 

 distance from each other, all round the trunk of 

 the Mangabeira, cutting only the bark, and placing 

 immediately below eacli cut one of the basins, securing 

 these either witli adhesive clay or nails. These 

 small basins will collect the milk that exudes from 

 the cuts, and when full they must be emptied into 

 a larger vessel. This process should be continued 

 during the whole day, and thus three or four b jttles 

 of milk may be collected, according to the fertility 

 of the trees. The cuts should not be deep and a 

 great number of incisions should not be made on 

 each tree, as these may weaken or kill the trees, 

 which has been the case in some instances with the 

 Seringueira, the tree from which the Pari rubber is 

 obtained.' 



•' The rubber is prepared from tlie juice as follows: — 

 Put a little powdered alum into a teacupful of 

 water, mixing it well, then put a few spoonsful of 

 this solution into a vessel in which three lioltles of 

 the milk have been placed, properly strained to 

 clear it from any extraneous matter. Immediately 

 the milk coagulates, which will be in two or three 

 minutes, the ruljber must be exposed to the air on 

 sticks, and allowed to drain for eight tlays. After 

 thirty days it is ready to send to market in cases 

 or barrels." 



To the above it may be added that in incising the 

 trees it wouUi be better to use a guarded axe, 7. c, 

 one thickened iu the upper part of the blade to 

 prevent its penetrating the bark beyond a certain 

 distance, so as not to injure the cambiiun or jtiicy 

 layer, for if this be pierced the tree is likely to 

 dec-.y. 



The use of alum or salt, or any such substance, 

 to coagulate the rubber, is liable to roniler it wet 

 and spongy, unless it be prepared iu sheets and 

 siibiected to stiong pressure. The best plan is to 

 evaporate the mill; in thin layers, over smoke (a.» is 

 done ill Paral, c- in sImUuw pans in st current of 

 hot ail. — Indwrvhber aiul tjiUUipercha Jottfntil. 



PLAXTCS'G IN FIJI. 



(From F'ji " Timen" Qofrtspcndeni.) 

 Kafislla or, a the plotirietci- calls It, Mount Vernon, 

 is. the p:'>7.-i»-v -'" "•■-- V:,-'.i'p. The native'? i.—i-r- 

 ;.Uy na^ 

 or 80,^. 



the north by ^fidailii. When the present proprietor 

 came to it not an acre was cleared. It was ))ash 

 ani jungle from high water mirk to the hitjhest 

 hill ; now -"0 acres are cleared aiid planted with 

 coconuts, coffee, tobacco, corn, yams, kc. The major 

 jiortinn of this area is planted with coconuts, and 

 170 acres are bearinij fruit. CMlTee was grown on 

 the bills, and the area would have been extendPil 

 but for the colfee leaf disease which tiurnetl a pay- 

 ing industry into *a losing one, and the cultivation of 

 the berry was abandoned. The soil and geneul 

 feature^- of the estite are similar to those already 

 described — an extended notice is therefore imueceasary. 

 Considerable attention has bee^i given to pastoral 

 pursuits. The estate is partly fenced and divided into 

 paddocks to fjcditate the breeding and fattening of 

 stock. There are 25 head of cattle and 250 she^^p run- 

 ning under the coconuts and doing the work of cultiv- 

 ation. Both cattle and sheep do remarkably well. 

 These sheep are famed, on I'aviuui, for the very 

 excellent and full flavoured mutton which they make. 

 Mr. Eiiunie has been trying to improve the c:irr.vliig 

 capacity of his run by planting au imported grass 

 from -be Southern States of America named affafa. 

 This is said to be a species of clover which makes 

 .splenilid feed. It grows most luxuriantly in a warm 

 ciitnate and is most suitable for cattle, being very 

 nutriti jus and very fattening. It is said to be in 

 great favo jr and demand on all cattle runs in South 

 America. 



There is every convenience on this estate for pulping 

 and drying cotfee as well as for curing copra. There 

 an! 30 running vutas for sun drying the copra and 

 a house under which they can be placed for shelter 

 in a few seconds. There is also a large drying house, 

 with pipes au'l furnace, &c., where the copra can be 

 dried during the wet season. This hou-,e is also a 

 great convenience for drying cotTee and corn as the 

 temperature can be regulated. There is also a large 

 two story building used for storing the produce 

 awaiting shipment. Another two strong b'lililinga 

 fit'ed up with sleeping vatas is used for labourers' 

 rpiarters. There is a detached kitchen for cooking 

 the labourers food. A little further away is a very 

 neat weather-board cottage where the Indian over- 

 seer lives. AU tiiese buildings are on the beach 

 facing the main road. They arc all vei-y well placed 

 and bailt of hardwood frames weather-boards or iron 

 and all covered with iron roofs. 



The dwelling house is situated on a hill, and is 

 reached by what appears au endless flight of steps 

 up au almost perpendicular hill. » • » # 



The dwelling house is a weather-board building 

 with a flower garden iu front, in which crotons, 

 roses, &c., were growing. The situation was beautiful 

 and the outlook was majjnificent. Mr. Kannie is 100 

 well known to need »u iutrudur;tion to your readers. 

 When he w:iS introduced to me for the first time 

 it was as one of the successful planters of Taviuui. 

 Here was a riira ntis, for I had not met many 

 succscssful iilanters before iu Fiji, t'.nd I was g!ad to 

 meet even one. Air. Kannie is what some people 

 woulfl call a lucky fellow (many people regard suc- 

 cess iu life as au evirtenco of luck r.ither than of 

 ability or good management). Most of the things 

 tal-"eu in hand nave jirospertd, and generally 

 •1;; he lias planted tho.se tlungs that would pay 

 .^.undoned li.i-m when they would no longer pay 

 (or cultivaiion. When Cotton would uo longer pay, 

 '■^ wrt'^ ?'V'-'> "f> ?"d I'nenM'its ]^1o"ted, and now 



oi- !i„n 

 ears ; 



vbich used to prow 1 

 ^'r Kannie juay 1 

 he ■'' 1 l>eit '■f .,idciit ' ■ 

 avs i^f v, ulf-h .i 've b' 

 K «iii'-'ng the fir:.t oi ■ 

 . end (1 tiie i.'.land. Ti 

 - on Tavinni was op. 

 cotton rush. It confaiuM alvjut 



apd ju-.iicious man'*ger. 



.as B "I'ainiy Scotchman, 



'lie came from 



placeo tun tji. 



and is bounded on the south by Tuvanjaca, and on 1 ilovotcd entirely to the cnltivation of food and fruit — 



