March t, tSS6.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



6i7 



This suggests a subject which I think might am- 

 ply repay one who had the time to work it out 

 thoroughly. 



It is a remarkable fact that, with one or two excep- 

 tions, no plant or animal has been introduced into thii 

 country from our colonies. On the other hand, many 

 of our plants and animals have been introduced into 

 our colonies, and have in several cases become far worse 

 nuisances than at home. 



Hence it appears that our long cultivated country has 

 become unsuited to the plantv and animals from virgin 

 soils ; but that the comparatively recently cultivated 

 soil of our colonies is frequently even more suited to the 

 growth of our pests than their native land. 



In the case of one of the exceptional plants which 

 have established themselves in this country (Anacharis 

 Alsinastrum), the plant was for a long period a great 

 pest, blocking up canals, and almost defying haman 

 skill to keep them open ; but I believe the nuisance has 

 of late years been less serious ; possibly the waters 

 have become less suitable for their growth, though the 

 plant may have detriorated through their having been 

 no stamen-besring plants introduced into this country. 



These remarks might be extended into the domain of 

 medicine. 1 believe instances are not wanting in which 

 diseases, when first introduced into a country become a 

 perfect scourge, but after a while apparently exhaust 

 themselves ; and there are several diseases which, whilst 

 formerly defying medical skill, have now become more 

 uncommon. 



Some thirty years ago, in almost every third house 

 in this neighbourhood, a case of ague would have been 

 found at times ; now the complaint has become comparat- 

 ively uncommon, and there is some ground for suspect- 

 ing that whilst our improved sanitary arrangements 

 have in many cases mitigated disease, iu some the 

 mitigation may have been due to the pabulum, if I 

 may use the term, having become exhausted by the 

 virulence of the disease amongst our forefathers. — J. 

 C. Shenstonb, Colchester. — Pharmacevttcal Journul. 



PRODUCTS FROM KILIMA-NJARO, EAST AFRICA- 



Am important paper was read before the jSociety of 

 Arts (Foreign and Colonial Section), on the 14th 

 ult., by Sir. H. H. Johnston, entitled "British 

 Interests in Eastern Equatorial Africa, more es- 

 pecially in the Kilima-njaro District, and on the 

 Victoria Nyanza." In the course of his interesting 

 communication, in which the country and its products 

 were dealt with at length, Mr. Johnston thus referred 

 to those articles in which our readers will be most 

 directly interested : — " Gums are produced in the 

 interior, both copal and a kind called false copal. 

 Indiarubber can be procured from at least one creeper, 

 the Landolphiajiorida, and I think also another, a species 

 of fig. Coffee grows wild, especially on the north- 

 wards of the district, where it is the same species 

 as the Abysinnian plant, which, it is supposed, being 

 first introduced from the kingdom of Kaffa to the 

 south of Abyssinia, thence derives its name. Coffee 

 planting would succeed admirably iu districts like 

 Usambara, which may be regarded as the natural 

 home of this shrub, which is, indeed, indigenous 

 to the African continent. On the trees growing 

 in the Kilima-njaro and Usambara forests, orchilla 

 weed, in incredible quantities, is found growing. When 

 delivered half clean, that is to say, mixed with sticks 

 and rubbish, on the coast, it fetches from .1 to 3^ 

 dollars per frasilah of 35 pounds. As regards 

 minerals, iron ore is found in some abundance, and 

 copper apparently also, since the natives possess 

 rude rings and ornaments of this metal which have 

 not come from the coast. Nitrate of soda covers 

 vast plains to the south, west and north »f Kilima- 

 njaro. There is good building stone in many parts 

 of the country. Limestone often appears. The 

 vegetable productions of the natives' cultivation, are 

 the banana, the sweet potato, the edible arum root, 

 the sugv cane. Indian com, mtama, or red millet, 

 and many unnamed variaties of peas and beans. 

 A little rice is grown in some districts, namely, 



at Taveita and on the River Dana. Tobacco is every- 

 where abundant, and exceedingly cheap. I might 

 mention my own, almost incredible, experience with 

 the cultivation of European vegetables on Kilima- 

 njaro. Immediately after my arrival I planted the 

 eyes of a few potatoes, onion bulhs, and the seeds 

 of mustard, cress, radishes, turnips, carrots peas 

 beans, spmach, borage, sage, tomatoes, cucumbers', 

 and melons. Everything came up, and fiourished 

 amazmgly. In three months' time I had a dozen 

 fine cucumbers from one plant, and so many potatoes 

 that I was able to give them away to my men, as 

 weU as supplying my own table. I had everything 

 else m abundance in a short space of time Before 

 leaving, I had planted my land at Tavaita with wheat 

 and coffee, limes, oranges, mangoes, and coconut*. 

 I also distributed numbers of useful seeds among 

 the natives. I should have mentioned in its proper 

 place, before the vegetables, that there is a great 

 quantity of delicious honey produced throughout 

 this dtstnct. The wax is of very good quality, but 

 the natives have no use for it, and merely throw 

 It away." For the development of this marvellous 

 country— a land literally " flowing with milk and 

 honey"— where the climate is| so exceptionally favour- 

 able, the great majority of the inhabitants eager to 

 do a trade and desirous to be under British rule- 

 which includes "vast plains" of nitrate of sodium! 

 and where beeswax of "very good quality" is 

 continuously thrown away, Mr. :Johnston suggests 

 that a company or association, with a few thousand 

 pounds capital, be now formed, and that a thoroughly 

 practical small expedition be sent out, before the 

 Germans or French take the law into their own 

 hands and annex' the lands, and we trust no obstacle 

 will arise to prevent this consummation from being 

 accomplished. In the course of the discu.ssion which 

 followed the reading of the paper, one of the speakers 

 confirmed Mr. .Johnston upon one important 'point 

 and stated that a sample of the nitrate of sodium 

 froin the "Masai country" was found, on analysis, 

 to be fully equal in point of quality to the best 

 of that imported from South AmeticA.— British and 

 Colonial Druggist. 



COMMERCIAL AND MEDICINAL PLANTS 

 OF MEXICO. 

 In a report issued by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, giving a leview of the agricult- 

 ural products and resources of Mexico, it is stated 

 that iu that country there are to be found 110 medic- 

 inal plants known to the physician, 12 varieties of 

 well-known dye woods, many plants used for the same 

 purposes, 8 varieties of important gum trees, and 

 several of the resiniferous tr. es. Of the whole of the 

 commercial plants, the vanilla, a parasite plant, is of 

 the largest importance. This plant is of the orchid 

 species, indigenous to Lower Mexico and Oenul America 

 It IS planted from sprouts, and will become fruit- 

 bearing at the end of three years, lasting from thirty 

 to forty years. The capsule of the J-anilla Plantifolw. 

 and claviculata as remarkable for its delicate anti agree, 

 able odour, and the volatile oil extracted from it. 

 The several varieties of this plant are successfully 

 cultivated in the States of Tamaulipas, Vera Oruz, 

 Tabasco, Oajaca, Chiapa, Guerrero, Michoacan, Oolima! 

 Jalisco, and Hidalgo. Anil, the Indigofera tinctoiia 

 of the botanist, is extensively cultivated, onri it is 

 stated that indigo has long been one of the exports 

 of Mexico. The following is a description of the 

 manner in which it is cultivated. The old-fashionod 

 crooked stick and oxen are used to plough the fields, 

 and the regular corn crops is planted during June 

 and .July. 'WTien the corn is about ten inches high, 

 and the soil has been raised into bUlocks, the indigo 

 seed is scattered broadcast over the same field, nud 

 this is all thit is done. The rsins beat down the 

 seed sufficiently, and in about one week the young 

 plant appears. The average quantity of seed required 

 is about 100 lb. per aore. In the month of Novembsr 



