638 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, i88fl; 



the corn crop is harvested, aud the indigo plant is 

 then three feet high, and very hardy. About Sept- 

 ember of the second year the plant is about eight 

 or ten feet high, of proportionate thickness, ardofa 

 dark green colour, and it is then cut aud pressed. 

 To insure a large proportion of indigo pulp it is im- 

 portant that the plant be cut and placed in a tank 

 at night, or at least before the suu lias gained full 

 force. The tanks should also be well shielded from 

 the sun-light, as a strong light bearing on them during 

 the opeiation materially lensens the quantity of pulp. 

 The pressing tanks are three in number, built of stoue 

 and mortar, aud are so arranged that tlie contents of 

 one can be readily drawn into the other. The plant 

 is laid in the first tank, filling it two thirds, and after 

 being pressed with heavy stones, the tank is filled with 

 clear water. After a fermentation of about ten hours 

 the liquid is run otf into the second tank, with wooden 

 hand-paddles for from two to four hours. It is then 

 allowed a certain time for settling, aud is then drawn 

 oft into a third tank. The water, after three or four 

 hours, is then drawn off, aud at the bottom of the 

 tank is left a blue pulp, which is taken out, dried 

 in the sun, and packed for shipment. There are 

 many well-known dye woods and plants indigenous to 

 Mexico, which are mostly found in the Tierra Calientes, 

 and embrace, among others, the Brazil tree, logwood, 

 and the ( 'ampcche, so named after the State in which 

 it grows. The dye trees of the Tierra Calientes in- 

 clude the achiotf or heart-leaved lixa or anotta, the 

 tiniaron, which yields a beautiful sky blue dye, and 

 the uenijihlillu, yielding a strong bright yellow. Among 

 the most numerous trees are several varieties of gum 

 and Indiarubber trees, cork trees, aud dragon root, 

 which latter iu Chiapa grows to a medium-sized tree. 

 Palm trees are abundant in many districts, and a 

 large industry exists in the manufacture of palm leaf 

 hats, fine mats, and other articles of use and luxury. 

 One variety ^f the palm tree, known as the corozo^ 

 yields an excellent oil. Other trees of the soap plant 

 species furnish an exc«lleut substitute for soap, and 

 a root of the orchid plant, called i/a.vtc in the aboriginal 

 dialect, furui.shes a very fine soap highly valued for 

 cosmetic purposes. The castor bean is very largely 

 grown, and the expenses of its cultivation are very 

 small. It is estimated that an acre can be planted 

 with 600 trees, yielding at ouce at least H,GOO pounds 

 of beans, which if pressed as soon as gathered, will 

 return 50 per cent or l,8t)i'i pounds of oil. The castor 

 plant thrives best under conditions similai- to those of 

 coffee growing, ^\^hell a year old the plant reaches 

 a height of !l feet, with heavy foliage. The cultiv- 

 ation ru(i aires no more care than the corn crop, and 

 its first yield, which svilisotjuently iucreases yearly, is 

 about six pouuils. The production continues during tive or 

 even six months of the year, and it is stated that 

 plants from two or three years old yield from five to 

 six pounds e\'ery montli, or an average fiF twenty-five 

 pounds per annum for each plaut. Another product 

 which is used in Mexico and shipped to I'Vance for 

 tanning purposes is the Cattcalnitf bpan. This tree 

 grows wiiil, reaches a height of aliout 2.~> feet, and 

 has br.mching foliage often 30 feet in diameter. It 

 produces in large (luantities a bean of a broad and 

 crooked shape. The bean dropping to the ground 

 when ripe is gathered, dried, and pulverised, and in 

 this form makes one of the best of nil tanning sub- 

 stances. The tree is found in the States of I\Iic!ioacan, 

 Ooltma, anri t.Juerrero ; it grows wild, and one labourer 

 can pick as much as 25<) lb. of beans a day. Among 

 other useful and medicinal plants may be found the 

 sarsaparilla, toitiiHociirii, a native cure for fever, the 

 harhd ih- chihatf. or buek-beard the 4/>'iirn. the fuirotfi'i. 

 anil chc/ii^ herbs used by the Indians to produce per- 

 spir ttion. The irdjucott, a species of guav.'i, or South 

 American pear tree, is used for curing skin diseases. 

 Sassafras is abundant, as also the soap wort. <^r jahonera. 

 The dragon tret* is valuable for its ineiliciual resin 

 or gum. The saffron, cinchona, aloe, many varieties 

 of the acacia, corianda, wild liquorice, and many other 

 useful plants, slirubs, and herbs are found. The legum- 

 inous plants are nnmerous and valuable, and varieties 



of the J£i<p hmhiaca family are found in abundance 

 along the table lands of the lower Pacific States. It 

 is stated that all the plants now cultivated in Mexico 

 were known to both the Aztecs and their Spanish 

 conquerors, and though the exportation of the plant* 

 and their products was at one time much larger than 

 at present, there is every probability with the pr»fent 

 and growing activity felt throughout Mexico, that a 

 large increase in production will soon take place.— 

 Journal of the Society of Artn. 



NUTMEGS. BETEL-NUTS, TEAK AND FRUIT 

 AT SINGAPOEE. 

 There are now planted out in Singapore, as 

 nearly as can be discovered and estimated, about 

 twenty-five thousand nutmeg trees. In this number, 

 there are about four or five hundred which have 

 been bearing for considerable terms of years, includ- 

 ing about two hundred or so from 18 to 21 years 

 of age. The remainder consist of trees of all ages 

 downwards, from about eight or ten years of age to 

 one. The land occupied by these trees may be from 

 about 550 to 600 acres. In the whole collective area 

 there is only a very limited proportion of the best, but 

 a large proportion of the worst soil. 



It has become fashionable in these Eastern Lsles 

 where the imagination, like the jungle, is so apt to 

 luxuriate, to pitch upon some trees of uncommon 

 growth, and situated in the most favoured spots, as 

 standards of comparison, and as sure indices of 

 prospective wealth, in a species of cultivation which, 

 beyond all others, demands the soberest exercise of 

 the judgment, and the most liberal sacrifice of pre- 

 conceived opinions and exaggerated expectations, be- 

 fore we can venture on a computation of the 

 probable — certainly always more or less uncertain — 

 results. Like most fruit trees, some nutmeg trees 

 will bear large aud others scanty crops. The annual 

 rent will always vary considerably, for a full crop 

 can hardly be expected beyond once in three years. 



The betel-nut tree tleserves consideration, for 

 although it would not be worth the while for a 

 capitalist to speculate upon it, still, as the nut is 

 exportable, it is of more value than produce which 

 must, from its perishable nature, be consumed ou 

 the spot. It is a hardy tree, and ouly requires to 

 be kept free from the lalang grass and jungle for 

 two or three years, after which it will afford 

 sutficient shade to prevent that grass growing strongly. 



I have already noticed that Straits fruit trees 

 promise well generally. The base of the hills, and 

 gentle slopes, and undulations are well suited to them. 

 The mangosteen seems to thrive ou the flat clayey 

 laud, while orange trees, the pummelo, jacks, duraius 

 and others will be best planted on other sites. Some 

 of these trees, the jack for iustaui'c, thrive well on 

 the stony red iron soil, lint it is obvious, with the 

 ackuowledged suijerior fruits of Malacca so close at 

 hand, th.it the cultivation of uuexportable fruits should 

 be gauged by the number of local consumers. 



I'he ciimamoii tree may yet come lo the aid of the 

 planter. It has been intrDdnced on the island, and 

 thrives very well, but a very small number of trees 

 only have as yet been planted out. 



'The cocoa, or tree yielding the chocolate bean, may 

 be advantageously cultivated here. It has been long 

 acclimatised in Penniig, and chocolate of a fair quality 

 is nninufactured for the use of the Roman Oatholic 

 Jlissiou by its padres. It is a hardy tree, and .seems 

 to grow wherever it has been planted there, both 

 on the hills and plains. 



The teak tree thrives at Singapore, and might be 

 usefully employed aloiia with the cocoa tree to Hue 

 the boundaries of estates. 



The pine-apples of Singapore and the islets in the 

 vicinity, are of a superior c|uality. They are large, 

 sweet and well-tiavourerl, ami they are cutivated iu 

 such abundance up the steep sides of thc>se hilly 

 islands, that they are sold in the mnrket for one- 

 third of a cent of a dollar each, aud are thus eagerly 

 KHisuiDed by the lower classes. Jiiil it is not n 



