Deecmlwr 8, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



491 



the name with a heavy lead pencil well into the wood. Fix the 

 label to the stake vertically with a nail through the middle. 

 AVhen the stake rota, it ia easily removed with a strong pruning 

 kuife, together with the nail, ready for the fresh stake. For 

 dwarf plants use slips of slate and white paint to write the 

 name in. — Amatecb, Be.rley. 



THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS AT CHELTENHAM. 



As an old grower of this beautiful autumn flower, I thought 

 I should like to see how it was done in Cheltenham, and having 

 a jolly friend there, I journeyed thither with a few cut blooms, 

 many of which had done duty the week before in Bristol. On 

 Monday morning, November 23rd, 1 started from the Bristol 

 terminus, first train. Cold it was — a sharp hoar frost, appa- 

 rently more severe as we journeyed northward. I arrived just 

 in time to stage my blooms and to look around. The growers 

 are far behind the Bristolians. The plants were all of the 

 leggy growth, which told me the Cheltenham growers had not 

 been far a-field. The cut blooms were too true to nature, and 

 would not bear the least dressing, a question I am not at all 

 satisfied with. The Grapes, Apples, and Pears were very 

 creditable. 



One of the best exhibits in the Show was Mr. Cypher's 

 Primulas — twelve plants of beautiful growth, and bloomed to 

 perfection — just in to the day. I would recommend the 

 Cheltenham Committee to give better prizes, both for cut 

 blooms and plants, if they wish to see the Chrysanthemum 

 done well. After a long tramp with my jolly friend, we at last 

 turned-in to Mr. Cypher's to have a look at his stock. There 

 there are giants at rest after a season's campaign, laying up and 

 storing strength for another and perhaps more eventful year. 

 I also noticed a beautiful batch of Orchids and a good house 

 of Geraniums. Truly our friend Cypher is a wonder ; that 

 which he does and how he does it are marvellous. Ye men of 

 Bath and Bristol, you will have to look sharp after your 

 laurels. — T. Hoebs, Bristol. 



Another correspondent writes : — For six large-flowered Chry- 

 santhemums, distinct varieties, Mr. T. Smith, gardener to Mrs. 

 Lloyd Williams, took the first prize ; second prize Mr. Moor- 

 man, gardener to Dr. Abercrombie. In the collection of four 

 distinct varieties the prizes were exactly reversed. The Pom- 

 pons were remarkably good and numerously represented. For 

 six distinct varieties Mr. T. Smith was again placed first, Mr. 

 Weeviu second, Mr. Moorman third. 



The out blooms. Primulas, Solauums, vases, and bouquets 

 were exceedingly good. For dinner-table vases, first Mr. J. 

 Cypher, second Mr. C. Smith, third Mr. C. Cooke ; and for 

 bouquets the prizes were exactly the same as for the vases. 

 The fruit exhibited were remarkably good, especially the 

 Grapes. 



SOME OF THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTS OP 

 CEYLON. -No. 3. 



COTTON {Contiiixud). 



Sir John Bowbing, who, from his position and love of in- 

 quiry must be considered as a most powerful witness, in his 

 very interesting work on " Siam " thus writes: — " Let it not 

 be supposed that I write with any feelings but those of com- 

 placency upon the ' exodus ' of the Chinese from their native 

 land, and their outpourings on all adjacent regions. I believe 

 there is no class of settlers who, under proper control, are so 

 likely to be useful ; that the very quality — the passion for ac- 

 quiring wealth, which leads them to dare all danger and diffi- 

 culty, is a most valuable recommendation. Their own habits 

 of subordination ; their inborn and inbred respect for authority ; 

 their gregarious spirit, which drives them into associations of 

 every sort, private and public, praiseworthy and pernicious, 

 only require a thorough knowledge of their character to be 

 turned to the best account. They already constitute nearly 

 half the population of Siam." 



An intelligent correspondent writing from China, and whose 

 letter appeared in the Times, stated that on a recent visit to 

 Shanghai he found that fifteen thousand of the better and 

 wealthier classes had located themselves in the European colony 

 there of their own free choice, built wide streets and extensive 

 bazaars, pay road and police rates, and conform to municipal 

 regulations of foreign growth with scrupulous fidelity. The 

 same correspondent adds, " The Chinese are certainly among 

 the most easily governed of any in the world, given two con- 



ditions only— honesty of purpose and strength in the govern- 

 ing power. Under such conditions the latter is hardly over 

 called into active exercise. It is enough that it should be 

 known to exist." 



The Government of New South Wales has passed an act for 

 encouraging the growth of Cotton in that colony, offering 

 favourable terms to persons forming themselves into associa- 

 tions for growing and cultivating Cotton, and the Queeosland 

 Government has from time to time followed the same procedure. 



The Cotton sent to me by the Ceylon Government to bo 

 shown at the International Exhibition in London in 18C2 was 

 valued by the representative in London of the Cotton Supply 

 Association of Manchester as follows : — No. I like good strong 

 New Orleans, worth 12d. to 13d. per pound ; No. 2 like low 

 middlings, not good Cotton, but strong, 12d. per pound. 



Cotton seed is given occasionally to the cattle to eat. They 

 like it, and it is considered fattening. In China oil is obtained 

 from the seed of the Cotton plant, and the seeds are after- 

 wards employed as manure, together with the branches, leaves, 

 and pods, by being burnt, or by rotting them in pits. 



SnoAR. — Very large sums have been expended in attempts to 

 cultivate the Sugar Cane in Ceylon, but success has not been 

 arrived at. The only estates, I believe, now under cultivation 

 are one belonging to Lord Elphinstone and a few small estates 

 in the southern province. There is no doubt that suitable soil 

 exists in portions of the island to grow Sugar Cane, but it is 

 well known that its cultivation is very exhausting to the soil, 

 and requires heavy manuring, and this, combined with the 

 question of labour, renders it far more profitable to grow 

 Coffee. 



Sir J. Teunant is of opinion that the mediocrity of the soil 

 and the necessity of frequently changing the plants, coupled 

 with a superabundance of merely watery fluid in the canes and 

 disproportionate yield of saccharine, have hitherto contributed 

 to discourage the extension of the enterprise. The cultivation 

 of Sugar was first introduced into Ceylon by the Dutch. 



The PAiMYRA Tree is chiefly cultivated in the Peninsula of 

 Jaffna in the northern province of Ceylon. Mr. Fergusson in 

 an interesting volume entitled " The Palmyra and its Products," 

 estimates that the number of Palmyra trees in this district 

 alone must be about seven milhons, the edible product of which 

 supplies one-fourth of the food of two hundred and twenty 

 thousand inhabitants. 



The Palmyra tree is upwards of fifteen years old before it 

 commences to yield fruit. The sap yields for a period of four 

 or five months at the rate of about three quarts a-day. This 

 sap, or toddy as it is called, after it has rested and fermented, 

 is converted into jaggery, or coarse but pure sugar, by a little 

 lime being added to the sap, and is sold in the native bazaars 

 at about Id. a-pound. Three quarts of toddy will yield 1 lb. 

 of jaggery. About 12,000 cwt. are exported annually to con- 

 tinental India, where it is refined. If the fruit be allowed to 

 form instead of being crushed by the operations of the toddy- 

 drawer, it comes to maturity in August, and there are some twelve 

 to eighteen clusters on each flower stem, of which the tree bears 

 about six or seven. The core of the fruit contains three hard 

 seeds embedded in a farinaceous pulp. This pulp is extracted 

 by pressure, and by the action of the sun is made into squares, 

 and used for cakes or curry. The seeds or kernels of the fruit 

 are also extracted and dried in the sun. Under the name of 

 kelingoos they are largely consumed in the bazaars of thff 

 island. The kelingoos are sometimes reduced to a flour. 

 Leaves of the trees supply roofs to native houses and fences to 

 the fields, the old materials being converted into manure for 

 the Eice fields. As Tennant truly states, the Palmyra tree 

 furnishes at once shelter, furniture, food, drink, oil, and fuel 

 for the inhabitants, with forage for their cattle and utensils 

 for their farms. No single production of Nature, not even the 

 Cocoa-nut itself, is capable of conferring so many blessings on 

 mankind in the early stages of civilisation : and hence that 

 outburst of simple gratitude in which it has been exalted by 

 the Tamils* into an object of veneration, and celebrated in 

 songs as a tree transplanted from Paradise. 



Tobacco. — In a late official Blue Book it is stated that up- 

 wards of fifteen thousand acres of land are under Tobacco 

 cultivation. It is the great staple of the Jaffna district, where 

 it is most carefully cultivated, and is largely consumed in thu 

 island. Jaffna Tobacco used to be exported to Travancore in 

 large quantities, although, I believe, the trade has of late years 

 fallen off. In an interesting report from the pen of a veiy 



* The iDhabitantfl of the northern province of Ceylon are Tamils. 



