232 



leaves are perfect, as they are extremely brittle and readily broken. 

 In shape and general appearance they are very similar to those of 

 some of the species of Cassia, the leaflets being sessile, close, mem- 

 branous obtuse, and varying from J inch to I inch or more in 

 length. It is difficult to determine with certainty their botanical 

 origin, but they agree very nearly with the leaves of Caesalpinia 

 pulcherrima, a shrub or small tree universally cultivated through- 

 out India and elsewhere in the tropics. The native country of this 

 plant is not clearly known, but according to some athorities it was 

 introduced into the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, in 1792. All parts 

 of the plant are said to be emmenagogue and purgative, but there 

 appears to be no trustworthy data bearing upon this point. In 

 India the leaves, flowers, and trees are employed in native medicine, 

 and an ink is made from the charred wood. 



Cardamoms in French Indo-China. 

 The Revue des Cultures Coloniales, of November 5th, in the 

 course of a long article on the cardamoms of French Indo-China, 

 states that the exports to Singapore and Hong-kong may be con- 

 sidered as representing the total production of the country, the 

 quantity consumed locally being insignificant. Nearly the whole 

 of the crop is sent to China via Hong-kong. It is the Chinese, 

 moreover in Cambodia, Laos, Annam, and Tonkin who buy or ex- 

 change the cardamoms with the producers, and then send them to 

 the different ports whence they are exported. This trade is said 

 to be entirely in their hands. The port of shipment for Cambodia 

 and a part of Laos is Saigon, with Cholon as entrepot, and market. 

 The exports from Annam and the region round Laos go via. Yinh, 

 and from Tonkin via, Haiphong. This latter port also receives 

 many cardamoms from Annam. The following table shows the 

 quantity and value of the exports of cardamoms from French Indo- 

 China during the last two years : — 



1899. 1900. 





Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 





Kilos. 



Francs. 



Kilos. 



Francs. 



Annam 



I4.503 



67,968 



9,857 



74,913 



Cochin China and 











Cambodia 



289,074 



1,195,002 



196,908 



632,679 



Tonkin 



43,127 



97,°36 



54,oi9 



405,142 



Total (346,704 1,360,006 260,784 1,112,734 



1 763,000 lbs. 54,000 £, 574,000 lbs. 45 000 £. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



To The Editor, K/a/ig, 19-1-02. 



Agricultural Bulletin, Singapore. 



By this post I am sending you samples of Termes gestroi, queens 

 in spirits, and also of another termite, which is neither gestroi nor 



