T96 
OIL  OF  PARA  RUBBER  SEEDS. 
Notwithstanding  the  very  excellent  prices  quoted  for  samples 
of  Rubber  sent  home  from  time  to  time  from  the  Straits,  it  is 
satisfactory  to  know  that  the  rubber  is  not  the  only  valuable 
product  of  this  most  valuable  tree.  At  the  present  moment  the 
experts  of  the  Scientific  and  Technical  J3ranch  of  the  Imperial 
Institute  are  investigating  the  properties  of  the  Para  Rubber  seeds, 
and  from  the  preliminary  investigation  now  in  progress  it  appears 
highly  probable  that  the  oil  derived  from  these  seeds  may  prove  to 
be  of  commercial  value.  It  will  be  necessary  to  wait  fora  complete 
report  before  it  can  be  said  exactly  in  what  capacity  the  expressed 
oil  will  be  most  valuable,  but  from  the  fact  that  Castor  oil  is 
expressed  from  a plant  botanically  allied  we  may  reasonably 
infer  that  the  oil  from  the  seeds  of  Hevea  will  be  a useful  lubricant. 
The  number  of  seeds  now  available  in  the  Native  States  and  the 
increasingly  enormous  number  in  a few  years  renders  this  informa- 
tion of  considerable  interest  to  Planters. 
W.  FOX, 
Ag.  Local  Agent  for  Imperial  Institute. 
THE  MOSQUITO  PLANT. 
The  Hon.  W.  Hood  Treacher,  C.  M.  G.,  sends  for  publication 
in  the  Bulletin  the  following  extract  from  the  Times  of  this  year: — 
THE  MOSQUITO  PLANT. 
To  THE  Editor. 
Sir, — With  reference  to  the  letter  in  The  Mail  of  this  morning  from  Captain 
H.  D.  Larymore  on  the  so-called  “mosquito  plant’’  (Ocimnm  viride),  I may 
mention  that  allied  basils  have  been  known  “from  time  immemorial’’  to  the 
Hindu  throughout  India  as  a defence  against  mosquitos,  and  a prophylactic  in 
malarious  districts.  They  recognize  several  species,  such  as  ran-iiilsi,  or  “ wild 
Tulsi  ’’ ; sitfaid-tulsi,  or  “ white  Tulsi  ’’ ; kala-tulsi,  or  “ black  Tulsi  ’’  (sweet  basil)  ; 
(O.  graiissimum)  \ Krishna-hds/ ; and  tulsi,  par  excellence,  called  also 
parnasa  (O.  sanctum).  One  or  other  of  these  basils  is  found  growing  everywhere 
in  India,  especially  about  temples,  and  most  of  them  are  grown  in  gardens  ; in 
Farther  India  especially  they  are  planted  upon  and  about  graves  ; and  a decoc- 
tion of  the  stalks  and  leaves  is  a universal  remedy  in  cases  of  malarial  fever. 
The  last-named  species  is  sacred  to  Vishnu,  being  called  after  the  beautiful  Tulsi, 
who  excited  the  jealousy  of  his  wife  Lakshmi,  who  transformed  the  fair  maiden 
into  the  plant  which  Vishnu  at  once  consecrated  to  the  service  of  his  most  dis- 
tinguishing rites.  The  “ holy  basil’’  is  therefore  planted  before  every  Vaishnava 
house,  and  every  Vaishnava  wears  necklaces,  or  armlets,  and  carries  a rosary, 
made  up  of  sections  of  its  stalks  or  roots  ; and  Hindus  are  sworn  on  the  waters 
of  the  Ganges  poured  into  the  palm  of  the  hand,  crossed  with  a sprig  of  holy 
basil ; and  sprigs  of  the  plant  are  borne  by  the  Brahmans  at  all  funeral  ceremo- 
nies. One  of  the  most  charming  sights  in  India — the  India  of  the  Hindus — is 
that  of  a fair  Brahmini  woman,  in  the  villages  of  the  Deccan  (“right-hand” 
country),  early  every  morning,  after  having  ground  the  corn  for  the  daily  bread 
of  the  family,  and  performed  her  simple  toilet,  with  the  fearless  frankness  of  the 
Athenian  ladies  at  the  fair-flowing  fountains  of  Callirrhoe,  walking,  with  stately 
steps  and  slow,  round  and  round  {pra-dakshina,  “ turning  to  the  right” — i.e.,  with 
the  sun’s  shadow),  the  Tulsi  plant  placed  on  the  four-horned  altar  before  the 
house  of  “ the  father  of  her  children,  ” invoking  on  him  and  them,  with  out- 
stretched arms  and  uplifted  eyes  of  supplication,  the  blessings  of  all-indulgent 
