The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



lustration would appear to have had a desirable 

 effect, but we are sorry thatthis should have been 

 at the expense of this Colony ; the more so as 

 we cannot verify the figures quoted by Mr Park. 

 The reference is probably to the depredations 

 of the black-headed caterpillar (Nephantis Seri- 

 nopa) investigated some years ago by the Gov- 

 ernment Entomologist in the Batticaloa district 

 with which this pest is chiefly associated. A 

 report by Mr Green on this enemy of the Coco- 

 nut palm will be found on page 68 of the appen- 

 dix in the Coconut Planters' Manual, published 

 by Messrs A M & J Ferguson at this office. 



Still another subject of local interest, which is 

 engaging attention in British Guiana, is that of 

 loan banks. In Ceylon we do not seem to have got 

 beyond the legislative stage and the practical ap- 

 plication of the ordinance passed not long ago 

 has yet to be effected. We read in the report re- 

 ferred to of a recommendation that the Execu- 

 tive Government in British Guiana should loan 

 suras not exceeding 2,500 dollars in the aggre- 

 gate to such banks ; and that while the value 

 of each share may vary from 1 to 5 dollars, no 

 member shall own more than 100 dollars' worth 

 of shares. 



With the advent of the new Director of Agri- 

 culture, to whom Sir Hugh Clifford referred in 

 high terms of commendation at the last muet- 

 ing of Council, we leel sure that a fillip will 

 be given to the development of many measures, 

 for dealing with the practical solution of agri- 

 cultural problems which have been waiting so 

 long to be dealt with by the authoritative head 

 of the Department concerned. 



We take this opportunity of joining with 

 the Hon. the Colonial Secretary in congratu- 

 lating the Colony on the acquisition of the man 

 that has been long wanted. 



GIANT ALOE AT KEW. 



On one of the lawns near the cactus house at 

 Kew there is now a magnificent example of the 

 pulque plant Agave atrovirens, from the llanois 

 or plains of Apam Mexico. For many years this 

 plant has been a striking object among the 

 many species of agave cultivated in the cactus 

 house, its age being about thirty years. Until 

 the pole-like flower spike commenced to develop 

 there was ample head room in the house for the 

 plant, huge though it is ; but when the spike 

 reached the roof, the end of the house was re- 

 moved and the plant run out on planks and rol- 

 lers to its present position where, unless the 

 weather of the next few weeks disagrees with it, 

 the flower spike should be at its best towards 

 the end of June. At present the spike is about 

 12ft. high and 6in. in diameter, but, judging by 

 a specimen which flowered about twenty-five 

 years ago, it should attain a height of 25ft., 

 with numerous branches arranged candelabra 

 fashion, and bear a large number of yellow lily- 

 like flowers. The leaves are arranged in an 

 enormous rosette about 12ft. in diameter, and 

 they are about 8 ft. long, 10 in wide, very thick 

 and solid, their colour glaucous green, their 

 margins clothed with short spines, and the apex 

 armed with a long sharp spike. In a broad 



sense this is one of the American aloes or cen- 

 tury plants, whose life period varies from ten to 

 fifty years, or even longer, according to circum- 

 stances, bat they 



ALL FLOWER ONLY ONCE AND THEN PERISH. 



A. atrovirens is of exceptional economic inte- 

 rest, as from it is prepared the fermented drink 

 called pulque, the favourite beverage of the 

 Mexicans, who cultiate the plant on an exten- 

 sive scale for the sake of the sweep sap which it 

 secretes when it has arrived at maturity and is 

 about to flower, The sap is obtained by cutting 

 off the top of the flower stalk at any early stage 

 and hollowing out the stem to form a cup into 

 which the sap flows, and is removed several 

 times each day until it ceases to run. The sap 

 is then placed in bull-hide vats to ferment, a 

 kind of yeast being added to hasten fermenta- 

 tion, the entire process resulting in the end in a 

 variety of wine, resembling in colour and general 

 appearance the weissbier of Germany. It is an 

 agreeable wholesome drink, being a valuable 

 nutrient as well as a mild stimulant, as it con- 

 tains from 4 to 8 per cent, of alcohol. Pulque 

 is said to be good for inflammatory and catar- 

 rhal conditions of the bladder and kidneys, and 

 to be an almost unfailing remedy tor what is 

 known as Bright's disease. It is now prescribed 

 by American physicians, who even send their 

 patients to Mexico to drink fresh preparations 

 of it, as it is liable to secondary fermentation a 

 few hours after it has been made, which renders 

 it unwholesome. 



There are countries in the British Empire 

 where the conditions of soil and temperature 

 are such as would favour the growth of this 

 agave ; for example the plains round Johannes- 

 burg, where, to those engaged in the mines, a 

 plant that yields both wine and medicine and 

 requires practically no cultivation would be a 

 blessing. There is a useful fibre also in the 

 leaves of this plant, not so good p rhaps as sisal 

 hemp, but good enough for many purposes. If 

 once established in a country this agave would 

 reproduce itself naturally, and most likely with 

 great prodigality, by means of seeds and stem 

 bulbils, which it bears in profusion. Of course 

 it might prove a nuisance by providing a cheap 

 intoxicating drink to natives, thus reducing 

 their value as workers. It it is worth trying on 

 a small scale, anyhow. — Field, April 13. 



-'THE LARGEST PIECE OF RUBBER." 



In our last issue we asked if any of our readers 

 knew of the largest piece of raw rubber on re- 

 cord. We referred to a biscuit weighing 5591b., 

 which was exhibited at the Rubber Exhibition 

 of 1908, and also to a block which figured at 

 several tyre exhibitions, and weighed about 

 8 cwt. This week we are enabled, by the cour- 

 tesy of the St. Helen's Cable and Rubber Co., 

 Ltd., Warrington and London, to publish a 

 photograph of a piece of Fine Ha r d Para, which 

 they bought about five or six years ago. This 

 block weighed nearly half-a-ton, to be exact 

 1,100 lb., and was shown at several exhibitions 

 about the country. It is claimed that this is 

 the largest piece of rubber ever imported. — 

 India Rubber Journal, April 20. 



