ISO 



The Supplement to tfte Tr»p-i*al AyvwulturUt 



ditions of fcho atmosphere, condense dew on 

 their leaves and branches, and this eft'oct may 

 often be seen in the wet state of the ground 

 underneath trees on a foggy morning, when the 

 surface elsewhere is comparatively dry. 



In a district of heavy annual rainfall a smaller 

 proportion of the precipitations is caught and 

 evaporated from the trees than where the rain- 

 fall is light. 



Similarly in the case of heavy and long con- 

 tinued rain, as contrasted with gentle showers; in 

 the latter case, in fact, but little of the water 

 reaches the ground through the leafy canopy 

 of a dense forest. Then again much depends on 

 the kind of tree, evergreens intercepting more 

 water throughout a year than deciduous trees 

 and a larger proportion of the rainfall is evapo- 

 rated from the leaves and brandies in summer 

 than in winter. 



Where water supply for domestic purposes 

 is concerned, the avoidance of violent freshets 

 on the one hand, and scanty flow on the other, 

 is alike desirable. 



The water of a reservoir surrounded by well- 

 stocked woodland is not subjected to 

 the same amount of violent agitation during 

 gales as is the case when such sheltering agency 

 is absent. 



To the credit of forests is also to be placed 

 the fact that they exercise a purifying influence 

 both on the air and on the soil, germs of all 

 kinds being markedly scarcer in a well-wooded 

 district than in a similar extent of tree-less 

 country. 



Afforestation in Water Works Areas. — This ia 

 a very important question to all Corporations 

 and Water Boards, more specially in Tropical 

 countries. Valuable work has already been 

 undertaken by many of our public bodies in 

 the British Isles, the most advanced being the 

 Corporation of Liverpool in connection with 

 their water supply from Lake Vyrnwy, in Wales. 



The work of afforestation, over the whole 

 of the catchment area, is being carried out in a 

 most thorough and systematic manner. 



Many other Municipalities, during the past 

 few years, have also had similar schemes placed 

 before them. It is, therefore, very desirable 

 to draw the attention of all Municipal bodies, 

 to the advantages and profits to be derived from 

 planting their catchment areas with trees 

 which ultimately will not only contribute 

 materially to the retention of the rain 



that falls over the area, and thu» 

 assist in regulating the water supply in prevent- 

 ing floods and water famines, but will tend to 

 the purification of the water and should also, 

 properly managed, yield a fair and regular in. 

 come on the ca| ital expended. I|am of opinion, 

 that this is a direction in which a consider, 

 able amount of afforestation may usefully be 

 done. To prevent all risk of contamination of 

 the water supply, it is the policy to remove all 

 human habitations, as well as live stock, from 

 such areas. These areas, therefore, however 

 well suited they may otherwise be for the 

 production of crops or maintenance of live stock, 

 are practically abandoned, and yield no return, 

 beyond that obtained from sale of the water, 

 upon what is usually a very heavy capital ex- 

 penditure on the part of the Corporation. Such 

 catchment areas, if they are to be thus utilised, 

 should be placed under the control of a com- 

 petent and experienced person. 



Such areas must be planted with a mixture 

 of timber producing trees for permanent and 

 secondary crops ; the secondary crop to be 

 gradually cut out whenever the trees become 

 suitable for agricultural or other industrial 

 purposes. 



Over the area, every second row where possible, 

 can be planted with quick-growing Bpecies of 

 trees, which will necessitate a commencement 

 of thinning out. 



Government cannot too strongly impress 

 upon every Municipal body the great impor- 

 tance attached, to this question, in the preser- 

 vation and purification of their water supply. 



ARBORIST. 



CEYLON'S CARDAMOM EXPORTS 

 FOR 1907. 



"I cannot understand," writes a cardamom 

 grower, " the export of Cardamoms being so 

 heavey, for 1907 ; all estates for the past six 

 months are very short, both on Rangalla side 

 and Matale, yet the exports have not dropped. 

 Is it nossible that South India Cardamoms sent 

 to Ceylon and re-shipped are included in the re- 

 turns ? ' No, we learn on enquiry from the 

 Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the 

 South Indian cardamoms imported f.ir re-ship- 

 ment s.ro not included in the Chamber's export 

 able as Ceylon cardamoms. There is apparently 

 something wrong, however. The area uiidar 

 cadamoms in Coylon in 1906 was 8,744 acre.x and 

 the exports of the spice 732,136 ib. Now in 

 1907 the area is only 8,451 acres and yet from 

 293 acres less the export for 1907 shows an in- 

 crease of 33,334 lb. over 1907 — and that too in 

 spite of reported short crops all round. Can 

 any reader suggest an explanation. 



