November, 1909.] 



452 



Miscellaneous. 



Para rubber trees produce large quanti- 

 ties of seed in Ceylon. The investiga- 

 tions conducted at the Imperial Institute 

 have proved that this oil, which resem- 

 bles lim-eed oil, will probably command 

 the same price as the latter commodity, 

 whilst the residue of the seeds from 

 which the oil has been extracted may 

 prove to be serviceable locally as feeding 

 stuff for cattle. 



Sisal Hemp (Agave sisalana).— At 

 Bangalore and several other places I had 

 hoped to secure consignments of sisal 

 bulbils for East Africa, but personal 

 enquiries were always met with the 

 same reply, that all available bulbils 

 were needed for local supply, or booked 

 up a considerable time in advance. 

 There is now, however, no cause for 

 anxiety regarding a sufficiency of sisal 

 plants for establishing plantations in 

 the Protectorate as apart from recent 

 successful efforts made by several to 

 import bulbils, the field of sisal at 

 the Government Experimental Station, 

 Merihini, has commenced to "pole" 

 which with the plants " poling " at 

 Government House Garden, Mombasa, 

 and large numbers of suckers on the 

 plantations of several sisal planters in 

 the highlands and lowlands, will meet 

 all reasonable demands during the 

 currrent and early part of next year. 



In reply to an enquiry of mine as 

 to whether sisal plants produce fertile 

 seed, Dr. H, H. Mann of the Agricultural 

 College, Kirkee, Poona, wrote : — 



" I have never found ripe seed develope 

 on Agave sisalana in all my experience." 



" They certainly must be a great rarity 

 in the districts I know and of no com- 

 mercial importance. On the other hand 

 quite a number of the other Agaves do 

 give fertile fruit." 



Breadfruit (Artocarpus incisa).— 

 For some time past the Department of 

 Agriculture has been desirous of in- 

 troducing the breadfruit plant, and I 

 took the opportunity at Peradeniya to 

 obtain about 80 plants from natives. 

 About 25 of the plants stood the voyage 

 well, and so far appear to be thriving at 

 Mazeras. 



The tree was originally a native of the 

 South Sea Islands, and grows to a good 

 size, and on account of its large lobed 

 leaves, is of handsome appearance. 



There are several varieties, but in most 

 the fruit is roundish and of the size of a 

 melon. 



In the South Sea Islands and the West 

 Indies, the fruit constitutes one of the 

 principal articles of diet of the natives 

 and is relished by Europeans. 



The fruit is baked or roasted whole, or 

 cut inco slices and boiled or made into 

 soup, 



Plants will be propagated for distri- 

 bution. 



Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana). — 

 Several seedling plants were secured at 

 Peradeniya, but they are not doing well. 



In good situations in Ceylon, the tree, 

 which is of middling size, and consider- 

 able beauty, commences to fruit at the 

 8th to 10th year. 



It is a native of the Malay Islands, 

 where, as in other tropical countries, the 

 fruit is held in high esteem, some author- 

 ities describing it as the most luscious 

 of all tropical fruits, having a flavour 

 of a peach and pineapple combined. 



Avocado Pear or Midshipman's 

 Butter (Per sea Gratissima). — Plants of 

 this well-known fruit have been intro- 

 duced from India and Ceylon, and appear 

 promising. 



Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus gigan- 

 teus).— Native of Malay Peninsular. In- 

 troduced into Ceylon in 1856. 



This is the largest bamboo known, of 

 which there are several remarkably 

 large clumps in the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Peradeniya. 



Several seedlings as well as seed of the 

 Giant Bamboo were brought back by me 

 to Mazeras. 



The length of the rods is from 60to90 ft., 

 and the diameter from 8 to 12 inches. 



The rods are used for a variety of 

 purposes, and when cut into sections, 

 just below a node or joint, form excellent 

 pots for plants, water vessels, etc. 



Durian (Durio zibethinus). — Opinions 

 differ as to the advisability of intro- 

 ducing this tree into East Africa. 



It is commonly cultivated in the Malay 

 Peninsular, and very large trees are 

 established at Peradeniya. At Dunga in 

 Zanzibar there is also a well-grown tree. 



"The flavour of the Durian is said to 

 be unique, and it is certain that no other 

 fruit, of either tropical or temperate 

 clime, combines in itself such a delicious 

 flavour with such an offensive odour — 

 an odour commonly compared with 

 putrid animal matter or with rotten 

 onions. It might be supposed that a 

 fruit possessing such an odour could 

 never become a favourite, but it is said 

 that when once the repugnance has been 

 overcome, the Durian is sure to find 

 favour, and that Europeans invariably 

 become fond of it." 



Other interesting plants introduced 

 and so far doing well are :— Cannon-ball 

 (Couroupita giuanensis), a large hand- 

 some tree with showy flowers and 

 cannon-ball like fruit. Nutmeg (Myris- 

 tica fragrans), the well-known spice. 

 Bougainvillea lateritis, the magnificent 

 terra cotta Bougainvillea. Brownea 

 grandiceps, a pretty tree with large 

 handsome flowers, 



