Sept, lyofi.j 



267 



Correspondence. 



Adhatoda is a very common weed in the Western Province, but so far as I 

 am aware its value as a manure is not appreciated by cultivators there. The use of 

 the leaves for green manure is not confined to Ceylon, for the practice is pretty 

 common in India. It may be mentioned that in India the plant is as much used for 

 fertilizing as for its property of destroying aquatic weeds, such as Lemnae in flooded 

 rice-fields. Mr. Hooper of the Indian Museum, who has made a number of analyses 

 of Adhatoda, is of opinion that they fully bear out the high reputation in which the 

 plant is held, containing as it does from 3 to 4% of Nitrogen, and considers it a most 

 valuable fertilizer when ploughed or forked into the soil. 



Altogether Adhatoda vasica is a most interesting plant, combining the 

 properties of a fertilizer, medicine (both in human and veterinary practice), 

 insecticide, poison (for fish and aquatic plants) and antiseptic ; but its most valuable 

 property is undoubtedly as a fertilizer, supplying not only a high percentage of 

 nitrogen, but also an appreciable amount of mineral matter. I would suggest that 

 its properties as such should be brought prominently to the notice of native 

 cultivators. 



Yours truly, 



C. DRIEBERG, 

 Superintendent of School Gardens. 



Government Stock Garden, 

 Colombo, 31st August, 1906. 



HONEY PRODUCTION IN EUROPE. 

 Dear Sib,— The following paragraph will be of interest to apiarists, and 

 might be published in the Tropical Agriculturist. 



Yours faithfully, 



W. H. M. DA VIES. 



Colombo, 29th August, 1906. 



"According to statistics in the Handel's Museum, Germany leads in the 

 production of honey among European countries with 1,910,000 beehives, furnishing 

 20,000 tons of honey. Spain is next with 1,690,000 hives and 19,000 tons of honey. 

 Austria-Hungary is third with 1,550,000 hives and 18,000 tons of honey. The other 

 European States are far behind. France produces 10,000 tons, Holland 2,500, 

 Belgium 2,000, Greece 1,400, Russia and Denmark 900 tons each. In these statistics 

 the effect of climatic conditions is noteworthy, especially when comparing Russia 

 and Greece. The latter has only 30,000 beehives, yielding 1,400 tons of honey, while 

 the former with 110,000 hives, produces only 900 tons." 



MOSQUITO NETTINGS AND MUSLINS. 



Dear Sir,— We beg to forward you a few samples of our Untearable 

 Mosquito Nettings and Muslins, which, as they will stand indefinite washing 

 without tearing, will, we believe, prove very valuable protection from malaria. 



The "British Medical Journal" and the "Lancet" have already reported 

 very favourably on them, and in view of the hygienic value of these fabrics, we 

 trust you will think well to notice them in the columns of your valuable paper 



Yours faithfully, 

 A. M. HART, LTD. 



[These samples are wonderfully strong, but the threads are so stout that there 

 cannot be good ventilation, especially in the finer one. How they compare in cost 

 with cotton we are not told, and it must always be remembered thatj the 

 people who are willing to give a good deal higher prices for better articles ar« 

 but few.— Ed. 



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