Oct. 1906.] 



349 



Current Literature. 



The Economic Resources of Uganda. — This is a report by M. T. Da we, officer 

 in charge, Forest and Scientific Department, Uganda, of a botanical mission through 

 the forest districts of Bnddn and the Western and Nile Provinces of the Uganda 

 Protectorate. An interesting description is given of the country, the vegetation, 

 the animals and the inhabitants of this hitherto little known region. The report 

 pays particular attention to the general distribution of plants, and especially notes 

 the distribution of Funtumia elastica and other important rubber plants, and of 

 trees affording useful timber. An important result of the mission was the discovery 

 of Funtumia elastica (or Kickxia elastica, as it used to be called), the Lagos silk 

 rubber tree, which was not hitherto known to exist in Uganda, and its rubber had 

 never been exploited by the natives. "Its discovery came, therefore, as a great 

 boon to Uganda, seeing that at the present time rubber is of such great commercial 

 importance, and the tree being indigenous no further proof was necessary to assure 

 us of its suitability to our climate and soil." Three new species of Landolphias or 

 rubber-yielding lianas were found— Landolphia Dawei, L. subturbinata, and L. 

 ugandensis — and also one of the Clitandras (C. orientalis). These rubber plants are 

 illustrated by plates of botanical drawings made at Kew by Miss M. Smith. Numbers 

 of fine timber trees were also found, and a large collection of valuable timbers made. 

 The greater part of the districts traversed was covered with dense forests and 

 much swamp was found in parts, while the civilization of the natives is very limited 

 and their agriculture of the most primitive description except in a few districts. As 

 regards land suited to planting and agriculture from a European standpoint, the 

 best is said to be in the Mboga and Bwamba countries along the Rnwenzori and 

 Mboga ranges, up to 8,100 feet. " The lower slopes of this mountain range seem to 

 be admirably adapted to the cultivation of tea ; the soil is very rich, and I should 

 imagine the rainfall to be here quite 100 inches per year. The whole of this country 

 constitutes one of the finest and richest districts for the purposes of cultivation that 

 I have seen within this Protectorate." 



An interesting remark is made concerning the Acholi people, who domesti- 

 cate the wild forest bee ; making " long cylindrical hives about 4 to 5 feet in length 

 and 12 to 18 inches in diameter, of bamboos, wattles, or bark, usually placed in low 

 Ficus trees." A full list of plants collected during the mission is added.— I. E. 



Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India. — Botanical Series. 

 (Vol. I., Nos. 1, 2, 3,) issued from the Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa. No. 1, 

 Studies in Root Parasitism, by C. A. Barber, Government Botanist, Madras, deals 

 with the Haustorium of the Sandal Tree (Santalum Album), in its early stages, up to 

 penetration ; and other plants whose roots it attacks, illustrated by 7 plates. No. 2, 

 Indian Wheat Rusts, by E. J. Butler, Imperial Mycologist, and J. M. Hayman, 

 Deputy Director of Agriculture, U. P., with a note on the Relation of Weather to 

 Rust on Cereals by W. H. Moreland, Director, Department of Lands and Agricul- 

 ture, U. P., illustrated by coloured plates and diagrams. No. 3, Fungus Diseases of 

 Sugar Cane in Bengal, by E. J. Butler, illustrated by colourBd plates and diagrams, 



Lift Irrigation.— Published by Messrs. Natesan & Co., Madras.— A useful 

 little treatise on the subject of lift irrigation by Alfred Chatterton, with special 

 reference to Southern India. The author advocates the use of oil engines and centri 

 fugal pumps and the use of windmills. The supplies of water at a depth in part of 

 South India have been found to be very satisfactory, and some fifty oil engines are 

 already at work and have resulted in profitable agriculture. Oil engines, even on a 

 small scale it is stated, are much less costly than bullock power. The following are 

 some of the subjects treated— Development of lift irrigation ; value of windmills 

 for irrigation in India and America ; well irrigation ; and irrigation by pumping in 

 the United States.— I. E. 



