October, 1911.] 



359 



Miscellaneous. 



of Rorer's work, actually carried out in 

 Trinidad, which establishes the identity 

 of stem and a pod canker, and attributes 

 both to the agency of Phytophthora, a 

 result recently confirmed by Petch in 

 Ceylon. 



As regards the varieties of cacao, 

 Hart's classification differs little from 

 that of Sir Daniel Morris which was 

 adopted by the reviewer in a circular 

 published in 1904. The Old Red vat iety 

 of Ceylon appears to agree most nearly 

 with the Venezuela Criollo of Hart's 

 classification, whilst the types figured of 

 Trinidad Porastero Veraguso and Foras- 

 tero Amelonado can be closely matched 

 by two of the most prominent varieties 

 of cacao growing on the Experiment 

 Station, Peradeniya. Our experience 

 does not support Hart's view as to the 

 constant inter -crossing of cacao varie- 

 ties. There are now growing on the 

 Experiment Station two acres, one of 

 Green Nicaraguan Criollo and one of a 

 red form of the same variety. Practi- 

 cally all the trees on both plots have 

 preserved the precise colours of the 



parental pods, although the trees from 

 which the seeds were taken grew in a 

 mingled group, red and green alternately. 



We have omitted to refer to an import- 

 ant matter in connection with cultiv- 

 ation upon which the author's views have 

 changed since the early days of his expe- 

 rience with cacao. Formerly Hart was 

 opposed to the use of any kind of shade, 

 but more recently he has come to the 

 conclusion that the correct amount of 

 shade is a matter of the greatest import- 

 ance. This is certainly the case in 

 Ceylon where proper attention to the 

 growth of shade trees is one of the lead- 

 ing factors of success in cacao cultiv- 

 ation. In Trinidad two species of Ery- 

 thrina are used for this purpose- 

 relations of the dadap which plays such 

 an important part on Ceylon Cacao 

 estates. 



For further points of interest we must 

 refer the reader to the book itself, which 

 is one that should find a place on the 

 shelves of every up-to-date cacao 

 planter. R. H. LOCK. 



Correspondence. 



" COW " TREE OF CEYLON 

 AND PAPAYA. 



Gdefogguritb S. R. T,, 

 Valavnur, 10th September, 1911. 



Sir,— I request that you will be good 

 enough to let me know in detail about the 

 milk-yielding tree Gymnema Lactiferum, 

 which is reported to yield milk like a cow, 

 and to be cultivated in Ceylon. 1 wish 

 to cultivate the same, and so I earnestly 

 request of you to give me full inform- 

 ation on the subject at your earliest 

 convenience, and oblige. 



I further request that you will be good 

 enough to let me know also about the 

 cultivation of papaw or Papaya. Its 

 juice when manufactured finds a ready 

 market, and it is used for digestion. 



A friend of mine told me that I can 

 get the information from you, and so 

 have to trouble you. — Yours sincerely, 

 N. R. RANGACHARI. 



[We are afraid our correspondent has 

 been misled. Here is what Trimen says 

 about the Gymnema :— 



G. Lactiferum, Kurunnan S. and T. 

 This is the Cow Plant of Ceylon, of 

 which so many fables have been written 

 (Tennent, Ceylon 1, 101, foot note) based 

 on the erroneous description of Hermann 

 that its milky latex is a substitute 

 of the milk of the cow. The leaves are 

 believed to increase the secretion of milk 

 (in animals). 



As regards papaw, we quote from the 

 U. S. Consular reports for June : — 



" Papaw juice is extracted from the 

 fruit of the papaw tree, which grows 

 rapidly, attaining its full bearing 



capacity in a year. It produces from 

 forty to fifty papaws of a dark green 

 colour, ripening to deep yellow, in 

 shape resembling a squash. A very 

 light superficial incision is made in 

 the fruit, from which exudes a clear 

 water-like juice, which on exposure to 

 the air becomes opaque. As it drips 

 from the fruit it is received in a por- 

 celain-line receptacle. As it is very cor- 

 rosive, metal receptacles would injure its 

 appearance and qualities. It possesses 

 great digestive virtues, and the refined 

 article is considered superior to all 

 animal pepsins. 



After the desired quantity has been 

 collected, the juice is placed in shallow 

 porcelain or glass-lined pans and allow- 

 ed to evaporate. While this is not a 

 very delicate or difficult operation, it 

 requires considerable attention, so that 

 the juice will dry uniformly and the 

 product be white and well granulated. 

 In its granulated state it is shipped to 

 the United States, undergoes a refining 

 process, and is sold as the papaw of 

 commerce for medicinal purposes. 



The ripe papaw is palatable and an 

 excellent aid to digestion. Meat wrap- 

 ped in papaw leaves for a short time 

 becomes quite tender without any 

 impairment in appearance or taste. 



In extracting the juice the hands 

 should be protected by rubber gloves, 

 as in its crude state it attacks the 

 tissues. 



An average tree will produce about 

 £ lb. of the granulated juice. It sells in 

 the United States for from 4 to 6 dollars 

 per lb, in the crude state."] 



