348 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [November i, 1889. 
tingnwhed from jarrah. A trial of some, from Wes- 
tern Australia, supplied by Mr. Davius of Adelaide, has 
beprj made on our seasi ie line. Compared with the 
poor sleepers made of Norway pine, they looked splen- 
did. Most amusing errors have b*en made, by con- 
founding this eucalypt, the native ne.rne of which 
is kari, with the splendid New Zealand kauri pire. 
So far has this gone that in a list prepared 
some time ago by a forest officer, he astonished 
some readers of the Observer by describing the tree 
as both a eucalypt and a pine, a conjunction as 
impossible as that of an oak and a larch. Allied 
to the eucalypts in appearance we have got an 
exceedingly handsome and very valuable tree, which 
grows to 200 feet and yields excellent timber, 
Synocarpia laurifolia. Of casuarinas we have many 
species, all most valuable for firewood, while some 
yield excellent timber. Last, but not least for 
present mention, is Grevillea robusta, beautiful 
in fern-like foliage, and comb-like golden 
flowers, while its timber, used in Australia for 
tallow casks, — is most valuable. It is now a great 
favourite, from Colombo up to Nuwara Eliya, and 
jus'ly so. The leaves it sheds fertilize the ground, 
and the branches, trimmed off as the tree grows, 
can be used as fuel. Having noticed the confound- 
ing of a eucalypt with a pine, I feel bound to 
correct the idea which I shared with others, that 
the wattles naturalized at Nuwara Eliya included, 
beside A. melanoxylon (a beautiful and valuable 
tree, liable to be infested by the parasite, loranthus) , 
three others, — A. decurrens, A. dealbata and A. 
pycnantha. The latter, " broad-leaved wattle " has 
been only recently introduced. I saw a few plants 
of it in Mr. Whyte's gardens, and more are grow- 
ing in the Local Board nurseries. But what we 
have hitherto regarded as the true " golden wattle," 
being now established as A. decurrens, it would be 
interesting to be assured which of the other 
species or varieties growing on the Plain is A. 
dealbata. Of the two longest established, one is a 
poor scrubby bush, which ought not to be en- 
couraged. The best species for firewood ought to 
be introduced and cultivated by the Local Board. 
I may mention that on my own portion 
of land near the Bund, the toons (deciduous plants, 
naturally) growing at the end facing the south-west 
monsoon became recently bare poles. They will 
soon recover, however. On the other hand, the 
cryptomerias, which, now that hares and rats cannot 
reach their tender tops, are shooting up luxuriantly 
and promise exceedingly well, seem to have 
scarcely suffered at all from the weather. In 
July there was a good deal of red in the foliage, 
but now all is beautifully green. Dr. Trimen 
feared that our climate would be too wet for 
these trees which are really pines ; but as 
yet, at the age of over three years, they look 
specially flourishing. For a part of our trip yes- 
terday, we had the pleasure of the company of 
Mr. Armitage of the Forest Department, from whom 
I derived the information regarding re-afforestation. 
He added that various ornamental trees would be 
planted near Nuwara Eliya and by the edge of 
Lonorden Road. I wrote on a former occasion about 
comparatively bare or rather dwarf. y spots in the 
upland forests, where chenaing never could have 
taken place I attracted attention to the fact 
that p:uch spots were ch'cfly on steep declivities, 
exposed to the fury of the south-west winds. Mr. 
Armitage added that sometimes a group of keena 
trees over-toppe i the rest of the forest, stood the 
exposure for a time, and then died off. The Forester 
also mentioned the utter absence on the eastern 
side of the dividing range of the nilu undergrowth 
and madul and other trees so prevalent in the forests 
of western exposure. Our own observation on the 
patanas showed how local some forms of terre atrial 
orchids and other mid flowers are. 
P. S. — I have to record an event which I sup- 
pose is unprecedented in Ceylon, the fruiting of a 
genuine English oak-tree. Some time in 1374. I 
think, — certainly not earlier, — Mr. Cunningham on 
Gleneairn estate, Dikoya, presented me with a 
couple of oak plants, which at an elevation of 
about 4 700 feet have flourished and, under the 
influence of judicious pruning, have become very 
handsome trees, about 25 feet in height. Mr. John 
Fraser brought up a branch with beautiful foliage 
from the lower bungalow today, and announced 
that the tree from which it had been cut had 
borne some acorns. They are but babies as yet, 
but we trust they will mature and produce Ceylon- 
born oaks. Dr. Trimen and Mr. Nock will know if 
there is any record of an oak at Hakgala or any- 
where else in the island having produced acorns. 
If there is no such record then I claim for Abbots, 
ford all the credit which may be due for such an 
interesting event, which Dr. Trimen will doubtless 
think worthy of mention in his next report. Ceylon, 
less favoured than Java, can boast of no indigenous 
oak, for " the Ceylon oak," so-called, resembles 
the oak only in foliage. But Java is supposed by 
Wallace to have once been connected with the 
Himalayas, which are rich in oakB and elms. 
PLANTING IN BORNEO. 
(From the British North Borneo Herald.) 
October 1st. 
The Government is in correspondence with Gjvern- 
ment of Bombay with a view to importing all the 
emancipated slaves who are released in that city by 
H. M. Ships as it is understood that being ignorant of 
both English and Hindustani they are unable to find 
employment in India where they have recently been 
arriving in large numbers. 
We are glad to hear that the Estimate of §200,000 
on account of Land Sales has already been exceeded 
byg4.708 the amount received in August was $61,912, 
and the total to date (31st August) $204,708. 
Sevpral batches of Sulu ponies have arrived in 
Sandakan lately for the mo«t part very fair specimens 
of hor»e flesh. They have been fagerly bought up, with 
the result that pedestrians are becoming uncommon, 
nearly every traveller being- mounted to take the morn- 
ing and evening air. 
The following gentlemen have been appointed Visit- 
ing Justices: — Mr. Robertson, Mr. H. Wilk?r, Mr. 
H. B. Dunlop. Dr. Walker. Principal Medical Officer 
has b p en appointed a Visiting Jnstice to the Gaol and 
Captain Beeston Police Magistrate a Visiting Justice 
to the Hospital. 
The wild boar season appears to have set in, more 
especially on the Kinbatangan and Segaliud Rivers. 
Mr. Pryer and Dr. Rigby have had some sport in this 
direction on the Kinabatanean, the Amazon of the 
territory. Mr. Johnston of the Segaliud reports them 
in great numbers near his tobacco plantation. A few 
days ago the Melapi Estate police were out in the 
jungle near the estate when they came across several 
elephants. Th"y wounded one bull, but he managed to 
get away with two bills in the stomach. On the Sega- 
liud jnst now the elephants appear to have vanished 
for a time. 
PLANTING IN DARVEL BAY, BORNEO. 
The tobacco crops are looking exceedingly w°ll on 
both estates and the planters look forward to far 
better results than they hoped for a short timp back. 
The experimental gardens in Silam are 'coking 
very prftty and there will be a fine- crop of coffee 
this year. There are quantities of young plants 
of all sorts to be had at absurdly low prices and 
it is a pity that this is not more generally known. 
