856 
The tropical agriculturist. 
[June 2, 1890. 
The Coming Cardamom Ckop in the planting 
districts of Ceylon this year is said to be generally 
short: so far the exports are in excess of those to the 
same period of last year, the figures being 147,000 and 
131,000 lb. respectively ; but the comparison is 
likely to be the other way during the latter half of 
the year if, the news of a short crop now prove 
correct. 
Two specimens of Gordon's " Forbidden Fruit," 
the curious double coconut of the Seychelles, 
were brought to the Pall Mall Budget office a few 
days ago by Mr, J. Troubriage Critchell, who had 
just received the nuts from the Mauritius. The 
fruit of the Coco-de-mer has a peculiar interest 
to the many admirers of the late General 
Gordon, who firmly held to the idea that the 
Seychelles were the Garden of Eden, and 
that this unique vegetable growth was the 
cause of the world's depravity, against which 
Gordon fought so bravely. The nut weighs 
twenty pounds, and measures twenty-five 
inches across. The palm on whioh it grows 
(Lodoicea Sechellarum) is 100 feet in height, and is 
only to be found on this tiny group of islands. 
Hundreds of years before the Seychelles were dis- 
covered, these nuts were washed up on the Mal- 
dive Islands, and the wiseacres of those days 
told the people that this Bea-borne fruit had grown 
on a submarine tree, and that it had a mysterious 
power of counteracting poisons. Hence the name — 
Coco-de-mer. It is probable that Gordon met 
with allusions to this wonderful nut in Arabic 
MSS., and afterwards visiting the Seychelles, 
was struck by the beautiful and isolated group 
of islands and their double cocoanut. 
Native Cultivation in Pekak is the subject 
of legislation sucu as is enforced through vihage 
Councils in Council. From a recent Government 
Gazette we quote as follows : — 
Whereas, it is necessary to encourage the cultivation 
of bendang land in the State, it is hereby ordered as 
follows: — 1. From and after the 1890, any re- 
gistered owner of bendang land, or person holding under 
him, whose growing crops are damaged by fire or by 
vermin, notwithstanding the exercise of due and custo- 
mary care and precaution on bis part, shall be entitled 
to sue and recover damages from the owner of any 
adjoining or neighbouring bendaDg land, or person 
holding under him, who shall have neglected to clear 
and burn off his land, in the customary manner, should 
there be, in the opinion of the adjudicating Magistrate, 
reasonable grounds for the presumption that the 
damage occasioned by such fire or vermin is due, in 
whole or in part, to the omission so to clear and burn 
off such adjoining or neighbouring bendang land. 2. 
Cases brought under this Order shall be heard and 
determined by one Magistrate, assisted by at least one 
native Magistrate or Penghulu. 3. The word vermin 
shall mean and include rats, mice, and insects. 
4. In districts or sub-divisions of districts, when 
requested to do so in writing by a majority of two- 
thirds of the Penghulus, or of the paddy planters, it 
shall be lawful for the District Officer to frame rules 
prescribing the dates on which the various operations 
/ot planting and harvesting paddy on bendang lands shall 
t'Ake place, and imposing penalties for breaches of such 
rules, 5. Such rules, after being approved and con- 
firmed by the British Resident, and after publication 
in the (loverwnent Gazette, and after being posted up 
in the Malay lauguage, for the space ot a fortnight, 
on tho mosque, or other conspicuous building or place 
in the vil lages alf ected thereby, shall have the force of 
Law for twelve months. 6. Such rules shall doal with 
trie following subjects, and no others: I. The dates 
on which nurseries, irrigation, planting out, fencing, 
and burning stubble shall be commenced and completed. 
11. The nature and dimension of the fences, if any, 
and tho portion of each fence to be completed by eaoh 
planter, where bendang fields are contiguous. 
The Total Shipments of Bark from Java 
(both Government and Private accounts) for the 
year ending 31st Dec. are given by Messrs. C. M. 
& C. Woodhouse on 20th March as follows : — 
Amsterdam lb. English lb. 
1889 .. .. 4,839,370 = 5,274,913 
1888 .. .. 3,666,028 = 3,995,970 
1887 .. .. 2,905,785 — 3,167,305 
1886 .. .. 2,172,394 = 2,367,909 
Fib be : Yocatan Hemp. — We referred in a recent 
number to the collection of reports on the fibre 
industries of Yucatan and Bahamas by Mr. George 
Preston, which has been issued by the War Office. 
The cultivation of Yucatan hemp must be a lucrative 
business. Mr. Preston states that the Yucatan 
hemp farmers no longer live on their plantations, 
but in luxury in the city of Merida, their incomes 
having generally risen during the past year or so 
200 per cent. House property has aUo risen for 
investment to " a fabulous extent." Before the 
hemp industry took a start (about 1873) cotton 
growing and cattle raising were the chief industries. 
Two or three years ago locusts destroyed the fodder 
orops, the cattle died off or had to be killed, the 
cattle are now imported. The first shipment of 
hemp amounted to only 900 bales. In 1888 213,882 
bales were shipped. There are in Yucatan 200 hemp 
(or henequen) farms of all sizes, the largest running 
30 machines and employing 500 people. The clear 
profits of many farmers amount to from 500 dols. to 
2,000 dols. per day. The population does not 
increase, however, and the introduction of foreign 
labour is very difficult. Frequent change of tem- 
perature, rains, fogs, winds, general muddiness or 
dry dust, and a total neglect of all sanitary matters 
are the drawbacks to residence in Yucatan, and, " a 
short life and a merry one " is the general rule of 
conduct. — H, & C. Mail. 
Travancore Administration Report for 
1888-89. — A copy of this Report has just reached 
us. Commendable progress is generally indicated 
in the different departments. We make a few 
extracts of interest to Ceylon readers : — 
Capture of elephants. — 25 elephants were captured 
in pits by the Forest Department and 4 on the Car- 
damom Hills. Of the former, 6 died in the pits, 4 
while under training from injuries received in the 
fall and escaped before the decoy elephant could be 
brought to the pit. Of the latter, 1 died while under 
training, Out of the 17 surviving elephants, 9 are 
tuskers and 8 cows, and these are reported to be 
doing well. 
Teak plantations. — There was no extension of the 
Teak Plantations. But a sum of R5,O0u has been 
sanctioned for opening new plantations in the current 
year. 
A sum of 114,633 was expended in the year for the 
up-keep of the old plantations, and the Conservator 
of Forests reports that these estates are all coming of 
well. 
Sandal wood plantations. — The small sandal wood 
forest of spontaneous growth at Arienkavoo is doing 
well and every care is being taken of it. 
Reserve Forest.— Under the provisions of Regulation 
IV of 1,063 a second Forest reserve was formed in the 
central range in the year under report extending over 
120 square miles. 
Caedamom and other Goods. — Oat-turn of the crop. 
— The out-turn of cardamoms for the year and the 
price realized at the auction sale are compared below 
with those of the previous year : — 
Candies. lb. R. 
18S7-8 256 87J 1,36,147. 
1888-9 175 139i 1,38,447. 
Price realized. — Though the crop was smaller than 
that of the year previous, the price realized was more 
favourable, being R790 per candy on an average against 
R531 in 1063. 
