THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July f, 1887, 
8. Payena macrophylla, Burck (Kakosmanthus macro' 
phyllvs, Hassk).—" Folia breviter petiolata e basi 
rotundata vel subcordata oblongo-obovata apice 
rotuudato-obtusa vel breviter acuminata, If pedalia 
supra -,'abra lucida, subtus argenteo-sericea. Stipulse 
triangulares acuminates pubescentes 5 mill. long<e 
deciduje." 
This tree is a native of the province of Bantam ; the 
oil of the seeds is used for various purposes ,W. H. de 
Viiese, 'Tuinbouwflora' (iii., p. 229, and I. c, p. 51). 
9. JDiploknema sebifera, Pierre (Archives Nierlan- 
dai>eb, torn xix., p. 104, pi. iv.).— " Ramuli crassi folia 
ad apices ramulorum conf erta, alterna. Flores polygamo- 
dioci numerosi ad axillas defoliatas vetustioresque 
urnbellati pedunculi breves ferruginei tomentosi." 
Tbe tree was collected at Barabay in Borneo. The 
fat is obtained by boiling the seeds. It forms the 
Minjsk Tangkawang of Bandjermassing. Dr. Pierre 
thinks the tree worth cultivating. The genus 
Biploknema was erected by Dr. Pierre on account of 
certain uiffereuces in the structures of the flowers 
of the present species, by which it is separated both 
from £a$sia and Payena. From the former it differs 
n the short corolla tube, in the stamens beiDg in an 
vndistinct series or scattered, in the hypogynous pul- 
f inate disk, and in the style not being elongated, and 
rom Payena in the venation of the leaves, inflorescence, 
style, and ovary ; and from both in the number of 
sepals and the polygamous flowers, which are of rare 
occurrence in the Snpotacere. 
Of all the above Sapotacese the Balam and Soentei 
trees of the east coast of Sumatra seem the most 
wortuy of attention as objects of culture, more especially 
as the fats have already found usss in European in- 
dustries. While it is possible some of the other 
Sapolaceous fats may possess equally valuable properties, 
there i« always great difficulty in introducing unknown 
and untried products. Thus the Bengkoe oil of 
Eiouw and Billiton, and the Minjak Tangkallah * 
(Cylicodaphne sebifera) of West Java and Banka, have 
as yet found no entrance into commerce, in spite of 
strong recommendations.— Pharmaceutical Journal. 
Flowers in Paeis.— On January 1 there were sold 
in Paris between 4 and 5 a.m., 150,000 dozens of 
cut Roses from Nice ; 15,000 trusses ( bottes ) of Roses, 
10,000 dozens of Camellias, 15,000 trusses of Lilacs. 
We take the figures from the Bulletin d' Arborindture. — 
Gardeners' Chronicle. 
Plant Diseases.— The United States Government 
allots a sum of 9,400 dols annually to the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture at AVashington for investig- 
ations into the nature and treatment of plant diseases. 
Other 6,000 dols. are appropriated to other depart- 
ments of botany.— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
A Method qp Clarifying Water has been 
devised by Professor Dobroslavine of St. Peters- 
burg. He uses first a solution of perchloride of 
iron, and follows that with a solution of carbonate 
of soda. The quantities are said to be three grains 
of the perchloride of iron, and four grains of the 
soda crystals per gallon of water.— Nilgiri Express. 
Tea at High Elevations. — A gentleman who 
has been through our chief tea districts in the 
Central Province says he has seen nothing (in tea) finer 
than the top of Hethersett, Udapussellawa, at over 
7,000 feet elevation 1 How tea responds to good 
planting and careful work is well seen in the fields 
here running up to 7,200 feet. One advantage 
possessed however is that the estate faces the 
Uva lowcountry giving it more heat than is usual 
at the elevation. 
The Figs of Asia.— Fig trees form such a prominent 
feature in tropical vegetation generally, and in the 
vegetation of tropical Asia more especially, that a 
fully illustrated monograph of the Asiatic species of 
so difficult a genus will be hailed with delight by 
botanists, and prove useful to horticulturists. We 
have seen the first part of Dr. G. King's monograph, 
"Sec- l J harm. Jo,;-,,., [3], xiv., p7~481. 
on which he has been engaged for some years, and 
a cursory glance at it is sufficient to convince us that 
it embodies much honest labour. This part contains 
nearly one hundred plates, and we hope to give a 
fuller notice of it very shortly.— Gardeners Chronicle. 
Tea : Indian and Ceylon. — Although the public 
sales of Indian tea have been rather smaller, the 
tendency of values has been towards greater cheap- 
ness, as compared with the firmness observable last 
week. Many of tbe teas brought forward, however, 
were of poor quality, especially some of old import, 
which appear to have considerably deteriorated since 
their arrival. The buoyant tone of the market during 
the last few weeks was hardly likely to increase on 
the near approach of the Whitsun holidays, and the 
slackening of the demand for the descriptions that 
have 6hown such a considerable rise in values Irom the 
lowest point seems chiefly due to that cause. — Produce 
Markets' Review, May 28th. 
Tea for Indian Consumers. — Tbe meeting on the 
2nd June at Fairlie Place to discuss a scheme 
for the wider consumption of Indian tea among 
the Indian people was fairly well attended by re- 
presentatives of the tea trade. A committee has 
been appointed. A correspondent says: — " I con- 
fess that I am not very sanguine as to the 
results. Our Aryan brothers and their female 
relatives will drink tea if it can be had for 
nothing ; but when it comes to be a case of 
parting with pice to obtain it, that is a different 
matter. Tea is a luxury which the bulk of the pop- 
ulace of India are not yet prepared to indulge in 
to any large extent. — M. Mail, 15th June. 
Cinchona News from Java is rather 
" mixed " (see our extracts) ; great damage has 
been sustained in some of the plantations from 
hurricanes, but yet the outturn of bark this year 
was likely far to exceed expectations ; on the 
other hand, the crop of last year which was re- 
ported large is only given at about 600,000 lb. ! 
have received a telegram reporting " London Tea 
market very firm for common qualities, and firm for 
the finest qualities." — In fact, a good market all 
round, no doubt owing to the bad accounts of the 
China teas, and also that the sales in Calcutta so 
far have been of poor teas. As regards the stock in 
London, it also principally consists of poor quality 
teas, we understand. 
South American States. — Mr. Lames, of the 
Paris Revue Sud Americaine, has published a most 
instructive book on the financial and economic status 
of Central and Southern America, from which many 
valuable statistics are taken. It appears that the 
Argentine Republic and Chili are exceptional from 
other South American countries in the character of 
their population, as shown by the following table : — 
population of south American states. 
Countries. Caucasian. Indian. Hf-breeds. 
Brazil 3,500,000 3,500,000 4.500,000 
Mexico 1,200,000 4,086,000 4,400,000 
Argentine Re- 
pullie 3,200,000 100,000 200.000 
Chili 2,000,000 50,000 300.000 
Venezuela 300,000 800,000 1.000,000 
— American Grocer, 
Artesian Wells have been utilised with great suc- 
cess for fertilising the African desert. Sir R. Lam- 
bert Playfair, in the course of a consular tour in 
Tunis, has visited the ground where the first well 
was sunk, and reports most favourably as to the 
success of the project. A space of 375 acres has 
been cleared, and sown with cereals and lucerne, 
a vegetable garden been made, and a nursery of 
young trees planted. Two other wells are being 
sunk, which on completion will irrigate 7,500 acres 
of land. The Bay of Tunis has conceded to the 
Artesian Wells Company 25,000 acres of land, 
which they can select themselves from districts 
which are at present of no value. — Indian Agricult- 
win, June 4tb. 
