August i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST 
103 
In my note on tabasheer I referred to the reported 
occurrence of mineral concretions in the wood of various 
tropical Dicotyledonous trees. Tabasheer is too well 
known to be pooh-poohed ; but some of my scientific 
friends expressed a polite incredulity as to the other 
cases. I learn, however, from Prof. Judd, f.r.s , that 
he has obtained a specimen of apatite found in cutting 
up a mass of teak-wood. The occurrence of this 
mineral under these circumstances has long been re- 
corded ; but I have never had the good fortune to see 
a specimen. 
Beturning to coconut pearls, I send you a note which 
the Tropical Agriculturist for April last quotes from the 
Straits Times : — 
11 A trade journal appearing in Java gives the follow- 
ing particulars regarding a peculiar kind of pearl found 
in this part of the world : — It is well known that pearls 
have been met with within oysters and mussels. Some- 
times even trees yield pearls. In the proceedings of 
the Boston Society of Natural History, there is a paper 
by Mr. J. Bacon regarding the kind of pearls often 
found within coconuts. The specimens shown have 
been bought at Singapore. They are said to be so rare 
in the East Indies as to be highly prized by the native 
rajahs, and worn by them as precious stones. Mr. 
Bacon himself possessed a small pearl of this sort. It 
is said that when allowed to grow, they will reach the 
size of cherries. This pearl resembles the common 
variety in smoothness, whiteness, and scant lustre of 
surface. It is harder than it, and almost as hard as 
feldspar or opal. The common pearl varies in hard- 
ness, but is never harder than feldspar. The coconut 
pearl consists of carbonate of lime, with very few organic 
substances remaining after treatment with acid solu- 
tions. This organic matter is insoluble, shows no trace 
of vegetable substances after microscopical examination, 
and seems to be akin to albumen in structure. In the 
common pearl there is also found an albuminous sub- 
stance, but the latter remains unchanged in appearance 
and Justre even after the calcareous constituent parts 
have been dissolved away. In other respects micro- 
scopical research has brought out the fact that the coco- 
nut pearl is formed of concentric layers without any 
nucleus. The whole mass is made up of layers of fine 
crystalline fibres. Prof. Bleekrode, in commenting on 
the former in a Dutch scientific periodical, says that 
Kumphius, the famous botanist, had in his ' Herbarium 
Amboineuse,' given full particulars of this petrifaction 
in the coconut, ltumphius has even illustrated his 
account of it by accompanying drawings of the two 
forms in which this kind of pearl is met with — pear- 
shaped and round, either of uniform appearance or with 
red edges. Hardly one in a thousand coconuts on the 
average displays this strange peculiarity. The formation 
of the latter is always a remarkable phenomenon, hard 
to account for, from the water in the nuts generally 
lacking the chemical substances favouring abnormal 
growth of the kind, Bumphius states for a fact that 
coconuts from Macassar yield more pearls than those 
from other places. This scientist, in 1082, sent, as a 
present to the Grand Duke ol Tuscany, a ring in which 
a coconut pearl had been set. Similar pearl-like form- 
ations are met with in other East Indian fruits, such as 
the waringin, the pomegranate, and the kcclmbong." 
To this may bo conveniently added two brief extracts 
from the long and admirable account given by Bumph- 
ius : — " Calappites Belgis CalappusSteen, Malaicensibus 
Mtstica Calajtpa, albus est lapillus ins tar marmoris 
sen silicis albi, durus, planus, ac glaber, cujus puta- 
veram alio loco inter lapides ac mineras descriptionem 
dedisse, quitm vero in Calappa mice inveniatur, ac 
sollicitus sim, opus illud a mo forte non nhsolutum iri, 
animo induxi hie loci ejus exhibere descriptionem. Est 
itaquo albus ac politus sen glaber lapillus in interiore 
Qdhppas nuois parte concrescens, nunc putamiui fixus, 
nunc vero media in Ij mpha nataus, diversm ac dunlicis 
potissinnim foriniu' 1 \ Kumphius, " 1 lerbarium Atnboin- 
ep.Be," vol. i. pp. 21, 22.) 
" Incobe phu .nmmomnes .1/. iticas amant,quarum quas- 
dam tauti riMtimant, ut optimis etiam prof erant gem- 
inis ; plurinias enim ipsis tribuuut immo sine dubio super- 
HtitioKas etiam virtutef, cestont enim has ad nudum 
corpus, in unnulis, et armis, ad prosperum couatuuui 
successum obtinendum. Elegantissimos ac rotundis- 
simos hujus Oalappi lapillos, seu Calappites imponunt 
annulis suis, vol etiam tellis adpendent, non auro, sed 
argento circumdatos, dicentes melius hoc cum natura 
Calappites conveuire" (p. 22.) 
If Dr. Hickson would present one of his pearls to 
the Kew Museum, it would, I am sure, interest a great 
many persons who would be glad to see an authentic 
specimen of so interesting a curiosity- 
-♦ 
CEYLON UPCOUNTBY PLANTING BEPOBT. 
IS THE COFFEE INDUSTRY GOING TO REVIVE ? — KIND OF 
LABOR WANTED— AN AFFECTING SCENE— THE COLOMJiO 
TEA SALES — RAIN WANTED. 
18th July, 1887. 
Arabian Coffee is being planted, although not 
to any appreciable extent. Yet the natives, Sin- 
halese and Moors, are at it, and with the prospect 
of high prices ruling it will likely extend. One 
of those now in the field is quite enthusiastic 
over the growth. It is the old days back again, 
he said, and "the earth sickness" as he called 
it, which blighted and stunted even young coffee 
on virgin land, is all gone now. " Just plant a 
bit and see" was his answer to my incredulous 
reply. We ail know that during the decadence of 
coffee, and especially toward the end, the vitality 
of the plant, or the fertility of the soil, or some- 
thing was at fault, for in those latter days young 
coffee would not come on. If it be that the 
conditions are changed, so that, where formerly 
there was a sickly struggle, there is now in its 
place a vigorous growth, the fact is worth noting, 
and the consequences may be widespread. The 
native patches may again reappear, and that sea of 
poverty whose tide has overwhelmed so many of 
our native fellow-subjects may have marked its 
highest level and begun to recede. 
The Cooly still keeps coming in from the Coast, 
but not in very big gangs. The men too pre- 
dominate as far as I have been able to observe, which 
is not exactly what we want, but when in former 
years the Coast was tapped for coolies, the male 
labourer was then more highly valued, and very 
likely it is the obtaining of the old traditions 
which produces the present proportions. By and 
bye it will filter through the masses that for good 
pluckers there is an abundant silver harvest to be 
reaped, and that the hand of a woman or a child 
is unmatched in that light work, and then the wives 
and little ones will join the exodus. 
We are not in the habit of ascribing to Bama- 
sami much sentiment or affection, and a touching 
little scene which I saw a day or two ago was al- 
most a revelation. It disclosed a breadth of affecting 
tenderness I was hardly prepared for. There was 
an arrival from the Coast, two kanganies who were 
partners met, the one who had been home had 
brought in eleven new coolies, and the fellow who 
had been looking after the joint interest in the 
absence of the other was so much affected, as to 
fall upon the neck of his chum and weep. What 
caused the tears was the question. Another planter 
who was standing by was as much taken aback 
at the display as I was, and ho solved the problem 
by fancying that the man who had just come in 
was the man with the coin, and that hearing of 
this increase to the joint gang there was opened 
such a vista of future prosperity in tho way of 
head-money and cooly chiselings that tho stay-on- 
the-estate partner found his joy deep enough for 
tears. Although 1 should have liked to have been 
otherwise able tn explain the cause of this sudden 
blooming of affection; yet 1 rather fear that the 
solution of tho cynical on-lookor had much truth 
in it, and that the snill'toiing, sobbing and 
