422 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1887. 
over a pulley above the mouth of the well, and 
connected with the gear of a pair of bullocks, which 
are driven down the slope aud thus raise the bucket. 
A man standing at the mouth of the well empties it 
into the proper channel, and the bullocks are then 
driven back and thus lower the bucket for a fresh 
supply. Saveral chain pumps have been introduced 
but they are very little used, and a cheap and effect- 
ive implement for raising water from wells 60 or 80 
feet in depth is a great want throughout India, and 
one to which manufacturers may direct their atteution 
with advantage. — Mark-lane Express. 
METHOD OF PEESEEVING TIMBEE IN JAPAN 
Now that we are getting tea boxes from Japan, the 
following extract from the Journal of Forestry will 
be interesting. Be it noted, then, that the Japanese 
use only wood previously preserved as follows : — 
Prbseevation Pbocess Applied to Timbee. 
At a distance of 20 or 30 chos (1 cho=about 120 
yards) from the sea, and near the mouth of a stream, 
a large pond is dug, so that the sea may have free 
access to it. This is called Kakoitori (or storing pond). 
Its size is not fixed, but generally it contains an area 
of 14,000 or 15,000 tenbos (1 tenbo=about 36 square 
feet), and its owner keeps his office near by, so that 
he may trausaet his business on the spot. The circum- 
frence of the pond is built of stone or wooden walls, 
and a canal is dug on ooe side to communicate with 
the river, and thence with the sea ; the flow of the 
tide being regulated by means of a sluice. The pond 
should not be deeper than 5ft. in the central parts 
at full tide, and not shallower than 2ft. in the margin 
at ebb tide. The right proportion of salt and fresh 
water for the pond is six parts of the former to 
four of the latter, for if the salt water exceeds 
this proportion timber becomes blackish in colour, 
and is liable to be much eaten by worms ; if, on 
the other hand, the proportion of salt water 
becomes less, it is much sooner decayed than 
otherwise. The velocity of the flow of tide should 
also be very carefully regulated, for if the current 
is either too rapid or too slow, timber is again very 
liable to be much injured by worms. Hence in those 
places where there are two or three ponds near one 
another, their owner generally amalgamates them, 
on agreement, by means of small canals, which ar- 
rangement regulates the flow of tide very consider- 
ably. Timber for storing is usually piled in five layers 
according to its quality; the lowest layer consisting 
of midcde-class timber, the next layer of first-class 
timber, the next layer above again of middle-class tim- 
ber ; the next layer of third-class timber ; whilst the 
uppermost layer, which is usually exposed above the 
surface of the water, consists very low quality, and by 
its weight the lower four layers are kept sunk under 
water. Those five layers are piled one upon another 
alternately at right angles, so that the whole arrange- 
ment presents the appearance of a toohhed cube. 
Sometimes, however, the pile consists of only two 
or three layers ; in that case they are tied to a big 
log (about 12ft. or 15ft. iu length, and Tin. or 8in. 
in diameter) standing near by, and are thus prevented 
from floating about freely ; sometimes also one or two 
separate pieces of different kinds of timber are kept 
in the pond for specimens. The durability of timber 
depends greatly on the amount of care bestowed on 
it, and to this end the washing is the most important. 
Twice in a year, generally in June or November, the 
cubical mass of timber above described is disengaged, 
and each piece is well washed by means of a straw 
brush. The different pieces are then reconstructed 
in a cube, but with the following alteration in the 
arrangement :— The middle-class timber which before 
constituted the third layer now forms the lowest 
layer, aud the middle-class timber which in the former 
case was at the very bottom now occupies the 
third layer. If washing cannot be done twice a year, 
it must be performed once a year at least. Iu the 
following table are shown (in the first column) the 
names of different kinds of timber, in the second 
II. 
for 8 
4 
» 5 
m 6 
8 
„ 8 
., 8 
10 
after 
III. 
3 
1-5 
2 
2 
3 
3 
3 
4 
column the number of years for which they may 
be preserved in the timber store, and in the third 
column the period at which they are best adapted 
for use :— 
I. 
Hinokai (Thuia obtusa) . . 
Matsou or Momi (Abies firma) 
Sugi fCryptomeria japonica) 
Tsuga (Tsuga Sieboldii) . . 
Hiba (Thuia dolabrata) 
Tawara (Thuia pisifera) 
Reyaki (Zelkowa Keyaki .. 
Kasbi ( „ „ ) 
(The number of years ia calculated from the day 
of felling and the time which is spent before timber 
comes to the store is reckoned to be one year. 
A pond of 15,000 tembo in area can on the aver- 
age store up about 10,000 pieces of timber. They 
are of various lengths, as the following figures 
show: — 
Length of timber (in kens) . . 2, 3, 2'5, 4, 3-5, 4-5, 6. 
Percentage number .. 50, 20, TO, 5, 1-0 5, per 
cent. 
Thus one-half of the whole timber in the pond is 
of 2 kens in length, one-fifth is of 3 kens in length, 
&c. (1 ken = 2 yards). 
At ordinary times only three or four men are em- 
ployed, whose daily wage is 35 to 45 kus (?), but 
at the washing season 15 men are employed daily for a 
period of about half a month. — Australasian. 
Jubbulpobe Minebals and Industbies. — Under tbe 
above heading there is a paper by Mr. C. W. 
McMinn, c. S. in the Indian Agriculturist, which, if 
correct, shows that the reduction of iron ore in India 
must be a very differeut process to what it is in 
Ceylon. Iron and steel and articles made from them in 
Jubbulpore, are said to compete successfully with home 
iron and steel manufactures from them. The article 
concludes thus : — " Surely there is hope for Jubbulpore 
steel and iron when at present under every dis- 
advantage, we make and sell a sound razor Tor three 
pence half penny, a pair of stirrups for eight pence, 
a bit for two pence, and a pair of scissors for three 
half pence." 
Cinchona in Bolivia. — An interesting paper on 
the cultivation of cinchona in Bolivia, read by 
Dr. Rusby before the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, appears in the Pharmaceut- 
ical Record (Oct 1, p. 305). The author admits the 
great tendency of the plants to hybridize, and the 
difficulty of referring the various forms to their 
proper position, and seems to rely on the venation 
of the leaves as affording the best distinctive charac- 
ter for the different species. He points out that every 
species, variety and hybrid, is represented in the 
native classification, with one exception, by three forms, 
morada, verde, and verde morada, that is, red, green, 
and red-green, according to the colour of the leaves. 
On every tree there are two very distinct forms of 
leaves, viz., those growing on the lower or flowering 
branches, and those on the young, upper and flower- 
less branches of the present year's growth. The 
latter are usually broader and more abruptly acumin- 
ate at the base, sometimes appearing even decurrent 
on the petiole. They are more membranous, and the 
pubescence when present is more pronounced. The 
old tabla, or flat bark, is now almost unknown, the 
bark being collected either in shavings, or in quills 
two feet long. The latter are collected from March 
to June, at the close of the "raining season, when 
the bark strips more easily. The shavings are taken 
from the top and branches, after the tree has been 
ut down, and are much adulterated, since admixture 
is less easily detected. The natives prefer decoctions 
or infusions of the bark to the extracted alkaloid, 
alleging that a fever cured by the former stays away 
longer than when treated by the latter. The gel- 
atinous young terminal buds are crushed and applied 
to fresh wounds, and are said to produce excellent 
stimulant and antiseptic results. — Pharmaceutical 
Journal. 
