January 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
443 
THE INGA DULCIS. 
By Dr. E. Bonavia. 
Some time about tho year 1864, I obtained some 
seeds of this tree from Madras and introduced it 
into the Horticultural Garden of Luckuow. I was 
told it made good hedges. I found, howover, that 
it made not only good hedges, but good trees, which 
produced a screw-fashioned pod containing a sweet 
pulp greedily devoured by natives. I also found that 
some varieties had a white pulp, and others a red 
pulp, and that the pulp of some was sweeter than 
that of others. 
This interesting tree appears to have been finally 
located by botanists under the genus Pithecolobium', 
and called P. clulce. Its synonyms are Mimosa dulcis, 
and Inga dulcis: the last is short and sweet. The 
tree has minute spines, and leaves, with two pairs 
of leaflets. The seeds are black, and are embedded 
in a spongy sweet substance, either white or red, 
botanicfilly called arillus. Sir J. Hooker, in his Flora 
of British India says, it is "cultivated throughout 
India, but not indigenous : a native of Tropical 
America." 
I soon discovered that this tree was a valuable in- 
troduction for many purposes. If planted thickly and 
kept closely cut it makes a very good hedge. The 
tree, singly grown, would make a good road tree. 
A row of Inya trees makes an admirable screen 
against the hot wind for orchards, gardens, &c. 
Another good quality of this tree is that, if cut 
down or blown down by the wind, it does not mind 
it, but sets to work again and pushes forth new 
branches and soon makes a new tree. Its best feat- 
ure, however, is that it produces abundantly a very 
useful sweet pod, much liked by poor natives. To 
prevent any misconception I should be clear. Its 
sweet and spongy pulp is not suited to the palates 
spoilt by Covent Garden peaches, and apricots, and 
hot-house grapes, but quite suited to that of the poor 
natives of India, and therefore very useful aH a famine 
tree. When 1 was at reradeniya, Dr. Trimen told 
me thai, when ho first took charge of the Ceylon 
Botanical Uarden, he contemplated making a cata- 
logue of tho Ceylon plants which natives used for food. 
He said he soou discovered that natives ate everything 
but what was actually poison, and therefore, as he 
was making a catalogue of the plants of Ceylon, he 
did not soc the necessity of getting up a separate 
catalogue of food plants. Thero is no need of any 
fear that natives would refuse any but first class 
fruit. The difficulty was always to keep natives, and 
boys especially, from eating the Inga pods before 
the seed was ripe. When ripe, the pod splits up and 
the seed is scattered. It all germinates with tho 
first showers. 
Why this tree — admirable as a screen, admirable 
as a hedge, admirable as a subordinate food producer 
tor poor natives, and useful for firewood — is not found 
in every public garden, in every jail and tehsil 
garden, and in every village it is difficult to say. 
When in Luckuow I wrote of it in my reports, and 
distributed nintinds of its seed, and since I left, I believe 
this dissemination of Jiiga dulcis seed has continued. 
Nevertheless, although Sir J. Hooker says it is " culti- 
\ : ti .1 throughout India, |froni Vmballa to Tuticorin, 
and from Culcutta to Bombay," out of Madias and 
l.ucknov; I don't remember having come across a 
single tree of this interesting and useful Inya dulci>. 
Is it the apathy of natives, or that of officials ur 
that devounr of everything green — the goat — which 
prevent* this food tree from making its way? It 
would make a good tree for canal plantations, for 
village jungle*, for firewood, ice. Probably one of the 
reasons why it bus not made suftieiont progress is 
bemuse il was distributed in laige packets. Then tho 
receiver may have looked upon it as the seed of 
some nucleus "A7/>t" weed. I think it would be 
bolter tn distribute it in small packets of a dozen 
■nciU. Then they might be cared for as something 
rare ; and I am sure if only en. seed succeeded in 
establishing itself in a garden, it could not fail even- 
tually to force itself on the notice of nutires. 
6G 
Mr. Ridley writes of this tree that "it is a really 
good thing for the people generally, and grows so 
easily. It is not half enough known, and it deserves 
to be widely disseminated." In Luckuow, natives have 
given it the name of " Hinga " or "Bilati Imli." 
Colonel Pitcher further writes as follows about 
these useful trees: — "I hope in your zeal for date 
palms, &c. you have not forgotton your old flame 
the Inya dulcis. I noticed this year that, both at 
Luckuow and Oawnpore the pods were more abundant 
and fuller than I had ever seen them, and that parrots 
were having a high time over them, in company 
with all the vagabond children who could get near 
enough." 
Meer Mohamed Hossein kindly undertook an ex- 
periment with Inga dulcis in feeding sheep. A com- 
parative experiment was at the same time made with 
Babul pods, after the manner of certain dwellers 
in Baiswara. Ten sheep in each batch, of equal ages 
and condition, were experimented upon. One batch 
got 5 seers of Inga dulcis pods per head per day, 
and a similar number got 5 seers of Babid pads, and 
both batches were turned out for three or four hours 
a day, for air and exercise, and such grass as they 
might pick up in May. No other food was given. 
The period of experiment was 24 days : limited by 
the supply procurable. 
Result. 
Inga dulcis. Ten sheep, weighed 5 maunds and 2 
seers at commencement, and 5 maunds 20 seers at 
conclusion : gain 18 seers. 
Babul. Ten sheep, weighed 6 maunds and 4 seers 
at commencement, and 6 maunds 15 seers at conclusion : 
gain 11 seere. 
We may therefore add to the merits of this tree 
that its sweet pods are a good food for cattle, he. 
As the wild mango by selection has been turned 
into the many fine and unique fruits of the cultivat- 
ed mango ; and as out of the wild date have come 
the hundreds of cultivated varieties of dates, some 
of which are so full of syrup that it literally drops 
on the ground, so may this first step in the history 
of the Inga dulcis lead to many useful cultivated 
varieties. If the seeds of the sweetest and largest pods 
are always selected for special attention and cultivation, 
there is every reasou to believe that Nature will not 
fail to respond to human efforts. 
In the meantime it would perhaps serve some pur- 
pose if a catalogue could be made out of the places 
where this useful Inga dulcis has or has not established 
itself, in order to ascertain whether even the millionth 
port of the seed distributed has come to any good. 
To commence with Etawah, I read in some old 
Report that a quantity of Inga dulcis seed was sent 
to Etawah, result : not a single tree is to be seen 
anywhere ! Lately, Mr. Ridley sent me some young 
seedling date trees. The pots had evidently been 
kept under a Hinga tree, as two seeds of tho latter 
had germinated. I saved them and they are now 
flourishing. I hope by means of these two seedlings 
to establish at last this tree here. — Pioneer. 
[We believe it is not more than a generation ago 
since this plant was introduced to Ceylon from Madras, 
and it is fully established as standard tree and hedge- 
plant. There is a mognificeut avenue of the trees 
forming a long gothic arch along Skinuor's Road, 
Colombo. The value of the pods for forage does not 
seem to be appreciated. — En.j 
BALAIA Ac. FROM LRITISH GUIANA. 
In the volume of Imports recently published by the 
authorities of tho Colonial and Indian Exhibition, the 
Report on Gums, Resins, and Analogous Substances 
is the work ef the well-known rubber expert, Thomas 
Bolan, Esq., f.c.S. With reference to the Balut* of 
British Guiana, a product which has already received 
considerable attention in our columns, Mr. Rolas 
writes as follows : — 
First, then, with rcgai i to tho balata, a quality of 
gutta-percha, the excellence of which is not fully 
recognised by consumers. The bullet-tree (Mtinuiop* 
batata or Snp^ta MulUn) is a forest tree which read «> 
