March i, 1888. j THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
613 
COFFEE GRAFTING. 
There are ninny drawbacks to the adoption of the 
system suggested hy Mr. Sloan, even should grafting 
succeed. The enormous expense it woul I entail would 
bo a fatal bar to its adoption on a large scale, find 
the fact that, grafts are not so productive, or long 
lived as those raised from seed — which your Nollort) 
correspondent touches upon — would be another and 
utroogcr reason against it. I do not know if any 
attempt has been made to grow " Pedigree Coffee." 
It has been successful in the case of wheat and other 
cereals, and why should it not be in the case of 
coffee? I remember this idea was started some eight 
years back in the columns of the Ceylon Observer By 
a Mr. It. E. Creckett. He recommended selecting 
aud propagating plants from selected seed of the 
healthiest plants that can be found, and continuing 
the selection for three or four generations. This is on 
the survival of the fittest principle. Whether this 
system was ever given a trial in the Spicy Isle 1 do 
not know. It was just about the time Tea was engaging 
the attention of Proprietors as a new product, and 
the chances are it was never given a trial at all. It is 
woll worth the consideration of our ( iovernment, as 
it is beyond the means of private enterprise to give 
it a fair trial on account of tho slow growth of the 
cotfeo trees. — Duv Ohehhy. — Madras Mail. 
MANURING FRUIT TREES. 
It is singular how lone some fallacies retain their 
hold, even after they have been disproved by facts, 
and of those, one of the most mischievous is the 
belief that fruit trees and bushes are liable to in- 
jury rather than benefit from tho application of 
manure. All sorts of diseases sucli as canker and 
other ailments to which fruit trees are liable, are set 
down as the result of applying manure to the roots ; 
whereas, in nino cases out of ten, it arises from 
poverty of tho soil, causing the roots to run down 
into the bad subsoil, I am continually hearing com- 
plaiuts from owners of fruit trees as to their un- 
satisfactory condition, and on examination have 
iuvariably found scarcely any surface roots or fibres 
of any kind nothing but large thorn-like roots that 
run right down iuto the subsoil. On inquiry I have 
usually fouud that manuring or top-dce.-siog had not 
been practised for many years : their owners having 
come to the" couclusiou that such practices were 
daugerous. I do not say that manure will prove to 
be a euro for fruit tree ailments of all kinds, but 
1 will briefly detail a few facts that have eomo under 
my observation at various times to prove that star- 
vation of tho roots is a mor; prolific source of injury 
than abundant feeding of the surface roots both with 
-olid and liquid manures, aud growers must form 
their own conclusions as to the best course to 
pursue. The fruitful or unfruitful state of the or- 
chard trees in uiue cases out of ten is entirely 
depcudent on the attention which they icceive as 
regards manuring, In tho fruit-growing parts of 
Kent, where huge orchards of standard trees planted 
ou grass laud is the rule, it is a well-established 
faet that if tho grass is cut for hay aud carried 
away, the trees soon become unfruitful and die out; 
while OU the contrary if the grass is fed off so that 
the nutriment is returned to tho root iu the shape 
of manure, tho trees keep fruitful aud healthy. I Imve 
seen some of the most moss-grown miserable speci- 
mens of starved orchard trees restored to a fruitful 
Condition by making the ground beneath them the 
wint'T quarters of sheep aud pigs, feeding them 
tho same as if they weru iu the farmyard with the 
roots Bud com. The Quest old specimens of apple 
aud pear trees aro generally these iu au orchard 
next to tho home-stead I hat is used as u run for 
valves, sheep, pig i mid poultry the whole year n and. 
In Iheso orchards the turf is short, un 1, being full 
of nutriment, tho trees keop healthy and prolific for 
an indefinite poriod. Ashes, garden refus.', «r any 
kind of road sTupiugn or even scavengers' rubbish 
mav be Utilized for increasing tint supply of orchard 
fruils. They should bo sprevi roughly ou the surface 
in winter and in tho spring harrowed and rolled down 
Bnnly. The result will soon be a marked improve 
ment in the size and quality of the crop. Differ- 
ence of opinion prevails as to pruning or non-pruning 
trees, fomc adopting one sysiem and some another; 
but, be that as it may, I never knew fruit trees 
continue to yield good crops any length of time 
unless the roots were supplied with manure in sonio 
form or another. — Cor., Loudon Garden. 
« 
QUEENSLAND PLANTS. 
At the last ordinary month!} meeting of the Royal 
Society, held under the presidency of Mr. A. Norton, 
M, r„ a., Mr. F. M. Bailey read short notes on various 
botanical specimens which had lately been collected 
by members of the Field Naturalists' section. The 
following are some of the plants to which he referred, 
with his remarks concerning them: — 
Erdada scandens Beuth. (matchbox bean). — This in 
the Mimosa scandens of Linu;eus (foliage, flowers aud 
fruit — a lomentaceous legume). These pods often 
attain tho length of 4 ft. ti in. iu Queensland ; but, 
according to some writers, in other parts they quite 
double that length. The separated articulations arc 
conveyed by the great oceanic currents to the shores 
of the west of Scotlaud aud the Orkneys, and occasion- 
ally to the Norway coast. Uses : In Australia the. 
seeds are converted into matchboxes. The medicinal 
properties of this rampant climber have not bceu 
much examined by Euiopcaus, but others seem to 
have some faith in them, as, for instance, in Iudia. 
There the seeds are used as an antifebrile medicine. 
They are also employed in pains of the loins aud debi 
1 ity • An infusion of the spongy fibres of the truuk is 
used with advantage for various affections of the skiu 
in the Philippines. Iu Java and Sumatra they aro 
roasted and eaten like chestnuts, the deleterious oil 
being expelled by the heat, when the beans become 
inert. 
Casalpinia bonduoella, Flemiug (foliage, pod, aud 
seed). — This rambling climbing shrub, so common on 
our tropical coast, is known by the name of uicke- 
tree, aud the seeds are called bouduc nut 1 ;, which 
latter is said to be derived from tho Arabic word 
" bunduk." Necklaces of the seeds are worn by 
Indian women as a charm. The seeds iu powder aro 
a powerful tonic. 
Casalpinia nut/a, Ait (foliage and pod). — This is 
another climbing prickly shrub of our tropical coast, 
but, like tho preceding one, found elsewhere. Kuui- 
phius says that a decoction of the roots has been 
found useful iu nephritic complaints. 
Gordia myxa, Linn, (foliage and flowers). — This is 
one of the sebestens of old European works. The 
wood is very light, averaging only about 33 lb. to the 
cubic foot, is soft, fairly strong, aud iu Iudia is used 
for boat-building, well-kerbs, aud gunstocks. Tho bark 
is also used for making into ropes. Tho fruit, which 
is eaten, is very mucilaginous ; tho viscid pulp is used 
as bird-lime. 
Lvffa agjmtiaca, Mill ("fruit). — The sponge gourd. 
Tho fruits of this genus furnish the vegetable sponges. 
[The Loofahs advertised by the druggists' sundry 
houses, aud about the plea^antcst things for washing 
ever discovered, are made from the fruit of this plant. 
Why should not some of our Queensland readers cul- 
tivate them in their back gardens, aud start a small 
trade in them '!— Edi toil] — Chemist and Drvji/ist. 
+ 
COFFEE AT HOME. 
About Christmas tiuw, as if to show what could liu 
done iu the way of furnishing berried plants, wo 
rocoived from Kew a branch of the Coll oe shrub doo^c 
ly laden with its berries. The branch evinced such 
good cultivation, aud was so beautiful with lis deep- 
green, glossy lenves, forming a setting for a profusion 
of brilliant berrie.-, that we seut it forthwith to tin. 
artist. I uiortunatoly the necessarily reduced sizo of 
tho illustration, and the absence of colour are formi- 
dable obstacles iu the way of reproducing the houuty of 
tho original, but even iu blaok and wbita tho profusion 
