THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May 
feculent rhizome. This is another help for the 
poorer classes, who extract the starch by the same 
process as used for the mauihot, eating the pulp the 
same as casabe. 
Lately, it has been stated, that the leaves and buds 
of this plant when eaten by oattle produce a kind 
of paralysis of the extremities. I do not know to 
what extent this is truth, but I know positively that 
the rhizome is as poisonous as that of the " bitter 
cassava," and that the acrid principle is got rid of by 
repeatedly washing the pulp. 
The cocoa-nut tree (Gocos nucifera) is met with 
all over the island, but it is more abundant on the 
marine zone, or litoral, where the fruit is collected 
and shipped. The oil is extracted, and it is of some 
economical importance. In moist places semi-aquati 
plants will be seen growing, as the Echinodorus cor- 
difolius, JVymphtea crenata, and other pretty ones, 
Besides the white native rose, the common rose, both 
red and white, has been long introduced, with 
many more exotic flowering plants now abundantly 
cultivated in gardens. Besides these almost all the 
garden stuff of colder climates grows or is cultl 
vated wherever there is a plentiful supply of water. 
Several new species of handsome ferns are found on 
the highest ridges, as between Maunabo and Jabucoa 
on the Sierra of la Pandura, among granitic rock, 
forming a vegetation peculiar to these regions. 
Scale insects, which produce troubles in nutrition 
and growth, are common on the bark of several 
species of Citrus, the cotton tree, th6 mountain 
mahoe, the papaw, the castor oil and bird pepper 
plants. Last year I made a collection of the 
coccidee, some of them very interesting to science, 
and sent them to Mr: J. Henry Oomstock, Pro- 
fessor of Entomology in Cornell University, Ithaca, 
New York, who will publish soon a description of 
them in his next paper on the ooocidse, — Pharmaceuti- 
cal Journal. 
BEITISH AND FOREIGN CONSULS' EBPORTS. 
Singapore . 
Pepper Cultivation.— The unusually high pepper 
prices of recent years have caused a considerable 
extension in the cultivation of the plant in the Malay 
peninsula, especially by Chinese settlers. A few 
Europeans have also taken to pepper cultivation, but 
only experimentally, except on two plantations at 
Selangore, where the Chinese mode of cultivation is 
followed. Eecently a company has been formed, 
most of the members being European residents of 
Singapore, to work a concession of 2,000 acres at 
Selangore, on which pepper is to be the staple cul- 
tivation. The company are trying to raise a capital 
of 20,0002. The Chinese mode of pepper planting 
consists in planting the pepper vines from six to 
eight feet apart. Along with the young plants poles 
are placed in the ground, round which the growing 
plants are twined and tied. After having grown for 
eight or nine months, the plants are taken down 
from the poles and buried in the earth, all except 
the tops. The buried part takes root and strengthens 
the plant. Calcined earth (earth burnt with leaves) 
and rotten fish are used for manure. A well. drained, 
sloping hillside is best for pepper growing. As a 
rule the berries, which grow in bunches, are first 
gathered when the plants are three or four years 
old. The Chinese calculate the yield of a pepper 
vine to average from 4 to 7 lbs. The cost of pro- 
duction cannot be ascertained, even approximately. 
The Chinese give widely varying estimates, and so far 
not one European plantation has attained maturity. 
Spanis OoloNiks. 
Annatto Growing inh Porto Rico. — The United 
States Consul at San Juan reports that annatto is 
disseminated throughout the island of Porto Rico, 
and is there of spontaneous growth, for there is no 
instance of any regular plantation being established. 
The country people plant near their homesteads two 
or three shrubs for the sake of the fruit, which 
they use as a condiment in place of saffron or red 
pepper. 
A very small quantity of annatto is exported 
either to Spain or the United States, but no other 
preparation is given to the article than merely drying 
the pods in a current of air under shelter from the 
sun, and then packing them in bags or barrels. Of 
the two kinds known as "flag" and "roll," the 
former is the more generally used; the second is 
scarce, and commands the higher price. 
The current value of the article in the crude state 
in which it is shipped is about 4?. per lb. As this 
plant is scattered and grows wild all over the Island, 
no true estimate can be given as to the cost of 
production. It is gathered mostly by women and 
children, and disposed of in small quantities at the 
shops in exchange for provisions and groceries. 
Straits Settlements. 
Gum Damar. — This resin is sent to Singapore from 
Borneo, the Malay peninsula, Java, Celebes, Sumatra, 
other Malay islands, and Siam. The whiter, cleaner, 
and clearer it is (light amber) the more it fetches, 
though there is a flesh-coloured kind which finds 
much favour. The resin is abundant in the Malay 
forests, and if the natives applied themselves more to 
gathering it than they do it would scon become 
cheaper. The imports of damar into Singapore are 
given as follows: — 
Imported Exported 
1884 ... Pk. 8,694 §82,091 Pk. 8,365 988,937 
1885 ... 11,844 114,006 11,791 105,821 
Of this were exportel: — 
1884 1885 
United States $16,387 $25,082 
France 25,365 8,160 
The United Kingdom... 25,885 50,491 
Gamboge.— The gamboge shipped from Singapore 
is exclusively the product of Cambodia and Siam pro- 
per — i. e., the Menam Valley and its boundaries. 
The statistics relating to this article are as follows : — 
Imported Exported 
1884 Pk. 826 $35,834 Pk. 708 $38,221 
1885 315 18,624 313 18,658 
Essential Oils.— Essential oils of lemon grass, 
patchouli, nutmeg and other aromatio plants form 
fairly important items of export from Singapore. 
At present there are but two distilling works. The 
distillers are themselves cultivators of the plants they 
distil, among which lemon grass holds a prominent 
place. There are also factories of essential oils in 
Ceylon and India, and competition is pretty close. 
As per trade statistics, the exports of essential oils 
of all sorts, quantities not stated (they are sold 
per oz.), amounted in 1884 to $15,187, and in 1885 
to $11,706. These amounts are probably incorrect, 
much more being both manufactured and exported, 
but probably not reported to the export office. There 
is such an abundance of aromatic leaves, flowers, 
roots, barks, and woods in Malaysia that it surprises 
one that the industry is not being more extended. — 
(fhamist and Druggist. 
ROYAL GARDENS, FEW. 
Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information for January 1888> 
Colonial Fkdit. 
The prefatory matter states : — In Bulletin No. 11 for 
November 1887, attention was drawn to the subject 
of fruit growing in British Colonies, and a very com- 
prehensive "Report on the Fruits of Canada was given. 
In the present Bulletin it is intended to continue the 
subject and publish reports, which have been furnished 
by the Governments of other Colonies. These will 
add considerably to our knowledge of this com- 
paratively new industry. It will be remembered that 
these reports have been prepared in response to a 
circular letter issued, at the instance of this establish- 
ment, by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 
The list of questions to which answers are now fur- 
nished was published in the Bulletin for November 
last, pp. 2-4. This list, if consulted, will afford a key 
to the arrangement of the Reports, and furnish those 
interested with the points to which the enquiry has 
been directed. An important feature in the Reports 
