June i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
799 
As to poor soil Dr. Trimcn's report shows the satis- 
factory progress mado by Eucalypti in such soil, 
and the immense growth of the Australian silver 
wattle in six years. Artificial forest can bo grown 
much closer thun natural, and with reference to fre- 
quent thinning and coppicing. The eucalypts coppice 
well and so do the wattles (a. dealbata aud a. 
melanoxyfon) besides the habit of the accc ias 
to form dense groves by sending up shoots 
from every pore of their roots. The oubic con- 
tents obtained from such plantations on the Nilgiris 
have been enormous and we have a right to believe 
that in our warm moist climate the result will be 
still greater. The question is no doubt finally one 
of the comparative cost of such plantations and 
that at which timber and fuel from a distrvnoe can 
be supplied, and as regards firewood of oourse we 
have to face the probability ol that discovery, so 
long delayed of a good and cheap artificial fuel. 
As to the " thousands of acres of virgin forest on 
elevated positions which can b8 cut and sent 
down shoots," all within easy reach of the railway 
are reserved for, railway purposes, and we have 
been astonished and alarmed to see how 
rapidly the originally sparse forest on private 
land near Nanuoya has disappeared in respouse 
to the Moloch demands of the railway engine furnace, 
while the reserved Government jungle above Inver- 
ness, is also being thinned at a rate which gives con- 
cern to those who understood that the mountain forest 
belonging to' Government was to be carefully pre- 
served, on bcth sides of the road leading to 
Nuwaia Eliya. Our own belief is that in a well 
cultivated forest of toons, grevilleas, eucalypts 
and wattles-' more trees could be grown on and 
more timber or lip wood obtained from one acre, 
than will be yielded by ten of the virgin forest on 
which our correspondent so greatly depends. In 
the forests 'referred to we know that trees of 
any kind and especially of any size, are few 
and far between amongst the prevailing under- 
growth of nitltt or xtiobilant/iux. The luxuriance 
of the latter Van the redeeming sign of good soil 
when the lands around Nanuoya were chosen for 
cultivation, How toons, eucalypts, grevilleas and 
acacias grow in such soil, we shall show further 
mi. Dr. Trimeu has given a/list of trees suitable 
for growing at low elevations, and we may add 
that for railway lirewood the favourite tree 
to grow now, ia not the (Van or cassia fiorida 
(C. Siamka,) descibed to us by Mr. Strong as the 
best, but the marvellously quick growing Lunu- 
medilla, which has been known in Six years to attain a 
height of JO UJ (iO feet, with a g/irth of 18 inches. 
The limber id the favourite for house ceilings and 
for tho outriggers of canoes. Butlthe great point 
ia its rapil growth fofc firewood. 4 r e take it for 
granted it /coppices. We do not ftnow the up- 
ward limit! of this tree, but we saw\some noble 
specimens ton " Gang Warily " in Dolofebage, about 
2,000 feet J above sea level. We should think it 
would succeed considerably higher up, lor we see 
the Gnat 'Rangit Valley, Darjiling, specified as one 
"f its habitats. Wo aro giving this information 
of course, f Jrthe sake of those who uiak deem 
it wise to cuftTCato timber and lire troes, notwith- 
standing tho « liilniato arguments and omphaliovpro- 
tests of "X. Y. Zj" 
/ ♦ 
QOnink Piu.-'VNA^corrosnomltint of the Lancet 
calls attention to tlioTj^cossily of citrotul selection 
o( pill exoipients of qiiiiiirn^^^lJno patient to whom 
he »».-. administering quinino was nono tho bettor 
(or it, aud he fouud that the pills hud uctuully 
been avoided by the patient " substantially the same 
as when swallowed." The dispenser explained that 
the pills were freshly made with tragacanth paste 
and coated with French chalk. To this excipient 
the correspondent attributes the insolubility of the 
pills, and it is just possible that he is right,-' al- 
though the coating may have something to do with 
it. Nevertheless the use of tragacanth paste for 
quinine pills is unnecessary as long as so effective 
an excipient as sulphuric acid is in the field. — 
Chemist and Druggist, April 14th. 
.Quinine as a Hypnotic. — In the last number of 
the Medical 1'ress and Circular, Dr. Weaver, of 
Southport, calls attention to the eflicacy of quinine 
as a hypnotic in cases of insomnia. Hifl own experi- 
ence leads him to regard it as a remedy of remark- 
able value in all cases of insomnia arising from 
debility or nervous irritability, and much preferable 
to the bromides. Moreover, the taking of quinine is 
not likely to become habitual or to be productive of 
the fatal effects frequently attending the use of other 
hypnotics. It will not act, however, in cases of 
sleeplessness arising from a congested condition of 
the brain or its blood vessels. In such cases its 
administration has been found to produce headache 
and to intensify the insomnia. Dr. Weaver has 
found that a dose of quinine at bedtime invariably 
gives him relief, though a bad sleeper with a nervous 
temperament, and that it does so without any of 
the disagreeable feeling experienced after taking 
bromides or chloral, etc. On the contrary, he wakes 
in the morning refreshed and ready for food as well 
as for the fatigues of the day. — Pharmaceutical 
Journal, March 31st. 
Amsterdam, April llth.— The Royal sanction 1ms 
been granted to the statutes of several limited com- 
panies connected with shipping and trade betweeu 
Hollaud and Java. Tho establishment of Ihe Steamship 
Company " Holland" is now officially announced. 
This company intends to open a regular service be- 
tween Amsterdam aud Netherlands-India and other 
ports. Tho capital has been fixed for 117,200,00 in 
shares of HG,000, aud to be issue'd in tv/o or morei 
scries, the first series of 240 shares having been entirely 
taken up by the Netherlands-India Steam Navigation 
Company at the Hague aud some private persons. The 
company will bring into the Steam-hip Oonipuny " Hol- 
laud" threo of its steamers, viz., " Bantam," "liorneo," 
and "Celebes," for the valuo of 200 shares. The directors 
are Messrs. Bogaardt, H >oy, and Fraser, and a board 
of seven commissioners will be appoiuted at a meeting 
of slum-holders. The service will very probably bo 
opeued in July next with four steamers, of whieh ono 
steamer will be despatched every month, aud this will 
create again a strong competition with the existing com- 
panies, Nedorlaud aud Rotterdam Lloyd. The statutes 
aro also uououueed of the Coffee aud Cinchona Agri- 
cultural Company Pagilarau, established in ibis city 
for the purpose of working certain lands in tho dis- 
trict of Pokalongau (Java). Tho capital amounts to 
lli;O0O,O0O, divided into two serins each of 
tl50< >,000 in shares of rloOO.OOo. and of which 
the lirst series has b en taken up. Tie- .Sink Tin ami 
Agricultural Company has been established horo, with 
a capital of 02,400,000, in 20,000 shares each of 
i 111 20, divided into preferred and ordinary shares each 
10,1100 shares. The purpose of this company is tho 
working of juiues in Siak aud the cultivation of pro- 
duce thoro/iuid iu cither places in Netherlands-India. 
At the general meeting of shareholders in tho Ams- 
terdam l/oji Company u divid. nd of si i per cent, was 
declared^for 1887. From the balance-sheet it nppears 
that yfo various undertakings are ontire'y written off, 
wherf nil tho reserve fuud has reached tho amount 
of tri.i.',l>s, A |,r .|M,s ,l w.is i i pt.-d to increase the 
capital to ill ,000,000. and to initiator the profit <o be 
earned on the IIJOO.OOO new shares to tho reserve 
fund, which, however, may not uicucd 112,} 
—L. $ O.Stpm*, April 13th. 
