June i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
plants; it is now largely substituted by other materials. 
The tree, which is round only in Cuba and Jamaica, 
grows fifty or sixty foet high, and yields a peculiar 
greenish blue timber, highly valued by the Jamaica 
Cabinet makers." 
Mokinga. — A species of this tree M. PterygO- 
sperma GaertD,, is well kno vn to Angl i -Indians as the 
producer of the "horse radish" used ou the plains, 
and less generally as the supplier of the main consti- 
tuent of "Drumstick curry." There is another re- 
presentative ef the family with finer and more beauti- 
ful foliage in the < iardi us, where it has stood, a solitary 
Specimen, for many years, without flowering. Interest 
was excited in the subject by " The Kew Bulletin " 
which, in its first number mentioned another species 
which produced a tuberous root, reported to grow, 
and be valued ns food by the Arabs, in the Desert. 
The Honorary Secretary wrote to the Director oi the 
Royal Gardens, Kew, on the subject, who kindly sent 
the Society, in May last three roots which he describe 1 
as "in the resting stage." One of these roots was 
destroyed by insects and the other two sent out 
feeble shoots ; the first to shoot dried up altogether, 
and the third is again dormant. From the account 
given fif this plant it would probably be a very valu- 
able introduction. 
Fkujt TREES, — As in most years the Society has 
complii d with considerable orders for grafted mango 
plants, but has recent'y set on foot enquiries as to 
the possibility of obtaining by selection and grafting, 
or frrm seed, ripe mango fruits, all the ye* 11 ' round. 
So far as the information received goes, this most 
desirable state of things >efms to bo not only pos- 
sible, but even ea-ily attainable, by anv one who can 
expend the necessary capital and spare the time to 
await results. The introduction and establishing of the 
Date of Commerce as grown in Tunis, Arabia, Persia, 
and elsowhere, has been warmly taken np bv Govern- 
ment and large quantities of seeds and off-sets imported. 
The, subject of the growing of oranges and lemons and 
their present, distribution in India, has been again 
under consideration during the past, year, though 
there was never any doubt of the feasibility and desir- 
ability of the proposals made. Several species of the 
Order Aurnntiacea? are indigenous in the jangles of 
Sontln rn India, and probably climate and soil suit- 
able to every member of the familv could reidily be 
found within the limits of the Presidency if the inhab- 
itants possessed the energv and capital required to 
grow and carry them to market. 
LanCEWOOD. — No information has been rece ; ved 
from the Forest Department or the Government Bo- 
tanist as to thoir success, or otherwise with the 74 
young plants of Oxandra virgata handed over to Go- 
vernment, of which mention was made in last report, 
but four remaining in the Gardens look well. 
DiNnE. — One of the specimens of this tree seeds of 
which were received from Kew, on lf)» h .Tidy 1884, 
planted out in the now border in the coconut tope and 
mentioned in last year's report is like manv of its 
neighbours of other species growing splendidly. It is 
over 24 feet high, and girths twelve inches and a half 
at three feet from the ground. It is a very handsome 
and umbrageous tree in leaf and habit not unlike a 
Scotch Kim, and promises to be a very valuable intro- 
duction being the Fustic Dyewood (Chlorophorn 
tinctnria) of tbo West Indies. 
AvFNt'K TnEFs. — A.s usual, the Society raised ami 
dtshibutcd Inn-,- numbers of shade-giving trees for 
avenues, and to replace the destroyed Forests of the 
Coffee Districts. The Kigella, the Rain Tree, and the 
(luatrri* continue to to bn the favourites, Imt a large 
supply of Albi/.zia stipulate was on special anplicntion 
got through the Conservator of Forests for a firm of cof- 
fer planters on the Western Const What thrlUint re 
(I'ithcrnlomhium or Ingn Samaol ts rnpahlo of Join/ in 
tli,- Way of growth, requires to be seen to bo believed. 
Some careful nirasuriinrnts ( ,f the croit tree in the 
gardens are recorded in the Proceedings ,,f 4th May. 
Inst, from win -h it appears, though it shrunk n little 
in the dry weather, to have increased in girth during 
the Inter months of Me year 1884, nhout half an ne b 
a msuth, and in December, after the rains, n full 
inch. On 80th July, 1881, it measured 6 feet, 3 inches, 
at 3 feet high; and 5 feet, 9 inches at 5 feet, with 
a spread of 85 feet from North to Sou'h, and an 
height of 46 feet. On 21st April last, it measured 8 
feet, 8 inches, at 3 feet from the ground, and 8 fe>-t, 1 
inch, at "> feet, with a spread of ss feet from North to 
South, and 97 feet from East to "West, and a height 
of about 58 feet. It is now 23rd March, 1838 at 3 
feet high, 8 feet, 11} inches, at 5 feet, 8 feet, 3 inches, 
with a s-pread from North to South of 92 feet and 
East to West of 191 feet, and a height of about 
60 feet. In August 1878 when the tree was said to be 
under six years ol I, it measured 4 feet, 1 inch, at 3 
feet from the ground, so that in ten years, a tee 
now only 10 years old, has much more than doubled 
its girth ; the increase at the ground being from 5 feet 
5 inches in 1868, to 12 feet on 21-t April, 1887. That 
the growth of this tree is not abnormal, is prove 1 by 
an inspection of the survivors of a complete avenue of 
Rain Trees planted by Mr. Borrows, in the end of 
187S, when he was President of the Madras Municipal 
Commission, along Nungumbaukum High Road ; though 
it. is sad to think what an avenue Madras would now 
have if the officers in charge had done their duty an I 
protected the young tree from the wheels of carts and 
the horns of cattle. From the North of India, we 
here that the. planting of the Rain Tree ha; been tried 
with success on barren land poisoned by salt and alka- 
line efflorescence. The following is an extract from 
the "Tropical Agriculturist" of December 1st, 1887, 
page 40G : — " The Guango or Rain Tree (Pithecolobium 
Saman) is a native of Brazil and Venezuela. It is fast 
growing and ornamental, and very suitable for open 
spaces. It is sa much desired in India that iu 1880, 
the Jamaica Botanical Department sent 30 lb. weight 
of seed. Dr. King, the Oovernm nt Botanist, iu 
Calcutta, says of it: — "This wonderful tree grows 
faster than any hitherto introduced into Bengal with 
the single exeeptiou of Oasuarina. It gives a beautiful 
sha le and yields a pod with a sweet pulp which a greedi- 
ly eaten by cattle. For avenues, contonments, squares, 
and situations where dense shade is wanted, no tree 
is more suitable than this." The Society has appli- 
cations for large quantities of seed of the Rain Tree 
for the current season, including one of 20 lb. from 
Bengal. At the suggestion of Colonel Cox and 
by the kindness of Mr. Peake the Forest Officer, 
stationed in South Canara, the Society obtained a 
quantity of seed of Vateria Indica said to form in that 
part of India avenues unequalled anywhere, from 
which a fine batch of young p'ants has been raised. 
This tree is at presf nt exciting much interest as tne 
alleged producer of " Piney Tallow," but as the name 
of Oallophyllum inopb vllum which is extensively planted 
in Tanjore, and used in Travancore, to produce lamp 
oil, is to any ordinary ear exactly the same in Tamil 
tn that of Vateria Indica in Malyalum, there is room 
for confusion and error. 
Inoa Dntxis. — As usual the Society has sent ou 
application to Ceylon, Penang, and all parts of India, 
particularly the North, large quantities of this invalu- 
able and most versatile tree. Tt is probably, the most 
nniversally cultivated tree in Ma Iras, being as general 
for ho Iging, and nearly as good, as the Hawthorn in 
Kngland. It bears any amount of clipping ami chop- 
ping, or worse, nibbling by sheep an I goals anlgn iw- 
ing by horses and cattle. If attended to, it forms an 
impassible fenc ; if negleoted, grows into a noble 
" Bullfinch." It sows itself and grows on all waste 
land, and that even with its ro.>', i-, salt or brackish 
water. Single or surviving hedge plants grow into 
grand timber trees. The timber is used by the husband- 
man for cart building; th woo I is sp n oialU ippra- 
e ate 1 by the brick-maker j '!>•• leaves ami k*i<ja 
furnish a never falling forage for the pover y. 
strioken feeder of milch go i- : bird' beast- and boys 
scramble for the plump arillus wired encases i — J- : 
ami in the hot weather while t ■ la too dry lo 
be eatable, the hungry cattle eagerly devour the tough 
Outer pods. 
Skkos iou viik Banks or Tiif Sit.' (ami. <> ■ tho 
introdtiotion an l recommendation of Mr. Grigc, the 
Society supplied to t'iptain Symons of the 1\ \. O. 
