134 
THE, TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August r, 1888. 
terests of the Colony, and though he admits that grass 
vegetation becomes much more abundant after the trees 
have been ringed, yet he states that this grass is coarse, 
rank and indigestible, and deficient in chlorophyll and 
" other nutritious elements." 
The Melbourne "Argus" does not profess to know 
much about chlorophyll, nor about the laws of physio- 
logy and animal economy, but predicts ruin to the 
man who attempts to live by stock-keeping on 50,000 
aores of ordinary unrung forest, while it is confident 
that, fat sheep and fair clips are tolerably sure when 
once the trees are killed and the nutriment they might 
have absorbed is sent on to the grass. It is a pity 
that the elements of vegetable physiology are not 
studied by Australian farmers and newsp iper editors, 
aud especially that the latter, who hold out the torch of 
knowledge in such a wealthy and populous city as Mel- 
bourne, should trust to their own natural shrewdness 
rather than to their scientific acquirements. After the 
outcry of Professor Huxley in the "Nineteeuth Century," 
and of Mr. Goschen at Aberdeen, it is time for Anglo- 
Saxons all over the world to give up the system of 
learning truths merely by suffering from the disastrous 
consequences of neglecting them, and to endeavour to 
profit by the wide field of experience of others, which 
is now so richly offered by science, and in which 
Germany has taken such a decided lead. But though 
the Editor ef the Melbourne " Argus " may consider 
that the comparatively deep-rooted Australian trees 
deprive surface-feeding grass of its proper nutriment, 
aod though Dr. Andrew Ross considers chlorophyll as 
the green juice of grass, which is much richer and 
more nutritious under the shade of trees, than in the 
open; both these gentlemen are actuated by the lofty 
desire to benefit their country, and their bold display 
of ignorance of the elementary truths of vegetable 
physiology in support of their opinions has a certain 
merit, as there is much to be said for the conclusions 
arrived at by both of them. Dr. Andrew floss's real 
contention is that, forests are essential for the well- 
being of a country, that, it is inhuman aud cruel ti 
oondemn stock to live through blazing Australian sum- 
mers on shadeless wastes, and that, forest destruction 
affects the rainfall and the discharge of rivers and the 
permanent timber supply of the country. The Editor 
of the "Argus" entirely agrees with Dr. Ross on the 
necessity for the preservation of tracts of forest, such 
as those on the Otway ranges, which should act as a 
sponge for absorbing the abundant rainfall and the 
slow and continuous feeding of several valuable rivers, 
but he rightly considers that too much shade is prejudi- 
cial to grazing grounds, and argues for the destruction 
of stunted scattered box trees, and the clearing of land 
encumbered with them for grazing and agriculture. 
Light is unquestionably essential for the formation of 
starch in the green parts of plants, and unless these 
contain plenty of starch, sugar and other nutritious 
compounds, grazing animals cannot be expected to thrive. 
We should by all means allow small groves to re- 
main here and there on grazing grounds, under which 
cattle can rest during the heat of the day, but the rest 
of the ground must be cleared of tree growth, if the 
grass is to be strong and really nutritious. Of late, 
there have been attempts made by agricultural author- 
ties in India to induce Government to open forest 
lauds much more liberally to grazing, but in our 
opinion, grazing is best on cleared lands, and the 
maintenance of forests is incompatible with heavy 
grazing. Grazing and forest lands should be 
gradualy separated, and in forests intended to be 
maintained for the production of timber, the regula- 
tion of grazing should be left entirely to the Forest 
ollicer, whilst in grazing grounds, the sooner the 
tree growth, with the exoeption of what is required to 
shade cattle during the heat of the day, is cleared off, 
the better will be the grazing afforded. — In lian Fornter. 
KXI'KftLMENTS WITH EXOTICS IN MADRAS. 
Prom Col. Campbell Walker's special report, we 
quote us follows: — 
Eucalyptus.— The Eucalyptus plants at Palmaner 
in North Arcot are doing well, while the experiments 
in Salem are not satisfactory owing, it is alleged, to 
want of leisure and attention on the part of Range- 
oflficers. A few plants are, however, now thriving 
in the Natnakal, Tirupatur and Hosur ranges. In 
North Coimbatore a few Eucalyptus citriodora of 
those raised at Talamalai from seed sown in 1884, 
appear healthy and are about 16 feet in height. In 
Tinnevelly the two species, viz., Eucalyptus rostrata 
and citriodora continue to do well in the ghat forests 
at elevations varying from 800 to 3,000 feet. In 
Malabar (Wynaad) the Eucalyptus rostrata has proved 
a complete failure, all the plants dying out. Eucal- 
yptus globulus is unsuited to the climate and eleva- 
tion (the latter being insufficient) aud looks very poor 
and weedy. The five trees of Eucalyptus soloyna and 
Eucalyptus citriodora grow well and appear thoroughly 
adapted to the climate, but unfortunately a beetle 
has discovered and attacked them in thousands. Mr. 
Morgan writes: "This small beetle bores a hole 4 
inches deep into the trunk and there deposits its 
ova. A considerable discharge of a highly saccharine 
and mucilaginous fluid appeared from each hole and 
the trees looked sickly, but they have recoverd. " It 
is hoped that the attack will not be renewed this 
year. If it is, Mr. Morgan considers the trees must 
perish. 
Fourcroya. — There are 400 plants in the Navinipatti 
garden in Madura. They h ive thrown out on an 
average 20 leaves and attained a height of 3 to 4 
feet. 115 of them have been removed and transplanted 
to both side of the foorpUh in the garden. All the 
plants are very healthy an 1 flourishing. They evince 
greater luxuriance in the shade than in the open. 
Giant Bamboos, &c. -Of the four species of bamboos 
in the botauioal garden at Mnnantoddy in Wynaad, 
Dendrocalamus Brand isii or Bambusa has shown the most 
surprising growth, last year's shoots being over 30 
feet in height. Dendroralamus Longispdthus, has also 
grown vigorously and the best clumps, of which 
there are eight, average 20 feet in height. All 
the clumps in the nursery were taken up, divided 
and planted out on the we tern side of the garden. 
This has naturally temporarily retarded their growth 
and they only average some 10 feet in height. 
Cephalostachyum Perr/racile has been the slowest 
grower, last year's shoots averaging only 15 feet in 
height. 
30 lb. of Beesha Travancorica bamboo seeds were 
obtained from Palghat and put down in the nurseries. 
All germinated and the plants are now 3 feet in 
height. 
The Burma bamboos in Nilambur (Arundinarcea 
Brandisii, Dendrocalamus Longispathus, &c.,) are all 
growing well- The large clump of "yellow bamboos" 
and the four cuttings raised by Mr. Handfield are 
doing fairly well. The attempt to grow " Kakoah 
bamboos " both in Nilambur and Trichinopoly has 
proved fruitless owing to the worthlessness of the 
seed which had lost all its vitality. 
The District Forest-officer, South Canara, started a 
small nursery for cuttings of gaint bamboos which 
proved tolerably successful. 
Ipecacuanha (Gephalis). — There are twenty plants 
now in Nilambur doing very well. One plant con- 
sidered as dead in 1885-86 has come up again from 
the roots. 
Kigilia Pinnata.— The District Forest-officer, _ South 
Canara, took with him in September last a fruit from 
the Horticultural Gardens. It gave him several hun- 
dred seeds, nearly all of which germinated some 
after 12 days' sowing, then a few at a time continuously 
for four months, and one only a few weeks back. 
The seedlings look hardy, and though they were not 
always properly attended to, 200 were in a fl)urish- 
ing condition at the close of the year. Some of them 
measured one foot high. 
Lancewood (Oxandra virgataj. — Twenty-five plants 
were sent from the Agri-Horticultural Gardens, Madras, 
to Nilambur in February last, but they were not 
planted out during the year. Those similarly sent to 
Wynaad in pots are reported to be thriving. 
Mahogany. —In South Arcot the seedlings raised from 
seed in 1885-86 aud transplanted are daing fairly 
