August i, i888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
135 
well. lu Madura there are 70 plants thriving well, 
besides 185 plants at the Naviuipatti garden which 
also grow very luxuriantly and average 3 feet in 
height. They are impatient of much shade. In Tin- 
nevelly about 1,555 plants have been put out in ('>.', 
acres and are doing well on the whole. Some casual- 
ties have, of course, occurred. 
In Chingleput :i lb. of seed were sown during the 
year, but only a few germinated. The young plant 
were transplanted into baskets. They were growing 
well at the close of the year. Iu Trichinopoly 50 
healthy plants were raised during the year from 2 1b 
of seed and transplanted in pots. They average 
from 'J | to 12 iuches in height. The Padugai (river 
bank) soil is found exceedingly suitable for these plants. 
A species of grasshopper caused some damage by 
destroying the terminal shoots, but the plants since 
recovered and were doing well at the close of the year. 
Of the 1)50 plants obtained from the Horticultural 
Gardens, Madras, in May 1 88(1, 299 were doing well 
and averaged 2A feet in height at the close of tho year. 
In Tanjore 25 plants survive out of 71 put out in 
1881 and are in a fairly good condition. Of 108 seeds 
put down at Vettangudi in 1885-80, 84 germinated, 
of which 9 died and 75 turned out to be vigorous 
plants; 30 of these were given to the Executive En- 
gineer and the rest planned. Again 1,183 seeds wero 
put down in the Northern Kange, but only 18 ger- 
minated owing to some defect in the seed. 
In Malabar (Wynaad and Palghat) 43 plants were 
permanently planted out in 1883-84 aud 55 in 1885-86. 
These plants (with tho exception of one self-sown, 
which escaped the borer and is now 20 feet high and 
19 ' iu girth) have progressed poorly owing to the 
constant attacks of the borer. 
Two pounds containing 2,400 seeds were put down, 
one-half at Kanot and other half at the Botanical 
Harden: 800 seeds germinated at Kanot, but most of 
the plants were destroyed: 375 germinated at the 
Botanical Garden, of which 278 are now alive, the rest 
having been destroyed by yrylliis. These plants now 
average 11 inches in height and look healthy. 
In Nilambiir the largest mahogany tree planted 
in 187:1 measured 70 feet in height, 50 inches at 
base and 1 1 inches at 5 feet from base, having 
grown 1 foot in height, I inches iucircumference at 
the bafo, and 3 inches at 5 feet high during the 
year. The borer was not so prevalent as in former 
years 'and bad not attncked the new plantin g amongst 
the teak. Mr. Badfleld identifies the grub with that 
found on the brinjal (Solanum mclonr/ena). 
\fanilla hemp (Musa textalis). — In South Arcot six 
plants received last year through the Collector are 
doing fairly well, the largest 13 feet high aud stem 
20" Jjirth. Three have offsets nearly fit to transplant. 
In Trichinopoly, of the 59 plants put out in 1885-86, 
•15 show vigorous growth and average a height of 
between 8 to 10 feet. It: Tinnevelly 44 plants show 
a vigorous and healthy growth out of 60 put out iu 
18s5.n0, Hi having died. 
In Malabar (Wynaad) tho Manilla hemp continues 
to flourish and throw out suckers plentifully. It has 
twice fruited It may be regarded a complete success 
in W'ynnad, the climate of which appears to be very 
suitable for it. Mr. Morgan considers that thousands 
of acres might be planted with it iu Wynaad, but 
it is not known whether the fibre produced will be 
as good as in its native habitat. 
Maipah (Evodia Mtliffnliai. — Half a ponud of seed 
sunt by the Conservator in 1885-86 waB sown in nur- 
sery beds but not a single seed germinated. 
Olen Kurd/Hi'. — A few seods were received from the 
Director of llevonue Settlement and Agriculture at tho 
beginning of tho year, but those put down both in North 
Coiinbatore and Tinnevelly have faded to germinate. 
Peltophorum forrugineum, — In Tnnjore 29 seedlings 
were planted at Meltottam in the Vettangudi forest 
In I8s.;, „| w hich 34 look healthy and 7 flowered for 
tho first time during tho year. 
Vithi i nlithiiim namiin. — Iu North Arcot some thou- 
sands of plants were rained from seeds gathered from 
the trues at Vellore. The young plants put dowu at 
1'iruvalauj aud Kiluiiuuel are doiug well. Iu Malabar 
(Wynaad) the tree in the swamp has grown very 
much, especially in girth. Those on the ridge are in 
a poor and gravelly soil aud are bad specimens. 
There are 142 of them in all. 
Rubber experiments. — In South Arcot Ceara rubber 
does not thrive although it bears fruits aud yields sap 
in small quantities. In Malabar ( Wynaad J of the 
three plants of Ilevea Brazeliensis received in 1885-86, 
from Mr. Ferguson, two are growing rather slowly, 
but look healthy. The third was bored oat and died. 
The Castilloa elastica plant eaten down by stray cattle 
in the preceding year also died. In Nilambur the 
Castiiloa, Ilevea Brazeliensis and Ceara are all doing 
well. Mr. Hadfield had to thin out some of the 
Oearas during the year. The largest eight trees that 
he tapped severely both trunks and roots yielded only 
one pound of rubber which he considers to be a small 
quantity considering the age of the trees (6 years) 
The one plant of Landotphia Iloxido* was broken off 
at 12 feet from the ground by the branch of a tree 
which fell over it, but has thrown out two shoots from 
whereit broke off and that the length of theclimber from 
the ground to the top of the new shoot is now 14 i feet. 
The nurseries in tha Botanical Gardens at Manan- 
toddy are fully stocked with a valuable and healthy 
assortment of plants of various kinds. 
Many tons of sugar-cane were cut and supplied to 
the Government elephants from the sugar-cane swamp. 
Hats do considerable damage to the canes. 
HEIGHT MEASURER. 
1 see Weisse's height measure figured on page 160 of 
the " Forester " for April, aud as I have u?ed for 
some years a somewhat simpler form, I enclose des- 
cription of it aud sketch. 
A is a small bamboo tube with the upper side cut 
away, and attached by two small pins to another 
smaller one C at the joint B, so that the tube C can 
fold down into tube A. I) is a non-elastic striug knotted 
outside, as per sketch, and when open tbeso tubes are 
at an angle of 45 °. To measure a tree, peg the ring of 
a measuring tape iu tho stem at 3 or 4 feet up, and 
holding the tape and measurer iu left baud, or with 
both, step tslowly back holding A level, and when, 
looking through both tubes, the upper one is in line 
with place to be measured, the tape then measures the 
exact hoight to that point.— S. E. 1'kal. — Indian 
Forester. 
♦ 
Ceylon Tea in London. — The news by the 
mail of July 20th is again cheering as regards 
our tea, the large quantity olTcred during tho week 
(10,012 packages) having been sold at a good figure 
all round, while for liner lots there was eager 
competition. The top prices were 2s 0^d and La 
7d for Blackstone, Is 8d for Elbedda, Is 7',d (or 
Glenugie, Is O.Jd for Darrawclla, Is 6d for Gorthic, 
and Is 5{d for Goatfoll. Messrs. Gow. Wilson & 
Stanton state, howover, in their Tea Report : — 
Although a few fair Liquoring invoices have been 
catalogued, a largo proportion of the Tea bus been 
too highly fired, Burnt Coylou Teas are now becom- 
ing very common— a fatal mistake, which is bung 
made, upon several iiaUttia. 
