November i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
IV. Library.— R729-5-9 were spent during the 
year on Botanical works; Dr. King presented a copy 
to the Library of his important monograph on the 
genus Ficus. Eight decades of Von Mueller's [cono- 
graphia of Australian species of Acacia were presented 
by the government of Victoria. Dr. Trirnen has also 
given a copy of his Catalogue of plants — exotic aud 
indigenous — growing in the Royal Gardens, Peradeuiya. 
Air. Thiselton Dyer, Director of the Koyal Gardens 
at Kew, on behalf of the Bentham Trustees, lias 
presented new numbers of the Icoues plautarum; 
also copies of the Kew Bulletin. 
V. NOTKS ON SOME 01'' THE MOttE INTERESTING PLANTS 
WHICH HAVE BBBH INTRODUCED Oil GROWN IN THE 
Gaudkns duiiing the YEAH — (1) Phmnix dactylifera 
M^<— The seed of this palm, which wafi scut through Mr. 
Duthie, the superintendent of the Sabaranpur Gardens, 
was completely destroyed by weevils, before it reached 
its destination. As it has already been slated in my 
ropurt, there can be little doubt but that the date 
would jjrow well in many parts of Southern India. 
(2) Teff. Fragrostis Abyssinica. — This grass seeded 
freely at Ooonoor, and it is proposed "to distribute 
the greater part of it to planters in tho Wvnaad 
('A) (Vitis dmpelocissus) Martini, or the Cochin- 
China tuberous- rooted vine — This vine is fruiting free- 
ly this year, aud as the plant grows older, it seems 
likely that it will continue to yield an increasingly 
heavy crop every succeeding year. 
(4) Medicinal Rhubarb. — Plants have been put down 
in the garden at the jail at Ooimbatore, and others 
will be planted out shortly iu the new gardou at 
Giidahir. 
(5) Ipecacuanha. — There are in stock altogether about 
four thousand plants, five hundred of wliich were 
planted out last year at Nilambiir; out of these five 
hundred, three only have died, while the rest are 
vigorous growing plants, although they have been 
topped and the leaves stripped off them no less 
than throe times during the last nine months. Iu 
accordance with the instructions issued in G. O., 
No. 2524, of 27th April 1888, Revenue, about two 
thousand well-rooted plants will be distributed, free 
61 cost, to planters during tho preseut seasou; tho 
remainder will be removed for increasing still 
further the stock iu hand, A sot of instructions 
fur tho cultivation and propagation of the plant was 
printed and circulated last August. The reports on 
tho growth of. some few specimens, which were put 
out iu the Wyuaad hist year, are most encouraging. 
nil X,,,; ijcim i,i At.ita. — Mr. T. J. Ferguson of Oalioal 
kindly procured 26 pounds of the air-dried stem aud 
root of this plant and sent it for experiuienttitiou, 
This was handed over to Surgeon-General Hidie, who 
has reported upon it as follows: — 
"It will be seen that, ou the whole, the results 
of tho trials of this indigenous remedy have beeu 
satisfactory, and such as to encourage its further 
use." 
From this report it will be seen that it is pro- 
bablo that in mild cases of dyseutery the Narigatn a 
may Hiipplemont the Ipecacuanha- Speoiraens of the 
\ gamia have been planted at Nilambiir, with the 
viow of tenting its rato of growth, in case further 
experiments should prove it to bo a plaut of high 
therapeutic value. 
(7) Jalap. — Between five and six thousand tubers, 
of all sizes, have been put down in tho Medicinal 
gur.leu at Dodabetta, besides several thousands of 
cuttings; but it is not expected that any appreciable 
Stop will be harvested before tho winter of l.sSO or 
1KPO. 
(H) llublifr-yieldiny Vrei — As a full report has so 
recently been made on these trees, it is only necessary 
to say thii, while they grow vigorously, all attempts 
' not Hie rubber, in anything like paying quan- 
tities, have up to the present moment completely 
failed. The Coaras, Cast ilium and ll?vra< ull Qower 
mid trait freely. The roots of tho Otara swoll out 
iuto l»rgo tuberous nodules, which contain an ubuu- 
danoe of starch, similar to that of tapioca, but uuliko 
tho tapiocK, tho roots contain no poisonous juice, and 
ure palatable, when cither, roasted or bulled. 
(9) Quillaja Haponuria — This tree flowered and 
fruited in the Government Gardens, Ootaearound, 
for the first time this spring. 
(10) Barilla. — Several species, supposed to yield 
Barilla, have been experimented upon, especially the 
African O.-tlcoxpcrmuiii Moniliferum, but none of them 
seem likely to be able to compete with the soda of 
commerce, the price of which is only £2-10-0 per ton. 
(11) Seakale. — The plants which wore raised from 
Sued last year have grown so rapidly, that by next 
spring they will be largo euough to furnish a con- 
siderable cutting. 
(12) Michdia Nilagirica. — A quantity of bark was 
sent into the market iu London under this name, 
but as it had evideutly no chemical relationship with 
the Michelia, haves of the trees, from which it was 
said to have been takon, were for.varded to me for 
identification; aud which, upon examination, w, re 
found to be thosejof Gordonia Obtusci aud of Oinna- 
momum Wighiii. 
THE INDIA.RUBBER TRADE OF UPPER 
BURMA.H. 
Mr. Warry, of the British C msular Service iu 
China, at present stationed as political officer at 
Bhamo, has made a report to the Chief Com- 
missioner ou the i idiarubber trada of the Mogoung 
district. Rubber was first exported from Upper 
Burnish in 1S70, aud until 1873 the trade was 
free to all. Since the latter year, however, the 
forests have been worked under the monopoly system, 
five Chinese firms being the joint concessionaires, 
two supplying the money, aud three superintending 
the work. The price ranged from R 60,000 to 
R 90,000 per annum, but in the present year the 
sale of the right produced a lakh of rupees. The 
forests occupy au extensive Kachin district north of 
Mogoung aud stretching east across the Chinese 
border. The Kachius are exceedingly jealous of 
interference with their trees, aud although at first 
they made the mistake of over-bleeding them, they 
are more careful now, and though tho trees seen 
by Mr. Warry were covered with innumerable small 
incisions, eveu up to tho tiny topmost brauches, 
they were obviously not drained to the extent of 
half their power. Mogoung is the headquarters oi 
the trade ; four-fifths of the yearly supply is brought 
in there by Kachius in the employ of Chinese, the 
remaiuing fifth is purchased in the district by 
Chinese agents of the lessees. The practice is for 
the Chinese manager in Mogouug to make liberal 
advances to the Kachius to defray expenses duriug 
the collecting seasou ; when the rubber is brought 
iu, tho retuud is made by selling the rubber to the 
manager at half the market price. The travelling 
Chinese agents who also collect rubber, merely travel 
from place to place, buying such quantities as the 
Kachius offer, but as the latter have no staudard 
weights they aro usually cheated to the extent of 
about 70 per cent. Tho profit ou this difference of 
weight more than pays the expenses of the agents. 
Iu most cases rubber is the subject of certain 
transit charges through the Kachiu districts, 
t-aul.was, or local cbieftaius, levying a certain toll — 
perhaps two or three balls out of a hundred. So 
long us these charges do not amouut to 10 per 
ceut, there is no complaiut. Whatever tho toll, 
tho Chinese mauager and Kachiu owner bear tho 
loss in equal shares ; but the latter is amply com- 
pensated by being housed aud fed at the expense 
of tho Chinese during his stay in Mogouug. Last 
year a new district wis opened, and a Ohiucse 
capitalist employed -10. » Ghin.se and Shan labourers 
to work the forests iu the neighbourhood of the 
umber mines. The local Kachius objected to the 
inroad and insisted ull their right to the I i 
A compromise was reached, 'JlM.I of the labourers 
being ncut back at unco, the remainder collecting 
rubber under Kachin supervision, to whom 10 per 
ceut was to be paid, and 20<> K u Inns, pai 1 it 
the current rate, took tho places of the 900 dis- 
missed ciolies. — Loadun and China Exi>iiiS. 
