December i, 1888.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
in this country. Indigenous to North America are the 
white ash, as also the "black," "blue" and "green," 
but of these tho "white ash" is the most valuable. 
It bears transplanting even when quite well grown, 
and appears to bo quite tree from insect foes, so that 
its cultivation would have at least these important 
points in its favour. The next in order is the tulip 
tree (Idriodendron tuli/jifera), which belongs to the 
family of the magnolia, and although commonly known 
miner 1 1 io various names of "white wood," "yellow 
poplars," "tulip poplar," &c, it does not resemble 
the true poplar in any respect. There is but one 
.specie* of this genus, and it is one of the largest and 
finest trees of Ihe American forests. Hough, in his 
" KlemoutH of Forestry," speaks of specimens attain- 
ing a diameter of 10 feet, and a height of 150 feet. 
It is found more or less all over the United States, 
but chiefly in the western forests wherever the cli- 
mate is noL too severe, and where the soil is deep 
and lerlile. Its lumber, known as "white w od, " is 
Superior to pine in whjjou and carriage building for 
s veral reasons. It is stronger, less liable to twi>t and 
warp, and has a dense grain, which reudera it capa- 
ble of taking a very high finish without the use of 
any previous "filler," for which reason also its finish 
is much more permanent-. Its clear qualities also 
enable its use iu wide boards and the largest c'ass 
of timbers. Its quality of width being a loading at- 
traction, it requires at least 00 years before it attains 
a marketable size, hence its only value to the producer 
in the meantime is its ornamental appearance in which 
it has few equals. It* leaves are large, bright and 
glossy, its blossoms are of good size, abundant and 
of an agreeable odour. This tree shott'd be cultivated 
from the seed and deserves an extensive propagation, 
for it would be hard indeed to find another kind to 
fill its place in the wood-working industries, especial 
ly wagon making and furniture. Its colour and qua.ily 
is decidedly affected by the nature of the soil ou 
which it grows, and lea Is to the various names of 
"white," ''blue" and "yellow" poplar, by which 
it is erroneously designated. The difference, however, 
is uot externally manifest in the tree. The "yellow" 
variety is tho toughest, hardest and mostfbxi le, which 
loads to its extensive ufo in carriage panels, cylinder 
deskl and other work where flexibility and toughuess 
are required. My list of wagon woods will end with the 
pine i Pt'niU, ) This is tho only coniferous tree that is 
of use to the wagon-niakor, and it is perhaps fortuntte, 
because none of the couifersare of any value for wagon 
lumber, until at least (50 years of ago, being used 
exclusively in the form of boards- To make the 
best lumber, thoy should be thickly grown when 
young, iu order to produce a straight tall tree of 
nearly uniform diameter and free from knots. If 
grown iu isolated situations tie tree will expend its 
vigor in the production ot useless sido branches, and 
the trunk will taper very rapidly from the base. 
The pine is used for wagon box bottom.", iu which 
the "hard yellow" variety is chiefly employed. Its 
chief recommendation is its oheapness, since ash is 
fully its equal iu lightness aud superior iu dura- 
bility. The fact is, if it were possible to dispense 
with pme entirely, the wagon would be the gainer — 
and the list of our wagou woods would be reduced 
to the four deciduous trees already describeJ. — Indian 
Foresttr. 
♦ 
T1IK SCARCITY oF FT EE AT DA1UEEEING. 
W o reprint ilio following paper from the Indian 
I tin ■<■• r, 111 view of its bearing ou tho state of 
things existing or likely to arise at our Ceylou niouu- 
tain sanatorium. — Ed.j 
We publish t he followiug letter from Mr. l'restage, 
oui.d 20th .Ion.-, to the Chairman of the Datjeeling 
Municipality, with some comments : — 
1. In continuation of my previous communication, 
mure particularly the Dnrjooliug-lliuiahiyan Railway 
Oomptuy's letter No. 22'J1 of the 27th May, 1886, to 
you »t Cleurinau of the Koad Cens Committee, I now 
have the houor to address through you the t.'oui- 
oiissiouors, solieitiug that urgeut .it tent ion may be 
given to the increased aud growing cost of living iu 
this sanatorium, and that an effort may be made to 
cheapen the chief supplies which are necestaries to 
tho most needy. 
2. I am glad to report that arrangements have been 
made by which some of the largest consuming establish- 
ments will draw their chief bazaar supplies from dis- 
tant, new aud cheaper areas, and which will, it is 
thought, cause less demand on the local markets, 
aud a consequent reduction in the cost of fowls, eggs 
aud such produce; but I would earne stly solicit that 
a strong Sub-Committee of the Commissioners be 
appointed to consider the following, or any more work- 
able proposals they may bring forth. 
3. I have beeu informed by one of our lute Chairmen, 
that since i874 the price of firewood has increased from 
K15 to its present cost of E32 per 100 mauuds, so that 
one of our main necessaries has in a few years more than 
doubled in cost, but what is still more serious is, that 
fr-'EQ the present control and working of our sources 
of supply, aud the neglect to produce and reproduce, 
there is reasou to fear (hat another 1-1 years may show 
a further increase of cost of more than 100 per 
Ci ut. 
4. Interested aslamwith my friends very largely 
in the prosperity of the district and the station, I 
have given special attention to the causes of the 
unfortunate increases in the cost of timber and 
firewood, aud which are as under. 
5. Instead ol the supply of timber, as in most wood- 
burning countries in Europe, being under the control 
of the Municipality, or a body interested in giving 
abundant an I cheap supplies, or the forests and 
waste areas near st the stations being rendered pro- 
ductive or reproductive, the whole production, or 
rather the i xbaustion of the forest9, is under the 
control of a fui e gn feeble intermediate department, 
which fails io reproduce, aud is indifferent to the 
increased cost of fuel and timber to the consumers, 
The Remedies are — 1st. I beg to urge that the 
supply should be as in Europe under the control of 
the Municipality. 
2nd. The Forest Department should be deprived of 
all trading powers aud desires, that it should only be 
required to produce technical advisers to Government, 
with instructions mainly to pioduce and reproduce, 
and not exhaust particularly near the large consuming 
areas. 
Ihe mode of proceeding advised is — 
(a) . For the- Municipality (through a contractor who 
will be forthcoming) to re-purohase from Govern- 
ment the "00 acres of forest land on blocks Nos. 44 
and 4o on the north of Ghoom ridge for the original 
purchase mouey 1114,000, less say half the revenue the 
Forest Department has already netted from the 
blocks; it is estimated that these blocks would give 
u full supply to the station for the next six years. 
(b) . The G^vcrnuieut to undertake to transfer to 
the Municipality additional areas required abutting 
to give a further supply for a total of 20 years, at the 
rate pant per sere by Government for blocks Nos. 44 
and 45, viz., R20 per acre. 
(c) . The Government to place at the disposal of 
the Municipality any selooted officers aud employes of 
the Forest Department capable of reproducing aud 
advising in forest operations to the greatest 
advantage. 
(</). The Government to supply at actual cost seedlings 
and any Forest Department produce and materials 
required. 
(«). The Municipality (through the proposed con- 
tractor) to construct or arrange to construct a good 
cart road or railway on the level from the 48+ mile 
ou tho Darjeeling-llimalayau Railway to tho Ghoom 
ridge through tho new unproductive lands (lato 
Municipal blocks Nos. 44 aud 45) aud the Sooru Tea 
Estate lands to the ueok on the Ghoom ridge, by which 
a level or descending gradient would be got from the 
neck into Darjeeling, and the cost of hauling into the 
station would be much reduce 1. 
(/). The Municipality to plant tho 400 acres, uow 
unproductive land, north of Ghoom almost abutting 
Darjeeling, with quick growing trees that will yield 
