December i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
421 
In enumerating the products that can profitably be 
cultivated in this fruitful valley, Mr. Barber seems to 
have forgotten fruits and vegetables. Mat ale oranges 
enjoy quite a reputation for their lusciousness, while 
vegetables, Ceylon vegetables, and plantains attains 
great perfection there. As to arccanuts, Mr. Barber's 
opinion hardly coincides with that of Mr. John Fergu- 
son, who, professing to rehVct the opinion of planters 
generally and of the proprietor of Crystal Hill parti- 
cularly, in his recent notes of a trip through Malale. 
and Liggala wroto : '' As regards arecas, the only fear 
iu tho neighbourhood of Matale is of the rainfall not 
being sufficient;" while Mr. Barborsnys: "Tho graceful 
aroca palm, shading the humble homestead of the poor 
villager, nourishes here with a luxuriance that is match- 
leas." These contradictory opinions oan be reconciled 
only by supposing that Mr. Ferguson refers to the 
hill-slopes where European cultivation is carried on, 
[•Juite so. — Ed.] Hhcl Mr. Barber to the damp, 
shady valleys, the residences of tho villagers. Shade 
and moisture are essential to the successful cultivation 
of the areca palm, and on plantations they are not 
likely lu flourish except in the vicinity of swamps and 
ravines. 
Mr. Barber complains, and justly, that in under- 
taking the cultivation of now products we are at o 
disadvantage owing to the scantiness of the informa- 
tion accorded us by the Botanical Department of 
Government. Time Dr. Trillion when applied to is 
ready to impart all the information at his command, 
but that bouetit8 individuals only. And in bis Ad- 
ministration Keports a good deal of information on 
all products is vouchsafed, but these useful publica- 
tions are annual. We want general information on 
all subjects engaging the attention of planters, and 
on products that might with advantage be cultivated 
by thorn, oftcner than ouce a year. If a " Ceylon 
Botanical and Agricultural Bulletin" cannot bo 
ondeztaken, tho Director might copy the example of 
Mr. Morris, late of Jamaica, and through tho press 
draw the attention of planters to products that might 
bo profitably cultivated by them, and impart informa- 
tion on tho cultivation of products already under- 
taken by them. Tho absence of cubeba (Piper Cubcba) 
in our Botanic Gardens ia drawn attention to, but it 
is satisfactory to learn that Dr. Trimeu is endeavour- 
ing to obtain seeds of this very valuable pepper 
from .lava. L^gain we say there are Dr. Triniou's 
Annual Keports and tho T. A. monthly, full of hints 
about new products. — Ed. J 
in enumerating tho districts in which cacao ia grown, 
mention ia made ol tho Ncgombo district, from which 
PHI markably lino pods were obtained from Mr. i''. 
Driobeig. Tho estate in question iu at Ekele, and ia 
onu of tho original cinnamon plantations of the 
I nitcli, and the soil of it is the usual whito sand of 
the cinnamon gardous. The trees which yielded tho 
Ppds wcro raised from u seed pod purchased at 
1 lc naratgoda. I beiiovo aomo old trees of tho red 
variety were standing en tho site of the present 
bungalow and had to make way for it. Reference is 
mado to old trees of this variety growing at Small 
Pass mid Kalutara to show that even with no 
Ipeoial ait nte 11 cacao trees attain a great 
ago. On Mr. Do Breard's grounds at Grand- 
pass btand two old trees which yoar after year 
yield a good harvest of pods, which wcro turned 
into cbocolato by tho late Mr. Do Brcard. on emin- 
ently practical man, long before cacao cultivation 
Attracted ntteutiou. There wns a discussion a few 
yearB ago in the papers as to tho source of tho seed 
for Mr. Tytlor'B plantations at Dumbara. It was 
decided then I believe that the tree standing in tho 
promises now occupied by Mr. Venning iu Kandy 
was tho parent tioo of tho original plantations. All 
this goes to provo that cacao ia as long-lived and 
as permanent an industry as coconut cultivation. 
Tho much-vexed question is debated at great length 
as to the superiority of the two rival varieties of 
oaoao, Vorasttiv or tho red Corficaa. Tho Forattero is 
tho hardier tree and is more < .1 .dy grown, but it 
ia coarsor than the red Currfciu which is very 
delicate mid ha.i to contend with many taMUM, 
It however helped to give Coylou thu splendid 
reputation she enjoys for the fine quality of her 
cacao. The question narrows itself into whether for the 
sake of better prices we are willing to face the hi .ivy 
initial expense and disappointments of planting a gar- 
den with tho delicate red variety, or whether we will 
be content with lower prices for a variety that is hardy 
and can easily be raised V The solution of tho difli- 
culty, it is contended, lies in the possibility of obtaining 
a hybrid to combine " the excellence of the Gardens 
with the hardy habit of the Forastero. To a cautious 
mind it does sound extremely rash for Mr. Barber to 
assert without qualification that the pink Forastero is 
" undoubtedly a hybrid," It is better that such a 
difficult question as to whother a plant is a hybrid or a 
dstinct variety, — a question sometimes on which emi- 
nent scientists are not agreed, be left to the decision 
of a specialist like Dr. TriiueD. It will be interest ng 
to know what his opinion in the subject is. The subject 
is one of the highest importance to cacao planters. 
Blr. Barber's keen, enquiring mind discovered that 
there ia a peculiarity in the colour of the seeds of the 
so-called hybrid, that it is pink in colour or a cross 
between the white of the Caracas and the purple of the 
Forastero. Mr. Barber's favourite variety isthe pinki'W- 
stcro which ho is pleased to call a hybrid. The gentle- 
man who supplied Mr. Barber with this variety affected 
tho long green Maravilla, and wished him by compari- 
son on the spot to satisfy himself that the latter was 
superior to the former. The invitation was accepted, 
and Mr. Barber with the discrimination due to his 
legal training refused to accept as conclusive the in- 
feriority of his favourite till the two varieties received 
searching testa. Average sized pods of both varieties 
were secured and submitted to the test of weighing. 
It was found "relatively, in proportion to the weightof 
the husk, there was a preponderating weight of seed in 
the hybrid over the Maravilla." The seed too in each 
pod of the former weighed more than the seed in the 
latter. The Maravilla had the larger number of seeds, 
which consequently gave the advantage in size to tho 
hybrid and increased its value. It may be inter- 
esting to know the history of this so-called hybrid, 
Mr. AVilliam Kollo, at one time Visiting Agent of the 
Ceylon Company, imported from Trinidad two cases of 
cacao plants. Mr. Ferdinanelus of the Botanical ( Jar- 
dens received one of the cases and successfully raised 
a dozen plants from it in his garden at Kadugann&wa ( '< ) 
One of these happened to be the pink variety,aud is the 
parent of the trees now growing at Wariapoia and 
Dumbara. This pink variety does not occur iu tho 
group of Fora*teros iu the Botanic Gardensreceived from 
Kew iu lt-80. 
♦ 
AFRICAN BALM OIL NUTS 
are becoming quito plentiful in many districts in 
Ceylon, and tho question will speedily ariso as to 
how they are to bo utilized either for export as 
plucked, or by having the oil locally expressed. 
Wo are told that "the oil is obtained from the 
African oil palm nuts by means of a process of 
boiling, and not by machinery such as is used 
for coconut oil." Just as we are writing, we find 
in tho Indian Agriculturist tho information we want 
as follows: — 
Thk Oil V\im.— The British Consul at Loauda in a 
recont report on tho agriculture of tho provinces 
of Angola, describes the method or obtaining 
palm oil, the great staple of trado aloiig the 
rivers of Western Equatorial Africa. The palm from 
which the oil is oblained may be said to bo a wild 
product of these regions and requires no planting ; yet 
it receives a certain amount of attention at the hands 
of the natives iu the shape of pruning, lopping off doad 
and dying leaves, and tapping some of the stronger 
leaves, with the object geuerally.it is presumed, of im- 
proving the fruit. The lat ter grow s iu large dusters, 
nearly pcarehaped or somewhat like a huge branch of 
very bright red grapes, some clusters counting perhaps 
a thousand nuts, which are partially embedded in a kind 
of librous matting. The nuts and iruit arc tie si. e and 
nearly theohapo of u pigeon's egg, of a bright rvd colour 
