October i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
339 
now send for your inspoetu 
Grigson's ex- 
cellent 
of this 
remark: 
and coi 
of a ni- 
like an 
ivy- ' 
photograph of the lower part of the trunk 
famous tree. The picture is altogether a 
)le one, with tlio giant tree in the foreground, 
nut palms in various stages and other ohjects 
ivo compound, in the 'hack ; the tree looks 
ncient pillar leaning somewhat to one side, with 
aides, and huee buttresses at its base, which baa 
hit 
ag so tar to have it takei 
,-ish to pay a visit to this tret 
ntion that it is in a uativ 
y for the famous 
ly of the natives 
Mr. Klphinstone and 
he field."?), 
ashes was 
il a purifier 
)lanted near 
baths, mid 
tk growing 
i placard is 
diamete 
of Mr. 0 
Colombo 11 
trouble ho 
To parti 
it mav be 
garden do 
behind Nc 
Soman Cat 
Edward Bj 
kumbuk tr 
in the licit 
If the pa. 
analysed b 
tree, surclj 
kumbuk tr 
and if so it 
not mentio 
of water, a. 
wells for tl 
near a ver; 
in the angl 
are extensi 
placed intin 
lug close t< 
power of 
there may 
wells round 
siderahle e> 
Colombo is 
ground, an 
tin- I'.. lice 
likely that 
years ago, 
Garden. 
It is a common 
already, that if a branch is cut off the kumbuk tree pure 
wat r will How from the cut for some time and then cease. 
It is singular that this famous tree with all its 
good qualities real and imaginary should be sacred 
to Vyraver, the Prince of Devils, but there is no 
accounting for the contradictions in connection with 
the religion of the Tamil. I hope to have Mr. Cochran's 
opinion of the specimens of lime sent by Mr. Young 
in 1874, and of the ashes of fresh specimens of the 
wood and bark of this tree. — Yours truly, 
W. FERGUSON. 
( Local Extract ) 
The kumbuk tree is common enough all over the 
island. It however loves the banks of rivers and tho 
margins of Tanks where it raises its head a very monarch 
ab ive the top of the surrounding forest, while in girth, 
though its inside may not afford room for a small 
tea party, it attains the respectable measurement of 
a circumference of IS to 'JO ft. To support the trunk 
itself and tho enormous weight of the out-spreading 
branches and foliage, it throws out at a height of 
about three or four feel from the ground, buttresses 
on all sides, tho spaces between which with some 
kind of improviced rooting, afford shelter and a con- 
venient ambush to the sportsman who watches within 
their recess for deer and wild buffalo roming to 
drink. In wild parts of tho country such as tho I 
interior of the Magampatta, these buttresses are i 
■eparated from the tree with the axo, and after being j 
• piarcd and sullieiently chipped to thin them, are used 
for doors. Tho bark of the tree which is nbout an 
inch in thickness, can bo stripped in large sheets, aud > 
some phil isophy in planting them near 
ivhich their roots penetrate to a con- 
nt and depth. One of the finest trees in 
:ie kumbuk in the edge of the parade 
facing the centre road leading through 
urracks at Kew Point, Colombo. It is 
lis tree was planted by Moon about 60 
hen this poiut was a kind of Botanical 
elief amongst the natives, as stated 
when so stripped are joined at the ends and sunk 
at the bottom of wells for the double purpose of 
preventing tho earth from falling in, as well as purify. 
the water. 
Kirtme uart of tb 
attested "fact that 
the kumbuk buk 
statei 
snt 
fells are common in the 
la district, and it is a well- 
; whereas water from wells to which 
i has not been so applied, is of a 
f appearance, and of a strong ferru- 
water from wells protected by the 
,ud tasteless as the best spring water 
that the ashes of the tree is used 
in place of chunam, is also perfectly 
by the Sinhal 
correct, but more than this, the ashes mixed with 
fine sand make a tolerably good substitute for the 
oi-dhvry mortar made of lime. Not only is this 
mortar used for plastering houses in those parts of 
the country where the ordinary coral limo cannot be 
procured, but the ashes after lixivation are prepared 
by having boiled water poured over them, for white- 
washing and for chewing with betel. It is however 
very seldom that it is used as an adjuuet to the 
masticatorv, as the Sinhalese prefer lime obtained 
by calcining land or sea shells to that got from the 
ashes. However, in parts of the couutry w here shells 
a»e not to be easily had, the ashes of the kumbuk 
tree arc made to yield a very good substitute. One 
other peculiarity of this tree is that the living trunk 
can be set on fire. It burns with a smouldering fire, 
emitting no flame, and very little if any phi >ke, 
while the process of combustion is very slow, though 
regular, as regards the c nnplete inceneiation of every 
6bre. We remember testing this by setting fire to a 
fallen green tree, which, on re-visting it a fortnight 
aft j r, had baldly then a two flet section burnt away. 
The tr 
of the 
thrown 
the belief among the 
gives a purer quality 
ad fallen by the washing away all round 
bank on which it had stood, a new anicut 
oss the river at a short distance above, 
m the current a new set — dead against the. 
roots of the tree. But whether the tree 
jiiite dead, it turns equally well, but 
Sinhalese is thut the green tree 
and larger quantity of lime, 
uxuriantly in the ruined tanks 
pecially at Tissemaharama, and 
i the trouble by an examination 
of the truuk to determine the 
jrefore the oldest) tree, some 
e date when the Maganipattu 
i may be formed. — C. Examineri 
Improving AMERICAN Tea.— Under this head ng the 
Scientific American gives us the following paragraph : — 
" Peceutly on receiving a number of packages of Ame- 
rican tea from the experimental tea farm in S nth 
Carolina, Commissioner l.e Due invited a number of 
tea dealois in Baltimore, and Washington to test the 
quality of tho crop. They pronounced it very good 
tea, aud said it compared favourably with East In- 
dian teas. Lnst year's receipts from the smie place 
had a wenly flavour. This year the same defect is 
only barely perccptiblo, the result beiny due to culti- 
vation. By next year it is thought it will have dis- 
appeared entirely. It. is oven now only perceptible 
to tho tasto of experts. letter* from Mr. Jackson, 
tho gentleman in ohargo of the tea farm OOmmenl in 
very favourable terms upon tho healths- sppoarancfl 
of the plants and tho prospect f >r excellent results." 
The italics are ours. Perhaps some of our friends 
will be a lo to enlighten us as to the meaning of the 
term "weedy flavour. " As far lis our experience goes, 
wo hate never soon or hoard of any tea of weedy 
flavour in, or from, tho "tea farms of Assam, Ca- 
char, Dnrjeeling, or any other tea district in India.*— 
/n</ian Tea Gazette. 
