544 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1881 
struct ion of ditches is impossible, the formation of holes 
about eighteen inches in diameter at an interval of 
every four trees, dispersing the turned-up earth amongst 
the plants. 4. The careful manuring of the ground at 
the distance of about a foot from the stem of each tree, 
and covering the manure with [earth. — Colonies and 
India. 
Olives. — From the Colonies and India comes the news 
that at the Botanic Gardens of Cape Town a bushel 
of olives has been gathered, and in consequence of this 
proof that this fruit can be grown at the Cape the 
Stellenbosch farmers have seriously resolved to under- 
take olive-planting as a new branch of agricultural in- 
dustry. It may be hoped, therefore, that this colony 
may soon be able to supply olive oil as good or better 
than that produced in Europe. Indeed there is little reason 
why our extensive colonies should not supply all the 
drugs for which at present we are dependent on other 
countries. 
Ipecac. — During the present month there have been 
offered at the chug sales in London, 5 bales of false 
ipecacuanha (Ionidium Ipecacuanha), false star anise 
(Illicmm religiosum), and a large quantity of Indian dill 
seed (291 bags). The last is easily distinguished from 
English dill seed by being- more elongated and narrower, 
more convex, of a paler colour, and slightly different 
odour. Ionidium can scarcely be confounded with ipe- 
cacuanha, on account of its dirty white colour, branched 
habit and freedom from transverse annular ridges. Mark- 
ing nuts (Semecarpus Anacardium) and the bitter seeded 
cardamom, chiefly without the husk, were also offered. — ■ 
Pharmaceutical Journal. 
Cuprea Babk. — In Messrs. Gehe's report for September 
some startling statistics are published respecting the 
" cuprea " bark that has recently acquired such import- 
ance as a source of quinine, which may well raise 
doubts as to the uniform character of the product that 
will soon appear in the market under this name. A 
correspondent, to whom this firm applied for information, 
states that the district in the province of Santander, 
Colombia, in which this bark was originally found, is 
now being worked by two companies, employing between 
them seventeen hundred men. As each man is estimated 
to be able to collect 20 lb. of bark daily, or equal to 8J 
lb. of dry bark, this number of men would be able to 
collect in thirty days upwards of 400,000 lb. of dry bark, 
and enormous as this quantity may appear, the con- 
signments being sent in by the collectors appeared to 
indicate that it would be exceeded. The original " cu- 
prea" bark yielded about 2 per cent of quinine sulphate, 
and if this harvest were of equal quality it would repre- 
sent more than 8,000 lb. of quinine sulphate. In con- 
firmation of these statements it may be mentioned that 
during the past week 8,000 serons of " cuprea " bark 
were imported into London. _ The effect of these enorm- 
ous consignments upon the price of quinine is already- 
felt. Messrs. Gehe also mention having received from 
the Argentine Republic specimens of the bark, leaves, 
fruit, etc., of a number of plants used in that country 
as popular remedies. Some of these possibly may become 
objects of inquiry, so they may be briefly mentioned 
here. " Durazuillo " (C est rum pseudoguina, Mart. : Sola- 
naceoe) : leaves and root bark much used in fevers and 
bowel complaints. " Chucu" (Nierembergia Mppomanica, 
Miers : Solanaceae) : produces cold fever in animals eat- 
ing it ; and Zanthoxylum Coco (Rutacese) used as a 
remedy for the effects of " chucu." " Chanar " (Gourliea 
decorticans, Gill. : Leguminoss) : fruit used in disorders 
of chest and lungs ; the bark used by midwives. Zizy- 
jilni* Mistol, Griseb.: fruit a powerful diuretic. " Pi- 
quillin" (Coudalia lineata, Griseb.: Rhamnacese) : used 
as a laxative, especially for children. Celtis Tola, Gill. 
(Urticacese) : infusion of leaves vised in affections of the 
chest. Martynia montevidiensis, Cham. (Gesneracea;) : 
ee ta a e I in affections of the eye. Prosopis Tintitaco (Leg- 
tuninosse) : fruit diuretic. " Topas Aire" (Comoositte) : 
used in affections of the eye. — Pharmaceutical Journal. 
American Maize in India.— Some very successful ex- 
periments in the cultivation of a few of the best species 
of American maize have lie en conducted this year in the 
Kulu district, by the Rev. Mr. M. Carletou, who, for 
some years past, has been living there. Some splendid 
specimens of stalks and cobs of the different descriptions 
of maize, and large quantity of seed, hare been sent to the 
Punjab Government and district officers, and the Lieuten- 
ant-Governor, as a mark of his appreciation of the serv- 
ices of Rev. Mr. Carletou, and to encourage liim in his 
efforts to improve and increase the food-supply of the 
Province, has given bun a grant of R500. The fol- 
lowing particulars regarding the experiments will interest 
many of our readers. Mammoth Dent com, a new 
variety, said to yield in America, under high cultivation, 
up to 130 bushels per acres. In Kulu under fairly 
good cultivation, a crop of nearly 100 bushels per acre 
has been grown, and the Rev. Mr. Carleton considers 
that this description surpasses all that he has ever in- 
troduced. Blunt's Field corn : this variety was introduced 
last year ; it bears from four to six cobs per stalk, 
and promises well. Western white com : the Rev. Mr. 
Carleton introduced this variety four years ago, and it 
has done remarkably well seemingly in this country. 
Longfellow's Field corn : this variety comes from the 
extreme Northern States, especially New England, and 
is regarded as one of the most prolific of all the 
northern varieties. It ripens very early, taking only 
about seventy days to grow. The crop of this class 
was unfortunately almost entirely destroyed by monkeys. 
We wish the reverend gentleman every success in his 
experiments, which hitherto have been conducted entirely 
at Ms own expense. The sample cobs of corn grown 
by him would rather surprise some of our Indian agri- 
culturists. — Civil and military Gazette. 
Science and Insect and Fungus Pests. — In 1842, Steen- 
strup published his celebrated work on the ' Alternation of 
Generations,' in which he showed that many species are 
represented by two perfectly distinct types or broods, 
differing in form, structure, and habit ; that in one of 
them males are entirely wanting, and that the re- 
production is effected by fission, or by buds, which, 
however, are in some cases structurally indistinguishable 
from eggs. Steenstrup's illustrations were mainly taken 
from marine or parasitic species, of very great interest, 
but not generally familiar, excepting to naturalists. It 
has since been shown that the common Bynips or Gallfly 
is also a case in point. It had long been known that 
in some genera belonging to this group, males are entirely 
wanting, and it has now been shown by Bassett, and 
more thoroughly by Adler, that some of these species 
are double-brooded ; the two broods having been considered 
as distinct genera. Thus an insect known as Neuroterus 
lenticularis, of which females only occiu - , produces the 
familiar oakspangles so common on the under sides of 
oak leaves, from which emerge, not Neuroterus lenticul- 
aris, but an insect hitherto considered as a distinct 
species, belonging even to a different genus, Spathe- 
gaster baccarum. In Spathegaster both sexes occur ; 
they produce the currant-like galls found on oaks, and 
from these galls Neuroterus is again developed. So also 
the King Charles oak-apples produce a species known 
as Tetras terminalis, which descends to the ground, and 
makes small galls on the roots of the oak. From these 
emerge au insect known as Biorhiza aptera, which again 
gives rise to the common oak-apple. It might seem that 
such inquiries as these could hardly have any practical 
bearing. Yet it is not improbable that they may lead 
to very important results. For instance, it would appear 
that the fluke which produces the rot in sheep, passes 
one phase of its existence in the black slug and we are 
not without hopes that the researches, in which our 
lamented friend Professor Rolleston was engaged at the 
time of his death, which we all so much deplore, will 
lead, if not to the extirpation, at any rate to the 
diminution, of a pest from which our farmers have so 
grieviously suftered. — Pharmaceutical Journal. 
