June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
ment, March, 1881) that a tree of Castilloa H— 2 feet in diameter if carefully and judiciously 
tapped should yield about 12 lbs. of rubber per annum ; and with regard to Hevea M r. W'irkhani 
who brought the seeds from South America to Kew, informs me " it bears tapping- very well if 
properly worked, and I have known productive Ciringals (rubber walks) the property of several 
generations of Indian Ciringaros. In their native woods the large trees (they, grow, to a ffifeat 
size) are selected for working as being profitable by taking a large number of cups or a long vine 
band, but were a plantation formed the trees could no doubt be profitably worked whilst still 
small— say 24 inches in circumference. The great thing is to avoid cutting too deeply into the bark." 
Gutta Percha. — A plantation of the " Gutta Sundek" from Pcrak has been formed in the new 
garden. The trees are healthy, but, like all their tribe, grow with extreme slowness. 
Sago Palm. —To Mr. C. Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, I am indebted for a quantity 'if seed 
of Metroxylon Sar/u, the smooth-leaved sago palm. All had been decorticated before being sent 
a plan the Rajah informs me the natives of Borneo prefer. Nearly all germinated readily. I am 
further informed by him that among seedlings from either the smooth or the spiny kinds, there 
are usually to be found a mixture of both sorts. " The thorny ones are supposed to produce the 
most sago, but natives prefer planting the smooth as the thorns wound their hands and feet 
severely." " The best land for sago is a wet alluvial deposit, undrained, with stiffish stuff under- 
neath. It comes to maturity after 10 years ; wild pigs are its great enemy. After this time there 
is a succession of young trees growing around the parent stem. These should be thinned out and 
planted ; they grow better and faster than from seed, but cannot be kept out of ground for any 
time without rotting. Sarawak supplies two-thirds of this product for the world." 
Manila Hemp. — A small plantation of Musa textills has been formed on the river bank at 
Peradeniya. Two Wardiah cases full have been sent to Calcutta for the Indian Government who 
are making experiments with fibres in Bengal. 
Fodder Grasses. — In my report for 1880 I included among the additions, Ptcnicum spee- 
tabile, Nees, a fodder-grass long celebrated under the name of" (Jaapim de Angola." This was 
obtained from Dr. Glaziou, the well-known botanist of Rio, through the Kew authorities. 1 had 
suspected some error when first examining the seed, and ultimately &h growing up it droved to be 
our common Mauritius grass, Panicum sarmentosiim. I have this year obtained by application to 
Dr. Schomburgk of Adelaide seed of the grass known there as " Caapiin de Angola' - which seems 
to be also called " Phillips' Grass." Strangely enough this turned out equally wide 6f the murk, 
being merely a common Sorghum allied to S. halepense. So far back as 1845 ordinary Guinea grass 
was sent here direct from Brazil as " Oaapini de Angola," to Dr. Gardner. The real plant belongs 
to (juite a different section of Panicum, being closely allied to P. ( Ech'mochloa) Crus-galll; it is 
hoped that it will yet be obtained from Brazil and should form a good addition to our few fodder 
grasses. 
A packet of Mauritius grass has been forwarded to Fiji, and a selection of tropical pasture 
grasses to the French colony of the Gaboon. 
"Rice-Corn" — In consequence of some very favourable accounts of this in American papers, 
an application was made through the Foreign Office to the Agricultural Department at Washing- 
ton, and a supply obtained. A let ter from the Commissioner was also received stating t hat it was 
merely ordinary Indian Sorghum which has been grown in America for some 50 years. Cultivation 
proved that to be the case ; it almost exactly corresponded with one of ten South Indian sorts of 
cholum sent by Col. Beddome, but I am not prepared to say what may be the name of the precise 
variety. I have distributed some of these to Chilaw, Yavmiiva-Yilankulam, Anuradhapura, &c. 
Sugar Sorghum. — For a stock of seed of 1 4 varieties of this f' Sorghum sarcharatum ) we are also 
indebted (through the Royal Gardens, Kew) to the U. S. Agricultural Department. This is beiug 
cultivated on a "large scale in the States for sugar, and lias been the subject of some admirable 
chemical reports. My object iu its experimental culture here was rattier to prove its value as a 
cattle fodder, which is certainly great. The largest and niosl leafy varieties appeared to be 1 hose 
called " Wolf-tail," Orange," Link's Hybrid," and " Neea/.una"; I hey afforded an abundant 
sweet and succulent food much appreciated l,y the garden bullocks. The plain of course la an 
annual. It also affords a very good grain, .suitable for the hoi districts of Ceylon. 
Jalap. — A consignment of tubers has been received from OotftO&alUfld and mostly sent 
to Hakgala. There can be no question of this plant succeeding well there ; aud the new 
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