Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGIRCULTURISt. 
This Bystematio identification, testing, and propaga- 
tion ace going ou da,ily. A dozen " eocnomio" plants 
iiiny bo receiviug a'tention at one time. Kew iciro- 
(Jncei! to ludia tht) cincl oni, from which quinine is 
ob'.ained. It is coustantl^ studying Lew fibrouB plai ts, 
iin idea uf iho Value ot whuh may be gathered Irom 
the price ot pini apple-leat fibre — i'bOtbe loo. Gutias, 
gums, iodigo, jute, coffee, cacao, und other products 
too numerous lo mtntion, plant diseasef, instct petstF, 
adal:eriiit8, etc., aro taken in baud with a view to 
extension or reoieoy. Whenever somethiug new is 
dieco^ered an atterupt is made to propagate it lor 
cultivatiou lu our Colonies. Should the demand for 
the staple product ol a colony lall off, Kew is ab'e 
losuggest auil supply another, indirectly or otherwise. 
iiuch of its work, thoujjh eutraucing to those 
engaged in it, is naiuca^ly unintert stit-g to the teueral 
public. That CjuloI bo said of the inquiry into the 
BO-oolled " weather-plunt," the " Fateinoster pea," of 
whicn much uouEense has been written. A Mr. 
Nowack, an Austiian, actually patented the plant, 
Abrui precatorius, with an apparatus to enable it to 
toreocll the wtather — tog, rain, suow, and bail ; earth- 
qaakes, depressions likely to cause explosions ot tire 
dump in niiues, aud what not, fortj -eight hours in 
advance, for forty miles lound ! Such v»ere the claims 
advanced. 
Kew, in oonjunetion with the Meteorological 
Office, tojk the " Jfateri.oster pea" ia hand, demon- 
stratiug that the much-advettised " weatherplanl '' 
is not influenced by the weather, past, preieut or 
luture in auj waj. The moVomeuta of ine leaves 
are iuouced by variilions of light ; the downward 
motijn suppjstd to presage an eaitciqnake, is ^au^ed 
by an in-eo» thit punctures tue stem, when the leaves 
drops lud dies. Eiit the wouderiul •' weather-plant." 
Toe services rendered by Kew in connection with 
coffae have been of the greatest value. The coffee 
tree ia a native ot Abjssinia and tropical Afiica. 
Kew hag assisted to spread it over the tropical world. 
It has inquired into us aaulteration, wuich is carried 
on 10 such an extent that 96,0O0,OU0 pounds ot bogus 
ci^tfee ate siid to be sold every jear in the United 
S aies alone, lu the Ktw Museum oie specimens of 
sham coffee-becries maUe of rice-tlour, giucose, aud 
water, worked into a paste aud shaped in a mould. 
Kew lias mdtavoureu to check noulteration by 
inoreaeiug the cutput of the genniue article. 
The Koyal (iard-us are au advaLced technical 
Bchool. Each gardcLer is admit'.ed lor a two j eats' 
course, but it is necessary that he should lave had 
experience eisewhere. He sees every liiua ot cultiva- 
tion o .rtitd on in ihe establiehment, atieuds lectures, 
and obtains inctiuclion in scientific buojeots connected 
witu hia profession. Kew men are in great request ; 
the best leoeivo valuable appoiutmenis as opportunity 
offers, ana aie to be lound in every jatt ot ine worla. 
Nearly ail of them are in constant cotiespoLdence 
with their alma maUr; the authorities foster it in 
every way. 
Four periodical publications are issued from or pre- 
pavtd at Kew, Tne ' Botanical Magazine ' has been 
piepiied theie since 1841. Tne ' Kew Bulletin ' has 
bteu issue.i lucnihly a noe 1887. The ' Kew Aunual 
liepurt ' ij, as its name implies, published j early. 
The first number of a new publication, a private en- 
leipriee, has just been issued. It is the ' Jouinal of 
tUb Kew Guild,' an associilion of past aud present 
Kew men. 
ihe Kew roll of martyrs is not iutiguificant. 
Isot long ago two piomising youug fellows went 
to the Niger to found aud supeiintend Botanical 
Gardens for the Koyal ISiger Company. The climate 
killed both in a tcry short time. A brief history 
ol the gardens may be of interest, in the reign of 
Charles 11., Lord bapel had at Kew, somewhere near 
ptcseutchitf eutraoce, a garden containing au orangery 
and ihe finest, fiuit-t ets and llowers in Kuglund. 
lij gruw ovcrjlhiug obtainable at that time. Xho 
garden was lamoua. lu 1730 Fiederick Friuce of 
Wales obiaiuiil along lease of the house aud ground 
f oui the Uapcl la.uiiy. To bis widow Kew owes 
ujucu of US pr^seut glory, bhe gave it its detluite 
eoiuutitio foim. I« was then deaocibed aa " tb»ts»t<iSQ 
where every tree ^bat has been seea in Europe is at 
hand." George III. showed great iutertst )n the 
gardens after bis mother's death. During bis reigu 
the biitanical, exploration, und hoi tlLulttaal activity 
at Ktw bad lo parallel — and has not since been 
surpassed. No fewer than 6,746 rare tsot.c plants 
were introduced. At that time a common fuchsia, 
LOW worth 6d., fetched £5. Sit Jcteili Bsnke, who 
voyaged with Captain Cook, Li...ame ULofKcial Dirtctor. 
He tent out collectors all over the world. A botanist 
coonected with Kew accompaniid Captaia Cjok ou 
his third voyage. The enme man, David Nelson, 
eaiied to the tiouth Seas in the ill-lated " Bounty ' 
whtn that vessel went to introduce the bread truit 
to the West Indies, an idea which probably originated 
at Kevf.—Tit Bits. 
COCONUT FLA^^TING IX JAFFNA. 
The cultivation of this palm in the Northern 
Province has received considerable impetus from 
the experimental attempts made by some native 
gentlemen in ditfertnt parts of the Province. Till 
about JO years ago the industry was exclusively in 
the hands of some Europeans, who opened up large 
tracts between Pallai and the EKphant Pass aud 
turned them iuto useful aud pntitable estates. 
There was also a small area nearer Jaffna planted 
about the time the Pallai district was lavouied by 
the introduction of English capiial and skill. Our 
countrymen, who are slow to \iew with favour innova- 
tions ot any kmd have tardily begun to eppreciate the 
advantages of the industry on a laige bcale and to 
believe m the adaptability of our soil to the growth of 
the palm. Tcose who had the capital were sceptical 
whilst those who had faith in the suitability of the soil 
had not the means, But we are giad to note that 
the bwetts las.eii by some native plan. t rs have wrougM 
a healthy change ; and the eyes ot our few capita- 
lists are now turned towards piai tiug, though in 
ctrt .in quar^Lts still lurks tho uK a that we ehtuld 
wait foi a lavourable oppotiuuiiy o buy up sn estaie 
instead of eptcnlatiug ou vir^io soil and waiting long 
for the exptctea outturn. E\en tiu most sceptical 
ought not now coubt the facility with wh.ch til lanos 
can be procured. \\"e learu ihao those are st.ll large 
irauts to be had in the Pallai uistriot where the toil 
has been so loug iried ana not lound wanting. 
Landed property in our uis rict may be saiJ 
to bring 4 per cent to the o.\ner. Even this 
percfcuta^e is very doubtlui in toe case of 
our costly paddy fields. The little capital that 
finds its Bay into our couuiry from parts 
near and lar is invested in the puicbate or 
ut-keep of ccs iy g»rdens worked at a lots, ot palmyra 
lauds of tiigh value, and ol pai d^ tislus reputed lo 
ha\e brought many a man to tlie verge tf iutolveucy. 
In spite of the largo openi g we have at a shoit 
distance from our centre, it lo ti be retiv ted that 
our lo>e for proximity to borne hiS heen to inordinate 
as to make a capitalist amLiiions of owning some 
unpiohiable plots in bis own parich. lu lact the 
summuin homtm of many a man Las been this. Hence 
Iho oongcsiiou and property oi our district, which can 
tffectuaily be relieved by contiuniug to convert the now 
waste, but notsteiiie, lauds in luo tallai oislrict and 
beyond into good plantatu ns. The man who takes to 
planting coconut in fit stil win find that hia capital 
18 not dissipated, the net yield ol a plantation in 
I'achohilapaili being cstitmattd at ralea varying 
trom 12 10 20 per cent on the outlay. He will witu- 
(/Ut wasting his lortuue find labour for the destitute 
and homes for the homeless. It is neeaiess to recount 
here several other advantages. 
We would earnestly exhort our well-to-do couutiy- 
mtn not to wan to buy estates, already planted, but 
to rise above the mental infirmities of the vulgar and 
benefit themselves as well as thoir countrymen by 
opening up new plaotations in suitable placet^. ■'•""^ 
construction ol our longtd-for r«ilwi.y will be expedited 
' by toe promotion of the industrj , which, whdst beiuu 
i picductive of capital aud increated trade, would turn 
piat;es at present uninhabited into fit hahit*tion8 lor 
I out BurpluB popuUtion.— " Jafina Patriot, 
