30C3 
THl^ TROPICAL AGRlCULTURISt. 
[Nov. I, 1893. 
were planted out in wlioleB 10 feet apart, tlx; raiuy 
Feason being selected for llie latter operation, 
It was soon ascertained that shade was necessary, 
and Hanana, Apple, and Orange trefs were at once 
planted Ijetwcen tlie rows. In addition, to ensure 
permanent sliade the Candle-nut tree was planted 
40 feet apart throughout the phvntati n. and has 
proved the nios', suitable fur the purpo.se, being 
well branched and moderately open, adinittiug just 
sufficient liglit and circulation of air. The question 
of proper protection from the sun is an important 
point in the cultivation of Colfee in Tahiti; dense 
fchade, though giving good growth, has been found 
to prevent the tree from tearing. In the 7 acres 
of land ;-J,r>OQ plants were put out; the Tahitiau 
distaste for cultivation was not indulge:! in, but a 
vigorous system of care and management was in- 
stituted. The result h».s more than surpassed the 
most tanguine expectations of the owner. 
Two species of insect pests had to be contended 
with, the mealy-bug and a green scale, both being 
very injurious to young plants, but not giving seri us 
cause for alarm in the older trees. The plantation 
at tho date of tlie report, namely, March 
last, was commencing its third year of cultivation. 
The trees were most healthy in appearance, and 
were growing with symmetrical uniformity. Tlie ter- 
minal buds are nipped off as tiie treei rcacli (j feet, 
to prevent them growing beyond that height. By 
obtaining thus compact and comparatively low bushes, 
the picking of the crops is facilitated, and the 
additional shade thus given will in all probabiliiy 
in another two years prevent the growlli of weeds, 
and thus reduce labour to an annual hoeing of the 
soil around the trees. Next season the owner in- 
tends to let the trees bear for a crop. The bushes 
blossomed well during the past season, but tho 
berries were picked off at once, so as not to retard 
the growth. The owner fully expects to realise 
from the crops of the third, fourth, and fifth years 
sufficient to repay all the outlay he has been put 
to for the plautation from the beginning. During 
the sixth, seventli, and eighth years he anticipates 
that his crops will average 2 kiloi lb.) per tree 
each season, and after the eighth year, an average 
of 3 kilos (G-0 1b.l yearly. It is stated that the 
consuuiplioi) of Coll'ee in Tahiti is far in excess of 
the production. It has been sufficiently proved 
that the lands and climate of Tahiti are wjU adapted 
to the production of excellent coll'eo, and it may 
now be assumed that a, plantation under cultivation 
will bring back in five years, at the most, wliat it 
lias cost. The prospects offered to those wlio may 
intend to embark on this enterprise in Tahiti are 
therefore certainly promising. .Rut it should be re- 
membered that, although for small plantations not 
exceeding 10 acres home or district labour may be 
depended on, it would require, before undertaking 
the cultivation of extensive plantations, a very care- 
ful study of the labour question, which is fully re- 
cognised to be an extremely difficult problem. 
Or\N(;es. 
The Orange tree was originally introduced into 
the Society Islands from Brazil by the navigator 
Cook, and .subsequently by the early missionaries 
from the Australiin colonies. These two varieties, 
though still giving a sliglit difference, have by ac- 
climatisation and self-propaga.tiou become merged 
into one variety known in the markets as the 
Tahiti Orange. The fruit varies from oblong to 
oval in shape, being rather flattened at the top. It 
is a medium-sized fruit, very heavy, very juicj*. 
sweet, and highly flavoured, thin-skinued, and the 
rind of a light lemon-yellov,' colour. The trees grow- 
ing on lowlands produce an inferior fruit to those 
found at higher elevations, and generally supply 
the early portion of the produce exported on account 
of their easier accessibility. 
The Orange tree in Tahiti is not cultivated, but 
grows in the wild state, propagation being carried 
on by raiders, such as rats, &o., scattering the seed 
wJiioh, owing to the moist warm climate, germinates 
with certainty and rapidity. Witli few exceptions, 
flccasionally iouud ou clearings made for dwellings, 
jilaata'tigus, aud roadvvays, the Orange (res iu Tahiti 
grows in the bush, straggling, moss-covered, enreloped 
by tendrils and creepers, and surrounded by weeds, 
and in this naturally weakened condition i» be- 
coming an easy prey to the many species of ijcule 
and insect pest now so prevalent, and so careleBsly 
introduced during the last few years. The luorc 
vigorous trees found in the open are better able to 
resist the ravages of this evil, but the oousequcucen 
in course of time to tlie so called (Jrange groves of 
Tahiti must be evident to all ; still the native, who 
so greatly depends on the Orange crop as a source 
of income does nothing whatever to «ave the trecK. 
He makes no attempt to clear the chaos of jungle 
surroundiug them, or to destroy the pest; be couteiitb 
himself with living simply ou the fruits of nature, 
so long as they are provided for him. 
liut this condition of inactivity, if continued, must 
bring disastrous results. To regain the markets of 
California, and to retain tbote of New Zealand, will 
necessitate attention being given to the cullivatiou 
of the Orange tree. As is seen now, the more altra'.- 
live in appearance, though not superior or even 
equally good-flavoured fruit produced of late in Cali- 
fornia has driven the Tahiti Orange out of that 
market, and it may be that rival Orange growing 
islands of the Pacific, where attention is now being 
given to the culture of the fruit, will before long 
deprive Tahiti also of tho market of New Zealand. 
It is perfectly posbible and practicable to make the 
culture of the Orange in Tahiti a success, aud tliis 
iuip3rtant mit'.er should longer be neglected. 
V.\MLL.V. 
Owing to the fall in tlie price of Vauilla las'; 
year (IKO'2), some of tlie native planters ueekcttd 
their plantations to such an extent that even during 
the Howering season the fertilisation of the plant 
was not attended tD. As, therefore, there are now 
fewer bearing plan's at a tiiui when the denianJ 
has again increased, the more thoughtful owners of 
p'antatious reap the bojofit, aud also gain the 
advantage of the rise in price that ha3 recently 
taken place. — Gardeners' Chront'ilt. 
1XDI.\N GL'TT.XPEKCHA. 
The natural sources of supply of guttapercha, and 
the possibility of their exhaustiou were referred to 
iu the ICew Reports 1S7G (p. 2tl; lf!S7 (pp, 31 31): 
and (pp. 'M — Vt). A few trees, natives of the 
Indian peninsula, yield substances more or less similar 
to guttapercha. One of these is />u:Iiojisi.i t Uiiitii <i , 
Dalz. (=^Bassia elliptica Isonandra acuminata). 
The following note on this plant appeared in the 
Itcnu.-t of Ihe llui/al (Jai'UiK, Kfw, 1S81, p. 4f: — 
■■ This tree appears to be common on the Malabar 
coast, the forests of Coorg, the Wynaad, Travancorc, 
&c. It grows to a height of SO or 'JO feet. A substance 
similar to the guttapercha o' commerce is procured 
by tapping, but the tree requires an interval of rest 
of some hour?, or even of days, after frequent incision. 
In five or six liouro upwards of Ih lb. was collected 
from four or five incisions. The gum is hard and 
brittle at the ordiuarj' temperature, but becomes sticky 
and vi;;cid ou the increase of heat. It is not found 
applicable to all the purposes for which guttapercha 
is used, but 20 or ;J0 per cent of it may be mixed 
with guttapercha without destroying its qualities.'' 
The same tree is referred to in Watt's Liicfionon/ 
of the Economic I'l-odn'^ls of India, Vol. III., p. 102. 
in this, an extract taken from Duirii's Cstful I'/ants 
of India, suggests that the gum might be useful ly 
utilised as a sub-aqueous cement or gliie ; or that on 
account of its perfume when heated, it might pos- 
sibly be rendered of some value to the pastille and 
incense makers. More recently this guui has been 
analysed by Mr. David Hooper, F.C.S., F.I.C., Quino- 
logist to the Government of Madras, and the results 
are given in the Annual Keport of the Cinchona 
Plantations of Madras for 1891, p. IS: — 
" Indian GutfapcrcJ/a. — An abundance of gutta- 
percha milk has been yielded during the past dry 
weather in the Wynaad by the I'anchotee tree (Dirhnp- 
sin lAliptira), and some planters have been asking for 
information ou the subject, aud inquiring whether it 
could be made iuto a vouimercial ai'ticle. Theiuil^ 
