March i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 623 
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To the Editor. 
"MILK TREES" AiVD A RECENT ARTICLE. 
London, Jan. 19. 
SiB, — With reference to D". Trimen's letter ia 
your issue of Dec Ist., I would point out that he 
will find a daaoription of Clnsia galactodendroii 
on page 301 of the "TreaBury of IBotany" (1876 
edition). The plant belongs to the Order Guttyer,e 
and do63 not appear to be identiaal with Brosi- 
mum galactodendroii whioh is described on p. 171 
of the same work, and which as he Bays belongs to 
the jik tree family. Brodnnun cjalactodendron 
or at least the juice of same contains a large 
proportion of resinous matter, and possibly in 
caeea of dysentery it would prove as equally effica- 
cious as that of Glusia galactodendron.—Yoava truly, 
THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE ON " MILK 
TREES" IN " CHAMBER'S JOURNAL." 
[We thouaht it beat at once to refer the above to 
the learned Director ol our Botanioal Gardens and 
here is his reply : — 
Ciui-ia Galactodirndron, Desv. — I am obliged to 
your correBpoiidant for poiating out that this name 
is given in that useful and generally accurate book, 
the " Treasury of Botany." Bat it is not miintained 
by botaais'is; an! Phmboa and Friana, the mono- 
graphers of the Order Guttifer<e, say that, judging from 
Deavanx's description and figure published in 1840 
(which ia absolutely all that is known about it) the 
plant probably does not belong to that family at 
all. This was written in 1860, and unless there 
b«v6 been some further independent observations 
elnoidatin? the plant, that is the stats of things 
with regard to it. Dssvaux's plant was not a Clusia, 
and there is not evidence to show what it was. — 
Hbnby Tbimen.''— Ed. T.A. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE, &c. 
Upcountry, Jan. 27. 
Sib, — Since the failure of the Ooffee Enterprise, 
Ceylon has certainly recovered from its ill effects, 
but only yet partially, and it is still after all 
a poor place. Tea cultivation has done its 
best for her. Extended cultivation of this pro- 
duct cannot do very much more. In fact, it may 
do less good and possibly harm, unless the 
ao-callei minor products meets with more sup- 
port. Cacao has at last now been properly 
recognised as an assured product, and its suc- 
cessful cultivation on land, other than those 
"level as a table," is daily being proved, 
and there is very much more land suited 
than people imagine. As a by-product it ought 
to be grown on many a tea estate where 
the soil and climate, etc., is suitable. The pro- 
duct, Inwever, now drawing increased attention 
in a quiet way, is Liberiao coffee and that not- 
withstanding its liability to attacks of leaf-disease. 
When this variety was introduced into the 
Island, the disease had already done its work for 
the Arabian variety. Financial failures, especially 
ol banks dealing with constituents in this Island, 
the fall in the price of Arabian ooffee and the 
continuation of low prices of ooffee for several 
years tended to make speculators very loth to 
venture in the cultivation ol Liberian coffee. The 
first and early cultivation of this product wa3 
certainly not onoouraging. An average local price 
then ol Rl to Rt-uO per bushel at most only 
oovored expensea. The present prices, still rising, 
79 
leaves a considerable margin as profit. Tbe Indian 
and local market readily take up all now procurable 
at these rates, and certainly a million bushels will not 
meet the demand eveu at the enhanced rates and when 
the cultivation expands with very much less effect 
and expens", the product will find its way to 
America (United Statis) where it is in much 
demand. There is rcuch land now being planted 
with oacan and interplanted with tea. Much 
better if Liberian ooff'^e is interplanted in most 
of these. Of course, the mistake of distant plant- 
ing, &c., &c., shou'd be avoided, As much 
crop per acre can be got from '.his oc ff'ea as from 
ecffee Arab'ca if propsrly attended t3. As to the 
cleaning ditfieulty, there is really nona if the fruit 
is picked wh-^n thorouglJy ripe, and before 
it begins to dry. Tea-pickers are taught to pick 
the right leaf, and with a little care this ooff'ee 
can be picked at th3 right stage. For a special 
pulper Messrs. Walker & Sons wjII readily 
turn out one. The habit of this plant is to throw 
up several suckers, almost a month or two after 
planting. Do not pick off all. One or two at least 
should be allowed to grow, and all topping must be 
at 5| to G feet. The Libedan is a " slower " plant 
than the Arabian. Give it time. Manure if the 
soil is poor. Handle fairly. Pruning is rarely 
needed. In picking leave the fruit stems. Pick 
clean. Exceptional trees have given a bushel and 
half of cherry, that is to say, seven to thirteen 
measures of parchment, but a measure per tree is 
enough and pays well. If you see the fungus, 
whistle, eni if you can spare the labour remove 
badly diseased leaves, and don't lose heart. In 
1878 I wrote that Arabian coffee will in ten years 
be so a&'i5cted by the disease, that the yield will be 
brought down to a one sixth. The yield by that time 
was even less. Liberian c.ff'eewill last its twenty 
years and more, and the price is unlikely to fall, 
much less than E8 per bushel, in the Island. Bor- 
neo, the Straits Settlements, Madagascar and other 
places are finding their way to make this product 
pay. Let oM Ceylon do its best, with its cheap 
labor, good roads, and many, many other facili- 
ties, and I defy any of the other young colonies 
to compete with her. When 100, OOJ acres are 
opened there will be a marvellous change in the 
financial prospect of the Island— a change that 
would have occurred earlier if '■ wait-a-bit-Jim " did 
not rule the Island. The natives will not plant 
tea largely, and will not be trained to benefit by 
it ; but Liberian coffee as with cacao now they 
will plant if the Government takes and adopt 
proper measures. 
Cotton cultivation would never suit them. If the 
natives an 1 European planters only grew ooff'ee 
enough to bring into the Island E2, 500,000 only, a 
large bulk of it would remain for circulation here, 
and the Island will substantially benetit by it as 
it did when Arabian coffee throve. By this I mean 
civil servants, merchants and their employees 
(countless), petty traders, bankers, shopkeepers 
and Government railway too, and not non- 
resident European capitalists. Then Ceyloa will 
be what it was, and not what it is now, still 
strag^^ling, and no capital ol its own worth 
mentioning, having really for its stay at home 
capital as much as an ordinary American millionaire 
can boast of. WAKE UP. 
GR\SS FOR MILCII COWS: FOOD FOR 
FIGS: CRYSTALIZIXG FRL'IT. 
Dear Sir,— Will you kiiilly inform me in your 
oolunrns what kind of grass is best to grow in dry 
places lor Miloli Cows. Mauritius only thrives in 
