May I, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
737 
spaoious lofts and fane, and when our planters 
do not suceeei in obtaining this it is more their 
misfortune than their fault. 
In the matter of firing, perhaps, a good deal of 
improvement is possible. It ia just possible that 
our planters habitually put their tea through this 
procsBH too hurriedly and at too high a tempera- 
ture ; and the warning Mt. Bamber gives is well 
worth their best consideration. Another point we 
gather from a study of the book is that the 
Factory, instead of being one large open eoa- 
tinuous bouse, should be divided off into several 
parts, only connected by doors with each other. 
Thus, the withering, rolling, fermenting, firing, 
sorting and packing should all be done in their 
own special rooms. For ths rest it must be 
remerobsred that Mr. Bamber's experience and 
investigations into the various processes of manu- 
facture extended only over " one season and in 
a single district," which, as he admits himself, 
" is not sufficiently large to enable him to speak 
confidently on every phase," and in our opmion 
it is quite inadequate to the requirements of the 
case. The book, however, is a valuable one, and 
should be a standard authority improving with each 
edition. But it is evident the soientifio experts' 
work, especially for Geylon — is still an open field 
waiting for the coming man. 
A "FLORAL SPLENDOUR" ATPERADE^-IyA. 
A RARE WEST AFRICAN CLIMBER. 
CAMOENSii MAxiiii. — Ever since Angolan Dr. 
Welwitsoh made known this leguminous climber, 
with its " splendid bunches of peodulous milk- 
white flowers tinged with gold on the edge of the 
petals," botanists have bjeo e.i^er to witness this 
fioral splendour. But they have had to wait in 
patience. How we iearn that the shy beauty has 
flowered in the Royal Botanic Garden, Oeylon, 
and no one will grudge Dr. Trimen his good 
luck in being the first to set eyes upon it. Here 
is Dr. Tcimen's leiter : — 
" Camoeiisia r/iaxima. — I do not remember to have 
seen any notice of the flowering of this tropical 
African climber in cultivation, and it may there- 
fore be worih patting on record that two plants 
are now in blossom in these gardens. Both were 
received here in 18S3, one from the Royal 
Gardens, Kew, the other from Mr . Ball's 
establishment. They were planted oat against 
old trees, and have made fair growth, but 
showed no tendency toward flowering till this year. 
The flowers are fully as large as thosa shown in 
the plate accompanying the original description in 
Trans. Linn. Soc, vol xsv., only the petals in the 
fuUy-opened flowers are not erect, as there figured 
bat (except the standard; wide-spreading an J drooping. 
The drawing— which is a good example of the late 
Mr. Fitch's wonderful skill in vivifying a dried 
apecimtn— is otherwise very accurate, and correctly 
snaws the erect flowers (erroneously described as 
"drooping' ) and the mouadelphous bases of the 
Btaminal filaments ^said to be "free" in the text) 
The stamens nre aiways eleven in number, aod 
about 6 inches long. VVhen freshly expanded the 
petals are very beautiful, the s.andard over 7 inches 
long, the others over 6 inches, all of a delicate 
pare white thin tissae-hke texture, with a narrow 
yellow fringe like gold laoe, bat their beauty does 
not last long, and they become flaccid and black 
ultimately, without falling off, which spoils the 
general effect of tho inflorescence. Still it is a 
wonderfal flower, and a rival to Amherstia uobilis, 
which ia always in flower here. Henry Trimen, 
Royal Botanic Crardens, Peradeniya, Ceqlon, January 
i\, 1894 " 
(From the Gardentr^ Ghronide;' Feb. 24^ 1894, 
p. m.) 
I send you the above cutting from the Garden, 
ers' Chronicle. The beautiful plant referred to 
hfis many points of interest. It was discovered in 
1855 by my old friend the late Dr. F. 'Welwitgch 
(who died in 1872 in London*) during his very 
fruitful botanical e xploratioDs through Portugueea 
W. Tropical Africa extending from 1853 to 1860 ; 
the aense forests of the district of Goiungo-alto 
being the locality. It was not however fully des- 
cribed till 1865 by the late Mr, Beutham in the 
Linnoean Society's " Transactions " from Dr. 
Welwiisoh's notes and specimens. 
To many inhabitants' of Geylon it will have a 
speaial interest from its discoverer (who was in the 
employ of the Government of Portugal) having 
dedicated it to the celebrated Portuguese poet, Luis 
Oarnoens, author of the great national epic, " O3 
Luaiadas," in which is described the voyage of 
Vaaoo de Gama (which indeed he himself aacom- 
panied as a soldier) at the end of the 15th century 
to these African coasts and southward to the Cape 
H. T; 
Peradeniya, March 26th, 1894. 
CEYLON PLANTING NEWS. 
(Mtes by Wanderer.) 
March 27. 
Weather again hot and dry. The good done by 
the late rains will not be of lasting effect, and our 
exports will not frighten dealers for some time to 
come. Some of our weather-wise men say that this 
long-continued dry weather will be followed by long- 
eontioued wet weather at end of N.-E. and com- 
mencement of S.-W. monsoons. In that case tea 
prices ehould look up. 
Exchange is certainly satisfactory. It may be the 
case that China's exchange is still 20 p.o. lower 
than ours, bat I think Ceylon tea can stand that 
great handicap, at least its best teas can. 
Ceylon Tea Kiosk.— What are the Directors about ? 
Have they let Lipton away without haviu^f 
a try to deal with him ? Is the concern dome 
so well under Whittall & Co.'s management 
that the Directors can smile at Lipton's little 
flirtation and his "two canoes"! The Sphinx of 
King Street, Kandy, will, I hope, be persuaded to give 
the shareholders a paragraph in his bold Roman 
hand. 
The Hon. the Planting Membee is said to have 
taken his passage home. His constituents hope he 
will resign his appointment, and give them a chance 
of having Mr. Giles Walker to represent them. Mr. 
Kelly has attended to his duties, and represented the* 
planters to the best of his abihty, and they thank 
him ; but they do not wish to he unrepresented in 
Council when so many important matters will be 
considered by our Legislativ-i Councillors. 
Tea CojnussioNER to Ahebica.- This question is 
being threshed out in your paper and the columns of 
your contemporaries. The general opinion seeaia to be 
that if Mr. Grinlinton is chosen by both India and 
Ceylon to represent both countries Ceylon men need 
not hesitate to share the expenses, If an Indian man 
is to be the representative, there is a pretty general 
opinion that there will be "wigs on the green.' 
The PLA.NTEBS' Meetlno at Nuwara Eli^a on the 
14th proximo ia likely to be well attended. There 
will be a lot of important matters to discuss, and 
there must be considerable divergency of opinion. 
The new Chairman will have his work cut out for 
him, and will, I have no doubt, show the stuff he 
is made of. 
The^ Cacao Planters" Deputation and the Dis- 
trict Road Sub-Comuiittee have also their work 
cut out for them. 'They will have to mind thaira 
and be ready to answer the questions of the Governor 
in no undecided mauuur. The Governor ia a No. 1 
man at plying a Deputation with his deairoa for 
• Sob my memoir (with » pottrait) in " Journal of 
Bo tan; " iot 1883. 
