890 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Nov i, 1894. 
at that time, various and innumerable. Then he 
became associated with the London, Catham and 
Dover Railway and its extensions to the Crystal 
Palace at Sydenham and to Greenwich. He lias 
fcince been in practice in Westminster, Loudon, 
for nearly 30 years, during which period he has 
been engaged upon a great variety ot works in 
various parts of the world as well as in the 
United Kingdom. Mr. Shelford was Chief En- 
gineer in the design and construction of the Hull 
and Barnsley Railway, which is the most recent 
addition to the main line systems of England and 
he has acted in the same capacity for several 
other railways, constructed under agreements with 
the Great Northern, Caledonian, Great Ea-tcrn. 
Great Western and other railway companies. 
Mr Shelford has visited Canada and the 
United States and having become practically 
acquainted with American methods he has suc- 
cessfully applied them in many instances. In 
the Argentine Republic he made good use of the 
opportunities for comparing the practice obtaining 
on either side of the Atlantic. On the continent 
of Europe, in Italy especially, he has also been 
largely concerned in the design, construction and 
working of railways. In all these lines the 
resources of civilization were at hand and quickly 
obtainable. But Mr. Shelford has also expe- 
rienced the want of these aids to rapid progress, 
having promoted and carried out pioneer railways 
in the Malay Peninsula, in Sierra Leone and in 
other parts of Africa. He is now one of the 
consulting Engineers for Railways to the Colonial 
Office, and it will be gathered from the 
foregoing that any opinions in which he may 
enunciate with regard to matters concerning 
railways of any kind, are entitled to respect, and 
will carry the greatest weight with them. ^ e 
therefore hope that Mr. Shelford will persevere 
n the course he has so brilliantly entered and 
that he will aid us with might and main in the 
development of our means of communication and 
pari pasm of our prosperity.- Indian Engineer. 
''ADHATODA YASICA" AS AN IN- 
SECTICIDE. 
(To tie Editor of tie " Tropical Agriculturist.") 
Sib -I enclose copy of correspondence on the 
subject of "Adhatoaa Vasio," as 
I am, sir, yours fui'.hfully, &• ^ n,J ^ r > 
Secretary to the Planters' Aesociation of Ceylon. 
Belugas Madulkelle, Oct. 21st. 
The Director, Royal Botanic Gardens. 
c h . il have the honour to forward for your perusal 
bu— i nave t Indian Tea Districts 
some papers sent itc me Dy .^.^ . g 
' ASS °r;A to bfan msecticide^nd to request that you 
S THndlv inform me whether the plant grows m 
Ceylon and any other information you may think 
d ^We 'return the enclosure to me.-I am &c, 
Please re* (Signed) Melville White, 
Chairman Ceylon Planters' Association. 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, 22nd Octo- 
ber lb94. 
Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your 
letter of yesterday and now return the papers re- 
ferring to Adliatwla I'asica. As these have reached 
me from two other sources,* I am already well 
acquainted with what has been done in India in 
the matter. 
2 The plant is found in the low-country of Ceylon 
but not in the Hills : but cannot be considered 
common here. 
Indeed I have usually seen it planted as a hedge 
in native gardens. It has a considerable reputation 
in native medicine as a remedy for coughs espe- 
cially of children ; the leaves uu bitter to the 
taste and I notice that they do not seem to be 
eaten by insects. The Sinhalese name is • Agaladara " 
or " Wana-epala," and the Tamil one " Aditodai " 
(whence the scientific name) which 1 »i» 'told means 
that goats will not eat it. 
3 It appears certain that the plant pos- 
sesses the power of clearing water of low 
organisms, both animal and vegetable, and that 
this property has been long known to the 
inhabitants of certain parts of India, bat the 
destructive power of an infusion of the leaves on 
insect life seems to be scarcely yet fully established. 
That this is probable however is shown by the 
chemical analysis of Mr. Hooper of Ootacamund in 
1888, who found it to contain & well-marked bitter 
alkaloid — "Vasicine" of which small quantities in 
water found to kill leeches, centipedes and insects. 
4. If I can obtain sufficient material I hope to 
experiment here. The plant is easily grown and a 
small plantation is readily made. Ihe large litho- 
graphic sketch accompanying the papers is very 
rough and not very accurate. If desired I can send 
vou a specimen. — I am. yours faithfully (Signed; 
Henry Trlue.n, (Director R. B. G.) 
Relugas, Madulkele. October 25th, 1894. 
The Director Royal Botanic Gardens. 
Sir, — I have to acknowledge your letter of 22nd 
October (No. 117) with enclosures and to thank you 
for the information contained therein. 
Should you be able to make any satisfactory ex- 
periments with the plant, I shall feel obliged by your 
communicating the results to me, as the matter may 
turn out to be of general interest and utdity.— I 
am. Ax. (Signed) A. Melville White, Chairman 
C. P. A. 
[From the ssries of papers referred to above, 
We give the following as containing the gi*t 
of the information available so far. —Ed. T.A.] 
Khonikor Tea Estate, July 16th, 1894. 
Dr. George Watt, si.b., ci.e., Simla, 
Dear Sir, 
I beg to thank you for your letter to Messrs. Barry 
& Co., regarding the " Adhatoda Vasica,'' copy of 
which bas been forwarded to me. I have done my 
best to carry out your suggestions with the following 
results : — 
1st — Samples of leaves, and shoot with bud and 
leaves, have bfen dried and sent to your address at 
Simla, as desired. I hope they will reach you in 
good enough condition, for you to be able to pass 
en opinion on as <o whether it is the Adhatoda V. 
wiitten about by Mr. Bamber, or one of the same 
family. 
Leaves soaked in cold water, without being bruised 
give a perfectly clear water. 
Leaves thoroughly bruised and soaked in water 
(cold) for 12 hours give a dirty brownish bitter liquid. 
Some leaves soaked, after being bruised, for 48 
hours gave a thiekish brown liquid, which had an 
oily film over it. Proportion 1 lb. leaf to 1 galloj 
water. 
* We ourselves forwarded papers to Dr. Trimen, a 
short time ago. — Ed, T.A, 
