492 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan. i. 1895. 
brands ready for the ants. When they get into 
the habit of attacking a house, the best way La 
to dig a trench round it and lill it with wood* 
ashes? across which the ants refuse to CBOSfb 
When they get into a bedroom it's a case of 
clear out of all the other occupants whoever they 
may be. These black ants sting as well as bite 
like the " caddias " of the Sinhalese. 
Chapter VI. 
FLOWERS. 
For those who are fond of flowers there is 
plenty of amusement in these parts of tin- 
Coast, and although my own observations were 
at a discount, owing to the wretched state of 
my eyesight, 1 recognised a number of old Ceylon 
acquaintances along the line of march, enough 
to 'dve rise to regret that I was not botanist, 
florist, entomologist, and all the other " Lata " 
rolled into one. From the coast to the highest 
ridges the wild brinjal (Sing, "tibbota") is 
everywhere, as also the dwarf yellow thunbergia 
with dark eye. Spanish needle and white weed 
are met with on the hills, as also a while 
lantana. In the lowcountry there is a gorgeous 
variety of ipecacuana, and the fat seaweed 
of the Ceylon estate which tiie coolies call 
"amala" pilloo, shewed a large and brilli- 
antly marine blue blossom almost everywhere. 
Various, brilliant, yellow and scarlet blossoms were 
scattered, at intervals in the grass land, whose 
names I have forgotten, or never knew, whilst 
the eye continually catches a magnificent creeping 
yellow hibiscus with purple black eye, and yellow 
standard, the pollen often dotted like specks of 1 
gold on the velvetty purple centre. The gi 
in the plains are numerous, a species of g 
orass, the kangaroo grass of the ITva pal 
flleele, and others which promise any amount of 
fodder for cattle, which at one time in the 
history of the country fed upon the slopes of 
the plains. A small blossomed sun-iiower grows 
all over the lower hills, and a small brilliantly 
yellow flowered shrub, with soft acacia-like 
leaves, closes over the head of the traveller in 
swampy parts. This is what we used to call the 
Rose of Sharon, but I believe, inaccurately. The 
dwarf mimosa, with its ivory white spines, is met 
with occasionally. A lovely melastoma abounds, 
and in the hills a beautiful dwarf lobelia in 
thick masses of blue blossom, contrasting with 
the scarlet balsams. A wild pea, much like an 
ordinary sweet pea, occurs occasionally, and 
a common yellow flower in Ceylon usually known 
as wild indigo. The prettiest flower to my mind, 
is a miniature arum lily not more thau an inch 
and a half across, of polished ivory white with 
yellow pistle, — a gem of a flower. One of the 
nillus is found in the hills (with a delicate lilac 
blossom) common in Ceylon, and in the same 
localities the bracken ferns (pteris acquilma) 
abounds, whilst the jungle is full of large green 
bamboos, and hart's-tongue and other ferns. 
Any one who could see beyond a couple of 
yards from his nose, and knew some thing of his 
subject could no doubt tell you more of the 
beauties of the luxuriant verdure which clothes 
the surface of this part of the country. 
I can only add that butterflies and other flying 
and creeping things were not numerous, owing, 
probably, to the heavy rains. There was a little 
bird at Mageela which most distinctly said "three 
o'clock, three o'clock," jungle crows were there too, 
and wood-peckers could be heard at work in the 
iuno-le. Hornbills are heard here every morning, 
and this ends my notice of the fauna of Usambara 
as far as I've got. E- W. 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTE8. 
Killi.no Weeds by Electbicity. — One of the " la- 
test " from across the water is the method of killing 
weeds by electricity. It is stated that " not only 
has electricity been found serviceable for weed des- 
truction, but the cost is much less than when it was 
done by hand labour. With electricity, five miles of 
. weeds can be killed in an hour at a very email 
I expense. A brush heavily charged with electricity 
j runs along about 8 inches above the ground, and 
: every weed witli which it comes into contact, how- 
ever big and strong, is immediately killed, and turns 
black as if frozen." — Journal of Horticulture 
Ceylon Season Repobts. — The abstract of these re- 
ports for December, published in the Gurtrnmrat 
Gazette (extraordinary) shows that h healthy con- 
dition prevailed in almost all parts of the island, the 
crops being good and the prospects fair. The standing 
• crops, however, in some parts of the Colombo district 
have been injuriously affected by the uneven character 
| of the weather and the Maha harvest will in conse- 
! quance be generally rather below an average ; while 
! on lowlving fields 111 the Ratnanura district crops have 
J suffered damage from rain. Foot-and-mouth disease 
Erevailed in the Kegalla district but »t- are glad to 
now that it is decreasing in the Dehig>impul and 
Atulugam Korales. 
Ceylox Tea in America. —If any such step 
is taken as Mr. Morton Frewen — a most ardent 
American bimetallist — indicated to Mr. K. V. 
: Webster, of imposing differential duties in the 
United States against Indian and Ceylon tea*, 
undoubtedly a great check will be -riven to the 
joint campaign. But we cannot believe vet that 
the American Congress and Senate will be so 
foolish; although, we may expect reference to be 
made to our adverse duty on Kerosene Oil. In the 
meantime, Ceylon tea is certainly becoming better 
known all over America — from British Colombia 
to Philadelphia and from St. Louis to Los Angelos 
we have letters and information about it. The 
"Interstate Grocer" gives an engraving showing 
the Court of the "Ceylon Tea Importing Co." at 
the St. Louis Pure Food Exposition, accompanied 
by the following letter-press : — 
"The Ceylon Tea Importing Company had a fine 
exhibit in charge of Mr. V. L. Tissera, vice-president 
of the company, assisted by Mr. Al. G. Marks. This 
was once of the most attractive booths in the Ex- 
position, especially to the ladies, as the quaint, 
thatched Ceylon "Way-side Inn" was furnished 
with seats where visitors could rest and refresh 
themselves with a cup of pure Ceylon tea. The 
leading brands of tea packed by this company are 
the " Banner " and " Cobra " brands, and samples 
were freely distributed to the visitors who were en- 
thusiastic in their praises as to its quality. In addi- 
tion to these package teas the Ceylon Tea Importing 
Company do a heavy business in all grades and 
I varieties of Ceylon tea in bulk. The headquarters 
are at Davenport, la., with offices in New York. 
Mr. J. R. Nutting is president, Mr. V. L. Tissera, 
vice-president; M. D. Petersen, secretary and trea- 
surer ; L. Beling formerly of Ceylon manager." 
Mr. S. Bierach sends us a long and encourag- 
ing letter about his work and Miss Anna Ballard, 
an experienced American Journalist, a life member 
of the New York Press Club, and who has tra- 
velled all over the East, besides residing some- 
time in Ceylon, is willing to place her services 
at the disposal of our Delegates, as writer, lec- 
turer or in other ways, in which Miss Ballard 
cannot fail to do good work for the staple indus- 
try of an island in w hich she took much interest. 
Several of the American papers have reproduced 
or summarized our Little pamphlet on "Ceylon 
Tea for America," a large number of copies of 
which have been distributed over { the States in 
anticipation of the visit of the Delegates. 
