66 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST 
[July  i,  1892. 
30  to  40,  and  ev6D  50  feet ! These  pigeons  also  live 
on  the  fruit  of  the  “Teta,”  which  rubbed  on  the 
side  of  a new  chatty  clarifies  water — and  on  that  of 
the  Nux  vomica — found  in  all  our  lowland  jungles. 
These  large  pigeons  are  properly  inhabitants  of  the 
great  forests  on  the  bill  sides  ana  mountain  speers 
of  the  interior,  but  make  their  appearance  in  the  low- 
country  on  the  regular  fruit  of  the  season  in  the 
middle  of  the  year.  The  Wild  Nutmeg  is  very  common 
in  the  forests  and  jungles  of  the  sea  coast,  but  is  not 
met  with  inland,  or  further  west  from  us,  than  10 
or  14  miles  away,  but  the  seeds  of  the  wild  nutmeg 
they  swallow — in  their  later  feasts — are  dropped  by 
them  far  far  inland,  and  grow  rapidly  in  the  deep 
rich  vegetable  loam  of  the  mountain  zone,  but  they  die 
off  in  the  cold  ! and  wet  for  though  the  tree  lives 
and  luxriates  in  a moist  soil,  they  perish  under  tco 
much  rain  1 These  pigeons  are  gregarious,  for  at  cer- 
tain seasons  of  the  year  yon  cannot  find  one  iu 
Ceylon  jungles,  but  are  widely  distributed.  David 
Stuart*  a brother  offioer  of  mine  saw  them  in  Mada- 
gascar. I have  seen  them  by  hundreds  on  the  slopes 
of  the  Neilgheries.  A friend  of  mine  ate  pie:  ty 
of  them  in  Assam,  and  in  the  Stra'ts  Settlements  they 
are  very  common,  while  Naturalists  of  all  countries  have 
noticed  them  all  over  the  islands  of  the  Pacific 
sea.  We  call  them  the  Mada  Praa,  and  the  Sinhalese, 
the  ‘ Milugoya  ’ ! ! — Yours  very  truly,  R.  A. 
[Very  interesting,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  wild 
pigeons  conveyed  nutmeg  seeds  all  the  way  from 
Ceylon  to  the  Molluccas. — Ed.  T.  A.j 
The  “Earth  Mulch.” — Few  farmers  fully  realize 
the  importance  of  keeping  the  land  as  level  as 
possible  during  a drouth  and  an  inoh  or  two  of 
the  surface  stirred  frequently.  When  the  earth  is 
thrown  up  into  ridges,  the  heated  atmosphere 
penetrates  it  more  readily  than  it  would  a flat  surface 
and  carries  off  its  moisture.  But  a light  and  lose 
layer  of  earth,  if  lovel,  is  an  advantage  by  reason 
of  what  is  called  broken  oapillarity.  Where  a soil 
is  packed  and  dense,  the  particles  of  earth  lie  ciose 
together,  and  the  moisture  from  below  readily 
passes  along  from  one  to  other  until  it  reaches  the 
surface  and  is  evaporated  into  the  atmosphere  and 
lost.  But  when,  by  frequent  shallow  stirring,  the 
partioles  are  made  to  lie  as  far  apart  as  possible, 
the  oapillarity  iB  broken  and  the  passage  of  mois- 
ture from  the  subsoil  upward  is  impeded.  Kick 
suoh  a soil  with  the  toe  of  the  boot  and  tho  lino  of 
constant  moisture  will  bo  found  an  inch  or  two 
down,  while  in  a hard  soil  not  stirred  co  moisture 
will  be  found  for  several  inches.  Now,  every  rainfall, 
even  the  slightest,  will  make  a thin  crust  of  packed 
soil,  and  as  scon  as  this  dries  out  it  will  begin  to 
convey  the  moisture  up  from  below  faster  than  a 
broken  surface  would. — Florida  Dispatch,  May  5. 
Gambier  ( Uncaria  Gambier,  Roxb.)  was  fully  dis- 
cussed in  the  Kew  Bulletin , 1889,  p.  247.  The  interest 
in  this  valuable  tanning  plant  appears  to  be  main- 
tained, and  efforts  are  being  made  to  establish  its 
cultivation  in  other  countries.  The  following  interest- 
ing report  from  Mr.  Henry  Walker,  Commissioner 
of  Lands,  Sandahan,  has  been  communicated,  to  Kew 
by  Mr.  William  M.  Crocker,  the  manager  of  the 
British  North  Borneo  Compnay,  15,  Leadenhall 
Street,  E.  C.: — 
“ I am  pleased  to  report  that  the  Gambier  plan- 
tation on  the  Crocker  Road  of  which  I took  charge 
in  September  appears  likely  to  be  a great  success. 
Up  to  the  end  of  September,  100  pepper  cuttings 
and  a few  Gambier  plants  had  been  planted,  and 
have  since  been  increased  to  587  pepper  cuttings 
and  3,020  Gambier  plants ; of  the  latter  there  lias 
not  been  a single  failure  and  all  are  growing  remark_ 
* Died  as  Ool.  Stuart;  married  a daughter  of  Gen. 
Fraser.— Ed.  T.  A. 
ably  strong  and  well,  generally  with  more  than  one 
shoot.  The  Gambier  Hill  has  just  been  cleaned  up 
and  the  plants  appear  about  16  inches  to  two  feet 
above  the  ground.  The  Chinese  gardeners  speak 
enthusiastically  of  the  growth  of  the  Gambier,  and 
say  it  beats  anything  they  ever  saw  in  Singapore, 
and  they  expect  to  take  a cutting  at  10  months  old. 
The  troubles  we  have  had  in  getting  pepper  cut- 
tings from  Singapore  have  prevented  any  extensive 
plantings,  but  I have  just  received  1,155  pepper  cut- 
tings through  Mr.  Joseph  Wheatley  by  one  of  the 
Chinese  gardeners  whom  I sent  to  collect  cuttings 
at  Bunda.  These  have  arrived  in  very  good  order. 
Since  my  return  I have  taken  in  hand  the  distribu- 
tion of  economic  plants,  and  as  I found  a large  number 
of  coffee  seedlings  under  the  trees  iu  the  Silam 
gardens,  I arranged  to  have  some  boxes  sent  up  by 
each  trip  of  the  “Normanhurst.”  The  Ceylon  coffee 
seeds  brought  by  me  are  not  yet  all  to  hand.  Mr. 
Dunlop  writes  me  from  Pemingah  (acknowledging 
some  seeds)  to  say  he  has  found  three  coffee  trees 
planted  up  Senanghal  two  years  old  and  bearing  well. 
They  were  planted  by  Hadii-Moussa  at  my  request. 
I have  laid  down  a large  quantity  of  Gambier  seed, 
but  it  takes  a few  month’s  time  before  it  is  available 
for  planting,  and  I am  taking  two  Chinese  to  Labuan 
who  will  collect  pepper  cuttings  and  return  as  soon 
as  possible.  We  shall  then  be  able  to  carry  out  the 
object  with  which  the  garden  was  started,  viz.,  the 
distribution  of  pepper  cuttings  and  Gambier  plants, 
and  later  on  we  shall  be  able  to  collect  our  own 
Gambier  seed,  which  will  be  a boon  as  it  suffers  from 
the  transport  from  Singapore.  I gave  some  Gambier 
seed  to  one  of  the  estates  in  Marndu  Bay  to  make 
a trial  planting  and  to  ensure  a supply  of  seed  for 
that  district.  I am  taking  some  to  the  west  coast  to 
give  to  the  pepper  planters. — Kew  Bulletin. 
Indian  Tea  and  Chicago. — The  Calcutta 
Englishman  says : — Chicago  promises  to  be  a meo:o- 
rable  name  in  the  history  of  the  Indian  tea  Vade. 
It  is  evident  that  the  industry  ia  thoroughly  roused 
to  the  importacco  of  the  occasion,  and  means  to 
push  its  interests  at  the  World’s  Fair  as  it  has  never 
done  before.  Ceylon  has  already  secured  two  lakhs 
to  cover  expenses;  and  whatever  advertisement  in 
large  capital  letters  can  do  for  her  will  be  done.  In 
a popular  Exhibition,  however,  it  may  be  as  well  to 
remember  that  the  most  <ff*ctive  adv.  rtising  is  r:ot 
always  done  in  capital  letters.  The  amount  of  spac1 
occupied,  the  amount  of  placarding  indulge!  iD,  the 
amount  of  money  spent  in  any  way  that  is  merely 
lavish,  is  as  nothing  compared  with  a litilo  pictur- 
eequeness  and  novelty  in  the  disposition  of  the  exhibit, 
The  popular  fancy  must  be  caught,  and  this  can  be 
done  by  introducing  the  element  of  originality.  Some- 
thing in  the  nature  of  an  Indian  pagoda,  as 
attractive  as  possible,  may  hold  the  exhibit. 
A constant  supply  of  fresh  tea,  offcrel  gratis 
may  be  the  fragrant  means  of  conversion,  and  real 
Kitmutgars,  the  most  impressive  that  caD  be  found, 
should  play  an  importance  part  in  the  scheme.  Much 
will  depend  upon  the  energy,  skill,  and  O.ste  of  the 
gentleman  deputed  by  the  Association  to  look  after 
their  interests.  Iu  fact,  the  success  of  the  exhibit  lies 
uv  this  nutshell.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
Americans  ar6  not  addicted  to  tea  to  anything  like  the 
same  extent  as  the  English.  Coffee  appeals  more 
soothingly  to  the  national  temperament,  and  coffee  is 
the  national  breakfast  beverage.  The  institution  of 
“afternoon  tea”  is  practically  confired  to  the  few  among 
them  who  take  it  not  because  they  like  it,  hut  because 
it  is  the  Englifh  and  therefore  U e prop°r  thing  to  do. 
Americans  who  drink  tea  do  so  largely  berause  it  is 
more  < concmical  than  coffee.  An  important  point  to 
bring  out  wil!,  therefore,  be  the  economy,  as  well  as 
the  superiority  in  flavour  of  Indian  tea.  i h?  luxurious 
aromatic  quality  of  Kangi  a Yalley  Orange  Pekoe  may 
be  quite  thrown  away  upon  an  American  housewife 
who  would  be  impressed  for  the  rest  of  her  days  if  she 
were  convinced  th.t  one  tea  spoonful  of  Indian  tea 
makes  as  strong  a brew  a°  two  or  three  of  Chinese. 
And  in  the  end,  the  appeal  is  to  the  American  house- 
wife. 
