April 1, 1901.] THE TEOPICaL AGRICULTURIST. 661 
yields from paddy grown from seedling, or under 
the broadcast system, a crop of from 15 to 30 fold 
is obtained on liberally cultivated lands of tlae former, 
but rarely in excess of 15-fold from the latter. The 
following details of expenditure connected with cul- 
tivating a compact block of 40 acres of wet land 
are based on actual experience of such work, but 
the figures quoted as regards yield are slightly below 
what it has been found that fairly good land will 
bear in favourable and in bad seasons. Where the 
area treated is smaller, the outlay under all heads 
except that of supervision is necessarily minimised ;— 
Block Outlay. E- 
To cost of 40 ploughing buffaloes .., 600 
To cost of purchase of 40 maunds of 
seeds grain . . . . ■•• 80 
To cost of 12 ploughs and tools ... HO 
710 
Eevenue Outlay R. 
To herding 40 buffaloes ... 90 
To ploughing 40 acres of laud 
each square, at least 6 times, 
before planting, as also cost 
of repairing bunds . . 270 
Application of manure ... 20 
Sowing seed in seed beds ... 40 
Reaping the grain 40 
Threshing and winnowing . . 40 
Overseer's salary ... ... 120 
Rent of laud 100 720 
Value of crop of 600 maunds 
of paddy, or 15 fold, at 
R-2 
Value of straw yielded 
1,200 
250 
Rl,450 
Rl,430 
20 
Balance profit ... Rl,450 
It will be observed that the first season's operations 
show merely a nominal profit, because Block expendi- 
ture, amounting to R710, is added to current Revenue 
account ; but the former would not be required in 
the following year, and hence, the sum so shown 
would be approximately the net profit on the second 
season's operations, if the grain is reserved and 
used as paddy, but a far more lucrative result can 
be obtained by allotting a moiety of the paddy crop 
in the husk for the second season's contingencies, 
and by disposing of the other half as raw rice. The 
subjoined figures indicate how this scheme works 
out :— 
Cost of hulling 300 maunds of 
paddy at 3 as per maund . . E56-4-0 
Value of 7,200 measures of clean 
rice, accruing from 300 maunds 
paddy, refined, sold at the rate 
of 9 measures per rupee R800 
Met profit on huUing . . R744-12 0 
R800-0-0 
The foregoing calculations, which have been framed 
npon data actually acquired from experience, demon- 
strate what a highly profitable undertaking rice 
cultivation can be made when conducted on approved 
principles, as the value of the produce, that is of 
BOO maunds paddy, and 7,200 measures clean rice, 
shows a large margin of profit over working ex- 
penditure, irrespective of the value of the straw itself. 
— Madras Mail. 
THE DATE PALM (PHCENIX UAOTY- 
LIFERA). 
Undoubtedly, next to the cocoanut palm, the 
date palm is of the most value to man. 
It is a beautiful and majestic tree, the stem forming 
a cylindrical column rising to a height of 50 or 60 
feet. From the summit of the trunk it throws out 
a crown of leaves which are equally graceful in their 
foitjaSitioQ aud iu their arrangement. We, in Queeas' 
land, should ultilise this beautiful palm not only 
for garden ornamentation, but for its fruits. One 
reason that this palm has not been mote largely 
planted is that it is dioecious, having the male 
flowers on one plant and the female or fruiting ones 
on another; One male plant will fertilise a number 
of female plants, but it does not appear that a 
male plant is absolutely necessary to induce a female 
plant to bear dates. It is probable that the seeds 
of the dates will, in such a case, not be fertile, but 
the tendency of the age is to produce fruit without 
seed. There are at the present time two date palms 
growing in Brisbane laden with fruit — one in the 
Botanic Gardens (an illustration of which is here 
given), and the other in the garden of the late Dr. 
J. Bancroft, in Ann- street. The seeds of these 
palms may not be fertile, but that is of little 
moment — the fact remains that the date palm 
{PliKiiix dactylifera) will fruit in Queensland, and 
that freely. This palm should be largely planted — 
in suitable districts — around water boxes, where 
they would in a few years form oases in tracts swept 
by hot winds, and in time they would become a real 
boon. They might also be planted on the islands 
along the coast. Plants can be raised from the seed 
of imported dates, but it is some years before such 
plants fruit. Offshoots taken from fruiting plants 
are best lor planting, as these will fruit in about five 
years. A few years ago a number of suckers were im- 
ported and distributed by the Acclimatisation Society. 
Some of these should now be fruiting, and from 
them offshoots could be obtained. 
There are several varieties of I'limiix, all of which 
are called date palms, but which are useless, except 
for decorative purposes, so care should be t iken 
to obtain Phaniix dactijlifera, all other kinds being 
useless for fruit-bearing. 
In South Australia the planting of date palms has 
proved very successful. At Lake Harry (in the far 
north) the seedings are now from 3 to 5 feet high, 
and many plants of either sex have flowered. The 
Algerian palms have made great progress, and some 
are quite 10 feet high. There have also developed 
numerous suckers, such as Mr. Pink describes as 
best for transplanting. Good fruit has also been 
produced by several of the trees. The variety planted 
is the " Deglet Nour." At Hergott Springs the fruit 
has ripened for eight seasons. Here, there are 277 
thriving palms. At Lake Harry there are 2,745, and 
at Oodnadatta 36. Our illustritions, for which we 
are indebted to the Conservator ef Forests of South 
Australia, give a good idea of the plantation Hergott, 
— Queensland Agricultural Joitrnal. 
A NEW ASSArT timber TREE. 
By D. PRAIN, I.M.S., F.L.S., &c. 
In October, 1886, Mr. Barker, of the Forest 
Deparment, called attention to the existence of a 
tree which he was unable to identify, occurring at 
the foot of llie hills in the North Lakhiinpur dis- 
trict and known to the Assamese as the " Sia 
Nahor." He had submitted specimens for identi- 
fication to the Forest School at Uelua Dun, bufc 
having received no definite reply he sent a Hover- 
ing example to the Calcutta Herbarium. Mr, 
Barker's specimen was not a very good one ; it 
sufficed, however, to show that while " Sia Nahor" 
belongs to the same natural order as the " Nalior " 
proper (Guttifera'), it is not like " Nahor," a 
Mesua but a Kayccu The specimen sent was, as 
a matter of face, tentatively referred to Kayea 
Jloribiinda, a not uncommon tree in tlie lower hill 
forests of yikkim, Bliootan, Khasia! Cachar and 
Lushai, known in Cachar and Sylhet as "Knrun" 
(Wallich) ov " Kmnl " (G. Maim). The flowers 
of Mr. Barker's specimen were, however, so much 
smaller than those of Kayea florihunda, that it was 
clear from the first that " Sia Nahor" waa at least 
a distinct variety of " Kurul." 
