572 
Supplement to tlie " Tropical Agriculturist." [Nov. 1, 1898. 
Bcid, and a like quantity tor the determination 
of dissolved potash. 
The chemical details of the mode of determin- 
ation need not here be further described than 
to explain that portions of filtrate were evaporated 
and ignited in platinum vessels, the phosphoric 
acid and potash respectively being determined 
in the residual ash. 

BY HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES. 
We have all heard of the possibility of getting 
spirits from the cashew apple (the swollen peduncle 
of the cashew nut), and if I am not mistaken I 
have also heard of some experiments being carried 
on in Ceylon in this connection. The Kew Bulletin 
fcT January and February, 1898, says that a new 
use has been found for the cashew apple in Portu- 
guese Bast Africa. According to a Report furnished 
by H.M. Consul in that region the natives inhabit- 
ing the peninsula opposite the island and city of 
Mozambique have, since they have been emanci- 
pated, t,aken to brewing and distilling the juice of 
the fruit of cashew trees. This new industry is 
unfortunately having a very demoralising effect on 
the natives, of whom it is said that "during the 
cashew .'eason (October, November, December) they 
give themselves up to their favourite beverage, and 
during that time they become perfectly useless.'' 
We are further told that there are millions of trees 
beyond Portuguese control where at present natives 
brew and distil liquor to their hearts' content. 
I wish Mr. Stouter of Anuradliapura all success 
in his laudable efforts to start a new industry in 
Ceylon. 1 find in the Ar/rwulfural Magazine so far 
back as November, 1893, the following relating to 
Banana meal : — An enterprising firm in Cairns, 
Australia, has recently sent a trial shipment of 
banana meal to London. The following are some 
particulars regarding it : " We dried by heating 
steam pipes, ibut found the process slow and e.\pen- 
sive, 80 % of fluid having to be evaporated to 
secure 20 % of solid. The packing and drying is 
an exceedingly tedious and expensive item. We 
are convinced it will take 8 or 10 dozen bananas 
to produce 1 lb. of meal or flour. We have found 
8 table-spoonfulls to make a vegetable dish of 
most agreeable porridge- We sell at 10s. 6d. per 
doz. tins." AYhat does Mr. Stouter say to this 'f 
The Keio Bulletin referring to the Mangosteen 
eays : — Plants of this well-known and delicious 
tropical fruit have been widely distributed from 
Kew to the West Indies. The Mangosteen is a 
native of the Molucca Islands, and is cultivated in 
the Straits Settlement, Java, and in one or two 
localities in India and Ceylon, The fruit is regu- 
larly shipped from Singapore to the Calcutta 
market. The first West Indian fruits were pro- 
duced at the Botanic Gardens, Trinidad, in 1875. 
In September, 1891. the Governor of that island for- 
warded some West India Mangosteens for present- 
ation to Her Majesty the Queen, The Mangosteen 
fruited for the first time in the Jamaica Botanic 
Gardens in 1886 {Ke^v Bulletin, 1895, p. 79). Last 
year a box was received at Kew from Mr. J. H. 
Hart, F.L.S., of Trinidad, containing nine fruits of 
Mangosteen, which were perhaps the first to reach 
this country in a condition to nllow their meriti 
to be appreciated. Each fruit was separately 
packed in a compartment with pine wool. Owing 
to the firm consistency of the outer wall of the 
fruit, it appears to travel well. The fruits were 
distributed to the Secretary of State for the Colo- 
nies and others. The reports received were uni- 
formly favourable. One fruit was sent to Mr. 
George kunro, one of the leading fruit merchants 
in Coveiit Gardens, to obtain an opinion as to the 
prospects of shipments of mangosteeas to England. 
Mr. Munro reported : " Yours to hand. 1 cut open 
the fruit and showed it to some of uiy best 
customers, and they tiiink with me that if they 
come in good condition and not too many at 
first, a bu.-<iness cculd be worked up in them. 
At any rate I should like to try some, and if 
sent, will do all I can to get a trade for them. 
They appear to be a fruit that will carry well. 
Those who visited the last Fruit nnd Flower 
Show will remember the excellent specimen.^ of 
mango.steens exhibited by Messrs. W. H. Wright, 
S. C. Obeyesekera and Livcris Fonseka Mudaliyar. 
We believe that Mr. Wright has shown tliat'the 
mangosteen fruits in a comparatively short time 
if properly taken in hand, and as the plant thrives 
in various situations and elevations (Kalutara, 
Veyangoda and Kmidy for instance) it is surpris- 
ing that it is not more freely planted, seeing 
that it is a prolific bearer and that the fruits 
fetch a fair price in the market. Mr. II. D. Lewis, 
Sub-Inspector of Schools, Central Province, has by 
a system of manuring brought the mangosteen 
tree to a high state of perfection in his garden 
near Kandy, and his experience on this head 
should prove interesting if retailed. 
I have always thought that there is much 
to be done with tobacco in Ceylon by using 
better seeds and adopting better methods of 
curing I was, therefore, glad to meet a new- 
comer to the Island wno has already arranged 
to try the cultivation of tobacco, of which he 
has had much experience in the Eastern Province. 
There are many who will shake their heads 
over such an enterprise, and point to the 
failure of the Ceylon Tobacco Company, but what 
companies cannot do is often within the reach 
of a single man of energy with experience to 
back him. Mr. has my best wishes 
for his success. 
Mucuna pruriens (identified with the now 
famous Florida vel.-et bean) is thus referred to 
by Dr. Trimen in his Flora— among plants 
indigenous to the Island : M. Pruriens An 
annual (?) Semi-woody twiner, branches slender, 
usually clothed with short white deflexed 
hairs; leaves large, rachis 3—5 in., sparingly 
deflexed hairs, stipules hairy linear-setaceous, 
leaflets 8 — 4 in. on short thick hairy stalks, 
terminal one smallest and two rhomboid-oval' 
lateral ones very unequal with lower half greatly 
dilated, all acute, mucronate, pubescent above, 
densely covered with shining silvery adpressed 
hair beneath ; flowers numerous, If to If in; 
long, on short pubescent peduncle, usually 2 or 
3 together at intervals in a slender pubescent 
raceme 6—12 in. long, bracts ^ in: lanceolate, 
