THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. 1, \m. 
connection with the recommendation that advan- 
tage should be taken of the property possessed by 
most leguminous plants (and parliculaily the 
Papilionaeece or plants of the bean sub-order) 
of drawing and fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. 
The order LegUminosw is so largely represented 
in the island, and so many common weeds belong 
to it, that the question of "cultivation" might 
almost be passed over, and only the question of 
conserving the nitrogen-fixing weeds that occur 
naturally in the locality considered. Indeed, ihe 
latter procedure will, I think, prove in the end 
the most convenient and economical method of 
taking advantage of the property referred to, 
though it may be a fact that some Leguminosce which 
would require to be "cultivated" possess this pro- 
perty in a more marked degree than others. At any 
ratel -the necessity need hardly arise for importing 
new species for the purpose indicated. Even the 
much-talked-of "Cow-pea" and "Florida Velvet 
Bean." which for long had the reputation' of being 
the best plants for g:een-mauuring, are hardly 
distinguishable from certain varieties of "Me" 
and the plant called "Achariya pala" respectively. 
The term Crotalaria (not Grotolaria) is tlie name, 
not of any single plant, but of a whole genus, 
of which there are a number of species indigenous 
to the island. Perhaps the best known of these 
is "Hana" (Crotalaria j'uncea) from which is 
obtained the fibre used locally in the manufacture 
of fishing nets. But there are other common 
weeds such as the " Andanaheriyas " {Crotalaria 
retusa and verrucosa) helongiag to the same genus. 
No one need feel bound to select any special 
favourite of the hour as recommended by seedsmen, 
for there are leguminous wild plants suitable for 
green manuringtobefound everywhere — by the sea, 
e.g. "Mudu-awara" (CajtftwWa ohtusifolia), in the 
dry low-country e.g., Aswenua {Alyssicarpus vagi' 
nalis) at less dry and higher elevations e g. Alupila 
{Tephrosia tinctoria) aud so on according to varying 
local conditions, such as elevation temperature, rain- 
fall soil, &c. As an illustration of how existing weeds 
can be turned to account may be cited the case of 
the ubiquitous .sensitive plant [Mimosa vitdka) 
which though a troublesome weed, is being utilised 
to advantage in some localities where it has taken 
possession of the soil. But less intractable weeds, 
and, where possible, plants not without some 
economic value, whether for food, fodder, fibre, &c., 
should preferably be selected. The chief point, 
however, is that such plants should be favoured 
as have found local conditions suitable for robust, 
and even rank, giowth, and self-regeneration. 
The Kew Bulletin has recommended the 
foUo^^ing leguminous plants as useful both 
for fodder and green manuring. Vigna catiang 
(cow pea or " gas m6"), Cajanus indicua (dhail 
or " rata-tora "), Phaseolus lunatua (bonchi) 
Dolichoa lablab (Danibala?), and Phaseolus 
Mungo now P Max (muneta). Dr Watt, re- 
ferring to Cicer arietinum (Kadala), Crotalaria 
Juncea (Hana), Dolichos hiflorue (Kollu), Indi- 
gof&va tinctoria (nil-awari), aaysi—" It need only 
be added, regarding the remarks that will be found 
Under these and such-like crops, that they were 
printed in the Dictionary before the publications of 
Hellriegell's discoveries, andexpress, therefore, agri- 
cultural experiences that havebeen handed down for 
generations. It is significant that the chief plants 
that in India are valued as green manures, or have 
the reputation of improving the soil, should all be- 
long to the order Papilionoicece. "—Yoms truly, 
C. DRIEBEKG. 
TEA DUST. 
Kandy, Dec. 24. 
Sib, — I enclose herein copy of a letter 
received from the Secretary, Ceylon Asso 
elation in London, addressed to him by the 
Secretary of the Tea buyers' Association 
in regard to the lining of packages contain- 
ing tea dust, to be published for general 
information.— Yours faithfully, A. PHILIP. 
165, Fenchnrch Street, London E. C, Dec. 2. 
W Martin Leake Esq. Secretary Ceylon Asso- 
ciation in London. 
Dear Sir, — At a meeting of my Committee 
yesterday the fact that carriers are refusing to 
take delivery of dusts and small teas unless 
cased was discussed and it was resolved : — 
" That the Committee recommend the members 
of the Tea Buyers' Association not to purchase 
after the 1st July 1904 packages of dust and 
small tea weighing more than 60 lb. netc lined 
with 5 oz lead," 
My Committee hope that your Association 
will let this resolution be known to growers 
and will use its influence in getting the system 
adopted.— I am, &c. 
(Sigd,) J. A, BROWN, (Secretary). 
MONSOON BIRDS. 
Pelmadulla, Jan. 3. 
Dear Sir, — There are many birds which 
come in with the monsoon, bat the one re- 
ferred to by your correspondent is doubtless 
one of the bee-eaters, merops philippensis 
or 7n. viridis, most likely the former, the 
blue-backed bee-eater. This bird is sometimes 
quite erroneously spoken of as the azure fly- 
catcher, there evidently being some confu 
sion in the lay mind between fly catcher and 
fiee-ea^er-,— Yours faithfully, 
C. M. HARBORD. 
THE CLYDE TEA ESTATES CO. LTD. : 
GREEN TEA CONTRACT, iO CENTS. 
22, Baillie Street, Fort, Colombo, Jan, 4. 
Dear Sir,— We beg to inform you that this 
Company's tea crop for the current year has 
been sold, made into Green Tea, at 40 cents 
per lb. delivered in Colombo ; any " Thirty 
Committee" bonus being payable to buyers. 
To secure this comparatively satisfactory 
price, a more elaborate process of manufacture 
than hitherto in use has beeen .adopted at 
an estimated increased cost of nearly one cent 
per lb. of made tea —We are, dear Sir, yours 
faithfully, LEWIS BROWN & Co, 
Agents and Secretaries, 
PLANTING OF RUBBER TREES IN BURMA 
Kandy, Jan. 5. 
Sir, — I enclose herein copy of correspondence 
received from Secretary, Ceylon Association in 
London, which explains itself and in continua- 
tion of the correspondence on the subject printed 
at page of the correspondence portion of the. 
Year Book of the Planters' Association of Ceylou 
(Kandy) 1901-1902.— Yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP. 
