S4G THE TROPICAL 
NILGIRIS AND BURLlYAR 
GARDENS : 
ECONOMIC AND OTHER NOTES : 
TAPIOCA— PLANTAIN FIBRE— CAMPHOR PLANT 
—RUBBER— CINCHONA. 
{From Mr. Proudlock's Administration 
Report. ) 
In July 1900, cuttings and plants of four varieties 
of the Tapioca plant, which is largely grown in 
Travancore, were obtained by exchange from Mr M 
Labouchardiere of Trivandrum. Que variety has not 
been established, but the remaining three varieties 
are now doing well at Burliyar. Mr Labouchardiere 
very kindly sent samples of the prepared Tapioca, 
together with an interesting note oa the methods 
employed in Travancore in cultivating the plant and 
in preparing the fiour from the tuberous roots, 
Thirtj-six plants of Musa textUis, Nee, the species 
of plantain which is so largely grown in the Philip- 
pines for the production of the valuable fibre known 
in commerce as " Manilla hemp, " were presented by 
Charles Gray, Esq., of Coonoor. They are growing 
vigorously at Burhyar, and also fairly well in Sim's 
Park, Coonoor. From the accounts of '' Manilla 
hemp " given in the Kew Bulletin, Additional series 
II., I. — Vegetable fibres, and also in Volume IX. 
Part I, new series, in 1891, pages 57—62, of the journal 
of the Agri-Horticultural Society of India, the Curator 
had several of the two patterns of fibre-cleaners made, 
that are in general use by the natives of the Philip- 
pine Islands for cleaning Manilla hemp. The essen- 
tial parts of these fibre-cleaners can be made at a 
cost not exceeding E3. The fibre can also be ex- 
tracted by scraping the IJ" — wide strips, with a blunt 
knife or piece of bamboo, on a hard, smooth board 
or plank, with some arrangement for a dribbling 
supply of water to fall on the fibre while it is being 
cleaned, 
It may be appropriately mentioned here that one 
of these fibre-cleaners was supplied, gratis, in July 
1900, to the Superintendent of Coimbp.,tore Jail, at 
the request of Lieutenant-Colonel O'Hara, I. M. S., 
Inspector-General of Prisons, who had one of the 
Coimbatore Jail wardens sent to Ootacamund to be 
shown the method of extracting fibre by means of 
one of these simple machines. It is understood that 
the Inspector-General of Prisons has directed ex- 
periments in cleaning plantain-fibre to be carried out 
in his department. 
It, however, requires a considerable amount of 
practice before a man becomes expert at the work 
of cleaning plantain-fibre with one of these simple 
machines. Besides this, it is well understood that 
the conservative traditions, suspicions and prejudices 
of the people are by no means easy to overcome when 
any attempt is made to introduce among them (al- 
though it may be intended for their ultimate benefit) 
the knowledge of any useful art from another part of 
the world 
Demonstrations in cleaning both the Musa textilis, 
and the common plantain-fibre with these primitive, 
but very effective, machines were given to natives at 
Ootacamund, at Sim's Park, Coonoor, at Burliyar, and 
also at Kulyar, with a view to making them practically 
acquainted with the fibre, which they, one and all, 
confessed they were previously unaware of. Among 
them were persons from such places as Blettu- 
palaiyara, Coimbatore, Palghat, Nilarnbur, Trichino- 
poly, Kcishnagiri and Mysore province 
When an ordinary plantain stem* has borne a 
The word " stem " is used here for the sake of 
simplicity. Botanically, the so-called stem of the 
plantain is not a stem at all, but is really composed of 
the broad laterally-curved leaf stalks compactly 
folded over each other to from a support (which 
servos the purpos'es of a stem) for the blades of the 
leaves. 
AGRlODLTUklST, [Oci. i, 1901. 
bunch of fruit, it is cut down and nsusally throwa 
away by the owner or by his servant. Taking the 
aggregate of the plantain stems in this Presidency alone 
that are cut down anniially and thrown away, the 
waste of fibi'e, which might be put to some use, 
muet be enormous. If therr-fore. the ryots could be 
induced to clean and to make use of the fibre locally, 
perhaps an export trade in it. and also in Manilla 
hemp, might be created in course of time. 
In the Dictionary of Economic Products of India, 
volume V, pages 296—307, will be fopud a great deal 
of valuable information regarding •' Manilla, hemp " 
and other plantain-fibres, and of the rnauy. mostly 
unsuccessful, efforts that have already been made to 
establish an iridnstry in them in India. 
The best camphor plant among those t' at were 
planted on the 1st December 1899 was 7ft. 9in in 
height on the 22nd March 1901. The species (C'lnno- 
momum ConiftUora, Nees and Eberra.) which furnisues 
the Formo.san Camphor of commerce and which is 
now fetching very high prices, will grow in India at 
sea level e.q., the short avenue in the Koyal Botanic 
Gardens, Sibpur, near Calcutta, as well as at high 
elevations in Southern India, e./j., the trees in the 
Botanic Gardens, Ootacamund, 7.400 feet elevation. 
It will, therefere, be seen that tlie tree will grow suc- 
cessfully under a very wide range of conditions as to 
temperature. 
The Para rubber trees (Herfa bmsilienng, Mnell. 
Arg.) whice were planted in November 1898, are grow- 
ing rapidly. The tallest tree was measured oa the 
ii2nd March 1901; it was lS'-&- in height and had a 
girth of 7i inches at one foot above the ground. This 
species yields the most valuable kind of rubber hitherto 
discovered. 
The Central American rubber trees (Castilloaelas- 
tica ?), which were planted in September 1898, are 
doing well. The tallest tree, measured on the 22nd 
March 1901, was found to be 12 feet in height, and 
the stem was 14 inches in ciroumference at one foot 
from the ground. 
Of the plants of Kiclrxia Ajricnna ? (one of the 
most valuable species of West African rubber trees) 
that were planted in December 1899, the best tree 
was found to be 8 -10" in height on the 22nd March 
1901. This may be considered as very satisfactory 
growth. 
The Ceara Eubber— J/arii7iot Glaziovii, Muell. Arg. 
—Much attention was given to this species during 
the year at Kullyar, at Burliyar, and also at Nella- 
cotta and at Pandalur in the Wynaad. It may be 
mentioned here that the practical study of this rub- 
ber tiee has been carried on by the Curator for 
several years now as opportunities occurred, bat chiefly 
in the intervals between his official duties. 
One of the main outcomes of these observations is 
that trees of the same age and size have been found 
to differ from one another remarkably in their yield of 
rubber. A large tree, girthing 3 '-10" at four feet from 
the ground, was tapped at Pundalur in February 1901, 
and it yielded only about a tea-spoonful of latex'. 
This tree was cut down and brought to Ootacamund 
as a specimen of a perfectly useless ceara rubber- 
yielding tree. On the other hand, a few good rubber, 
yielding trees have been met with and noted at Kull- 
yar, at Nellacotta and at Pundalur. Cuttings of one 
of the best rubber-yielding trees at Kullyar were taken 
and planted in Burliyar in January 1900 ; and a few 
of the plants raised from them are now over 14 feet 
in height. 
In February 1901 cuttings were taken from the best 
latex-yielding tree at Nellacotta, and also from the 
best tree at Pundalur, and have been placed in one of 
the glass houses in the Ootacamund garden in order 
to get them to grow. Later on, it is intended to plant 
them out at Burliyar or elsewhere, with the ubjeot of 
testmg them, and to propat :ite them if they are found 
to be as good rubber-yielders as the parent trees. 
What has been accomplished by the Dutch in Java 
in connection with the selection, propagation fmd 
