294 
Supplement to 
Tropical Jgncultunst." 
[October i 1891. 
to a depth of H feet, in holes 3 feet wide, 
before the young phints are set. [Subsequent 
manuring will be considered later on.] 
The plants should be removed carefully from 
the nursery bed without injuring the roots, if 
possible with the clod of earth holding on ; 
and as soon as each plant is tal^en up, it 
should be planted in one of the prepared holes, 
watered and shaded. The shoot should be sup- 
ported by loosely tieing it to a stick driven 
into the ground. Watering should be continued 
regularly morning and evening until the young 
vine is well established in the new ijlace. It 
is however best to avail ourselves of the wet sea- 
son for the pur]30se of transplanting. 
E. T. IIooi,E, 
Haputale, 24th September, 1891. 
CTo be continued.) 
CEUDE THEORIES REGAEDING THE 
ORIGIN OF CERTAIN PLANTS. 
Like most economic plants the jak tree was 
originally found growing wild, and its value as 
a food was known to none. It was in fact con- 
sidered to be a poisonous growth, till the god 
Sakra made its value known by a strange method. 
This divine benefactor is related to have descen- 
ded to earth having assumed the form of an old 
man, and carrying a large-sized jak, to have pre- 
sented himself before a A'illage housewife, 
entreating her to boil for him the fruit he 
carried. With some persuastion the woman was 
induced to do the service asked for. After 
delivering his burden the old man went away on 
some pretended business, giving the woman strict 
injunctions not to taste of the fruit. The strange 
plan of the god succeeded well, for with the 
proverbial curiosity of a woman, the housewife, 
like her mother Eve, was most inquisitive to 
know what the fruit tasted like, for the aroma 
of the boiling jak rather pleased her. Having 
gingerly tasted a portion of a seed, she was quite 
fascinated by its agreeable flavour, and eventu- 
ally partook of the greater portion of the boiled 
fruit before the old man arrived. The trans- 
formed god on his return seeing what had occur- 
red, accused the woman, calling her Hera Leei/a 
(woman thief) and disai^peared. Since that time 
the jak was known by the name of Hemleeya, 
while the fruit (like the roast-pig of Lamb) 
became a favourite food with the people. 
The coffee beriy too as it originally grew in 
its wild state was looked upon as a poisonous 
fruit. It is related that a certain woman having 
quarrelled with her husband made up her mind 
in a fit of ang(>r to put an end to her miseralile 
existence by taking some poison in his absence. 
Rushing into the neighbouring jungle, she found 
a tree laden with red berries, and gathering some 
of th(! fruit, peeled off the outer husk, and at- 
tempted to eat the seeds ; but these were so un- 
palatable that she decided on roasting them first. 
The roasted cofl'ee, however, proved more bitter 
and di.stastcfiil than the raw beans, and being 
iinubleto swallow thorn, she conceived tlie idea 
of reducing them to a ])owder, and after mixing 
this with water, drinking it down. By a strange 
chance there was a pot of hot water near at 
hand, and this water she poured over the coffee 
powder, drank off the infusion and prepared her- 
self for death. To her astonishment, however, 
the enraged wife found that the coffee, so far 
from actnig as a poison, seemed to enervate her, 
and at the same time to calm her rage, till she felt 
ashamed of her cowardly attempt to take her 
lite. On the return of her husband she went to 
him m contrition and confessed all, and he after 
mildly rebuking lier for her weakness, decided 
to himself to try the infu.sion of the berry, which 
he pronounced excellent. Henceforward coffee 
became a favourite beverage, and the berry was 
called Ko2j6 (anger), since it was the anger of 
the woman that was the means of discovering 
its virtues. \f ADS 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
M. Leon Mandereau, a French savant, claims 
to have made the discovery that in cases of 
"localised" tuberculosis (such as is confined to 
the lungs, pleura, or liv»r), the aqueous humour 
m the eyes contains the characteristic tubercle 
bacillus in sufficient numbers to be readily 
identified, in different stages of the disease. 
In the case of living animals the aqueous humour 
is obtained by puncturing the cornea. 
Ringworm, which commonly occurs amono- 
cattle, and especially calves, is due to a vege- 
table parasite— 2V/c/io/j/iyfOTi tonsurans. Affected 
animals should be isolated and taken in hand 
as soon as they show signs of the disease. 
The spots should be washed with plenty of 
soft soap in warm water, but care must be 
taken not to spread the fungus— scales and 
scabs being removed by soaking with carbolic acid. 
Among the remedies commonly employed are 
solutions of corrosive sublimate and biniodide of 
mercury, both active poisons and requiring care- 
ful use, carbolic acid and preparations of iodine 
and iodoform. A safe and effectual dressing 
which should be well rubbed in, is prepared 
by mixing one part each of tincture of iodine 
and ordinary paraffin with ten parts of vase- 
line. This should be applied daily for 3 or 4 
days, and in cases of old standing the washing 
with soft soap and the dressing should be 
repeated every second day for a week. To 
destroy all traces of the parasite, all manure 
and filth about rhe cattle sheds should be re- 
moved, and the floors and woodwork wetted with 
a one-tliousandth solution of corrosive sublimate 
with which also all harness, halters, clothing 
and brushes should be washed or boiled. 
A report sent into the Queensland Department 
of Agriculture deals with experiments in jam 
and jelly making with mangoes. In Ceylon, jams 
and jellies made of these fruits are" common 
enough, but whether their manufacture for com- 
mercial purposes will pay remains to be seen. 
Tte abovementioned report refers to an excellent 
marmalade tlian can be made of the fruit and 
goes on to speak of " the great possibilities " in 
connection with the maugoe crop, and declares 
that if the fruit bo put into the market in the 
shape of jelly and marmalade, it would be certain 
to come into uni\'ersal popularity, and that it 
might be manufactured 'and sold at a handsome 
