February i, 1892.] Supplement to the " Tropical Agviculhmst.^'* 
607 
sheaths as torches, and the ashes of midribs as a 
cleansing powder in lieu of soda. Coconut shells 
are used for burning especially by dhobies in their 
" irons," as they produce much heat owing to j 
the presence of oil in their tissues ; and they 
are purchased for this purpose. It is a good 
plan to keep the branches, husks, &c., which fall 
from the palms piled up between the rows of trees 
with some regard to neatness, so that when the 
" coconut fly " makes his appearance, these piles 
may be sprinkled over with water and fired. 
The result is that a dense volume of acrid smoke 
is sent upwards, which causes the insects on 
the crown of the palm to fall olf. Care should 
be taken not to allow the flames from the burning 
mass to mount high, as damage might thereby be 
done to the trees. Green leaves added to the heaps 
will increase the efficacy of smother-burning. 
The ashes resulting from the incineration will of 
course be turned into the trenches round the trees. 
By this means a bad attack of " poochies," 
which often costs the proprietor 2 or 3 years' 
yield of nuts, can be with a little trouble averted. 
This plan was, I believe, flrst tried by me 
on Chandivelly estate, the property of Mr. 
Stuart Munro (the designer of the antipilfer safe) 
who showed me how to carry it out. Many 
years afterwards, when the " poochies " were 
attacking the estate of Mrs. Sortain, the same 
process was gone through with the result that 
the disabled insects were found in millions 
wriggling on the ground. R. ATHERTON. 
INDIGENOUS FOOD PRODUCTS : 
CULTIVATED AND WILD. 
Convulvulaceae. 
60. Ipomoea Tridentata, Roth. Sin. Heenmadu 
This is a creeper growing in the jungles of 
the warmer parts of the Island. The plant is 
much branched with a green and cylindrical M-iry 
stem. The leaves are cordate, dark green, and 
are of a thick texture : a milky juice is exuded 
from the plant when a leaf or the stem is broken. 
The leaves of this plant may be considered as a 
famine food. The villagers often eat it boiled in 
water with a little salt added, and sometimes along 
with coconut. Cattle relish the whole plant very 
much and hence the leaves are often gathered and 
given to calves. It would, no doubt, form a 
good fodder, and as it grows easily, it might well 
be grown exiDcrimentally for trial as a cattle food. 
61. Ipomoea Aquatica, Forsk. Sin. Kankun. 
The Ipomoea Aquatica thrives in moist situ. 
ations as the name signifies. It is a low creeper 
with a hollowy succulent stem which easily 
breaks at the nodes. The leaves are cordate 
and are of a light green colour. They are 
succulent, and when the plant is found growing 
wild are of a small size, while when cultivated, 
or found growing in particularly rich soil the 
leaves attain to a lai'ger size. This plant is 
cst(>omed as a vegetable, and is often cultivated 
especially in the vegetable gardens in the vicinity 
of towns, where they find a ready sale in the 
markets. The leaves and the stems are used both 
as a dry curry and fried in ghee or oil. 
It is generally Ijelieved that this plant possesses 
certain medicinal properties, and there is there- 
fore some demand for it. Native medical prac- 
titioners ascribe to it certain cooling properties. 
Solanaceae. 
62. Solananum Ferox, L. Sin. Malabatu. 
This plant is generally met with in uncultivated 
places, and where the land is at all fertile, they 
grow vigorously. It is a low shrub, two to three 
feet in height, and covered with numerous erect 
spines. The leaves are obcordate and angular, 
with soft hairs on the upper surface, while the 
lower surface is generally of a whitish colour. 
I The veins of the leaves are covered with strong 
\ and straight prickles, the flowers are of a white 
1 colour, and the fruits are round and smooth and 
j are of tlie size of ordinary marbles. The calyx and 
j the petiole adherent to the fruit are also covered 
with prickles. The fruits when young are of a 
green colour, and when ripe, turn a beautiful ruby 
red. The shining peircarp is succulent and a large 
number of seed is found inside the fruit. The 
part generally eaten in this plant is the fruit. 
Correctly speaking, it does not form a food, but the 
pericarp of the fruit could be eaten and is by no 
means of an unpleasant taste. 
An infusion of the roots of this plant is said to 
be given in cases of acute rheumatism, and Native 
medical practitioners use the leaves in cutaneous 
diseases. 
63. Solanum Indicum, L. Sin. Tibbotu. 
This plant grows wild in jungles and unculfci- 
vated places. It is a shrub much branched, and 
five to six feet in height. The stem is thin and is 
covered thickly with prickles. The leaves are 
large and have prickles on both surfaces. The 
calyx of the floAver is also prickly, and the fruits 
are round, very small in size, and are borne in 
clusters. 
The fruit of the *S'. Indicim is eaten after 
being boiled, by the villagers, and in small 
quantities even in its raw state, but in the latter 
case it has a peculiar bitter taste. 
The root of this plant is used by Indian doctors 
to prepare decoctions. It is considered as a good 
remedy in fevers and coughs, and the juice of the 
leaves boiled with the juice of fresh ginger ia 
administered to stop vomitting. The leaves and 
the fruits with a little sugar are rubbed on the 
body for itch. Sinhalese Aledical Practitioners 
use this plant in cases of cough, pains in the 
chest, asthma, and toothache, and prescribe the 
fruit as a vermifuge. 
yf. A. D. S. 
FOREST PRODUCTS. 
The villagers in many parts of the Island have 
been long accustomed to consider the forest and 
its produce as public propertj', which any and 
everyone is at liberty to make use of. This idea 
was allowed to prevail till comparatively lately 
as there were such vast tracts of jungle land In 
all parts of the Island ; but with the extensive 
clearing of jungles, mainly for cultivation, it was 
thought necessary that some measures should be 
adopted for the conservation of tlie reduced area 
of forest land. Now the adoption of such mea- 
sures through oflicers appointed by tlie (ioveni- 
mcnt is most advisable, but wlien rules q.u<\ 
