May I, 1892.] Supplement to the " Tropical A gricnlttmsi.'' 
875 
Euphorbiaceae. 
8± Aporom Lindleyana, Baill. Sin. Kebella. 
This is a tree growing in uncultivated places, 
sometimes attaining to a medium size but often 
seen as a low shrub. The leaves are ovate and 
entire, and have a shining greeu appearance. 
The tender leaves of this plant form a good 
vegetable and are eaten made into curries. 
The twigs are often used by native cultivators 
in shading small plants. 
W. A. De S. 
BLACK SAND. 
The black sands which occur on the sea-shore 
ill some places, are composed of titautiferous 
iron and magaetite — the insoluble residue of such 
rocks as basalt. Among other places, these sands 
are found in the Bay of Naples, Taranaki and 
New Zealand. 
Titaniferous iron ore (Ilmenite) an oxide of 
iron and Titanium, is black in colour, and occurs 
as a common accessory mineral in basalt and 
other allied igneous rocks. Magnetite, ferroso- 
ferric oxide, is also black, magnetitic, and 
found as an accessory mineral in a very large 
number of igneous rocks, in some of which (as 
in basalt) it is often abundant. 
In 1868 the fact of the occurrence of black 
sand around the Northern coast and the possi- 
bility of iron being remuneratively extracted from 
it, were brought to the notice of Mr. 0. Russel, 
Government Agent of the Northern Province, by 
the Assistant Government Agent, Mr. Massie. 
The former having communicated vvith the 
Hon'ble the Colonial Secretary on the subject, a 
sample was sent to the Chamber of Commerce 
in order to ascertain its value. In the course 
of this enquiry as to the commercial value of 
black sand, tlie Master Attendant furnished some 
information from a Mr. Plolliday of Calcutta. 
]y[r. Holliday forwarded an analysis made by Mr. 
Waldie, (of the Chemical works at Calcutta) who 
stated that the black sand contained 29 2 ot 
magnetic oxide of iron consisting of 22"2 % of 
the metal and 7 of oxygen. No other metal 
was found to be present, and the sand was 
said to resemble that of Canada and New Zea- 
land, where it was of value, and where restric- 
tions were placed on mining and digging for 
it. In Canada, where the black sand was found 
very pure and not mixed up with silica and 
earthy matter, gold was associated with it, and 
it was stated that tlie occurrence of black .?and 
indicated the presence of other metals. 
The late Ur. Jvoch, on being consulted, declared 
tliat no graphite was present in the black sand, 
and that besi<le containing oxide of iron, it 
also contained black mercurial dust derived from 
gneiss or granite, lie had not tested quanti- 
tively for iron, but gave it as his opinion that 
he did not tliink there was suflicient iron ]ire- 
sent to pay cost of extraction. 
The question also arose as to where the hhiek 
sand which was so general, occurring as it did 
both in the North and South coasts of the island, 
came from; whether it was thrown up from the 
sea l)olt()m or washed out l)y rivers from tlic 
land. I>r. Kuch declnrcd thiil il wik broutjht 
to the coast by the sea, being found generally 
in the vicinity of rocks, and was not, as sup- 
l)Osed by some, carried into the sea by rivers 
from inland deposits. 
^ 
NORTHERN PROVINCE JOTTINGS. 
Among the ftbre-producing trees of the northern 
province are : Thalai {Pandanus fascicularis), 
Atti {Ficvs glomerata), Inchu {Phwnix zeylanica), 
Al {Ficus Bengalensis), Itti {ficus return), 
Maravili (Cordia monica), Maral (Sansiviera 
zeylanica), Uruk&lai {Calotropis yigantea), Vellam 
purri (Hiltcteres Isora), Vinnanka [Pterocarpus 
suberifolium). 
Other fibre-producing plants are Vel-itti, Urali, 
Vedatal, Tekil, Velai, Annamanna, Kayaddi, Mara- 
illupai. 
Pul-paddy and pull-rice are the grain of 
Panicum psilopodinm taken from ant nests where 
they have been stored after collection by the 
ants. Chilanthi rice consists of the bulbs of a 
sedge ( Cypressus bulbosus). 
Tillai wood oil is the product of the tillai tree 
(Dipterocarpus levis) and tillai wax is a species of 
lac produced by the agency of an insect. Tillai 
wood tar is prepared by burning dried chips of 
the wood of this tree ; it is purchased by toddy- 
drawers to tar coconut and other palm trees to 
prevent ants creeping into the toddy pots. The 
Tillai tree grows in marshy ground. Tillai wood 
tar is a good substitute for ordinary coal tar. 
Palai oil is used like coconut oil, and there is 
a trade in this oil yet to be developed. The 
poorer classes go in crowds into the jungle in 
July and collect the fruit of the palai {Minmsops 
hexandra) upon which they temporarily subsist. 
The expressed juice of the fruit keeps for 8 
or 9 months. The fruit is produced in abundance 
and is suitable tor making jams and jellies. 
Margosa toddy is the sap which oozes from 
margosa trees. It is said to be good for 
rheumatism. 
The honey of the large bee sells at about R6 
per gallon ; paddy and pepper are put into the 
honey to prevent fermentation. The honey of 
the small bee is deficient in formic acid ; it does 
not keep well nor is it much used. 
Urupiray arrack is named after a village 
called Urupiray. It is illicitly got from jaggery, 
toddy, and vevel {Acacia leucaphlaa) bark, and 
is of a white and red (coloured by barks) colour. 
It is much in favour. 
Mill coconut oil sells at about Rl'2ij per gallon; 
oil got by boiling sells at 5 to 10 per cent higher; 
gingelly, ilupai (Sin. il/f.) antl margosa nt 113 
per gallon ; punnai (Hm. Domba) antl castor-oil 
Ul'oO per gallon; cow-ghte at RG per gallon; 
buflaloe ghee at R4. 
Other animal oils and fats besides ghee, pre- 
]iared in the North, are fish oil got from the 
fill of flsh_^and_used for mixiuij with renins fo 
