July iSge.] 
SuppUmeni to iU ''Tropical ^gricultumi,” 
67 
the earth in two or three weeks, probably appear- 
ing about the first week of August ; or they may 
pass the winter in this state, and the beetles cleve- 
Jop from the chrysalis in the following spring.” 
(To be continued..) 
♦ 
INDIGElSrOUS FOOD FRODUCTS : 
CULTIVATED AND WILD. IX. 
By W, A. De Silta. 
Anacardiaca, 
20, Mangifem Indica, L. Sin. Amba. 
This is the mango tree which grows commonly 
in the warm parts of the island. There are 
several varieties of this species, and only one 
appears to be Indigenous, namely, M. Zeylanica 
known in Sinhalese as Ataniba. This tree is 
seldom cultivated and grows wild, attaining 
very large dimensions, sometimes growing to a 
height of about a hundred feet, while the trunk 
reaches the circumference of about twenty feet. 
The stem is generally erect and straight with 
few branches and numerous twigs, the leaves 
being placed very near each other, and the 
petioles which are short having a rounded form 
at the place of attachment to the branch. The 
leaves are from eight to twelve inches long, of 
a dark green colour, with entire margins and 
of a lanceolate shape. The leaves of the indi- 
genous variety are darker in colour tlian those 
of others. A peculiar acid principle is formed 
in the whole plant, particularly in the fruits 
and leaves. The flowers are large panicles and 
the fruits are in clusters, a single cluster some- 
times contains no less than twenty fruits. The 
fruit is a drupe and in the indigenous variety 
is about the size of an egg. The seed is com- 
paratively large and the fleshy portion or the 
mesocarp is very acid when unripe. When the 
fruit ripens the mesocarp softens and turns into 
a yellow colour. In this state it contains much 
sugary matter Avith a little of the acid property, 
and the mass contains much fibre. 
The mesocarp of the ripe fruit is eaten ; Avhile 
the unripe ones are generally used for making 
chutneys, drying with salt, and flavouring 
curries. In the process of drying Avith salt, the 
fruits are first split into two and the kernel of 
the seed is removed, leaAung the shell attached 
to the fleshy portion — the outer skin too being 
allowed to remain. After this, parallel incisions 
are made in the fleshy portion, poAvdered salt 
is spiiukled over, and the Avhole thing after 
being fennented for a day, is dried and put 
hy for use. Mango thus prepared is kept Avith- 
out being .spoilt for a long time. After the 
skin and stone are remoA'ed, the fruit boiled in 
syrup of sugar malces a fine preserve. 
The AA'Ood of this tree is used for a A'aricty 
of purposes, especially as planks for packages, 
&c., but it is not very durable, as it is easily 
attacked by Avorms. 
The bark contains tun, but it is so much 
mixed AA'ith resinous matter and acid juice that 
it can't be economically extracted ; still it is 
used for this purpose to some extent in India. 
21. Spondias Mangifera, Willd; Sin. Embarella, 
This is a tree met with in different parts of 
Ceylon, but not very common. The stem is 
round and grows to a good height with but 
feAv branches. The leaves are compound (pinnate), 
The fruit is green and is of the size of the 
mango. In taste too it is A’ery much like the 
mango, but there is a peculiar flavour in it 
which is not very agreeable. A great deal of 
it is used for pickles and preseiwes. The outer- 
covering and the seed form a larger proportion 
of the fruit than in the mango. 
The bark of the tree is irsed medicinally among 
native Medical Practitioners and is considered 
to be efficacious in Rheumatism. 
CRUDE THEORIES REGARDING THE ORIGIN 
OF CERTAIN PLANTS. 
By W. a. De Silva. 
Under this heading I propose to deal with cer- 
tain notions, still current in parts of the Island, 
which have been retailed to me in the villages, 
regarding the origin of the commonest among 
the food-producing plants of Ceylon. Most of 
these, though handed down by tradition and oft 
repeated, are by no means considered to be the 
true explanation ; and I doubt whether even the 
most ignorant among the villagers give 
credit to these accounts. I should perhaps 
apologise therefore for electing to AAuite on a 
subject of this nature, a consideration of which 
some would deem unprofitable. But I would 
urge in extenuation, firstly, that a subject of 
this kind would prove a not unpleasant change 
from those dealing Avith the hard scientific facts 
of Agriculture A\dth which this Magazine abounds ; 
secondly, that my paper should not proA'e un- 
interesting to those Avhn Avisli to have a knoAV- 
ledge of all things bearing on local Agricul- 
ture, even the crudest and most antiquated notions 
that originated Avith tlie superstitious and ignor- 
ant tillers of the soil in tlie earliest times ; 
and thirdly, that there is a certain significance 
about these theories which it would be interest- 
ing to trace. 
To start with I will take up Paddy or the 
rice-producing plant, since rice is the princi- 
pal food of the natives of this Island. My 
story relates how in the beginning of this 
Kalpa the eartli Avas inhaliited by two 
beings wlio descended to our sphere from 
the Bmhmaloka (HeaAen), and hoAv they and 
their children had at first no difficulty in ob- 
taining their food, as the soil itself was sweet 
and savory, and they ate of it gladly and 
thankfully. But as time Avent on, those qualities 
Avhicli made the soil palatable ceased to appear, 
and a groAvth which may be likened to an 
edible fungus sprung up which these early in- 
habitants AA'ere put to the trouble of collecting 
as their food ; and hence, it is said, the neces- 
sity for AA'ork arose for the reason that wicked- 
ness began to appear among the members of this 
first earthly family, who had originally nothing 
but good in their hearts. And as the world greAA' 
older its inhabitants grow more AAUcked, and in 
proportion the greater Avas the difficulty in ob- 
taining food. For the first groAAdli Avhich had 
merely to be collected and eaten gai'e place to 
another — a species of plant bearing naked grain — 
