THT TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
1 68 
[September i, iSqo- 
Cinchona Bark 'was exported from Java 
between 10th June and 12th July as follows: — 
:169.630 lb. for Holland. 
21,821 lb. for London. 
4,302 lb. for Marseilles. 
398,654 lb. total. 
The Inteoductiog of the Shgaecane into 
Ceylon is. in Dr. Lippmann’s great work, credited 
to A.i). 600, or nearly thirteen centuries ago, the 
authority being “Bitter.” The introduction of the 
sweet cane into those portions of ludia beyond the 
Ganges is fixed so early as 327 b.c., on the autho- 
rity of Nearohos, To our surprise China (whence 
our native term stid or ch-lni) has a later date 
assigned it, b.c. 250. 
Ijipoetant Discovery in the Rubber Trade.— 
A M. Morellett has made a diseoveiy which is of 
considers hie importance to those engaged in the 
rubber trade. lie has found that when vulcanised 
indiarubber is dipped suddenly into boiling glycerine 
it acquires the character of non-vulcanised rubber 
— i.e , its parts can be readily united, and it dissolves 
in the common solvents of caoutchouc. The glycerine 
must be boiling at the moment of contact. — 
European Mail, June 13th. 
.Floavebs as an Article op Food. — The ne-w 
Kew Bulletin contains a memorandum by Mr. Duthie, 
botanical director for northern India oti the use ol 
the flowers of the Qalligonmu for food in North-W< stern 
India. The use o^' flo»vers such as those of the lily 
in China as a condiment is not uncommon, but it is 
quite unusual to find them used as fo.id. In the 
present case they are bardiv the poorer classes only, 
and are either mixed with flour or a-e eaten sepa- 
rately with salt and condiments, to which a littit ghee 
is added by those who are able to afford it. The 
flowers are swept up from the ground, and are kept 
for a night in a closed earthenware vessel, so as to 
fade. They may be kept for a long time. Usually 
they are eaten as a vegetable, but sometimes they 
are kneaded with thin alta and baked in cakes. An 
analysis of the flower.s which has been made shows 
that their chief peculiarity from a diet“tic point of 
view is their richness in nitrogenous compounds, and 
consequently their importance as an addition to foods 
which are poor in nitrogen. There is said to be a 
close resemblance in compositicn between pliog and 
the seeds of the edible amaranths and buck wheats, 
only sugar replaces starch. 
Preserx'Ing Fishes. — When Prosessor A. C. 
Haddon visited Colombo in passing through from 
Torres Straits, he was much struck with the success 
of the Director of the Colombo Museum in pre- 
serving fishes in a way to display their natural 
colours. He considered the result would interest 
home scientific men and arranged for an exhibit 
where it would be certain to attract attention. 
Accordingly at the Conversazione of the Royal 
Society held on the 18th ult. under the presidency 
of Sir Geo. Stokes, in the descriptive Catalogue 
which only covers 40 exhibits, we find the following: — 
“ Exhibited by Prof A . O. Iladdon, M.A., on behalf of 
Mr. A. Haly, Director of the Colombo Mueeum ; — 
“ Toieostean Pishes preserved in a mixture of gum 
and glycerine, as a means of displaying their natural 
colours. 
“ The fishes were bisected and eviscerated, and they 
are monnted, for exhibition purposes, in pure, glyoe- 
riiiC'. SpecimepH tlria treated have been observed 
tn remain unebanged after two years’ exposure to 
the light.” 
Since this exhibit was sent home, however, we 
believe Mr. Ifaly has been experimenting with a 
dillurerit preparation and with the prospect of 
even greater success than was considered so note- 
worthy by I’rofossor Haddon. 
California is a rich honey country, and the tact 
is largely owing to the cultivation of the Phnedia 
tanaccli folia, a plant with a blue flower of which 
the bees are fond. Experiments on a practical scale 
have recently been made with it by a German bee- 
master, and the results are given in the Bienen 
Freund. Some six weeks after the seeds are sown 
the Phacelia blooms, and it is then rifled by the 
bees. But it also serves as fodder for cattle, either 
before it flowers, or in a dried conditiou afterwards. 
When used for green fodder it is necessary to reserve 
a portion for the bees, and the production of seed 
grain. The roots as well as the stems and leaves are 
devoured by cattle. 
Ho’iv TO De.stboy Begs in Plantations, &c. — 
By a curious coincidence, immediately after writing 
the concluding lines of the article which appeared 
in yesterday’s issue, about soil and tillage generally, 
we came upon a paragraph in “ Garden and 
Forest,” an American periodical, describing a 
method of destroying the eockcliaters, which are 
known in the United States as “ May bugs.” We 
quote as follows : — 
It is well known that the larvre of the May-bug or 
Dor-bug do an immense amount of damage by eating 
the young roots of grasses, Strawberry and other delicate 
rooted plants. In Fiance, especially, their ravages have 
resulted in great losses, and energetic attempts to 
destroy them are made. The destruction of these beetles 
is a matter of such importance that a word, “ Hanne- 
toimage,” has be- n coined to express the action of 
hunting them, ft appear.^, according to the Bevue 
Ffoj’fiVofe, that during the year 1889 the Department of 
Seine-et-Marne paid no less ttiau 113,000 francs in 
priz.^s for the destruction of the beetles, which were 
collected to the amount of more than 500,000 pounds. 
They are trapped by suspending lights O'er shallow 
ivessels of water. The beetles fly against the glass cover- 
ing of the lamps and drop into ibe water below, and are 
^hen collected and destroyed. The experiment has been 
ried in this country with success, and it is worth doing 
on a large scale wherever these insects abound. As ihe 
presence of the larvse is not known uijil the damage 
which they inflict is completed, the only way to attack 
them is to trap the beetles. A liitle kerosene-oil poured 
on the water placed in the vessels into which they are 
intended to fall will deprive them of all chance of esc..pe 
Treatment of Cattle. — We have to acknowledge 
the receipt of a pamphlet on the treatment of 
cattle in Sinhalese, by Mr. W. A. de Silva of 
the School of Agriculture. The work is dedicated 
to Sir H. Noel Walker as President of the Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ; and 
the author says in his preface : — 
lu presenting this pamphlet to the public, the Author 
begs to state, that he has endeavoured, as will be seen 
to draw up short, simple and explanatory facts, on the 
improvement of the condition of the native cattle of 
this Island, which would recommend themselves, to 
the means and requirements of the village cattle owners. 
It is wed known that the prosperity of a country 
where agriculture is the main industry of the inhabi- 
tants, depends to a great extent, on the number and 
nature of the cattle of that country ; and it is a matter 
for regret and apprehension, that the native cattle of 
this Island are bath degenerating and decreasing in 
number. * * * The individual efforts which aro 
being made by such as those who have the welfare 
of the people at heart, to improve the oond tion of 
cattle, are only partially successful or s. metimes 
totally fail, to their great disappointment, owing to 
the comparative ignorance on the subject of the vill- 
agers. I am ffir from claiming for my pamphlet the 
merit of effecting a radical reform, but I sha' be 
satisfied, if my feeble attempt in the intere-t of my 
countrymen would at least tend to a more Ima.ane and 
considerate treatment in health and disease of the most 
useful animal in this country- 
We hope that this pamphlet will be the means of 
effecting the improvements which iti author desires. 
