2^8 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, 1890. 
palmyra laths and rafters exported is given at 
286,296 in 1888 and 296,484 in 1889. For the 
roofs of buildings there can be no better timber than 
that of well-grown palmyra palms. “ Timber, dye 
wood and root,” chiefly sapan, no doubt (although 
we get cwt. 3,803-2-1 separately for sapan), was 
ewt. 642-2 in 1888, and cwt. 648-1-22 with 10 pkgs. 
and separately under the heading of sapan cwt. 1,674- 
0-16 in 1889. Better classifioation is required, to 
enable enquirers to discover whether any important 
dyewood other than sapan is exported from Ceylon. 
Ebony, for which Ceylon has been nearly as 
famous from far back antiquity as for cinnamon 
and pearls,* was exported in 1888 to the amount of 
cwt. 12,3-521-21 and in 1889 only cwt. 3,880-3-1. Col. 
Clarke has, in his report, explained the cir- 
cumscribed export as due to a glutted market. 
We need scarcely remind our readers that ebony 
is the heart-wood of trees the outer shell of 
which is white, the amount of the valuable 
heart-wood varying with age and circumstances. 
Of sandalwood there was a trifling export of 5 under 
“number” in 1888. This was, of course, part of 
the sandalwood originally imported, for sandal- 
wood is unknown in Ceylon except in the Botanic 
Gardens. Of our next most important cabinet wood 
after to ebony, that is satinwood, the exports for 
1888 are given at cwt. 4,143-2-4 and 4,359 logs ; 
in 1889 at cwt. 1,229-3, logs 1,519 and “ number” 
22. Of “iron wood” (including no doubt, as well 
as the real ironwood, na) the exports were 1,475 logs 
in 1888 and 896 logs and “number” 10 in 1889. Of 
our fine and useful timber, halmilla, 349 logs were 
sent away in 1888 and 806 logs in 1889. Teak 
figures for 1 log in 1888 and “ number” 35 in 
1889 : not likely to have been the produce of 
Ceyloni Of arekanut laths and rafters we exported 
305 in 1888 and 415 in 1889 ; while coconut rafters 
figured for 259 and 1,718 in the respective years. 
Of “laths and rafters” not otherwise defined 8,290 
packages and 4,809 in “number” were sent away 
in 1888, with 8,326 packages and 3,006 “number” 
in 1889. The large number of packages must 
surely have included palmyra laths and rafters, 
in which case the figures are very defective, and 
now that we have a forest department in full oper- 
ation, it would surely be well that the customs 
authorities insisted on more definite information as 
to the nature and names of the timbers entering 
into the export trade of the island. Kitul (Caryota 
urens, or jaggery palm) laths and rafters to the 
number of 179 were exported in 1888 and 1,447 
in 1889. The totals of the exports of timber for 
the two years were: — 
cwt. packages logs 
1888 20,941 3.26 11,121 13,093 and number 1,112,100 
1889 7,433-0-ll 10,288 30,000 „ 1,003,674 
Of forest produce exported we get for “ horns of 
sorts" in 1888 cwt. 2,341-0-16; in 1889 cwt. 2,203 
and 1 package. Hides and skins, in 1888 cwt. 
7,598-0-26 and 347 packages; in 1889 cwt. 8,693-2-20 
and 458 packages. The value of the skins of 
domestic cattle in Ceylon is greatly depreciated by 
the excessive branding of the live animals to which 
their native owners resort. Of the dye material, 
orchilla weed the export in 1888 was cwt. 489-1-9 
and one package; in 1889 ewt. 502-3-20. Of “tan- 
ning bark,” not more definitely described, the ex- 
port in 1888 was cwt. 747-2 and in addition 
* Sir George Birdwood iu a paper on the Industrial 
Arts of India states that the “Periplus of the Eryth- 
rean Sea,” which belongs to the first century of the 
Christian era, notices that Omana imported from 
India ebony. Ho adds that Schlieman found carved 
Indiatj [Ceylon Vl ebony in one of the mounds of the 
Troad identified by liim with the site of the city of 
Troy. 
“Velam bark” was sent away to the amount of 
cwt. 630-2. In 1889 there is no separate mention 
of Velam bark, only of “tanning bark," of which 
the export was cwt. 582-3. — There can be little 
doubt that the tanning bark exported from Ceylon, 
was mainly the produce of cassia auriculata and 
Acacia lewcoplilaia. In the latest published number 
of the Indian Forester there is a paper on dye stuffs, 
from which we take the following extracts : — 
Acacia Leucophlcea. — The bark of Acacia leuco- 
2}lilaa — the reru or safed-kikar — attracted attention at 
the Conference; and the leather,? exhibited from 
various districts in India as prepared by means of 
this material were considered superior to any others 
shown. 
Cassia is referred to in the same article and it 
is stated : — 
The leather tanned by the bark of Cassia auricu- 
lata — the tarwar — was considered at the Conference 
much superior to what could have been inferred from 
the examination of the highly coloured bark. 
Then we have a paragraph on the nelli of our 
patanas : — 
Emblica Mteobalan. — A few of the tanners present 
were familiar with the Bmblic myrobalans — the fruit 
of Phi/llanthus Emblica — daula, iimla, aonla — though 
they had never before seen the leaves. But the same 
objection exists with regard to these as has already 
been alluded to under Anogeissus. Unless a tanning 
half-stuS could be profitably prepared for export, it 
would be hopeless to expect a trade to be done in 
the leaves. They are doubtless good and useful tans, 
but have to compete with others that can be landed 
in the home markets at lower prices. This argument 
seems perfectly just and applicable to the leaves, but 
since it pays to export the fruits of the true myro- 
balans, it would seem as if the question of a future 
trade in the Emb'io myrobalan would turn on the 
percentage of tannin which it possesses and the colour 
it imparts to the leather. 
We never before heard of the acid and astrin- 
gent nelli fruits and the leaves of the tree being 
used for tanning purposes. 
Gamble writes of Acacia leucophloca (Mimosa 
leucophlaa of Boxb. FI. lud.) that it is known to the 
Tamils as velvaylam and vel vaghe and to the 
Sinhalese as Jeatu andara. He desoribes it as 
A moderate-sized or large deciduous tree. Bark ^ 
inch thick ; colour varying with age, grey and smooth 
when young, dark brown, almost black, and rough 
when old, exfoliating irregularly in patches and 
strips. Sapwood large ; heartwood reddish brown with 
lighter and darker streaks, extremely hard. Pores 
moderate-sized, uniformly distributed in patches or 
short irregular concentric belts of white tissue which 
are prominent in, and alternate with, the dark-coloured 
firm tissue which separates the medullary rays. The 
latter are white, fine and moderate, and often slightly 
bent, 
The weight of the wood is given at 45 to 59 lb., 
and it is added that 
It seasons well and takes a good polish ; is strong 
and tough, but often eaten by insects. It gives an 
excellent fuel. Tbs bark is eaten in times of scarcity ; 
it is used iu preparing spirits from sugar and palm 
juice, to precipitate by the tannin it contains the 
albuminous substances in the juice. It gives a fibre 
used for nets and coarse cordage. The young pods 
and seeds are eaten, and the gum is used in native 
medicine. 
Of assia auriculata the same authority states that 
it is a shrub of Central and Southern India and 
that its bark is used for tanning and dyeing leather 
and its seeds as an application for opthalmia. — 
Of Emhlica myrobolan, the nelli of the Sinhalese 
and Tamils, Gambia tells us, under the title 
Phyllanthus Emhlica, that it is 
A moderate-sized deciduous tree. Bark somewhat 
loss than i inch thick, grey, exfoliating in small irre- 
gular patches, inner substance red. Wood red, 
hard, close-grained, warps and splits in seasoning 
