February 2, 1891.] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
609 
Another thing that struck me from contrasting 
the natives of Ceylon with the natives of India is, 
how prone our people — both men and women — are 
to imitate foreign customs and foreign dress. This 
no doubt acts directly and indirectly as a great 
drawback to their agricultural pursuits. 
In some of the waste lands I observ'ed that the 
Indians plant Casuarinas (whip-trees), quick 
growing trees, the wood of which is sold as fuel 
to the Railway Companies. Here is a hint for 
the Ceylonese. 
Madras, January 1891. 
The Castor-oil plant is cultivated to a large 
extent in India. In some parts I saw gardens of 
twenty to thirty acres under this plant. It grows 
easily here, and the Indian ryots obtain good profits 
by its cultivation. A cwt. of castor-oil fetches 
from R13 to R18. The ryots prepare their land 
for castor-oil by ploughing; no manure is used, 
and the seed is sown broadcast. 
Bombay, 7th January. 
AGRICULTURAL SALT. 
Prof. Thompson of Aspatria College appears as 
a vigorous advocate of salt for agricultural pur- 
poses. In an article on Agricultural Salt he 
enumerates a large number of references made to 
salt in connection with agriculture. In Luke 
chapter xiv, it is written, “ Salt is good, but if 
the salt has lost its savour, wherewith shall it 
be seasoned ? It is neither fit for the land, nor 
yet for the dung-hill ; but men cast it out.” Cato 
who died B. C. 160., says : — “ When you lay up 
your straw, that which is most nutritious is to be 
laid under cover ; sprinkle salt over it, then serve 
it for hay. If your sheep are scabby, take some 
lees of oil and water, in Avhich lupines have been 
boiled and the dregs of good wine, mix tliem all 
together ; when you have sliorn your sheep 
anoint them all over, suffer them to sweat for two 
or three days, then wash them in the sea ; if you 
are not near the sea make salt water and wash 
them with it. If you do this your sheep will not 
be scabby, they will have more fine wool, and the 
ticks will not molest them.” 
Virgil also bears undoubted testimony to the 
successful use of salt for cattle. 
In 1638, Lord Bacon expressly mentions the 
benefits derived from watering various vegetables 
with a solution of salt and water. Sir Hugh Platt, 
in 1663, states “ that it is salt which makes all 
seeds to flourish and grow, and that no dung 
which is laid on barren grounds would in any way 
enrich the same if it were not the salt in it.” 
In 1742 Professor Hoffman observes "that 
small pieces of fossil or rock salt were given to 
animals to keep away internal corruption and 
disease.” 
Dr. Brownrigg, in 1748, says : — "Salt is dis- 
persed all over nature, it fertilises the soil, it 
arises in vegetables, and from them is conveyed 
into animals ; so that it may well be esteemed 
the universal condiment of nature, friendly and 
beneficial to all creatures endowed witii life, 
whether it be vegetable or animal. AVhen pro- 
perly used as a manure, it affords ample nourish- 
ment to corn and other vegetables, and renders 
In 1817, Lord Kenyon, Sir Thomas Bernard, 
Bart., and Mr. Curwen (Workington Hall) bore 
testimony to its value as an admirable manure, 
and for cattle. 
So that since the date of the New Testament 
the beneficial effect of salt on the land, the dung- 
hill and for sheei) and cattle have been noticed 
in some parts of the world at least. Its value in 
cattle treatment is still recognised very generally, 
and the Ceylon Cattle Commissioners have strongly 
recommended its use in cases of murrain. In the 
agriculture of the country, however, it is little 
used. From the great solubility of common salt, 
it must be expected owing to the very great rain- 
fall in many parts of Ceylon, especially in districts 
where the soil is overporous, that the greater part 
of the sodium chloride in the soil must be washed 
off in a tolerably limited period — the land thus 
" losing its savour.” This washed-out condition 
of soils, as Mr. Thompson points out, will greatly 
facilitate the development of minute organisms, 
which, if not checked, attach and destroy our 
cultivated crops. It is difficult to think of a 
plant that has not some insect which affects it, 
for a great variety of inferior insects are nour- 
ished and live by their ravages on the vegetable 
world. For the destruction of a large number of 
lowlife forms there is nothing, says Mr. Thompson, 
so effective or so cheap as a judicious and plenti- 
ful application of crude crushed rock-salt. It is 
pointed out that w'et seasons have always been 
known to generate and dcvolope parasitic diseases 
in animals ; and it may be noticed that insects 
injurious to plant life are favoured by the damp- 
ness and humidity resulting from such weather. 
It is therefore reconuiiended tliat there should 
be a timely dressing of the lea lands and stubble 
with salt, previous to ploughing or turning up 
the soil, and before the ova of the future insects 
have liad time to hatch and bring forth the 
larvie or grubs, in which stage they are most 
destructive, so that a great many evils to plan 
and animal life may be averted. All lea and 
stubble lands Mr. Thompson suggests, should b 
dressed with 10 or 16 cwt. of crushed rock salt* 
to the acre, previous to ploughing. This advice 
is especially applicable to cultivated land in 
tropical countries where insect life is so abun- 
dant. 
Miss Ormerod, in her report issued last June, 
recommends the use of guano and salt for wheat 
infested with the maggot of the wheat bulb fly 
(Hylemyia Coarctata), because, she says, "Wheat 
having the power of imbibing salt until the 
plant tastes strongly of it, this application would 
be likely to be very detrimental to the young 
maggots feeding on the stems.” 
All this testimony goes to prove the value of 
salt in agriculture, and that it is very desirable 
that salt for agricultural purposes be placed 
more within the reach of cultivators in Ceylon. 
COCA LEAVES (ERYTHROXTLON COCA). 
By W. a. De Sjlya. 
Owing to the medicinal principle (cocaine) 
found in the leaves of this plant, it is being cul- 
tivated at tlie present day in many parts of the 
world. In Ceylon there are some species of 
Krythroxjixn, viz., the IB. Monoyynuiii and JB, 
