March 2, 1891.] 
Supplement to the “ Tropicnl Agficultm'ht''' 
beginuiugs of deformed and stunted growtli are 
observable. 
At the late Tasmanian Agricultimil Conference, 
Mr. E. H. Thompson, in reading his jniper on 
Entomology, drew attention to the valuable pro- 
perties of the Fyretheum as an insect destroyer. 
“ This plant,” he said, “ which forms the basis of 
all insect powders is easily grown, and is harm- 
less to x)lant life. The Washington dejiartment 
of Agriculture rejmrt that they have found it 
most effective in destroying insect life, even the 
most impenetrable scale insects. Every farmer 
and orchardist should have his x>atch of xyretheum, 
whether pun-theum carneum, roseum, or pur- 
puremn. The flower heads, the ujiirer shoots and 
leaves, should bs carefully cut and harvested, 
and then an infusion made by jrouring Iroiling 
water on them, just in fact as tea is made 
One ounce of tlie dried herb should make about 
3 gallons of the infusion.” 
^ 
INDIGENOUS FOOD PRODUCTS : 
CULTIVATED AND WILD. 
By W. a. De Silva. 
Rubiaceae. 
47. Hedyotis Nitida, W. & A. Sin. Pitasudupala. 
Is a herb growing in both cultivated and un- 
cultivated places. In cultivated places tlie plants 
grow luxuriantly and thrive well in fertile spots. 
The stem is much divided, soft and round, liav- 
ing a irale green colour with iiink marks at tlie 
nodes. The leaves are ovate and are flesliy. 
The ujiper surfaces being pale green, whilst the 
under surfaces are of an ashy wliite colour, 
whence the Sinhalese name Pitasudupala. The 
flowers which are small and of a pink colour, 
are borne in clusters. The very small fruits are 
angular witli a mottled ap)pearance, and a slight 
sticky secretion on the surface. 
Tlie leaves of this jjlaiit are used as a food : it 
is eateu along with rice both boiled and in tlie 
form of a curry. The whole plant is believed to 
jiossess certain well-marked medicinal jiroperties, 
and is specially valued as a blood purifler. It is 
also used in nervous diseases and in intermittent 
fever. 
48. Mi(ss(e/ida Frondosa. L. Sin. Mussenda. 
Grows in the uncultivated iilacesiuthe warmer 
parts of the Island. It is a shrub generally from 
six to eight feet in height. The leaves are green 
with prominent nerves, branching from the mid- 
rib, placed almost ecpiidistant from each other. 
Tills gives to the leaves a sort of freckled appear- 
ance. The peculiar characteristic of the plant is 
the white-coloured bracts. These bracts resemble 
leaves, butare a little larger in.sizeand are of ajuire 
white colour : they occur along with the flowers. 
The flowers of this idant are of a purple red 
colour and are very small. The fruits are of the 
size of ordinary myrtle berries, but of an oial 
shape; they are jet black wlien rijie. 
The part used as food in this plant is the white- 
coloured leaves or the bracts. These are fried in 
oil and eaten along with rice. The young leaves 
are also used for dry curries. The leaves are used 
medicinally us local ajijilications to allay 
dwellings, 
67, 
NOTES FROM A TRAAtELLI-lR’S DIARY 
After the failure of Coffee a great many of 
the natives of Kotmale have taken uj) the culti- 
vation of Cardamoms in right earnest, and many 
have got large jirotits by this industry. The 
aspect of the district, its climate and rainfall, 
favour the growth of the plant, and some of the 
gardens tliat I visited are a siglit worth seeing. 
It takes about 3 years for the x)lant to bear, and 
the ex])enses of putting an acre under cultivation, 
and also for weeding the land during a xieriod of 3 
years, will come to about R80, according to an 
estimate given to me by a proprietor of some 
large cardamom xdantations in Ivotmale. About 
RlOO worth of cardamoms could be gathered 
from an acre for a year, and the pilantation will 
continue to give a liigh croii for over a xieriod of 
ten years. 
Two distinct varieties are cultivated, viz., 
Mysore and Alalabar. On the Alysore variety the 
flower stalks or panicles given off from tlie root 
of the plant stand erect, while in the case of the 
ilalabar variety they creep along the ground. 
Tlie Mysore variety is far superior to the Malabar ; 
its fruits are liigger and they fetcli a higher 
price. The natives, however, prefer ' the 
Malaliar variety, because it gives a better yield. 
I saw a few jilants of another variety which 
give off flower stalks both from the top of the 
stem and the root. 
Xotnialo is as noted for its cardamoms ns 
Duinbara is for its cocoa. In both districts 
the cultivation of these xilantsform the x^i'incipal 
industry of the natives. 
The cultivation of arecanuts ouglit to receive 
better attention from the native community of 
the hill districts. These districts, as a rule, 
are unsuitable for coconut cultivation. Arecanut,s 
thrive and bear well on the hill sides, and there- 
fore the Kandyans ought, I think, to jiay the same 
attention to the cultivation of this xilant as the 
lowcountry natives pay to the cultivation of 
coconut. It takes about 8 years for the arecanut 
tree to come into full bearing, and each tree will 
give an income, on an a^•erage, of about 50 cents 
a year from the time it begins to bear. 
One great evil in native gardening is want of 
method. It is sickening to see a. garden planted 
with all sorts of trees but without any order 
or regard to the growing and feeding s^iace 
that should be allowed to each tree. There is 
much to be taught to the goiyas even in the 
elements of I’ractical Agriculture. We look to the 
Schoolof Agriculturefor the required imjirovement 
in this direction. Agricultural Instructors ought 
to be sent about the country. They could learn 
much themseh’es while inqiartiiig useful know- 
ledge, and do an immense <leal of good to the 
country by introducing useful jiroducts from one 
<listrict to an other, and showing the X'eojile how 
to grow them. 
I wish all Village Schoolmasters were trained 
agriculturists. Wewould have had them as such 
if, as the founder of the School of Agriculture 
