March 2, 189 .] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist T 
681 
extensively used, and with which almost every 
Ceylonese architect and carpenter is well ac- 
quainted. 
Halmililla is extensively used for carts, wag- 
gons, house buildings, tubs and casks. T-his 
wood is the best for oil casks in the island. 
On account of its fine grains it is chiefly used 
for works which have to bear great strains : its 
durability is from 10 to 80 years. 
Palu . — The colour of this timber is a dark red, 
it is largely used for bridges and buildings, and 
it can also be safely used for underground pur- 
poses. It is the second heaviest wood (Na being 
the first) in the island: its durability is from 10 
to 70 years. 
Buruta.—^\\0 colour of this timber is a yellow- 
ish white, it is e.xtensively used for bridges, 
waggon wheels, bullock carts, oil presses, build- 
ings and furniture : it durability is from 10 to 
80 year.s. 
Na, known ns iron wood, resembles Palu in 
colour, it is the heaviest wood (from whence 
the name iron wood) in the island. Its dura- 
bility is from 10 to 60 years ; it can be used 
for bridges and buildings, and oil can be obtained 
from the nut. 
Suriya is a timber admirable for carriages, 
hackeries and gunstocks, but is not so durable 
as halmililla. 
Itamanidella is a timber used for common 
house buildings. Very durable fences can be 
made from sticks. 
Teak . — There are three different kinds of teak : 
Ceylon teak, Cochin teak, and Moulmein teak. 
The first-named is extensively used for bridges 
and buildings, the second and third for waggons, 
carts and arrack casks; it is used for arrack 
casks because the wood imparts a fine colour 
and flavour to the arrack. 
Cocoyiut is an excellent timber for fancy boxes 
and furniture. 
Mai Buruta . — Next to Calamander this wood 
is the most valuable ; it is excellent for furniture. 
Kalumediriya (Calamander) is a scarce and 
beautiful wood, the most valuable for ornamental 
purposes in the island. 
Kaluwara.—A very valuable wood largely used 
for furniture. 
The following woods are used for underground 
purposes : — Galmendora, Beriya, Buruta, Kaha 
Mililla, Keta Kala, Mi, Mian Mililla, Muruta, 
Palu. 
NOTES FEOM INDIA. 
(Being translated extracts from letters by a 
Sinhalese gentleman.) 
The cultivation of the “King” orange is 
carried on to a large extent in India. These 
oranges ere of excellent quality, and are of the 
size of an average husked coconut — the price of 
each fruit being about 3 cents. King-orange is 
cultivated most commonly in the hill district, 
and there is no reason why it should not grow 
well in Ceylon and become a favourite fruit, 
proving at the same time more paying than our 
“ Sweet-limes.” 
Gram (cicer) is extensively grown in many 
])arts of India, If it can be succes.sfully grown 
in Ceylon, it would be better that the amount 
required for home consumption should be pro- 
duced in Ceylon than that large sums of money 
should leave the Island to pay for the exported 
article. 
Large quantities of pomegranate, which is 
largely produced in Persia, are brought over to 
India. These pomogranates havo a splendid flavour, 
and are superior to anything we have in Ceylon. 
[We have to thank Mr. Hemachandra Jayakody, 
of Galahityawa Vernacular Boys’ School — the 
writer of the above notes — for a packet of king 
orange seeds, some of which have been put down 
at the School of Agriculture, the rest having been 
distributed. Mr. Jayakody, we understand, is 
visiting India to study Sanscrit literature. We 
qope he will continue to jot down any point of 
interest to us in his travels, and let hs have 
the benefit of them. — Ed.] 
♦ 
THE GEAPE VINE. 
( Vitis Yinifera.) 
I. Botany and Genebad Description. — This 
is a trailing deciduous hardy shrub belong- 
ing to the natural order Ampelideae, and 
climbs by means of tendrils. The leaves are 
alternate, deeply serrated, commonly divided 
into three and sometimes five lobes, and have 
long foot stalks. The flowers, arranged in lateral 
clusters in the form of a raceme, are of a green- 
ish white colour and have a fragrant odour. The 
caly.x is cut into five segments, and the petals, 
which are whitish and five in number, soon drop. 
The fruit is a one-celled round or oval berry with a 
smooth skin. The colour of the berry may be 
green, white, red, yellow, amber and black, or a 
blending of two or more of these colours according 
to the variety. The fruit should enclose five small 
heart or pear-shaped stones, but as a rule it 
seldom contains more than three seeds. The 
size and consistency of the grape vary much 
according to circumstances. 
2. History. — The age to which the vine will 
attain is very great. It is supposed to equal, if 
not surpass, the oak in point of longevity. Vine- 
yards have been known to flourish for hundreds 
of years, and the vine is said to have been culti- 
vated from the time of Noah. The native country 
of the vine is considered to be Persia or the South 
of Asia Minor. Prom there it passed into Egj'pt, 
Greece and Sicily : from Sicily to Italy, Spain 
and France. It was probably introduced to 
England by Eoman Catholic Monks or Fathers in 
the third century^ To Ceylon and to Jaffna in 
particular where it thrives so well, it must have 
also been introduced by them during the rule of 
the Portuguese. Even at the present day some 
of the Eoman Catholic Fathers are found to be 
expert in Viticulture. As an instance of this, 
1 quote as follows from “Notes from a Traveller’s 
Diary,” on page 22 of the last September number 
of this Magazine, where the writer speaking of 
Father Assauw’s garden at Wahakotte says : — 
“ What struck me most was a robust grape vine, 
which had been grown experimentally, laden with 
fruit. » * • lather Assauw, encouraged by 
his succe.ss, is about to extend his vineyard.” 
