f 
The tropical AGRSGULTURSST. [April i, 1891. 
is added sand carried by the wind. By means of 
this atmosphei'ic agency and that of birds, seeds of 
small plants are very often introduced, which, by 
growing as well as possible, under the ciroumstanc8=^, 
increase the bulk of earth around the truiik. 
“ In time of drought, the Palm, not deriving suf- 
ficient nourishment from its terrestrial roots, will 
put forth aerial ones numerous enough to sustain 
itself with the assistance of this humus and the 
nightly dews. 
“Glancing now at the other kinds of Palm, e.y., 
genus Cocos, we find very difEerent--I may say en- 
tirely opposite — characteristics. In these everything 
indicates their absolute dependence upon the soil 
in which they live. In truth, their leaflets and their 
rachides instead of being conduit-shaped, \/, as in 
Phoenix dactylifera, are the very reverse— convex, 
or fashioned like a roofing tile, Aj in suebj a manner 
that rainwater and dew fall from them to the ground. 
The sparse fibrous material at the base of these leaves 
evidently serves only for resistance or the defence 
of the leavas against impetuous wind.s. Purtherraora 
their stems are not capable of putting forth aerial 
roots, as Is the case with the Data Palm.”— L. Winier, 
Bordighera. — GavdeMdTs^ ChvoniclG. 
. 1^1 — 
TEA AND COFFEE SUBSTITUTES. 
{Continued from page 6?4)- 
Caprifoliace.®. 
40. Triostmm perfoliatum, L. — An herbaceous plant 
of Noith America, where it is known as wild coffee, 
fever root, or wild Ipecacuanha. The hard seeds 
when roasted and ground are said to be a good substi- 
tute for coffee, 
41. Yihitrnum dilatatum, Thuub.— Ibis plant was 
first noticed as the source of a peculiar kind of tea in a 
report in 1885 by Mr, Alexander Hosie, of a journey 
through Central Tsu-oh’uan. It was noticed in a 
communication by myself to the Gardeners’ Chronicle 
for September 26, 1885, p. 403, and to make these 
notes more complete, I reproduce it here. Eef^ring 
to the discovery of this tea by Mr. Baber, Mr Hosie 
says “ If my memory is not at fault, he (Mr Baber) 
was regaled by a priest on Mount 0-mei, with tea 
possessing both the flavour of milk and sugar. It 
may have been in the very Temple on the moun- 
tain’s side, in which I am now writing, that Mr. 
Baber was agreeably turprised. At any rate, I am 
sipping an infusion, which is, without doubt, sweet, 
and which is declared by the priest to be brewed 
from a naturally-prepared tea-leaf. It is a large 
dark-brown leaf, and is very sweet when chewed. 
The people at the bottom of the mountain, whom I 
first questioned regarding this tea, asserted that 
the leaves were sweet because they were first steeped 
in molasses; but the balances of evidence, as I have 
since found from extensive enquiry, is against such 
artificial preparation. The tree is said to grow in only 
one gorge on tbe mountain, whence the leaves are 
brought for sale.” ^Y■e are indebted_ to Mr. Hosie 
for a sample of this tea, which consists of the entire 
leaf rolled up loosedy into little balls, and almost 
black in colour. Upon chewing a portion of a leaf, 
it was found to be decidedly sweet, with a strong 
suspicion of liquorice rather than molasses, as stated 
by Mr. Hosie. Upon soaking the leaves and flat- 
tening them out, lliey were found to be those of 
Viburnum dilatatum. Thumb. To prove that the 
leaves of this plant possessed no natural sweetness, 
we obtained a few loaves from a growing plant and 
driel them, and found that ueithor in their fresh, 
and still Icfs in their dried state, have 
marked flavour. Moreover, tho leaves of the Mount 
0-mei 'Tea are transparent, as if they had been 
steeped in some solution, while those which I 
gathered and dried are opaque, and yet retain their 
green colour. It seems certain, then, that this sin- 
gular tea owes iti sweetiies.'* to some foreign substiiuce, 
as slated by “the people at the bo' tom of the 
mouutiin, and that subslance may bo molatses, but 
ja iu all prqbftblity liquorice.” 
Rubiace®. 
42. Oxyantlius Gerrardii, Loud — Under the name of 
Wild Coffee from Natal, there are some Iruits of this 
plant in the Kew Museum. These fruits are about 
the s'ze of a C offee berry, aud contain about 
six hard brown seels, somewhat resembling iu 
size aud appearance a small shrivel'ed sweat Pea. 
They are, however, horny, like tbe true coffee, and 
upon roasting give off a burnt-like odour ; this, 
howevir, might be more fragrant if carefully done in 
a closed and revolving vessel, and considering thit 
the plant is a near ally to the true coffee, it might 
perhaps be made a useful substitute. 
4?. Diplospora Spheeroonrpa, Datz — A small Indian 
tree of the Wesiern Peninsula or the Western 
Ghats, from Bombay southward. It seems to be 
known as Jungle Coffee in Ootacamund, and the fruits, 
which in shape and size are like a coffee berry, con- 
tains a number of small seeds, which upon roasting 
develop a strong aroma like coffee, and when ground 
can scarcely be distinguished from genuine coffee. 
Samples of fruits end the prepared coffee are shown 
iu the Kew Museum. — John E. Jackson, Museum, 
Kew. — Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
Our Labour Supply, — We confess to greater 
anxiety than wa felt at the opening of ihe year 
as to a suliiaient supply of labour for our growing 
tea industry. The news of distress in Southern 
India made us then feel sure that Ceylon would 
ba favoured with a large influx of coolies and 
that the usual flow back would be very much 
diminished. But the very latest return, that up to 
the end ot February last, shows no fewer than 10,007 
departures against only 6 545 arrivals, and from 
different planting districts come complaints of 
“ crimping,” unsettlement of Kanganies, &e., sura 
signs of labour being in keen request. One ex- 
planation given of coolies not coming to Ceylon so 
freely as was expected is that they are now leav- 
ing Southern India for other countries — Burma, 
The Straits, West Indies &c. — far more freely than 
they used to do. This is a point on which the 
Planters’ Association might well make enquiry. 
Tea Transport and Final Tea Preparation 
NEAB Colombo.— Our planting “ Visitor” propounded 
an idea in his letter [see page 725] which is enough 
to frighten Mr. Pearce out of his propriety,— to 
make 
— each particular hair to stand on end, 
Like quills upon tho fretful porcupine ! 
It is nothing less than that the carriage by rail up- 
country of tea-boxes, hoop-iron, lead lining, and all 
the etceteras, including a great deal of machinery, 
should be dispensed with 1 [What would become of 
the railway revenue then ?] And that tea in a semi- 
prepared state should be forwarded in air-tight 
bags to the vicinity of Colombo— some of our 
stores, at any rate, are supposed to be too much 
under the influence of sea air — and there 
finally prepared with a refiring and then packed 
in thd boxes for despatch to England. Thousands 
of men, women and children in the Colombo 
district, would rejoice in the revival of a Prepar- 
ing and Packing Industry of this kind, and the 
division of labour might no doubt, be a great 
relief to harassed estate managers upcountry, 
especially at a time when labour is by no means 
too plentiful. But we much fear the realization 
of “■ Visitor’s ” thought, is still far off. An experi- 
ment to some extent in sending down tea leaf by 
rail to a Colombo store has been tried, but with 
results not encouraging to any extension ot the 
business. The case might be different with par- 
tially prepared tea in air-tight bags, and at any 
rate there can be no harm in making a trial, 
rnaUjrC the General Manager 1 
