FtiB.  I,  i8g6.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
5^7 
stances  on  the  sea-shoie  near  Eulfar  in  the  Surat 
District. 
J'iiforts  liave  been  made  to  establish  the  Cusuariita 
equLsili/o/ia  on  the  sea-shoje  at  this  spot  for  some 
time  past,  and  last  year  I managed  to  raise  at  least 
25,000  transplants  at  a nursery  established  for  the 
purpose  ill  the  vicinity.  Unfortunately,  just  about 
the  time  when  the  final  planting  operations  were  to 
take  place  I was  transferred  to  another  Division. 
But  neverthe'ess,  I gained  sufficient  experience  from 
the  existing  plants  to  justify  tlie  presumption  that 
without  some  special  method  of  treatment  it  won  d 
be  impossible  to  rear  the  plant  successfully.  Whi'e 
trees  at  a distance  of  half  a mile  inland  on  private 
property  were  doing  well,  those  on  the  sea-shore 
Itself  wore  stunted  and  unhealthy  even  when  fairly 
well  sheltered  from  the  strong  sei  breeze.  I came 
to  precisely  the  same  conclusion  as  to  the  cause  of 
this  as  did  Mr.  Moir  in  the  case  of  the  pines  on 
the  coast  of  France ; but  whereas  ho  seems  to  ex- 
press some  doubt,  there  is  no  occasion  to  entertain 
any,  so  far  as  the  Casuarina  are  concerned.  The 
sand  deposit  on  the  minute  needl. s and  on  the  bark 
and  twigs  was  easily  perceptible  to  the  naked  eye, 
and  could  be  rubbed  olf  with  the  finger.  Under  a 
powerful  magnifying  glass  the  appearance  of  the 
deposit  was  appalling  and  quite  sufficient  to  suspend 
the  physiological  functions  of  any  plant.  These 
microscopic  particles  of  sand,  moreover,  appear  to 
travel  with  considerable  force,  penetrating  the  cortical 
depressions  and  irregularities  and  filling  up  the 
stomata  of  the  leaf  system.  The  dunes  I refer  to 
are  partially  covered  by  that  valuable  creeper  the 
I[)OiiM'a  hiloba,  and  in  treating  the  Casuarina  for 
tliis  evil  two  c nrrses  seem  to  be  open  to  us — (1)  to 
greatly  add  to  the  quantity  of  this  or  any  other 
creeper,  a grass  that  may  be  induced  to  grow, 
thereby  reducing  the  surface  area  of  sand  exposed 
to  the  wind,  and  (2)  to  occasionally  wipe  or  syringe 
the  plants  free  of  the  deposit  that  forms  on  them. 
The  second  course  might,  at  first  sight,  strike  one 
as  being  impracticable,  but  as  the  formation  of  this 
deposit  is  very  gradual  plants  need  not  be  sub- 
jected to  such  treatment  very  often.  I cannot  help 
wondering  how  the  Madras  Officers  have  got  over 
this  difficulty,  for  surely  they  cannot  have  been  free 
of  it,  and  I think  it  would  be  of  considerable  interest 
if  one  of  them  were  to  give  irs  his  experience  in  the 
Indian  J' orcaler. — W.  A.  Wallinger,  Godhra,  Panch- 
mahals. — Indian 
CLIMATIC  INFLUENCE  OF  FORESTS. 
This  influence,  says  M.  Charles  Marsillon,  in  Cosmos 
(August  10)  has  long  been  recognized,  but  has  been 
studied  scientifically  only  since  18(57.  The  results  of 
this  study  show  that  the  mean  temperature  of  wooded 
regions  is  slightly  less  than  that  of  open  country, 
the  difference  being  about  one  degree  F'ahrenheit 
near  the  ground  and  a little  less  at  the  tops  of  the 
trees.  In  general,  it  is  cooler  by  day  and  warmer 
by  night  in  the  woods  than  in  the  open  country. 
Thus  forests  are  regulators  of  temperature,  and  have 
an  important  influence  on  the  climate,  and  hence  on 
the  agriculture,  of  neighbouring  regions. 
The  soil  of  forests  also  is  slightly  cooler  than  that 
of  the  open  regions— a fact  especially  advantageous 
to  agriculture  in  warm  climates.  In  Wurtemberg 
the  difference  of  maximum  temperature  between 
forest  soil  and  that  of  the  open  country  has  reached 
8 centigrade.  The  mean  annual  humidity  of  forest 
air  exceeds  by  84  percent  that  of  the  open  country. 
This  excess  is  in  some  cases  as  high  as  14  per  cent. 
Besides,  the  temperature  of  the  tree  themselves  is 
lower  than  that  of  the  surrounding  air,  whence  that 
air,  coming  in  contact  with  the  trees,  has  its  temper- 
ature lowered  to  a point  nearer  to  saturation.  If 
the  air  of  the  open  country,  already  saturated  with 
moisture,  blows  through  the  trees,  and  is  thereby 
lowered  in  temperature,  its  moisture  will,  of  course, 
condense  and  fall  as  rain;  thus  a wood  may  act  as 
a veritable  rainmaker.  It  is  in  fact  generally  re- 
cognized that  rain  is  more  frequent  in  the  vicinity 
of  vast  forest  regions  than  elsewhere.  In  parts  of 
the  steppes  of  Russia  where  trees  have  been  planted 
and  forests  have  grown  up  in  the  past  fiftv  years 
mi* notably  increased.  Forests  ulso  prevent  floods, 
ihe  forest  soil  is  soft  and  spongy,  retaining  the  rain- 
water  and  letting  it  out  slowfy  into  the  streams. 
**  * ^ sponge,  together  with  greater, 
mm-o  f make  destructive  torrents  much 
PW.  f t‘^**®**‘  'hooded  regions. 
wn  rnf  Lnnf®- hygienic  influence.  In 
waim  countries,  when  a forest  is  cleared  awav,  fever 
d rSs“trips  appearance,  while  if  in  insalubrious 
^pelrs  ThL  r fluantity,  sickness  dis- 
appeaib.  Inus  the  Bomaii  campagua  and  the  Tnacan 
marshes,  where  luxuriant  forests  are  now  growing, 
Vno®the.  T the“'.  traditional  unhealtlffulnesf ! 
Hip  W fl  hygienic  factor  of  the  forest  is 
tlie  fact  that  ozone  exists  in  unusually  large  quantities 
in  their  neighbourhood.  This  fact,  lately  established 
by  Fern  ow  has  been  held  by  him  to  show  that  a 
foiest  constitutes  an  important  barrier  against  the 
approach  of  epidemics  and  infectious  diseases.— 
Indian  Ayncidturitst^ 
COFFEE  : ITS  POSITION  AND  PROSPECTS. 
By  J.  Buchanan  Esq.,  c.m.g. 
How  great  is  the  satisfaction  of  being  able  to  sit 
down  pen  in  hand  and  chronicle  the  march  of  pro 
gress  in  Nyasaland.  Twenty  years  in  the  world's 
history  is  but  a moment,  and  yet  how  much  men 
may  accomplish  by  steady  perse*'erance  and  a deter- 
mination to  leave  the  world  better  than  they  found 
It  even  in  so  short  a time.  ^ 
The  discoveries  of  the  immortal  Livingstone  in 
Ccntial  Afiica  roused  the  civilised  world  to  a sense 
of  dut>,  and  the  great  man’s  death  liV  the  shores 
of  Langweolo  caused  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  his 
countrymen  to  throb  with  a desire  to  do  somethi  n 
111  answer  to  his  prayer,  “to  heal  the  open  sore  fo 
the  world,  the  result  by  practical  form  in  1875, 
a handful  of  Missionaries  take  their  lives  in  their 
hand  and  enter  the  Dark  Continent.  A year  later 
olio  w more  Missionaries,  the  Merchant,  the  Plantei 
the  man  of  Literature  and  of  Art  lanier. 
Great  are  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  ; dogeed ' 
perseverance  and  Britisli  pluck  soon  tell.  A focfifim 
IS  obtained  on  the  shoies  of  Nvasa  'iml  lofp. 
Shire  Highlands  are  taken  possession  of  From  a 
commercial  point  of  view  one  could  not  easil?  see 
great  prospects  of  immediate  trade,  but  there  W 
the  ccu  itry  in  its  length  and  breadth,  its  Mis  and 
vallejb,  mountains  and  lakes,  and  the  eye  of  the 
planter  was  keen  to  perceive  a land  full  of  promisp 
possessing:  great  capabilities,  ready  to  respond  to  the 
cultivator  s magic  wand,  and  to  reward  the  husband 
man  with  fruits  rare  and  precious  Year«  noto 
experiments  of  all  kinds  Je  ivie7 
panics  enter  upon  the  field.  There 
rumours  of  war;  na  ions  vie  with  each  other  in  thffir 
i;r,7of  “ 
Her  Majesty's  subjects  had  the  satisfactioii'ofTeffin^ 
Nyasaland  placed  under  British  protection  ^ 
previous  to  this  coffee  had  been  c^ultivated  at 
and  Zoinba,  and  the  Messrs  Bi™n  u,  v'^^^tyre 
staked  th.it  little  alUt.  it,  wl,il.”,‘“rk7'“b?M 
to  whom  Nyasaland  would  finally  bcloim  m 
were  the  forebodings  they  with  others  shi,- 
with  the  declaration  of  a British  ITotppi^'*' 
cultios  disappeared,  and  from  Thar^w  Vh'f " 
industry  has  gone  forward  with  leafis  aifd  boundf'' 
It  IS  not  the  writer  s mtentioii  at  nresenf Tp  ” 1 
upon  a detailed  account  of  the  coffee  i^dusti-r  of 
the  country  nor  to  write  the  history  of  nv?  ^ 
made.  A medium  is  now  being  offered  for  the^Trle 
primarily  conemn 
discussion  of  matters 
planters,  and  it  behoves  all  interested*ili  m 
freely  avail  themselves  of  this  mea„s 
and  disseminating  information  re^^ardiiip-  tli„  • 
wdiich  of  all  others  is  likely  to  1 
of  Central  Africa  ' ‘ -^ahation 
The  kindly  interest  taken  in  Nyasaland  Irv  pp  , 
in  almost  every  part  of  the  world  demands^thaf  H ** 
true  position  of  the  coffee  industry  and 
