7o6 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRlCUL^I'URIST. 
(April  i,  1896. 
the  broad  alluvial  flats  which  stretch,  roughly  speak- 
i'iS>  from  the  Langat  River  at  Rekoh  to  the  Liangat 
Road  at  Klang,  and  merge  into  the  coffee  reserve 
iu  Klaug  district.  When  it  is  once  thoroughly  drained 
aud  roaded,  it  should  include  an  . abundance  of  ex- 
cellent coffee  land  from  which  selections  could  be 
made  by  intending  planters,  and  it  would  there- 
fore prove  of  no  small  advantage  if  a continuous 
coffee  reserve,  running  through  the  two  districts, 
could  be  proclaimed  by  the  Government. — S.  F.  I'ress, 
March  16th. 
PLANTS  THAT  GIVE  LIGHT. 
One  of  the  early  naturalists.  Mine.  Merian,  I think, 
describes  an  extraordinary  spectacle  which  she  ob- 
served in  Asia.  Her  party  was  moving  through  a 
forest  at  night,  when,  without  warning,  a large  light 
appeared.  At  first  dim,  it  increased  in  size,  grow- 
iug  larger  and  larger  until  finally  a tree  was  outlined 
in  a soft  pulsating  light.  The  natives  were  demo- 
ralized, and  refused  to  approach  it,  saying  it  was 
the  sacred  tree  of  fire.  But  the  naturalist  had  little 
faith  in  trees  of  fire  and  investigated  it,  finding  that 
the  light  was  due  to  certain  insects,  which,  by  the 
way,  has  never  been  observed  since.  That  a tree 
or  plant  could  give  light  was  deemed  a figure  of 
the  imagination,  yet  today  it  is  known  that  light- 
giving plants  are  not  uncommon,  and  among  the  most 
striking  and  remarkable  of  natural  phenomena.  Once 
in  returning  from  a day’s  hunt  through  a deep  forest 
in  the  heart  of  the  Adirondack  region  I stumbled 
against  a dead  limb  of  a tree,  when,  to  my  amaze- 
ment, 1 was  at  once  surrounded  by  a silvery  light 
that  flew  in  all  directions,  like  darts  and  arrows  of 
fire,  each  piece  burning  where  it  lay.  This  was  an 
unusually  brilliant  display  of  the  best  known  of 
luminous  plants,  the  “fox  fire,”  or  “witches’  glow” 
of  childhood  days. 
To  the  layman  it  is  often  mysterious,  as  investi- 
gation shows  nothing  but  the  decayed  wood,  and 
sometimes  a soft  pulpy  mass.  The  botanist  will  soon 
point  out  the  light  giver  in  the  mycelium  of  some 
fungus  that  has  permeated  the  old  branch  and  fairly 
taken  possession  of  it,  converting  it  into  a glorious 
spectacle  when  disturbed.  The  vividness  of  the  light 
may  be  estimated  when  it  is  known  that  print  can 
often  be  read  by  it,  and  the  light  of  some  has  been 
known  to  penetrate  through  several  thickness  of 
paper.  Singular  to  say,  the  smallest  plant  is  often 
the  means  of  producing  the  greatest  luminous  effects. 
This  is  the  diatom,  which  the  naturalist  of  the 
Challenger  found  floating  iu  the  ocean  in  vast  numbers, 
and  as  the  nucleus  of  the  diatom  is  often  brilliantly 
phosphorescent  some  of  the  most  remarkable  displays 
of  light  observed  by  the  naturalists  were  occasioned  by 
these  little  plants.  But  what  shall  we  say  to  a sight  ob- 
served by  a Norwegian  bark  in  the  Bay  of  Funchal?  The 
waters  here  are  fairly  alive  with  these  little  luminous 
plants  the  year  round,  and  on  the  occasion  referred 
to  a waterspout  formed  among  them.  During  th« 
day  it  would  have  attracted  little  attention,  as  the 
phenomenon  is  a common  one,  but  the  crew  of  the 
ship  were  suddenly  confronted  at  night  by  a literal 
pillar  of  fire  or  light  that  extended  upward  to  a dis- 
tance seemingly  of  one  thousand  feet  and  moved 
along  with  a decided  bend.  It  emitted  a pale  yellow 
light  that  stood  out  in  strong  relief  against  the  black 
night,  a weird  aud  formidable  spectacle,  rushing  on 
before  the  wind. 
An  English  naturalist,  wishing  to  astonish  some 
natives  in  a wild  part  of  Asia  in  which  he  was 
travelling  and  impress  them  with  his  supernatural 
powers,  secured  a certain  vine  known  as  Euphorbia 
phosphorea,  and,  rubbing  it  upon  a big  rock, 
caused  the  latter  to  gleam  with  flame  aud  present 
so  remarkable  a spectacle  that  the  natives  ran,  be- 
lieving that  he  had  set  the  rock  afire  by  simply 
touching  it.  The  naturalist  was  aware  that  the 
milky  juice  of  this  plant,  that  resembled  the  dan- 
delion, was  brilliantly  phosphorescent.  In  the  llarz 
Mountains  there  has  been  for  ages  a cave  known  as 
the  haunted  cavern.  An  Englishman,  travelling  in 
the  vicinity  and  hearing  of  it,  determined  to  in- 
vestigate the  mystery.  After  a long  climb  be  reached 
the  cave.  N'c  eocner  did  complete  darkness  set  in 
than  the  phantom  of  the  cave  appeared — a remark- 
able semblance  to  a human  form,  with  arms  out- 
spread, outlined  against  the  gloom.  Making  his  way 
to  the  figure  that  had  alarmed  so  many  wayfarers 
he  found  that  it  was  a jilant  that  grew  upon  the 
wall.  It  was  the  w'ell-known  phosphorescent  fungus, 
Rhizomospha  subterranea,  frequently  found  in  caves 
and  familiar  to  miners.  Its  light  is  often  so  vivid 
that  people  have  read  by  it. 
These  curious  lights, are  not  found  in  the  tropics  alone. 
Some  years  ago  Mr.  Morrill,  editor  of  the  Gardiner  (Me.) 
•Journal,  wrote  me  that  he  had  observed  a brilliant 
steady  light  in  his  garden  at  times,  totally  unaccounted 
for  by  mechanical  contrivance,  and  which  upon  investi- 
gation, proved  to  be  the  phosphorescent  light  emitted 
by  the  young  of  plant  Tainus  Sydticus.  Perhaps  tbe 
most  startling  exhibition  was  observed  several  years 
ago  by  an  English  traveller  in  Borneo.  Belated,  he 
was  overtaken  by  night,  and  there  being  no  moon,  he 
was  fearful  of  loosing  his  way,  when  as  the  darkness 
came  on,  singular  lights  appeared  here  and  there  in 
the  bushes  and  by  the  roadside.  Some  were  yellow;  others 
burned,  or  seemed  to,  with  a bright  greenish  hue.  As 
it  grew  darker,  the  blaze  of  light  increased,  and  fin- 
ally the  traveller  was  amazed  to  find  that  he  was 
passing  through  lines  of  luminious  bush  which  emitted 
light  so  wondrously  brilliant  that  he  could  read  his 
newspaper  by  it  with  perfect  ease.  The  principle  light- 
giving plant,  mechanical  in  its  growth  rather  than 
botanic,  is  the  electric  light  plant,  thousands  of  which 
are  scattered  through  the  country^  The  fruit  of  the 
electric  light  plant  are  commonly  known  as  electric 
currents. — American  tfrocer,  Feb.  12. 
♦ 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
A Sylhet  Tea  Planter.  -Mr.  A.  G.  Mc- 
Meekin,  a young  American,  who  has  come  out 
to  the  East  to  plant  tea  in  Sylhet,  has  been  recent- 
ly on  a visit  to  the  island.  His  home  is  at  Schenec- 
tady, New  York,  in  which  city  he  lias  been  for 
some  time  following  the  calling  of  an  Electrical 
Engineer,  and  holding  the  post  of  Assistant  Pro- 
duction Manager  in  the  General  Electric  Com])any 
(Edison’s  own  Comjiany).  Mr.  McMeekin’s  father 
lias,  however,  been  a resident  in  India  for  the 
past  35  years,  and  his  son  has  now  determined 
to  come  out  and  join  him.  Mr.  McMeekin,  senior, 
was  one  of  the  jiioneers  of  the  Indian  tea-plant- 
ing industry,  and  now  has  valuable  tea  property 
of  his  own  in  Sylhet,  whither  Mr.  Mc.Meekin, 
junior,  proceeded  by  a Clan  steamer. 
The  Working  ok  hie  Government  Dairy 
AT  Poona,  says  the  Indian  Agriculturist,  was 
not  so  profitable  in  1894-95  as  in  the  jireviqus 
year,  owing  to  an  outbreak  of  rinderjiest  which 
resulted  in  the  death  of  34  head  of  cattle.  The 
disea^’e  first  broke  out  in  unwe.aned  calves  which 
had  necessarily  to  be  separated  from  their  dams. 
The  material  instinct  of  Indian  cattle  being  very 
strong,  this  separation  resulted  in  a diminished 
yield  of  milk  to  an  c.xtcnt  of  3(5  iier  cent  within 
a week.  Pliis  fall  represented  a daily  loss  of 
Ills.  The  signilicent  facts  about  tbe  disease  are 
that  indigenous  breeds  escajied  contagion  to  a far 
greater  extent  than  exotic  breeds,  that,  young 
buffalo  and  cow  calves  died  very  ([uickly,  and 
that  cows  adianced  in  pregnancy  were  hopele-ss 
cases.  The  most  effective  medicine  was  carbolic 
acid  given  in  gruel  consisting  of  linseed  boiled 
w'ith  rice,  fresh  separated  milk,  and  water.  The 
city  of  Bombay,  which  set  the  example  to  other 
cities  in  the  matter  of  introducing  improved  dairy 
machinery,  has  naturally  become  the  great  centre 
of  butter-making  for  India  and  also  for  exjiort. 
About  three  lakli.s  of  rupees  worth  of  dairy  ap- 
])aratus  have  been  sold,  and  so  far  the  jirogress 
made  by  the  new  industry  is  extremely  satis- 
factory ; but  the  industry  is  likely  to  suffer  greatly 
unless  those  employed  in  it  mend  their  ways  in 
the  matter  of  cdeanliness. 
