Dec  2,  1896.] 
THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIS  T. 
399 
THE  NEW  DlMliULA  COJIl’ANY 
lias  declared  a dividend  of  Id  per  cent  per  annum 
on  the  A and  If  shares,  and  of  14  iier  cent  per 
annnni  on  the  C shares  for  the  year  ended 
June  3<h 
WILD  IIICE. 
At  the  reciuest  of  Dr.  G.  Watt,  c.i.E.,  Reporter 
on  Economic  Products  to  the  Government  of 
India,  the  Board  of  Revenue  has  asked  all  Col- 
lectors and  otlicers  in  charge  of  Settlement  Parties 
in  Godavari,  Kistna  and  Malabar,  the  Deimty 
Director  of  Agriculture,  the  Honorary  Secretiry, 
Madras  Agri  Horticultural  Society  ; the  Superiii- 
tenilent.  Government  Central  Museum  ; and 
the  Principal  of  the  College  ot  Agriculture 
to  favour  the  Board  with  any  information  they 
can  allbrd  as  to  the  existence  or  otherwise 
of  the  Unjza  Cuarctata  in  the  Madras  Presidency. 
The  attention  of  Dr.  Watt  was  first  called  as 
regards  this  grain  by  the  Director-General  of 
Statistics,  Mr.  J.  E.  O’Conor,  who  asked  for  the 
former’s  opinion  as  to  certain  grains  sold  in 
Karachi,  the  exact  posiiion  of  which  in  the  classi- 
iieation  in  trade  returns  seemed  doubtful.  As 
this  appeared  to  be  an  entirely  new  article  of 
human  food  unknown  in  the  series  hitherto 
examined  and  reported  on  by  Dr.  Watt,  he 
obtained  a specimen  of  the  plant  from  the  Collec- 
tor of  Customs,  Karachi,  and  it  was  found  to  ha 
a species  of  Ovjjza  (rice)  not  hitherto  known  to  be 
eaten,  and  the  botany  of  which  even,  until  very 
recently,  was  involved  in  the  greatest  obscurity. 
The  plant  obtained  by  Dr.  Watt  Avas  deter- 
mine<l  to  be  the  Oryza  Coarctnta  of 
Roxburgh  (wild  rice),  a remarkably  interest- 
ing species,  originally  discovered  by  Dr.  Buciianan 
Hamilton  in  1790,  ami  suppo.sed  hy  him  to  be  con- 
lined  to  the  estuary  of  the  Ganges.  This  plant 
Avas  subse([uently  described  hy  Griflilh  as  Uryza 
rUicoUlcs,  the  wild  grass,  and,  according  to 
Roxburgli,  the  grain  was  never  collected  as  an 
article  of  fooil.  The  specimen  obtained  Irom 
Karachi  is  know  n in  the  bazaars  as  iYunof,  ai  d is 
stated  to  occur  in  the  valley  of  Indus  in  the 
Karachi  Collectorate  of  .Sind,  aim  is  collected  in 
the  months  of  July  and  A u .just.  The  grass 
, (Sithangah)  producing  the  grain  grows  among 
other  kinds  of  grass  on  the  marshy  grounds 
on  the  hanks  of  the  Indus  which  are  constantly 
washed  by  sweet  and  salt  water  at  ebb  ami 
How  tides,  respectively.  It  is  gathered  by  the 
poorer  clas.ses  for  their  own  consumption,  but  is 
.sometimes  exchanged  for  equivalent  value  in  one 
and  other  articles  ottered  by  iietty  traders  going 
round  the  creeks;  and  two  or  three  maundsof 
it  are  thus  brought  every  season  to  Keti-Bander 
and  a small  quantity  exported  to  Karachi. 
The  Collector  of  Customs,  Karachi,  states  that  a 
noticeable  feature  about  the  gathering  of  the 
grass  is  the  vast  amount  of  labour  and  trouble 
involved,  as  it  is  estimated  that  a man  engaged 
the  whole  day  cannot  collect  more  than  four  seers. 
The  plant  is  described  as  4 to  6 feet  in  height,  the 
upright  stems  rising  from  a stout  creeiiing 
rhizome.  The  grains  do  not  spread  out  on  ripen- 
ing, but  are  closely  compressed  into  a long  erect 
spike.  Dr.  W’att  now  asks  for  any  information 
as  to  the  existence  of  this  plant  in  any  other 
localities  besides  the  estuaries  of  the  Ganges 
and  the  Indus,  as  it  Avould  go  a long  Avay  to 
confirm  its  being  regarded  as  truly  indigenous. 
He  remarks  that  the  obscurity  in  which  the  his- 
tory of  most  of  India’s  cultivated  plants  is  in- 
volved, is  intimately  associated  with  the  rise  and 
diversity  of  the  human  family.  He  says  that  this 
curious  rice  is  not  at  all  unlike  Trilicicm  (Avheat), 
and  the  resemblance  accordingly  at  once  suggests 
the  possibility  of  its  having  been  the  Avild  grain  seen 
by  Aiistobulus  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus  Avhich  he 
siioke  of  as  being  very  similar  to  wheat  ; so  that  if 
that  suggestion  be  correct,  Ave  have  an  inter- 
val of  2,000  years  between  the  tAvo  recorded 
observations  of  rhe  existence  of  this  edible  grain. 
The  enquiry,  therefore,  has  a Avide  significance, 
and  will  richly  rejiay  whatever  attention  may  be 
sparetl  to  it.  Dr.  Watt  adds  that  Mr.  J.  E.  Duthie 
has  collected  Orijza  Coarctata  at  yiiikaiquir  about 
200  feet  above  the  level  ot  tidal  influence  ; and 
this  tact  suggests  the  question  Avhether  it  is  cul- 
tivated in  that  locality  or  Avhether  the  jiresence  of 
salt  in  the  soil  alloAvs  of  its  existence  in  regions 
now  remote  from  the  direct  influence  of  the  sea. 
If  that  be  so,  then  emiuiry  is  not  to  be  confined  to 
the  actual  estuaries  of  the  great  rivers  such  as  the 
Nerbudda,  Tapti,  Colerooin  Bal.ar,  Kistna,  Goda- 
vari, Mahanadi,  &c.,  but  may  be  CAtended  to  all 
salt-impregnated  soils  and  margins  of  brine  lakes 
and  marshes. — Madras  Times,  Oct.  29. 
PLANTING  NOTES  FROM  HAPUTALE. 
rHE  AAMTVTJtElt.  Nov,  2. 
Sunny  m .rnings  and  rainy  afternooms,  and 
evenings  also,  aie  our  iiresent  experiences. 
A whole  month  has  jiasscd  away,  amt  we  have 
had  only  two  days,  in  Avhich  rain  did  not  fall 
in  this  rlistrict,  and  at  times  we  have  been 
under  heavy  dowiqiours.  During  the  Avhole  of 
last  month  we  have  had  hardly  a puff  of  wind, 
either  from  the  south-west  or  north-east.  It 
has  been  a great  calm  with  us,  such  as  you 
get  in  the  Norse  lalitudesd — rizzling  rain  and 
an  entire  absence  of  Avind.  The  mountains  of 
Ceylon  supply  the  lowlying  ii\ers  of  Ceylon 
Avith  abundant  water,  and  these  mighty  rivers 
Avhen  fully  repleuisheil  serve  to  irrigate  ex- 
tensive areas  of  lowlying  paddy  lands.  These 
abundant  rains  falling  on  our  hills  are  not 
lost  : they  are  most  precious,  tor  they  give  the 
Sinhalese  goyiya  his  daily  bread,  and  witiiout 
the  mountain  zone,  Ceylon  woul  1 be  poor  indeed. 
l.ANI)  F()li  PLANTING. 
Some  Aveeks  ago,  in  a letter  Avhich  appeared 
in  the  OOsover,  Sir  G.  E.  stated  that  tea  estates 
at  a medium  elevation  in  Ceylon  do  not  yield 
high  quality  teas,  nor  can  they  compete  Avith 
the  loAv  estate  hardly  above  sea-leA’ci.  This 
may  be  the  case,  but  take  courage  ye  OAvners 
of  medium-lying  tea  estates  : your  jiroperties 
may  be  nigh  a rail  Av ay  and  have  a gooil  cart  road 
to  them,  and  manures  can  be  clieaply  applied 
to  the  tea  bushes,  and  the  crops  of  your  totums 
greatly  augmented.  J read  in  Observer  that  there 
are  no  high-lying  forestlands  left  for  .sale  in  our 
mountain  zone.  Lots  of  virgin  forest  around 
Trincomalce  and  in  other  places  are  available  • 
hut  the  (juestion  seems  to  me  to  be  just  this  • 
Do  you  Avish  to  groAv  more  tea  in  Ceylon  of  an 
inferior  grade  or  not  ? 
LONDON  CO.VIPANIE.S. 
The  year  almut  to  close  is  memorable  in 
planting  annals.  The  resident  proprietors  of  tea 
estates  of  Ceylon  Avill  soon  have  left  us.  Conn 
panies— large  London  Tea  Companies— have'already 
absorbed  most  of  the  tea  totums  of  our  island  • 
and  these  London  Tea  Companies  Avill  hencciortiiOe 
the  real  rulers  of  the  tea  enterprise  ot  Ceylon 
What  will  they  do  with  it,  or  for  it?  Will 
they  look  favourably  on  the  Planters’  Associations 
in  Ceylon,  Parentand  District  Associations,  or  try  to 
administer  their  legitimate  influence  in  this  island? 
M’il!  they  support  the  Volunteer  enterprise  ainon*' 
