Ian.  I,  1R97.] 
445 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
BO  called,  should  touch  anything  that  does  not 
belong  to  the  category  of  “ Ak.iaralavana”  a tech- 
nical phrase,  literally  meaning  ‘ iion-alkaline  salt, 
but  including  in  that  term  the  following  articles  of 
food  (1)  cow’s  milk;  (2)  clarified  butter  from  cows 
milk;  {?,)  paddy  (rice);  (4)  munga,  a pulse  (Phase.o- 
lus  Mun;o);  (5)  til  seeds  (Sesamum  oiientalo) ; (b) 
barley ; (7)  sea-salt  and  salt  from  the  Sindh.  A. 
longer  list,  however,  technieally  called  Habisycinna, 
contains  the  following; — 
1.  Paddy  (Rice)  which  has  ripened  in  the  cold 
season  and  which  has  grey  husk,  I'ice  made  from 
such  paddy  without  boiling  it  for  unhusking. 
2.  Munga  (Phaseolus  Mungo). 
3.  Til  seed  (Sessamum  orientals). 
4.  Barley. 
5.  Ivalai,  pulses  of  the  Phaeolus  order. 
6'  Kangu,  Panicum  italicum,  the  Kauk  of  the 
N.  \V.  P.,  Kanknidana  of  Bengal. 
7.  Vastuka,  the  Betuasag  of  the  B.ngalis  (Ghe- 
nopodium  album). 
8.  Hilamocika,  an  aquatic  weed  (Enhydra  Bing- 
cha,  D.C). 
9.  Kala.  The  kariin  or  karm  sag  of  the  Thibe- 
tans and  the  Punjabis.  A wild  form  of  Cabbage 
or  Colewort,  much  cultivated  all  the  year  round  as 
a pot  herb.  (Brassica  sylvestris '?)  In  Bengal,  how- 
ever, the  kideJcada,  a variety  of  Gapparis  brevispiua 
is  considered  the  same  as  the  kahi  salca  of  the"Gastras. 
This  letter  weed  grow,  after  the  rains,  in  dried 
paddy  fields,  and  is  much  sought  after  as  a tonic 
and  health-giving  pot-herb. 
10.  Mulaka. 
11.  Panasa. 
12.  Amra. 
13.  liaritaki. 
14.  Tintidi. 
15.  Jiraka. 
16.  Nagaranga. 
17.  Pippali. 
18.  Kadali. 
19.  Labani. 
20.  Dhatri. 
21.  Kemuka. 
The  radish. 
The  Jakfruit. 
The  mango. 
The  Terminalia  Chebula. 
Tamarind. 
Cumin  seed. 
The  orange. 
Piper  longum. 
The  plantain. 
The  nona  of  Bengal.  Anona  reti- 
[culata. 
Emblica  officinalis,  Gaert. 
The  Kaun  of  the  Bengali  Kavi- 
[rajas 
With  potato  ends  the  unarmed  section  of  Rox- 
burgh Solanums.  The  foremost  amongst  the  armed 
Solanums  of  Roxburgh  is  his 
7.  S.  Melongeua  Wild,  in  which  may  be  included 
his  — 
8.  S.  longum  Roxb.  This  is  the  w'ell-know'n 
Begun  of  the  Bengalis,  the  egg-plant.  It  has  been 
diversely  named  and  variously  divided  into  sub- 
species and  varieties. 
A.  Solanum  ovigerum.  Dun. 
S.  pseudo-undatum.  Be. 
S.  esculentum.  Dun. 
S.  insanum,  L. 
B.  S.  Melongena  spontaneum. 
S.  incanum,  L. 
S.  undatum,  Lam. 
S.  zeylanicom.  Scop. 
Dr.  Watt,  in  this  Dictionary  of  Economic  Products 
of  India,  gives  the  following  synonyms  in  addition 
to  those  mentioned  before: — 
S.  trongum,  Lam  , 
S.  ferox,  Var.  B.  Kurz., 
S.  torvum,  var.  Inerme,  Dalz  and  Gibs., 
which  brings  7, 8,  and  9 under  one  genera!  species.  The 
uses  of  Brinjal  as  a vegetable  is  too  well-known  to 
be  repeated  here.  One  thing,  however,  should  be 
noticed  that  almost  all  the  species  of  the  Solanace® 
are  considered  by  the  Indian  Kavinijas  as  inci'easiug 
the  wind-temperament.  But  the  fruit  of  the  Brinjal, 
if  cooked  when  tender,  i.e,  when  the  seeds  are  net 
sufficiently  developed,  is  considered  the  best  food 
for  one  with  disordered  liver.  It  regulates  the  action 
of  the  liver,  which  influence  ir  perceptible  within 
twenty-four  hours. 
10.  Solanum  .2Ethiopicum,  Wild,  same  as  Lycoper- 
sicum  tuberosum.  Mill.  This  is  not  of  much  economic 
value. 
11.  and  12.  Solanum  diffusum  is  perhaps  the  same  as 
S.  incanum,  Ghienense  of  Pluck.  This  is,  no  doubt, 
the  same  as  S.  Jacq  ini,  Willd,  and  the  two  varieties 
a with  larger  fruit  and  B with  smaller  fruit  are 
the  two  varieties  noticed  by  Roxburgh.  He  says 
under  S.  diffusum  “ there  is  another  sort  so  exceed- 
ingly like  this  in  every  respect, that  it  was  long 
before  I discovered  they  were  distinct.  The  chief 
distinguishing  marks  are  the  leaves  in  this  are 
longer  and  more  or  less  deeply  lobated and 
the  prickles  much  more  numerous,  longer  and  sharper, 
all  perfectly  straight.”  , , ^ 
This  is  the  Kantikari  of  the  Bengalis  and  the 
Sarpatanoo  of  the  Sanskrit  authors,  otherwise  known 
as  Gadhini. 
The  fruits  are  much  esteemed  by  the  people,  and 
are  eaten  freely  in  their  curries,  for  which  the 
plant  is  cultivated  in  some  parts  of  India.  As  to 
its  officinal  properties,  there  is  no  place  for  them. 
The  S.  diffusum,  Roxb.  (11)  and  S.  Jacquini  (12) 
therefore  may'  be  made  into  one  species,  S.  diffusum. 
13.  Solanum  indicum,  L.  This  is  the  / i/akuda. 
of  the  native  physicians,  the  Vrkati  of  the  Gastraa, 
It  is  the  same  as  : — 
S.  violaceum,  Jacq. 
S.  canescens,  Bl. 
S.  cuneatum,  Moench. 
S.  Heynii,  Roem. 
S.  pinnati  fidum  and  agreste,  Roth. 
It  lias  been  wu’ongly  identified  by  some  authors 
with  the  Gudakamui  of  the  Bengalis.  The  Oudaka- 
inai,  however,  is  S.  nigrum,  as  stated  under  that 
species. 
The  fruits  are  used  in  curries,  and  it  must  have 
been  known  to  the  Sanskrit  authors  as  early  as  the 
Brinjal,  for  under  the  list  of  foods  prohibited  of 
particular  lunations  both  this  and  the  Brinjal 
occur. — Journal  of  the  Agri-Horticidtural  Society  of 
India. 
( To  be  concluded.) 
• 
TEA  PLANTING  THIRTY-FIVE 
YEARS  AGO. 
[By  an  Old  Planter.] 
Much  has  been  written  about  the  first  efforts  to 
establish  the  tea  industry  in  India,  but  chiefly  in 
official  papers  and  in  language  too  technical  to  excite 
more  than  a passing  interest,  and  as  most  of  the 
earlier  pioneers  have  died  out  or  retired,  upon  what 
not  a few  dividendless  shareholders  are  wont  to 
stigmatise  as  tlieir  ill-gotten  gains,  few  have  the 
slightest  idea  of  how  many  of  the  older  plantations 
were  formed,  the  sholcec  and  vagaries  of  those  who 
opened  them,  what  led  first  to  the  rush  up  Assam 
way,  the  crash  of  1866.  and  the  many  ups  and  downs 
that  have  attended  on  the  industry  since.  Of  course, 
the  old  Government  garden  in  Sibsaugor,  as  every 
one  knows  (or  ought  to)  formed  the  pioneer  or 
Assam  Gompany,  though  the  Saharunpore  plantation 
in  the  N.  W.,  stocked  with  seed  from  China  by 
Mr.  Fortune,  was  looked  upon  as  the  guide  for  all 
matters  pertaining  to  planting  and  manufacture ; 
we  may  remark,  parenthetically,  it  would  perhaps 
have  been  better  if  Dr.  Jamieson,  the  Superintendent, 
had  not  compiled  that  almost  forgotten  record  No. 
XXV.,  which,  like  most  amateur  essays,  put  us  all 
wrong  from  the  commencement.  However,  the  above 
preliminary  gallop  must  be  curtailed. 
Those  who  journey  to  what  was  considered,  six 
and  thirty  years  ago,  the  Eastern  Eldorado,  have 
but  a faint  idea  of  how  the  land  of  promise  was 
reached.  True,  some  ancient  Government  Steamers 
ran  at  odd  times  up  the  Bral.maputra,  but  the  journey 
Wits  chiefly  performed  by  boat,  the  emigrant  em- 
barking from  t!'c  Ghitpore  canal,  then  the  main 
drain  of  Calcutta.  Towards  the  close  of  1858  I began 
my  pilgrimage  thither  and  for  three  weary  weeks 
threaded  the  intricate  water  waj's.  It  was  necessary 
to  rexirovision  at  Khoolma;  at  least  so  said  my 
Calcutta  servant,  and  again  at  Burrisal,  where  I 
was  most  sumptuously  entertained  by  the  then  Judge. 
The  ‘•dumpy  levels”  and  yeomaury  cavalry  had 
