270 
THE I'ROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct. i, 1897. 
Now I come to the second sample, which I 
understand is named “Nava” (Sterculia ha- 
langhas). I presume that you want a commercial 
opinion upon this .subject, and 1 think that the 
best reply I can give is that any quantity of 
this lace bark can be got in Jamaica and yet 
the public do not take it, perhaps from ignor- 
ance or stupidity. 
I have found that if I got anything new that 
could be turned to account for bonnets or liglit 
hats, Paris is the ])lace for it, and I have tliere 
fore sent all your samples over to a frienU of 
mine in Paris asking him to get me an opinion 
upon the subject to see if any of the clever 
ladies who originate new bonnets and hats can 
see their way to utilise either of these basts, 
and if they think any quantity could be taken. 
—Yours truly, ‘ THOS. CHPJSTY. 
“GEOLOGY OF CEYLON”: OUK DOLO- 
MITES. 
Wattegama, Aug. 24. 
Dear Sir, — Mr. Geo. Armitage says he is not 
aware that any hills of dolomite lime e.xist in 
Ceylon excepting in the lower parts of Matale 
and near Hanguranketa. He refers to Mr. 
Tomalin as believing there is no dolomite lime 
rock in Ceylon. 
I am glad to say I am able to send them Mr. 
Hughes' analysesof dolomite lime-stone and burnt 
dolomite lime : — 
(1) (2.)) Ambagamuwa dolomite lime atone. 
Carb. of lime 60 73 
,, of magnesia 18'45 
Quartz &c. 2017 
Oxide of Iron, Arc. 0-6.5 
CORK WASTE-AND ITS USES. 
London, E.C. Aug 20. 
Sir, — The present is to notify that discovery 
has been made of ylutinising and pressing cork 
waste Inot cork dust) with the result that sheets 
can be turned out g metre or more square ; this 
material is being turned to many purposes ; it can 
be supplied in sheets for floors and it -will sup. 
port any amount of wear, and it is of couise 
noiseless. It is being used on board vessels for 
lining cabins and placing under the decks, because 
no heat jiasses through. It can be washed, scrub- 
bed and washed in hot or cold -water without 
changing and w'ithout separating. The test has 
been made by placing specially prepared blocks, 
which have undergone considei-able pressure, on 
the deck and large guns on their carriages have 
been run over it, without making any impres- 
sion or mark. This cork has been laid down on 
some of the Government steamers. 
It is well known to many of your readers the 
difficulty there is in obtaining large pieces of cork. 
By this plan, as I have mentioned before, pieces 
of ^ metre in .size can be obtained; consequently 
bungs 8, 9 or 10 inches in diameter are as easily 
obtained, as corks or bungs 1 inch in diameter. 
Another feature is that once the size is establislied 
they do not vary, because they come from the 
mould invariably of a uniform size. This cork 
can be cut as thin as a shaving, and with this differ- 
ence : a shaving cut from cork in its natural 
gtate one is full of holes and is irregular ; this is 
smooth as glass. It can be employed for artifi- 
cial limbs and filed to any form desired. Screws 
hold in it perfectly, so that large bungs can have 
handles screwed into them to enable anyone to 
pull them out of vessels or jars. If the plates are 
placed upon the roof of a house, they can be 
joined tightly together, and they will not leak 
or let any heat pass through*. They are quite 
unchangeable with the action of the atmosphere ; 
they are not changed by moisture as no moisture 
can pass into them. 
I should be very glad if any of your readers 
could suggest other employments for this sub- 
stance. I might add that the finest polishing 
wheels are made with this cork, and they can be 
used to give the final lustre without any addition, 
or they can be used wdth emery.— Youis truly, 
THOS. CHRISTY. 
* Such cork roofiing impervious to moisture and 
heat, ought surely to be extremely useful in the 
tropics ? — Ed. T.A, 
100 
^2) (54) Wawinagh, Wattegama — beautiful crystalina 
Magnesia dolomite lime stone 
Garb, of lime 50 01 (sent by me) 
,, Magnesia 42-02 date 11/3/78 
Insoluble Silica 7-09 
Oxide of Iron and Alb. 0-70 
Water 0-18 
100 
Wawinagh burnt lime in powder from 
as No. 2. (sent by me). 
(3) (55) Caustic lime 27 38 
„ Magnesia 19-54 
Carb. of lime 20 50 
„ Magnesia 16-23 
Mixture 7-25 
Oxide of Iron and Alb. 115 
Alkali salts l-io 
Insoluble matter 6-85 
same quarry 
date 20/3/78 
100 
We also have in our district, in addition to 
dolomite lime rocks, plumbago in Udagarna and 
Udagodde, moonstone rock at Teldeniya road near 
10th mile-post, then at Eriagastenne, Franklands 
and Malvern. Magnetic ii-on I saw on Goonambil 
when cutting the cart road, wdth Mr. H. B. 
Stephenson of Colombo ; the best clay for pottery, 
tiles and bricks at Wawinagh and Meegama ; lots 
of ironstone, various granite rocks, &c. — Yours 
faithfully, JOSEPH HOLLOWAY. 
COLOMBO AND LONDON TEA MARKETS: 
THE OTHER SIDE IN ANSWER TO 
“ HILLS.” 
Colombo, 4th Sept., 1897. 
Dear Sir, — Your correspondent “ The Hills ” must 
be very ingenious and have lots of time for thinking 
out schemes for other people to secure money by ; 
or perhaps he is an agent, not a planter at all ; but 
one who makes double commissions by shipping from 
Colombo and selling in London. One who perhaps 
gets a return from the London Merchant, Broker, 
Warehouseman, and who does not care a bit for the 
owners of gardens as long as these commissions are 
forthcoming (why should we not have a theory that 
he wants to guil the Planter); how can an innocent 
planter evolve such deep schemes of “Bull,” and 
