Oct. 1 , 1897 .] 
Sv2>plement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist 
291 
time and fin.ally disgorge at will anything dis- 
tasteful or injurious. Hence, having swallowed 
benies and assimilated the pulpy part, they can 
eject by the mouth clean and jiolished seeds. 
Some seeds may also through the alimentary 
canal of the carrier travel far away into 
otiier provinces, countries or continents. Many 
lords go a, long way for their daily food, wliilst 
migrants cross whole kingdoms at recurrent 
seasons. A great number of birds traverse a 
considerable distance in a minute; they aro 
thus able to carry into foreign countries in 
a short time the plants or vegetables on which 
they feed. 
Sig. Pistoni of Messina, a patient observer, gives 
instances of bird.s dis.seminating the bulbs of a 
species of o.valis, bringing over two varieties of 
oak into Sicily and Sardinia and Acacias from 
Massowah and Australia. In Sicily, where quails 
abound, the plan is to ojien the cup of birds 
directly they are killed, to obtain the varied 
seeds therein. The.se seeds are sown in pots, 
and strange and rare plants are often found. 
We .‘-hall conclude our notice of this interesting 
paper in our next issue. 
AREOWKOOT AND THE CANNAS. 
Vie are indebted for the facts in this article 
to a paper on the Canna which is published 
in the September number of the Queensland 
Agricultural Journal. We here deal mainly 
with the economic value of the Cannas, but 
the I aper referred to should prove most 
interesting and instructive reading to gardeners. 
Arrowroot is the product of species of Maranta 
and Canna. 
The name Canna is said to be derived from 
an old Carib name of the jilant ; Maranta 
from Bartholommeo Maranta, a physician of 
Venosa, who died in 1559. It was bestowed 
in hi.s honour by the botanist Plumier. 
Maranta aurundinacece, and probably one or 
two other species, yield that which is known 
as West Indian or Bermuda arrowroot. The 
name arrowroot is usually supposed to be 
derived from the fact that the Indians used 
the bruised rhizomes as an antidotal application 
to the wounds from poisoned arrows, but some 
authorities contend that the word comes from 
“Aru-.\ru,” the name which the Aruac Indians 
of South America give to the farina obtained 
for the manioc. Tuus-le.s-mois, another form of 
arrowroot, is produced in St. Kitt’s and other 
West India Islands from the underground stems 
of Canna eiluli.s, and possibly other species. 
The name Tous-les-mois is said to be derived 
from Touloula, which is a Carib designation 
for Canna. It is also said to be given in 
consequence of the plant flowering the whole 
year round. Tliis is the variety of arrow'root 
produced in Queensland. It is in all respects as 
valuable and nutritious as the M.aranta or West 
Indian arrowroot, being only a little darker in 
colour. Under the microscope it is very dis- 
tinctive in character. The granules are very 
large, exceeding in size those of all other 
known starches. Maranta arrowroot, it should 
be mentioned, 13 the only kind recognised 
under the Food and Drugs Act of Great Britain, 
and last year a dealer at Ashford, in Rent, was 
prosecuted for having .sold Queensland arrow- 
root instead. It is interesting to find, however, 
that the case was dismissed on the" ground 
that there was no intention to defraud, but 
the fact was pretty well established that Queens- 
land arrowroot could only be sola in England 
under the distinctive name of Queensland 
arrowu’oot. 
Efforts have been made to induce the cultiva- 
tion of the ifaranta plant instead of the 
Canna edulis for the production of arrowroot 
in Queensland. It is contended, however, that 
as a food product the Tous-les-mois is equal 
to or more valuable than the others, and the 
yield of the farina is very much greater per 
acre. Again, the Maranta roots much deeper 
than the Canna eduhs, consequently requiring 
deeper and more expensive cultivation. For 
the same reason it is much more expensive 
to harvesi. 
From 1630 to I860 attention was given to 
the Cannas chiefly as foliage plants, and cul- 
tivation and hybridisation was carried on with 
this piupose in view. 
Since 1863 the value of the Cannas as flow'ering 
plants began to be recognised, and attention 
was directed to the raising of varieties of 
dwarfer growth, with brighter coloured flowers 
broader in the petal for, correctly speaking, 
staminodiai, thicker in texture, on finer and 
more massive spikes. The grower who has made 
the greatest advances in tlie production of the 
beautiful-flowered Cannas is M. Crozy, of Lyons, 
so thoroughly is he ideiUitied with our garden 
Cannas tliat he is said to be known in his 
own neighbourhood as “ Papa Canna,” a name 
given to one of his latest varieties. 
The hard black round seeds of the Cannas 
are popularly known as Indian Shot, and they 
are reported to h;ive been frequently used for 
shot in the West Indies. They have also been 
used as a substitute for coffee. 
VETERINARY WORE IN CEYLON. 
In my report for last year I suggested tlia 
formation of a staff of veterinary assistants 
stationed in various parts of the Island. In 
September last this was sanctioned by Government, 
and appointments were offered to Mr. W. A. de 
Silva and Mr. Hoole, Graduates of the Bombay 
Veterinary College, to be respectively stationed in 
the Non hern and North-Central Provinces. Unfortu- 
nately Mr. Silva, from whom I felt certain of 
great assistance in the work, did not see his way 
to accept the appointment. Consequently, 1 was 
left V ith one assistant, Mr. Hoole, who is stationed 
at Anuradhapura. 
Early in September Mr. Hoole took up his 
residence at Anuradluipura, and has been travell- 
ing most of the time since, as detailed in hia 
reports furnished to Government. His work will 
certainly be diflicult at first and disheartening, 
ana must advance slowly step by step. He men- 
tions that village headmen are not strict enough, 
and in the miijoricy of cases do not take sufticieut 
interest when an outbreak occurs, or even see that 
JiiS instructions are carried out, 
