366 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
[Nov. 1, 1897. 
But the plea for maiiioc-growiiig is not as a 
principal crop, but as a stand-by in times of 
drought, during which periods the question of 
satisfying the palate must be secondary to the 
cravings of the stomach ; besides, it is well-known 
that in seasons of scarcity the poorer classes 
have to resort to all forms of vegetable 
products, with w’hicli at ordinary times they would 
epurn to appease their hunger. 
The State of Travancore w'ould seem to be the 
only place in India where manoic is cultivated 
at all systematically, and “ Tapioca Cultivation 
in Travancore” is the subject of an interesting 
paper by Mr. A. M. Sawyer which appeared in 
The Indian Forestor, Vol xxi, pages 290 — 296. 
We have, however, written more than we in- 
tended for the present issue on the subject of 
manioc, and must reserve any reference to a 
epitome of Mr, Sawyer's paper for another issue, 
when we shall also deal with the cultivation 
of manioc in the Island. 
AEECANIJT PEEPAEATIONS. 
Dr. Watt gives the following methods of treating 
Arecanuts for the market in India : — In some cases 
after the nuts are husked they are boiled till .soft ; 
the slices are rubbed wdth the inspissated water 
in which the mils aie boiled, which become im- 
pregnated with the astringent principle contained 
in the nuts ; the slices are then dried in the 
sun, and in this condition sent to market. 
Again, instead of being sliced and boiled the 
nuts are sold entire. In other places (Manipnrl 
they are sold in the streets with the husk 
neatly opened up like a fringe to show that 
the i^ts are fresh. In the Bombay and Mysore 
Gazetteers interesting details are given regarding 
the methods of preparing the nuts for the 
market. In Thana the growers sell the nuts 
wholesale to a tribe called Vanis, who by different 
treatment, prepare six classes of nuts. To pre- 
pare phulhardi supari or those with flower-like 
fissures, the nuts are gathered when yellow but 
not quite ripe. The husk is stripped off and 
the kernels are boiled in milk or water in an 
earthen or tinned copper vessel. When the nuts 
grow’ red and the wmter or milk thickens like starch, 
the boiled nuts are removed and dried in the 
gun for seven or eight days. The red tambdi 
arecanuts are prepared by boiling ripe fruits 
stripped of husk in milk or water with a 
small quantity of pounded Kath (Catechu), lime 
and betel leaves. As soon as the boiling is 
over, the nuts and boiling milk or water are 
removed in a basket with a copper vessel under 
it to catch the droppings. To make Chikni or 
tough betel-nut, the nuts are gathered when they 
are beginning to ripen, and when the boiling is 
over the catechu-like substance left on boiling 
is rubbed over the nuts, when they are dried in 
the sun. This process is repeated until the 
nuts grow dark red. To make Lavangachuri or 
dove-like nuts, the kernels of tender fruits are 
cut into dove-like bits, and after boiling in 
water are dried in the sun. Pandhri or white 
nut is prepared by boiling the ripe fruits with 
the husk and afterwards drying in the sun till 
the husk is easily removed. To prepare or 
dtrong nut the fruit is gathered when ripened 
into hardness, and after stripping it of the 
husk, it is boiled and dried in the sun. To 
make Kapkadi or cut nut, the kernels are cut 
out of the nut when tender aud dried in the 
sun without being boiled or soaked in water. 
Ill Mysore after removing the husk the nuts are 
boiled in water, then cut into pieces and dried 
in the sun; or they are flr.st cut into pieces, 
then boiled in water wdth catechu and leaves 
of the betel vine and afterwards dried in the 
sun, when the)' are fit for sale. 
Extract. — The w'ater in which arecanuts are 
boiled becom.''s discoloured and thick ; this on being 
inspissated forms Kossa or the catechu of the 
greatest astringency; but the best catechu of a 
red colour is obtained by boiling in fresh water 
the nuts which have been previously boiled. 
The ripe fruit is boiled for some time in 
an earthen or tinned copper vessel and the 
nuts together with the boiling water are poured 
over a basket. The boiled water is caught in 
a tinned copper vessel and is allowed to thicken 
of itself or thickened by boiling into a black 
very astringent catechu. Sometimes these nuts 
are boiled a second time in fresh water, when 
the boiled water gives a yellowish brown catechu. 
The refuse after boiling is sticky and is used 
for varnishing wood and for healing wounds. 
Chemists, after examining into the chemical 
character of the seed, have come to the conclusion 
that catechin is not a constituent of arecanuts, 
and that any e.xtract made from them must be 
essentially different to the catechu of the 
acacia, and is rather to be considered a kind 
of tannic matter of the nature of liatanhia- 
red or Cinchona-red. It is interesting to learn 
further that incineration of the seed produced 2-26 
per cent of ash, which, besides jieroxide of iron 
contained pliosphate of magnesia. 
BISULPHIDE OF CAKBON FOR PRESERVING 
STORED GRAIN. 
We have lately been consulted as to the 
best means of preserving paddy from the attack 
of weevils, ajid among other remedies recommended 
bisulphide of carbon. This is the chemical which 
is now' most commonly used against Calandra 
granaria and Calandra oryzce. 
We find in that useful publication. The Agri- 
cultural Journal of the Cape, full and clear in- 
structions given by the Government Entomologist 
as to the method of using bisulphide of carbon, aud 
we reprint them for the benefit of our readers. 
Bisulphide is commonly considered to be a 
dangerous explosive, but there is no danger to 
be apprehended from ics use if it be kept out 
of the reach of fire. 
Carbon bisulphide has for a number of years been 
acknowledged as the simplest, most effective and 
least e.xpensive of the many agencies recommended 
and used for the destruction of W'eevils and other 
grain-infesting insects. As supplied by chemists, 
it is a colourless liquid which, owing to impurities 
almost invariably present to some extent, possesses 
a penetrating and exceedingly vile odour not un- 
like the stench from a decomposed egg. The liquid 
rapidly change.s to a heavy vapour when exposed 
to the air at ordinary temperatures, and to this pro- 
perty is largely due its utility as an insecticide 
