436 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST [December i, 1891. 
The Bimilarity in tho rolationa of Toak and Bamboo 
in Burma, and of Oak and Boooh in tho Sposaart, 
has lod foroatoi'B in both conntriea to doviao similar 
arrangomonta for tho regeneration of those forests. 
In tho Spoaaait, TOhen tho old timber in a compart- 
ment of tho forest is ent, the boat plaocB for tho growth 
of tho Oak are solectad, and the Oak, whioh hero sells 
at tho rate of from two BhilUnga to three shillings a 
oobio foot for sound and woll-ahaned piecoB, is sown 
on soil most aultablo for its doTelopment j while the 
Boooh, the timber of which only fetchoa about ono- 
lifth of that amount, ia allowed to reproduce naturally 
from self-sown seedlings over the rest of tho area. 
Among the Oak also a certain but small proportion 
of Beech springs up, aud even whore piuo Oak wooda 
may bo the result of these proceedings, it will not be 
difficult, when they are sufficiently advanced, to in- 
troduce Buoh a proportion of Beech as will seonro 
their aatisfaotory development. In tho same way in 
Burma, seelected areas are cleared for the growth 
of Toak in tho original forest, the clearance being 
effected, and tho Teak planted, with the aid of that 
rude mode of shifting cultivation, known as tho 
Toungya system . — Ourden and Forest. 
DATURA STRAMONIUM, Linn. 
“Thobn Appeb,” "Stink Weed,” “Devil’s 
TauuPET.” 
A ooarso, weedy annual, sometimes attaining a 
height of 8 or 4 feet. The loaves are very unequal 
In size — tho larger ones often 8 or 9 iuohea long, 
ovate in outline, rather flaccid, the margin undulated, 
and deeply Indented with large, irregular incisions, 
forming unequal spreading tooth. Flowors, solitary, 
and shortly stalked, corolla funnel-shaped, white, 
9 to 4 Inches long, and about 2 inches wide at the 
mouth, with live wreading or roourvod lobes. Sta- 
mens, five, Inaorteo in the corolla tube, and included 
in it. Fruit, about 2 inches long, thickly set vrith 
unequal, sharp, rigid spines. Tho thorn-apple is con- 
sidered by Do Candolle to be Indigenous to the ooun- 
trioa bordering the Caspian. It la now spread aa a 
wood noo*ly all over tho wanner and temperate parte 
of the earth. In this Colony the seedlings generally 
ipring np in September or October, and continue 
growing till April or May, when the plants nsually 
nio ont, although I have seen them growing ocoasionally 
In winter, but only in very sheltered situations. In 
many places — but principally in the coastal districts 
—the plant may be seen growing plentifully during 
tho summer months. When growing in pastures it 
Is really a dangerous weed, for I have known it to 
poison milch cows that have partaken of it, ond no 
pains should be spared on the part of any one who 
keeps cattle to exterminate it from gazing lands. 
When it is allowed to grow undisturbed for a time it 
produces a phenomenal quantity of seed, which will, 
when ripe, germinate readily any time during the sum- 
mer months, whilst there is moisture in the soil, so 
that the area of its occupation gradually widens from 
year to oar. The very same thing takes place with 
many other Intrroduced woods, ospocially those from 
the northern parts of Huropo. and. America; and, al- 
though they may be strictfy annual In those coun- 
tries, often, in al good season hero, they will pro- 
dnoo throe or four successional crops from seed 
ripened at different times in the same year, so that 
om cultivators sometimes have to war against an- 
nuals, almost os much as if they wore perennials. 
r have very often given tho leaves of tho “Ihom- 
aniilo plant” to persons sufl'ering from asthma, and 
recommended them to smoko it--but with cant on, 
and not too often— •’s they would tobacco, and when 
??eVhirdouom“o Tt La/«lvun them ^eat relief. 
When used for this purpose the jjf p 
tially dried in some place away from t-.? tn 
of the sun’s rays. Bailey and Gordon (Queens,-. 
include tho “thorn-apple plant” in their “Blants 
Boputod I’oisouous and Injurious to Btock,” and say 
that “tho plant is dooidodly poisonous.” Much com- 
ment was made iu this and tho adjoining colonies 
about a notice of tho thorn-apple plant puYilishod in 
tho ftiidiicij 5th April, IHlio, by J. It Maiden, of 
tho Technological Mn-sonm, Sydney. The writer said, 
amongst other things, that “tho plant has a dis- 
agrocahlo taste, and cattle will not touch it, so that 
stock-owners need have no anxiety about it.” To this 
statement Mr. P. B. Gordon, Chief Inspector of 
Stock, Queensland, wrote the following iotter to tho 
Editor, S^dnei/ Mail, and it was pnblishod on the IBth 
April, 1890: — “In the notice of tho ahovenamed plant 
in your issue of 6th April, Mr. J. D. Maiden says 
‘that cattle will not touch it, so that stook-ownors 
need have no anxiety about it.’ In this Mr. 
Maiden ia ontlrelv wi’ong. (Jnantities of this plant 
grow in the neighbourhood of Toowoomba, and thoro 
navo boon many deaths in cattle from eating it. 
Those deaths iiavo not been more cases of sumiiso. 
When tho Board of Inquiry into ‘ Diaoaaos of Llvo 
Stock and Plants ’ (of wnich I was ea-oifir.io seorotary) 
was iu existence in this Colony, tho stomachs of 
several cattle that had died in paddoclcs close to 
Toowoomba were forwarded to the Board, and ana- 
lyzed by tho late Karl T. Stalgor, then Government 
Analyst, and in each instance tho analysis showed 
death to have been occasioned Iw the animals having 
eaten tho thorn-apple plant. It may bo remarked 
that in each instance the poisoning was confined to 
qniot milklug cattle, ond it will bo found, as a rule, 
that mortality from poisonous plants ia confined to 
quiet milkers, or their progeny. These pot animals 
will nibblo at and eat plants that ordinary bush 
oattlo will not touch, unless forced to do from shoor 
starvation.” 
Tho following oxtroct ia from Bentley and Trimen’s 
Medicinat Plants : — “Tho activity of both tho loaves 
and Boods of Datura stramoninm nro duo to the highly- 
poiaonoua alkaloid duturia or daturine; and although 
wo have no chemical proof of the existence of this 
alkaloid in tho other species of datura alluded to under 
tho head of substitutes, its presence in them can 
scarcely bo -doubted .... according to Schvoff, 
atmpia has twice the poisonous energy of daturia ; 
whilst Jobert, again, regards daturia, when applied to 
tho eyo, aa about three times as powerful aa afiu/im, 
and move constant and lasting in its operation . . 
Tho properties of stramonium aro regarded os ano- 
dyne and antispaamodio, end, in overdoses, a powerful 
poison. It has been found useful in nouralgio and 
rheumatic affoclious, in gastrodymia and other pain- 
ful diseases, and some have regarded it as a very 
valuable remedy in mania and epilepsy, but ill those 
diseases it not nufroquontly produces injurious effects 
When used during paroxysms of spasmodic asthma 
it commonly ffivos tompora^ relief, and facilitates ex- 
pectoration. In the latter disease, and also in dyspnoea, 
catarrhs, and in other cases, the leaves are generally 
smoked, like tobMco, or inhalation from their infusion 
in warm water is resorted to. Bnt its use in thuso 
ways requmes caution, as it has proved highly in- 
jurious, and, in some inataiicos, fatal. In Cochin 
Oliina a strong decoction of tho leaves is regarded as 
a very efficacious remedy in hydrophobia.” 
The Rev. Dr. Wools, F.B.S., informs me that a 
oliild died near Richmond from swallowing the seeds 
of stramonium . — AyncuUwal (daxette. 
- ♦ 
GEMMING AND MINING OF CEYLON. 
_ Searchiug tor gems is obviously a voiy precarious 
industry, whioh has hitherto yielded more blanks than 
prizes. To the long list of undertakings which have 
been formed and worked apparently with the object of 
proving this point may be addod tho one whose title 
huads the.so remarks. Why preoions stones sliould 
elude tlio vigilance and soience of the expert miner, 
when hacked willi any amount of capital anpplicd by 
the British iuvoEtor,ia tho more singular because suou 
things aro said to liternily jump into the laps of the 
natives, wlio Imve neither soience to guide them in 
i^^fr auaroh nor money wherewith to decoy the preoi- 
ons troabul** from their hiding places. This is a matt 
or we have rooogniicd 8 J<»>« wbilo past, aud w« 
