plement is in reality a pestle ami mortar 
made of wood. This i.s commonly used by 
the natives, and a modifioatioii o'f the first- 
mentioned implement as well as the second are 
used also for sma.shing rice and for pounding 
It into lloiir. Another system of husking is 
to pass the paddy through a small imir of 
millstones or cylinders of the same sliape, made 
ot hard wood, set on end and grooved on the 
working surface, Tlie distance between is re- 
gulated, HO as to remove the husk by friction 
.'"■'“uking the grain, the grain and the 
chan being afterwards winnowed. After husk- 
ing in this manner tlie inner skin covering the 
grattl-lins to la^rmnoved by pounding in a mor- 
tar. Tljiii implenient is a inoditieation of the 
stbhe nifll*- used for grimling paddy and 
gram for feeding horses. The greater portion 
of the paddy prepareii for the market in India 
IS said to i)as.s tlirongh a steaming and soak- 
the '"‘'^ked, to facilitate 
T n. Juisk and minimise ftreakage. 
Jlu. paddy IS .steeped m Ig l,„|,rs, 
and 1.S then put into another ves.sel with a 
ainall quantity of water and placed over tlie 
lire; just snilieient water is useil to merelv 
steam the contents. After this it is drieil 
thoroughly in tlui sun for two or more days ami 
tlieu^imiiuded in the imirtnr hefore mentioned. 
It. ^ Hi thus he Roeii t hat all thre^^ procoHH are slow 
and tedious; but with the use of a modem hul- 
ling machine, the thrashed paddy has only 
to he put into the machine, and it is delivereil 
clean nce. Our poor [laddy cnlliviitnrs cannot 
ot course Im. e.vpected to piirehase imteiit 
machines, but their wealthier brethren might 
well imjKirt H few and set tlien iqi in central 
places, so that the goiyas round about miiy 
bene It by them. A In, Her alone can be pro- 
cured from America for i- 1 (j i;j„. (j,/, 
OOC’ASIOIVAL iNOTIOS. 
On anotlier page will be fomid the beginning 
01 a list of nam<^ of (Im variofifs of ])jifl(lv 
grown by the natives of Ceylon. Some of tlie.se 
are no doubt different names for tlie same 
variety, n.s has he.eii found to he the case with 
the largi' nnmlier of specimens of paddy stored 
at the School of Agriculture. Of the.se a collec- 
tion ot ^40 distinct varieties have been mado 
lip tor the linperiallnstitnfe. The list which is 
being given in this JIagaziue fimiishes tlnOarge.st 
nnraber of names we liave been able to collect; 
and for that reason it^in of some interest. 
A parcel of seed has reached ns from llrisban.s 
having boen sent tor experimental cultivation 
The seeds which are those of a .salt-lnisb (most 
likely Artiplfv 'S/iom/ioKiem) are as small as 
mustard seed, but Hattisli, and are contained in 
a ^oiigy covering. The salt-bushes are used as 
foilder, and are .specially snite.l to dry saline 
only specimon indigenous fn Oylon 
being A. rc/w/i* mentioned by Tb Waites as ocenr- 
rtng m the north of the island. A. 
IS descnbe.l as bmng particularly good tor slieei) 
pastiiru. A. Nnmmnlnnmn U aka of the tallest 
most fattening and wholesome of the salt 
hushes for sheep and cattle. .Sheej) feialing 
on It urq said never to ho attected by 
liver fluke, and to get cured it suffering trnm 
tlie distonna worm and other allied jiarasites. 
A. UnhmoideK, a common ilwarf shnih in Aus- 
tralian deserts, is also a good forage jdaiit, while 
-•I- I exicannm is described as tlu^ most fat- 
tening and most relished of all those salt hushes, 
liohling out in the utmost extremes of drought. 
The seeds which have reached ns from liri.s- 
hano have been sown and have germinated well, 
but the seedlings look very weakly, it may bo 
owing to the excess of moisture tliey have been siij)- 
jilied with since they Iiave been put into the ground. 
A very “ catchy ” advertisement lias been 
appearing in the dei/lm) Timon, rofeiThig to 
iMthjirm ^yh'ejitnit, which is . being grown experi- 
mentally III the School of Agriculture gtoniids. 
Since onr note about this fodder plant in our 
last issue, our hope in the success of L. Sylvcutrin 
has not increased. The plants that have come 
up in good soil are looking by no means 
flourishing, and do not seem as though they 
were going to survive tlie two years afte'r 
which tliey would be lit for cropping, duly two 
plants, specially cared for in a flower pot, with 
the object of securing a blossom, cun he de- 
scribed as vigorous growths. Those planted in 
a .sandy soil have all died out. Considering that 
the oxtriu agant theory of iMr. lieeves, as to jilants 
deriving all the elements of their food (both 
combustible and iiicomhustilile) from the at- 
mosphere, was founded on the fact tliat Ldthynix 
Hjilvextrix flourished ajiparently iiidepenUeiitly 
ot what the soil contained in tlie way of plant 
lood, it seems strange, to say the least of it, 
tliat this “air jiinnt” should need so many 
luxuries in Ceylon. 
The Kew Hulletin for October and Xovemher 
last contains a paper on Chinese libres. Ahuti- 
IdU v/ ciccniKr, an annual, belonging to the oriler 
Malvaceiu, produces a llhre which is sometimes 
found to he us much as I.'i feet in length. In Ceylon 
wo have six species of .Mnitilon, viz., A. Pnh/nv- 
drum, A. AxinticHm, A. Indkwn, A. (Immilenx, 
.1. ( urnl {^aI. 
lliesc aril nil spokinx of gcnorally by the SinlialeHn 
as Aiijottfij a xiaiiK* wiiicli, bowevor, propi^rly 
bi'longs to -f. AisiafiriffH. /i. Lesn/if'rtnultia/iiwi 
also occurs as a weed, but is it doubtful whether 
It IS indigenous to the island. .4. Indiruvi 
which yields a strong fibre that can be worked 
into ropes, is known as the country mallow, 
and is used medicinally in the same way as the 
bjiil^lisli mallow. ,1 Vnhjnndvnm also yields a 
long silky fibre resembling hemi). The product 
of J. Ai vicPHiire is known as Chinese iite, 
Corc/iofiM rrtpmlariif is another-Mbre-prodneiug 
pbuit of China, bidonging to the order Tiliaceac* 
It is lound in Ceylon togetlier witli C. Olitorvi’'^’ 
C. (/rficfr/oliusj C. FaffcicHlan^f C, TrideyiHf an'^ 
C' Avntnntjuh, C. daimularii* is the plant 
jiroduces Indian jute. IJesidcs the gunny 
made from the bark, the stems of Mio jdiintrt 
tbemselvos arc used for charcoal forgunpowdt’O 
fences, basket-work, and fuel. Drury 
that tile fragments of the stem which are 
/viv .V, .1.,, L , . , . . . . 
niiJ 
off iieare.Ht the root are shipped to America fro u* 
Calcutta for paper-making, [ircparing Imga 
even for making wliisKy* 
such like purposes, and i 
