May 2, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRiCULTURISt. 
801 
merits to oonlribute Bomo porliod, ood tha‘, if that 
minimum sum were found, that the company would 
take any further j/tk upon their own shoulders, giv ng 
the beuefit of tliW etatf and orRanisation free of 
charge. A draft plan of the detailed pronosal. with 
a diagraua showing the proposed Indian palace for 
Chicago, deeigued by Mr. Pardon Clarke, together with 
a form of guarantee, were nnanimoualy adopted by 
the meeting for distribution both among planters here, 
who bad not already given their support to the Palais 
Company, and alto among planters and others in 
Inilia. A resolnlion was also passed urging the Calcutta 
Association to nao its utmost endeavour to obtain the 
requisite funds, to eioure the werk being carried out, 
and that piomptly. 
The matter is a most important one, and our readers 
will not bo tardy in helping to open up this large and 
important market for Indian produce.— )/. ««(f C. Muif 
thp: ricinus, or castor oil 
PLANT. 
The Kiciuns, like the Croton, is named after an 
objeotionablo ineeoN owing to the resemblance the 
seeds are supposed to bear thereto. The insect in this 
case is the oallle-tiok, or as it was osUed in olden 
times, and probably i» to this day in other countrifs, 
kik. The plant is also known as Falnia Ohriati, 
though the origin of this name does no', seem very 
clear. I find equal difliculty conoerniug the origin of 
the word osstor, as applied to the well-known medi- 
cinal vege'ablo oil o'dained from the plant, especially 
as this is the generic name of the beaver, and cas- 
torenm or castory is the name ol tlio pecnliiir liquor 
fonud ill the beaver’s groin j to say iiotbiug about 
gemini, the fiery meteor occasioually observed on a 
ship's rigging. Owing to the natno Castor-oil Plant, 
the seeds are also sometimes called Castor Beans. 
Strange as it may appear, Latin writers named the 
plant Ciiourbita and fledera. 
Oi rarde givea some interesting particulars concere- 
iugtbc misniiming of the plant, which ho says, "Whereof 
mention is made in the fourth chapter of Jonas, and 
sixth verse.” And bo proceeds to say,— "Saint. ■liignsline 
recordoth in his Eptstic to St. Jerome where in cftVcl 
he writeth thus: — That neme Kikaijon is of small 
moment, yet so small a matter caused a great tumult 
in Africa. For on a time a certain Bishop having on 
oooasirn to interest of this, which is mentioned in the 
fourth chaptor of Jonas (in a collation, or sermon, 
which he made in bia cathedral), said that this plant 
was called Oiicurbiia, a Gourd, because it mcreafed 
unto so great a quantity in so short a spaco* or else 
(saith he), it is called ilodera. l.pon the novelty and 
untruth of Ihia his doctrine, the people were greatly 
oifended, and thereof suddenly arose a tumult and 
hnrly-liurly j so that the Bishop was inforoed to go to 
the Jews, to ask their judgment as tonohing the name 
of this plant. And when he bad received of them 
the triio name, he made his open recantation, and cou* 
fessed bis error, and was jnstly accused for a falsifier 
of the Holy Sripturos." 
Gerardo, moreover, considered the Rioinus was iudi- 
genus in America, and goes so far as to name it 
IlioinuB amorioanus, though it appears to be of African 
and Indian origin. 
Before I leave this old antbor, 1 may add his advice 
oonoeriiing the value of the plant as an antidote to 
sciatica, wliich so many gardeners suffer. He says, in 
effect — ‘* The broth of the meat supped up wherin 
the seed hath been foldon ia good for the gout, and for 
and against the pain in hips called sciatica. 
Reverting to America, it ia considered moles will 
not remain where Kicinua seeds are sown. If this 
fie the case, to any practical extent, the fact may 
ocoasionally bo Inruetl to good acconnt in gardens, 
when, as sumetimes happens, these sinifulnc oreatnres 
poriodicrily visit newly-planted Celery in the trenches 
Onion, Carrot, and other small seeds when sown, 
amongst which they creote great havoc, and with ditli- 
culty are canght, or kept away. The difficulty being 
greater during aird periods in sommer, when their 
runs ate deep below the lurfaoe, and trappisg ia next 
to impossible. It would bo well to drop a few acoda 
into such injurious runs alionid they occur, and ihn. 
test (be BtatomODl tally. 
Seeds are offered by all seedsmen and a* reason- 
able prices, and apait from snoh considerations as the 
above, they are so easily germinated and grown, as 
to be adapted for amatenr aultnro, whether to grow 
on in pots, or for planting in open bnrdors for summer 
decoration of a " tropical ” kind. A pot, with seeds 
placed inside a sunny window with a rqiiare of g'liss 
over it, quickly gives pleasing results, and they germi- 
nate upon a sliolf in the groenhon-o. sown about 
April,— WilJ-iAM Eablev,— f.'ardciicrj' Chronicle. 
QUININE AS A MEDICINE AND AS A 
PROPHYLACTIC. 
Messrs. 0. F. Boehringer and Sohne write: — 
Waldliof l>ei Mannheim, Feb. ‘Jiitli. 
Quisi.nk. — Lecturing on tlic ‘influenza’ at the Verein 
fur iiinero Mediziii in Berlin, I’rofossor Gcrhardt 
lecoiiMiiended quinine at tlio beginning of the ill- 
ness, it being easier digestible tlian the more recent 
iiiitipyroticB. His experience also shows that it 
with _ tho cessation of the fever a plentiful expec- 
toratioii manifests itself, terpinhydrate may bo taken 
to great advantage. 
Qi’inise as PKoi'HYt,ACTic.— Mr. Rliodes, tlie well- 
Known 1 rini6 jVliniHtor of thoC/Hipo Colony^ roportstliAt 
during liis journey to Mashonaland he took iiloiity 
of quiniiio in order to resist the malaria fever. 
Thanks to tliia, lio and liis party got througli the 
wilds without any of them being laid np witli fever, 
and iilthougli they felt feverish, tliey succeeded in 
keeping it at bay. 
Wo already in Nov. 18H9 called the attention 
of tlio public to the iiropliylactic properties of quinine, 
ill a pamphlet giving tlie resiilt of observations by 
ilr. Binz, Ur. Oracser, Dr. Buwalda, Dr.O. Scholliiigaiid 
Dr, Tschirch sliowing tliat quinine guards against, 
and effectually prevents, malaria fever, and tliat it 
it alone possesses such priceless efficacy. 
NOTES ON PRODUOE AND IINANCE. 
The Abt os AdoctbratioN.— Tea has an advantage 
over coffee and cocoa in that it ia sold pure, and nit 
manipulated by the manufacturer. In tho good old 
days John Chinaman was given to nefarious pursuits 
in regard to tea, but the Indiau or Ceylou lea sold 
to the Gouaumer is pure. It is not so with ooffee 
and cocos, nor ie it likely to be, so long aa the law 
is BO lax as regards adnlteration. Occasionally tho 
offenders are canght. Fur instance, at Lambeth 
Police-court a few days ainoe, a grocer was charged 
with selling cocoa containing 36 per cent of added 
sngat and ‘20 per cent of added starch. The sanitary 
inspector proved pnrehaaing the cocoa at tho defen- 
dant’s shop, and upon being snbjeoted to analysis it 
was found to be adulterated to the extent maintained. 
Tho solicitor who ajipearod for the defence said bis' 
client had no intention of soting frandulently and 
had sold the cocoa in tho same condition that he 
reoeiveu it from the wholesale firm which supplied 
him. It was well known Ih^i there were rnsny ?arie- 
tiee of ooocft, and each of them bad their own pecu- 
liarities, and the inspector mast have known that 
pure cocoa could not be sold at 8d per lb, The grocer 
was fined, but no further reference was made to the 
mauafacturer. 
IjAHT WKKK'8 HALKS . — 'i 
,, a .',7 - . JL*)e market has been liberally 
sappliea with Indian tea, najs the Produce ^farket8 
HevitWfhpi tho demand is inactive f-xoept .for the 
better kinds. Common iorts Dave been offered in an 
iuorcasiog proportion, the bulk being of exceptionally 
poor quality, for which there is but a moderate en- 
quity. The result of this is a drooping tendency in 
thepnoes for all common tea, which can oulj be 
checked by an increasing demand although there are 
no indications of this at the present moment The 
bolter kinds, however, attract attention, and aie 
readily bought at firm rates; and judging from the 
atet atnvale, the rtook of theae gradea ig not likei* 
