2 3 2 
eaves are perfect, as they are extremely brittle and readily broken, 
n shape and general appearance they are very similar to those of 
some of the species of Cassia, the leaflets being sessile, close, mem- 
branous obtuse, and varying from | inch to i inch or more in 
length It is difficult to determine with certainty their botanical 
origin, but they agree very nearly with the leaves of Caesalpinia 
pulcherrima, a shrub or small tree universally cultivated through- 
out India and elsewhere in the tropics. The native country of this 
plant is not clearly known, but according to some athorities it was 
introduced into the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, in 1792. All parts 
of the plant are said to be emmenagogue and purgative, but there 
appears to be no trustworthy data bearing upon this point. In 
India the leaves, flowers, and trees are employed in native medicine, 
and an ink is made from the charred wood. 
Cardamoms in French Indo-China. 
The Revue des Cultures Coloniales, of November 5th, in the 
course of a long article on the cardamoms of French Indo-China, 
states that the exports to Singapore and Hong-kong may be con- 
sidered as representing the total production of the country, the 
quantity consumed locally being insignificant. Nearly the whole 
o! the crop is sent to China via Hong-kong. It is the Chinese 
moreover in Cambodia, Laos, Annam, and Tonkin who buy or ex- 
change the cardamoms with the producers, and then send them to 
the different ports whence they are exported. This trade is said 
to be entirely in their hands. The port of shipment for Cambodia 
and a part of Laos is Saigon, with Cholon as entrepot, and market. 
I he exports from Annam and the region round Laos go via. V inh, 
and from Tonkin via , Haiphong. This latter port "also receives 
many cardamoms from Annam. The following table shows the 
quantity and value of the exports of cardamoms from French Indo- 
China during the last two years : — 
1899- i goo . 
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. 
Kilos. 
Annam ... 14,503 
Cochin China and 
Cambodia 289,074 
Tonkin ... 43,127 
Francs. 
67,968 
r, 1 95,002 
97,036 
Kilos. 
9.857 
196,908 
54.oi9 
Francs. 
74.913 
632,679 
405,142 
Total 
( 346,704 1,360,006 260,784 1,112,734 
l 763,000 lbs. 54,000 £, 574,000 lbs. 45,000 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
To The Editor, Klang , / 9-1-02. 
Agricultural Bulletin, Singapore. 
By this post I am sending you samples of Termes gestroi, queens 
in spirits, and also of another termite, which is neither gestroi nor 
