476 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 25 , rfWff 
destitute of foliage, the huge masses of grain hanging heavily from the 
tops of the canes, and bending them down towards the earth, giving the 
clumps a most remarkable appearance. When the seed, which is not 
unlike small oats in appearance, falls, these jungle men gather and store 
it in large quantities for use as food. It is ground into meal between two 
stones, and baked into cakes, but I was told, when much eaten, it produced 
dysentery and diarrhoea. A curious belief obtains amongst the natives in 
general in this district of Malabar, that the canes if cut during the wane 
of the moon will soon decay, so that, when wanted for building purposes, 
they are always careful to cut them during the increase of the lunar orb, 
a superstition which prevailed in some parts of England with regard to 
timber trees not so many years ago. The canes are also frequently left to 
soak in pools of water and rivers for several weeks previous to use, as a 
preventive of decay. With the flowering and death of the Bamboo 
vanishes all the grace and beauty of the jungle ; nothing but the dried 
and blackened clumps of dead canes are left, which for fifty years had 
obeyed the summons of Nature and hastened to renew their mantle of 
delicate green with the first showers of each returning spring. 
The roots of these giant clumps having a deep and firm hold on 
mother earth, and the comparative indestructible nature of the canes was 
the cause of their remaining for some years exactly in the position in 
which they died, yielding but slowly, and with seeming reluctance, to the 
attacks of that wonderful insect the white ant, and jungle fires, fed by 
dry grass and fallen leave 5 , creeping their stealthy way annually through 
the forest, leaving nothing but a charred and blackened track behind. 
After the seeding of the Bamboo in my neighbourhood in 1863, and on 
seeing the fires of the ensuing dry season seemingly scorching up every¬ 
thing in their path, I could not help exclaiming, “ Here is an end to the 
beautiful Bamboo jungle for ever, at least in this neighbourhood but in 
this I was mistaken, for, by the end of the following south-west monsoon 
clumps of young seedlings were seen springing up in all directions, giving 
fair promise that in the course of years the forest would return to its 
original beauty ; and this promise was duly fulfilled, for by the year I left 
India, 1877, these clumps of seedlings had attained a size nearly, if not 
quite, equal to the parent plants. But how the seed in the first place, 
and the tender seedlings in the second, escaped the ordeal of these annual 
fires I am at a loss to say, unless it was through the agency of a special 
and secret provision of Nature. 
Aft-r this long digression I must attempt a description of my journey 
from South Wynaad to the locality in which I was to reside and work for 
the following three years. As I have already stated, the journey occupied 
the whole day and proved to be a very trying one. The track liy far 
from any Coffee plantations, so that I had no opportunity for rest or 
refreshment. The pony I rode was not of the strongest description, and 
soon showed symptoms of fatigue. My first halt must be at the Planters’ 
Club House at Maoantoddy, the capital town or village of the northern 
district, and distant some thirty miles from my starting point. The 
road, or rather track, was in no way good and frequently puzzling, and 
as, of course, I knew not a word cf any native language, I had, in asking 
my way of the natives I happened to meet, to fall back on the “ universal 
language of all nations,” signs, and to the utterance of the one word, 
Manantoddy, at the same time pointing in the direction in which I 
supposed the town to be situated. These natives, one and all, seemed to 
at once grasp my difficulty and hastened, also by words and signs, to 
assure me I was on the right path ; the consequence was that I “ made ” 
the village without taking a fdse turn. I can well remember, when not 
far distant from the Club House, I met a well dressed native, and on 
accostiug him, in the same manner as related above, I had the pleasure of 
receiving for answer in excellent English, “ Yes, Sir, you are close to 
Manantoddy, keep straight on, and you will soon be at the Club House.” 
On the way I passed thiough some very pretty undulating land covered 
with s^ort bright green grass and comparatively open, studded only by 
a few trees and widely detached Bamboo clumps, looking like extensive 
and well kept pleasure grounds, and exquisitely beautiful. The eastern 
slopes cf the Western Ghauts were also in view all the way, covered with 
black forest, broken at intervals by the clearings of the ruthless Coffee 
planter, and looking cool and magnificent in the clear atmosphere. The 
highest peak of the range—leaving out the Neilgherry Hills—occurs here, 
and is named Balesore. It is a magnificent mountain peak rising to a 
height of a little over 7000 feet above sea level, and heavily wooded till 
within a short distance of its summit, which is crowned with long grass 
and low shrubs. I have often gazed at this same mountain just before 
sunset, and although I had often, when a boy, looked in wonder on the 
summer evenings on the strange and beautiful blue colour of the hills in 
the western Highlands of Scotland, yet never had I experienced Buch 
enchantment, nor gazed on such azure hue as lobed this glorious 
Balesore mountain. The rivers, which during the rains were all but 
impassable, were at this season easily fordable even for a small pony, so 
they presented no difficulty. 
One or two groups of natives I passed rather startled me. These 
men were all armed with bows made of seasoned Bamboo, and rpear- 
shaped arrows. Their hair was close shaven in front, with back hair lied 
up in a knot on the top of their heads ; their clothing consisted of a single 
narrow strip of white calico each, and they were accompanied by a large 
pack of pariah dogs. They had a very wild and warlike appearance, and 
as I approached ihem they ranged themselves in Bingle file on either side 
of the road with the apparent desire of allowing me to pass ; but, to be 
candid, they looked far too much like the pictures of the North American 
Indians I had seen to please me, and I felt more comfortable when a little 
distance divided us. I found afterwards that this particular tribe were 
called Groochers and lived in villages in close proximity to the extensive 
Rice fields, gaining a livelihood by working for the rich proprietors of the 
Rice fields, and by hunting. They never use the gun in their hunting 
txpeditions, but only the bow and arrow, and such a deadly weapon is it 
in their hands that all sorts of game is brought down, from the hare and 
jungle-fowl to the panther, leopard, and bear. I have often seen them 
shooting at a mark with wonderful correctness of aim. Their ranging 
themselves on each side of the road on this occasion was no menace,, but 
simply a mark of respect to the white man ; at the same time their wild 
and somewhat savage appearance did not altogether belie their nature, for 
their previous history, up to the time of the English taking complete pos¬ 
session of the country, and sending officials and police there for its better 
government, was one of rapine and murder. Indeed not a few murders 
and robberies were committed by these men during my residence in the 
district, the weapon of slaughter being always the spear-headed arrow-. 
I reached the village in due course, tired, hot and hungry, and, as may be 
supposed, not without the loss of a considerable area of bark, not having; 
had great previous expereience in riding I At the Planters’ Club I rested, 
for a short time and had refreshments, then renewed my journey a dis¬ 
tance of ten miles more. I had not met a siDgle white face, either on my 
journey from the south or at the Club House, so was much pleased on 
resuming my journey to meet with an Englishman, who proved to be the 
resident doctor of the district. He evidently saw at once that I was a, 
fredi impoitation, spoke very kindly to me, and directed me my way. In 
the dusk of the evening I arrived at the bungalow of my future master 
or superintendent, a gentleman with a foreign name, who managed several 
Coffee estates both for himself and for the gentleman who had brought 
me out from England. An account of the kind of reception I received 
from this person on my arrival, after a journey of nearly 8000 miles, I 
will reserve for my next paper.— Planter. 
(To be continued.) 
FRUIT AND PLANT HOUSE. 
The best examples of what can be accomplished in growing plants- 
and Vines in the same house are usually seen near towns, and at The 
Shrubbery, St. Neots, the residence of G. Bower, Esq., I found a remark¬ 
able instance of success. There is a house (fig. 68) 67 feet long and 
28 feet wide, span-roofed, with the ends east and west. The site is 
enclosed by the mansion to the east, westward by the church school, 
northerly by high buildings, being open to the south only, and even there 
we have a wall separating the churchyard from the site, the beautiful, 
church of St. Neots being within 100 yards to the south of the house, 
which though so surrounded is nevertheless detached on every side, with, 
the buildings named in close proximity. It is a very substantial house, 
with side lights, and provision is made for rouf ventilation on both sides 
of the ridge, opening by crank and lever movement. The Vines are 
planted inside, and trained to the roof at the usual distance, or about 
15 inches from the glass. On the north side of the house the Vines are as fol¬ 
lows, commencing at the east end. Gros Colman, which ripens and colours 
well, and is considered good in flavour ; it is trained with two rods, and 
is considered a very desirable varitty, from its large berries and generally 
noble appearance. Alicante is only allowed one rod, being that form of 
Alicante which is noted for small berries, though it ripens well; Black 
Hamburgh is allowed three rods ; Buckland Sweetwater is allowed two 
rods, and it fruits and finishes capitally; Alicante is only allowed one rod, 
but this is the better form, and finishes capital examples of large bunches 
and berries ; Black Hamburgh is allowed two rods ; and Dutch Ham¬ 
burgh one, which gives very large berries, that are liable to crack. Lady 
Downe’s sets well, and is in every respect satisfactory, not beiog liable to- 
scald, which may be due to being grown on the north side of the bouse. 
Royal Muscadine is only given one rod, and is characterised by its usual 
excellence ; West’s St. Peter’s is trained with one rod, gives compact 
bunches of Grapes that colour well, and is one of the best late Grapes. 
Gros Colman is allowed two rods; and Madreefield Court one rod (this is 
considered one of the finest Grapes, doing very well, and not cracking, 
which may be a consequence of its being on Ihe north side of the house. 
The south side of the house contains, commencing from the west end. 
Black Hamburgh, three rods ; Frankenthal, two rods, which, though 
fruiting freely and having large berries, does not colour nearly so well 
as Black Hamburgh ; this defect is common (to (this Grape. Buckland 
Sweetwater, two rods; Madresfield Court, one rod, doing capitally on 
this as well as the north side; Foster’s Seedling, two rods, giving the 
heaviest crops, and a Grape that is held in high repute ; Black Hamburgh, 
two rods ; Buckland Sweetwater, one rod ; Black Hamburgh, one rod ; 
Foster’s Seedling, two rods ; Lady Downe’s, ODe rod ; Black Hamburgh, 
one rod, replacing Grizzly Frontignan, which were not found to do well ; 
and Mill Hill Hamburgh, three rods, and which is here considered the 
finest of the Hamburghs. It will be seen that the Grapes that are most 
esteemed have most rods, being free fruiters, and as such do not require 
so great a run of foliage as the late sorts, the latter not being so amenable 
to close stopping as the earlier-ripening varieties. From this house 
800 bunches of fine useful Grapes are had annually. The results, with 
the different varieties, were kindly furnished by Mr. Williams, the able 
and persevering gardener. There is an abundant crop this season, yet 
more than half the bunches were removed in disbudding. 
The plants are grown beneath the Vines on side stages or shelves 
along both sides the house, and in the interior of the house stood on the 
floor, it being disposed in conservatory-like order, there being side paths 
for convenience of inspection and attending to the plants in watering, &c., 
and a wide ce ntral path with a recessed space in the centre fitted with 
