August i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



97 



"PITH DISEASE" IN CINCHONAS AND 

 JUNGLE PLANTS. 



Tliere has been some cori'espondence from Boga- 

 wantalawa about a kind ot canker which has aifected 

 the pith of cinchonas and of a species of jungle plant 

 used as shade for nurseries. The plant is well-known : 

 it has a rhododendron-like leaf, and in consetjuence 

 of the tenacity with which the leaves adhere to the 

 stem it is the favourite for shading cinchona nurseries. 

 Planters and coolies alike speak of the plant as 

 " ^hirli, " which we, naturally enough, took to be a 

 modification of the English word shade. But the 

 compiler of " luge V^a ! " assured us that this was 

 a mistake. The coolies having this name for the 

 plaut. it is passing strange that a planter in Boga- 

 wantalawa on asking its name should receive the re- 

 ply '• Teriya illei," the equivalent of the Sinhalese 

 "Daune uce, " or the English " I don't know." The 

 followins note is from W. F. : — 



" I have read the letters on di-seased pith of 

 jungle plant and cinchona, and think that it is a 

 case of ' iii.iklioia chfiinclioii.' I do n't see any part- 

 icular disease in the pivh of the jungle plant, aud 

 the other looks queer, but I don't think the jungle 

 plant afi'ected the cinchona. 



" The jungle plant is a very common small tree, 

 (underwood) in the Dimbula jungles, well-known to 

 me by the Sinhalese name of Beroo, and is the Srui- 

 cocUniuin lonipfni'vim, Wight, one of the euphorbiads. 

 I have no doubt that the Tamil name given to it to 

 Mr. as ' iarrina alh>^ is a fair attempt at spell- 

 ing ' terrai ilia,' ' I do n't know' ! ! And I am sure 

 they do n't. "JThat is one point in the discussion 

 cleared up. The Sinhalese use its leaves for thatching 

 their huts. It burns fresh and makes a cracking 



I believe there is a great deal in what Mr. 

 says about bad seed." 



proved to be e.'ccellent, but which was not mschan- 

 ically free. There is not enough of gravel and sand 

 in a great proportion of our soils. We are watching 

 carefully and very hopefully the effect of the growth 

 of tea on land which, although a splendid tea .«oil, 

 did not suit the delicate taproots of cinchonas. But 

 where cinchonas died off when planted as a sole cult- 

 ure, they are now flourishing scattered amongst tea 

 plants. Time sufiicieut for a decided conclusion has 

 not elapsed, but there is much reason to hope for 

 success, although it seems inevitable that, in many 

 places, a proportion, sometimes a very large pro- 

 portion, of cinchonas planted out should die oft' at 

 all stages up to live to ten years. But at all ag'S, 

 even the most advanced, "pith disease" .seems ti 

 aft'ect them. 



■The allusion about bad seed is to a passage in a 

 letter which runs thus : — 



" The pith dying in cinchona is nothing new, as 

 anyone might have seen ten years ago on the few 

 trees that then succumbed to canker. 



"The present rapid and widespread prevalence of 

 canker I consider is entirely due to the thoughtless 

 and indiscriminate purchase of seed from all ages of 

 trees, healthy or otherwise and from whatever source 

 it could be had which prevailed about three to 

 four jears ago, combined with this damp and cloudy 

 season. 



"In my own experience I could point out here 

 the ditfereuce between plants aud eeed obtained from 

 reliable sources and those that were purchased with- 

 out that knowledge. 



"That the Ceyhm seed is and has deteriorated there 

 can be no doubt, but this generally applies to trees 

 under ten years of age, and our present object should 

 lie (it South American seed is not obtainable) to 

 purchase only seed from well-known old and healthy 

 trees." 



Of course every care should be taken to obtain seed 

 from well matured and healthy trees ; hut we suspect 

 that climatic influences and nature of soil and sub- 

 soil have more to do with disease and "insidious de- 

 function " than bad seed. We are by no means 

 alone in this opinion, for yesterday we had the op- 

 portunity of comparing notes with a gentleman who 

 is not only intimately connected with cinchona culture 

 but who has written authoritatively on the subject. 

 He has recently himself lost a good many cinchonas 

 deii\cd from seeil regarding the goodness of which 

 there could be no question. Cinchonas have die I 

 out in hundreds of thousands on soil which analysis 

 13 



CEYLON ; BINTENNA 

 A Pastou.^l 



TO MONARAfiALA. 



COU.STRY. 



I have just been for a very interesting journey 

 from Nugagala Gap on to within 40 miles of Batti- 

 caloa upon the new Badulla-Batticaloa ro.nd, and 

 from thence to Bubule and on to this district. 

 As I see you are making a map ot the country 

 most suited for various products and use.s, I can 

 not help drawing to your notice the much spoken 

 ot and little known Park Country of Ceylon; which 

 be"an upon my journey within about 10 miles of 

 Alntnuwara aud extends for some 30 or 40 miles in a 

 southerly direction, containing possibly "JOG square miles 

 of country, .ill admirably adapted for pastoral purposes. 



I have been over a greater part of Southern Imlia, and 

 have seen large tracts of country, miserable to look at in 

 every sense, and yet sheep upon it have appeared healthy 

 and strong. In every way the Park Country of Cey- 

 lon appears superior, yet it is a waste far and wide, 

 a desolate wilderness where once game abuundfd, 

 which now has, praetically speaking, been exterminated, 

 and the land, grass and trees alone exist. Horse, sheep 

 and cattle miglit surely be raised here if Government 

 would O'dy gi\e encouragemeni aud veiilil.ilion 

 the subject. 



to 



VV. F. L. 



I'LANTIXi: IN' THB LOWCOUNTRV NEAU 

 HENARATGODA. 



Tlie fallowing dated May 1st, has been delayed, but 

 is still of interest : — 



The coft'oc has improved very niui-h in appeanince over 

 the greater part of the property, aud there is the promise of 

 a considerable crop. During the long spell of dry weather 

 the Ilniiihia almost entirely disappeared from all but the 

 varieties on which it becomes chronic. It will seriously ailuct 

 tlie promised crop, should we have aiiotliersevere attack dur- 

 uig the season, but we can do nothing to avert it and can 

 ouly wait and )io]ic. There are someluindrcds of cacao ti'ees 

 in bearing: more are coming in month by month. I have used 

 all that lias come ripe hitherto for seed, but 1 will have some 

 little to cure duniig the season. I am tr\Hng to get it u]' 

 afresh on some spots where it has in iudividiud plants done 

 well, aud I have ready to plaut 12 acres on which a good 

 deal of the juugle has been left. 1 cannot claun for this 

 cultivation a gi-eat success, but it will uot be a great failure: 

 much of the soil is fit for it, but all the tu'st clearmg is 

 exposed to wind, and no provision was made for shelter. 



1 am now satisfied that we can giow cardamoms, and my 

 view is to plaut them in the new clearing with cacao. 

 The lining has been done on the triangular system, which 

 at l:i feet gives olO per acre. By putting a cardamom be- 

 tween each cacao in the three intersecting lines there will 

 Tie ;!10 cacao and 9:'0 cardamoms in all 1,240. The 



cheapest way ot g 

 question is whetli 



:-ttiug plants is to sow the seed, but the 

 the longer time ueecled would not 



