AvGtrsT 1, 1883,'j 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



Ui 



^ 



To the Editor, Ceylon Observer, 

 FUNGI— LIME— CANKER. 

 Dbak Sir, — Of some copies of the Obsrrre.r, over- ] 

 laud aud daily" which 1 occasionally send home to 

 my friends, one containing an article on leaf disease 

 was shown to a gardener, and he was asked to write 

 to me his opinion on the subject, aud as it may in- 

 terest you I send you his ideas on the subject. I 

 may add that he has carried ort' every certificate and 

 testimonial at home and elsewhere for practical and 



theoretical horticulture. He writes : — " very 



kindly gave me a Ceylon newspaper to read which 

 contained an ariicle upon ' Fungoid Diseases in Forest 

 Trees,' and wished that I should write if I knew of 

 any remedy for it. I read the article carefully aud 

 agree with the editor upon many points, especially I 

 that rotten wood causes fungi. I have found some 

 fungi dcbtroyiug vine roots, and even the roots of pot 

 plants; and have applied Vwip, walci' to pot planis, 

 which always destroys fungi, even once watered ; 

 l)ut it is morediiiicult to apply lime water with etfect 

 to the roots of vines or coffee trees ; but I would 

 suggest that in making a new plantation lime should 

 be mixed with the soil, and it can ba done without 

 the least injury to the roots for they have the power 

 to reject the acetate of lime, aud it assists germin- 

 ation and luxuriance!; although with small seeds lime 

 should be used cautiously in a caustic state. The 

 editor of the paper suggests that the trees should 

 be taken up, washed and cleaned of all diseased 

 roots, but I disagree with him on that point ; 

 it would be far better to lift the trees up, prune 

 the diseased roots and apply a few canfuls of 

 lime water to it for it would not only destroy the 

 fungi upon them but also act as a preventive for 

 years to come. When the fungi appear on the leaves 

 aud branches it is easier still to apply this simp.e 

 lime water remedy, by the use of a eyringe ; and the 

 trees if syringed for 3 or 4 evenings will be clear 

 of these epiphytes. The editor is perfectly right 

 when he says that cankeicd roots are syuiptoms of 

 debility, but canker has no connection with the 

 fungi, for iron causes any plant to canker, but it 

 will destroy fungi. There are many remedies offered 

 for the destruction of fungi such as divided powdered 

 arsenic, crushed soda &o., but the most effectual 

 aud simple according to the testimony of the most 

 experienced gardeners (I have senrched all my books, 

 and the GardciP rs' Chronir/i- on the subject) is the 

 application of lime in a caustic state to the roots 

 when planted or dissnlved in wnter. In m.iking a 

 mushroom lie! we always t^ke great care that no 

 lime gels mixed with the soil for it will always 

 destroy the mycelium ; and as rotten wood in the 

 soil is the great cause of fungi, 1 would think it 

 best to burn all branches aul twigs about when 

 making a plantation ; there is not much danger when 

 the roots are on the surface, but when c ivered with 

 soil in damp water the fungi will appear in a very 

 short time." You are at liberty to print l^he above 

 if you think tit, and let me bo known as 



CYMRU BYTH. 



THE ItESOURCES OF CEY^LON. 



Uva Province, 0th July 1SS3. 



Deak Sif.s, — Y'ou never hit the mark belter than 

 When you bad the map sketched showing the cultiv- 

 ations, forest.s, &c., of our "tight little islaurl," and 

 1 hope yon will give the readers of the Tropical Uie 

 benefit of it, showing as it docs I suppose the various 

 areas and jiroductions pf the diiierent J)ro^■inces. 



I have travelled Ceylou pretty considerably, and 

 have had impression tu impression confirmed as regards 

 the island's resources, and the peculiar agricultural capa- 

 bilities of each province showing adifi'ereni kind of land, 

 a different climate, and a different^ elevation ; and 

 Ceylon may well be compared to a quilt of most 

 wonderful patchwork. You have a multitude of 

 designs, all nature's handwork, quaint, arabesque 

 and elaborate. How necessary then that our new 

 Governor should be a traveliing Rex, for seeing is believ- 

 ing, and how important that Government Agents should 

 be requested to develop tlie agricultural resources 

 and arboricullural capacities of their respective pro- 

 vinces and thateach province should have an experimental 

 Govcrumeut gardeu. I am tolerably sure that such 

 products as ginger, aloes, white poppy. West India 

 yams, nnd perhaps indigo, may yet be profitably 

 cultivated in Ceylon ; and why not "the opinm plant, 

 is it. worse than the alcoholic plants — barley, cocouut- 

 rtowers, &c. When perverted into ardent spirits— 

 I wonder which of the two, alcohol or opium, is the 

 more dangerous. I am also persuaded in my own 

 mind that the sugarcane ofin in some dry parts of Cey- 

 lon be profitably grown on fine soil and iu a dry climate. 

 I have myself four kinds growing here: tliey would 

 yield lots of juice but little fcugar, for the ob\ious 

 reason that we have no protracted spells of hot dry 

 weather to sweeten the juices of the cane. May I beg 

 of you to give us in the Tropical in v/hat climate and 

 land the aloe Hourishes in, as also indigo, ginger, 

 white poppy, and West India yams. 



PLANTER. 



COFFEE, TEA AND CINCHONA IN CEYLON. 



ISth July 1SS3. 

 DE.4K Sir, — Someone has deliued "life" a: "mat- 

 ter that has become conscious of itself ' : a feeble 

 definition this at best for a series of emotions act- 

 ing aud reacting one on another with regular ir- 

 regularity ; one would almost prefer to speak of "be- 

 ing " as the pa-jsing through a constant series of 

 emotions and sensations, of the which mental un- 

 reliability, as the cause of most of one's bodily ac- 

 tions — mostly foolish, — stands out in boldest relief. 

 Tliis preamble to introduce the recognition — which 

 even itse f condemns itself — that today's wisdom will 

 and must bee >me tha folly of tomorrow, and from this 

 again my acknowledgment that iu some rather recent 

 writings I have allowed myself to " croak " in a 

 manner which at this date appears to have been un- 

 necessary. Oojj'ci- was the country the hordes of my 

 distrust overran ; leaf-disease, grub and abnormal sea- 

 sons were my generals. At the time I was convinced 

 of the wisdom of what I wrote. But it h;i3 been 

 permitted me to peer through the arcb of experience, 

 and what i now remember in the immediate past 

 to have seen in this dip into the future I will here 

 set down. 



But first for the present :— In spite of the foes I 



have .named, whicli have not yet left the field (so 



flatly contradicting my earlier convictions) coffee is 



still in many parts being cultivated at a prolit. 



My wanderings these last few days have taki.'ii mo 



j through districts that, from all I hear, have not 



' been favoured with normal proportions of sun-hcit 



and rain, aud at the_se — in especial on one estate 



j that ranges from S.OOO to 3,000 feet and thiitcmnot 



1 boast the blessed inheritance of eastern aspect -I find 



that where upkeep has been coutiuued in any degree in 



accordance with our ideas of liberality coffee has a very 



gratifying show of berries upon it ; aud where the land 



gets the benefit of morning sun the jield is most 



1 satisfactory. It is right to mention Meddecoombera, 



j as a passer through in a late impressiou o£ the Ub- 



I server recorded that on that property crop was to be 



