May I, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



7S3 



uame than Mylitta as the cocoon is more oval and some- 

 what different iu other respects, and so are the moths to 

 a curtain extent. 



But, it is not possible that these differences are due to 

 a difference of climate, and that the Ceylon species and 

 A. Frithii are only southern species or varieties of A. mylitta. 

 At any rate, whether or not the Ceylon silkworm is the 

 same species as the A . mylitta of the more northern parts 

 of India, it seems eWdent that the moist and warm climate 

 of Ceylon is very suitable to the rearing of that species 

 of Mylitta. In all probability other species would succeed 

 as well, and the introduction of the more northern mylitta 

 into Ceylon would, in course of time, show whether it Ls 

 the same as the Ceylon silkworm. 



Coming now to the rearing of the A. wi_y/?tt« and other 

 wild silkworms iu various parts, and on a large scale, tho 

 plan adopted by the Japanese for the rearing of their valuable 

 oak silkworm, Ya,iia-Mdi and very probably also by the 

 Chinese, who are expert sericultm'ists, might be followed. 

 Mauy papers have been written on the ciUture of the 

 Japanese Yama-Jla'ty two published as far back as 1864, 

 one of which had been translated from the Japanese into 

 Dutch, by Dr. Hoffman, and then from the Dutch into 

 Fr/nch, by M. F. Blekman, interpreter to the French 

 Legation in Japan. According to tht.- pamphlet translated 

 from the Japanese, the plan adopted for the rearing of 

 the Yama-Mai consisted of three different operations. I 

 say "consisted," because the first and second systems of 

 rearing may, perhaps, not be adopted at the present time. 

 Now, let us see wliat these three systems of rearing the 

 Yama-Jfai are: — 



1. On branches, en baquets, in tubs. 



2. On branches, ff/fewr de terre^ at a level with the ground. 



3. On trees, en lihre nature, in the open air. 



A note following these three headings says : — The first 

 mode is emploj-ed for the rearing of the worms till after the 

 third moult ; after that period the second and third modes 

 becomes applicable. 



The first mode of rearing is this: tubs, placed under a 

 shed, are filled with water and covered with lids iu which 

 holes have been boretl, four, five, or six, according to tlu- 

 size of the tubs. The oak branches which are to feed the 

 .worms are plunged through these holes into the water, taking 

 care to plunge the stalks of the branches into the holes 

 which are opposite to one another, using only half of 

 them, aud corking or stopping the holes which have not 

 been used, till the foliage has been eaten by the worms, 

 or has become too old or faded. Then fresh branches are 

 introduced into the tubs through the holes left vacant for 

 that purpose. Thu fresh branches being placed so as to 

 touch the old ones, the worms quit the ol<:l branches to 

 go to the fresh ones. If the space is too wide between 

 some parts of the old branches aud the new ones, the old 

 branches are cut in small pieces, which are placed, or 

 pinned, on the new branches. A tap is placed at the lower 

 part of the tub, so that th© water can be drawn out and 

 renewed every other day, or every day, as the purity of the 

 water is of the utmost importance. This plan of rearing 

 maybe adopted till the worms form their cocoons, when the 

 rearings are on a small scale. — Journal of the 'Society of Arts 



Guide to Methods ov Insect Liik. — By Eleanor A. Orme- 

 rod, F. R. Met. Soc, etc. (Loudon : Simpkin, Marshall, and 

 Co.). — Miss Ormerod, whose name is so well known amongst 

 agricultm'ists at home and abroad, for whom she has done .so 

 much, is to be congratulated on her last new work, entitled 

 •* Guide to Methods of Insect Life."' This handy and most 

 useful little volume embodies the course of the lectures de- 

 livered by this gifted lady on behalf of the Institute of Agri- 

 culture in the Lecture Theatre of South Kensington Museum 

 in December last. IMiss Ormerod does not magnify her work, 

 but vnth her usual modesty says in her preface, '• I have 

 undertaken the work with considerable uneasiness, as I know 

 well that it requires far gi-eater kwowledge than I possess to 

 carry it out fuUy, yet I have endeavoured by all means in 

 my power to ensure accuracy." Miss Ormerod's skill as 

 an entomologist, particularly in connection with farm and 

 garden crops, and the additional fact of her holding the 

 post of honorary consulting entomologist to the Koyal Agri- 

 cultural Society, is sufficient guarantee for the acciu-acy of 

 her details. A special feature iu the book is the absence 



as far as possible of technical or scientific terms, plain 

 language being used where practicable, so that the hook 

 is as useful to unscientific as to scientific readers or 

 students, '^^'here techuicul terms are used an explanation 

 is given. In the first lectui-e Miss Ormerod treats of 

 eggs and caterpillars, aud gives descriptions as well as 

 illustrations of the various stages through which the insects 

 pass. In the second lectui'e the chrysahs, perfect insect 

 and the orders are treated of, aud iu the succeeding lectures 

 the different insect pests which affect our crops are referred 

 to and described, and the last lecture deals with, amongst 

 other matters, prevention. Miss Ormerod is tu be com- 

 mended for the manner iu which she has brought this all- 

 important subject before the nation, especially that sec- 

 tion which comprises the farmers and growers of crops, 

 for she has made it intelhgible to all. One of her con- 

 cluding remarks is as follows : — " I vrish to point out that 

 power of prevention of insect attack does not lie in tlie 

 mere knowledge wiuch may enable us to tell the name 

 of an iusect, but iu the knowledge of its habits, which 

 will suggest to the practical agriculturist in many cases 

 how to counteract these directly by measures of husbandry, 

 or indirectly how, if we cannot get rid of the attackers, 

 we may at least carry the crop through the attack." — 

 Land and Water. 



CiMCHONA CuLTlVATiox M\DE Easv. — TJie Indian Agri- 

 culturist hSi.?, the following wounderful deliverance: — At the 

 risk of being considered advocates for urging Government 

 to enter into competition with private enterprise, we would 

 earnestly counsel the planting of cinchona in all places 

 where the climate indicates the probability of success. AA^'e 

 do not advocate the establishment of a large farm, or any- 

 thing extensive in the way of glass propagating houses, but 

 recommend that all hill jails, at suitable elevations, should 

 devote a small space in the compoimd for the propagation of 

 seedling which can subsequently be planted out on the cop- 

 pice principle, forming hereafter forests of the tree — these 

 forests, of comse, to be strictly reserved as Government 

 property and to be barked, or not, according to the rates 

 ruling iu the market for quinine. In fact, if ouly on philan- 

 thropic grounds, we would urge on the authorities the pro- 

 pagation of this valuable febrifuge until they have such 

 quantities at hand as to prevent proprietors placmg pro- 

 hibitive rates on the medicine, as has been invariably done 

 when suffering humanity increases the demand. "We know 

 that the actual cost of barking and iirecipitating the sulph- 

 ate is most trifling, aud were not fictitious expenses added 

 to those of actual manufacture, quinine could be placed ou 

 the market at a profit, if sold at twelve to fourteen annas 

 per ounce, provided the plant were treated in the way in- 

 dicated, and not as an expensive exotic. The price we have 

 quoted would put the medicine within the reach of the 

 poorest sufferer, aud so lessen iu a marked degree the miser- 

 ies and mortality that arise from neglected splenetic diseases. 

 Coppiced plantations of cinchona if planted within short 

 distances of our hill stations, w ould need keeping in order 

 for the first eighteen months ouly, and this could easily be 

 accomplished by the jail prisoners. The plantations might 

 then be left to nature, as the trees would by that time be 

 umbrageous enough to keep the undergrowth from checking 

 their progress, and the only precaution necessary for the 

 preservation of the plantation would be the cleaning and 

 watching of fire-paths during the dry season. Though many 

 of the hylsrids, such as C. OJjicinalis, may contain a greater 

 proportion of alkaloids, they are more delicate to propagate 

 than other varieties. AVe would therefore recommend the 

 selection of the robuster C. Succiyuhra, despite its reputed 

 liability to the attacks of canker-worm — which repute by-the- 

 way rests, we believe, solely on the dictum of the late Mr. 

 Mclvor, of the Ootacamuud Gardens. This gentleman's 

 opinions however on the suitability of sites for cinchona 

 cultivation must be received with some reserve, as he was 

 (owing to the large interests he held in private planting vent- 

 ures, in Common with Sir AVilliam Denison and others) 

 naturally much opposed to competition. In conchnling our 

 remarks ou the subject, we are of opinion that the bark from 

 these coppices should be utilised for making the pure sulph- 

 ate, as although the cinchona febrifuge sold by Government 

 is undoubtedly of use in mild cases of fever, it has frequent- 

 ly beeu found far from efficacious iu the more raalaiious 

 districts. 



