October i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



283 



leaves he says is exactly that which I copied from natiire 

 in the Calisaya Aiiglica, and the rich colouiing of the leaves 

 is perfectly given tl:eie, hut the form of the leaves is, as 

 above described ia f onn A. When, as io the C. Succirubra, 

 the leaves turn this rich red colour, it is generally connected 

 ■with rich colouring in the green of the leaves. This is a 

 feature on which Ledger lays great stress, and it appears 

 that many of the leaves assume this tint at the time of 

 flowering. Hence the term Colli (Quichua) Bojo (Spanish) 

 Rouye (French). 



Now, is this "red sort" a (Uffcrent species from the cah- 

 saya ? It is not distinguished hy the bai-k, for where the 

 Tata trees are fouud (single amoDgst the manckas or 

 patches) all the bark is good, owing, according to the In- 

 dians, to some connection with these chief trees. Thisis what 

 I find in the specimens sent me by M. Moens from .Java. 

 Most are of equal quality to the true Rojo, some superior, 

 others indicating, by proportions of quinidine or of cin- 

 ehonidine. the influence of inferior pollen. 



The slab whicli Mr. Ledger pointed out as typical Ttojo 

 I have marked Zamba, a name belonging, as I tliought, 

 and Weddell confirmed this, to his var. Microcarpa. j 



I cannot make all this fit in with what is called j 

 '• coirect botanical description," which seems to be con- 

 sistent with leaving out all allusion to the bark in the 

 description of a bark tree ; as in Bonpland's most con- 

 fu.sing account of his condaminea. The Spanish botanists 

 and Weddell were most particular to collect samples and 

 carefully to describe the bark. I have approached the 

 subject /;-om the side of the bark, and consequently con- 

 sider this the chief factor in the problem. I think 

 S Tactically cultivators will agree with me in this, 

 [y term " Ledgeriana " was meant to include all the 

 bark of a certain rich quality grown in Java from 

 Ledger's bag of seeds, and called such in trade. But 

 the true Leilyeriana must be the Rojo of Ledger, 

 and again I ask what is that ? It is the form A of my 

 Qiiinology, that is, the 3Iacho form, distingui.-hod, as 

 "Weddell sliows (p. 31 Histoire) all such forms are by 

 richer colouring (the purple or the under-side, how- 

 ever, is accidental) ; and, as I think, by its furnishing prepol- 

 lent pollen nee<led to keip up the superior strain of these 

 best qualities. AVithout this, they would degenerate, as in 

 an analogous manner is the case with animals. The Indians, 

 by long observation, are nearer the mark than the scientific 

 botanists ! 



These are questions for practical cultivators. By a kind of 

 reversal of the process above hinted, my gardener obtains 

 for me deyenevftte cucumbers, i. e., without seed^ and conse- 

 quently sweeter, and devoid of the strong principle which 

 disagrees with some persons. By careful fertilization, he 

 keeps up the strain of my melons ; and by artificial impreg- 

 nation, requiring skill, he succeeds in growing beautiful pods 

 of A'anilla, ccjual to the best in the market. 



I would always have a sprinkling of Tiita trees in my 

 plantations of Calisaya. and should then count on having nil 

 of what the Indians call true Calisaya quality. — I remain, 

 yours, &e,, John Eliot Howaed, F. K. S., F. L. S 



INDIGO CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 



12th .September 1883. 



Dear Sir, — The best ground for indigo culture 

 would probably be found in the Mannar district. 

 The plant grows wild there iu many place", but not 

 in very large quantity ; I do not remember seeing 

 more than about half-.an-acre in the spot. Irrigation 

 would, however, he needed for its successful cultiv- 

 alioTi, and at pi c-ent thnt is impossible iu the district. 



Unless a large area were cultivat d it is unlikely that 

 indigo would be found to pay. Considerable expense 

 must be incurred in erecting suitable buildings and 

 vats for extracting the dye, and when once buil! these 

 would need a large supply of raw material to keep 

 them going. .Still, with a sufficient acreage under 

 cnltivation. there is apparently no reason why indigo 

 culture should not yield as good profits in the Man- 

 nar district as in India, provided always that 

 a good snpply of water could be depended on for 

 irrigating the crops. 



It the culture were fouud to pay, the surroundiog 



natives would probably soon provide a considerable 

 amount of raw material as in India. It would pay 

 them better than paddy, and a new industry would 

 thus be started iu which the smaller cultivators could 

 articipate.— Yours faithfully, HENKY PARKER. 



COFFEE CULTURE AND SHELTER. 



14th Sepetember 18S3. 



De.^r Sir, — In these days of tea coffee and cin- 

 chona being unutterably damned by those who must 

 get their living by them, can a coffee planter who still 

 believes with Air. Shand and .Mr. Annstrong .and other 

 people who do not yet apply the big D. to coffee, 

 venture a few questions about coffee? 



I have it in hollows bearing well ; coffee on ridges 

 blown ; coffee in other places, even in flats, blown ; 

 and I believe without any but the smallest practical 

 experience iu belts — artificial belts. My partners and 

 predecessors having gone in for acreage versus quality 

 and havmg left only the smallest patches of jungle 

 to shelter large fields, which they do not shelter more 

 thau to show what they would do, if more fiequent. 

 'i hey are not sufficient to shelter some, indeed, most 

 of the fields. 



WiU some of your readers, who have not had " 20 

 years' experience " aud tlierefore may not unutterably 

 pooh-pooh a poor " seven years experience " advoc- 

 cate of belts, give me their experience of shelter- 

 bolts for exposed coffee — coffee which is green and 

 nice looking from November till June, which would 

 bear if sheltered, which blossomed in July, only to 

 shrivel up in August, in the wind. In England we 

 shelter friut trees and even gooseberries. Here, is it 

 absurd to anyone except those who do not believe, 

 that if we help ourselves nature maj' help us ? — 



"BLOWN COFFEE." 



CEARA RUBBER EXPERIMENTS AT PERA- 

 DENIYA. 

 Peradeniva, I Oh September 188.3. 

 De.4K Sir, — I have made a furthir trial of rubber on 

 old Peradeniya estate, and I took IS trees as they came 

 (leaving out only the small ones, and not big inough 

 to tap) with the satis-factory ivsult of juat over 10 ounces 

 of pure rubber. I also made a trial on one tree that 

 I tapped on the 11th of this montb, and succeeded in 

 getting one ounce aud one-eighth in nine days; and the 

 milk tiuwed most freely. This is surely an encouraging 

 result. — Yours faithfully, 



H. A. GILLIAT. 



m:. HALLILEY'S THEORY OF CONTAGIOUS 



DISEASES : HE IS SCEPTICAL REGARDING 



TEA AND SANGUINE ABOUT COFFEE 



IF CULTIVATORS ARE ALLOWED 



FREEDOM. 



Dear Sir,— Contagious diseases iu animals are caused 

 by mildeA generated froni carrion, putrid filth, rotten 

 grain, Iruit and vegetables. 



Leaf-disease is not a contagious disease. Had it been, one 

 of two things must have been the result, either it would 

 have disappeared long ago. or it would have killed all the 

 coffee. But as neither has occmred, it is proof that itis not 

 a contagious disease but a natural consequence ; aud had it 

 been a contagious disease, Mr. Marshall Ward would have 

 found the germ of it where he first looked for it, aud that 

 was in the sap of the tree : and the proof that lcaf.disea.se is 

 a natural consequence is that it disappears and returns when 

 the tree gets into a condition ready to receive it. There ia 

 just now ^ great rush to plaut tea. Those who have not done 

 so and have eoftce land I would advise to look before 

 they leap, and not allow themselves to be led away. If they 

 look at a map of Ceylon, they willsee th.at there is sufficient 

 suitable land which if planted will produce more tea thau the 



