June 2, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



879 



past five yeara endirg crop of 1883-84 for the com- 

 ing fivo 5'ears. 



I think that I can give no better terms for the 

 assurance that mj' eystem ia not a swindle. 



My address is left in your bauds for parties to 

 communicate, or to yours faithfully, 



CRUX, OOTACAMUND. 



[We give thia letter without professing the slightest 

 faith in the statement made. Even that most llatul- 

 ent of blowers, Montolar, pretended that his system 

 had been a success on hia own estate, and invited 

 inspection, knowing well, of course, that nobody was 

 likely to accept his invitation. But this gentleman 

 docs not even challenge this test. If anyone wishes 

 to communicate with " Crux," his name is at their 

 disposal. — Ed.] 



CHICORY AND DISEASE. 



155, Fenchurch St., London, E. C, April 10th, 1874. 



Dear Sir,— I have sent the particulars of some 

 information that has lately come to ray knowledge, 

 to the medical profe.ssion through one of their journals. 

 I can give yon the outline of it, but I hope that 

 medical men in England will endtavour to follow 

 out the facts to see if they can be sustained generally. 



A largo consumer of chicory who has thoroughly 

 studied the different qualities and the places that 

 produced them became very fond of thia addition to 

 cofl'ee, but he found that a disease known as "piles" 

 attacked him, and he could not shake them off, even 

 with the best medical advice. He was asked to 

 think over what could have produced this in his mode 

 of life, and quite by chance he happened to mention 

 that he had lately taken more chicory than usual. 



The medical man at once suggested that he had 

 better discontinue the use. of chicory for a short time 

 to see if it had any effect. 



The result was that he was very little inconveiii- 

 enoed. Being .i.large vendor of chicory, he endeavoured 

 by cxiiti'imcnting upon himself to prove that it could 

 not be chicory that produced tliese lijemorrhoids, 

 but upon again returning to the use of chicory he 

 found his malady to seriously increase. 



The consequence ia that he is now in excellent health, 

 entirely free from these h£emorrhoid8, and he has had 

 to abandon drinking chicory. 



Knowing that I take an immense interest in those 

 subjects he laid the facta before me personally. If 

 ♦ his is proved, it will be of immense importance 

 to the coffee trade, for it is well-known that the 

 mixtures sold here in the market at the pre- 

 sent time as " French Coffee " contain the very 

 lowest claFS of chicory, which has much more irrit- 

 ating proprieties than (he chicory grown in York- 

 shire. This my friend fully confirmed. I have also 

 laid the facts before the Pliarmaceutical Society. It 

 won't effect people in tho East, for they drink their 

 coffee pure.— Yours faithfully. 



THOS. CHRISTY. 



[The moral of tliis curious letter seems to be that 

 if persona wish to avoid a painful disease they had 

 better not partake of chicory, and that if they will take 

 chicory they had better choose the home-grown. The 

 disease referred to (a natural counter-irritant), however, 

 attacks people who are innocent of chicory drinking. 

 — Ed.] 



RED AND WHITE CACAO. 



Dolosbage, 12th April 1884. 



Dear Sib, — Looking over the list of plants and seeds 



for sale at the Koyal Botanical Gardens, I observe :— 



(7acao.— Ordinary Ceylon red, pods R500 per 100. 



Palc-fruitert varieties, pods R12'00 per 100. 



Apart from the one reason that the pale varieties 



are not so common as the red variety, it would hi 

 interesting to know if there are any other reasons too 

 the one being so much more expensive than the other. 



I have heard it aaid that the pale-fruited varieties 

 are much hardier than the red, and it would be a 

 very interesting addition to what we know on the 

 subject, if those conversant with its peculiarities and 

 and habits would be so good as to add to our 

 knowledge by coming forward and mentioning in what 

 points it is that they are hardier and better —whether 

 by aucceediug in poorer soil, requiring no or less 

 shade, standing wind better, &c., ic, than the other. 

 Also, of the different pale-fruited varieties, which one 

 would be the best to grow. — I am, faithfully yours, 



FELIX. 



[When in Java we saw cacao suffering badly from 

 black blight, and Dr. Treub, Director of the Buitenzorg 

 Botanic Gardens, told us that the Government had 

 at his instance, written for supplies of the white variety 

 8 being nble to resist thia blight. — Ed..] 



DISEASED CINCHONA LEAVES. ' ' 



Ferndale, Balangoda, 10th April 1884. 

 Dkar Sir, — Can you tell me what is the matter 

 with enclosed cinchona leaves ? They come off a 

 tree about eight feet high, and every leaf without 

 exception is thus marked ; it is planted in a succi- 

 rubra field, and none of the surrounding ores show 

 any of same peculiarity. — Yours faithfully, 



HERBERT W. GUY. 



[Our referee states :— " The leaves appear to be suffer- 

 ing from a disease arising from the condition of the 

 tree, and not brought on by the attack of insects or 

 of any fungoid pest." The soil had better be examined. 

 —Ed.] 



PLANTING IN COORG. 



Sib,— Mr. Anderson suggests (page 627, Tropical 

 Arirhulituist) that somelhing might be done in the way 

 of clearing wattie ravines by moonlight. 



I would ask him and also "Aheriionensis" what sort of 

 work could be gnt out of coolies cutting a large acreage 

 by moonlight. Surely it is impracticable. In getting 

 to fires, I have before now had to jjass through clumps 

 of wattles with coolies, and I can vouch that the 

 language used when a coolie stepped on the sharp 

 stump of a wattie was very forcible. I opine, too, that, 

 in cutting down the wattles, the coolies would not be 

 able to distinguish clearly cardamom plants close at 

 hand and so some damage would be done. 



I would suggest to '■ Aberdonensis" that be visit 

 Coorg and especially the Bamboo, when, I think, be 

 would find few estates without shade now, though 

 perhaps the heavy pfuning niiglit get a few scathing 

 remarks from his pen. But; what no fellow can 

 under.staud is that your worthy correspondent in a for- 

 mer letter as much as says Coorg colTce is the cotftc, 

 yet now in its very home he states we will hear of 

 HcmUeia vfistati ix bavivg broken out soon. Woe 's me, 

 't is a weary world, my masters. 



Allow me to inform " Aberdonensis" to the be»t of my 

 knowledge and belief nothing else is grown on Cannon's 

 estate but Muuzerabad coffee. The inference is plain, 1 

 fancy. — I remain, yours faithfully. L< lONIE. 



Query : — Did old Baba Boodeen carry his muddio 

 (uursery ?) about with him. Ho had no doubt lirst class 

 soil and manure to germinate his coffee, and, doiditless, 

 the soil was mechanically free, having collected it on 

 his journey to and from Mecca. 



THE CULTIVATION OF PADDY. 



De.\r Sin, — It is not that we have loat faith in 

 coffee, nor that we have no hope in tea and other 

 "new products," but for other and very good rea- 



