456 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[December i, 1883. 



fruit must be taken into consideration, cutting back or 

 loppiug ami burning the affected portions of the tree might 

 also be tried, though this naturally cheeks the supply of fruit 

 until new wood is produced, stimiilating by powerful manures 

 so as to enable the trees to out grow as it were the 

 attacks of the insect, has also been recommended, but 

 it is possible that this may tend to an over-production 

 of young wood and leaves, and a diminished supply of 

 fruit. Finally, there is the radical remedy of stamping 

 out by destrojnng aU the infested trees and beginning 

 again. This might occasion ruin or severe loss to poor 

 planters, and would probably require a Governmental sub- 

 sidy to the parties affected for a considerable time. In con- 

 nection with this it is desirable, whether the planters should 

 not ask themselves if the trees have become naturally ' 

 in an unhealthy condition, and the soil exhausted through I 

 continuous growing of the same trees on the same ground. \ 

 It appears to me possible that rotation of crops may be 

 as necessary in the case of cultivated trees or shrubs as it 

 has been proved to be with cereals and herbaceous plants, 

 and in this point I think the American reports before 

 aUuded to, are not sufficiently explicit. 



The number of insecticides that have been tried is very 

 great. Some of them have proved impracticable owing to 

 their destroying both the plants and the insects, others 

 again have proved only partially successful or have been 

 very difiicult of application or too e.xpensive. It seems 

 then that tliose to be seriously considered are verj^ few. 

 To be effective they should consist of solutions of such 

 a nature that can be applied by means of a force pump 

 so as to reach every part. 



Whale-oil-soap in a solution of one pound of soap 

 to cue gallon of water is reported to have killed all 

 the insects, but only few of the eggs; it must be 

 applied hot, a? it solidiiies in cooling, and it is re- 

 commended that the operation he repeated several times 

 at short intervals. 



The most elfective of all insecticides is termed Kerosine 

 Emulsion, the formula for the preparation of which is 

 here given : — 



Pure kerosine, 1 gallon. 

 Condensed milk, IJ pints. 



■Water 3 pints. 



Mix the milk and the water before adding the oil and 

 churn until the whole solidities and forms a " butter." 

 In applying this preparation the kerosine " butter " 

 should be diluted with from 12 to 16 times its quantitv 

 of water and then be applied immediately, for, if it is 

 allowed to stand, the *' butter" rises to the surface and 

 the solution is imperfect. The results of experiments with 

 this ai-e stated by Mr. Hubbard to have been satisfactory 

 and he gives it the preference over all other insecticides. 

 It should be remembered that it is possible (I might say 

 certain) the insects can be more readily combatted by 

 insecticides during the very short period "in which they 

 are active, just .^fter emergence from the ogg (attention 

 has been directed to this already in this Report) local 

 observation only can define this short period. 



No remedial measures can be of much value unless as 

 the result of concerted action. The care of one planter 

 may be utterly neutralized by the neglect of another, his 

 neighbour. Therefore it is desirable that if after the trial 

 of any special remedial measures favourable results have 

 been obtained, the application of such a remedy should be 

 made compulsory universally and not be left to individual 

 discretion. 



Insect " pests" are (with few exceptions) endemic and 

 epidemic in the same locality. They are always present 

 and so long as they continue endemic and limited in 

 their niunbevs the injury sustained is but small and may 

 even in certain cases become an actu.il benefit by checking 

 overproduction. It is when the epidemic condition shews 

 itself that the real injmry is inflicted. The epidemic con- 

 dition may be only transitory or it may prevail to such 

 an extent as to destroy or permarently damage the plants. 



It is therefore desirable to keep up a healthy condition 

 and if in spite of this the plants still shew themvelvcs 

 liable to destructive attacks it is more than ever necessary 

 to enquire whether their constitution has not been 

 deteriorated by long continued cultivation on the same spot 

 without rotation. — I have Sec, 



(Siguctl) EOBEET McLachlan. 



THE SLZE OF THE BRE.\KS OF INDIAN TEA. 



(To the Editor of the Borne ani Colonial Mail.) 



Sir, — For some time the Indian Tea Districts Associ- 

 ation have been occupied in a praiseworthy attempt to 

 effect an arrangement with the Whilesale Tea Deal-rs' 

 Assooiiition and the Customs' authorities, by which a 

 new system might be instituted for weighing tsas in the 

 chests, with the view to avnij turaiu;^ out the contents 

 in the manner now adopted iu the large storing ware- 

 houses in Loudon. Toe .Association deserve credit for 

 their effort, but is not the movement premature? 



Old planters assert that the decline in quality of our 

 Indian Teas arises from the objectionable system of 

 binning the daily out-lurn until svifficient is collected to 

 complete fair-sized breaks. When teaisipacked iujmedi- 

 ately after final firing, the aroma is retained, but 

 when it has to lie m the bins for a day or two the 

 aroma, if nat entirely destroyed, is at any rate pirtly 

 lost. It is reasonable to assume that tea with a good 

 " nose" is worth 2d per lb. more than tea with very little 

 aroma, but, to be on the safe side, let us say the differ- 

 ence is only a penny — and even at that reduced rate we 

 find a losi of Ss per 96 lb. chest, to say nothing of the 

 cost of extra labour employed under the binning 

 system, and the loss of valuable space in the tea 

 house. 



The buyers in the Lane demand large-sized breaks, 

 and are not sati'-fied on a busy day to find minimum 

 lots of even twenty chests. How many factories in 

 India are capable of turning out sufficient tea daily to 

 complete even twenty chest breaks w;thout binning ? 

 On the assumption the average assortment consists of 

 Broken P'-koe, Pekoe, Pekoe Souchong, Souchong, and 

 Broken Tea, it would require 100 chests daily to make 

 five breaks of each twenty chests. How many gardens 

 average anything like that quantity ? 



Many planters have taken immense pains to second 

 the effort of the Home Association, and after having 

 incurred endless trouble and worry in their efforts to 

 bulk on the factory, find that, on arrival at home, the 

 teas have to hs: re-bulked to suit the trade. 



My tip to brother planters i?,pack a' once after final 

 firing, and thereby make sure of aroma. Store the 

 packages until a good size break is cidlected. Tlie tea 

 on arrival at home will then open out with a fine noee, 

 audit istbcnlhe duty of the agency firm to see that 

 the wareliouse keepers employ proper means for rapid 

 bulking. Planter. 



The Cocoa Plum. — Those persons who visit Florida can, 

 if they are interested iu such matters, make the acquaint- 

 ance of a number of wild fruits. Among these is the 

 Cocoa Plum, of which some sjjeak iu high praise. The 

 Cocoa Plum is CJirt/sohalami^ Icaco (the generic name meaning 

 *' golden acorn ") ; the genus is now placed in a ;.ub-order 

 of the Eose Family, and differs from Frunvs, the common 

 Plum in points only of interest to the botanist. It is 

 a shrub from six to twelve feet high, producing white 

 flowers, the arrangement of which, as well as the shape 

 of the leaves, aiul an outline of the fruit, will be seen in 

 the engraving. It is very common in all of the "West 

 India is'anils, and iu Florida it is confined tO the southern 

 portion of the State. The fruit, in size and general 

 apearance, is much like a common plum, but is remarkab- 

 ly variable in color, some being white, others yellow, while 

 it is not rare to find specimens with red or purple fruit. 

 The pvUp is sweet, and though a httle austere at first, 

 most per.sons become very fond of the fruit. In .laniaica 

 and others of the "West Indies, a conserve prepared from 

 the pulp is an important article of domestic trade. The 

 kernel yields an oil on expression. The leaves and roots 

 are astringent and employed as local remedies. — American 

 AgricvlUtrist. 



