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fUE fiaOPlCAL AGI^tCULTURlSf. 



[Fes. I, i88';. 



the valuation of exports in Ceylon. I expressed 

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PLA.NTATIONS AND INSECT VISITOES. 

 Lawrence, Dikoya, Dec 1886. 



Deak Sik,— Teday's post takes you a tea tree 

 branch, on the leaves of which you will perceive 

 a yellowish bug-like insect. Can you tell what it 

 is, or refer it to some one who can V — I am, dear sir, 

 yours faithfully, WALTER AGAR. 



[Our referee's report : " I'Jth Jan. 1887.— The 

 males of a scale bug, species unknown to me. 

 After being kept for about ten days, they became 

 winged insects." — Ed.] 



"Coffee and insects in haputale. 



HaldummuUa, 31st Dec. 1886. 



Dear Sib,— I send you by this post an insect 

 I found on a cotfee tree. I don't remember see- 

 ing one like it before. It was on a coffee tree 

 which had a bad attack of " green " bug, and I 

 can't help thinking, it may have something to do 

 with that terrible pest. Perhaps your entomologist 

 will tell us if it is the queen green bug or not ! 

 It much resembles the bug in form and colour, 

 though, of course, much larger. I tear I killed 

 the insect in catching it. Wishing you all a very 

 happy New Year. HAPUTALE PL.\NTEE. 



[Our entomologist referee says :— " 17th Jan. 

 1887 :— The larva of an insect belonging to the 

 order Honioptera, family Oerespidcc, and allied to 

 tke ' frog-hopper.' It lives on the juices of plants, 

 and can do no harm to coffee or tea, being 

 seldom found in large num bers." — Ed ] 



THE HIGHEST PRICE OF COFFEE. 



Colombo, 5th January 1887. 

 tiLk-R Sir,— Since 1870 the highest price paid in 

 Colombo for coffee per bushel is 27s (R13-50) : this 

 for " Amunamulla" and " Rahalungoda." I am not 

 quite sure about the f. o. b. price, but think a Uttle 

 over 1253 (R62-50) was realized.— Yours faithfully, 

 E. JOHN, per REGINALD JOHN. 



" BULKED UNASSORTED TEAS" : MESSRS. 

 RUCKER AND BENCRAFT KINDLY RE- 

 QUESTED TO EXPLAIN MORE FULLY 



St. Leys, Dikoya, January 10th 1887. 

 Dear Sir, — I read Messrs. Ruoker and Bencraft's 

 remarks regarding the break of te"a referred to in 

 my former letter, with much interest. The funny 

 simile of the Doctor's prescription, is, I fear, wasted 

 this time — for there was no attempt at special 

 " Blending" with the lot of " Unassorted" in 

 question. It was simply the hulk, minus red 

 leaf and dust, broken up, and thoroughly mixed. 

 So the " exact proportions of tine and common 

 teas" would be precisely the same as in the 

 assorted lot, both being from the same bulk. A 

 new light is evidently about to dawn on us — for 

 I do not think I was alone, in having understood 

 the meaning of "Bulked Unassorted" to be what 

 the words imply. [ hope, however, that Messrs. 

 Rucker and Bencraft will act on your suggestion 

 and more fully explain what they mean by it, and 

 then we can try again. — Yours truly, 



J AS.' W. HOLT. 



THE RELIEF OF THE "GOYAS:" LAGALLA 

 DISTRICT AND SOME PRACTICAL ACTION. 

 Hoolankande, Madulkele, 16th Jan. 1887. 



Dkar Sir, — I read with interest A. G. K. B's. sug- 

 gestions for the relief of the " goya " in the out- 

 lying and poorer villages. 



I have for some time past been in communic- 

 ation with the Government on this subject more 

 especially, with a view to obtain measures of relief 

 for the villagers of the Lagalla and Tamankaduwa 

 and Gongala districts. 



It will interest you to know that the Government 

 has already offered a grant of land for the estab- 

 lishment of an Experimental Garden ; and as far as 

 my experience goes, the officials — from the Col. 

 Secretary to the Assistant Agent — seem to be de- 

 sirous of carrying out any reasonable and practical 

 measures for the furtherance of the object in ques- 

 tion. The Wesleyan Mission has a fairly successful 

 establishment in Lagalla, and I have no doubt that 

 their aid would be freely extended to any under- 

 taking, having for its object the relief of the poorer 

 Sinhalese or their mental and moral improvement. 



It is not ditiicult to propose measures of relief, 

 without number ; the difficulty lies in persuading 

 the native to take advantage of them ; experimental 

 gardens hitherto have not met with much success ; 

 pepper, oranges, vanilla etc., are pretty things to 

 see growing in a garden; but the native i.s of an 

 enquiring mind and would like to see some one grow- 

 ing them to pay. 



Nevertheless, as far as it is possible to see, an 

 advance of cultiv:;tion and industry is the only remedy 

 tor poverty and its natural concomitants and to 

 this alone must we look for a solution of the diffi- 

 culty. 



Besides the growing of economic products, the 

 native should be encouraged to engage in minor in- 

 dustries, such as basket-making, carving in wood, roi^e- 

 making etc. ; carpentry above all should be encou- 

 raged. A man with a good house over his head, 

 is altogether more of a man than his neighbour 

 in the hovel. All these industries would require 

 teachers, and the teachers would require pay, and 

 a responsible person would be indispensable to 

 watch the work, who would also require pay — alto- 

 gether a good deal of money must be shelled 

 out ; but the work is worth tlic doing. Those 

 interested should now communicate and obtain 

 touch. You, sir, will doubtles.-; use your influence 

 on keeping the subject under discussion, — YourfS 

 faithfully E. G. B. 



