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"Origin of the Pest:" — First attracting atten- 

 tion in Matale in 1882, it iiad reached Pus- 

 selawa in 1884, Eamboda in 1885, and Badulla 

 1886. The only suggestion as to its introduction 

 is one Mr. Green has heard from another person, 

 namely, that it came with Liberian coffee from the 

 West Coast of Africa. We append a communic- 

 ation on this point from a planter, who, we believe, 

 first pointed out that the green bug must be a 

 different species from the old one — even though 

 he had not then seen it — arguing from what 

 he had heard of its habits and effects at low 

 elevation and in dry weather. Finally we learn 

 that, "this species of scale bug is by not any 

 means confined to the coffee tree. I have found 

 it flourishing upon cinchona though it does not 

 seem to injure any except the very young trees. 

 I have frequently observed it upon orange and 

 lime trees, upon guava, and a large number of wild 

 plants. I have occasionally seen it on tea bushes, 

 but not in sufficient quantities to effect the healthy 

 growth of the plant." 



Mr. Green deserves the thanks of his fellow-plan- 

 ters for giving them the benefit of his labours in 

 this investigation, and we may hope that he will 

 from time to time let us hear of any new dis- 

 coveries he may make elucidating questions effect- 

 ing the planting industries of the island. The com- 

 munication from a planter to which we have re- 

 ferred, is as follows : — 



" I see Mr. Green in his monograph on the green 

 scale bug has just touched on my pet theory of 

 its introduction with Liberian coffee from the West 

 Coast of Africa. There is no doubt in my mind that 

 as regards time they made their appearance together. 

 In this respect my assertion is supported by Messrs. 

 Alex. Ross and J. HoUoway and also by W. 

 A. Lyford whose experience of it lies chiefly at 

 Amblangodde, The bug came with Liberian plants 

 into Pundaloya and was visible on them long be- 

 fore it spread to the other coffee. Still this does 

 not prove anything, and I think the Government 

 having induced Mr. Green to tell us all he can 

 about it should now send the "life history" to 

 our Consuls on the West Coast of Africa and re- 

 quest their investigation, and report. The Consul 

 for Imperial Germany told me he would willingly 

 do all he could in that direction if copies were 

 put into his hand. It would indeed be a curious 

 instance of the ' irony of fate ' if Liberian coffee 

 which was to revive the fallen fortunes of coffee 

 planters should prove to have been the indirect 

 means of destroying them altogether. Possibly Mr. 

 Shelton Agar might be able to tell us whether 

 he noticed any black or green bug on the coffee 

 he saw in Liberia. Scale bug of kinds and black 

 fungus may be met with in almost all tropical 

 countries, and probably everywhere in the world." 

 Our latest news is of a bad attack of the green 

 bug on 150 acres of tine coffee in Dikoya which had 

 always been well cultivated and generally treated 

 with cattle manure ', the prospect of a line crop 

 this year was very good, but just as the spike of 

 blossom appeared it got all nipped off by the green 

 bug. We have already referred te the way in which 

 this enemy has disappeared from many Uva estates 

 after being supposed to have fairly established 

 itself- We have also noticed successful experiments 

 by Oapt. Bayley's manager with kerosine and 

 caustic lime, in getting rid of the pest, which was 

 also killed out by the frosts of the present season 

 in Udapusaellawa. There is no doubt that the 

 owners of good coffee should be on the alert to 

 fight this enemy in one or other of the ways as 

 may be found most suitable, mentioned by us or 

 by Mr. Green— giviag their neighbours the beoelit I 

 ol (heir esperieQce. J 



We have just learned from Mr. Shelton Agar that 

 he never saw or heard of green bug, or bug of any 

 kind, on coffee on the Liberian Coast. He found 

 some coffee leaves there aff'ected alter a fashion 

 that reminded him of our leaf disease and sent 

 them to Kew for report. The answer was that 

 there was nothing approaching to the Heinileia 

 vastatrix, and that the cause of discoloration was 

 one of no moment. 



Crkole Corn Meal. — An experiment was being 

 made by a well-known Georgetown (Demerara) 

 establishment, to introduce Creole corn meal into 

 the local market. The meal is made of corn 

 grown in Demerara and ground by a mill imported 

 especially for the purpose, and it is recommended 

 by the Argosy as being " of decidedly superior 

 quality to the ordinary run of corn meal imported 

 from the States." It is off'ered for sale at less 

 than the price of the American article. 



Fixation of atmospheric nitrogen of soils, says the 

 Agricultural Students' Gazette, is a vexed question, 

 and .still undecided. A large mimber of espbrimenfcs, 

 extending over two year-s, the results of whicb have 

 recently been published by Mens. M. Berthelot, tend 

 to show that argillaceous soils have a very distinct 

 power of absorbing and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. 

 The soils experimented with were placed under different 

 conditions, in closed flasks, in a well-lighted room, in 

 a meadow under shelter, and on a tower 1'8 metres 

 high, without shelter. In all cases there was a gradual 

 increase of combined nitrogen, and this not in the 

 form of ammonia nor of nitrates, but apparently of 

 amido compounds. Berthelot believes the action to 

 be due to micro-organisms, for when the soil was 

 sterilised by heating to 100° C. it no longer took place; 

 cold also stopped the absorption. He calculates that 

 at least 20 to 32 kilograms per hectare are thus absorbed 

 by clay soils per annum. Mons. Joulie also has published 

 the results of some experiments which appear to prove 

 that when crops are growing on soils there is a very 

 considerable fixation of atmospheric Litrogen. — Indian 

 Agriculturist. 



NoETHEEN Plantation Expebuients. — The Cooktown 

 Independent speaks as follows of Mr. Dick's planting 

 entei-prise on one of the branches of the Eadeavour 

 Kiver : — " There are four acres under coffee, chiefly 

 Liberian, the plants varying from 2^ to f) feet in 

 height, according to age, (from 1 to" 3 years trans- 

 planted). There are nearly 100 in bloom, with here 

 and there the gorgeous little berries peeping out 

 from among the leaves. Every plant looks healthy, 

 and the whole forms a pretty littl< scrap of land- 

 scape, quite new in the Far-North of Queensland. 

 There are 4| acres filled with a great variety of tro- 

 pical fruit trees, including several species of oranges, 

 citrons, tamarinds, mangoes, lemons, figs, apples, 

 cinnamon, nutmeg, (in flower) annatto, {in .seed) gren- 

 adillas, mulberries, jack fruit, pomegranates, mango- 

 steens, pa.paw.s, a magnificent tree la len with Braziliin 

 apples, and a couple of very healthy looking tea 

 plants in bloom. There are a few peach trees, each 

 about 5 feet high, but neither they nor the vines 

 seem to thrive very well. Mr. Dick had previously 

 grown fine sugar cane on the levels and as an ex- 

 periment tried it on the high lands and ridges, reault" 

 ing in equal succes.s, and jjroving beyond a doubt 

 that there is scarcely an acre of his 640, which 

 will not grow almost any known tropical productioUi 

 The soil is execellent and well watered throughout, 

 but only about 30 acres are yet cleared for cultiva- 

 tion, the rest being used for grazing. Consideriug 

 the cost of labour and the expense of bringing plants 

 and seeds from Ceylon, India, Batavia, and China, 

 Mr. Dick has done wonders with his limited means, 

 and has paved the way for capitalists to prosecute 

 tropical agriculture on a large scale," We cheerfully 

 endorse all this, for we had the pleasure of inspect- 

 ing the favoured locality in May, 1883; and formed 

 our own opinions on the suitability of the soil, 

 clima'te, and locality, just as expressed ibove, 

 "Planter and Farmer, 



