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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[March i, 1883. 



bit of stem is wliat we are only too familiar with, 

 not merely from specimens on Abbotsford, but from 

 others sent to us from all parts of the planting dis- 

 tricts. The Hue gum leaf is nearly over all its sur- 

 face deprived of its juices and colouring matter, a 

 connnon form of the disease when advanced and 

 virulent. Generally the affection begins with small- 

 pox like spots, and soon the whole foliage gets in- 

 vohed and the stem becomes cankered. The hairy- 

 like fungus on the bit of cankered stem sent to us 

 seems the consequence and not the cause of the dis- 

 ease. We have not been able to distinguish any 

 living insects, liut if our correspondent is certain they 

 were and are present, then we suspect red spider is 

 in Udapussellawa added to the canker disease. We 

 should like to see further specimens, put carefully in 

 envelopes, so that the insects cannot escape. 



Simultaneously with the letter from tlie eastern side 

 of Nuwara Eliya, came one from the western side, 

 with a spotted gum leaf and the following letter : — 



" Nawalapitiya, 26th January 1883. Dear Sir, — I 

 have the pleasure to enclose hex'ein a wonderful leaf 

 wliich I found on my way from Dikoya to Mas- 

 keliya. At first I thought it was leaf-disease, but 

 on inspecting the famous tree I found it was not 

 so, and it is a strange for me to see tlic white spots 

 in a green leaf ; so I shall feel much obliged by your 

 inserting this with your idea and if possible the vame. 

 — I remain, dear sir, your obediently, ,f . P. Abraham." 



We need scarcely say that our pleasure in receiving 

 the very curious specimen sent is not equal to that 

 of our correspondent. The leaf is again a gum leaf, 

 but, instead of being almost wholly witliered, it is 

 still largely green ; the green being speckled with 

 white spots of various forms, from round to heart- 

 shape, some concave and some standing out in relief. 

 We could fancy modern Chinese seeking to trace out 

 the meaning of tlie symbols, and ancient Egyptians 

 or Mexicans, wondering what strange hieroglyphics 

 these were. The specimen might really be regarded 

 as a beautiful object, Init for what we know of the 

 destruction of valuable property which the spots 

 symbolize. From Abbotsford we hear, wliat, we trust may 

 not be true of a wide radius of country, that tire mys- 

 terious disease which first attacked tlie Australian 

 eucalypts and then the cinchonas, withering their foliage 

 and cankering their stems, Ijut which, it was fondly hoped, 

 would spare the tea, is now playing havoc with tlie 

 latter product ! Has the great Kulek of Nature and 

 Nature's agencies a eontro\ersy with Ceylon, 

 that aU we put our hands to seems destmed to be 

 smitten with some form of blight ? Let those who 

 choose laugh at the question, which we put solemnly. 

 The new disease has doubtless been developed by ab- 

 normal weather, but Who let loose the fierce winds 

 and wlio permitted the clouds to pour out excessive 

 moisture ? We can reverently put a question 

 wliicli we are not competent to answer. We only 

 know tliat the disease which -has attacked our prin- 

 cipal new products has increased in virulence instead 

 of abating, and that not merely portions of cinchona 

 stems are cankered but wliole trees, from root to top. 

 The effect on tea, we refrain from describing until 

 we can see and judge for ourselves. Tliere is just 

 one qualification, which, please God, may prevail in 

 favour of estates of moderate and low elcAation. It 

 is in the higher portions of Abbotsford, from 5,000 

 feet upwards, that the disease is so prevalent and so 

 virulent. On mentioning the matter to a friend, he told 

 us tliat an old Dimbula planter liad written to say 

 that the whole vegetation of the natural forest was 



spotted with the disease. This is a new and strange 

 peculiarity. Hemileia vaslatrix is believed to liave 

 emerged from the jungle to the cultivated coffee. 

 But it is not only peculiar to the coff'ee trees : its 

 mischievous efi^ects are confined to the culti\ated 

 jjlants ; at least, we have never heard of the in- 

 digenous coffee trees buffering. But this fearful affec- 

 tion, born of abnormal meteorological conditions (?) 

 and first observed on the Australian eucalypts, seerns 

 destined to sweep over our wliole vegetation, involv- 

 ing even the wild trees of the forests and jungles. 

 Cocoa is gro\vn at elevations comparatively so low, 

 that we trust it may escape this particular affection, 

 however sensitive it is to the effects of tearing winds 

 and leaf-puncturing insects. We do not wish to act 

 the part of alarmists, but it is our duty to recognize 

 the trntli. It is time, we submit, that the central 

 Planters' Association and all tlie similar District So- 

 cieties took up the investigation of this new enemy, 

 with a view, if possible, to its defeat. The Govern- 

 ing authorities, too, can legitimately be appealed to 

 for help ; although, judging by the reports of Marsliall 

 Ward and Trimen, we can hope for little beyond in- 

 formation as to the nature of this disease. Still ac- 

 curate information may be of much value in guiding 

 experiments towards a possible remedy. Despair is not 

 the attitude in which Britons usually meet even re- 

 peated and accumulated disasters. Our friends at 

 home have suffered fearfully from bad seasons. But 

 the sun seems again shining on their enterprize, as 

 we trust it may on ours. 



Before this article is out of the printer's hands, we 

 are glad to learu from a gentleman who has just re- 

 turned from the wet district of Ambagamuwa that 

 there is very little of the new disease, and, what is 

 specially encouraging, that a field of tea at 5,000 feet 

 elevation is quite untouched by it. We trust, there- 

 fore, it may in its virulent form be merely local. 



REPORT OF THE ROYAL GARDENS AT 

 KEW FOR 1881. 



From the Kew Gardens authorities we have re- 

 ceived a packet containing not only the Report for 

 1881 but a copy, inscribed " From the authors," 

 of the publication " On the Composition of the Rain 

 and Drainage Waters collected at Rothamsted," by 

 Sh- J. B. Lawes, Baronet, Dr. Gilbert, and Mr. War- 

 ington. Reserving the latter for future notice, we 

 may alKrm of the Kew Report that it is true to the 

 traditions of the estalilishment whose progi'ess it re- 

 cords, in affbrduig information regarding the char- 

 acteristics and especially the economic uses of an im- 

 mense number of individuals of the vegetable kingdom. 

 The number of visitors to the Gardens in 1881 

 {8.30,ti7(>) is the largest ever recorded, and at an eai'ly 

 date we have no doubt the round million will have 

 to be numbered, as in one year seeking the useful 

 instruction and umocent enjoyment which a visit to 

 the Gardens and Museums (the latter teeming with 

 valualde specimens) is calculated to afford. The lessons 

 given to young gardeners (many of whom are destined 

 for foreign and colonial service) were well attended 

 and gave satisfactory results. Amongst the details 

 given of changes and improvements in the Gardens 

 we notice that good results had followed the use of 

 a flow and return pipe in the upper portion of the 

 Palm House, in not only securing equable warmth 

 but preventing condensation and drip. Tlie collection 

 of palms is, we suppose, about the finest in the world, 

 aud of the allied plants, the cycads, a lai'ge and line 



