486 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[December i, 1882. 



of such oases : of one in particular where a large 

 orchard comprising several kiuds of fruit-trees and 

 gooseberry bushes, growing in a soil of extraordin- 

 ary richness, bad become almost barren of fruit, 

 thoufh retaining a luxuriant growth ; but as their 

 fruitfulness was restored by the simple use of the 

 knife, 1 do not regard the evidence so afforded as 

 applicable to our case, except in so far as it proves 

 infertility to be compatible with unimpaired powers 

 of vegetation. 



I would remind "W. D. B." of the very large crop 

 referred to in a former letter as following immed- 

 iately on the very worst attack of leaf-disease I have 

 ever witnessed on a large scale. As mentioned in 

 that letter, the attack culminated in the month of 

 Felruary, and on the ISth of that month the trees 

 were a sad spectacle of leaflespness. The area affecti-d 

 was of some hundreds of acres. I cited the fact 

 originally, and now refer to it again merely as a 

 fait bearing on the present discussion. 



The " pi-obuble analogy " suggested by your cor- 

 respondent " J. S." would, even as a conjecture, 

 have considerable weight, coming from so practical 

 and experienced a planter ; I ut it is in the nature 

 of things untenable. There is a cardinal difference 

 between the modes of attack of the two fungi : 

 Hcmileia obtains access to the leaf tissue by means 

 of the stomata only. It requires an open door to 

 effect an entry. Pcronnspora, on the other hand, 

 wants no door, but bre;iks through the wall, the 

 cuticle. Now, as there are no stomata on the roots, 

 the IlemUeia cannot attack them ; whilst the^crOHOs- 

 pora has a free range over all the succulent surfaces 

 of its victim ! Again as the attack of llemileia is 

 confined to the leaves, the tree and all the rest of 

 its organism is perfectly free from disease when they 

 fall. But the mycelium of Pci-onospora can retain 

 its vitality in the dried substance of the tuber, and 

 spring into destructive activity whenever this begin.s 

 to grow. It sends forth its pernicious ehoots through 

 the new organism, destroying both stem and leaf of 

 the young plant. 



Where will "J. S. ' now find his probable anal, 

 ogy ? Could the essential difference between the 

 attacks of the two fungi be over-estimated ? 



It is very gratifying to me to eee that the sub- 

 ject I have corameudfd so earnestly to the attention 

 of my fellow-planters is at length being noticed. If 

 only they would contribute, and tabulate facts, we 

 could not fail to acquire valuable knowledge, even 

 though we might not arrive at a full solution of the 

 mystery. Kven conjectures, however, are better than 

 nothing ; especially when suggested by men whose 

 minds are imbued with facts. True science is but 

 a sound, logical generalisation of facts ; but tiieu 

 they must be tacts ; and the deductions thenfrom 

 must be logical ; aiid not merely plausible. W. 



DETERIORATION OP NATIVE MYSORE 

 COFi<''EE. 



Tellichery, 26th Oct. 1882. 



Dear Sir,— Referring to your remarks in jour issue 

 of the 10th current on what we say regardmg native 

 Mysore coffee in our letter accompanying our export 

 statement for the past season, the following will ex- 

 plain why it is that " deterioration " in quality should 

 take place in couBequ> nee of the introduction of 

 Cooig plants. The word "deterioration", however, is 

 not that used by u.s, and, althoufjh what we said 

 might be taken as eignifymg thu same thing, it is 

 not exactly the idea intended to be conveyed. Those 

 who know the produce will know what was meant. 



Until a ieyr years ago all the coffee grown in the Mysore 

 districts, namely, Muuzerabad and Nuggur, was from 

 what is known as the] Munzerabad plant, aud the 

 produce was noted for ite tine qualities, the plantation 



ranking next, as much of it still does, to Mocha. 

 The native sort has also been highly valued, especi- 

 ally in France, where it generally obtained 83 to lOs 

 per cwt. more than other Indian native coffee. As 

 an instance, as high as 64s to 65s cost and freight 

 to Marseilles has been paid during the past eeaeon 

 for this quality. 



The trees from which this produce has been long 

 obtained have for some years past rapidly declined 

 in productiveness, the plant having evidently begun 

 to fail in vigor, insomuch that, on supplying vacan- 

 cies, it waa found the supply rarely came on. On the 

 other hand, the Coorg plant, especially that from 

 Nalknad seed, grew readily, and European planters 

 went in for reidacing their failing Munzerabad trees 

 with Coorg, which seem to find a congenial soil, 

 where the other had sickened and died. This has 

 gone on extensively of late years, and native growers 

 are also plantiug up their lands with what they find 

 to be a much more productive tree, though the 

 quality of the produce is not considered so good. The 

 change of quality is now beginning to be observed 

 in the French markets, the beans from the Coorg 

 plants being observable amongst the old Mysore pro- 

 duce. It is consequently not so higl ly valued, and, 

 as Coorg plants gradually replace the old Munzera- 

 bad, so we fear it must, to quote from our letter, 

 "gradually alter the character of this produce." 



With reference to our statement, where native is not 

 distinguished we have not been supplied with separate 

 returns for these ports, but we believe the qualities may 

 be taken as chiefly consisting of plantation. 



Regarding the Indian crops not shewing any serious 

 fallingoff, although several districts have suffered 

 from leaf-disease and other causes, this in great 

 measure arises from the extension of cultivation in 

 other parts. True, North Wynaad has now become 

 almost a wilderness of abandoned plantations and 

 in South Wynaad too, many properties, especially 

 on and near the Ghauts, have relapsed into jungle, 

 and this also applies to the forest land of Coorg, 

 but in the Bamboo division of that district great 

 extension has of late years taken place as well as 

 in the Nuggur district of Mysore. 



Part of the Coorg coffee finds its way to Madras, 

 although it has to travel some 300 miles against 50 

 to 60 to this coast, and altogether some 1,200 to 1,500 

 tons of plantation coffee must have gone to that 

 port, BO that this quantity would fall to be added 

 to our returns as representing the export of South- 

 ern India. — We are, dear sir, yours faithfully, 



ALSTONS & Co. 



[Our readers will feel greatly indebted to Messrs. 

 Alstons & Co. for the interesting aud useful information 

 they have supplied. It is an important fact that coffee 

 from introduced seed, should flourish where plants had 

 previously sickened and died. The fact seems to 

 shew that the soil has not been deprived of its 

 fertilizing properties, and we submit that good hope 

 may be enter, ained that as the new trees advance 

 in age their produce may more and more resemble 

 the old and famous Mysore coffee. — Ed.] 



QUERIES ANENT COFFEE CULTURE. 

 Colombo, 27th Oct. 

 Dear Sir, — 1. — I have been reading " W." 's letter 

 on "WhatAilsOurCofiee Trees?" with much expectancy, 

 and in his last but one I observe that he refers to 

 a matter which has been occupying my own atten- 

 tion for some years pust, and I believe that of many 

 others, viz , when is the proper time to prune, and 

 what is the iuimtdiate and more obvious effect of 

 this operation on the trees. He also refers to the 

 idea of " wintering,' or, as it might, perhaps, be called 

 with equal propriety here " Bummeriug " our coffee 

 trees. 



