6o2 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[January i, 1883. 



sprinkliug liberal quantities of kerosene oil about the 

 house and on the wood-work and in any places where 

 they may seem inclined to put in an appearance. 

 Uncleanliness in the propagatinjj house is often a 

 cause of extensive failure, and many seedlings suc- 

 cumb, by becoming covered with spiders'-webs, de- 

 posits of dirt and dust, drip from the roof caused 

 by condeu-seil moisture, watering with foul or dirty 

 water, the presence of rats and mice, &o., &o., all of 

 which could be prevented by tlie exercise of a little 

 fore-thought, and to ensure cleanliness the interior 

 of the house nr pits should be well scraped and white- 

 washed, at least once every two months, 



At high elevations, like Nedivuttum, ants, fungus, 

 &c. are comparatively unknown, but a email species 

 of thrip appears at times, giving, if not ciiecked, con- 

 siderable trouble and, if allowed to remain ui. disturbed, 

 ruins the constitution of numbers of large seedlings. 

 The easiest way of eradicating these peets is b.T gently 

 fumigating the house with tobacco whenever they 

 appear in niimbers ; but as these thrips are unknown 

 at 4,000 feet and lower, a change, if possible, to the 

 low elevation effectually disposes of them. 



W. L. KEMP. 



QUESTIONS ABOUT TEA. 



6th December 18S2. 



Sir, — That was a good suggestion of " Cha " 's that 

 superintendents should have opportunities given them 

 of visiting those factories, which are now iairly estab- 

 lished and have obtained a name for themselves, in 

 order that they might acquaint themselves with tlie 

 various methods pursued and the appliances adopted. 

 This plan is doubtUss within the reach of many and 

 where practicable it commends itself to all. 



To come now to a few points, the very mention of 

 which carries wilh it the presumption of perhaps 

 extreme ignorance, but I don't mind that, so long as I 

 am eventually put right: 



What is considered adequate space for withering say 

 100 lb. of leaf in a wet district and where no ap- 

 pliances exist for artificial withering ? Can leaf be 

 artificially withered so as to turn out as good tea as 

 that made with naturally withered leaf ? My ex- 

 perience is that in leal" artificially withered the tips are 

 destroyed and the coarse leaves break. In plucking, 

 should all " bangy " leaf be removed ? Neither Col. 

 Money nor "Neilgherry Tea Planter" give any 

 directions as to this, and in tact hardly, mention 

 "b.mgy" at all. I find in practice that making; the 

 coolies pick off "bangy" makes a considerable differ- 

 ence in their average outturn of leaf, and in the 

 extent of ground they get over. Just one question 

 more and for this 1 crave the consideration of all who 

 acknowledge allegiance to God " who giveth the in- 

 crease" ■ is Sunday work a sine qua non in the tea 

 factory ?— Yours truly, DISCIPULUS. 



[As the large majority of Chiistians believe in the 

 perpetuity of the Sabbath and its tr.<insfer to the First 

 day of the week, conscience {if "not thine own" 

 yet "that of the other") ought to be respected, 

 even if a flush should occasionally be left to harden. 

 We fear most experts will say that it is impossible 

 altogether to avoid Sunday work, if tea is continuously 

 plucked.— Ed.] 



THE GUM LEAFDISEASE. 



Watiwella Rosthouse, 9th Dec. 1882. 

 Dear Sik, — I send under separate cover some rose, 

 castor and geranium leaves which appear to be afl'ected 

 with the so-called blue gum disease. I found them in 

 the resthouse garden. There are no blue gums near the 

 restbouse.— Yours truly, E. B. ARTHUE. 



[The disease is on the leaves, umioubtedly. As Dr. 

 Trimeu stated similar spots ou leaves ai-e coiuiuori, i 



but this season I he disease is widespread and in some 

 places virulent. It would, perhaps, have been bo if 

 no gum tree existed in the country. The question we 

 wished to have settled was: "Are gums especially 

 liable, and are they sources of infection to other 

 jjlauts?" Dr. Trimeu has given judgment in the 

 negative. — The pest has been found in Kotmalie and 

 Rangala. — ^Ed. ] 



HANDSOME YIELD FROM RED BARK TREES 

 IN MASKELIYA. ' 

 Ormidale, Maskelija, 19th Dec. 1S81. 

 Dear Sir, — Do you know how many trees there are 

 in the acre on Nanuoya estate from which the shav- 

 ings fetched Rl,0cj0, as mentioued in Observer of lOth 

 inst. ? From 1,385 siiccirubra trees, 7 years old, on 

 this estate, the original shavings last month realized 

 Rl,t)30. Most of the trees are growing upon ridges ; 

 consequently are not large for their age and they 

 were shaved neither very high up nor very deep. 

 "Old rays" made a capital covering.— Yours truly, 



J. G. M. 



SALT AS A FERTILIZER. 



Dear Sir, — I have applied salt as a top-dressiug 

 two years ago to some of my coffee and was nmcli 

 pleased with the result, as regards the appearance of 

 coffee ; crop bearing and found less leaf disease on 

 that coffee showing itself than on other parts. 



Has not Government a lot of refuse salt which 

 cannot be sold for the table or kitchen use that 

 could be sold at u reasonable price for man- 

 uring purposes? I now send yon a cutting (German) 

 from the "Hamburger Flemdeu Blatt," where you 

 will find salt very highly spoken of. " Fruit trees 

 manured with salt had a better appearance and bore 

 more fruit than trees manured with compost only; 

 but manuring with compost in the autumn and top 

 dressing with salt in the spring was better still." — 

 Yours truly, J. H. 



[i'liere arc few subjects on which there are such pro- 

 nounced differences of opinion as that of the value 

 of salt in agriculture or horticulture. In small quantit- 

 ies it is stimulating : in excess it is as deadly tj 

 vegetation ae corrosive sublimate is to animal life. 

 It must, therefore, be used with great caution. We 

 fear there is no chance of our Government allowing 

 even refuse salt lobe used for agricultuial purposes, 

 but certainly a relaxation of the monopoly should be 

 made in favour of fish-curing, such as is made, 

 undtr due restrictions, by the Government of Madras. 

 —Ed.] 



THE KALUTARA DISTRICT AND LIBEEIAN 



COFFEE, &c. 



Dear Sir, — On being asked to give some idea of 

 this district and the progress of new products there, 

 I set to work and found my task had resulted in a 

 long communication which 1 am desirous many uf my 

 friends should read, and as it may interest others also 

 I trust you will spare room for it iu your columns. 

 Owing to the favourable reports of the progress of 

 Liberian coffee in exjrerimental plantations iu the low 

 districts, the importation of such from Liberia began 

 to iucreate rapidly during the latter end of 1877, and 

 continued till 1880, when it ceased, as the first clear- 

 ings began to bear fruit and s-upply the growing 

 demand for seed and plants. Plants can be had now 

 cheaper than Arabian coflee plants were ever sold for, 

 which is in itself a significant fact- One of the first 

 clearings of Liberian coti'ee was opened on an estate 

 in the Kalutara district about 12 miles from the 

 Kalutara town and bordering the Kaluganga river. 



