February i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



613 



WHAT AILS OUR CINCHONA TREES. 

 It is now beyond doubt that certain indigenous 

 trees, the stocks and roots of which are left in the 

 soils, are injurious to cultivated plants. The wild 

 cinnamon kills coffee in its neighbourhood; another 

 tree kills from three or four to a dozen tea bushes 

 within the circuit of its iufluouce, while we have 

 been today told that the "bastard sapu" is a deadly 

 poison to cinchonas. Has any planter specially 

 studied such injurious trees, their qualities and efTects? 

 We have been referred to a statement in Johnson's 

 Gardener's Dictionary tracing canker such as our gums 

 and cinchonas have suffered from, of late, to a soil 

 lower in temperature than the smiounding at- 

 mosphere. We were under the impression that 

 the soil was always somewhat warmer than the 

 air, but there may bo exceptional cases : indeed 

 the work referred to, takes this for gi-anted and points 

 to amelioration of soil as the remedy. But the cin- 

 chona disease is not confiued to cold clayey boUs, it 

 has spread over districts, such as Haputale, where the 

 soil is rich and free and the climate genial. We 

 should like to have the opinions of those who have 

 observed the disease and noted its probable causes and 

 the most hopefid remedies. As with cofl'ee, probably 

 the main improvement to be looked to is that of the 

 seasons. 



BLUE GUM DISEASE. 

 A writer in the " Ceylon Times " who has evidently 

 studied the subject and knows what he is writing 

 about, now admits that this disease is general : it 

 s no longer confined to the western side of Nuwara 

 Eliya but prevails in Haputale district, though it has not 

 there, as yet, killed a tree. The writer in the 

 " Times" agrees with the opinion which we and 

 tho Superintendent of Abbotsford still retain, in spite 

 of Dr. Trimeu's decision to the contrary, that Eucalypts, 

 besides being specially liable to the affection, are 

 soui'Ces of infection to cincliouas and other plants to 

 the lee of them. Our e.xperience has produced tliis con- 

 viction, but we may be wrong and all our wishes lie in 

 the direction of our being proved wrong. On the other 

 hand, we see little reason to doubt the position that the 

 affection, thought it has now appeared in a virulent 

 form, is really nothing new, and that probably it 

 would have developed itself virulently this last 

 cold wet season on cinchonas and other plants even if 

 there had not been a Eucalypt in the country 

 For many years back we also have noticed the 

 withering of the leaves on the lower branches of 

 blue gums, and the occasional fallhig over of the 

 tops of the trees from canker in the stem. Then 

 came the annual recurrence of smallpox like-spots on the 

 gum leaves, with similar spots on ledgerianas supposed 

 to be specially sheltered by the gums, then all plants 

 to the lee of the gums and just in proportion to 

 proximity to the gums suffered from leaf-disease and 

 (except tea) from canker. — The wi-iter referred to 

 is, no doubt, connect in stating that "A wet cold 

 olimate seems particularly suited to the spread and 

 virulence of the disease, though it is found, we be- 

 lieve in all districts, but, perhaps, not to the same 

 extent as in the higher and wetter ones." — Apart 

 from the gi-atificatiou of seeing words of truth and 

 soberness on tliis subject, instead of even a provid- 

 ential visitation being turned into an occasion of 

 virulent attack on our persons and interests, we can 

 assure our readers it gives us no pleasure to publish 

 details regarding this new and, in some cases, formid- 

 able pest. But it is better to know the whole truth 

 78 



that we may be able to face it and take proper 

 action. In our own case, the prospect is that not a 

 single Eucalypt, not even tiie noble jarrahs will 

 •scape. The work of destruction has proceeded from 

 above downwards. Attempts at coppicing the gum trues 

 are no longer made. On the other hand, much success 

 has followed the stumping of affected cinchonas, and we 

 cling to the hope that, with more genial weather, the 

 affections which seems to be neither due to insect nor 

 parasite, but to chemical action of a malignant char- 

 acter, the result of abnormal meteorological condi- 

 tions, will aliate and disappear. The following is the 

 contribution to the local " Times " on the subject :^ 



"Althuugh much attention has of lale been paid to 

 this disease, and much written thereon, little seems 

 to be actually kuown ns to its origin and cause. 

 That it is not confined to one district but is to be 

 met with in all, is to our mind, certain. 



"We are also of opinion that it is by no means new 

 to the Island, but that a litile of it has always been 

 present, at least for some years back, and that pos- 

 sibly the immediate proximity of blue gum3,at first 

 not to any extent, but aftewards felt, as these trees 

 grew up and many more were planted in the vicitjity, 

 has been the cause of a great increase in the virulence 

 of the disease. We are aware, scientists are of opinion 

 that the gums have little or nothing to do with it, 

 but this is hardly in accordance with experience, as 

 the disease has been shown to be worse on the leeward 

 side of gums, themselves badly affected. The question 

 is, have we any authenticated ease of trees affected, 

 so far away from any gums as to preclude ail pos- 

 sibility of infection and we feel sure that before 

 long this will be found to be the case. We have 

 made enquiry of several of our correspondents with 

 a view of eliciting information on this point and we 

 trust before long to be in a position to place such 

 information before our readers. 



"A wet, cold, climate, seems particularly suited to 

 the spread and virulence of the disease, though it is 

 found we believe in all districts, but perbaps not 

 to the Baniu extent as in tbe higher and wetter ones. 

 It has appeared in Hapul:ale on many estates, but 

 the blue gums .-.le not apparently attacked; only the 

 officinalis and hybrids in clearings, the tops of which 

 are shrivelled r.nd burnt, and are dying down. 



"I'he writer, v. lio has had some practical experience 

 of cinchonas and their cultivatioTi, is of opinion that 

 the disease is not of yesterday, and that he has 

 seen the dried up appearance siffected leaves have, 

 years ago ; and then thought it was a blight of some 

 description or other. 



"VVedo not think that the lower and dryer districts 

 need be very apprehensive of the destructive effect 

 of the disease, iis, though it has appeared in Hapu- 

 tale fur some time past, it has not as far as we 

 know ever killed out a tree. Of course it may increase 

 in desiructive power as time goes on, but we do not 

 think this very likely, and we trust it may not be 

 so. Cinchona even more than coffee Beeme to be the 

 prey of enemies that, though perhaps not so numeious 

 are far more sweeping in their efiects. What disease 

 or what insect is so fatal to coll'ee as canker is lo 

 cinchoua? and it seems as if the planter in turning to new 

 products as a relief from his embarrassments was 

 always to meet witb difficulties and disasters that, 

 were at first unknown or unthouj;ht of." 



CO I' FEE PLANTING IN COORG. 

 The following information is gathered from the last 

 administration report of Coorg :— "There are in tue 

 Province 21'2 coffee plantations owned by Euroijcans, 

 aud 4,594 bv Natives, comprising an area of 77,474 

 acres, or a little more than one-tbirteeenth of the 

 area of the whole district. The area of laud held by 



