248 



(THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



dated San Jose, Coata Eica, 8th January 1884 :— ' We 

 are just beginning the coffee crop which is abundant, 

 and if the weather continues fine, as it is at present, 

 it will be a great benefit to the country, as it is the 

 largest crop for many years.' " And, admitting 

 that Ceylon has now very few " elements which can 

 contribute to the success of coffee,' the question of 

 its continued expensive cultivation here is well- 

 wortby of careful consideration. Has anything more 

 been heard of this disease in Brazil since the above 

 ■was written three years ago ? Much of the Ceylon 

 coffee has succumbed within the period of "fourteen 

 years " since first attacked by leaf-disease, though 

 much also still remains vigorous ; but is still attacked 

 by leaf-disease in proportion a3 it bears crop. 

 Cinchona and neglected cultivation largely aided to 

 kill the coffee alteady goue out, but the true struggle 

 with the disease is between it and the coffee through 

 which cinchona has never been planted. How long 

 will this last ? In the case of iusolveut proprietors its 

 duration will be short : but with owners who do not 

 expect too much from it, its life may be indefinitely 

 prolonged, or until the rest of the property is 

 paying from other products. Then, I fancy, it also 

 will be allowed to disappear, for Oeylon now occupies 

 this posilion in the world : it cannot (even under 

 more favorable conditions than exist at present) com- 

 pete, as a coffee-producing country, with those other 

 countries which "glut the markets of the world," 

 and in which " no single element is lacking which 

 can contribute to success." Whereas, on the other 

 hand, it is becoming daily more certain that, as a 

 tea-producing country, it lacks no element of success, 

 but possesses these elements in greater abundance than 

 any other country. 



In consequence of this, the majority of estates in 

 Ceylon are of much greater value this year than they 

 were last year, in proportion as they have planted 

 tea, and are well-placed as to climate and carriage, 

 and prepared for its manufacture. The disease in 

 Brazil will probably lag far behind in the race between 

 it and the "growing area" of new fields. At all 

 events, the present generation of Ceylon planters are 

 not likely to reap any indirect benefit from this 

 cause, even if their own remnant of coffee would hold 

 out so long. Coffee-planting in Ceylon is a thing of 

 the past : from its ashes the country will soon rise 

 into a new life of prosperity when two men will be 

 required for every one it supported in its best days. 

 But how many of the old planters will share this new 

 life whose breath are tea, cacao, cinchona and scraps 

 of coffee ? K - 



CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE AND WHITE-ANTS. 



Colombo, 30th July 1SSL 

 Dear Sir, — Will the application of corrosive sub- 

 limate prevent white-ants from destroying the beams 

 and rafters of a house which they have already 

 commenced to attack? If so, how should it be used? 

 A reply to the above, or any other effectual remedy 

 for white-ants, firm jour good self or any of your 

 correspondents, will very greatly oblige.— Yours faith- 

 Iul l Vj ' HOUSEHOLDER 



[We regret that this letter should have Wen over- 

 looked. If corrosive sublimate (dissolved) is brushed 

 on, so as to come in contact with the auts, it will 

 certainly destroy them.— Ed.] 



PLANTING IN COOL 



High Field Estate, Madeuad, Coorg, 8th Aug. II 84. 



Dear Sik,— We are now in the full swing of the 

 monsoon, and up to date have registered 94 inches 

 this district. Coffee here having proved a failure, 



planters are busy in supplying up with cinchona. 

 On one group of estates in this district 7J lacs of 

 Robusta and Ledger plants have been planted be- 

 tween every coffee-tree with the hoped-for result 

 that in the course of a few years magnificent fort- 

 unes will be reaped out of what Dod Bora calls 

 the Quinine Gidda. There are also one or two small 

 clearings of verde which are very promising. 



Great reductions have been going on all over 

 Coorg consequent on the low state of the market, 

 no less than 14 superintendents' services having been 

 dispensed with and writers on pay not exceeding 

 B50 a month being taken, on in their places : whether 

 this method of reduction will pay remains to be 

 seen, my own opiuion being it will not, as Eurasians 

 and natives, however good they may appear to be 

 when the manager's eyes ore on them, care lor nothing 

 but drawing their pay, while an European superintend- 

 ent generally has his employers' interest at heart. 



I have been trying the kola nut here. Though 

 having been in the ground over fivo mouths, they are 

 only just commencing to germinate. Perhaps the 

 elevation (3,650 feet) is too high. 



Indiarubber (Ceara) seems to find little favour. 

 What, wait 10 years? Where shall I be then ? &c, 

 &c. This was the same cry they made about cin- 

 chona, and now these men would give their ears to 

 have those years back again. 



_A neighbour of mine seems to be very successful 

 with untiled seeds by placing them in horse-dung : 

 they seem to germinate very freely. 



Regarding tea, that it grows and grows well here 

 has been proved, but want of capital keeps this 

 product in the background. — I am, dear sirs yours 

 faithfully, SPENCEU MARYLAND. 



A BIG POD. 



Koslanda, 10th August 1884. 



Dear Sir,— By today's post I send you, in a match- 

 box, the seed-pod of a tree I found near here. Can 

 you tell me what the name of the tree is of which 

 it is the seed, and whether it is of any particular 

 use? 



You will see there is a dark sticky matter round 

 the seeds which I am told the natives sometimes eat. 

 What I send you today is only a small part of the 

 •eed-pod : the original pod when I took it off the tree 

 was quite 2 ft. long. 



The tree from which I took the seed is a large 

 one, with leaves and flowers very much like the 

 laburnum. The flower is of the same colour as the 

 laburnum (yellow), but larger and very sweet scented. 

 — I am, yours faithfully, G. C. 



[The box has not reached us, but we have no 

 difficulty from the description in recognizing the 

 Cassia fistula, which on our visit to Haputale last 

 year we found blazing with golden blossoms below 

 Koslanda and again in npproachiug Belihuloya from 

 Haldummulla. The natives use not only the pods but 

 the bark ai medicine, and, from their inveterate habit 

 of barking the trees, it is difficult to preserve the 

 specimens of Cassia fistula, uowscattered about Colombo 

 There are fine specimens in several gardens in Co- 

 lombo. One grown from seed which we brought fr.in 

 Batticaloa in 1861 was a few months ago simply a 

 mass of gold. This and the Madagascar tree (Poinnnna 

 re.gia) form splendid contrasts of rich green, scarlet, 

 orange and bright yellow. Gamble, in his " Manual 

 of Indian Timbers," writes of this tree, which is 

 widely distributed in India and Ceylon, from sea- 

 level to 4,000 feet : — " The wood is very durable, but 

 rarely of eufhcieutly large size for timber. It maks 

 excellent posts, and is good for carts, agricultural 

 implements, and rice-pounders. The pulp of the pods 

 is a strong purgative; the bark is used in dyeing ami 



