iyo 



♦THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



stick contained in the bottle you left with me this morn- 

 ing, bear small patches of eggs of some Homopterous 

 insect. The eggs appear to be always regularly arranged. 

 I have met with them frequently on tea-bushes, to which 

 I 'could never satisfy myself that they did any harm. 

 I believe they are the eggs of an insect closely allied to, 

 and about the same size as the little green flies which 

 are such a pest in the rains in Calcutta. I should be 

 glad if your correspondent would send me some of the 

 flies in strongest spirit, rum does all very well as a killing 

 agent, bat something stronger is needful for preserving 

 animal tissues iu a fit condition for examination. Your 

 correspondent speaks of ' diseased' leaves : in what way 

 are these leaves diseased? What is the nature of the 

 injuries inflicted on the tea-bushes by this supposed pest?" 

 Richaed Blechynden, Junior. 



Deputy Secretary. 

 May we suggest that the Bub-committee now in- 

 vestigating the cacao disease, in conjunction with 

 Dr. Trimen, do make it part of their duty to form 

 a thoroughly representative collection of all the pre- 

 sently known enemies of the tea and cacao trees in 

 Ceylon, to be eventually deposited for public benefit 

 in the Colombo Museum. They could then at all 

 events point to some tangible results of their labours. 

 We have received from a correspondent a box con- 

 taining a part of a tea-stem with a borer nt work 

 inside ; and he accompanies it with a letter, which 

 says : — 



Dear Sir, — I forward under separate cover a piece of 

 a stem of a dying tea bush with the borer attacking it 

 enclosed. The borer had made an entrance about a foot 

 above the ground and had bored his way for about 18 

 inches up the stem. At the point of entrance the tree 

 was completely hollowed out, the bark only remaining. 

 The stem when I found it had been blown over and 

 had almost the appearance of being cut by a saw. If you 

 can identify the borer, I shall be glad to know what it 

 is. — Yours faithfully, B. 



We sent the box on to our referee, who replies : — " The 

 borer is the red one, Zeuzera Coffece, described in 

 Nietner's book, No. 13, p. 14." This is the brute 

 that has been known, somewhat rarely .happily, to 

 attack cinchona, and we hope his liking for tea will 

 not show any more striking signs than at present : 

 if not we shall do well. Hia bump of destruetive- 

 uess is very feebly developed compared to that of 

 the terrible borer of the Bambu districts of the 

 Wyuaad. 



♦ 



VANILLA. 

 As much as 36,539 pounds of vanilla have been imported 

 to this country in a single year, and there is scarcely any 

 odor or flavour with which we are more familiar. Perhaps 

 the pungent peppermint might claim precedence, but even 

 this is doubtful, since the odor of the fragrant bean rises 

 from a large proportion of those popular articles of con- 

 sumption which are furnished by" cooks, confectioners and 

 tobacco-dealers. 



The vanilla plant is indigenous to the hot and moist woods 

 of eastern Mexico, and is cultivated by fastening shoots 

 to trees just near the ground. The shoots soon strike root, 

 begin to produce fruit in about three years and bear for 

 about thirty years. From Mexico the plant has been trans- 

 ported to the West Indies, several of the East Indian islands, 

 Bourbon and Madagascar. It is a long, dark, shining bean, 

 and shaped like that of the Catalpa tree, which we still 

 see in our streets, only the vanilla bean is not smooth, but 

 corrugated. The name vanilla is derived from the Spanish 

 word vaynilla, the diminutive of vayna, a pod. 



When the green color of the fruit begins to change, and 

 before it has become ripe, the beans or pods are gathered 

 and prepared for the market. Sometimes they are steeped 

 in hot water or partly sun-dried, and then wrapped up in 

 blankets until moisture exudes, when the process is re- 

 peated. This is supposed to cause fermentation in some 

 portions of the fruit and develop the aroma. After treat- 

 ment the pods are packed into bundles of fifty, the 

 bundles being sometimes enveloped in tin foil, and 

 they are then ready for exportation. Workmen who 



handle vanilla are exposed to certain accidents which arise 

 from its dust and emanations. They suffer from soreness 

 of the eyes, and the arms and face swell and become the 

 seat of annoying eruptions. They are also liable to headache 

 dizziness, nervousness and pallor. 



When the Spanish conquerors came to Mexico they found 

 that vanilla was iu common use by the natives for flavoring 

 chocolate, and this alliance has met the approval of all 

 succeeding years. One suggests the other as ice cream also 

 suggests the odorous bean. Although there are the Bour- 

 bon, Costa Rican and A T enezuelan vanillas, as well as those 

 of Brazil, Pern and Spain, the Mexican vanilla stili ranks 

 as the best. The Venezuelan has a flavor of the tonka bean. 

 The odor of the tonka beau just referred to, as well as 

 that of the melilotus, or sweet clover, resembles vanilla 

 somewhat, and is owing to the presence of a certain sub- 

 stance called coumarin which these plants contain. This 

 substance will produce poisonous effects, and thirty to sixty 

 grains have caused nausea, depression and drowsiness. The 

 poisonous results which have at times followed the use of 

 vanilla ices have been said to be owing to the presence 

 of cardol, or the oil of the cashew nut, since that is occa- 

 sionally used to improve the appearance of vanilla. These 

 cases are distinct from those in which the poisouing has 

 been caused by the admixture of dangerous metallic sub- 

 stances. 



A plant the flavor of which is connected with so many 

 of the simple enjoyments of life, as well as the grandest 

 festivities, may justly call for a passing notice from those 

 who "mind the why and whorefor." — (American) Hour. 



Consumption of Coffee in Victoria. — The Austral- 

 asian Trade, Review gives the following statement : — 

 " Coffee. (Duty, 3d per lb ) 



1881. 1882 1883. 



Imports lb. 1,535,413 1,236,833 1,2S9,666 



Exports „ 620,170 494,408 418,408 



Transhipments „ 140,232 59,464 61,656 



Home consumption (less 



drawbacks) „ 863,768 868,225 947,424 



" Tne figures given above show a satisfactory in- 

 crease in the homo consumption of coffee in 1883, 

 an increase represented by 79,199 lb., as compared 

 with 18S2. The re-export and transhipment trades, 

 however, have fallen away to a large extent. Im. 

 ports have been ou a steady scale, and in fact, taking 

 the aggregate of the three years, have not quite come 

 up to requirements. Stocks, therefore, have been 

 gradually reduced during the period named, but this 

 can only be regarded aB a sign of health." 



The consumption of coffee, the article "tieing very 

 largely mixed with chicory, as a rule, is in Victoria as 

 nearly as possible 1 lb. per head against over 7 lb. 

 of tea. 



Cocoa and Chocolate in Victoria. — There seems 

 to be a moderate demand for cocoa in Victoria, the 

 beans being free of duty, while tea and coffee are 

 liable to 3d per lb. ou import. The following is 

 from, the Australasian Trade Review. — 



" (Duty, 3d per lb ; Cocoa beans, Duty free.) 



1SS1. 1882. 1883. 



Imports lb. 302,050 348.060 315,537 



Exports „ 59,999 51,218 48/283 



Transhipments „ 32,061 10,812 848 



Homo consumption (less 



drawbacks) „ 274,476 307,174 278,424 



(The above figures do not include chocolate confectionery). 

 Cocoa Beans— Imports... cwt. 789 807 1,226 



' ' At first sight, the figures stated above do not quite 

 bear out the opinion we have formerly expressed as re- 

 gards the expansion of the trade in cocoa and chocolate. 

 But we had iu mind all the forms in which the latter 

 article is presented to the public, inclusive of those 

 which come under the denomination of confectionery. 

 As a statement of the whole of the trade, therefore, 

 the Customs satistics are not complete. It will be 

 noticed that the importation of cocoa beans, which 

 come in duty free, haB increased very largely, point- 

 ing to growth in the local manufacture." 



