October i, 1884.] 



THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



3 2 9 





11, As regards remedies, I have but one to recommend, 

 that is to catch aud destroy the insect. Nothing else that 

 can be suggested is so direct and radical as this. The 

 cooly boys employed should be instructed to go over the 

 trees, one by one in order, carefully and exhaustively; 

 the larvas aud pupa: of Helopeltis being unable to fly are 

 caught easily enough when once seen, and even theperfect 

 insects are not quick to escape. No doubt, a promised 

 reward tor the largest " bag " at the end of the day will 

 stimulate the search. The superintendent of the estates 

 to which this report refers is of opinion that the practice 

 has been of very great benefit ; aud indeed it was evident 

 on my last visit, that the latest " flush " of young shoots, 

 brought out by recent very slight rains had passed 

 through the critical period, and has " set " with- 

 out much damage during the time that the systematic 

 catching of Hrfopeltis was being pursued. If the attacks 

 of this insect ceased, I believe that the trees would to a 

 great extent recover. Thus experience here, so far as it 

 goes, perfectly argrenswith that in Java, where the attacks 

 of Helopeltis on cinchona produce almost precisely the same 

 effects as here on cacao. By constant watchfulness aud 

 the capture of all the individuals that can be detected, the 

 pest has in the Government plantations been kept under 

 and in some nearly abolished. 



12. Did we possess more certainty as to the precise pos- 

 itions where the eggs are laid and a ready means of detecting 

 their presence, a timely removal of the parts of the tender 

 shoots affected before hatching had occurred could be 

 confidently recommended. Unfortunately the first indic- 

 ations we get are the brown stains showing that the young 

 Helopeltis is already at work. The investigation of this 

 point is to be strongly recommended to those in a position for 

 observing it. 



13. I have said nothing as to the attacks made by 

 Helopeltis on the pods of cacao. Their agency hero is 

 generally allowed by planters, for they are easily observed 

 puncturing the pods ; and the black spets produced by them 

 are familiar to growers. Considerable loss of crop has 

 occurred from the consequent drying up of the young fruit, 

 but the results to the tree are far less serious than when 

 the insect directs its attention to the young shoots. I am, how- 

 ever, by no means sure that other sucking bugs besides 1 1 tin. 

 peltis may not be able to cause the black spots seen on the 

 pod. Nor have I definitely alluded to the pest as it presents 

 itself on other estates in different parts of the planting 

 districts. This appears to be the less necessary, as a com- 

 prehensive report on the subject has been recently dzawn 

 up by a competent sub-committee of the Planters' Associ- 

 ation who have also gone fully into the questions connected 

 with the influence of soil, exposure and cultivation. This 

 report I have been permitted to read, and I agree generally 

 with a large portion of it. 



14. As regards the future, I think our experience as 

 yet is too brief to afford much ground for prediction. If, 

 as I suspect to he the case. //. Atttonii be a recent im- 

 portation to Ceylon, it may be expected to increase. 

 It is, however, confidently asserted by some observant 

 persons that they have known the insect here for some 

 years, aud it appears to be a* fact that pods were ob- 

 served to be spotted in the way effected by this bug 

 fully tour or five years ago. The first living specimens 

 S'-en by me were taken off cacao in June last year and 

 the insect had then been noticed for a few months. I 

 may add as bearing on the question that Mr. Moens of Java, 

 when visiting our cinchona plantations in September 1880, 

 constantly expressed his surprize at the absence here of 

 Helopeltis, for which he was always looking out ; also that 

 the late Dr. Thwaites — whose knowledge of Ceylon insects 

 was probably unequalled — declared, when I showed him ex- 

 amples from Java in 1881, that the species was certainly 

 not a native of this island. But, whether exotic or native, 

 its detection here is quite recent and cannot be regarded as 

 of slight importance. Helopeltia is a formidable insect, 

 it has, I regret to say, already commenced to attack our 

 cinchona, and there are rumours (not, I trust, cor- 

 roborated) of its having lie -n seen on tea. It is, however, 

 at present very local aud does not appear to be spread- 

 ing. We may hope that this may remain its character 

 in Ceylon, but we eanot feel any confidence that such 

 will be the case. It may be otherwise, and, with that 

 possibility before U6, it is earnestly to be desired that 



4-2 



I all who have the opportunity will search for aud 

 destroy Helopeltis wherever it exists aud while it is yet in 

 small numbers. 



15. As much interest is being takeu in the subject of 

 this letter, I have to request that it may be made public 

 at as early a date as possible. — I am, &c, 



(Signed) Henev Tkimen, Director. 



MACHINE AND HAND M.iDE TEA. 

 There seems no good reason for reviving the contro- 

 versy about the comparative slaying powers of hand 

 and machine made teas : simply because one agent of 

 one proprietor has raised the question. There is no 

 more chance now of machinery being laid aside, in 

 favour of the primitive method, slow, laborious, ex- 

 pensive and too frequently uncertain as that method 

 was, than there is of steamships being shelved in 

 favour of those dependant on sails and winds for 

 their progress. There is no doubt, that, by means of 

 unremitting care aud attention on the part of the 

 superintendent aided by a staff of well-trained tea- 

 makers, very superior leaf can be tinned out by the 

 use of charcoal-fed choolas. But there can be as 

 little question that teas of equal quality and of 

 steadier quality all round (ueitb-r under- Hi: d nor 

 burnt) can be turned out by machinery and at a 

 largely decreased cost. If machine-made teas have, 

 in comparison, ever shown greater tendency to '- go 

 off," that has been owing, certainly, to imperfect dry- 

 ing, especially in tbe final process before packing. 

 But all complaints of tb" kind had cea-ed, uutil the 

 single, broker of a single Ceylon proprietor stirred 

 the question for no sufficient reason apparent to 

 auyoue. 



MARIA WATTE AND ITS YIELD OF TEA 

 PER ACKE. 

 It is stated, that, from the area of 100 acres in full 

 bearing on this estate, tea equal to 000 lb. per acre 

 has been already ga: here I but that, as pruning (which 

 had been delayed) has now bfen taken in hand, the 

 yield lor the year will not exceed 1,000 lb. per acre, 

 instead of the 1,200 lb. mentioned by rumour. s 

 in Chittagong previously, so now in the Gtampola 

 valley, 1,000 lb. per acre will be secured by meaus 

 of a liberal application of manure. Taking this into 

 consideration, the estimate of 700 lb. per aere for 

 lowcountry estates, opened in virgin forest but uu- 

 manured, is what ought to be expected. We suppose 

 Mariawatte will be ranked as a lowcountry estate, 

 seeing that its elevation is only about 1,600 fe«-t above 

 sea-level, the altitude of the railway station close by 

 beinj 1,573. The tea estate stands on the site of 

 the first regular coffee estate opened in Ceylon, but 

 the place had been long enough in " chena " to allow 

 of consiuerable recuperation of soil. The climate, as 

 regards copious rainfall alternating with genial heat, 

 is all that could be desired. Add to this that the 

 place has special facilities for procuring aud applying 

 manure, and a case is made out for the exceptional 

 yield obtained. The result is a gland one, even 

 allowing for manuring ; but we see no reason to 

 modify the figures for averages cf 700 'b. per acre 

 nn lowcountry estates (°ea-level to 2,500 feet) and 

 400 to 500 at higher elevations. 



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