November i, 1884. | 



THE TROPTCAL AGRICULTURIST. 



397 



operative "societies. The system is destined to render 

 important services to small farmers, distant from centres 

 of population, by economising expenses. Pigs fattened on 

 the small milk, when it is not made into cheese, will suit 

 many farmers ; pork so fed, with bran or meal added, 

 ever meets with a remunerative sale. 



Nothing succeeds like success. Ensilage has hardly been 

 founded as an essential to modern farming, than atten- 

 tion was naturally devoted to the possibility of dispensing 

 with costly trenches in masonry and machines for chaff- 

 ing the green stuff. M. Oorrhouls-Houles and his brother 

 have perfectly preserved green soiling in the open-air ; they 

 reside at Mazamet (Tarn), and invite the St. Thomases 

 to come' and see. One brother who had expended a little 

 fortune in constructing trenches, with cement linings, has 

 now given them up for the simple open-air plan. This 

 consists in stacking exclusively green fodder, on a bedding 

 of rough stones, and on a dry site, covering the mass 

 with a weight of 20 to 30 cwt. per cubic yard. The whole 

 secret lies in this pressure. In the silos the crust of 

 the mass, to the depth of two inches, is unfit for food ; 

 in the open-air stacking this thickness is doubled. 



In the brewing of barley only a very small percentage 

 of the proteine or nitrogenous matter enters in dis- 

 solution. Of the 15 parts of nitrogen contained in 1,000 of 

 barley, nearly 10 parts remain in the " grains." After 

 microscopic examination by Wolff and Kubn, this is due 

 to the gluteu-cellules remaining intact. The great objection 

 against grains was the great volume of water they con- 

 tained. To remove this inconvenience an establishment 

 has been erected at Muuich, for drying the grains by 

 steam. This prevents their acidification and decomposition. 

 In their natural state the grains contained 78 per cent 

 of water, when artificially dried but 20. The factory is 

 only in work siuce January last. The proprietors guarantee 

 that the dried stuff contains 26 per cent of proteine and 

 42 of non-azotized matters, and the purchaser can have 

 it analysed at the government laboratory at the seller's 

 expense. It is contemplated to similarly dry beet-pulp. 



The harvest operations are terminated under splendid 

 weather. The yield of wheat will be very good, superior to 

 1883, but under that of 1882 ; the other cereals will be on an 

 average. The vintage and beet, the former especially, will 

 be satisfactory ; the recent rain has benefited both. As France 

 has sufficient bread stuffs this year, and the protection 

 policy being in vigor by the government, a tax on foreign 

 corn is contemplated. 



France is behind Germany in sugar industry ; the latter 

 has made the fortune of the Tuetonic agriculturists, who 

 can always count upon 17 to 18 fr. per ton for their sugar 

 beet. But then the cultivation of the latter is not a 

 half-and-half affair ; the aim is sugar. The growers also, 

 to be extent of 80 per cent of their number, are owners 

 of the sugar mills on the principle of co-operation. The 

 soil is such though light, and does not suffer either from 

 excessive drought or humidity. Two horses suffice to work, 

 where in other countries four would be necessary. Then 

 manual labour is cheap and not sparingly employed. 

 Lignite, or soft coal, can almost be obtained from the 

 surface of the soil. The difference between the sugar in- 

 dustry of Germany and France will be better comprehended 

 from the fact, that while in the latter country it costs 

 from 25 to 30 fr. to produce a beet rich by 12 to 14 per 

 cut of sugar, in Germany the combination is one-third less. 

 In Germany also the roots are stored in pits containing 

 1 to 5 tons in the fields, and delivered at the factories 

 />/•" ratfl, to their wants. No farmyard manure is employed, 

 only chemical fertilizers, and the azote is in the dose "J 

 one part for every two of phospohoric a id ; tin 1 nitric 

 rather than the ammoniacal form being preferred. From 

 10 to 13 lb. of seed are allowed per acre, the rows arc 

 16 inches asunder, so as to yield about 72,000 plants per 

 acre ; 18 to 20 tons is ihe return per acre. Manure for 

 cereals and potatoes is applied in the compost form ; along 

 the highways heaps of such are to be encountered in 

 course of preparation. Not much wheat is cultivated ; the 

 same may be observed of oats, rye and barley, the latter, 

 the chevallier variety, are most in favor ; the grains arc 

 sown in lines and well weeded. But little land is under 

 forage, rarely lucerne, clover, or sainfoin are to be met 

 with ; instead, beans and peas arc cultivated. There are 

 also immense breadths of land under potato for cattle 



feeding and distillation. The borders of the highways 

 are planted with cherry, apple, and pear trees, and the 

 sale of the fruits brings in a handsome revenue to the 

 authorities, while securing work to the people. Dutch and 

 Swiss cattle are preferred for house-feeding, and the cen- 

 trifugal creamer is in general use for butter farming. The 

 Germans do not rear many barn door fowl ; the goose is 

 the bird preferred. The food for stock is chopped, crushed 

 or cooked, and all scientific improvements eagerly adopted. 

 Dr. Valin has made his official report on the pre- 

 valence of phthisis, in cow stables, in cities. The disease 

 is unpleasantly general, and contagious by the milk. 



OOFFEE LEAF-DISEASE IN INDIA, OEYLON AND 

 JAVA. 

 Ceylon Planters' Association, Kaudy, 11th October 1884. 

 (To tliu Editor of the "Tropical. Agriculturist.") 

 Sib, — I am directed by the Committee of the Planters' 

 Association to transmit to you the enclosed paper on 

 " Leaf- Disease, its Cause and Antidote," by Mr. Edgar A. 

 Quarme, India, for publication should you deem fit. — I am, 

 sir, yours faithfully, A. PHILir, Secretary. 



LEAF-DISEASE, ITS CAUSE AND ANTIDOTE; NON-PRODUCTIVE- 

 NESS, ITS CADSE AND ANTIDOTE. 



Leaf-disease attacks trees in a sickly or delicate state 

 of health. So with larger fungi which settle on trees in 

 a moribund condition, the fungus gathering strength ac- 

 cording to the tree's debility. Potato disease falls upon 

 the plant during its greatest efforts, when enlarging its 

 tubers, flowering, and seeding: the exhaustion is to be 

 noticed by the roughness of the leaf. 



2nd. — It is in these stages of etfo-t through the year 

 that the coffee tree is the victim of disease, and they 

 are increased in number and duration by the present 

 system of cultivation in India and Ceylon, the system 

 having the effect of putting the tree out of its natural season, 

 and preventing hibernation. It might be argued on the 

 other hand, that nursery plants which are exempt from 

 this treatment have leaf-disease. This is answered by 

 stating, that their delicate structure, in conjunction with 

 the great effort the plants are making in growing, added 

 to a congested state caused by the difference of temperat- 

 ure, the result of excessive watering or rain, cause this 

 condition. 



3rd. — Among other causes and their combinations is, early 

 pruning. The after effect of pruning, flushes of wood 

 forced out on the tree in its efforts to replace that taken 

 off at the wrong time, three exhaustive handlings follow, 

 and if a favourable blossoming season, overbearing. The 

 use of unfermented manures on low elevations and c'ay 

 lands. Renovation pits in like conditions, causing congestion 

 to the tree, here to be called " wet feet." Manure put in 

 wet, in any weather, generating fungus. Neglect of cultiv- 

 tion. causing debility to the tree, want of means or labour 

 come under this head. Sudden bursts of sun after rain 

 augment this also causing congestion. Denuding roots by 

 mamoty, and other weeding, the most valuable roots are 

 exposed to the sun and weather, collar roots to be here- 

 after designated as fruit sap roots. Doing things at the 

 wrong season. Here too much cannot be said against con- 

 tinued monthly weeding without burying at once, also 

 removing weeds from the' land is taking off a crop each 

 time it is done, and leaving the surface to be washed 

 oil" by rain or to be injured by the sun which destroys 

 vegetable and animal substances, which is one cause of 

 shade being so beneficial to coffee, constant handling with- 

 out burying, there is each time so much cropped off the 

 land.* A very serious attaint in the note below against 

 tin system carried on in India and Ceylon which of 

 itself would appear sufficient to answer the able and inter- 

 esting letters of "W." which, whilst writing a copy of 

 this paper, I noticed in the Tropical Agriculturist (a 



* It cannot be gainsaid, as a writer to the '/ . 

 Agriculturist of Ceylon says, where there are 12 weediugs, 

 1 pruning, 2 handlings not buried in, left on surface., 

 all but silicates arc lost with crop, 16 crops ! in a year, 

 beside sun injury and wash ! M What ails our coffee r"' 



