December i, 1884.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



493 



To the Editor of tiu "Ceylon Observer:' 



♦ 



RED SPIDER ON TEA. IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 

 The Neilgherries, 23rd Sept, 18S4. 



Dear Sir —By parcel post I seud some samples 

 of diseased tea-leaves, showing what iu my humble 

 opinion is either the deposit of the red spider or 

 the green fly. "A Neilgherry Planter" in his 

 brochure on tea in Southern Ind'a, states that red 

 spider has not shown itself in Southern India. You 

 will notice that the leaves are not all affected in the 

 same manner. Some show clearly the deposit of eggs, 

 whilst others exhibit a sort of film over the leaf 

 which can be easily removed with a penknife. Are 

 they the work of one and the same insect ? Only 

 old leaves have been so affected, the young flu>h be. 

 ing untouched ; but the trees show a string desire 

 to harden their leaves in an abnormal manner so 

 that the old leaves when picked from the bush 

 crackle in the hand like parchment and show a great 

 absence of sap. The weather has on the whole been 

 favourable, bat the trees lacked sufficient moisture in 

 June and July. — Yours faithfully, NOVICE. 



[We have kept this letter back in hopes that the 

 leaves might come, but they have not done so up to 

 date; so we fear they have miscarried. — Ed] 



THE CULTIVATION OF SUGAR IN CEYLON. 

 Perak, 16th October 1884. 

 Dear Sir, — The March and April numbers of the 

 Tropical Agriculturist have just been brought" to me 

 for perusal, in which I see that the suitability of 

 Ceyon for sugar production is discussed, and my 

 name is mentioned. At page 73132, you write : — 

 "What the Province Wellesley planters sail to Mr. 

 Forbes Laurie is very interesting, but it is a signific- 

 ant fact, that Mr. Wray, author of a standard work 

 on sugar, does not seem to have succeeded practically 

 at Penang. He seems now to be in Government em- 

 ploy in Perak." In makng this statement permit 

 me to say that you have been misinformed ; inasmuch 

 as I was engaged in tapioca cultivation and nut sugar 

 cultivation ; and moreover I have never held any 

 appointment whatsoever, under the Perak Government ! 

 I am well aware of your untiring and most value d 

 efforts to uphold and in every way benefit "the 

 planting interest " of Ceylon ; and if i can do any- 

 thing to aid you in that obj ct, I shall be most happy 

 to do so. During my brief visit to your beautiful 

 island in 1870, I was the guest of my most kind and 

 hospitable friend Mr. Forbes Laurie, and was almost 

 wholly in the mountains with him. visiting coffee, 

 cinchona, and cacao estates. Consequently I saw little 

 or nothing of the low-lands. In 1847 I was pre- 

 vented by the sudden leaviug of the steamer from accom- 

 panying Mr. Black to see his sugar operations near 

 Galle ; and in 1879, I regret to say that I omitted 

 to go out and see the sugar estate which I was 

 told, was 10 miles from Galle ; hence I have seen no 

 " sugar growing " in Ceylon. I have no doubt how- 

 ever, that sugar cultivation can be most profitably 

 carried on there and that Ceylon will yet rise higher 

 than, it has ever been by means of this great industry, 

 I suppose, I need not say that on a proper selection 

 of lands, and a skilful laying out of the estates, 

 suece-s will largely depend? Many, vkry many thou- 

 sands may be lost by want of judgment in these 

 particulars; as « ell as in the wrong-headed choice of 

 and lavish expenditure on machinery ! Those who 

 rush into such matters without sufficient knowledge 

 generally find out their errors when it is too late to 



remedy them. As the old saying has it, " a thou- 

 sand and one things have to be thought of " at the 

 very commencement of the undertaking to ensure the 

 harmonious and successful working of the whole. 

 If it be thought that my judgment and expeiience 

 would be useful in this direction I am ready to place 

 my servicesat the disposal of those who may wish 

 to embark in this important enterprize. simply re- 

 marking, that I am thoroughly acquainted with all 

 the latest improvements both in cultivation and 

 manufacture —Yours faithfully, LD. WRAY r . 



TEA DRIERS AND CRITICISM. 



Dear Sir,— In your valuable number for November an 

 extract from the Indigo and Tea Planters' Gazette anent 

 the Messrs. Jackuon's tea drier is inserted. Had this article 

 been written in a fair spirit of criticism and less show of 

 advertising business about it, I would not have referred to it 

 Presumably the drier is equal to or possibly above the 

 average. The majority of planters who like myself wish to 

 procure a really good drier would doubtless prefer plain facts 

 to the use of superlatives and uncalled-for allusions to other 

 makers' manufactures. The machine must stand or fall ac- 

 cording to its own merits, and it is for the planter to decide 

 this. A fact is worth more than all the superlative expres- 

 sions and argument of the childhood's happy day, « It is be- 

 cause I say it is."— Yours, OATO THE OENSOR 



COFFEE-PLANTING IN NORTH COORG. 

 High Field, Madenad, North Coorg, 



20th Oct. 1884. 

 Dear Sir,— We are still having misty weather ac- 

 companied with drizzling rain, though I suppose the 

 pucka S. W. monsoon iu over. We have registered 

 up to date 160 inches against 181 -01 last year, and 

 274 97 in 18S2, so I suppose we may call this a 

 light monsoon. Leaf-disease has been very bad this 

 year, large fields of what was fine old coffee a few 

 months £go being elean wiped out, leaving the trees 

 perfectly leafless. I have only noticed this where the 

 lives were bearing heavily. Of course, this will show 

 up in the outturn, and the result will be, in this 

 district, short crops. 



I lately paid a trip to a group of estates on the 

 Perambay Ghaut. The nanag r (io whose kindness 

 and courtesy I am indebted tor a very enjoyable 

 vis 1), took me around all the estates. I saw no 

 leaf-disea3e to speak of, and the trees had a fine 

 dark green, healthy appearance, with a very fair crop 

 on them ai. d [,ieiiu of Mood for next year. One field 

 I par icularlj noticed looked very promising, which 

 had been manured with a compost of pig, burnt 

 bones, cuttle and the sweepings of the town of 

 Verajenderpet. Shade being indispensable, all the bad 

 jat treeB had been ringed or taken out and nothing 

 left but jak, utty and card beven (shingle) trtes, 

 the last two especially, as in the monsoon they are 

 leafless, and ia the dry weather form a beautiful shade 

 for C"ffee. 



I saw a 50-acre one year old clearing, but though 

 a little wind-ringed (it »at being staked) looked very 

 fine, most of the trees being over 3 ft. in height. 

 Those wiseacres who talk about coffee being played 

 out in that district should take a run over and see it. 

 Of course, I don't say that every piece of land is 

 suitable, but if judiciously selected, well-sheltered and 

 good soil with due regard to the economy of the 

 rupee in the working expenses, old King Coffee will 

 pay yet iu the forest iu .<-pite of low prices. If the 

 celebrated B,mbu district of Coorg through the same 

 numb.r of years had had half the bad treatment of 

 the forest, there would have been no estates leTt by 

 now, and planters must remember, that all the money 

 made in the ghaut and forest went to open the Bambu 



