f /02 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[March 2, 1885. 



The next production is supposed about the same, 

 100,000 piculs ; Zamboanga 9,000. 



Guatemala is likely to be early, some arrivals 

 possibly in December and January; fair promise 

 for the future. The undermentioned estimates 

 given by one long resident in the country, and well 

 acquainted with the Trade : — 



1884-5. 18S3-4. 



Guatemala Crop, 15,000 tons, against 13,500 tons 25,000 

 San Salvador 9,000 „ „ 7,500 „ 



Honduras 6,000 „ ,. 5,000 „ 



CACAO CULTURE AND ITS ENEMIES. 



Report on the Oacao Pest by J. R. Maetin, Esq., 



Yattewatte, Matale, to the Planters' Association of 



Oeylon. 



Oacao Pest. — From the literature of this subject, which 

 lias been pretty voluminous, it is not possible as yet to 

 gather many very decided facts, and although there is 

 little division of opinion as to the existence of I he fly, 

 Helopeltis Antonii, planters differ widely as to the injuri- 

 ous effect of the ravages of the insect and its forinid- 

 ableness as an enemy of cacao cultivation. Eecent experi- 

 ments have proved beyond a doubt that the blackening 

 of the pods and of the tips of the branches, is the work 

 of the same insect, and also that in the pods at the least 

 the fly lays its eggs which develop into larva? in a period 

 of from ten days to three weeks. It has yet to be decided 

 whether all the damage to the pods is attributable to this 

 process of laying and incubation. The disease iu this 

 stage is purely local, no one havirg yet asserted that even 

 the complete blackeuing and withering of a pod has any 

 injurious effect on the tree. The fly apparently attacks 

 the shoot in the same manner as the pod and the ques- 

 tion at once arises : Does it as a rule deposit its eggs here 

 also r and is the damage, which results, the effect, of the in- 

 cubation of the larv;e or the result of poison in the bite 

 of the insect. It has been confidently and most publicly 

 asserted that the dying-back of large branches and com- 

 plete decadence of cacao trees which has beeu sometimes 

 noticed during the last year, is the result of the ravages 

 of Helopeltis Antonii and on the other hand the most 

 experienced cacao planters of Ceylon seem to be of opinion 

 that this is due to local causes, such as unsuitable soil, 

 want of shade, bad plants and bad planting, exposure to 

 wind and the most trying season of drought which the 

 product has ever known. On this point we require the 

 aid of a scientist. 



With a somewhat iutimate knowledge of this district I have 

 no hesitation whatsoever in asserting, that.although this pest 

 has been known on cacao estates for the last three years, it is 

 only during the past unprecedented season that the results 

 which have been attributed to it have manifested them- 

 selves, further that dying back and dying out has no 

 occurred to any extent (that may not be accounted for by 

 drought) ou any but poor and shallow soil, also that 

 vigorous cacao in good soil even through the past seasont 

 has not sustained appreciable damage from Helopeltis 

 Antonii, and lastly, that with the return of the rains, 

 (although the fly still remains on the estates) the so-called 

 effects of its devastatious have almost entirely disappeared 



From the forgoing remarks it must not be assumed 

 that I do not think Helopeltis Antonii worthy of atten- 

 tion. In the present state of planting affairs we must. 

 be prepared to combat every euemy which can in airy 

 way shake confidence in our industries and from what 

 I have beard the practical eradiction of this pest from 

 an estate is by no means an impossibility. The cacao 

 husks should be burned when the seed h s been extracted 

 and the small pods which are often found blackened on a 

 tree should also be consigned to the flames. My own 

 investigations prove that in many instances these contain 

 the eggs and larva? of the Uy. The prompt removal of 

 these besides, from other reasons cannot but be bene- 

 ficial to the tree. As to the removal ami destruction of 

 diseased branches there is great divergence of opiniou ; 

 personally I have found it etl'aeacious. I mention these 

 precautions in addition to the more obvious one of catch- 

 ing and destroying the Uy which is being carried out on 

 several estates. It has recently been noticed that the 

 fly does not extend its ravages rapidly but seems to con- 



fine its attacks to certain trees and portions of an estate 

 and this renders the possibility of its easy eradication 

 a likely one. 



My opinion is that this pest is capable of inflicting 

 considerable aamage on cacao pods, but that as an enemy 

 to the cacao tree it need not be seriously feared ; with 

 constant care ; its injurious effects can be reduced to a 

 minimum and the scare which was raised by the discovery 

 of its devastation was altogether unjustifiable. 



Cacao.— The recent unprecedented season has given cacao 

 cultivation the most serious check which it has received 

 since its establishment as a commercial product in the 

 Island. And it has been recognized rather unwillingly that 

 only with well-sheltered land, good soil and a fairly dis- 

 tributed rainfall can it he successfully cultivated. In other 

 words many estates which have been planted with this pro- 

 duct have beeu found to be partly or wholly unsuitable and 

 the area of land ou which men of experience would care to 

 plant it is considerably diminished. 



This is hardly a matter for surprize or indeed an un- 

 mixed evil. It is well-known that five or six years ago 

 proprietors of unprofitable coffee estates rushed this pro- 

 duct into worn out soil and that laud was felled and planted 

 with it, which had been pronounced too inferior for coffee 

 or any other product, That such estates should have re- 

 ceived their coup de grace during the past season cannot 

 be looked upon as altogether a matter for regret ; when 

 cultivated with some extra product they may perhaps prove 

 remunerative, whilst their existence as they were, was but 

 a drawback to a most promising industry. On the other 

 hand those cacao estates which have come through the 

 past season in a satisfactory manner (and I am glad to be 

 able to record that most of the cacao in this district 

 has done so) may now be pronounced to have proved itself 

 vigorous enough to withstand any enemy, excepting, per- 

 haps a speedy recurrence of such a season. That cacao 

 requires good soil, a fair rainfall and careful cultivation, 

 may now be said to be a recognized sine qua non by all 

 cacao planters, and it may be added that when these 

 qualifications exist, the faith of those who should 

 should know most of the product, remains as great iu it 

 as ever. It should be remembered that the majority of 

 the acreage of cacao in the island is represented by some 

 five or six gentlemen and that during the recent trying 

 circumstances they have never lost faith iu this cultiva- 

 tion. There were not wanting those who talked of 

 cacao as " doomed." but it will probably be fouud ou in- 

 vestigation that the practical experience of thoso who 

 took up this cry the loudest was comparatively speaking 

 absolutely nil. The best answer to those pesssimists is the 

 present satisfactory condition of all cacao grown under 

 suitable circumstances, and the fine crop that has now 

 set upon the older trees. It is therefore with no feeling 

 of discouragement that cacao planters enter upon the 

 new year. 



Curing. — As regards fermenting and washing we have, 

 I think, little to learn. An important point has however 

 recently arisen, viz., if cacao dried by intense heat in 

 a few hours is as fit for the London market as that 

 dried graduallly and slowly, if the fact it would cause a 

 material alteration in the present system of our dry- 

 ing houses and the subject is therefore well worthy of in- 

 vestigation. 



Preparing in Colombo.— It is still an open question if all 

 necessary preparation cannot be effected on the estate as 

 well and more cheaply than for the present rates in Colombo, 

 and it is doubtful if the present system adopted by 

 Colombo merchants of dividing cocoa into No. 1, 2 and 

 3 qualities is on the whole advantageous to the seller. 



COFFEK A1ND "CONFUSION OF EPITAPHS" 

 IN BRAZIL. 



The to News, which has no mercy for Brazilian 

 bombast, writes thus: — 



AVe sincerely trust that H. M. the Emperor will take 

 to heart the lesson read to him on the 14th by the spokes- 

 man of the Centro da Lavoura e Commercio, when inaugur- 

 ating the 4th Coffee Exposition. There is a saying In 

 Portuguese, that of holy water and presumption, each takes 

 what he will, and certainly the Centro has filled about a 

 column iiud a half of the Jornal do Commercio with what 



