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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [March 2, 1885'. 



turn of the planted area, still they show the suitability of 

 much of the Ceylon soil ami climate for the culiivatiou 

 of the rising staple. Ceylon tea is no longer a fancy 

 article, but sells on its own merits, and your Committee 

 cannot too strongly urge upon every planter the desirability 

 of keeping the quality of his teas up to a high standard. 

 Your Committee have noted with satisfaction that repre- 

 sentations in Council were successful in getting tea-lead 

 exempted from duty, and your Committee are of opinion 

 that concessions in railway freight on the upward trans- 

 port of lead, boxes and other tea requirements should 

 be made. Pursuant to a resolution passed by the Associ- 

 ation, the Chamber of Commerce was asked to fix an 

 agency rate for tea. It would almost seem as if the 

 cliamber had misunderstood what was meant, as it fixed 

 2£ per cent on invoice value, together with actual costs 

 incurred. As the work can be efficiently doue for h cent 

 per lb. your Committee doubt whethei much advantage 

 will be taken of the rate fixed by the Chamber amounting 

 as it would on an average to about 2J ceute per lb. 



Cinchona.— The extension of the cultivation of this pro- 

 duct has suffered a considerable check within the last 

 year or two owing in part to the very considerable area 

 of the planted land proving unsuitable to its profitable 

 cultivation and in part to the very serious decline in 

 the market value of. bark. Still though cinchona has 

 failed to fulfil the very high expectations originally formed, 

 and though its cultivation will be much more restricted 

 than was at one time hoped, it nevertheless continues to 

 be a very important product and to promise remuner- 

 ative results over a considerable area. Your Committee 

 would recomineud to those who possess suitable laud the 

 desirability of not overlooking this product which may 

 become as.a subsidiary cultivation as profitable iu the future 

 as it was in the past. The exports of the past year 

 show an enormous increase upon those of any former year 

 being iu fact in 1883-84 11,192,947 lb. against in 1882-88 

 6,925,5951b. This large increase however must not be re- 

 garded as a measure of the increase of the cultivation 

 as it has resulted to a great extent from the harvesting 

 of batk to meet financial necessities and to provide the 

 means of planting tea and other products in localities' 

 where it has not fulfilled expectations. 



Cacao. — The attention of your Committee was directed 

 iu the autumn of 1884 to the serious damage this cultiv- 

 ation was reported to be sustaining from the attack of 

 an insect now well-known as tlelopeltis Antonii on cert- 

 ain well-known estates. Your Committee lost no time in 

 having the subject ventilated and appointed an influential 

 Sub-Coinmittee consisting of three experienced cacao planters 

 associated with the Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens 

 at Peradeniya. Dr. Trimen, Messrs. Jardiue, Ross and 

 Vollar inspected various estates in the several cacao districts 

 uf Kurunegala, Matale and Dumbara and drew up a long 

 and interesting report which will be embodied in the annual 

 volume of the Association's proceedings. In addition to 

 this report, the Committee have pleasure in drawing atten- 

 tion to a paper on cacao and KdopeltUin Matale, kindly 

 furnished to the Committee by a cacao planter in that 

 district, Mr. Martin. The impression left in the minds of 

 your Committee is that the attacks of this insect are ag- 

 gravated by the condition of the trees during or after a 

 prolonged season of drought and that shelter and iu some 

 cases shade minimize it evil effects. 



The exports for season 1883-84 reached 9,803 cwt. 

 Do do 1882-83 „ 3,588 „ 



a very satisfactory resultwhich forcibly demonstrates the 

 important position this product has reached. There is little 

 doubt that, given suitable soil and climate and not adverse 

 seasons, these figures will iu time not only be maintained 

 but be increased. Iu connection with the pest Helopeltu 

 itUonii, your Committee had the honor to convey your 

 thanks to Government for a copy of Dr. Tnmen's most 

 interesting and valuable letter ou the subject 



Cardamoms.— The increase in the export of this valuable 

 product is very marked: in 1883-81, 013,319 lb against 

 21 635 lb. in 1882-83. Your Committee trust that the 

 market value of the article may be maintained notwith- 

 standing this large additonal supply and that its cultivation 

 will continue to be a source of revenue to those engaged 

 in it Certain districts favoured with a good average 

 rainfall have doue well last season which was comparatively 

 a dry one. 



Rubber.— Youi Committee nave no further information to 

 lay before you regarding the best and cheapest method of 

 collecting this produce or determining the age at which the 

 harvesting can be safely commenced. Cacao planters iu 

 Dumbara believe that Ceara rubber trees afford good shade 

 and shelter for cacao and are planting it extensively. It is 

 therefore to be hoped that it will in addition form a 

 source of revenue if a suitable method of harvesting the 

 rubber can be devised. 



Gruit and Leaf -Disease. — The attention of the Association 

 has been directed to the two principal pests that have caused 

 the alarming decline in the production of coffee. Re- 

 garding leaf-disease little that is new can be said. It 

 still coutiuues its ravages. With reference to grub, the 

 thanks of the Association are dueto Dr. Trimen and Gov- 

 ernment for having obtained the opiniou of Mr. Mac 

 Lachlan which disposes of the doubts cast upon the com- 

 monsense proceeding of catching the chafers. The life 

 of the female is not so ephemeric or its fecundation so 

 rapid as was supposed. Although the pest has increased 

 greatly in portions of Dimbula, it is gratifying to record 

 that in Maskeliya and some parts of Dimbula it has almost 

 passed away. Your Committee have also to chronicle the 

 reappearance, to a very serious extent in certain parts of 

 the island, of black bug which is virulently attacking 

 coffee that had hitherto to sowie extent resisted the 

 ravages of leaf-disease and grub. 



Specimens of New Produdts.—Uhe very valuable nucleus 

 of a collection of specimens of new products which was 

 temporarily forwarded to the Calcutta Exhihitiou has now 

 been handed over by your representative, Mr. Capper, to 

 Dr. Trimen, and are now in the Museum of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya. Your Committee trust 

 that 'this collection will continue to be largely augmeuted 

 from time to time. 



Ground Nuts —This staple article of export from 

 Poudicherry, has commenced to arrive in small quant- 

 ities, but ov.'iDg to the uncertainty that prevails as 

 to the outturn, the prc-ent quota'ions, are purely 

 nominal, and not to be depended on ; 'ait year the 

 rate during the shipping season varied from RU, to 

 Ulli per [French candy (oliOlb. English). The crop 

 is Ijst, almost entirely within a distance of twenty 

 to twenty-five miles from the coast. — Madras Mail, 

 February 9th. 



Insects. — Next to the mealy-hug, I consider the whit - 

 scale to be the most troublesome insect ; there is some of 

 tins but not on the Pines, 1 am glad to say. The con- 

 servatory climbers have been troubled with it, but now I 

 hope to get rid of it from among them. Had I feared 

 it as I do the bug. there would not have been any left. 

 Our practice for white-scale has been to use an in- 

 secticide at double the strength advised on printed instruc- 

 tions; this I have found to be more than they can with- 

 stand. Brown scale, thrips, red-spider, anil aphides, are 

 likewise very t oublesome pests. A watchful eye needs 

 be kept on each and all of them, and measures taken to 

 destroy them. It is grievous to see the damage, that is 

 done by omitting to take such matters in hand at an 

 early date, the effect not being obliterated for a long time 

 to come in some cases. — James Hudson, Gunuersbury House 

 Gardens, Acton, W. — Gardeners' Chronicie. 



MANURE is "the soul of agriculture;" in market garden- 

 ing it is soul and body too. "The more manure the more 

 llhubarb." is a common saying among men who some- 

 times apply 100 tons of dung per acre at a cost of B30 

 in- £40. In opposition to a great deal of misleading 

 counsel in the papers farmers have had the advantage of 

 listening to Mr Glenuy. of Barking, who discoursed upon 

 our subject, with full knowledge of all its details, before 

 the Londou Farmers' Club. Some time since, when we 

 saw Mr. Glennys' market garden, it consisted of 1 16 acres 

 under vegetables, the manure bill amounting to about 

 £800 a year, and the labour bill to £1,500, the number of 

 horses engaged in cultivation and in the cartage of pro- 

 duce and mauure a distance of * miles, to aud from 

 London, being a dozen, instead of only four which an 

 ordinary farm would require. A prudent farmer living 

 outside the proper limits will pause before lie enters 

 upon such a business as Mr Cleuuy's. — Gardeners' Chronicle 



