S42 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May i, 1885. 



compounds would be both too stimulating, and tend 

 to produce a coarse growth of leaf. 



John Hughes, f.c.s. 

 Analytical Laboratory, 79, Mark Lane, March 20th, 1885. 



EARTHWORMS. 

 To the Editor of " Nature." 



I see, in pour issue of October 9 (vol. xxx. p. 570), an 

 interesting communication entitled " A Gigantic Earth- 

 worm," in which the writer refers to worms of large size 

 being fairly common in parts of Cape Oniony. I may men- 

 tion that here in Oeyloii it is not an unfrequeut sight to 

 see two or three of these big worms iu the same day, after 

 showers, though I woold not prououuce them to be exactly 

 common. I have seen some fully four feet iu length, and 

 about the thickness of one's little finger. They are of a 

 pale slaty-bluish colour, and appear, on close examination, 

 to have faint prismatic colours over parts of the body. 

 These worms are seemingly not confined to particular soils 

 or altitudes, as I have met with them at elevations of from 

 2,000 to 4,000 feet above the sea. Owing to their seeming 

 inertuess of body, the lob-worms— as I have frequently 

 heard them called— soon fall an easy prey to swarms of 

 small red and black ants, that attack the victim as it lies 

 on the ground. 



Tassiug from large to small, I may mention a curious 

 earthworm that I fouud to be very common in North Borneo. 

 The chief peculiarity about this worm is the size of its 

 •' cast," this being about four inches high by one inch-and- 

 a-half across the top, which is made cup-sbaped or with a 

 marked depression, for the purpose, I believe, of catching 

 water. The stem — if I may apply the word — of the " cast " 

 is about an inch in diameter, strongly built of rows of 

 earthy matter laid circumferentially, widening towards the 

 top into a lip that forms the side of the cup. Sometimes 

 a leaf may have fallen on the "cast" in the course of 

 erection, and this is at once built over, so that part of the 

 " cast " may be seen above and part below. The worm 

 itself is very small, and hard to secure. I have found 

 the only method of catching them was to suddenly break 

 olf a fresh " cast," when one could get a glance of the 

 worm as it rapidly withdrew into the ground. It is of a 

 fleshy red colour, and about the thickues's of the stem of a 

 crow-quill pen, but I do not know how long, as I never 

 succeeded in extracting a whole worm from its burrow. 

 The "casts" are very numerous, and weigh,tl should think, 

 quite an ounce each, aud are to be met with both in the 

 forest — as weil as in gardens — and cultivated land. I also 

 found them close to tbe banks of rivers that were suffici- 

 ently near the sea to be considerably impregnated with 

 salt, so that I conclude from this that salt water is not 

 destructive at least to this species. Frederick Bewis. 



Bogawantalawa, Ceylon. 



NEW PRODUCTS AND PLANTING PROSPECTS 

 FROM COLOMBO TO MATALE. 



The drought seems to have touched up the Liberian 

 crffje and cacao between Polgahawela and Rambuk- 

 kana, but the fresh foliage of the latter is already 

 peicepible. Shale h being provided here, I note, 

 and 011 one estate the regular plantation of well-grown 

 jak iroos was particularly noticeable. 



Matale, after the long drought, was looking greatly 

 refreshed by copious afternoon showers. Cacao in 

 the Hats along the line had not made the progress 

 1 expected it would have done on such situation and 

 soil. It does better on gentle slopes in good soil 

 when thoroughly protected from wind and under 

 light shade. Froili what 1 have seen on this trip, 

 I should say that moderate shade is, if not a necessity, 

 yet emiueutly desirable. The effects of the long 

 drought are far more pereep.ible where no shade 

 exists than where it has been provided, as evidenced 

 by blackened tops of branches not yet hidden from 

 night by the luxuriant growth of new foliage now 

 poniing forward, In exposed situations mealy bug 



seems to have a partiality for cacao pods, but I 

 could not learn that much actual harm had been 

 done by it. 



Coffee has come round wonderfully since the attack 

 of black bug last year, but I fear the coming crop 

 will be lamentably short, if indeed there is any at 

 all, seeing that the pest has evidently only retired 

 to await a more convenient season for a fresh 

 attack. Passing through a field famons for past 

 glories, and eveu now showing wonderful recuperative 

 powers, the superintendent said to me : " All this 

 looked absolutely dead only a few months ago : 

 it will, of coaiS3 give, nothing this year, but; 

 surely it will do well next year and is worth a light 

 pruning." " Stop a moment," said I, and a little search 

 revealed the young succulent shoots covered thickly 

 with their deadly enemy : being still in the early 

 stage, their green colour, had at first shielded them from 

 observation. " Take what crop you can get, and be 

 thankful, and don't lay out a cent that you can avoid," 

 was my disinterested advice ; but then I must own 

 that I have long been a dreadful pessimist as re- 

 gards coffee. 



Cinchona in this district is far behind tho younger 

 districts in poiut of growth, but, though stunted, it 

 struck me as comparing favourably iu poiut of its 

 healthy appearance 



Cardamoms seem momentarily to occupy the lirst 

 place in the estimation of the inhabitants ; and "no 

 wonder when you hear of one fortunate pussessorshipping 

 33,000 lb. dry cardamoms from 50 acres, or about one- 

 fourth of the estimate of the year's shipments. 



Tea clearings are also much iu vogue. Apparently 

 my friend had several in hand aggregating 120 acres 

 under the shadow of Ettapolla, on land which in its 

 day has produced some of tbe finest coffee ever shipped 

 from Ceylon : and, as far as I can sec, judging 

 from tea planted there some rive or six years ago, 

 he is in for a good thing, if the rainfall proves 

 satisfactory, I understand the mean for a number 

 of years is 100 inches, but last year there was a 

 deficiency of over 40 iuches. The drought seems to 

 have affected native cultivation quite as much as our hill 

 products.' Village paddy is unprocurable and village (ice 

 i!3'75 per bushel, whereas the imported article can 

 be had down in Matale for about R345. Dwellers 

 in Auuradhapura support the demand for railway 

 extension — northwards. H. 



MAURET-GARDENING AT NANUOYA. 



A correspondent entitled to speak with some 

 authority writes as follows : — 



" It is a thousand pities that some competent hard-work- 

 ing individual does not go in for a market garden, ou 

 a large scale, in the neighbourhood of Nanuoya. If con- 

 ducted properly it would pay handsomely. Even putting 

 aside the inhabitants of Colombo aud Kandy — who uo 

 doubt would be glad to take large quantities — I think 

 a large and paying 'business could be carried ou iu supply- 

 ing the ships which call at Colombo with fruits, flowers 

 and vegetables." 



Tbe hint ought to be taken by an enterpiizing 

 planter of the right sort who may be out of employ- 

 ment. We have no doubt, that the requisite piece of 

 land if available on the property surrounding the station 

 could be obtained for such a purpose on e:>sy terms. 

 We should think steamer agents would give due 

 encouragement to such an undertaking if carried out 

 systematically. 



The same correspondent sends 115 a number of 

 practical extracts bearing on Horticulture which will 

 fiud a place in the T. A. One cutting on the compar- 

 ative value of garden manures and wood aslies will be of 

 special interest to local cultivators, while, in respect 

 of another on the trenching of garden soil, onr corre- 

 spondent says :-«■ 



