August i, 18S5.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



I think some reliable figurea could be obtained from 

 several men in Madulaima, whicli would show that 

 your correspondent " B. E. " ought to be well satis- 

 fied with the task done by his truly wonderful coolies. 



On a certain well-known estate up here, witli very 

 fine large succirubra trees from G to 7 years of age, 

 the average quantity harvested was about 73 lb! 

 per cooly after having been at the work for some 

 tune ; a few of the men would bring as much 

 as SO to 90 lb., but tbey were exceptionally good 

 coolies. The work was most carefully done, and 

 on the slightest signs of bad or careless work the 

 coolies Here checked. 



" B. E. " should most c-rtainly cover the trees affer 

 being shaved : it is now generally believed that " cover- 

 ing " pays well in every way. Will " B. E. " kindly 

 let us know what force he employs " shaving " ? 



It will be a bad lookout for this and other cin- 

 chona districts, if he has a large force and can employ 

 them for some months shaving at his present averaee 

 rate of 13ji lb. =. r s 



I will be glad to know if, before he comes to an 

 end of his harvesting operations, he gets the average 

 up to 150 lb.— Yours truly, ENVIOUS. 



i.-**-w.-> «i^ ^....•niu^ij iiivc tiiubu ui r,. cwra, auu ic is 

 interesting to note that in South India, they were largely 

 used as food by the poor during one of the late famines 

 as recorded by Dr. Lidie. They may possibly contain 

 Cocaine." , 



Some leaves ought certainly to go to Mr. T. Christy 

 tr) get tested by a chrmist : he is .■:o keen about 

 a supply of the commercial product that ho would 

 gladly attend to this, wo have no doubt.— En.] 



COCA SEED : THE DIFFICULTY IN GROWING 

 PLANTS ;-THE LOCAL ALLIED SPECIES- 

 WHAT ARE ITS PROPERTIES ? 



27th June 1883. 

 Dear Sir,— Your correspondent "Peppercorn" 

 notices the general failure of the coca seed from 

 Peradeniya, at least, in hands less capable than the 

 Assistant thfre ; and this has certainly been my own 

 experience, for, out of 100 seeds kindly sent me by 

 the Director, not one has come up. The fact, that 

 at the Gardens it baa grown, is a proof that the 

 fault is not in the seed. But wherein lies tho secret 

 of enccess ? Is it that it should be sown at once 

 on being gathered ? lu South America they seem to 

 have no diiBculty— the plants being, I believe, in- 

 variably raised from seed bonn in shaded or roofed 

 beds— very much in the style of our oincliona nureer- 

 ies, though probably lees carefully coBStructed. But 

 is it not premature to ran wild after coca, till the 

 comparative merit of our own n>-arly allied species 

 of ErylhroTijlon has been determined ? Is this not 

 desirable in view of the Urge demand opening out 

 for coca leaves ? That its loaves do contain the 

 active principle of the latter in some proportion would 

 .s»em evident, or at least probable, from the efleots 

 their use is said to have had with the natives dur- 

 ing Ihp last famine in India. Surely it is a point 

 that some of our local experts could at once decide, 

 if a sample for analysis were sent them ? Would 

 Dr. Trinvn or your correspondent " W. F." kindly 

 mention whether it belongs to the moiater parts of 

 the lowcouutry or where chielly abundant,- and by 

 what names it U known, in Sinhalese and Tamil?— (i. ' 



[Dr. Trimen's remarks in his last report may be 

 repeated with advantage : — 



" I may add that we have in Ceylon a closely allied 

 species, !•:. monoi/i/niim, which is common in the hot dry 

 districts, and called in Tamil ' Tevadarara.' The wood is 

 slightly fragrant, and Dr. Ondaatje has recorded tho 

 preparation from it at Puttalam of a crcosotic oil. The 

 leaves are strikingly like those of E. Oica, and it is 



INSECT PESTS, AND INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 

 "HELOPELIIS" AND RED ANTS. 



r, o „ Kandy, 27th June ISSo. 



JJEAE SIR,— On several previous occasions, eome of 

 my experiences of the value of insectivorous birds 

 lu clearing our cultivated plants of their insect pests 

 have appeared in your columns, aud I now send you a 

 few 8tati.stic-!, whicli, I trust, may prove of some interest. 



It is impossible to overestimate the importauce of 

 this subjrct, in a climate such as oure, teeming with 

 insect lite. The more I have investigated the (juestion, 

 the more I have had impressed on me the great 

 value of insect-feeding birds, in assisting us in our 

 garden and in fact general plantation operations. 



We have tried to reduce the rearing and fostering 

 of these useful little creatures to something like a 

 system, and, though this is a very difficult and up- 

 hill task, we think we can say, our efforts have 

 been attended with some degree of success, in the 

 case of at least one species, our common " Magpie 

 Robin" or " Dialbird " (Copsychus saulans, Linn.) 

 He is to be found in the compound of almost every 

 bungalow, in and out of town, and he awakes us at 

 early dawn of day, with his clear, rich and joyous notes, 

 long ere old Sol has passed the horizon. There are 

 several pairs, which now breed regularly in our com- 

 pound, and which we may term semi-domesticated. 



Our plan is this : we attach chatties or flowerpots 

 with suitable holes in them, to the wall, in places 

 where no cat can reach them, and so arranged that 

 the crows cannot get at the eggs or young ones. 

 These are intended as breeding-places, and in most 

 cases, instinct tells cock-robin aud his mate, 

 that they are safe harbours of refuge. After due 

 inspection— for he is a knowing and cunning little 

 dodger— he will hop in, hop out, hop on to the 

 top of his chatty, and pour f .rth his long shrill 

 notes of love aud approval. In a day or two tho 

 materials for the nost begin to arrive, aud one then 

 knows bU is right, and woe betide the impudent 

 crow, whose curiosity may lead him to be too in- 

 c^uisi'lve. In due course the period of incubation is comp- 

 leted, and the process of grubbing commences, the two 

 pirents incessantly bringing caterpillars for the young. 



When ths little ones aie nearly fledged, we remove 

 them from the nest, and place them in a good roomy 

 wicker cage, outside, hut piotected from rain. The 

 parent birds now get very excited, and express their 

 disapproval of these proceedings in harsli screeches, 

 and cock-robin is no doubt highly indignant at the 

 libeities taken with his offspring. Gradually, how- 

 ever, he and mother-robin get reconciled, aud go on 

 assiduously stuffing the yourg with caterpillars or 

 larvai tlirough the bars of their cage. In this cage the 

 young undergo an imprisonment of six weeks, during 

 wiiich time the dietary arrangements are entirely lelt 

 for the parents to settle.* At the expiry of their 

 term of servitude, tho youngsters are liberated. They 

 are, of course, delighted, overjoyed, and show their 

 gratitude, by still remaining near the compound, to 

 which they have become attached, and by regularly 

 visiting our pot plants, aud rose trees, till not a 

 vestige of a poochie can be found. 



We were very anxious to get at some reliable statistics 

 as to tho number of larv;u a family of robins wnnld 

 destroy iu a day, and had a careful hand told off, 

 to take tally of the number of trips the male and 

 female each made to their young with food, during 

 the entire day. lie was furnished with a pencil and 

 a board, and stationed close to the cage, and when- 

 ever Cdck robin arrived wiili a mouthful of cater- 

 pillars, down went a x ; and whenever eld mother-robin 

 came, dottn went a 1. On reckoning up the crosseg 

 and strokes, for three successive days, we arrived at 



» M'ater bcinp, of coiirae, plentifully provided.— Ed. 



