October i, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



243 



— -^ 



To the Editor of the " Ceylon Observer.'^ 



NOTES ON INSECTS AND OTHER MATTERS. 

 South of India, 29th July 1885. 



The Editor of the " Tropical Acfiiculturist." Colombo. 



Sir,— Will you kindly forward for identification some 

 small flies on the underside of the tea leaves and twig, 

 which I am dispatching by post, and wliich may or may 

 not reach you, according to the mysterious decrees of 

 the iiostal authorities whereby a similar parcel dis- 

 patched to you last year was returned to me on the 

 score tint the parcel was under a certain size ? Perhaps 

 Mi's parcel will be returned also as being ovrr a certain 

 size. However you will perceive that the leaves have 

 been sent iu a box ten times the .size really necessary 

 in order to propitiate the said authorities. In f orwanling 

 this box I am called upon to fill uj) a form iu which 

 the said authorities hive the exquisite cruelty to require 

 me to put a value upon these pests ! 



Are Messrs. Armstrotg, Hay and Owen yet decided 

 in their opinion as to the reason of Oeylon teas possessing 

 such a superior flavour over Indian teas? It is not 

 becoming iu me to have any opinion on such a subject, 

 vet nevertheless I venture to think that I am not a 

 hundred miles off the mark. 



Allow me to take this opportunity of tendering you 

 my hearty thanks for the many valuable suffgestions 

 given in your excellent periodical, and which suggestions 

 oidy require consideration and observation in order to 

 turn them into practical use. 



To such of your readers as to do not regard their 

 coffee or tea bushes as virtually mere machines which 

 can be made to give crops to order, allow me to recom- 

 mend most strongly two very valuable books, viz., 

 Johnson's " How Crops Grow " and " How Crops Feed" 

 (American publications: they always (/ iW push into the 

 front those American.s) .* 



On page 126 vol. 4 of the T. A. it is stated on the 

 authority of the Leader with reference to var. 

 Eucalt/p'tiis salulmi, that its foliage " contains an 

 extraordinary abundance of oil which renders this species 

 significant." Can you, Mr. Editor, verify this statement V 

 Mr. Bosisto gives the following percentages of eucalyptus 

 oil :- 



per cent. 

 E. amygdalina ... 3-250 volatile oil. 



E. oleosa ... 1-313 do. 



E. leitcoxi/hii ... 1-060 do. 



E. goniocalyx ... 0-914 do. 



E. globulus ... 0-719 do. 



E. obliqita ... 0-500 do. 



So that in his list E. saluhris is not even mentioned ! 

 It is a most important question to decide which of 

 the eucalypti (cultivatable in India andCe\lou) .supply 

 the largest proportion of oil. Perhaps Dr. Trimen will 

 come to our help ? — Yours faithfully, 



ONE OF THEM. 



[The insects are aphides or plant lice. There are 

 various remedies recommended in " Garden Pests " for 

 getting rid of them in green houses and small gardens, 

 which would be too expensive far application on a 

 large srale. We cannot verify the statement regarding 

 j?. "sa/iibri s.—Y.D.] 



MR. A. WHYTEON HOW TO GROW "ROSES" 



IN COLOMBO, WITH HINTS, APPLICABLE 



TO ALL ELEVATIONS:— No. II. 



{Continued from ]>a<ie ISl.) 



To assist their action, a few small holes may 



be pierced on the npper side of the tiles, and 



when laid down they ought to have a covering of 



brushwood to allow the water to percolate freely 



and to prevent choking. Another very serviceable 



and cheap drain may be made from lengths of 



bamboo, cl' ared of the inside transverse partitions, 



perforated on the top and fitting loosely into one 



» They are American reprints of English works. — Kd. 



! another. When laid down in a green state, these 



will last for a long time underground. While ou 



the subject of carrying oS superfluous moisture, we 



I may touch on the application of moisture or H-aiifr/Hy. 



' This of course will seldom be required in the 



rosarium, except in dry weather, when the trees 



ou^ht to have a good soaking every evening if the 



[ ground is porous, and every alternate evening, if 



I the soil is clayey and retentive ; frecjuent and partial 



watering, which does not reach the roots, often 



does more harm than good. Syringing alter the 



scorching sun has passed over the rosarium will be 



of great heuefit in reviving the roses. Roses in pots 



under shelter will of course require water daily, 



but ought not to he kept constantly wet and sodden. 



In po'. culture perfect drainage is half the battle. 



As to soil for the pots, let it be the best strong 



virgin soil procurable, well mixed with, say, one-third 



of decayed farmyard manure. And now we come 



to the choosing of suitable varieties or 



V. — Selection. — Great mistakes are liable to be 

 made in purchasing roses unsunable for the climate. 

 Many of the grandest show hyhrid perpeltuds will 

 never bloom in the lowcouutry, or in Kandy, and 

 are even very shy in flowering with our most skilled 

 rosarians upcouutry. We must therefore confine 

 ourselves to a comparatively small assortment of 

 these splendid roses, a few of the most suitable of 

 which we will name, viz.: — 



Baroness Hullisehild, a first-rate rose, light rosy 

 pink and large. 



Captain Christy, a grand rose, light salmon Mesh, 

 large and robust, well-built form. 



Duke of Connauijht, rich, velvety crimson of 

 perfect shape. 



Duke of Teck, crimson, large and full. 



Eliza Boille, white full free flowering and of 

 good form, first-class. 



La France, a very grand rose, silvery white, very 

 large, full and tine form, free flowering. 



Madame Laclinrme, free, white, rouud form. 



Marquise dp. Ga.-<teUane, a superb rose, bright, 

 pure rose color, very large. 



Nardi) Freres, rich liolet rose color of peifect 

 form. 



Seuatetir Vaisse, very fine showy reel rose of good 

 form . 



Coque te des Alpes, charming pure white rose. 



Qloire Ducher, superb, very full large deep crim- 

 son rose. 



Madame Asse, very fine red rose, with shade 

 of purple. 



The above varieties ol Hybrid perpeluals will gener- 

 ally be found to flower freely, anel arc all superior 

 roses. 



The Tea Roses, as a class, are very much more 

 to be relied ou as free flowerers and most of them 

 are deliciously fragant. We give a li.st which we 

 cau recommend as suitable for the lowoountry, and 

 which of course will arrive at still greater perfection 

 upcoiintry, viz. : — 



Caroline Kuster, bright lemon yellow, beautiful 

 shape. 



Catherine Mermet, a charming light flesh-coloured 

 rose. 



Devoniensis, the good old sweet-scented tea rofe. 



Devoniensis climbin;i, creamy white like old variety. 



Etoilc de Lyon, «ulphur yellow, perfect shape, one 

 of the very best. 



Gloire de Dijon, a matchless salmon-colored rose, 

 superb, will dn either as a dwarf or creep r. 



Homer, rose-colored with salmon centre, large 

 and Hue. 



Jean Ducher, yellow shaded salmon, large, full 

 and fj've flowering. 



