January i, iSS6.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



5*1 



PLANTING IN SUMATRA. 

 (By an ex-Ceylon Planter.) 



CEVLOS TEA 1-. SUMATRAN TOnACCO. 



It is with the greatest pleasure I read both these 

 publications (the Weekly Ceylon Ohserrer and Tropical 

 Aijrieultiirist). the former for news concerning my 

 old home and the latter for intorination on all 

 sorts of agiioultnre. It is cort;iinly a most invalu- 

 able magazine, shall I call it ? and many are the 

 iiuestions 1 am able to sol\e by reference to it. 



I am glad to s.-o ihai Ceylon is again coming to 

 the front «-i:h its tea, and have no doubt it will 

 rcf^rtin its former proud position. Commend me to 

 tlio Ceylon planters for pluck, but they must keep 

 tlieir eyes open, as there will soon be plenty of 

 keen competition, though I do not apprehend 

 they have much to fear eitlier from this 

 part of the world or the Straits Settlements, as 

 these Settlements must long suffer from [want of a 

 snfllcieut and cheap supply of labour. 



Here we arc wholly engrossed in tobacco, and it 

 is impossible to get planters to look at anything 

 else so long as it pays handsomely. Cent per cent 

 is notliing unusual, and many are the fortunes that 

 have been made within the last few years. 



Things progress very slowly under the Dutch Gov- 

 ernment ; or rather want of Government (but it is verj' 

 good, however, _ at collecting taxes) ; and it is only 

 the occasional murder of a European by Chinese 

 coolies that rouses the apathy of the official mind, 

 and if the murderers arc caught and hanged two 

 years afterwards, we are apt to cry out, " Well 

 done the Government," though 1 doubt if such tardy 

 justice conveys to the native and Chinese minds 

 that sense of might which is supposed to appertain 

 to a civilized power ; but rather that the Govern- 

 ment have suddenly discovered in their jails some 

 criminals who deserved to be hanged (and there are 

 always plenty of them unliauged) , and it would be 

 better to get rid of them. 



Tobacco crops have been very fair this season 

 as regards quantity, but there is a great deal more 

 broken leaf than usual. We were terribly bothered 

 during the eaily part of the season by worms, whicli 

 taxed alike the powers and patience of European 

 superintendent and Chinese cooly : where they all 

 came from will rer.iain a mystery, since let them be 

 picked off every tree ever so carefully today, they 

 would just be as bad on the morrow. 



The Crr.TnAXtox of the coconut palm is said to 

 be the most remunerative branch of Aniei'ican 

 farminft. The trees do not produce much fruit 

 until they are ten years old ; but afterwards they 

 continue prolific for nearly a century, and the 

 yearly jield of each is worth, on the average, 

 Hftcon shillings in New York. In the extreme south 

 of Florida an enterprising native of New Jersey has 

 planted 200,000 palms. Land, labour and trees have 

 cost him only £20,000 ; and he expects, in two or 

 three years' time, to be earning a clear £120,000 

 annually, or fi.OO per cent, interest upon his in- 

 vested capital. The prospect is a seductive 

 one ; but lest British fathers with younger 

 sons should dream of sending their hopefuls to 

 grow coco-palms in Florida, we may as well add 

 that in the northern hemisphere the valuable nut 

 can only be cultivated near the sea, and south of 

 lat. 27, and that the New Jersey speculator, with 

 commendable prudence, has bought up the only 

 tract ot land in the United States that is exactly 

 Buitable for the pm-pose. — St. James's Budget. 



CEYLON TJPCOUNTEY PLANTING EEPOBT. 



BLACK BUG ON COFKEE— "TEA UEliUI SITES"— THE BONOS 

 SYSrEM IN TEA MANUKAOTDRE— THEITS CI' CINCHONA 

 BARK — Mlt. L. O. HOLLAND — THE CACAO CBOr— WHAT 

 TO i)0 wrJH COll'EK. 



21st December, 1885. 

 . Black bug and its doings have now but a 

 limited cirvlo to interest, a circle, too. which is 

 ever lessening. Still, to those who belong to it, in 

 other words those who are growing cotVee, it will 

 be a pleasure to them to know tliat the scaly 

 abomination which has of late swept over some 

 districts, with the distructiveness of tire, has from 

 some cause or another got a very decided check, 

 and that there is reason to hope that the pest 

 is passing away. 



A friend of mine who has taken considerable 

 interest in the subject, and written in the Observer 

 on the matter, has the honour as far as I know 

 of being the first to notice this change in regard 

 to the bug. On examining a branch they will 

 be seen to be covered with a white substance like 

 fungus, and to be quite dead. Even the young 

 leaves of the coffee, which formerly only appeared 

 to be immediately turned into favourite feeding 

 grounds, are now mostly free from the presence 

 of the pests, while on the older foliage the full- 

 grown bug, which has wrought such havoc, and, 

 like the much quoted ■■fierce light," has "blackened 

 every spot," he is dead. If all were gone it would 

 be well, but some of the young ones are still 

 lively, from, let us charitably suppose, the thought- 

 fulness of youth. 



A sample branch was sent to the Direetor of 

 the Peradeniya Gardens, and his reply, which has 

 been placed at my disposal, is as cautious as 

 those which usually emanate from the true scientist. 

 Dr. Triuien says : — " I have examined the condition 

 ot the dead ' bugs' on your coffee. They are 

 all as dead as mutton, but the cause of their 

 deparLure is not evident. When I say all I 

 should except juany of the young ones which 

 are still lively. I am not quite satisfied that 

 the white substance is a fungus, and if it be 

 it may have come on the dead bodies, and not 

 have destroyed living ones, death having occurred 

 from some other cause. But I will look further 

 when I can get a little time." 



It is but little comfort there is in these days in 

 regard to coffee, and I chronicle the above as a 

 probable cause of rejoicing. 



Cacao seems to flourish in those showery iays, 

 and is full of promise for next crop. The one now 

 being gathered is a tine quality, but in some estates 

 which suffered from the drought in the early part 

 of the year, it is a great deal less than it should eb. 



ON MAKING WREATHS. 



[A con-espondent writes : — " I enclose a very good 

 piece from the Journal of Ilortieitllure on making 

 wreaths, which I came across last night. I wish 

 it had been a liltle earlier : it would have been 

 useful to ladies for the Christmas decorations."] 



The first step after having decided the required size 

 of tlie wreath when completed will be to form a circle, 

 which is most fre([uently used, and for which 1 have 

 adopted the name of "skeleton." These skeletons are 

 very deceptive, and it is one of the commonest errors 

 with the uninitiated to imike these much too large, 

 and if the supply of Mowers be somewhat scant the 

 wreath in turn will present a very lean appearance. 

 With a view of overcoming this I will brietly cite one 

 or two examples. Presuming, then, that ii wreath 

 when complete is required to" be aboiii !■> inches in 

 diameter, the size of tbc skeleton on which to build it 

 should not oxc ed t! inches in diameter when flowers 

 snch aa Ctarysauthouiimia and Camelliiis arc iu season, 



