272 Coffee Planting. 



medium of the Madras Government, among the 

 planters of Wynaad and the Neilgherries. From 

 some of the statements thus elicited, and from other 

 sources I gather the following summarized con- 

 clusions. 



The leaf disease is a fungus, scientifically de- 

 scribed as the Hemeleia Vastatrix, which first 

 attacks the under side of the leaves, causing spots 

 or blotches, at first yellow, but subsequently turning 

 black. These blotches are, on examination, found 

 to be covered with a pale, orange-coloured dust or 

 powder, which easily rubs off. The blotches gra- 

 dually increase in size, until at last they have spread 

 over the leaves, which then drop off, leaving the 

 trees in a short time perfectly bare, in which 

 state they are, of course, unable to produce crop, 

 or to bring that which may already have been pro- 

 duced to maturity. 



After a time, but more particularly after the trees 

 have been carefully pruned and manured, the 

 disease seems to retire ; too often, however, only 

 to return the following season with renewed viru- 

 lence. Mr. Cockerell, commissioner of the Neil- 

 gherries, reports that the trees " apparently recover 

 in the spring of the year, and throw out fresh 

 foliage, which is in its turn attacked." The trees 

 produce little or no crop the first year after being 

 affected, and the amount of loss caused by the 



