10 Indian Museum Notes. [ Vol III- 



juices tosileh an extent as to stunt their tirowth and prevent their attain- 

 ing: anything like their natural size. It is also said to cause the white 

 blister-like patches that are i'ouud on the more mature tea leaves. It is 

 said to have done serious damage in tea gardens both in Cachar and in 

 the Upper Assam valley. It appeared in the early part of the season, 

 and (at least in tiie Ui)per Assam valley) is said only to have lasted 

 until the middle or end of June. Cold damp seasons are thought to 

 favour its increase. No remedy seems to have been found that was of 

 any use. The insects were not attracted by lamp traps placed amongst 

 the bushes, and were so active and difficult to catch that hand-picking 

 was out of the question. Extra hoeing was adopted in one case with a 

 view of increasing the vigour of the tea plants, and thus of helping 

 them to throw off the blight, but it is not said whether this did any 



good. 



According to a report, dated 19th June 1891, by Mr. G. F. Play fair 

 of Cachar, kindly furnished through Messrs. Barry & Co., the itsect 

 stops the growth of the young shoots, and prevents their ever becoming 

 fit for plucking. The effect of the pest was said to be deplorable. 

 Over whole sections of the tea garden the plants were covered with leaf 

 about an inch long, which never grew any bigger; and one case is cited 

 where 199^ acres had been plucked, and had given considerably less leaf 

 than had often been obtained from a patch of 17 acres. The only treat- 

 ment that was tried was extra hoeing in the hope of bringing vigour to 

 the bushes. The report adds — 



"To bring the state of things before you in the most comprehensive manner I 

 have pressed some shoots and send them by to-day's post, together with a little bottle 

 containing about 100 of the insects which do, or are supposed to do, the damage. 

 They are so active and difKcult to catch that it took a boy a day-and-a-half to 



procure the specimens to send On one side of tlie sheet of paper, on 



which I have pasted the samples of shoots, you will find healthily grown leaves, ... 



purposely chosen, rather under than over the average as regards size, so as not to 

 create a false impression, or make the comparison too striking. On the ojiposite side 

 of the sheet are thrippy shoots o£ all kinds from the smallest to the largest, but also 

 representing three leaves and the bud. Every one of these should have been as big or 

 bigger than the healthy shoots, but I think the total weight of the sixteen former 

 would not equal that of the three latter. A glance at the specimens will show you how 

 impossible it is to make any outturn out of growth of this kind." 



The following account of the blight by Mr. A. W. Madden of 

 Dibrugarh, Assam, was published in the Proceedings of the Agri.-Horti- 

 cuUural Society of Calcutta : — 



" Since receipt o£ your letter of 2nd May, I have been making further enquiries 

 about the blight. I find that a number of gardens are affected by it this season to a 

 much severer extent than in previous years. I enclose a letter from one of my 

 manag<'rs. 



