70 ‘THE COFFEE PLANTER OF CEYLON.” 
parts of estates. At any rate, after the first year, 
grubs are found only on parts of estates, and drain- 
ing with high cultivation would probably be the best 
remedy in such cases. Coal-tar cannot but be ue- 
ful in the case of grub, as well as bug, if judiciously 
used. A story was afloat in Dimbula, when we last 
visited the district, of a planter having destroyed not 
the grub but a number of coffee bushes, the stems of 
which he had painted with tar. If the case occurred, 
the dose of tar must have been an over-dose. Messrs. 
Worms were wont to put tar on about two inches of 
the stems of their trees, with the effect of driving 
away bug and without injury to the painted trees. 
But, for ‘eradicating grub, we should think the coal- 
tar should rather be buried near the tree—say in a 
limited circular trough roun the stem. But, instead 
of using coal-tar in this way, we should think that 
the almost universal remedy, carbolic acid. would 
answer. As sold by the chemists, this spirit of tar 
will bear a solution cf 80 times its bulk of water 
before it can be safely sprinkled on trees infested 
with bug or other insects. But we should think that 
as a mixture with cow-tung or other manure, or to 
be placed direct in holes near trees, a much greater 
st trength would be safe—a strength which would rap- 
idly destroy every form of “ poochee” (i asect) life by 
asphyxia or combustion, while no harm would happen 
to the roots of the coffee tree. Hxperim-nt would soon 
settle the quantity of carbolic acid to be used. In 
applying it, the planter would have the satisfaction of 
knowing that he was, while destroying insect life, 
using the best possible means of increasing the chances 
for health and life of the human beings and cattle 
on his estate, carbolic acid being about the best-known 
agent for destroying the germs of epidemic disease, 
such as ecnolera and cattle murrain. If, as seems 
certain, thaiching of ground with mana grass is de- 
structive to bug deny from the evolution of an acid ?) 
we should think it would be equally inimical to grub. 
At any rate wisps of mana or other grasses, saturat- 
ed in carbolic acid, buried near grub-infested txees, 
could not but be effective. These are our suggestions, 
submitted for the consideration and comment of prac- 
tical and experienced planters. There must be much 
valuable information in plauting circles on this sub- 
ject. In view of the alarming letter we publish, we 
should be glad to be reassured. Are we right in 
hopivg that the grub pest, like that of bug, is merely 
temporary, partial, and not largely destructive ; or is 
it about to scatter rain over the coffee districts of 
Ceylon, similar to that which the borer has e:rried 
through Coorg and other portions of Southern India ? 
