Timbers. 



322 



[April, 1910. 



cut is made, so that it can be brought 

 down with the least possible damage to 

 itself or other trees, &c. My brother 

 stuck a stake iu the ground 50 feet from 

 the tree, and bet me 10 dollars that the 

 tree would strike it, and it did. They 

 tell a story on the coast of a newly- 

 arrived tenderfoot from England who 

 started to fell a tree by hacking at it all 

 round, as is often seen here in Ceylon. 

 He was asked in what direction it was 

 going to fall, and replied " Dc you think 

 I'm a blooming prophet ?" 



The method employed is simple. First, 

 with the cross-cut saw a cut is made as 



mai'ked A on the sketch. Then with 

 axes the wedge B is 

 cut out, and finally 

 the cut C is made 

 with the saw. The 

 p yr-o wedge is cut out with 



_ _ a flat upper side, so 



A. that it looks like the 

 lid of a half opened 

 box, and the tree then 

 falls exactly upon A. 

 The axe used is of course not the axe 

 known here as American, but the double 

 bitted axe, with a blade on either side 

 of the head, which has completely 

 superseded all others. 



PLANT SANITATION. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTES. 



By E. Ernest Green, 

 Government Entomologist. 



"Green Bug" on Tea. 

 Attention was drawn, in the February 

 number of this Journal, to the pre- 

 valence of ' Green Bug ' (Lecanium 

 viride) on tea in certain districts. I 

 have since had an opportunity of visit- 

 ing one of the estates upon which the 

 pest was present. The infested bushes 

 could be detected from a considerable 

 distance by reason of the black fungus 

 that always follows the bug, forming 

 a thick deposit upon the leaves. A 

 similar fungus is associated with the 

 presence of ' Brown Bug ' {Lecanium 

 hemisphcericum), and another bug (Pal- 

 vinaria psidii) which — in its earlier 

 stages — may readily be mistaken for 

 ' Green Bug.' All of these scale-insects 

 occurred in the^same fields. A closer 

 examination of the bushes showed that 

 the insects were present in very large 

 numbers ; but the effect upon the ap- 

 parent health of the trees was remark- 

 ably small, considering the virulence of 

 the attack which had (I was informed) 

 been prevalent for over six months, 

 There was no marked fall of leaf. The 

 older leaves were quite blackened by 

 the consequent growth of fungus, but 

 the bushes were otherwise vigorous and 

 were still flushing. Moreover, the yield 

 of tea from the infected fields had been 

 well up to the average. On this estate 

 the bug-infested bushes were white- 

 washed immediately after pruning, and 

 the prunings were burnt. This treat- 

 ment effectually checked the pest for 

 at least a year. Though the bug usually 

 reappeared after that time, its effects 



were not felt— to any great extent - 

 during the period remaining before the 

 next pruning:. Under these circum- 

 stances, I do not consider that any treat- 

 ment is necessary, except at the time of 

 pruning. 



As mentioned in my early report 

 upon 'Green Bus;' (in 1886), lime : water 

 or white-wash is very effective in kill- 

 ing every individual that it actually 

 touches. Dry lime is quite useless. It 

 is the caustic action of the wet lime 

 that is needed. White-wash is usually 

 employed, but clear lime-water (if freshly 

 prepared) is equally effective and easier 

 of application. The cost of whitewash- 

 ing an acre of tea, in a really thorough 

 manner, by means of a brush, is con- 

 siderable. Lime-water can be applied 

 as a spray. If white-wash is used, the 

 most economical method of applying 

 it would be by means of a pneumatic 

 distributor, such as is employed for 

 painting large buildings. 



Soapy insecticides may be employed 

 in place of whitewash. In fact such 

 preparations are recognized as of 

 special importance in the treatment of 

 scale-bugs of all kinds. " The Planters' 

 Chronicle," of February 5th, gives parti- 

 culars of a wash that has been found 

 useful against ' Green Bug ' on coffee 

 in India. It is recommended by Mr. 

 A. G. Nicholson, of Coonoor. The mix- 

 ture consists of 1 lb. bar soap and 1 lb. 

 refined saltpetre, to a kerosene tinful 

 (4 gallons) of water. Mr. Nicholson uses 

 a brand of soap known as 'Gossage's 

 Mottled Blue Bar,' costing Rs. 15-50 

 per case. The refined saltpetre costs 

 Rs. 190 per ton. It is stated that the 

 "mixture works out at about 4 to 5 

 annas per kerosene tinful, according 

 to the cost of carriage to the spot." 



