Miscellaneous, 



453 



May, 1910, 



The Indian Imperial Entomologist has 

 kindly forwarded samples of machine- 

 cleaned Eri cocoons (yielding 100 per 

 cent- silk) and spun silk for inspection. 



Seeds and Plants. — An order has just 

 gone forward for over 3,500 packets of 

 vegetable seeds booked by members for 

 the May-June planting. 



Two bushels of the < 0-days Samba have 

 been received for Mr. R. C. Proctor of 

 Chilaw, and a bushel of the drought- 

 resistant paddy, known in Burmese as 

 "Taung-deik-pan," for the Assistant 

 Government Agent of Hambantota (Mr. 

 Woolf). 



Some seed of the Algaroba or Mesquit 

 bean ( Prosopis juliflora) has been receiv- 

 ed from the Hawaii Islands, but it is 

 doutful whether any will germinate, as 

 they have been badly attacked by 

 insects. The seeds were got Out at the 

 instance of a member, who thinks that 

 the tree might be introduced into our 

 dry areas and meet the difficulty of 

 securing a supply of cattle fodder during 

 the rainless months of the year. Colom- 

 bo is apparently too wet both for the 

 Algaroba and the Locust bean. Plants 

 of the latter have been forwarded to the 

 drier districts for trial. 



A good quantity of Lima beans of the 

 best kinds has now been distributed, 

 and should help to improve the quality 

 of the beans usually found in our 

 markets. 



Six bags of Congayam grass seed 

 (Pennisetum cenchroides) are expected 

 within the next few days for planting 

 in our dry areas. A plot of it growing 

 at the Government Stock Garden has 

 made a surprising stand against the 

 recent drought, and so far the grass 

 gives no signs of spreading as a weed. 



The attention of members is invited 

 to the special advertisement in the 

 " Tropical Agriculturist and Magazine of 

 the Ceylon Agricultural Society " for 

 March, in which a list of the seeds and 



Slants still available to members at the 

 overnment Stock Garden is published. 

 Reports and Atialyses.— The Govern- 

 ment Agricultural Chemist has reported 

 as follows on two samples of soils from 

 Maggona Reformatory where garden 

 work is being carried on : — 



Sample No. 1 is a brown cabooky 

 loam in a poor state of division. The 

 soil has no body, and to give it this 

 necessary quality and binding material 

 it would be as well to take several 

 crops of green manure off it and mulch 

 in the leafy material. The mineral plant 

 food is very poor in phosphoric acid, 

 which would be a, disadvantage if grain 



crops are to be grown, and would re- 

 quire to be replenished with a readily 

 available form of phosphoric acid. The 

 potash, although not so poor as the 

 phosphoric acid, is poorer than it ought 

 to be to yield good crops. The lime and 

 magnesia are in fair proportion. 



Sample No. 2 is similar in appearance 

 to No, 1. In mechanical and chemical 

 composition there is but slight difference, 

 but the potash and phosphoric acid are 

 in better proportion- As a general mix- 

 ture the following might be recom- 

 mended : — 



Mixture. lb, Nitro- F1O5 KiO 

 geu. 



Pish ...300 15-0 12-0 — 



Castor Cake ...300 15-0 — — 



Steamed Bone Meal ...100 3 5 23*0 — 



Concentrated Super... 50 — 21 '0 — 



Nitrate of Potash ... 50 5 5 — 19"0 



Sulphate of Potash ... 50 — — 25 



Per Acre...850 39 56-0 44-0 



As much mulch, such as cattle manure, 

 prunings, refuse, &c, should be spread 

 on the land to improve the tilth. 



The Government Entomologist fur- 

 nishes the following report on a sample 

 of Anuradhapura oranges damaged by 

 insects :— " The oranges submitted have 

 been attacked by the fruit fly (Dacus 

 sp.). The most practical treatment for 

 this pest is to collect and destroy all fallen 

 and wormy fruit daily. The fruit may 

 be destroyed either by burning, or by 

 sinking it in water, or by burying it 

 deeply. In the latter case, at least one 

 foot of firmly pressed earth must cover 

 the fruit, or the flies will make their 

 escape. It is particularly important 

 that this treatment should be adopted 

 during both crops of fruits, although 

 very little damage may be noticeable 

 at the time. It is also possible to do 

 some good by poisoning the adult flies 

 This may be done by spraying the trees 

 with a mixture of syrup (sugar and 

 water) and arsenic, to which a few drops 

 of citronella oil have been added. If 

 your correspondent would like to try 

 this method, I can give detailed parti- 

 culars of the poison mixture." 



The Government Entomologist replies 

 as follows to a correspondent inquiring 

 about a wash to keep off the paddy 

 bug:— "I fear that there is no chemical 

 solution that can be relied on to keep 

 off the paddy bugs. Recommendation 

 No. 3 of the Circular is the nearest ap- 

 proach to such treatment, and of the 

 three substances recommended, I should 

 prefer kerosene. The systematic collec- 

 tion of the bugs—either by the sticky 



