October, 1910.] 



329 



Miscellaneous' 



insect (Tachardia lacca, Anderson) prov- 

 ed unsuccessful. He says: "This failure 

 was not due to any want of the requisite 

 food plants, but owing to the death and 

 decay of the insects in transit. If suit- 

 ably packed and carefully carried (pre- 

 ferably by hand), there should be no 

 difficulty in transporting the insects 

 alive. It is only necessary to gather the 

 live stick lac at the right time (about 

 ten days before the periodic emergence 

 of the larvae) and to pack it in such a 

 manner as to prevent fermentation and 

 heat. The parcels sent to me were 

 spoilt by enclosing the package in wax 

 paper, which permitted of no ventil- 

 ation. I would suggest packing in a 

 close-fitting wooden box, the ends of 

 which should be pierced with holes 

 about as large as a rupee. These holes 

 should then be plugged with cotton wool, 

 and the package covered only with 

 loosely-woven cotton cloth. We already 

 have in Ceylon two inferior species 

 (Tachardia albizzice, Green, and T. con- 

 chiferata, Green), which are employed 

 by the native lac workers. These 

 species occur on various trees, including 

 Albizzia stipulata, Croton aromaticus, 

 Nephilium litchi, Anona palustris, Fili- 

 cium decipiens Harpullia cupanioides, 

 <fec. If T. lacca will breed satisfactorily 

 upon the rain tree, its establishment in 

 Ceylon should be easily accomplished," 



The Imperial Entomologist to the 

 Government of India has very kindly 

 promised to assist in procuring a supply 

 of seed insects. He writes : " It would 

 be a perfectly simple thing to introduce 

 lac to Ceylon if you had any one who 

 understood its cultivation. We find 

 that lac on such trees as Albizzia Pithe- 

 colobium, &c, is of very good quality, 

 and I may point out that no one knows 

 what is Tachardia lacca. Lac on 

 'Kussum" is the best in India, but lac 

 on Butea, Z/ijziphus, Cajanus, Albizzia, 

 Ficus &c-, is all of equally good quality 

 if properly grown and haudled. If you 

 have T, albizzim in Ceylon, it is surely 

 only a question of proper cultivation. I 

 think your Government should send a 

 man to India to learn the business ; un til 

 you have a trained man and properly 

 prepared trees you cannot do anything," 



Sericulture.— The Silk Farm at Pera- 

 deniya, under the supervision of Mr. 

 Molegode, Agricultural Instructor, has 

 now been thoroughly overhauled. Mr, 

 Molegode, writing cn September 17, re- 

 ports : " The land has been cleared of 

 overgrowth, but the smaller weeds have 

 still to be got under. I hope to get the 

 Jand quite clean after the third weeding. 

 The rearing shed and bungalow have 

 been repaired and attended to. The 

 42 



mulberry trees were pruned, and have 

 now put out a fine flush of leaves. 

 Castor has been planted all over the 

 farm; soy beans, pila (Tephrosia pur- 

 purea), and Crotalaria striata have also 

 been sown as green manure. The 

 first supply of eggs received hatched 

 out in three to five days after their 

 arrival on the farm. 1 have now some 

 fine white cocoons, and expect to be 

 able to keep a large supply of worms 

 after the next hatching. Till the castor 

 on the farm comes up feeding will be 

 difficult, but as there is castor in the 

 near villages I hope I will not experience 

 much trouble in getting leaf. A second 

 weeding has just commenced. I have 

 had six applications for eggs," 



Commissioner Booth-Tucker writes en- 

 couragingly of the prospects of the silk 

 industry in India and Ceylon. The 

 question of handing over the farm to 

 the Salvation Army, so that it may be 

 made branch of the Tata Silk Farm in 

 Bangalore now worked by the Army, is 

 under consideration, and a final dicision 

 must await the arrival of the Commis- 

 sioner himself, who expects to vidit 

 Ceylon within the next month or so. 



Apiculture— The Secretary, with the 

 kind assistance of Mr. Herbert Campbell, 

 late of Nuwara Eliya, and at present in 

 England, secured an estimate for a comb- 

 foundation machine for Apis indica 

 from an English manufacturer, but as 

 the cost, as quoted, was considered too 

 high, the Bee Committee met on Sep- 

 tember 5 at the Government Stock Gar- 

 den and decided to approach the A. I. 

 Root Company, the well-known Ameri- 

 can bee-house, with reference to the 

 matter. The Secretary has since written 

 to this firm giving them full instructions 

 as to the Committee's requirements, and 

 also forwarding specimen combs and 

 frames. Inquiries for foundation have 

 been received from Coonoor, and it is 

 expected that there will be an Indian as 

 well as a local demand. 



Publications.— Messrs. Freudenbert? & 

 Co., as agents of the British Cotr,.>n 

 Growing Association, are bringing out a 

 handbook on the subjoec of cotton culti- 

 vation, proof sheets of which were sub- 

 mitted to the Secretary. The booklet 

 has full information on the subject, and 

 should prove of great assistance to those 

 taking up the cultivation of cotton. 



"A Manual of Agriculture" (in Tamil) 

 is the title of a book published by Mr. C. 

 M. Sinniah, Mudaliyar, of Jaffna, which 

 is full of instruction. The local press 

 has favourably reviewed the work, and 

 the question whether it should not be 

 adopted as a text book in Tamil schools 

 is under consideration. 



