and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— Dec, 1910. 



557 



The common capsicum fungus in Singapore is 

 either this species described by Tubeuf or an 

 allied one. It appears as an oval or circular 

 blotch gradually spreading, at tirst black, but as 

 the tissue destroyed dries, brown with a black 

 edge. The epidermis is cracked dry and elevated 

 finally the whole fruit dries up and is worthless. 



The diseased pods should be removed, and the 

 plants and ground disinfected with Bordeaux 

 mixture. 



It is not easy to discover what amount of pods 

 can be obtained per acre in the Straits Settle- 

 ments, as the Chinese are very vague upon this 

 point. In Montserrat, in the West Indie9, a 

 return of 4,850 lb. of fresh capsicums, 2,921 lb. 

 when dry, is given as a good return, but this 

 seems much too high for an average return. As 

 a catch-crop they ought to pay well in the neigh- 

 bourhood of a town or a largely populated native 

 district, where they could be sold fresh. 



In Singapore dried chillies are seldom pre- 

 pared, unless when the crop is large or there is 

 an overstock. They are dried in the sun, ex- 

 posed on mats or in trays. Locally-dried chillies, 

 however, are not popular with the natives here, 

 probably from carelessness in drying and I he 

 absence often of enough sunheat. It is possible 

 also to dry them with fire heat or in a desiccator 

 and I have seen good samples prepared by 

 careful heating over a fire. 



The native, however, does not seem to care 

 about kiln-dried chillies, preferring sun-dried ; 

 still, there should be a fair sale for well pre- 

 pared samples ; near market there would pro- 

 bably be a better sale for the fresh fruit, and in 

 such a locality it might pay very well to grow 

 chillies as a catch-crop. — Ed. — Straits Agri- 

 cultural Bulletin for November. 



"GROTALARIA STRIATA." 



The following is an extract from a letter re- 

 ceived at this Office on the subject of Crotalaria 

 striata as a cover crop and green dressing : — 



"I have here a few acres (8) of Crotalaria striata grown 

 from seed purchased from Ceylon. The seed was sown 

 last May, in drills 2 feet apart, over a flat part of my this 

 year's new clearing (Rubber) at the rate of 5 lb per acre. 

 The germination was so successful that the area under it is 

 now completely Covered, the growth most luxuriant and 

 about 5 ft high. I am so pleased with the experiments that 

 I am desirous of putting my future clearings under the 

 same cover. 



" The cost of the seed at the lowest, landed here, is about 

 8 annas per lb, so you see for a large area, say 500 acres, 

 this item of expenditure amounts to a good deal. I would 

 like to reserve this plot I have aud harvest my own seed for 

 next season, but am doubtful about the advisability of 

 doing so. I am well aware that, besides the idea of a 

 cover of legumes to reducing the recurring cost of weeding, 

 to secure the lull benefit of such a cover, it should be dug 

 into the soil when in full bloom. I should be much obliged 

 if you could let me know therefore : — 



"1. Whether the resultant benefit will be the same, if 

 the Crotalaria, is dug in after the crop is harvested ? 



"2. Or if this is done whether it will have any deleterious 

 effect on the growth of the rubber — or in any way materially 

 affect the natural richness of the soil— or rather I should 

 say— the plant food available in the soil. 



•' I am afraid I express myself very badly, but I feel 

 sure you follow me. I might mention that where the 

 Crotalaria is, the soil is very rich and full of humus, I ex- 

 pect it to begin flowering as soon as the N-Hast monsoon 

 l« over - about November or Docowber. 



" Could you, or any of the numerous readers of the P.C , 

 also let me know — 



1. How many lb. of seed one acre of Crotalaria striata 

 can be expected to yield -sown 5 lb to the acre ? 



2. How many (the minimum) lb is it necessary to sow 

 per acre to get a good cover ? 



3. Is April or May (i.e., with the blossom showers) the 

 best time to sow the seed ? 



4. Is it best sown in drills or broadcast '! " 



[Comment by the Scientific Officer.] 

 Crotalaria is a perennial, that is to say it does 

 not die down each year after flowering, so that 

 it may b9 left to seed, and the crop gathered 

 before it is cut down. As a rule when left in 

 this way it grows to a large size and develops 

 into a shrub with thick stems. This is not an 

 advantage, as the plant is apt to contract Pink 

 Disease and other pests, but if seed is a desid- 

 eratum, it may be left. The resultant benefit 

 to the Rubber from the green dressing will be 

 the same, and no deleterious effect will result. 



The best way to use a cover crop is to cut it 

 down at the beginning of the dry weather and 

 leave it on the surface of the ground as a mulch 

 to prevent the soil being dried out and caked by 

 the sun. Digging soon becomes impossible in 

 Rubber on account of the roots which should not 

 be cut. The mulch rots down and the plant food 

 in it is carried into the soil and reaches the sur- 

 face roots of the rubber, 



I believe that it is usually considered that 

 about ten pounds of seed are necessary to sow 

 an acre, and the best time to sow is from April 

 to May, just before the rains. As a rule it should 

 be drilled in, 



Mr Maynard, writing from North Mysore said: 

 "I find it is not a good plan to broadcast Crota- 

 laria, as it will not do in June on account of too 

 much rain, and September is too late, as it does 

 not get enough growth before the dry weather. 

 The best plan is to make a nursery early in May 

 and plant out in the estate 2 feet apart in 

 August, and in that way get it 6 feet high." — 

 R D.A.— Planters' Chronicle, Nov. 12. 



COCONUT TREES IN SIERRA LEONE, 



Coconut trees exist in the Colony and the fruit 

 obtains a ready sale locally as an article of food, 

 the price realised being nearly the same as in 

 England. The supply of trees is not sufficient 

 to enable the copra and coir industries to be 

 taken up. The government has tried to encour- 

 age the coconut iudustry, but so far without suc- 

 cess. The natives of the Colony have a rooted 

 objection to raise any more trees, those already 

 existing having been raised by their grandfathers 

 under, perhaps, missionary or governmental in- 

 fluence. An attempt was made during the year 

 to introduce coconut growing in the lowlands 

 surrounding the tidal waters in the Protectorate, 

 but the attempt failed, partly owing to the diffi- 

 culty of obtaining mature nuts to plant, and 

 partly to the neglect of the chiefs to water them 

 when planted— the chiefs arguing that because 

 the nut contained liquid there was no need to 

 water the youug plant.— Colonial Office Report. 



