574 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Cutting jungle in the tea might also be effec- 

 ted by any of the reaping machines and in many 

 gardens a catch crop of hay could be gathered 

 were these binders and pressers to do the work. 



Beside these routine works there are others 

 such as spraying for blight. This could be done 

 systematically and in sufficient quantity daily to 

 eradicate mosquitoes, red spiders and various 

 other blights. Again, stump pulling, and the 

 pulling up of old tea, could all be carried out by 

 traction machinery, at a considerable saving and 

 more efficaciously than at present by hand. In 

 several gardens where the cattle die off year by 

 year traction engines could easily take out the 

 tea to railway stations and bring in the stores. 

 There are many occasional jobs on an estate that 

 could be done by these machines and it would 

 ease the labour question very considerably if 

 machinery were introduced into the held work. 



Anti-Skeeter. 



— Statesman, Dec. 1. 



IMPORTATION OF INDIAN TEA SEED 

 AND BLISTER BLIGHT. 



Kandy, Nov. 22nd. 

 Sir, — I shall be much obliged if you will 

 kindly publish correspondence forwarded here- 

 with for the information of importers of Indian 

 Tea-seed. — Yours, &c, 



ALEX. WARDROP, 

 Secretary, P. A. of Ceylon. 



(Correspondence referred to.) 

 Colonial Secretary's Office, Colombo, 

 13th October, 1909. 



Sir, — I am directed to transmit for your infor- 

 mation the enclosed copy of a letter received 

 from the Acting Director of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens together with a copy of its enclosure 

 calling attention to the danger of the introduc- 

 tion into Ceylon of the leaf disease in tea known 

 as " Blister Blight " by the importation of tea 

 seed from India, and to state that it is proposed 

 to issue a notification under "The Insect Pest 

 and Quarantine Ordinance 1901 " as advised by 

 the Director. — lam, Sir, your obedient servant, 

 (Sgd.) E. B. Dbnham, for Colonial Secretary. 



The Chairman, Planters' Association of 

 Ceylon, Kandy. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, 



21st September, 1909. 



Sib, — I have the honour to forward to you a 

 copy of a letter addressed to me by the Govern- 

 ment Mycologist and to request that steps may 

 be taken to prohibit the importation of tea seed 

 from India unless accompanied by a statement 

 from a responsible Scientific Officer to the effect 

 that the seed in question does not come from a 

 district infected with the "Blister Blight" 

 ( " Exobasidium vexans.")— I am, Sir, &c. (Sgd.) 

 R H Lock, Acting Director, R. B. G. 



The Hon. The Colonial Secretary. 



From Government • Mycologist To Acting 

 Director, Royal Botanic Gardens. 



September 2lst, 1909. 

 Sir, — I have the honour to direct your atten- 

 tion to the necessity for some regulation of the 

 present importation of tea seed. 



2 Large acreages will shortly be opened up in 

 Tea in Ceylon, and quantities of seed are being 

 or will be imported from India. 



3 Tea in North India is at present suffering 

 severely from a leaf disease known as 'Blister 

 Blight,' caused by a fungus, 'Exobasidiumvexans .' 



4 This disease does not occur in Ceylon, and 

 there is grave danger of importing it with the 

 seed. I would suggest that Government be 

 asked to forbid the importation of tea seed from 

 India, unless accompanied by a certificate that 

 it does not come from a district infected by 

 Blister Blight. A certificate from a scientific 

 officer of the Indian Tea Association might be 

 accepted, — I am, Sir, &c, (Sgd.) T Petch, 



The Hon, The Colonial Secretary, Colombo. 



Kandy, 15th October, 1909. 



Sir, — Referring to your letter of 13th instant, 

 with enclosures, on above subject, I am directed 

 to state, that whilst my Association fully 

 approve of measures being taken to prevent the 

 importation of "Blister Blight" into Ceylon, 

 they would wish to be informed if this object 

 cannot be equally attained by the compulsory 

 disinfection of Indian Tea seed (unaccompanied 

 by a certificate) at Colombo, as by prohibiting 

 its importation ?— I am, Sir, your obedient 

 servant, (Sgd.) Alex. Wardrop, Secretary, 

 Plauters' Association of Ceylon. 

 The Hon. The Colonial Secretary, Colombo. 



Kandy, 16th November, 1909. 



Sir, — Referring to my letter of 15th October on 

 above subject, I have the honour to enquire if 

 the suggestion made in it as to the disinfection 

 of Indian Tea Seed at Colombo has been ap- 

 proved by the Government advisers; and if so, 

 what steps are proposed to be taken to 

 give effect to the recommendation ? — I am, Sir, 

 your obedient servant, (Sgd.) Alex. Wardrop, 

 Secretary, Planters' Association of Ceylon. 

 Colonial Secretary's Office, Colombo. 



November 19th 1909. 



Sir, — With reference to your letter of the 

 15th October, 1909, relative to proposed 

 measures for preventing the importation of 

 " Blister Blight " into Ceylon, I am directed 

 to forward to you the enclosed copy of a report 

 thereon by the Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 and to inform you that the proposals contained 

 therein have been approved by the Governor in 

 Executive Council and that regulations will 

 shortly be issued accordingly. — I am, Sir, your 

 obedient servant, (Sgd.) E. B. Denham. for 

 Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Planters' 

 Association of Ceylon, Kandy. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, 

 19th October, 1909. 

 The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, 



Sir, — The Government Mycologist reports as 

 follows : — 



"Tea seed could bo disinfected in Colombo by 

 immersion in a 1 per cent Corrosive Sublimate. 

 This will not be possible if the seed has germi- 

 nated before arrival, and it is only practicable if 



