140 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1889. 
COCONUT LEAF DISEASE. 
We direct attention to our Veyangoda correspondent's 
interesting letter on this subject, covering one from 
Dr. Trimen. It will be remembered that the scaly blight 
which attacked coconut plantations in Jamaica was 
also referred to innutrition due to prolonged droughts. 
It is suggestive that the spots on the leaves, to which 
attention is now drawn, showed themselves after two 
successive droughts which could not but have enfeebled 
the trees very considerably. Whether the spots are 
to be regarded as anything serious or not, it is impossi- 
ble to say without fuller knowledge of their true cause. 
Dr. Trimen's theory is only a suggestion, and will have 
to be verified by fuller inquiry thau he has been able 
to undertake. It is to be hoped he will be able to find 
time and opportunity for the task oa his return from 
Anuradhapura. If the spots merely tell a tale of un- 
developed leaves, due to innutrition, or leaves attacked 
by bug owing to their weakly state, tlieywill chiefly 
be found on those leaves which were being formed 
when the tree was in an enfeebled condition. Their 
absence from leaves already formed, or from fronds 
which were produced after the tree had recovered 
some ofit8 lost vitality, will not be fatal to Dr. Trimen's 
suggestion. In this view, it would be important to note 
whether the leaves affected are more or less of the 
same age. We presume that, even if the l<;aves did 
not show the spots when first unfolded, they would, 
if weakly, be scorched in portions by the sun. Again, 
although weakly plants would more naturally show 
the spots than hardier ones, some of the former may 
have suffered less from innutrition at the particular 
time through the constituents of the soil iu which they 
grow. Until the nature of the disease is ascertained, 
it would not be possible to prescribe any rational 
treatment. If the conjecture of innutrition be correct, 
fumigation, generally useful in dealing with fungoid 
and insect pests, could hardly confer any benefit. A 
fungus has, however, been traced on the leaves; and 
although it is asserted to be an effect, and not a cause, 
of the spots, we have no information of its character 
and whether it can be seriously hurtful to a plant or 
not. In the meantime, it would be well to watch the 
effect of fumigation on it, with sulphur or tar. Al- 
though there is not much probability of it. even the 
fumes from burnt coconut shells may be injurious to 
the fungus. Topical applications are often useless in 
dealing with certain disorders traceable to organic or 
constitutional causes ; but in dealing with fungi with 
dangerous powers of reproduction, attempts to destroy 
them may well go hand in hand with examination of 
the soil and the roots of affected trees, and the adop- 
tion of means to invigorate them. A visit from Dr. 
Trimen to an affected estate should bearranaged for 
at an early date: and we hope he may be able to 
dispel all cause for alarm in respect of a product which, 
like the British flag has braved a thousand years the 
battle and the breeze without and mishap. — "Local 
Examiner." 
♦ 
SIROCCOS VERSUS OHULAS. 
We have no intention of entering upon the question 
of the causes, many or few, which are believed to 
operate on the quality of machine-made tea, though it 
may be a3 well to remember that China tea which has 
of late years shewn such marked deterioration, is en- 
tirely hand-made. 
We wish, however, to remark on an opinion we have 
seen in priut in au Indian planting paper, to the effect 
that the decline iu quality of British grown tea is due 
to the employment of Siroccos, and that the only safe 
course to pursue is to r. vi-rt to the use of hand firing 
by means of the uutive ''chulas " over charcoal fires. 
It is declared that in the olden time tea thus fired was 
rarely, if ever, over-fired, and was of far more even and 
more lastiug quality. 
We suppose there can bo no doubt that to fall back 
upon the old system of firing would now be impractic- 
able, if only on account of the impossibilty of procur- 
ing a sufficient number of labourers, to say nothing of 
the much larger *pace that would be required in the 
factory. Those who lay so much emphasis on this 
alleged defect in the modern system of tea drying by 
machinery, point to the fact of most of the older tea 
estates in Ceylon realising generally higher values fo r 
their leaf than is obtained by comparatively new places ; 
and this is explained by them as showing that with 
heavier crops the leaf has to be forced through the drier 
at a higher temperature than formerly, in order to 
keep ahead of the work, hence over-fired tea, which is 
said to be the cause of decline in quality. 
It appears to us that were this argument sustained, 
and the conclusion granted, it would not follow that 
Siroccos should be abandoned, but that the remedy 
should be found in a larger supply of drying power, 
additional Siroccos, so that there need be no occasion to 
force leaf rapidly through a drier at a higher temper- 
ature than is safe for the good quality of the tea. 
We think our readers will be inclined to adopt this 
view, always supposing the facts to be as stated — that 
this over-firing is at the root of recent complaints 
regarding the quality of Ceylon tea. — Ceylon Advertiser. 
♦ 
COCA CHEWING. 
Practical science should certainly have set at 
rest by this time whether the chewing of " coca," 
as practised by natives in South America, increases 
the chewer's strength and powers of endurance. 
This has been alleged and denied over and over 
again, and with all possible emphasis on both sides. 
But the testimony just given by a resident in 
Warwickshire carries the matter a little farther 
because he speaks from personal knowledge. For 
13 years he lived on the slopes of the Andes, and 
while there he came to the knowledge of very wonder- 
ful athletic feats which were apparently due to the 
consumption of coca. Native porters think nothing 
of carrying burdens of from two to three cwt. for 
50 or 100 miles at a stretch, provided they are 
supplied with a due allowance of the miraculously 
sustaining leaves. In the same way, the native 
miner will go on toi.ing for 30 hours in succession 
with no other food. And so on ; a long list of 
physical achievements not to be paralleled on this 
side of the Atlantic. It is quite possible, neverthe- 
less, that coca does not possess the miraculous 
qualtities attributed to it. The natives are trained, 
it is admitted, from the earliest youth to carry heavy 
weights long distances on little or no food. And 
long training is a wonderful thing for bringing out 
the latent possibilities of human strength. Look 
at the long distance cyclist who will go wheeling 
along for 24 hours at a stretch, at an average 
speed of 11 or even 12 miles an hour. Throughout 
the time, he takes no rest whatever, while his 
nutriment is about sufficient to serve for an ordinary 
breakfast. Yet his training is probably only of 
recent date, whereas these South Amnrican coca 
eaters have had their muscles hardened and their 
appetites restricted throughout their lives. Perhaps 
some of the Catford Club riders will give the leaves 
a trial. — Globe. 
♦ 
"ALL BOUT TEA." 
Messrs. Eucker & Bencraft at the suggestion of 
friends in Ceylon have prepared and published what 
they call "a Ceylon Supplement " which they have 
widely distributed in the island by this ma il. It 
contains a good deal of useful information to planters 
although most of it has appeared before and will 
be found embodied in our Tropical Agriculturist. 
They begin with the " Dealer's Ultimatum," 
as to gross and tare and average net weights. Nearly 
every firm of note has publicly declared they will 
" boycott " untared packages. So far back as 
November 1885, and again in AuguBfc 1887, 
