December i, 1889.I THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
bushes are affected, probably the best thing to do 
would be to cut them down and burn them on the 
spot : but if any larger area is attacked, the remedy 
used in America, where the scale hug is a great pest 
to orange trees, is cheap and safe to apply. An 
emulsioa is made with Kerosine, soap, and water 
or Kerosine, milk, and water ; these are churned till 
butter is formed, which is mixed in certain propor- 
tions with larger quantities of water and sprayed oq 
the plants effected through a peculiar-shaped nozzle. 
Full particulars were published in our Journal, Vol- 
VII, Parts II and III (1S84 and 1885). If you 
propose using the remedies, I will be happy to give 
further details, and can lend you a nozzle. I can 
also give you a wash prepared in England for use 
against such insects. A small band pump would have 
to be provided. If you proposes trying the remedies 
suggested, perhaps one of your assistants may be 
able to call, when I will be happy to explain the 
practice to him." 
Mr. Ootes of the Indian Museum was asked to 
identify the Scale insects, and in reply to 
the reference made to him, wrote, the twigs 
"sent were coveret with S -ale bugs (coccidceu which 
can almost certainly be cleared off without injury to the 
bushes, by properly applied Kerosine emulsions, vide 
pamphlet enclosed." The pamphlet kindly sent by 
Mr. Cotes gives a short account of the various in- 
secticides in use, and includes the preparations of 
Kerosine referred to above as already published in 
the Society's Journal. 
Messrs. Doss & Oo. communicated with Mr. Bal- 
lard, who replied that some 80 bushes of tea were 
attacked, and that he would be glad to avail himself 
of the Society's offer. Some of the wash received 
in 1886 from the Horticultural and Agricultural 
Chemical Company, then of Tunbridge, Kent, but 
now of Glasgow, particulars regarding which will be 
found in the Societies Proceedings for September 
1886 and January 1888, and a cyclone nozzle, were 
handed to Messrs. Doss & Co., together with fur- 
ther instructions as to the preparations of the Ker- 
osine Emulsion. The cyclone nozzle was made in 
Calcutta on the description given in the Report of 
the Agricultural Department of Washington already 
referred to. It is the invention of an officer of that 
Department, Mr. Riley, and is not patented : it should 
properly he known as the " Riley " nozzle. 
The February number of " Insect Life " published 
by that Department, has an article on Insecticide 
appliances, illustrated by cuts, and shows among 
others the Riley nozzle. The one made for the Society 
according to the description published in 1883, is quite 
correct in all particulars. 
Messrs. Doss & Co. sent a Riley nozzle and hand 
purnp for inspection, before forwarding to Mr. Ballard 
for trial on the Scale which had attacked his tea. 
The n jzzle was made from the Society's pattern, and 
the apparatus was found to work well. No report 
has yet been received as to the effects of the wash 
on the Scale. 
Cotton Seed. — From Mr. J. Cameron, Bangalore, 
asking if seed of good varieties of cotton can be 
supplied for experimental cultivation by the Govern- 
ment of Mysore. A pound and a half each of im- 
ported Sea Island, and New Orleans seed was supplied, 
and an offer made to arrange for seeds of the dif- 
ferent kinds of Indian cotton commercially recognized. 
* 
CACAO: PLANTING AND CURING. 
(From the Jamaica Bulletin.) 
Situation. — Mr. Morris in " Cacao ; how to grow and 
how to cure it," gives it as his opinion that " Cacao to 
be successfully cultivated in Jamaica, must be confined 
for the most part to our moister valleys and h illows. 
Where the plains meet the hills, at elevations Fay 150 
to 500 feet, and, where thore is good shelti r from pre- 
vailing wiuds, Cacao should thrive well. . . . The 
rainfall should not be bt-low an average of (50 inches 
per annum, nor should the mean annual temperature be 
below 75° F." 
Soil. — The soil should be rich and moist, and more 
important still, should bo deep, for the tap-root is long, 
and if it reaches rock or clay, the tree dies off. A soil 
with a certain amount of lime or marl is to be preferred, 
NuhsekiEs. — When seed is very plentiful, it is some- 
times the custom to sow 2 or 3 seeds together ia each 
1 hole and when the plants are from 4 to 7 months old 
to pull up the weakest, leaving only one at each spot, 
i Ik is a better plan, however, to sow the seeds 6rst in 
a nursery, and then plant out with the first rains. If 
the number is small, the seeds may be sown in bamboo 
pots which can be readily slit, when taken out into 
the field. If beds are used, they should be about 20 
feet long by 3 feet wide, somewhat raised and com- 
posed of leaf-mould or friable loam shaded with Palm 
leaves or thatch. The plants should be transferred to 
the Cacao- walk when they are from 6 to 8 iucheshigh. 
Planting. — The young Cacao-plants are placed at 
intervals of about 13 feet apart every way. Between 
every 2 Cacao-plants, a banana must be planted to afford 
shade for the first 2 or 3 years ; and at intervals of 39 
feet, trees are grown for the sake of permanent sheds 
when the banaoas are cut down. It is also necessary 
for the first few months to grow such plants as cassava, 
chillie', or gungo peas, close to the seedlings. It is well 
to have all these various kinds of shade plants put into 
the ground before, or at any rate at the same time as, 
the Cacao. For permanent shade, such trees as the 
Sandbox Tree, the Jac-Tree, the Guango, and the Hog 
Plum are recommended. 
Cueing. — The Cacao exported from Jamaica obtains 
a price so far below Trinidad Cacao, that it was deter- 
mined to make some experiments iu curing, in order to 
be sure that the low price was due, not to bad seed, 
but to bad curing. The first experiment consisted in 
curing mainly according to the directions given in Mr. 
Morris's pamphlet. The beans were taken from the 
pod, and placed to ferment in a barrel with holes in the 
bottom through which the moisture drained out. The 
temperature never rose above 92° F, and remained for 
some days ae that point. After 6 days, the beans were 
taken out, ai:d spread in the sun in a thin layer, w omen 
being employed to rub them occasionally between their 
hands, and remove the refuse. They were turned over 
at intervals to prevent scorching, and were shaded during 
the middle of the day when the sun was at its hottest. 
At night they were placed in a heap in the store-room. 
Not a drop of rain was allowed to touch them, and they 
were not washed. After about 6 days, the been breaks 
easily, and if properly oured, should be of a good cho- 
colate colour without any white ekin between the 
component parts, of a vinous smell, and a sweet (not 
bitter) taste. Half of the beans were clayed with r d 
olay, but this operation made no difference in the final 
result, and is evidently useless. The cured beans were 
shown to Mr. Bravo, a manufacturer of Chocolate in 
King St., KiDgstou, and he pronounced them equal to 
Trinidad for his purpose. It is strange that he should 
have to import Cacao from Venezuela, and Trinidad, 
and pay the duty because he cannot get native Cacao 
properly cured. 
Taking a hint from Mr. Bravo, another experiment 
was made, which varied from the first in the following 
point : — The beans were not taken out of the pods, 
and placed in a barrel, but the pods were simply 
cut in half, and thrown into a heap with plenty 
of banana leaves over them. The temperature rose gra- 
dual ly from 92° on the first day to 106° on the sixth. 
Mr. Bravo pronounced this sample to be better than 
the first, very much like some Trinidad, but inferior to 
some samples from Venezuela. Only experience can 
determine exactly the best conditions necessary for first 
class curing, but these experiments show that by the 
method of washing and simply drying the beans with- 
out any fermentation, our settlers are just throwing 
money away. The beans are good enough, it is the 
want of curing which produoes the inferior chocolate. 
These results are due to the careful way iu which the 
experiments were carried out by Mr. Harris, the 
Superintendent of Hope Gardeus. It would help 
settlers very much if the clergy, school teachers, and 
other, interested, would try to impress on their miudts 
the following few directions for curing Cacao: — Never 
let a drop of rain or water touch the beans. Never 
wash them. Cut the pods in two, and pile tthem in 
