December i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AURTOTITU Rl ST. 
THE CHALLENGE OP "A TAMIL CULTI- 
VATOR" ACCEPTED. 
Colombo, 22nd June, 1889. 
To the Editor of the Ceylon " Examinee." 
Sir, — I have persued the letter signed by a " Tamil 
Cultivator" challenging Mr. Elliott and myself to 
cultivate 25 to 50 acres of four kinds of paddy land 
which he says he will supply at a rental of 3£ 
bu-hels per acre, 
As the results given by Mr. Elliott were the re- 
sults of the cultivation of two of my men, I feel 
that it is I who should accept the challenge, and I 
accept it for a total of 101) acres on the following 
conditions : — 
1. That "Tamil Cultivator" writes in his own 
name. 
2. That the land which he gives me on rent of 
3J bushels per acre is land which has been regularly 
cultivated for paddy up to date. 
My mission is to improve the cultivation, and con- 
sequently the food supply, of small Native paddy 
growers, not to open up new lands for large land 
owners, such as " Tamil Cultivator " evidently is ; — 
they can afford to do it for themselves. 
3. That the lands given are so suitated that I can 
arrange easily for sufficient labour and supervision 
from Puliyantivu. It must be remembered that I am 
heavily handicapped by residence in Colombo. ! 
There is no doubt whatever that, wherever my I 
system of Paddy growing is faithfully followed, it 
will pay a Native cultivator handsomely. I have been 
making experiments, not once or twice, but for the 
last five years, and I say only what I know. But 
I have always been doubtful whether it will pay a 
European, who is charged for labour rates which are 
not dreamed by a Native Proprietor, and whose crops 
are looked upon as a licensed grazing grou- d for 
the stray village buffaloes with little let or hindrance 
from ui sympathetic surroundings. I hope " Tamil 
Cultivator " will see that I am fairly treated on 
these poii ts, as my acceptance of his challenge is 
purely on public grcm'ida, and will give me a good 
deal of trouble and inconvenience owing to my in- 
abilitv to fupei'vise the cultivation myself. — I am. 
Sir, Your obedient Servant, H. W Green. D. P. I. — 
Local "Examiner.*' 
— «. — 
COCONUT LEAP DISEASE. 
By the same mail that brought the Examiner, in 
which the opinion was expressed that the sooner 
Government took official cognisance of the Coconut 
Leaf Disease the better, I received a letter from 
Mr. Potter, confirmatory of that opinion. I look up- 
on it as more than a coi cidence. It will be re- 
membered that when the disease first appeared and 
I drew official and public attention to it, Dr. Trimen 
and Mr. Jardiue inclined to the belief that the dis- 
coloration on the leaf was due to insect attack, in 
opposition to my belief that the discoloration was 
due to a fungus. When Mr. Potter visited the Estate 
from which I write, he was inclined to share in my 
belief, and told me he had shown the leaves I sent 
Dr. Trimen to some German Botanists and they 
pronounced the disease fungoid. To further satisfy 
himself, he took affected leaves with him to Cam- 
bridge, and promised to submit them to Mr. Marshall 
Ward the Mycologist, who investigated the Coffee 
leal' disease. His letter does not show he has done 
it yet. 
I have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that 
there have been several kinds of "disease" that have 
affected the palm si i ce I first drew attention to the 
subject. The latest from of it left no .'oubt on ray 
unscientific mind that the attack was fungoid. It 
consisted of a rust like (oxide of iron) discoloration 
on the upper surface of the leaf. At present there 
arc apparently several kinds of fungi-attacking coco- 
nut leaves. 
Herewith Mr. Potter's letter : — 
" University Herbarium, Cambridge, 4th July, 1889. 
I am very sorry I have not been able to write 
to you before, but my work on return home has 
occupied all my attention. I have at last been able 
to work at the Coconut leaf disease, but not throughly ; 
and I find that there is a parasitic fungus most 
likely a Phragmidium, a fungus allied to one which 
lives upon the wheat in Europe (namely JEcidium 
Berberidis). We have in Europe many species of 
Phragmidinm, all parasitic, upon various plants, but 
these being wild the fungus does no harm. I am 
sorry at present I have no practical remedy to suggest. 
If all infected leaves could be burnt, it would des- 
troy the disease This is the only remedy I can 
think of. Sulphur and lime, 1 arbolic acid, &c, were 
all tried en the Coffee disease, but with little or 
no effect. 
"Considering the importance of the Coconut palm 
to Ceylon, I should think the question is a serious 
one, and should be looked to at once ; and that the 
attention of the Ceylon Government should be drawn 
to it. I shall be glad if you will write to me any 
particulars that may come to your notice — for instance 
is the disease spreading in Ceylon ? One would fancy 
it would spread during the damp weather. 
" Some species of 1 hraymidium here live on two 
separate plants, passing one stage on one plant, and 
then the other stage on another plant. So that if 
this were the case with the Coconut disease, and one 
could only fi'd the second plant, some good might 
perhaps be done by its total destruction. This would 
be a hard piece of work to investigate, and then, 
no doubt, the fungus could live for several genera- 
tions, on either plant. 
" I hope very soon to be able to send you more 
particulars about the Coconut disease, and intend to 
write a small paper upon it. This I will send as 
soon as I can. 
" Could you tell me if the disease is present on 
the Coconuts growing by the sea side?" 
It will be observed that Mr. Potter does not identify 
the fungus. He says it resembles one allied to that 
which attacks wheat. One cannot wonder that he 
suggests no remedy for it. It is obviously out of his 
province, and though I lay no claim to an intimate 
acquaintance with the present history of all the ene- 
mies of crops in Europe, I do not think an effectual 
remedy has as yet been discovered for fungoid attacks. 
I shall be glad to be corrected. Burning the affected 
leaves is rather a heroic remedy, and can be carried on, 
without irremediably injuring the palm, only If con- 
tinuous wet weather follows Even then the shock 
to the plant will be great, for unlike small trees and 
shrubs, the Coconut palm does hot clothe itself with 
leaves as fast as they are removed. One leaf per 
mo ith is, I believe, the average. Without |a proper 
complement of leaves, the lungs and stomach of the 
tree, the health of the palm must inevitably suffer. 
What we ought to be able to find out, and that by 
the help of the Government, is not so much a remedy 
for, as the cause of, the disease. Remove that, if it 
be possible, and the battle is won. 
The reply to Mr. Potter's enquiry, whether the 
disease is spreading, is that it undoubtedly is. I have 
seen it all along the Railway line as far as Kandy. 
I have seen it all along the road from Ve\angoda 
to Negombo, and at the latter place on highly culti- 
vated Estates which were at one time reported to 
be free of the disease. I have seen it in Colombo, 
Heravatgoda. Ambepussa, and in the heart of the 
Hapitigam Korale. It has been reported as existing 
at Welle watte on the sea coast and at Batticaloa. I 
have no doubt it is present everywhere that coco- 
nuts ant cultivated, onlj r that those engaged in its 
cultivation think that by keeping the matter secret 
and to themselves, they are safeguarding their interests 
most effectually. It would be well if all those in- 
terested in Coconut cultivation boldly face the fact 
that a disease that may prove serious is affecti g 
their trees, an unitedly ask the Government that a 
Specialist be appointed to investigate it and find out 
how it may best be combated. He may bo able to 
