784 
YHP tropical 
AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1890. 
dca A syoamorus ; a P Fiemingia hetero phylla ; 
dba Flacourtfa inermia ; a Guatteria pumila ; G 
tuberosa ; G karinti ; a G montana ; d Gossypium reli- 
giosum ; d F barbadense ; Galega vilosa and species &c.; 
Gardenia anmetornm ; d G florida ; G species &c; a G 
latifolia ; a Guillandina bondneella ; Glycine viseidum ; 
db G Garcinia selebica ; b G Gambogia ; dh G mangos- 
tana ; A Gelina arborea ; G asiaticum ; Grislea to- 
mentosum ; Gloriosa superba ; a Gartnera racemoss • 
dc Gnapbalium grandiflorum ; a Hedychium caronal 
rium ; fi cocineum ; cda Heliotropium peruvianuns ; 
a Hedyotis fruticosa ; a Hyperanthera moringa ; 
Helens sorghum ; a Hugonia villosa ; Hoga alexicaca ; 
H hirsuta ; Hedera terebruthinacca ; dc H species &c. 
Hedyodrum trignetrum ; H vespertilionis ; d H gyrans; 
H species &c; da H species &c; d H species &c. 
Hydroootyle asiatica ; H capitala ; Hibiscus rosa sinen- 
sis ; d H mutabilis ; d H syriaens ; H populneus ; 
Hibiscus telleacens ; d H sabdariffa ; H surattensis ; 
Id H esculentus ; d H species &c. 
{To be continued.) 
THE COCONUT TEEES PRESERVATION 
BILL IN THE STRAITS. 
We suppose that by fthis time the Coconut Trees 
Preservation Bill has become law. On Thursday last 
week it was taken in committee, several important 
amendments were made, and progress was reported. 
It was, no doubt read a third time at yesterday's 
meeting of Council. The amended bill is a great 
improvement on the original. The Government, while 
not adopting all the suggestions mad* in the report 
of the special committee, have adopted some and 
others they have adopted* in a modified, form. 
According to the original bill, all coconut trees 
attacked by beetles weie to be cut down. This 
the committee pointed out to be quite unneces- 
sary, as tiees attaoked by beetles, if properly 
attended to, recover and become as healthy as 
ever. On the other hand they drew attention to tbis 
fact that every dead tree, whether killed by beetles 
or not, becomes a breeding place for beetles and 
therefore ought to be destroyed ; and they suggested 
that such trees should be cut down and either 
buried or burned. In the amendment proposed by 
Government a step further is taken. Dead trees are 
not to be cut down but uprooted, and they can 
either be burned, buried or submerged. The option 
of submerging is a good one, as nothing is 
more effective if properly carried out. Our only fear 
is that it may not be carried out so thoroughly 
as burning and burying. But there is another 
important alteration. All trees attacked by the red 
beetles are to be treated like dead trees. The 
red beetle is on all hands allowed to be more difficult to 
deal with than the black beetle, which has caused so 
much destruction in Penang and Province Wellesley. 
Fortunately it is hardly known here, but it appears to 
be pretty common in Singapore and Malacoa, and the 
Attorney-General, in proposing the amendment, stated 
that trees attaoked by it could not recover, and 
therefore ought to be destroyed. As will be seen 
from the report of the proceedings of Council, 
Mr. Shelford disputed this, and thought there was 
no necessity of cutting down such trees ; but the 
Governor backed up the Attorney-General and stated 
that Mr. Ridley, the Director of Gardens and Forests, 
and some other high authority in the West Indies 
looked upon a tree so attacked as doomed. This is not 
exactly a change of front on Mr. Ridley's part, but 
it is certainly a development of his views on the subject. 
In this report on coconut beetles published last year, 
he quotes from a work published by Messrs. Ferguson 
of Colombo, entitled "All about the Coconut Palm," 
and apparently adopts the opinions expressed 
therein. "Many planters aro of opinion," says the 
book in question, "that a tree once attacked by 
the red boetle should be immediately destroyed, 
on the grounds that the tree is doomed and the 
grubs in the tree can then be killed. But a very 
considerable proportion of the trees attaoked recover. 
Unless one or more of the grubs bores through 
the growing point of the base of the cabbage, or 
sets up decay in the heart of it, the palm has a 
very good chance of recovery. At the same time a 
tree once attacked is usually liable to further at- 
tacks from both kinds of beetles, and unless it is 
really a valuable tree, it is perhapB hardly worth 
attempting to save it." This, we think, points to 
the fact that it certainly is not impossible to save 
a tree attacked by red beetles, though it may 
be difficult and so little worth the trouble and 
expense as to make it advisable to cut it down. 
We are inclined however considering the value 
oi coconut trees, and the length of time they take 
to grow, to thibk Mr. Shelford's view of the case 
the right one. 
The committee's suggestion that people whose call- 
ing necessitates the use of material likely to become 
breeding places for beetles, should require to take 
out licenses, and that all others having such material 
on their premises should be prosecuted, does not 
appear to have met with the approval of the Govern- 
ment. No notice is taken of it. The suggestion, how- 
ever, to extend to all officers of the Gardens and Forest 
Department and to the District Officers and their 
assistants the powers originally given only to the 
Director of Gardens and Forests, of entering upon 
lands and places likely to harbour beetles, whether 
adjacent to coconut plantations or not, has been 
adopted. This is most important — perhaps the most 
important part of the measure ; for while decayed coco- 
nut trees no doubt harbour a large number of black 
beetles, the number bred in dunghills, manure heaps, 
and paddy fodder is inanitely larger, and the destruc- 
tion caused by them much greater. It is mo6t import- 
ant too that not only adjacent lands and premises are 
named, but all lands and premises in the Colony where 
beetles are likely to breed ; for it is beyond doubt that 
they breed in places miles away from the plantations in 
which they cause such havoc. 
The bill, as amended, is, we think, likely to have an 
excellent effect. That strong measures had t~> be taken 
to prevent tbe terrible destruction of coconut trees by 
beetles has long been apparent, and the provisions of 
the bill, which no doubt was read a third time yesterday, 
if properly carried out, are admirably calculated to do so. 
— Pinany Gazette, March 7th. 
THE HOME TEA TRADE. 
Once more have we had proved to us, how useful 
the Ceylon Assooiation in London may prove to be to 
the interests of this Colony; It may be said that its 
latest endeavour to serve has had but an indirect 
bearing upon the business of our tea planters, and 
that the action reported by this mail has a 
more direct reference to the procedure of the 
Home trade ; but nevertheless it will, we 
think, be admitted, that every change in the 
way of improving that procedure must bene- 
ficially affect the results to planting operations here. 
We have before adverted to this topic at the time 
when the question of " prompt " had been under 
consideration by the Tea Committee of our repre- 
sentative Association in London. When we did so 
on that occasion, we did not fail to deprecate any 
sudden or great changes in the course of; home 
trading in tea. We pointed out, what was manifest 
to all as the result of the discussion which took 
place on that subject, that any course which was 
liable to gieatly disturb the procedure as then 
established, must, in consequence of the wide 
ramification of the agencies by which our tea is 
distributed throughout the United Kingdom, neces- 
sarily be deprecated. 
The changes that are now proposed seem to 
us, however, scarcely likely to need inclusion in this 
category. If made as the result of the recom- 
mendations agreed to, they will benefit rather than 
injuriously afieot the position of the general dealer 
