THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1887. 
that an experimental garden at 1,000 to 1,500 and 
above again at 2,500 feet promise well — the soil is 
so much more promising looking at the 500 feet 
that crops ought to be far heavier, but as all the 
plantations I have ever seen are situated at higher 
elevations than this, I am in doubt whether there 
may not be some wellknown objection against low- 
country planting that I am unacquainted with and 
which may wreck the enterprise. 
The latitude of the proposed site of experiment is 
about 17° North Latitude. S. 
[Here in Ceylon, native coffee, unpruned, well- 
manured bushes around native huts grow and yield, 
pretty well at a little over sea level. But regular 
plantations have seldom given good results under 
2,000 feet, the favourite zone being 2,500 to 4,500 
feet. The locality in which our correspondent 
wishes to try his experiment is nearly ten degrees 
further north than Ceylon, which must make a 
considerable difference, and the soil is described as 
exceptionally rich. We should therefore feel in- 
clined to recommend a tentative experiment were it 
not for the fearful fungus pest, of which nothing is 
said. — Ed.] 
BUG ON TEA LEAVES. 
August 25th. 
My deae Sir, — I don't know if " bug " has been 
noticed on tea leaves before, but I send you two 
leaves plucked from plants growing under coffee. 
The orange, mango, lime and guava leaves were 
equally affected. — Yours, L. 
[The leaves are black with the fungus which 
ever accompanies the brown coccus. Yes : bug in 
a bad form has often been seen on tea grown 
under coffee, and the fact has been urged as an 
argument for the immediate removal of coffee under 
which tea has been planted. When this has been 
done bug has disappeared from the tea, and in 
no case that we are aware of has bug done special 
harm to tea. — Ed.] 
IMPEOVED PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION 
AND THE RESULTS. 
No. 557. Office of the Director P. L, 
Colombo, 25th August 1887. 
Sie, — I have the honor to annex for your in- 
formation copy of a letter No. 289 of the 13th 
instant addressed by me to the Hon. the Colonial 
Secretary concerning work done at one of the new 
branch Agricultural Schools. 
As the subject is interesting to many I should 
be glad if it could find a place in your columns. — 
I am, sir, your obedient servant. 
H. W. GREEN, Director. 
No. 289. Copy of letter referred to. 
From the Director of Public Instruction to the Hon. 
the Colonial Secretary, Colombo. 13th August 1887. 
Sir, — I have the honour to report that the Agri- 
cultural Instructor at Toppur in the Trincomalee district 
has reaped his first crop of paddy cultivated by the 
boys of the Toppur vernacular school under his direc- 
tions. 
2. Ordinary paddy land in the middle of a tract of 
fields cultivated by natives was selected and the results 
were : — 
(a.) For land cultivated in the ordinary native style, 
S fold, the neighbours also getting 8 fold and 7 fold. 
(J.) For land cultivated with the imported ploughs, 
but otherwise exactly in the. native style, and with- 
out manure, 15 3-5ths fold, or as nearly as possible 
double that obtained by his neighbours with the 
native plough. 
(c.J For land where che paddy was planted out 
instead of sown broadcast, as well as being ploughed 
with the imported ploughs, 108 fold. 
3. These results are I think fairly satisfactory, and 
they are guaranteed by the Vatte Vidana and Police 
Headman who checked the measuring. 
4. The results would have been better but for 
severe drought and a plague of insects. But of 
course this equally affected the neighbours, so the 
comparison of the work under the improved methods 
is uot affected. 
5. The extent of ground cultivated for these experi- 
ments was approximately 3 acres. — I am, sir, your 
obedient servant, (Signed) H. W. Gbeen, Director. 
MR. GEEEN AND PEOFESSOR WALLACE. 
Colombo, 25th August 1887. 
To the Editor of the Examiner. 
Dear Sir, — May I ask you to reprint the following 
passage from your Yeyangoda correspondent's letter 
in last night's issue, together with my remarks upon 
it? The passage runs thus: — 
"Professor Wallace of the Edinburgh University, 
who came to Ceylon after a prolonged tour through 
India, visited Franklands Estate in this district last 
Friday. I had the advantage or meeting him, and 
conferring with him on agricultural subjects. His con- 
demnation of iron ploughs, as unsuitable for our wet 
rice cultivation, is unqualified. I do not go as far as 
the learned Professor in condemning them, for I have 
one in use for some time and have every reason to be 
pleased with its work. All I say against them is that 
they are too heavy for our paddy fields, and tbat Mr. 
Green when introducing them did not take sufficient 
account of the difference between agriculture in the 
West and East, and forgot that ploughs that are con- 
sidered light on dry ground and for horses, vill be 
beyond the powers of our small breed of cattle in 
muddy land, to walk on which alone is a severe task." 
I would remark, 
1. That I have never advised an iron plough for 
wet rice cultivation. There is, therefore, no contra- 
diction between the opinion attributed to Professor 
Wallace and my own theory and practice. 
2. As regards your correspondent's statement that 
the iron ploughs are too heavy for "muddy land, to 
walk on which alone is a severe task," may I reiterate 
that ploughing in mud with an iron plough is useless. 
Let me repeat the directions bo often given — (a) 
Plough with the ii on plough about 2 months or 6 weeks 
before the rain comes (or before you turn on the 
water from your irrigation system if you have have 
one), (b) when the rain has come or when you have 
turned on your water, cross plough with the native 
plough in the mud, and follow the natives' custom 
of cultivation prevailing in your district, which has 
generally been selected for some g.>od reason. 
The one sole use of the iron plough is when used in dry 
land before the mud work begins. It is an addition 
to the work done by the native cultivator, not an alter- 
ation of his work. 
As regards weight, I fancy your correspondent must 
have one of the Swedish Ploughs which require 
buffaloes. The "Oingalee" Plough which Messrs. 
Howard Brothers of Bedford have made for us, weighs 
only 39J pounds, and can be carried about anywhere on 
the shoulder. 
3. To return to Professor Wallace. I had three inter- 
views with him, and he was unsparing of his fault 
finding of the Indian iron ploughs, except one which 
he had seen at Oawnpore. This he said would do un- 
til he had devised a plough which he thought could 
easily be made, and the principle of which he was good 
enough to explain to me. I asked him for the name 
of this Cawnpore plough. He could not for the mo- 
ment remember it, but on seeing a photograph of our 
" Oingalee " plough he exclaimed, " That is almost the 
same; it will do just as well." 
4. In the space of this letter it is not necessary 
for me to deal in detail with Professor Wallace's 
Indian objections, beyond saying that (granted the use 
of the "Oingalee" plough) they do not apply to the Sinha- 
lese Provinces of Ceylon, being mainly climatic. — lam, 
yours faithfully, H. W. Green, D.P.I. 
