November i, 1887,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
305 
GREEN BUG (LEOANIUM VIlUDEj. 
Sir, — Thero is now no doubt whatever that this post 
has made its appearance amongst us, and it spreads so 
rapidly that on estates where it was first noticed only 
two months ago, there is now scarcely a tree that has 
not got it moro or less. At first sight the green scale 
bug does not appear to do much damage, but after a 
time a black fungus appearance forms on the leaf, just 
like the old black bug, and then tho trees begin to 
suffer and the crop falls off. A meetiug of a few 
planters was held at the school room, Ooonoor, last 
Mouday evening 20th instant, to consider tho best way 
of eradicating the pest. Mr. W. If. Gerrard, who ban 
just returned from Ooylou, was present and gave a des- 
cription of tho terrible devastation this new post has 
wrought there. On Hallacarry and (J leuburnie estates 
several remedies had been tried, but without much suc- 
cess, the Manager had imported red ants, which wore 
certainly feasting ou the bug ; he believed in castor oil 
shade being of great use. On Bouhopo, carbolic lime 
had been freely and carefully applied, and it had 
certainly checked the spread. Ou Kunuymede, the green 
bug was discovered about three weoks ago ou ten trees 
only in the middle of a tine field of coffee, the Super- 
intendent, Mr. George Browu, immediately set to work 
and applied his own remedies and apparently with such 
success that on the 20th instant last, when five gentle- 
men visited the estate, Mr. "W. H. Gerrard amongst 
them, and inspected the trees most carefully, one solit- 
ary iusect alone was found ! Other isolated trees had 
been attacked and treated in like manner and with 
like success. The bug had completely disappeared from 
trees that had been treated ; they are constantly visited 
and watched. It was resolved by all present at the 
meeting to do their utmost to eradicate the pest, and 
that the best plan was to treat the trees affected the 
instant they were discovered. The following is the 
treatment Mr. George Brown, adoptod on Runuymede, 
and it is made public for the benefit of the comranaity. 
Kerosino oil and water, 1 part oil to 30 parts water. 
Wood ashes contaiuiog lime and saltpetro 
75 parts wood ashes. 
20 parts lime. 
5 parts finely powdered saltpetre. 
The tree is first syringed with tho oil aud water, then 
whilst wet the wood ash, &c., is thrown well up under 
the leaves aud dusted over every part of the tree — after 
2 or 3 days, if there isany sign of tho bug remaining, it 
is repeated.— Thomas Stanus, Coonoor. — M. Mail. 
♦ 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA. 
Indian tea has at last, wc learn, got tho better of 
Chiuese in the deliveries to London. It has been 
gradually drawing nearer its former all-powerful com- 
petitor, and in the first quarter of this year it managed 
to pass it ; fifty-one pounds of tea out of every 100 lb. 
brought into tho metropolis being from India. Uiis 
sudden advance ou the part of the Indian teas, com- 
bined with the fact that the Ohina crop of tea is 30 
millious of pounds tdiort may perhaps lead a great 
many people to believe that the Chinese loaf has now 
run its race, and come tj the end of its tether. Those 
who are of this opinion would do wjll not to ignore 
past facts too hastily, aud hurriedly invest in shares 
in tea without knowing the facts regarding production 
and consumption. " A Tea Grower " states the case 
plainly in a lottor to tho Englishman, dated 8th instant, 
he writes: — 
" I think it would bo advisable for invostors in tea 
property to look facts in the face. 
"The Indian tea crop this yenr is estimated at 
oighty-fivo million lb., aud the Oeylou nt seventeen 
million 11)., making a total of ono hundred an I two 
million lb. 
" Suppose the Iviglish market. I ikes s. •von million lb. 
a month, this will make eighty fn ir million lb. per year, 
leaving eighteen million lb. tube placed against ( 'hum's 
deficiency. 
" Next year India will produce one hundred million 
lb., and Ccyluu turty million lb., making a ^raul total 
36 
of one hundred and forty million lb. Where are the 
drinkers of Indian tea to come from. 
" Investors must bear in mind that, though the con- 
sumption of Indian tea is advancing yet the consump- 
tion of Indian and China tea has not advanced one 
iota, and that, if prices advance, China will again flood 
tho English market with cheap teas." — Indian Agricul- 
tural, Sept, 17ih. 
[The writer in the Englishman ia too pessimistic. 
He exaggerates the production of India and Ceylon 
and violates truth in stating that consumption haa 
not advanced an iota. The advance in the con- 
sumption of tea haa, in truth, beon very great and 
the advance is still going on, though not at the 
rate of ten years ago. The consumption in Britain 
is now fully 5 lb. per caput and if peace can be pre- 
served, we have no doubt the rate of G lb. a head 
will speedily be reached. Still the opening of new 
markets is of great importance. — Ed.] 
A MARKET FOR INDIAN TEA. 
TO THE EDITOn. 
Sin, — However gratifying it may bo for our tea- 
planters to learn that ' India* tea is steadily mak- 
iug its way in public favour,' the phrase partakes too 
much of the stereotyped order, and those most 
deeply concerned in the matter would like to see 
more energetic measures adopted in pushing tho retail 
trade in Europe, America and the Colonies. I am 
willing to accord all due praise to the Indian Tea 
District Association, in their endeavours both here 
aud in London ; and tho fact that nearly 2 1,000 lb. 
weight was disposed of in small packages at the 
" Oolinderies," should stimulate the London branch 
of the Association to increased exertions. They 
should not confine themselves to retailing their 
tea at fashionable resorts only, but adopt measures 
to bring it to the notice of the small pur- 
chasers in the neighbourhood of the quarters inhabited 
by the labouring population, in the large towns in the 
United Kingdom, as also iu the agricultural districts. 
In the latter particularly, the demand for good, coarse 
rough tea is spreading, owing largely to the efforts of 
temperance advocates. Statistics compiled during the 
past two winters, when the pinch of trade depressijn 
was felt in its greatest severity, show that the increase 
in the consumption of tea was far in excess of that of 
beer aud other intoxicants ; and city missionaries tell 
us that iu many poverty-stricken one-room bonu s the 
wretchedly paid match-box mskers and steamstre-ses 
took no other stimulant throughout their labour. Ex- 
perience has proved to them the overwhelmingly 
superior sustaining powers of tea, — even o' the cheap 
China Kaisows and Mouings — over the'ou.e vauu.ed ale 
or porter. 
The Association iu London woul I, I think, do well to 
drop the position of wholes 1.; inerciiaul.s, aud would 
better serve the interests they represent, by enlarging 
the scope of their operations and ope .i >g tea-bars 
similar to those known as " Lockhart's," at which not 
only properly made tea should be procurable, but packets 
priced as low as a penny, should o ■ had. Dock labourers 
an I othors who live from nand to mouth, and who 
inhibit the poorer lodging-houses, re the greatest 
and most profitable customers ot the small grocers in 
the Eist Eud, aud other ceiitret- of poverty iu L iu- 
don. These potty tradesmen derive a stead) lucrative 
business in penny aud even h ili'-pciiuy screws ,.l ua, 
ar.d as the customers ot such, aa per latest returns., 
number somothiug like 2,000,000, it is evidunt that 
th re is a market iu this direction aim >»t uuopi n. 1 
tj Indian producers. True, the present retailers have 
an established footing, but as they retail none but 
ttie cheap, weak varieties mentioned Above, the intro- 
duction of tho strong puugent sustaining article that 
our planters could supply, might be trusted Speedily 
to mike n way for itself. A elergym m at 1 1 ■ ■ Baal 
End of London computes tho average ooitium (ton 
among the classes 1 have m intionn I. to be nt Uli tl 
.o half an ouuco per head per diem, or a»m t 
over G-,UU0lb. a d»y. Lvuu it our jUjUtb could 
