November i, 1887/} THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
33i 
PLANTING ON THE KAREN HILLS, BURMA. 
We have to thank Mr. Petley for a copy of his re- 
port on phoning on the Karen Hills above Tounghoo. 
The condition of affairs compares favourably with that 
of the preceding year ; and now that the labour ques- 
tion has been Bettled matters should rapidly improve. 
Report of cultivation on the Karen Hills North 
East of Tounghoo for the year 1886-87. 
Tea.— Owiug to the casualties as noted in my last 
year's report, the outturn for 1886 could not be ex- 
pected to show a full yield ; this produce has how- 
ever given a very fair yield in proportion to the cir- 
cumstances, as shown in Tea Report to Government 
dated 2Uth December 1886 of over :i00 lb. to the acre, 
m arly all best Tea, notwithstanding the drawbacks. 
Coffee— The crop of 1888, (gathered January 1887) 
resulted in a better outturn than was expected under 
the circumstances shown in my former report, and 
affecting it liko the Tea. Looking to the now well 
known quality and demand for my coffee in the local 
market, this produce is offering well ; through which 
encouragement I have cleared land, and set out 52,000 
young plants, keeping vacancies that ocourred among 
the weaklings filled in, so that at date the said field 
is complete with healthy, thriving young plants. 
1 havo also large supplies of young plants for public 
sale; my coffee has bueu tried and found to thrive 
well in the plains. 
Liberian Coffee, — Continues as before. 
Chinchona do do 
Fruit Trees.— The apricot and plum noted and re- 
marked upon in last year's Report will, it is seen, 
with fair chances, grow in the Hill climate, but they 
have several drawbacks to encounter from two causes. 
viz., white ants and the moles which attack and des- 
troy the roots. Ten ef the 26 trees from last year 
have been so killed, and the remaining 16 are now in 
•1 different places to which they have been transplant- 
ed in order to save them, and are now putting forth 
fresh leaves. 
Tears.— The trees thrive and increase vigorously. 
Thfly, like the apricots and plums above noted, gave 
considerable trouble when young. Fruits of the orange 
tribe need no comment, being indigenous. 
• Kracho Tuber.— Has not proved successful hero; 
it continues to exsist only and comes to nothing. The 
attacks of the Rod headed beetle constantly on the 
leavi B, and other insects, is uo doubt the main cause 
of this tuber not thriving. 
Cereals. — I havo sown some Behar wheat and Saga- 
ing wheat in well prepared ground 10 days ago; and 
it will be reported on to the Agricultural Dept. hereafter. 
Portions also of both kinds w ith American maize havo 
been handed to others in different quarters for trial, 
Crops Generally. — Prom my own observations and in- 
quiries also, the paddy appears to be thriving badly aud 
very poor crops are anticipated in this quarter of the hills 
There will no doubt be a scarcity and many will not get 
enough even for future seed. I hear the crops aro fair in 
the Southern fields among the l'akus. 
Remarks. — Rains though not much more abundant 
have been very severe this season, aud weeds havo 
il unshed exceedingly. Labour has however come in 
most freoly within tho last 2 months and counter- 
acted tliif. Some of the Padoungs and distant vil- 
lagers, whose friendly interest it is importaut to 
maintain, have come into the work again, and will I 
trust Continue as in former years. Altogether the 
labour question is looking up favorably for the future. 
— Ita ny oo ii (iaztttr, Sept. 23rd. 
Tin Coffee Leaf Disease is the subject 
of a paper by M. Lucien Dugand in the Mauritius 
/f OTM Agricole for August. The writer describes 
the eiYccu of the hemileia VOitatrix on the loaves 
of the coffoo and its mieroscopio appearunco and 
reproduction. lie then speaks of the treatment of 
tho disease, detailing the many substances that 
havo been tried and found wanting : and ho ends 
by drawing tho following conclusions : — 
" 1st. — That powderinga must bo made with solu- 
tions having a batu'u of copper. 
" 2nd. — (Very important point.) That the remedies 
must be applied above the leaves and not below tliem. 
" 3rd. — That they must be applied twenty days 
before the usual appearance of the disease and not 
as soon as the latter appears. 
"4th. — That, besides the preventive treatment, 
a treatment bo tried as soon as the young berries 
havo set. 
" 5th. — That the doses of sulphate of copper must 
be very weak." 
He adds : — " N.B. — I do not exclude good man- 
uring and weeding. These latter, although certainly 
not guaranteeing the coffee tree against the disease, 
can do it nothing but good." 
Coffee in Rotteudam. — In the report of Consul 
Turing on the trade of Rotterdam for 1886 the follow- 
ing remarks occur : — Coffee during the past year not 
only steadily and gradually recovered the fall in 
prices experienced in 1885, but reached rates such 
as have not been known since 1880. This improve- 
ment has made further progress during the current 
year, and prices now rulo from 100 per cent, to 140 
per cent, higher than in January, 1886. The rise 
has been caused by the reduced estimates of the 
Brazil crops, which, in the beginning of the year 
under review, were computed to yield from 7,000,000 
to 8,000,000 bags, whereas these ligures soon proved 
far to exceed the reality ; which circumstance, coupled 
with diminished supplies from the Dutch East Indies 
and unfavourable reports of the growing (1887-88) 
crop in South America, imparted confidence to all 
interested in the article, and the statistical future 
was considered so healthy that the attention of 
outsiders was likewise attracted, and thus through 
the combined influence of dealers and speculators 
prices for good ordinary Java advanced during the 
last six months of the year from 28c. per half-kilo. 
(47s. 4d. per cwt.) to 41c. (69s. 4d. per cwt.), which 
rate, as stated above, has during the current year 
been far exceeded, 06s. 5d. per cwt. having been 
paid within the last few weeks. The total imports 
of coffee into Rotterdam during 1886 amounted to 
46,456 tens. — L. <£■ C. Kxjwcss. 
Fobesthy in Ceylon. — A correspondent has 
drawn our attention to what he terms a spiteful at- 
tack on Mr. Vincent, on page 382 of our August 
number, in the extract from the f Indian Agriculture 
ist " rogarding Ceylon. We really regarded it, as the 
greatest praise for Mr. Vincent to be attacked by a 
Ceylon Tea Plautor, aud the remarks about the 
highly coveted blocks of forest land suitable for tea, 
which had beeu withdrawn, on Mr. Vincent's report, 
show tho real reason for the grudge against him. 
Our own opinion on the great value of Mr. Viuceut's 
work in the Coylou forosts, has already beeu freoly 
given in our pages, and wo did not oxpoct that tho ex- 
tract from tho " ludiau Agriculturist " would tako 
in any ono. Wo may say that Dr. Meyer, when in 
Dehra, expressed his views about tho miserable short- 
sighted policy which was denuding tho forosts of Cey- 
lon for tea planting, the roots of which could in places 
only hold on to tho soil for a fow years as the rush was 
so great, whon ouco tho forost had (beon cleared. It 
may uow bo confidently oxpoctod that Mr. Thompson 
will speedily bring tho wreck of tho Coy Ion forests into 
proper control, and ho has all our best wishes for his 
success iu the groat work before him. 
[Tho above is from tho number of tho Indian Forester 
which reaches us just as Mr. Thompson has broken 
down in health and rosiguod. As for tea planters, thoy 
just as naturally resent the reservation of tho finest soil 
for forost, as foresters choose tracts so distinguished ; 
and tho editor in repudiating an attack on Mr. Vincent 
might havo snared himself tho troablo of quoting 
an attack on the tea enterprise in Coylou which is in 
fact aud science equally erroneous. By "rush" wo 
suppose wash wa i meant, but whatever was meant, the 
fact is that tho tenacity of tho hold of the to i pi mt, 
with its long and strong tap-root, on tho s.nl I BJ H 
tho most remarkable circumstances iu tho eulliuvliau. 
Who is Dr. Meyer ?-Ed.] 
