506 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1888. 
over 500,000 kilogrammes. The extension of the 
oyster trade in France during the last ten years 
is one of the most extraordinary gastronomic 
features of the times. Not long ago the oyster was 
eaten only by the bourgeoisie ; nowadays the 
working classes indulge in the succulent bivalve 
daily, and every wineshop, even in the poorest 
quarters, has its oyster-stand outside. — P. M. Budyct. 
« ' 
Minuwangoda, 6th Jan. — The rain has ceased since 
the advent of New Year. Most part of the maha paddy 
crops are ripening just now and a few late sowings 
are flowering. The common and most formidable 
enemy of the paddy plant is the fly, it has the 
characteristics of a bug, and is destructive to the 
paddy in the flowering stage, as it sucks the sap from 
the young ovaries. Many remedies are employed in 
preventing their attacks. The common method em- 
ployed among the goyas is the drawing of a string 
steeped in resin oil through the field. The peculiar 
smell of the resin oil is very disagreeable to it. 
Several other remedies are applied and generally 
those are connected with superstitions also. They 
believe this fly to be the incarnation of a devil and 
employ charms &c. I have seen these performed 
both upccuntry and lowcountry, and when they are 
questioned as to the effects they show that it is effective. 
The reason is, they do these charms when the flies 
have nearly finished their work, and of course they 
leave the field after that. Rainy and calm weather 
is very favourable for the settlement of flies, but in 
dry weather they cannot frequent open fields. Any 
insecticide in general use has the effect of driving 
away this fly ; but in selecting one it must be easily 
procurable and of little cost, and at . the same time 
it must have a power of improving the fertility of 
the soil also. — Cor. 
Gbeen Bug is referred to in the Planters' 
Association proceedings, but not much if 
anything seems to have been done in meet- 
ing the request to secure the interest of 
English scientists and observers. Mr. Isham, 
we believe, had no response while at home, 
although he was prepared to get Miss Ormerod 
to examine and give her opinion on our 
latest coffee enemy. Still stranger to say, no 
copy of Mr. E. E. Green's paper and accompany- 
ing coloured drawings has been sent either to 
Kew or to the British Museum authorities 1 Mr. 
D. Morris knew nothing of it the day we saw 
him, and the following is the answer to an in- 
quiry we made respecting "green bug " speci- 
mens which we heard Mr. Gow had sent to the 
British Museum National History authorities : — 
British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, 
London, S. W., October 22nd, 1887. 
J. Ferguson, Esq. 
Dear Sir, — Dr. Giinther wishes me to say that 
your letter arrived just as he is leaving town for a 
short time. Some specimens of coccus were recently 
brought to me which I presume nre the green bug, 
but 1 was unable to name the species. They differed 
si mewhat from any we have in the Museum. I shall 
ti.d' avour to see BJr. Green's monograph, for although 
the scale insects are not in my department specially; 
I take an interest in them. The subject, however, is 
i ne for n specialist and must be worked moreover by 
pc reone on the spot.— Believe me, yours truly, 
Chas. O. Watehhoube. 
Surely the Government which published Mr, Green's 
monograph might have sent copies through the 
Colonial Office to the Kew and British Museum 
auihorities as well as to Miss Ormerod and other 
specialists. But the Colonial Secretary may say 
that it was for the Planters' Association to suggest 
tins ("transmission. 
Cinc hona Baku Habvehting in Ceylon : — 
Futuhk I'ltoBFKCTS.— We call special attention to 
the letter of the Chairman and Secretary of the 
So< kaboemie Planters' Association, Java, published 
on page 513, with the advice it tenders to 
the Cinchona Planters of Ceylon. There can be 
no doubt of the force of the argument in refer- 
ence to the shipment of inferior twig bark which 
selling under 4d per lb. sometimes scarcely covers 
expenditure if all charges are counted. But there is 
one fact Mr. Mundt overlooks— (apart from the cry 
of so many of our planters of late years — 
My poverty and not my will consents, 
and that is the desire of so many men to shave 
off original bark, in order to get "renewed" as 
soon as possible. Such harvesting once taken off, 
can be sold for very little to cover transport charges. 
Again, in the past many planters have stripped their 
twigs and branches in order to give employment to 
women and ohildren while thuir tea bushes were 
growing, and the rate per lb. at which this work 
can be done is very moderate indeed. However, we 
certainly do believe that there will be a great falling-off 
in the shipment of such inferior bark as Mr. Mundt 
and his colleague aim at, in the future from Ceylon. 
Tea-planting is more and more encroaching 
on the available labour supply of the country, and 
there will be soon no hands to spare to strip inferior 
branch and twig cinchona bark. Messrs. Mundt 
and Eckhout would have pleased us more, if in 
addition to their counsel, they had in their letter, 
told us a little more about Java cinchona. What 
has become of the 35,000 acres over which shaving 
was to proceed 18 months ago according to Mr. 
Mundt's expectation when here in April 1886 ? 
Are our Java friends still waiting till their trees 
are all seven years old-? 
" Mazawattee Ceylon Tea." — What is to be 
done to put a stop to the sort of thing brought 
to our notice by a mercantile correspondent : — 
"When I was upeountry a few days ago, I was 
given the accompanying cuttings from home papers 
about the ' Mazawattee Ceylon Tea, 11 and I send 
them on to you, in case you may wish to show 
them up a bit. The tea is doubtless mostly rubbishy 
China stuff, and the sale of it as Ceylon tea is 
calculated to do Ceylon harm. There is fraud on 
the face of the advertisement, for, evidently the 
object is to make people believe that there is a 
Company of the name in Ceylon." The advertise- 
ment is in the Plymouth Western Morning News is 
as follows: — 
MAZAWATTEE CEYLON TEA. 
This new luxury is a high-class tea, richer and more mellow 
than Indian or China tea. It is also far less astringent, 
and, consequently, peculiarly suitable for those of weak 
digestion. Thousands now drink no other tea, an overwhelm- 
ing testimony to its dietetic value. 
See Medical and Analytical Report. 
I certify that I have analysed samples of Ceylon tea sub- 
mitted to me by the Mazawattee Ceylon Tea Company. 
A detailed analysis is appended. 
I find that the theine upon which the refreshing pro- 
perties of tea depend is quite equal to that in the finest 
teas imported, whilst the tannin, which, from its as- 
tringency, makes ordinary tfus disagree with many constitu- 
tions, is in very much smaller quantities in the Mazawattee 
Ceylon tea. 
Many dyspep'ics who are obliged to avoid ordinary tea 
find they can drink this with great relish, aud feel no nervous- 
ness or distress after its use. 
W. L. Ejmmeeson, m. r> , 
Membfr of Society of Public Analysis ; 
Analyst for Counties of Leicester, Northa- 
mpton, Eutlanri, &c. 
To be obtained from leading grocers, in lead packets only 
prices, 3s, 2s tid, 2s 21, and 2s per lb. 
Applications tor the Agency for these teas will be en- 
tertained from any place in which there is at present no 
Agent. 
Mazawattee Ceylon Tea Company, Eastcheap 
Buildings, London. 
Can the "Ceylon Tea Fund Committee" not take 
some action, in the way of warning the English 
public through advertisements, about such mixture s 
as " Mazawattee Ceylon"? 
