8t6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [June i, x888* 
COFFEE YIELD IN BRAZIL. 
The world's production of coffee reaches about 
900,000 tons, nearly one-half of which is produced by 
Brazil. Brazil may fairly be called the coffee baro- 
meter of the world, consequently what effects that 
great country, will naturally be felt throughout the 
whole coffee world. 
AGE OF COFFEE TREE. 
The life of a coffee tree whilst productive, cauuot be 
reckoned longer than twenty-five to thirty years, and as 
coffee can never be planted twice on the same land, 
the question naturally arises, where is the worlds 
cou-umption of coffee in the future to be derived from. 
The culture is confined to the tropics, with all the 
conditions I hi-.ve enumerated above, so that the area 
in the whole world is limited. I attribute the rise 
that has recently occurred in the price of coffee, 
partly to an increased demand, but mostly to the 
giadual failure of the oldest plantations throughout 
the world, as well as the fact of new countries suited 
for the cultivation of this product, not being opened 
fast enough to meet the demand. In conclusion I 
would mention that the report now submitted, has 
reached dimensions not contemplated when beginning 
my remarks. The fact, however, of cinchona and 
cuffce cultivation being new in the country, and to 
planters generally. I was induced to enter into greater 
detail as my subject proceeded. I shall at a later 
date, after having visited other parts of these Islands, 
supplement this report with a review of what may 
strike me as being worthy of notice. I beg to subscribe 
myself your obedient servant, 
Honolulu, November 29, 1887. W. J. Forsyth. 
KEROSENE AS AN INSECTICIDE. 
Editor Planticus' Monthly : 
In the last, " Biennial Report of the State Board 
of Horticulture " of California, a copy of which I 
herewith send you, there are accounts of processes 
for exterminating insects, some of which might well 
be tried against the white aphis, " Dactylopius des- 
tructor," which has seriously checked the culture of 
coffee in our Islands. If this insect were overcome, 
coffee might probably be cultivated wherever sugar 
cane grows. 
In this n port it is remarked that experiments con- 
ducted by the Agricultural Department at Washing- 
ton, as well as by State Inspectors of fruit pests in 
Florida and California, have demonstrated that the 
most effectual destroyer of all kinds of insects, and 
particularly of the leery a Purchasii, which resembles 
our while aphis, is an emulsion of kerosene oil sprayed 
over the trees. I have formerly found this to be true 
in regard to our aphis. 
On page 20, the following recipe is given for pre- 
paring a good emulsion : — " Five gallons best kerosene, 
1J pounds good common soap, 2J gallons water. When 
using, dilute 6! 2 gallons of water for each gallon of 
oil, aud to this mixture add 2| pounds of good home 
made soap dissolved in boiling water. All the mixing 
is done in hot water. We usually have 140° iu the 
tank from which we spray." 
In regard to applying these emulsions, it is remarked 
that " the essence of successful spraying consists in 
forming the emulsionjas a mist from the heart of the tree 
first, and then from the periphery, if the tree is large." 
It is recommended that " a No. 1 Hooker pump be 
useid, with a 4i-feet lever and 50 feet of hose. Two 
men in a wagon with a tank can pump 700 to 800 
callous per day." The " Cyclone Nozzle," which can 
be procured in San Francisco, is the best for making 
the spray. " A bunch of four nozzles can be arranged 
a f the end of the piping, so that working from the 
centre of an ordinary sized tree they will envelope it 
in a perfect ball of mist." 
The State of California employs an Inspector of 
Insect Pests, whose investigations and suggestions 
are invaluable to the fruit industry of the State. It 
ia vi i v desirable that a competent person be employed 
to luaki ilar investigations and experiments m our 
] sin rids. 
Oukland, Dec. 10, 1887. J. M. Alexandeb. 
BLACKBERRY CULTURE. 
Mr. Walter Ellis, of Seaford, Sussex County, Dela- 
ware, writes to us as follows : — Your Note on blackberry 
culture, in the St. James's Gazette of the 23rd of January, 
induces me to send you a short account of the industry 
as carried on here. It is by no means a novelty, having 
been successfully prosecuted for nearly twenty years. 
Tin re appears no good reason why it should not be 
a success in England in suitable localities and worked 
on the American plan. The method of cultivation des- 
cribed in your paper is, no doubt, suited to the climate 
of Wisconsin, but is certainly, as to the winter cover- 
ing and consequent wire supports, quite unnecessary 
either here or in E igland. There are at the present 
time within a few miles of this place considerably over 
a thousand acres in blackberries; and, on the whole, 
they are a profitable crop, requiring little cultivation 
and no manure. The plants are set in rows at vary- 
ing distances, accordiug to the soil and the fancy of 
the grower: 6 ft. by 4 ft. is a convenient distance 
and gives 1,750 plants to the acre. They are planted 
either in the fall or spring : preferably the former in 
this latitude. The setting out is usually as follows : — 
The ground, having b'en ploughed and harrowed, is 
" crossed out" — i. e., furrows are run with a small one- 
horse plough 6 ft. apart and afterwards crossed with 
other furrows at right angles 4 ft. apart; the point 
of intersection being the mark for planting. The 
plants, previously trimmed and prepared, are dropped 
by boys at these intersections, and folio wing come the 
planters armed with a hoe sufficiently light to work 
easily with one hand ; the plant is picked up with the 
left hand, the bottom of the furrow scraped out the 
plant set well down, the earth drawn round it, and a 
stamp with the feet on either side completes the 
operation. Two thousand a day can be done by any 
fair hand. The plants will in the first season make a 
good growth; the first operation iu the following 
spring is cutting back the canes to about 30 in. and 
the removal and burning of the brush. The ground 
between the rows is then ploughed with a small one- 
horse plough, and atterwards cultivated, usually three 
times during the season, with a tool much resembling 
a small Kentish hop-shim. The variety usually grown 
here is the Wilson; but it would be quite unsaleable 
in England, as it is absolutely tasteless, its size being 
its only recommendation. Other varieties more suited 
to England are the Early Harvest, Early Cluster, Kitta- 
tiny, and Snyder. The average yield is a quart to a plaijt ; 
the cost of producing aud putting on the market is un- 
der 2Jcl. per quart. It would be necessary to use Ameri- 
can tools ; they are cheaper to buy aud much cheaper to 
work than English ones. A suitable plough cultivator 
and harness would cost about £3 XOs. delivered iu 
England. But in order to successfully market the 
fruit, proper berry-crates must be used ; the ordinary 
size holds thirty-two quart baskets in four tiers, 
divided by removeable decks. The fruit is picked 
into these baskets in the field, and the pickers are paid 
by this measure. Berries of any kind, even raspberries, 
properly packed in these crates are shipped 200 miles 
and more and handled by the common American rail- 
road fiend, and yet arrive in good condition. The 
crates, fully fitted with baskets, cost about 3s. a-piece 
and last for years ; the bent-wood baskets cost under 
is. 2d. each by the thousand. 
Tea at Foociiow. — The Foochow Echo learns that 
this year the amount of treasure obtainable by the 
natives for the purchase of the new season's tea up 
country, will be far below that of last year, and ear- 
nestly hopes such will be the case, believing that 
nothing will improve the trade but a severe cut 
down of the usual liberal advances generally made to 
natives, which enable them to purchase even the 
roots of the tea plant. In a later issue, the same 
paper states that the Chinese Banks will advance 
very little to the teamen this year, and that it will 
not reach half of the amount advanced last year.— 
Hongkong Daily Press, April 18th. 
