October r, 1888.] THE. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
235 
devote their closest attention to hybridisation — a 
study that has for a long time engaged the attention 
of the naturalist, and one now systematically practised 
by the gardener as a means of plant improvement. 
We are told that "the first apples planted in 
America by the earlier colonists retrograded, until 
the fruits were: no better than ' crabs.' Now their 
apples are equal to any in the world." (Paper road 
by Mr. Pink of the Botanic Gardens on the hybridi- 
sation of plants, before|tlui]Hoyal Society. See Tropical 
Agriculturist, April 1885.) 
At tlio last Autumnal Show of the Royal Horti- 
cultural Society, there were exhibited no less than 
l'2."> sorts of that homely vegetable, the potato ; of 
these, 47 were produced by one firm alone, of which 
27 were already introduced by them among their 
constituents. I daresay you are aware that a tomato 
has now been produced by Sutton & Sons which 
can bo Kiown in the open, in England, as it is 
grown here. (Button's Catalogue for 1888.) 
Put just in the same way that we have obtained 
by chance hybridisation valuable varieties of cin- 
chona and tea, it is possible that later on we may 
obtain varieties of caoao, better than those we have; 
though I am inclined to think that we have already 
certainly one variety (although there may be more) 
of groat value for future general cultivation. The 
Forestero, known commonly as the pink Forestero is, 
I think, undoubtedly a hybrid. It is a noteworthy 
fact that while some of its seed share with the 
Forestero in color, thero are others quite white, like 
the Ceylon common red (so-called Caracas] — others 
again are neither quite purple nor white, but plvided 
pink or violet. Tbis diversity exists sometimes in 
the name pod. 
I remember shewing this singular phenomenon to 
somo brother planters, at the last Matale Exhibition, 
who had not noticed it before. 
You will all remcmbor the magnificent pods that 
came from '' Gonambil " estate ; it was there among 
them. I think it worth our while collecting infor- 
mation on this subject. If a separate sample of this 
cun be cured by those who have enough of it, and 
have the same valued, it would add to our infor- 
mation, materially. 
A Matale plantor, Mr. Pardon, writing to me the 
other day on cacao, also makes reference to a 
varioty that he has, as one which he considers to 
be a superior sort of Forestero or h variety of Caracas. 
From what appears in the letter, I presume it to 
be a hybrid of much value, whether it is the same 
that I am talking of or not. 
Hero is his letter, which I think will bo of intercut 
in our investigation, as fresh evidence from an un- 
expected aourco on the mine question : — 
" The podi are not Foh <!■ ,•»>— so says Dr. Trimen — 
bnt pink or yollow (I forgot which) Caracas. The 
former is, naturally, purple in the bean, bnt theie 
ones are, or wore, all white when rut across. Many, 
once white, are now purple, having hybridized, but that 
does not seam to have affected their commercial 
value because they retaiu the bright goldon color 
outside, when cured. Tho ordinary Forestero usually 
cares dark." 
1 ilkiug of this pink Fnrrstrro variety an a specially 
fine one: about 18 months ago, when 1 was collect- 
ing seed for the " Ilkuwelu " nurseries, I was strongly 
urged by a friuud of mine, who was an advocate for 
another variety, to come over to the plantation under 
his management, — which was one of our oldor planta- 
tions—and see how well his own favourite variety did. 
Ho bad beon all along supplying me with the pink 
Forestero (which I shall, for tho sake of {distinction, 
hore oall tho hybrid varioty). Well, I drovo down to 
tho plantation ono morning, and after wo hud examined 
ruefully tho two varieties, it nppearod to me that 
tho hybrid had another ftiUantago, quite apart from 
the question of quality, over tho favourite variety 
of my hut, whioh was tho Maravilla or green 
long pod. liy way of trst I took a number of aver 
a** Itud pods of each varioty, and proceeding t<j 
tUw office, Uiok out tho seeds of tho respective 
potls aud Weighed thorn separately. Wo also 
weighed ibe busks, aud it was then found that 
relatively, in proportion to the weight of hunk, 
thero was a preponderating weight of seed in the 
hybrid over the Maravilla. In respect to the seed 
contained in each pod also, we found that tho hybrid 
weighed more than the Maravilla. The Maravilla 
contained the larger number of seed ; which agaiu 
gave the advantage to the hybrid in size of bean, 
which enhanced its commercial value. 
Now this variety that I am talking about, it may 
bo of importance to know, is not to bo found in 
the group of Forcsteros at the Peradeniy.i Botanic 
GardenB. These came into the Gardens from Kew in 
November 1880, and I have watohed them ever since 
with the greatest interest. 
It must also be mentioned that the pink Forestero 
hybrid I am speaking of was then with me, at my 
little property in Dumbara. This was a plant obtained 
by me from Mr. Perdinandus from his own garden. 
He, in the year 1875, received from Mr. Wm. Rollo, 
the visiting agent, and for sometimo manager of the 
Ceylon Company, Limited, one of two cases of 
plants that were brought out from Trinidad. A 
dozen plants were successfully brought to bearing 
by Mr. Perdinandus, all foreign, and different from 
the common red cacao, and one of those turned 
out to be the cacao known to many of us now aa 
the pink Forestero, and which I conclude to be a 
hybrid between a Forestero and a true Caracas. 
Pods from this tree were sold by Mr. Ferdinandua 
ever since, year after year, to many planters. And 
I baliev • Wariapola, as wi 11 as the Duinbara estates, ob- 
tained this variety from him, as I did myself afterwards. 
I now come to the details of the nursery. There 
are various ways of making nurseries, but I have 
found the following mode the safest, and the cheapest 
in the end. Two ordinary half round tiles, tied to- 
gether with a bit of coir rope. These make a pot 
fully a foot long, giving both taproot and laterals 
ample scope to establish themselves. But the prin- 
cipal advantage is that in the transplanting, the 
plant can be placed in its future home, without the 
slightest molestation. The tiles are withdrawn one 
after the other, and sent away to cover your bun- 
galow or Btore, or extensions in your oooly lines. 
Thus your pots cost you nothing in the end. I 
planted about 75 acres last year, and over a 100 this 
year in this way, and not a Bingle plant was lost, 
exoept what was chargeable to the omnivorous white 
ant, and ho is one of the most formidable enemies 
that the cacao planter has to contend with. If he 
is omnivorous, he may be said to be also ubiquitous ; 
and his working hours spread over the entire day, 
and the night as well. Ho works with an unflagging 
industry ; and his name is Legion. To destroy or 
to circumvont this unrelenting foe, has been the fond- 
est wish and prayer of every cacao planter that 
I ever met. But to no puruoBe ; you may olear 
the ground of all the twigs and branchlets ; you may 
even sift your soil, as 1 did for the nursery ; but 
you will not exclude his presence. Ho attacks your 
plants when he has no twigs to fall npou; aud 
where the ground iB strewn within plentiful supply 
of rubbish, he then seems to turn in a spirit ot 
mischief, or from sheer fastidiousness, to your 
much-prized plants of Forestero (from podi pur- 
chased at R'25 per 1001) 
The white-ant has no doubt his own special mis- 
sion on earth : that perhaps of speedily converting 
twigs and rootlets and waste and dead matter into 
soil for the agriculturist ; just as Darwin tells us the 
humble earthworm supplies us with so many tous 
of mould per acre por annnm. 
But all tho same it is terrible to see, after your 
best endeavours to destroy this enemy, or to beat 
him off for a time, how he retnrns to the charge ; 
rising Riiperior to all your devices, and gutting back 
to his mission, with a sense of duty, that is quite 
exemplary. Only that ho is out ol his legitimate 
sphoru of usefulness when he attacks living matter. 
Now there nro one or two things which do not 
seem to possess special attractions tor the white aut, 
and tho neighbourhood of whioh be appears to avoid. 
Uue of these is >aid to be kerosiue ; and kurosiu* »L4 
water is used in some placet regularly 
