April X, 1889.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
U3 
To the Editor. 
THE GREEN BUG AND "LONDON PURPLE." 
GO, Mark Lane, E.C., London, 5th March 1889. 
Dear Sib, — Our attention has been called to some 
recent articles and letters in your journal inquir- 
ing whether our "London Purple," which is so 
largely used in America for the cotton worm, potato 
beetle, canker worm and similar pests, would be of 
any avail against the green scale bug. We may 
mention that some years ago inquiries were 
addressed to us as to the likelihood of its being of 
use in Ceylon for the coffee-leaf disease, for which 
purpose we were unable to recommend it, though 
doubtless if used as a paint for the stems of the 
trees it would prevent the fungus creeping up, but 
we felt sure that if once the fungus got on to the 
leaf the quantity of " London Purple" required to 
kill it would certainly harm the leaf itself. For 
the green bug however we are confident that our 
insecticide will be found of the greatest assistance 
if used with only ordinary inttlligenee. The poison 
should be applied to the leaves as soon as the eggs 
are hatched and before the young insect assumes 
the scale form. It would probably be wise to 
begin spraying as soon as the young leaves are 
sufficiently matured to afford food for the bug. 
Any force-pump can be used for sprajing, but 
the finer the spray the stronger the solution can 
be used, the object being to insure a very light 
coaling on every leaf. We have known an acre of 
cotton plants covered with a quarter of a pound 
of "London Purple." 
We should also recommend that the stems of 
the coffee plant should be painted with a mixture 
of " London Purple " and water applied pretty 
thickly like a whitewash, and for this purpose a 
much stronger dose could be employed than on 
the tender leaves. This would not only attack the 
scale bugs, but also prevent the borers and put a 
stop to any fungoid growth creeping up the stem. 
In his letter to you we think that Dr. Trimen 
lays too much stress on the dangerous nature of the 
remedy. With ordinary care no danger need be 
apprehended, the lime in the combination will attack 
the nostrils and warn the operator long before any 
harm can be done by the arsenic. Of course, if 
used in the dry method, care should be taken to 
keep out of the dust as much as possible. Its 
colour proclaims its presence and shows which 
trees have been treated with it. During all the 
eleven years that "London Purple" has been in 
use in America we have not heard of a single 
accident ; but should such occur the proper anti- 
dote is oxide of iron such as is produced by 
adding ammonia to a solution of green copperas — 
sulphate of protoxide of iron. 
In conclusion we have learnt from experience 
that it is of little use looking for the dead in- 
sects. After eating the poison nature evidently 
prompts them to hide themselves away to die. 
The ellicacy of " London Purple" will best be 
proved by the cleanliness of the plants and the 
increased crops resulting from its use. — We are, 
sir, your obedient servants, 
HEMINGWAYS " LONDON PURPLE" CO., LD. 
HOW TO PUSH CEYLON TEAS- 
9 th March 1889. 
Dear Sir, — I sometimes think that, notwithstand- 
ing the great efforts made by Ceylon men engaged 
in this now truly immense enterprise, say in 
pushing their teas in the gnat Intern utior.al Ex- 
90 
hibitions, not only in their own country, but 
elsewhere, many other equally grand (but much 
less expensive) means of making their teas known 
to the whole world are left neglected. As far as 
my own experience goes I find it is today almost 
impossible to buy a small leaded packet of 1 or 
2 lb. of enjoyable tea even in Colombo itself I The 
good tea is all shipped home ; if any really good 
tea is sold locally at auction, it is at once packed 
off either to the United Kingdom or to Australia 
or elsewhere. A thought here strikes me with re- 
gard to really fine Ceylon teas. How is it in the 
much talk we have heard lately of a Tea Syndicate 
that no company has ever been formed to corner 
all the really good teas, say a syndicate working 
secretly at the Mincing Lane, Calcutta and Co- 
lombo auction-rooms ? Siuh a thing is feasible, for 
unfortunately the required capital would not be 
very large owing to the great dearth of really 
fine teas to be bought just now, and considering 
present low prices for even really splendid tea, 
consumers who were determined to have them 
would not mind paying even 6d per lb. more than 
they do at present in order to get them. If in 
Colombo it is so difficult for a resident who has 
time at his disposal to procure really good tea, 
what must the experience be of the multitude of 
passengers who on their way to and from all coun- 
tries pass and repass our port? Well one can 
imagine what it probably is. Now why not change 
all this and take advantage of this great adver- 
tising medium especially as it would probably re- 
sult in a handsome profit rather than a loss. 
And what is easier thin that — every estate proprietor 
or agent should permit his superintendent to send 
small lots of tea once or twice a year to the, 
say, " Ceylon Tea Growers' Island Distributing and 
Advertising Company, Limited," worked under the 
auspices of the Ceylon Planters' Association and 
managed in Colombo by three or more heads of 
firms representing large tea interests. Samples of 
the teas to be first submitted for approval (of 
course, only tea out of the best breaks would be 
sent, say to the extent of 100 or 200 lb., for some 
limit to each estate must be fixed upon). If 
approved of the Colombo representatives would 
assess its value and give the estate credit for the 
value. No estate would be permitted to advertise 
its own brand, but the teas, if kept separate and 
blended or strictly speaking bulked, would be sold 
in 1 lb. and 2 lb. paokets under one brand, viz., 
the •' Ceylon Planters' Tea Distributing and Local 
Advertising Company's brand." A boat and a 
small hand van or vans nicely painted and 
bearing in large letters the style of the Company 
would, on the arrival of passenger steamers, be 
sure to attraot the attention of tens of thousands 
of passengers either on board or on shore in the 
course of a year, and the sales would, I have no 
doubt, soon mount up very considerably, as the 
reliability of the teas thus sold became more and 
more known. Carried east and west and north 
and south, such teas would eventually make 
themselves a name in probably every quarter of the 
globe. A uniform rate of Rl per lb. would be 
readily paid, and this would leave a margin of 
profit to the company after all expenses were paid, 
for the latter could not amount to much after 
the cost of the tea boats and tea vans had once 
been recovered. 
This may seem to be a very strange idea 
and interfering with shopkeepers' privileges ; 
but even storekeepers' privileges are bound 
up in the general prosperity of our great tea 
industry, and they should not complain. Some 
of them no doubt do retail very fair teas at a 
moderate prioe ; but how many do not ? — and what 
