28 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1881. 
OEYL^N AND JAVA LEDGERIANAS. 
A Dimbula planter writes :—" Many thanks for the 
loan of Mr. Moens' report, which I now return. 
I was most anxious lo compare the analysis of his 
two year old shoots of original Ledgeriana with an 
analysis Mr. David Howard had kindly made for 
me of six thirteen month old Ledgerianas from Conon 
estate. I cut these six trees down and sent home 
the whole of the stem bark. The best analysis was 
No VI, viz. 2-1 % sulphate quinine. The average of 
the whole six was l - 3%' rf s Mr. Moens' analysis 
No 48 is of two year old shoots, of old trees and 
is only 2 '86 °/ 0 sulphate quinine, I think there is no 
doubt that Ceylon will be able to grow as good 
Ledgeriana bark as Java, by analysis, and Mr. Christie 
has shewn tbat we can also compete with them in 
growth." 
COFFEE LEAF DISEASE. 
Reports received from a number of districts- both 
north and south of Kandy agree in the opinion that 
a general outburst of leaf disease is once more immin- 
ent. As yet the symptoms are not very apparent 
to the eye of an inexperienced observer, and very 
probably the coming attack will not be a serious one ; 
but our older planters have now got to know the 
indications so well that tbey can tell its approach 
some time before the disease becomes apparent. As 
typical illustrations an estate in Matale East and one 
in Dimbula are brought under our notice : on both 
the coffee still looks dark green and vigorous, but 
scarce a leaf can be plucked from the former and held 
up to the light that does not shew the fungus at 
work, while of the latter a Visiting Agent relates 
how, when approaching it some days ago, his eyes 
caught a peculiar tinge which he has always regarded 
as indicative of the early appearance of Hemileia vast- 
atrix. In these cases the attack seems to be coming 
on simultaneously all over the plantations. This is 
contrary to the experience of others who hold that 
an attack usually commences from a centre, in a single 
tree or group of trees, and that it is possible, if observed 
and dealt with properly in time, to confine and 
even overcome and extirpate such an attack. One 
old planter declares that, with a limited area in cultiva- 
tion, he is able to watch over his coffee as a doctor 
would over a convalesceut patient liable to a recur- 
rence of illness, and that he believes he has more 
than once been successful in fighting leaf diesease by 
dealing forthwith with the trees about to be attacked, 
overing over the manure applied (whether cattle- 
manure or bones-and-poonac) with lime and simul- 
taneously coating the trees with wood-ashes. In this 
way an incipient attack has apparently been circum- 
scribed and dissipated, and fair average crops have 
been maintained. But this experience has been 
gained on a limited area, and with comparatively 
young coffee. In the majority of cases it is im- 
possible to say in what part of the estate an attack 
commences, and the manuring, liming and covering with 
wood-ashes would be rather too difficult and costly a 
process to apply simultaneously over 200 or 300acreB. 
Much more feasible, if it can be shewn to be equally 
effective, is Mr. Schrottky's vapourizatiou with carb- 
olic acid and lime. This gentleman has now com- 
pleted his operations over the several areas in different 
districts placed under his charge, and he is as full of 
confidence in the practical value of his process as 
he was after his first series of experiments. It is too 
soon probably to judge of the fields recently operated 
on, but it. will be remembered that around Kandy, I 
and more especially in Dumbara, certain coffee was 
treated in January, and we have been shewn reports 
from the Managers concerned which testify to' the 
unmistakable benefit derived by the coffee, — in fact, 
to an almost entire immunity from disease which has 
been running through the adjacent coffee. The prin- 
cipal condition of success is to fix on the right time 
for application, just when an attack is coming on, 
and in mist weather when the application at onoe 
takes effect. Mr. Schrottky says he has found in 
practice that three applications to conquer or ward off 
an attack are not required : — two being sufficient at 
an interval of a fortnight and costing not more than 
four rupees per acre for each application. Mr. 
Schrottky has, in an official letter, called the attention 
of the Planters' Association to his " Seven Months' 
Campaign against Leaf 1 disease " and its results, and 
as he is shortly leaving the island, we think these 
results deserve a formal investigation at the hands 
of this representative body in the interests of all con • 
cerned. There will be the more reason for this course, 
if it be true that the experimenis spoken of favourably 
by the Government Crvptogamist, at the planters' 
annual meeting, have since fallen through, proving 
failures, and that Mr. Marshall Ward is wellnigh 
hopeless of any practical remedy if it be impossible, 
as the p'anters say, to burn or destroy the diseased 
fallen leaves. If therefore, for the present, there is 
nothing encouraging in the official outlook, the Com- 
mittee of the Planters' Association owes it to them- 
selves and their constituents, not to allow Mr. 
Schrottky to take his departure without putting some, 
at least, of his experiments to the test of observation 
and report. The day for the general meeting is close at 
haud. but Dumbara being so easily reached, it surely 
would not be impossible for the energetic Chairman 
to arrange for a visit to the treated coffee in that valley. 
Mr. Gibbon is closely connected with Dumbara, and 
if he and Messrs, W. Mackenzie and C. Young accom- 
panied the Chairman and Secretary, their leport, em- 
bodied by Mr. Philip, could not fail to be received 
with attention and interest at the meeting to be held 
next week. Mr. Schrottky would, no doubt, be 
ready to attend and give explanations (if asked to do 
so) while the Managers in any case would be available 
on the spot to answer questions, As the inspection 
would be an unofficial one, Mr. Wall might be able 
to induce Dr. Thwaites, as an Honorary Member of 
the Association, to accompany the party to Pallakelle 
and Gangapitiya, and to render valuable aid in test- 
ing the value of the vaporizing process with carbolic 
acid and lime. 
Coconut Estates in Jaffna. — Leaving out of account 
the small account gardens owned by natives, there are 
thirty cocanut estates, covering in round figures 10,000 
acres. This number does not include " new clearings" 
which are now on the increase. All the 30 estates 
were opened up by Europeans. There ate 650 men 
employed on them in various capacities. The copperah 
derived from them at each season is reckoned at 3,000 
candies bringing R75,000. We hear that two estates 
owned by Sir J. D. Elphinstone have recently been 
purchased by Mr. F. Mortimer for R60,000. — Morning 
Star. 
Gums and Resins.— Dr. G. Bidie, Superintendent, 
Government Central Museum, has forwarded to Govern- 
ment a descriptive catalogue of gums and resins, and 
Colonel Beddome has forwarded a report through the 
Board of Revenue. The samples collected are to be care- 
fully packed and despatched to the Master Attendant 
for transmission to England, addressed to the Secretary 
of State. The thanks of Government have been com- 
municated to Dr. Bidie and Colonel Beddome for the , 
valuable information they have furnished. —Madras I 
Mail. 
