34° 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, x88i. 
THE POTATO DISEASE. 
Every one who is taking up potatos states that he 
finds a few diseased tubers, and is therefore fearful 
of an inroad of the Peronospora, which is too prob- 
able, but not justified by present appearances except 
in those cases where the now well-known resting - 
gpores have been found. Our own experience is that 
all these diseased tubers are cases of the disease first 
recorded under the name of " nape-faule " or wet-rot, 
which is characterized by the presence of Fu.-isporium 
eolani of Martius. Besides this we find a pale grey 
slimy mucus oozing out in parts, consisting of mil- 
lions of extremely minute bodies, which we consider 
some form of Micrococcus, especially as these are 
accompanied by numerous Bocteria, but whether they 
are a development or not of the Micrococcus we are 
unable to determine. Under these circumstances it 
would be probably dangerous to throw such specimens 
in the way of pigs, in which it is pos-ible they 
might generate some unlooked-for form of disease. 
They should at once be burned. — M. P. B— Gardeners' 
Chronicle. 
STATE OF FORESTS. 
The skilful physician knows by examining the sur- 
face of the body whether the internal and hidden 
parts are healthy or diseased ; by the appearance of 
the skin he knows the state of the blood ; and he 
only requires to see the tongue and the eye to know 
the condition of the stomach and liver. It has to 
be borne in mind, however, that although there are 
many analogies between plants and animals, there 
are also great differences and distinctions. By the 
appearance of the leaves the general health of the 
tree is known, but there may be, and often are, 
incipient diseases at work which have not yet mani- 
fested themselves in the leaves. Bark diseases are 
of that class, and it is very remarkable how many 
diseases that ultimately prove fatal have their origin 
in the bark, especially in young and tender trees, as 
will subsequently be described. The sap is to the 
vegetable very much what the bio 3d is to the animal, 
both working within, and producing outward effects ; 
and thus it is that the state of the leaves indicates 
the condition of the sap and the vessels through 
which it is conveyed. 
It is not, therefore, in early summer, nor yet in 
autumn, that the leaves should be examined with a 
view of determining the real health of the tree, be- 
cause in -the former the flow of sap and the flush of 
growth may be strong and powerful, but not con- 
tinuous, and in the latter' superabundance or scarcity 
of moisture in the soil are alone sufficient to mislead 
by the influences they exert upon the sap. and eon-- 
aequently upon the leaves, thereby rendering the 
efforts of the most experienced observer abortive in 
his labours of research. The growth of the tree is 
principally influenced either through the root', bark, 
buds, or leaves, and if any of these are disordered the 
health of the tree is thereby impaired, and unless the 
disease is of a local and circumscribed nature, it will 
eventually influence and destroy the whole structure. 
It is often difficult to determine which is the cause 
and which the etFect of certain diseases ; we see the 
leaf grow yellow and assume a sickly aspect, but we 
cannot tell what the producing cause is. Insects of 
various kinds make their attacks, and it would be 
assuming too much to say that they only sieze upon 
disordered and diseased parts of the tree, for we know 
that leaves of the best and heabhiest kinds are punct- 
ured, and often entirely devoured by various insects, 
chiclly caterpillars. When the roots are diseased, or 
in any way incapable of absorbing the moisture 
requisite for the healthy development of the tree, 
they do not usually long continue so, for they very 
soon either regain perfect health or entirely lose their 
vitality. Root diseases, too, can usually be detected 
from all others by the manner in which they influ- 
ence the whole structure of the tree, and the uniform 
discoloration of the foliage. 
Bark diseases, unlike those of the root, are not 
general, but affect only certain limited parts or spots. 
It is no uncommon thing to see small patches of the 
bark quite diseased, and the general surface quite 
healthy and in its normal state. In youDg trees, 
and specially in the larch, disease in the bark is very 
common, and has been the subject of much discussion. 
It can in most, if not every case, be either greatly 
modified or entirely prevented, but in order to make 
the subject perfectly clear and intelligible would 
require greater space and time than is here afforded.— 
C. Y. Michie, Culleu House, Banffshire, 8th Aug.— 
Gardeners' Chronicle. 
INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 
(From the Indian T,a Gazette, 20th August 1881.) 
The following is an extract from a letter written 
to the Indian Daily News by a Cachar Planter:— 
"We were glad to note that our American cousins 
were being induced to give some orders. If only 
Indian tea was onca taken up and became popular, 
its future would be secured. The teeming masses of 
people in the States would consume more tea we 
should imagine than all the English public, provided 
Indian tea took the place of China. Australia so far 
has done well, but the market there would be easily 
glutted, whereas, if its use become general, it would 
be almost impossible to glut the American market. 
The millions of settlers in America and in Canada 
all use tea at their meals very much as an English- 
man takes his beer, so that the inland consumption 
must be very large. In Australia, every shepherd 
carries his pannikin of tea, and the amount he swal- 
lows in twelve months must be pretty considerable. 
In the backwoods of America and Canada, each 
wood-cutter consumes nearly half a pound of 'tea 
weekly, so that, with its millions of people, America 
could easily dispose of millions of pounds of tea, 
which would not only clear off all the surplus tea 
in the London market, but would probably cause a 
deficit. We wonder if in our time this golden era 
will take place." 
We hope indeed that the golden era will take place 
in our time, and we see no reason why it should not. 
Taking into consideration the vast flood of emigration 
that is rapidly pouring into America from Europe, if 
we can only succeed in now introducing our teas into 
the United States and Canada, those countries will 
soon become the market for our produce. The Indian 
Tea Industry has now to all appearances, judging 
from outward signs, a most hopeful future before it. 
The dark clouds, portraying misfortune and disast'r, 
that have so long been threatening and lowering over 
us, appear now to be gradually drifting away, leav- 
ing a rift through which we can see pouring down 
the rays of a sunshine of hope, prognosticating a store 
of better days for us in the not very distant future. 
We have now simply to take advantage of the oppor- 
tunity presented to us, and with all our might and 
main to set to work and push our way. "Where 
there is a will there is a way," and if we will only 
now set to work with a determined will and effort, 
we are bound to succeed. What we require is to push 
even as the Yankees do. Surely we will not let our 
American cousins brag their superiority over us in 
this respect. The prize is within onr grasp, and if 
we wish to secure it, we must lay aside all apathy, 
all half hearted measures and with all the energy we 
possess make a determined effort, and with English 
pluck and courage added to " Yankee push and cute- 
ness," carry and take possession of the American tea 
