November t, 1881.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
439 
TRINIDAD. — The condition of the newly-opened line of 
railway to Couva was described as exceeding unpleas- 
ant, owing to the uneven subsidence of the earth -work, 
which 1ms not as yet had time to settle down. The 
Port of Spain Gazette said that the sleepers of American 
cypress were already showing signs of decay, and even 
now wanted relaying, — The Colonics and India. 
An Enemy ok LibbBIAN Coffer ?— A correspondent in 
Pussollawa writes :— " I am sending you, by this post, a 
pooch ie, which I shall thank you to tell me the name 
of. I found it about three weeks ago on the stem 
of a Liberian coffee tree in its cocoon, out of which 
it came this morning." The " poochic " is a moth, 
Suana cervina, belonging to the family Bombycicke. It 
is an enormous female with her wings not fully de- 
veloped, and her body greatly distended with eggs. 
The silkworm is also a member of the same family. 
Extirpation of the Prickly-fear.— Government 
are unxious to extirpate the prickly pear; yet it is efr- 
nuently planted as a hedge by the ryots. The Collector 
of the Ohintdeput District has notified that, it the 
ryots wish to avoid having to spend their time or 
money in removing this nuisance, they should endea- 
vour to meet tho wishes of Government. The village 
oflicers and leading ryots should themselves use for 
fences the plant called Kiloovay Mooloo or Koroohipully 
instead of the prickly pear, and advise others to do 
so. Both these plants grow quickly, and the latter 
answers the purpose of fuel. — Madras Mail. 
How To Detect Unwholesome Tea.— A corre- 
spondent writes:— "Tcadriukers uow-a-days will do well 
to apply the following simple tent to the tea pur- 
chased of their grocers. Turn out the infused leaves, 
and if any are found a good brown colour, with fair 
substance, the tea will be wholesome, but if the leaves 
are black and of a rotten texture, with an oily appear- 
ance, the tea will not be lit to drink. The purer tho 
tea the more tho distinctively brown colour of the leaf 
strikes the attention. I am sorry to say that the mix- 
ing that is frequently adoped by the trade to reduce 
prices results in the two kinds of leaves being supplied 
together. I need hardly add that it is important to 
seo that tho leaves havo the serrated or saw like edges 
without which no tea is genuine." — Trinidad Chronicle. 
Ceylon Direct Supply Agency. — We have received 
a circular which informs us that this agency, whose 
office is at 10, Cullnm Street, Feuehnrch Street, London, 
Las been established for the purpose of supplying the 
public with tea (and other Ceylon produce) direct from 
tho plantation in Ceylon. The C. D. S. A. teas are 
packed in 1 lb. foil bags, and the superior qualities 
in J lb. and i lb. samples as well, each quality being 
distinguished by a coloured label. These teas are 
aho packed in useful hinged lid tins of 5 lb. and 
upwards, or may bo had in original half or quarter- 
chests of 38 and 20 lb. We wish all success to this 
agency, tho manager of which is Mr. .T. D. Von der 
ytraaten. 
Ceylon Tea in Sydney.— Mr. A. M. Cameron writes 
from Sydney, under dato 7th Sept., as follows:— "I hope 
something will be done in the way of trying Ceylon tea 
in those pound and half pound packets hero ; but it 
must bo of tho lie*/, quality There h&i been eo much 
inferior —very inferior — Indian teas sent to these part9, 
that, while it is surely depreciating all Indian tea in 
the market, there is a good chance of tho success of 
Ceylon tea. But, as I have said, it must bo of very 
good quality. In my opinion, it will be a mis- 
take t'> get the people here t > confound Ceylon with 
Indian teas in general. Ceylon tea, for its own sake, 
ought to bo kept distinct. I am willing to do what 
1 pan t» sell il hero, by auction, or otherwise, if I 
am favored with any consignments ; but, as I have 
.said, it must bo good stuff, such as I can rec mincnd 
to the best houses aud residents here." 
Wallaiia, September 28th. — A revolution in cin- 
chona : No such thing as hybrids !— at least, so says 
authority. Dr. Trimen and Col. Bcddome paid a visit 
to this district, and havo declared all supposed hybrids 
to be distinct species, by name Pata de Gallinaryo. 
They only visited ouo estate, Eildon Hall. Their visit 
seems to have been kept a profound secret (more's 
the pity, as other estates could have shown several 
different kinds). 
South Coorc, 23rd Sept.— South Coorg has a wor- 
thy representative of the same family as your " Kum- 
buk tree" viz., the ■' Termiualia Coriaeea," the Mutti 
Mara of the Canarece, and Kara Maradoo of the 
Tamils. On the Titty mutty, it is the principal forest 
tree and grows to an immense size, planks 3 feet 
wide all hard wood being readily obtained. The koo- 
rambers use it when burnt in place of chunam along 
with their betel. It also in some cases affords them a 
supply of water, slightly bitter and astringent, but 
most acceptable when no other can be got. The tim- 
ber is entered us first class by the engineers in our 
D. P. W. The wood is beautifully veined and when 
worked up is almost equal to walnut, and I believe 
some of it has been sold in London as Indian wal- 
nut. For doors or windows it is not much used, as 
it contracts very much in the dry weather. At present 
it is loaded with seed but they are not ripe. Diri 
Divi (CaBsalpiniacoriaria) grows splendidly at Hoonsoor, 
but unfortunately nothing will grow under it. I believe 
a shipment of the dried pods was sent home, but a 
second not having followed I fear the price was not sa- 
tisfactory. I am glad to see that the merits of the Coorg 
coffee is being recognised by planters out of Coorg and 
Munzerabad, and I have no doubt that Ceylon planters 
would much benefit by the trial of a few bushels of 
guaranteed Nalkenaad tree seed, and that once tried 
there would be a. regular demand for the same. To 
make sure of having seed that can be depended on 
as being true to the kind, it is requisite (in my opi- 
nion) to give an order a full year beforehand, so that 
the trees may be selected in December or January, and 
marked with pieces of tin attached by wire to the 
stem. When marked, the ground must be carefully 
manured and dug up for 2h feet round the stems and 
then thatched with hill or swamp graes all over the 
dug space, and to a depth of from 4 to 6 inches. 
When the blossom buds are sufficiently forward, 
the trees should then be well watered so as to bring 
the blossom out, and the watering kept up as 
required till the spring showers. If any trees adjoin- 
ing those marked show any symptoms of having bene- 
fited from the water their blossom buds must be 
rubbed off before bursting so that there can be no 
chance of hybridization from those inferior trees. When 
the crop is ripe, equal care must be taken that none 
but the cherry from the marked trees is picked, and 
to ensure this the superintendent must see every tree 
done and remain with the coolies the whole time 
they are at this work. When pulped the beans should 
be mixed with dry ashes or powdered charcoal and 
then spread a bean thick on coir or date mats in 
ome cool airy store which can be locked, and there 
Bemain till it is required for the nnrsery, or till packed 
and sealed for transport. Plants raisod from a Decem- 
ber seed uursery will be from six to eight inches high by 
the end of June, and just what is required for ball plan- 
ting. In proof of tho superiority of Nalkenaad plants 
over all others. I havo only to name the Watt i coly 
estato Samphaii, whore tho only trees of tho 1858-59 
planting now loft are a fow that wero brought by a 
Coorg planter as a sample of what he had for sale. The 
Ghauts oneo tho very contro of coffeedom in Coorg are 
now on tho wane, no one caring to opon thore, the 
bamboo having so many advantages, chief of which 
are climato aud soil alike suited for coffeo aud cin- 
chona— An Old Bamboo. 
