December i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
547 
The Dature of carbolic acid, an essential organic 
compound, makes an accumulation thereof in the soil, 
impossible. 
16. In connection with this subject the Crypto- 
gamist says or is made to say by the printer: "(The 
effects of even a diluted solution of carbolic acid at 
the roots are disastrous, I hough in the case of a large 
strong tree they be to a certain extent masked by 
other changes. But observations on whole estates 
prove the same." There is some error in this last 
statement. iVo melt observations have been made. 
17. I have, of course, not entered upon these ex- 
periments without fully considering the possible effect 
of the treatment in all its bearings and our present 
chemical knowledge of the properties of carbolic acid 
in combined and uncom billed forms justifies my saying 
that used as recommended by me, the danger to the 
trees of accumulation of the said powder in the soil 
apprehended by the Cryptogamist, is groundless. 
18. As practically of more value than the above 
remarks I have the honor to append to this the result 
so far of the oarbolized powder treatment on two 
estates. I have selected these two estates from among 
four on which my advice not to operate oil less 
than 100 acres has been taken, as sufficiently repre- 
sentative to illustrate what success and what failure 
has resulted so far, if we take as a measure the 
extent to which the treatment has succeeded in keeping 
the area practically free from leaf-disease. 
You will observe that even in the case of what 
I style a failure, important beneficial results have 
been obtained and must be attributed to the mitiga- 
tion' of the disease by the treatment; but these are 
collateral benefits apart from the main question and 
may for the -present be left out of count. 
I stated nearly six months ago in my resume that 
the degree of success will depend oxxhow and ivhen the 
applications are given. Experience has enabled me 
now to emphasiz'i this statement. Full details will 
be given by inn in due time, when the planting public 
will rouse itself to action. In the meanwhile I may 
say that I can only direct and advise : the success 
of the treatment, if success there is to be, rests with 
the planter; and if therefore estates that have passed 
successfully through the periodical south-west monsoon 
attack of the disease get equally well through the 
north-east monsoon attack, the planting community 
will owe a debt of gratitude to those of its mem- 
bers who, other circumstances as time of application 
etc., beiug most favourable, have successfully battled 
the disea e by possessing to an eminent degree the 
two qualities, essentially necessary for a work of this 
kind viz : — PATIENCE and PERSEVERANCE. 
The subject matter of this communication being of 
considerable general interest, I have taken Mic liberty 
of sending copies thereof to the Chamber of Commerce, 
the Planters' Association and the Press, for their 
information. — I have the honor to be, sir, your most 
obedient servant, 
Eugene C. Schrottky, 
Technical and Agricultural Chemist, etc. 
Colombo, 16th November 1881. 
APPENDIX A. 
Failure of the Carbolued Powder Treatment at Olcneaglea 
Estate, Agrapatana, 
lit application in May. Management change el end 
ol May. l're-senl manager writes to Messrs. Whittall 
& Co., June '20th, 18S1 :— "To the naked eye Mr. 
Bohrottky's treatment haa had a very markeel effect 
on the [ODgua...] calculate that from 70 to 75 % of 
the fungus has been destrojed; and though disco- 
loured in places, the haves still appear to perform 
their functions anel do not fall when the tree is 
shaken, as iu the euso of diseased leaves." It was 
| observed that the fall of leaf had been less at that 
period than on surrounding estates and a careful 
investigation was made. Leaving out, details the 
manager writes: — " The foregoing figures on analysis 
show that Gleneagles had lost per tree 11 leaves 
from disease anel from 16 to 17 leaves due to other 
causes; while an adjoining estate [—A'. C. .S'.] had 
lost per tree 82 leaves from disease, and 10 leaves 
from other causes. The above figures I purpose veri- 
fying si me 3 weeks or one month after the next appli- 
cation, but they are in the present instance as corn 
as any c»n be, and we have satisfied ourselves that 
now here on other portions of the estate was there a 
greater fall of leaf than on the fields selected for 
investigation. I think, therefore, there can be little 
doubt that if the vaporisation has not entirely eradi- 
cated leaf disease it has prevented to a very great 
extent u heavy fall of leaf." 
II. 
A neighbouring planter having seen Gleneagles 
before the treatment and havii g taken part in the 
inspection writes to Messrs. Whittall & Co. 24th 
June 1881:— "1 have been in the Labit of seeing 
the coffee in the field above the road to Gleneagles 
bungalow from lime to time during the last year und 
I have often observed that ibis particular field was 
one of the parts most subje ct to leal disease on Glen- 
eagles or on the adjoining estates. Six weeks ago 
it was suffering from a very bad attack anel when I 
went up with Mr, Schrottky em the day of treatment, 
I calleel his attention to the fact that here leaf dis- 
ease was to be found in its most acute form. I can 
now say that this field at least stems to have been 
cured by the vaporization, fe>r I have never seen it for 
the last 12 months more free Ironi leaf disease than 
it is at prerent. Regarding the comparative fail of 
leaf on ■ estate and on Gleneagles lean only add 
my seirrowful testimony that I was a witness to the 
investigatien. The fact is patent that more leaves 
and those mostly diseased have fallen on the untreated 
area than on parts treated by Mr. Schiottky'a method. ' 
III. 
Mr. J. Whittall writes to Mr. Schrottky, 20th 
September 1881: — "I was over Gleneagles estate 
last week and it certainly compares favourably in 
appearance with , , and other properties 
around ; at the same time there is no eloubt it has 
also suffered badly from leaf disease." 
IV. 
Mr. Schrottky's report to Messrs. Whittall & Co., 
after the south-west monsoon attack of the disease 
had passed away — 20th October 1881 :— "I find, gener- 
ally speaking, but little leaf disease present in a 
vigorous, growing condition. There ure sufficient 
remains, however, to show that in parts of the estate 
the S. W. monsoon attack must have been a pretty 
severe one, though even now sufficient data are avail- 
able to prove, on comparison, that it has not been as 
severe as ou neighbouring estates. 
"Broadly speaking, 1 cannot say that the treatment 
I here has kept the disease in bounds as much as it has 
! done, so far, on other estates, and though the weak- 
I ness of the trees, where grub is prevalent, had 
I no doubt a great deal to do with the sever- 
ity of the attack in some parts, I cannot, con- 
| sidering the nature and habit of the fundus, attrib- 
ute the but partial success hero of the treat- 
ment to the pri st nre oi' grub. I am of opinion 
that even with grub we can stamp leaf disease out, 
1 if only tho treatment is systematically carrieel out. 
Unfortunately the change of managership and the 
continuous rain after the new manager had taken 
J charge has stood in the way e>f my instructions being 
! strictly carried tut here. These were originally to 
give throe applications at about ten days' interval ; so 
