December i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
557 
iug of a pinspot witliout fructification may be termed 
so. In adjoining uutrcated fields, the pinspots on the 
marked area were found to have fruited freely dur- 
ing the same period of observation. In several cases, 
the marked leaves were kept under observation lor 
more than six weeks. 
There is no special knowledge of Mycology required 
to distinguish when spores are thrown out by the 
fungus and when not. I am open to correction. 
1 am, again, at variance with Mr. Ward regarding 
his statement that no predisposition is required to infect 
a coffee tree. How does h& account for individual trees 
being comparatively free from it, though surrounded by 
thousands of badly diseased trees), and I differ with 
him in considering manure only no much additional 
nourishment for the fungus. 1 have never seen a well 
manured tree so badly diseased as an unmanured on°. 
The fungus, though perhaps it germinates and establishes 
itself as freely, does not spread or fructify as much 
on manurod as on unmanured coffee, one or two 
kinds of manure excepted. This is well kriown to 
every experienced planter. 
I am afraid, however, I shall transgress on your space, 
were I to write more, and you will perhaps say, 
cui bonum f I close therefore and remain, yours 
faithfully, EUGENE C. SCHROTTKY. 
COFFEE-LEAF DISEASE : MR. WARD'S REPORT. 
1st November 1881. 
Deae Sir, — Dr. Trimen's introductory letter to Mr. 
Marshall Ward's last report is remarkable in more 
than one respect, and invites criticism. Surely the 
fungus-pest has ever received so prolonged and con- 
tinuous an examination," inadvertently omitted to say 
that the thoroughness and completeness of the informa- 
tion stands scarcely in proportion to it. For, beyond 
correcting Mr. Morris in his filament theory, the 
present report adds little to the researches of the 
Stev. R. Abbay and Dr. Thwaites, as far as the life- 
hisiory of the fungus, pure and simple, is concerned. 
The Colony had a right to expect the whole life- 
history from a eryptogamiat specially employed 
'jmd selected for the work. Other mycologists 
have ha I no difficulty, in describing the life-hisiory 
jpf other members of the same family and have 
discovered the respective second host plants. Dr. 
Tram n assumes u great responsibility in saying that 
the discovery of the second host plant of Hemileia 
vavtatrix is unimportant. To say that, in his opinion, 
it really di. I not mat ter whether anything was known 
about the history of the second kind of spore, or not, 
is an ill-chosen apology for Mr. Marshall Ward 
having failed to follow it up. 
'I he proportion of teleuto-sporcs to uredo-spores, 
produced by each disease spot, is formidable enough 
to make the discovery of tho second host plant one 
of the greatest importance ti the coffee industry of 
Ceylon. It will probably make little difference to 
estates which .ir: chronically suffering from this pe-t 
and are never free from it. There the uredo-spores 
play do doubt the most important part in originating 
each successive attack ; l>ut as regards estates that suffer 
■Hodioally, say once a year, there is every reason 
to believe that the attack is chiefly, If not entirely, 
Originated by tho products of the second kind of spore. 
There is no evidence produc 'd by Mr. Ward to show 
that the uredo-spores can lie dormant through heat ai 1 
dew and rain for, mv, nine months, nor does our know- 
ledge ol the life-history of other members of the same 
family justify in any toay the assumption tbat the 
Recovery of the second host plant would bo unim- 
portant to the ooffee industry, 
HO 
Mr. Marshall Ward's report is interesting, but it 
fails to give us that complete information on the 
life-history of the fungus, which the Colonv had some 
right to expect. A 'CRITIC. 
COFFEE LEAF-DISEASE AND MR. WARD'S 
INVESTIGATION. 
2nd Nov. 1881. 
DEAR Sir, — In your issue of the 31st ult., you 
drew attention to Mr. Ward's statement tbat " the 
disease is quite compatible with and indeed prefurs 
healthy and luxuriant trees." This statement is opposed 
to facts. Tht disease prefers sickly trees, and on these 
it luxuriates and spreads in a manner which shows 
that on or in such trees it finds its true home and 
conditions most favourable, to its development. 
You also bring prominently to notice tha', accord- 
ing to Mr. Ward's observations, 24 hour-.' soak ng rain 
is required to give the fungus a fair start, and that 
it rules supreme during moist, rainy weather. If this 
is the case, how are the attacks of the disease to be 
accounted for that occur, in some districts, during 
#ry weather, and which (the attacks), according to the 
observation of experienced planters, are apparently 
originated by and accompany the advent o high dry 
winds ? 
M r. Ward's conclusions as to the atmospheric circum- 
stances which favour the development of the fuu^ns 
are, I think, perfectly correct, as far as the uredo- 
spore is concerned. How important, therefore, to find 
out what form of the fungus originates th.; disease 
attacks during dry weather ; how important, therefore 
to find out what becom s of the products of the second 
kind of spore — a subject to which I endeavoured to 
draw your attention in my letter of yesterday. 
A CRITIC. 
HOW TO CULTIVATE COFFEE AND FIGHT 
" LEAF DISEASE " 
Dear Sir, — I am glad to see, from your issue of 
es Sinclair is experimenting 
25th inst., that M 
in Lindula to miti< 
give crops. I can as 
manuring in small c 
The kind of manure 
and get trees to 
>n the right track ; 
ssary is one point, 
lowever, the greatest 
point, and we c mnot depend on the analysis of soil 
to guide us. If our soil is deficient in potash, it will 
not do to put pure potash to the tree, but wemu-t put 
the material out of which potash is made, and let the 
roots do the rest. In all cases, mix woodash with 
your bones and lime with your poouac before applying. 
Apply no patent manure without some cattle or good 
compost being thoroughly mixed with it. In high and 
wet districts, lay your roots bare in the hot weather ; 
apply your manure, cover ovi r the soil, then stamp the 
soil so that it gets hard and does not allow too much 
moisture to get to the roots. In the lowcountry, cut 
holes in the wet weather, apply your manure, cover with 
soil the hole half full, and put leaves, mana, or rub- 
bish on top, or fork iu both districts in what manure 
you give above the tree. Yon cannot use too much 
woodash and lime while leaf-disease hangs about. 
Since the lite rains, my disinfectants have ag-nn driven 
leaf disease out of my coffee where affect d. Tois 
time it settled close to on a native man's tree garrlen 
where del, jak, and a lot of other trees bad lost 
their leaves and the branches dying off as w 11 as some 
of the trees are dying. The planter must trust to his eye 
to detect when, where, how and what manure or di-m 
fectant to apply, hy the appearance of the coffee. In 
some cases it is necessary to make holes below ih 
trees (get from Walker & Co., one like Ilolloway'i 
Earth Anger) to let the earth damp e-capc and then 
throw a little gas lime into the hole or sulpl I and 
lime and leave the hole open. Knife. prune early and 
