6s6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January 2, 1882. 
To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 
LIMESTONE AND GEMS IN THE RAKWANA 
DISTRICT: Mr. A. C. DIXON'S VISIT. 
Dear Sir, — A paragraph in your valuable book on 
" Gold, Gems, and Pearls," on p. 72, refers to the 
Rangwelletenne limestone and gem district around. It 
states wbat I could have seen, had circumstances been 
favourable. I beg to state that I did find limestone 
of similar quality to that analyzed by Mr. Hughes, but 
when I stated that the Rangwelletenne limestone was 
poor, I referred to the limestone in general, and not to 
selected boulders in particular. I got off at the girder 
bridge on the main road near the estate and went up 
the ravine. I found the bed which is referred to on 
native property, specimens from which I took as well 
as from boulders in the stream. Lastly, it states, that 
had my visit to the district been known, my attention 
would have been directed to the rich gemming district 
on Everton and Batakanda. These I also visited, taking- 
note of the pits and collecting rough and cut gems as 
well as then- associated minerals. I saw other districts 
not far away yet unworked, which, I have reason to 
believe, will prove richer than the Everton deposit. — 
Yours sincerely. 
A. C. DIXON. 
COTTON SEED : AN INQUIRY. 
Kandy, 14th November 1881. 
Dear Sir, — Can you or one of your correspondents 
eay whether any experiments have ever been man'e 
with the seed of the Ceylon cotton, to ascertain 
whether it has anything in common with the cotton- 
seed of commerce, so highly spoken of as food for 
cattle, and the meal of which is said to be a feriilizer 
equal to guano? The seed of the cotton tree, I refer 
to, with bright green stem and branches in threes 
at right angle* to it, is black, with a white kernel full 
of a milky juice. — Yours truly, IGNORAMUS. 
[Our correspondent will find a full description of 
the tree, and the uses to which it is put in Ceylon, 
in our issue of 7th March : we shall republish 
this in the T. Agriculturist. The tree has various 
names and synonyms, viz. E>'iode^dron anfractuos- 
um and E. Orientate, Bovibax pintandrum and B. 
orieidale, and Gtiba pentandra. ' W. F. " says: — 
"I think cotton seed oil is extracted in some parts 
of India, but I have never heard of its oil-calce nor 
of its being used as a manure. Your correspondent 
refers to the real cotton s-ed, gossypium, and to that 
of the silk cotton tree. The seed of the former is 
a universal food for milch cows in India and Ceylon, 
and is no doubt the cotton seed of commerce referred 
to by your correspondent. In talking or writing about 
Ihe cotton and silk cotton care should be taken not 
to confound them." — Ed.] 
CLEARING LANTANA LAND. 
Kadugannawa, 25th Nov. 1881. 
Dear ?ir,— Your correspondent, " Never Too Old to 
Learn," wishes to know the cost and mode of clearing 
lantana. The usual way is to fell, as in forest land, 
and, after a week, set fire to it. Then dig out the 
roots, heap, "and set tire. In getting out the roots, great 
c*re must be taken that large sized roots are not left 
underground, as these grow up again. 
I have tried felling by estate labor, but have found 
it cost a good deal. If given out on contract, the 
land could be felled, burned, and cleared of all roots for 
betwei 11 RIO and 1112. The land I cleared was in 
lantana for betweeD 12 and 15 years. — Yours truly, 
PLANTER. 
COCOA PODS IN THE PAN WILA DISTRICT. 
Gonambil Estate, November 26th. 
Dear Sir, — I am not so far behind Mr. Drum- 
mond as to the weight of cocoa pods. Last Wednes- 
day 1 cut two pods off one tree (imported plants 
from Trinidad, and their maiden crop). The largest 
was 2 lb. exactly and the other lib. 10 ounces, and, 
when opened, contained 43 and 41 seeds respectively. 
—Yours faithfully, H. A. GILLIAT. 
[The number of seeds reported is extraordinary and 
quite unprecedented, we believe- 24 is the normal 
number, and Mr. Drummond's " champion" con- 
tained 28 large seeds weighing over 3 ounces. — Ed.] 
HOW TO TRANSMIT COCOA PODS OR 
SEEDS TO ANOTHER COUNTRY ? 
Nov. 29th, 1881. 
Dear Sir, — Can you, or any of your readers, inf irm 
me of the best method for sending co-oa seed to a 
distance, say for instance Borneo, so as to insure its 
arriving in good condition. Should the seeds be ex- 
tracted from the pod, and, if so, how should they be 
packed ? If not, how should the pods be treated? 
Any information as regards the above will greatly 
oblige.— Yours, CACAO. 
INDIGO IN CEYLON. 
Colombo, 29th November 1831. 
Sir, — A correspondent of yours wishes to know 
where he could get indigo seeds. Having read it 
history that one of the Kandian Kings — I forgen 
which — contracted to give indigo to the Dutch, I 
mad' inquiries if <ihis plant was growing in the island. 
I understand it is growing wild in Matale. I en- 
close a few seeds which were sent to me from 
Matale. 1 tried to grow them at Colombo, but they 
do not germinate at all. — I remain, sir, yours faithfully, 
W. P. RANASINHA. 
[The seeds shall be sent on. As stated in our Agri- 
cultural Review : — "The cultivation of Indigo in the 
Seven Korale3, begun by the Dutch in 1646, was 
unsuccessful, and Governor Barnes, in 1826, lost money 
over this article. Mr. Henley, a Bengal planter, 
tried indigo also in the Southern Province, but failed 
in his attempt to grow it properly." — Ed.] 
MR. MARSHALL WARD'S REPORT ON 
LEAF-DISEASE. 
Wallaha, 29th November 1881. 
Dear Sir, — I have read Mr. Marshall Ward's third 
report on leaf-disease, and, though I agree with 
him in what ho says about the seasons of infection 
and the effect that rain and moisture in the atmos- 
phere have on the growth of the disease, I must 
say that I think some of his inferences are erroneous, 
and, with a view to pointing out what 1 think are 
errors, I write this letter which I hope you will be 
able to find room for in your columns. I trust also 
that, by raising a discussion on the subject, practical 
planters, who have given the "disease" thought and 
attention, may be induced to give their opinions on 
the report. 
The inferences that I take exception to are those 
expressed in paragraph 5 of the "summary and con- 
clusions," in these words: "No special predisposition 
on the part of coffee is required for its infection," 
and in paragraph 8: "Manure can in no sense be 
properly looked upon as a cure for the disease." 
These inferences are quite opposed to my experience 
of coffee generally. 
Before going further, it will be as well to say 
what I take the meaning of "predisposition" to be: 
it means that all coffee, whatever its ago, condition, 
or vigour, if exposed to infection, is liable to take it 
