March r, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
765 
gard to the elevation at which Libeiian coffee will 
grow and flourish. I may mention that I have a 
few trees here, now four years old and btaring heavily. 
One tree in particular, which ripened a few hundred 
cherries last year, has now a load of over 3,000 
cherries on it, by computation. The cherries arc 
growing in clusters nil round the stem of the tree, 
where you generally see suckers. The elevation is 
3,100 feet. 
Those trees have had no special care taken of them 
and the soil is not- particularly good. Tbey have had 
leaf-disease as badly as the Ar.ibian coffee in their 
vicinity, but have suffered lees ! Notwithstanding all 
this, I do not believe Libeiian coffee will ever sup- 
plant the Arabian ; and this seems to be the general 
opinion.— Yours faithfully, G. H. HALL. 
CINCHONA CULTIVATION. 
22nd Jan. 1882. 
Dear Sir, — Perhaps some of your numerous corre- 
spondents can give some useful information regarding 
what should be done to a clearing of cinchona of- 
ficinalis under the circumstances I now proceed to 
mention. 
It is say four-and-a-half years old, and the larger 
portion of it is seeding and flowering heavily. Would 
pruning up moderately and cutting off blossom, as far as 
a cooly could reach, be the right thing to do, or 
would it be better for the trees to be allowed to 
continue as they are and shed the seed ? 
From Mr. Owen's book, I cannot quite gather whether 
he recommends pruning under these circumstances or 
not, though he certainly does not with trees that 
remain without blossom. 
Does the mere fact of blossoming denote that the 
tree is likely to die sooner thau one which has none, 
both looking apparently healthy at tho same age, four- 
and-a-half years ? 
Lastly has it not been the general experience in 
Ceylon, till now, that officinalis trees at that age, and 
even younger, have tended to seed heavily at the 
same time without the bark being in any way deterior- 
ated by it, whether grown in a very suitable climate or 
not. It seems, from what little I have seen of officin- 
alis, to be almost its nature to try to reproduco it- 
self at that age. Is it the case in India, where they 
have much older trees than many in Ceylon ?— Yours 
truly, ENQUIRER. 
COFFEE LEAF DISEASE. 
Colombo, 23rd January 1882. 
DEAR SIR, — As I gather there is an inipressiou abroad, 
that tho results obtained a' Ghmgapitiya are greatly 
neutralized by the supposed fact that an adjoining 
uutreated estate is equally free from leaf disease, I 
think it necessary to correct this idea. A glance at 
the map will show that Gmgapitiya is surrounded and 
immediately adjoined by I J.-inyaw all e, Amb.icot ta an. I 
Lower Rajewello, with which it has been com- 
pared. On tho other side of the river is somo 
native coffee, heavily diseased. Then about three 
miles farther down tho river comes Mahaborie- 
tonne, tho visiting agent's report of which has just 
been shewn to me l>y Messrs. Wlnttall, stating that it 
was likewise considerably diseased. Then, -till fnrthur 
clown the river at the very end of thedistriot away from 
tho bulk of estates, are Henegahawelle mid Victoria, 
which nru now reported to hu comparatively little 
•Hooted. I know nothing of the po>t history of these 
estates and whether like liangapitiya tiny hove for the 
pant four years snlleieo seveielv tiom leaf disease during 
October, and ac,ain during January. It is sufficient 
for the purpose of the results of my experiments to 
have compared Gangapitiya with the immediately 
surrounding estates, on ntrf title. 
I am beginning to realize that every fact I bring for- 
ward to testify the usefulness of the treatment 1 have 
recommended is being unjustly discredited and dis- 
torted. I have devoted, to the neglect of my interests 
elsewhere, nearly the whole of my time for the last 18 
months to the pursuit, of these experiments, I have 
also gone to considerable actual expense ; I have left 
nothing undone that could be done, and no one, I 
venture lo say, would have retreated with a better 
grace had failure resulted. But, instead of failure, the 
results fully justify the opinion that with some modi- 
fication the treatment might result not merely in a miti- 
gation of the disease but in a cure. I have been endea- 
vouring now to arrange for the continuance of my expe- 
riments during the next eoason, being willing to devote 
still more of my time to it, but i find that speak- 
ing of the past and present, not only are the re- 
sults of my experiments not accepted on their absolute 
merits — but they are subjected rather to an under current 
of adveise criticism which is based upon inaccurate 
and non-existent data.— and owing to this I am un- 
able to obtain such a measure of success as I con- 
sider necessary. I think therefore that I had 
better retire now from the further direction of 
these experiments, and I must leave the coffee in- 
dustry to arrange for their continuance under some 
other guidance. I am tired of meeting nothing but 
unjustified disbelief and opposition. But I challenge 
those who are responsible to absent proprietors and 
mortgagees to fold their hands and do nothing. 
Surgeon-Major Shortt has testified to the value of 
carbolic acid as a remedy against leaf disease. Mr. Morris 
has done the same. Mr. Marshall Ward has admitted 
that carbolic acid is a remedy against haf-disease, 
he admits that a great deal might be done with it 
were it not for the fact that it is injurious to 
the trees. I don't know whether those interested 
will even allow that I have disproved the ex- 
istence of this fact, but I claim to have proved 
that carbolic acid can be used against leaf-disease 
with perfect safety ; I claim to have proved that it 
can be used on a practical scale and on this basis alone 
I now call on the Government and on those respons- 
ible to vested interests to continue the experiments 
taking the advantage of my experience as to time of 
application, etc. There are many to whom I am obliged 
for moral and actual support during the past year, but 
they are too few to justify my devoting another year 
to this matter ; for nothing less thau absolute success at 
at least half-a-dozen estates in different districts would, 
1 feel assured, rouse the coffee industry of Ceylon 
from its present despairing apathy. 
EUGENE C. SCHROTTKY. 
THE WILD VANILLA. 
Theobroma, Mirigama, 24th Jan. 18S2. 
Dear Sir, — Walking through the jungle here, I 
came ncross an orchid, which, to my unscientific eye, 
looks very like vauilla. I send y.m by rail a few 
cuttings. I have been unable to procure tho flower 
or fruit. The pod, as described by a Sinhalese man, 
exactly resembles the vanilla.— I am, yours faithfully, 
R, B. L. 
[W. P, farhishefl the following note : — "The plant sent 
by your correspondent is the Vauilla Mo 'hit, Thw. 
It was long ago discovered by Moon, and included in 
his Catuloguu of 1824, as tbo Vauilla aromatic*? 
Moon, p. 60. It is (iiiite a commou plant in various 
parts of the Western Province, and (lowers and fruits 
freely, every part bearing a strong resemhlaiico to 
that of tho cultivated vauilla, but the fruits ore not 
aromatic It festoons trees profusely with it? pendant 
wt. in-, and is s>> like the cultivated ranilla plant! that 
a person uot aware of the existence of thi» indigen- 
ous species is liable to bo deceived by it. It is QMS' 
