S 3 6 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1882. 
a 
but in upwards of 50 acres planted, three and some of 
it four times, I have not 3,000 plants living, Some of 
them are now doing well, but many of the weaker plants 
in exposed situations will evidently fail still. I think I 
In jw enough of the plant now, to secure greater success, 
if I ever have to deal with it again, but I will not willingly 
undertake it. One special tree one of a batch of 500 
odd, planted in July 1879, of which very few remain, has 
reached a height of ten feet, and has branches of five: 
it has flowered in great abundance, for twelve months, but 
shows no symptom of fruiting, and all the larger trees 
seem to follow suit. 
" I have planted over 1,000 teak trees along the boundary, 
and in lines across the front field : they have got on 
superbly, wherever the soil suited them. I have arranged 
to get a bag of seed from Kotudeniyawa to extend its 
cultivation. 
" For boundary fences, where the soil is good, and for 
shelter belts, I know nothing to compare with the Indian 
ba;nbu. Its quick growth, of nearly 20 feet in a year ; 
its density and intricacy, will let no wind, much less any 
mi re solid substance, through, and I see no serious difficulty 
in keeping it within assigned bounds. I find some difficulty 
however in propagating it, otherwise than from seed. 
I have tried many ' plans without complete success in 
any, but I do not despair of overcoming it. In the bound- 
ary fences, I have tried layering, which so far seems to 
succeed, but I cannot apply that plan to fresh lines of 
shelter. I have tried putting down whole lengths, in 
trenches, with all the branches attached, but cannot assert 
that it will succeed. 
"I have no doubt that but for Hemileia Liberian coffee 
is the most profitable of our low-country products, but 
with the active presence of this pest we have an element 
that defies all our calculations. On this land I have no 
doubt that the crops would be from 6 to 10 cwt. per 
acre after the third year, which, with cheaper labour, and 
lighter public burdens, would place us in advantageous 
comparison with our upcountry brethren, but with the 
same enemy to contend with, and the same ignorance of 
how it is to be successfully attacked, I fear we cannot 
congratulate ourselves on our better position. The crypto- 
gamist has finished his task, and left us exactly where he 
found us, as regards a practical remedy. ' We have no 
right to complain that science has done no more for us 
than it could, but it need not have accompanied its fail- 
ure, with advice equally impracticable and useless. 
Hemileia cometh where it listeth, but we know not whence, 
nor need we enquire where it goeth, would it only go. 
As for the various plans of treatment proposed on more 
or less sound principles, I, for my own part, am sceptical 
of success, I would indeed try them, and do them full 
justice, though with the minimum of hope as it is better 
to be doing something than standing still in the con- 
fession of utter helplessness. On all hands it is admitted, 
that lime is an antifungoid, and I am now applying lime, 
by dusting it on the trees, whenever the leaves are suffici- 
ently moist to retain it So far, I do not see that it 
has had any direct, effect on the Hemileia, but I believe 
it will be otherwise beneficial. If it do not benefit the tree 
already affected, by even partially checking the pest, it 
will probably render those now free, less liable to an at- 
tack, and at the last, and the worst, the soil will be so 
far in proved as a hundredweight per acre can improve 
it. I think I see a gleam of hope, in the case of Liberian 
coffee, in the fact that different varieties are differently 
affected. One variety it strips of every leaf in a few 
months ; another gets more or less of the pinspots on 
every leaf, but drops none, and ripens any crop it may 
form ; a third gets spots, but the Hemileia never fructi- 
fies* a id a fourth absolutely refuses to admit it, though 
infection from neighbouring plants for twelve 
months. Should this on further observation, be confirmed, 
we will only have to propagate from the varieties that 
have the best powers of resistance. So far as my obser- 
vation enables me to judge, Hemileia, having once found 
a home, on a Liberian coffee plant, never leaves it again, 
but goes on affecting each leaf as it is developed. 1 have 
slumped great numbers of young plants, from one to four feet: 
f -renter part, the stump did not even make an attempt, 
nicker, and when it did, the pest appeared again 
first leaf opened, 1 may mention here, that I obtained 
some of the seed recommended as the produce of 
the oldest trees in Ceylon. The plants grown from this 
are the only lot that got Hemileia in the nursery, that 
indeed showed it on the seed leaves, when they had no 
other. I could not at first admit that the yellowing of the 
seed leaves, indicated the presence of the disease, but 
that point was subsequently placed beyond dispute. There 
is no time in the life of a coffee plant when it is in such 
vigor as in its third year ; it has enjoyed the fresh 
energy of the soil ; its sprinkling of crop, makes no ex- 
hausting demands on its resources; and the consequence 
is that the maiden crop is the most perfect seeds it 
ever yields. I would, therefore, in the cause of obtaining 
the most perfect plants, use the selected seeds of selected 
trees, bearing their maiden crop. I have here such a 
variety of Liberian coffee plants ; leading varieties and 
sub-varieties that I feel myself quite unequal to their 
classification. They differ in the height of the stem at 
which they branch ; in the size, form, and colour of the 
leaf, in the angles that the branches make with the stem, 
in the closeness of the foliage, and above all in their 
susceptibility to disease. So far as I am able to judge, 
in the present state of my experience, there are two 
varieties that absolutely refuse accommodation to the 
intruder* and there is a third that gets the pinspots, a 
few here and there, but they do not seem to fructify, 
and it hardly seems to suffer. This latter is that which 
needs most room, in its third year. The branches reach 
a length of f our feet, and stand out at right angles with 
the stem, being well furnished with secondaries, and the 
foliage very full and close, of a very light green. It is 
a late and a light bearer, so far as I have yet seen, 
certainly not to be propagated as the Liberian coffee of 
the future. The first favourite is a handsome tree; foliage 
very dense dark green, and glossy, and an early and 
heavy bearer; the joints are very close; it produces from 
twenty to thirty-five flowers, at each joint flowers out to 
last pair of leaves, and averages twenty fruit at each 
joint, and so far seems proof to Hemileia. The next in 
order branches nearer the ground, in some cases within 
a foot, it has long narrow leaves, width one-third of length 
with great density of tex'.ure, and a tough leathery look. 
It is a tolerable bearer but not equal to number one and 
it is not absolutely impervious to Hemileia, but seems to have 
considerable power of resistence. One plant, that has been 
spotted for twelve months, has not dropped a leaf from 
this cause while several of its near neigbours are leafless. 
I am watching to ascertain the varieties that are most 
susceptible to the pest, but though I have marked down 
several to be avoided, in further propagation, my obser- 
vations are not complete, and I will reserve what I may 
have to say till better informed. 
" The money spent by me, since I took charge, two 
years and nine months ago, up to the end of 1881, is : — 
1879 E3.946-64 
1880 3,602-41 
1881 3,2l'9'64 
E10.778-69 
From this sum, deduct receipts for estate's produce 
E742-98, leaves balance to debit of B10,025-71. As I was 
not furnished with account of money spent on felling, be- 
fore I took charge, I could not include it, and the pre- 
vious expenditure for plants was something considerable, 
but it has not come into my accounts. With those items 
■edded, and the large sums subsequently paid for coffee 
and cocoa seed, the portion now planted, say 70 acres, will 
be heavily handicapped, but the sooner the whole property 
can be planted up, the lighter it will be all round. Plants 
can now be reared for a comparative trifle, and I can now 
work at a much lower rate than in the earlier days of 
organizing and fighting against the extravagant demands 
of everyone with whom I had to deal. If I had to begin 
anew, in this neighbourhood, I would have no hesitation 
in undertaking to bring 100 acres of Liberian coffee into 
bearing with everything but the permanent buildings com- 
plete for E15,000, and such a property should then be 
worth E50,000 if we only calculate five cwt. per acre at GOs, 
and a local annual cost of 40s. When the contemplated 
filling-up is completed, I would value the 70 acres open 
now at E21,7O0, and the remaining jungle at E3.240, mak- 
ing for the whole property E25,000, and my estimate would 
