8 3 8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April i, 1882. 
Correspondence having then been read from Mr. 
Eugene C. Schrottky, with regard to the treatment of 
leaf disease, 
The Chairman enquired whether the members 
thought anything more could be done. 
Mr. Gibbon said: I have one remark to make. 
I do not quite see what advantage we could gain 
from the form of experiments proposed. I do not 
see how it is possible for any man to get any prize, 
unless there were some means placed at his disposal 
by Government to carry out his experiments. Mr. 
Schrottky has spent much time and money and 
deserves the warmest thanks at our hands. We may 
differ from him, and some of us do differ from him, 
but there can be no doubt that Mr. Schrottky has 
spent twelve months of his time among us in ex- 
periments. We had a Government man with a fixed 
salary, who has given us the life-history of leaf dis- 
ease, but, with all deference to Mr. Ward, I must 
say that Mr. Schrottky has tried to give us the 
death-history of leaf disease. It would be well to 
point out to Government that many of the native 
gardens are being made utterly worthless by leaf 
disease, and that it is not fair to expect planters to 
pay entirely for experiments from which the natives 
would largely benefit, if they are successful. Ji would 
be well ir the different Government Agents appointed 
gardens for carrying out experiments. Messrs. Whit- 
tall & Co., have put up their estates under experi- 
ment, and I do not see why Government should not 
be called upon to take their share in the business, 
and to do their bounded auty in the interests of the 
natives, by actually putting their hands into tbeir 
pockets and contributing towards the carrying out 
of the experiments. The sweeping up of leavts, as 
recommended by Mr. Ward, for instance, might be 
carried on in the native gardens selected by Govern- 
ment, which, for all they are worth at present, 
would be readily given by the natives for their pur- 
chase. It would not cost government much, and the 
cost would be nothing compared to the increase of 
revenue 'f native coffee were again to come to the 
front. 
Mr. Wright enquired if Government would not 
fix a certain amount for the reward. 
The Chairman said that Government could not 
be got to fix a reward. 
One of the members asked for more information 
with regard to Mr. Schrottky's treatment, whereupon 
The Chairman remarked that he taw the estate 
on which the experiment of carbolic powder was tried. 
The place looked to a certain extent free from dis- 
ease, but he thought the attack was iinly put off' for 
a time, and that it would come on again with great 
virulence. 
Mr. Uibbon said that no harm could be done by 
the application of carbolic powder. Experiments 
were tried on Pallakeily, and he questioned whether 
the lime or carbolic powder was doing good. At Palla- 
keily they were trying lime alone now. 
LEAF-DISEASE REMEDIES. 
The following are the letters of Mr. Schrottky regarding his 
remedy for leaf -disease read at the recent meeting of the 
Planters' Association : — 
Colombo, 6th February 1882. 
A. Philip, Esq., 
Secretary, Ceylon Planters' Association, Kandy. 
DeaeSie, — In continuation of my letter of 10th November, 
and 31st Way 1881, I have now the honor to forward you 
herewith, for the information of the Committee and mem- 
bi cb oi the Association, my concluding notes on the results 
of my experiments in connection with coflec leaf disease. 
In addition, 1 desire to point out that these, notes are based, 
not only on the reports accompanying but to a very great 
extent also on the evidence that has been collected by me 
and made public from time to time as to the effect of the 
carbolized powder on the fungus at various times of the 
year. 
I have carefully considered not only the absolute results 
of the treatment, but also all the surrounding circumstances, 
which could possibly tend to lead me to a wrong conclusion. 
More particularly has this been done with regard to the 
results at Gangapitiya estate, and I trust that some weight 
will be attached to my statement that there is no evidence 
existing that could qualify, to however small an extent, the 
results there obtained viz., the successful stamping out of 
disease in April and May, and the immunity from it as long 
as carbolized powder lasted (for the subsequent 7 months;, 
during all which time the disease was prevalent in every 
surrounding estate ; viz., Eajewelle, Gangaw arte, Ambacotta, 
Mahaberiatenne and Mary Mount. The treatment was dis- 
continued at Gangapitiya at the end of December for want 
of carbolized powder, and leaf-disease has been making 
some progress since, but, considering the enormous mass of 
spores of the fungus that were supplied by the surrounding 
affected estates, this was reasonably to be expected, for we 
have every evidence now that to ensure absolute continued 
immunity from disease, the treatment must be continuous, 
except, perhaps, on completely isolated estates. 
The experience gathered during the last 18 months 
has been important, disclosing the period of the year 
when the fungus may be dealt with most successfully, 
and as I see my way clearly to modify the treatment, 
and, the form of application of the carbolic acid, so as to 
render its action more continuous and effective during 
rainy weather, ami thus more M.ecessiully to guard against 
reinfection, I feel fully ju-tifud in having- closed the 
results at the end of December, especially as I have 
already laid proof before the public that the growth of 
the fungus can be successfully arrested during January 
and subsequent months. 
I have t ' regret that the readiness with which the results 
obtained at Ganeapitiya have been attributed to anything 
rather than the treat ment has greatly operated asainstmy 
endeavours to arrange, i efore my departure for India, for 
a continuation of these experiments on a sufficiently large 
scale to establish thoroughly at the end of another 12 
months the usefulness of the remedy. It has been argued 
that the immunity of Gangapitiya from le f-disease during 
all the time the t eatment was continued (!• months) was 
due to exceptional dryness of weather during the soutb- 
west-monsoon. But after careful enquiry I find that there 
has been no difference in r infall between Gangapitiya 
and the bulk of the estates with which it is compared viz. 
Gangawatte, Ambacotta, lower Eajawelle and Eajawelle 
No. I and No. II. Upper Eajawelle and Pallekelly had 
a little more ran during the south-west monsoon, but so 
far from this having caused a greater development of the 
disease in the latter than in the former estates, the manager 
of I'allekelly and m\ self on a visit through ihese esates 
in October last came to the conclusion, from what we. saw, 
that there was, on the co ti ary, Jess disease at Pall' k< Jly 
than at Gangapitiya, Ambacotta and Eajawelle" No. 1 a .d 
No. II. 
It has further been argued that belief in the efficacy of 
the treatment is co sideiably shaken by the absence of 
disease in December on Vici oria and Henegahawelle estates. 
These two i states are exceptionally situated -, they are at 
the very end of the Dumbara district ; are separated from 
Gangapitiya by a range of wooded hills of nearly two 
miles Ireadth; hey have been more liberally treaied (the 
greater part of JHenegahawelle was manured with bulk 
only lately); and tbeir history as regards time and severity 
of disease attacks (as appears from estate reports for the 
past years) diners essentially from that of Gangapitij a and 
the bulk of estates in the Dumbraa valley. 
Seeing now how readry successful results are questioned 
on insufficient grounds, the Association will understand 
why I can scarcely be expected to continue the further 
direction of these experiments, not having been able to 
obtain a sufficient acreage to operate upon during next 
season. If only one or two estates are operated upon, 
the results, however successful, would always be open to be 
questioned on some ground or other, and I would have 
thus devoted another year of my time to this work 
without being able to claim that recompense and recognition 
of services to which a universally acknowledged success 
would entitle me. 
