THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May r, 1882. 
arranged so as to help the plant to tide over that brief 
period during which leaf-disease does so much damage. 
Heavy pruning, which induces the rapid extension of 
immature succulent shoots, must assuredly be discon- 
tinued as calculated at least to cause subsequent de- 
bility. Although much mischief has been done by 
hacking and cutting the roots, still this should not 
prevent systematic root-pruning being regarded as an 
indispensable operation of culture, although one which, 
to perform properly, requires a little extra supervision. 
Having read the superb lecture recently delivered by 
Professor Pasteur on the wonderful influence of oxygen 
in maintaining " a mycelienne culture " of the minute 
organisms which are associated with anthracoid disease, 
and Professor Claude Bernard's graphic account of the 
destruction of the yeast fungus by the same ageDcy, 
the idea suggests itself that it may yet be found 
that the oxygen evolved from the stomata of healthy 
leaves during the process of assimilation has at least 
some power of restraining the advance in the develop- 
ment of those vegetative processes of Hemihia which 
not being parasitic are comparatively harmless. Al- 
though, owing to my limited experience relative to 
the use of chemical manures, I am naturally desirous 
to express my views with the greatest possible diffi- 
dence, yet the humble experiments which I have 
already conducted have given me very great encour- 
agement to continue my study of the effect of phospho- 
nitrogenous and alkaline preparations in checking 
fungoid disease, and in conclusion I would venture to 
hope that, before my brother-planters agree to ac- 
knowledge Hemileia an unconquerable foe, they will 
at least try on a small scale some of the remedial 
measures indicated by me. 
GRAHAM ANDERSON. 
Barguai, Mysore, February 1882. 
COFFEE: "NALKNAAD." 
TO THE EDITOR OE THE " ASIAN," 
Sir,— Though, in the heading of your paper, only 
tea and indigo of planting industries are mentioned, I 
hope you will accept a letter about coffee, in which I 
will give some slight account of a new variety, which 
seems likely to produce a revolution in the planters' 
favour. 
This variety is termed the " Nalknaad," having first 
been found in the district of Coorg. The leaf is broader, 
thicker and of a darker green than any coffee leaf I 
have seen, except that of the Liberian. The branches 
neither sweep upwards, like the Manzerabad variety, 
nor are they borizontal, as in that of Ceylon, but droop 
all round the stem like an umbrella. This gives each, 
shrub the appearance of a small, softly-rounded hil- 
lock, clothed with intense dark green : in spring covered 
by the bridal veil of blossom, and in autumn, like "the 
rowan tree," with berries red. This variety has 
hitherto resisted the leaf-disease, and been unhurt by 
the borer. In the opinion of those most qualified to 
judge, it has a stronger and more, enduring vitality 
than any coffee we have as yet seen in India, and 
quality, perhaps, most valued by planters, yields from 
25 to 30 per cent, more crop. 
A new variety, however, it is not ; very possibly, 
indeed probably, it is the oldest variety in India, but 
new to Europeans. The Arabs have traded with the 
'Western Coast of India for thousands of years. Likely 
enough, long before the days when they brought, the 
spices of lnd to the Queen of Sheba, and carried the 
gold of Devala to adorn the temple of Suliman Ben 
Daud. From their intercourse with the women of the 
Coast, a race called Moplahs has arisen. They are 
strict followers of the Prophet of the Sunni sect, and 
have much of the Arab in look and demeanour. These 
Moplahs to this day look upon, and talk of, Arabia 
as their proper land, much as men born in Australia 
still call England "Home." Now the legend in Coorg 
is : — In prehistoric ages some of these Moplahs, who 
had obtained Mocha coffee seed from the Arab sires, 
sowed it in the wilds of Nalknaad. For long jears 
the Moplahs tried hard to keep this industry in their 
own hands. They told wild legends of the fearful 
death and doom which would descend on any at- 
tempting to interfere with it except true believers. 
Richter, in his history of Coorg, says : — " Its suc- 
cessful and profitable cultivaiiou was at first con- 
cealed from the Coorgs But these were shrewd 
enough to find out for themselves that, whilst none of 
the fabled fatal consequences followed the cultivation 
of the shrub, there was a ready and lucrative sale for 
the produce." 
When Stewart, Mann, &c, settled in Coorg about 
1854-57, they introduced the Ceylon and Manzerabad 
seed, and the whole of Coorg — in European hands — 
was rapidly planted up with these varieties. For a 
time all went comparatively well, but about 1866 
came the borer. This pest, often in a single season, 
left whole estates filled with nought but bare sticks, 
that might never bud nor blossom more. Then in 
1871 the terrible Hemileia Vastatrix, or leaf-disease, 
attacked the plant in its lungs, weakening it till it 
could barely live a faded, feeble life, unable to 
ripen crop. 
Over twenty years ago, at bis residence in Mer- 
cara, Mr. Mann planted a garden, one acre in extent, 
with seedlings from Nalknaad. This one acre has con- 
tinued to give crops of from ten to thirty cwt. to 
date. It now seems in full health and luxuriance, and 
all this time has never been, so to write, either sick 
or sorry. In 1867 a 64-acre block was planted on an 
estate called Pallikerry with seed from this garden. 
In 1872, Mr. James Chisholm, of Elk Hill, planted 
Hunchi Betta coffee estate with seedlings from the 
Pallikerry clearing. This estate — Hanchi Betta — the 
present writer has seen, and can speak to the fine 
appearance it has ever had, even to a superficial observer, 
while its oops have always been the highest in the 
district. When sold after the late Donald Stewart's 
death, it brought a price, I believe, unparalleled in 
India. 
As Mr. Chisholm was the first to discern the super- 
iority of this variety to all others, so he has been 
the most energetic in its cultivation. On writing to him 
for information he replies : — " Since 1874 I have planted 
nothing e se, and have now over a thousand acres 
growing the same umbrella- shaped tree." He further 
writes, that the demand for this variety is yearly 
increasing, and that he has had enquirers from such 
out-of-the-way places as Fiji and Perak, as well as 
Ceylon, and all the planting districts of India. 
1 think the subject well deserves the attention of coffee 
planters everywhere. It may be that by this means 
the long unprofitable lane in which they have been 
walking since 1866 may find a turning, and the white 
blossom of the Nalknaad coffee be the silver lining 
of the cloud that has so persistently overshadowed 
them. I sincerely hope it may. For this end I write, 
and because I believe the Asian is more widely read 
in all the various coffee districts than any other paper, 
I write to you. 
I am not, as I dare say you are aware, engaged 
myself in coffee cultivation 1 , and may add, am ueither 
directly nor indirectly interested in coffee, except as 
a beverage. A. L. I. 
Camp Kutempolli, 31st December 1881. 
GERMINATION OF CINCHONA LEDGERIANA 
SEED : CALISAYA VERDE NO. I. 
Igoor, Munzerabad, Mysore, 8th March 18S2. 
Dear Sir, — Seeing the letter of "One who bought 
and was sold," in your February issue, I feel it is but 
