ioi8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1882. 
as far as the propagation of blossom is con- 
cerned, by the superabundance and incessancy of 
the rainfall, taking it from the commencement 
of the year up to, say, the end of March, it will 
be seen from the table produced that there ought to 
have been a short crop here in 1878-79. Now, the 
fact ie, it was the largest, by far, I have gathered 
since I took charge of this estate in 1876. And if 
there are any who hold that the superabundance and 
continuity of the rains that may fall in the latter 
months of the previous year also injuriously affect 
the propagation of blossom, I give additional figures 
to show that, even in this case, my theory is not 
materially impaired. As evidence of the fact that rain 
does not always predispose coffee trees to an attack 
of leaf-disease, whatever Mr. Ward may say to the 
contrary, I may state that I have never before seen, 
at tins season of the year, so riiuch of the pest as pre- 
vails here at the present moment. And we have had 
only one heavy, and two very slight, showers since 
the 6th of last month. You will observe from the 
table sent, that, although the quantity of rain for 
the first three months of 1882 was slightly in excess 
of that for the same period of 1877, the number of 
days on which rain fell was less by two. 
PLANTER. 
Table referred to in letter : 
Quantity of No. of days 
Crop, Bus. on which No. of 
Parchment. Rain fell. Inches. 
1877. 
Jauuary ... ... — 21 22-00 
February ... ... — 1 -10 
March ... ... — 8 3-72 
Crop 1878-79 ... 6,500 30 . 25-82 
1882. 
January ... ... — 15 21 - 50 
February ... ... — 10 3'85 
March ... V ' '>..... • '. ' 3 4rU 
Estimated crop at this 
date including a blos- 
som now in spike ... 1,500 28 29-49 
1876. 
November ... ... — 20 21-89 
December ... ... — 24 19-67 
— 44 41-56 
1881. 
November ... ... — 25 14-62 
December ... ... — . 28 33-13 
— 53 47-75 
April 7th, 1822. 
TEA PREPARATION AND EXPERTS. 
Maskeliya, 8th April 1882. 
Dear Sir, — I wish some of our tea-experts, would 
tell us poor coffee planters the proper way of manu- 
facturing tea, how to wither the leaf when it 
comes in soaked with wet ; in trying to wither it, no 
end of leaves turn red — although it is thinly spread 
out, having plenty of air and light. I find it almost 
impossible to make good tea in rainy weather. 
We have a number of experts in the island. One 
eays, "wither the leaf sharp off." Another says, "do 
it gradually in a natural way." I say the natural 
way is the best. Why do not these gentlemen decide 
among themselves the proper Avay of manufacturing 
tea ? I sometimes think they are afraid of tackling 
each other, not like us coffee men. We have it out. — 
Yours truly, HYBRID ASSAM. 
[In regard to tea even more than coffee, experts 
hold different opinions. One says "you cannot roll 
too heavily;" another, "roll lightly for the take of 
the tips." Apart from experience which is the great 
guide) W© should try..-, t the Indian tea-planter to give 
advice who himself turns out first-claes tea. The 
difficulty of withering properly in very wet weather 
is a serious one. There are machines to dispel the 
moisture, but how far they have been successful we 
do not know. — Ed.] 
COCOA IN DOLOSBAGE. 
Yatiyantota, 13th April 1882. 
Dear Sir, — I notice in your columns a correspond- 
ence about the average number of seeds in Gang Warily 
cocoa pods. Having received a good many pods from 
that estate, I can give the averge of seeds in two lots 
received this year, as I kept a note of the number each 
time. The average number was 32 seeds to a pod. 
In one pod I counted 41 seeds, and I think my con- 
ductor got 43 in another, but this last I am not positive 
about. 
All pods I have received from Gang Warily have 
been in excellent condition and evidently collected 
with care. If all transactions were as satisfactory 
as Gang Warily pods, I would be content. — Yours faith- 
fully. H. W. M. 
MR. WM. CARRY'S SYSTEM OF VAPORIZ- 
ATION. 
Sir, — It has appeared in the Ceylon papers that 
one Mr. Storck was about to visit the island for the 
purpose of introducing his system of cure for coffee 
leaf-disease, the chief means being stated to be va- 
porization. I beg to inform you that that system 
nas been carried on, ou an estate in the Negombo 
district, for the last three years, for the purpose of 
destroying the lavages of the black, brown and red 
beetle, resulting* in double crops of coconuts of 
enormous size, the same being sold to the natives 
at very high prices compared with native produce in 
general. Upwards of a year ago I gave my plan in 
writing to a Colombo merchant, under the piomise 
of secrecy, t and that the plan was applicable to 
the introduction of coffee cultivation from the fact 
of coffee trees in the vicinity of cooly houses and 
bungalows on all the estates having re-ponded to the 
vapor emitted on them, and which may be seen all over 
the country. Two gentlemen came to Ceylon many 
years ago and travelled over the country, visiting 
coconut estates in general, and when they returned 
to Colombo, they published in the Ceylon Observer 
the miserable condition of coconut trees all over the 
country, except those in the vicinity of houses and 
huts, failing to see a good tree twenty yards from 
the houses and huts. 
I certainly drank in every word of this stern re- 
buke, which I have never lost sight of. With regard 
to Mr. William Ferguson's inquiry about the de- 
structive qualities of beetles, I may inform him that 
the small spear, the knife, the bellows, tobacco and 
sulphur are not required any more in the expulsion 
of beetle. Last year I informed Mr. H. VV. Green 
that I would givo the plan to Mr. Saunders, Govern- 
ment Agent of the Western Province, his experience 
being general and his influence so great that it would 
be productive of much good to the vast number of 
unyielding [non -yielding. — Ed'. C. O.] coconut trees in 
his province. But I have beeu unable to carry out 
my object, undergoing a severe attack of diarrhoea 
and having lost the power in my right side. I feel 
better ; thanks be to God for his great mercies. 
WM. CARRY, Senior. 
* The smoking of the trees, not the ravages of 
the beetles.— Ed. 
•f We heard many years ago that the process was 
just one of fumigation. — Ed, 
