June i, 1882.J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
but w< 
median 
faithfully, 
the 
Ceylon. The plat 
>ukl have conute 
ind. 
to add my testimony lo 
Keif mora than any other 
a large amount of our 
oua plant. — I am, yours 
W. SMITH. 
practical 
ow. No- 
have for- 
for these 
SPARROWS AS INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 
Queen's Hotel, Kandy, 1 7th April 1SS2. 
Sir,— During a pleasaut visit to the hill country, I 
heard many discussions upon the diseases now ravag- 
ing the coffee trees, and also various methods proposed 
for destroying tin m. 
I have not studied the matter scientifically. This 
has already been most ahly done by wiser men, but 
the expenses which must attend the suggested chetn- 
ical appliances, t U much a«ainst their being generally 
adopted, without which they would be useless. 
Now it seems to mo that a cheap 
remedy is at hand, i.e., the. commot 
body that has travelled™ tin 5 Far We 
gotten the snug little breeding boxes \ 
insect destroyers at every vantage place, and even as 
recently as L873 it was an offence (with a fine of five 
dollars) to kill one ; for without them vegetation was 
unable to make much way against the ravages of grubs, 
etc., etc. At any rate it would be an inexpensive 
experiment to have a few dozen sparrows turned out 
upon an estate. They would very soon be at home in 
the cinchona trees, and not welcome guests to the big 
green grubs and beetles that now abound, and are the 
cause of these diseases, winch, in my opinion, in the 
course of a ye:ir or two, would then disappear. 
I do not imagine the authorities at Colombo or Kandy 
would allow 1 he sparrows about these towns to be 
c night snd s>-ut upcountry (they value them too highly 
1 guess) but some could quickly be obtained irom 
Prance or England, and for increasing the species 1 
would back them against rabbits. I enclose my card, 
hoping you will give this letter spate in your paper, and 
that this, or smn" other means, may soon be found 
to relieve the planters, for kinder or moro hospitable 
men I never met. — lam, sir, yours obediently, P. M. 
OUTDOOR GRAFTING! 
Nuwara Eliya, 22od April 1882. 
Dear Sin,— With reference to your article on out- 
door grafting, I remembor translating ior Mr. de Bavny, 
as far buck as November 1SS0, a letter on this subject, 
which, was published in yonr p per- 
Experiments in thin system of propagation were tried 
by him on Springkell estate, Dimbulu, in June 1880, 
where various kinds nf cinchona wore grafted on to 
(UOoirubra stocks mid several grafts were sent to 
Drayton and Logic. 
Great care should be taken that the cambiums of 
stock and gr.ilt touch each other, otherwise they "ill 
not unite.— Yours faithfully, M. BREMER. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE TREKS AND SPARROWS. 
23rd April 1882. 
Sir. — When I saw Mnnsawa Liberian trees a 
yearns-, | was told, I think, that thev were nine 
fours old. They won "off bearing," but seemed to 
hnvo ahnnt a ton an m-ie on them. Doubtless, how- 
ever, the owners Mr. Rolln nf Mr 1'ijilby, can give 
\ on more exact information.— Yours faithfully, 
PTERODACTYL, 
P.S.— What price will "P. M." oive for h. s spar- 
rbwsl Guaranteed to thrire-npoouotry, 
A CURE FOR RED ANTS. 
Dimbula, 23rd Apri 
ill, I 
■ used 
three 
stroy 
and those that 
iped took 
)uld, of course, be taken against the 
ything more than the nests.— Yours 
B. 
if adopted, should certainly be tried 
iher.— Ed.1 
DISl 
INSISTING LIBERIAN COFFEE 
TREES. 
Udapolla, Polgahawela, 24th April 1882. 
Dear Sik,— On some of the Liberian colFee plants 
lat I consider leaf-disease resisting, I noticed a few 
sllow spots on a few leaves, which 1 thought mi"ht 
- lit mileia, and some leaves had small perforations 
them, the result, as I thought, of these spots. To 
ttle the matter I forwarded a few leaves of each sort 
1 Dr. IVimen, and asked him for his opinion, which 
3 very kindly aud promptly gave ; and it is very 
icouraging to learn from him that he can "find no 
aee of hcmileia." This strengthens me much in my 
; truly. 
WILLIAM JARDIN ... 
Peradeuiya, 20th April 1882. 
Dear Sit, — I can find no trace of hemileia in the 
spotted leaves of Liberian coffee you send, and see no 
reason to consider the spots due to "leaf-disease." 
Such discolouratinns, or local changes in the gi t en 
colouring mutter, are by no means uncommon in very 
many different kinds of jdants, and, although evidences 
of failure Of perfect nutrition, are not 'of aserious character. 
I am glad to he ir that you find so many of your 
Liberian plants keep free from liemikin, and hope 
that they will continue so. It is I think at least 
prematura to speak of them as " proof" against it. 
I cannot conceive any coffee plant being that. But 
it is a great thing to get a coffee which suffers so 
much les. damage liom the attacks of the fungus, 
and that we have, I think, in Liberian.— I am, yours, 
faithfully, Hksry Tkimkn. 
MR. T. X. CHRISTIE Or' MASKKLIYA ON 
BYBRID1TY AND OPEN-AIR GRAFTING. 
St. Andrew's, Maskoli.ya, 24th April 1SS2. 
Dkar Sin, The letters from Messrs. Win. Smith 
and Gammie, in your issue of 21st, give new life to 
the anti-hybridists; so, as a believer iu the crosn- 
fortil'/ation of the varieties of cinchona, I claim space 
for n counterblast. 
Facte ire what wo want, and I gladly contribute 
my in i ' <;• •'"'>' Atlguit lout, I aHOlOlsd art- 
