368 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [1>ec. i, 1893. 
were not apparent. The cxperinient wes commeDced 
with two piKJutr, wbicb in abont tive }cars had in- 
Cleaned to Eeveral bnndrtd, v ben tbe rs ate paaot^d 
out of n;y band?. Tbe cultivation consisted in mai ur- 
liip where nceJed ; in good forkine rcuud tiep'cnts: 
Bud in weeding and piling the wfede nrrni d the httms 
to turn into mould. Though plantain growing, even 
at this elevat od, is remunerative. I would not re- 
commend it as a epecalation on a l*rge scale, be- 
cante it in still more remunerative, at low elevations. 
Bere the cuitivatiou is more fxpeosive; rich soil 
bfii'g scarce, manure would have to make up for tbe 
deficiency. 1 fonod it neoessary to fence in pHntain 
trees tn protect tbem fro-n wild pigs, &c. 
Three rt-ai'one do rot apply to stiictly to tbe 
growing of Pears, Walnuts, Aprionts, kc, and I 
believe that some of the txpcsed parts of these bills 
which are much injured by Samy cultiTation could 
be covered by dwarf* cherries. The injury done on 
these bilh by Samy cultivation and what in my opi- 
nion (honld take its place wonld make this letter 
longer, probably, than you desire. W. D. Redmond. 
lAt the distance noted in tbe above tbtre would 
be about 440 stools per acre, which wonld mean the 
same number of bunches. Allowing the wholecale 
price to be three annas per bunch, tbe gross retarne 
would only be B82-odd per acres, that is to say if 
each stool gave only one bunch per year. We would 
Bsk Mr. K^dmond to correct ns if we are wrong. — 
Ed,] — South of India Obsei-ver. 
THE COFFEE PLANTATIONS IN 
MONT&ERRAT, 
conducted as they are by a coffee planter of con- 
siderable experience in Ceylon (Mr, Hamilton) are 
of great importance to tbe Leeward Islands : and 
I regard their success or failure as a matter of 
vital interest in connection with the re-eatablish- 
ment of coffee in Dominica. I have carefully ex- 
amined the plantations from time to time with Mr. 
Hamilton. On the last occasion 1 observed a des- 
tructive scale insect of familiar appearance which had 
attacked most of tbe trees. Mr. Hamilton however 
pointed out a small red ant which he credited with 
destroying the scale insects. And certainly most 
of the trees appeared well able to throw off the 
parasite, for after a season the scale insects be- 
came Hat, surrounded by a small him, and finally 
died off. Unfortunately it is too well known that 
the ants usually live in a kind of symbiosis with 
scale insects. They have been observed in the case 
of Lecanium hemisjiliericum to carry the eggs from 
one tree to another, and thus literally to plant 
the scale insects upon the trees, afterwards feeding 
upon the sweet waxy tecretion exuded by these in- 
sects. Knowing these facts I collected specimens 
and examined into tbe matter. My conclusions were 
that some other cause was at work, probably the 
abundant rainfall as much as much as anything— 
and I noted and carefully collected specimens of 
the sca.le which appeared to have died and become 
mouldy from this excess of moisture. These I sent 
to Professor Reily the celebrated Entomologist of 
the United States Agricultural. Department, with 
whom I had commenced a fairly constant corres- 
pondence, stating my views concerning the fungus, 
the ant, and the scale insect. I have received the 
following confirmatory letter from him. " The Mont- 
serrat coffee scale is, as you suppose, Lecaniv.m 
htmisphericum and the small red ant is Uetra- 
iiiorium aurojnmctatum, Eog. Many of the scale 
had evidently been killed by fungus disease. Thi 
was practicularly true among those ' said to be 
cleared by the red ant.' The mouldy appearauco 
is mycelium and nrt wax." The scale insect Leca- 
* These are grown in EuRland in unfavourable 
aituatioua without manure. Tbe average yield per 
stool was a bnnch of alont 60 plantains. The 
retail price of the same size but inferior flavour was 
about eight annkB per bunch. Tbe wholesale prices 
were about three annaa pec banoh. 
nium hemisphericum ia nnfortnnaiely too well known 
to me as a most destructive pei t in Antigua and 
other inlands, and tbe discovery of i>« destroyer 1 
regard of great importance. As far as my obtser- 
vations at present extend this see le, as well as many 
otherb of a like nature, cannot ^-tand much rain : 
and after tbe setting in of the autumn raina in 
Antigua, the trees are quickly, although only tem- 
porarily, freed from it. I shall take particular 
notice whether the fungus ia already in Antigna, 
and if not, aball attempt to introduce it at the 
first opportunit) , as it will undoubtedly be a great 
assistance to the apraya I have hitherto ad- 
vised- I have not at present met with the scale 
on coffee in Dominica although I bear th»X it ia 
met with in Martinique. Unh ae, however, we 
can succeed in fighting it by means of this 
fungus, I fear that the expensive spraying opera- 
tions will do much to injure the industry which 
I regard as one of the most likely to bring pros- 
perity back to that oLce famous coffee growing 
island.— I have the honour to remain, your obdt. 
servant, C. A. Bahbeh, 
Hon. Col. Secy. Supt. of Agricultnre. 
-Agri- Horticultural Society of Itidia. 
« 
THE EXTERMINATION OF JUNGLE. 
In the West Indian and Commercial Advertigtr of 
last week the following letter attraoted my attention :— 
"EXTERMINATION OF JUNGLB. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THB ' WEM INDIAN ANU OOMMER- 
CIAL ADVEBTIeKB ' 
"8iH,---Pf rmit roe to bring to your notieethe fol. 
lowiog invention of an Australian geotleman tor tbe 
eradication of jangle by chemical means, which bat 
been placed upon tbe Indian market. It ia atated 
that by aprinkling or spra}in« tbe compound at tbe 
the rate of half an ounce to every gallon of water it 
nill kill all kinds of sbrab and naziooe grasaea in 
one to at most four applications. I obtained a bun- 
r'redweight of ihe compound from tbe firm intro- 
ducing it, and made careful trials with it. I fouLd 
it WBB capable of doing all that wai reptistuted if 
it was applied to the scrub f>r noxioos grasses wbilo 
these were in active growth, but it wes almost in- 
noxious if applied in the winter while growth waa 
inactive. Tie compound ia, m my opinion, worthy of 
a fair trial, but aa it is said to be very poiaonouii, great 
care baa to He exercised iu ita use. 
London, October 24, 1893. Indian." 
It occurred to me tbat poesftibly a good nee of the 
mixture referred to might be maoe in many localities 
iu Ceylon. Olten during my journeys tbrcugb the 
forests of the Northern Province it has occurred to 
me to corae a(?ro8», surrounded by maguifioent 
growths of timber treef, several acres ofdwarfidand 
stunted vegetation, and evpn in such ca«es wherein 
to all outward seeming the trees were as fine aod 
perfect as all others in their neigbboarhood, it baa 
been observable that they were partially bollow, end 
therefore worthless to tbe timber feller. It was known 
to me tbat such areas had in days gone by bien 
subjected to tbe proceet of ohenaing. I have always 
he'd the theory that, if (be weakened vegetation 
o<^uld be thoroughly rooted out and tbe soil in some 
way re invigorated, such patches might become aa 
fertile as is tbe ori^iial foreetland. It occurs to 
me tbat the empIo}ment of some snob agent as that 
mentioned in the letter given above might be able 
to effect this complete eradication and pave the way 
for aubsfqnent treatment. Possibly this componod, 
or something analogous, may be already known in 
Ceylon, and may have received trial there ; but abonld 
it not have done ao, it si<ema that experiments with 
it might result usefully in the direction pointed out. 
« 
A NEW TEA COMPANY. 
The Morawakorale Tea Co., Ld., with a capital 
of £50,000, takes over Ensalwatta, Ciaven, Silva- 
kaode and Naragalla estates, 
