Dec, I, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
40? 
and. The extract of 5 lb. of Quassia, to 100 gallons 
of water, with 6 lb. of soft-soap and 4 pints of 
paraffin, well stirred. 
8rd. The extract of 5 lb. of Quassia, to 100 gal- 
lons of water, with 6 lb. of soft-soap and i pints of 
Calvert's carbolic acid, No. 5. 
4th. 8 lb. of soft-soap and 2 lb. of finely-ground 
Hellebore, and a quart of paraffin, boiled and well 
stirred together. This is sufficient for 100 gallons of 
water. 
The soft-soap ia dissolved in a tub with hot 
water; the Quassia chips are boiled in water, and 
put into another tub. Where paraffin is used, it 
should be well stirred up with boiling soap and 
water before it is mixed with the cold water. Water- 
carts, ordinary barrels, or wine casks set upon frames 
with wheels, should be brought full of water to 
where the materials are being prepared, either at 
the farm buildings, or in an extemporised shed with 
a copper in it, and the requisite amount of dissolved 
soap and other ingredients added. The Eclair, and 
other similar hand machines, can be used for small 
Apple trees. Plum and Damson tree 5, and for 
Filbert and Cobnut trees, which are also badly infested. 
It is important that syringing should be done at 
once, as, to be effective, it must be commenced early. 
Directly there are signs of infestation, the process 
should be begun. As the hatching out of caterpillars 
is not simultaneous, but is extended over some days, 
the syringings must be renewed. 
Seooiidli/.— Some fruit growers in several parts of 
the country have tried the arsenical insecticides used 
extensively in the United States, and Canada. These 
have not been generally adopted in this country on 
account of their poisonous properties. The time 
has now arrived when they should be fully tried. 
There are two special substances of this nature. 
The one, "Paris Grreen," or "Emerald Green," is 
strongly recommended by several American and 
Canadian entomologists. 
The latest advice from experienced practical ento- 
mologists is to put 1 lb. of jParis Green, in the form 
of paste, which is far better than powder, into from 
10.5 to 200 gallons of water. The mixture must be 
kept well stirred, in order that the solution may be 
maintained at an uniform strength. 
The object is not to dislodge the caterpillars, but 
to poison their food with arsenical solutions, which 
should fall, like gentle rain, upon the leaves and 
blos.soms. For this purpose fine "rose" jets should 
be used. Riley's " cyclone nozzle " is used in America. 
The Vermorel nozzle is also a good distributor. 
The other arsenical compound is " London Purple," 
obtained in the manufacture of aniline dyes, and 
composed of lime and arsenious acid. 
One pound of London Purple should be mixed 
with from 160 to 180 gallons of water and kept well 
stirred, being applied in the same manner as the 
Paris Green, sprayed on in the form of a heavy 
dew or mist, and not squirted violently upon the 
leaves and blossoms. 
London Purple can be obtained as a powder, and 
in a fluid form ready for mixing with water. It is 
as poisonous as Paris Green. 
Stock must not be put on grass in orchards where 
these arsenical solutions have been used on the 
fruit trees until a considerable period has elapsed 
and rains have fallen; nor must they be used 
where bush fruits for early picking, and vegetables 
are grown under the trees. 
Three or four days will elapse before the effect 
of these solutions is apparent, and, as a rule, it 
will be found necessary to repeat the applications. 
These solutions can be put on with kop-washing 
engines, ordinary garden engines, the Eclair, hydro- 
nettes, and otlier pail engiues. Syringing with I'aris 
Green, London I'urplo, and other solutions recom- 
mended above, will bo equally detrimental to the 
Apple BlosHom Weevil (Anthouonuia poniorum) now 
present in large numbtrs, and to tlie Apple Sucker 
(I'aylla niali), which is causing unprecedented harm 
in many localities. — Uardcncru' iJhivniclc- 
CACAO IN NICAEAQUA AND CENTRAL 
AMERICA GENERALLY. 
We have received from Mr. Hart of Trinidad a 
copy of an interesting Report drawn np by him on 
" Caoao in Nicaragua " and making references to 
cultivation in other Central, and in a few Southern 
Amerioan States. He also gives some information 
respeoting cofleo and nutmegs. We had no idea 
before reading this Report that the growth of 
caoao was of bo much importance in Nicaragua. 
For the whole of Central America our estimate 
of production as given in our lecture before the 
London Chamber of Commerce, was 65,000 cwt, 
or rather more than one-third the crop of Trinidad. 
But it ia evident that these figures are consider- 
ably below the mark, although the difference does 
not affect the markets of the rest of the world. 
This is accounted for by the fact, that as Mr, 
Hart mentions, all the cocoa produced in Nicara- 
gua is consumed within that State, not a single 
pound being exported. Cocoa is in fact the 
great drink of the people, chocolate in various 
forms being used several times a day by all 
classes, so that even Monsieur Menier, the 
great French Oholocate Manufacturer, who owns a 
a large cacao property there, finds it to his 
advantage to dispose of all bis product on the 
spot 1 Mr. Hart's mission was to convey a 
selection of the best varieties of Trinidad cacao, 
and although owing to "revolutions" and blockades, 
he could not land at one port after another and 
was altogether 47 days on tbe journey, 98 per 
cent of tbe seeds planted in Wardian oases gave 
good healthy plants, while plants 6 and 12 months 
old taken, did not fara so well. In some cases 
artificial irrigation is applied to Nicaraguan 
plantations ; but the rich deep soil aud great 
care taken in planting are sufficient to ensure 
success. Mr. Hart writes : — 
The land of tbe district I visited was of a dark 
colour, and appeared to be composed principiUy of 
fine volcanic dust, mixed with » laree proportion of 
orgaoia matter. Tbe depth of the tillable soil varied 
from (3) three to sis (6) feet, to which depth rot a 
single stone or rock of any kind wsa to be found. In 
the general run, tbe class of caoao grown io Nicaragaa, 
when seen in the pods, differs little from that been on a 
Trinidad estate, and pods o»n be seleoted to fairly 
represeut most of the Trinidad var'etieB, snch as 
Forastero, Amelooado, Calabacillo, Creolo, &c. When 
tlie pod is opened, however, it is at once seen that the 
bean is considerably larger and fuller than auy Tri- 
nidal variety. Again, on cutting the bean it io found 
as a rule to be white in the infide, or in Bome casei 
slightly tinged with the purplish colour (O well known 
in Trinidad. Again, it is found that it requires a very 
maob shorter period for fermentation as will be de- 
ecribed later. The plantations are laid out in sqaaraa 
of considerable area, and comph tely surrounded wi h 
hedges of mango trees plauud closely together to 
form wind breaks in every direction. The^e trees 
grow to a height of sixty feet and are kept well trim- 
med so as to form a thick screen withont gaps. The 
seeds are sown thickly together in straight lines to 
produce these hedges. The laud is well drained by 
open surface channe's similar to tbe Trinidad syitem. 
The " hois immorteV or Erythi ina is known, but little 
used for shade. The trea in general use for this pur- 
pose ia • species of Loncliocarpus or " Savonette" — 
there called " Madera." The plantation is formed 
and the " Madera" or permanent shade is firit planted 
from seed in straight lines about five " varas" apar», 
which would be equal to about 13 Eogligh feet. After 
allowing tbe shade to grow from 18 monthf to 2 >e»rf, 
the OBcio trees are planted in the fame lines as the 
eha le trees and alternating with them in the rows at 
about 12 or 13 feet apart or lees. The " MaiUni'. 
becomes the permanent shade of the plantation, but 
primary and secondary shade is also used at the same 
time. The primary sliade ia formed by a ehiab be- 
