726 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1894. 
fetobeJ -7 per lb. EstimatB for tbii yeir is 2.205 
ajads tea andCOO roaoodB seed, at a toUl outlay of 
B73,235 including upkeep of cr<rt*in ncyie'ding tea snd 
cost of extension. The AB'am-BenKul Railway will ron 
through the property but the line of route is not 
defiuitely settled — routjhly 47 acres will be required.— 
Pioneer, 
BANANA DISEASE. 
For some two or three years past a disease has 
appeared among the various kinds of Musaa (Bananas) 
cultivated in Trinidad. The diacasc is characterised 
by a diseased condition of the leaves, and by the 
fruit rotting before coming to maturity. 
The kind<) most affected are those known aa the 
" Moko," or " Jumbi Plantain," and the "Jamaica 
Banana," otherwise known in Trinidad as the " Groa 
Michel," which is the kind most generally exported 
to the United States. I have several times examined 
disen.sed plants at variou.^ season,s, but so far am 
unable to point to any special cause for the ap- 
pearance of disease, with certainty. In the specimens 
examined, it has been found that when first affected 
the plant shows signs of disease by the decay or 
shrivelling up of its leaves, and a general anemic 
or weak appearance and the base of the petiole of 
the leaf rots away and passes into a state of fer- 
mentation The watery particles of the plant toein 
with amoeboid orgaaisms and neiiiatoid worms are 
present in large numbers, while a variety of forma 
of Bacteria are present in the fluids of both stem 
and leaf. These organisms also appear in the soil 
surrounding the roots, and also in the fruit when it 
decays. I have, however, been unable to show that 
the plant is attacked by parasitic fungi of any kind. 
So far as my observation goes the disease first 
attacks the growing parts of the plant and then 
induces decay downwards to the roots, the whole 
stem eventually rotting from the top downwards. 
I am careful not to assume that the presence of 
Bacteria, Amoeba, or the Nematoid worms are tlie 
cause of the disease, although it is almost certain 
that, together with the extreme climatic conditions 
which have e.?isted for the past two years, they 
have no little influence in promoting its spread and 
may be the original cause, but of this we have not 
as yet seen sufficient proof. As a tentative measure 
I would sugges*; the complete destruction of infected 
plants, and the removal of all that are healthy to 
well drained and fertile soil, as a means of inducing 
frowth sufficiently strong to overcome parasitic attack, 
t is observed that the " Fig-sucre," or small 
fruited Banana, enjoys the greatest immunity from 
attack ; possibly on account of the harder character 
of the epidermis in this varie'y. 
January, 1894. J. H. H. 
BLACK PEPPER— NIGRUM) IN 
TEINIDAD. 
Consignments of " Black-pepper " plants, Piper 
vignim, have been received at various times at this 
Establishment from the Royal Gardens, Kew, and 
have been grown and distributed to various appli- 
cants, amongst whom was Mr. W. C. Meaden of 
the Convict Depot, Ohaguanas, who has paid much 
attention to the cultivation of economic plants. With 
Black-pepper, Mr. Meaden has been very successful, 
and he has now harvested probably the largest crop 
ever produced in the West Indies.* The sample ia 
an excellent one, and, as prepared by bim ; leaves 
nothing to be desired, and is probably eiqual to the 
best kinds put upon the market. A portion has been 
sent to t e Economic Museum of the Royal Gar- 
dens, Kew, from whence a report is shortly expected. 
The propagation of Black-pepper is , extremely 
simple, and plants can be obtained at the rate of 
O'lie cent (half-penny) per plant. The cultivation 
necessary to keep the plants in condition is performed 
with very little expenditure of labour, it being ne- 
cessary only to place the plants at the base of such 
trees as the " Bois Immortel " (Erytkrnta velutina and 
ErythrirM umhrosa) in well prepared holes, and train 
the young shoots for the tost season to the tree. 
The after cultivation consiBts mainly in keeping the 
plants from getting out of reach of the short laSder. 
by means of which the crop is collected. The habit 
of the plant makes it a very suitable one for plant- 
ing against the base of the trees used as shade on 
a Cacao plantation, which fact points to the pro- 
bability of its being extensively utilized in such 
positions by Trinidad pliinlers iu the near future, 
especially now that it has been proved that it can 
be so successfully grown. Among our plants at 
the Gardens can be seen one whicn has produced 
a crop of 2 Ih., harvested on January 16th, 18»4, 
whieh is a similar position as it would be on a shade 
tree in a "Cacao" plantation 
The season for gathering in the crop in the 
East is from mid-December to mid-February, and it 
appears that the plant ripens its fruit at the same 
time of year in the West Indies. The frnit is picked 
when " fnll " but still green; when, however, 
" White-pepper " is required to be made, it has to 
be allowed to ripen on the vine. After a slight 
fermentation, the pericarp should be removed by 
washing, and the interior por'ion of the fruit then 
assumes the appearance which causes it to be known 
as " White-pepper." The present price of " Black- 
pepper" in the Loudon market ranges from 2Jd. to 
4Jd. per lb The drying of the green berries should be 
performed as quickly as possible after picking or sort- 
ingr, on mats or trays exposed to the sun, or where 
artificial dryers are available, these can be made 
use of with great economy. When systematic culti 
vation is adopted, (i.e.) if the pepper vine is made 
the sole object of cultivation, and not planted in- 
termingled with other crops, much more attention 
can be paid to the cultivation than when it i- 
planted with other things, and probably more profit 
would be realized than by mixed planting. The cost 
of planting and cultivating an acre in the East, 
up to the first bearing, is only f 4, but it ia prob- 
able that this cost would be far exceeded in Tri- 
nidad. The vines there are planted at five feet 
apart, and come into bearing about the third year 
from planting, the best crops being reaped at sixth 
or seventh year. In Malabar it is said that each 
vine gives an average of two pounds per year up 
to the fifteenth or twentieth year, but each sup- 
porting tree sustains some eight or twelve vines. 
It having been proved that Pepper, good in quantity 
and quality, can be grovra in Trinidad, we have 
now to express the hope that our planters will be 
induced to take up the cultivation, even in a small 
way at first, especially as there is shown to be so 
little difficulty in initiating and maintaining it. 
Seeds of the tree* used in the East for support can 
be obtained, in their season, at the Gardens, and 
anyone requiring plants can, provided the order is 
sent in early, be supplied as before-mentioned, at 
the low rate of §1 00 per one hundred, or one cent 
per plant. I may add that samples harvested by 
Mr. Meaden, may be seen at the Gardens. 
9th January, 1894, J, H. fl. 
Peebmad PiiAnieb9 are growling about (he hail- 
Btorma vhiob have done a good deal of damage 
to the opeD oofEee blOBsom, Tea-men on the 
contrary are rejoicing, and the fine showery weather 
is bringing on (he flash in grand style. A Wynaad 
correspondent writes : — "The season here has been 
most favourable for coffee and to, I fancy, very 
unfavourable for human beings, as I have seldom 
known so much sickness about. We are going in 
for a grand crop here, both of tea and oofiee. 
Things are looking cheerful eucugb at last." — 
South of India Observer, 
* 200 lb. 
* ErytJirim Indica. 
