6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [July a, 1894. 
I am dow requested by this Sub-Committee to 
submit for the consideration of His Excellenoy the 
Governor the following as embodying their opinions 
in referenoe to the various points mentioned in your 
communication. 
What Class of Officer the Association desiees? 
Xhe best Entomological Scientist available for the 
salary, the Government deems sufficient to a'.tract such 
an officer. 
What Salary He Should Be Paid ?— The Com- 
mittee do rot thiofc a fir^t class Entomologist can be 
procured for a less s-lary than R5,000 p -r annum 
with the usual travelling allowances. 
How Should He Be Paid.— The Committee is of 
opinion that he be raid out of the Geneial Ke»eDue, 
as his services would be avai'able for all ttie agricultural 
classes of the community throughout tho island, 
native as well as European, besides giving lectures to 
the students at the School of Agriculture and the 
Royr.l College. 
What should be His Duties? — So far as the plant- 
ing community is concerned to investigate insect 
pesta as they are brought before him by managers 
of estates, to visit the infected localities, and to sug- 
gest remedies for their prevention and extermination. 
The Government will no doubt make the best ar- 
rangements for bis investigating the infect pests 
which so seriously affeot native growers of paddy, 
coconuts, &c, 
What aee the Special Objects to be Served by 
the Appointment in Question ?— Although the pre- 
ceding paragraph partly answers this question a 
sentence from a recent work on " The Chemistry and 
Agriculture of Tea " by Mr. M. K. Bamber, Calcutta, 
will batter serve to explaiu the posit;on, viz:— 
Although most of the blights, wi'h" their life history, 
have been described, the information given is not 
always camplete, and few planters know the changes 
undergone and the period at which such changes 
occur. Such knowledge is very necessary in most 
cases to enable the planter to at'empt the destruc- 
tion of the blights with any prospect of success, 
as they must be attacked when in their most vulner- 
able oonditiOD. It is probable that the period of 
change is not exactly tbe same in a'l district 5 , being 
affected by climatic and other conditions but care- 
ful daily examination of suspected blighted bushes, 
with the aid of a microscope, or ordinary glass, and 
recording observations would reveal the stages in 
the life of many of the minute insect blights and 
enable the observer to apply insecticides, or adopt 
other means of eradication at the most suitable time." 
what are the present difficulties in obtaining 
information on the subjects to be dealt 
WITH BY THE ENTOMOLOGI 3T, &c? 
At the present time when any particular blight or 
insect pest makes its appearance we have no official 
specialist to whom we can apply for information. 
Some few years ago serious attacks of Helopeltis 
affected cacao to such an extent that the extension 
of this product was checked for a time, and the value 
of cacao property affeoted. Withiu the last year or 
so Helopeltis has seriou-ly damaged the tea fields in 
some parts of tba low country, and hus not been 
altogether unknown even upcountry. In India in the 
District of Dooars especially, whole estates were 
reported to have been abandoned for a time at least 
on account of mosquito blight. Other di eases in the 
Ceylon Tea Districts such as Rust and Red Spider 
and the attack of a species i f moth are not uncom. 
mon yearly and may increase as tea cultivation 
becomes more extended and the great area of young 
tea planted comes into full beiriog. 
WHETHER THE OFFICER SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY 
EMPLOYED. 
We tbink that he should te engaged at first for 
a fixed period of three years. 
Commending the observitiOLS of the Sub-Committee 
to the attention of the Government. — I am, s. : r, your 
moat obedient servant (Signed) A. Philip, Secrotary 
to the Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
Copy. Colonial Secretary's Office, 
Colombo, May 22nd. 
Sir,— With reference to your letter dated the 20tb 
April 1894 relative to a resolution passed by your 
Association requesting the Government to arrange for 
the appointment of an entomologist to be attached to 
the Colombo Museum, I am directed to transmit to 
you the annexed copies of reports made by the 
Directors of the Koyal Botanic Gardens, of the 
Colombo Museum, and of Public Instruction, 
embodying their independent views on the subject 
and I am to state that His Excellency the Governor 
does not feel disposed to make any addition to the 
staff of the Museum. 
2. I am to request you to bo so good as to favour 
the Governor with an expression of the views of 
your Association on reconsideration of the question 
after a perusal of the reports now forwarded to you. — 
I am, &c. (Signed) H. White, for Colonial Secretary. 
The Secretary, Planters' Association of Ceyloii, 
Kandy. 
PROPOSED APPOINTMENT OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST. 
No. 29. Royal Botanic Garde n«, Peradeniya, 
7th May 1394 
Sir,— In reply to the request contained in jour 
letter No. 31 of 4th May, I have the honour to offi r 
the following opinion on the subject referred to. 
1. Tbe request of the Plintcrs' Association would 
appear on the face of it to be made in tbe interest 
of the Colombo Museum, but from the view* is. 
pressed in the Secretary's letter of the 20th April, this 
does not aeem to be aotually the case. Wbal is 
desired is that tbe duties of tbe proposed eotouo. 
legist shall be the investigation of itsect pests, and that 
his services shall be available for all agriculturists 
in Ceylon especially the managers of estates ; he 
is ali-o to give lectures (I suppose on economic 
entomojgy) at the School of Agriculture and the 
Royal College. 
2. If, however, an offioial entomologist, were to 
be attached to the Museum, his first duty and prin- 
cipal work should certainly be the immediate 
onre a&d arrangement of the Insect coliectioua tber<\ 
though this need not prevent him from carrying out, 
under proper direction, some of tho objects above 
specified. 
3. I am not in a position to siy whether such 
assistance in that department of bis charge le 
desired by the Director cf the Museum, but I am 
of opinion that there is ample work for such an 
officer and that his appointment would relieve the 
Direotor and strengthen the Museum. 
4. I feel strongly that, apart from suoh Museum- 
work, the duties proposed cannot be regarded as 
affording sufficient justification for tbe proposed 
appointment. The occurrence of insects in such abuu- 
dance as to cause serious damage is a some what rare 
event ; as a matter of fact crops in Ceylon are by no 
means specially liable to insect ravages and tea 
— the principal Es'a'e cultivation — may be regarded 
as remarkably free from them. Moreover, as n rule, 
tbe investigation of tbe life and habits of insects 
presents little difficulty to anyone with ordinary 
habits of observation, being in this respect very differ- 
ent from that of fungus parasites wbioh are very 
minute, and require for their full investigation much 
time and skill and familiarity with and experieute 
in the use of the microscope and othsr instruments. 
As things are at present, the restriction of tbe work 
of tho proposed entomologist to the investigation of 
insect pests could not legitimately occupy much of hij 
time. 
5. I have had considerable experience in the matter 
as it hvs been the practice with many pl*r.ters an i 
others to refer to me (though I have ne special 
knowledge of insects) speoimens known orsospeced 
to be harmful to crops. A large portion of these are 
obviou'ly harmless and I oannot but remark that a 
little observation would have revealed this to the 
senders. Mere curiosity of this sort might possibly 
be encouraged by the existence of such an official as 
asked for, and his time ocoupied unnecessarily, 
